Elk resource selection at parturition sites, Black Hills, South Dakota

Treesearch

Chadwick P. Lehman; Mark A. Rumble; Christopher T. Rota; Benjamin J. Bird; Dillon T. Fogarty; Joshua J. Millspaugh

2015-01-01

We studied elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) parturition sites at coarse (314-km2 and 7-km2) and fine (0.2-ha) scales in the Black Hills, South Dakota, 2011-2013, following a period of population decline and poor calf recruitment. Our objective was to test whether female elk selected parturition sites across spatial scales in association with forage, terrain...

Using Temporal Modulation Sensitivity to Select Stimulation Sites for Processor MAPs in Cochlear Implant Listeners

PubMed Central

Garadat, Soha N.; Zwolan, Teresa A.; Pfingst, Bryan E.

2013-01-01

Previous studies in our laboratory showed that temporal acuity as assessed by modulation detection thresholds (MDTs) varied across activation sites and that this site-to-site variability was subject specific. Using two 10-channel MAPs, the previous experiments showed that processor MAPs that had better across-site mean (ASM) MDTs yielded better speech recognition than MAPs with poorer ASM MDTs tested in the same subject. The current study extends our earlier work on developing more optimal fitting strategies to test the feasibility of using a site-selection approach in the clinical domain. This study examined the hypothesis that revising the clinical speech processor MAP for cochlear implant (CI) recipients by turning off selected sites that have poorer temporal acuity and reallocating frequencies to the remaining electrodes would lead to improved speech recognition. Twelve CI recipients participated in the experiments. We found that site selection procedure based on MDTs in the presence of a masker resulted in improved performance on consonant recognition and recognition of sentences in noise. In contrast, vowel recognition was poorer with the experimental MAP than with the clinical MAP, possibly due to reduced spectral resolution when sites were removed from the experimental MAP. Overall, these results suggest a promising path for improving recipient outcomes using personalized processor-fitting strategies based on a psychophysical measure of temporal acuity. PMID:23881208

Automating an integrated spatial data-mining model for landfill site selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abujayyab, Sohaib K. M.; Ahamad, Mohd Sanusi S.; Yahya, Ahmad Shukri; Ahmad, Siti Zubaidah; Aziz, Hamidi Abdul

2017-10-01

An integrated programming environment represents a robust approach to building a valid model for landfill site selection. One of the main challenges in the integrated model is the complicated processing and modelling due to the programming stages and several limitations. An automation process helps avoid the limitations and improve the interoperability between integrated programming environments. This work targets the automation of a spatial data-mining model for landfill site selection by integrating between spatial programming environment (Python-ArcGIS) and non-spatial environment (MATLAB). The model was constructed using neural networks and is divided into nine stages distributed between Matlab and Python-ArcGIS. A case study was taken from the north part of Peninsular Malaysia. 22 criteria were selected to utilise as input data and to build the training and testing datasets. The outcomes show a high-performance accuracy percentage of 98.2% in the testing dataset using 10-fold cross validation. The automated spatial data mining model provides a solid platform for decision makers to performing landfill site selection and planning operations on a regional scale.

Evaluating β Diversity as a Surrogate for Species Representation at Fine Scale.

PubMed

Beier, Paul; Albuquerque, Fábio

2016-01-01

Species turnover or β diversity is a conceptually attractive surrogate for conservation planning. However, there has been only 1 attempt to determine how well sites selected to maximize β diversity represent species, and that test was done at a scale too coarse (2,500 km2 sites) to inform most conservation decisions. We used 8 plant datasets, 3 bird datasets, and 1 mammal dataset to evaluate whether sites selected to span β diversity will efficiently represent species at finer scale (sites sizes < 1 ha to 625 km2). We used ordinations to characterize dissimilarity in species assemblages (β diversity) among plots (inventory data) or among grid cells (atlas data). We then selected sites to maximize β diversity and used the Species Accumulation Index, SAI, to evaluate how efficiently the surrogate (selecting sites for maximum β diversity) represented species in the same taxon. Across all 12 datasets, sites selected for maximum β diversity represented species with a median efficiency of 24% (i.e., the surrogate was 24% more effective than random selection of sites), and an interquartile range of 4% to 41% efficiency. β diversity was a better surrogate for bird datasets than for plant datasets, and for atlas datasets with 10-km to 14-km grid cells than for atlas datasets with 25-km grid cells. We conclude that β diversity is more than a mere descriptor of how species are distributed on the landscape; in particular β diversity might be useful to maximize the complementarity of a set of sites. Because we tested only within-taxon surrogacy, our results do not prove that β diversity is useful for conservation planning. But our results do justify further investigation to identify the circumstances in which β diversity performs well, and to evaluate it as a cross-taxon surrogate.

Environmental assessment of the 40 kilowatt fuel cell system field test operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bollenbacher, G.

1982-01-01

This environmental assessment examines the potential environmental consequences, both adverse and beneficial, of the 40 kW fuel cell system system field test operation. The assessment is of necessity generic in nature since actual test sites were not selected. This assessment provides the basis for determining the need for an environmental impact statement. In addition, this assessment provides siting criteria to avoid or minimize negative environmental impacts and standards for determining candidate test sites, if any, for which site specific assessments may be required.

Bed site selection by a subordinate predator: an example with the cougar (Puma concolor) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

PubMed

Kusler, Anna; Elbroch, L Mark; Quigley, Howard; Grigione, Melissa

2017-01-01

As technology has improved, our ability to study cryptic animal behavior has increased. Bed site selection is one such example. Among prey species, bed site selection provides thermoregulatory benefits and mitigates predation risk, and may directly influence survival. We conducted research to test whether a subordinate carnivore also selected beds with similar characteristics in an ecosystem supporting a multi-species guild of competing predators. We employed a model comparison approach in which we tested whether cougar ( Puma concolor ) bed site attributes supported the thermoregulatory versus the predator avoidance hypotheses, or exhibited characteristics supporting both hypotheses. Between 2012-2016, we investigated 599 cougar bed sites in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and examined attributes at two scales: the landscape (second-order, n  = 599) and the microsite (fourth order, n  = 140). At the landscape scale, cougars selected bed sites in winter that supported both the thermoregulatory and predator avoidance hypotheses: bed sites were on steeper slopes but at lower elevations, closer to the forest edge, away from sagebrush and meadow habitat types, and on southern, eastern, and western-facing slopes. In the summer, bed attributes supported the predator avoidance hypothesis over the thermoregulation hypothesis: beds were closer to forest edges, away from sagebrush and meadow habitat classes, and on steeper slopes. At the microsite scale, cougar bed attributes in both the winter and summer supported both the predator avoidance and thermoregulatory hypotheses: they selected bed sites with high canopy cover, high vegetative concealment, and in a rugged habitat class characterized by cliff bands and talus fields. We found that just like prey species, a subordinate predator selected bed sites that facilitated both thermoregulatory and anti-predator functions. In conclusion, we believe that measuring bed site attributes may provide a novel means of measuring the use of refugia by subordinate predators, and ultimately provide new insights into the habitat requirements and energetics of subordinate carnivores.

Evaluation of Surface Infiltration Testing Procedures in Permeable Pavement Systems

EPA Science Inventory

The ASTM method (ASTM C1701) for measuring infiltration rate of in-place pervious concrete provides limited guidance on how to select testing locations, so research is needed to evaluate how testing sites should be selected and how results should be interpreted to assess surface ...

Evaluation of moxifloxacin-hydroxyapatite composite graft in the regeneration of intrabony defects: A clinical, radiographic, and microbiological study

PubMed Central

Nagarjuna Reddy, Y. V.; Deepika, P. C.; Venkatesh, M. P.; Rajeshwari, K. G.

2016-01-01

Background: The formation of new connective periodontal attachment is contingent upon the elimination or marked reduction of pathogens at the treated periodontal site. An anti-microbial agent, i.e. moxifloxacin has been incorporated into the bone graft to control infection and facilitate healing during and after periodontal therapy. Materials and Methods: By purposive sampling, 15 patients with at least two contralateral vertical defect sites were selected. The selected sites in each individual were divided randomly into test and control sites according to split-mouth design. Test site received moxifloxacin-hydroxyapatite composite graft and control site received hydroxyapatite-placebo gel composite graft. Probing depth (PD) and Clinical attachment level (CAL) were assessed at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Bone probing depth (BPD) and hard tissue parameters such as amount of defect fill, percentage of defect fill, and changes in alveolar crest were assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Changes in subgingival microflora were also assessed by culturing the subgingival plaque samples at baseline and at 3-month follow-up. The clinical, radiographic, and microbiological data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using descriptive statistics, paired sample t-test, independent t-test, and contingency test. Results: On intragroup comparison at test and control sites, there was a significant improvement in all clinical and radiographic parameters. However, on intergroup comparison of the same, there was no statistically significant difference between test and control sites at any interval. Although test sites showed slightly higher amount of bone fill, it was not statistically significant. There was a significant reduction in the counts of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis at both sites from baseline to 3 months. In addition, there was a significant reduction at test sites as compared to control sites at 3-month follow-up (P = 0.003 and P = 0.013). Conclusion: The reduction in microbial counts found in test sites at 3-month follow-up could not bring similar significant improvements in the clinical and radiographic parameters though the test sites showed slightly higher bone fill. PMID:27630501

Avoid Early Selection for Growth Rate in Cottonwood

Treesearch

D. T. Cooper; Robert B. Ferguson

1971-01-01

A sample of 37 cottonwood clones from a selection program was compared with a sample of 40 random clones in a 14-year test at two sites near Stoneville, Mississippi. Throughout the test period, the select sample was slightly better in mean growth rate, but this difference decreased with age. Performance of ''blue tag" clones selected at age 5 and planted...

Experimental Verification of Pneumatic Transport System for the Rapid Excavation of Tunnels: Part 1. Installation of Test Facility

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-03-01

This report deals with the selection of a test site, the design of a test installation, equipment selection, the installation and start-up of a pneumatic pipeline system for the transportation of tunnel muck. A review of prior pneumatic applications ...

Records of wells and test holes in the Nevada Test Site and vicinity (through December 1966)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thordarson, William; Young, R.A.; Winograd, I.J.

1967-01-01

Hydrogeologic and construction data obtained from 119 test holes, wells, and emplacement holes at the Nevada Test Site and vicinity (through December 1966) are tabulated. The availability of cuttings, cores, lithologic logs, geophysical logs, formation-water analyses, hydraulic test data, and detailed construction data for each hole, as well as references to published reports for selected holes, are noted.

Computerized stratified random site-selection approaches for design of a ground-water-quality sampling network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, J.C.

1990-01-01

Computer software was written to randomly select sites for a ground-water-quality sampling network. The software uses digital cartographic techniques and subroutines from a proprietary geographic information system. The report presents the approaches, computer software, and sample applications. It is often desirable to collect ground-water-quality samples from various areas in a study region that have different values of a spatial characteristic, such as land-use or hydrogeologic setting. A stratified network can be used for testing hypotheses about relations between spatial characteristics and water quality, or for calculating statistical descriptions of water-quality data that account for variations that correspond to the spatial characteristic. In the software described, a study region is subdivided into areal subsets that have a common spatial characteristic to stratify the population into several categories from which sampling sites are selected. Different numbers of sites may be selected from each category of areal subsets. A population of potential sampling sites may be defined by either specifying a fixed population of existing sites, or by preparing an equally spaced population of potential sites. In either case, each site is identified with a single category, depending on the value of the spatial characteristic of the areal subset in which the site is located. Sites are selected from one category at a time. One of two approaches may be used to select sites. Sites may be selected randomly, or the areal subsets in the category can be grouped into cells and sites selected randomly from each cell.

Testing the efficiency of rover science protocols for robotic sample selection: A GeoHeuristic Operational Strategies Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yingst, R. A.; Bartley, J. K.; Chidsey, T. C.; Cohen, B. A.; Gilleaudeau, G. J.; Hynek, B. M.; Kah, L. C.; Minitti, M. E.; Williams, R. M. E.; Black, S.; Gemperline, J.; Schaufler, R.; Thomas, R. J.

2018-05-01

The GHOST field tests are designed to isolate and test science-driven rover operations protocols, to determine best practices. During a recent field test at a potential Mars 2020 landing site analog, we tested two Mars Science Laboratory data-acquisition and decision-making methods to assess resulting science return and sample quality: a linear method, where sites of interest are studied in the order encountered, and a "walkabout-first" method, where sites of interest are examined remotely before down-selecting to a subset of sites that are interrogated with more resource-intensive instruments. The walkabout method cost less time and fewer resources, while increasing confidence in interpretations. Contextual data critical to evaluating site geology was acquired earlier than for the linear method, and given a higher priority, which resulted in development of more mature hypotheses earlier in the analysis process. Combined, this saved time and energy in the collection of data with more limited spatial coverage. Based on these results, we suggest that the walkabout method be used where doing so would provide early context and time for the science team to develop hypotheses-critical tests; and that in gathering context, coverage may be more important than higher resolution.

Selectivity of externally facing ion-binding sites in the Na/K pump to alkali metals and organic cations

PubMed Central

Ratheal, Ian M.; Virgin, Gail K.; Yu, Haibo; Roux, Benoît; Gatto, Craig; Artigas, Pablo

2010-01-01

The Na/K pump is a P-type ATPase that exchanges three intracellular Na+ ions for two extracellular K+ ions through the plasmalemma of nearly all animal cells. The mechanisms involved in cation selection by the pump's ion-binding sites (site I and site II bind either Na+ or K+; site III binds only Na+) are poorly understood. We studied cation selectivity by outward-facing sites (high K+ affinity) of Na/K pumps expressed in Xenopus oocytes, under voltage clamp. Guanidinium+, methylguanidinium+, and aminoguanidinium+ produced two phenomena possibly reflecting actions at site III: (i) voltage-dependent inhibition (VDI) of outwardly directed pump current at saturating K+, and (ii) induction of pump-mediated, guanidinium-derivative–carried inward current at negative potentials without Na+ and K+. In contrast, formamidinium+ and acetamidinium+ induced K+-like outward currents. Measurement of ouabain-sensitive ATPase activity and radiolabeled cation uptake confirmed that these cations are external K+ congeners. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that bound organic cations induce minor distortion of the binding sites. Among tested metals, only Li+ induced Na+-like VDI, whereas all metals tested except Na+ induced K+-like outward currents. Pump-mediated K+-like organic cation transport challenges the concept of rigid structural models in which ion specificity at site I and site II arises from a precise and unique arrangement of coordinating ligands. Furthermore, actions by guanidinium+ derivatives suggest that Na+ binds to site III in a hydrated form and that the inward current observed without external Na+ and K+ represents cation transport when normal occlusion at sites I and II is impaired. These results provide insights on external ion selectivity at the three binding sites. PMID:20937860

Testing contamination risk assessment methods for toxic elements from mine waste sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdaal, A.; Jordan, G.; Szilassi, P.; Kiss, J.; Detzky, G.

2012-04-01

Major incidents involving mine waste facilities and poor environmental management practices have left a legacy of thousands of contaminated sites like in the historic mining areas in the Carpathian Basin. Associated environmental risks have triggered the development of new EU environmental legislation to prevent and minimize the effects of such incidents. The Mine Waste Directive requires the risk-based inventory of all mine waste sites in Europe by May 2012. In order to address the mining problems a standard risk-based Pre-selection protocol has been developed by the EU Commission. This paper discusses the heavy metal contamination in acid mine drainage (AMD) for risk assessment (RA) along the Source-Pathway-Receptor chain using decision support methods which are intended to aid national and regional organizations in the inventory and assessment of potentially contaminated mine waste sites. Several recognized methods such as the European Environmental Agency (EEA) standard PRAMS model for soil contamination, US EPA-based AIMSS and Irish HMS-IRC models for RA of abandoned sites are reviewed, compared and tested for the mining waste environment. In total 145 ore mine waste sites have been selected for scientific testing using the EU Pre-selection protocol as a case study from Hungary. The proportion of uncertain to certain responses for a site and for the total number of sites may give an insight of specific and overall uncertainty in the data we use. The Pre-selection questions are efficiently linked to a GIS system as database inquiries using digital spatial data to directly generate answers. Key parameters such as distance to the nearest surface and ground water bodies, to settlements and protected areas are calculated and statistically evaluated using STATGRAPHICS® in order to calibrate the RA models. According to our scientific research results, of the 145 sites 11 sites are the most risky having foundation slope >20o, 57 sites are within distance <500m to the nearest surface water bodies, and 33 sites are within distance <680m to the nearest settlements. Moreover 25 sites lie directly above the 'poor status' ground water bodies and 91 sites are located in the protected Natura2000 sites (distance =0). Analysis of the total score of all sites was performed, resulting in six risk classes, as follows: <21 (class I, 4 sites), 21-31 (class II, 16 sites), 31-42 (class III, 27 sites), 42-54 (class II, 38 sites), 54-66 (class V, 40 sites) and >66 (class VI, 20 sites). The total risk scores and key parameters are provided in separate tables and GIS maps, in order to facilitate interpretation and comparison. Results of the Pre-selection protocol are consistent with those of the screening PRAMS model. KEY WORDS contamination risk assessment, Mine Waste Directive, Pre-selection Protocol, PRA.MS, AIMSS, abandoned mine sites, GIS

Natural Environment Corrosion Testing at the Kennedy Space Center Beachside Atmospheric Corrosion Test Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, Luz M.

2017-01-01

This presentation will provide an overview of how NASA has been conducting corrosion testing in the Natural Marine Environment at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, U.S. The following questions will be addressed: What factors should be considered when selecting and constructing a test site? What are the attributes of a good test site? Is more severe always better? What environmental parameters should be monitored? How frequently? What factors should be considered when designing test specimens? Are current test standards sufficient? How do diurnal, annual and other fluctuations in corrosivity influence tests? How are test results interpreted? Can they be quantified?

Constraints and Approach for Selecting the Mars Surveyor '01 Landing Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golombek, M.; Bridges, N.; Gilmore, M.; Haldemann, A.; Parker, T.; Saunders, R.; Spencer, D.; Smith, J.; Weitz, C.

1999-01-01

There are many similarities between the Mars Surveyor '01 (MS '01) landing site selection process and that of Mars Pathfinder. The selection process includes two parallel activities in which engineers define and refine the capabilities of the spacecraft through design, testing and modeling and scientists define a set of landing site constraints based on the spacecraft design and landing scenario. As for Pathfinder, the safety of the site is without question the single most important factor, for the simple reason that failure to land safely yields no science and exposes the mission and program to considerable risk. The selection process must be thorough and defensible and capable of surviving multiple withering reviews similar to the Pathfinder decision. On Pathfinder, this was accomplished by attempting to understand the surface properties of sites using available remote sensing data sets and models based on them. Science objectives are factored into the selection process only after the safety of the site is validated. Finally, as for Pathfinder, the selection process is being done in an open environment with multiple opportunities for community involvement including open workshops, with education and outreach opportunities.

Constraints, Approach and Present Status for Selecting the Mars Surveyor 2001 Landing Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golombek, M.; Anderson, F.; Bridges, N.; Briggs, G.; Gilmore, M.; Gulick, V.; Haldemann, A.; Parker, T.; Saunders, R.; Spencer, D.;

Designing Websites for ESL Learners: A Usability Testing Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Min; Traphagan, Tomoko; Huh, Jin; Koh, Young Ihn; Choi, Gilok; McGregor, Allison

2008-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to report on a usability study for ESL websites conducted to gain insights from learners of English as a second language (ESL) as they interacted with specific sites. Five carefully selected ESL sites were tested by 10 different users generating a total of fifty testing sessions. Two major research questions guided the…

Characterization of U.S. Wave Energy Converter (WEC) Test Sites: A Catalogue of Met-Ocean Data, 2nd Edition

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

Ann R. Dallman; Neary, Vincent S.

This report presents met-ocean data and wave energy characteristics at eight U.S. wave energy converter (WEC) test and potential deployment sites. Its purpose is to enable the comparison of wave resource characteristics among sites as well as the selection of test sites that are most suitable for a developer's device and that best meet their testing needs and objectives. It also provides essential inputs for the design of WEC test devices and planning WEC tests, including the planning of deployment, and operations and maintenance. For each site, this report catalogues wave statistics recommended in the International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Specimore » cation (IEC 62600-101 TS) on Wave Energy Characterization, as well as the frequency of occurrence of weather windows and extreme sea states, and statistics on wind and ocean currents. It also provides useful information on test site infrastructure and services.« less

Pervasive positive selection on duplicated and nonduplicated vertebrate protein coding genes.

PubMed

Studer, Romain A; Penel, Simon; Duret, Laurent; Robinson-Rechavi, Marc

2008-09-01

A stringent branch-site codon model was used to detect positive selection in vertebrate evolution. We show that the test is robust to the large evolutionary distances involved. Positive selection was detected in 77% of 884 genes studied. Most positive selection concerns a few sites on a single branch of the phylogenetic tree: Between 0.9% and 4.7% of sites are affected by positive selection depending on the branches. No functional category was overrepresented among genes under positive selection. Surprisingly, whole genome duplication had no effect on the prevalence of positive selection, whether the fish-specific genome duplication or the two rounds at the origin of vertebrates. Thus positive selection has not been limited to a few gene classes, or to specific evolutionary events such as duplication, but has been pervasive during vertebrate evolution.

Analysis of socket preservation using polylactide and polyglycolide (PLA-PGA) sponge: a clinical, radiographic, and histologic study.

PubMed

Madan, Rohit; Mohan, Ranjana; Bains, Vivek K; Gupta, Vivek; Singh, G P; Madan, Mani

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the extraction socket healing and dimensional changes following alveolar ridge preservation using polylactide and polyglycolide (PLA-PGA) sponge. Fifteen patients were selected for alveolar socket preservation immediately following tooth extraction. Monoradicular maxillary and mandibular teeth were evaluated. The selected sockets had intact sockets walls with a minimum of 7 mm of residual alveolar bone height. The test sites were thoroughly debrided and grafted with PLA-PGA sponge, while the control sites underwent natural healing. Computed tomography (CT) measurements were taken at baseline and 6 months. After 6 months of healing, final CT measurements were performed, and trephine core biopsy specimens were obtained for histologic analysis. Implants were placed immediately after biopsy harvesting. All subjects completed the study, and all sites healed without adverse events and allowed for implant placement. The mean difference in socket height, width, and density after 6 months was statistically significantly higher in the test sites compared with control sites. Clinical measurement at the midbuccal site of the alveolar socket showed a mean loss of 2.45 ± 0.67 mm in the control group, compared with a mean gain of 1.28 ± 0.58 mm in the test group. All test sites showed minimal ridge alterations, and statistically significant differences were observed between the test and control sites with respect to bone composition and horizontal and vertical bone loss, indicating that PLA-PGA sponge is suitable for alveolar ridge preservation.

Two-stage selection in slash pine produces good gains in fusiform rust resistance

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

Sluder, E.R.

The best 6 of 21 progeny-tested first-generation slash pine selections were crossed in a half diallel to study inheritance patterns of their superior fusiform rust resistance (5 trees) and height (1 tree). Their six first-test progenies were duplicated and included in the study. These two groups of progenies, along with two commercial check lots, were planted on an Upper Coastal Plain and a Flatwoods site in Georgia. At age 10 yr, the 15 progenies in the half diallel averaged 23% rust-infected compared with 54% for the check lots. First-test progenies averaged 30% infected. For percentage infection, the six parents differedmore » in general combining ability (GCA) (0.01>P>0.001) on both test sites and in specific combining ability (0.05>P>0.01) on one site. GCA variation for height was significant (0.05>P>0.01) on one site. The parent selected for height had the highest breeding value for height at age 10 yr. These results show that resistance to the fusiform rust disease, a serious problem in management of the species, can be improved in slash pine. These 6 parents and their 15 progenies in the half-diallel cross are a good source of rust resistance genes for use in slash pine improvement programs.« less

HIV-1 protease cleavage site prediction based on two-stage feature selection method.

PubMed

Niu, Bing; Yuan, Xiao-Cheng; Roeper, Preston; Su, Qiang; Peng, Chun-Rong; Yin, Jing-Yuan; Ding, Juan; Li, HaiPeng; Lu, Wen-Cong

2013-03-01

Knowledge of the mechanism of HIV protease cleavage specificity is critical to the design of specific and effective HIV inhibitors. Searching for an accurate, robust, and rapid method to correctly predict the cleavage sites in proteins is crucial when searching for possible HIV inhibitors. In this article, HIV-1 protease specificity was studied using the correlation-based feature subset (CfsSubset) selection method combined with Genetic Algorithms method. Thirty important biochemical features were found based on a jackknife test from the original data set containing 4,248 features. By using the AdaBoost method with the thirty selected features the prediction model yields an accuracy of 96.7% for the jackknife test and 92.1% for an independent set test, with increased accuracy over the original dataset by 6.7% and 77.4%, respectively. Our feature selection scheme could be a useful technique for finding effective competitive inhibitors of HIV protease.

Selection of den sites by black bears in the southern Appalachians

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds-Hogland, M. J.; Mitchell, M.S.; Powell, R.A.; Brown, D.C.

2007-01-01

We evaluated selection of den sites by American black bears (Ursus americanus) in the Pisgah Bear Sanctuary, western North Carolina, by comparing characteristics of dens at 53 den sites with availability of habitat characteristics in annual home ranges of bears and in the study area. We also tested whether den-site selection differed by sex, age, and reproductive status of bears. In addition, we evaluated whether the den component of an existing habitat model for black bears predicted where bears would select den sites. We found bears selected den sites far from gravel roads, on steep slopes, and at high elevations relative to what was available in both annual home ranges and in the study area. Den-site selection did not differ by sex or age, but it differed by reproductive status. Adult females with cubs preferred to den in areas that were relatively far from gravel roads, but adult females without cubs did not. The habitat model overestimated the value of areas near gravel roads, underestimated the value of moderately steep areas, and did not include elevation as a predictor variable. Our results highlight the importance of evaluating den selection in terms of both use and availability of den characteristics. ?? 2007 American Society of Mammalogists.

Design and methods of the Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA), 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garrett, Jessica D.; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Journey, Celeste A.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Button, Daniel T.; Nowell, Lisa H.

2017-10-18

During 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Project (NAWQA), in collaboration with the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA), and the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs assessed stream quality across the Midwestern United States. This Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA) simultaneously characterized watershed and stream-reach water-quality stressors along with instream biological conditions, to better understand regional stressor-effects relations. The MSQA design focused on effects from the widespread agriculture in the region and urban development because of their importance as ecological stressors of particular concern to Midwest region resource managers.A combined random stratified selection and a targeted selection based on land-use data were used to identify and select sites representing gradients in agricultural intensity across the region. During a 14-week period from May through August 2013, 100 sites were selected and sampled 12 times for contaminants, nutrients, and sediment. This 14-week water-quality “index” period culminated with an ecological survey of habitat, periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish at all sites. Sediment was collected during the ecological survey for analysis of sediment chemistry and toxicity testing. Of the 100 sites, 50 were selected for the MSQA random stratified group from 154 NRSA sites planned for the region, and the other 50 MSQA sites were selected as targeted sites to more evenly cover agricultural and urban stressor gradients in the study area. Of the 50 targeted sites, 12 were in urbanized watersheds and 21 represented “good” biological conditions or “least disturbed” conditions. The remaining 17 targeted sites were selected to improve coverage of the agricultural intensity gradient or because of historical data collection to provide temporal context for the study.This report provides a detailed description of the MSQA study components, including surveys of ecological conditions, routine water sampling, deployment of passive polar organic compound integrative samplers, and stream sediment sampling at all sites. Component studies that were completed to provide finer scale temporal data or more extensive analysis at selected sites, included continuous water-quality monitoring, daily pesticide sampling, laboratory and in-stream water toxicity testing efforts, and deployment of passive suspended-sediment samplers.

Can selection on nest size from nest predation explain the latitudinal gradient in clutch size?

PubMed

Biancucci, Luis; Martin, Thomas E

2010-09-01

1. Latitudinal variation in clutch sizes of birds is a well described, but poorly understood pattern. Many hypotheses have been proposed, but few have been experimentally tested, and none have been universally accepted by researchers. 2. The nest size hypothesis posits that higher nest predation in the tropics favours selection for smaller nests and thereby constrains clutch size by shrinking available space for eggs and/or nestlings in the nest. We tested this hypothesis with an experiment in a tropical forest and a comparative study between temperate and tropical field sites. 3. Specifically, we tested if: (i) predation increased with nest size; (ii) tropical birds had smaller nests controlled for body size; and (iii) clutch size was explained by nest size controlled for body size. 4. Experimental swapping of nests of different sizes showed that nest predation increased with nest size in the tropical site. Moreover, nest predation rates were higher in species with larger nests in both sites. However, nest size, corrected for body mass and phylogeny, did not differ between sites and was not related to clutch size between sites. 5. Hence, nest predation can exert selection on nest size as predicted by the hypothesis. Nest size increased with adult body mass, such that adult size might indirectly influence reproductive success through effects on nest size and nest predation risk. Ultimately, however, selection from nest predation on nest size does not explain the smaller clutch sizes typical of the tropics.

Can selection on nest size from nest predation explain the latitudinal gradient in clutch size?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Biancucci, L.; Martin, T.E.

2010-01-01

1. Latitudinal variation in clutch sizes of birds is a well described, but poorly understood pattern. Many hypotheses have been proposed, but few have been experimentally tested, and none have been universally accepted by researchers. 2. The nest size hypothesis posits that higher nest predation in the tropics favours selection for smaller nests and thereby constrains clutch size by shrinking available space for eggs and/or nestlings in the nest. We tested this hypothesis with an experiment in a tropical forest and a comparative study between temperate and tropical field sites. 3. Specifically, we tested if: (i) predation increased with nest size; (ii) tropical birds had smaller nests controlled for body size; and (iii) clutch size was explained by nest size controlled for body size. 4. Experimental swapping of nests of different sizes showed that nest predation increased with nest size in the tropical site. Moreover, nest predation rates were higher in species with larger nests in both sites. However, nest size, corrected for body mass and phylogeny, did not differ between sites and was not related to clutch size between sites. 5. Hence, nest predation can exert selection on nest size as predicted by the hypothesis. Nest size increased with adult body mass, such that adult size might indirectly influence reproductive success through effects on nest size and nest predation risk. Ultimately, however, selection from nest predation on nest size does not explain the smaller clutch sizes typical of the tropics.

Strategy for selecting Mars Pathfinder landing sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, Ronald; Kuzmin, Ruslin O.

1994-01-01

A strategy for Pathfinder site selection must be developed that is fundamentally different from most previous considerations. At least two approaches can be identified. In one approach, the objective is to select a site representing a key geologic unit on Mars, i.e., a unit that is widespread, easily recognized, and used frequently as a datum in various investigations. The second approach is to select a site that potentially affords access to a wide variety of rock types. Because rover range is limited, rocks from a variety of sources must be assembled in a small area for sampling. Regardless of the approach taken in site selection, the Pathfinder site should include eolian deposits and provisions should be made to obtain measurements on soils. A recommended approach for selecting the Mars Pathfinder landing site is to identify a deltaic deposit, composed of sediments derived from sources of various ages and geologic units that shows evidence of eolian activity. The site should be located as close as possible to the part of the outwash where rapid deposition occurred because the likelihood of 'sorting' by size and composition increases with distance, decreasing the probability of heterogeneity. In addition, it is recommended that field operation tests be conducted to gain experience and insight into conducting science with Pathfinder.

Corrective Action Decision Document/Corrective Action Plan for Corrective Action Unit 104: Area 7 Yucca Flat Atmospheric Test Sites Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Patrick Matthews

2012-10-01

CAU 104 comprises the following corrective action sites (CASs): • 07-23-03, Atmospheric Test Site T-7C • 07-23-04, Atmospheric Test Site T7-1 • 07-23-05, Atmospheric Test Site • 07-23-06, Atmospheric Test Site T7-5a • 07-23-07, Atmospheric Test Site - Dog (T-S) • 07-23-08, Atmospheric Test Site - Baker (T-S) • 07-23-09, Atmospheric Test Site - Charlie (T-S) • 07-23-10, Atmospheric Test Site - Dixie • 07-23-11, Atmospheric Test Site - Dixie • 07-23-12, Atmospheric Test Site - Charlie (Bus) • 07-23-13, Atmospheric Test Site - Baker (Buster) • 07-23-14, Atmospheric Test Site - Ruth • 07-23-15, Atmospheric Test Site T7-4 •more » 07-23-16, Atmospheric Test Site B7-b • 07-23-17, Atmospheric Test Site - Climax These 15 CASs include releases from 30 atmospheric tests conducted in the approximately 1 square mile of CAU 104. Because releases associated with the CASs included in this CAU overlap and are not separate and distinguishable, these CASs are addressed jointly at the CAU level. The purpose of this CADD/CAP is to evaluate potential corrective action alternatives (CAAs), provide the rationale for the selection of recommended CAAs, and provide the plan for implementation of the recommended CAA for CAU 104. Corrective action investigation (CAI) activities were performed from October 4, 2011, through May 3, 2012, as set forth in the CAU 104 Corrective Action Investigation Plan.« less

Results of the exploratory drill hole Ue5n,Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site. [Geologic and geophysical parameters of selected locations with anomalous seismic signals

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

Ramspott, L.D.; McArthur, R.D.

1977-02-18

Exploratory hole Ue5n was drilled to a depth of 514 m in central Frenchmam Flat, Nevada Test Site, as part of a program sponsored by the Nuclear Monitoring Office (NMO) of the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to determine the geologic and geophysical parameters of selected locations with anomalous seismic signals. The specific goal of drilling Ue5n was to provide the site characteristics for emplacement sites U5b and U5e. We present here data on samples, geophysical logs, lithology and stratigraphy, and depth to the water table. From an analysis of the measurements of the physical properties, a set of recommendedmore » values is given.« less

Correlations Between Life-Detection Techniques and Implications for Sampling Site Selection in Planetary Analog Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gentry, Diana M.; Amador, Elena S.; Cable, Morgan L.; Chaudry, Nosheen; Cullen, Thomas; Jacobsen, Malene B.; Murukesan, Gayathri; Schwieterman, Edward W.; Stevens, Adam H.; Stockton, Amanda; Tan, George; Yin, Chang; Cullen, David C.; Geppert, Wolf

2017-10-01

We conducted an analog sampling expedition under simulated mission constraints to areas dominated by basaltic tephra of the Eldfell and Fimmvörðuháls lava fields (Iceland). Sites were selected to be "homogeneous" at a coarse remote sensing resolution (10-100 m) in apparent color, morphology, moisture, and grain size, with best-effort realism in numbers of locations and replicates. Three different biomarker assays (counting of nucleic-acid-stained cells via fluorescent microscopy, a luciferin/luciferase assay for adenosine triphosphate, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect DNA associated with bacteria, archaea, and fungi) were characterized at four nested spatial scales (1 m, 10 m, 100 m, and >1 km) by using five common metrics for sample site representativeness (sample mean variance, group F tests, pairwise t tests, and the distribution-free rank sum H and u tests). Correlations between all assays were characterized with Spearman's rank test. The bioluminescence assay showed the most variance across the sites, followed by qPCR for bacterial and archaeal DNA; these results could not be considered representative at the finest resolution tested (1 m). Cell concentration and fungal DNA also had significant local variation, but they were homogeneous over scales of >1 km. These results show that the selection of life detection assays and the number, distribution, and location of sampling sites in a low biomass environment with limited a priori characterization can yield both contrasting and complementary results, and that their interdependence must be given due consideration to maximize science return in future biomarker sampling expeditions.

Is hyporheic flow an indicator for salmonid spawning site selection?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjankar, R. M.; Tonina, D.; Marzadri, A.; McKean, J. A.; Isaak, D.

2015-12-01

Several studies have investigated the role of hydraulic variables in the selection of spawning sites by salmonids. Some recent studies suggest that the intensity of the ambient hyporheic flow, that present without a salmon egg pocket, is a cue for spawning site selection, but others have argued against it. We tested this hypothesis by using a unique dataset of field surveyed spawning site locations and an unprecedented meter-scale resolution bathymetry of a 13.5 km long reach of Bear Valley Creek (Idaho, USA), an important Chinook salmon spawning stream. We used a two-dimensional surface water model to quantify stream hydraulics and a three-dimensional hyporheic model to quantify the hyporheic flows. Our results show that the intensity of ambient hyporheic flows is not a statistically significant variable for spawning site selection. Conversely, the intensity of the water surface curvature and the habitat quality, quantified as a function of stream hydraulics and morphology, are the most important variables for salmonid spawning site selection. KEY WORDS: Salmonid spawning habitat, pool-riffle system, habitat quality, surface water curvature, hyporheic flow

Habitat structure mediates predation risk for sedentary prey: Experimental tests of alternative hypotheses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chalfoun, A.D.; Martin, T.E.

2009-01-01

Predation is an important and ubiquitous selective force that can shape habitat preferences of prey species, but tests of alternative mechanistic hypotheses of habitat influences on predation risk are lacking. 2. We studied predation risk at nest sites of a passerine bird and tested two hypotheses based on theories of predator foraging behaviour. The total-foliage hypothesis predicts that predation will decline in areas of greater overall vegetation density by impeding cues for detection by predators. The potential-prey-site hypothesis predicts that predation decreases where predators must search more unoccupied potential nest sites. 3. Both observational data and results from a habitat manipulation provided clear support for the potential-prey-site hypothesis and rejection of the total-foliage hypothesis. Birds chose nest patches containing both greater total foliage and potential nest site density (which were correlated in their abundance) than at random sites, yet only potential nest site density significantly influenced nest predation risk. 4. Our results therefore provided a clear and rare example of adaptive nest site selection that would have been missed had structural complexity or total vegetation density been considered alone. 5. Our results also demonstrated that interactions between predator foraging success and habitat structure can be more complex than simple impedance or occlusion by vegetation. ?? 2008 British Ecological Society.

Cleaning up contaminated wood-treating sites. Background paper

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

NONE

This report identifies technologies available for organic hazardous waste cleanup at woodtreating sites throughout the country. OTA has identified a range of such technologies that have been selected in the past and could be applied to other sites in the future. The applicability of a technology to a particular Superfund site has to be based on many site-specific factors. Nevertheless, it is clear that a number of the approaches identified by OTA may be appropriate and could prove useful if more detailed site-specific studies and tests were done. Although this study focused on the Texarkana site, decisionmakers and the publicmore » could benefit from this analysis in selecting future cleanup strategies for other sites.« less

Constraints, Approach, and Status of Mars Surveyor 2001 Landing Site Selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golombek, M.; Bridges, N.; Briggs, G.; Gilmore, M.; Haldemann, A.; Parker, T.; Saunders, R.; Spencer, D.; Smith, J.; Soderblom, L.

1999-01-01

There are many similarities between the Mars Surveyor '01 (MS '01) landing site selection process and that of Mars Pathfinder. The selection process includes two parallel activities in which engineers define and refine the capabilities of the spacecraft through design, testing and modeling and scientists define a set of landing site constraints based on the spacecraft design and landing scenario. As for Pathfinder, the safety of the site is without question the single most important factor, for the simple reason that failure to land safely yields no science and exposes the mission and program to considerable risk. The selection process must be thorough and defensible and capable of surviving multiple withering reviews similar to the Pathfinder decision. On Pathfinder, this was accomplished by attempting to understand the surface properties of sites using available remote sensing data sets and models based on them. Science objectives are factored into the selection process only after the safety of the site is validated. Finally, as for Pathfinder, the selection process is being done in an open environment with multiple opportunities for community involvement including open workshops, with education and outreach opportunities. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

A biomonitoring plan for assessing potential radionuclide exposure using Amchitka Island in the Aleutian chain of Alaska as a case study.

PubMed

Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Kosson, D S; Powers, Charles W

2007-01-01

With the ending of the Cold War, the US and other nations were faced with a legacy of nuclear wastes. For some sites where hazardous nuclear wastes will remain in place, methods must be developed to protect human health and the environment. Biomonitoring is one method of assessing the status and trends of potential radionuclide exposure from nuclear waste sites, and of providing the public with early warning of any potential harmful exposure. Amchitka Island (51 degrees N lat, 179 degrees E long) was the site of three underground nuclear tests from 1965 to 1971. Following a substantive study of radionuclide levels in biota from the marine environment around Amchitka and a reference site, we developed a suite of bioindicators (with suggested isotopes) that can serve as a model for other sites contaminated with radionuclides. Although the species selection was site-specific, the methods can provide a framework for other sites. We selected bioindicators using five criteria: (1) occurrence at all three test shots (and reference site), (2) receptor groups (subsistence foods, commercial species, and food chain nodes), (3) species groups (plants, invertebrates, fish, and birds), (4) trophic levels, and (5) an accumulator of one or several radionuclides. Our major objective was to identify bioindicators that could serve for both human health and the ecosystem, and were abundant enough to collect adjacent to the three test sites and at the reference site. Site-specific information on both biota availability and isotope levels was essential in the final selection of bioindicators. Actinides bioaccumulated in algae and invertebrates, while radiocesium accumulated in higher trophic level birds and fish. Thus, unlike biomonitoring schemes developed for heavy metals or other contaminants, top-level predators are not sufficient to evaluate potential radionuclide exposure at Amchitka. The process described in this paper resulted in the selection of Fucus, Alaria fistulosa, blue mussel (Mytilus trossulus), dolly varden (Salvelinus malma), black rockfish (Sebastes melanops), Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis), and glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens) as bioindicators. This combination of species included mainly subsistence foods, commercial fish, and nodes on different food chains.

Unusual sleeping site selection by southern bamboo lemurs.

PubMed

Eppley, Timothy M; Donati, Giuseppe; Ganzhorn, Jörg U

2016-04-01

Selection of sleeping sites has consequences for individual fitness. Non-human primates often bias their selection towards arboreal sites, and the lemurs of Madagascar typically rest/sleep in trees, tree holes, and/or constructed nests. Three non-mutually exclusive hypotheses to explain sleeping site selection include protection from predators, avoidance of parasitic vectors, and improved thermoregulation. Here, we examine these hypotheses for the unusual sleeping site selections by the southern bamboo lemur (Hapalemur meridionalis). Within the Mandena littoral forest of southeast Madagascar, the southern bamboo lemur is known for its ecological flexibility compared to other bamboo lemur species, including a dietary niche expansion to feeding on the ground. Between October 2012 and December 2013, we observed bamboo lemurs from three social groups for 1778.67 h, conducting full-day focal follows on 11 adult individuals (five males, six females). During this period, all three groups were observed to sleep on the ground, with one of these groups also using an abandoned nest of a Madagascar crested ibis (Lophotibis cristata). We collected habitat and temperature data to examine whether selection was influenced by environmental variables. Terrestrial sleeping (N = 17) was observed in all individuals but one adult female, with individuals burrowing under thick vegetation more often during the hot austral summer. While difficult to rigorously test, it is possible that terrestrial sleep sites and/or sleeping in a bird nest may impair visual detection by some aerial and terrestrial predators. Neither of these sites (i.e., terrestrial sleeping or use of a bird nest), however, is likely to minimize exposure to parasites/vectors. Terrestrial sleeping appears to support a thermoregulatory strategy, whereas the use of a bird nest could not be empirically tested. Our observations of unique sleeping site locations used by southern bamboo lemurs further the complexity of their natural history and that of Malagasy strepsirrhines.

Environmental diversity as a surrogate for species representation.

PubMed

Beier, Paul; de Albuquerque, Fábio Suzart

2015-10-01

Because many species have not been described and most species ranges have not been mapped, conservation planners often use surrogates for conservation planning, but evidence for surrogate effectiveness is weak. Surrogates are well-mapped features such as soil types, landforms, occurrences of an easily observed taxon (discrete surrogates), and well-mapped environmental conditions (continuous surrogate). In the context of reserve selection, the idea is that a set of sites selected to span diversity in the surrogate will efficiently represent most species. Environmental diversity (ED) is a rarely used surrogate that selects sites to efficiently span multivariate ordination space. Because it selects across continuous environmental space, ED should perform better than discrete surrogates (which necessarily ignore within-bin and between-bin heterogeneity). Despite this theoretical advantage, ED appears to have performed poorly in previous tests of its ability to identify 50 × 50 km cells that represented vertebrates in Western Europe. Using an improved implementation of ED, we retested ED on Western European birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and combined terrestrial vertebrates. We also tested ED on data sets for plants of Zimbabwe, birds of Spain, and birds of Arizona (United States). Sites selected using ED represented European mammals no better than randomly selected cells, but they represented species in the other 7 data sets with 20% to 84% effectiveness. This far exceeds the performance in previous tests of ED, and exceeds the performance of most discrete surrogates. We believe ED performed poorly in previous tests because those tests considered only a few candidate explanatory variables and used suboptimal forms of ED's selection algorithm. We suggest future work on ED focus on analyses at finer grain sizes more relevant to conservation decisions, explore the effect of selecting the explanatory variables most associated with species turnover, and investigate whether nonclimate abiotic variables can provide useful surrogates in an ED framework. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Use of strategic environmental assessment in the site selection process for a radioactive waste disposal facility in Slovenia.

PubMed

Dermol, Urška; Kontić, Branko

2011-01-01

The benefits of strategic environmental considerations in the process of siting a repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW) are presented. The benefits have been explored by analyzing differences between the two site selection processes. One is a so-called official site selection process, which is implemented by the Agency for radwaste management (ARAO); the other is an optimization process suggested by experts working in the area of environmental impact assessment (EIA) and land-use (spatial) planning. The criteria on which the comparison of the results of the two site selection processes has been based are spatial organization, environmental impact, safety in terms of potential exposure of the population to radioactivity released from the repository, and feasibility of the repository from the technical, financial/economic and social point of view (the latter relates to consent by the local community for siting the repository). The site selection processes have been compared with the support of the decision expert system named DEX. The results of the comparison indicate that the sites selected by ARAO meet fewer suitability criteria than those identified by applying strategic environmental considerations in the framework of the optimization process. This result stands when taking into account spatial, environmental, safety and technical feasibility points of view. Acceptability of a site by a local community could not have been tested, since the formal site selection process has not yet been concluded; this remains as an uncertain and open point of the comparison. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Mars Exploration Rover Landing Site Predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golombek, M. P.; Arvidson, R. E.; Bell, J. F., III; Christensen, P. R.; Crisp, J. A.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Fergason, R. L.; Grant, J. A.; Haldemann, A. F. C.; Parker, T. J.;

Diet and density dependent competition affect larval performance and oviposition site selection in the mosquito species Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Oviposition-site choice is an essential component of the life history of all mosquito species. According to the oviposition-preference offspring-performance (P-P) hypothesis, if optimizing offspring performance and fitness ensures high overall reproductive fitness for a given species, the female should accurately assess details of the heterogeneous environment and lay her eggs preferentially in sites with conditions more suitable to offspring. Methods We empirically tested the P-P hypothesis using the mosquito species Aedes albopictus by artificially manipulating two habitat conditions: diet (measured as mg of food added to a container) and conspecific density (CD; number of pre-existing larvae of the same species). Immature development (larval mortality, development time to pupation and time to emergence) and fitness (measured as wing length) were monitored from first instar through adult emergence using a factorial experimental design over two ascending gradients of diet (2.0, 3.6, 7.2 and 20 mg food/300 ml water) and CD (0, 20, 40 and 80 larvae/300 ml water). Treatments that exerted the most contrasting values of larval performance were recreated in a second experiment consisting of single-female oviposition site selection assay. Results Development time decreased as food concentration increased, except from 7.2 mg to 20.0 mg (Two-Way CR ANOVA Post-Hoc test, P > 0.1). Development time decreased also as conspecific density increased from zero to 80 larvae (Two-Way CR ANOVA Post-Hoc test, P < 0.5). Combined, these results support the role of density-dependent competition for resources as a limiting factor for mosquito larval performance. Oviposition assays indicated that female mosquitoes select for larval habitats with conspecifics and that larval density was more important than diet in driving selection for oviposition sites. Conclusions This study supports predictions of the P-P hypothesis and provides a mechanistic understanding of the underlying factors driving mosquito oviposition site selection. PMID:23044004

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

Dallman, Ann Renee; Neary, Vincent Sinclair

This report presents met - ocean data and wave energy characteristics at three U.S. wave energy converter (WEC) test and potential deployment sites . Its purpose is to enable the compari son of wave resource characteristics among sites as well as the select io n of test sites that are most suitable for a developer's device and that best meet their testing needs and objectives . It also provides essential inputs for the design of WEC test devices and planning WEC tests, including the planning of deployment and op eration s and maintenance. For each site, this report catalogues wavemore » statistics recommended in the (draft) International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Specification (IEC 62600 - 101 TS) on Wave Energy Characterization, as well as the frequency of oc currence of weather windows and extreme sea states, and statistics on wind and ocean currents. It also provides useful information on test site infrastructure and services .« less

Big maggots dig deeper: size-dependent larval dispersal in flies.

PubMed

Davis, Jeremy M; Coogan, Laura E; Papaj, Daniel R

2015-09-01

The ability of individual animals to select habitats optimal for development and survival can be constrained by the costs of moving through the environment. Animals that seek overwintering sites underground, for example, may be constrained by the energy required to burrow into the soil. We conducted field and laboratory studies to determine the relationship between individual size and overwintering site selection in the tephritid flies, Rhagoletis juglandis and Rhagoletis suavis. We also explored the effect of site selection on pupal mortality, parasitism, and the ability to emerge from overwintering sites after eclosion. In both species, and in both lab and field tests, larger pupae were found at deeper soil depths. In addition, marginally non-significant trends indicated pupae in deeper sites were 48% more likely to survive the overwintering period. Finally, larger individuals were more likely to eclose and emerge from the soil at a given depth, but flies in deep overwintering sites were less likely to emerge from those sites than flies in shallow sites. Our data indicate that overwintering site selection represents a trade-off between avoiding predators and parasites that occur at shallow sites, and the energetic and mortality costs of burrowing to, overwintering in, and emerging from, deeper sites. The size-dependent overwintering site selection demonstrated here has implications for population dynamics and pest control strategies. Some fly control measures, such as the introduction of parasites or predators, will be mitigated when the deepest and least accessible overwintering pupae represent a disproportionately large amount of the population's reproductive capacity.

Divergent positive selection in rhodopsin from lake and riverine cichlid fishes.

PubMed

Schott, Ryan K; Refvik, Shannon P; Hauser, Frances E; López-Fernández, Hernán; Chang, Belinda S W

2014-05-01

Studies of cichlid evolution have highlighted the importance of visual pigment genes in the spectacular radiation of the African rift lake cichlids. Recent work, however, has also provided strong evidence for adaptive diversification of riverine cichlids in the Neotropics, which inhabit environments of markedly different spectral properties from the African rift lakes. These ecological and/or biogeographic differences may have imposed divergent selective pressures on the evolution of the cichlid visual system. To test these hypotheses, we investigated the molecular evolution of the dim-light visual pigment, rhodopsin. We sequenced rhodopsin from Neotropical and African riverine cichlids and combined these data with published sequences from African cichlids. We found significant evidence for positive selection using random sites codon models in all cichlid groups, with the highest levels in African lake cichlids. Tests using branch-site and clade models that partitioned the data along ecological (lake, river) and/or biogeographic (African, Neotropical) boundaries found significant evidence of divergent selective pressures among cichlid groups. However, statistical comparisons among these models suggest that ecological, rather than biogeographic, factors may be responsible for divergent selective pressures that have shaped the evolution of the visual system in cichlids. We found that branch-site models did not perform as well as clade models for our data set, in which there was evidence for positive selection in the background. One of our most intriguing results is that the amino acid sites found to be under positive selection in Neotropical and African lake cichlids were largely nonoverlapping, despite falling into the same three functional categories: spectral tuning, retinal uptake/release, and rhodopsin dimerization. Taken together, these results would imply divergent selection across cichlid clades, but targeting similar functions. This study highlights the importance of molecular investigations of ecologically important groups and the flexibility of clade models in explicitly testing ecological hypotheses.

Genetics Home Reference: Cowden syndrome

MedlinePlus

... MS, Eng C. A clinical scoring system for selection of patients for PTEN mutation testing is proposed ... should consult with a qualified healthcare professional . About Selection Criteria for Links Data Files & API Site Map ...

CADDIS Volume 4. Data Analysis: Selecting an Analysis Approach

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

An approach for selecting statistical analyses to inform causal analysis. Describes methods for determining whether test site conditions differ from reference expectations. Describes an approach for estimating stressor-response relationships.

Developing and Validating a Rapid Small-Scale Column Test Procedure for GAC Selection using Reconstituted Lyophilized NOM

EPA Science Inventory

Cost effective design and operation of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) facilities requires the selection of GAC that is optimal for a specific site. Rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs) are widely used for GAC assessment due to several advantages, including the ability to simu...

Developing and Validating a Rapid Small-Scale Column Test Procedure for GAC Selection using Reconstituted Lyophilized NOM - Portland, OR

EPA Science Inventory

Cost effective design and operation of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) facilities requires the selection of GAC that is optimal for a specific site. Rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs) are widely used for GAC assessment due to several advantages, including the ability to simu...

Correlations Between Life-Detection Techniques and Implications for Sampling Site Selection in Planetary Analog Missions.

PubMed

Gentry, Diana M; Amador, Elena S; Cable, Morgan L; Chaudry, Nosheen; Cullen, Thomas; Jacobsen, Malene B; Murukesan, Gayathri; Schwieterman, Edward W; Stevens, Adam H; Stockton, Amanda; Tan, George; Yin, Chang; Cullen, David C; Geppert, Wolf

2017-10-01

We conducted an analog sampling expedition under simulated mission constraints to areas dominated by basaltic tephra of the Eldfell and Fimmvörðuháls lava fields (Iceland). Sites were selected to be "homogeneous" at a coarse remote sensing resolution (10-100 m) in apparent color, morphology, moisture, and grain size, with best-effort realism in numbers of locations and replicates. Three different biomarker assays (counting of nucleic-acid-stained cells via fluorescent microscopy, a luciferin/luciferase assay for adenosine triphosphate, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect DNA associated with bacteria, archaea, and fungi) were characterized at four nested spatial scales (1 m, 10 m, 100 m, and >1 km) by using five common metrics for sample site representativeness (sample mean variance, group F tests, pairwise t tests, and the distribution-free rank sum H and u tests). Correlations between all assays were characterized with Spearman's rank test. The bioluminescence assay showed the most variance across the sites, followed by qPCR for bacterial and archaeal DNA; these results could not be considered representative at the finest resolution tested (1 m). Cell concentration and fungal DNA also had significant local variation, but they were homogeneous over scales of >1 km. These results show that the selection of life detection assays and the number, distribution, and location of sampling sites in a low biomass environment with limited a priori characterization can yield both contrasting and complementary results, and that their interdependence must be given due consideration to maximize science return in future biomarker sampling expeditions. Key Words: Astrobiology-Biodiversity-Microbiology-Iceland-Planetary exploration-Mars mission simulation-Biomarker. Astrobiology 17, 1009-1021.

Systematic optimization model and algorithm for binding sequence selection in computational enzyme design

PubMed Central

Huang, Xiaoqiang; Han, Kehang; Zhu, Yushan

2013-01-01

A systematic optimization model for binding sequence selection in computational enzyme design was developed based on the transition state theory of enzyme catalysis and graph-theoretical modeling. The saddle point on the free energy surface of the reaction system was represented by catalytic geometrical constraints, and the binding energy between the active site and transition state was minimized to reduce the activation energy barrier. The resulting hyperscale combinatorial optimization problem was tackled using a novel heuristic global optimization algorithm, which was inspired and tested by the protein core sequence selection problem. The sequence recapitulation tests on native active sites for two enzyme catalyzed hydrolytic reactions were applied to evaluate the predictive power of the design methodology. The results of the calculation show that most of the native binding sites can be successfully identified if the catalytic geometrical constraints and the structural motifs of the substrate are taken into account. Reliably predicting active site sequences may have significant implications for the creation of novel enzymes that are capable of catalyzing targeted chemical reactions. PMID:23649589

Advanced on-site power plant development technology program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

A 30-cell, full area short stack containing advanced cell features was tested for 2900 hours. A stack acid addition approach was selected and will be evaluated on the stack at 5000 hours test time. A brassboard inverter was designed and fabrication was initiated. Evaluation of this brassboard inverter will take place in 1984. A Teflon coated commercial heat exchanger was selected as the preferred approach for the acid condenser. A reformer catalyst with significantly less pressure drop and equivalent performance relative to the 40-K baseline catalyst was selected for the development reformer. The early 40-kW field power plant history was reviewed and adjustments were made to the On-Site Technology Development Program to address critical component issues.

Environmental assessment of SP-100 ground engineering system test site: Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1988-12-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to modify an existing reactor containment building (decommissioned Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor (PRTR) 309 Building) to provide ground test capability for the prototype SP-100 reactor. The 309 Building (Figure 1.1) is located in the 300 Area on the Hanford Site in Washington State. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that Federal agencies assess the potential impacts that their actions may have on the environment. This Environmental Assessment describes the consideration given to environmental impacts during reactor concept and test site selection, examines the environmental effects of the DOE proposal to ground test the nuclear subsystem, describes alternatives to the proposed action, and examines radiological risks of potential SP-100 use in space.

DNA cleavage site selection by Type III restriction enzymes provides evidence for head-on protein collisions following 1D bidirectional motion

PubMed Central

Schwarz, Friedrich W.; van Aelst, Kara; Tóth, Júlia; Seidel, Ralf; Szczelkun, Mark D.

2011-01-01

DNA cleavage by the Type III Restriction–Modification enzymes requires communication in 1D between two distant indirectly-repeated recognitions sites, yet results in non-specific dsDNA cleavage close to only one of the two sites. To test a recently proposed ATP-triggered DNA sliding model, we addressed why one site is selected over another during cleavage. We examined the relative cleavage of a pair of identical sites on DNA substrates with different distances to a free or protein blocked end, and on a DNA substrate using different relative concentrations of protein. Under these conditions a bias can be induced in the cleavage of one site over the other. Monte-Carlo simulations based on the sliding model reproduce the experimentally observed behaviour. This suggests that cleavage site selection simply reflects the dynamics of the preceding stochastic enzyme events that are consistent with bidirectional motion in 1D and DNA cleavage following head-on protein collision. PMID:21724613

An att site-based recombination reporter system for genome engineering and synthetic DNA assembly.

PubMed

Bland, Michael J; Ducos-Galand, Magaly; Val, Marie-Eve; Mazel, Didier

2017-07-14

Direct manipulation of the genome is a widespread technique for genetic studies and synthetic biology applications. The tyrosine and serine site-specific recombination systems of bacteriophages HK022 and ΦC31 are widely used for stable directional exchange and relocation of DNA sequences, making them valuable tools in these contexts. We have developed site-specific recombination tools that allow the direct selection of recombination events by embedding the attB site from each system within the β-lactamase resistance coding sequence (bla). The HK and ΦC31 tools were developed by placing the attB sites from each system into the signal peptide cleavage site coding sequence of bla. All possible open reading frames (ORFs) were inserted and tested for recombination efficiency and bla activity. Efficient recombination was observed for all tested ORFs (3 for HK, 6 for ΦC31) as shown through a cointegrate formation assay. The bla gene with the embedded attB site was functional for eight of the nine constructs tested. The HK/ΦC31 att-bla system offers a simple way to directly select recombination events, thus enhancing the use of site-specific recombination systems for carrying out precise, large-scale DNA manipulation, and adding useful tools to the genetics toolbox. We further show the power and flexibility of bla to be used as a reporter for recombination.

Recurrent bottlenecks in the malaria life cycle obscure signals of positive selection.

PubMed

Chang, Hsiao-Han; Hartl, Daniel L

2015-02-01

Detecting signals of selection in the genome of malaria parasites is a key to identify targets for drug and vaccine development. Malaria parasites have a unique life cycle alternating between vector and host organism with a population bottleneck at each transition. These recurrent bottlenecks could influence the patterns of genetic diversity and the power of existing population genetic tools to identify sites under positive selection. We therefore simulated the site-frequency spectrum of a beneficial mutant allele through time under the malaria life cycle. We investigated the power of current population genetic methods to detect positive selection based on the site-frequency spectrum as well as temporal changes in allele frequency. We found that a within-host selective advantage is difficult to detect using these methods. Although a between-host transmission advantage could be detected, the power is decreased when compared with the classical Wright-Fisher (WF) population model. Using an adjusted null site-frequency spectrum that takes the malaria life cycle into account, the power of tests based on the site-frequency spectrum to detect positive selection is greatly improved. Our study demonstrates the importance of considering the life cycle in genetic analysis, especially in parasites with complex life cycles.

Incorporating in situ habitat patchiness in site selection models reveals that site fidelity is not always a consequence of animal choice.

PubMed

Martinez, Aline S; Queiroz, Eduardo V; Bryson, Mitch; Byrne, Maria; Coleman, Ross A

2017-07-01

Understanding site fidelity is important in animal ecology, but evidence is lacking that this behaviour is due to an animal choosing a specific location. To discern site selection behaviour, it is necessary to consider the spatial distribution of habitats that animals can occupy within a landscape. Tracking animals and defining clear habitat boundaries, however, is often difficult. We use in situ habitat distribution data and animal movement simulations to investigate behavioural choice in site fidelity patterns. We resolved the difficulty of gathering data by working with intertidal rock pool systems, which are of manageable size and where boundaries are easy to define. Movements of the intertidal starfish Parvulastra exigua were quantified to test the hypotheses that (1) this species displays fidelity to a particular rock pool and that (2) rock pool fidelity is due to site selection behaviour. Observed patterns of individuals (n = 10 starfish) returning to a previously occupied rock pool (n = 5 pools per location) were tested against an expected null distribution generated through simulations of random movements within their natural patchy environment. Starfish exhibited site selection behaviour at only one location even though site fidelity was high (av. 7·4 starfish out of 10 found in test pools) in two of the three locations. The random chance of a starfish returning to a pool increased 67% for each metre further a rock pool was from the original pool, and 120% for each square metre increase in surface area of an original pool. The decision of returning to an original rock pool was influenced by food availability. When microalgal cover was >60%, there was a c. 50% chance of animals staying faithful to that pool. Our results show the importance to consider spatial distribution of habitats in understanding patterns of animal movement associated with animal choices and site fidelity. Returning to a particular place does not necessarily mean that an animal is homing; it may be the only place to go. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.

Remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated sites by DNA diagnosis-based bioslurping technology.

PubMed

Kim, Seungjin; Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa; Kim, Jong-Oh; Chung, Jinwook

2014-11-01

The application of effective remediation technologies can benefit from adequate preliminary testing, such as in lab-scale and Pilot-scale systems. Bioremediation technologies have demonstrated tremendous potential with regards to cost, but they cannot be used for all contaminated sites due to limitations in biological activity. The purpose of this study was to develop a DNA diagnostic method that reduces the time to select contaminated sites that are good candidates for bioremediation. We applied an oligonucleotide microarray method to detect and monitor genes that lead to aliphatic and aromatic degradation. Further, the bioremediation of a contaminated site, selected based on the results of the genetic diagnostic method, was achieved successfully by applying bioslurping in field tests. This gene-based diagnostic technique is a powerful tool to evaluate the potential for bioremediation in petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Subsurface profiling using integrated geophysical methods for 2D site response analysis in Bangalore city, India: a new approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandran, Deepu; Anbazhagan, P.

2017-10-01

Recently, site response analysis has become a mandatory step for the design of important structures. Subsurface investigation is an essential step, from where the input parameters for the site response study like density, shear wave velocity (Vs), thickness and damping characteristics, etc, are obtained. Most site response studies at shallow bedrock sites are one-dimensional (1D) and are usually carried out by using Vs from multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) or a standard penetration test (SPT) for N values with assumptions that soil layers are horizontal, uniform and homogeneous. These assumptions are not completely true in shallow bedrock regions as soil deposits are heterogeneous. The objective of this study is to generate the actual subsurface profiles in two-dimensions at shallow bedrock regions using integrated subsurface investigation testing. The study area selected for this work is Bangalore, India. Three survey lines were selected in Bangalore at two different locations; one at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Campus and the other at Whitefield. Geophysical surveys like ground penetrating radar (GPR) and 2D MASW were carried out at these survey lines. Geophysical test results are compared and validated with a conventional geotechnical SPT. At the IISc site, the soil profile is obtained from a trench excavated for a proposed pipeline used to compare the geophysical test results. Test results show that GPR is very useful to delineate subsurface layers, especially for shallow depths at both sites (IISc Campus and Whitefield). MASW survey results show variation of Vs values and layer thickness comparatively at deeper depths for both sites. They also show higher density soil strata with high Vs value obtained at the IISc Campus site, whereas at the Whitefield site weaker soil with low shear velocity is observed. Combining these two geophysical methods helped to generate representative 2D subsurface profiles. These subsurface profiles can be further used to understand the difference between 1D and 2D site response.

Test of the prey-base hypothesis to explain use of red squirrel midden sites by American martens

Treesearch

Dean E. Pearson; Leonard F. Ruggiero

2001-01-01

We tested the prey-base hypothesis to determine whether selection of red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) midden sites (cone caches) by American martens (Martes americana) for resting and denning could be attributed to greater abundance of small-mammal prey. Five years of livetrapping at 180 sampling stations in 2 drainages showed that small mammals,...

Coupling GIS and multivariate approaches to reference site selection for wadeable stream monitoring.

PubMed

Collier, Kevin J; Haigh, Andy; Kelly, Johlene

2007-04-01

Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to identify potential reference sites for wadeable stream monitoring, and multivariate analyses were applied to test whether invertebrate communities reflected a priori spatial and stream type classifications. We identified potential reference sites in segments with unmodified vegetation cover adjacent to the stream and in >85% of the upstream catchment. We then used various landcover, amenity and environmental impact databases to eliminate sites that had potential anthropogenic influences upstream and that fell into a range of access classes. Each site identified by this process was coded by four dominant stream classes and seven zones, and 119 candidate sites were randomly selected for follow-up assessment. This process yielded 16 sites conforming to reference site criteria using a conditional-probabilistic design, and these were augmented by an additional 14 existing or special interest reference sites. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) analysis of percent abundance invertebrate data indicated significant differences in community composition among some of the zones and stream classes identified a priori providing qualified support for this framework in reference site selection. NMS analysis of a range standardised condition and diversity metrics derived from the invertebrate data indicated a core set of 26 closely related sites, and four outliers that were considered atypical of reference site conditions and subsequently dropped from the network. Use of GIS linked to stream typology, available spatial databases and aerial photography greatly enhanced the objectivity and efficiency of reference site selection. The multi-metric ordination approach reduced variability among stream types and bias associated with non-random site selection, and provided an effective way to identify representative reference sites.

Evaporative oxidation treatability test report

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

NONE

1995-04-01

In 1992, Congress passed the Federal Facilities Compliance Act that requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to treat and dispose of its mixed waste in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) land disposal restrictions (LDRs). In response to the need for mixed-waste treatment capacity where available off-site commercial treatment facilities do not exist or cannot be used, the DOE Albuquerque Operations Office (DOE-AL) organized a Treatment Selection Team to match mixed wastes with treatment options and develop a strategy for treatment of its mixed wastes. DOE-AL manages operations at nine sites with mixed-waste inventories. The Treatmentmore » Selection Team determined a need to develop mobile treatment capacity to treat wastes at the sites where the wastes are generated. Treatment processes used for mixed waste not only must address the hazardous component (i.e., meet LDRs) but also must contain the radioactive component in a form that allows final disposal while protecting workers, the public, and the environment. On the basis of recommendations of the Treatment Selection Team, DOE-AL assigned projects to the sites to bring mixed-waste treatment capacity on-line. The three technologies assigned to the DOE Grand Junction Projects Office (GJPO) are evaporative oxidation, thermal desorption, and treated wastewater evaporation. Rust Geotech, the DOE-GJPO prime contractor, was assigned to design and fabricate mobile treatment units (MTUs) for these three technologies and to deliver the MTUs to selected DOE-AL sites. To conduct treatability tests at the GJPO, Rust leased a pilot-scale evaporative oxidation unit from the Clemson Technical Center (CTC), Anderson, South Carolina. The purpose of this report is to document the findings and results of tests performed using this equipment.« less

Wave Resource Characterization at US Wave Energy Converter (WEC) Test Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dallman, A.; Neary, V. S.

2016-02-01

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Marine and Hydrokinetic energy (MHK) Program is supporting a diverse research and development portfolio intended to accelerate commercialization of the marine renewable industry by improving technology performance, reducing market barriers, and lowering the cost of energy. Wave resource characterization at potential and existing wave energy converter (WEC) test sites and deployment locations contributes to this DOE goal by providing a catalogue of wave energy resource characteristics, met-ocean data, and site infrastructure information, developed utilizing a consistent methodology. The purpose of the catalogue is to enable the comparison of resource characteristics among sites to facilitate the selection of test sites that are most suitable for a developer's device and that best meet their testing needs and objectives. It also provides inputs for the design of WEC test devices and planning WEC tests, including the planning of deployment and operations and maintenance. The first edition included three sites: the Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC) North Energy Test Site (NETS) offshore of Newport, Oregon, the Kaneohe Bay Naval Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) offshore of Oahu, HI, and a potential site offshore of Humboldt Bay, CA (Eureka, CA). The second edition was recently finished, which includes five additional sites: the Jennette's Pier Wave Energy Converter Test Site in North Carolina, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Field Research Facility (FRF), the PMEC Lake Washington site, the proposed PMEC South Energy Test Site (SETS), and the proposed CalWave Central Coast WEC Test Site. The operational sea states are included according to the IEC Technical Specification on wave energy resource assessment and characterization, with additional information on extreme sea states, weather windows, and representative spectra. The methodology and a summary of results will be discussed.

Modeling HIV-1 Drug Resistance as Episodic Directional Selection

PubMed Central

Murrell, Ben; de Oliveira, Tulio; Seebregts, Chris; Kosakovsky Pond, Sergei L.; Scheffler, Konrad

2012-01-01

The evolution of substitutions conferring drug resistance to HIV-1 is both episodic, occurring when patients are on antiretroviral therapy, and strongly directional, with site-specific resistant residues increasing in frequency over time. While methods exist to detect episodic diversifying selection and continuous directional selection, no evolutionary model combining these two properties has been proposed. We present two models of episodic directional selection (MEDS and EDEPS) which allow the a priori specification of lineages expected to have undergone directional selection. The models infer the sites and target residues that were likely subject to directional selection, using either codon or protein sequences. Compared to its null model of episodic diversifying selection, MEDS provides a superior fit to most sites known to be involved in drug resistance, and neither one test for episodic diversifying selection nor another for constant directional selection are able to detect as many true positives as MEDS and EDEPS while maintaining acceptable levels of false positives. This suggests that episodic directional selection is a better description of the process driving the evolution of drug resistance. PMID:22589711

Modeling HIV-1 drug resistance as episodic directional selection.

