Food insecurity among homeless and runaway adolescents

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of food insecurity and factors related to it among homeless and runaway adolescents. DESIGN: Computer-assisted personal interviews were conducted with homeless and runaway adolescents directly on the streets and in shelters. SETTING: Interviews were conducted in eight Midwest cities: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Kansas City, Lincoln, Omaha, St. Louis and Wichita. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 428 (187 males; 241 females) homeless and runaway adolescents aged 16-19 years. Average age of the adolescents was 17.4 (standard deviation 1.05) years. RESULTS: About one-third of the adolescents had experienced food insecurity in the past 30 days. Factors associated with food insecurity were age of adolescent, a history of caretaker neglect and abuse, having ever spent time directly on the street, a small post-runaway social network, and engaging in deviant and non-deviant street food-acquisition strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, our conservative estimate is that nationally more than 165,000 homeless and runaway adolescents experienced food insecurity in the past 30 days. These adolescents are largely hidden from public notice and they are usually missed in studies that address national hunger.     

Prediction of atrazine sorption coefficients in soils using mid-infrared spectroscopy and partial least-squares analysis

This study explored the potential of mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR) with partial least-squares (PLS) analysis to predict sorption coefficients (Kd) of pesticides in soil. The MIR technique has the advantage of being sensitive to both the content and the chemistry of soil organic matter and mineralogy, the important factors in the sorption of nonionic pesticides. MIR spectra and batch Kd values of atrazine were determined on a set of 31 soil samples as reference data for PLS calibration. The samples, with high variability in soil organic carbon content (SOC), were chosen from 10 southern Australian soil profiles (A1, A2, B, and C in one case). PLS calibrations, developed for the prediction of Kd from the MIR spectra and reference Kd data, were compared with predictions from Koc-based indirect estimation using SOC content. The reference Kd data for the 31 samples ranged from 0.31 to 5.48 L/kg, whereas Koc ranged from 30 to 680 L/kg. Both coefficients generally increased with total SOC content but showed a relatively poor coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.53; P > 0.0001) and a high standard error of prediction (SEP =1.22) for the prediction of Kd from Koc. This poor prediction suggested that total SOC content alone could explain only half of the variation in Kd. In contrast, the regression plot of PLS predicted versus measured Kd resulted in an improved correlation, with R2 = 0.72 ( P > 0.0001) and standard error of cross-validation (SECV) = 0.63 for three PLS factors. With the advantages of MIR-PLS in mind, (i) more accurate prediction of Kd, (ii) an ability to reflect the nature and content of SOC as well as mineralogy, and (iii) high repeatability and throughput, it is proposed that MIR-PLS has the potential for an improved and rapid assessment of pesticide sorption in soils.     

Motivations of recreational fishers involved in fish habitat management

This study profiled the motivations of recreational fishers involved in habitat management activities in Australia, USA, UK and Ireland. Fishers were surveyed using an online questionnaire. Primary motivations for involvement were social (‘putting something back’) rather than to increase fish numbers or improve fishing experience. Fishers were more likely to participate in habitat management if they were members of a club or organisation or self‐rated their knowledge of various aspects of fish ecology as very good. Most activities undertaken were relatively simple tasks such as picking up litter and contacting government or the media. Fishers that did not take part in habitat management cited lack of time as the principal reason, but organisational issues (lack of contacts, funding and ideas) were also important. There are considerable opportunities for government agencies and recreational fishing organisations to increase the participation of recreational fishers in habitat management as well as their involvement in more complex tasks through targeted programmes providing contact points, ecological information and administrative support.     

Light intensity effects on early life stages of black sea bass, Centropristis striata (Linnaeus 1758)

