Standardized naming convention and classification system for critical loads of nitrogen and sulfur deposition.

Critical loads (CLs) of atmospheric deposition have been used for multiple decades to assess the impacts of air pollutants on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, these CLs have been developed by different researchers, at different times, using different methods, and are named in different ways with varying levels of information and levels of specificity. In this study, we identified the elements that describe CLs and used them to develop and test a standardized CL naming convention and a complementary CL classification system applicable to all CLs.

Impacts on tundra vegetation from heavy metal-enriched fugitive dust on National Park Service lands along the Red Dog Mine haul road, Alaska.

The DeLong Mountain Transportation System (DMTS) haul road links the Red Dog Mine-one of the world's largest zinc mines-with a shipping port on the Chukchi Sea in northwest Alaska, USA. The road traverses 32 km of National Park Service (NPS) lands managed by Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR). Fugitive dusts from ore concentrate transport and mining operations have dispersed zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and metal sulfides onto NPS lands since the mine began operating in 1989.

Lichen-based critical loads for deposition of nitrogen and sulfur in US forests.

Critical loads are thresholds of atmospheric deposition below which harmful ecological effects do not occur. Because lichens are sensitive to atmospheric deposition, lichen-based critical loads can foreshadow changes of other forest processes. Here, we derive critical loads of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition for continental US and coastal Alaskan forests, based on nationally consistent lichen community surveys at 8855 sites.

Eliminating Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections in a Pediatric Cardiac ICU.

Objectives: To eliminate catheter-associated urinary tract infections in a pediatric cardiac ICU.

Design: Quality improvement methodology.

Setting: Twenty-five bed cardiac ICU in a quaternary freestanding children's hospital.

Assessing Ecological Risks from Atmospheric Deposition of Nitrogen and Sulfur to US Forests Using Epiphytic Macrolichens.

Critical loads of atmospheric deposition help decision-makers identify levels of air pollution harmful to ecosystem components. But when critical loads are exceeded, how can the accompanying ecological risk be quantified? We use a 90% quantile regression to model relationships between nitrogen and sulfur deposition and epiphytic macrolichens, focusing on responses of concern to managers of US forests: Species richness and abundance and diversity of functional groups with integral ecological roles. Analyses utilized national-scale lichen survey data, sensitivity ratings, and modeled deposition and climate data.

Toxic doses of caffeine are needed to increase skeletal muscle contractility.

Discrepant results have been reported regarding an intramuscular mechanism underlying the ergogenic effect of caffeine on neuromuscular function in humans. Here, we reevaluated the effect of caffeine on muscular force production in humans and combined this with measurements of the caffeine dose-response relationship on force and cytosolic free [Ca] ([Ca]) in isolated mouse muscle fibers. Twenty-one healthy and physically active men (29 ± 9 yr, 178 ± 6 cm, 73 ± 10 kg, mean ± SD) took part in the present study.

On-road emissions of ammonia: An underappreciated source of atmospheric nitrogen deposition.

Unlabelled: We provide updated spatial distribution and inventory data for on-road NH emissions for the continental United States (U.S.) On-road NH emissions were determined from on-road CO emissions data and empirical NH:CO vehicle emissions ratios.

Nitrogen-induced terrestrial eutrophication: cascading effects and impacts on ecosystem services.

Human activity has significantly increased the deposition of nitrogen (N) on terrestrial ecosystems over pre-industrial levels leading to a multitude of effects including losses of biodiversity, changes in ecosystem functioning, and impacts on human well-being. It is challenging to explicitly link the level of deposition on an ecosystem to the cascade of ecological effects triggered and ecosystem services affected, because of the multitude of possible pathways in the N cascade. To address this challenge, we report on the activities of an expert workshop to synthesize information on N-induced terrestrial eutrophication from the published literature and to link critical load exceedances with human beneficiaries by using the STressor-Ecological Production function-final ecosystem Services Framework and the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS-CS).

Conditional vulnerability of plant diversity to atmospheric nitrogen deposition across the United States.

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has been shown to decrease plant species richness along regional deposition gradients in Europe and in experimental manipulations. However, the general response of species richness to N deposition across different vegetation types, soil conditions, and climates remains largely unknown even though responses may be contingent on these environmental factors. We assessed the effect of N deposition on herbaceous richness for 15,136 forest, woodland, shrubland, and grassland sites across the continental United States, to address how edaphic and climatic conditions altered vulnerability to this stressor.

Inhibition screening method of microsomal UGTs using the cocktail approach.