PubMed

Murrell, Ben; de Oliveira, Tulio; Seebregts, Chris; Kosakovsky Pond, Sergei L; Scheffler, Konrad

2012-01-01

The evolution of substitutions conferring drug resistance to HIV-1 is both episodic, occurring when patients are on antiretroviral therapy, and strongly directional, with site-specific resistant residues increasing in frequency over time. While methods exist to detect episodic diversifying selection and continuous directional selection, no evolutionary model combining these two properties has been proposed. We present two models of episodic directional selection (MEDS and EDEPS) which allow the a priori specification of lineages expected to have undergone directional selection. The models infer the sites and target residues that were likely subject to directional selection, using either codon or protein sequences. Compared to its null model of episodic diversifying selection, MEDS provides a superior fit to most sites known to be involved in drug resistance, and neither one test for episodic diversifying selection nor another for constant directional selection are able to detect as many true positives as MEDS and EDEPS while maintaining acceptable levels of false positives. This suggests that episodic directional selection is a better description of the process driving the evolution of drug resistance.

Inventory of forest and rangeland and detection of forest stress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heller, R. C. (Principal Investigator); Aldrich, R. C.; Weber, F. P.; Driscoll, R. S.

1972-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Seventy-two ground sensors were interfaced with three DCP'S at the Black Hills test site. Unfortunately, the transmitters had to be returned for modification and forestry sensed data is not available. The DCP's did operate properly from the Berkeley laboratory and data were recovered from the Goldstone and Alaska stations via Goddard. Replicated training sets and test sets have been selected from all three test site areas in preparation for the receipt of ERTS imagery and digital tapes. From 600 and 800 points have been selected at each site location and UTM coordinates determined. Templates are being made of these sets. As of September 1, ERTS-generated data had not been received and no statements can be made regarding quality or suitability for forest and range experiments. Aerial photography (scale 1:32,000) of the Manitou (226 C) and Black Hills (226 A) sites was taken with CIR in June. Various scales (1:2,000; 1:10,000; 1:20,000; and 1:40,000) of 70 mm photographs were obtained at Manitou with normal color, CIR, and panchromatic in August.

Using environmental heterogeneity to plan for sea-level rise.

PubMed

Hunter, Elizabeth A; Nibbelink, Nathan P

2017-12-01

Environmental heterogeneity is increasingly being used to select conservation areas that will provide for future biodiversity under a variety of climate scenarios. This approach, termed conserving nature's stage (CNS), assumes environmental features respond to climate change more slowly than biological communities, but will CNS be effective if the stage were to change as rapidly as the climate? We tested the effectiveness of using CNS to select sites in salt marshes for conservation in coastal Georgia (U.S.A.), where environmental features will change rapidly as sea level rises. We calculated species diversity based on distributions of 7 bird species with a variety of niches in Georgia salt marshes. Environmental heterogeneity was assessed across six landscape gradients (e.g., elevation, salinity, and patch area). We used 2 approaches to select sites with high environmental heterogeneity: site complementarity (environmental diversity [ED]) and local environmental heterogeneity (environmental richness [ER]). Sites selected based on ER predicted present-day species diversity better than randomly selected sites (up to an 8.1% improvement), were resilient to areal loss from SLR (1.0% average areal loss by 2050 compared with 0.9% loss of randomly selected sites), and provided habitat to a threatened species (0.63 average occupancy compared with 0.6 average occupancy of randomly selected sites). Sites selected based on ED predicted species diversity no better or worse than random and were not resilient to SLR (2.9% average areal loss by 2050). Despite the discrepancy between the 2 approaches, CNS is a viable strategy for conservation site selection in salt marshes because the ER approach was successful. It has potential for application in other coastal areas where SLR will affect environmental features, but its performance may depend on the magnitude of geological changes caused by SLR. Our results indicate that conservation planners that had heretofore excluded low-lying coasts from CNS planning could include coastal ecosystems in regional conservation strategies. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.

Conflict between biotic and climatic selective pressures acting on an extended phenotype in a subarctic, but not temperate, environment.

PubMed

Rohwer, V G; Bonier, F; Martin, P R

2015-10-22

Climatic selective pressures are thought to dominate biotic selective pressures at higher latitudes. However, few studies have experimentally tested how these selective pressures differentially act on traits across latitudes because traits can rarely be manipulated independently of the organism in nature. We overcame this challenge by using an extended phenotype-active bird nests-and conducted reciprocal transplant experiments between a subarctic and temperate site, separated by 14° of latitude. At the subarctic site, biotic selective pressures (nest predation) favoured smaller, non-local temperate nests, whereas climatic selective pressures (temperature) favoured larger local nests, particularly at colder temperatures. By contrast, at the temperate site, climatic and biotic selective pressures acted similarly on temperate and subarctic nests. Our results illustrate a functional trade-off in the subarctic between nest morphologies favoured by biotic versus climatic selective pressures, with climate favouring local nest morphologies. At our temperate site, however, allocative trade-offs in the time and effort devoted to nest construction favour smaller, local nests. Our findings illustrate a conflict between biotic and climatic selective pressures at the northern extremes of a species geographical range, and suggest that trade-offs between trait function and trait elaboration act differentially across latitude to create broad geographic variation in traits. © 2015 The Author(s).

Conflict between biotic and climatic selective pressures acting on an extended phenotype in a subarctic, but not temperate, environment

PubMed Central

Rohwer, V. G.; Bonier, F.; Martin, P. R.

2015-01-01

Climatic selective pressures are thought to dominate biotic selective pressures at higher latitudes. However, few studies have experimentally tested how these selective pressures differentially act on traits across latitudes because traits can rarely be manipulated independently of the organism in nature. We overcame this challenge by using an extended phenotype—active bird nests—and conducted reciprocal transplant experiments between a subarctic and temperate site, separated by 14° of latitude. At the subarctic site, biotic selective pressures (nest predation) favoured smaller, non-local temperate nests, whereas climatic selective pressures (temperature) favoured larger local nests, particularly at colder temperatures. By contrast, at the temperate site, climatic and biotic selective pressures acted similarly on temperate and subarctic nests. Our results illustrate a functional trade-off in the subarctic between nest morphologies favoured by biotic versus climatic selective pressures, with climate favouring local nest morphologies. At our temperate site, however, allocative trade-offs in the time and effort devoted to nest construction favour smaller, local nests. Our findings illustrate a conflict between biotic and climatic selective pressures at the northern extremes of a species geographical range, and suggest that trade-offs between trait function and trait elaboration act differentially across latitude to create broad geographic variation in traits. PMID:26490789

Mapping Near-Surface Salinization Using Long-wavelength AIRSAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paine, Jeffery G.

2003-01-01

In May 1999, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory acquired airborne synthetic aperture radar (AIRSAR) data over the Hatchel and Montague Test Sites in Texas. We analyzed P- and L-band polarimetric radar data from these AIRSAR missions to assess whether AIRSAR could be used as a rapid and remote platform for screening large areas at risk for near-surface soil and water salinization. Ongoing geological, geophysical, and hydrological studies at the Hatchel Test Site in Runnels County and the Montague Test Site in Montague County have demonstrated the utility of high-resolution airborne electromagnetic (EM) induction in mapping electrical conductivity changes that accompany shallow natural and oil-field related salinization at these sites in the Colorado and Red River basins. We compared AIRSAR and airborne EM data quantitatively by (1) selecting representative flight lines from airborne EM surveys of the Hatchel and Montague sites, (2) extracting measurement locations and apparent conductivities at the highest available EM frequency, (3) identifying and extracting all P- and L-band backscatter intensities for all locations within 5 m of an airborne EM measurement, and (4) examining the spatial and magnitude relationships between apparent conductivity and all radar polarization and polarization-ratio combinations. For both test sites, backscatter intensity in all individual P- and L-band polarizations was slightly negatively correlated with apparent conductivity. In most modes this was manifested as a decrease in the range and magnitude of backscatter intensity as apparent conductivity increased. Select single-band and cross-band polarization ratios exhibited somewhat higher correlation with apparent conductivity by partly diminishing the dominance of the vegetation contribution to V backscatter intensity. The highest correlation with conductivity was obtained using the L-band vertical- to cross-polarization ratio, the P-band vertical- to L-band cross-polarization ratio, and the P-band vertical-to cross-polarization ratio. These correlations were higher for the more arid (and less electrically conductive) Hatchel Test Site than they were for the Montague Test Site.

Assignment of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) to spawning sites using DNA markers.

PubMed

Corley-Smith, Graham E; Wennerberg, Liv; Schembri, Joy A; Lim, Chinten J; Cooper, Karen L; Brandhorst, Bruce P

2005-01-01

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to assign individual adult sockeye salmon to their spawning sites using a genotype assignment test. Six primers were selected for use by screening bulked DNA samples for markers missing in fish from one or more of 5 sites in British Columbia or Alaska. Of 73 markers scored, 54 showed variation between or within sites among the sampled fish. Thirty-seven of the variable markers were not detected in any fish from one or more sites; 18 variable markers were detected in all fish from one or more other sites. Thus 25% of markers scored were found in all fish of some sites and in no fish of some other sites. An assignment test placed all 70 fish tested into their correct populations. Principal coordinate analysis of genetic variation produced clusters of fish corresponding to each sampling site. No sex-specific RAPD markers were detected among more than 1300 screened.

Evaluation of Aqua-Ammonia Chiller Technologies and Field Site Installation

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

Zaltash, Abdolreza

2007-09-01

The Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center (NFESC) has sponsored Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to review, select, and evaluate advanced, gas-fired, 5-ton, aqua-ammonia, chiller technologies. The selection criteria was that units have COP values of 0.67 or better at Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) 95 F outdoor rating conditions, an active refrigerant flow control, and a variable-speed condenser fan. These features are expected to allow these units to operate at higher ambient temperatures (up to the maximum operating temperature of 110 F) with minimal degradation in performance. ORNL evaluated three potential manufacturers of advanced, gas-fired, 5-ton, aqua-ammonia chillers-Robur, Ambian, andmore » Cooling Technologies. Unfortunately, Robur did not meet the COP requirements and Cooling Technologies could not deliver a unit to be tested at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-ORNL environmental chamber testing facility for thermally activated heat pumps. This eliminated these two technologies from further consideration, leaving only the Ambian chillers for evaluation. Two Ambian chillers were evaluated at the DOE-ORNL test facility. Overall these chillers operated well over a wide range of ambient conditions with minimal degradation in performance due to several control strategies used such as a variable speed condenser fan, a modulating burner, and active refrigerant flow control. These Ambian pre-commercial units were selected for installation and field testing at three federal facilities. NFESC worked with ORNL to assist with the site selection for installation and evaluation of these chillers. Two sites (ORNL and Naval Surface Warfare Center [NSWC] Corona) had a single chiller unit installed; and at one site (Naval Amphibious Base [NAB] Little Creek), two 5-ton chillers linked together were installed to provide 10 tons of cooling. A chiller link controller developed under this project was evaluated in the field test at Little Creek.« less

Effects of intraguild predators on nest-site selection by prey.

PubMed

Huang, Wen-San; Pike, David A

2012-01-01

Nest-site selection involves tradeoffs between the risk of predation (on females and/or nests) and nest-site quality (microenvironment), and consequently suitable nesting sites are often in limited supply. Interactions with "classical" predators (e.g., those not competing for shared resources) can strongly influence nest-site selection, but whether intraguild predation also influences this behavior is unknown. We tested whether risk of predation from an intraguild predator [the diurnal scincid lizard Eutropis (Mabuya) longicaudata] influences nest-site selection by its prey (the nocturnal gecko Gekko hokouensis) on Orchid Island, Taiwan. These two species putatively compete for shared resources, including invertebrate prey and nesting microhabitat, but the larger E. longicaudata also predates G. hokouensis (but not its hard-shelled eggs). Both species nested within a concrete wall containing a series of drainage holes that have either one ("closed-in") or two openings ("open"). In allopatry, E. longicaudata preferred to nest within holes that were plugged by debris (thereby protecting eggs from water intrusion), whereas G. hokouensis selected holes that were open at both ends (facilitating escape from predators). When we experimentally excluded E. longicaudata from its preferred nesting area, G. hokouensis not only nested in higher abundances, but also modified its nest-site selection, such that communal nesting was more prevalent and both open and closed-in holes were used equally. Egg viability was unaffected by the choice of hole type, but was reduced slightly (by 7%) in the predator exclusion area (presumably due to higher local incubation temperatures). Our field experiment demonstrates that intraguild predators can directly influence the nest density of prey by altering maternal nest-site selection behavior, even when the predator and prey are active at different times of day and the eggs are not at risk of predation.

Selection of Atmospheric Environmental Monitoring Sites based on Geographic Parameters Extraction of GIS and Fuzzy Matter-Element Analysis.

PubMed

Wu, Jianfa; Peng, Dahao; Ma, Jianhao; Zhao, Li; Sun, Ce; Ling, Huanzhang

2015-01-01

To effectively monitor the atmospheric quality of small-scale areas, it is necessary to optimize the locations of the monitoring sites. This study combined geographic parameters extraction by GIS with fuzzy matter-element analysis. Geographic coordinates were extracted by GIS and transformed into rectangular coordinates. These coordinates were input into the Gaussian plume model to calculate the pollutant concentration at each site. Fuzzy matter-element analysis, which is used to solve incompatible problems, was used to select the locations of sites. The matter element matrices were established according to the concentration parameters. The comprehensive correlation functions KA (xj) and KB (xj), which reflect the degree of correlation among monitoring indices, were solved for each site, and a scatter diagram of the sites was drawn to determine the final positions of the sites based on the functions. The sites could be classified and ultimately selected by the scatter diagram. An actual case was tested, and the results showed that 5 positions can be used for monitoring, and the locations conformed to the technical standard. In the results of this paper, the hierarchical clustering method was used to improve the methods. The sites were classified into 5 types, and 7 locations were selected. Five of the 7 locations were completely identical to the sites determined by fuzzy matter-element analysis. The selections according to these two methods are similar, and these methods can be used in combination. In contrast to traditional methods, this study monitors the isolated point pollutant source within a small range, which can reduce the cost of monitoring.

The complexity of selection at the major primate beta-defensin locus.

PubMed

Semple, Colin A M; Maxwell, Alison; Gautier, Philippe; Kilanowski, Fiona M; Eastwood, Hayden; Barran, Perdita E; Dorin, Julia R

2005-05-18

We have examined the evolution of the genes at the major human beta-defensin locus and the orthologous loci in a range of other primates and mouse. For the first time these data allow us to examine selective episodes in the more recent evolutionary history of this locus as well as the ancient past. We have used a combination of maximum likelihood based tests and a maximum parsimony based sliding window approach to give a detailed view of the varying modes of selection operating at this locus. We provide evidence for strong positive selection soon after the duplication of these genes within an ancestral mammalian genome. Consequently variable selective pressures have acted on beta-defensin genes in different evolutionary lineages, with episodes both of negative, and more rarely positive selection, during the divergence of primates. Positive selection appears to have been more common in the rodent lineage, accompanying the birth of novel, rodent-specific beta-defensin genes. These observations allow a fuller understanding of the evolution of mammalian innate immunity. In both the rodent and primate lineages, sites in the second exon have been subject to positive selection and by implication are important in functional diversity. A small number of sites in the mature human peptides were found to have undergone repeated episodes of selection in different primate lineages. Particular sites were consistently implicated by multiple methods at positions throughout the mature peptides. These sites are clustered at positions predicted to be important for the specificity of the antimicrobial or chemoattractant properties of beta-defensins. Surprisingly, sites within the prepropeptide region were also implicated as being subject to significant positive selection, suggesting previously unappreciated functional significance for this region. Identification of these putatively functional sites has important implications for our understanding of beta-defensin function and for novel antibiotic design.

Imaging Shallow Aquitard Breaches with P waves: Results from a Walk-away test and a Reflection Survey at two Sites in Memphis, Tennessee, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, J.; Magnani, M.; Waldron, B. A.

2006-12-01

We present the results of two seismic reflection experiments conducted in the Great Memphis area in April and July 2006. The two experiments consisted in a walk-away test and in the acquisition of a 1 km seismic reflection profile. The acquisition of the seismic data is part of a larger effort aimed at imaging the lateral continuity of the Upper Claiborne confining clay that separates the Memphis aquifer, the region's primary drinking water source, from the upper unconfined aquifer and protects the drinking aquifer from exposure to potential contamination. During the walk-away test, four P-wave sources, a 7.5 kg sledge hammer, a 20 kg weight drop, a 12-gauge Buffalo gun, and a Minivibe source were tested at two sites with the goal of selecting the best P-wave seismic source and acquisition parameters for shallow reflection surveys. Boreholes nearby both sites encountered the Upper Claiborne unit at a depth ranging from 10 m to 40 m. One site is located within a 100-meter length of road median that can be considered an urban environment. The second site is located at Shelby Farms within the City of Memphis yet reflects a rural setting with minimal noise and no subsurface infrastructure. Performing identical walk-away tests at both sites, the results indicate that the energy source selection is site dependent. At the urban site, the energy generated by the weight drop source is more coherent and can be interpreted with more confidence on the recorded data. However the Shelby Farms site the 12-gauge shotgun produced the strongest recorded energy, the highest dominant frequency and the broadest frequency band (6- 110 Hz). Strong attenuations are observed at both sites with a much higher attenuation in the urban road median site, where the near surface materials consisted of gravels, sands, clays, and pebbles. For both sites, surface waves and refractions dominate the seismic recordings. Filtering and gain of the data revealed the presence of shallow reflections related to the targeted clay layer. Based on the results of the walk-away test and on additional supporting data such as water table measurements, neotectonic structural mapping and borehole data, the location for a 1 km long, north-south trending seismic reflection profile was chosen at Shelby Farms extending south to the Wolf River. Based on the walk-away testing the 12-gauge Buffalo gun was selected as the energy source, used to detonate a single 200 g black powder shell in a 0.6 m deep water filled hole with a 1 m source interval and a 0.25 m geophone interval. Preliminary analysis of the data indicates dominating surface waves and refractions. Upon filtering, consistent reflections can be observed. Correlation of reflections at the start of the seismic line to nearby boreholes evidenced the signature of the Upper Claiborne confining clay at a depth of 18 m.

Evaluation of site-selection criteria, well design, monitoring techniques, and cost analysis for a ground-water supply in Piedmont crystalline rocks, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daniel, Charles C.

1990-01-01

A statistical analysis of data from wells drilled into the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont and Blue Ridge provinces of North Carolina verified and refined previously proposed criteria for the siting of wells to obtain greater than average yields. An opportunity to test the criteria was provided by the expansion of the town of Cary's municipal ground-water system. Three criteria were used: type of rock, thickness of saturated regolith based upon topography, and presence of fractures and joints based upon drainage lineations. A conceptual model of the local hydrogeologic system was developed to guide the selection of the most favorable well sites, and on the basis of the model, six type sites were determined. Eleven of 12 test wells that were located on the basis of type sites yielded from slightly above average to as much as six times the average yield to be expected from particular rock types as reported in the literature. Only one well drilled at a type site had a less than average yield. One well not located at any of the type sites produced little water. Long-term testing and monitoring after the wells were put into production showed that an 18-hour-on, 6-hour-off pumping cycle was much more effective in terms of total production, reduced head loss, and less drawdown than a 5-day-on and 2-day-off cycle. It was also observed that long-term yields by the production wells were about 75 percent of those predicted on the basis of 24-hour pumping tests and only about 60 percent of the driller's reported yields. Cost analysis showed that, by using criteria-selected well sites, a cost-effective well system can be developed that will provide water at an equivalent or lower cost than a surface-water supply. The analysis showed that the system would be cost effective if only one high-yield well were obtained out of every four drilled.

Selecting chemical and ecotoxicological test batteries for risk assessment of trace element-contaminated soils (phyto)managed by gentle remediation options (GRO).

PubMed

Kumpiene, Jurate; Bert, Valérie; Dimitriou, Ioannis; Eriksson, Jan; Friesl-Hanl, Wolfgang; Galazka, Rafal; Herzig, Rolf; Janssen, Jolien; Kidd, Petra; Mench, Michel; Müller, Ingo; Neu, Silke; Oustriere, Nadège; Puschenreiter, Markus; Renella, Giancarlo; Roumier, Pierre-Hervé; Siebielec, Grzegorz; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Manier, Nicolas

2014-10-15

During the past decades a number of field trials with gentle remediation options (GRO) have been established on trace element (TE) contaminated sites throughout Europe. Each research group selects different methods to assess the remediation success making it difficult to compare efficacy between various sites and treatments. This study aimed at selecting a minimum risk assessment battery combining chemical and ecotoxicological assays for assessing and comparing the effectiveness of GRO implemented in seven European case studies. Two test batteries were pre-selected; a chemical one for quantifying TE exposure in untreated soils and GRO-managed soils and a biological one for characterizing soil functionality and ecotoxicity. Soil samples from field studies representing one of the main GROs (phytoextraction in Belgium, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland, aided phytoextraction in France, and aided phytostabilization or in situ stabilization/phytoexclusion in Poland, France and Austria) were collected and assessed using the selected test batteries. The best correlations were obtained between NH4NO3-extractable, followed by NaNO3-extractable TE and the ecotoxicological responses. Biometrical parameters and biomarkers of dwarf beans were the most responsive indicators for the soil treatments and changes in soil TE exposures. Plant growth was inhibited at the higher extractable TE concentrations, while plant stress enzyme activities increased with the higher TE extractability. Based on these results, a minimum risk assessment battery to compare/biomonitor the sites phytomanaged by GROs might consist of the NH4NO3 extraction and the bean Plantox test including the stress enzyme activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prototype solar heating and combined heating and cooling systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

System analysis activities were directed toward refining the heating system parameters. Trade studies were performed to support hardware selections for all systems and for the heating only operational test sites in particular. The heating system qualification tests were supported by predicting qualification test component performance prior to conducting the test.

Use of an analog site near Raymond, California, to develop equipment and methods for characterizing a potential high-level, nuclear waste repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

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

Umari, A.M.J.; Geldon, A.; Patterson, G.

1994-12-31

Yucca Mountain, Nevada, currently is being investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey as a potential site for a high-level nuclear waste repository. Planned hydraulic-stress and tracer tests in fractured, tuffaceous rocks below the water table at Yucca Mountain will require work at depths in excess of 1,300 feet. To facilitate prototype testing of equipment and methods to be used in aquifer tests at Yucca Mountain, an analog site was selected in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near Raymond, California. Two of nine 250- to 300-feet deep wells drilled into fractured, granitic rocks at the Raymond site have been instrumentedmore » with packers, pressure transducers, and other equipment that will be used at Yucca Mountain. Aquifer tests conducted at the Raymond site to date have demonstrated a need to modify some of the equipment and methods conceived for use at Yucca Mountain.« less

Meteorological data for four sites at surface-disruption features in Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, 1985-86

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carman, Rita L.

1994-01-01

Surface-disruption features, or craters, resulting from underground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site may increase the potential for ground-water recharge in an area that would normally produce little, if any, recharge. This report presents selected meteorological data resulting from a study of two surface-disruption features during May 1985 through June 1986. The data were collected at four adjacent sites in Yucca Flat, about 56 kilometers north of Mercury, Nevada. Three sites (one in each of two craters and one at an undisturbed site at the original land surface) were instrumented to collect meteorological data for calculating bare-soil evaporation. These data include (1) long-wave radiation, (2) short-wave radiation, (3) net radiation, (4) air temperae, and (5) soil surface temperature. Meteorological data also were collected at a weather station at an undisturbed site near the study craters. Data collected at this site include (1) air temperature, (2) relative humidity, (3) wind velocity, and (4) wind direction.

Variation at the DRD4 locus is associated with wariness and local site selection in urban black swans.

PubMed

van Dongen, Wouter F D; Robinson, Randall W; Weston, Michael A; Mulder, Raoul A; Guay, Patrick-Jean

2015-12-11

Interactions between wildlife and humans are increasing. Urban animals are often less wary of humans than their non-urban counterparts, which could be explained by habituation, adaptation or local site selection. Under local site selection, individuals that are less tolerant of humans are less likely to settle in urban areas. However, there is little evidence for such temperament-based site selection, and even less is known about its underlying genetic basis. We tested whether site selection in urban and non-urban habitats by black swans (Cygnus atratus) was associated with polymorphisms in two genes linked to fear in animals, the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) and serotonin transporter (SERT) genes. Wariness in swans was highly repeatable between disturbance events (repeatability = 0.61) and non-urban swans initiated escape from humans earlier than urban swans. We found no inter-individual variation in the SERT gene, but identified five DRD4 genotypes and an association between DRD4 genotype and wariness. Individuals possessing the most common DRD4 genotype were less wary than individuals possessing rarer genotypes. As predicted by the local site selection hypothesis, genotypes associated with wary behaviour were over three times more frequent at the non-urban site. This resulted in moderate population differentiation at DRD4 (FST = 0.080), despite the sites being separated by only 30 km, a short distance for this highly-mobile species. Low population differentiation at neutrally-selected microsatellite loci and the likely occasional migration of swans between the populations reduces the likelihood of local site adaptations. Our results suggest that wariness in swans is partly genetically-determined and that wary swans settle in less-disturbed areas. More generally, our findings suggest that site-specific management strategies may be necessary that consider the temperament of local animals.

U.S. Department of Energy's site screening, site selection, and initial characterization for storage of CO2 in deep geological formations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodosta, T.D.; Litynski, J.T.; Plasynski, S.I.; Hickman, S.; Frailey, S.; Myer, L.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the lead Federal agency for the development and deployment of carbon sequestration technologies. As part of its mission to facilitate technology transfer and develop guidelines from lessons learned, DOE is developing a series of best practice manuals (BPMs) for carbon capture and storage (CCS). The "Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization for Storage of CO2 in Deep Geological Formations" BPM is a compilation of best practices and includes flowchart diagrams illustrating the general decision making process for Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization. The BPM integrates the knowledge gained from various programmatic efforts, with particular emphasis on the Characterization Phase through pilot-scale CO2 injection testing of the Validation Phase of the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative. Key geologic and surface elements that suitable candidate storage sites should possess are identified, along with example Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization protocols for large-scale geologic storage projects located across diverse geologic and regional settings. This manual has been written as a working document, establishing a framework and methodology for proper site selection for CO2 geologic storage. This will be useful for future CO2 emitters, transporters, and storage providers. It will also be of use in informing local, regional, state, and national governmental agencies of best practices in proper sequestration site selection. Furthermore, it will educate the inquisitive general public on options and processes for geologic CO2 storage. In addition to providing best practices, the manual presents a geologic storage resource and capacity classification system. The system provides a "standard" to communicate storage and capacity estimates, uncertainty and project development risk, data guidelines and analyses for adequate site characterization, and guidelines for reporting estimates within the classification based on each project's status. 

Positive selection of digestive Cys proteases in herbivorous Coleoptera.

PubMed

Vorster, Juan; Rasoolizadeh, Asieh; Goulet, Marie-Claire; Cloutier, Conrad; Sainsbury, Frank; Michaud, Dominique

2015-10-01

Positive selection is thought to contribute to the functional diversification of insect-inducible protease inhibitors in plants in response to selective pressures exerted by the digestive proteases of their herbivorous enemies. Here we assessed whether a reciprocal evolutionary process takes place on the insect side, and whether ingestion of a positively selected plant inhibitor may translate into a measurable rebalancing of midgut proteases in vivo. Midgut Cys proteases of herbivorous Coleoptera, including the major pest Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), were first compared using a codon-based evolutionary model to look for the occurrence of hypervariable, positively selected amino acid sites among the tested sequences. Hypervariable sites were found, distributed within -or close to- amino acid regions interacting with Cys-type inhibitors of the plant cystatin protein family. A close examination of L. decemlineata sequences indicated a link between their assignment to protease functional families and amino acid identity at positively selected sites. A function-diversifying role for positive selection was further suggested empirically by in vitro protease assays and a shotgun proteomic analysis of L. decemlineata Cys proteases showing a differential rebalancing of protease functional family complements in larvae fed single variants of a model cystatin mutated at positively selected amino acid sites. These data confirm overall the occurrence of hypervariable, positively selected amino acid sites in herbivorous Coleoptera digestive Cys proteases. They also support the idea of an adaptive role for positive selection, useful to generate functionally diverse proteases in insect herbivores ingesting functionally diverse, rapidly evolving dietary cystatins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decision support for the selection of reference sites using 137Cs as a soil erosion tracer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arata, Laura; Meusburger, Katrin; Bürge, Alexandra; Zehringer, Markus; Ketterer, Michael E.; Mabit, Lionel; Alewell, Christine

2017-08-01

The classical approach of using 137Cs as a soil erosion tracer is based on the comparison between stable reference sites and sites affected by soil redistribution processes; it enables the derivation of soil erosion and deposition rates. The method is associated with potentially large sources of uncertainty with major parts of this uncertainty being associated with the selection of the reference sites. We propose a decision support tool to Check the Suitability of reference Sites (CheSS). Commonly, the variation among 137Cs inventories of spatial replicate reference samples is taken as the sole criterion to decide on the suitability of a reference inventory. Here we propose an extension of this procedure using a repeated sampling approach, in which the reference sites are resampled after a certain time period. Suitable reference sites are expected to present no significant temporal variation in their decay-corrected 137Cs depth profiles. Possible causes of variation are assessed by a decision tree. More specifically, the decision tree tests for (i) uncertainty connected to small-scale variability in 137Cs due to its heterogeneous initial fallout (such as in areas affected by the Chernobyl fallout), (ii) signs of erosion or deposition processes and (iii) artefacts due to the collection, preparation and measurement of the samples; (iv) finally, if none of the above can be assigned, this variation might be attributed to turbation processes (e.g. bioturbation, cryoturbation and mechanical turbation, such as avalanches or rockfalls). CheSS was exemplarily applied in one Swiss alpine valley where the apparent temporal variability called into question the suitability of the selected reference sites. In general we suggest the application of CheSS as a first step towards a comprehensible approach to test for the suitability of reference sites.

Age trends in Douglas-fir genetic parameters and implications for optimum selection age.

Treesearch

G.R. Johnson; R.A. Sniezko; N.L. Mandel

1997-01-01

rends in genetic variation were examined over 51 progeny test sites throughout western Oregon. Narrow sense heritabilities for height and diameter showed an increasing trend to age 25, the oldest age examined. Before age 10, height heritabilities were relatively unstable. Type B site-site genetic correlations increased slowly with age for height and remained relatively...

Longitudinal Antigenic Sequences and Sites from Intra-Host Evolution (LASSIE) identifies immune-selected HIV variants

DOE PAGES

Hraber, Peter; Korber, Bette; Wagh, Kshitij; ...

2015-10-21

Within-host genetic sequencing from samples collected over time provides a dynamic view of how viruses evade host immunity. Immune-driven mutations might stimulate neutralization breadth by selecting antibodies adapted to cycles of immune escape that generate within-subject epitope diversity. Comprehensive identification of immune-escape mutations is experimentally and computationally challenging. With current technology, many more viral sequences can readily be obtained than can be tested for binding and neutralization, making down-selection necessary. Typically, this is done manually, by picking variants that represent different time-points and branches on a phylogenetic tree. Such strategies are likely to miss many relevant mutations and combinations ofmore » mutations, and to be redundant for other mutations. Longitudinal Antigenic Sequences and Sites from Intrahost Evolution (LASSIE) uses transmitted founder loss to identify virus “hot-spots” under putative immune selection and chooses sequences that represent recurrent mutations in selected sites. LASSIE favors earliest sequences in which mutations arise. Here, with well-characterized longitudinal Env sequences, we confirmed selected sites were concentrated in antibody contacts and selected sequences represented diverse antigenic phenotypes. Finally, practical applications include rapidly identifying immune targets under selective pressure within a subject, selecting minimal sets of reagents for immunological assays that characterize evolving antibody responses, and for immunogens in polyvalent “cocktail” vaccines.« less

Landing and Population Hazard Analysis for Stardust Entry in Operations and Entry Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tooley, Jeffrey; Desai, Prasun N.; Lynos, Daniel T.; Hirst, Edward A.; Wahl, Tom E.; Wawrzyniak, Georffery G.

2006-01-01

Stardust is a comet sample return mission that successfully returned to Earth on January 15, 2006. Stardust's targeted landing area was the Utah Test and Training Range in the Northwest corner of Utah. Requirements for the risks associated with landing were levied on Stardust by the Utah Test and Training Range and NASA. This paper describes the analysis to verify that these requirements were met and and includes calculation of debris survivability, generation of landing site selection plots, and identification of keep-out zones, as well as appropriate selection of the landing site. Operationally the risk requirements were all met for both of the GOMO-GO polls, so entry was authorized.

Distribution of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and selected water-quality constituents in the surficial aquifer at the Dover National Test Site, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stewart, Marie; Guertal, William R.; Barbaro, Jeffrey R.; McHale, Timothy J.

2004-01-01

A joint study by the Dover National Test Site, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, and the U.S. Geological Survey was conducted from June 27 through July 18, 2001, to determine the spatial distribution of the gasoline oxygenate additive methyl tert-butyl ether and selected water-quality constituents in the surficial aquifer underlying the Dover National Test Site. This report provides a summary assessment of the distribution of methyl tert-butyl ether and a preliminary screening of selected constituents that may affect natural attenuation and remediation demonstrations at the Dover National Test Site. The information gathered during this study is designed to assist potential remedial investigators who are considering conducting a methyl tert-butyl ether remedial demonstration at the test site. In addition, the study supported a planned enhanced bioremediation demonstration and assisted the Dover National Test Site in identifying possible locations for future methyl tert-butyl ether remediation demonstrations. A direct-push drill rig was used to collect a total of 147 ground-water samples (115 VOC samples and 32 quality-assurance samples) at varying depths. Volatile organic compounds were above the method reporting limits in 59 of the 115 ground-water samples. The concentrations ranged from below detection limits to maximum values of 12.4 micrograms per liter of cis-1,2-dichloro-ethene, 1.14 micrograms per liter of trichloro-ethene, 2.65 micrograms per liter of tetrachloro-ethene, 1,070 micrograms per liter of methyl tert-butyl ether, 4.36 micrograms per liter of benzene, and 1.8 micrograms per liter of toluene. Vinyl chloride, ethylbenzene, p,m-xylene, and o-xylene were not detected in any of the samples collected during this investigation. Methyl tert-butyl ether was detected in 47 of the 115 ground-water samples. The highest concentrations of methyl tert-butyl ether were detected in the surficial aquifer from ?4.6 to 6.4 feet mean sea level; however, methyl tert-butyl ether was detected as deep as ?9.5 feet mean sea level. Increased methane concentrations and decreased dissolved oxygen concentrations that were found in association with the ground-water samples that contained methyl tert-butyl ether are preliminary indicators that will assist in determining if natural attenuation of methyl tert-butyl ether is occurring in the surficial aquifer. A full assessment of natural attenuation of methyl tert-butyl ether at the site is beyond the scope of this study, but the data collected during the study will be useful in selecting appropriate remedial methyl tert-butyl ether demonstrations.

Underground Test Area (UGTA) Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 98: Frenchman Flat Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 1 ROTC-1

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

Farnham, Irene

This Closure Report (CR) has been prepared for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 98, Frenchman Flat, Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), Nevada. The Frenchman Flat CAU was the site of 10 underground nuclear tests, some of which have impacted groundwater near the tests. This work was performed as part of the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) Underground Test Area (UGTA) Activity in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO). This CR describes the selected corrective action to be implemented during closure to protect human health and the environment from the impactedmore » groundwater« less

Azimuth selection for sea level measurements using geodetic GPS receivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaolei; Zhang, Qin; Zhang, Shuangcheng

2018-03-01

Based on analysis of Global Positioning System (GPS) multipath signals recorded by a geodetic GPS receiver, GPS Reflectometry (GPS-R) has demonstrated unique advantages in relation to sea level monitoring. Founded on multipath reflectometry theory, sea level changes can be measured by GPS-R through spectral analysis of recorded signal-to-noise ratio data. However, prior to estimating multipath parameters, it is necessary to define azimuth and elevation angle mask to ensure the reflecting zones are on water. Here, a method is presented to address azimuth selection, a topic currently under active development in the field of GPS-R. Data from three test sites: the Kachemak Bay GPS site PBAY in Alaska (USA), Friday Harbor GPS site SC02 in the San Juan Islands (USA), and Brest Harbor GPS site BRST in Brest (France) are analyzed. These sites are located in different multipath environments, from a rural coastal area to a busy harbor, and they experience different tidal ranges. Estimates by the GPS tide gauges at azimuths selected by the presented method are compared with measurements from physical tide gauges and acceptable correspondence found for all three sites.

EGU2013 SM1.4/GI1.6 session: "Improving seismic networks performances: from site selection to data integration"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pesaresi, D.; Busby, R.

2013-08-01

The number and quality of seismic stations and networks in Europe continually improves, nevertheless there is always scope to optimize their performance. In this session we welcomed contributions from all aspects of seismic network installation, operation and management. This includes site selection; equipment testing and installation; planning and implementing communication paths; policies for redundancy in data acquisition, processing and archiving; and integration of different datasets including GPS and OBS.

Final Report Feasibility Study for the California Wave Energy Test Center (CalWavesm)

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

Blakeslee, Samuel Norman; Toman, William I.; Williams, Richard B.

The California Wave Energy Test Center (CalWave) Feasibility Study project was funded over multiple phases by the Department of Energy to perform an interdisciplinary feasibility assessment to analyze the engineering, permitting, and stakeholder requirements to establish an open water, fully energetic, grid connected, wave energy test center off the coast of California for the purposes of advancing U.S. wave energy research, development, and testing capabilities. Work under this grant included wave energy resource characterization, grid impact and interconnection requirements, port infrastructure and maritime industry capability/suitability to accommodate the industry at research, demonstration and commercial scale, and macro and micro sitingmore » considerations. CalWave Phase I performed a macro-siting and down-selection process focusing on two potential test sites in California: Humboldt Bay and Vandenberg Air Force Base. This work resulted in the Vandenberg Air Force Base site being chosen as the most favorable site based on a peer reviewed criteria matrix. CalWave Phase II focused on four siting location alternatives along the Vandenberg Air Force Base coastline and culminated with a final siting down-selection. Key outcomes from this work include completion of preliminary engineering and systems integration work, a robust turnkey cost estimate, shoreside and subsea hazards assessment, storm wave analysis, lessons learned reports from several maritime disciplines, test center benchmarking as compared to existing international test sites, analysis of existing applicable environmental literature, the completion of a preliminary regulatory, permitting and licensing roadmap, robust interaction and engagement with state and federal regulatory agency personnel and local stakeholders, and the population of a Draft Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Preliminary Application Document (PAD). Analysis of existing offshore oil and gas infrastructure was also performed to assess the potential value and re-use scenarios of offshore platform infrastructure and associated subsea power cables and shoreside substations. The CalWave project team was well balanced and was comprised of experts from industry, academia, state and federal regulatory agencies. The result of the CalWave feasibility study finds that the CalWave Test Center has the potential to provide the most viable path to commercialization for wave energy in the United States.« less

An index of biological integrity (IBI) for Pacific Northwest rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mebane, C.A.; Maret, T.R.; Hughes, R.M.

2003-01-01

The index of biotic integrity (IBI) is a commonly used measure of relative aquatic ecosystem condition; however, its application to coldwater rivers over large geographic areas has been limited. A seven-step process was used to construct and test an IBI applicable to fish assemblages in coldwater rivers throughout the U.S. portion of the Pacific Northwest. First, fish data from the region were compiled from previous studies and candidate metrics were selected. Second, reference conditions were estimated from historical reports and minimally disturbed reference sites in the region. Third, data from the upper Snake River basin were used to test metrics and develop the initial index. Fourth, candidate metrics were evaluated for their redundancy, variability, precision, and ability to reflect a wide range of conditions while distinguishing reference sites from disturbed sites. Fifth, the selected metrics were standardized by being scored continuously from 0 to 1 and then weighted as necessary to produce an IBI ranging from 0 to 100. The resulting index included 10 metrics: number of native coldwater species, number of age-classes of sculpins Cottus spp., percentage of sensitive native individuals, percentage of coldwater individuals, percentage of tolerant individuals, number of alien species, percentage of common carp Cyprinus carpio individuals, number of selected salmonid age-classes, catch per unit effort of coldwater individuals, and percentage of individuals with selected anomalies. Sixth, the IBI responses were tested with additional data sets from throughout the Pacific Northwest. Last, scores from two minimally disturbed reference rivers were evaluated for longitudinal gradients along the river continuum. The IBI responded to environmental disturbances and was spatially and temporally stable at over 150 sites in the Pacific Northwest. The results support its use across a large geographic area to describe the relative biological condition of coolwater and coldwater rivers with low species richness.

Develop and test fuel cell powered on-site integrated total energy system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Test results are given for a 5 kW stack and initial results for an integrated, grid connected system operating from methanol fuel. Site selection criteria are presented for future demonstration of a 50 or 100 kW OS/IES. Preliminary results are also given with approximate internal rates of return to the building owner. Progress in development and construction of a 50 kW modular methanol/steam reformer is reported.

High-Stakes Collaborative Testing: Why Not?

PubMed

Levine, Ruth E; Borges, Nicole J; Roman, Brenda J B; Carchedi, Lisa R; Townsend, Mark H; Cluver, Jeffrey S; Frank, Julia; Morey, Oma; Haidet, Paul; Thompson, Britta M

2018-01-01

Phenomenon: Studies of high-stakes collaborative testing remain sparse, especially in medical education. We explored high-stakes collaborative testing in medical education, looking specifically at the experiences of students in established and newly formed teams. Third-year psychiatry students at 5 medical schools across 6 sites participated, with 4 participating as established team sites and 2 as comparison team sites. For the collaborative test, we used the National Board of Medical Examiners Psychiatry subject test, administering it via a 2-stage process. Students at all sites were randomly selected to participate in a focus group, with 8-10 students per site (N = 49). We also examined quantitative data for additional triangulation. Students described a range of heightened emotions around the collaborative test yet perceived it as valuable regardless if they were in established or newly formed teams. Students described learning about the subject matter, themselves, others, and interpersonal dynamics during collaborative testing. Triangulation of these results via quantitative data supported these themes. Insights: Despite student concerns, high-stakes collaborative tests may be both valuable and feasible. The data suggest that high-stakes tests (tests of learning or summative evaluation) could also become tests for learning or formative evaluation. The paucity of research into this methodology in medical education suggests more research is needed.

76 FR 15961 - Funding Priorities and Selection Criterion; Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-22

... least one, but no more than two, site-specific research projects to test innovative approaches to... Criterion; Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Centers and Multi-Site Collaborative Research Projects AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative...

[Molecular evolution of the sulphite efflux gene SSU1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae].

PubMed

Peng, Li-Xin; Sun, Fei-Fei; Huang, Yan-Yan; Li, Zhen-Chong

2013-11-01

The SSU1 gene encoding a membrane sulfite pump is a main facilitator invovled in sulfite efflux. In Saccharomyce cerevisiae, various range of resistance to sulfite was observed among strains. To explore the evolution traits of SSU1 gene, the population data of S. cerevisiae were collected and analyzed. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that S. cerevisiae population can be classified into three sub-populations, and the positive selection was detected in population by McDonald-Kreitman test. The anaylsis of Ka/Ks ratios further showed that S. cerevisiae sub-population was undergoing positive selection. This finding was also supported by PAML branch model. Nine potential positive selection sites were predicted by branch-site model, and four sites exclusively belong to the sub-population under positive seletion. The data from ssulp protein structure demonstrated that three sites are substitutions between polar and hydrophobic amino acids, and only one site of substitutaion from basic amino acid to basic amino acid (345R/K). Because amino acid pKa values are crucial for sulfite pump to maintain their routine function, positive selection of these amino acid substitutions might affect sulfite efflux efficient.

Environmental impact statement Space Shuttle advanced solid rocket motor program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The proposed action is design, development, testing, and evaluation of Advanced Solid Rocket Motors (ASRM) to replace the motors currently used to launch the Space Shuttle. The proposed action includes design, construction, and operation of new government-owned, contractor-operated facilities for manufacturing and testing the ASRM's. The proposed action also includes transport of propellant-filled rocket motor segments from the manufacturing facility to the testing and launch sites and the return of used and/or refurbished segments to the manufacturing site. Sites being considered for the new facilities include John C. Stennis Space Center, Hancock County, Mississippi; the Yellow Creek site in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, which is currently in the custody and control of the Tennessee Valley Authority; and John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard County, Florida. TVA proposes to transfer its site to the custody and control of NASA if it is the selected site. All facilities need not be located at the same site. Existing facilities which may provide support for the program include Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans Parish, Louisiana; and Slidell Computer Center, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. NASA's preferred production location is the Yellow Creek site, and the preferred test location is the Stennis Space Center.

Genotype-environment interaction and stability in ten-year height growth of Norway spruce Clones (Picea abies Karst.).

Treesearch

J.B. St. Clair; J. Kleinschmit

1986-01-01

Norway spruce cuttings of 40 clones were tested on seven contrasting sites in northern Germany. Analysis of variance for ten-year height growth indicate a highly significant clone x site interaction. This interaction may be reduced by selection of stable clones. Several measures of stability were calculated and discussed. Characterization of sites by the method of...

Coevolutionary elaboration of pollination-related traits in an alpine ginger (Roscoea purpurea) and a tabanid fly in the Nepalese Himalayas.

PubMed

Paudel, Babu Ram; Shrestha, Mani; Burd, Martin; Adhikari, Subodh; Sun, Yong-Shuai; Li, Qing-Jun

2016-09-01

Geographical variation in the interacting traits of plant-pollinator mutualism can lead to local adaptive differentiation. We tested Darwin's hypothesis of reciprocal selection as a key driving force for the evolution of floral traits of an alpine ginger (Roscoea purpurea) and proboscis length of a tabanid fly (Philoliche longirostris). We documented the pattern of trait variation in R. purpurea and P. longirostris across five populations. At each site, we quantified pollinator-mediated selection on floral display area, inflorescence height and corolla length of R. purpurea by comparing selection gradients for flowers exposed to natural pollination and to supplemental hand pollination. Reciprocal selection between plant and fly was examined at two sites via the relationship between proboscis length and nectar consumption (fly benefit) and corolla length and pollen deposition (plant benefit). Local corolla tube length was correlated with local fly proboscis length among the five sites. We found strong linear selection imposed by pollinators on corolla tube length at all sites, but there was no consistent relationship of fitness to inflorescence height or floral display area. Selection between corolla length and proboscis length was reciprocal at the two experimental sites examined. The geographical pattern of trait variation and the evidence of selection is consistent with a mosaic of local, species-specific reciprocal selection acting as the major driving force for the evolution of corolla length of R. purpurea and proboscis length of P. longirostris. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Prediction accuracies for growth and wood attributes of interior spruce in space using genotyping-by-sequencing.

PubMed

Gamal El-Dien, Omnia; Ratcliffe, Blaise; Klápště, Jaroslav; Chen, Charles; Porth, Ilga; El-Kassaby, Yousry A

2015-05-09

Genomic selection (GS) in forestry can substantially reduce the length of breeding cycle and increase gain per unit time through early selection and greater selection intensity, particularly for traits of low heritability and late expression. Affordable next-generation sequencing technologies made it possible to genotype large numbers of trees at a reasonable cost. Genotyping-by-sequencing was used to genotype 1,126 Interior spruce trees representing 25 open-pollinated families planted over three sites in British Columbia, Canada. Four imputation algorithms were compared (mean value (MI), singular value decomposition (SVD), expectation maximization (EM), and a newly derived, family-based k-nearest neighbor (kNN-Fam)). Trees were phenotyped for several yield and wood attributes. Single- and multi-site GS prediction models were developed using the Ridge Regression Best Linear Unbiased Predictor (RR-BLUP) and the Generalized Ridge Regression (GRR) to test different assumption about trait architecture. Finally, using PCA, multi-trait GS prediction models were developed. The EM and kNN-Fam imputation methods were superior for 30 and 60% missing data, respectively. The RR-BLUP GS prediction model produced better accuracies than the GRR indicating that the genetic architecture for these traits is complex. GS prediction accuracies for multi-site were high and better than those of single-sites while multi-site predictability produced the lowest accuracies reflecting type-b genetic correlations and deemed unreliable. The incorporation of genomic information in quantitative genetics analyses produced more realistic heritability estimates as half-sib pedigree tended to inflate the additive genetic variance and subsequently both heritability and gain estimates. Principle component scores as representatives of multi-trait GS prediction models produced surprising results where negatively correlated traits could be concurrently selected for using PCA2 and PCA3. The application of GS to open-pollinated family testing, the simplest form of tree improvement evaluation methods, was proven to be effective. Prediction accuracies obtained for all traits greatly support the integration of GS in tree breeding. While the within-site GS prediction accuracies were high, the results clearly indicate that single-site GS models ability to predict other sites are unreliable supporting the utilization of multi-site approach. Principle component scores provided an opportunity for the concurrent selection of traits with different phenotypic optima.

Detecting site-specific physicochemical selective pressures: applications to the Class I HLA of the human major histocompatibility complex and the SRK of the plant sporophytic self-incompatibility system.

PubMed

Sainudiin, Raazesh; Wong, Wendy Shuk Wan; Yogeeswaran, Krithika; Nasrallah, June B; Yang, Ziheng; Nielsen, Rasmus

2005-03-01

Models of codon substitution are developed that incorporate physicochemical properties of amino acids. When amino acid sites are inferred to be under positive selection, these models suggest the nature and extent of the physicochemical properties under selection. This is accomplished by first partitioning the codons on the basis of some property of the encoded amino acids. This partition is used to parametrize the rates of property-conserving and property-altering base substitutions at the codon level by means of finite mixtures of Markov models that also account for codon and transition:transversion biases. Here, we apply this method to two positively selected receptors involved in ligand-recognition: the class I alleles of the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) of known structure and the S-locus receptor kinase (SRK) of the sporophytic self-incompatibility system (SSI) in cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae), whose structure is unknown. Through likelihood ratio tests we demonstrate that at some sites, the positively selected MHC and SRK proteins are under physicochemical selective pressures to alter polarity, volume, polarity and/or volume, and charge to various extents. An empirical Bayes approach is used to identify sites that may be important for ligand recognition in these proteins.

The complexity of selection at the major primate β-defensin locus

PubMed Central

Semple, Colin AM; Maxwell, Alison; Gautier, Philippe; Kilanowski, Fiona M; Eastwood, Hayden; Barran, Perdita E; Dorin, Julia R

2005-01-01

Background We have examined the evolution of the genes at the major human β-defensin locus and the orthologous loci in a range of other primates and mouse. For the first time these data allow us to examine selective episodes in the more recent evolutionary history of this locus as well as the ancient past. We have used a combination of maximum likelihood based tests and a maximum parsimony based sliding window approach to give a detailed view of the varying modes of selection operating at this locus. Results We provide evidence for strong positive selection soon after the duplication of these genes within an ancestral mammalian genome. Consequently variable selective pressures have acted on β-defensin genes in different evolutionary lineages, with episodes both of negative, and more rarely positive selection, during the divergence of primates. Positive selection appears to have been more common in the rodent lineage, accompanying the birth of novel, rodent-specific β-defensin genes. These observations allow a fuller understanding of the evolution of mammalian innate immunity. In both the rodent and primate lineages, sites in the second exon have been subject to positive selection and by implication are important in functional diversity. A small number of sites in the mature human peptides were found to have undergone repeated episodes of selection in different primate lineages. Particular sites were consistently implicated by multiple methods at positions throughout the mature peptides. These sites are clustered at positions predicted to be important for the specificity of the antimicrobial or chemoattractant properties of β-defensins. Surprisingly, sites within the prepropeptide region were also implicated as being subject to significant positive selection, suggesting previously unappreciated functional significance for this region. Conclusions Identification of these putatively functional sites has important implications for our understanding of β-defensin function and for novel antibiotic design. PMID:15904491

Balancing Selection and Its Effects on Sequences in Nearby Genome Regions

PubMed Central

Charlesworth, Deborah

2006-01-01

Our understanding of balancing selection is currently becoming greatly clarified by new sequence data being gathered from genes in which polymorphisms are known to be maintained by selection. The data can be interpreted in conjunction with results from population genetics models that include recombination between selected sites and nearby neutral marker variants. This understanding is making possible tests for balancing selection using molecular evolutionary approaches. Such tests do not necessarily require knowledge of the functional types of the different alleles at a locus, but such information, as well as information about the geographic distribution of alleles and markers near the genes, can potentially help towards understanding what form of balancing selection is acting, and how long alleles have been maintained. PMID:16683038

Selection of site specific vibration equation by using analytic hierarchy process in a quarry

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

Kalayci, Ulku, E-mail: ukalayci@istanbul.edu.tr; Ozer, Umit, E-mail: uozer@istanbul.edu.tr

This paper presents a new approach for the selection of the most accurate SSVA (Site Specific Vibration Attenuation) equation for blasting processes in a quarry located near settlements in Istanbul, Turkey. In this context, the SSVA equations obtained from the same study area in the literature were considered in terms of distance between the shot points and buildings and the amount of explosive charge. In this purpose, 11 different SSVA equations obtained from the study area in the past 12 years, forecasting capabilities according to designated new conditions, using 102 vibration records as test data obtained from the study areamore » was investigated. In this study, AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) was selected as an analysis method in order to determine the most accurate equation among 11 SSAV equations, and the parameters such as year, distance, charge, and r{sup 2} of the equations were used as criteria for AHP. Finally, the most appropriate equation was selected among the existing ones, and the process of selecting according to different target criteria was presented. Furthermore, it was noted that the forecasting results of the selected equation is more accurate than that formed using the test results. - Highlights: • The optimum Site Specific Vibration Attenuation equation for blasting in a quarry located near settlements was determined. • It is indicated that SSVA equations changing over the years don’t give always accurate estimates at changing conditions. • Selection of the blast induced SSVA equation was made using AHP. • Equation selection method was highlighted based on parameters such as charge, distance, and quarry geometry changes (year).« less

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

Swift, Barry D.; Tarantino, Joseph J., P. E.

The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP), owned by the Department of Energy (DOE), has been enriching uranium since the early 1950s. The enrichment process involves electrical and mechanical components that require periodic cleaning. The primary cleaning agent was trichloroethene (TCE) until the late 1980s. Historical documentation indicates that a mixture of TCE and dry ice were used at PGDP for testing the integrity of steel cylinders, which stored depleted uranium. TCE and dry ice were contained in a below-ground pit and used during the integrity testing. TCE seeped from the pit and contaminated the surrounding soil. The Lasagna{trademark} technology wasmore » identified in the Record of Decision (ROD) as the selected alternative for remediation of the cylinder testing site. A public-private consortium formed in 1992 (including DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, Monsanto, DuPont, and General Electric) developed the Lasagna{trademark} technology. This innovative technology employs electrokinetics to remediate soil contaminated with organics and is especially suited to sites with low permeability soils. This technology uses direct current to move water through the soil faster and more uniformly than hydraulic methods. Electrokinetics moves contaminants in soil pore water through treatment zones comprised of iron filings, where the contaminants are decomposed to basic chemical compounds such as ethane. After three years of development in the laboratory, the consortium field tested the Lasagna{trademark} process in several phases. CDM installed and operated Phase I, the trial installation and field test of a 150-square-foot area selected for a 120-day run in 1995. Approximately 98 percent of the TCE was removed. CDM then installed and operated the next phase (IIa), a year-long test on a 600-square-foot site. Completed in July 1997, this test removed 75 percent of the total volume of TCE down to a depth of 45 feet. TCE in the test sites. Based on the successful field tests (Phases I and IIa), the ROD was prepared and the Lasagna{trademark} alternative was selected for remediation of TCE contaminated soils at the cylinder testing site Solid Waste Management Unit 91(SWMU 91). Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC contracted CDM to construct and operate a full-scale Lasagna{trademark} remediation system at the site (Phase IIb). Construction began in August 1999 and the operational phase was initiated in December 1999. The Lasagna{trademark} system was operated for two years and reduced the average concentration of TCE in SWMU 91 soil from 84 ppm to less than 5.6 ppm. Verification sampling was conducted during May, 2002. Results of the verification sampling indicated the average concentration of TCE in SWMU 91 soil was 0.38 ppm with a high concentration of 4.5 ppm.« less

Selective intra-dinucleotide interactions and periodicities of bases separated by K sites: a new vision and tool for phylogeny analyses.

PubMed

Valenzuela, Carlos Y

2017-02-13

Direct tests of the random or non-random distribution of nucleotides on genomes have been devised to test the hypothesis of neutral, nearly-neutral or selective evolution. These tests are based on the direct base distribution and are independent of the functional (coding or non-coding) or structural (repeated or unique sequences) properties of the DNA. The first approach described the longitudinal distribution of bases in tandem repeats under the Bose-Einstein statistics. A huge deviation from randomness was found. A second approach was the study of the base distribution within dinucleotides whose bases were separated by 0, 1, 2… K nucleotides. Again an enormous difference from the random distribution was found with significances out of tables and programs. These test values were periodical and included the 16 dinucleotides. For example a high "positive" (more observed than expected dinucleotides) value, found in dinucleotides whose bases were separated by (3K + 2) sites, was preceded by two smaller "negative" (less observed than expected dinucleotides) values, whose bases were separated by (3K) or (3K + 1) sites. We examined mtDNAs, prokaryote genomes and some eukaryote chromosomes and found that the significant non-random interactions and periodicities were present up to 1000 or more sites of base separation and in human chromosome 21 until separations of more than 10 millions sites. Each nucleotide has its own significant value of its distance to neutrality; this yields 16 hierarchical significances. A three dimensional table with the number of sites of separation between the bases and the 16 significances (the third dimension is the dinucleotide, individual or taxon involved) gives directly an evolutionary state of the analyzed genome that can be used to obtain phylogenies. An example is provided.

Pursuing Excellence: The Power of Selection Science to Provide Meaningful Data and Enhance Efficiency in Selecting Surgical Trainees.

PubMed

Gardner, Aimee K; Dunkin, Brian J

2018-05-01

As current screening methods for selecting surgical trainees are receiving increasing scrutiny, development of a more efficient and effective selection system is needed. We describe the process of creating an evidence-based selection system and examine its impact on screening efficiency, faculty perceptions, and improving representation of underrepresented minorities. The program partnered with an expert in organizational science to identify fellowship position requirements and associated competencies. Situational judgment tests, personality profiles, structured interviews, and technical skills assessments were used to measure these competencies. The situational judgment test and personality profiles were administered online and used to identify candidates to invite for on-site structured interviews and skills testing. A final rank list was created based on all data points and their respective importance. All faculty completed follow-up surveys regarding their perceptions of the process. Candidate demographic and experience data were pulled from the application website. Fifty-five of 72 applicants met eligibility requirements and were invited to take the online assessment, with 50 (91%) completing it. Average time to complete was 42 ± 12 minutes. Eighteen applicants (35%) were invited for on-site structured interviews and skills testing-a greater than 50% reduction in number of invites compared to prior years. Time estimates reveal that the process will result in a time savings of 68% for future iterations, compared to traditional methodologies. Fellowship faculty (N = 5) agreed on the value and efficiency of the process. Underrepresented minority candidates increased from an initial 70% to 92% being invited for an interview and ranked using the new screening tools. Applying selection science to the process of choosing surgical trainees is feasible, efficient, and well-received by faculty for making selection decisions.

Preliminary Assessment of Mars Exploration Rover Landing Site Predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golombek, M.; Grant, J.; Parker, T.; Crisp, J.; Squyres, S.; Carr, M.; Haldemann, A.; Arvidson, R.; Ehlmann, B.; Bell, J.

2004-01-01

Selection of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) landing sites took place over a three year period in which engineering constraints were identified, 155 possible sites were downselected to the final two, surface environments and safety considerations were developed, and the potential science return at the sites was considered. Landing sites in Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum were selected because they appeared acceptably safe for MER landing and roving and had strong morphologic and mineralogical indicators of liquid water in their past and thus appeared capable of addressing the science objectives of the MER missions, which are to determine the aqueous, climatic, and geologic history of sites on Mars where conditions may have been favorable to the preservation of evidence of possible pre-biotic or biotic processes. Engineering constraints important to the selection included: latitude (10 N-15 S) for maximum solar power; elevation (<-1.3 km) for sufficient atmosphere to slow the lander; low horizontal winds, shear and turbulence in the last few kilometers to minimize horizontal velocity; low 10-m scale slopes to reduce airbag spinup and bounce; moderate rock abundance to reduce abrasion or stroke-out of the airbags; and a radar-reflective, load-bearing and trafficable surface safe for landing and roving that is not dominated by fine-grained dust. In selecting the MER landing sites these engineering constraints were addressed via comprehensive evaluation of surface and atmospheric characteristics from existing remote sensing data and models as well as targeted orbital information acquired from Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey. This evaluation resulted in a number of predictions of the surface characteristics of the sites, which are tested in this abstract. Relating remote sensing signatures to surface characteristics at landing sites allows these sites to be used as ground truth for the orbital data, is essential for selecting and validating landing sites for future missions, and is required for correctly interpreting the surfaces and materials globally present on Mars.

On-site or off-site treatment of medical waste: a challenge

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Treating hazardous-infectious medical waste can be carried out on-site or off-site of health-care establishments. Nevertheless, the selection between on-site and off-site locations for treating medical waste sometimes is a controversial subject. Currently in Iran, due to policies of Health Ministry, the hospitals have selected on-site-treating method as the preferred treatment. The objectives of this study were to assess the current condition of on-site medical waste treatment facilities, compare on-site medical waste treatment facilities with off-site systems and find the best location of medical waste treatment. To assess the current on-site facilities, four provinces (and 40 active hospitals) were selected to participate in the survey. For comparison of on-site and off-site facilities (due to non availability of an installed off-site facility) Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed. The result indicated that most on-site medical waste treating systems have problems in financing, planning, determining capacity of installations, operation and maintenance. AHP synthesis (with inconsistency ratio of 0.01 < 0.1) revealed that, in total, the off-site treatment of medical waste was in much higher priority than the on-site treatment (64.1% versus 35.9%). According to the results of study it was concluded that the off-site central treatment can be considered as an alternative. An amendment could be made to Iran’s current medical waste regulations to have infectious-hazardous waste sent to a central off-site installation for treatment. To begin and test this plan and also receive the official approval, a central off-site can be put into practice, at least as a pilot in one province. Next, if it was practically successful, it could be expanded to other provinces and cities. PMID:24739145

Analysis of terrestrial conditions and dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goward, S. N. (Principal Investigator)

1984-01-01

Land spectral reflectance properties for selected locations, including the Goddard Space Flight Center, the Wallops Flight Facility, a MLA test site in Cambridge, Maryland, and an acid test site in Burlington, Vermont, were measured. Methods to simulate the bidirectional reflectance properties of vegetated landscapes and a data base for spatial resolution were developed. North American vegetation patterns observed with the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer were assessed. Data and methods needed to model large-scale vegetation activity with remotely sensed observations and climate data were compiled.

Residual herbicide study on selected Hanford Site roadsides

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

Smith, J.L.; Kemp, C.J.; Sackschewsky, M.R.

Westinghouse Hanford Company routinely treats roadsides with herbicides to control undesirable plant growth. An experiment was conducted to test perennial grass germination in soils adjacent to roadways of the Hanford Site. The primary variable was the distance from the roadside. A simple germination test was executed in a controlled-environment chamber to determine the residual effects of these applications. As expected, the greatest herbicide activity was found directly adjacent to the roadway, approximately 0 to 20 ft (0 to 6.3 m) from the roadway.

Hydrogen Oxidation-Selective Electrocatalysis by Fine Tuning of Pt Ensemble Sites to Enhance the Durability of Automotive Fuel Cells.

PubMed

Yun, Su-Won; Park, Shin-Ae; Kim, Tae-June; Kim, Jun-Hyuk; Pak, Gi-Woong; Kim, Yong-Tae

2017-02-08

A simple, inexpensive approach is proposed for enhancing the durability of automotive proton exchange membrane fuel cells by selective promotion of the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and suppression of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the anode in startup/shutdown events. Dodecanethiol forms a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the surface of Pt particles, thus decreasing the number of Pt ensemble sites. Interestingly, by controlling the dodecanethiol concentration during SAM formation, the number of ensemble sites can be precisely optimized such that it is sufficient for the HOR but insufficient for the ORR. Thus, a Pt surface with an SAM of dodecanethiol clearly effects HOR-selective electrocatalysis. Clear HOR selectivity is demonstrated in unit cell tests with the actual membrane electrode assembly, as well as in an electrochemical three-electrode setup with a thin-film rotating disk electrode configuration. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Detecting Past Positive Selection through Ongoing Negative Selection

PubMed Central

Bazykin, Georgii A.; Kondrashov, Alexey S.

2011-01-01

Detecting positive selection is a challenging task. We propose a method for detecting past positive selection through ongoing negative selection, based on comparison of the parameters of intraspecies polymorphism at functionally important and selectively neutral sites where a nucleotide substitution of the same kind occurred recently. Reduced occurrence of recently replaced ancestral alleles at functionally important sites indicates that negative selection currently acts against these alleles and, therefore, that their replacements were driven by positive selection. Application of this method to the Drosophila melanogaster lineage shows that the fraction of adaptive amino acid replacements remained approximately 0.5 for a long time. In the Homo sapiens lineage, however, this fraction drops from approximately 0.5 before the Ponginae–Homininae divergence to approximately 0 after it. The proposed method is based on essentially the same data as the McDonald–Kreitman test but is free from some of its limitations, which may open new opportunities, especially when many genotypes within a species are known. PMID:21859804

Convergent Use of Heptacoordination for Cation Selectivity by RNA and Protein Metalloregulators.

PubMed

Bachas, Sharrol T; Ferré-D'Amaré, Adrian R

2018-05-04

The large yybP-ykoY family of bacterial riboswitches is broadly distributed phylogenetically. Previously, these gene-regulatory RNAs were proposed to respond to Mn 2+ . X-ray crystallography revealed a binuclear cation-binding pocket. This comprises one hexacoordinate site, with six oxygen ligands, which preorganizes the second, with five oxygen and one nitrogen ligands. The relatively soft nitrogen ligand was proposed to confer affinity for Mn 2+ , but how this excludes other soft cations remained enigmatic. By subjecting representative yybP-ykoY riboswitches to diverse cations in vitro, we now find that these RNAs exhibit limited transition metal ion selectivity. Among the cations tested, Cd 2+ and Mn 2+ bind most tightly, and comparison of three new Cd 2+ -bound crystal structures suggests that these riboswitches achieve selectivity by enforcing heptacoordination (favored by high-spin Cd 2+ and Mn 2+ , but otherwise uncommon) in the softer site. Remarkably, the Cd 2+ - and Mn 2+ -selective bacterial transcription factor MntR also uses heptacoordination within a binuclear site to achieve selectivity. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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

Hraber, Peter; Korber, Bette; Wagh, Kshitij

Within-host genetic sequencing from samples collected over time provides a dynamic view of how viruses evade host immunity. Immune-driven mutations might stimulate neutralization breadth by selecting antibodies adapted to cycles of immune escape that generate within-subject epitope diversity. Comprehensive identification of immune-escape mutations is experimentally and computationally challenging. With current technology, many more viral sequences can readily be obtained than can be tested for binding and neutralization, making down-selection necessary. Typically, this is done manually, by picking variants that represent different time-points and branches on a phylogenetic tree. Such strategies are likely to miss many relevant mutations and combinations ofmore » mutations, and to be redundant for other mutations. Longitudinal Antigenic Sequences and Sites from Intrahost Evolution (LASSIE) uses transmitted founder loss to identify virus “hot-spots” under putative immune selection and chooses sequences that represent recurrent mutations in selected sites. LASSIE favors earliest sequences in which mutations arise. Here, with well-characterized longitudinal Env sequences, we confirmed selected sites were concentrated in antibody contacts and selected sequences represented diverse antigenic phenotypes. Finally, practical applications include rapidly identifying immune targets under selective pressure within a subject, selecting minimal sets of reagents for immunological assays that characterize evolving antibody responses, and for immunogens in polyvalent “cocktail” vaccines.« less

The Potential of Environmental Sensors for Improving the Mobility Performance of Mainstream Blind Students. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weisgerber, Robert A.; deHaas, Carla

The report describes an effort to develop and test instructional materials, techniques and procedures - ESSETS (environmental sensing, selection, evaluation and training system) - for teaching functionally blind young adults to use electronic travel aids (ETAs). Considered are development of training guidelines, field site selection and instructor…

Final Report Feasibility Study for the California Wave Energy Test Center (CalWavesm) - Volume #2 - Appendices #16-17

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

Dooher, Brendan; Toman, William I.; Davy, Doug M.

The California Wave Energy Test Center (CalWave) Feasibility Study project was funded over multiple phases by the Department of Energy to perform an interdisciplinary feasibility assessment to analyze the engineering, permitting, and stakeholder requirements to establish an open water, fully energetic, grid connected, wave energy test center off the coast of California for the purposes of advancing U.S. wave energy research, development, and testing capabilities. Work under this grant included wave energy resource characterization, grid impact and interconnection requirements, port infrastructure and maritime industry capability/suitability to accommodate the industry at research, demonstration and commercial scale, and macro and micro sitingmore » considerations. CalWave Phase I performed a macro-siting and down-selection process focusing on two potential test sites in California: Humboldt Bay and Vandenberg Air Force Base. This work resulted in the Vandenberg Air Force Base site being chosen as the most favorable site based on a peer reviewed criteria matrix. CalWave Phase II focused on four siting location alternatives along the Vandenberg Air Force Base coastline and culminated with a final siting down-selection. Key outcomes from this work include completion of preliminary engineering and systems integration work, a robust turnkey cost estimate, shoreside and subsea hazards assessment, storm wave analysis, lessons learned reports from several maritime disciplines, test center benchmarking as compared to existing international test sites, analysis of existing applicable environmental literature, the completion of a preliminary regulatory, permitting and licensing roadmap, robust interaction and engagement with state and federal regulatory agency personnel and local stakeholders, and the population of a Draft Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Preliminary Application Document (PAD). Analysis of existing offshore oil and gas infrastructure was also performed to assess the potential value and re-use scenarios of offshore platform infrastructure and associated subsea power cables and shoreside substations. The CalWave project team was well balanced and was comprised of experts from industry, academia, state and federal regulatory agencies. The result of the CalWave feasibility study finds that the CalWave Test Center has the potential to provide the most viable path to commercialization for wave energy in the United States.« less

Real-time and accelerated outdoor endurance testing of solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forestieri, A. F.; Anagnostou, E.