The effects of four light intensities on growth and survival of first‐feeding stage black sea bass larvae Centropristis striata were investigated in a controlled‐environment laboratory. Fertilized eggs, obtained from LHRHa‐induced spawning of captive broodstock, were stocked (72 eggs L^?1) into twenty 15 L black tanks under light intensities of 100, 500, 1000 and 1500 lx, with five replicate tanks per treatment. The photoperiod was 12L:12D, the temperature was 20°C and the salinity was 35 g L^?1. Larvae were fed rotifers Brachionus rotundiformis from day 2 post‐hatching (d 2ph) at 5–10 rotifers mL^?1. Microalgae Nannochloropis oculata and Isochrysis sp. were added (1:1) daily to maintain a density of 300 000 cells mL^?1. Hatching success and larval growth and survival from d 2ph through d 15ph were monitored. Hatching success was 28–38% under all light intensities, and notochord length at hatching ranged from 2.8 to 3.0 mm, with no significant differences among treatments. By d 15ph, growth (mg wet weight) was significantly higher in the 1000 lx (0.914) and 1500 lx treatments (0.892) than in 100 lx (0.483), and a highly significant trend (P<0.01) towards increased survival with increasing light intensities was observed, from 1.3% at 100 lx to 13.9% at 1500 lx. Higher light intensities within the range of 100–1500 lx improved growth and survival of early larval black sea bass, suggesting that even higher light intensities may improve culture performance. This is consistent with conditions in shallow, near‐shore locations where eggs and larvae are distributed in nature.     

Estimating hourly crop ET using a two-source energy balance model and multispectral airborne imagery

Efficient water use through improved irrigation scheduling is expected to moderate fast declining groundwater levels and improve sustainability of the Ogallala Aquifer. An accurate estimation of spatial actual evapotranspiration (ET) is needed for this purpose. Therefore, during 2007, the Bushland ET and Agricultural Remote Sensing Experiment (BEAREX07) was conducted at the USDA-ARS, in Bushland, Texas, to evaluate remote sensing (RS)-based surface energy balance models. Very high-resolution aircraft images were acquired using the Utah State University airborne multispectral system. Instantaneous ET was estimated using a two-source energy balance model (TSM). A minor modification was made in the calculation of sensible heat fluxes to improve ET estimation. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis of selected variables was conducted to evaluate their effect on ET estimation. Data from four weighing lysimeters, planted to sorghum and corn, were used for evaluating ET predictions. Instantaneous ET was predicted with mean bias error and root mean square error of 0.03 and 0.07 mm h⁻¹ (4.3 and 11.7%), respectively. Results indicated that crop height, roughness length for momentum transfer, clumping factor and soil resistance sub-models need to be refined. Nevertheless, the application of the TSM using high-resolution RS imagery in the Southern High Plains is promising.     

Molecular linkage underlying microtubule orientation toward cortical sites in yeast

Selective microtubule orientation toward spatially defined cortical sites is critical to polarized cellular processes as diverse as axon outgrowth and T cell cytotoxicity. In yeast, oriented cytoplasmic microtubules align the mitotic spindle between mother and bud. The cortical marker protein Kar9 localizes to the bud tip and is required for the orientation of microtubules toward this region. Here, we show that Kar9 directs microtubule orientation by acting through Bim1, a conserved microtubule-binding protein. Bim1 homolog EB1 was originally identified through its interaction with adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor, raising the possibility that an APC-EB1 linkage orients microtubules in higher cells.     

Toxicity and binding of copper,zinc, and cadmium by the blue-green alga,Chroococcus paris

The toxic effects and accumulation of the heavy metals, Cd, Cu, and Zn by the sheath forming blue-green alga Chroococcus paris were investigated. All three of the metals were bound rapidly. Approximately 90% of the total amount of the added metal was bound within 1 min. Further significant binding occurred at a slower rate. The maximum metal binding capacity, as determined by filtration studies, was determined to be 53, 120, and 65 mg g^?1 dry algal weight for Cd, Cu, and Zn, respectively. Binding curves for the metals followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The amount of metal bound increased with increasing pH. Metal binding increased significantly when pH was increased from 4 to 7. Nearly all of the metal was found to be rapidly EDTA extractable. Metals were found to be increasingly toxic to growing cultures in the order, Zn, Cd, and Cu. All of the metals studied exhibited toxic effects at concentrations greater than 1.0 mg L^?1. The lowest concentrations used which showed detectable toxicity were 0.1 mg L^?1 for Cu and >0.4 mg L^?1 for Cd and Zn.     

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in canine pyoderma cases in primary care veterinary practices in Canada: A preliminary study

Pyoderma in dogs is most commonly caused by Staphylococcus spp., and significant emergence of methicillin resistance in staphylococcal pyoderma has been reported. This preliminary study of the prevalence of methicillin resistance in canine pyoderma cases in Canadian primary care veterinary practices revealed that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. were present in 12.1% of 149 staphylococcal positive skin culture cases.