Defining a Topographic Index Threshold to Delineate Hydrologically Sensitive Areas for Water Resources Planning and Management

Hydrologically sensitive areas (HSAs) are runoff-generating areas often targeted for effective water resources planning and management actions. Commonly, HSAs can be mapped as areas in a landscape with a topographic index (TI) greater than a threshold level. This study explored the impact of a gradient of different TI threshold values for delineating HSAs using two popular TIs: a topographic wetness index (TWI) and a soil topographic index (STI). The resultant HSAs for each TI were compared to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 100-year floodplain map in New Jersey and its five water regions. Spatial comparison indicators were used to assess the spatial similarity between the HSAs delineated and the FEMA floodplain map. Such comparisons identified the threshold that delineated HSAs whose spatial distributions were most consistent with the FEMA floodplain at each spatial scale for each TI. For example, the identified threshold for using a TWI to delineate HSAs was 10.5 at the state level; however, this threshold varied by the water region. The HSAs delineated approximate the spatial extent of runoff-contributing areas to the 100-year flood relevant for water resources planning and management actions for flood hazard mitigation.

     

Book reviews

BT Environment City Bulletin: The Big Picture - all eight topics under one roof Edited by C. Wood, 1994, Lincoln, The Wildlife Trusts, 110pp., £19.00 for local authorities, £14.00 for local businesses, £9.00 for voluntary groups.

Theme Parks, Leisure Centres, Zoos and Aquaria Anthony and Patricia Wylson, 1994, Harlow, Longman, 183pp. ISBN 0 582 09928 5, hb £60.00

The Picturesque Landscape: Visions of Georgian Herefordshire Edited by Stephen Daniels and Charles Watkins, 1994, Department of Geography, University of Nottingham, 100pp. ISBN 0 85358 033 2, £7.50

The Countryside Ideal: Anglo-American Images of Landscape Michael Bunce, 1994, London, Routledge, 232pp. ISBN 0 415 10435 1

Ordering Space: Types in Architecture and Design Karen A Frank and Lynda H Schneekloth (eds.), 1994, New York, Van Norstrand Reinhold, 383pp ISBN 0 442 01233 0, pb £34.50     

Molecular inflammation hypothesis of aging based on the anti-aging mechanism of calorie restriction

Accumulating evidence strongly suggests that oxidative stress underlies aging processes. Research provides consistent evidence that calorie restriction (CR) reduces age-related oxidative stress and has anti-inflammatory properties. However, information is lacking on the molecular mechanism that would better define the interrelation of reactive oxygen species and nitrogen species and the pro-inflammatory states of the aging process. In this review, the biochemical and molecular bases of the inflammatory process in the aging process are analyzed to delineate the molecular inflammation hypothesis of aging. The key players involved in the proposed hypothesis are the age-related upregulation of NF-kappa B, IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNFalpha, cyclooxygenase-2, and inducible NO synthase, all of which are attenuated by CR. Furthermore, age-related NF kappa B activation is associated with phosphorylation by I kappa B kinase/NIK and MAPKs, while CR blocked these activation processes. The modulation of these factors provides molecular insights of the anti-inflammatory action of CR in relation to the aging process. Based on available finding and our recent supporting evidence, we prefer to use "molecular inflammation" to emphasize the importance of the molecular reaction mechanisms and their aberrance, predisposing to fully expressed chronic inflammatory phenomena. It was further proposed that CR's major force of the regulation of redox-sensitive inflammation may well be its life-prolonging action.     

Characterizing multiple memory deficits and their relation to everyday functioning in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

The authors evaluated multiple memory processes and explored their contributions to everyday functional limitations in persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Participants included individuals with amnestic MCI, nonamnestic MCI, and healthy older adults. As expected, the amnestic MCI group performed more poorly than the control and nonamnestic MCI groups on a content memory measure. Both MCI groups, however, performed more poorly than controls on the noncontent memory measures of prospective memory, temporal order memory, and source memory. Informants also reported that the MCI groups were experiencing greater difficulty than controls completing instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Noncontent memory measures were found to make an independent contribution to IADL performances over and above that of content memory. These findings demonstrate that impairments in memory beyond the traditionally assessed content memory are present in individuals with amnestic MCI and with nonamnestic MCI. The results further show that these noncontent memory processes, which have been linked with executive functioning, play a role in supporting IADLs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Musical expertise, bilingualism, and executive functioning.