1977-01-01

Real-time and accelerated outdoor endurance testing was performed on a variety of samples of interest to the National Photovoltaic Conversion Program. The real-time tests were performed at seven different sites and the accelerated tests were performed at one of those sites in the southwestern United States. The purpose of the tests were to help evaluate the lifetime of photovoltaic systems. Three types of samples were tested; transmission samples of possible cover materials, sub-modules constructed using these materials attached to solar cells, and solar cell modules produced by the manufacturers for the ERDA program. Results indicate that suitable cover materials are glass, FEP-A and PFA. Dirt accumulation and cleanability are important factors in the selection of solar cell module covers and encapsulants.

76 FR 27261 - Propiconazole; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-11

... identified and discussed later in this document. Interregional Research Project 4 (IR-4) requested these... e-CFR site at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr . To access the harmonized test guidelines referenced in this document electronically, please go to http://www.epa.gov/ocspp and select ``Test Methods and...

SUPERFUND TREATABILITY CLEARINGHOUSE: ABSTRACT ON-SITE INCINERATION TESTING OF SHIRCO INFRARED SYSTEMS PORTABLE DEMONSTRATION UNIT-CONTAMINATED SOILS TREATABILITY STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

In August of 1986, Shirco was contracted by Dekonta GmbH, a Vest German hazardous waste treatment company, to perform treatability studies at one of the largest dioxin-contaminated sites in the world. The Shirco Infrared process was selected by Dekonta after a two year stud...

40 CFR 63.5719 - How do I conduct a performance test?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... appendix A to 40 CFR part 60, as appropriate, to select the sampling sites. (2) Use Method 2, 2A, 2C, 2D... emissions. (4) You may use American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6420-99 (available for... parts being made and material application methods. The production conditions during the test must also...

A multi‐centre evaluation of nine rapid, point‐of‐care syphilis tests using archived sera

PubMed Central

Herring, A J; Ballard, R C; Pope, V; Adegbola, R A; Changalucha, J; Fitzgerald, D W; Hook, E W; Kubanova, A; Mananwatte, S; Pape, J W; Sturm, A W; West, B; Yin, Y P; Peeling, R W

2006-01-01

Objectives To evaluate nine rapid syphilis tests at eight geographically diverse laboratory sites for their performance and operational characteristics. Methods Tests were compared “head to head” using locally assembled panels of 100 archived (50 positive and 50 negative) sera at each site using as reference standards the Treponema pallidum haemagglutination or the T pallidum particle agglutination test. In addition inter‐site variation, result stability, test reproducibility and test operational characteristics were assessed. Results All nine tests gave good performance relative to the reference standard with sensitivities ranging from 84.5–97.7% and specificities from 84.5–98%. Result stability was variable if result reading was delayed past the recommended period. All the tests were found to be easy to use, especially the lateral flow tests. Conclusions All the tests evaluated have acceptable performance characteristics and could make an impact on the control of syphilis. Tests that can use whole blood and do not require refrigeration were selected for further evaluation in field settings. PMID:17118953

SU-F-R-33: Can CT and CBCT Be Used Simultaneously for Radiomics Analysis

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

Luo, R; Wang, J; Zhong, H

2016-06-15

Purpose: To investigate whether CBCT and CT can be used in radiomics analysis simultaneously. To establish a batch correction method for radiomics in two similar image modalities. Methods: Four sites including rectum, bladder, femoral head and lung were considered as region of interest (ROI) in this study. For each site, 10 treatment planning CT images were collected. And 10 CBCT images which came from same site of same patient were acquired at first radiotherapy fraction. 253 radiomics features, which were selected by our test-retest study at rectum cancer CT (ICC>0.8), were calculated for both CBCT and CT images in MATLAB.more » Simple scaling (z-score) and nonlinear correction methods were applied to the CBCT radiomics features. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient was calculated to analyze the correlation between radiomics features of CT and CBCT images before and after correction. Cluster analysis of mixed data (for each site, 5 CT and 5 CBCT data are randomly selected) was implemented to validate the feasibility to merge radiomics data from CBCT and CT. The consistency of clustering result and site grouping was verified by a chi-square test for different datasets respectively. Results: For simple scaling, 234 of the 253 features have correlation coefficient ρ>0.8 among which 154 features haveρ>0.9 . For radiomics data after nonlinear correction, 240 of the 253 features have ρ>0.8 among which 220 features have ρ>0.9. Cluster analysis of mixed data shows that data of four sites was almost precisely separated for simple scaling(p=1.29 * 10{sup −7}, χ{sup 2} test) and nonlinear correction (p=5.98 * 10{sup −7}, χ{sup 2} test), which is similar to the cluster result of CT data (p=4.52 * 10{sup −8}, χ{sup 2} test). Conclusion: Radiomics data from CBCT can be merged with those from CT by simple scaling or nonlinear correction for radiomics analysis.« less

A method for assessing the intrinsic value and management potentials of geomorphosites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reynard, Emmanuel; Amandine, Perret; Marco, Buchmann; Jonathan, Bussard; Lucien, Grangier; Simon, Martin

2014-05-01

In 2007, we have proposed a method for assessing the scientific and additional values of geomorphosites (Reynard et al., 2007). The evaluation methodology was divided in two steps: the evaluation of the scientific value of pre-selected sites, based on several criteria (rareness, integrity, representativeness, interest for reconstructing the regional morphogenesis), and the assessment of a set of so-called additional values (aesthetic, economic, ecological, and cultural). The method has proved to be quite robust and easy to use. The tests carried out in several geomorphological contexts allowed us to improve the implementation process of the method, by precising the criteria used to assess the various values of selected sites. Nevertheless, two main problems remained unsolved: (1) the selection of sites was not clear and not really systematic; (2) some additional values - in particular the economic value - were difficult to assess, and others, not considered in the method, could be evaluated (e.g. the educational value of sites). These were the factors for launching a series of modifications of the method that are presented in this poster. First of all, the assessment procedure was divided in two main steps: (1) the evaluation of the intrinsic value, in two parts (the scientific and additional values, limited to three kinds of values - cultural, ecological, aesthetic); (2) the documentation of the present use and management of the site, also divided in two parts: the sensitivity of the site (allowing us to assess the need for protection), and a series of factors influencing the (tourist) use of the site (visit conditions, educational interest, economic value). Secondly, a procedure was developed to select the potential geomorphosites - that is the sites worth to be assessed using the evaluation method. The method was then tested in four regions in the Swiss and French Alps: the Chablais area (Switzerland, France), the Hérens valley (Switzerland), the Moesano valley (Switzerland), where a project of national park is in preparation, and the Gruyère - Pays-d'Enhaut Regional Nature Park (Switzerland). The main conclusion of the research is that even if a full objectivity in the evaluation process is difficult to reach, transparency is essential almost at 3 stages: (1) the selection of potential geomorphosites: it is important to develop criteria and a method for establishing a list of potential geomorphosites; in this study, we propose to carry out the selection by crossing two dimensions: a spatial one (the selection should reflect the regional geo(morpho)diversity) and a temporal one (the selection should allow reconstructing the regional geomorphological history); (2) the assessment of the intrinsic value of the selected geomorphosites, by the establishment of clear criteria for carrying out the evaluation; (3) the development of a clear management strategy oriented to the protection and tourist promotion of the sites and based on the precise documentation of management potentials and needs, according to the assessment objectives. Reference Reynard E., Fontana G., Kozlik L., Scapozza C. (2007). A method for assessing the scientific and additional values of geomorphosites, Geogr. Helv. 62(3), 148-158.

Prediction of active sites of enzymes by maximum relevance minimum redundancy (mRMR) feature selection.

PubMed

Gao, Yu-Fei; Li, Bi-Qing; Cai, Yu-Dong; Feng, Kai-Yan; Li, Zhan-Dong; Jiang, Yang

2013-01-27

Identification of catalytic residues plays a key role in understanding how enzymes work. Although numerous computational methods have been developed to predict catalytic residues and active sites, the prediction accuracy remains relatively low with high false positives. In this work, we developed a novel predictor based on the Random Forest algorithm (RF) aided by the maximum relevance minimum redundancy (mRMR) method and incremental feature selection (IFS). We incorporated features of physicochemical/biochemical properties, sequence conservation, residual disorder, secondary structure and solvent accessibility to predict active sites of enzymes and achieved an overall accuracy of 0.885687 and MCC of 0.689226 on an independent test dataset. Feature analysis showed that every category of the features except disorder contributed to the identification of active sites. It was also shown via the site-specific feature analysis that the features derived from the active site itself contributed most to the active site determination. Our prediction method may become a useful tool for identifying the active sites and the key features identified by the paper may provide valuable insights into the mechanism of catalysis.

Cloning, expression of, and evidence of positive selection for, the prolactin receptor gene in Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus).

PubMed

Hu, Qiaomu; Meng, Yan; Tian, Haifeng; Chen, Songlin; Xiao, Hanbing

2015-12-01

Prolactin receptor (PRLR) is a protein associated with reproduction in mammals and with osmoregulation in fish. In this study, the complete length of Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus prolactin receptor (AD-prlr) was cloned. Andrias davidianus prlr expression was high in the kidney, pituitary, and ovary and low in other examined tissues. The AD-prlr levels were higher in ovary than in testis, and increased in ovaries with age from 1 to 6 years. To determine effect of exogenous androgen and aromatase inhibitor on AD-prlr expression, methyltestosterone (MT) and letrozole (LE) were injected, resulting in decreased AD-prlr in both brain and ovary, with MT repressing prlr transcription more rapidly than did LE. The molecular evolution of prlr was assessed, and found to have undergone a complex evolution process. The obranch-site test detected four positively selected sites in ancestral lineages prior to the separation of mammals and birds. Fourteen sites underwent positive selection in ancestral lineages of birds and six were positively selected in amphibians. The site model showed that 16, 7, and 30 sites underwent positive selection in extant mammals, amphibians, and birds, respectively. The positively selected sites in amphibians were located outside the transmembrane domain, with four in the extracellular and three in the intracellular domain, indicating that the transmembrane region might be conserved and essential for protein function. Our findings provide a basis for further studies of AD-prlr function and molecular evolution in Chinese giant salamander. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 324B: 707-719, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A model for selecting bioindicators to monitor radionuclide concentrations using Amchitka Island in the Aleutians as a case study.

PubMed

Burger, Joanna

2007-11-01

World War II and the Cold War have left the Unites States, and other Nations, with massive cleanup and remediation tasks for radioactive and other legacy hazardous wastes. While some sites can be cleaned up to acceptable residential risk levels, others will continue to hold hazardous wastes, which must be contained and monitored to protect human health and the environment. While media (soil, sediment, groundwater) monitoring is the usual norm at many radiological waste sites, for some situations (both biological and societal), biomonitoring may provide the necessary information to assure greater peace of mind for local and regional residents, and to protect ecologically valuable buffer lands or waters. In most cases, indicators are selected using scientific expertise and a literature review, but not all selected indicators will seem relevant to stakeholders. In this paper, I provide a model for the inclusion of stakeholders in the development of bioindicators for assessing radionuclide levels of biota in the marine environment around Amchitka Island, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska. Amchitka was the site of three underground nuclear tests from 1965 to 1971. The process was stakeholder-initiated, stakeholder-driven, and included stakeholders during each phase. Phases included conceptualization, initial selection of biota and radionuclides, refinement of biota and radionuclide target lists, collection of biota, selection of biota and radionuclides for analysis, and selection of biota, tissues, and radionuclides for bioindicators. The process produced site-specific information on biota availability and on radionuclide levels that led to selection of site-appropriate bioindicators. I suggest that the lengthy, iterative, stakeholder-driven process described in this paper results in selection of bioindicators that are accepted by biologists, public health personnel, public-policy makers, resource agencies, regulatory agencies, subsistence hunters/fishers, and a wide range of other stakeholders. The process is applicable to other sites with ecologically important buffer lands or waters, or where contamination issues are contentious.

Comparative analysis of effluent water quality from a municipal treatment plant and two on-site wastewater treatment systems.

PubMed

Garcia, Santos N; Clubbs, Rebekah L; Stanley, Jacob K; Scheffe, Brian; Yelderman, Joe C; Brooks, Bryan W

2013-06-01

Though decentralized on-site technologies are extensively employed for wastewater treatment around the globe, an understanding of effluent water quality impairments associated with these systems remain less understood than effluent discharges from centralized municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Using a unique experimental facility, a novel comparative analysis of effluent water quality was performed from model decentralized aerobic (ATS) and septic (STS) on-site wastewater treatment systems and a centralized municipal wastewater treatment plant (MTP). The ATS and STS units did not benefit from further soil treatment. Each system received common influent wastewater from the Waco, Texas, USA Metropolitan Area Regional Sewerage System. We tested the hypothesis that MTP effluent would exhibit higher water quality than on-site effluents, based on parameters selected for study. A tiered testing approach was employed to assess the three effluent discharges: select routine water quality parameters (Tier I), whole effluent toxicity (Tier II), and select endocrine-active compounds (Tier III). Contrary to our hypothesis, ATS effluent was not statistically different from MTP effluents, based on Tier I and III parameters, but reproductive responses of Daphnia magna were slightly more sensitive to ATS than MTP effluents. STS effluent water quality was identified as most degraded of the three wastewater treatment systems. Parameters used to assess centralized wastewater treatment plant effluent water quality such as whole effluent toxicity and endocrine active substances appear useful for water quality assessments of decentralized discharges. Aerobic on-site wastewater treatment systems may represent more robust options than traditional septic systems for on-site wastewater treatment in watersheds with appreciable groundwater - surface water exchange. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methods to Use Surface Infiltration Tests in Permeable Pavement Systems to Determine Maintenance Frequency

EPA Science Inventory

Currently, there is limited guidance on selecting test sites to measure surface infiltration rates in permeable pavement systems to determine maintenance frequency. The ASTM method (ASTM C1701) for measuring infiltration rate of in-place pervious concrete suggest to either (1) p...

Determination of mechanical properties of materials used in WAY-30 test pavements : executive summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-05-01

ODOT selected a relocation of US Route 30 near Wooster : in Wayne County, the WAY-30 project, as the site for : testing long life pavements. The eastbound lanes were : constructed with a long-life Portland Cement Concrete : (PCC) pavement, and the we...

75 FR 81878 - Imazosulfuron; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-29

... e-CFR site at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr . To access the harmonized test guidelines referenced in this document electronically, please go http://www.epa.gov/ocspp and select ``Test Methods and... reliability as well as the relationship of the results of the studies to human risk. EPA has also considered...

75 FR 69353 - Isoxaben; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-12

... e-CFR site at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr . To access the harmonized test guidelines referenced in this document electronically, please go to http://www.epa.gov/ocspp and select ``Test Methods and... reliability as well as the relationship of the results of the studies to human risk. EPA has also considered...

Detection of genomic loci associated with environmental variables using generalized linear mixed models.

PubMed

Lobréaux, Stéphane; Melodelima, Christelle

2015-02-01

We tested the use of Generalized Linear Mixed Models to detect associations between genetic loci and environmental variables, taking into account the population structure of sampled individuals. We used a simulation approach to generate datasets under demographically and selectively explicit models. These datasets were used to analyze and optimize GLMM capacity to detect the association between markers and selective coefficients as environmental data in terms of false and true positive rates. Different sampling strategies were tested, maximizing the number of populations sampled, sites sampled per population, or individuals sampled per site, and the effect of different selective intensities on the efficiency of the method was determined. Finally, we apply these models to an Arabidopsis thaliana SNP dataset from different accessions, looking for loci associated with spring minimal temperature. We identified 25 regions that exhibit unusual correlations with the climatic variable and contain genes with functions related to temperature stress. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sediment toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) studies at marine sites suspected of ordnance contamination

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, R.S.; Nipper, M.; Biedenbach, J.M.; Hooten, R.L.; Miller, K.; Saepoff, S.

2001-01-01

A sediment quality assessment survey and subsequent toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) study was conducted at several sites in Puget Sound, Washington. The sites were previously suspected of contamination with ordnance compounds. The initial survey employed sea urchin porewater toxicity tests to locate the most toxic stations. Sediments from the most toxic stations were selected for comprehensive chemical analyses. Based on the combined information from the toxicity and chemical data, three adjacent stations in Ostrich Bay were selected for the TIE study. The results of the phase I TIE suggested that organics and metals were primarily responsible for the observed toxicity in the sea urchin fertilization test. In addition to these contaminants, ammonia was also contributing to the toxicity for the sea urchin embryological development test. The phase II TIE study isolated the majority of the toxicity in the fraction containing nonpolar organics with high log Kow, but chemical analyses failed to identify a compound present at a concentration high enough to be responsible for the observed toxicity. The data suggest that some organic or organometallic contaminant(s) that were not included in the comprehensive suite of chemical analyses caused the observed toxicological responses.

An index of ecological integrity for the Mississippi alluvial plain ecoregion: index development and relations to selected landscape variables

USGS Publications Warehouse

Justus, B.G.

2003-01-01

Macroinvertebrate community, fish community, water-quality, and habitat data collected from 36 sites in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain Ecoregion during 1996-98 by the U.S. Geological Survey were considered for a multimetric test of ecological integrity. Test metrics were correlated to site scores of a Detrended Correspondence Analysis of the fish community (the biological community that was the most statistically significant for indicating ecological conditions in the ecoregion) and six metrics--four fish metrics, one chemical metric (total ammonia plus organic nitrogen) and one physical metric (turbidity)--having the highest correlations were selected for the index. Index results indicate that sites in the northern half of the study unit (in Arkansas and Missouri) were less degraded than sites in the southern half of the study unit (in Louisiana and Mississippi). Of 148 landscape variables evaluated, the percentage of Holocene deposits and cotton insecticide rates had the highest correlations to index of ecological integrity results. sites having the highest (best) index scores had the lowest percentages of Holocene deposits and the lowest cotton insecticide use rates, indicating that factors relating to the amount of Holocene deposits and cotton insecticide use rates partially explain differences in ecological conditions throughout the Mississippi Alluvial Plain Ecoregion.

Properties of the two-dimensional heterogeneous Lennard-Jones dimers: An integral equation study

PubMed Central

Urbic, Tomaz

2016-01-01

Structural and thermodynamic properties of a planar heterogeneous soft dumbbell fluid are examined using Monte Carlo simulations and integral equation theory. Lennard-Jones particles of different sizes are the building blocks of the dimers. The site-site integral equation theory in two dimensions is used to calculate the site-site radial distribution functions and the thermodynamic properties. Obtained results are compared to Monte Carlo simulation data. The critical parameters for selected types of dimers were also estimated and the influence of the Lennard-Jones parameters was studied. We have also tested the correctness of the site-site integral equation theory using different closures. PMID:27875894

Evaluation of long-term gas hydrate production testing locations on the Alaska North Slope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collett, Timothy S.; Boswell, Ray; Lee, Myung W.; Anderson, Brian J.; Rose, Kelly K.; Lewis, Kristen A.

2012-01-01

The results of short-duration formation tests in northern Alaska and Canada have further documented the energy-resource potential of gas hydrates and have justified the need for long-term gas-hydrate-production testing. Additional data acquisition and long-term production testing could improve the understanding of the response of naturally occurring gas hydrate to depressurization-induced or thermal-, chemical-, or mechanical-stimulated dissociation of gas hydrate into producible gas. The Eileen gashydrate accumulation located in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area in northern Alaska has become a focal point for gas-hydrate geologic and production studies. BP Exploration (Alaska) Incorporated and ConocoPhillips have each established research partnerships with the US Department of Energy to assess the production potential of gas hydrates in northern Alaska. A critical goal of these efforts is to identify the most suitable site for production testing. A total of seven potential locations in the Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk River, and Milne Point production units were identified and assessed relative to their suitability as a long-term gas-hydrate-production test sites. The test-site-assessment criteria included the analysis of the geologic risk associated with encountering reservoirs for gas-hydrate testing. The site-selection process also dealt with the assessment of the operational/logistical risk associated with each of the potential test sites. From this review, a site in the Prudhoe Bay production unit was determined to be the best location for extended gas-hydrate-production testing. The work presented in this report identifies the key features of the potential test site in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area and provides new information on the nature of gas-hydrate occurrence and the potential impact of production testing on existing infrastructure at the most favorable sites. These data were obtained from well-log analysis, geological correlation and mapping, and numerical simulation.

Evaluation of long-term gas hydrate production testing locations on the Alaska north slope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collett, T.S.; Boswell, R.; Lee, M.W.; Anderson, B.J.; Rose, K.; Lewis, K.A.

2011-01-01

The results of short duration formation tests in northern Alaska and Canada have further documented the energy resource potential of gas hydrates and justified the need for long-term gas hydrate production testing. Additional data acquisition and long-term production testing could improve the understanding of the response of naturally-occurring gas hydrate to depressurization-induced or thermal-, chemical-, and/or mechanical-stimulated dissociation of gas hydrate into producible gas. The Eileen gas hydrate accumulation located in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area in northern Alaska has become a focal point for gas hydrate geologic and production studies. BP Exploration (Alaska) Incorporated and ConocoPhillips have each established research partnerships with U.S. Department of Energy to assess the production potential of gas hydrates in northern Alaska. A critical goal of these efforts is to identify the most suitable site for production testing. A total of seven potential locations in the Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk, and Milne Point production units were identified and assessed relative to their suitability as a long-term gas hydrate production test site. The test site assessment criteria included the analysis of the geologic risk associated with encountering reservoirs for gas hydrate testing. The site selection process also dealt with the assessment of the operational/logistical risk associated with each of the potential test sites. From this review, a site in the Prudhoe Bay production unit was determined to be the best location for extended gas hydrate production testing. The work presented in this report identifies the key features of the potential test site in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area, and provides new information on the nature of gas hydrate occurrence and potential impact of production testing on existing infrastructure at the most favorable sites. These data were obtained from well log analysis, geological correlation and mapping, and numerical simulation. Copyright 2011, Offshore Technology Conference.

Evaluation of long-term gas hydrate production testing locations on the Alaska North Slope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collett, Timothy; Boswell, Ray; Lee, Myung W.; Anderson, Brian J.; Rose, Kelly K.; Lewis, Kristen A.

2011-01-01

The results of short duration formation tests in northern Alaska and Canada have further documented the energy resource potential of gas hydrates and justified the need for long-term gas hydrate production testing. Additional data acquisition and long-term production testing could improve the understanding of the response of naturally-occurring gas hydrate to depressurization-induced or thermal-, chemical-, and/or mechanical-stimulated dissociation of gas hydrate into producible gas. The Eileen gas hydrate accumulation located in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area in northern Alaska has become a focal point for gas hydrate geologic and production studies. BP Exploration (Alaska) Incorporated and ConocoPhillips have each established research partnerships with U.S. Department of Energy to assess the production potential of gas hydrates in northern Alaska. A critical goal of these efforts is to identify the most suitable site for production testing. A total of seven potential locations in the Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk, and Milne Point production units were identified and assessed relative to their suitability as a long-term gas hydrate production test site. The test site assessment criteria included the analysis of the geologic risk associated with encountering reservoirs for gas hydrate testing. The site selection process also dealt with the assessment of the operational/logistical risk associated with each of the potential test sites. From this review, a site in the Prudhoe Bay production unit was determined to be the best location for extended gas hydrate production testing. The work presented in this report identifies the key features of the potential test site in the Greater Prudhoe Bay area, and provides new information on the nature of gas hydrate occurrence and potential impact of production testing on existing infrastructure at the most favorable sites. These data were obtained from well log analysis, geological correlation and mapping, and numerical simulation.

Subtle differences in selective pressures applied on the envelope gene of HIV-1 in pregnant versus non-pregnant women.

PubMed

Ransy, Doris G; Lord, Etienne; Caty, Martine; Lapointe, Normand; Boucher, Marc; Diallo, Abdoulaye Baniré; Soudeyns, Hugo

2018-04-17

Pregnancy is associated with modulations of maternal immunity that contribute to foeto-maternal tolerance. To understand whether and how these alterations impact antiviral immunity, a detailed cross-sectional analysis of selective pressures exerted on HIV-1 envelope amino-acid sequences was performed in a group of pregnant (n = 32) and non-pregnant (n = 44) HIV-infected women in absence of treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Independent of HIV-1 subtype, p-distance, dN and dS were all strongly correlated with one another but were not significantly different in pregnant as compared to non-pregnant patients. Differential levels of selective pressure applied on different Env subdomains displayed similar yet non-identical patterns between the two groups, with pressure applied on C1 being significantly lower in constant regions C1 and C2 than in V1, V2, V3 and C3. To draw a general picture of the selection applied on the envelope and compensate for inter-individual variations, we performed a binomial test on selection frequency data pooled from pregnant and non-pregnant women. This analysis uncovered 42 positions, present in both groups, exhibiting statistically-significant frequency of selection that invariably mapped to the surface of the Env protein, with the great majority located within epitopes recognized by Env-specific antibodies or sites associated with the development of cross-reactive neutralizing activity. The median frequency of occurrence of positive selection per site was significantly lower in pregnant versus non-pregnant women. Furthermore, examination of the distribution of positively selected sites using a hypergeometric test revealed that only 2 positions (D137 and S142) significantly differed between the 2 groups. Taken together, these result indicate that pregnancy is associated with subtle yet distinctive changes in selective pressures exerted on the HIV-1 Env protein that are compatible with transient modulations of maternal immunity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soil carbon and soil physical properties response to incorporating mulched forest slash

Treesearch

Felipe G. Sanchez; Emily A. Carter; John. F. Klepac

2000-01-01

A study was installed in the Lower Coastal Plain near Washington, NC, to test the hypothesis that incorporating organic matter in the form of comminuted forest slash would increase soil carbon and nutrient pools, and alter soil physical properties to favor pine growth. Two sites were selected, an organic and a mineral site, to compare the treatment effects on...

Use of ground-penetrating radar to study tree roots in the southeastern United States

Treesearch

John R. Butnor; J.A. Doolittle; L. Kress; Susan Cohen; Kurt H. Johnsen

2001-01-01

Summary: The objectives of our study were to assess the feasibility of using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to study roots over a broad range of soil conditions in the southeastern United States. Study sites were located in the Southern Piedmont, Carolina Sandhills and Atlantic Coast Flatwoods. At each site, we tested for selection of the appropriate...

The distribution of genets and their nuclear composition reveal the dynamics of establishment and survival of Heterobasidion annosum in white fir stands

Treesearch

M. Garbelotto; F.W. Cobb; T.D. Bruns; W. Otrosina; T. Popenuck; Garey Slaughter

1998-01-01

The structure of Heterobasidiom annosum populations in white fir was studied in 15 mixed conifer sites of central and northern California. Areas selected for the study displayed mortality of white fir trees in enlarging discrete patches (mortality centers). At each site, fungal genotypes were defined by somatic compatibility tests...

A Satellite Survey of Cloud Cover and Water Vapor in the Southwestern USA and Northern Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrasco, E.; Avila, R.; Erasmus, A.; Djorgovski, S. G.; Walker, A. R.; Blum, R.

2017-03-01

Cloud cover and water vapor conditions in the southwestern USA and northern Mexico were surveyed as a preparatory work for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) in situ site testing program. Although the telescope site is already selected, the TMT site testing team decided to make public these results for its usefulness for the community. Using 58 months of meteorological satellite observations between 1993 July and 1999 September, different atmospheric parameters were quantified from data of the 10.7 μm and of 6.7 μm windows. In particular, cloud cover and water vapor conditions were identified in preferred areas. As a result of the aerial analysis, 15 sites of existing and potential telescope were selected, compared, and ranked in terms of their observing quality. The clearest sites are located along the spine of the Baja peninsula and into southern California on mountain peaks above the temperature inversion layer. A steep gradient of cloudiness was observed along the coast where coastal cloud and fog are trapped below the inversion layer. Moving from west to east over the continent, a significant increase in cloudiness was observed. The analysis shows that San Pedro Mártir, San Gorgonio Mountain and San Jacinto Peak have the largest fraction of clear sky conditions (˜74%). The site with the optimal combination of clear skies and low precipitable water vapor is Boundary Peak, Nevada. An approach based in satellite data provided a reliable method for sites comparison.

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

Urbic, Tomaz, E-mail: tomaz.urbic@fkkt.uni-lj.si; Dias, Cristiano L.

The thermodynamic and structural properties of the planar soft-sites dumbbell fluid are examined by Monte Carlo simulations and integral equation theory. The dimers are built of two Lennard-Jones segments. Site-site integral equation theory in two dimensions is used to calculate the site-site radial distribution functions for a range of elongations and densities and the results are compared with Monte Carlo simulations. The critical parameters for selected types of dimers were also estimated. We analyze the influence of the bond length on critical point as well as tested correctness of site-site integral equation theory with different closures. The integral equations canmore » be used to predict the phase diagram of dimers whose molecular parameters are known.« less

Integrated ground-water monitoring strategy for NRC-licensed facilities and sites: Case study applications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, V.; Temples, T.; Hodges, R.; Dai, Z.; Watkins, D.; Imrich, J.

2007-01-01

This document discusses results of applying the Integrated Ground-Water Monitoring Strategy (the Strategy) to actual waste sites using existing field characterization and monitoring data. The Strategy is a systematic approach to dealing with complex sites. Application of such a systematic approach will reduce uncertainty associated with site analysis, and therefore uncertainty associated with management decisions about a site. The Strategy can be used to guide the development of a ground-water monitoring program or to review an existing one. The sites selected for study fall within a wide range of geologic and climatic settings, waste compositions, and site design characteristics and represent realistic cases that might be encountered by the NRC. No one case study illustrates a comprehensive application of the Strategy using all available site data. Rather, within each case study we focus on certain aspects of the Strategy, to illustrate concepts that can be applied generically to all sites. The test sites selected include:Charleston, South Carolina, Naval Weapons Station,Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, New York,The USGS Amargosa Desert Research Site in Nevada,Rocky Flats in Colorado,C-Area at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, andThe Hanford 300 Area.A Data Analysis section provides examples of detailed data analysis of monitoring data.

Summary and trend analysis of water-quality data for the Oakes Test Area, southeastern North Dakota, 1984-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ryberg, Karen R.

2007-01-01

The Oakes Test Area is operated and maintained by the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District, under a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation, to evaluate the effectiveness and environmental consequences of irrigation. As part of the evaluation, the Bureau of Reclamation collected water-quality samples from seven sites on the James River and the Oakes Test Area. The data were summarized and examined for trends in concentration. A nonparametric statistical test was used to test whether each concentration was increasing or decreasing with time for selected physical properties and constituents, and a trend slope was estimated for each constituent at each site. Trends were examined for two time periods, 1988-2004 and 1994-2004. Results varied by site and by constituent. All sites and all constituents tested had at least one statistically significant trend in the period 1988-2004. Sulfate, total dissolved solids, nitrate, and orthophosphate have significant positive trends at multiple sites with no significant negative trend at any site. Alkalinity and arsenic have single significant positive trends. Hardness, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sodium-adsorption ratio, potassium, and chloride have both significant positive and negative trends. Ammonia has a single significant negative trend. Fewer significant trends were identified in 1994-2004, and all but one were positive. The contribution to the James River from Oakes Test Area drainage appears to have little effect on water quality in the James River.

An ArcGIS decision support tool for artificial reefs site selection (ArcGIS ARSS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stylianou, Stavros; Zodiatis, George

2017-04-01

Although the use and benefits of artificial reefs, both socio-economic and environmental, have been recognized with research and national development programmes worldwide their development is rarely subjected to a rigorous site selection process and the majority of the projects use the traditional (non-GIS) approach, based on trial and error mode. Recent studies have shown that the use of Geographic Information Systems, unlike to traditional methods, for the identification of suitable areas for artificial reefs siting seems to offer a number of distinct advantages minimizing possible errors, time and cost. A decision support tool (DSS) has been developed based on the existing knowledge, the multi-criteria decision analysis techniques and the GIS approach used in previous studies in order to help the stakeholders to identify the optimal locations for artificial reefs deployment on the basis of the physical, biological, oceanographic and socio-economic features of the sites. The tool provides to the users the ability to produce a final report with the results and suitability maps. The ArcGIS ARSS support tool runs within the existing ArcMap 10.2.x environment and for the development the VB .NET high level programming language has been used along with ArcObjects 10.2.x. Two local-scale case studies were conducted in order to test the application of the tool focusing on artificial reef siting. The results obtained from the case studies have shown that the tool can be successfully integrated within the site selection process in order to select objectively the optimal site for artificial reefs deployment.

Characterization of instrumented sites for the onsite fuel-cell field-test project. Volume 4. Topical report, 1983-1985

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

Racine, W.C.; Campillo, C.J.

During the site-selection phase of the Onsite Fuel-Cell Field Test, nearly one hundred sites throughout the U.S. were each instrumented with a standard data-acquisition system (DAS) to collect hourly electrical and thermal data for one year. Seventy of those sites are included in the report. Each site's electrical and thermal systems were instrumented including ambient temperature, electrical demands, building gas usage, and other parameters necessary to calculate building thermal loads. Multifamily residential, commercial, and light industrial sites were instrumented. Approximately twenty market sectors were represented including restaurants, hospitals, hotels, apartments, health clubs, nursing homes, and food-processing plants. The primary usemore » of the data was to determine site compatibility for the installation of 40-kW fuel-cell power plants. However, the collected energy data and site-specific information summarized in this comprehensive report may also be useful for other applications such as market characterization and simulation of new or improved energy-utilization equipment in actual sites. This volume covers metal-plating facilities, nurseries, nursing homes, office buildings and other industrial applications.« less

Selection and breeding of honey bees for higher or lower collection of avocado nectar.

PubMed

Afik, Ohad; Dag, Arnon; Yeselson, Yelena; Schaffer, Arthur; Shafir, Sharoni

2010-04-01

Intensive activity of honey bees, Apis mellifera L., is essential for high fruit set in avocado, Persea americana Mill., orchards, but even when hives are located inside the orchard, many bees still search for alternative blooms. We tested for a possible genetic component for a preference of avocado bloom relative to competing bloom. The honey from each hive was extracted at the end of the avocado bloom and the concentration of perseitol, a carbohydrate that is unique to avocado, was analyzed as a measure for avocado foraging. During the first year, five bee strains were compared in three different sites in Israel. Significant differences were found between strains in honey perseitol concentrations, suggesting differences in their efficiency as avocado pollinators, although these differences were site dependent. At two sites, colonies with the highest and lowest perseitol concentrations were selected as parental "high" and "low" lines. Queens were raised from the selected colonies and were instrumentally inseminated by drones from other colonies of this line. During the second and third years, colonies with inseminated queens were introduced to the avocado orchards, together with the selected colonies still surviving from the previous year. Colonies of the high line had greater perseitol concentrations than those of the low line. Selected colonies that survived from the previous year performed consistently vis-à-vis perseitol concentration, in the second year of testing. Heritability value of 0.22 was estimated based on regression of offspring on midparent. The results reveal a heritable component for willingness of honey bees to collect avocado nectar.

Quality, range, and legibility in web sites related to orofacial functions.

PubMed

Corrêa, Camila de Castro; Ferrari, Deborah Viviane; Berretin-Felix, Giédre

2013-10-01

Introduction Plenty of information about health is available on the Internet; however, quality and legibility are not always evaluated. Knowledge regarding orofacial functions can be considered important for the population because it allows proper stimulus, early diagnosis, and prevention of the oral myofunctional alterations during early infancy. Objective The aim was evaluate the quality, legibility, and range of Web sites available in Brazilian Portuguese regarding the orofacial functions. Methods Selected Web sites with information directed to parents/caregivers of babies regarding breast-feeding, feeding after 6 months, deleterious oral habits, and breathing and speech were studied. The Web sites were evaluated through the application of Flesch Reading Ease Test and aspects of the Health on the Net (HON) modified code (HONCode); the range of the subjects addressed was compared with other aspects of infant development. Results From the access of 350 pages of the Internet, 35 Web sites were selected and 315 excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. In relation to legibility, Web sites scored an average of 61.23% in the Flesch Test, and the application of the modified HONCode showed an average of 6.43 points; an average of 2.49 subjects were found per Web site evaluated, with information on breast-feeding being more frequent and subjects such as breathing and speech less frequent. Conclusions Web sites that deal with orofacial functions presented standard legibility classification. Only half of the ethical principles were considered by the modified HONCode in their majority, and most addressed subjects after "breast-feeding" were presented with restricted range.

Quality, Range, and Legibility in Web Sites Related to Orofacial Functions

PubMed Central

Corrêa, Camila de Castro; Ferrari, Deborah Viviane; Berretin-Felix, Giédre

2013-01-01

Introduction Plenty of information about health is available on the Internet; however, quality and legibility are not always evaluated. Knowledge regarding orofacial functions can be considered important for the population because it allows proper stimulus, early diagnosis, and prevention of the oral myofunctional alterations during early infancy. Objective The aim was evaluate the quality, legibility, and range of Web sites available in Brazilian Portuguese regarding the orofacial functions. Methods Selected Web sites with information directed to parents/caregivers of babies regarding breast-feeding, feeding after 6 months, deleterious oral habits, and breathing and speech were studied. The Web sites were evaluated through the application of Flesch Reading Ease Test and aspects of the Health on the Net (HON) modified code (HONCode); the range of the subjects addressed was compared with other aspects of infant development. Results From the access of 350 pages of the Internet, 35 Web sites were selected and 315 excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. In relation to legibility, Web sites scored an average of 61.23% in the Flesch Test, and the application of the modified HONCode showed an average of 6.43 points; an average of 2.49 subjects were found per Web site evaluated, with information on breast-feeding being more frequent and subjects such as breathing and speech less frequent. Conclusions Web sites that deal with orofacial functions presented standard legibility classification. Only half of the ethical principles were considered by the modified HONCode in their majority, and most addressed subjects after “breast-feeding” were presented with restricted range. PMID:25992036

Optimal design of compact and connected nature reserves for multiple species.

PubMed

Wang, Yicheng; Önal, Hayri

2016-04-01

When designing a conservation reserve system for multiple species, spatial attributes of the reserves must be taken into account at species level. The existing optimal reserve design literature considers either one spatial attribute or when multiple attributes are considered the analysis is restricted only to one species. We built a linear integer programing model that incorporates compactness and connectivity of the landscape reserved for multiple species. The model identifies multiple reserves that each serve a subset of target species with a specified coverage probability threshold to ensure the species' long-term survival in the reserve, and each target species is covered (protected) with another probability threshold at the reserve system level. We modeled compactness by minimizing the total distance between selected sites and central sites, and we modeled connectivity of a selected site to its designated central site by selecting at least one of its adjacent sites that has a nearer distance to the central site. We considered structural distance and functional distances that incorporated site quality between sites. We tested the model using randomly generated data on 2 species, one ground species that required structural connectivity and the other an avian species that required functional connectivity. We applied the model to 10 bird species listed as endangered by the state of Illinois (U.S.A.). Spatial coherence and selection cost of the reserves differed substantially depending on the weights assigned to these 2 criteria. The model can be used to design a reserve system for multiple species, especially species whose habitats are far apart in which case multiple disjunct but compact and connected reserves are advantageous. The model can be modified to increase or decrease the distance between reserves to reduce or promote population connectivity. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

REDUCTION OF GENOTOXICITY OF A CREOSOTE-CONTAMINATED SOIL AFTER FUNGAL TREATMENT DETERMINED BY THE TRADESCANTIA-MICRONUCLEUS TEST

EPA Science Inventory

The fungal degradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in a contaminated soil from a hazarous waste site was evaluated in a pilot-scale study. As some PAH are known to be mutagens, the Tradescantia-micronucleus test (TRAD-MCN) was selected to evaluate the genotoxicity of the s...

A Laboratory Exercise for Compatibility Testing of Hazardous Wastes in an Environmental Analysis Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, J. C.; And Others

1986-01-01

Discusses a new program at the University of Michigan in hazardous waste management. Describes a laboratory demonstration that deals with the reactivity and potential violence of several reactions that may be encountered on a hazardous waste site. Provides criteria for selecting particular compatibility testing methods. (TW)

A likelihood ratio test for evolutionary rate shifts and functional divergence among proteins

PubMed Central

Knudsen, Bjarne; Miyamoto, Michael M.

2001-01-01

Changes in protein function can lead to changes in the selection acting on specific residues. This can often be detected as evolutionary rate changes at the sites in question. A maximum-likelihood method for detecting evolutionary rate shifts at specific protein positions is presented. The method determines significance values of the rate differences to give a sound statistical foundation for the conclusions drawn from the analyses. A statistical test for detecting slowly evolving sites is also described. The methods are applied to a set of Myc proteins for the identification of both conserved sites and those with changing evolutionary rates. Those positions with conserved and changing rates are related to the structures and functions of their proteins. The results are compared with an earlier Bayesian method, thereby highlighting the advantages of the new likelihood ratio tests. PMID:11734650

Inter- and intraspecific grafting and breeding of five-needle pines

Treesearch

Clifford E. Ahlgren

1970-01-01

The forest tree improvement work at the Center was started in 1949 with the introduction of some of Dr. Riker's grafted eastern white pine selections. Subsequently a program of selecting, grafting, breeding and testing for resistance was begun. The work was initiated at Basswood Lake (15 miles NE of Ely, Minnesota) rather than elsewhere on a more accessible site...

Site selection for DOE/JIP gas hydrate drilling in the northern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchinson, Deborah; Shelander, Dianna; Dai, J.; McConnell, D.; Shedd, William; Frye, Matthew; Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Boswell, R.; Jones, Emrys; Collett, Timothy S.; Rose, Kelly K.; Dugan, Brandon; Wood, Warren T.

2008-01-01

n the late spring of 2008, the Chevron-led Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project (JIP) expects to conduct an exploratory drilling and logging campaign to better understand gas hydrate-bearing sands in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The JIP Site Selection team selected three areas to test alternative geological models and geophysical interpretations supporting the existence of potential high gas hydrate saturations in reservoir-quality sands. The three sites are near existing drill holes which provide geological and geophysical constraints in Alaminos Canyon (AC) lease block 818, Green Canyon (GC) 955, and Walker Ridge (WR) 313. At the AC818 site, gas hydrate is interpreted to occur within the Oligocene Frio volcaniclastic sand at the crest of a fold that is shallow enough to be in the hydrate stability zone. Drilling at GC955 will sample a faulted, buried Pleistocene channel-levee system in an area characterized by seafloor fluid expulsion features, structural closure associated with uplifted salt, and abundant seismic evidence for upward migration of fluids and gas into the sand-rich parts of the sedimentary section. Drilling at WR313 targets ponded sheet sands and associated channel/levee deposits within a minibasin, making this a non-structural play. The potential for gas hydrate occurrence at WR313 is supported by shingled phase reversals consistent with the transition from gas-charged sand to overlying gas-hydrate saturated sand. Drilling locations have been selected at each site to 1) test geological methods and models used to infer the occurrence of gas hydrate in sand reservoirs in different settings in the northern Gulf of Mexico; 2) calibrate geophysical models used to detect gas hydrate sands, map reservoir thicknesses, and estimate the degree of gas hydrate saturation; and 3) delineate potential locations for subsequent JIP drilling and coring operations that will collect samples for comprehensive physical property, geochemical and other analyses

Aquifer recharge with reclaimed water in the Llobregat Delta. Laboratory batch experiments and field test site.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobella, J.

2010-05-01

Summary Spain, as most other Mediterranean countries, faces near future water shortages, generalized pollution and loss of water dependent ecosystems. Aquifer recharge represents a promising option to become a source for indirect potable reuse purposes but presence of pathogens as well as organic and inorganic pollutants should be avoided. To this end, understanding the processes of biogeochemical degradation occurring within the aquifer during infiltration is capital. A set of laboratory batch experiments has been assembled in order to assess the behaviour of selected pesticides, drugs, estrogens, surfactant degradation products, biocides and phthalates under different redox conditions. Data collected during laboratory experiments and monitoring activities at the Sant Vicenç dels Horts test site will be used to build and calibrate a numerical model (i) of the physical-chemical-biochemical processes occurring in the batches and (ii) of multicomponent reactive transport in the unsaturated/saturated zone at the test site. Keywords Aquifer recharge, batch experiments, emerging micropollutants, infiltration, numerical model, reclaimed water, redox conditions, Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT). 1. Introduction In Spain, the Llobregat River and aquifers, which supply water to Barcelona, have been overexploited for years and therefore, suffer from serious damages: the river dries up on summer, riparian vegetation has disappeared and seawater has intruded the aquifer. In a global context, solutions to water stress problems are urgently needed yet must be sustainable, economical and safe. Recent developments of analytical techniques detect the presence of the so-called "emerging" organic micropollutants in water and soils. Such compounds may affect living organisms when occurring in the environment at very low concentrations (microg/l or ng/l). In wastewater and drinking water treatment plants, a remarkable removal of these chemicals from water can be obtained only using advanced and costly treatments. Nevertheless, a number of studies are demonstrating that physical, chemical and biochemical processes associated with water movement within the subsoil represent a natural alternative way to reduce the presence of these contaminants. This processes are called Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT). Aquifer recharge will become a source for indirect potable reuse purposes as long as the presence of pathogens and organic and inorganic pollutants is avoided. To this end, understanding the biogeochemical degradation processes occurring within the aquifer during infiltration is capital. 2. Laboratory batch experiments A set of laboratory batch experiments has been assembled to assess the behaviour of selected pesticides, drugs, estrogens, surfactant degradation products, biocides and phthalates under different redox conditions. The setup of the experiments consists of glass bottles containing 120 g of soil and 240 ml of synthetic water spiked with the mix of micropollutants. A source of easily degradable organic carbon and, depending on the type of test, electron acceptors are added in order to yield aerobic respiration and nitrate/iron/manganese/sulphate reduction conditions. The evolution of the processes is monitored by sacrificing duplicate bottles according to a defined schedule and analysing water for major and minor components as well as for micropollutants. Results from biotic tests are compared with abiotic ones in order to discern biodegradation from other chemical processes. The soil, the synthetic water and the micropollutants selected for the experiments are representative of a test site in the nearby of Barcelona (Spain) where artificial recharge of groundwater through ponds is going to be performed using river water or tertiary effluent from a waste water treatment plant. The results of the experiments improve the knowledge on the behaviour of the selected micropollutants under different redox conditions and provide with useful information on the conditions to develop at the test site during artificial recharge. The data collected during the laboratory experiments and in the test site will be used to build and calibrate a numerical model of the physical-chemical-biochemical processes developing in the batches and of multicomponent reactive transport in the unsaturated/saturated zone in the test site area. 3. Field test site The infiltration site of Sant Vicenç dels Horts has been selected to assessing the biogeochemical processes occurring during SAT. The system consists of two ponds that have been built as compensatory measure for the reduction in natural recharge caused by the construction of the High Speed Train Line. The first pond acts as a decantation pond while the second one acts as an infiltration basin (Figure 1). Recharge water comes from the tertiary treatment plant of the El Prat de Llobregat WWTP and the river (?). The CUADLL (Lower Llobregat Aquifer End-Users Community) is now managing the system operation. Tasks that are currently being carried out at this Test Site aims at (i) improving the local experience on MAR through infiltration ponds operational aspects and (ii) monitoring the changes in water quality during the recharge processes (unsaturated and saturated zone). Special attention is being paid to the fate of emerging organic pollutants (pharmaceuticals, surfactants, pesticides, etc.). The yielding of the monitoring will be compared with the results from the laboratory batch experiments on the behaviour of selected emerging organic pollutants. To this end, observation wells have been constructed, pressure / temperature / electrical conductivity transducers have been installed and the vadose zone under the infiltration pond has been instrumented (tensiometers, water content probes and suction cups). In addition double ring and infiltration tests have been performed in order to forecast the infiltration capacity of the basin.

Siting a municipal solid waste disposal facility, part II: the effects of external criteria on the final decision.

PubMed

Korucu, M Kemal; Karademir, Aykan

2014-02-01

The procedure of a multi-criteria decision analysis supported by the geographic information systems was applied to the site selection process of a planning municipal solid waste management practice based on twelve different scenarios. The scenarios included two different decision tree modes and two different weighting models for three different area requirements. The suitability rankings of the suitable sites obtained from the application of the decision procedure for the scenarios were assessed by a factorial experimental design concerning the effect of some external criteria on the final decision of the site selection process. The external criteria used in the factorial experimental design were defined as "Risk perception and approval of stakeholders" and "Visibility". The effects of the presence of these criteria in the decision trees were evaluated in detail. For a quantitative expression of the differentiations observed in the suitability rankings, the ranking data were subjected to ANOVA test after a normalization process. Then the results of these tests were evaluated by Tukey test to measure the effects of external criteria on the final decision. The results of Tukey tests indicated that the involvement of the external criteria into the decision trees produced statistically meaningful differentiations in the suitability rankings. Since the external criteria could cause considerable external costs during the operation of the disposal facilities, the presence of these criteria in the decision tree in addition to the other criteria related to environmental and legislative requisites could prevent subsequent external costs in the first place.

Effects of opening size and site preparation method on vegetation development after implementing group selection in a pine-hardwood stand

Treesearch

M.D. Cain; M.G. Shelton

2001-01-01

Three opening sizes (0.25, 0.625, and 1.0 ac) and three site preparation methods (herbicides, mechanical, and an untreated control) were tested in a pine-hardwood stand dominated by loblolly and shortleaf pines (Pinus taeda L. and P. echinata Mill.) and mixed oaks (Quercus spp.) that was being converted to uneven...

How avian nest site selection responds to predation risk: Testing an 'adaptive peak hypothesis'

Treesearch

Quresh S. Latif; Sacha K. Heath; John T. Rotenberry

2012-01-01

1. Nest predation limits avian fitness, so birds should favour nest sites that minimize predation risk. Nevertheless, preferred nest microhabitat features are often uncorrelated with apparent variation in predation rates. 2. This lack of congruence between theory-based expectation and empirical data may arise when birds already occupy ‘adaptive peaks’. If birds nest...

Diversifying Selection Underlies the Origin of Allozyme Polymorphism at the Phosphoglucose Isomerase Locus in Tigriopus californicus

PubMed Central

Schoville, Sean D.; Flowers, Jonathan M.; Burton, Ronald S.

2012-01-01

The marine copepod Tigriopus californicus lives in intertidal rock pools along the Pacific coast, where it exhibits strong, temporally stable population genetic structure. Previous allozyme surveys have found high frequency private alleles among neighboring subpopulations, indicating that there is limited genetic exchange between populations. Here we evaluate the factors responsible for the diversification and maintenance of alleles at the phosphoglucose isomerase (Pgi) locus by evaluating patterns of nucleotide variation underlying previously identified allozyme polymorphism. Copepods were sampled from eleven sites throughout California and Baja California, revealing deep genetic structure among populations as well as genetic variability within populations. Evidence of recombination is limited to the sample from Pescadero and there is no support for linkage disequilibrium across the Pgi locus. Neutrality tests and codon-based models of substitution suggest the action of natural selection due to elevated non-synonymous substitutions at a small number of sites in Pgi. Two sites are identified as the charge-changing residues underlying allozyme polymorphisms in T. californicus. A reanalysis of allozyme variation at several focal populations, spanning a period of 26 years and over 200 generations, shows that Pgi alleles are maintained without notable frequency changes. Our data suggest that diversifying selection accounted for the origin of Pgi allozymes, while McDonald-Kreitman tests and the temporal stability of private allozyme alleles suggests that balancing selection may be involved in the maintenance of amino acid polymorphisms within populations. PMID:22768211

Survey of atmospheric total gaseous mercury in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de la Rosa, D. A.; Volke-Sepúlveda, T.; Solórzano, G.; Green, C.; Tordon, R.; Beauchamp, S.

2004-09-01

While sources of gaseous mercury (natural and anthropogenic) are well known, studies on atmospheric mercury concentrations in Mexico are new. In order to assess the total gaseous mercury (TGM) levels at some characteristic Mexican sites, four locations were selected to start an exploratory survey and begin to asses the TGM behavior. This paper presents data obtained at an urban site (Mexico City), a rural site (Huejutla, Hidalgo), a coastline site (Puerto Angel, Oaxaca) and a closed mining site (Zacatecas City, Zacatecas). The highest TGM average values were found at this last site (71.82 ng m-3) together with the urban site (9.81 ng m-3). At the rural and coast line sites the lowest TGM values (1.32 and 1.46 ng m-3, respectively) were found. According to the ANOVA test, there were significant differences for the TGM values among all the studied sites, except between the coastline and the rural place. A multiple correlation test performed between TGM and some meteorological parameters showed that in sites without anthropogenic mercury sources influence (rural and coast line), the TGM levels are correlated with the temperature and relative humidity, while for the other two sites no clear correlation was found.

Prediction of human disease-associated phosphorylation sites with combined feature selection approach and support vector machine.

PubMed

Xu, Xiaoyi; Li, Ao; Wang, Minghui

2015-08-01

Phosphorylation is a crucial post-translational modification, which regulates almost all cellular processes in life. It has long been recognised that protein phosphorylation has close relationship with diseases, and therefore many researches are undertaken to predict phosphorylation sites for disease treatment and drug design. However, despite the success achieved by these approaches, no method focuses on disease-associated phosphorylation sites prediction. Herein, for the first time the authors propose a novel approach that is specially designed to identify associations between phosphorylation sites and human diseases. To take full advantage of local sequence information, a combined feature selection method-based support vector machine (CFS-SVM) that incorporates minimum-redundancy-maximum-relevance filtering process and forward feature selection process is developed. Performance evaluation shows that CFS-SVM is significantly better than the widely used classifiers including Bayesian decision theory, k nearest neighbour and random forest. With the extremely high specificity of 99%, CFS-SVM can still achieve a high sensitivity. Besides, tests on extra data confirm the effectiveness and general applicability of CFS-SVM approach on a variety of diseases. Finally, the analysis of selected features and corresponding kinases also help the understanding of the potential mechanism of disease-phosphorylation relationships and guide further experimental validations.

Testing the mutant selection window hypothesis with Escherichia coli exposed to levofloxacin in a rabbit tissue cage infection model.

PubMed

Ni, W; Song, X; Cui, J

2014-03-01

The purpose of this study was to test the mutant selection window (MSW) hypothesis with Escherichia coli exposed to levofloxacin in a rabbit model and to compare in vivo and in vitro exposure thresholds that restrict the selection of fluoroquinolone-resistant mutants. Local infection with E. coli was established in rabbits, and the infected animals were treated orally with various doses of levofloxacin once a day for five consecutive days. Changes in levofloxacin concentration and levofloxacin susceptibility were monitored at the site of infection. The MICs of E. coli increased when levofloxacin concentrations at the site of infection fluctuated between the lower and upper boundaries of the MSW, defined in vitro as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC99) and the mutant prevention concentration (MPC), respectively. The pharmacodynamic thresholds at which resistant mutants are not selected in vivo was estimated as AUC24/MPC > 20 h or AUC24/MIC > 60 h, where AUC24 is the area under the drug concentration time curve in a 24-h interval. Our finding demonstrated that the MSW existed in vivo. The AUC24/MPC ratio that prevented resistant mutants from being selected estimated in vivo is consistent with that observed in vitro, indicating it might be a reliable index for guiding the optimization of antimicrobial treatment regimens for suppression of the selection of antimicrobial resistance.

A series of low-altitude aerial radiological surveys of selected regions within Areas 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 18, and 25 at the Nevada Test Site

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

Colton, D.P.

1999-12-01

A series of low-altitude, aerial radiological surveys of selected regions within Areas 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 18,and 25 of the Nevada Test Site was conducted from December 1996 through June 1999. The surveys were conducted for the US Department of Energy by the Remote Sensing Laboratory, located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and maintained and operated by Bechtel Nevada. The flights were conducted at a nominal altitude of 15 meters above ground level along a set of parallel flight lines spaced 23 meters apart. The purpose of these low-altitude surveys was to measure, map, and define the areas of americium-241more » activity. The americium contamination will be used to determine the areas of plutonium contamination. Americium-241 activity was detected within 8 of the 11 regions. The three regions where americium-241 was not detected were in the inactive Nuclear Rocket Development Station complex in Area 25, which encompassed the Test Cell A and Test Cell C reactor test stands and the Reactor Maintenance Assembly and Disassembly facility.« less

Protein-protein interaction site predictions with minimum covariance determinant and Mahalanobis distance.

PubMed

Qiu, Zhijun; Zhou, Bo; Yuan, Jiangfeng

2017-11-21

Protein-protein interaction site (PPIS) prediction must deal with the diversity of interaction sites that limits their prediction accuracy. Use of proteins with unknown or unidentified interactions can also lead to missing interfaces. Such data errors are often brought into the training dataset. In response to these two problems, we used the minimum covariance determinant (MCD) method to refine the training data to build a predictor with better performance, utilizing its ability of removing outliers. In order to predict test data in practice, a method based on Mahalanobis distance was devised to select proper test data as input for the predictor. With leave-one-validation and independent test, after the Mahalanobis distance screening, our method achieved higher performance according to Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC), although only a part of test data could be predicted. These results indicate that data refinement is an efficient approach to improve protein-protein interaction site prediction. By further optimizing our method, it is hopeful to develop predictors of better performance and wide range of application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water quality in Reedy Fork and Buffalo Creek basins in the Greensboro area, North Carolina, 1986-87

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davenport, M.S.

1989-01-01

Water and bottom-sediment samples were collected from April 1986 through September 1987 at 19 sites in Guilford County and the City of Greensboro, North Carolina. Sampling locations included 13 stream sites, two lakes that supply the City of Greensboro with drinking water, two City of Greensboro finished drinking-water filtration plants, and effluent from the two municipal wastewater plants prior to outfall into receiving streams. Water sampling consisted of six surveys during various stages of steady ground-water flow at all sites and high-flow-event sampling during two storms at six sites. Bottom-sediment samples were collected at three sites during two routine sampling surveys. A summary of nearly 22, 000 separate chemical or physical analyses of water samples or bottom sediment is presented and discussed as individual values, ranges of values, or median values with respect to the locations of sampling sites, streamflow conditions, or other information bearing on water-quality conditions under discussion. The results include discussions of general water-quality indicators; major ion, nutrient, and trace-element concentrations; acid and base/neutral extractable organic compounds; volatile organic compounds; and organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides detected at each sampling site. Loadings of selected constituents are also estimated on a yearly and daily basis. The quality of the raw and finished water, municipal effluents, and streams in the Greensboro area are characterized by using State and Federal water-quality standards. Inorganic constituents most commonly found in excess of standards were iron, copper, zinc, arsenic, phosphorus, manganese, cyanide, and mercury. Relatively few organic compounds were detected; however, those consistently reported were phthalate, thihalomethane, organophosphorus pesticide, benzol, and phenolic compounds. Selected inorganic, physical, and total organic carbon data are used in a Wilcoxon test for two independent variables to statistically compare water-quality characteristics in selected rural, semideveloped and urban basins. During low-flow sampling, the constituents that differed significantly among all sites were calcium, magnesium, and chloride. During low flows, concentrations of orthophosphate, fluoride, sulfate, and TOC differed at the urban site from the rural and semideveloped and urban sites. There were no significant differences among sites in concentrations of sodium, suspended sediment, nickel, zinc, copper, and mercury during low flows. The Wilcoxon test performed on high-flow data indicated that concentrations of TOC, chloride, sulfate, suspended sediment, and nickel were not significantly different among the sites.

The Sim-SEQ Project: Comparison of Selected Flow Models for the S-3 Site

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

Mukhopadhyay, Sumit; Doughty, Christine A.; Bacon, Diana H.

Sim-SEQ is an international initiative on model comparison for geologic carbon sequestration, with an objective to understand and, if possible, quantify model uncertainties. Model comparison efforts in Sim-SEQ are at present focusing on one specific field test site, hereafter referred to as the Sim-SEQ Study site (or S-3 site). Within Sim-SEQ, different modeling teams are developing conceptual models of CO2 injection at the S-3 site. In this paper, we select five flow models of the S-3 site and provide a qualitative comparison of their attributes and predictions. These models are based on five different simulators or modeling approaches: TOUGH2/EOS7C, STOMP-CO2e,more » MoReS, TOUGH2-MP/ECO2N, and VESA. In addition to model-to-model comparison, we perform a limited model-to-data comparison, and illustrate how model choices impact model predictions. We conclude the paper by making recommendations for model refinement that are likely to result in less uncertainty in model predictions.« less

Autoradiographic evidence for two classes of mu opioid binding sites in rat brain using (/sup 125/I)FK33824

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

Rothman, R.B.; Jacobson, A.E.; Rice, K.C.

1987-11-01

Previous studies demonstrated that pretreatment of brain membranes with the irreversible mu antagonist, beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA), partially eliminated mu binding sites (25,35), consistent with the existence of two mu binding sites distinguished by beta-FNA. This paper tests the hypothesis that the FNA-sensitive and FNA-insensitive mu binding sites have different anatomical distributions in rat brain. Prior to autoradiographic visualization of mu binding sites, (/sup 3/H)oxymorphone, (/sup 3/H)D-ala2-MePhe4, Gly-ol5-enkephalin (DAGO), and (/sup 125/I)D-ala2-Me-Phe4-met(o)-ol)enkephalin (FK33824) were shown to selectively label mu binding sites using slide mounted sections of molded minced rat brain. As found using membranes, beta-FNA eliminated only a portion of mu bindingmore » sites. Autoradiographic visualization of mu binding sites using the mu-selective ligand (/sup 125/I)FK33824 in control and FNA-treated sections of rat brain demonstrated that the proportion of mu binding sites sensitive to beta-FNA varied across regions of the brain, particularly the dorsal thalamus, ventrobasal complex and the hypothalamus, providing anatomical data supporting the existence of two classes of mu binding sites in rat brain.« less

Recovery Efficiency Test Project: Phase 1, Activity report

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

Overbey, W.K. Jr.; Wilkins, D.W.; Keltch, B.

1988-04-01

This report is the second volume of the Recovery Efficiency Test Phase I Report of Activities. Volume 1 covered selection, well planning, drilling, coring, logging and completion operations. This volume reports on well testing activities, reclamation activities on the drilling site and access roads, and the results of physical and mechanical properties tests on the oriented core material obtained from a horizontal section of the well. 3 refs., 21 figs., 10 tabs.

Field demonstration of on-site analytical methods for TNT and RDX in ground water

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

Craig, H.; Ferguson, G.; Markos, A.

1996-12-31

A field demonstration was conducted to assess the performance of eight commercially-available and emerging colorimetric, immunoassay, and biosensor on-site analytical methods for explosives 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) in ground water and leachate at the Umatilla Army Depot Activity, Hermiston, Oregon and US Naval Submarine Base, Bangor, Washington, Superfund sites. Ground water samples were analyzed by each of the on-site methods and results compared to laboratory analysis using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with EPA SW-846 Method 8330. The commercial methods evaluated include the EnSys, Inc., TNT and RDX colorimetric test kits (EPA SW-846 Methods 8515 and 8510) with amore » solid phase extraction (SPE) step, the DTECH/EM Science TNT and RDX immunoassay test kits (EPA SW-846 Methods 4050 and 4051), and the Ohmicron TNT immunoassay test kit. The emerging methods tested include the antibody-based Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Continuous Flow Immunosensor (CFI) for TNT and RDX, and the Fiber Optic Biosensor (FOB) for TNT. Accuracy of the on-site methods were evaluated using linear regression analysis and relative percent difference (RPD) comparison criteria. Over the range of conditions tested, the colorimetric methods for TNT and RDX showed the highest accuracy of the emerging methods for TNT and RDX. The colorimetric method was selected for routine ground water monitoring at the Umatilla site, and further field testing on the NRL CFI and FOB biosensors will continue at both Superfund sites.« less

The Influence of HIV on the Evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Brites, Daniela; Stucki, David; Evans, Joanna C.; Seldon, Ronnett; Heekes, Alexa; Mulder, Nicola; Nicol, Mark; Oni, Tolu; Mizrahi, Valerie; Warner, Digby F.; Parkhill, Julian; Gagneux, Sebastien; Martin, Darren P.; Wilkinson, Robert J.

2017-01-01

Abstract HIV significantly affects the immunological environment during tuberculosis coinfection, and therefore may influence the selective landscape upon which M. tuberculosis evolves. To test this hypothesis whole genome sequences were determined for 169 South African M. tuberculosis strains from HIV-1 coinfected and uninfected individuals and analyzed using two Bayesian codon-model based selection analysis approaches: FUBAR which was used to detect persistent positive and negative selection (selection respectively favoring and disfavoring nonsynonymous substitutions); and MEDS which was used to detect episodic directional selection specifically favoring nonsynonymous substitutions within HIV-1 infected individuals. Among the 25,251 polymorphic codon sites analyzed, FUBAR revealed that 189-fold more were detectably evolving under persistent negative selection than were evolving under persistent positive selection. Three specific codon sites within the genes celA2b, katG, and cyp138 were identified by MEDS as displaying significant evidence of evolving under directional selection influenced by HIV-1 coinfection. All three genes encode proteins that may indirectly interact with human proteins that, in turn, interact functionally with HIV proteins. Unexpectedly, epitope encoding regions were enriched for sites displaying weak evidence of directional selection influenced by HIV-1. Although the low degree of genetic diversity observed in our M. tuberculosis data set means that these results should be interpreted carefully, the effects of HIV-1 on epitope evolution in M. tuberculosis may have implications for the design of M. tuberculosis vaccines that are intended for use in populations with high HIV-1 infection rates. PMID:28369607

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

Stevens, S.E. Jr.; Chung, K.T.

Anaerobic bacteria were isolated from deep subsurface sediment samples taken at study sites in Idaho (INEL) and Washington (HR) by culturing on dilute and concentrated medium. Morphologically distinct colonies were purified, and their responses to 21 selected physiological tests were determined. Although the number of isolates was small (18 INEL, 27 HR) some general patterns could be determined. Most strains could utilize all the carbon sources, however the glycerol and melizitose utilization was positive for 50% or less of the HR isolates. Catalase activity (27.78% at INEL, 74.07% at HR) and tryptophan metabolism (11.12% at INEL, 40.74% at HR) weremore » significantly different between the two study sites. MPN and viable counts indicate that sediments near the water table yield the greatest numbers of anaerobes. Deeper sediments also appear to be more selective with the greatest number of viable counts on low-nutrient mediums. Likewise, only strictly obligate anaerobes were found in the deepest sediment samples. Selective media indicated the presence of methanogens, acetogens, and sulfate reducers at only the HR site.« less

Efficient and surface site-selective ion desorption by positron annihilation.

PubMed

Tachibana, Takayuki; Yamashita, Takashi; Nagira, Masaru; Yabuki, Hisakuni; Nagashima, Yasuyuki

2018-05-08

We compared positron- and electron-stimulated desorption (e + SD and ESD) of positive ions from a TiO 2 (110) surface. Although desorption of O + ions was observed in both experiments, the desorption efficiency caused by positron bombardment was larger by one order of magnitude than that caused by electron bombardment at an incident energy of 500 eV. e + SD of O + ions remained highly efficient with incident positron energies between 10 eV and 600 eV. The results indicate that e + SD of O + ions is predominantly caused by pair annihilation of surface-trapped positrons with inner-shell electrons. We also tested e + SD from water chemisorbed on the TiO 2 surface and found that the desorption of specific ions was enhanced by positron annihilation, above the ion yield with electron bombardment. This finding corroborates our conclusion that annihilation-site selectivity of positrons results in site-selective ion desorption from a bombarded surface.

Evaluation of toxicity to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and to the midge, Chironomus dilutus; and bioaccumulation by the oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus, with exposure to PCB-contaminated sediments from Anniston, Alabama

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Steevens, Jeffery A.; MacDonald, Donald D.; Brumbaugh, William G.; Coady, Matthew R.; Farrar, J. Daniel; Lotufo, Guilherme R.; Kemble, Nile E.; Kunz, James L.; Stanley, Jacob K.; Sinclair, Jesse A.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Steevens, Jeffery A.; MacDonald, Donald D.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requested that as part of the remedial investigation for the Anniston, Alabama Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Site (Anniston PCB Site), that Pharmacia Corporation and Solutia Inc. (P/S) perform long-term reproduction toxicity tests with the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and the midge, Chironomus dilutus, and bioaccumulation tests with the oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus, using sediment samples collected from reference locations and from Operable Unit 4 of the Anniston PCB Site. The sediment toxicity testing and sediment bioaccumulation results will be used by ARCADIS U.S., Inc. (ARCADIS) as part of a weight-of-evidence assessment to evaluate risks and establish sediment remediation goals for contaminants to sediment-dwelling organisms inhabiting the Anniston PCB Site. The goal of this study was to characterize relations between sediment chemistry and sediment toxicity and relations between sediment chemistry and sediment bioaccumulation in samples of sediments collected from the Anniston PCB Site. A total of 32 samples were evaluated from six test sites and one reference site to provide a wide range in concentrations of chemicals of potential concern (COPCs) including PCBs in samples of whole sediment. The goal of this study was not to determine the extent of sediment contamination across the Anniston PCB Site. Hence, the test sites or samples collected from within a test site were not selected to represent the spatial extent of sediment contamination across the Anniston PCB Site. Sediment chemistry, pore-water chemistry, and sediment toxicity data were generated for 26 sediment samples from the Anniston PCB Site. All of the samples were evaluated to determine if they qualified as reference sediment samples. Those samples that met the chemical selection criteria and biological selection criteria were identified as reference samples and used to develop the reference envelope for each toxicity test endpoint. Physical characterization of samples of whole sediment included analyses of grain size, TOC, and nutrients. Organic chemical characterization of samples of whole sediment included PCB homologs and select (13) PCB congeners, parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins; and dibenzofurans. The PCB aroclors analyzed included 1016, 1221, 1232, 1242, 1248, 1254, 1260, 1262 and 1268. Analyses of whole sediment also included total metals, simultaneously extracted metals, and acid volatile sulfide. Chemical characterization of samples of pore water isolated from samples of whole sediment at the start of the sediment toxicity exposures or at the start of the sediment bioaccumulation exposures included metals, major cations, major anions, dissolved organic carbon, and additional water-quality characteristics. Concentrations of metals or PCBs in pore water during the sediment toxicity exposures or during sediment bioaccumulation exposures also were determined using peeper samples (for metals) or solid-phase microextraction (SPME) samplers (for PCBs). The bioavailability and bioaccumulation of PCBs in 14 sediment samples were investigated using SPME passive samplers and the 28-d L. variegatus whole-sediment bioaccumulation exposures In general the accumulation of PCBs consistently was predicted through the use of organic carbon normalization and equilibrium partitioning. In these sediments, PCB homologs were accumulated differently based on bioavailability and potential to accumulate in oligochaetes. As part of this assessment homolog specific biota sediment accumulation factor values were developed that could be applied across the larger site to predict tissue levels of PCBs. The whole-sediment toxicity tests done with H. azteca and C. dilutus met the established ASTM and USEPA test acceptability criteria. The most responsive H. azteca endpoints were day 42 survival normalized young per female and day 28 biomass and that the most responsive C. dilutus endpoints were adult biomass and percent adult emergence. Overall, between the two species, the most responsive endpoint assessed for these two species was H. azteca survival-normalized young per female (67 percent of the samples classified as toxic). Concentration-response models (CRMs) and site-specific sediment toxicity thresholds (TTs) were generated with matching sediment chemistry and sediment toxicity data. Sediment chemistry, pore-water chemistry, and sediment toxicity data were evaluated for as many as 26 sediment samples from the Anniston PCB Site. The reference-envelope approach was used to identify the sediment samples that were toxic to benthic invertebrates. This procedure involved identification of reference sediment samples, normalizing the toxicity data to reflect control responses, developing a reference envelope for each toxicity test endpoint, and designating each sediment sample as toxic or not toxic for each toxicity test endpoint, for each species, and for all species combined. These results demonstrated percent emergence of adult C. dilutus, biomass of adult C. dilutus, and reproduction of H. azteca normalized to percent survival were among the most responsive endpoints that were evaluated. Therefore, these endpoints were selected for CRM development. The site-specific TTs for whole sediment provide a reliable basis for identifying toxic and not toxic sediment samples in the Anniston PCB Site (that is, for correctly classifying the sediment samples used to derive the TTs as toxic or not toxic, for the endpoint used to derive the TTs). Among the 69 TTs for sediment, the TTLRs for total PCB homologs [499 to 1,870 micrograms per kilogram dry weight (μg/kg DW)] and for lead [(9.48 to 10.3 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) DW] based on reproduction of H. azteca or based on emergence or biomass of adult C. dilutus, were the most reliable. Such TTs had low rates of false negative errors (that is, only 0 to 11 percent of the samples below the TT were toxic to benthic invertebrates), low rates of false positive errors (only 0 to 6 percent of the samples greater than the TT were not toxic to benthic invertebrates), and high rates of correct classification (that is, 92 to 96 percent). The site-specific TTs for PCBs and other COPCs derived in this study also were compared to empirically based sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), to equilibrium-partitioning based SQGs, and to the results of spiked-sediment toxicity tests. The results of this evaluation indicated that the site-specific sediment TTs for PCBs were comparable to the consensus-based SQGs that were derived for PCBs. In addition, the site-specific sediment TTs for PCBs are well within the range of SQGs derived using the equilibrium partitioning approach. The site-specific sediment TTs for PCBs also are consistent with the results of chronic TTs that have been estimated for benthic invertebrates using the results of spiked-sediment toxicity tests. As the site-specific sediment TTs for PCBs are consistent with empirically based SQGs, equilibrium-partitioning based SQGs, and results of sediment-spiking studies, these site- specific sediment TTs likely represent the concentrations of PCBs that are sufficient to cause toxicity to benthic invertebrates (as opposed to simply being correlated with adverse effects on the survival, weight, or reproduction of benthic invertebrates). Importantly, such site-specific sediment TTs have been demonstrated to accurately classify sediment samples as toxic or not toxic to benthic invertebrates at the Anniston PCB Site. In contrast, the TTs for metals, PAHs, and organochlorine pesticides were generally lower than consensus-based SQGs (that is, probable effect concentrations), and LC50s (median lethal effect concentrations) generated in spiked-sediment toxicity tests, indicating that these COPCs are likely not the main contributors to the observed toxicity of the site sediments evaluated in this study. The reproduction endpoint for H. azteca provided lower TTs compared to the day 28 biomass endpoint for H. azteca and the emergence or biomass endpoints for adult C. dilutus provided lower TTs compared to the day 13 biomass endpoint for C. dilutus.

Knowledge-transfer learning for prediction of matrix metalloprotease substrate-cleavage sites.

PubMed

Wang, Yanan; Song, Jiangning; Marquez-Lago, Tatiana T; Leier, André; Li, Chen; Lithgow, Trevor; Webb, Geoffrey I; Shen, Hong-Bin

2017-07-18

Matrix Metalloproteases (MMPs) are an important family of proteases that play crucial roles in key cellular and disease processes. Therefore, MMPs constitute important targets for drug design, development and delivery. Advanced proteomic technologies have identified type-specific target substrates; however, the complete repertoire of MMP substrates remains uncharacterized. Indeed, computational prediction of substrate-cleavage sites associated with MMPs is a challenging problem. This holds especially true when considering MMPs with few experimentally verified cleavage sites, such as for MMP-2, -3, -7, and -8. To fill this gap, we propose a new knowledge-transfer computational framework which effectively utilizes the hidden shared knowledge from some MMP types to enhance predictions of other, distinct target substrate-cleavage sites. Our computational framework uses support vector machines combined with transfer machine learning and feature selection. To demonstrate the value of the model, we extracted a variety of substrate sequence-derived features and compared the performance of our method using both 5-fold cross-validation and independent tests. The results show that our transfer-learning-based method provides a robust performance, which is at least comparable to traditional feature-selection methods for prediction of MMP-2, -3, -7, -8, -9 and -12 substrate-cleavage sites on independent tests. The results also demonstrate that our proposed computational framework provides a useful alternative for the characterization of sequence-level determinants of MMP-substrate specificity.

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 104: Area 7 Yucca Flat Atmospheric Test Sites, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Patrick Matthews

2011-08-01

CAU 104 comprises the 15 CASs listed below: (1) 07-23-03, Atmospheric Test Site T-7C; (2) 07-23-04, Atmospheric Test Site T7-1; (3) 07-23-05, Atmospheric Test Site; (4) 07-23-06, Atmospheric Test Site T7-5a; (5) 07-23-07, Atmospheric Test Site - Dog (T-S); (6) 07-23-08, Atmospheric Test Site - Baker (T-S); (7) 07-23-09, Atmospheric Test Site - Charlie (T-S); (8) 07-23-10, Atmospheric Test Site - Dixie; (9) 07-23-11, Atmospheric Test Site - Dixie; (10) 07-23-12, Atmospheric Test Site - Charlie (Bus); (11) 07-23-13, Atmospheric Test Site - Baker (Buster); (12) 07-23-14, Atmospheric Test Site - Ruth; (13) 07-23-15, Atmospheric Test Site T7-4; (14) 07-23-16,more » Atmospheric Test Site B7-b; (15) 07-23-17, Atmospheric Test Site - Climax These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives (CAAs). Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation before evaluating CAAs and selecting the appropriate corrective action for each CAS. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable CAAs that will be presented in the Corrective Action Decision Document. The sites will be investigated based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on April 28, 2011, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 104. The releases at CAU 104 consist of surface-deposited radionuclides from 30 atmospheric nuclear tests. The presence and nature of contamination at CAU 104 will be evaluated based on information collected from a field investigation. Radiological contamination will be evaluated based on a comparison of the total effective dose (TED) to the dose-based final action level (FAL). The presence of TED exceeding the FAL is considered a radiological contaminant of concern (COC). Anything identified as a COC will require corrective action. The TED will be calculated as the total of separate estimates of internal and external dose. Results from the analysis of soil samples will be used to calculate internal radiological dose. Thermoluminescent dosimeters will be used to measure external radiological dose. Based on process knowledge of the releases associated with the nuclear tests and radiological survey information about the location and shape of the resulting contamination plume, it was determined that the releases from the nuclear tests are co-located and will be investigated concurrently. A field investigation will be performed to define areas where TED exceeds the FAL and to determine whether other COCs are present at the site. The investigation will also collect information to determine the presence and nature of contamination associated with migration and excavation, as well as any potential releases discovered during the investigation. Appendix A provides a detailed discussion of the DQO methodology and the DQOs specific to each CAS.« less

Selected environmental plutonium research reports of the NAEG

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

White, M.G.; Dunaway, P.B.

Twenty-one papers were presented on various aspects of plutonium and radioisotope ecology at the Nevada Test Site. This includes studies of wildlife, microorganisms, and the plant-soil system. Analysis and sampling techniques are also included.

Adaptation to climate change? Moving coast redwood seedlings northward and inland

Treesearch

Christa M. Dagley; John-Pascal Berrill; Forrest T. Johnson; Lucy P. Kerhoulas

2017-01-01

Insight into genetic variation in trees may provide opportunities to select for genotypes that are better adapted to new locations and future climate conditions. We established a field test at two sites in Humboldt County, California to study the performance of coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.) under assisted migration. Both test...

Genetic control of growth traits and inheritance of resistance to bacterial leaf scorch in American Sycamore

Treesearch

J.P. Adams; R. J. Rousseau; T. D. Leininger

2012-01-01

Open-pollinated progeny tests of American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.), which included 55 open-pollinated families selected from several prior Westvaco progeny tests and seed orchards and six control-pollinated families were established in 2002 and 2003. The half-sibling families were planted at two sites in western Kentucky and southeastern...

Protonation of key acidic residues is critical for the K+-selectivity of the Na/K pump

PubMed Central

Yu, Haibo; Ratheal, Ian; Artigas, Pablo; Roux, Benoît

2011-01-01

The sodium-potassium (Na/K) pump is a P-type ATPase that generates Na+ and K+ concentration gradients across the cell membrane. For each ATP molecule, the pump extrudes three Na+ and imports two K+ by alternating between outward- and inward-facing conformations that preferentially bind K+ or Na+, respectively. Remarkably, the selective K+ and Na+ binding sites share several residues, and how the pump is able to achieve the selectivity required for the functional cycle is unclear. Here, free energy perturbation molecular dynamics (FEP/MD) simulations based on the crystal structures of the Na/K pump in a K+-loaded state (E2·Pi) reveal that protonation of the high-field acidic side-chains involved in the binding sites is critical to achieve the proper K+ selectivity. This prediction is tested with electrophysiological experiments showing that the selectivity of the E2P state for K+ over Na+ is affected by extracellular pH. PMID:21909093

GIS-based approach for optimized siting of municipal solid waste landfill.

PubMed

Sumathi, V R; Natesan, Usha; Sarkar, Chinmoy

2008-11-01

The exponential rise in the urban population of the developing countries in the past few decades and the resulting accelerated urbanization phenomenon has brought to the fore the necessity to develop environmentally sustainable and efficient waste management systems. Sanitary landfill constitutes one of the primary methods of municipal solid waste disposal. Optimized siting decisions have gained considerable importance in order to ensure minimum damage to the various environmental sub-components as well as reduce the stigma associated with the residents living in its vicinity, thereby enhancing the overall sustainability associated with the life cycle of a landfill. This paper addresses the siting of a new landfill using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and overlay analysis using a geographic information system (GIS). The proposed system can accommodate new information on the landfill site selection by updating its knowledge base. Several factors are considered in the siting process including geology, water supply resources, land use, sensitive sites, air quality and groundwater quality. Weightings were assigned to each criterion depending upon their relative importance and ratings in accordance with the relative magnitude of impact. The results from testing the system using different sites show the effectiveness of the system in the selection process.

Evolutionary maintenance of filovirus-like genes in bat genomes

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Little is known of the biological significance and evolutionary maintenance of integrated non-retroviral RNA virus genes in eukaryotic host genomes. Here, we isolated novel filovirus-like genes from bat genomes and tested for evolutionary maintenance. We also estimated the age of filovirus VP35-like gene integrations and tested the phylogenetic hypotheses that there is a eutherian mammal clade and a marsupial/ebolavirus/Marburgvirus dichotomy for filoviruses. Results We detected homologous copies of VP35-like and NP-like gene integrations in both Old World and New World species of Myotis (bats). We also detected previously unknown VP35-like genes in rodents that are positionally homologous. Comprehensive phylogenetic estimates for filovirus NP-like and VP35-like loci support two main clades with a marsupial and a rodent grouping within the ebolavirus/Lloviu virus/Marburgvirus clade. The concordance of VP35-like, NP-like and mitochondrial gene trees with the expected species tree supports the notion that the copies we examined are orthologs that predate the global spread and radiation of the genus Myotis. Parametric simulations were consistent with selective maintenance for the open reading frame (ORF) of VP35-like genes in Myotis. The ORF of the filovirus-like VP35 gene has been maintained in bat genomes for an estimated 13. 4 MY. ORFs were disrupted for the NP-like genes in Myotis. Likelihood ratio tests revealed that a model that accommodates positive selection is a significantly better fit to the data than a model that does not allow for positive selection for VP35-like sequences. Moreover, site-by-site analysis of selection using two methods indicated at least 25 sites in the VP35-like alignment are under positive selection in Myotis. Conclusions Our results indicate that filovirus-like elements have significance beyond genomic imprints of prior infection. That is, there appears to be, or have been, functionally maintained copies of such genes in mammals. "Living fossils" of filoviruses appear to be selectively maintained in a diverse mammalian genus (Myotis). PMID:22093762

Site Characterization for Radar Experiments

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-08-01

accomplished waz "New Mine Detection Technologies," Mr. Jack Stoll, Principal Investigator. The Environmental Systems Division (EST) of the Environmental...Mr. Steve Bong of Hilton Systems visiting the proposed study site in M’rch to select specific locations for the test plots. The field data coll in...Technology/Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) described an airborne 35-Ghz radar imaging system . The MIT/LL would employ various kinds of processing on the

Woody vegetation following even-aged, uneven-aged, and no-harvest treatments on the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project Sites

Treesearch

John M. Kabrick; Randy G. Jensen; Stephen R. Shifley; David R. Larsen

2002-01-01

The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) experimentally tests forest ecosystem response to (a) even-aged management with clearcutting, (b) uneven-aged management with single-tree and group selection, and (c) no-harvesting. The nine MOFEP experimental sites in the southeast Missouri Ozarks are small landscapes ranging from 772 ac (312 ha) to 1,271 ac (514 ha...

Standard symptom- and sexual history-based testing misses anorectal Chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in swingers and men who have sex with men.

PubMed

van Liere, Geneviève A F S; Hoebe, Christian J P A; Niekamp, Anne-Marie; Koedijk, Femke D H; Dukers-Muijrers, Nicole H T M

2013-04-01

Currently, individuals at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are tested extragenitally only if indicated, most often when there is a history of self-reported symptoms or self-reported anal sex. The sensitivity of such selective symptom- and sexual history-based testing for detection of anorectal STD has not been determined. All men having sex with men (MSM) and swingers (heterosexual couples who have sex with other heterosexual couples and their self-identified heterosexual sex partners) attending our STD clinic (consults: n = 1690) from January 2010 until February 2011 were universally tested for urogenital, anorectal, and oropharyngeal Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections (STD). We compared STD prevalence at anorectal site based on universal versus selective testing. Sensitivity of selective symptom- and sexual history-based testing for anorectal STD was 52% for homosexual MSM, 40% for bisexual MSM, 43% for bisexual male swingers, 40% for heterosexual male swingers, and 47% for female swingers. Universal testing of STD clinic clients who were MSM and swingers yielded more than half of all anorectal STD infections and is more sensitive for identifying anorectal STD infections compared with selective testing. Universal testing may be a more effective strategy for interrupting the ongoing transmission in high-risk sexual networks.

Evaluation and comparison of ERTS measurements of major crops and soil associations for selected test sites in the central United States. [Texas, Indiana, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and North Dakota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumgardner, M. F. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Multispectral scanner data obtained by ERTS-1 over six test sites in the Central United States were analyzed and interpreted. ERTS-1 data for some of the test sites were geometrically corrected and temporally overlayed. Computer-implemented pattern recognition techniques were used in the analysis of all multispectral data. These techniques were used to evaluate ERTS-1 data as a tool for soil survey. Geology maps and land use inventories were prepared by digital analysis of multispectral data. Identification and mapping of crop species and rangelands were achieved throught the analysis of 1972 and 1973 ERTS-1 data. Multiple dates of ERTS-1 data were examined to determine the variation with time of the areal extent of surface water resources on the Southern Great Plain.

Corrective Action Decision Document for Corrective Action Unit 340: Pesticide Release sites, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

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

DOE /NV

This Corrective Action Decision Document has been prepared for Corrective Action Unit 340, the NTS Pesticide Release Sites, in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order of 1996 (FFACO, 1996). Corrective Action Unit 340 is located at the Nevada Test Site, Nevada, and is comprised of the following Corrective Action Sites: 23-21-01, Area 23 Quonset Hut 800 Pesticide Release Ditch; 23-18-03, Area 23 Skid Huts Pesticide Storage; and 15-18-02, Area 15 Quonset Hut 15-11 Pesticide Storage. The purpose of this Corrective Action Decision Document is to identify and provide a rationale for the selection of a recommended correctivemore » action alternative for each Corrective Action Site. The scope of this Corrective Action Decision Document consists of the following tasks: Develop corrective action objectives; Identify corrective action alternative screening criteria; Develop corrective action alternatives; Perform detailed and comparative evaluations of the corrective action alternatives in relation to the corrective action objectives and screening criteria; and Recommend and justify a preferred corrective action alternative for each Corrective Action Site.« less

First-year growth, condition, and size-selective winter mortality of freshwater drum in the lower Missouri River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Braaten, P.J.; Guy, C.S.

2004-01-01

We compared first-year growth and relative condition (Kn) of the 1997 and 1998 year-classes of freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens among three sites in a 235-km reach of the channelized Missouri River and tested for the occurrence of size-selective overwinter mortality during the first winter. Prewinter mean length was 15 mm greater, mean weight was 8 g greater, and mean Kn was 5% greater at the upstream site than at the downstream site. The prewinter mean length of age-0 freshwater drum was significantly greater in 1997 (115 mm) than in 1998 (109 mm), but Kn was significantly greater in 1998 (107) than in 1997 (102). There was no evidence that density-dependent interactions influenced prewinter growth and Kn. Size-selective overwinter mortality of the smallest size-classes of freshwater drum occurred at two of three sites during the 1997-1998 winter, and K n decreased 9-15%. Size-selective overwinter mortality of the 1998 cohort of freshwater drum did not occur during the 1998-1999 winter, and K n declined 0-10%. A prolonged growing season (through early December 1998), in conjunction with less severe winter water temperature conditions, apparently minimized the incidence of size-selective overwinter mortality for the 1998 cohort of freshwater drum. We conclude that size-selective overwinter mortality of age-0 freshwater drum occurs in the lower channelized Missouri River but depends on the length of the prewinter growing season, winter duration, and the severity of winter water temperatures.

Detection of Pathways Affected by Positive Selection in Primate Lineages Ancestral to Humans

PubMed Central

Moretti, S.; Davydov, I.I.; Excoffier, L.

2017-01-01

Abstract Gene set enrichment approaches have been increasingly successful in finding signals of recent polygenic selection in the human genome. In this study, we aim at detecting biological pathways affected by positive selection in more ancient human evolutionary history. Focusing on four branches of the primate tree that lead to modern humans, we tested all available protein coding gene trees of the Primates clade for signals of adaptation in these branches, using the likelihood-based branch site test of positive selection. The results of these locus-specific tests were then used as input for a gene set enrichment test, where whole pathways are globally scored for a signal of positive selection, instead of focusing only on outlier “significant” genes. We identified signals of positive selection in several pathways that are mainly involved in immune response, sensory perception, metabolism, and energy production. These pathway-level results are highly significant, even though there is no functional enrichment when only focusing on top scoring genes. Interestingly, several gene sets are found significant at multiple levels in the phylogeny, but different genes are responsible for the selection signal in the different branches. This suggests that the same function has been optimized in different ways at different times in primate evolution. PMID:28333345

40 CFR 60.74 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... select the sampling site, and the sampling point shall be the centroid of the stack or duct or at a point... the production rate (P) of 100 percent nitric acid for each run. Material balance over the production...

Selected nutrients and pesticides in streams of the eastern Iowa basins, 1970-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schnoebelen, Douglas J.; Becher, Kent D.; Bobier, Matthew W.; Wilton, Thomas

1999-01-01

 The statistical analysis of the nutrient data typically indicated a strong positive correlation of nitrate with streamflow. Total phosphorus concentrations with streamflow showed greater variability than nitrate, perhaps reflecting the greater potential of transport of phosphorus on sediment rather than in the dissolved phase as with nitrate. Ammonia and ammonia plus organic nitrogen showed no correlation with streamflow or a weak positive correlation. Seasonal variations and the relations of nutrients and pesticides to streamflow generally corresponded with nonpoint‑source loadings, although possible point sources for nutrients were indicated by the data at selected monitoring sites. Statistical trend tests for concentrations and loads were computed for nitrate, ammonia, and total phosphorus. Trend analysis indicated decreases for ammonia and total phosphorus concentrations at several sites and increases for nitrate concentrations at other sites in the study unit.

Molecular evolution of the Bovini tribe (Bovidae, Bovinae): Is there evidence of rapid evolution or reduced selective constraint in Domestic cattle?

PubMed Central

MacEachern, Sean; McEwan, John; McCulloch, Alan; Mather, Andrew; Savin, Keith; Goddard, Mike

2009-01-01

Background If mutation within the coding region of the genome is largely not adaptive, the ratio of nonsynonymous (dN) to synonymous substitutions (dS) per site (dN/dS) should be approximately equal among closely related species. Furthermore, dN/dS in divergence between species should be equivalent to dN/dS in polymorphisms. This hypothesis is of particular interest in closely related members of the Bovini tribe, because domestication has promoted rapid phenotypic divergence through strong artificial selection of some species while others remain undomesticated. We examined a number of genes that may be involved in milk production in Domestic cattle and a number of their wild relatives for evidence that domestication had affected molecular evolution. Elevated rates of dN/dS were further queried to determine if they were the result of positive selection, low effective population size (Ne) or reduced selective constraint. Results We have found that the domestication process has contributed to higher dN/dS ratios in cattle, especially in the lineages leading to the Domestic cow (Bos taurus) and Mithan (Bos frontalis) and within some breeds of Domestic cow. However, the high rates of dN/dS polymorphism within B. taurus when compared to species divergence suggest that positive selection has not elevated evolutionary rates in these genes. Likewise, the low rate of dN/dS in Bison, which has undergone a recent population bottleneck, indicates a reduction in population size alone is not responsible for these observations. Conclusion The effect of selection depends on effective population size and the selection coefficient (Nes). Typically under domestication both selection pressure for traits important in fitness in the wild and Ne are reduced. Therefore, reduced selective constraint could be responsible for the observed elevated evolutionary ratios in domesticated species, especially in B. taurus and B. frontalis, which have the highest dN/dS in the Bovini. This may have important implications for tests of selection such as the McDonald-Kreitman test. Surprisingly we have also detected a significant difference in the supposed neutral substitution rate between synonymous and noncoding sites in the Bovine genome, with a 30% higher rate of substitution at synonymous sites. This is due, at least in part, to an excess of the highly mutable CpG dinucleotides at synonymous sites, which will have implications for time of divergence estimates from molecular data. PMID:19393048

Population genetics of polymorphism and divergence for diploid selection models with arbitrary dominance.

PubMed

Williamson, Scott; Fledel-Alon, Adi; Bustamante, Carlos D

2004-09-01

We develop a Poisson random-field model of polymorphism and divergence that allows arbitrary dominance relations in a diploid context. This model provides a maximum-likelihood framework for estimating both selection and dominance parameters of new mutations using information on the frequency spectrum of sequence polymorphisms. This is the first DNA sequence-based estimator of the dominance parameter. Our model also leads to a likelihood-ratio test for distinguishing nongenic from genic selection; simulations indicate that this test is quite powerful when a large number of segregating sites are available. We also use simulations to explore the bias in selection parameter estimates caused by unacknowledged dominance relations. When inference is based on the frequency spectrum of polymorphisms, genic selection estimates of the selection parameter can be very strongly biased even for minor deviations from the genic selection model. Surprisingly, however, when inference is based on polymorphism and divergence (McDonald-Kreitman) data, genic selection estimates of the selection parameter are nearly unbiased, even for completely dominant or recessive mutations. Further, we find that weak overdominant selection can increase, rather than decrease, the substitution rate relative to levels of polymorphism. This nonintuitive result has major implications for the interpretation of several popular tests of neutrality.

Pyranoflavones: a group of small-molecule probes for exploring the active site cavities of cytochrome P450 enzymes 1A1, 1A2, and 1B1.

PubMed

Liu, Jiawang; Taylor, Shannon F; Dupart, Patrick S; Arnold, Corey L; Sridhar, Jayalakshmi; Jiang, Quan; Wang, Yuji; Skripnikova, Elena V; Zhao, Ming; Foroozesh, Maryam

2013-05-23

Selective inhibition of P450 enzymes is the key to block the conversion of environmental procarcinogens to their carcinogenic metabolites in both animals and humans. To discover highly potent and selective inhibitors of P450s 1A1, 1A2, and 1B1, as well as to investigate active site cavities of these enzymes, 14 novel flavone derivatives were prepared as chemical probes. Fluorimetric enzyme inhibition assays were used to determine the inhibitory activities of these probes toward P450s 1A1, 1A2, 1B1, 2A6, and 2B1. A highly selective P450 1B1 inhibitor 5-hydroxy-4'-propargyloxyflavone (5H4'FPE) was discovered. Some tested compounds also showed selectivity between P450s 1A1 and 1A2. α-Naphthoflavone-like and 5-hydroxyflavone derivatives preferentially inhibited P450 1A2, while β-naphthoflavone-like flavone derivatives showed selective inhibition of P450 1A1. On the basis of structural analysis, the active site cavity models of P450 enzymes 1A1 and 1A2 were generated, demonstrating a planar long strip cavity and a planar triangular cavity, respectively.

The effects of publishing emergency department wait time on patient utilization patterns in a community with two emergency department sites: a retrospective, quasi-experiment design.

PubMed

Xie, Bin; Youash, Sabrina

2011-06-14

Providing emergency department (ED) wait time information to the public has been suggested as a mechanism to reduce lengthy ED wait times (by enabling patients to select the ED site with shorter wait time), but the effects of such a program have not been evaluated. We evaluated the effects of such a program in a community with two ED sites. Descriptive statistics for wait times of the two sites before and after the publication of wait time information were used to evaluate the effects of the publication of wait time information on wait times. Multivariate logistical regression was used to test whether or not individual patients used published wait time to decide which site to visit. We found that the rates of wait times exceeding 4 h, and the 95th percentile of wait times in the two sites decreased after the publication of wait time information, even though the average wait times experienced a slight increase. We also found that after controlling for other factors, the site with shorter wait time had a higher likelihood of being selected after the publication of wait time information, but there was no such relationship before the publication. These findings were consistent with the hypothesis that the publication of wait time information leads to patients selecting the site with shorter wait time. While publishing ED wait time information did not improve average wait time, it reduced the rates of lengthy wait times.

Behavioral differences between subgroups of rats with high and low threshold to clonic convulsions induced by DMCM, a benzodiazepine inverse agonist.

PubMed

Contó, Marcos Brandão; de Carvalho, José Gilberto Barbosa; Benedito, Marco Antonio Campana

2005-11-01

In epileptic patients, there is a high incidence of psychiatric comorbidities, such as anxiety. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) ionotropic receptor GABA(A)/benzodiazepine allosteric site is involved in both epilepsy and anxiety. This involvement is based on the fact that benzodiazepine allosteric site agonists are anticonvulsant and anxiolytic drugs; on the other hand, benzodiazepine inverse agonists are potent convulsant and anxiogenic drugs. The aim of this work was to determine if subgroups of rats selected according to their susceptibility to clonic convulsions induced by a convulsant dose 50% (CD50) of DMCM, a benzodiazepine inverse agonist, would differ in behavioral tests commonly used to measure anxiety (elevated plus-maze, open field) and depression (forced swimming test). In the first experiment, subgroups of adult male Wistar rats were selected after a single dose of DMCM and in the second experiment they were selected after two injections of DMCM given after an interval of 1 week. Those rats presenting full clonic convulsions were termed Low Threshold rats to DMCM-induced clonic convulsions (LTR) and those not having clonic convulsions High Threshold rats to DMCM-induced clonic convulsions (HTR). In both experiments, only those rats presenting full clonic convulsions induced by DMCM and those not showing any signs of motor disturbances were used in the behavioral tests. The results showed that the LTR subgroup selected after two injections of a CD50 of DMCM spent a significantly lower time in the open arms of the elevated plus-maze and in the off the walls area of the open field; moreover, this group also presented a higher number of rearings in the open field. There were no significant differences between HTR and LTR subgroups in the forced swimming test. LTR and HTR subgroups selected after only one injection of DMCM did not differ in the three behavioral tests. To verify if the behavioral differences between HTR and LTR subgroups of rats selected after two injections of DMCM were due to the clonic convulsion, another experiment was carried out in which subgroups of rats susceptible and nonsusceptible to clonic convulsions induced by a CD50 of picrotoxin, a GABA(A) receptor channel blocker, were selected and submitted to the elevated plus-maze and open field tests. The results obtained did not show any significant differences between these two subgroups in the elevated plus-maze and open field tests. In another approach to determine the relation between fear/anxiety and susceptibility to clonic convulsions, subgroups of rats were selected in the elevated plus-maze as more or less fearful/anxious. The CD50 for clonic convulsions induced by DMCM was determined for each of these two subgroups. The results showed a significantly lower CD50 for the more fearful/anxious subgroup, which means a higher susceptibility to clonic convulsions induced by DMCM. The present findings show a relation between susceptibility to clonic convulsions and fear/anxiety and vice versa which may be due to differences in the assembly of GABA(A)/allosteric benzodiazepine site receptors in regions of the brain.

The impact of model prediction error in designing geodetic networks for crustal deformation applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, J. R.

2017-12-01

Earth surface displacements measured at Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sites record crustal deformation due, for example, to slip on faults underground. A primary objective in designing geodetic networks to study crustal deformation is to maximize the ability to recover parameters of interest like fault slip. Given Green's functions (GFs) relating observed displacement to motion on buried dislocations representing a fault, one can use various methods to estimate spatially variable slip. However, assumptions embodied in the GFs, e.g., use of a simplified elastic structure, introduce spatially correlated model prediction errors (MPE) not reflected in measurement uncertainties (Duputel et al., 2014). In theory, selection algorithms should incorporate inter-site correlations to identify measurement locations that give unique information. I assess the impact of MPE on site selection by expanding existing methods (Klein et al., 2017; Reeves and Zhe, 1999) to incorporate this effect. Reeves and Zhe's algorithm sequentially adds or removes a predetermined number of data according to a criterion that minimizes the sum of squared errors (SSE) on parameter estimates. Adapting this method to GNSS network design, Klein et al. select new sites that maximize model resolution, using trade-off curves to determine when additional resolution gain is small. Their analysis uses uncorrelated data errors and GFs for a uniform elastic half space. I compare results using GFs for spatially variable strike slip on a discretized dislocation in a uniform elastic half space, a layered elastic half space, and a layered half space with inclusion of MPE. I define an objective criterion to terminate the algorithm once the next site removal would increase SSE more than the expected incremental SSE increase if all sites had equal impact. Using a grid of candidate sites with 8 km spacing, I find the relative value of the selected sites (defined by the percent increase in SSE that further removal of each site would cause) is more uniform when MPE is included. However, the number and distribution of selected sites depends primarily on site location relative to the fault. For this test case, inclusion of MPE has minimal practical impact; I will investigate whether these findings hold for more densely spaced candidate grids and dipping faults.

Remote sensing research for agricultural applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colwell, R. N. (Principal Investigator)

1983-01-01

The thematic mapper simulator (TMS) flown by the U-2/ER-2 aircraft is being used as a surrogate for LANDSAT-4TM data. Progress is reported on spectral data acquisition including TMS, color infrared high altitude aerial photography, and LANDSAT 3 MSS and ground data collection to support classification and testing. A test site in San Joaquin County was selected for analysis.

Contaminant Flux Reduction Barriers for Managing Difficult to Treat Source Zones in Unconsolidated Media

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-20

39  Table 7.4:  Description of Case Study Site... Research Flux Reduction Materials: Several novel silica gel/vegetable oil- formulations were developed and tested in lab-scale batch and column studies by...Demonstration Results The project demonstration had these results:  Two grout mixtures were selected based on gel tests and a treatability study by

Shape-selective recognition of DNA abasic sites by metallohelices: inhibition of human AP endonuclease 1

PubMed Central

Malina, Jaroslav; Scott, Peter; Brabec, Viktor

2015-01-01

Loss of a base in DNA leading to creation of an abasic (AP) site leaving a deoxyribose residue in the strand, is a frequent lesion that may occur spontaneously or under the action of various physical and chemical agents. Progress in the understanding of the chemistry and enzymology of abasic DNA largely relies upon the study of AP sites in synthetic duplexes. We report here on interactions of diastereomerically pure metallo–helical ‘flexicate’ complexes, bimetallic triple-stranded ferro-helicates [Fe2(NN-NN)3]4+ incorporating the common NN–NN bis(bidentate) helicand, with short DNA duplexes containing AP sites in different sequence contexts. The results show that the flexicates bind to AP sites in DNA duplexes in a shape-selective manner. They preferentially bind to AP sites flanked by purines on both sides and their binding is enhanced when a pyrimidine is placed in opposite orientation to the lesion. Notably, the Λ-enantiomer binds to all tested AP sites with higher affinity than the Δ-enantiomer. In addition, the binding of the flexicates to AP sites inhibits the activity of human AP endonuclease 1, which is as a valid anticancer drug target. Hence, this finding indicates the potential of utilizing well-defined metallo–helical complexes for cancer chemotherapy. PMID:25940617

Using the Sonoran Desert test site to monitor the long-term radiometric stability of the Landsat TM/ETM+ and Terra MODIS sensors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Angal, A.; Xiong, X.; Choi, T.; Chander, G.; Wu, A.

2009-01-01

Pseudo-invariant ground targets have been extensively used to monitor the long-term radiometric calibration stability of remote sensing instruments. The NASA MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST), in collaboration with members from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, has previously demonstrated the use of pseudo-invariant ground sites for the long-term stability monitoring of Terra MODIS and Landsat 7 ETM+ sensors. This paper focuses on the results derived from observations made over the Sonoran Desert. Additionally, Landsat 5 TM data over the Sonoran Desert site were used to evaluate the temporal stability of this site. Top-ofatmosphere (TOA) reflectances were computed for the closely matched TM, ETM+, and MODIS spectral bands over selected regions of interest. The impacts due to different viewing geometries, or the effect of test site Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF), are also presented. ?? 2009 SPIE.

Selecting Patients for Intra-arterial Therapy in the Context of a Clinical Trial for Neuroprotection

PubMed Central

Lyden, Patrick; Weymer, Sara; Coffey, Chris; Cudkowicz, Merit; Berg, Samantha; O’Brien, Sarah; Fisher, Marc; Haley, E. Clarke; Khatri, Pooja; Saver, Jeff; Levine, Steven; Levy, Howard; Rymer, Marilyn; Wechsler, Lawrence; Jadhav, Ashutosh; McNeil, Elizabeth; Waddy, Salina; Pryor, Kent

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose The advent of intra-arterial neurothrombectomy (IAT) for acute ischemic stroke opens a potentially transformative opportunity to improve neuroprotection studies. Combining a putative neuroprotectant with recanalization could produce more powerful trials but could introduce heterogeneity and adverse event possibilities. We sought to demonstrate feasibility of IAT in neuroprotectant trials by defining IAT selection criteria for an ongoing neuroprotectant clinical trial. Methods The study drug, 3K3A-APC, is a pleiotropic cytoprotectant and may reduce thrombolysis associated hemorrhage. The NeuroNEXT trial NN104 (RHAPSODY) is designed to establish a maximally tolerated dose of 3K3A-APC. Each trial site provided their IAT selection criteria. An expert panel reviewed site criteria and published evidence. Finally, the trial leadership designed IAT selection criteria. Results Derived selection criteria reflected consistency among the sites and comparability to published IAT trials. A protocol amendment allowing IAT (and relaxed age, NIHSS, and time limits) in the RHAPSODY trial was implemented on June 15, 2015. Recruitment before and after the amendment improved from 8 enrolled patients (601 screened, 1.3%) to 51 patients (821 screened, 6.2%), OR [95%CL] of 4.9 [2.3,10.4], p<0.001). Gross recruitment was 0.11 patients/site/month vs. 0.43 patients/site/month, respectively, before and after the amendment. Conclusions It is feasible to include IAT in a neuroprotectant trial for acute ischemic stroke. Criteria are presented for including such patients in a manner that is consistent with published evidence for IAT while still preserving the ability to test the role of the putative neuroprotectant. Clinical Trial Registration Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02222714. PMID:27803392

Selecting Patients for Intra-Arterial Therapy in the Context of a Clinical Trial for Neuroprotection.

PubMed

Lyden, Patrick; Weymer, Sara; Coffey, Chris; Cudkowicz, Merit; Berg, Samantha; O'Brien, Sarah; Fisher, Marc; Haley, E Clarke; Khatri, Pooja; Saver, Jeff; Levine, Steven; Levy, Howard; Rymer, Marilyn; Wechsler, Lawrence; Jadhav, Ashutosh; McNeil, Elizabeth; Waddy, Salina; Pryor, Kent

2016-12-01

The advent of intra-arterial neurothrombectomy (IAT) for acute ischemic stroke opens a potentially transformative opportunity to improve neuroprotection studies. Combining a putative neuroprotectant with recanalization could produce more powerful trials but could introduce heterogeneity and adverse event possibilities. We sought to demonstrate feasibility of IAT in neuroprotectant trials by defining IAT selection criteria for an ongoing neuroprotectant clinical trial. The study drug, 3K3A-APC, is a pleiotropic cytoprotectant and may reduce thrombolysis-associated hemorrhage. The NeuroNEXT trial NN104 (RHAPSODY) is designed to establish a maximally tolerated dose of 3K3A-APC. Each trial site provided their IAT selection criteria. An expert panel reviewed site criteria and published evidence. Finally, the trial leadership designed IAT selection criteria. Derived selection criteria reflected consistency among the sites and comparability to published IAT trials. A protocol amendment allowing IAT (and relaxed age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and time limits) in the RHAPSODY trial was implemented on June 15, 2015. Recruitment before and after the amendment improved from 8 enrolled patients (601 screened, 1.3%) to 51 patients (821 screened, 6.2%; odds ratio [95% confidence limit] of 4.9 [2.3-10.4]; P<0.001). Gross recruitment was 0.11 patients per site month versus 0.43 patients per site per month, respectively, before and after the amendment. It is feasible to include IAT in a neuroprotectant trial for acute ischemic stroke. Criteria are presented for including such patients in a manner that is consistent with published evidence for IAT while still preserving the ability to test the role of the putative neuroprotectant. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02222714. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Superfund record of decision (EPA Region 5): Feed Materials Production Center, (USDOE), Operable Unit 4, Fernald, Hamilton County, OH, December 7, 1995

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

NONE

This decision document presents the selected remedial action for Operable Unit 4 of the Fernald Site in Fernald, Ohio. The materials within Operable Unit 4 exhibit a wide range of properties. Most notable would be the elevated direct radiation associated with the K-65 residues versus the much lower direct radiation associated with cold metal oxides in Silo 3. Even more significant would be the much lower levels of contamination associated with the soils and building materials, like concrete, within the Operable Unit 4 Study Area. On the basis of the evaluation of final alternatives, the selected remedy addressing Operable Unitmore » 4 at the FEMP is a combination of Alternatives 3A.1/Vit - Removal, Vitrification, and Off-site Disposal - Nevada Test Site (NTS); 3B.1/Vit - Removal, Vitrification, and Off-site Disposal - NTS; and 2C - Demolition, Removal and On-Property Disposal.« less

Definition study for photovoltaic residential prototype system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepard, N. F.; Landes, R.; Kornrumpf, W. P.

1976-01-01

A site evaluation was performed to assess the relative merits of different regions of the country in terms of the suitability for experimental photovoltaic powered residences. Eight sites were selected based on evaluation criteria which included population, photovoltaic systems performance and the cost of electrical energy. A parametric sensitivity analysis was performed for four selected site locations. Analytical models were developed for four different power system implementation approaches. Using the model which represents a direct (or float) charge system implementation the performance sensitivity to the following parameter variations is reported: (1) solar roof slope angle; (2) ratio of the number of series cells in the solar array to the number of series cells in the lead-acid battery; and (3) battery size. For a Cleveland site location, a system with no on site energy storage and with a maximum power tracking inverter which feeds back excess power to the utility was shown to have 19 percent greater net system output than the second place system. The experiment test plan is described. The load control and data acquisition system and the data display panel for the residence are discussed.

Acadia National Park ITS field operational test : evaluation strategic plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-07-01

This document provides a strategy for evaluating technologies known as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) that will be implemented in Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island, Maine. Acadia National Park was selected as a site for an ITS Fi...

Acadia National Park ITS field operational test : evaluation plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-08-01

This document presents the plan for evaluating technologies known as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) that will be implemented in Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island, Maine. Acadia National Park was selected as a site for an ITS Fiel...

An evaluation of height as an early selection criterion for volume and predictor of site index gain in the western gulf

Treesearch

E.M. Raley; D.P. Gwaze; T.D. Byram

2003-01-01

Data from repeated periodic measures of height, diameter and volume from eleven lobiolly pine progeny tests maintained as part of the Western Gulf Forest Tree Improvement Program (WGFTIP) were analyzed to 1) determine the potential of using early heighf diameter. or volume as selection criteria for rotation-age volume, and 2) to develop a method of expressing height...

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

NONE

EPA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) which presented the EPA-selected remedy for the first operable unit (OU1) at the Shaw Avenue Site in Charles City, Iowa (PB92-964309). The remedy selected in the ROD involved in situ fixation/stabilization of the chemical fill and surrounding contaminated soil, installation of a low permeability cap and ground water monitoring. Treatability testing conducted subsequent to the signing of the ROD indicated that in situ fixation/stabilization will not be adequate in treating the chemical fill and surrounding contaminated soil at the site. Therefore, this Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) provides notice that the contingency remedymore » will be implemented and summarizes the basis for this change.« less

Measurement of Light Pollution of Iranian National Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son Hosseini, S.; Nasiri, S.

2006-08-01

The problem of Light pollution became important mainly since 1960, by growth of urban development and using more artificial lights and lamps at the nighttimes. Optical telescopes share the same range of wavelengths as are used to provide illumination of roadways, buildings and automobiles. The light glow that emanates from man made pollution will scatter off the atmosphere and affects the images taken by the observatory instruments. A method of estimating the night sky brightness produced by a city of known population and distance is useful in site testing of the new observatories, as well as in studying the likely future deterioration of existing sites. Now with planning the Iranian National Observatory that will house a 2-meter telescope and on the way of the site selection project, studying the light pollution is propounded in Iran. Thus, we need a site with the least light pollution, beside other parameters, i.e. seeing, meteorological, geophysical and local parameters. The seeing parameter is being measured in our 4 preliminary selected sites at Qom, Kashan, Kerman and Birjand since 2 years ago using an out of focus Differential Image Motion Monitor. These sites are selected among 33 candidate sites by studying the meteorological data obtained from the local synoptic stations and the Meteosat. We use the Walker's law to estimate the Sky glow of these sites having the population and the distances of the nearby regions. The results are corrected by the methods introduced by Treanor and Berry using the atmospheric extinction coefficients. The data obtained using an 11 inch telescope with a ST7 CCD camera for above sites are consistent with the estimated values of the light pollution mentioned above.

Facility Systems, Ground Support Systems, and Ground Support Equipment General Design Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thaxton, Eric A.

2014-01-01

KSC-DE-512-SM establishes overall requirements and best design practices to be used at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for the development of ground systems (GS) in support of operations at launch, landing, and retrieval sites. These requirements apply to the design and development of hardware and software for ground support equipment (GSE), ground support systems (GSS), and facility ground support systems (F-GSS) used to support the KSC mission for transportation, receiving, handling, assembly, test, checkout, servicing, and launch of space vehicles and payloads and selected flight hardware items for retrieval. This standards manual supplements NASA-STD-5005 by including KSC-site-specific and local environment requirements. These requirements and practices are optional for equipment used at manufacturing, development, and test sites.

Time of travel and dispersion in a selected reach of Roberts Creek, Clayton County, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolpin, D.W.; Kalkhoff, S.J.

1992-01-01

Time of travel was determined by dye tracing, using rhodamine WT as the tracer. One dyeinjection site and three sampling sites were used to measure time of travel. Two dye-tracing tests were conducted at discharges having flow-duration values of 48 and 80 percent. The discharges at the time of the two dye-tracing tests approximated medium- and low-flow conditions. The average stream velocity in the study area was 0.23 foot per second during medium-flow conditions, March 20 to 22,1990, and 0.07 foot per second during low-flow conditions, April 30 to May 12, 1990. The injected dye dispersed in a plume that lasted about 18 hours during medium flow and about 64 hours during low flow at the downstream site.

Evolution of Site-Selection Stabilizes Population Dynamics, Promotes Even Distribution of Individuals, and Occasionally Causes Evolutionary Suicide.

PubMed

Parvinen, Kalle; Brännström, Åke

2016-08-01

Species that compete for access to or use of sites, such as parasitic mites attaching to honey bees or apple maggots laying eggs in fruits, can potentially increase their fitness by carefully selecting sites at which they face little or no competition. Here, we systematically investigate the evolution of site-selection strategies among animals competing for discrete sites. By developing and analyzing a mechanistic and population-dynamical model of site selection in which searching individuals encounter sites sequentially and can choose to accept or continue to search based on how many conspecifics are already there, we give a complete characterization of the different site-selection strategies that can evolve. We find that evolution of site-selection stabilizes population dynamics, promotes even distribution of individuals among sites, and occasionally causes evolutionary suicide. We also discuss the broader implications of our findings and propose how they can be reconciled with an earlier study (Nonaka et al. in J Theor Biol 317:96-104, 2013) that reported selection toward ever higher levels of aggregation among sites as a consequence of site-selection.

Trends In Nutrient and Sediment Concentrations and Loads In Major River Basins of the South-Central United States, 1993-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rebich, Richard A.; Demcheck, Dennis K.

2008-01-01

Nutrient and sediment data collected at 115 sites by Federal and State agencies from 1993 to 2004 were analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey to determine trends in concentrations and loads for selected rivers and streams that drain into the northwestern Gulf of Mexico from the south-central United States, specifically from the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf Basins. Trends observed in the study area were compared to determine potential regional patterns and to determine cause-effect relations with trends in hydrologic and human-induced factors such as nutrient sources, streamflow, and implementation of best management practices. Secondary objectives included calculation of loads and yields for the study period as a basis for comparing the delivery of nutrients and sediment to the northwestern Gulf of Mexico from the various rivers within the study area. In addition, loads were assessed at seven selected sites for the period 1980-2004 to give hydrologic perspective to trends in loads observed during 1993-2004. Most study sites (about 64 percent) either had no trends or decreasing trends in streamflow during the study period. The regional pattern of decreasing trends in streamflow during the study period appeared to correspond to moist conditions at the beginning of the study period and the influence of three drought periods during the study period, of which the most extreme was in 2000. Trend tests were completed for ammonia at 49 sites, for nitrite plus nitrate at 69 sites, and for total nitrogen at 41 sites. For all nitrogen constituents analyzed, no trends were observed at half or more of the sites. No regional trend patterns could be confirmed because there was poor spatial representation of the trend sites. Decreasing trends in flow-adjusted concentrations of ammonia were observed at 25 sites. No increasing trends in concentrations of ammonia were noted at any sites. Flow-adjusted concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate decreased at 7 sites and increased at14 sites. Flow-adjusted concentrations of total nitrogen decreased at 2 sites and increased at 12 sites. Improvements to municipal wastewater treatment facilities contributed to the decline of ammonia concentrations at selected sites. Notable increasing trends in nitrite plus nitrate and total nitrogen at selected study sites were attributed to both point and nonpointsources. Trend patterns in total nitrogen generally followed trend patterns in nitrite plus nitrate, which was understandable given that nitrite plus nitrate loads generally were 70-90 percent of the total nitrogen loads at most sites. Population data were used as a surrogate to understand the relation between changes in point sources and nutrient trends because data from wastewater treatment plants were inconsistent for this study area. Although population increased throughout the study area during the study period, there was no observed relation between increasing trends in nitrogen in study area streams and increasing trends in population. With respect to other nitrogen sources, statistical results did suggest that increasing trends in nitrogen could be related to increasing trends in nitrogen from either commercial fertilizer use and/or land application of manure. Loads of ammonia, nitrite plus nitrate, and total nitrogen decreased during the study period, but some trends in nitrogen loads were part of long-term decreases since 1980. For example, ammonia loads were shown to decrease at nearly all sites over the past decade, but at selected sites, these decreasing trends were part of much longer trends since 1980. The Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers contributed the highest nitrogen loads to the northwestern Gulf of Mexico as expected; however, nitrogen yields from smaller rivers had similar or higher yields than yields from the Mississippi River. Trend tests were completed for orthophosphorus at 34 sites and for total phosphorus at 52 sites. No trends were observed in abo

Titrating the Cost of Plant Toxins Against Predators: a Case Study with Common Duikers, Sylvicapra grimmia.

PubMed

Abu Baker, Mohammad A

2015-10-01

Foragers face many variables that influence their food intake. These may include habitat structure, time, climate, resource characteristic, food quality, and plant defenses. I conducted foraging experiments using common duikers that involved: 1) testing the effect of plant toxins on foraging, and 2) titrating toxin intake against safety. I used giving up densities (GUDs, food remaining after foraging) to test for selection among trays containing alfalfa pellets treated with water, with 10% oxalic acid, or 10% quebracho tannin. Pairs of trays were placed within islands of woody vegetation and out in open grass. I also conducted a titration experiment by offering the duikers a choice between a patch with water-treated pellets placed at a risky site, or a patch with one of three oxalic acid-treated pellets at a safe site. This made it possible to determine the concentration of oxalic acid at which the cost of toxin in the safe site equals the predation cost at the risky site. The common duikers showed no selectivity among the three treatments at 10% concentration, however, GUDs in the open grass (i.e., safe) were significantly lower than in the wooded islands (i.e., risky). As the oxalic acid concentration increased at the safe sites, the duiker's food intake from the risky sites increased significantly. The results demonstrate that foraging hazards may come in different forms such as predation and plant toxins, and their interactions may alter habitat use, foraging patterns, and perceptions of risk. These variables occur under natural situations, altering the overall habitat quality.

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

Cabrera-Palmer, Belkis

Predicting the performance of radiation detection systems at field sites based on measured performance acquired under controlled conditions at test locations, e.g., the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), remains an unsolved and standing issue within DNDO’s testing methodology. Detector performance can be defined in terms of the system’s ability to detect and/or identify a given source or set of sources, and depends on the signal generated by the detector for the given measurement configuration (i.e., source strength, distance, time, surrounding materials, etc.) and on the quality of the detection algorithm. Detector performance is usually evaluated in the performance and operationalmore » testing phases, where the measurement configurations are selected to represent radiation source and background configurations of interest to security applications.« less

Promon's participation in the Brasilsat program: first & second generations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Depaiva, Ricardo N.

This paper presents an overview of the Brasilsat program, space and ground segments, developed by Hughes and Promon. Promon is a Brazilian engineering company that has been actively participating in the Brasilsat Satellite Telecommunications Program since its beginning. During the first generation, as subcontractor of the Spar/Hughes/SED consortium, Promon had a significant participation in the site installation of the Ground Segment, including the antennas. During the second generation, as partner of a consortium with Hughes, Promon participated in the upgrade of Brasilsat's Ground Segment systems: the TT&C (TCR1, TCR2, and SCC) and the COCC (Communications and Operations Control Center). This upgrade consisted of the design and development of hardware and software to support the second generation requirements, followed by integration and tests, factory acceptance tests, transport to site, site installation, site acceptance tests and warranty support. The upgraded systems are distributed over four sites with remote access to the main ground station. The solutions adopted provide a high level of automation, and easy operator interaction. The hardware and software technologies were selected to provide the flexibility to incorporate new technologies and services from the demanding satellite telecommunications market.

HIV Drug Resistance Early Warning Indicators in Namibia for Public Health Action

PubMed Central

Jonas, Anna; Gweshe, Justice; Siboleka, Milner; DeKlerk, Michael; Gawanab, Michael; Badi, Alfons; Sumbi, Victor; Pereko, Dawn; Blom, Abraham; Mwinga, Samson; Jordan, Michael R.; Jerger, Logan; Lau, Kiger; Hong, Steven Y.

2013-01-01

Background HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) testing is not routinely available in many resource-limited settings, therefore antiretroviral therapy (ART) program and site factors known to be associated with emergence of HIVDR should be monitored to optimize the quality of patient care and minimize the emergence of preventable HIVDR. Methods In 2010, Namibia selected five World Health Organization Early Warning Indicators (EWIs) and scaled-up monitoring from 9 to 33 ART sites: ART prescribing practices, Patients lost to follow-up (LTFU) at 12 months, Patients switched to a second-line regimen at 12 months, On-time antiretroviral (ARV) drug pick-up, and ARV drug-supply continuity. Results Records allowed reporting on three of the five selected EWIs. 22 of 33 (67%) sites met the target of 100% initiated on appropriate first-line regimens. 17 of 33 (52%) sites met the target of ≤20% LTFU. 15 of 33 (45%) sites met the target of 0% switched to a second-line regimen. Conclusions EWI monitoring directly resulted in public health action which will optimize the quality of care, specifically the strengthening of ART record systems, engagement of ART sites, and operational research for improved adherence assessment and ART patient defaulter tracing. PMID:23762406

Site Selection and Geological Research Connected with High Level Waste Disposal Programme in the Czech Republic

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

Tomas, J.

2003-02-25

Attempts to solve the problem of high-level waste disposal including the spent fuel from nuclear power plants have been made in the Czech Republic for over the 10 years. Already in 1991 the Ministry of Environment entitled The Czech Geological Survey to deal with the siting of the locality for HLW disposal and the project No. 3308 ''The geological research of the safe disposal of high level waste'' had started. Within this project a sub-project ''A selection of perspective HLW disposal sites in the Bohemian Massif'' has been elaborated and 27 prospective areas were identified in the Czech Republic. Thismore » selection has been later narrowed to 8 areas which are recently studied in more detail. As a parallel research activity with siting a granitic body Melechov Massif in Central Moldanubian Pluton has been chosen as a test site and the 1st stage of research i.e. evaluation and study of its geological, hydrogeological, geophysical, tectonic and structural properties has been already completed. The Melechov Massif was selected as a test site after the recommendation of WATRP (Waste Management Assessment and Technical Review Programme) mission of IAEA (1993) because it represents an area analogous with the host geological environment for the future HLW and spent fuel disposal in the Czech Republic, i.e. variscan granitoids. It is necessary to say that this site would not be in a locality where the deep repository will be built, although it is a site suitable for oriented research for the sampling and collection of descriptive data using up to date and advanced scientific methods. The Czech Republic HLW and spent fuel disposal programme is now based on The Concept of Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management (''Concept'' hereinafter) which has been prepared in compliance with energy policy approved by Government Decree No. 50 of 12th January 2000 and approved by the Government in May 2002. Preparation of the Concept was required, amongst other reasons in connection with preparations for the Czech Republic's accession to the European Union and in connection with the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management adopted under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which was signed by the Czech Republic in 1997. According to the approved Concept it is expected that a deep geological repository in the Czech Republic will be built in granitic rocks.« less

Field studies of beach cones as coastal erosion control/reversal devices for areas with significant oil and gas activities. [Annual report], February 24, 1992--February 23, 1993

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

Law, V.J.

1993-03-15

The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the utility of a device called the ``beach cone`` in combating coastal erosion. Seven initial sites were selected for testing beach cones in a variety of geometric configurations. Permits were obtained from the State of Louisiana and the US Army Corps of Engineers to perform the work associated with this study. Six hundred beach cones were actually installed at six of the sites in late July and early August, 1992. One of the initial sites was abandoned because it was found to be unsuitable for beach cone placement. The test sitesmore » have been observed for six months and preliminary findings indicate that beach cones accreted significant amounts of materials along the beach of a barrier island. At other test sites, accretion rates have been less dramatic but importantly, no significant additional erosion has occurred, which is a positive result. It is too soon to state the categorical success of the beach cones, but results to date are encouraging.« less

The rationale and cost-effectiveness of a confirmatory mapping tool for lymphatic filariasis: Examples from Ethiopia and Tanzania

PubMed Central

Pelletreau, Sonia; Barbre, Kira A.; Deming, Michael S.; Rebollo, Maria P.

2017-01-01

Endemicity mapping is required to determining whether a district requires mass drug administration (MDA). Current guidelines for mapping LF require that two sites be selected per district and within each site a convenience sample of 100 adults be tested for antigenemia or microfilaremia. One or more confirmed positive tests in either site is interpreted as an indicator of potential transmission, prompting MDA at the district-level. While this mapping strategy has worked well in high-prevalence settings, imperfect diagnostics and the transmission potential of a single positive adult have raised concerns about the strategy’s use in low-prevalence settings. In response to these limitations, a statistically rigorous confirmatory mapping strategy was designed as a complement to the current strategy when LF endemicity is uncertain. Under the new strategy, schools are selected by either systematic or cluster sampling, depending on population size, and within each selected school, children 9–14 years are sampled systematically. All selected children are tested and the number of positive results is compared against a critical value to determine, with known probabilities of error, whether the average prevalence of LF infection is likely below a threshold of 2%. This confirmatory mapping strategy was applied to 45 districts in Ethiopia and 10 in Tanzania, where initial mapping results were considered uncertain. In 42 Ethiopian districts, and all 10 of the Tanzanian districts, the number of antigenemic children was below the critical cutoff, suggesting that these districts do not require MDA. Only three Ethiopian districts exceeded the critical cutoff of positive results. Whereas the current World Health Organization guidelines would have recommended MDA in all 55 districts, the present results suggest that only three of these districts requires MDA. By avoiding unnecessary MDA in 52 districts, the confirmatory mapping strategy is estimated to have saved a total of $9,293,219. PMID:28976981

The rationale and cost-effectiveness of a confirmatory mapping tool for lymphatic filariasis: Examples from Ethiopia and Tanzania.

PubMed

Gass, Katherine M; Sime, Heven; Mwingira, Upendo J; Nshala, Andreas; Chikawe, Maria; Pelletreau, Sonia; Barbre, Kira A; Deming, Michael S; Rebollo, Maria P

2017-10-01

Endemicity mapping is required to determining whether a district requires mass drug administration (MDA). Current guidelines for mapping LF require that two sites be selected per district and within each site a convenience sample of 100 adults be tested for antigenemia or microfilaremia. One or more confirmed positive tests in either site is interpreted as an indicator of potential transmission, prompting MDA at the district-level. While this mapping strategy has worked well in high-prevalence settings, imperfect diagnostics and the transmission potential of a single positive adult have raised concerns about the strategy's use in low-prevalence settings. In response to these limitations, a statistically rigorous confirmatory mapping strategy was designed as a complement to the current strategy when LF endemicity is uncertain. Under the new strategy, schools are selected by either systematic or cluster sampling, depending on population size, and within each selected school, children 9-14 years are sampled systematically. All selected children are tested and the number of positive results is compared against a critical value to determine, with known probabilities of error, whether the average prevalence of LF infection is likely below a threshold of 2%. This confirmatory mapping strategy was applied to 45 districts in Ethiopia and 10 in Tanzania, where initial mapping results were considered uncertain. In 42 Ethiopian districts, and all 10 of the Tanzanian districts, the number of antigenemic children was below the critical cutoff, suggesting that these districts do not require MDA. Only three Ethiopian districts exceeded the critical cutoff of positive results. Whereas the current World Health Organization guidelines would have recommended MDA in all 55 districts, the present results suggest that only three of these districts requires MDA. By avoiding unnecessary MDA in 52 districts, the confirmatory mapping strategy is estimated to have saved a total of $9,293,219.

Determinants of Habitat Selection by Hatchling Australian Freshwater Crocodiles

PubMed Central

Somaweera, Ruchira; Webb, Jonathan K.; Shine, Richard

2011-01-01

Animals almost always use habitats non-randomly, but the costs and benefits of using specific habitat types remain unknown for many types of organisms. In a large lake in northwestern Australia (Lake Argyle), most hatchling (<12-month-old) freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni) are found in floating vegetation mats or grassy banks rather than the more widely available open banks. Mean body sizes of young crocodiles did not differ among the three habitat types. We tested four potential explanations for non-random habitat selection: proximity to nesting sites, thermal conditions, food availability, and exposure to predation. The three alternative habitat types did not differ in proximity to nesting sites, or in thermal conditions. Habitats with higher food availability harboured more hatchlings, and feeding rates (obtained by stomach-flushing of recently-captured crocodiles) were highest in such areas. Predation risk may also differ among habitats: we were twice as likely to capture a crocodile after seeing it in open-bank sites than in the other two habitat types. Thus, habitat selection of hatchling crocodiles in this system may be driven both by prey availability and by predation risk. PMID:22163308

PrAS: Prediction of amidation sites using multiple feature extraction.

PubMed

Wang, Tong; Zheng, Wei; Wuyun, Qiqige; Wu, Zhenfeng; Ruan, Jishou; Hu, Gang; Gao, Jianzhao

2017-02-01

Amidation plays an important role in a variety of pathological processes and serious diseases like neural dysfunction and hypertension. However, identification of protein amidation sites through traditional experimental methods is time consuming and expensive. In this paper, we proposed a novel predictor for Prediction of Amidation Sites (PrAS), which is the first software package for academic users. The method incorporated four representative feature types, which are position-based features, physicochemical and biochemical properties features, predicted structure-based features and evolutionary information features. A novel feature selection method, positive contribution feature selection was proposed to optimize features. PrAS achieved AUC of 0.96, accuracy of 92.1%, sensitivity of 81.2%, specificity of 94.9% and MCC of 0.76 on the independent test set. PrAS is freely available at https://sourceforge.net/p/praspkg. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From the CMS Computing Experience in the WLCG STEP'09 Challenge to the First Data Taking of the LHC Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonacorsi, D.; Gutsche, O.

The Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) project decided in March 2009 to perform scale tests of parts of its overall Grid infrastructure before the start of the LHC data taking. The "Scale Test for the Experiment Program" (STEP'09) was performed mainly in June 2009 -with more selected tests in September- October 2009 -and emphasized the simultaneous test of the computing systems of all 4 LHC experiments. CMS tested its Tier-0 tape writing and processing capabilities. The Tier-1 tape systems were stress tested using the complete range of Tier-1 work-flows: transfer from Tier-0 and custody of data on tape, processing and subsequent archival, redistribution of datasets amongst all Tier-1 sites as well as burst transfers of datasets to Tier-2 sites. The Tier-2 analysis capacity was tested using bulk analysis job submissions to backfill normal user activity. In this talk, we will report on the different performed tests and present their post-mortem analysis.

Chemical analyses of elutriates, native water, and bottom material from the Chetco, Rogue, and Columbia rivers in western Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fuhrer, Gregory J.

1984-01-01

Chemical analyses of elutriates, bottom sediment, and water samples for selected metals, nutrients and organic compounds including insecticides, herbicides, and acid/neutral extractables have been made to provide data to determine short-term water-quality conditions associated with dredging operations in rivers and estuaries. Between April and August 1982, data were collected from the Chetco and Rogue River estuaries in southwestern Oregon, and from the mouth of the Columbia River in the northwestern Oregon to Cathlamet Bay, 18.2 miles upstream. In an elutriation test, bottom materials from a potential dredge site are mixed with native water - collected from either a dredge or disposal site - and the liquid portion of the mixture is removed, filtered, and chemically analyzed. Presented in this report are chemical and physical analyses of elutriates, native water, and bottom material for selected metals, ammonia, organic carbon, pesticides, particle size, and gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric semi-quantitative organic scans. Elutriate and bottom-material samples were screened specifically for phenolic compounds, particularly the chlorinated phenols; phenol was the only compound identified. Elutriate-test results showed variability for selected trace-metal concentrations of dissolved chemicals as follows: in micrograms per liter, arsenic ranged from < 1 to 15, cadmium from 1 to 210, copper from < 1 to 13, chromium from < 1 to 5, and nickel from 2 to 18. Results of computations to determine the amount of a constituent associated with bottom material and interstitial water and subsequently released (dissolved) into the elutriate-test native-mixing water are presented for selected trace metals. The highest elutriate-test release was 35 percent for manganese; the second highest, 5 percent for cadmium. All other computed releases were less than or equal to 1 percent. (USGS)

Tunable allosteric library of caspase-3 identifies coupling between conserved water molecules and conformational selection

PubMed Central

Maciag, Joseph J.; Mackenzie, Sarah H.; Tucker, Matthew B.; Schipper, Joshua L.; Swartz, Paul; Clark, A. Clay

2016-01-01

The native ensemble of caspases is described globally by a complex energy landscape where the binding of substrate selects for the active conformation, whereas targeting an allosteric site in the dimer interface selects an inactive conformation that contains disordered active-site loops. Mutations and posttranslational modifications stabilize high-energy inactive conformations, with mostly formed, but distorted, active sites. To examine the interconversion of active and inactive states in the ensemble, we used detection of related solvent positions to analyze 4,995 waters in 15 high-resolution (<2.0 Å) structures of wild-type caspase-3, resulting in 450 clusters with the most highly conserved set containing 145 water molecules. The data show that regions of the protein that contact the conserved waters also correspond to sites of posttranslational modifications, suggesting that the conserved waters are an integral part of allosteric mechanisms. To test this hypothesis, we created a library of 19 caspase-3 variants through saturation mutagenesis in a single position of the allosteric site of the dimer interface, and we show that the enzyme activity varies by more than four orders of magnitude. Altogether, our database consists of 37 high-resolution structures of caspase-3 variants, and we demonstrate that the decrease in activity correlates with a loss of conserved water molecules. The data show that the activity of caspase-3 can be fine-tuned through globally desolvating the active conformation within the native ensemble, providing a mechanism for cells to repartition the ensemble and thus fine-tune activity through conformational selection. PMID:27681633

Tunable allosteric library of caspase-3 identifies coupling between conserved water molecules and conformational selection.

PubMed

Maciag, Joseph J; Mackenzie, Sarah H; Tucker, Matthew B; Schipper, Joshua L; Swartz, Paul; Clark, A Clay

2016-10-11

The native ensemble of caspases is described globally by a complex energy landscape where the binding of substrate selects for the active conformation, whereas targeting an allosteric site in the dimer interface selects an inactive conformation that contains disordered active-site loops. Mutations and posttranslational modifications stabilize high-energy inactive conformations, with mostly formed, but distorted, active sites. To examine the interconversion of active and inactive states in the ensemble, we used detection of related solvent positions to analyze 4,995 waters in 15 high-resolution (<2.0 Å) structures of wild-type caspase-3, resulting in 450 clusters with the most highly conserved set containing 145 water molecules. The data show that regions of the protein that contact the conserved waters also correspond to sites of posttranslational modifications, suggesting that the conserved waters are an integral part of allosteric mechanisms. To test this hypothesis, we created a library of 19 caspase-3 variants through saturation mutagenesis in a single position of the allosteric site of the dimer interface, and we show that the enzyme activity varies by more than four orders of magnitude. Altogether, our database consists of 37 high-resolution structures of caspase-3 variants, and we demonstrate that the decrease in activity correlates with a loss of conserved water molecules. The data show that the activity of caspase-3 can be fine-tuned through globally desolvating the active conformation within the native ensemble, providing a mechanism for cells to repartition the ensemble and thus fine-tune activity through conformational selection.

Identification of wild areas in southern lower Michigan. [terrain analysis from aerial photography, and satellite imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habowski, S.; Cialek, C.

1978-01-01

An inventory methodology was developed to identify potential wild area sites. A list of site criteria were formulated and tested in six selected counties. Potential sites were initially identified from LANDSAT satellite imagery. A detailed study of the soil, vegetation and relief characteristics of each site based on both high-altitude aerial photographs and existing map data was conducted to eliminate unsuitable sites. Ground reconnaissance of the remaining wild areas was made to verify suitability and acquire information on wildlife and general aesthetics. Physical characteristics of the wild areas in each county are presented in tables. Maps show the potential sites to be set aside for natural preservation and regulation by the state under the Wilderness and Natural Areas Act of 1972.

Evaluation of All-Day-Efficiency for selected flat plate and evacuated tube collectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

An evaluation of all day efficiency for selected flat plate and evacuated tube collectors is presented. Computations are based on a modified version of the NBSIR 78-1305A procedure for all day efficiency. The ASHMET and NOAA data bases for solar insolation are discussed. Details of the algorithm used to convert total (global) horizontal radiation to the collector tilt plane of the selected sites are given along with tables and graphs which show the results of the tests performed during this evaluation.

Energy efficiency trade-offs drive nucleotide usage in transcribed regions

PubMed Central

Chen, Wei-Hua; Lu, Guanting; Bork, Peer; Hu, Songnian; Lercher, Martin J.

2016-01-01

Efficient nutrient usage is a trait under universal selection. A substantial part of cellular resources is spent on making nucleotides. We thus expect preferential use of cheaper nucleotides especially in transcribed sequences, which are often amplified thousand-fold compared with genomic sequences. To test this hypothesis, we derive a mutation-selection-drift equilibrium model for nucleotide skews (strand-specific usage of ‘A' versus ‘T' and ‘G' versus ‘C'), which explains nucleotide skews across 1,550 prokaryotic genomes as a consequence of selection on efficient resource usage. Transcription-related selection generally favours the cheaper nucleotides ‘U' and ‘C' at synonymous sites. However, the information encoded in mRNA is further amplified through translation. Due to unexpected trade-offs in the codon table, cheaper nucleotides encode on average energetically more expensive amino acids. These trade-offs apply to both strand-specific nucleotide usage and GC content, causing a universal bias towards the more expensive nucleotides ‘A' and ‘G' at non-synonymous coding sites. PMID:27098217

Compilation of selected hydrologic data from the MX missile-siting investigation, east-central Nevada and western Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bunch, Robin L.; Harrill, James R.