The authors investigated whether intensive musical experience leads to enhancements in executive processing, as has been shown for bilingualism. Young adults who were bilinguals, musical performers (instrumentalists or vocalists), or neither completed 3 cognitive measures and 2 executive function tasks based on conflict. Both executive function tasks included control conditions that assessed performance in the absence of conflict. All participants performed equivalently for the cognitive measures and the control conditions of the executive function tasks, but performance diverged in the conflict conditions. In a version of the Simon task involving spatial conflict between a target cue and its position, bilinguals and musicians outperformed monolinguals, replicating earlier research with bilinguals. In a version of the Stroop task involving auditory and linguistic conflict between a word and its pitch, the musicians performed better than the other participants. Instrumentalists and vocalists did not differ on any measure. Results demonstrate that extended musical experience enhances executive control on a nonverbal spatial task, as previously shown for bilingualism, but also enhances control in a more specialized auditory task, although the effect of bilingualism did not extend to that domain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial microaggressions and worldviews.

Comments by on an article entitled Racial microaggression? How do you know? by Rafael S. Harris Jr. (see record2008-05553-011). The author states that in our original article we asserted that the racial reality of POC was generally different from the racial reality of White Americans and that often times interpretations of situations and events are the result of worldviews or racial identity. When references are made to POC, or to “visible racial/ethnic groups,” reference is being made not only to the shared cultural characteristics, norms, values, and attitudes of the group (African American, Asian American, American Indian, and Latino/Hispanic American) but to a self-designation of racial identity formed from sociopolitical experiences of unequal social, economic, legal, and political power in U.S. society that are based on visible racial characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

6-Phospho-{beta}-galactosidases of Gram-positive and 6-phospho-{beta}-glucosidase B of Gram-negative bacteria: comparison of structure and function by kinetic and immunological methods and mutagenesis of the lacG gene of staphylococcus aureus

The 6-phospho-ß-galactosidase of Staphylococcus aureus,Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus casei and 6-phospho-ßglucosidaseB of Escherichia coli build a subfamily inside a greater enzymefamily, named the glycosal hydrolase family 1, which, hi addition,contains nine ß-glycosidases of different origins.Kinetic and immunological evidence is provided in this reportwhich strengthens the relationship of the four 6-phospho-ß-glycosidases.It is shown that the 6-phospho-ß-galactosidases and6-phospho-ß-glucosidase B are able to split aromaticß-galactoside phosphates and ß-glucosidephosphates. The turnover numbers of hydrolysis of substrateswith different epimerization at C-4 of the glycon vary up to15-fold only. Two polydonal antisera, one derived against thenative 6-phospho-ß-galactosidase from S.aureus andthe other derived against the 6-phospho-ß-glucosidaseB, cross-reacted with both enzymes. Peptides of the proteinswere separated by reverse phase HPLC. The cross-reacting peptideswere sequenced and shown to be localized at almost the sameposition in the aligned primary structures of both enzymes.An insertion of nine amino adds near these antigenic domainsis unique for the 6-phospho-ß-glycosidases and missingwithin the sequences of the ß-glycoside-specific membersof the family. The lacG gene of a 6-phospho-ß-galactosidasenegative S.aureus mutant was doned into E.coli and sequenced.In the totally inactive mutant protein only the glycine at position332 was changed to an arginine. This amino acid is part of thesequence insertion near the antigenic domain reacting with bothantisera. These data support the assumption that the regionis of great importance for the function of the enzymes and thatit is possible it determines the specificity of the phosphorylatedform of the substrates. In addition, the 6-phospho-ß-galactosidaseof S.aureus was modified by sitedirected mutagenesis of thecorresponding lacG gene hi order to replace residues Glul60and Glu375, which were suspected of being involved hi the generalacid catalysis of substrate hydrolysis, with glutamine residues.The mutant protein 160EQ retained some catalytic activity whilethe protein 375EQ was totally inactive. Glu375 is the activesite nudeophile of the 6-phospho-ß-galactosidase ofS.aureus. It is located in the sequence motif ENG where Glu358was identified as the catalytkally active nudeophile hi theß-glucosidase of Agrobacterium.     

Assessing terrestrial wildlife populations in the Toronto and Region Area of Concern

Beneficial use impairments (BUIs) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement identify environmental issues requiring remedial action within the Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). We conducted this study to support the assessment of the wildlife component of BUI 3: degradation of fish and wildlife populations. We compared bird and amphibian (frogs and toads) data from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s Terrestrial Long-term Monitoring Program in the Toronto and Region AOC to an adjacent, but otherwise similar, reference watershed, Duffins Creek. Twelve of 13 targets were met within the AOC for forest bird, wetland bird, meadow bird and amphibian populations based on averages of mean annual values at sites within the AOC that were within two standard deviations of averages at sites in the Duffins Creek reference watershed between 2008 and 2017. Even though wildlife populations within the AOC were within the normal range of variability expected from a reference watershed, they were often at lower levels than within the Duffins Creek reference watershed. In addition, forest bird and amphibian populations were negatively affected by urbanization within the AOC and meadow bird indices declined. We conclude that while wildlife populations within the AOC currently meet targets for BUI 3, they continue to be negatively impacted by numerous stressors that are primarily related to past and ongoing urbanization. Thus, continued restoration of wildlife habitat and protection of existing habitat within the AOC is highly recommended.