1984-01-01

Construction, water-level, and water-quality data for wells and site-description, discharge, and water-quality data for springs and streams in 37 hydrographic areas in Nevada and Utah are presented in this report. These data are grouped in tables, by area. Additional tables contain a summary of data and aquifer-test results for wells in valley-fill deposits at 42 sites in Nevada and Utah and for wells in carbonate rocks at five sites in Nevada. The data in this report were gathered by Ertec Western, Inc., or their subcontractors, for the U.S. Department of the Air Force as part of the MX missile-siting project and were originally presented in a number of individual reports.

The School Site Planner. Land for Learning. Site Selection, Site Planning, Playgrounds, Recreation, and Athletic Fields.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. of School Support.

The selection and planning of sites for school facilities can be critical and difficult due to the varied and complex demands schools must satisfy. This publication addresses the many factors that need consideration during the process of site selection, planning, development, and use. The report examines not only the site selection and planning…

Electrochemical polishing of thread fastener test specimens of nickel-chromium iron alloys

DOEpatents

Kephart, Alan R.

1991-01-01

An electrochemical polishing device and method for selective anodic dissolution of the surface of test specimens comprised, for example, of nickel-chromium-iron alloys, which provides for uniform dissolution at the localized sites to remove metal through the use of a coiled wire electrode (cathode) placed in the immediate proximity of the working, surface resulting in a polished and uniform grain boundary.

Differentiated adaptive evolution, episodic relaxation of selective constraints, and pseudogenization of umami and sweet taste genes TAS1Rs in catarrhine primates.

PubMed

Liu, Guangjian; Walter, Lutz; Tang, Suni; Tan, Xinxin; Shi, Fanglei; Pan, Huijuan; Roos, Christian; Liu, Zhijin; Li, Ming

2014-01-01

Umami and sweet tastes are two important basic taste perceptions that allow animals to recognize diets with nutritious carbohydrates and proteins, respectively. Until recently, analyses of umami and sweet taste were performed on various domestic and wild animals. While most of these studies focused on the pseudogenization of taste genes, which occur mostly in carnivores and species with absolute feeding specialization, omnivores and herbivores were more or less neglected. Catarrhine primates are a group of herbivorous animals (feeding mostly on plants) with significant divergence in dietary preference, especially the specialized folivorous Colobinae. Here, we conducted the most comprehensive investigation to date of selection pressure on sweet and umami taste genes (TAS1Rs) in catarrhine primates to test whether specific adaptive evolution occurred during their diversification, in association with particular plant diets. We documented significant relaxation of selective constraints on sweet taste gene TAS1R2 in the ancestral branch of Colobinae, which might correlate with their unique ingestion and digestion of leaves. Additionally, we identified positive selection acting on Cercopithecidae lineages for the umami taste gene TAS1R1, on the Cercopithecinae and extant Colobinae and Hylobatidae lineages for TAS1R2, and on Macaca lineages for TAS1R3. Our research further identified several site mutations in Cercopithecidae, Colobinae and Pygathrix, which were detected by previous studies altering the sensitivity of receptors. The positively selected sites were located mostly on the extra-cellular region of TAS1Rs. Among these positively selected sites, two vital sites for TAS1R1 and four vital sites for TAS1R2 in extra-cellular region were identified as being responsible for the binding of certain sweet and umami taste molecules through molecular modelling and docking. Our results suggest that episodic and differentiated adaptive evolution of TAS1Rs pervasively occurred in catarrhine primates, most concentrated upon the extra-cellular region of TAS1Rs.

Archeological Survey of Selected Areas and Testing of Site 3P0504 along the St. Francis Levee of the Oak Donnick Floodway Near the City of Marked Tree, Poinsett, County, Arkansas.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-01

Archeological Survey. State site maps were checked and no sites were found in the immediate project area. A mound group , 31046, was noted approximately one...fnd assist the Spanish over the next several years. As they looked from the bluffs over the virgin forest covered swamps, they never suspected that...returned to the Smithsonian. Three Mississippi period mound groups were excavated in Mississippi and Poinsett Counties, Arkansas. These were Taylor’s Shanty

Assessment and mitigation of errors associated with a large-scale field investigation of methane emissions from the Marcellus Shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caulton, D.; Golston, L.; Li, Q.; Bou-Zeid, E.; Pan, D.; Lane, H.; Lu, J.; Fitts, J. P.; Zondlo, M. A.

2015-12-01

Recent work suggests the distribution of methane emissions from fracking operations is a skewed distributed with a small percentage of emitters contributing a large proportion of the total emissions. In order to provide a statistically robust distributions of emitters and determine the presence of super-emitters, errors in current techniques need to be constrained and mitigated. The Marcellus shale, the most productive natural gas shale field in the United States, has received less intense focus for well-level emissions and is here investigated to provide the distribution of methane emissions. In July of 2015 approximately 250 unique well pads were sampled using the Princeton Atmospheric Chemistry Mobile Acquisition Node (PAC-MAN). This mobile lab includes a Garmin GPS unit, Vaisala weather station (WTX520), LICOR 7700 CH4 open path sensor and LICOR 7500 CO2/H2O open path sensor. Sampling sites were preselected based on wind direction, sampling distance and elevation grade. All sites were sampled during low boundary layer conditions (600-1000 and 1800-2200 local time). The majority of sites were sampled 1-3 times while selected test sites were sampled multiple times or resampled several times during the day. For selected sites a sampling tower was constructed consisting of a Metek uSonic-3 Class A sonic anemometer, and an additional LICOR 7700 and 7500. Data were recorded for at least one hour at these sites. A robust study and inter-comparison of different methodologies will be presented. The Gaussian plume model will be used to calculate fluxes for all sites and compare results from test sites with multiple passes. Tower data is used to provide constraints on the Gaussian plume model. Additionally, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) modeling will be used to calculate emissions from the tower sites. Alternative techniques will also be discussed. Results from these techniques will be compared to identify best practices and provide robust error estimates.

Mutation exposed: a neutral explanation for extreme base composition of an endosymbiont genome.

PubMed

Wernegreen, Jennifer J; Funk, Daniel J

2004-12-01

The influence of neutral mutation pressure versus selection on base composition evolution is a subject of considerable controversy. Yet the present study represents the first explicit population genetic analysis of this issue in prokaryotes, the group in which base composition variation is most dramatic. Here, we explore the impact of mutation and selection on the dynamics of synonymous changes in Buchnera aphidicola, the AT-rich bacterial endosymbiont of aphids. Specifically, we evaluated three forms of evidence. (i) We compared the frequencies of directional base changes (AT-->GC vs. GC-->AT) at synonymous sites within and between Buchnera species, to test for selective preference versus effective neutrality of these mutational categories. Reconstructed mutational changes across a robust intraspecific phylogeny showed a nearly 1:1 AT-->GC:GC-->AT ratio. Likewise, stationarity of base composition among Buchnera species indicated equal rates of AT-->GC and GC-->AT substitutions. The similarity of these patterns within and between species supported the neutral model. (ii) We observed an equivalence of relative per-site AT mutation rate and current AT content at synonymous sites, indicating that base composition is at mutational equilibrium. (iii) We demonstrated statistically greater equality in the frequency of mutational categories in Buchnera than in parallel mammalian studies that documented selection on synonymous sites. Our results indicate that effectively neutral mutational pressure, rather than selection, represents the major force driving base composition evolution in Buchnera. Thus they further corroborate recent evidence for the critical role of reduced N(e) in the molecular evolution of bacterial endosymbionts.

UXO Discrimination Study Former Spencer Artillery Range

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

tested . This approach uses one of three models labeled: aggressive, intermediate and conservative. The choice of model depends on an a...anomalies will be selected for labeling using NMAL. The goal at this step is to maximize the information gain from new labels requested from the set of ...number of false alarms (nFA) is lower for the classifier where feature selection was used . 9 Complexity of a site is measured using an information

Identification of B. anthracis N(5)-carboxyaminoimidazole ribonucleotide mutase (PurE) active site binding compounds via fragment library screening.

PubMed

Lei, Hao; Jones, Christopher; Zhu, Tian; Patel, Kavankumar; Wolf, Nina M; Fung, Leslie W-M; Lee, Hyun; Johnson, Michael E

2016-02-15

The de novo purine biosynthesis pathway is an attractive target for antibacterial drug design, and PurE from this pathway has been identified to be crucial for Bacillus anthracis survival in serum. In this study we adopted a fragment-based hit discovery approach, using three screening methods-saturation transfer difference nucleus magnetic resonance (STD-NMR), water-ligand observed via gradient spectroscopy (WaterLOGSY) NMR, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), against B. anthracis PurE (BaPurE) to identify active site binding fragments by initially testing 352 compounds in a Zenobia fragment library. Competition STD NMR with the BaPurE product effectively eliminated non-active site binding hits from the primary hits, selecting active site binders only. Binding affinities (dissociation constant, KD) of these compounds varied between 234 and 301μM. Based on test results from the Zenobia compounds, we subsequently developed and applied a streamlined fragment screening strategy to screen a much larger library consisting of 3000 computationally pre-selected fragments. Thirteen final fragment hits were confirmed to exhibit binding affinities varying from 14μM to 700μM, which were categorized into five different basic scaffolds. All thirteen fragment hits have ligand efficiencies higher than 0.30. We demonstrated that at least two fragments from two different scaffolds exhibit inhibitory activity against the BaPurE enzyme. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Percutaneous Epicardial Pacing using a Novel Insulated Multi-electrode Lead.

PubMed

Syed, Faisal F; DeSimone, Christopher V; Ebrille, Elisa; Gaba, Prakriti; Ladewig, Dorothy J; Mikell, Susan B; Suddendorf, Scott H; Gilles, Emily J; Danielsen, Andrew J; Lukášová, Markéta; Wolf, Jiří; Leinveber, Pavel; Novák, Miroslav; Stárek, Zdeněk; Kara, Tomas; Bruce, Charles J; Friedman, Paul A; Asirvatham, Samuel J

2015-08-01

Epicardial cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) permits unrestricted electrode positioning. However, this requires surgical placement of device leads and the risk of unwanted phrenic nerve stimulation. We hypothesized that shielded electrodes can capture myocardium without extracardiac stimulation. In 6 dog and 5 swine experiments, we used a percutaneous approach to access the epicardial surface of the heart, and deploy novel leads housing multiple electrodes with selective insulation. Bipolar pacing thresholds at prespecified sites were tested compare electrode threshold data both facing towards and away from the epicardial surface. In 151 paired electrode recordings (70 in 6 dogs; 81 in 5 swine), thresholds facing myocardium were lower than facing away (median [IQR] mA: dogs 0.9 [0.4-1.6] vs 4.6 [2.1 to >10], p<0.0001; swine 0.5 [0.2-1] vs 2.5 [0.5-6.8], p<0.0001). Myocardial capture was feasible without extracardiac stimulation at all tested sites, with mean ± SE threshold margin 3.6±0.7 mA at sites of high output extracardiac stimulation (p=0.004). Selective electrode insulation confers directional pacing to a multielectrode epicardial pacing lead. This device has the potential for a novel percutaneous epicardial resynchronization therapy that permits placement at an optimal pacing site, irrespective of the anatomy of the coronary veins or phrenic nerves.

NIMH Project Accept (HPTN 043): results from in-depth interviews with a longitudinal cohort of community members.

PubMed

Maman, Suzanne; van Rooyen, Heidi; Stankard, Petra; Chingono, Alfred; Muravha, Tshifhiwa; Ntogwisangu, Jacob; Phakathi, Zipho; Srirak, Namtip; F Morin, Stephen

2014-01-01

NIMH Project Accept (HPTN 043) is a community- randomized trial to test the safety and efficacy of a community-level intervention designed to increase testing and lower HIV incidence in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Thailand. The evaluation design included a longitudinal study with community members to assess attitudinal and behavioral changes in study outcomes including HIV testing norms, HIV-related discussions, and HIV-related stigma. A cohort of 657 individuals across all sites was selected to participate in a qualitative study that involved 4 interviews during the study period. Baseline and 30-month data were summarized according to each outcome, and a qualitative assessment of changes was made at the community level over time. Members from intervention communities described fewer barriers and greater motivation for testing than those from comparison communities. HIV-related discussions in intervention communities were more grounded in personal testing experiences. A change in HIV-related stigma over time was most pronounced in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Participants in the intervention communities from these two sites attributed community-level changes in attitudes to project specific activities. The Project Accept intervention was associated with more favorable social norms regarding HIV testing, more personal content in HIV discussions in all study sites, and qualitative changes in HIV-related stigma in two of five sites.

Computer aided diagnosis system for Alzheimer disease using brain diffusion tensor imaging features selected by Pearson's correlation.

PubMed

Graña, M; Termenon, M; Savio, A; Gonzalez-Pinto, A; Echeveste, J; Pérez, J M; Besga, A

2011-09-20

The aim of this paper is to obtain discriminant features from two scalar measures of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data, Fractional Anisotropy (FA) and Mean Diffusivity (MD), and to train and test classifiers able to discriminate Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients from controls on the basis of features extracted from the FA or MD volumes. In this study, support vector machine (SVM) classifier was trained and tested on FA and MD data. Feature selection is done computing the Pearson's correlation between FA or MD values at voxel site across subjects and the indicative variable specifying the subject class. Voxel sites with high absolute correlation are selected for feature extraction. Results are obtained over an on-going study in Hospital de Santiago Apostol collecting anatomical T1-weighted MRI volumes and DTI data from healthy control subjects and AD patients. FA features and a linear SVM classifier achieve perfect accuracy, sensitivity and specificity in several cross-validation studies, supporting the usefulness of DTI-derived features as an image-marker for AD and to the feasibility of building Computer Aided Diagnosis systems for AD based on them. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 536: Area 3 Release Site, Nevada Test Site, Nevada (Rev. 0 / June 2003), Including Record of Technical Change No. 1

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

None

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan contains the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office's approach to collect the data necessary to evaluate corrective action alternatives (CAAs) appropriate for the closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 536: Area 3 Release Site, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. Corrective Action Unit 536 consists of a single Corrective Action Site (CAS): 03-44-02, Steam Jenny Discharge. The CAU 536 site is being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of possible contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives formore » CAS 03-44-02. The additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation (CAI) prior to evaluating CAAs and selecting the appropriate corrective action for this CAS. The results of this field investigation are to be used to support a defensible evaluation of corrective action alternatives in the corrective action decision document. Record of Technical Change No. 1 is dated 3-2004.« less

Risk based requirements for long term stewardship: A proof-of-principle analysis of an analytic method tested on selected Hanford locations

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

Jarvis, T.T.; Andrews, W.B.; Buck, J.W.

1998-03-01

Since 1989, the Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) Program has managed the environmental legacy of US nuclear weapons production, research and testing at 137 facilities in 31 states and one US territory. The EM program has conducted several studies on the public risks posed by contaminated sites at these facilities. In Risks and the Risk Debate [DOE, 1995a], the Department analyzed the risks at sites before, during, and after remediation work by the EM program. The results indicated that aside from a few urgent risks, most hazards present little inherent risk because physical and active site management controlsmore » limit both the releases of site contaminants, and public access to these hazards. Without these controls, these sites would pose greater risks to the public. Past risk reports, however, provided little information about post-cleanup risk, primarily because of uncertainty about future site uses and site characteristics at the end of planned cleanup activities. This is of concern because in many cases current cleanup technologies, and remedies, will last a shorter period of time than the waste itself and the resulting contamination will remain hazardous.« less

Retesting of liquefaction and nonliquefaction case histories from the 1976 Tangshan earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moss, R.E.S.; Kayen, R.E.; Tong, L.-Y.; Liu, S.-Y.; Cai, G.-J.; Wu, J.

2011-01-01

A field investigation was performed to retest liquefaction and nonliquefaction sites from the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China. These sites were carefully investigated in 1978 and 1979 by using standard penetration test (SPT) and cone penetration test (CPT) equipment; however, the CPT measurements are obsolete because of the now nonstandard cone that was used at the time. In 2007, a modern cone was mobilized to retest 18 selected sites that are particularly important because of the intense ground shaking they sustained despite their high fines content and/or because the site did not liquefy. Of the sites reinvestigated and carefully reprocessed, 13 were considered accurate representative case histories. Two of the sites that were originally investigated for liquefaction have been reinvestigated for cyclic failure of fine-grained soil and removed from consideration for liquefaction triggering. The most important outcome of these field investigations was the collection of more accurate data for three nonliquefaction sites that experienced intense ground shaking. Data for these three case histories is now included in an area of the liquefaction triggering database that was poorly populated and will help constrain the upper bound of future liquefaction triggering curves. ?? 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Positive selection moments identify potential functional residues in human olfactory receptors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singer, M. S.; Weisinger-Lewin, Y.; Lancet, D.; Shepherd, G. M.

1996-01-01

Correlated mutation analysis and molecular models of olfactory receptors have provided evidence that residues in the transmembrane domains form a binding pocket for odor ligands. As an independent test of these results, we have calculated positive selection moments for the alpha-helical sixth transmembrane domain (TM6) of human olfactory receptors. The moments can be used to identify residues that have been preferentially affected by positive selection and are thus likely to interact with odor ligands. The results suggest that residue 622, which is commonly a serine or threonine, could form critical H-bonds. In some receptors a dual-serine subsite, formed by residues 622 and 625, could bind hydroxyl determinants on odor ligands. The potential importance of these residues is further supported by site-directed mutagenesis in the beta-adrenergic receptor. The findings should be of practical value for future physiological studies, binding assays, and site-directed mutagenesis.

Site-selective nitrogen isotopic ratio measurement of nitrous oxide using 2 microm diode lasers.

PubMed

Uehara, K; Yamamoto, K; Kikugawa, T; Yoshida, N

2003-03-15

We demonstrate a high-precision measurement of the isotopomer abundance ratio 14N(15)N(16)O/15N(14)N(16)O/14N(14)N(16)O (approximately 0.37/0.37/100) using three wavelength-modulated 2 microm diode lasers combined with a multipass cell which provides different optical pathlengths of 100 and 1 m to compensate the large abundance difference. A set of absorption lines for which the absorbances have almost the same temperature dependence are selected so that the effect of a change in gas temperature is minimized. The test experiment using pure nearly natural-abundance N(2)O samples showed that the site-selective 15N/14N ratios can be measured relative to a reference material with a precision of +/-3 x 10(-4) (+/-0.3 per thousand) in approximately 2 h. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

Use of an Improved Matching Algorithm to Select Scaffolds for Enzyme Design Based on a Complex Active Site Model.

PubMed

Huang, Xiaoqiang; Xue, Jing; Lin, Min; Zhu, Yushan

2016-01-01

Active site preorganization helps native enzymes electrostatically stabilize the transition state better than the ground state for their primary substrates and achieve significant rate enhancement. In this report, we hypothesize that a complex active site model for active site preorganization modeling should help to create preorganized active site design and afford higher starting activities towards target reactions. Our matching algorithm ProdaMatch was improved by invoking effective pruning strategies and the native active sites for ten scaffolds in a benchmark test set were reproduced. The root-mean squared deviations between the matched transition states and those in the crystal structures were < 1.0 Å for the ten scaffolds, and the repacking calculation results showed that 91% of the hydrogen bonds within the active sites are recovered, indicating that the active sites can be preorganized based on the predicted positions of transition states. The application of the complex active site model for de novo enzyme design was evaluated by scaffold selection using a classic catalytic triad motif for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate. Eighty scaffolds were identified from a scaffold library with 1,491 proteins and four scaffolds were native esterase. Furthermore, enzyme design for complicated substrates was investigated for the hydrolysis of cephalexin using scaffold selection based on two different catalytic motifs. Only three scaffolds were identified from the scaffold library by virtue of the classic catalytic triad-based motif. In contrast, 40 scaffolds were identified using a more flexible, but still preorganized catalytic motif, where one scaffold corresponded to the α-amino acid ester hydrolase that catalyzes the hydrolysis and synthesis of cephalexin. Thus, the complex active site modeling approach for de novo enzyme design with the aid of the improved ProdaMatch program is a promising approach for the creation of active sites with high catalytic efficiencies towards target reactions.

Use of an Improved Matching Algorithm to Select Scaffolds for Enzyme Design Based on a Complex Active Site Model

PubMed Central

Huang, Xiaoqiang; Xue, Jing; Lin, Min; Zhu, Yushan

2016-01-01

Active site preorganization helps native enzymes electrostatically stabilize the transition state better than the ground state for their primary substrates and achieve significant rate enhancement. In this report, we hypothesize that a complex active site model for active site preorganization modeling should help to create preorganized active site design and afford higher starting activities towards target reactions. Our matching algorithm ProdaMatch was improved by invoking effective pruning strategies and the native active sites for ten scaffolds in a benchmark test set were reproduced. The root-mean squared deviations between the matched transition states and those in the crystal structures were < 1.0 Å for the ten scaffolds, and the repacking calculation results showed that 91% of the hydrogen bonds within the active sites are recovered, indicating that the active sites can be preorganized based on the predicted positions of transition states. The application of the complex active site model for de novo enzyme design was evaluated by scaffold selection using a classic catalytic triad motif for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate. Eighty scaffolds were identified from a scaffold library with 1,491 proteins and four scaffolds were native esterase. Furthermore, enzyme design for complicated substrates was investigated for the hydrolysis of cephalexin using scaffold selection based on two different catalytic motifs. Only three scaffolds were identified from the scaffold library by virtue of the classic catalytic triad-based motif. In contrast, 40 scaffolds were identified using a more flexible, but still preorganized catalytic motif, where one scaffold corresponded to the α-amino acid ester hydrolase that catalyzes the hydrolysis and synthesis of cephalexin. Thus, the complex active site modeling approach for de novo enzyme design with the aid of the improved ProdaMatch program is a promising approach for the creation of active sites with high catalytic efficiencies towards target reactions. PMID:27243223

40 CFR 761.247 - Sample site selection for pipe segment removal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Natural Gas Pipeline: Selecting Sample Sites, Collecting Surface Samples, and Analyzing Standard PCB Wipe Samples § 761.247 Sample site selection for pipe segment removal. (a) General. (1) Select the pipe... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sample site selection for pipe segment...

School Site Selection and Approval Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Div. of School Facilities Planning.

This guide is designed to assist school districts in selecting school sites that provide both a safe and supportive environment for the instructional program and the learning process, and gain state approval for the selected sites. The guide includes a set of selection criteria that have proven helpful to site selection teams, information about…

40 CFR 761.247 - Sample site selection for pipe segment removal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sample site selection for pipe segment... Natural Gas Pipeline: Selecting Sample Sites, Collecting Surface Samples, and Analyzing Standard PCB Wipe Samples § 761.247 Sample site selection for pipe segment removal. (a) General. (1) Select the pipe...

HIV misdiagnosis in sub-Saharan Africa: performance of diagnostic algorithms at six testing sites

PubMed Central

Kosack, Cara S.; Shanks, Leslie; Beelaert, Greet; Benson, Tumwesigye; Savane, Aboubacar; Ng’ang’a, Anne; Andre, Bita; Zahinda, Jean-Paul BN; Fransen, Katrien; Page, Anne-Laure

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of HIV testing algorithms at six programmes in five sub-Saharan African countries. Methods: In this prospective multisite diagnostic evaluation study (Conakry, Guinea; Kitgum, Uganda; Arua, Uganda; Homa Bay, Kenya; Doula, Cameroun and Baraka, Democratic Republic of Congo), samples from clients (greater than equal to five years of age) testing for HIV were collected and compared to a state-of-the-art algorithm from the AIDS reference laboratory at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium. The reference algorithm consisted of an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay, a line-immunoassay, a single antigen-enzyme immunoassay and a DNA polymerase chain reaction test. Results: Between August 2011 and January 2015, over 14,000 clients were tested for HIV at 6 HIV counselling and testing sites. Of those, 2786 (median age: 30; 38.1% males) were included in the study. Sensitivity of the testing algorithms ranged from 89.5% in Arua to 100% in Douala and Conakry, while specificity ranged from 98.3% in Doula to 100% in Conakry. Overall, 24 (0.9%) clients, and as many as 8 per site (1.7%), were misdiagnosed, with 16 false-positive and 8 false-negative results. Six false-negative specimens were retested with the on-site algorithm on the same sample and were found to be positive. Conversely, 13 false-positive specimens were retested: 8 remained false-positive with the on-site algorithm. Conclusions: The performance of algorithms at several sites failed to meet expectations and thresholds set by the World Health Organization, with unacceptably high rates of false results. Alongside the careful selection of rapid diagnostic tests and the validation of algorithms, strictly observing correct procedures can reduce the risk of false results. In the meantime, to identify false-positive diagnoses at initial testing, patients should be retested upon initiating antiretroviral therapy. PMID:28691437

HIV misdiagnosis in sub-Saharan Africa: performance of diagnostic algorithms at six testing sites.

PubMed

Kosack, Cara S; Shanks, Leslie; Beelaert, Greet; Benson, Tumwesigye; Savane, Aboubacar; Ng'ang'a, Anne; Andre, Bita; Zahinda, Jean-Paul Bn; Fransen, Katrien; Page, Anne-Laure

2017-07-03

We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of HIV testing algorithms at six programmes in five sub-Saharan African countries. In this prospective multisite diagnostic evaluation study (Conakry, Guinea; Kitgum, Uganda; Arua, Uganda; Homa Bay, Kenya; Doula, Cameroun and Baraka, Democratic Republic of Congo), samples from clients (greater than equal to five years of age) testing for HIV were collected and compared to a state-of-the-art algorithm from the AIDS reference laboratory at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium. The reference algorithm consisted of an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay, a line-immunoassay, a single antigen-enzyme immunoassay and a DNA polymerase chain reaction test. Between August 2011 and January 2015, over 14,000 clients were tested for HIV at 6 HIV counselling and testing sites. Of those, 2786 (median age: 30; 38.1% males) were included in the study. Sensitivity of the testing algorithms ranged from 89.5% in Arua to 100% in Douala and Conakry, while specificity ranged from 98.3% in Doula to 100% in Conakry. Overall, 24 (0.9%) clients, and as many as 8 per site (1.7%), were misdiagnosed, with 16 false-positive and 8 false-negative results. Six false-negative specimens were retested with the on-site algorithm on the same sample and were found to be positive. Conversely, 13 false-positive specimens were retested: 8 remained false-positive with the on-site algorithm. The performance of algorithms at several sites failed to meet expectations and thresholds set by the World Health Organization, with unacceptably high rates of false results. Alongside the careful selection of rapid diagnostic tests and the validation of algorithms, strictly observing correct procedures can reduce the risk of false results. In the meantime, to identify false-positive diagnoses at initial testing, patients should be retested upon initiating antiretroviral therapy.

Selecting optimal monitoring site locations for peak ambient particulate material concentrations using the MM5-CAMx4 numerical modelling system.

PubMed

Sturman, Andrew; Titov, Mikhail; Zawar-Reza, Peyman

2011-01-15

Installation of temporary or long term monitoring sites is expensive, so it is important to rationally identify potential locations that will achieve the requirements of regional air quality management strategies. A simple, but effective, numerical approach to selecting ambient particulate matter (PM) monitoring site locations has therefore been developed using the MM5-CAMx4 air pollution dispersion modelling system. A new method, 'site efficiency,' was developed to assess the ability of any monitoring site to provide peak ambient air pollution concentrations that are representative of the urban area. 'Site efficiency' varies from 0 to 100%, with the latter representing the most representative site location for monitoring peak PM concentrations. Four heavy pollution episodes in Christchurch (New Zealand) during winter 2005, representing 4 different aerosol dispersion patterns, were used to develop and test this site assessment technique. Evaluation of the efficiency of monitoring sites was undertaken for night and morning aerosol peaks for 4 different particulate material (PM) spatial patterns. The results demonstrate that the existing long term monitoring site at Coles Place is quite well located, with a site efficiency value of 57.8%. A temporary ambient PM monitoring site (operating during winter 2006) showed a lower ability to capture night and morning peak aerosol concentrations. Evaluation of multiple site locations used during an extensive field campaign in Christchurch (New Zealand) in 2000 indicated that the maximum efficiency achieved by any site in the city would be 60-65%, while the efficiency of a virtual background site is calculated to be about 7%. This method of assessing the appropriateness of any potential monitoring site can be used to optimize monitoring site locations for any air pollution measurement programme. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SLS Test Stand Site Selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crowe, Kathryn; Williams, Michael

2015-01-01

Test site selection is a critical element of the design, development and production of a new system. With the advent of the new Space Launch System (SLS), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had a number of test site selection decisions that needed to be made early enough in the Program to support the planned Launch Readiness Date (LRD). This case study focuses on decisions that needed to be made in 2011 and 2012 in preparation for the April 2013 DPMC decision about where to execute the Main Propulsion Test that is commonly referred to as "Green Run." Those decisions relied upon cooperative analysis between the Program, the Test Lab and Center Operations. The SLS is a human spaceflight vehicle designed to carry a crew farther into space than humans have previously flown. The vehicle consists of four parts: the crew capsule, the upper stage, the core stage, and the first stage solid rocket boosters. The crew capsule carries the astronauts, while the upper stage, the core stage, and solid rocket boosters provide thrust for the vehicle. In other words, the stages provide the "lift" part of the lift vehicle. In conjunction with the solid rocket boosters, the core stage provides the initial "get-off-the-ground" thrust to the vehicle. The ignition of the four core stage engines and two solid rocket boosters is the first step in the launch portion of the mission. The solid rocket boosters burn out after about 2 minutes of flight, and are then jettisoned. The core stage provides thrust until the vehicle reaches a specific altitude and speed, at which point the core stage is shut off and jettisoned, and the upper stage provides vehicle thrust for subsequent mission trajectories. The integrated core stage primarily consists of a liquid oxygen tank, a liquid hydrogen tank, and the four core stage engines. For the SLS program, four RS-25 engines were selected as the four core stage engines. The RS-25 engine is the same engine that was used for Space Shuttle. The test plan for the integrated core stage was broken down into several segments: Component testing, system level testing, and element level testing. In this context, components are items such as valves, controllers, sensors, etc. Systems are items such as an entire engine, a tank, or the outer stage body. The core stage itself is considered to be an element. The rocket engines are also considered an element. At the program level, it was decided to perform a single green run test on the integrated core stage prior to shipment of it to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for use in the EM-1 test flight of the SLS vehicle. A green run test is the first live fire of the new integrated core stage and engine elements - without boosters of course. The SLS Program had to decide where to perform SLS green run testing.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in leachates from selected landfill sites in South Africa.

PubMed

Odusanya, David O; Okonkwo, Jonathan O; Botha, Ben

2009-01-01

The last few decades have seen dramatic growth in the scale of production and the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as flame retardants. Consequently, PBDEs such as BDE -28, -47, -66, -71, -75, -77, -85, -99, -100, -119, -138, -153, -154, and -183 have been detected in various environmental matrices. Generally, in South Africa, once the products containing these chemicals have outlived their usefulness, they are discarded into landfill sites. Consequently, the levels of PBDEs in leachates from landfill sites may give an indication of the general exposure and use of these compounds. The present study was aimed at determining the occurrence and concentrations of most common PBDEs in leachates from selected landfill sites. The extraction capacities of the solvents were also tested. Spiked landfill leachate samples were used for the recovery tests. Separation and determination of the PBDE congeners were carried out with a gas chromatograph equipped with Ni63 electron capture detector. The mean percentage recoveries ranged from 63% to 108% (n=3) for landfill leachate samples with petroleum ether giving the highest percentage extraction. The mean concentrations of PBDEs obtained ranged from ND to 2670pgl(-1), ND to 6638pgl(-1), ND to 7230pgl(-1), 41 to 4009pgl(-1), 90 to 9793pgl(-1) for the Garankuwa, Hatherly, Kwaggarsrand, Soshanguve and Temba landfill sites, respectively. Also BDE -28, -47, -71 and BDE-77 were detected in the leachate samples from all the landfill sites; and all the congeners were detected in two of the oldest landfill sites. The peak concentrations were recorded for BDE-47 at three sites and BDE-71 and BDE-75 at two sites. The highest concentration, 9793+/-1.5pgl(-1), was obtained for the Temba landfill site with the highest BOD value. This may suggest some influence of organics on the level of PBDEs. Considering the leaching characteristics of brominated flame retardants, there is a high possibility that with time these compounds may infiltrate into the groundwater around the sites since most of the sites are not adequately lined.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in leachates from selected landfill sites in South Africa

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

Odusanya, David O.; Okonkwo, Jonathan O.; Botha, Ben

The last few decades have seen dramatic growth in the scale of production and the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as flame retardants. Consequently, PBDEs such as BDE -28, -47, -66, -71, -75, -77, -85, -99, -100, -119, -138, -153, -154, and -183 have been detected in various environmental matrices. Generally, in South Africa, once the products containing these chemicals have outlived their usefulness, they are discarded into landfill sites. Consequently, the levels of PBDEs in leachates from landfill sites may give an indication of the general exposure and use of these compounds. The present study was aimed atmore » determining the occurrence and concentrations of most common PBDEs in leachates from selected landfill sites. The extraction capacities of the solvents were also tested. Spiked landfill leachate samples were used for the recovery tests. Separation and determination of the PBDE congeners were carried out with a gas chromatograph equipped with Ni{sup 63} electron capture detector. The mean percentage recoveries ranged from 63% to 108% (n = 3) for landfill leachate samples with petroleum ether giving the highest percentage extraction. The mean concentrations of PBDEs obtained ranged from ND to 2670 pg l{sup -1}, ND to 6638 pg l{sup -1}, ND to 7230 pg l{sup -1}, 41 to 4009 pg l{sup -1}, 90 to 9793 pg l{sup -1} for the Garankuwa, Hatherly, Kwaggarsrand, Soshanguve and Temba landfill sites, respectively. Also BDE -28, -47, -71 and BDE-77 were detected in the leachate samples from all the landfill sites; and all the congeners were detected in two of the oldest landfill sites. The peak concentrations were recorded for BDE-47 at three sites and BDE-71 and BDE-75 at two sites. The highest concentration, 9793 {+-} 1.5 pg l{sup -1}, was obtained for the Temba landfill site with the highest BOD value. This may suggest some influence of organics on the level of PBDEs. Considering the leaching characteristics of brominated flame retardants, there is a high possibility that with time these compounds may infiltrate into the groundwater around the sites since most of the sites are not adequately lined.« less

Site-Selection in Single-Molecule Junction for Highly Reproducible Molecular Electronics.

PubMed

Kaneko, Satoshi; Murai, Daigo; Marqués-González, Santiago; Nakamura, Hisao; Komoto, Yuki; Fujii, Shintaro; Nishino, Tomoaki; Ikeda, Katsuyoshi; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Kiguchi, Manabu

2016-02-03

Adsorption sites of molecules critically determine the electric/photonic properties and the stability of heterogeneous molecule-metal interfaces. Then, selectivity of adsorption site is essential for development of the fields including organic electronics, catalysis, and biology. However, due to current technical limitations, site-selectivity, i.e., precise determination of the molecular adsorption site, remains a major challenge because of difficulty in precise selection of meaningful one among the sites. We have succeeded the single site-selection at a single-molecule junction by performing newly developed hybrid technique: simultaneous characterization of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The I-V response of 1,4-benzenedithiol junctions reveals the existence of three metastable states arising from different adsorption sites. Notably, correlated SERS measurements show selectivity toward one of the adsorption sites: "bridge sites". This site-selectivity represents an essential step toward the reliable integration of individual molecules on metallic surfaces. Furthermore, the hybrid spectro-electric technique reveals the dependence of the SERS intensity on the strength of the molecule-metal interaction, showing the interdependence between the optical and electronic properties in single-molecule junctions.

Thirty Meter Telescope Site Testing V: Seeing and Isoplanatic Angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skidmore, Warren; Els, Sebastian; Travouillon, Tony; Riddle, Reed; Schöck, Matthias; Bustos, Edison; Seguel, Juan; Walker, David

2009-10-01

In this article we present an analysis of the statistical and temporal properties of seeing and isoplanatic angle measurements obtained with combined Differential Image Motion Monitor (DIMM) and Multi-Aperture Scintillation Sensor (MASS) units at the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) candidate sites. For each of the five candidate sites we obtained multiyear, high-cadence, high-quality seeing measurements. These data allow for a broad and detailed analysis, giving us a good understanding of the characteristics of each of the sites. The overall seeing statistics for the five candidate sites are presented, broken into total seeing (measured by the DIMM), free-atmosphere seeing and isoplanatic angle (measured by the MASS), and ground-layer seeing (difference between the total and free-atmosphere seeing). We examine the statistical distributions of seeing measurements and investigate annual and nightly behavior. The properties of the seeing measurements are discussed in terms of the geography and meteorological conditions at each site. The temporal variability of the seeing measurements over timescales of minutes to hours is derived for each site. We find that each of the TMT candidate sites has its own strengths and weaknesses when compared against the other candidate sites. The results presented in this article form part of the full set of results that are used for the TMT site-selection process. This is the fifth article in a series discussing the TMT site-testing project.

Cavity detection and delineation research. Part 1: Microgravimetric and magnetic surveys: Medford Cave Site, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, D. K.

1982-03-01

This report reviews the scope of a research effort initiated in 1974 at the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station with the objectives of (a) assessing the state of the art in geophysical cavity detection and delineation methodology and (b) developing new methods and improving or adapting old methods for application to cavity detection and delineation. Two field test sites were selected: (a) the Medford Cave site with a relatively shallow (10- to 50-ft-deep) air-filled cavity system and (b) the Manatee Springs site with a deeper (approximately 100-ft-deep) water-filled cavity system. Results of field studies at the Medford Cave site are presented in this report: (a) the site geology, (b) the site topographic survey, (c) the site drilling program (boreholes for geophysical tests, for determination of a detailed geological cross section, and for verification of geophysical anomalies), (d) details of magnetic and microgravimetric surveys, and (e) correlation of geophysical results with known site geology. Qualitative interpretation guidelines using complementary geophysical techniques for site investigations in karst regions are presented. Including the results of electrical resistivity surveys conducted at the Medford Cave site, the qualitative guidelines are applied to four profile lines, and drilling locations are indicated on the profile plots of gravity, magnetic, and electrical resistivity data. Borehole logs are then presented for comparison with the predictions of the qualitative interpretation guidelines.

Channel architecture in maltoporin: dominance studies with lamB mutations influencing maltodextrin binding provide evidence for independent selectivity filters in each subunit.

PubMed Central

Ferenci, T; Lee, K S

1989-01-01

Maltoporin trimers constitute maltodextrin-selective channels in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli. To study the organization of the maltodextrin-binding site within trimers, dominance studies were undertaken with maltoporin variants of altered binding affinity. It has been established that amino acid substitutions at three dispersed regions of the maltoporin sequence (at residues 8, 82, and 360) resulted specifically in maltodextrin-binding defects and loss of maltodextrin channel selectivity; a substitution at residue 118 increased both binding affinity and maltodextrin transport. Strains heterodiploid for lamB were constructed in which these substitutions were encoded by chromosomal and plasmid-borne genes, and the relative level of maltoporin expression from these genes was estimated. Binding assays with bacteria forming maltoporin heterotrimers were performed in order to test for complementation between binding-negative alleles, negative dominance of negative over wild-type alleles, and possible dominance of negatives over the high-affinity allele. Double mutants with mutations affecting residues 8 and 118, 82 and 118, and 118 and 360 were constructed in vitro, and the dominance properties of the mutations in cis were also tested. There was no complementation between negatives and no negative dominance in heterotrimers. The high-affinity mutation was dominant over negatives in trans but not in cis. The affinity of binding sites in heterotrimer populations was characteristic of the high-affinity allele present and uninfluenced by the negative allele. These results are consistent with the presence of three discrete binding sites in a maltoporin trimer and suggest that the selectivity filter for maltodextrins is not at the interface between the three subunits. PMID:2521623

Shape-selective recognition of DNA abasic sites by metallohelices: inhibition of human AP endonuclease 1.

PubMed

Malina, Jaroslav; Scott, Peter; Brabec, Viktor

2015-06-23

Loss of a base in DNA leading to creation of an abasic (AP) site leaving a deoxyribose residue in the strand, is a frequent lesion that may occur spontaneously or under the action of various physical and chemical agents. Progress in the understanding of the chemistry and enzymology of abasic DNA largely relies upon the study of AP sites in synthetic duplexes. We report here on interactions of diastereomerically pure metallo-helical 'flexicate' complexes, bimetallic triple-stranded ferro-helicates [Fe2(NN-NN)3](4+) incorporating the common NN-NN bis(bidentate) helicand, with short DNA duplexes containing AP sites in different sequence contexts. The results show that the flexicates bind to AP sites in DNA duplexes in a shape-selective manner. They preferentially bind to AP sites flanked by purines on both sides and their binding is enhanced when a pyrimidine is placed in opposite orientation to the lesion. Notably, the Λ-enantiomer binds to all tested AP sites with higher affinity than the Δ-enantiomer. In addition, the binding of the flexicates to AP sites inhibits the activity of human AP endonuclease 1, which is as a valid anticancer drug target. Hence, this finding indicates the potential of utilizing well-defined metallo-helical complexes for cancer chemotherapy. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Archaeological Investigations in the Upper Tombigbee Valley, Mississippi: Phase I. Volume 1.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

6.10 Site 221T563: Selected c,ramics; Alexander Incised .............................. 6.90 6.91 6.11 Site 221T563: Selected ceramics: Alexander... Incised .............................. 6.92 6.93 6.12 Site 221T563: Selected ceramics: Alexander Incised .............................. 6.94 6.95 6.13 Site...221T563: Selected ceramics: Alexander Incised .............................. 6.96 6.9i 6.14 Site 221T563: Selected ceramics: Alexander Incised

Sexual Selection Halts the Relaxation of Protamine 2 among Rodents

PubMed Central

Lüke, Lena; Vicens, Alberto; Serra, Francois; Luque-Larena, Juan Jose; Dopazo, Hernán; Roldan, Eduardo R. S.; Gomendio, Montserrat

2011-01-01

Sexual selection has been proposed as the driving force promoting the rapid evolutionary changes observed in some reproductive genes including protamines. We test this hypothesis in a group of rodents which show marked differences in the intensity of sexual selection. Levels of sperm competition were not associated with the evolutionary rates of protamine 1 but, contrary to expectations, were negatively related to the evolutionary rate of cleaved- and mature-protamine 2. Since both domains were found to be under relaxation, our findings reveal an unforeseen role of sexual selection: to halt the degree of degeneration that proteins within families may experience due to functional redundancy. The degree of relaxation of protamine 2 in this group of rodents is such that in some species it has become dysfunctional and it is not expressed in mature spermatozoa. In contrast, protamine 1 is functionally conserved but shows directed positive selection on specific sites which are functionally relevant such as DNA-anchoring domains and phosphorylation sites. We conclude that in rodents protamine 2 is under relaxation and that sexual selection removes deleterious mutations among species with high levels of sperm competition to maintain the protein functional and the spermatozoa competitive. PMID:22216223

When bigger is not better: selection against large size, high condition and fast growth in juvenile lemon sharks.

PubMed

Dibattista, J D; Feldheim, K A; Gruber, S H; Hendry, A P

2007-01-01

Selection acting on large marine vertebrates may be qualitatively different from that acting on terrestrial or freshwater organisms, but logistical constraints have thus far precluded selection estimates for the former. We overcame these constraints by exhaustively sampling and repeatedly recapturing individuals in six cohorts of juvenile lemon sharks (450 age-0 and 255 age-1 fish) at an enclosed nursery site (Bimini, Bahamas). Data on individual size, condition factor, growth rate and inter-annual survival were used to test the 'bigger is better', 'fatter is better' and 'faster is better' hypotheses of life-history theory. For age-0 sharks, selection on all measured traits was weak, and generally acted against large size and high condition. For age-1 sharks, selection was much stronger, and consistently acted against large size and fast growth. These results suggest that selective pressures at Bimini may be constraining the evolution of large size and fast growth, an observation that fits well with the observed small size and low growth rate of juveniles at this site. Our results support those of some other recent studies in suggesting that bigger/fatter/faster is not always better, and may often be worse.

Evaluation of liners for a uranium-mill tailings disposal site: a status report

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

Buelt, J.L.; Hale, V.Q.; Barnes, S.M.

1981-05-01

The United States Department of Energy is conducting a program designed to reclaim or stabilize inactive uranium-mill tailings sites. This report presents the status of the Liner Evaluation Program. The purpose of the study was to identify eight prospective lining materials or composites for laboratory testing. The evaluation was performed by 1) reviewing proposed regulatory requirements to define the material performance criteria; 2) reviewing published literature and communicating with industrial and government experts experienced with lining materials and techniques; and 3) characterizing the tailings at three of the sites for calcium concentration, a selection of anions, radionuclides, organic solvents, andmore » acidity levels. The eight materials selected for laboratory testing are: natural soil amended with sodium-saturated montmorillonite (Volclay); locally available clay in conjunction with an asphalt emulsion radon suppression cover; locally available clay in conjunction with a multibarrier radon suppression cover; rubberized asphalt membrane; hydraulic asphalt concrete; chlorosulfonated polyethylene (hypalon) or high-density polyethylene; bentonite, sand and gravel mixture; and catalytic airblown asphalt membrane. The materials will be exposed in test units now being constructed to conditions such as wet/dry cycles, temperature cycles, oxidative environments, ion-exchange elements, etc. The results of the tests will identify the best material for field study. The status report also presents the information gathered during the field studies at Grand Junction, Colorado. Two liners, a bentonite, sand and gravel mixture, and a catalytic airblown asphalt membrane, were installed in a prepared trench and covered with tailings. The liners were instrumented and are being monitored for migration of moisture, radionuclides, and hazardous chemicals. The two liner materials will also be subjected to accelerated laboratory tests for a comparative assessment.« less

Multilocus patterns of polymorphism and selection across the X chromosome of Caenorhabditis remanei.

PubMed

Cutter, Asher D

2008-03-01

Natural selection and neutral processes such as demography, mutation, and gene conversion all contribute to patterns of polymorphism within genomes. Identifying the relative importance of these varied components in evolution provides the principal challenge for population genetics. To address this issue in the nematode Caenorhabditis remanei, I sampled nucleotide polymorphism at 40 loci across the X chromosome. The site-frequency spectrum for these loci provides no evidence for population size change, and one locus presents a candidate for linkage to a target of balancing selection. Selection for codon usage bias leads to the non-neutrality of synonymous sites, and despite its weak magnitude of effect (N(e)s approximately 0.1), is responsible for profound patterns of diversity and divergence in the C. remanei genome. Although gene conversion is evident for many loci, biased gene conversion is not identified as a significant evolutionary process in this sample. No consistent association is observed between synonymous-site diversity and linkage-disequilibrium-based estimators of the population recombination parameter, despite theoretical predictions about background selection or widespread genetic hitchhiking, but genetic map-based estimates of recombination are needed to rigorously test for a diversity-recombination relationship. Coalescent simulations also illustrate how a spurious correlation between diversity and linkage-disequilibrium-based estimators of recombination can occur, due in part to the presence of unbiased gene conversion. These results illustrate the influence that subtle natural selection can exert on polymorphism and divergence, in the form of codon usage bias, and demonstrate the potential of C. remanei for detecting natural selection from genomic scans of polymorphism.

Immune Selection In Vitro Reveals Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Nef Sequence Motifs Important for Its Immune Evasion Function In Vivo

PubMed Central

Lee, Patricia; Ng, Hwee L.; Yang, Otto O.

2012-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Nef downregulates major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I), impairing the clearance of infected cells by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). While sequence motifs mediating this function have been determined by in vitro mutagenesis studies of laboratory-adapted HIV-1 molecular clones, it is unclear whether the highly variable Nef sequences of primary isolates in vivo rely on the same sequence motifs. To address this issue, nef quasispecies from nine chronically HIV-1-infected persons were examined for sequence evolution and altered MHC-I downregulatory function under Gag-specific CTL immune pressure in vitro. This selection resulted in decreased nef diversity and strong purifying selection. Site-by-site analysis identified 13 codons undergoing purifying selection and 1 undergoing positive selection. Of the former, only 6 have been reported to have roles in Nef function, including 4 associated with MHC-I downregulation. Functional testing of naturally occurring in vivo polymorphisms at the 7 sites with no previously known functional role revealed 3 mutations (A84D, Y135F, and G140R) that ablated MHC-I downregulation and 3 (N52A, S169I, and V180E) that partially impaired MHC-I downregulation. Globally, the CTL pressure in vitro selected functional Nef from the in vivo quasispecies mixtures that predominately lacked MHC-I downregulatory function at the baseline. Overall, these data demonstrate that CTL pressure exerts a strong purifying selective pressure for MHC-I downregulation and identifies novel functional motifs present in Nef sequences in vivo. PMID:22553319

Enforcement, adjudication and public information strategies for the general deterrence of driving while intoxicated : information for potential field site participants

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-10-01

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through a contract with the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC) is intending to field test the effectiveness of selected general deterrence programs directed at...

Robust Statistics and Regularization for Feature Extraction and UXO Discrimination

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

July 11, 2011 real data we find that this technique has an improved probability of finding all ordnance in a test data set, relative to previously...many sites. Tests on larger data sets should still be carried out. In previous work we considered a bootstrapping approach to selecting the operating...Marginalizing over x we obtain the probability that the ith order statistic in the test data belongs to the T class (55) P (T |x(i)) = ∞∫ −∞ P (T |x)p(x

Hybrid poplar grows poorly on acid spoil banks at high elevations in West Virginia

Treesearch

George R., Jr. Trimble

1963-01-01

In the early 1950s, a region-wide series of hybrid poplar clonal tests was begun in the Northeast to evaluate the performance of 50 selected clones under a variety of site and climatic conditions. The basic test unit was a block of 50 randomized plots-1 plot for each of the 50 clones. In each plot, 16 cuttings were planted at 4-foot spacing.

Slime Analysis of Painted Steel Panels Immersed in Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach, Florida.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-30

site ploratory tests on materials under consideration for water. Since the sample panels are curved to fit the heat exchangers was undertaken to... tested in this program were standard and experimental Navy materials and a selection of proprietary coatings supplied by coinrcial manufacturers. Navy...of marine microbial slime fouling filims. Application Is described to fouling of metal heat exchanger pipe in the Ocean Thermal Enrgy Conversion

Site selection for the future stations of the french permanent broadband network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vergne, Jérôme; Charade, Olivier

2013-04-01

RESIF (REseau SIsmologique et géodésique Français) is a new French research infrastructure dedicated to the observation of earth deformation based on seismic and geodetic instruments mainly located in France. One of its major component, called RESIF-CLB (Construction Large Bande), is devoted to the evolution of the permanent seismic broadband network in metropolitan France with the objective to complement the 45 existing stations with ~155 new stations within the next eight years. This network will be used for various scientific objectives including deep structures imaging and national seismicity monitoring. The chosen network topology consists in a backbone of homogeneously distributed stations (long wavelength array) completed by additional stations in seismically active regions. Management of the RESIF-CLB project is carried out by the technical division of INSU (Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers) who will rely on eight regional observatories and the CEA-LDG for the construction and operation of the stations. To optimize the performance of the network, we put a strong emphasis on the standardization of the stations in term of vault types, scientific and technical instrumentation and operation procedures. We also set up a procedure for site selection requiring that every potential site has to be tested for at least 3 weeks with a minimalist installation. Analysis of the continuous ambient noise records is then included in a standardized report submitted to all committed partners for acceptance. During the last two years, about 60 potential new sites have been tested, spanning various places and environments. We present a review of the seismic noise measurements at these sites and discuss the influence of different types of noise sources depending on the frequency band of interest. For example, we show that regional population distribution can be used as a proxy to infer the noise level at frequencies higher than 1 Hz. Based on similar noise analyses at existing permanent sites, we also discuss the fair benefit of our site testing procedure for the estimation of the long period noise level once the station is settled.

A wave model test bed study for wave energy resource characterization

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

Yang, Zhaoqing; Neary, Vincent S.; Wang, Taiping

This paper presents a test bed study conducted to evaluate best practices in wave modeling to characterize energy resources. The model test bed off the central Oregon Coast was selected because of the high wave energy and available measured data at the site. Two third-generation spectral wave models, SWAN and WWIII, were evaluated. A four-level nested-grid approach—from global to test bed scale—was employed. Model skills were assessed using a set of model performance metrics based on comparing six simulated wave resource parameters to observations from a wave buoy inside the test bed. Both WWIII and SWAN performed well at themore » test bed site and exhibited similar modeling skills. The ST4 package with WWIII, which represents better physics for wave growth and dissipation, out-performed ST2 physics and improved wave power density and significant wave height predictions. However, ST4 physics tended to overpredict the wave energy period. The newly developed ST6 physics did not improve the overall model skill for predicting the six wave resource parameters. Sensitivity analysis using different wave frequencies and direction resolutions indicated the model results were not sensitive to spectral resolutions at the test bed site, likely due to the absence of complex bathymetric and geometric features.« less

Genetic variation and selection of MHC class I loci differ in two congeneric frogs.

PubMed

Kiemnec-Tyburczy, Karen M; Tracy, Karen E; Lips, Karen R; Zamudio, Kelly R

2018-04-01

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode proteins in the acquired immune response pathway that often show distinctive selection-driven patterns in wild vertebrate populations. We examined genetic variation and signatures of selection in the MHC class I alpha 1 (A1)- and alpha 2 (A2)-domain encoding exons of two frog congeners [Agalychnis callidryas (n = 20) and A. lemur (n = 20)] from a single locality in Panama. We also investigated how historical demographic processes may have impacted MHC genetic diversity by analyzing a neutral mitochondrial marker. We found that both MHC domains were highly variable in both species, with both species likely expressing three loci. Our analyses revealed different signatures of selection between the two species, most notably that the A. callidryas A2 domain had experienced positive selection while the A2 domain of A. lemur had not. Diversifying selection acted on the same number of A1 and A2 allelic lineages, but on a higher percentage of A1 sites compared to A2 sites. Neutrality tests of mitochondrial haplotypes predominately indicated that the two species were at genetic equilibrium when the samples were collected. In addition, two historical tests of demography indicated both species have had relatively stable population sizes over the past 100,000 years; thus large population size changes are unlikely to have greatly influenced MHC diversity in either species during this time period. In conclusion, our results suggest that the impact of selection on MHC diversity varied between these two closely related species, likely due to a combination of distinct ecological conditions and past pathogenic pressures.

Molecular recognition in protein modification with rhodium metallopeptides

PubMed Central

Ball, Zachary T.

2015-01-01

Chemical manipulation of natural, unengineered proteins is a daunting challenge which tests the limits of reaction design. By combining transition-metal or other catalysts with molecular recognition ideas, it is possible to achieve site-selective protein reactivity without the need for engineered recognition sequences or reactive sites. Some recent examples in this area have used ruthenium photocatalysis, pyridine organocatalysis, and rhodium(II) metallocarbene catalysis, indicating that the fundamental ideas provide opportunities for using diverse reactivity on complex protein substrates and in complex cell-like environments. PMID:25588960

Archeological/Historical Inventory, Pedestrian Reconnaissance and Limited Shovel Testing for the Proposed Flood Control Project at Fort Wayne, Indiana

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-01

selection is apparently based on regional terrain and the fact that the west bank offers better access to hinterland resources. Cochran’s ( 1980 ...summer occupations in exposed aquatic- oriented zones such as the floodplains do occur, most within 300 meters of the channel (Cochran 1980 :98...According to Cochran ( 1980 :98), "There appears to be a positive association between pottery bearing sites and sandy soils." Woodland sites encompass villages

Bioenvironmental aspects of europium and rhodium: a selected bibliography

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

Fore, C.S.; Carrier, R.F.; Talmage, S.S.

This bibliography of 428 abstracted references represents a summary of the domestic and foreign literature relevant to the biological and environmental aspects of europium and rhodium. The collected data are organized by current NAEG interests - research highlighting inventory and distribution of the radionulcides, ecological studies covering terrestrial and aquatic systems, and biological studies in both man and animals. Studies that focus directly on research conducted at specific sites (e.g., the Nevada Test Site) are emphasized throughout the bibliography. (ACR)

Developing and Testing a Robust, Multi-Scale Framework for the Recovery of Longleaf Pine Understory Communities

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

Model averaging for species richness on post-agricultural sites (1000 m2) with a landscape radius of 150 m. Table 3.4.8. Model selection for species ... richness on post-agricultural sites (1000 m2) with a landscape radius of 150 m. Table 3.4.9. Model averaging for proportion of reference species on...Direct, indirect, and total standardized effects on species richness . Table 4.1.1. Species and number of seeds added to the experimental plots at

Selected Ground-Water Data for Yucca Mountain Region, Southern Nevada and Eastern California, Through December 1998

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

data; X, un ll-completion report, or Fenix & Scisson, Inc., or Raytheon Services Nevada hole-history data; J, Johnston (19 rs (1988); T, Thordarson ...associated with weapons-testing hydrology programs ( Thordarson and others, 1967; Johnston, 1968) or Yucca Mountain site-characterization studies...MV-1, AD-4a, AD-5, AD-6, AD-8, and AM-4. Thordarson and others (1967) describe the contributing unit at site RV-1. Dudley and Larson (1976

Efficacy of function specific 3D-motifs in enzyme classification according to their EC-numbers.

PubMed

Rahimi, Amir; Madadkar-Sobhani, Armin; Touserkani, Rouzbeh; Goliaei, Bahram

2013-11-07

Due to the increasing number of protein structures with unknown function originated from structural genomics projects, protein function prediction has become an important subject in bioinformatics. Among diverse function prediction methods, exploring known 3D-motifs, which are associated with functional elements in unknown protein structures is one of the most biologically meaningful methods. Homologous enzymes inherit such motifs in their active sites from common ancestors. However, slight differences in the properties of these motifs, results in variation in the reactions and substrates of the enzymes. In this study, we examined the possibility of discriminating highly related active site patterns according to their EC-numbers by 3D-motifs. For each EC-number, the spatial arrangement of an active site, which has minimum average distance to other active sites with the same function, was selected as a representative 3D-motif. In order to characterize the motifs, various points in active site elements were tested. The results demonstrated the possibility of predicting full EC-number of enzymes by 3D-motifs. However, the discriminating power of 3D-motifs varies among different enzyme families and depends on selecting the appropriate points and features. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 563: Septic Systems, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, with Errata Sheet, Revision 0 (in English; Afrikaans)

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

Alfred Wickline

Corrective Action Unit 563, Septic Systems, is located in Areas 3 and 12 of the Nevada Test Site, which is 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 563 is comprised of the four corrective action sites (CASs) below: • 03-04-02, Area 3 Subdock Septic Tank • 03-59-05, Area 3 Subdock Cesspool • 12-59-01, Drilling/Welding Shop Septic Tanks • 12-60-01, Drilling/Welding Shop Outfalls These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective actionmore » investigation (CAI) before evaluating corrective action alternatives and selecting the appropriate corrective action for each CAS. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable corrective action alternatives that will be presented in the Corrective Action Decision Document.« less

Decomposing the Site Frequency Spectrum: The Impact of Tree Topology on Neutrality Tests.

PubMed

Ferretti, Luca; Ledda, Alice; Wiehe, Thomas; Achaz, Guillaume; Ramos-Onsins, Sebastian E

2017-09-01

We investigate the dependence of the site frequency spectrum on the topological structure of genealogical trees. We show that basic population genetic statistics, for instance, estimators of θ or neutrality tests such as Tajima's D , can be decomposed into components of waiting times between coalescent events and of tree topology. Our results clarify the relative impact of the two components on these statistics. We provide a rigorous interpretation of positive or negative values of an important class of neutrality tests in terms of the underlying tree shape. In particular, we show that values of Tajima's D and Fay and Wu's H depend in a direct way on a peculiar measure of tree balance, which is mostly determined by the root balance of the tree. We present a new test for selection in the same class as Fay and Wu's H and discuss its interpretation and power. Finally, we determine the trees corresponding to extreme expected values of these neutrality tests and present formulas for these extreme values as a function of sample size and number of segregating sites. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

Ocean Instruments Web Site for Undergraduate, Secondary and Informal Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrington, J. W.; Nevala, A.; Dolby, L. A.

2004-12-01

An Ocean Instruments web site has been developed that makes available information about ocean sampling and measurement instruments and platforms. The site features text, pictures, diagrams and background information written or edited by experts in ocean science and engineering and contains links to glossaries and multimedia technologies including video streaming, audio packages, and searchable databases. The site was developed after advisory meetings with selected professors teaching undergraduate classes who responded to the question, what could Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution supply to enhance undergraduate education in ocean sciences, life sciences, and geosciences? Prototypes were developed and tested with students, potential users, and potential contributors. The site is hosted by WHOI. The initial five instruments featured were provided by four WHOI scientists and engineers and by one Sea Education Association faculty member. The site is now open to contributions from scientists and engineers worldwide. The site will not advertise or promote the use of individual ocean instruments.

40 CFR 761.250 - Sample site selection for pipeline section abandonment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sample site selection for pipeline... Disposal of Natural Gas Pipeline: Selecting Sample Sites, Collecting Surface Samples, and Analyzing Standard PCB Wipe Samples § 761.250 Sample site selection for pipeline section abandonment. This procedure...

40 CFR 761.250 - Sample site selection for pipeline section abandonment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sample site selection for pipeline... Disposal of Natural Gas Pipeline: Selecting Sample Sites, Collecting Surface Samples, and Analyzing Standard PCB Wipe Samples § 761.250 Sample site selection for pipeline section abandonment. This procedure...

Skylab program earth resources experiment package: Ground truth data for test sites (SL-2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Field measurements were performed at selected ground sites in order to provide comparative calibration measurements of sensors for the Earth Resources Experiment Package. Specifically, the solar radiation (400 to 1300 namometers) and thermal radiation (8-14 micrometers) were measured. Sites employed for the thermal measurements consisted of warm and cold water lakes. The thermal brightness temperature of the lake water, the temperature and humidity profile above the lake, and near surface meteorology (wind speed, pressure, etc.) were measured near the time of overpass. Sites employed for the solar radiation measurements were two desert type sites. Ground measurements consisted of: (1) direct solar radiation - optical depth; (2) diffuse solar radiation; (3) total solar radiation, (4) target directional (normal) reflectance; (5) target hemispherical reflectance; and (6) near surface meteorology.

Comparative toxicology of laboratory organisms for assessing hazardous-waste sites

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

Miller, W.E.; Peterson, S.A.; Greene, J.C.

1985-01-01

Multi-media/multi-trophic level bioassays have been proposed to determine the extent and severity of environmental contamination at hazardous waste sites. Comparative toxicological profiles for algae, daphnia, earthworms, microbes, mixed sewage and plants; wheat Stephens, lettuce, butter crunch, radish, Cherry Belle, red clover, Kenland, and cucumber, Spartan Valor are presented for selected heavy metals, herbicides and insecticides. Specific chemical EC50 values are presented for each test organism. Differences in standard deviations were compared between each individual test organism, as well as for the chemical subgroup assayed. Algae and daphnia are the most sensitive test organisms to heavy metals and insecticides followed inmore » order of decreasing sensitivity by Microtox, DO depletion rate, seed germination and earthworms. Differences in toxicity of 2,4-D chemical formulations and commercial sources of insecticides were observed with algae and daphnia tests.« less

Improvement of individual camouflage through background choice in ground-nesting birds.

PubMed

Stevens, Martin; Troscianko, Jolyon; Wilson-Aggarwal, Jared K; Spottiswoode, Claire N

2017-09-01

Animal camouflage is a longstanding example of adaptation. Much research has tested how camouflage prevents detection and recognition, largely focusing on changes to an animal's own appearance over evolution. However, animals could also substantially alter their camouflage by behaviourally choosing appropriate substrates. Recent studies suggest that individuals from several animal taxa could select backgrounds or positions to improve concealment. Here, we test whether individual wild animals choose backgrounds in complex environments, and whether this improves camouflage against predator vision. We studied nest site selection by nine species of ground-nesting birds (nightjars, plovers and coursers) in Zambia, and used image analysis and vision modeling to quantify egg and plumage camouflage to predator vision. Individual birds chose backgrounds that enhanced their camouflage, being better matched to their chosen backgrounds than to other potential backgrounds with respect to multiple aspects of camouflage. This occurred at all three spatial scales tested (a few cm and five meters from the nest, and compared to other sites chosen by conspecifics), and was the case for the eggs of all bird groups studied, and for adult nightjar plumage. Thus, individual wild animals improve their camouflage through active background choice, with choices highly refined across multiple spatial scales.

Improvement of individual camouflage through background choice in ground-nesting birds

PubMed Central

Stevens, Martin; Troscianko, Jolyon; Wilson-Aggarwal, Jared K.; Spottiswoode, Claire N.

2017-01-01

Animal camouflage is a longstanding example of adaptation. Much research has tested how camouflage prevents detection and recognition, largely focusing on changes to an animal's own appearance over evolution. However, animals could also substantially alter their camouflage by behaviourally choosing appropriate substrates. Recent studies suggest that individuals from several animal taxa could select backgrounds or positions to improve concealment. Here, we test whether individual wild animals choose backgrounds in complex environments, and whether this improves camouflage against predator vision. We studied nest site selection by nine species of ground-nesting birds (nightjars, plovers and coursers) in Zambia, and used image analysis and vision modeling to quantify egg and plumage camouflage to predator vision. Individual birds chose backgrounds that enhanced their camouflage, being better matched to their chosen backgrounds than to other potential backgrounds with respect to multiple aspects of camouflage. This occurred at all three spatial scales tested (a few cm and five meters from the nest, and compared to other sites chosen by conspecifics), and was the case for the eggs of all bird groups studied, and for adult nightjar plumage. Thus, individual wild animals improve their camouflage through active background choice, with choices highly refined across multiple spatial scales. PMID:28890937

Characterization of selected bed-sediment-bound organic and inorganic contaminants and toxicity, Barnegat Bay and major tributaries, New Jersey, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Romanok, Kristin M.; Reilly, Timothy J.; Lopez, Anthony R.; Trainor, John J.; Hladik, Michelle; Stanley, Jacob K.; Farrar, Daniel

2014-01-01

A study of bed-sediment toxicity and organic and inorganic contaminants was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Bed-sediment samples were collected once from 22 sites in Barnegat Bay and selected major tributaries during August–September 2012 and analyzed for toxicity and a suite of organic and inorganic contaminants by the USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sampling sites were selected to coincide with an existing water-quality monitoring network used by the NJDEP and others in order to evaluate water-quality conditions in Barnegat Bay and the surrounding watershed. Two of the 22 sites are reference sites and are within or adjacent to the study area; bed-sediment samples from reference sites allow for comparisons of results for the Barnegat Bay watershed to results from less affected settings within the region. Toxicity testing was conducted by exposing the estuarine amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus and the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca to sediments for 28 days, and the percent survival, difference in biomass, and individual dry weights were measured. Reproductive effects also were evaluated for estuarine samples. Bed-sediment samples from four sites within Barnegat Bay were subjected to a toxicity identification evaluation to determine probable causes of toxicity. Samples were analyzed for a suite of 94 currently-used pesticides, 21 legacy pesticides, 24 trace elements, 40 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 7 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as Arochlor mixtures, and 145 individual PCB congeners. Concentrations of detected compounds were compared to sediment-quality guidelines, where appropriate.

Canada's Deep Geological Repository For Used Nuclear Fuel -The Geoscientific Site Evaluation Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirschorn, S.; Ben Belfadhel, M.; Blyth, A.; DesRoches, A. J.; McKelvie, J. R. M.; Parmenter, A.; Sanchez-Rico Castejon, M.; Urrutia-Bustos, A.; Vorauer, A.

2014-12-01

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is responsible for implementing Adaptive Phased Management, the approach selected by the Government of Canada for long-term management of used nuclear fuel generated by Canadian nuclear reactors. In May 2010, the NWMO published and initiated a nine-step site selection process to find an informed and willing community to host a deep geological repository for Canada's used nuclear fuel. The site selection process is designed to address a broad range of technical and social, economic and cultural factors. The suitability of candidate areas will be assessed in a stepwise manner over a period of many years and include three main steps: Initial Screenings; Preliminary Assessments; and Detailed Site Characterizations. The Preliminary Assessment is conducted in two phases. NWMO has completed Phase 1 preliminary assessments for the first eight communities that entered into this step. While the Phase 1 desktop geoscientific assessments showed that each of the eight communities contains general areas that have the potential to satisfy the geoscientific safety requirements for hosting a deep geological repository, the assessment identified varying degrees of geoscientific complexity and uncertainty between communities, reflecting their different geological settings and structural histories. Phase 2 activities will include a sequence of high-resolution airborne geophysical surveys and focused geological field mapping to ground-truth lithology and structural features, followed by limited deep borehole drilling and testing. These activities will further evaluate the site's ability to meet the safety functions that a site would need to ultimately satisfy in order to be considered suitable. This paper provides an update on the site evaluation process and describes the approach, methods and criteria that are being used to conduct the geoscientific Preliminary Assessments.

Intraspecific variation in stomatal traits, leaf traits and physiology reflects adaptation along aridity gradients in a South African shrub

PubMed Central

Carlson, Jane E.; Adams, Christopher A.; Holsinger, Kent E.

2016-01-01

Background and Aims Trait–environment relationships are commonly interpreted as evidence for local adaptation in plants. However, even when selection analyses support this interpretation, the mechanisms underlying differential benefits are often unknown. This study addresses this gap in knowledge using the broadly distributed South African shrub Protea repens. Specifically, the study examines whether broad-scale patterns of trait variation are consistent with spatial differences in selection and ecophysiology in the wild. Methods In a common garden study of plants sourced from 19 populations, associations were measured between five morphological traits and three axes describing source climates. Trait–trait and trait–environment associations were analysed in a multi-response model. Within two focal populations in the wild, selection and path analyses were used to test associations between traits, fecundity and physiological performance. Key Results Across 19 populations in a common garden, stomatal density increased with the source population’s mean annual temperature and decreased with its average amount of rainfall in midsummer. Concordantly, selection analysis in two natural populations revealed positive selection on stomatal density at the hotter, drier site, while failing to detect selection at the cooler, moister site. Dry-site plants with high stomatal density also had higher stomatal conductances, cooler leaf temperatures and higher light-saturated photosynthetic rates than those with low stomatal density, but no such relationships were present among wet-site plants. Leaf area, stomatal pore index and specific leaf area in the garden also co-varied with climate, but within-population differences were not associated with fitness in either wild population. Conclusions The parallel patterns of broad-scale variation, differences in selection and differences in trait–ecophysiology relationships suggest a mechanism for adaptive differentiation in stomatal density. Densely packed stomata may improve performance by increasing transpiration and cooling, but predominately in drier, hotter climates. This study uniquely shows context-dependent benefits of stomatal density – a trait rarely linked to local adaptation in plants. PMID:26424782

Design and methods of the Pacific Northwest Stream Quality Assessment (PNSQA), 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sheibley, Rich W.; Morace, Jennifer L.; Journey, Celeste A.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Bell, Amanda H.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Button, Daniel T.; Qi, Sharon L.

2017-08-25

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project conducted the Pacific Northwest Stream Quality Assessment (PNSQA) to investigate stream quality across the western part of the Pacific Northwest. The goal of the PNSQA was to assess the health of streams in the region by characterizing multiple water-quality factors that are stressors to in-stream aquatic life and by evaluating the relation between these stressors and the condition of biological communities. The effects of urbanization and agriculture on stream quality for the Puget Lowland and Willamette Valley Level III Ecoregions were the focus of this regional study. Findings will help inform the public and policymakers about human and environmental factors that are the most critical in affecting stream quality and, thus, provide insights into possible strategies to protect or improve the health of streams in the region.Land-use data were used in the study to identify and select sites within the region that ranged in levels of urban and agricultural development. A total of 88 sites were selected across the region—69 were on streams that explicitly spanned a range of urban land use in their watersheds, 8 were on streams in agricultural watersheds, and 11 were reference sites with little or no development in their watersheds. Depending on the type of land use, sites were sampled for contaminants, nutrients, and sediment for either a 4- or 10-week period during April, May, and June 2015. This water-quality “index period” was immediately followed with an ecological survey of all sites that included stream habitat, benthic algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish. Additionally, streambed sediment was collected during the ecological survey for analysis of sediment chemistry and toxicity testing.This report provides a detailed description of the specific study components and methods of the PNSQA, including (1) surveys of stream habitat and aquatic biota, (2) discrete water sampling, (3) deployment of passive polar organic chemical integrative samplers for pesticides and pharmaceuticals, and (4) sampling of streambed sediment. At selected study sites, toxicity testing of streambed sediment, continuous water-quality monitoring, and daily pesticide sampling also were conducted and are described.

Regulatory requirements for nuclear power plant site selection in Malaysia-a review.

PubMed

Basri, N A; Hashim, S; Ramli, A T; Bradley, D A; Hamzah, K

2016-12-01

Malaysia has initiated a range of pre-project activities in preparation for its planned nuclear power programme. Clearly one of the first steps is the selection of sites that are deemed suitable for the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant. Here we outline the Malaysian regulatory requirements for nuclear power plant site selection, emphasizing details of the selection procedures and site characteristics needed, with a clear focus on radiation safety and radiation protection in respect of the site surroundings. The Malaysia Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) site selection guidelines are in accord with those provided in International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and United Stated Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) documents. To enhance the suitability criteria during selection, as well as to assist in the final decision making process, possible assessments using the site selection characteristics and information are proposed.

Methodologies for Crawler Based Web Surveys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thelwall, Mike

2002-01-01

Describes Web survey methodologies used to study the content of the Web, and discusses search engines and the concept of crawling the Web. Highlights include Web page selection methodologies; obstacles to reliable automatic indexing of Web sites; publicly indexable pages; crawling parameters; and tests for file duplication. (Contains 62…

Results of the Analyses of Screening Surface and Well Water Samples from Decatur, Alabama for Selected Perfluorinated Compounds

EPA Science Inventory

EPA has conducted testing of agricultural sites in Alabama where sewage sludge was applied from a local wastewater treatment plant that receives wastewater from numerous industrial sources, including facilities that manufacture and use perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perf...

Virtual Service, Real Data: Results of a Pilot Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kibbee, Jo; Ward, David; Ma, Wei

2002-01-01

Describes a pilot project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reference and undergraduate libraries to test the feasibility of offering real-time online reference service via their Web site. Discusses software selection, policies and procedures, promotion and marketing, user interface, training and staffing, data collection, and…

78 FR 38683 - Availability of Guidance: Establishments Guidance for the Selection of a Commercial or Private...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-27

... with regard to the risk of contamination that could spread from an on-site laboratory to manufacturing... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS-2011-0033... Testing Laboratory AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of availability...

WETLAND MORPHOLOGIC AND BIOGEOGRAPHIC INFLUENCES ON ALGAL RESPONSES TO NUTRIENT LOADING IN GREAT LAKES COASTAL WETLANDS

EPA Science Inventory

We are testing the influence of wetland morphology (protected vs. riverine) and biogeography (upper vs. lower Great Lakes) on algal responses to nutrients in Great Lakes Coastal wetlands. Principal components analysis using nutrient-specific GIS data was used to select sites wit...

Characterization of the geology, geochemistry, and microbiology of the radio frequency heating demonstration site at the Savannah River Site

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

Eddy Dilek, C.A.; Jarosch, T.R.; Fliermans, C.B.

The overall objective of the Integrated Demonstration Project for the Remediation of Organics at Nonarid Sites at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is to evaluate innovative remediation, characterization, and monitoring systems to facilitate restoration of contaminated sites. The first phase of the demonstration focused on the application and development of in situ air stripping technologies to remediate sediments and groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The second phase focused on the enhancement of the in situ air stripping process by adding selected nutrients to stimulate naturally occurring microorganisms that degrade VOCs. The purpose of the third phase was tomore » evaluate the use of heating technologies [radio frequency (rf) and ohmic heating] to enhance the removal of contamination from clay layers where mass transfer is limited. The objective of this report is to document pretest and post-test data collected in support of the rf heating demonstration. The following data are discussed in this report: (1) a general description of the site including piezometers and sensors installed to monitor the remedial process; (2) stratigraphy, lithology, and a detailed geologic cross section of the study site; (3) tabulations of pretest and post-test moisture and VOC content of the sediments; (4) sampling and analysis procedures for sediment samples; (5) microbial abundance and diversity; (6) three-dimensional images of pretest and post-test contaminant distribution; (7) volumetric calculations.« less

Using maximum entropy modeling for optimal selection of sampling sites for monitoring networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stohlgren, Thomas J.; Kumar, Sunil; Barnett, David T.; Evangelista, Paul H.

2011-01-01

Environmental monitoring programs must efficiently describe state shifts. We propose using maximum entropy modeling to select dissimilar sampling sites to capture environmental variability at low cost, and demonstrate a specific application: sample site selection for the Central Plains domain (453,490 km2) of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). We relied on four environmental factors: mean annual temperature and precipitation, elevation, and vegetation type. A “sample site” was defined as a 20 km × 20 km area (equal to NEON’s airborne observation platform [AOP] footprint), within which each 1 km2 cell was evaluated for each environmental factor. After each model run, the most environmentally dissimilar site was selected from all potential sample sites. The iterative selection of eight sites captured approximately 80% of the environmental envelope of the domain, an improvement over stratified random sampling and simple random designs for sample site selection. This approach can be widely used for cost-efficient selection of survey and monitoring sites.

Effect of water quality on residential water heater life-cycle efficiency. Annual report, September 1983-August 1984

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

Stickford, G.H.; Talbert, S.G.; Newman, D.C.

A 3-year field test program is under way for the Gas Research Institute to quantify the effect of scale buildup on the performance of residential water heaters, and to determine the benefits and limitations of common water-treatment methods. In this program, the performance of gas and electric heaters is being monitored in test laboratories set up in selected U.S. cities. The efficiency of heaters operating on hard water is measured and compared with the performance of heaters operating on treated water. Corrosion tests are also being conducted on each type of water tested to determine the effect of water treatmentmore » on the corrosion of the water heating system. During this reporting period Battelle has established operating hard water test facilities at four test sites: (1) Battelle, (2) the Roswell Test Facility in Roswell, New Mexico, (3) the Water Quality Association in Lisle, Illinois, and (4) the Marshall Municipal Utilities in Marshall, Minnesota. At each of these sites 12 water heaters have been installed and are operating on accelerated draw cycles. The recovery efficiency of each heater has been carefully measured, and the heaters have been operating from 4 months at one site to 7 months at another. At two of the test sites, the recovery efficiency of each heater has been remeasured after 6 months of operation. No significant degradation in heater performance due to scale buildup was observed in these heaters for the equivalent of 2 to 3 years of typical residential use.« less

Long-term lesser prairie-chicken nest ecology in response to grassland management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fritts, Sarah R.; Grisham, Blake A.; Haukos, David A.; Boal, Clint W.; Patten, Michael; Wolfe, Don H.; Dixon, Charles; Cox, Robert D.; Heck, Willard R.

2016-01-01

Long-term population and range declines from habitat loss and fragmentation caused the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) to be a species of concern throughout its range. Current lesser prairie-chicken range in New Mexico and Texas is partially restricted to sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii; hereafter shinnery oak) prairies, on which cattle grazing is the main socioeconomic driver for private landowners. Cattle producers within shinnery oak prairies often focus land management on shrub eradication using the herbicide tebuthiuron to promote grass production for forage; however, herbicide application alone, and in combination with grazing, may affect nest site selection and nest survival of lesser prairie-chickens through the reduction of shinnery oak and native grasses. We used a controlled, paired, completely randomized design study to assess the influence of grazing and tebuthiuron application and their combined use on nest site selection and nest survival from 2001 to 2010 in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, USA at 2 spatial scales (i.e., treatment and microhabitat) in 4 treatments: tebuthiuron with grazing, tebuthiuron without grazing, no tebuthiuron with grazing, and a control of no tebuthiuron and no grazing. Grazing treatment was a short-duration system in which plots were grazed once during the dormant season and once during the growing season. Stocking rate was calculated each season based on measured forage production and applied to remove ≤25% of available herbaceous material per season. At the treatment scale, we compared nest site selection among treatments using 1-way χ2 tests and nest survival among treatments using a priori candidate nest survival models in Program MARK. At the microhabitat scale, we identified important habitat predictors of nest site selection and nest survival using logistic regression and a priori candidate nest survival models in Program MARK, respectively. Females typically used treatments as expected and we did not detect trends in selection. Nest survival did not differ among treatments. At the microhabitat scale, nest sites had less bare ground (P = 0.001) and greater angles of obstruction (P ≤ 0.001) compared to random sites. There was a high degree of model selection uncertainty among our candidate models at the microhabitat scale and survival estimates were similar among habitat covariates. Results suggest a tebuthiuron application rate of 0.60 kg/ha, short-duration grazing, and a combination of these management techniques were not detrimental to lesser prairie-chicken nest site selection or nest survival. However, intensified management that increases bare ground or reduces overhead cover may negatively affect lesser prairie-chicken nesting habitat and nest survival.

40 CFR 228.6 - Specific criteria for site selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Specific criteria for site selection... selection. (a) In the selection of disposal sites, in addition to other necessary or appropriate factors...) Existence at or in close proximity to the site of any significant natural or cultural features of historical...

Applicability of a bioelectronic cardiac monitoring system for the detection of biological effects of pollution in bioindicator species in the Gulf of Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kholodkevich, Sergey V.; Kuznetsova, Tatiana V.; Sharov, Andrey N.; Kurakin, Anton S.; Lips, Urmas; Kolesova, Natalia; Lehtonen, Kari K.

2017-07-01

Field testing of an innovative technology based on a bioelectronic cardiac monitoring system was carried out in the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea). The study shows that the bioelectronic system is suitable for the selected bivalve mollusks Mytilus trossulus, Macoma balthica and Anodonta anatina. Specimens taken from reference sites demonstrated a heart rate recovery time of < 60 min after testing with changed salinity load, while those collected from sites characterized by high anthropogenic pressure demonstrated a prolonged recovery time of up to 110-360 min. These results make possible a discrimination of the study sites based on the assessment of physiological adaptive capacities of inhabiting species. In addition, the approach of measuring heart rate characteristics in M. balthica transplanted in cages to specific target areas was successfully used to evaluate the decline in the adaptive potential of mollusks exposed at polluted sites. Application of the novel system is a useful tool for the biomonitoring of freshwater and brackish water areas. Development of methodological basis for the testing of adaptive capacities (health) of key aquatic organisms provides new knowledge of biological effects of anthropogenic chemical stress in aquatic organisms.

Amphipod bioassay of selected sediments from Sequim Bay, Washington

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

Ramsdell, K.A.; Strand, J.A.; Cullinan, V. I.

1989-06-01

Amphipod bioassays performed during reconnaissance surveys of Sequim Bay in 1983--1984 for the US Environmental Protection Agency suggested possible sediment toxicity at three sites. These findings were not supported by other biological analyses and tests (dominant infauna, oyster larvae test) nor by the finding of relatively low levels of priority pollutants. In 1988, a re-examination of the 1983--1984 sites demonstrated that the Sequim Bay sediments were clearly nontoxic. Mean survivorship ranged from 89 to 100%. It was hypothesized that earlier indications of toxicity may have been due to a relatively high percentage of fines ({ge}80%) and/or a relatively low interstitialmore » salinity (24%) encountered at one or more of the 1983--1984 sites. The continued use of Sequim Bay as both a reference bay and a source of control sediment in future marine research is recommended. 13 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Geophysical Logs of Selected Test Wells at the Diaz Chemical Superfund Site in Holley, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eckhardt, David A.V.; Anderson, J. Alton

2007-01-01

In June and July 2006, geophysical logs were collected and analyzed along with rock-core samples to define the bedrock stratigraphy and flow zones penetrated by four test wells at the Diaz Chemical Superfund site at Holley in eastern Orleans County, New York. The work was completed as a preliminary part of the investigation of contamination by organic compounds in the shale, mudstone, and sandstone bedrock. The geophysical logs included natural-gamma, caliper, borehole image, fluid properties, and flowmeter data. The orientation of fractures in the boreholes was inferred from the log data and summarized in stereo and tadpole plots; the transmissivity and hydraulic head was also determined for fracture zones that were observed to be hydraulically active through the flowmeter logs. The data are intended in part for use in the remediation of the site.

Intercomparison of American and Soviet stellar image motion monitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forbes, Fred F.; Kutyrev, Aleksandr

1990-07-01

Astronomical observatory site testing programs in the USA and USSR have used a variety of stellar image motion monitors in the selection of the best sites for the construction of large (6 to 10 meter) telescopes. While there appears to be a reasonable agreement between microthermal and sodar results for the better sites in both countries, there remain unexplained inconsistencies in measured seeing, especially at Mauna Kea, Hawaii and Mount Sanglok. The photoelectric seeing monitor built by Scheglov (1984) of the Moscow Sternberg Institute, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories site-survey intensified CID seeing monitor have been mounted on the same telescope. Simultaneous image motion data recorded are compared for single images as differential measurements of dual images.

Site Selection for Mars Surveyor Landing Sites: Some Key Factors for 2001 and Relation to Long-Term Exploration of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Head, James W.

1999-01-01

The Site Selection Process: Site selection as a process can be subdivided into several main elements and these can be represented as the corners of a tetrahedron. Successful site selection outcome requires the interactions between these elements or corners, and should also take into account several other external factors or considerations. In principle, elements should be defined in approximately the following order: (1) major scientific and programmatic goals and objectives: What are the major questions that are being asked, goals that should be achieved, and objectives that must be accomplished. Do programmatic goals (e.g., sample return) differ from mission goals (e.g., precursor to sample return)? It is most helpful if these questions can be placed in the context of site characterization and hypothesis testing (e.g., Was Mars warm and wet in the Noachian? Land at a Noachian-aged site that shows evidence of surface water and characterize it specifically to address this question). Goals and objectives, then, help define important engineering factors such as type of payload, landing regions of interest (highlands, lowlands, smooth, rough, etc.), mobility, mission duration, etc. Goals and objectives then lead to: (2) spacecraft design and engineering landing site constraints: the spacecraft is designed to optimize the areas that will meet the goals and objectives, but this in turn introduces constraints that must be met in the selection of a landing site. Scientific and programmatic goals and objectives also help to define (3), the specific lander scientific payload requirements and capabilities. For example, what observations and experiments are required to address the major questions? How do we characterize the site in reference to the specific questions? Is mobility required and if so, how much? Which experiments are on the spacecraft, which on the rover? The results of these deliberations should lead to a surface exploration strategy, in which the goals and objectives can in principle be achieved through the exploration of a site meeting the basic engineering constraints. Armed with all of this important background information, one can then proceed to (4) the selection of optimum sites to address major scientific and programmatic objectives. Following the successful completion of this process and the selection of a site or region, there is a further step of mission optimization, in which a detailed mission profile and surface exploration plan is developed. In practice, the process never works in a linear fashion. Scientific goals are influenced by ongoing discoveries and developments and simple crystallization of thinking. Programmatic goals are influenced by evolving fiscal constraints, perspectives on program duration, and roles of specific missions in the context of the larger program. Engineering constraints are influenced by evolving fiscal constraints, decisions on hardware design that may have little to do with scientific goals (e.g., lander clearance; size of landing ellipse), and evolving understanding (e.g., assessment of engineering constraint space reveals further the degree to which mission duration is severely influenced by available solar energy and thus latitude). Lander scientific payload is influenced by fiscal constraints, total mass, evolving complexity, technological developments, and a payload selection process that may involve very long-term goals (e.g., human exploration) as well as shorter term scientific and programmatic goals. Site selection activities commonly involve scientists who are actively trying to decipher the complex geology of the crust of Mars and to unravel its geologic history through geological mapping. By the nature of the process, they are thinking in terms of broad morphostratigraphic units which may have multiple possible origins, defined using images with resolutions of many tens to hundreds of meters, and whose surfaces at the scale of the lander and rover are virtually unknown; this approach and effort is crucially important but does not necessarily readily lend itself to integration with the other elements.

Preparation and evaluation of molecularly imprinted polymer for selective recognition and adsorption of gossypol.

PubMed

Zhi, Keke; Wang, Lulu; Zhang, Yagang; Zhang, Xuemin; Zhang, Letao; Liu, Li; Yao, Jun; Xiang, Wei

2018-03-01

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were designed and prepared via bulk thermal polymerization with gossypol as the template molecule and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate as the functional monomer. The morphology and microstructures of MIPs were characterized by scanning electron microscope and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas. Static adsorption tests were performed to evaluate adsorption behavior of gossypol by the MIPs. It was found that adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms data of MIPs for gossypol were fit well with the pseudo-second-order model and Freundlich model, respectively. Scatchard analysis showed that heterogeneous binding sites were formed in the MIPs, including lower-affinity binding sites with the maximum adsorption of 252 mg/g and higher-affinity binding sites with the maximum adsorption of 632 mg/g. Binding studies also revealed that MIPs had favorable selectivity towards gossypol compared with non-imprinted polymers. Furthermore, adsorption capacity of MIPs maintained above 90% after 5 regeneration cycles, indicating MIPs were recyclable and could be used multiple times. These results demonstrated that prepared MIPs could be a promising functional material for selective adsorption of gossypol. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cyclone tolerance in new world arecaceae: biogeographic variation and abiotic natural selection.

PubMed

Griffith, M Patrick; Noblick, Larry R; Dowe, John L; Husby, Chad E; Calonje, Michael A

2008-10-01

Consistent abiotic factors can affect directional selection; cyclones are abiotic phenomena with near-discrete geographic limits. The current study investigates selective pressure of cyclones on plants at the species level, testing for possible natural selection. New World Arecaceae (palms) are used as a model system, as plants with monopodial, unbranched arborescent form are most directly affected by the selective pressure of wind load. Living specimens of known provenance grown at a common site were affected by the same cyclone. Data on percentage mortality were compiled and analysed in biogeographic and phylogenetic contexts. Palms of cyclone-prone provenance exhibited a much lower (one order of magnitude) range in cyclone tolerance, and significantly lower (P < 0.001) mean percentage mortality than collections from cyclone-free areas. Palms of cyclone-free provenance had much greater variation in tolerance, and significantly greater mean percentage mortality. A test for serial independence recovered no significant phylogenetic autocorrelation of percentage mortality. Variation in cyclone tolerance in New World Arecaceae correlates with biogeography, and is not confounded with phylogeny. These results suggest natural selection of cyclone tolerance in cyclone-prone areas.

Copper-catalyst-controlled site-selective allenylation of ketones and aldehydes with propargyl boronates.

PubMed

Fandrick, Keith R; Ogikubo, Junichi; Fandrick, Daniel R; Patel, Nitinchandra D; Saha, Jaideep; Lee, Heewon; Ma, Shengli; Grinberg, Nelu; Busacca, Carl A; Senanayake, Chris H

2013-03-15

A practical and highly site-selective copper-PhBPE-catalyst-controlled allenylation with propargyl boronates has been developed. The methodology has shown to be tolerant of diverse ketones and aldehydes providing the allenyl adducts in high selectivity. The BPE ligand and boronate substituents were shown to direct the site selectivity for which either propargyl or allenyl adducts can be acquired in high selectivity. A model is proposed that explains the origin of the site selectivity.

Evaluation of the attenuating properties of selected Greek clays for toxic inorganic elements in landfill sites.

PubMed

Mimides, T; Perraki, T

2000-05-15

Heavy metal attenuation properties of selected clay material collected from miscellaneous Greek sites is investigated and tested in the laboratory for their suitability, either as liners in hydrologically unsafe sites or as earth covers for sanitary landfill sites. Eleven potentially hazardous elements (As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, V, and Zn) generated by a co-disposal landfill leachate have been considered. Experimental column and static equilibrium methods for the determination of dispersion and adsorption are described. Molecular diffusion dominates the migration phenomena with a velocity range between 1.3 x 10(-5) and 3.5 x 10(-4) cm/s throughout the experiments. A simple way to evaluate dispersion coefficients from breakthrough curves gave values of between 3.90 x 10(-6) and 3.5 x 10(-4) cm2/s, with a mean value of 1.5 x 10(-5). Static adsorption equilibrium studies supported by column runs showed that Freundlich (F = kCn) isotherms express in a better way the assimilative capacities of the tested clays, with k and n values ranging from 0.06 to 1.99 and 0.55 to 1.48 correspondingly. Mathematical models involving non-linear parabolic equations are involved. The experimental data, together with finite difference techniques and some physical clay characteristics, produced trilinear textural diagrams and predictive flow transport convection-dispersion breakthrough curves for a quick estimation of the attenuating properties of clays for heavy metals.

The Effect of Landuse and Other External Factors on Water Quality Within two Creeks in Northern Kentucky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boateng, S.

2006-05-01

The purpose of this study was to monitor the water quality in two creeks in Northern Kentucky. These are the Banklick Creek in Kenton County and the Woolper Creek in Boone County, Kentucky. The objective was to evaluate the effect of landuse and other external factors on surface water quality. Landuse within the Banklick watershed is industrial, forest and residential (urban) whereas that of Woolper Creek is agricultural and residential (rural). Two testing sites were selected along the Banklick Creek; one site was upstream the confluence with an overflow stream from an adjacent lake; the second site was downstream the confluence. Most of the drainage into the lake is over a near-by industrial park and the urban residential areas of the cities of Elsmere and Erlanger, Kentucky. Four sampling locations were selected within the Woolper Creek watershed to evaluate the effect of channelization and subsequent sedimentation on the health of the creek. Water quality parameters tested for include dissolved oxygen, phosphates, chlorophyll, total suspended sediments (TSS), pH, oxidation reduction potential (ORP), nitrates, and electrical conductivity. Sampling and testing were conducted weekly and also immediately after storm events that occurred before the regular sampling dates. Sampling and testing proceeded over a period of 29 weeks. Biological impact was determined, only in Woolper Creek watershed, by sampling benthic macroinvertebrates once every four weeks. The results showed significant differences in the water quality between the two sites within the Banklick Creek. The water quality may be affected by the stream overflow from the dammed lake. Also, channelization in the Woolper Creek seemed to have adverse effects on the water quality. A retention pond, constructed to prevent sediments from flowing into the Woolper Creek, did not seem to be effective. This is because the water quality downstream of the retention pond was significantly worse than that of the upstream site. The benthic macroinvertebrates sampled indicate worse water quality downstream of the sediment retention pond. Overall, landuse and the channelization have some effect on the water quality in the two creeks.

COMPARISON OF RANDOM AND SYSTEMATIC SITE SELECTION FOR ASSESSING ATTAINMENT OF AQUATIC LIFE USES IN SEGMENTS OF THE OHIO RIVER

EPA Science Inventory

This report is a description of field work and data analysis results comparing a design comparable to systematic site selection with one based on random selection of sites. The report is expected to validate the use of random site selection in the bioassessment program for the O...

Diagnosis of metastatic neoplasms: a clinicopathologic and morphologic approach.

PubMed

Marchevsky, Alberto M; Gupta, Ruta; Balzer, Bonnie

2010-02-01

The diagnosis of the site of origin of metastatic neoplasms often poses a challenge to practicing pathologists. A variety of immunohistochemical and molecular tests have been proposed for the identification of tumor site of origin, but these methods are no substitute for careful attention to the pathologic features of tumors and their correlation with imaging findings and other clinical data. The current trend in anatomic pathology is to overly rely on immunohistochemical and molecular tests to identify the site of origin of metastatic neoplasms, but this "shotgun approach" is often costly and can result in contradictory and even erroneous conclusions about the site of origin of a metastatic neoplasm. To describe the use of a systematic approach to the evaluation of metastatic neoplasms. Literature review and personal experience. A systematic approach can frequently help to narrow down differential diagnoses for a patient to a few likely tumor sites of origin that can be confirmed or excluded with the use of selected immunohistochemistry and/or molecular tests. This approach involves the qualitative evaluation of the "pretest and posttest probabilities" of various diagnoses before the immunohistochemical and molecular tests are ordered. Pretest probabilities are qualitatively estimated for each individual by taking into consideration the patient's age, sex, clinical history, imaging findings, and location of the metastases. This estimate is further narrowed by qualitatively evaluating, through careful observation of a variety of gross pathology and histopathologic features, the posttest probabilities of the most likely tumor sites of origin. Multiple examples of the use of this systematic approach for the evaluation of metastatic lesions are discussed.

Bion 11 mission: primate experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ilyin, E. A.; Korolkov, V. I.; Skidmore, M. G.; Viso, M.; Kozlovskaya, I. B.; Grindeland, R. E.; Lapin, B. A.; Gordeev, Y. V.; Krotov, V. P.; Fanton, J. W.;

The Research Progress of Targeted Drug Delivery Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhan, Jiayin; Ting, Xizi Liang; Zhu, Junjie

2017-06-01

Targeted drug delivery system (DDS) means to selectively transport drugs to targeted tissues, organs, and cells through a variety of drugs carrier. It is usually designed to improve the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of conventional drugs and to overcome problems such as limited solubility, drug aggregation, poor bio distribution and lack of selectivity, controlling drug release carrier and to reduce normal tissue damage. With the characteristics of nontoxic and biodegradable, it can increase the retention of drug in lesion site and the permeability, improve the concentration of the drug in lesion site. at present, there are some kinds of DDS using at test phase, such as slow controlled release drug delivery system, targeted drug delivery systems, transdermal drug delivery system, adhesion dosing system and so on. This paper makes a review for DDS.

PubMed Central

Frémont, P.; Labrecque, M.; Légaré, F.; Baillargeon, L.; Misson, L.

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To develop and test the reliability of a tool for rating websites that provide information on evidence-based medicine. DESIGN: For each site, 60% of the score was given for content (eight criteria) and 40% was given for organization and presentation (nine criteria). Five of 10 randomly selected sites met the inclusion criteria and were used by three observers to test the accuracy of the tool. Each site was rated twice by each observer, with a 3-week interval between ratings. SETTING: Laval University, Quebec city. PARTICIPANTS: Three observers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to rate the reliability of the tool. RESULTS: Average overall scores for the five sites were 40%, 79%, 83%, 88%, and 89%. All three observers rated the same two sites in fourth and fifth place and gave the top three ratings to the other three sites. The overall rating of the five sites by the three observers yielded an ICC of 0.93 to 0.97. An ICC of 0.87 was obtained for the two overall ratings conducted 3 weeks apart. CONCLUSION: This new tool offers excellent intraobserver and interobserver measurement reliability and is an excellent means of distinguishing between medical websites of varying quality. For best results, we recommend that the tool be used simultaneously by two observers and that differences be resolved by consensus. PMID:11768925

Gender and HIV testing in Burkina Faso: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Obermeyer, Carla Makhlouf; Sankara, Augustin; Bastien, Vincent; Parsons, Michelle

2009-09-01

This study investigated the utilization of services around HIV testing in Burkina Faso through a survey that combined quantitative and qualitative data from 14 selected sites and 299 questionnaires. While some attitudes and behaviors towards HIV testing were similar for women and men, we found lower use of services by men, greater concerns about testing and disclosure on the part of women, and differences between men and women in motivations to test, and the experience of testing and its consequences. The results are discussed in the context of Burkina Faso and in terms of their implications for efforts to improve access to services around HIV.

The test chemical selection procedure of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods for the EU Project ReProTect.

PubMed

Pazos, Patricia; Pellizzer, Cristian; Stummann, Tina C; Hareng, Lars; Bremer, Susanne

2010-08-01

The selection of reference compounds is crucial for a successful in vitro test development in order to proof the relevance of the test system. This publication describes the criteria and the selection strategy leading to a list of more than 130 chemicals suitable for test development within the ReProTect project. The presented chemical inventory aimed to support the development and optimization of in vitro tests that seek to fulfill ECVAM's criteria for entering into the prevalidation. In order to select appropriate substances, a primary database was established compiling information from existing databases. In a second step, predefined selection criteria have been applied to obtain a comprehensive list ready to undergo a peer review process from independent experts with industrial, academic and regulatory background. Finally, a peer reviewed chemical list containing 13 substances challenging endocrine disrupter tests, additional 50 substances serving as reference chemicals for various tests evaluating effects on male and female fertility, and finally 61 substances were identified as known to provoke effects on the early development of mammalian offspring. The final list aims to cover relevant and specific mode/site of actions as they are known to be relevant for various substance classes. However, the recommended list should not be interpreted as a list of reproductive toxicants, because such a description requires proven associations with adverse effects of mammalian reproduction, which are subject of regulatory decisions done by involved competent authorities. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Finding the Right Candidate for the Right Position: A Fast NMR-Assisted Combinatorial Method for Optimizing Nucleic Acids Binders.

PubMed

Jiménez-Moreno, Ester; Montalvillo-Jiménez, Laura; Santana, Andrés G; Gómez, Ana M; Jiménez-Osés, Gonzalo; Corzana, Francisco; Bastida, Agatha; Jiménez-Barbero, Jesús; Cañada, Francisco Javier; Gómez-Pinto, Irene; González, Carlos; Asensio, Juan Luis

2016-05-25

Development of strong and selective binders from promiscuous lead compounds represents one of the most expensive and time-consuming tasks in drug discovery. We herein present a novel fragment-based combinatorial strategy for the optimization of multivalent polyamine scaffolds as DNA/RNA ligands. Our protocol provides a quick access to a large variety of regioisomer libraries that can be tested for selective recognition by combining microdialysis assays with simple isotope labeling and NMR experiments. To illustrate our approach, 20 small libraries comprising 100 novel kanamycin-B derivatives have been prepared and evaluated for selective binding to the ribosomal decoding A-Site sequence. Contrary to the common view of NMR as a low-throughput technique, we demonstrate that our NMR methodology represents a valuable alternative for the detection and quantification of complex mixtures, even integrated by highly similar or structurally related derivatives, a common situation in the context of a lead optimization process. Furthermore, this study provides valuable clues about the structural requirements for selective A-site recognition.

Mountain lions prey selectively on prion-infected mule deer

PubMed Central

Krumm, Caroline E.; Conner, Mary M.; Hobbs, N. Thompson; Hunter, Don O.; Miller, Michael W.

2010-01-01

The possibility that predators choose prey selectively based on age or condition has been suggested but rarely tested. We examined whether mountain lions (Puma concolor) selectively prey upon mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) infected with chronic wasting disease, a prion disease. We located kill sites of mountain lions in the northern Front Range of Colorado, USA, and compared disease prevalence among lion-killed adult (≥2 years old) deer with prevalence among sympatric deer taken by hunters in the vicinity of kill sites. Hunter-killed female deer were less likely to be infected than males (odds ratios (OR) = 0.2, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.1–0.6; p = 0.015). However, both female (OR = 8.5, 95% CI = 2.3–30.9) and male deer (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1–10) killed by a mountain lion were more likely to be infected than same-sex deer killed in the vicinity by a hunter (p < 0.001), suggesting that mountain lions in this area actively selected prion-infected individuals when targeting adult mule deer as prey items. PMID:19864271

Maritime Spatial Planning supported by systematic site selection: Applying Marxan for offshore wind power in the western Baltic Sea

PubMed Central

Dahl, Karsten; Mohn, Christian

2018-01-01

The development of offshore wind energy and other competing interests in sea space are a major incentive for designating marine and coastal areas for specific human activities. Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) considers human activities at sea in a more integrated way by analysing and designating spatial and temporal distributions of human activities based on ecological, economic and social targets. However, specific tools supporting spatial decisions at sea incorporating all relevant sectors are rarely adopted. The decision support tool Marxan is traditionally used for systematic selection and designation of nature protection and conservation areas. In this study, Marxan was applied as a support tool to identify suitable sites for offshore wind power in the pilot area Pomeranian Bight / Arkona Basin in the western Baltic Sea. The software was successfully tested and scenarios were developed that support the sites indicated in existing national plans, but also show options for alternative developments of offshore wind power in the Pomeranian Bight / Arkona Basin area. PMID:29543878

Structure and Dynamics of Zr6O8 Metal-Organic Framework Node Surfaces Probed with Ethanol Dehydration as a Catalytic Test Reaction.

PubMed

Yang, Dong; Ortuño, Manuel A; Bernales, Varinia; Cramer, Christopher J; Gagliardi, Laura; Gates, Bruce C

2018-03-14

Some metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) incorporate nodes that are metal oxide clusters such as Zr 6 O 8 . Vacancies on the node surfaces, accidental or by design, act as catalytic sites. Here, we report elucidation of the chemistry of Zr 6 O 8 nodes in the MOFs UiO-66 and UiO-67 having used infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies to determine the ligands on the node surfaces originating from the solvents and modifiers used in the syntheses and having elucidated the catalytic properties of the nodes for ethanol dehydration, which takes place selectively to make diethyl ether but not ethylene at 473-523 K. Density functional theory calculations show that the key to the selective catalysis is the breaking of node-linker bonds (or the accidental adjacency of open/defect sites) that allows catalytically fruitful bonding of the reactant ethanol to neighboring sites on the nodes, facilitating the bimolecular ether formation through an S N 2 mechanism.

Training site statistics from Landsat and Seasat satellite imagery registered to a common map base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, J.

1981-01-01

Landsat and Seasat satellite imagery and training site boundary coordinates were registered to a common Universal Transverse Mercator map base in the Newport Beach area of Orange County, California. The purpose was to establish a spatially-registered, multi-sensor data base which would test the use of Seasat synthetic aperture radar imagery to improve spectral separability of channels used for land use classification of an urban area. Digital image processing techniques originally developed for the digital mosaics of the California Desert and the State of Arizona were adapted to spatially register multispectral and radar data. Techniques included control point selection from imagery and USGS topographic quadrangle maps, control point cataloguing with the Image Based Information System, and spatial and spectral rectifications of the imagery. The radar imagery was pre-processed to reduce its tendency toward uniform data distributions, so that training site statistics for selected Landsat and pre-processed Seasat imagery indicated good spectral separation between channels.

Nest site selection by Kentish plover suggests a trade-off between nest-crypsis and predator detection strategies.

PubMed

Gómez-Serrano, Miguel Ángel; López-López, Pascual

2014-01-01

Predation is one of the main causes of adult mortality and breeding failure for ground-nesting birds. Micro-habitat structure around nests plays a critical role in minimizing predation risk. Plovers nest in sites with little vegetation cover to maximize the incubating adult visibility, but many studies suggest a trade-off between nest-crypsis and predator detection strategies. However, this trade-off has not been explored in detail because methods used so far do not allow estimating the visibility with regards to critical factors such as slope or plant permeability to vision. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Kentish plovers select exposed sites according to a predator detection strategy, and the hypothesis that more concealed nests survive longer according to a crypsis strategy. To this end, we obtained an accurate estimation of the incubating adult's field of vision through a custom built inverted periscope. Our results showed that plovers selected nest sites with higher visibility than control points randomly selected with regards to humans and dogs, although nests located in sites with higher vegetation cover survived longer. In addition, the flushing distance (i.e., the distance at which incubating adults leave the nest when they detect a potential predator) decreased with vegetation cover. Consequently, the advantages of concealing the nest were limited by the ability to detect predators, thus indirectly supporting the existence of the trade-off between crypsis and predator detection. Finally, human disturbance also constrained nest choice, forcing plovers to move to inland sites that were less suitable because of higher vegetation cover, and modulated flushing behavior, since plovers that were habituated to humans left their nests closer to potential predators. This constraint on the width of suitable breeding habitat is particularly relevant for the conservation of Kentish Plover in sand beaches, especially under the current context of coastal regression and increase of recreational activities.

Nest Site Selection by Kentish Plover Suggests a Trade-Off between Nest-Crypsis and Predator Detection Strategies

PubMed Central

Gómez-Serrano, Miguel Ángel; López-López, Pascual

2014-01-01

Predation is one of the main causes of adult mortality and breeding failure for ground-nesting birds. Micro-habitat structure around nests plays a critical role in minimizing predation risk. Plovers nest in sites with little vegetation cover to maximize the incubating adult visibility, but many studies suggest a trade-off between nest-crypsis and predator detection strategies. However, this trade-off has not been explored in detail because methods used so far do not allow estimating the visibility with regards to critical factors such as slope or plant permeability to vision. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Kentish plovers select exposed sites according to a predator detection strategy, and the hypothesis that more concealed nests survive longer according to a crypsis strategy. To this end, we obtained an accurate estimation of the incubating adult's field of vision through a custom built inverted periscope. Our results showed that plovers selected nest sites with higher visibility than control points randomly selected with regards to humans and dogs, although nests located in sites with higher vegetation cover survived longer. In addition, the flushing distance (i.e., the distance at which incubating adults leave the nest when they detect a potential predator) decreased with vegetation cover. Consequently, the advantages of concealing the nest were limited by the ability to detect predators, thus indirectly supporting the existence of the trade-off between crypsis and predator detection. Finally, human disturbance also constrained nest choice, forcing plovers to move to inland sites that were less suitable because of higher vegetation cover, and modulated flushing behavior, since plovers that were habituated to humans left their nests closer to potential predators. This constraint on the width of suitable breeding habitat is particularly relevant for the conservation of Kentish Plover in sand beaches, especially under the current context of coastal regression and increase of recreational activities. PMID:25208045

Ligand recognition by RAR and RXR receptors: binding and selectivity.

PubMed

Sussman, Fredy; de Lera, Angel R

2005-10-06

Fundamental biological functions, most notably embriogenesis, cell growth, cell differentiation, and cell apoptosis, are in part regulated by a complex genomic network that starts with the binding (and activation) of retinoids to their cognate receptors, members of the superfamily of nuclear receptors. We have studied ligand recognition of retinoic receptors (RXRalpha and RARgamma) using a molecular-mechanics-based docking method. The protocol used in this work is able to rank the affinity of pairs of ligands for a single retinoid receptor, the highest values corresponding to those that adapt better to the shape of the binding site and generate the optimal set of electrostatic and apolar interactions with the receptor. Moreover, our studies shed light onto some of the energetic contributions to retinoid receptor ligand selectivity. In this regard we show that there is a difference in polarity between the binding site regions that anchor the carboxylate in RAR and RXR, which translates itself into large differences in the energy of interaction of both receptors with the same ligand. We observe that the latter energy change is canceled off by the solvation energy penalty upon binding. This energy compensation is borne out as well by experiments that address the effect of site-directed mutagenesis on ligand binding to RARgamma. The hypothesis that the difference in binding site polarity might be exploited to build RXR-selective ligands is tested with some compounds having a thiazolidinedione anchoring group.

Expansion of access tunnels and active-site cavities influence activity of haloalkane dehalogenases in organic cosolvents.

PubMed

Stepankova, Veronika; Khabiri, Morteza; Brezovsky, Jan; Pavelka, Antonin; Sykora, Jan; Amaro, Mariana; Minofar, Babak; Prokop, Zbynek; Hof, Martin; Ettrich, Rudiger; Chaloupkova, Radka; Damborsky, Jiri

2013-05-10

The use of enzymes for biocatalysis can be significantly enhanced by using organic cosolvents in the reaction mixtures. Selection of the cosolvent type and concentration range for an enzymatic reaction is challenging and requires extensive empirical testing. An understanding of protein-solvent interaction could provide a theoretical framework for rationalising the selection process. Here, the behaviour of three model enzymes (haloalkane dehalogenases) was investigated in the presence of three representative organic cosolvents (acetone, formamide, and isopropanol). Steady-state kinetics assays, molecular dynamics simulations, and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy were used to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of enzyme-solvent interactions. Cosolvent molecules entered the enzymes' access tunnels and active sites, enlarged their volumes with no change in overall protein structure, but surprisingly did not act as competitive inhibitors. At low concentrations, the cosolvents either enhanced catalysis by lowering K(0.5) and increasing k(cat), or caused enzyme inactivation by promoting substrate inhibition and decreasing k(cat). The induced activation and inhibition of the enzymes correlated with expansion of the active-site pockets and their occupancy by cosolvent molecules. The study demonstrates that quantitative analysis of the proportions of the access tunnels and active-sites occupied by organic solvent molecules provides the valuable information for rational selection of appropriate protein-solvent pair and effective cosolvent concentration. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of wind energy development on nesting ecology of greater prairie-chickens in fragmented grasslands.

PubMed

McNew, Lance B; Hunt, Lyla M; Gregory, Andrew J; Wisely, Samantha M; Sandercock, Brett K

2014-08-01

Wind energy is targeted to meet 20% of U.S. energy needs by 2030, but new sites for development of renewable energy may overlap with important habitats of declining populations of grassland birds. Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) are an obligate grassland bird species predicted to respond negatively to energy development. We used a modified before-after control-impact design to test for impacts of a wind energy development on the reproductive ecology of prairie-chickens in a 5-year study. We located 59 and 185 nests before and after development, respectively, of a 201 MW wind energy facility in Greater Prairie-Chicken nesting habitat and assessed nest site selection and nest survival relative to proximity to wind energy infrastructure and habitat conditions. Proximity to turbines did not negatively affect nest site selection (β = 0.03, 95% CI = -1.2-1.3) or nest survival (β = -0.3, 95% CI = -0.6-0.1). Instead, nest site selection and survival were strongly related to vegetative cover and other local conditions determined by management for cattle production. Integration of our project results with previous reports of behavioral avoidance of oil and gas facilities by other species of prairie grouse suggests new avenues for research to mitigate impacts of energy development. © 2014 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Nucleotide variation at the dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) gene in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Tatarenkov, Andrey; Ayala, Francisco J

2007-08-01

We studied nucleotide sequence variation at the gene coding for dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) in seven populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Strength and pattern of linkage disequilibrium are somewhat distinct in the extensively sampled Spanish and Raleigh populations. In the Spanish population, a few sites are in strong positive association, whereas a large number of sites in the Raleigh population are associated nonrandomly but the association is not strong. Linkage disequilibrium analysis shows presence of two groups of haplotypes in the populations, each of which is fairly diverged, suggesting epistasis or inversion polymorphism. There is evidence of two forms of natural selection acting on Ddc. The McDonald-Kreitman test indicates a deficit of fixed amino acid differences between D. melanogaster and D. simulans, which may be due to negative selection. An excess of derived alleles at high frequency, significant according to the H-test, is consistent with the effect of hitchhiking. The hitchhiking may have been caused by directional selection downstream of the locus studied, as suggested by a gradual decrease of the polymorphism-to-divergence ratio. Altogether, the Ddc locus exhibits a complicated pattern of variation apparently due to several evolutionary forces. Such a complex pattern may be a result of an unusually high density of functionally important genes.

HPV testing as a triage for borderline or mild dyskaryosis on cervical cytology: results from the Sentinel Sites study.

PubMed

Kelly, R S; Patnick, J; Kitchener, H C; Moss, S M

2011-09-27

Earlier pilot studies of human papillomavirus (HPV) triage concluded that HPV triage was feasible and cost-effective. The aim of the present study was to study the impact of wider rollout of HPV triage for women with low-grade cytology on colposcopy referral and outcomes. Human papillomavirus testing of liquid-based cytology (LBC) samples showing low-grade abnormalities was used to select women for colposcopy referral at six sites in England. Samples from 10,051 women aged 25-64 years with routine call or recall cytology reported as borderline or mild dyskaryosis were included. Human papillomavirus-positive rates were 53.7% in women with borderline cytology and 83.9% in those with mild dyskaryosis. The range between sites was 34.8-73.3% for borderline cytology, and 73.4-91.6% for mild dyskaryosis. In the single site using both LBC technologies there was no difference in rates between the two technologies. The positive predictive value of an HPV test was 16.3% for CIN2 or worse and 6.1% for CIN3 or worse, although there was considerable variation between sites. Triaging women with borderline cytological abnormalities and mild dyskaryosis with HPV testing would allow approximately a third of these women to be returned immediately to routine recall, and for a substantial proportion to be referred for colposcopy without repeat cytology. Variation in HPV-positive rates results in differing colposcopy workload.

Sandhill crane roost selection, human disturbance, and forage resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearse, Aaron T.; Krapu, Gary; Brandt, David

2017-01-01

Sites used for roosting represent a key habitat requirement for many species of birds because availability and quality of roost sites can influence individual fitness. Birds select roost sites based on numerous factors, requirements, and motivations, and selection of roosts can be dynamic in time and space because of various ecological and environmental influences. For sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) at their main spring-staging area along the Platte River in south-central Nebraska, USA, past investigations of roosting cranes focused on physical channel characteristics related to perceived security as motivating roost distribution. We used 6,310 roost sites selected by 313 sandhill cranes over 5 spring migration seasons (2003–2007) to quantify resource selection functions of roost sites on the central Platte River using a discrete choice analysis. Sandhill cranes generally showed stronger selection for wider channels with shorter bank vegetation situated farther from potential human disturbance features such as roads, bridges, and dwellings. Furthermore, selection for roost sites with preferable physical characteristics (wide channels with short bank vegetation) was more resilient to nearby disturbance features than more narrow channels with taller bank vegetation. The amount of cornfields surrounding sandhill crane roost sites positively influenced relative probability of use but only for more narrow channels < 100 m and those with shorter bank vegetation. We confirmed key resource features that sandhill cranes selected at river channels along the Platte River, and after incorporating spatial variation due to human disturbance, our understanding of roost site selection was more robust, providing insights on how disturbance may interact with physical habitat features. Managers can use information on roost-site selection when developing plans to increase probability of crane use at existing roost sites and to identify new areas for potential use if existing sites become limited.

Effect of ZSM-5 acidity on aromatic product selectivity during upgrading of pine pyrolysis vapors

DOE PAGES

Engtrakul, Chaiwat; Mukarakate, Calvin; Starace, Anne K.; ...

2015-11-14

The impact of catalyst acidity on the selectivity of upgraded biomass pyrolysis products was studied by passing pine pyrolysis vapors over five ZSM-5 catalysts of varying acidity at 500 degrees C. The SiO 2-to-Al 2O 3 ratio (SAR) of the ZSM-5 zeolite was varied from 23 to 280 to control the acidity of the catalyst and the composition of upgraded products. The upgraded product stream was analyzed by GCMS. Additionally, catalysts were characterized using temperature programmed desorption, diffuse-reflectance FTIR spectroscopy, N 2 physisorption, and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the biomass pyrolysis vapors were highly deoxygenated to form amore » slate of aromatic hydrocarbons over all of the tested ZSM-5 catalysts. As the overall acidity of the ZSM-5 increased the selectivity toward alkylated (substituted) aromatics (e.g., xylene, dimethyl-naphthalene, and methyl-anthracene) decreased while the selectivity toward unsubstituted aromatics (e.g., benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene) increased. Additionally, the selectivity toward polycyclic aromatic compounds (2-ring and 3-ring) increased as catalyst acidity increased, corresponding to a decrease in acid site spacing. The increased selectivity toward less substituted polycyclic aromatic compounds with increasing acidity is related to the relative rates of cyclization and alkylation reactions within the zeolite structure. As the acid site concentration increases and sites become closer to each other, the formation of additional cyclization products occurs at a greater rate than alkylated products. The ability to adjust product selectivity within 1-, 2-, and 3-ring aromatic families, as well as the degree of substitution, by varying ZSM-5 acidity could have significant benefits in terms creating a slate of upgraded biomass pyrolysis products to meet specific target market demands.« less

Designing HIV Testing Algorithms Based on 2015 WHO Guidelines Using Data from Six Sites in Sub-Saharan Africa

PubMed Central

Kosack, Cara S.; Shanks, Leslie; Beelaert, Greet; Benson, Tumwesigye; Savane, Aboubacar; Ng'ang'a, Anne; Bita, André; Zahinda, Jean-Paul B. N.; Fransen, Katrien

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Our objective was to evaluate the performance of HIV testing algorithms based on WHO recommendations, using data from specimens collected at six HIV testing and counseling sites in sub-Saharan Africa (Conakry, Guinea; Kitgum and Arua, Uganda; Homa Bay, Kenya; Douala, Cameroon; Baraka, Democratic Republic of Congo). A total of 2,780 samples, including 1,306 HIV-positive samples, were included in the analysis. HIV testing algorithms were designed using Determine as a first test. Second and third rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) were selected based on site-specific performance, adhering where possible to the WHO-recommended minimum requirements of ≥99% sensitivity and specificity. The threshold for specificity was reduced to 98% or 96% if necessary. We also simulated algorithms consisting of one RDT followed by a simple confirmatory assay. The positive predictive values (PPV) of the simulated algorithms ranged from 75.8% to 100% using strategies recommended for high-prevalence settings, 98.7% to 100% using strategies recommended for low-prevalence settings, and 98.1% to 100% using a rapid test followed by a simple confirmatory assay. Although we were able to design algorithms that met the recommended PPV of ≥99% in five of six sites using the applicable high-prevalence strategy, options were often very limited due to suboptimal performance of individual RDTs and to shared falsely reactive results. These results underscore the impact of the sequence of HIV tests and of shared false-reactivity data on algorithm performance. Where it is not possible to identify tests that meet WHO-recommended specifications, the low-prevalence strategy may be more suitable. PMID:28747371

Gis-Based Site Selection for Underground Natural Resources Using Fuzzy Ahp-Owa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabzevari, A. R.; Delavar, M. R.

2017-09-01

Fuel consumption has significantly increased due to the growth of the population. A solution to address this problem is the underground storage of natural gas. The first step to reach this goal is to select suitable places for the storage. In this study, site selection for the underground natural gas reservoirs has been performed using a multi-criteria decision-making in a GIS environment. The "Ordered Weighted Average" (OWA) operator is one of the multi-criteria decision-making methods for ranking the criteria and consideration of uncertainty in the interaction among the criteria. In this paper, Fuzzy AHP_OWA (FAHP_OWA) is used to determine optimal sites for the underground natural gas reservoirs. Fuzzy AHP_OWA considers the decision maker's risk taking and risk aversion during the decision-making process. Gas consumption rate, temperature, distance from main transportation network, distance from gas production centers, population density and distance from gas distribution networks are the criteria used in this research. Results show that the northeast and west of Iran and the areas around Tehran (Tehran and Alborz Provinces) have a higher attraction for constructing a natural gas reservoir. The performance of the used method was also evaluated. This evaluation was performed using the location of the existing natural gas reservoirs in the country and the site selection maps for each of the quantifiers. It is verified that the method used in this study is capable of modeling different decision-making strategies used by the decision maker with about 88 percent of agreement between the modeling and test data.

Genetic parameters and breeding strategies for high levels of iron and zinc in Phaseolus vulgaris L.

PubMed

Martins, S M; Melo, P G S; Faria, L C; Souza, T L P O; Melo, L C; Pereira, H S

2016-06-10

One of the current focus of common bean breeding programs in Brazil is to increase iron (FeC) and zinc content (ZnC) in grains. The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters for FeC and ZnC in common bean, verify the need for conducting multi-site evaluation tests, identify elite lines that combine high FeC and ZnC with good adaptability, stability, and agronomic potential, and examine the genetic association between FeC and ZnC. Elite lines (140) were evaluated for important agronomic traits in multiple environments. In one trial, FeC and ZnC were evaluated and genetic parameters were estimated. Based on the high heritability estimates and significant selection gains obtained, the conditions for a successful selection was favorable. Of the 140 evaluated lines, 17 had higher FeC and ZnC, and were included in the validation test (2013, five environments), specifically for the evaluation of FeC and ZnC. The line by environment interaction for FeC and ZnC was detected, but it was predominantly simple. The environmental effect strongly influenced FeC and ZnC . The environment Brasília/rainy season was selected as the best evaluation site for preliminary tests for FeC and ZnC, because it resulted in similar conclusions as the mean of the five environments. The lines CNFP 15701 and CNFC 15865 had higher FeC and ZnC and were highly adaptable and stable, and are recommended for utilization in breeding programs. The lines CNFC 15833, CNFC 15703, and CNFP 15676 showed excellent combined agronomic and nutritional traits, and were selected for the development of biofortified cultivars. Additionally, the genetic association between FeC and ZnC was detected.

Light-activated disinfection using a light-emitting diode lamp in the red spectrum: clinical and microbiological short-term findings on periodontitis patients in maintenance. A randomized controlled split-mouth clinical trial.

PubMed

Mongardini, Claudio; Di Tanna, Gian Luca; Pilloni, Andrea

2014-01-01

Eradication or suppression of pathogens is a major goal in periodontal therapy. Due to the increase in antibiotic resistance, the need of new disinfection therapies is raising. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has demonstrated anti-infective potential. No data are available on the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lights as the light source in PDT. The aim of this study was to investigate the microbiological and clinical adjunctive outcome of a new photodynamic LED device, compared to scaling and root planing in periodontitis patients in maintenance [supportive periodontal therapy (SPT)]. In this masked, split-mouth design study, 30 treated chronic periodontitis subjects (mean age, 46.2 years; 13 males) in SPT were included. Two residual interdental sites with probing pocket depth (PPD) ≥ 5 mm in two opposite quadrants, with positive bleeding on probing (BOP) and comparable periodontal breakdown, were selected. PPD, BOP and subgingival microbiological samples for real-time PCR analysis (Carpegen® PerioDiagnostics, Carpegen GmbH, Münster, Germany) were recorded at baseline and 1 week after treatment. Scaling and root planing was performed under local anesthesia. Randomly one of the sites was selected to receive adjunctive photodynamic therapy by inserting a photosensitizer (toluidine blue O solution) and exposing it to a LED light in the red spectrum (Fotosan, CMS Dental, Copenhagen, Denmark), according to the manufacturer's instructions. After 1 week, 73 % of the control sites and 27 % of the test sites were still BOP+. These differences compared to baseline values and in-between groups were statistically significantly different (p < 0.001). Mean PPD decreased from 5.47 mm (±0.68) to 4.73 mm (±0.74, p < 0.001) in control sites and from 5.63 mm (±0.85) to 4.43 mm (±1.25, p < 0.001, test vs control p = 0.01) in the test group. Microbiologically, higher reductions of relative proportions of red complex bacteria were observed in test sites (68.1 vs. 4.1 %; p = 0.01). This study showed that adjunctive photodynamic treatment by LED light may enhance short-term clinical and microbiological outcome in periodontitis subjects in SPT.

Bed site selection by neonate deer in grassland habitats on the northern Great Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grovenburg, T.W.; Jacques, C.N.; Klaver, R.W.; Jenks, J.A.

2010-01-01

Bed site selection is an important behavioral trait influencing neonate survival. Vegetation characteristics of bed sites influence thermal protection of neonates and concealment from predators. Although previous studies describe bed site selection of neonatal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in regions of forested cover, none determined microhabitat effects on neonate bed site selection in the Northern Great Plains, an area of limited forest cover. During summers 2007–2009, we investigated bed site selection (n  =  152) by 81 radiocollared neonate white-tailed deer in north-central South Dakota, USA. We documented 80 (52.6%) bed sites in tallgrass–Conservation Reserve Program lands, 35 (23.0%) bed sites in forested cover, and 37 (24.3%) in other habitats (e.g., pasture, alfalfa, wheat). Bed site selection varied with age and sex of neonate. Tree canopy cover (P < 0.001) and tree basal area (P < 0.001) decreased with age of neonates, with no bed sites observed in forested cover after 18 days of age. Male neonates selected sites with less grass cover (P < 0.001), vertical height of understory vegetation (P < 0.001), and density of understory vegetation (P < 0.001) but greater bare ground (P  =  0.047), litter (P  =  0.028), and wheat (P  =  0.044) than did females. Odds of bed site selection increased 3.5% (odds ratio  =  1.035, 95% CI  =  1.008–1.062) for every 1-cm increase in vertical height of understory vegetation. Management for habitat throughout the grasslands of South Dakota that maximizes vertical height of understory vegetation would enhance cover characteristics selected by neonates.

On the performance of tests for the detection of signatures of selection: a case study with the Spanish autochthonous beef cattle populations.

PubMed

González-Rodríguez, Aldemar; Munilla, Sebastián; Mouresan, Elena F; Cañas-Álvarez, Jhon J; Díaz, Clara; Piedrafita, Jesús; Altarriba, Juan; Baro, Jesús Á; Molina, Antonio; Varona, Luis

2016-10-28

Procedures for the detection of signatures of selection can be classified according to the source of information they use to reject the null hypothesis of absence of selection. Three main groups of tests can be identified that are based on: (1) the analysis of the site frequency spectrum, (2) the study of the extension of the linkage disequilibrium across the length of the haplotypes that surround the polymorphism, and (3) the differentiation among populations. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of a subset of these procedures by using a dataset on seven Spanish autochthonous beef cattle populations. Analysis of the correlations between the logarithms of the statistics that were obtained by 11 tests for detecting signatures of selection at each single nucleotide polymorphism confirmed that they can be clustered into the three main groups mentioned above. A factor analysis summarized the results of the 11 tests into three canonical axes that were each associated with one of the three groups. Moreover, the signatures of selection identified with the first and second groups of tests were shared across populations, whereas those with the third group were more breed-specific. Nevertheless, an enrichment analysis identified the metabolic pathways that were associated with each group; they coincided with canonical axes and were related to immune response, muscle development, protein biosynthesis, skin and pigmentation, glucose metabolism, fat metabolism, embryogenesis and morphology, heart and uterine metabolism, regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, hormonal, cellular cycle, cell signaling and extracellular receptors. We show that the results of the procedures used to identify signals of selection differed substantially between the three groups of tests. However, they can be classified using a factor analysis. Moreover, each canonical factor that coincided with a group of tests identified different signals of selection, which could be attributed to processes of selection that occurred at different evolutionary times. Nevertheless, the metabolic pathways that were associated with each group of tests were similar, which suggests that the selection events that occurred during the evolutionary history of the populations probably affected the same group of traits.

Tuning the ion selectivity of tetrameric cation channels by changing the number of ion binding sites

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

Derebe, Mehabaw G.; Sauer, David B.; Zeng, Weizhong

2015-11-30

Selective ion conduction across ion channel pores is central to cellular physiology. To understand the underlying principles of ion selectivity in tetrameric cation channels, we engineered a set of cation channel pores based on the nonselective NaK channel and determined their structures to high resolution. These structures showcase an ensemble of selectivity filters with a various number of contiguous ion binding sites ranging from 2 to 4, with each individual site maintaining a geometry and ligand environment virtually identical to that of equivalent sites in K{sup +} channel selectivity filters. Combined with single channel electrophysiology, we show that only themore » channel with four ion binding sites is K{sup +} selective, whereas those with two or three are nonselective and permeate Na{sup +} and K{sup +} equally well. These observations strongly suggest that the number of contiguous ion binding sites in a single file is the key determinant of the channel's selectivity properties and the presence of four sites in K{sup +} channels is essential for highly selective and efficient permeation of K{sup +} ions.« less

π-Clamp-mediated cysteine conjugation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chi; Welborn, Matthew; Zhu, Tianyu; Yang, Nicole J.; Santos, Michael S.; van Voorhis, Troy; Pentelute, Bradley L.

2016-02-01

Site-selective functionalization of complex molecules is one of the most significant challenges in chemistry. Typically, protecting groups or catalysts must be used to enable the selective modification of one site among many that are similarly reactive, and general strategies that selectively tune the local chemical environment around a target site are rare. Here, we show a four-amino-acid sequence (Phe-Cys-Pro-Phe), which we call the ‘π-clamp’, that tunes the reactivity of its cysteine thiol for site-selective conjugation with perfluoroaromatic reagents. We use the π-clamp to selectively modify one cysteine site in proteins containing multiple endogenous cysteine residues. These examples include antibodies and cysteine-based enzymes that would be difficult to modify selectively using standard cysteine-based methods. Antibodies modified using the π-clamp retained binding affinity to their targets, enabling the synthesis of site-specific antibody-drug conjugates for selective killing of HER2-positive breast cancer cells. The π-clamp is an unexpected approach to mediate site-selective chemistry and provides new avenues to modify biomolecules for research and therapeutics.

A structured multi-stakeholder learning process for Sustainable Land Management.

PubMed

Schwilch, Gudrun; Bachmann, Felicitas; Valente, Sandra; Coelho, Celeste; Moreira, Jorge; Laouina, Abdellah; Chaker, Miloud; Aderghal, Mohamed; Santos, Patricia; Reed, Mark S

2012-09-30

There are many, often competing, options for Sustainable Land Management (SLM). Each must be assessed - and sometimes negotiated - prior to implementation. Participatory, multi-stakeholder approaches to identification and selection of SLM options are increasingly popular, often motivated by social learning and empowerment goals. Yet there are few practical tools for facilitating processes in which land managers may share, select, and decide on the most appropriate SLM options. The research presented here aims to close the gap between the theory and the practice of stakeholder participation/learning in SLM decision-making processes. The paper describes a three-part participatory methodology for selecting SLM options that was tested in 14 desertification-prone study sites within the EU-DESIRE project. Cross-site analysis and in-depth evaluation of the Moroccan and Portuguese sites were used to evaluate how well the proposed process facilitated stakeholder learning and selection of appropriate SLM options for local implementation. The structured nature of the process - starting with SLM goal setting - was found to facilitate mutual understanding and collaboration between stakeholders. The deliberation process led to a high degree of consensus over the outcome and, though not an initial aim, it fostered social learning in many cases. This solution-oriented methodology is applicable in a wide range of contexts and may be implemented with limited time and resources. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surveillance of transmitted HIV drug resistance using matched plasma and dried blood spot specimens from voluntary counseling and testing sites in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2007-2008.

PubMed

Duc, Nguyen Bui; Hien, Bui Thu; Wagar, Nick; Tram, Tran Hong; Giang, Le Truong; Yang, Chunfu; Wolfe, Mitchell I; Hien, Nguyen Tran; Tuan, Nguyen Anh

2012-05-01

During 2007-2008, surveillance of transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug resistance (TDR) was performed following World Health Organization guidance among clients with newly diagnosed HIV infection attending voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) sites in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Moderate (5%-15%) TDR to nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) was observed among VCT clients aged 18-21 years. Follow-up surveillance of TDR in HCMC and other geographic regions of Vietnam is warranted. Data generated will guide the national HIV drug resistance surveillance strategy and support selection of current and future first-line antiretroviral therapy and HIV prevention programs.

Reliable Refuge: Two Sky Island Scorpion Species Select Larger, Thermally Stable Retreat Sites.

PubMed

Becker, Jamie E; Brown, Christopher A

2016-01-01

Sky island scorpions shelter under rocks and other surface debris, but, as with other scorpions, it is unclear whether these species select retreat sites randomly. Furthermore, little is known about the thermal preferences of scorpions, and no research has been done to identify whether reproductive condition might influence retreat site selection. The objectives were to (1) identify physical or thermal characteristics for retreat sites occupied by two sky island scorpions (Vaejovis cashi Graham 2007 and V. electrum Hughes 2011) and those not occupied; (2) determine whether retreat site selection differs between the two study species; and (3) identify whether thermal selection differs between species and between gravid and non-gravid females of the same species. Within each scorpion's habitat, maximum dimensions of rocks along a transect line were measured and compared to occupied rocks to determine whether retreat site selection occurred randomly. Temperature loggers were placed under a subset of occupied and unoccupied rocks for 48 hours to compare the thermal characteristics of these rocks. Thermal gradient trials were conducted before parturition and after dispersal of young in order to identify whether gravidity influences thermal preference. Vaejovis cashi and V. electrum both selected larger retreat sites that had more stable thermal profiles. Neither species appeared to have thermal preferences influenced by reproductive condition. However, while thermal selection did not differ among non-gravid individuals, gravid V. electrum selected warmer temperatures than its gravid congener. Sky island scorpions appear to select large retreat sites to maintain thermal stability, although biotic factors (e.g., competition) could also be involved in this choice. Future studies should focus on identifying the various biotic or abiotic factors that could influence retreat site selection in scorpions, as well as determining whether reproductive condition affects thermal selection in other arachnids.

Extensively Parameterized Mutation-Selection Models Reliably Capture Site-Specific Selective Constraint.

PubMed

Spielman, Stephanie J; Wilke, Claus O

2016-11-01

The mutation-selection model of coding sequence evolution has received renewed attention for its use in estimating site-specific amino acid propensities and selection coefficient distributions. Two computationally tractable mutation-selection inference frameworks have been introduced: One framework employs a fixed-effects, highly parameterized maximum likelihood approach, whereas the other employs a random-effects Bayesian Dirichlet Process approach. While both implementations follow the same model, they appear to make distinct predictions about the distribution of selection coefficients. The fixed-effects framework estimates a large proportion of highly deleterious substitutions, whereas the random-effects framework estimates that all substitutions are either nearly neutral or weakly deleterious. It remains unknown, however, how accurately each method infers evolutionary constraints at individual sites. Indeed, selection coefficient distributions pool all site-specific inferences, thereby obscuring a precise assessment of site-specific estimates. Therefore, in this study, we use a simulation-based strategy to determine how accurately each approach recapitulates the selective constraint at individual sites. We find that the fixed-effects approach, despite its extensive parameterization, consistently and accurately estimates site-specific evolutionary constraint. By contrast, the random-effects Bayesian approach systematically underestimates the strength of natural selection, particularly for slowly evolving sites. We also find that, despite the strong differences between their inferred selection coefficient distributions, the fixed- and random-effects approaches yield surprisingly similar inferences of site-specific selective constraint. We conclude that the fixed-effects mutation-selection framework provides the more reliable software platform for model application and future development. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ground Characterization Studies in Canakkale Pilot Site of LIQUEFACT Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozcep, F.; Oztoprak, S.; Aysal, N.; Bozbey, I.; Tezel, O.; Ozer, C.; Sargin, S.; Bekin, E.; Almasraf, M.; Cengiz Cinku, M.; Ozdemir, K.

2017-12-01

The our aim is to outline the ground characterisation studies in Canakkale test site. Study is based on the EU H2020 LIQUEFACT project entitled "Liquefact: Assessment and mitigation of liquefaction potential across Europe: a holistic approach to protect structures / infrastructures for improved resilience to earthquake-induced liquefaction disasters". Objectives and extent of ground characterization for Canakkale test site includes pre-existing soil investigation studies and complementary field studies. There were several SPT and geophysical tests carried out in the study area. Within the context of the complementary tests, six (6) study areas in the test site were chosen and complementary tests were carried out in these areas. In these areas, additional boreholes were opened and SPT tests were performed. It was decided that additional CPT (CPTU and SCPT) and Marchetti Dilatometer (DMT) tests should be carried out within the scope of the complementary testing. Seismic refraction, MASW and micro tremor measurements had been carried out in pre-existing studies. Shear wave velocities obtained from MASW measurements were evaluated to the most rigorous level. These tests were downhole seismic, PS-logging, seismic refraction, 2D-ReMi, MASW, micro tremor (H/V Nakamura method), 2D resistivity and resonance acoustic profiling (RAP). RAP is a new technique which will be explained briefly in the relevant section. Dynamic soil properties had not been measured in pre-existing studies, therefore these properties were investigated within the scope of the complementary tests. Selection of specific experimental tests of the complementary campaign was based on cost-benefit considerations Within the context of complementary field studies, dynamic soil properties were measured using resonant column and cyclic direct shear tests. Several sieve analyses and Atterberg Limits tests which were documented in the pre-existing studies were evaluated. In the complementary study carried out, additional sieve analyses and Atterberg Limit tests were carried out. It was aimed to make some correlations between geophysical measurements and other field measurements; such as SPT, blow count values.

Strontium Isotopic Composition of Paleozoic Carbonate Rocks in the Nevada Test Site Vicinity, Clark, Lincoln, and Nye Counties, Nevada and Inyo County, California.

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

James B. Paces; Zell E. Peterman; Kiyoto Futa

2007-08-07

Ground water moving through permeable Paleozoic carbonate rocks represents the most likely pathway for migration of radioactive contaminants from nuclear weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada. The strontium isotopic composition (87Sr/86Sr) of ground water offers a useful means of testing hydrochemical models of regional flow involving advection and reaction. However, reaction models require knowledge of 87Sr/86Sr data for carbonate rock in the Nevada Test Site vicinity, which is scarce. To fill this data gap, samples of core or cuttings were selected from 22 boreholes at depth intervals from which water samples had been obtained previously aroundmore » the Nevada Test Site at Yucca Flat, Frenchman Flat, Rainier Mesa, and Mercury Valley. Dilute acid leachates of these samples were analyzed for a suite of major- and trace-element concentrations (MgO, CaO, SiO2, Al2O3, MnO, Rb, Sr, Th, and U) as well as for 87Sr/86Sr. Also presented are unpublished analyses of 114 Paleozoic carbonate samples from outcrops, road cuts, or underground sites in the Funeral Mountains, Bare Mountain, Striped Hills, Specter Range, Spring Mountains, and ranges east of the Nevada Test Site measured in the early 1990's. These data originally were collected to evaluate the potential for economic mineral deposition at the potential high-level radioactive waste repository site at Yucca Mountain and adjacent areas (Peterman and others, 1994). Samples were analyzed for a suite of trace elements (Rb, Sr, Zr, Ba, La, and Ce) in bulk-rock powders, and 87Sr/86Sr in partial digestions of carbonate rock using dilute acid or total digestions of silicate-rich rocks. Pre-Tertiary core samples from two boreholes in the central or western part of the Nevada Test Site also were analyzed. Data are presented in tables and summarized in graphs; however, no attempt is made to interpret results with respect to ground-water flow paths in this report. Present-day 87Sr/86Sr values are compared to values for Paleozoic seawater present at the time of deposition. Many of the samples have 87Sr/86Sr compositions that remain relatively unmodified from expected seawater values. However, rocks underlying the northern Nevada Test Site as well as rocks exposed at Bare Mountain commonly have elevated 87Sr/86Sr values derived from post-depositional addition of radiogenic Sr most likely from fluids circulating through rubidium-rich Paleozoic strata or Precambrian basement rocks.« less

Strontium Isotopic Composition of Paleozoic Carbonate Rocks in the Nevada Test Site Vicinity, Clark, Lincoln, and Nye Counties, Nevada, and Inyo County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paces, James B.; Peterman, Zell E.; Futo, Kiyoto; Oliver, Thomas A.; Marshall, Brian D.

2007-01-01

Ground water moving through permeable Paleozoic carbonate rocks represents the most likely pathway for migration of radioactive contaminants from nuclear weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada. The strontium isotopic composition (87Sr/86Sr) of ground water offers a useful means of testing hydrochemical models of regional flow involving advection and reaction. However, reaction models require knowledge of 87Sr/86Sr data for carbonate rock in the Nevada Test Site vicinity, which is scarce. To fill this data gap, samples of core or cuttings were selected from 22 boreholes at depth intervals from which water samples had been obtained previously around the Nevada Test Site at Yucca Flat, Frenchman Flat, Rainier Mesa, and Mercury Valley. Dilute acid leachates of these samples were analyzed for a suite of major- and trace-element concentrations (MgO, CaO, SiO2, Al2O3, MnO, Rb, Sr, Th, and U) as well as for 87Sr/86Sr. Also presented are unpublished analyses of 114 Paleozoic carbonate samples from outcrops, road cuts, or underground sites in the Funeral Mountains, Bare Mountain, Striped Hills, Specter Range, Spring Mountains, and ranges east of the Nevada Test Site measured in the early 1990's. These data originally were collected to evaluate the potential for economic mineral deposition at the potential high-level radioactive waste repository site at Yucca Mountain and adjacent areas (Peterman and others, 1994). Samples were analyzed for a suite of trace elements (Rb, Sr, Zr, Ba, La, and Ce) in bulk-rock powders, and 87Sr/86Sr in partial digestions of carbonate rock using dilute acid or total digestions of silicate-rich rocks. Pre-Tertiary core samples from two boreholes in the central or western part of the Nevada Test Site also were analyzed. Data are presented in tables and summarized in graphs; however, no attempt is made to interpret results with respect to ground-water flow paths in this report. Present-day 87Sr/86Sr values are compared to values for Paleozoic seawater present at the time of deposition. Many of the samples have 87Sr/86Sr compositions that remain relatively unmodified from expected seawater values. However, rocks underlying the northern Nevada Test Site as well as rocks exposed at Bare Mountain commonly have elevated 87Sr/86Sr values derived from post-depositional addition of radiogenic Sr most likely from fluids circulating through rubidium-rich Paleozoic strata or Precambrian basement rocks.

The Joint Winter Runway Friction Measurement Program: NASA Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yager, Thomas J.

1996-01-01

Some background information is given together with the scope and objectives of the 5-year, Joint National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)/Transport Canada (TC)/Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Winter Runway Friction Measurement Program. The range of the test equipment, the selected test sites and a tentative test program schedule are described. NASA considers the success of this program critical in terms of insuring adequate ground handling performance capability in adverse weather conditions for future aircraft being designed and developed as well as improving the safety of current aircraft ground operations.

Methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism analysis of fat and muscle tissues in pigs.

PubMed

Ma, J D; Li, M Z; Zhou, S L; Zhou, C W; Li, X W

2012-09-26

DNA methylation may be involved in regulating the expression of protein-coding genes, resulting in different fat and muscle phenotypes. Using a methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism approach, we obtained 7423 bands by selective amplification of genomic DNA from six different fat depots and two heterogeneous muscle types from Duroc/Landrace/Yorkshire cross-bred pigs. The degrees of DNA methylation, determined by the percentages of hemi- and fully methylated sites relative to the total number of CCGG sites, were similar in male and female pigs for each specific tissue [χ(2) test; P (two-tailed) > 0.05]. Gender bias was therefore ignored. There were significant differences in the degree of DNA methylation among the eight tissue types [χ(2) test; P(total) (two-tailed) = 0.009]. However, similar degrees of methylation were observed among the six fat depots [χ(2) test; P(fat) (two-tailed) = 0.24 > 0.05]and between the two muscle types [χ(2) test; P(muscle) (two-tailed) = 0.76 > 0.05]. We conclude that the degree of DNA methylation differs between porcine fat and muscle tissue, but that the methylation status of a particular tissue type is similar, despite being deposited at different body sites.

Molecular Population Genetics of Sex Determination Genes: The Transformer Gene of Drosophila Melanogaster

PubMed Central

Walthour, C. S.; Schaeffer, S. W.

1994-01-01

The transformer locus (tra) produces an RNA processing protein that alternatively splices the doublesex pre-mRNA in the sex determination hierarchy of Drosophila melanogaster. Comparisons of the tra coding region among Drosophila species have revealed an unusually high degree of divergence in synonymous and nonsynonymous sites. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the tra gene will be polymorphic in synonymous and nonsynonymous sites within species by investigating nucleotide sequence variation in eleven tra alleles within D. melanogaster. Of the 1063 nucleotides examined, two synonymous sites were polymorphic and no amino acid variation was detected. Three statistical tests were used to detect departures from an equilibrium neutral model. Two tests failed to reject a neutral model of molecular evolution because of low statisitical power associated with low levels of genetic variation (Tajima/Fu and Li). The Hudson, Kreitman, and Aguade test rejected a neutral model when the tra region was compared to the 5'-flanking region of alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh). The lack of variability in the tra gene is consistent with a recent selective sweep of a beneficial allele in or near the tra locus. PMID:8013913

A Software Defined Radio Based Architecture for the Reagan Test Site Telemetry Modernization (RTM) Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-26

platforms and are quickly using up available spectrum. The national need in the commercial sector with emerging technologies such as 5G is pushing for...recovered and post processed later. The Front End Server also sends selected data stream across a high speed network link to the centralized

SELECTED RADIOISOTOPES IN ANIMAL TISSUES IN NEVADA: 90SR AND 137CS MEASUREMENTS FROM 1956 TO 1977

EPA Science Inventory

Measurements have been made since 1956 of the strontium-90 and cesium-137 concentrations in tissues from cattle, deer, and bighorn sheep living on and around the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Examination of this data cumulation indicates that the measured tissue concentrations reflect ...

40 CFR 63.997 - Performance test and compliance assessment requirements for control devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... as TOC minus methane and ethane according to the procedures specified. (i) Selection of sampling... regulated material or TOC, sampling sites shall be located as specified in paragraphs (e)(2)(i)(A)(1) and (e... shall ensure the measurement of total organic regulated material or TOC (minus methane and ethane...

ISSOE Student Guidance and Development of Personalized Occupational Education Programs. Findings and Recommendations, Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beuke, Vernon; Frank, Robert

The Instructional Support System for Occupational Education (ISSOE) project focused on (1) review of individualized education systems, (2) selection of appropriate occupational clusters, and (3) development and field testing of a system and materials. Exemplary and innovative approaches to individualized education were reviewed by site visits and…

An information theory application to improve understanding of subsurface flow and transport conditions at the BARC OPE3 site

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Improving understanding of subsurface conditions includes comparison and discrimination of concurrent models. Additional observations can be useful for that purpose. The objective of this work was to implement and test a novel method for optimization of selecting locations for additional observation...

Time rate of local scour at complex bridge piers field and laboratory analyses : final report, April 2009.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-04-01

A local scour evolution field study was conducted under this contract. One of the piers on the A1A Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway (ICCW) in Fort Pierce, Florida was selected for the test site. The existing local scour hole was filled with sand...

Complementary effect of natural and sexual selection against immigrants maintains differentiation between locally adapted fish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plath, Martin; Riesch, Rüdiger; Oranth, Alexandra; Dzienko, Justina; Karau, Nora; Schießl, Angela; Stadler, Stefan; Wigh, Adriana; Zimmer, Claudia; Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Schlupp, Ingo; Tobler, Michael

2010-08-01

Adaptation to ecologically heterogeneous environments can drive speciation. But what mechanisms maintain reproductive isolation among locally adapted populations? Using poeciliid fishes in a system with naturally occurring toxic hydrogen sulfide, we show that (a) fish from non-sulfidic sites ( Poecilia mexicana) show high mortality (95 %) after 24 h when exposed to the toxicant, while locally adapted fish from sulfidic sites ( Poecilia sulphuraria) experience low mortality (13 %) when transferred to non-sulfidic water. (b) Mate choice tests revealed that P. mexicana females exhibit a preference for conspecific males in non-sulfidic water, but not in sulfidic water, whereas P. sulphuraria females never showed a preference. Increased costs of mate choice in sulfidic, hypoxic water, and the lack of selection for reinforcement due to the low survival of P. mexicana may explain the absence of a preference in P. sulphuraria females. Taken together, our study may be the first to demonstrate independent—but complementary—effects of natural and sexual selection against immigrants maintaining differentiation between locally adapted fish populations.

Complementary effect of natural and sexual selection against immigrants maintains differentiation between locally adapted fish.

PubMed

Plath, Martin; Riesch, Rüdiger; Oranth, Alexandra; Dzienko, Justina; Karau, Nora; Schiessl, Angela; Stadler, Stefan; Wigh, Adriana; Zimmer, Claudia; Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Schlupp, Ingo; Tobler, Michael

2010-08-01

Adaptation to ecologically heterogeneous environments can drive speciation. But what mechanisms maintain reproductive isolation among locally adapted populations? Using poeciliid fishes in a system with naturally occurring toxic hydrogen sulfide, we show that (a) fish from non-sulfidic sites (Poecilia mexicana) show high mortality (95 %) after 24 h when exposed to the toxicant, while locally adapted fish from sulfidic sites (Poecilia sulphuraria) experience low mortality (13 %) when transferred to non-sulfidic water. (b) Mate choice tests revealed that P. mexicana females exhibit a preference for conspecific males in non-sulfidic water, but not in sulfidic water, whereas P. sulphuraria females never showed a preference. Increased costs of mate choice in sulfidic, hypoxic water, and the lack of selection for reinforcement due to the low survival of P. mexicana may explain the absence of a preference in P. sulphuraria females. Taken together, our study may be the first to demonstrate independent-but complementary-effects of natural and sexual selection against immigrants maintaining differentiation between locally adapted fish populations.

Memory Effects of Benzodiazepines: Memory Stages and Types Versus Binding-Site Subtypes

PubMed Central

Savić, Miroslav M.; Obradović, Dragan I.; Ugrešić, Nenad D.; Bokonjić, Dubravko R.

2005-01-01

Benzodiazepines are well established as inhibitory modulators of memory processing. This effect is especially prominent when applied before the acquisition phase of a memory task. This minireview concentrates on the putative subtype selectivity of the acquisition-impairing action of benzodiazepines. Namely, recent genetic studies and standard behavioral tests employing subtype-selective ligands pointed to the predominant involvement of two subtypes of benzodiazepine binding sites in memory modulation. Explicit memory learning seems to be affected through the GABAA receptors containing the α1 and α1 subunits, whereas the effects on procedural memory can be mainly mediated by the α1 subunit. The pervading involvement of the α1 subunit in memory modulation is not at all unexpected because this subunit is the major subtype, present in 60% of all GABAA receptors. On the other hand, the role of α5 subunits, mainly expressed in the hippocampus, in modulating distinct forms of memory gives promise of selective pharmacological coping with certain memory deficit states. PMID:16444900

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 541: Small Boy Nevada National Security Site and Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada with ROTC 1

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

Matthews, Patrick

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 541 is co-located on the boundary of Area 5 of the Nevada National Security Site and Range 65C of the Nevada Test and Training Range, approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. CAU 541 is a grouping of sites where there has been a suspected release of contamination associated with nuclear testing. This document describes the planned investigation of CAU 541, which comprises the following corrective action sites (CASs): 05-23-04, Atmospheric Tests (6) - BFa Site; 05-45-03, Atmospheric Test Site - Small Boy. These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature andmore » extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives (CAAs). Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation before evaluating CAAs and selecting the appropriate corrective action for each CAS. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable CAAs that will be presented in the investigation report. The sites will be investigated based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on April 1, 2014, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; U.S. Air Force; and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 541. The site investigation process also will be conducted in accordance with the Soils Activity Quality Assurance Plan, which establishes requirements, technical planning, and general quality practices to be applied to this activity. The potential contamination sources associated with CASs 05-23-04 and 05-45-03 are from nuclear testing activities conducted at the Atmospheric Tests (6) - BFa Site and Atmospheric Test Site - Small Boy sites. The presence and nature of contamination at CAU 541 will be evaluated based on information collected from field investigations. Radiological contamination will be evaluated based on a comparison of the total effective dose at sample locations to the dose-based final action level. The total effective dose will be calculated as the total of separate estimates of internal and external dose. Results from the analysis of soil samples will be used to calculate internal radiological dose. Thermoluminescent dosimeters placed at the center of each sample location will be used to measure external radiological dose. Appendix A provides a detailed discussion of the DQO methodology and the DQOs specific to each CAS.« less

Interpreting large-scale experiments on effects of trawling on benthic fauna: an empirical test of the potential effects of spatial confounding in experiments without replicated control and trawled areas.

PubMed

Lindegarth; Valentinsson; Hansson; Ulmestrand

2000-03-15

Disturbances due to trawling and dredging is a serious threat to assemblages of benthic marine animals. We tested hypotheses about effects of trawling on benthic assemblages in a manipulative field experiment, using gear and intensities relevant to future management of trawling in a Swedish fjord. Three trawled and three control sites were sampled at several times before and after trawling was initiated. This paper describes how conclusions about effects of trawling might differ between experiments involving replicate sites and experiments using only one trawled and one control site, as in several recent studies. Analyses of selected taxa showed that abundances of many species changed differently among control sites. Differences in temporal change between pairs of single trawled and control sites were also frequent. Neither the quantitative nor the qualitative nature of differences between treatments could, however, be coherently interpreted among the different combinations of trawled and control sites. This is consistent with results obtained from analyses using all sites, which showed no consistent effects of trawling on any of these taxa. These results provide empirical evidence that spatial confounding may cause serious problems to formal interpretation of experiments, which use only one control and one trawled area. Such potential problems can best be solved by ensuring that the study incorporates more than one control site.

One- and two-objective approaches to an area-constrained habitat reserve site selection problem

Treesearch

Stephanie Snyder; Charles ReVelle; Robert Haight

2004-01-01

We compare several ways to model a habitat reserve site selection problem in which an upper bound on the total area of the selected sites is included. The models are cast as optimization coverage models drawn from the location science literature. Classic covering problems typically include a constraint on the number of sites that can be selected. If potential reserve...

Identifying potential selective fluorescent probes for cancer-associated protein carbonic anhydrase IX using a computational approach.

PubMed

Kamstra, Rhiannon L; Floriano, Wely B

2014-11-01

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is a biomarker for tumor hypoxia. Fluorescent inhibitors of CAIX have been used to study hypoxic tumor cell lines. However, these inhibitor-based fluorescent probes may have a therapeutic effect that is not appropriate for monitoring treatment efficacy. In the search for novel fluorescent probes that are not based on known inhibitors, a database of 20,860 fluorescent compounds was virtually screened against CAIX using hierarchical virtual ligand screening (HierVLS). The screening database contained 14,862 compounds tagged with the ATTO680 fluorophore plus an additional 5998 intrinsically fluorescent compounds. Overall ranking of compounds to identify hit molecular probe candidates utilized a principal component analysis (PCA) approach. Four potential binding sites, including the catalytic site, were identified within the structure of the protein and targeted for virtual screening. Available sequence information for 23 carbonic anhydrase isoforms was used to prioritize the four sites based on the estimated "uniqueness" of each site in CAIX relative to the other isoforms. A database of 32 known inhibitors and 478 decoy compounds was used to validate the methodology. A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis using the first principal component (PC1) as predictive score for the validation database yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92. AUC is interpreted as the probability that a binder will have a better score than a non-binder. The use of first component analysis of binding energies for multiple sites is a novel approach for hit selection. The very high prediction power for this approach increases confidence in the outcome from the fluorescent library screening. Ten of the top scoring candidates for isoform-selective putative binding sites are suggested for future testing as fluorescent molecular probe candidates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adaptation of the Mitochondrial Genome in Cephalopods: Enhancing Proton Translocation Channels and the Subunit Interactions

PubMed Central

Almeida, Daniela; Maldonado, Emanuel; Vasconcelos, Vitor; Antunes, Agostinho

2015-01-01

Mitochondrial protein-coding genes (mt genes) encode subunits forming complexes of crucial cellular pathways, including those involved in the vital process of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Despite the vital role of the mitochondrial genome (mt genome) in the survival of organisms, little is known with respect to its adaptive implications within marine invertebrates. The molluscan Class Cephalopoda is represented by a marine group of species known to occupy contrasting environments ranging from the intertidal to the deep sea, having distinct metabolic requirements, varied body shapes and highly advanced visual and nervous systems that make them highly competitive and successful worldwide predators. Thus, cephalopods are valuable models for testing natural selection acting on their mitochondrial subunits (mt subunits). Here, we used concatenated mt genes from 17 fully sequenced mt genomes of diverse cephalopod species to generate a robust mitochondrial phylogeny for the Class Cephalopoda. We followed an integrative approach considering several branches of interest–covering cephalopods with distinct morphologies, metabolic rates and habitats–to identify sites under positive selection and localize them in the respective protein alignment and/or tridimensional structure of the mt subunits. Our results revealed significant adaptive variation in several mt subunits involved in the energy production pathway of cephalopods: ND5 and ND6 from Complex I, CYTB from Complex III, COX2 and COX3 from Complex IV, and in ATP8 from Complex V. Furthermore, we identified relevant sites involved in protein-interactions, lining proton translocation channels, as well as disease/deficiencies related sites in the aforementioned complexes. A particular case, revealed by this study, is the involvement of some positively selected sites, found in Octopoda lineage in lining proton translocation channels (site 74 from ND5) and in interactions between subunits (site 507 from ND5) of Complex I. PMID:26285039

The Utility of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Systems-Oriented Obesity Intervention Projects: The Selection of Comparable Study Sites for a Quasi-Experimental Intervention Design—TX CORD

PubMed Central

Byars, Allison; Byrd-Williams, Courtney; Sharma, Shreela V.; Durand, Casey; Hoelscher, Deanna M.; Butte, Nancy F.; Kelder, Steven H.

2015-01-01

Abstract Background: The Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration project (TX CORD) uses a systems-oriented approach to address obesity that includes individual and family interventions, community-level action, as well as environmental and policy initiatives. Given that randomization is seldom possible in community-level intervention studies, TX CORD uses a quasi-experimental design. Comparable intervention and comparison study sites are needed to address internal validity bias. Methods: TX CORD was designed to be implemented in low-income, ethnically diverse communities in Austin and Houston, Texas. A three-stage Geographical Information System (GIS) methodology was used to establish and ascertain the comparability of the intervention and comparison study sites. Census tract (stage 1) and school (stage 2) data were used to identify spatially exclusive geographic areas that were comparable. In stage 3, study sites were compared on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status (SES), food assets, and physical activity (PA) assets. Student's t-test was used to examine significant differences between the selected sites. Results: The methodology that was used resulted in the selection of catchment areas with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics that fit the target population: ethnically diverse population; lower-median household income; and lower home ownership rates. Additionally, the intervention and comparison sites were statistically comparable on demographic and SES variables, as well as food assets and PA assets. Conclusions: This GIS approach can provide researchers, program evaluators, and policy makers with useful tools for both research and practice. Area-level information that allows for robust understanding of communities can enhance analytical procedures in community health research and offer significant contributions in terms of community assessment and engagement. PMID:25587670

The utility of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in systems-oriented obesity intervention projects: the selection of comparable study sites for a quasi-experimental intervention design--TX CORD.

PubMed

Oluyomi, Abiodun O; Byars, Allison; Byrd-Williams, Courtney; Sharma, Shreela V; Durand, Casey; Hoelscher, Deanna M; Butte, Nancy F; Kelder, Steven H

2015-02-01

The Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration project (TX CORD) uses a systems-oriented approach to address obesity that includes individual and family interventions, community-level action, as well as environmental and policy initiatives. Given that randomization is seldom possible in community-level intervention studies, TX CORD uses a quasi-experimental design. Comparable intervention and comparison study sites are needed to address internal validity bias. TX CORD was designed to be implemented in low-income, ethnically diverse communities in Austin and Houston, Texas. A three-stage Geographical Information System (GIS) methodology was used to establish and ascertain the comparability of the intervention and comparison study sites. Census tract (stage 1) and school (stage 2) data were used to identify spatially exclusive geographic areas that were comparable. In stage 3, study sites were compared on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status (SES), food assets, and physical activity (PA) assets. Student's t-test was used to examine significant differences between the selected sites. The methodology that was used resulted in the selection of catchment areas with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics that fit the target population: ethnically diverse population; lower-median household income; and lower home ownership rates. Additionally, the intervention and comparison sites were statistically comparable on demographic and SES variables, as well as food assets and PA assets. This GIS approach can provide researchers, program evaluators, and policy makers with useful tools for both research and practice. Area-level information that allows for robust understanding of communities can enhance analytical procedures in community health research and offer significant contributions in terms of community assessment and engagement.

Occurrence of select perfluoroalkyl substances at U.S. Air Force aqueous film-forming foam release sites other than fire-training areas: Field-validation of critical fate and transport properties.

PubMed

Anderson, R Hunter; Long, G Cornell; Porter, Ronald C; Anderson, Janet K

2016-05-01

The use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) to extinguish hydrocarbon-based fires is recognized as a significant source of environmental poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Although the occurrence of select PFASs in soil and groundwater at former fire-training areas (FTAs) at military installations operable since 1970 has been consistently confirmed, studies reporting the occurrence of PFASs at other AFFF-impacted sites (e.g. emergency response locations, AFFF lagoons, hangar-related AFFF storage tanks and pipelines, and fire station testing and maintenance areas) are largely missing from the literature. Further, studies have mostly focused on a single site (i.e., FTAs at military installations) and, thus, lack a comparison of sites with diverse AFFF release history. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate select PFAS occurrence at non-FTA sites on active U.S. Air Force installations with historic AFFF use of varying magnitude. Concentrations of fifteen perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA), an important PFOS precursor, were measured from several hundred samples among multiple media (i.e., surface soil, subsurface soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater) collected from forty AFFF-impacted sites across ten installations between March and September 2014, representing one of the most comprehensive datasets on environmental PFAS occurrence to date. Differences in detection frequencies and observed concentrations due to AFFF release volume are presented along with rigorous data analyses that quantitatively demonstrate phase-dependent (i.e., solid-phase vs aqueous-phase) differences in the chemical signature as a function of carbon chain-length and in situ PFOS (and to a slightly lesser extent PFHxS) formation, presumably due to precursor biotransformation. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Characterization of Two (3H) Ketanserin Recognition Sites in Rat Striatum

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-01

autoradiography to be localized to The 5-HT, sites are proposed to activate adenylate layer IV of the cortex and striatum ( Pazos et al., cyclase (Barbaccia et al...Chuang (1987). assumption has not been completely tested. Since its introduction as a selective radioligand for Pazos et al. (1985) recently confirmed...cniorophenylalanine. 1833 B S-3 1834 B. L. ROT!! ET AL. enriched in striatum and cortex. Pazos et al. (1985) mAt Tris-Cl, pH 7.40 at 25°C) at 4C. A crude membrane

Jürgen Stock: From One End of the Andes to the Other

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vivas, A. K.; Stock, M. J.

2015-05-01

Jürgen Stock (1923-2004) will always be remembered for his work on astronomical site testing. He led the efforts to find the best place for CTIO, and his work had a large influence in the setting of other observatories in Chile. He was the first director of CTIO (1963-1966). After his time in Chile, he moved to the other end of the Andes and was in charge of the site selection and the construction of the only professional observatory in Venezuela, the Llano del Hato National Observatory.

Prehistoric and Historic Cultural Resources of Selected Sites at Harlan County Lake, Harlan County, Nebraska: Test Excavations and Determination of Significance for 28 Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-01

mouse (P. maniculatus) (Guilday et al. 1977). This gives the anterior end of the ml a more acute appearance in the deer mouse. Zapus Princeps - The...heather vole 1 PrmyscA deer mouse 1 Zapus princeps western jumping mouse 1 cf. Mates p.nant fisher 1 total 29 lithic artifact 1 313 cliff. The lithology is...Clethrionomys gapperi southern red-backed vole 2 Phenacomrs intermedius heather vole 1 Zapus cf. princeps western jumping mouse 1 Bison cf. occidentalis

Despotism and risk of infanticide influence grizzly bear den-site selection.

PubMed

Libal, Nathan S; Belant, Jerrold L; Leopold, Bruce D; Wang, Guiming; Owen, Patricia A

2011-01-01

Given documented social dominance and intraspecific predation in bear populations, the ideal despotic distribution model and sex hypothesis of sexual segregation predict adult female grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) will avoid areas occupied by adult males to reduce risk of infanticide. Under ideal despotic distribution, juveniles should similarly avoid adult males to reduce predation risk. Den-site selection and use is an important component of grizzly bear ecology and may be influenced by multiple factors, including risk from conspecifics. To test the role of predation risk and the sex hypothesis of sexual segregation, we compared adult female (n = 142), adult male (n = 36), and juvenile (n = 35) den locations in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA. We measured elevation, aspect, slope, and dominant land cover for each den site, and used maximum entropy modeling to determine which variables best predicted den sites. We identified the global model as the best-fitting model for adult female (area under curve (AUC) = 0.926) and elevation as the best predictive variable for adult male (AUC = 0.880) den sites. The model containing land cover and elevation best-predicted juvenile (AUC = 0.841) den sites. Adult females spatially segregated from adult males, with dens characterized by higher elevations (mean= 1,412 m, SE = 52) and steeper slopes (mean = 21.9°, SE = 1.1) than adult male (elevation: mean = 1,209 m, SE = 76; slope: mean = 15.6°, SE = 1.9) den sites. Juveniles used a broad range of landscape attributes but did not avoid adult male denning areas. Observed spatial segregation by adult females supports the sex hypothesis of sexual segregation and we suggest is a mechanism to reduce risk of infanticide. Den site selection of adult males is likely related to distribution of food resources during spring.

A guideline for heavy ion radiation testing for Single Event Upset (SEU)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nichols, D. K.; Price, W. E.; Malone, C.

1984-01-01

A guideline for heavy ion radiation testing for single event upset was prepared to assist new experimenters in preparing and directing tests. How to estimate parts vulnerability and select an irradiation facility is described. A broad brush description of JPL equipment is given, certain necessary pre-test procedures are outlined and the roles and testing guidelines for on-site test personnel are indicated. Detailed descriptions of equipment needed to interface with JPL test crew and equipment are not provided, nor does it meet the more generalized and broader requirements of a MIL-STD document. A detailed equipment description is available upon request, and a MIL-STD document is in the early stages of preparation.

HIV testing in community pharmacies and retail clinics: a model to expand access to screening for HIV infection.

PubMed

Weidle, Paul J; Lecher, Shirley; Botts, Linda W; Jones, LaDawna; Spach, David H; Alvarez, Jorge; Jones, Rhondette; Thomas, Vasavi

2014-01-01

To test the feasibility of offering rapid point-of-care human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing at community pharmacies and retail clinics. Pilot program to determine how to implement confidential HIV testing services in community pharmacies and retail clinics. 21 community pharmacies and retail clinics serving urban and rural patients in the United States, from August 2011 to July 2013. 106 community pharmacy and retail clinic staff members. A model was developed to implement confidential HIV counseling and testing services using community pharmacy and retail clinic staff as certified testing providers, or through collaborations with organizations that provide HIV testing. Training materials were developed and sites selected that serve patients from urban and rural areas to pilot test the model. Each site established a relationship with its local health department for HIV testing policies, developed referral lists for confirmatory HIV testing/care, secured a CLIA Certificate of Waiver, and advertised the service. Staff were trained to perform a rapid point-of-care HIV test on oral fluid, and provide patients with confidential test results and information on HIV. Patients with a preliminary positive result were referred to a physician or health department for confirmatory testing and, if needed, HIV clinical care. Number of HIV tests completed and amount of time required to conduct testing. The 21 participating sites administered 1,540 HIV tests, with 1,087 conducted onsite by staff during regular working hours and 453 conducted at 37 different HIV testing events (e.g., local health fairs). The median amount of time required for pretest counseling/consent, waiting for test results, and posttest counseling was 4, 23, and 3 minutes, respectively. A majority of the sites (17) said they planned to continue HIV testing after the project period ended and would seek assistance or support from the local health department, a community-based organization, or an AIDS service organization. This pilot project established HIV testing in several community pharmacies and retail clinics to be a feasible model for offering rapid, point-of-care HIV testing. It also demonstrated the willingness and ability of staff at community pharmacies and retail clinics to provide confidential HIV testing to patients. Expanding this model to additional sites and evaluating its feasibility and effectiveness may serve unmet needs in urban and rural settings.

Location and site characteristics of the ambient ground-water-quality-monitoring network in West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kozar, M.D.; Brown, D.P.

1995-01-01

Ground-water-quality-monitoring sites have been established in compliance with the 1991 West Virginia "Groundwater Protection Act." One of the provisions of the "Groundwater Protection Act" is to conduct ground-water sampling, data collection, analyses, and evaluation with sufficient frequency so as to ascertain the characteristics and quality of ground water and the sufficiency of the ground- water protection programs established pursuant to the act (Chapter 20 of the code of West Virginia, 1991, Article 5-M). Information for 26 monitoring sites (wells and springs) which comprise the Statewide ambient ground-water-quality-monitoring network is presented. Areas in which monitoring sites were needed were determined by the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection, Office of Water Resources in consultation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Initial sites were chosen on the basis of recent hydrogeologic investigations conducted by the USGS and from data stored in the USGS Ground Water Site Inventory database. Land use, aquifer setting, and areal coverage of the State are three of the more important criteria used in site selection. A field reconnaissance was conducted to locate and evaluate the adequacy of selected wells and springs. Descriptive information consisting of site, geologic, well construction, and aquifer-test data has been compiled. The 26 sites will be sampled periodically for iron, manganese, most common ions (for example, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, chloride, bicarbonate), volatile and semivolatile organic compounds (for example, pesticides and industrial solvents), and fecal coliform and fecal streptococcus bacteria. Background information explaining ground-water systems and water quality within the State has been included.

Selective Automatic Fire Extinguisher for Computers (SAFECOMP). Developmental Test and Evaluation/Initial Operational Test and Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-01

ininsj^>ji-f\\Jinoj(vjM o ro -»T co m o •- IO M a m»*NO>M>fNNininNOmso(\\iOfininO’Om<-<if(MO- jio o^MONroN«-o»-Of-|ioinf-N>tO’-m>iin...will present interesting challanges for the SAFECOMP system. The Powell site remote location from Malmstrom AFB (Host Support Base) requires the

Describing Willow Flycatcher habitats: scale perspectives and gender differences

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sedgwick, James A.; Knopf, Fritz L.

1992-01-01

We compared habitat characteristics of nest sites (female-selected sites) and song perch sites (male-selected sites) with those of sites unused by Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) at three different scales of vegetation measurement: (1) microplot (central willow [Salix spp.] bush and four adjacent bushes); (2) mesoplot (0.07 ha); and, (3) macroplot (flycatcher territory size). Willow Flycatchers exhibited vegetation preferences at all three scales. Nest sites were distinguished by high willow density and low variability in willow patch size and bush height. Song perch sites were characterized by large central shrubs, low central shrub vigor, and high variability in shrub size. Unused sites were characterized by greater distances between willows and willow patches, less willow coverage, and a smaller riparian zone width than either nest or song perch sites. At all scales, nest sites were situated farther from unused sites in multivariate habitat space than were song perch sites, suggesting (1) a correspondence among scales in their ability to describe Willow Flycatcher habitat, and (2) females are more discriminating in habitat selection than males. Microhabitat differences between male-selected (song perch) and female-selected (nest) sites were evident at the two smaller scales; at the finest scale, the segregation in habitat space between male-selected and female-selected sites was greater than that between male-selected and unused sites. Differences between song perch and nest sites were not apparent at the scale of flycatcher territory size, possibly due to inclusion of (1) both nest and song perch sites, (2) defended, but unused habitat, and/or (3) habitat outside of the territory, in larger scale analyses. The differences between nest and song perch sites at the finer scales reflect their different functions (e.g., nest concealment and microclimatic requirements vs. advertising and territorial defense, respectively), and suggest that the exclusive use of either nest or song perch sites in vegetation analyses can result in misleading, or at least incomplete, descriptions of a species' habitat. Habitat interpretations for Willow Flycatchers (and perhaps for many passerines) are a function of the gender-specific behavior of the birds observed and the scale of vegetation measurement.

How action selection can be embodied: intracranial gamma band recording shows response competition during the Eriksen flankers test

PubMed Central

Caruana, Fausto; Uithol, Sebo; Cantalupo, Gaetano; Sartori, Ivana; Lo Russo, Giorgio; Avanzini, Pietro

2014-01-01

Recent findings in monkeys suggest that action selection is based on a competition between various action options that are automatically planned by the motor system. Here we discuss data from intracranial EEG recordings in human premotor cortex (PMC) during a bimanual version of the Eriksen flankers test that suggest that the same principles apply to human action decisions. Recording sites in the dorsal PMC show an early but undifferentiated activation, a delayed response that depends on the experimental conditions and, finally, a movement related activation during action execution. Additionally, we found that the medial part of the PMC show a significant increase in response for ipsilateral trials, suggesting a role in inhibiting the wrong response. The ventral PMC seems to be involved in action execution, rather than action selection. Together these findings suggest that the human PMC is part of a network that specifies, selects, and executes actions. PMID:25206328

Effect of seasonal changes in use patterns and cold inlet water temperature on water-heating loads

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

Abrams, D.W.; Shedd, A.C.

This paper presents long-term test data obtained in 20 commercial buildings and 16 residential sites. The information illustrates the effects of variations in hot water load determinants and the effect on energy use. It also is useful as a supplement to the load profiles presented in the ASHRAE Handbooks and other design references. The commercial facilities include supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants, commercial kitchens, a motel, a nursing home, a hospital, a bakery, and laundry facilities. The residential sites ere selected to provide test sites with higher-than-average hot water use. They include 13 single-family detached residences, one 14-unit apartment building,more » and two apartment laundries. Test data are available at measurement intervals of 1 minute for the residential sites and 15 minutes for the commercial sites. Summary data in tabular and graphical form are presented for average daily volumetric hot water use and cold inlet water temperature. Measured cold inlet water temperature and volumetric hot water use figures are compared to values typically used for design and analysis. Conclusions are offered regarding the effect of cold water inlet temperature and variations in hot water use on water-heating load and energy use. Recommendations for the use of the information presented in water-heating system design, performance optimization, and performance analysis conclude the paper.« less

Testing the regionalization of a SVAT model for a region with high observation density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiermann, Sven; Thies, Boris; Bendix, Jörg

2014-05-01

The variable soil moisture is an important quantity in weather and climate investigations, because it has an essential influence on the energy exchange between the land surface and the atmosphere. However the recording of soil moisture in high spatio-temporal resolution is problematic. The planned Tandem-L mission of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) with an innovative L-band radar on board provides the opportunity to get daily soil moisture data at a spatial resolution of 50 meters. Within the Helmholtz Alliance Remote Sensing and Earth System Dynamics this data is planned to be used to regionalize a Soil Vegetation Atmosphere Transfer Model, in order to analyze the energy flux and the gas exchange and to improve the prediction of the water exchange between soil, vegetation and atmosphere. As investigation areas selected regions of the TERENO (TERrestrial ENviromental Observatoria) test sites and, later on, a region in South Ecuador will be used, for which data for the model initialization and validation are available. The reason for testing the method for the TERENO test sites first is the good data basis as a result of the already established high observation density there. The poster will present the methods being used for the model adaptation for the TERENO test sites and discuss the improvements achieved by these methods.

Conducting field studies for testing pesticide leaching models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Charles N.; Parrish, Rudolph S.; Brown, David S.

1990-01-01

A variety of predictive models are being applied to evaluate the transport and transformation of pesticides in the environment. These include well known models such as the Pesticide Root Zone Model (PRZM), the Risk of Unsaturated-Saturated Transport and Transformation Interactions for Chemical Concentrations Model (RUSTIC) and the Groundwater Loading Effects of Agricultural Management Systems Model (GLEAMS). The potentially large impacts of using these models as tools for developing pesticide management strategies and regulatory decisions necessitates development of sound model validation protocols. This paper offers guidance on many of the theoretical and practical problems encountered in the design and implementation of field-scale model validation studies. Recommendations are provided for site selection and characterization, test compound selection, data needs, measurement techniques, statistical design considerations and sampling techniques. A strategy is provided for quantitatively testing models using field measurements.

Evaluation of vegetation indices for rangeland biomass estimation in the Kimberley area of Western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mundava, C.; Helmholz, P.; Schut, A. G. T.; Corner, R.; McAtee, B.; Lamb, D. W.

2014-09-01

The objective of this paper is to test the relationships between Above Ground Biomass (AGB) and remotely sensed vegetation indices for AGB assessments in the Kimberley area in Western Australia. For 19 different sites, vegetation indices were derived from eight Landsat ETM+ scenes over a period of two years (2011-2013). The sites were divided into three groups (Open plains, Bunch grasses and Spinifex) based on similarities in dominant vegetation types. Dry and green biomass fractions were measured at these sites. Single and multiple regression relationships between vegetation indices and green and total AGB were calibrated and validated using a "leave site out" cross validation. Four tests were compared: (1) relationships between AGB and vegetation indices combining all sites; (2) separate relationships per site group; (3) multiple regressions including selected vegetation indices per site group; and (4) as in 3 but including rainfall and elevation data. Results indicate that relationships based on single vegetation indices are moderately accurate for green biomass in wide open plains covered with annual grasses. The cross-validation results for green AGB improved for a combination of indices for the Open plains and Bunch grasses sites, but not for Spinifex sites. When rainfall and elevation data are included, cross validation improved slightly with a Q2 of 0.49-0.72 for Open plains and Bunch grasses sites respectively. Cross validation results for total AGB were moderately accurate (Q2 of 0.41) for Open plains but weak or absent for other site groups despite good calibration results, indicating strong influence of site-specific factors.

Evaluation of multiband photography for rock discrimination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raines, G. L.

1974-01-01

An evaluation is presented of the multiband photography concept that tonal differences between rock formations on aerial photography can be improved through the selection of the appropriate bands. The concept involves: (1) acquiring band reference data for the rocks being considered; (2) selecting the best combination of bands to discriminate the rocks using these reference data; (3) acquiring aerial photography using these selected bands; and (4) extracting the desired geologic information in an optimum manner. The test site geology and rock reflectance are discussed in detail. The evaluation found that the differences in contrast ratios are not statistically significant, and the spectral information in different bands is not advantageous.

Evaluating a complex system-wide intervention using the difference in differences method: the Delivering Choice Programme

PubMed Central

Round, Jeff; Drake, Robyn; Kendall, Edward; Addicott, Rachael; Agelopoulos, Nicky; Jones, Louise

2015-01-01

Objectives We report the use of difference in differences (DiD) methodology to evaluate a complex, system-wide healthcare intervention. We use the worked example of evaluating the Marie Curie Delivering Choice Programme (DCP) for advanced illness in a large urban healthcare economy. Methods DiD was selected because a randomised controlled trial was not feasible. The method allows for before and after comparison of changes that occur in an intervention site with a matched control site. This enables analysts to control for the effect of the intervention in the absence of a local control. Any policy, seasonal or other confounding effects over the test period are assumed to have occurred in a balanced way at both sites. Data were obtained from primary care trusts. Outcomes were place of death, inpatient admissions, length of stay and costs. Results Small changes were identified between pre- and post-DCP outputs in the intervention site. The proportion of home deaths and median cost increased slightly, while the number of admissions per patient and the average length of stay per admission decreased slightly. None of these changes was statistically significant. Conclusions Effects estimates were limited by small numbers accessing new services and selection bias in sample population and comparator site. In evaluating the effect of a complex healthcare intervention, the choice of analysis method and output measures is crucial. Alternatives to randomised controlled trials may be required for evaluating large scale complex interventions and the DiD approach is suitable, subject to careful selection of measured outputs and control population. PMID:24644163

Small Molecule Screen for Candidate Antimalarials Targeting Plasmodium Kinesin-5*

PubMed Central

Liu, Liqiong; Richard, Jessica; Kim, Sunyoung; Wojcik, Edward J.

2014-01-01

Plasmodium falciparum and vivax are responsible for the majority of malaria infections worldwide, resulting in over a million deaths annually. Malaria parasites now show measured resistance to all currently utilized drugs. Novel antimalarial drugs are urgently needed. The Plasmodium Kinesin-5 mechanoenzyme is a suitable “next generation” target. Discovered via small molecule screen experiments, the human Kinesin-5 has multiple allosteric sites that are “druggable.” One site in particular, unique in its sequence divergence across all homologs in the superfamily and even within the same family, exhibits exquisite drug specificity. We propose that Plasmodium Kinesin-5 shares this allosteric site and likewise can be targeted to uncover inhibitors with high specificity. To test this idea, we performed a screen for inhibitors selective for Plasmodium Kinesin-5 ATPase activity in parallel with human Kinesin-5. Our screen of nearly 2000 compounds successfully identified compounds that selectively inhibit both P. vivax and falciparum Kinesin-5 motor domains but, as anticipated, do not impact human Kinesin-5 activity. Of note is a candidate drug that did not biochemically compete with the ATP substrate for the conserved active site or disrupt the microtubule-binding site. Together, our experiments identified MMV666693 as a selective allosteric inhibitor of Plasmodium Kinesin-5; this is the first identified protein target for the Medicines of Malaria Venture validated collection of parasite proliferation inhibitors. This work demonstrates that chemical screens against human kinesins are adaptable to homologs in disease organisms and, as such, extendable to strategies to combat infectious disease. PMID:24737313

The genealogy of sequences containing multiple sites subject to strong selection in a subdivided population.

PubMed Central

Nordborg, Magnus; Innan, Hideki

2003-01-01

A stochastic model for the genealogy of a sample of recombining sequences containing one or more sites subject to selection in a subdivided population is described. Selection is incorporated by dividing the population into allelic classes and then conditioning on the past sizes of these classes. The past allele frequencies at the selected sites are thus treated as parameters rather than as random variables. The purpose of the model is not to investigate the dynamics of selection, but to investigate effects of linkage to the selected sites on the genealogy of the surrounding chromosomal region. This approach is useful for modeling strong selection, when it is natural to parameterize the past allele frequencies at the selected sites. Several models of strong balancing selection are used as examples, and the effects on the pattern of neutral polymorphism in the chromosomal region are discussed. We focus in particular on the statistical power to detect balancing selection when it is present. PMID:12663556

The genealogy of sequences containing multiple sites subject to strong selection in a subdivided population.

PubMed

Nordborg, Magnus; Innan, Hideki

2003-03-01

A stochastic model for the genealogy of a sample of recombining sequences containing one or more sites subject to selection in a subdivided population is described. Selection is incorporated by dividing the population into allelic classes and then conditioning on the past sizes of these classes. The past allele frequencies at the selected sites are thus treated as parameters rather than as random variables. The purpose of the model is not to investigate the dynamics of selection, but to investigate effects of linkage to the selected sites on the genealogy of the surrounding chromosomal region. This approach is useful for modeling strong selection, when it is natural to parameterize the past allele frequencies at the selected sites. Several models of strong balancing selection are used as examples, and the effects on the pattern of neutral polymorphism in the chromosomal region are discussed. We focus in particular on the statistical power to detect balancing selection when it is present.

Analysis and Down Select of Flow Passages for Thermal Hydraulic Testing of a SNAP Derived Reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Godfroy, T. J.; Sadasivan, P.; Masterson, S.

2007-01-01

As past of the Vision for Space Exploration, man will return to the moon. To enable safe and productive time on the lunar surface will require adequate power resources. To provide the needed power and to give mission planners all landing site possibilities, including a permanently dark crater, a nuclear reactor provides the most options. Designed to be l00kWt providing approx. 25kWe this power plants would be very effective in delivering dependable, site non-specific power to crews or robotic missions on the lunar surface. An affordable reference reactor based upon the successful SNAP program of the 1960's and early 1970's has been designed by Los Alamos National Laboratory that will meet such a requirement. Considering current funding, environmental, and schedule limitations this lunar surface power reactor will be tested using non-nuclear simulators to simulate the heat from fission reactions. Currently a 25kWe surface power SNAP derivative reactor is in the early process of design and testing with collaboration between Los Alamos National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Glenn Research Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, and Sandia National Laboratory to ensure that this new design is affordable and can be tested using non-nuclear methods as have proven so effective in the past. This paper will discuss the study and down selection of a flow passage concept for a approx. 25kWe lunar surface power reactor. Several different flow passages designs were evaluated using computational fluid dynamics to determine pressure drop and a structural assessment to consider thermal and stress of the passage walls. The reactor design basis conditions are discussed followed by passage problem setup and results for each concept. A recommendation for passage design is made with rationale for selection.

Investigating change detection of archaeological sites by multiscale and multitemporal satellite imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lasaponara, R.; Lanorte, A.; Coluzzi, R.; Masini, N.

2009-04-01

The systematic monitoring of cultural and natural heritage is a basic step for its conservation. Monitoring strategies should constitute an integral component of policies relating to land use, development, and planning. To this aim remote sensing technologies can be used profitably. This paper deals with the use of multitemporal, multisensors, and multiscale satellite data for assessing and monitoring changes affecting cultural landscapes and archaeological sites. The discussion is focused on some significant test cases selected in Peru (South America) and Southern Italy . Artifacts, unearthed sites, and marks of buried remains have been investigated by using multitemporal aerial and satellite data, such as Quickbird, ASTER, Landsat MSS and TM.

Clinical trial allocation in multinational pharmaceutical companies - a qualitative study on influential factors.

PubMed

Dombernowsky, Tilde; Haedersdal, Merete; Lassen, Ulrik; Thomsen, Simon F

2017-06-01

Clinical trial allocation in multinational pharmaceutical companies includes country selection and site selection. With emphasis on site selection, the overall aim of this study was to examine which factors pharmaceutical companies value most when allocating clinical trials. The specific aims were (1) to identify key decision makers during country and site selection, respectively, (2) to evaluate by which parameters subsidiaries are primarily assessed by headquarters with regard to conducting clinical trials, and (3) to evaluate which site-related qualities companies value most when selecting trial sites. Eleven semistructured interviews were conducted among employees engaged in trial allocation at 11 pharmaceutical companies. The interviews were analyzed by deductive content analysis, which included coding of data to a categorization matrix containing categories of site-related qualities. The results suggest that headquarters and regional departments are key decision makers during country selection, whereas subsidiaries decide on site selection. Study participants argued that headquarters primarily value timely patient recruitment and quality of data when assessing subsidiaries. The site-related qualities most commonly emphasized during interviews were study population availability, timely patient recruitment, resources at the site, and site personnel's interest and commitment. Costs of running the trials were described as less important. Site personnel experience in conducting trials was described as valuable but not imperative. In conclusion, multinational pharmaceutical companies consider recruitment-related factors as crucial when allocating clinical trials. Quality of data and site personnel's interest and commitment are also essential, whereas costs seem less important. While valued, site personnel experience in conducting clinical trials is not imperative.

32 CFR 644.22 - Site selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Site selection. 644.22 Section 644.22 National... HANDBOOK Project Planning Military (army and Air Force) and Other Federal Agencies § 644.22 Site selection... selection will be the primary responsibility of the using service. A representative of the appropriate...

Estimates of External Validity Bias When Impact Evaluations Select Sites Nonrandomly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Stephen H.; Olsen, Robert B.; Orr, Larry L.; Stuart, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

Evaluations of educational programs or interventions are typically conducted in nonrandomly selected samples of schools or districts. Recent research has shown that nonrandom site selection can yield biased impact estimates. To estimate the external validity bias from nonrandom site selection, we combine lists of school districts that were…

Monroe, Utah, Hydrothermal System: Results from Drilling of Test Wells MC1 and MC2

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

Chapman, D.S.; Harrison, Roger

1978-10-01

Following detailed geological (Parry et al., 1976; Miller, 1976) and geophysical (Mase, Chapman, and Ward, 1978; Kilty, Mase, and Chapman, 1978) studies of the Monroe, Utah hydrothermal system, a program of drilling two intermediate depth test wells was undertaken. The objectives of the test well drilling were three-fold: (1) to obtain structural information bearing on the poorly known dip of the Sevier Fault, (2) to obtain temperature information below the shallow depths (approximately 300 ft.) sampled in the first phase of exploration, and (3) to provide cased wells which could act as monitor wells during the production phase of themore » project. The test well drilling was seen to be vital to the selection of a site for a production well. This report describes the results from the drilling of the two test wells, designated MC1 and MC2, and offers interpretation of the hydrothermal system which may be used as a basis for selecting production wells.« less

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 151: Septic Systems and Discharge Area, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Rev. No.: 0

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

David A. Strand

2004-06-01

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) contains project-specific information for conducting site investigation activities at Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 151: Septic Systems and Discharge Area, Nevada Test Site, Nevada. Information presented in this CAIP includes facility descriptions, environmental sample collection objectives, and criteria for the selection and evaluation of environmental corrective action alternatives. Corrective Action Unit 151 is located in Areas 2, 12, 18, and 20 of the Nevada Test Site, which is 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 151 is comprised of the nine Corrective Action Sites (CAS) listed below: (1) 02-05-01, UE-2ce Pond; (2)more » 12-03-01, Sewage Lagoons (6); (3) 12-04-01, Septic Tanks; (4) 12-04-02, Septic Tanks; (5) 12-04-03, Septic Tank; (6) 12-47-01, Wastewater Pond; (7) 18-03-01, Sewage Lagoon; (8) 18-99-09, Sewer Line (Exposed); and (9) 20-19-02, Photochemical Drain. The CASs within CAU 151 are discharge and collection systems. Corrective Action Site 02-05-01 is located in Area 2 and is a well-water collection pond used as a part of the Nash test. Corrective Action Sites 12-03-01, 12-04-01, 12-04-02, 12-04-03, and 12-47-01 are located in Area 12 and are comprised of sewage lagoons, septic tanks, associated piping, and two sumps. The features are a part of the Area 12 Camp housing and administrative septic systems. Corrective Action Sites 18-03-01 and 18-99-09 are located in the Area 17 Camp in Area 18. These sites are sewage lagoons and associated piping. The origin and terminus of CAS 18-99-09 are unknown; however, the type and configuration of the pipe indicates that it may be a part of the septic systems in Area 18. Corrective Action Site 20-19-02 is located in the Area 20 Camp. This site is comprised of a surface discharge of photoprocessing chemicals.« less

Gas Hydrate Research Site Selection and Operational Research Plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collett, T. S.; Boswell, R. M.

2009-12-01

In recent years it has become generally accepted that gas hydrates represent a potential important future energy resource, a significant drilling and production hazard, a potential contributor to global climate change, and a controlling factor in seafloor stability and landslides. Research drilling and coring programs carried out by the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP), the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), government agencies, and several consortia have contributed greatly to our understanding of the geologic controls on the occurrence of gas hydrates in marine and permafrost environments. For the most part, each of these field projects were built on the lessons learned from the projects that have gone before them. One of the most important factors contributing to the success of some of the more notable gas hydrate field projects has been the close alignment of project goals with the processes used to select the drill sites and to develop the project’s operational research plans. For example, IODP Expedition 311 used a transect approach to successfully constrain the overall occurrence of gas hydrate within the range of geologic environments within a marine accretionary complex. Earlier gas hydrate research drilling, including IODP Leg 164, were designed primarily to assess the occurrence and nature of marine gas hydrate systems, and relied largely on the presence of anomalous seismic features, including bottom-simulating reflectors and “blanking zones”. While these projects were extremely successful, expeditions today are being increasingly mounted with the primary goal of prospecting for potential gas hydrate production targets, and site selection processes designed to specifically seek out anomalously high-concentrations of gas hydrate are needed. This approach was best demonstrated in a recently completed energy resource focused project, the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project Leg II (GOM JIP Leg II), which featured the collection of a comprehensive set of logging-while-drilling (LWD) data through expected gas-hydrate-bearing sand reservoirs in seven wells at three sites in the Gulf of Mexico. The discovery of thick hydrate-bearing sands at two of the sites drilled in the Gulf Mexico validated the integrated geological and geophysical approach used in the pre-drill site selection process to identify gas hydrate reservoirs that may be conducive to energy production. The results of the GOM JIP Leg II LWD expedition are also being used to support the selection of sites for a future drilling, logging, and coring program. Operationally, recent drilling programs, such as ODP Leg 204, IODP Expedition 311, the Japanese Toaki-oki to Kumano-nada drilling leg, the Indian NGHP Expedition 01, and the South Korean Gas Hydrate Research and Development Organization Expedition 01 have demonstrated the great benefit of a multi-leg drilling approach, including the initial acquisition of LWD data that was used to then select sites for the drilling of complex core and wireline logging test holes. It is obvious that a fully integrated site selection approach and a “goal based” operational plan, possibly including numerous drill sites and drilling legs, are required considerations for any future gas hydrate research project.

Directing reaction pathways by catalyst active-site selection using self-assembled monolayers.

PubMed

Pang, Simon H; Schoenbaum, Carolyn A; Schwartz, Daniel K; Medlin, J Will

2013-01-01

One key route for controlling reaction selectivity in heterogeneous catalysis is to prepare catalysts that exhibit only specific types of sites required for desired product formation. Here we show that alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers with varying surface densities can be used to tune selectivity to desired hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation products during the reaction of furfural on supported palladium catalysts. Vibrational spectroscopic studies demonstrate that the selectivity improvement is achieved by controlling the availability of specific sites for the hydrogenation of furfural on supported palladium catalysts through the selection of an appropriate alkanethiolate. Increasing self-assembled monolayer density by controlling the steric bulk of the organic tail ligand restricts adsorption on terrace sites and dramatically increases selectivity to desired products furfuryl alcohol and methylfuran. This technique of active-site selection simultaneously serves both to enhance selectivity and provide insight into the reaction mechanism.

A general way for quantitative magnetic measurement by transmitted electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Dongsheng; Li, Gen; Cai, Jianwang; Zhu, Jing

2016-01-01

EMCD (electron magnetic circular dichroism) technique opens a new door to explore magnetic properties by transmitted electrons. The recently developed site-specific EMCD technique makes it possible to obtain rich magnetic information from the Fe atoms sited at nonequivalent crystallographic planes in NiFe2O4, however it is based on a critical demand for the crystallographic structure of the testing sample. Here, we have further improved and tested the method for quantitative site-specific magnetic measurement applicable for more complex crystallographic structure by using the effective dynamical diffraction effects (general routine for selecting proper diffraction conditions, making use of the asymmetry of dynamical diffraction for design of experimental geometry and quantitative measurement, etc), and taken yttrium iron garnet (Y3Fe5O12, YIG) with more complex crystallographic structure as an example to demonstrate its applicability. As a result, the intrinsic magnetic circular dichroism signals, spin and orbital magnetic moment of iron with site-specific are quantitatively determined. The method will further promote the development of quantitative magnetic measurement with high spatial resolution by transmitted electrons.

Assessment of the Unintentional Reuse of Municipal Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okasaki, S.; Fono, L.; Sedlak, D. L.; Dracup, J. A.

2002-12-01

Many surface waters that receive wastewater effluent also serve as source waters for drinking water treatment plants. Recent research has shown that a number of previously undiscovered wastewater-derived contaminants are present in these surface waters, including pharmaceuticals and human hormones, several of which are suspected carcinogens or endocrine disrupters and are, as of yet, unregulated through drinking water standards. This research has been designed to determine the extent of contamination of specific wastewater-derived contaminants in surface water bodies that both receive wastewater effluent and serve as a source of drinking water to a sizeable population. We are testing the hypothesis that surface water supplies during low flow are potentially of worse quality than carefully monitored reclaimed water. The first phase of our research involves: (1) the selection of sites for study; (2) a hydrologic analysis of the selected sites to determine average flow of the source water during median- and low-flow conditions; and (3) the development and testing of chemical analyses, including both conservative and reactive tracers that have been studied in microcosms and wetlands for attenuation rates. The second phase involves the development and use of the hydrologic model QUAL2E to simulate each of the selected watersheds in order to estimate potential stream water quality impairments at the drinking water intake at each site. The results of the model are verified with field sampling at designated locations at each site. We expect to identify several critical river basins where surface water at the drinking water intake contains sufficient wastewater-derived contaminants to warrant concern. If wastewater-derived contaminants are detected, we will estimate the average annual exposure of consumers of this water. We will compare these expected and actual concentrations with typical constituent concentrations found in wastewater that has undergone advanced treatment for reclamation. We may demonstrate that the surface water supplies during low flow are actually of worse quality than carefully monitored reclaimed water.

The use of mobile phones to deliver acceptance and commitment therapy in the prevention of mother-child HIV transmission in Nigeria.

PubMed

Ishola, A G; Chipps, J

2015-12-01

The objective of this study was to determine if introducing acceptance and commitment therapy in the prevention of mother to child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programme using weekly mobile phone messages would result in improved mental health status of HIV-positive, pregnant women in Nigeria. We used a Solomon four-group (two intervention and two control groups) randomised design. The study population was 144 randomly selected, HIV-positive pregnant women attending four randomly selected PMTCT centres in Nigeria. The intervention groups were exposed to one session of acceptance and commitment therapy with weekly value-based health messages sent by mobile phone for three months during pregnancy. The control groups received only post-HIV test counselling. A total of 132 participants (33 per site) were enrolled in the study from the two intervention and two control sites. In the pre-tests, the intervention and control groups did not differ significantly with regard to demographics. Evaluation of the pre- and post-tests of the intervention group indicated significantly higher Action and Acceptance Questionnaire (AAQ-II) scores. The introduction of a mobile phone acceptance and commitment therapy programme may result in greater psychological flexibility in women diagnosed with HIV. © The Author(s) 2015.

A Fish-Based Index of Biotic Integrity for the Assessment of Streams Located in a Sugarcane-Dominated Landscape in Southeastern Brazil.

PubMed

dos Santos, Fernanda Bastos; Esteves, Katharina Eichbaum

2015-08-01

A multimetric, fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) was developed and tested to assess the ecological status of streams with different riparian conditions in the Piracicaba River Basin. Nine streams with three categories of riparian zone preservation were selected: native forest (NF) with preserved forest, secondary forest (SF) with forest in an advanced state of regeneration and surrounded by sugarcane plantations, and sugarcane (SC) without riparian vegetation and surrounded by SC crops. A continuous scoring system was employed, and candidate metrics were tested for range, responsiveness, and redundancy, resulting in the selection of eight metrics to compose the index. The final IBI score was positively correlated with an Environmental Index both in the dry (Spearman's rho = 0.76; P = 0.01) and rainy seasons (Spearman's rho = 0.66; P = 0.04), suggesting that this IBI is a suitable tool for the assessment of the biological conditions of these streams. The highest IBI values were observed in the rainy season at the NF and SF sites, with significant differences between the NF and SC sites (Kruskal-Wallis test: P = 0.03). The results indicated some variability in the biological integrity at SF and SC sites, suggesting a relationship with the intensity of the management of this crop. Patterns were consistent with other studies that have shown the effects of agriculture on the environmental quality of streams, which indicate the importance of the riparian zone to the maintenance of ecosystem integrity and supports the use of the IBI for biological monitoring in similar regions.

A Fish-Based Index of Biotic Integrity for the Assessment of Streams Located in a Sugarcane-Dominated Landscape in Southeastern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos, Fernanda Bastos; Esteves, Katharina Eichbaum

2015-08-01

A multimetric, fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) was developed and tested to assess the ecological status of streams with different riparian conditions in the Piracicaba River Basin. Nine streams with three categories of riparian zone preservation were selected: native forest (NF) with preserved forest, secondary forest (SF) with forest in an advanced state of regeneration and surrounded by sugarcane plantations, and sugarcane (SC) without riparian vegetation and surrounded by SC crops. A continuous scoring system was employed, and candidate metrics were tested for range, responsiveness, and redundancy, resulting in the selection of eight metrics to compose the index. The final IBI score was positively correlated with an Environmental Index both in the dry (Spearman's rho = 0.76; P = 0.01) and rainy seasons (Spearman's rho = 0.66; P = 0.04), suggesting that this IBI is a suitable tool for the assessment of the biological conditions of these streams. The highest IBI values were observed in the rainy season at the NF and SF sites, with significant differences between the NF and SC sites (Kruskal-Wallis test: P = 0.03). The results indicated some variability in the biological integrity at SF and SC sites, suggesting a relationship with the intensity of the management of this crop. Patterns were consistent with other studies that have shown the effects of agriculture on the environmental quality of streams, which indicate the importance of the riparian zone to the maintenance of ecosystem integrity and supports the use of the IBI for biological monitoring in similar regions.

Lacie phase 1 Classification and Mensuration Subsystem (CAMS) rework experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chhikara, R. S.; Hsu, E. M.; Liszcz, C. J.

1976-01-01

An experiment was designed to test the ability of the Classification and Mensuration Subsystem rework operations to improve wheat proportion estimates for segments that had been processed previously. Sites selected for the experiment included three in Kansas and three in Texas, with the remaining five distributed in Montana and North and South Dakota. The acquisition dates were selected to be representative of imagery available in actual operations. No more than one acquisition per biophase were used, and biophases were determined by actual crop calendars. All sites were worked by each of four Analyst-Interpreter/Data Processing Analyst Teams who reviewed the initial processing of each segment and accepted or reworked it for an estimate of the proportion of small grains in the segment. Classification results, acquisitions and classification errors and performance results between CAMS regular and ITS rework are tabulated.

78 FR 1252 - CalAmp Wireless Networks Corporation (CWNC), Satellite Products Division, Including On-Site...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-08

... Select Staffing, Oxnard, CA; CalAmp Wireless Networks Corporation (CWNC), Including On- Site Leased... Division, including on-site leased workers from Select Staffing, Oxnard, California (TA-W-80,399). The...-site leased workers from Select Staffing, Oxnard, California (TA-W-80,399) and CalAmp Wireless Networks...

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

Zukin, R.S.; Eghbali, M.; Olive, D.

{kappa} opioid receptors ({kappa} receptors) have been characterized in homogenates of guinea pig and rat brain under in vitro binding conditions. {kappa} receptors were labeled by using the tritiated prototypic {kappa} opioid ethylketocyclazocine under conditions in which {mu} and {delta} opioid binding was suppressed. In the case of guinea pig brain membranes, a single population of high-affinity {kappa} opioid receptor sites was observed. In contrast, in the case of rat brain, two populations of {kappa} sites were observed. To test the hypothesis that the high- and low-affinity {kappa} sites represent two distinct {kappa} receptor subtypes, a series of opioids weremore » tested for their abilities to compete for binding to the two sites. U-69,593 and Cambridge 20 selectively displaced the high-affinity {kappa} site in both guinea pig and rat tissue, but were inactive at the rat-brain low-affinity site. Other {kappa} opioid drugs competed for binding to both sites, but with different rank orders of potency. Quantitative light microscopy in vitro autoradiography was used to visualize the neuroanatomical pattern of {kappa} receptors in rat and guinea pig brain. The distribution patterns of the two {kappa} receptor subtypes of rat brain were clearly different. Collectively, these data provide direct evidence for the presence of two {kappa} receptor subtypes; the U-69,593-sensitive, high-affinity {kappa}{sub 1} site predominates in guinea pig brain, and the U-69,593-insensitive, low-affinity {kappa}{sub 2} site predominates in rat brain.« less

Archaeology of Void Spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Look, Cory

The overall goal of this research is to evaluate the efficacy of pXRF for the identification of ancient activity areas at Pre-Columbian sites in Antigua that range across time periods, geographic regions, site types with a variety of features, and various states of preservation. These findings have important implications for identifying and reconstructing places full of human activity but void of material remains. A synthesis for an archaeology of void spaces requires the construction of new ways of testing anthrosols, and identifying elemental patterns that can be used to connect people with their places and objects. This research begins with an exploration of rich middens in order to study void spaces. Midden archaeology has been a central focus in Caribbean research, and consists of an accumulation of discarded remnants from past human activities that can be tested against anthrosols. The archaeological collections visited for this research project involved creating new databases to generate a comprehensive inventory of sites, materials excavated, and assemblages available for study. Of the more than 129 Pre-Columbian sites documented in Antigua, few sites have been thoroughly surveyed or excavated. Twelve Pre-Columbian sites, consisting of thirty-six excavated units were selected for study; all of which contained complete assemblages for comparison and soil samples for testing. These excavations consisted almost entirely of midden excavations, requiring new archaeological investigations to be carried out in spaces primarily void of material remains but within the village context. Over the course of three seasons excavations, shovel test pits, and soil augers were used to obtain a variety of anthrosols and archaeological assemblages in order to generate new datasets to study Pre-Columbian activity areas. The selection of two primary case study sites were used for comparison: Indian Creek and Doigs. Findings from this research indicate that accounting for the variety of activity areas that make up a site can imbue a site with an identity of purpose and shed light on how different sites may have served different purposes within a regional framework. Excavations at the site of Indian Creek identified a series of raised middens that enclosed an open space for approximately 1500 years. This research explores this open space, and questions the meaning of 'void' and 'empty' with respect to past human activities. While archaeologists recognize that areas void of material remains are certainly part of the larger site, the question remains, without an understand of these spaces; what aspects of past life are we possibly masking? The integration of anthrosols alongside archaeological excavations and spatial analysis indicate that the site of Indian Creek contained a ceremonial plaza that formed early on and was maintained until abandonment. The spatial distribution of material objects combined with anthrosol studies provided additional evidence of ritual deposits concentrated in one part of the plaza associated with a nearby creek-bed. The second site, Doigs represents one of the last intact undisturbed Early Ceramic Age site of its kind in the Eastern Caribbean. Since its discovery in the 1970's, Doig's has been partially surveyed and excavated. The identification of residential activity areas including several potential structures, bead manufacturing loci, and cooking hearths were used to help test chemical signatures with archaeologically defined activity areas. Findings from this site illustrated the uniqueness of elemental patterns associated with activity areas, and also generated new questions regarding void spaces enriched with elemental patterns associated with concentrations of plant and vegetation debris. It is the hope of this study to contribute to our general knowledge for the identification of ancient activity areas as well as the different places that give sites their identity. These assemblages of activity areas can provide Caribbeanists with an alternative approach to studying social organization at a village scale and generate new discussions regarding island wide-community relationships.

Effect of green tea catechin, a local drug delivery system as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in chronic periodontitis patients: A clinicomicrobiological study

PubMed Central

Kudva, Praveen; Tabasum, Syeda Tawkhira; Shekhawat, Nirmal Kanwar

2011-01-01

Background: Evaluate the adjunctive use of locally delivered green tea catechin with scaling and root planing, as compared to scaling and root planing alone in the management of chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: Fourteen patients with two sites in the contralateral quadrants with probing pocket depth of 5–8mm were selected. Each of the sites was assessed for the plaque index, gingival index, and probing pocket depth at baseline and 21 days and for microbiological analysis at baseline, 1 week and 21 days. Test sites received scaling and root planing along with green tea catechin strips and control sites received scaling and root planning alone. Results: The result showed intercomparison of the plaque index and gingival index for test and control groups at 21 days was not significant with P>0.05, whereas the probing depth at 21 days was significant with P<0.001. Intercomparison between microbial results demonstrated a considerable reduction of occurrence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium species and Capnocytophaga in test. Conclusion: Green tea catechin local delivery along with scaling and root planing is more effective than scaling and root planing alone. PMID:21772720

The effect of top-level domains and advertisements on health web-site credibility.

PubMed

Walther, Joseph B; Wang, Zuoming; Loh, Tracy

2004-09-03

Concerns over health information on the Internet have generated efforts to enhance credibility markers; yet how users actually assess the credibility of online health information is largely unknown. This study set out to (1) establish a parsimonious and valid questionnaire instrument to measure credibility of Internet health information by drawing on various previous measures of source, news, and other credibility scales; and (2) to identify the effects of Web-site domains and advertising on credibility perceptions. Respondents (N = 156) examined one of 12 Web-site mock-ups and completed credibility scales in a 3 x 2 x 2 between-subjects experimental design. Factor analysis and validity checks were used for item reduction, and analysis of variance was employed for hypothesis testing of Web-site features' effects. In an attempt to construct a credibility instrument, three dimensions of credibility (safety, trustworthiness, and dynamism) were retained, reflecting traditional credibility sub-themes, but composed of items from disparate sources. When testing the effect of the presence or absence of advertising on a Web site on credibility, we found that this depends on the site's domain, with a trend for advertisements having deleterious effects on the credibility of sites with .org domain, but positive effects on sites with .com or .edu domains. Health-information Web-site providers should select domains purposefully when they can, especially if they must accept on-site advertising. Credibility perceptions may not be invariant or stable, but rather are sensitive to topic and context. Future research may employ these findings in order to compare other forms of health-information delivery to optimal Web-site features.

Identification of a Novel Allosteric Inhibitory Site on Tryptophan Hydroxylase 1 Enabling Unprecedented Selectivity Over all Related Hydroxylases

PubMed Central

Petrassi, Mike; Barber, Rob; Be, Celine; Beach, Sarah; Cox, Brian; D’Souza, Anne-Marie; Duggan, Nick; Hussey, Martin; Fox, Roy; Hunt, Peter; Jarai, Gabor; Kosaka, Takatoshi; Oakley, Paul; Patel, Viral; Press, Neil; Rowlands, David; Scheufler, Clemens; Schmidt, Oliver; Srinivas, Honnappa; Turner, Mary; Turner, Rob; Westwick, John; Wolfreys, Alison; Pathan, Nuzhat; Watson, Simon; Thomas, Matthew

2017-01-01

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has demonstrated multi-serotonin receptor dependent pathologies, characterized by increased tone (5-HT1B receptor) and complex lesions (SERT, 5-HT1B, 5-HT2B receptors) of the pulmonary vasculature together with right ventricular hypertrophy, ischemia and fibrosis (5-HT2B receptor). Selective inhibitors of individual signaling elements – SERT, 5-HT2A, 5HT2B, and combined 5-HT2A/B receptors, have all been tested clinically and failed. Thus, inhibition of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1), the rate limiting step in 5-HT synthesis, has been suggested as a more broad, and thereby more effective, mode of 5-HT inhibition. However, selectivity over non-pathogenic enzyme family members, TPH2, phenylalanine hydroxylase, and tyrosine hydroxylase has hampered therapeutic development. Here we describe the site/sequence, biochemical, and biophysical characterization of a novel allosteric site on TPH1 through which selectivity over TPH2 and related aromatic amino acid hydroxylases is achieved. We demonstrate the mechanism of action by which novel compounds selectively inhibit TPH1 using surface plasma resonance and enzyme competition assays with both tryptophan ligand and BH4 co-factor. We demonstrate 15-fold greater potency within a human carcinoid cell line versus the most potent known TPH1/2 non-specific inhibitor. Lastly, we detail a novel canine in vivo system utilized to determine effective biologic inhibition of newly synthesized 5-HT. These findings are the first to demonstrate TPH1-selective inhibition and may pave the way to a truly effective means to reduce pathologic 5-HT and thereby treat complex remodeling diseases such as PAH. PMID:28529483

Broad Resistance to ACCase Inhibiting Herbicides in a Ryegrass Population Is Due Only to a Cysteine to Arginine Mutation in the Target Enzyme

PubMed Central

Kaundun, Shiv Shankhar; Hutchings, Sarah-Jane; Dale, Richard Paul; McIndoe, Eddie

2012-01-01

Background The design of sustainable weed management strategies requires a good understanding of the mechanisms by which weeds evolve resistance to herbicides. Here we have conducted a study on the mechanism of resistance to ACCase inhibiting herbicides in a Lolium multiflorum population (RG3) from the UK. Methodology/Principal Findings Analysis of plant phenotypes and genotypes showed that all the RG3 plants (72%) that contained the cysteine to arginine mutation at ACCase codon position 2088 were resistant to ACCase inhibiting herbicides. Whole plant dose response tests on predetermined wild and mutant 2088 genotypes from RG3 and a standard sensitive population indicated that the C2088R mutation is the only factor conferring resistance to all ten ACCase herbicides tested. The associated resistance indices ranged from 13 for clethodim to over 358 for diclofop-methyl. Clethodim, the most potent herbicide was significantly affected even when applied on small mutant plants at the peri-emergence and one leaf stages. Conclusion/Significance This study establishes the clear and unambiguous importance of the C2088R target site mutation in conferring broad resistance to ten commonly used ACCase inhibiting herbicides. It also demonstrates that low levels “creeping”, multigenic, non target site resistance, is not always selected before single gene target site resistance appears in grass weed populations subjected to herbicide selection pressure. PMID:22768118

Site Selection for the Disposal of LLW in Taiwan

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

Chuang, W.S.; Chi, L.M.; Tien, N.C.

2006-07-01

This paper presents the implementation status of the low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal program in Taiwan, including the disposal facility regulations, status of waste management, final disposal program, licensing procedures, waste acceptance criteria, site selection criteria and processes and preliminary disposal concepts. The first phase of site selection for low-level radioactive waste final disposal in Taiwan was implemented between 1992 and 2002. The site selection process adopted a Geographic Information System (GIS), Hierarchical Analysis System, Expert Evaluation System, and site reconnaissance. An incentive program for voluntary sites was also initiated. After a series of evaluations and discussion of 30 potentialmore » candidate sites, including 8 recommended sites, 5 qualified voluntary townships, and several remote uninhabited small islets, Hsiao-chiou islet was selected as the first priority candidate site in February 1998. The geological investigation work in Hsiao-chiou was conducted from March 1999 through October 2000. An Environmental Impact Statement Report (EIS) and the Investment Feasibility Study Report (IFS) were submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in November 2000 and to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in June 2001, respectively. Unfortunately, the site investigation was discontinued in 2002 due to political and public acceptance consideration. After years of planning, the second phase of the site selection process was launched in August 2004 and will be conducted through 2008. It is planned that a repository will be constructed in early 2009 and start to operate in 2014. The site selection process for the second phase is based on the earlier work and four potential candidate sites were selected for evaluation until 2005. A near surface disposal concept is proposed for a site located in the Taiwan strait, and cavern disposal concepts are proposed for three other sites located on the main island. This paper presents the implementation status of the LLW disposal program in Taiwan, including the disposal facility regulations, status of waste management, final disposal program, licensing procedures, waste acceptance criteria, site selection criteria and processes, and preliminary disposal concepts 'NIMBY' (Not in my backyard) is a critical problem for implementation of the final disposal project. Resistance from local communities has been continuously received during site characterization. To overcome this, an incentive program to encourage community acceptance has been approved by the Government. Programs for community promotion are being proposed and negotiations are also underway. (authors)« less

Analysis of Material Handling Safety in Construction Sites and Countermeasures for Effective Enhancement

PubMed Central

Anil Kumar, C. N.; Sakthivel, M.; Elangovan, R. K.; Arularasu, M.

2015-01-01

One of many hazardous workplaces includes the construction sites as they involve several dangerous tasks. Many studies have revealed that material handling equipment is a major cause of accidents at these sites. Though safety measures are being followed and monitored continuously, accident rates are still high as either workers are unaware of hazards or the safety regulations are not being strictly followed. This paper analyses the safety management systems at construction sites through means of questionnaire surveys with employees, specifically referring to safety of material handling equipment. Based on results of the questionnaire surveys, two construction sites were selected for a safety education program targeting worker safety related to material handling equipment. Knowledge levels of the workers were gathered before and after the program and results obtained were subjected to a t-test analysis to mark significance level of the conducted safety education program. PMID:26446572

Footprinting reveals that nogalamycin and actinomycin shuffle between DNA binding sites.

PubMed Central

Fox, K R; Waring, M J

1986-01-01

The hypothesis that sequence-selective DNA-binding antibiotics locate their preferred binding sites by a process involving migration from nonspecific sites has been tested by footprinting with DNAase I. Footprinting patterns on the tyrT DNA fragment produced by nogalamycin and actinomycin change with time after mixing the antibiotic with the DNA. Sites of protection as well as enhanced cleavage are seen to develop in a fashion which is both temperature and concentration-dependent. At certain sites cutting is transiently enhanced, then blocked. Limited evidence for slow reaction with echinomycin and mithramycin is presented, but the kinetics of footprinting with daunomycin and distamycin appear instantaneous. The feasibility of adducing direct evidence for shuffling by footprinting seems to be governed by slow dissociation of the antibiotic-DNA complex. It may also be dependent upon the mode of binding, be it intercalative or non-intercalative in character. Images PMID:2421246

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 219: Septic Systems and Injection Wells, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Rev. No.: 0

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

David A. Strand

The Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 219, Septic Systems and Injection Wells, has been developed in accordance with the ''Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order'' (1996) that was agreed to by the State of Nevada, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Defense. The purpose of the investigation is to ensure that adequate data are collected to provide sufficient and reliable information to identify, evaluate, and select technically viable corrective actions. Corrective Action Unit 219 is located in Areas 3, 16, and 23 of the Nevada Test Site, which is 65 miles northwest ofmore » Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 219 is comprised of the six Corrective Action Sites (CASs) listed below: (1) 03-11-01, Steam Pipes and Asbestos Tiles; (2) 16-04-01, Septic Tanks (3); (3) 16-04-02, Distribution Box; (4) 16-04-03, Sewer Pipes; (5) 23-20-01, DNA Motor Pool Sewage and Waste System; and (6) 23-20-02, Injection Well. These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation prior to evaluating corrective action alternatives and selecting the appropriate corrective action for each CAS. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable corrective action alternatives that will be presented in the Corrective Action Decision Document.« less

Soil properties, strontium isotopic signatures and multi-element profiles to authenticate the origin of vegetables from small-scale regions: illustration with early potatoes from southern Italy.

PubMed

Zampella, Mariavittoria; Quétel, Christophe R; Paredes, Eduardo; Goitom Asfaha, Daniel; Vingiani, Simona; Adamo, Paola

2011-10-15

We propose a method for the authentication of the origin of vegetables grown under similar weather conditions, in sites less than 10 km distance from the sea and distributed over a rather small scale area (58651 km(2)). We studied how the strontium (Sr) isotopic signature and selected elemental concentrations ([Mn], [Cu], [Zn], [Rb], [Sr] and [Cd]) in early potatoes from three neighbouring administrative regions in the south of Italy were related to the geological substrate (alluvial sediments, volcanic substrates and carbonate rocks) and to selected soil chemical properties influencing the bioavailability of elements in soils (pH, cation exchange capacity and total carbonate content). Through multiple-step multivariate statistics (PLS-DA) we could assign 26 potatoes (including two already commercialised samples) to their respective eight sites of production, corresponding to the first two types of geological substrates. The other 12 potatoes from four sites of production had similar characteristics in terms of the geological substrate (third type) and these soil properties could be grouped together. In this case, more discriminative parameters would be required to allow the differentiation between sites. The validation of our models included external prediction tests with data of potatoes harvested the year before and a study on the robustness of the uncertainties of the measurement results. Annual variations between multi-elemental and Sr isotopic fingerprints were observed in potatoes harvested from soils overlying carbonate rocks, stressing the importance of testing long term variations in authentication studies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and European Union [2011].

A composite docking approach for the identification and characterization of ectosteric inhibitors of cathepsin K.

PubMed

Law, Simon; Panwar, Preety; Li, Jody; Aguda, Adeleke H; Jamroz, Andrew; Guido, Rafael V C; Brömme, Dieter

2017-01-01

Cathepsin K (CatK) is a cysteine protease that plays an important role in mammalian intra- and extracellular protein turnover and is known for its unique and potent collagenase activity. Through studies on the mechanism of its collagenase activity, selective ectosteric sites were identified that are remote from the active site. Inhibitors targeting these ectosteric sites are collagenase selective and do not interfere with other proteolytic activities of the enzyme. Potential ectosteric inhibitors were identified using a computational approach to screen the druggable subset of and the entire 281,987 compounds comprising Chemical Repository library of the National Cancer Institute-Developmental Therapeutics Program (NCI-DTP). Compounds were scored based on their affinity for the ectosteric site. Here we compared the scores of three individual molecular docking methods with that of a composite score of all three methods together. The composite docking method was up to five-fold more effective at identifying potent collagenase inhibitors (IC50 < 20 μM) than the individual methods. Of 160 top compounds tested in enzymatic assays, 28 compounds revealed blocking of the collagenase activity of CatK at 100 μM. Two compounds exhibited IC50 values below 5 μM corresponding to a molar protease:inhibitor concentration of <1:12. Both compounds were subsequently tested in osteoclast bone resorption assays where the most potent inhibitor, 10-[2-[bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethyl]-7,8-diethylbenzo[g]pteridine-2,4-dione, (NSC-374902), displayed an inhibition of bone resorption with an IC50-value of approximately 300 nM and no cell toxicity effects.

A composite docking approach for the identification and characterization of ectosteric inhibitors of cathepsin K

PubMed Central

Law, Simon; Panwar, Preety; Li, Jody; Aguda, Adeleke H.; Jamroz, Andrew; Guido, Rafael V. C.

2017-01-01

Cathepsin K (CatK) is a cysteine protease that plays an important role in mammalian intra- and extracellular protein turnover and is known for its unique and potent collagenase activity. Through studies on the mechanism of its collagenase activity, selective ectosteric sites were identified that are remote from the active site. Inhibitors targeting these ectosteric sites are collagenase selective and do not interfere with other proteolytic activities of the enzyme. Potential ectosteric inhibitors were identified using a computational approach to screen the druggable subset of and the entire 281,987 compounds comprising Chemical Repository library of the National Cancer Institute-Developmental Therapeutics Program (NCI-DTP). Compounds were scored based on their affinity for the ectosteric site. Here we compared the scores of three individual molecular docking methods with that of a composite score of all three methods together. The composite docking method was up to five-fold more effective at identifying potent collagenase inhibitors (IC50 < 20 μM) than the individual methods. Of 160 top compounds tested in enzymatic assays, 28 compounds revealed blocking of the collagenase activity of CatK at 100 μM. Two compounds exhibited IC50 values below 5 μM corresponding to a molar protease:inhibitor concentration of <1:12. Both compounds were subsequently tested in osteoclast bone resorption assays where the most potent inhibitor, 10-[2-[bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethyl]-7,8-diethylbenzo[g]pteridine-2,4-dione, (NSC-374902), displayed an inhibition of bone resorption with an IC50-value of approximately 300 nM and no cell toxicity effects. PMID:29088253

Pharmacophore Based Virtual Screening Approach to Identify Selective PDE4B Inhibitors

PubMed Central

Gaurav, Anand; Gautam, Vertika

2017-01-01

Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) has been established as a promising target in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. PDE4B subtype selective inhibitors are known to reduce the dose limiting adverse effect associated with non-selective PDE4B inhibitors. This makes the development of PDE4B subtype selective inhibitors a desirable research goal. To achieve this goal, ligand based pharmacophore modeling approach is employed. Separate pharmacophore hypotheses for PDE4B and PDE4D inhibitors were generated using HypoGen algorithm and 106 PDE4 inhibitors from literature having thiopyrano [3,2-d] Pyrimidines, 2-arylpyrimidines, and triazines skeleton. Suitable training and test sets were created using the molecules as per the guidelines available for HypoGen program. Training set was used for hypothesis development while test set was used for validation purpose. Fisher validation was also used to test the significance of the developed hypothesis. The validated pharmacophore hypotheses for PDE4B and PDE4D inhibitors were used in sequential virtual screening of zinc database of drug like molecules to identify selective PDE4B inhibitors. The hits were screened for their estimated activity and fit value. The top hit was subjected to docking into the active sites of PDE4B and PDE4D to confirm its selectivity for PDE4B. The hits are proposed to be evaluated further using in-vitro assays. PMID:29201082

Did we choose the best one? A new site selection approach based on exposure and uptake potential for waste incineration.

PubMed

Demirarslan, K Onur; Korucu, M Kemal; Karademir, Aykan

2016-08-01

Ecological problems arising after the construction and operation of a waste incineration plant generally originate from incorrect decisions made during the selection of the location of the plant. The main objective of this study is to investigate how the selection method for the location of a new municipal waste incineration plant can be improved by using a dispersion modelling approach supported by geographical information systems and multi-criteria decision analysis. Considering this aim, the appropriateness of the current location of an existent plant was assessed by applying a pollution dispersion model. Using this procedure, the site ranking for a total of 90 candidate locations and the site of the existing incinerator were determined by a new location selection practice and the current place of the plant was evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey tests. This ranking, made without the use of modelling approaches, was re-evaluated based on the modelling of various variables, including the concentration of pollutants, population and population density, demography, temporality of meteorological data, pollutant type, risk formation type by CALPUFF and re-ranking the results. The findings clearly indicate the impropriety of the location of the current plant, as the pollution distribution model showed that its location was the fourth-worst choice among 91 possibilities. It was concluded that the location selection procedures for waste incinerators should benefit from the improvements obtained by the articulation of pollution dispersion studies combined with the population density data to obtain the most suitable location. © The Author(s) 2016.

Improving site selection in clinical studies: a standardised, objective, multistep method and first experience results.

PubMed

Hurtado-Chong, Anahí; Joeris, Alexander; Hess, Denise; Blauth, Michael

2017-07-12

A considerable number of clinical studies experience delays, which result in increased duration and costs. In multicentre studies, patient recruitment is among the leading causes of delays. Poor site selection can result in low recruitment and bad data quality. Site selection is therefore crucial for study quality and completion, but currently no specific guidelines are available. Selection of sites adequate to participate in a prospective multicentre cohort study was performed through an open call using a newly developed objective multistep approach. The method is based on use of a network, definition of objective criteria and a systematic screening process. Out of 266 interested sites, 24 were shortlisted and finally 12 sites were selected to participate in the study. The steps in the process included an open call through a network, use of selection questionnaires tailored to the study, evaluation of responses using objective criteria and scripted telephone interviews. At each step, the number of candidate sites was quickly reduced leaving only the most promising candidates. Recruitment and quality of data went according to expectations in spite of the contracting problems faced with some sites. The results of our first experience with a standardised and objective method of site selection are encouraging. The site selection method described here can serve as a guideline for other researchers performing multicentre studies. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02297581. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Snowpack ground truth: Radar test site, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, 8-16 April 1976

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, S.; Jones, E. B.; Leaf, C. F.

1976-01-01

Ground-truth data taken at Steamboat Springs, Colorado is presented. Data taken during the period April 8, 1976 - April 16, 1976 included the following: (1) snow depths and densities at selected locations (using a Mount Rose snow tube); (2) snow pits for temperature, density, and liquid water determinations using the freezing calorimetry technique and vertical layer classification; (3) snow walls were also constructed of various cross sections and documented with respect to sizes and snow characteristics; (4) soil moisture at selected locations; and (5) appropriate air temperature and weather data.

Estimated monthly percentile discharges at ungaged sites in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin in Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parrett, Charles; Hull, J.A.

1986-01-01

Once-monthly streamflow measurements were used to estimate selected percentile discharges on flow-duration curves of monthly mean discharge for 40 ungaged stream sites in the upper Yellowstone River basin in Montana. The estimation technique was a modification of the concurrent-discharge method previously described and used by H.C. Riggs to estimate annual mean discharge. The modified technique is based on the relationship of various mean seasonal discharges to the required discharges on the flow-duration curves. The mean seasonal discharges are estimated from the monthly streamflow measurements, and the percentile discharges are calculated from regression equations. The regression equations, developed from streamflow record at nine gaging stations, indicated a significant log-linear relationship between mean seasonal discharge and various percentile discharges. The technique was tested at two discontinued streamflow-gaging stations; the differences between estimated monthly discharges and those determined from the discharge record ranged from -31 to +27 percent at one site and from -14 to +85 percent at the other. The estimates at one site were unbiased, and the estimates at the other site were consistently larger than the recorded values. Based on the test results, the probable average error of the technique was + or - 30 percent for the 21 sites measured during the first year of the program and + or - 50 percent for the 19 sites measured during the second year. (USGS)

Breeding site selection by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in relation to large wood additions and factors that influence reproductive success

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Steven M.; Dunham, Jason B.; McEnroe, Jeffery R.; Lightcap, Scott W.

2014-01-01

The fitness of female Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) with respect to breeding behavior can be partitioned into at least four fitness components: survival to reproduction, competition for breeding sites, success of egg incubation, and suitability of the local environment near breeding sites for early rearing of juveniles. We evaluated the relative influences of habitat features linked to these fitness components with respect to selection of breeding sites by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). We also evaluated associations between breeding site selection and additions of large wood, as the latter were introduced into the study system as a means of restoring habitat conditions to benefit coho salmon. We used a model selection approach to organize specific habitat features into groupings reflecting fitness components and influences of large wood. Results of this work suggest that female coho salmon likely select breeding sites based on a wide range of habitat features linked to all four hypothesized fitness components. More specifically, model parameter estimates indicated that breeding site selection was most strongly influenced by proximity to pool-tail crests and deeper water (mean and maximum depths). Linkages between large wood and breeding site selection were less clear. Overall, our findings suggest that breeding site selection by coho salmon is influenced by a suite of fitness components in addition to the egg incubation environment, which has been the emphasis of much work in the past.

Intraspecific variation in stomatal traits, leaf traits and physiology reflects adaptation along aridity gradients in a South African shrub.

PubMed

Carlson, Jane E; Adams, Christopher A; Holsinger, Kent E

2016-01-01

Trait-environment relationships are commonly interpreted as evidence for local adaptation in plants. However, even when selection analyses support this interpretation, the mechanisms underlying differential benefits are often unknown. This study addresses this gap in knowledge using the broadly distributed South African shrub Protea repens. Specifically, the study examines whether broad-scale patterns of trait variation are consistent with spatial differences in selection and ecophysiology in the wild. In a common garden study of plants sourced from 19 populations, associations were measured between five morphological traits and three axes describing source climates. Trait-trait and trait-environment associations were analysed in a multi-response model. Within two focal populations in the wild, selection and path analyses were used to test associations between traits, fecundity and physiological performance. Across 19 populations in a common garden, stomatal density increased with the source population's mean annual temperature and decreased with its average amount of rainfall in midsummer. Concordantly, selection analysis in two natural populations revealed positive selection on stomatal density at the hotter, drier site, while failing to detect selection at the cooler, moister site. Dry-site plants with high stomatal density also had higher stomatal conductances, cooler leaf temperatures and higher light-saturated photosynthetic rates than those with low stomatal density, but no such relationships were present among wet-site plants. Leaf area, stomatal pore index and specific leaf area in the garden also co-varied with climate, but within-population differences were not associated with fitness in either wild population. The parallel patterns of broad-scale variation, differences in selection and differences in trait-ecophysiology relationships suggest a mechanism for adaptive differentiation in stomatal density. Densely packed stomata may improve performance by increasing transpiration and cooling, but predominately in drier, hotter climates. This study uniquely shows context-dependent benefits of stomatal density--a trait rarely linked to local adaptation in plants. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Fast Track Randomized Controlled Trial to Prevent Externalizing Psychiatric Disorders: Findings from Grades 3 to 9

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2007

2007-01-01

Objective: This study tests the efficacy of the Fast Track Program in preventing antisocial behavior and psychiatric disorders among groups varying in initial risk. Method: Schools within four sites (Durham, NC; Nashville, TN; Seattle, WA; and rural central Pennsylvania) were selected as high-risk institutions based on neighborhood crime and…

Durability of selected mulches, their ability to control weeds, and influence growth of loblolly pine seedlings

Treesearch

James D. Haywood

1999-01-01

Several mulc hes of natural, synthetic, or blends of natural and synthetic fibers were tested around newly planted loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings on a sheared and windrowed site in central Louisiana, U.S.A. The vegetation was primarily winter annuals, some residual grasses and forbs, and...

Bases for Curriculum Decisions for Development of Curriculum for Minorities in Small Business Ownership and Management, Post-Secondary Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green (Del) Associates, Foster City, CA.

This document presents in three parts the bases for curriculum decisions in the development of a post-secondary curriculum for minorities in small business ownership and management. Part 1 covers the general curriculum decisions, including the following items: selection of curriculum testing site; academic credits; class scheduling; student…

Geophysical log analysis of selected test and residential wells at the Shenandoah Road National Superfund Site, East Fishkill, Dutchess County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds, Richard J.; Anderson, J. Alton; Williams, John H.

2015-01-01

The geophysical logs and their analyses are available for display and download from the U.S. Geological Survey, New York Water Science Center, online geophysical log archive (http://ny.water.usgs.gov/maps/geologs/) in LAS (Log ASCII Standard), PDF, and WellCad formats.

Evaluating the Acceptability and Feasibility of Project ACCEPT: An Intervention for Youth Newly Diagnosed with HIV

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hosek, Sybil G.; Lemos, Diana; Harper, Gary W.; Telander, Kyle

2011-01-01

Given the potential for negative psychosocial and medical outcomes following an HIV diagnosis, Project ACCEPT, a 12-session behavioral intervention, was developed and pilot-tested for youth (aged 16-24) newly diagnosed with HIV. Fifty participants recently diagnosed with HIV were enrolled from 4 sites selected through the Adolescent Medicine…

Development and Validation of a Computer Interactive Test Battery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheppard, Valarie A.; Baker, Todd A.; Gebhardt, Deborah L.; Leonard, Kristine M.

The purpose of this project was to develop valid evaluation procedures for the selection of Container Equipment Operators (CEOs) in the shipping industry. A job analysis was conducted to identify the essential tasks of the CEO job. Site visits, a task inventory, and the determination of essential tasks were used in the job analysis. The skills and…

DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF NUMBERICAL AIR QUALITY MODELS WITH SPECIALIZED AMBIENT OBSERVATIONS: TESTING THE COMMUNITY MULTISCALE AIR QUALITY MODELING SYSTEM (CMAQ) AT SELECTED SOS 95 GROUND SITES

EPA Science Inventory

Three probes for diagnosing photochemical dynamics are presented and applied to specialized ambient surface-level observations and to a numerical photochemical model to better understand rates of production and other process information in the atmosphere and in the model. Howeve...

An Integrated Approach to Assess Broad-Scale Condition of Coastal Wetlands – The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Wetlands Pilot Survey.

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated a two-year regional pilot survey in 2007 to develop, test, and validate tools and approaches to assess the condition of northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) coastal wetlands. Sampling sites were select...

Speciation of mercury in sludge solids: washed sludge

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

Bannochie, C. J.; Lourie, A. P.

2017-10-24

The objective of this applied research task was to study the type and concentration of mercury compounds found within the contaminated Savannah River Site Liquid Waste System (SRS LWS). A method of selective sequential extraction (SSE), developed by Eurofins Frontier Global Sciences1,2 and adapted by SRNL, utilizes an extraction procedure divided into seven separate tests for different species of mercury. In the SRNL’s modified procedure four of these tests were applied to a washed sample of high level radioactive waste sludge.

Beowawe Geothermal Area evaluation program. Final report

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

Iovenitti, J. L

Several exploration programs were conducted at the Beowawe Geothermal Prospect, Lander and Eureka County, Nevada. Part I, consisting of a shallow temperature hole program, a mercury soil sampling survey, and a self-potential survey were conducted in order to select the optimum site for an exploratory well. Part II consisted of drilling a 5927-foot exploratory well, running geophysical logs, conducting a drill stem test (2937-3208 feet), and a short-term (3-day) flow test (1655-2188 feet). All basic data collected is summarized.

Intersex (Testicular Oocytes) in smallmouth bass from the Potomac River and selected nearby drainages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blazer, V.S.; Iwanowicz, L.R.; Iwanowicz, D.D.; Smith, D.R.; Young, J.A.; Hedrick, J.D.; Foster, S.W.; Reeser, S.J.

2007-01-01

Intersex, or the presence of characteristics of both sexes, in fishes that are normally gonochoristic has been used as an indicator of exposure to estrogenic compounds. In 2003, during health assessments conducted in response to kills and a high prevalence of skin lesions observed in smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in the South Branch of the Potomac River, the presence of immature oocytes within testes was noted. To evaluate this condition, a severity index (0-4) was developed based on the distribution of oocytes within the testes. Using gonad samples collected from 2003 to 2005, the number of histologic sections needed to accurately detect the condition in mature smallmouth bass was statistically evaluated. The reliability of detection depended on the severity index and the number of sections examined. Examining five transverse sections taken along the length of the gonad resulted in a greater than 90% probability of detecting testicular oocytes when the severity index exceeded 0.5. Using the severity index we compared smallmouth bass collected at selected sites within the South Branch during three seasons in 2004. Seasonal differences in severity and prevalence were observed. The highest prevalence and severity were consistently noted during the prespawn-spawning season, when compared with the postspawn season. In 2005, smallmouth bass were collected at selected out-of-basin sites in West Virginia where fish kills and external skin lesions have not been reported, as well as at sites in the Shenandoah River, Virginia (part of the Potomac drainage), where kills and lesions occurred in 2004-2005. The prevalence of testicular oocytes is discussed in terms of human population and agricultural intensity. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.

Intersex (testicular oocytes) in smallmouth bass from the Potomac River and selected nearby drainages.

PubMed

Blazer, V S; Iwanowicz, L R; Iwanowicz, D D; Smith, D R; Young, J A; Hedrick, J D; Foster, S W; Reeser, S J

2007-12-01

Intersex, or the presence of characteristics of both sexes, in fishes that are normally gonochoristic has been used as an indicator of exposure to estrogenic compounds. In 2003, during health assessments conducted in response to kills and a high prevalence of skin lesions observed in smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in the South Branch of the Potomac River, the presence of immature oocytes within testes was noted. To evaluate this condition, a severity index (0-4) was developed based on the distribution of oocytes within the testes. Using gonad samples collected from 2003 to 2005, the number of histologic sections needed to accurately detect the condition in mature smallmouth bass was statistically evaluated. The reliability of detection depended on the severity index and the number of sections examined. Examining five transverse sections taken along the length of the gonad resulted in a greater than 90% probability of detecting testicular oocytes when the severity index exceeded 0.5. Using the severity index we compared smallmouth bass collected at selected sites within the South Branch during three seasons in 2004. Seasonal differences in severity and prevalence were observed. The highest prevalence and severity were consistently noted during the prespawn-spawning season, when compared with the postspawn season. In 2005, smallmouth bass were collected at selected out-of-basin sites in West Virginia where fish kills and external skin lesions have not been reported, as well as at sites in the Shenandoah River, Virginia (part of the Potomac drainage), where kills and lesions occurred in 2004-2005. The prevalence of testicular oocytes is discussed in terms of human population and agricultural intensity.

The MedlinePlus public user interface: studies of design challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Marill, Jennifer L; Miller, Naomi; Kitendaugh, Paula

2006-01-01

What are the challenges involved in designing, modifying, and improving a major health information portal that serves over sixty million page views a month? MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine's (NLM's) consumer health Website, is examined. Challenges are presented as six "studies," which describe selected design issues and how NLM staff resolved them. Improving MedlinePlus is an iterative process. Changes in the public user interface are ongoing, reflecting Web design trends, usability testing recommendations, user survey results, new technical requirements, and the need to grow the site in an orderly way. Testing and analysis should accompany Website design modifications. New technologies may enhance a site but also introduce problems. Further modifications to MedlinePlus will be informed by the experiences described here.

Skin impedance is not a factor in transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation effectiveness

PubMed Central

Vance, Carol GT; Rakel, Barbara A; Dailey, Dana L; Sluka, Kathleen A

2015-01-01

Objective Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a nonpharmacological intervention used to manage pain using skin surface electrodes. Optimal electrode placement is unclear. We hypothesized that better analgesia would occur if electrodes were placed over sites with lower skin impedance. Optimal site selection (OSS) and sham site selection (SSS) electrode sites on the forearm were identified using a standard clinical technique. Methods Experiment 1 measured skin impedance in the forearm at OSS and SSS. Experiment 2 was a crossover design double-blind randomized controlled trial comparing OSS-TENS, SSS-TENS, and placebo TENS (P-TENS) to confirm differences in skin impedance between OSS and SSS, and measure change in pressure pain threshold (PPT) following a 30-minute TENS treatment. Healthy volunteers were recruited (ten for Experiment 1 [five male, five female] and 24 for Experiment 2 [12 male, 12 female]). TENS was applied for 30 minutes at 100 Hz frequency, 100 µs pulse duration, and “strong but nonpainful” amplitude. Results Experiment 1 results demonstrate significantly higher impedance at SSS (17.69±1.24 Ω) compared to OSS (13.53±0.57 Ω) (P=0.007). For Experiment 2, electrode site impedance was significantly higher over SSS, with both the impedance meter (P=0.001) and the TENS unit (P=0.012) compared to OSS. PPT change was significantly greater for both OSS-TENS (P=0.024) and SSS-TENS (P=0.025) when compared to P-TENS. PPT did not differ between the two active TENS treatments (P=0.81). Conclusion Skin impedance is lower at sites characterized as optimal using the described technique of electrode site selection. When TENS is applied at adequate intensities, skin impedance is not a factor in attainment of hypoalgesia of the forearm in healthy subjects. Further investigation should include testing in patients presenting with painful conditions. PMID:26316808

Analysis and test for space shuttle propellant dynamics (1/10th scale model test results). Volume 1: Technical discussion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, R. L.; Tegart, J. R.; Demchak, L. J.

1979-01-01

Space shuttle propellant dynamics during ET/Orbiter separation in the RTLS (return to launch site) mission abort sequence were investigated in a test program conducted in the NASA KC-135 "Zero G" aircraft using a 1/10th-scale model of the ET LOX Tank. Low-g parabolas were flown from which thirty tests were selected for evaluation. Data on the nature of low-g propellant reorientation in the ET LOX tank, and measurements of the forces exerted on the tank by the moving propellent will provide a basis for correlation with an analytical model of the slosh phenomenon.

Understory avifauna exhibits altered mobbing behavior in tropical forest degraded by selective logging.

PubMed

Hua, Fangyuan; Sieving, Kathryn E

2016-11-01

In understanding the impacts of selective logging on biodiversity, relatively little is known about the critical behavioral link between altered forest conditions and population persistence. Predator-mobbing is a widespread anti-predator behavior in birds that expresses a well-known trade-off influencing prey survival under predation risk. Here, we ask whether the predator-mobbing behavior of understory forest birds is altered by selective logging and associated forest structural changes in the highly endangered lowland rainforest of Sumatra. At four study sites spanning a gradient of logging-induced forest degradation, we used standardized mobbing and owl call playbacks with predator model presentation to elicit the predator-mobbing behavior of understory prey birds, compared birds' mobbing intensity across sites, and related variation in this intensity to forest vegetation structure. We found that selective logging altered birds' predator-mobbing intensity (measured by behavioral conspicuousness and propensity to approach the predator) as well as forest structure, and that vegetative changes to canopy and understory were correlated with contrasting responses by the two major bird foraging guilds, gleaning versus flycatching birds. We additionally discuss the implications of our findings for further hypothesis testing pertaining to the impacts of selective logging on the ecological processes underlying prey mobbing behavior, particularly with regards to predator-prey interactions and prey accruement of energy reserves.

Control of Ion Selectivity in LeuT: Two Na+ Binding Sites with two different mechanisms

PubMed Central

Noskov, Sergei Y.; Roux, Benoît

2016-01-01

The x-ray structure of LeuT, a bacterial homologue of Na+/Cl−-dependent neurotransmitter transporter, provides a great opportunity to better understand the molecular basis of monovalent cation selectivity in ion-coupled transporters. LeuT possesses two ion-binding sites, NA1 and NA2, which are highly selective for Na+. Extensive all-atom free energy molecular dynamics simulations of LeuT embedded in an explicit membrane are performed at different temperatures and various occupancy states of the binding sites to dissect the molecular mechanism of ion selectivity. The results show that the two binding sites display robust selectivity for Na+ over K+ or Li+, the competing ions of most similar radii. Of particular interest, the mechanism primarily responsible for selectivity for each of the two binding sites appears to be different. In site NA1, selectivity for Na+ over K+ arises predominantly from the strong electrostatic field arising from the negatively charged carboxylate group of the leucine substrate coordinating the ion directly. In site NA2, which comprises only neutral ligands, selectivity for Na+ is enforced by the local structural restraints arising from the hydrogen-bonding network and the covalent connectivity of the poly-peptide chain surrounding the ion according to a snug-fit mechanism. PMID:18280500

The Neuro-Ecology of Drosophila Pupation Behavior

PubMed Central

Del Pino, Francisco; Jara, Claudia; Pino, Luis; Godoy-Herrera, Raúl

2014-01-01

Many species of Drosophila form conspecific pupa aggregations across the breeding sites. These aggregations could result from species-specific larval odor recognition. To test this hypothesis we used larval odors of D. melanogaster and D. pavani, two species that coexist in the nature. When stimulated by those odors, wild type and vestigial (vg) third-instar larvae of D. melanogaster pupated on conspecific larval odors, but individuals deficient in the expression of the odor co-receptor Orco randomly pupated across the substrate, indicating that in this species, olfaction plays a role in pupation site selection. Larvae are unable to learn but can smell, the Syn97CS and rut strains of D. melanogaster, did not respond to conspecific odors or D. pavani larval cues, and they randomly pupated across the substrate, suggesting that larval odor-based learning could influence the pupation site selection. Thus, Orco, Syn97CS and rut loci participated in the pupation site selection. When stimulated by conspecific and D. melanogaster larval cues, D. pavani larvae also pupated on conspecific odors. The larvae of D. gaucha, a sibling species of D. pavani, did not respond to D. melanogaster larval cues, pupating randomly across the substrate. In nature, D. gaucha is isolated from D. melanogaster. Interspecific hybrids, which result from crossing pavani female with gaucha males clumped their pupae similarly to D. pavani, but the behavior of gaucha female x pavani male hybrids was similar to D. gaucha parent. The two sibling species show substantial evolutionary divergence in organization and functioning of larval nervous system. D. melanogaster and D. pavani larvae extracted information about odor identities and the spatial location of congener and alien larvae to select pupation sites. We hypothesize that larval recognition contributes to the cohabitation of species with similar ecologies, thus aiding the organization and persistence of Drosophila species guilds in the wild. PMID:25033294

A tag-based approach for high-throughput analysis of CCWGG methylation.

PubMed

Denisova, Oksana V; Chernov, Andrei V; Koledachkina, Tatyana Y; Matvienko, Nicholas I

2007-10-15

Non-CpG methylation occurring in the context of CNG sequences is found in plants at a large number of genomic loci. However, there is still little information available about non-CpG methylation in mammals. Efficient methods that would allow detection of scarcely localized methylated sites in small quantities of DNA are required to elucidate the biological role of non-CpG methylation in both plants and animals. In this study, we tested a new whole genome approach to identify sites of CCWGG methylation (W is A or T), a particular case of CNG methylation, in genomic DNA. This technique is based on digestion of DNAs with methylation-sensitive restriction endonucleases EcoRII-C and AjnI. Short DNAs flanking methylated CCWGG sites (tags) are selectively purified and assembled in tandem arrays of up to nine tags. This allows high-throughput sequencing of tags, identification of flanking regions, and their exact positions in the genome. In this study, we tested specificity and efficiency of the approach.

The Semipalatinsk nuclear test site: a first analysis of solid cancer incidence (selected sites) due to test-related radiation.

PubMed

Gusev, B I; Rosenson, R I; Abylkassimova, Z N

1998-10-01

Since 1956, cancer incidences have been analysed in several rayons of the Semipalatinsk oblast, with cross-sectional analyses being conducted every 5 years. Data on different tumor localizations were recorded within a heavily contaminated so-called main area of nine villages (estimated average effective equivalent dose about 2000 mSv) and a so-called control area (estimated average effective equivalent dose about 70 mSv), each including approximately 10000 persons. Up to 1970, the excess cancer incidence in the exposed villages was observed to have increased; after 1970, a decrease was noted, followed by a second increase in the late 1980s. The main sites of excess cancer included the esophagus, stomach, and liver. Up to 1970, the esophagus cancer incidence was predominant, but it decreased thereafter, while the incidence of stomach and liver cancers increased. The second peak of excess cancer rates was mainly due to lung, breast, and thyroid carcinomas.

Testing Dragonflies as Species Richness Indicators in a Fragmented Subtropical Atlantic Forest Environment.

PubMed

Renner, S; Sahlén, G; Périco, E

2016-06-01

We surveyed 15 bodies of water among remnants of the Atlantic Forest biome in southern Brazil for adult dragonflies and damselflies to test whether an empirical selection method for diversity indicators could be applied in a subtropical ecosystem, where limited ecological knowledge on species level is available. We found a regional species pool of 34 species distributed in a nested subset pattern with a mean of 11.2 species per locality. There was a pronounced difference in species composition between spring, summer, and autumn, but no differences in species numbers between seasons. Two species, Homeoura chelifera (Selys) and Ischnura capreolus (Hagen), were the strongest candidates for regional diversity indicators, being found only at species-rich localities in our surveyed area and likewise in an undisturbed national forest reserve, serving as a reference site for the Atlantic Forest. Using our selection method, we found it possible to obtain a tentative list of diversity indicators without having detailed ecological information of each species, providing a reference site is available for comparison. The method thus allows for indicator species to be selected in blanco from taxonomic groups that are little known. We hence argue that Odonata can already be incorporated in ongoing assessment programs in the Neotropics, which would also increase the ecological knowledge of the group and allow extrapolation to other taxa.

Are Synonymous Sites in Primates and Rodents Functionally Constrained?

PubMed

Price, Nicholas; Graur, Dan

2016-01-01

It has been claimed that synonymous sites in mammals are under selective constraint. Furthermore, in many studies the selective constraint at such sites in primates was claimed to be more stringent than that in rodents. Given the larger effective population sizes in rodents than in primates, the theoretical expectation is that selection in rodents would be more effective than that in primates. To resolve this contradiction between expectations and observations, we used processed pseudogenes as a model for strict neutral evolution, and estimated selective constraint on synonymous sites using the rate of substitution at pseudosynonymous and pseudononsynonymous sites in pseudogenes as the neutral expectation. After controlling for the effects of GC content, our results were similar to those from previous studies, i.e., synonymous sites in primates exhibited evidence for higher selective constraint that those in rodents. Specifically, our results indicated that in primates up to 24% of synonymous sites could be under purifying selection, while in rodents synonymous sites evolved neutrally. To further control for shifts in GC content, we estimated selective constraint at fourfold degenerate sites using a maximum parsimony approach. This allowed us to estimate selective constraint using mutational patterns that cause a shift in GC content (GT ↔ TG, CT ↔ TC, GA ↔ AG, and CA ↔ AC) and ones that do not (AT ↔ TA and CG ↔ GC). Using this approach, we found that synonymous sites evolve neutrally in both primates and rodents. Apparent deviations from neutrality were caused by a higher rate of C → A and C → T mutations in pseudogenes. Such differences are most likely caused by the shift in GC content experienced by pseudogenes. We conclude that previous estimates according to which 20-40% of synonymous sites in primates were under selective constraint were most likely artifacts of the biased pattern of mutation.

Inhibitors Selective for Mycobacterial Versus Human Proteasomes

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

Lin, G.; Li, D; Sorio de Carvalho, L

Many anti-infectives inhibit the synthesis of bacterial proteins, but none selectively inhibits their degradation. Most anti-infectives kill replicating pathogens, but few preferentially kill pathogens that have been forced into a non-replicating state by conditions in the host. To explore these alternative approaches we sought selective inhibitors of the proteasome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Given that the proteasome structure is extensively conserved, it is not surprising that inhibitors of all chemical classes tested have blocked both eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteasomes, and no inhibitor has proved substantially more potent on proteasomes of pathogens than of their hosts. Here we show that certain oxathiazol-2-onemore » compounds kill non-replicating M.?tuberculosis and act as selective suicide-substrate inhibitors of the M.?tuberculosis proteasome by cyclocarbonylating its active site threonine. Major conformational changes protect the inhibitor-enzyme intermediate from hydrolysis, allowing formation of an oxazolidin-2-one and preventing regeneration of active protease. Residues outside the active site whose hydrogen bonds stabilize the critical loop before and after it moves are extensively non-conserved. This may account for the ability of oxathiazol-2-one compounds to inhibit the mycobacterial proteasome potently and irreversibly while largely sparing the human homologue.« less

Detecting negative selection on recurrent mutations using gene genealogy

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Whether or not a mutant allele in a population is under selection is an important issue in population genetics, and various neutrality tests have been invented so far to detect selection. However, detection of negative selection has been notoriously difficult, partly because negatively selected alleles are usually rare in the population and have little impact on either population dynamics or the shape of the gene genealogy. Recently, through studies of genetic disorders and genome-wide analyses, many structural variations were shown to occur recurrently in the population. Such “recurrent mutations” might be revealed as deleterious by exploiting the signal of negative selection in the gene genealogy enhanced by their recurrence. Results Motivated by the above idea, we devised two new test statistics. One is the total number of mutants at a recurrently mutating locus among sampled sequences, which is tested conditionally on the number of forward mutations mapped on the sequence genealogy. The other is the size of the most common class of identical-by-descent mutants in the sample, again tested conditionally on the number of forward mutations mapped on the sequence genealogy. To examine the performance of these two tests, we simulated recurrently mutated loci each flanked by sites with neutral single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), with no recombination. Using neutral recurrent mutations as null models, we attempted to detect deleterious recurrent mutations. Our analyses demonstrated high powers of our new tests under constant population size, as well as their moderate power to detect selection in expanding populations. We also devised a new maximum parsimony algorithm that, given the states of the sampled sequences at a recurrently mutating locus and an incompletely resolved genealogy, enumerates mutation histories with a minimum number of mutations while partially resolving genealogical relationships when necessary. Conclusions With their considerably high powers to detect negative selection, our new neutrality tests may open new venues for dealing with the population genetics of recurrent mutations as well as help identifying some types of genetic disorders that may have escaped identification by currently existing methods. PMID:23651527

Static and dynamic characterization of alluvial deposits in the Tiber River Valley: New data for assessing potential ground motion in the City of Rome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozzano, F.; Caserta, A.; Govoni, A.; Marra, F.; Martino, S.

2008-01-01

The paper presents the results of a case study conducted on the Holocene alluvial deposits of the Tiber River valley, in the city of Rome. The main test site selected for the study, Valco S. Paolo, is located about 2 km South of Rome's historical centre. The alluvial deposits were dynamically characterized in a comprehensive way via site investigations and geotechnical laboratory tests. Normalized shear modulus decay and damping curves (G/G0 and D/D0 vs γ) were obtained for the dominantly fine-grained levels. The curves demonstrate that these levels have a more marked shear stiffness decay if compared with the underlying Pliocene bedrock. Decay curves from laboratory tests for the Tiber alluvia correlated well with the trend of the function proposed by Hardin and Drnevich, making it possible to derive their specific interpolation function coefficients. Use was made of the extrapolation of the findings from the Valco S. Paolo test site to a large part of Rome's historical centre by means of two other test sites, supported by an engineering-geology model of the complex spatial distribution of the Tiber alluvia. The experimental Valco S. Paolo Vs profile was extrapolated to the other test sites on the basis of a stratigraphic criterion; the analysis of seismic noise measurements, obtained for the three test sites, validated the engineering-geology based extrapolation and showed that the main rigidity contrast occurs inside the alluvial body (at the contact with the underlying basal gravel-level G) and not between the alluvia and the Plio-Pleistocene bedrock, composed of highly consistent clay (Marne Vaticane). The 1D modeling of local seismic response to the maximum expected earthquakes in the city of Rome confirms that the deposits have one principal mode of vibration at about 1 Hz. However, the simulation also evidenced that the silty-clay deposits (level C), making up the most part of the Tiber alluvial body, play a key role in characterizing the soil column deformation profile since it can be affected by non linear effects induced by the maximum expected earthquake when some stratigraphic conditions are satisfied.

Evidence for recombination between a sialidase (nanH) of Actinomyces naeslundii and Actinomyces oris, previously named ‘Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 1 and 2’

PubMed Central

Do, Thuy; Henssge, Uta; Gilbert, Steven C; Clark, Douglas; Beighton, David

2008-01-01

Actinomyces spp., predominant members of human oral biofilms, may use extracellular sialidase to promote adhesion, deglycosylate immunoglobulins and liberation of nutrients. Partial nanH gene sequences (1077 bp) from Actinomyces oris (n =74), Actinomyces naeslundii (n =30), Actinomyces viscosus (n =1) and Actinomyces johnsonii (n =2) which included the active-site region and the bacterial neuraminidase repeats (BNRs) were compared. The sequences were aligned and each species formed a distinct cluster with five isolates having intermediate positions. These five isolates (two A. oris and three A. naeslundii) exhibited interspecies recombination. The nonsynonymous/synonymous ratio was <1 for both A. oris and A. naeslundii indicating that nanH in both species is under stabilizing selective pressure; nonsynonymous mutations are not selected. However, for A. oris significant negative values in tests for neutral selection suggested the rate of mutation in A. oris was greater than in A. naeslundii but with selection against nonsynonymous mutations. This was supported by the observation that the frequency of polymorphic sites in A. oris, which were monomorphic in A. naeslundii was significantly greater than the frequency of polymorphic sites in A. naeslundii which were monomorphic in A. oris (χ2=7.011; P =0.00081). The higher proportions of A. oris in the oral biofilm might be explained by the higher mutation rate facilitating an increased ability to respond successfully to environmental stress. PMID:18823396

The selective A-type K+ current blocker Tx3-1 isolated from the Phoneutria nigriventer venom enhances memory of naïve and Aβ(25-35)-treated mice.

PubMed

Gomes, Guilherme M; Dalmolin, Gerusa D; Cordeiro, Marta do Nascimento; Gomez, Marcus V; Ferreira, Juliano; Rubin, Maribel A

2013-12-15

Potassium channels regulate many neuronal functions, including neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity, contributing, by these means, to mnemonic processes. In particular, A-type K(+) currents (IA) play a key role in hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of the peptidic toxin Tx3-1, a selective blocker of IA currents, extracted from the venom of the spider Phoneutria nigriventer, on memory of mice. Administration of Tx3-1 (i.c.v., 300 pmol/site) enhanced both short- and long-term memory consolidation of mice tested in the novel object recognition task. In comparison, 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; i.c.v., 30-300 pmol/site), a non-selective K(+) channel blocker did not alter long-term memory and caused toxic side effects such as circling, freezing and tonic-clonic seizures. Moreover, Tx3-1 (i.c.v., 10-100 pmol/site) restored memory of Aβ25-35-injected mice, and exhibited a higher potency to improve memory of Aβ25-35-injected mice when compared to control group. These results show the effect of the selective blocker of IA currents Tx3-1 in both short- and long-term memory retention and in memory impairment caused by Aβ25-35, reinforcing the role of IA in physiological and pathological memory processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hot Spots on the Web for Teacher Librarians: A Selection of Recommended Web Sites for TLs To Visit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1996

Six papers review and recommend sites on the Web as resources for teacher librarians include: "Just Do It: A Guide to Getting Out There and Doing It Yourself" (Catherine Ryan); "A Selection of Recommended Web Sites for TLs To Visit" (Karen Bonanno); "A Selection of Recommended Web Sites for TLs To Visit" (Sandra…

Urban Rain Gauge Siting Selection Based on Gis-Multicriteria Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Yanli; Jing, Changfeng; Du, Mingyi

2016-06-01

With the increasingly rapid growth of urbanization and climate change, urban rainfall monitoring as well as urban waterlogging has widely been paid attention. In the light of conventional siting selection methods do not take into consideration of geographic surroundings and spatial-temporal scale for the urban rain gauge site selection, this paper primarily aims at finding the appropriate siting selection rules and methods for rain gauge in urban area. Additionally, for optimization gauge location, a spatial decision support system (DSS) aided by geographical information system (GIS) has been developed. In terms of a series of criteria, the rain gauge optimal site-search problem can be addressed by a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). A series of spatial analytical techniques are required for MCDA to identify the prospective sites. With the platform of GIS, using spatial kernel density analysis can reflect the population density; GIS buffer analysis is used to optimize the location with the rain gauge signal transmission character. Experiment results show that the rules and the proposed method are proper for the rain gauge site selection in urban areas, which is significant for the siting selection of urban hydrological facilities and infrastructure, such as water gauge.

Monitoring on-orbit calibration stability of the Terra MODIS and Landsat 7 ETM+ sensors using pseudo-invariant test sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chander, G.; Xiong, X.(J.); Choi, T.(J.); Angal, A.

2010-01-01

The ability to detect and quantify changes in the Earth's environment depends on sensors that can provide calibrated, consistent measurements of the Earth's surface features through time. A critical step in this process is to put image data from different sensors onto a common radiometric scale. This work focuses on monitoring the long-term on-orbit calibration stability of the Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Landsat 7 (L7) Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensors using the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) reference standard pseudo-invariant test sites (Libya 4, Mauritania 1/2, Algeria 3, Libya 1, and Algeria 5). These sites have been frequently used as radiometric targets because of their relatively stable surface conditions temporally. This study was performed using all cloud-free calibrated images from the Terra MODIS and the L7 ETM+ sensors, acquired from launch to December 2008. Homogeneous regions of interest (ROI) were selected in the calibrated images and the mean target statistics were derived from sensor measurements in terms of top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance. For each band pair, a set of fitted coefficients (slope and offset) is provided to monitor the long-term stability over very stable pseudo-invariant test sites. The average percent differences in intercept from the long-term trends obtained from the ETM + TOA reflectance estimates relative to the MODIS for all the CEOS reference standard test sites range from 2.5% to 15%. This gives an estimate of the collective differences due to the Relative Spectral Response (RSR) characteristics of each sensor, bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), spectral signature of the ground target, and atmospheric composition. The lifetime TOA reflectance trends from both sensors over 10 years are extremely stable, changing by no more than 0.4% per year in its TOA reflectance over the CEOS reference standard test sites.

Seismic Site Classification and Empirical Correlation Between Standard Penetration Test N Value and Shear Wave Velocity for Guwahati Based on Thorough Subsoil Investigation Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Abhishek; Harinarayan, N. H.; Verma, Vishal; Anand, Saurabh; Borah, Uddipana; Bania, Mousumi

2018-04-01

Guwahati, the Gateway of India in the northeast, is a large business and development center. Past seismic scenarios suggest moderate to significant effects of regional earthquakes (EQs) in Guwahati in terms of liquefaction as well as building damages. Considering the role of local soil in amplifying EQ-generated ground motions and controlling surface damages, present study attempts seismic site classification of subsoil of Guwahati. Subsoil is explored based on 43 geophysical tests and 244 borelogs gathered from different resources. Based on the borehole data, 4 numbers of 2D cross-sections are developed from different parts of Guwahati, clearly indicating that a majority of the locations are composed of clay of intermediate to high plasticity while at specific locations only, layers of sand are found at selective depths. Further, seismic site classification based on 30 m average SPT-N suggests that a major part of Guwahati falls under seismic site class (SSC) D such as Balaji Temple and Airport. However, Assam Zoo, Pan Bazaar, IIT campus, Dhol Gobinda and Maligaon show SSC E clearly indicating the presence of soft soil deposits at these locations. Similar site classification is also attempted from MASW test-based 30 m average shear wave velocity (V S30). V S30-based site classification also categorizes most of Guwahati under SSC D. However, there are locations in the southern part of Guwahati which belong to SSC C as well. Mismatch in SSC based on two different test findings for Indian soil found here are consistent with previous studies. Further, three empirical correlations based on both SPT-N and V S profiles at 22 test locations are developed for: (1) clayey; (2) sandy and (3) all soil types. Proposed correlation for all soil types is validated graphically and is found closely matching with similar correlations for Turkey and Lucknow.

The importance of environmental quality and catch potential to fishing site selection by freshwater anglers in Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schramm, H.L.; Gerard, P.D.; Gill, D.A.

2003-01-01

We measured the importance of 24 fishing site attributes to Mississippi freshwater anglers. Factor analysis identified four multiattribute factors as important in the selection of fishing location: CLEAN ENVIRONMENT CATCH, COST AND HARVEST and AMENITIES AND SAFETY. In general, the importance of site selection factors differed little among anglers grouped by preferred type of fish, preferred fishing location (lakes and reservoirs, rivers and streams, ponds, or reservoir tailwaters), usual manner of fishing (engine-powered boat, nonpowered boat, or shore), or change in fishing frequency. COST AND HARVEST was more important to anglers with high harvest orientations. We found low correlations between site selection factor importance scores and angler age, fishing frequency, fishing expenditures, or fishing motivation factors. We suggest that the general lack of differences in site selection factors among angler groups indicates that management strategies to improve fishing site attributes should benefit all angler groups. Clean fishing environments and awareness of the availability of desired sport fishes were "very" or "extremely" important to fishing site selection by more than 70% of Mississippi freshwater anglers and should be priority management objectives.

Centuries of domestication has not impaired oviposition site-selection function in the silkmoth, Bombyx mori

PubMed Central

Damodaram, Kamala Jayanthi Pagadala; Kempraj, Vivek; Aurade, Ravindra Mahadappa; Rajasekhar, Sowmya Bandhisara; Venkataramanappa, Ravindra Kothapalli; Nandagopal, Bakthavatsalam; Verghese, Abraham

2014-01-01

Oviposition site-selection in insects is mediated through innate recognition templates (IRTs) tuned to specific chemical cues. These cues aid gravid insects in choosing suitable oviposition sites and may even enhance the fitness of their offspring by warding off predators and parasitoids. However, studies on the evolution of oviposition site-selection and cues instigating oviposition in domesticated insects remain elusive. Using the interaction between the silkmoth, Bombyx mori, and its host plant mulberry, Morus alba, as a model system, we demonstrate that centuries of domestication of silkmoth has not impaired its oviposition site-selection function. Silkmoths significantly preferred mulberry leaves to filter paper as oviposition sites. Oviposition assays with filter paper, filter paper treated with leaf volatiles and leaf alone proved that surface texture was not a significant criterion for oviposition site-selection, but volatile cues were. Oviposition assays with electrophysiologically active compounds from mulberry revealed that two of the volatiles, valencene and α-humulene, aided moths in choosing suitable oviposition sites and enhanced egg-laying significantly. Moreover, we show that generalist egg-parasitoids are strongly repelled by valencene and α-humulene. Our results demonstrate that IRTs tuned to cues that aid crucial functions like oviposition site-selection are less likely to be impaired even after centuries of domestication. PMID:25503440

Systematic identification of phosphorylation-mediated protein interaction switches

PubMed Central

Wichmann, Oliver; Utz, Mathias; Andre, Timon; Minguez, Pablo; Parca, Luca; Roth, Frederick P.; Gavin, Anne-Claude; Bork, Peer; Russell, Robert B.

2017-01-01

Proteomics techniques can identify thousands of phosphorylation sites in a single experiment, the majority of which are new and lack precise information about function or molecular mechanism. Here we present a fast method to predict potential phosphorylation switches by mapping phosphorylation sites to protein-protein interactions of known structure and analysing the properties of the protein interface. We predict 1024 sites that could potentially enable or disable particular interactions. We tested a selection of these switches and showed that phosphomimetic mutations indeed affect interactions. We estimate that there are likely thousands of phosphorylation mediated switches yet to be uncovered, even among existing phosphorylation datasets. The results suggest that phosphorylation sites on globular, as distinct from disordered, parts of the proteome frequently function as switches, which might be one of the ancient roles for kinase phosphorylation. PMID:28346509

Predator-driven brain size evolution in natural populations of Trinidadian killifish (Rivulus hartii)

PubMed Central

Walsh, Matthew R.; Broyles, Whitnee; Beston, Shannon M.; Munch, Stephan B.

2016-01-01

Vertebrates exhibit extensive variation in relative brain size. It has long been assumed that this variation is the product of ecologically driven natural selection. Yet, despite more than 100 years of research, the ecological conditions that select for changes in brain size are unclear. Recent laboratory selection experiments showed that selection for larger brains is associated with increased survival in risky environments. Such results lead to the prediction that increased predation should favour increased brain size. Work on natural populations, however, foreshadows the opposite trajectory of evolution; increased predation favours increased boldness, slower learning, and may thereby select for a smaller brain. We tested the influence of predator-induced mortality on brain size evolution by quantifying brain size variation in a Trinidadian killifish, Rivulus hartii, from communities that differ in predation intensity. We observed strong genetic differences in male (but not female) brain size between fish communities; second generation laboratory-reared males from sites with predators exhibited smaller brains than Rivulus from sites in which they are the only fish present. Such trends oppose the results of recent laboratory selection experiments and are not explained by trade-offs with other components of fitness. Our results suggest that increased male brain size is favoured in less risky environments because of the fitness benefits associated with faster rates of learning and problem-solving behaviour. PMID:27412278

Predator protection versus rapid growth in a montane leaf beetle.

PubMed

Smiley, John T; Rank, Nathan E

1986-08-01

Adults and larvae of Chrysomela aenicollis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) feed on foliage of Salix species (Salicaceae) between 2,400-3,400 m above sea level in the eastcentral Sierra Nevada mountains of California. We predicted that (1) cold climatic conditions would be a more frequent source of mortality at higher elevations, (2) mildweather agents of mortality such as predation should be more severe at lower elevations, and (3) populations of C. aenicollis would be adapted to the local selective regime at each elevation. We tested these predictions in 1984 and 1985 by transferring over 6,000 eggs and larvae within and between two sites at 2,810 and 3,240 m elevation above sea level. During mild summer weather at both sites, survivorship on Salix branches isolated by a barrier of sticky resin was similar to that on control branches, and we concluded that aerial predators were the primary cause of mortality. At least one major predator, a solitary wasp (Symmorphus sp., Hymenoptera: Eumenidae), was specifically associated with C. aenicollis at the lower site, where beetle mortality was highest. At both sites in 1984 and 1985, larvae originating from the lower site remained in aggregations and survived more frequently than larvae from the upper site, suggesting that they are better defended against predators. During a storm with cold weather late in the 1984 season, larvae and pupae died more frequently at the upper site, and there was a marginally significant trend (P<0.1) for the lower site individuals to die more frequently than upper site larvae during the cold storm. Upper site larvae grew approximately 10% faster than lower site larvae at the lower site and under controlled conditions in the laboratory. These findings indicate that upper and lower site populations were adapted to the local selective regime, which suggest how populations of montane phytopagous insects may adapt to changing elevations.

Assessment and selection of geomorphosites and trails in the Miage Glacier area (Western Italian alps).

PubMed

Bollati, Irene; Smiraglia, Claudio; Pelfini, Manuela

2013-04-01

Glacial environments are considered geomorphosites because they exhibit all of the features that characterise sites of geomorphological interest. The Miage Glacier, in particular, is the most important debris-covered glacier of the Italian Alps, and it has been extensively studied since the 18th century because of its scientific features. In this area, the geomorphological and geological attributes are evaluated at 11 sites that have been individuated along the three main touristic trails, which allow an exploration of the surroundings of the glacial tongue and its two main lobes. Using a methodology previously tested in a fluvial environment, single sites and trails are quantitatively assessed to determine the most suitable trail for educational purposes. Hazards that could potentially affect the trails are considered in terms of both risk education and final selection of the most suitable trails for the various possible user groups. The richness of scientific data in this area should increase its importance as a geomorphosite by increasing the educational value of the Miage Glacier and the Veny Valley.

Assessment and Selection of Geomorphosites and Trails in the Miage Glacier Area (Western Italian Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bollati, Irene; Smiraglia, Claudio; Pelfini, Manuela

2013-04-01

Glacial environments are considered geomorphosites because they exhibit all of the features that characterise sites of geomorphological interest. The Miage Glacier, in particular, is the most important debris-covered glacier of the Italian Alps, and it has been extensively studied since the 18th century because of its scientific features. In this area, the geomorphological and geological attributes are evaluated at 11 sites that have been individuated along the three main touristic trails, which allow an exploration of the surroundings of the glacial tongue and its two main lobes. Using a methodology previously tested in a fluvial environment, single sites and trails are quantitatively assessed to determine the most suitable trail for educational purposes. Hazards that could potentially affect the trails are considered in terms of both risk education and final selection of the most suitable trails for the various possible user groups. The richness of scientific data in this area should increase its importance as a geomorphosite by increasing the educational value of the Miage Glacier and the Veny Valley.

Location and valence state of strontium cations on the framework of a carbon dioxide selective porous silicoaluminophosphate

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

Zhang, Li; Rivera-Ramos, Milton E.; Hernández-Maldonado, Arturo J.

2014-05-28

A Sr{sup 2+}-SAPO-34 material that displays superior CO2 adsorption selectivity and capacity was characterized via XPS and UV-vis spectroscopy to elucidate the valence state of strontium cations and framework silicon environment. Most importantly, the location of the strontium has been estimated from a Rietveld refinement analysis of synchrotron diffraction data. The XPS analysis indicated that the apparent valence state of the strontium is less than 2, an indication of its interaction with the large anionic framework. Furthermore, UV-vis tests pointed to changes in the silicon environment, plausibly related to this valence state or framework faulting. For the refinement, the analysismore » found that strontium occupied two unique sites: a site Sr1 slightly displaced from six-membered rings and a site Sr2 positioned at the top or bottom of the eight-membered rings. The latter position favors the interaction of the alkaline earth metal with CO{sub 2}, probably resulting in an enhanced electric field-quadrupole moment interaction.« less

Effect of the 3-halo substitution of the 2'-deoxy aminopyridinyl-pseudocytidine derivatives on the selectivity and stability of antiparallel triplex DNA with a CG inversion site.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Taniguchi, Yosuke; Okamura, Hidenori; Sasaki, Shigeki

2017-07-15

Triplex formation against a target duplex DNA has the potential to become a tool for the genome research. However, there is an intrinsic restriction on the duplex DNA sequences capable of forming the triplex DNA. Recently, we demonstrated the selective formation of the stable antiparallel triplexes containing the CG inversion sites using the 2'-deoxy-1-methylpseudocytidine derivative (ΨdC), whose amino group was conjugated with the 2-aminopyridine at its 5-position as an additional hydrogen bonding unit (AP-ΨdC). The 1-N of 2-aminopyridine was supposed to be protonated to form the hydrogen bond with the guanine of the CG inversion site. In this study, to test the effect of the 3-substitution of the 2-aminopyridine unit of AP-ΨdC on the triplex stability, we synthesized the 3-halogenated 2-aminopyridine derivatives of AP-ΨdC. The pKa values 1-N of the 2-aminopyridine unit of AP-ΨdC as the monomer nucleoside were determined to be 6.3 for 3-CH 3 ( Me AP-ΨdC), 6.1 for 3-H (AP-ΨdC), 4.3 for 3-Cl ( Cl AP-ΨdC), 4.4 for 3-Br ( Br AP-ΨdC), and 4.7 for 3-I ( I AP-ΨdC), suggesting that all the halogenated AP-ΨdCs are not protonated under neutral conditions. Interestingly, although the recognition selectivity depends on the sequence context, the TFO having the sequence of the 3'-G-( I AP-ΨdC)-A-5' context showed the selective triplex formation with the CG inversion site. These results suggest that the protonation at the 1-N position plays an important role in the stable and selective triplex formation of AP-ΨdC derivatives in any sequences. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrologic and geologic characteristics of the Yucca Mountain site relevant to the performance of a potential repository: Day 1, Las Vegas, Nevada to Pahrump, Nevada: Stop 6A. Keane Wonder Spring and regional groundwater flow in the Death Valley region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steinkampf, W.C.

2000-01-01

Yucca Mountain, located ~100 mi northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, has been designated by Congress as a site to be characterized for a potential mined geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. This field trip will examine the regional geologic and hydrologic setting for Yucca Mountain, as well as specific results of the site characterization program, The first day focuses on the regional seeing with emphasis on current and paleo hydrology, which are both of critical concern for predicting future performance of a potential repository. Morning stops will be in southern Nevada and afternoon stops will be in Death Valley. The second day will be spent at Yucca Mountain. The filed trip will visit the underground testing sites in the "Exploratory Studies Facility" and the "Busted Butte Unsaturated Zone Transport Field Test" plus several surface-based testing sites. Much of the work at the site has concentrated on studies of the unsaturated zone, and element of the hydrologic system that historically has received little attention. Discussions during the second day will comprise selected topics of Yucca Mountain geology, mic hazard in the Yucca Mountain area. Evening discussions will address modeling of regional groundwater flow, the geology and hydrology of Yucca Mountain to the performance of a potential repository. Day 3 will examine the geologic framework and hydrology of the Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley Groundwater Basin and then will continue to Reno via Hawthorne, Nevada and the Walker Lake area.

Final Report: Sensorpedia Phases 1 and 2

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

Gorman, Bryan L; Resseguie, David R

2010-08-01

Over the past several years, ORNL has been actively involved in research to formalize the engineering principles and best practices behind emerging social media and social networking concepts to solve real-time data sharing problems for national security and defense, public health and safety, environmental and infrastructure awareness, and disaster preparedness and response. Sensorpedia, an ORNL web site, is a practical application of several key social media principles. Dubbed the Wikipedia for sensors, Sensorpedia is currently in limited BETA testing and was selected in 2009 by Federal Computer Week as one of the government s top 10 social networking sites.

Screening of pesticide residues in soil and water samples from agricultural settings

PubMed Central

Akogbéto, Martin C; Djouaka, Rousseau F; Kindé-Gazard, Dorothée A

2006-01-01

Background The role of agricultural practices in the selection of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors has so far been hypothesized without clear evidence. Many mosquito species, Anopheles gambiae in particular, lay their eggs in breeding sites located around agricultural settings. There is a probability that, as a result of farming activities, insecticide residues may be found in soil and water, where they exercise a selection pressure on the larval stage of various populations of mosquitoes. To confirm this hypothesis, a study was conducted in the Republic of Benin to assess the environmental hazards which can be generated from massive use of pesticides in agricultural settings. Methods Lacking an HPLC machine for direct quantification of insecticide residues in samples, this investigation was performed using indirect bioassays focussed on the study of factors inhibiting the normal growth of mosquito larvae in breeding sites. The speed of development was monitored as well as the yield of rearing An. gambiae larvae in breeding sites reconstituted with water and soil samples collected in agricultural areas known to be under pesticide pressure. Two strains of An. gambiae were used in this indirect bioassay: the pyrethroid-susceptible Kisumu strain and the resistant Ladji strain. The key approach in this methodology is based on comparison of the growth of larvae in test and in control breeding sites, the test samples having been collected from two vegetable farms. Results Results obtained clearly show the presence of inhibiting factors on test samples. A normal growth of larvae was observed in control samples. In breeding sites simulated by using a few grams of soil samples from the two vegetable farms under constant insecticide treatments (test samples), a poor hatching rate of Anopheles eggs coupled with a retarded growth of larvae and a low yield of adult mosquitoes from hatched eggs, was noticed. Conclusion Toxic factors inhibiting the hatching of anopheles eggs and the growth of larvae are probably pesticide residues from agricultural practices. Samples used during this indirect assay have been stored in the laboratory and will be analysed with HPLC techniques to confirm hypothesis of this study and to identify the various end products found in soil and water samples from agricultural settings under pesticide pressure. PMID:16563153

15 CFR 921.11 - Site selection and feasibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... MANAGEMENT NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM REGULATIONS Site Selection, Post Site Selection and... National Estuarine Research Reserve System. NOAA will give priority consideration to proposals to establish... of flora and fauna, and capacity to attract a broad range of research and educational interests. The...

15 CFR 921.11 - Site selection and feasibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... MANAGEMENT NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM REGULATIONS Site Selection, Post Site Selection and... National Estuarine Research Reserve System. NOAA will give priority consideration to proposals to establish... of flora and fauna, and capacity to attract a broad range of research and educational interests. The...

15 CFR 921.11 - Site selection and feasibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... MANAGEMENT NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM REGULATIONS Site Selection, Post Site Selection and... National Estuarine Research Reserve System. NOAA will give priority consideration to proposals to establish... of flora and fauna, and capacity to attract a broad range of research and educational interests. The...

15 CFR 921.11 - Site selection and feasibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... MANAGEMENT NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM REGULATIONS Site Selection, Post Site Selection and... National Estuarine Research Reserve System. NOAA will give priority consideration to proposals to establish... of flora and fauna, and capacity to attract a broad range of research and educational interests. The...