A rapid method for the simultaneous determination of the in vitro activity of the 10 major human liver UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes was developed based on the cocktail approach. Specific substrates were first selected for each UGT: etoposide for UGT1A1, chenodeoxycholic acid for UGT1A3, trifluoperazine for UGT1A4, serotonin for UGT 1A6, isoferulic acid for UGT1A9, codeine for UGT2B4, azidothymidine for UGT2B7, levomedetomidine for UGT2B10, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine for UGT2B15 and testosterone for UGT2B17. Optimal incubation conditions, including time-based experiments on cocktail metabolism in pooled HLMs that had been performed, were then investigated.

Phenotyping of CYP450 in human liver microsomes using the cocktail approach.

The cocktail approach is an advantageous strategy used to monitor the activities of several cytochromes P450 (CYPs) in a single test to increase the throughput of in vitro phenotyping studies. In this study, a cocktail mixture was developed with eight CYP-specific probe substrates to simultaneously evaluate the activity of the most important CYPs, namely, CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and the CYP3A subfamily. After cocktail incubation in the presence of human liver microsomes (HLMs), the eight selected substrates and their specific metabolites were analyzed by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A cocktail approach for assessing the in vitro activity of human cytochrome P450s: an overview of current methodologies.

An assessment of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme activity is essential for characterizing the phase I metabolism of biological systems or to evaluate the inhibition/induction properties of xenobiotics. CYPs have generally been investigated individually by single probes, and metabolite formation has been monitored by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). To increase the throughput, many probes have been applied to assess multiple CYP activities simultaneously within a single experiment.

Contribution of various types of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry instruments to band broadening in fast analysis.

When performing fast LC with 50mm narrow-bore columns packed with small particles, the LC instrumentation can give rise to non-negligible band broadening. In the present study, the loss in chromatographic efficiency attributed to nine different mass spectrometers of various brands, ionization source geometries and types of analyzers was assessed. In their standard configurations, the extra-column variance of these UHPLC-MS systems was estimated to vary from 20 to >100 μL(2).

EasyProt--an easy-to-use graphical platform for proteomics data analysis.

High throughput protein identification and quantification analysis based on mass spectrometry are fundamental steps in most proteomics projects. Here, we present EasyProt (available at http://easyprot.unige.

The hibernating 13-lined ground squirrel as a model organism for potential cold storage of platelets.

Hibernating mammals have developed many physiological adaptations to extreme environments. During hibernation, 13-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) must suppress hemostasis to survive prolonged body temperatures of 4-8°C and 3-5 heartbeats per minute without forming lethal clots. Upon arousal in the spring, these ground squirrels must be able to quickly restore normal clotting activity to avoid bleeding.

Comparison of lichen, conifer needles, passive air sampling devices, and snowpack as passive sampling media to measure semi-volatile organic compounds in remote atmospheres.

A wide range of semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs), including pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were measured in lichen, conifer needles, snowpack and XAD-based passive air sampling devices (PASDs) collected from 19 different U.S. national parks in order to compare the magnitude and mechanism of SOC accumulation in the different passive sampling media.

Wipe sampling procedure coupled to LC-MS/MS analysis for the simultaneous determination of 10 cytotoxic drugs on different surfaces.

A simple wipe sampling procedure was developed for the surface contamination determination of ten cytotoxic drugs: cytarabine, gemcitabine, methotrexate, etoposide phosphate, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, irinotecan, doxorubicin, epirubicin and vincristine. Wiping was performed using Whatman filter paper on different surfaces such as stainless steel, polypropylene, polystyrol, glass, latex gloves, computer mouse and coated paperboard. Wiping and desorption procedures were investigated: The same solution containing 20% acetonitrile and 0.

Shotgun proteomics: a relative quantitative approach using Off-Gel electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS.

Shotgun proteomics originated as a strategy to identify proteins in complex protein mixtures, but it is also possible to obtain information on relative quantitation with some adjustments to the procedure. After protein digestion, the resulting peptide mixture is labelled with isobaric tags. Then, labelled peptides are submitted to two orthogonal techniques: first, peptides are separated according to their isoelectric point (pI) by Off-Gel electrophoresis (OGE), a relatively new isoelectric focusing (IEF) technique; after peptide purification, they are then separated in a second dimension according to their hydrophobic properties by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC).

Shotgun proteomics: a qualitative approach applying isoelectric focusing on immobilized pH gradient and LC-MS/MS.

Shotgun proteomics is a rapid and near universal strategy to identify proteins in complex protein mixtures. After protein digestion, the resulting peptide mixture is submitted to two orthogonal techniques: peptides are first separated according to their isoelectric point (pI) by isoelectric focusing (IEF) on immobilized pH gradient (IPG); after peptide extraction, they are then separated in the second dimension according to their hydrophobic properties by reverse phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). Finally, they are detected by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and proteins are matched by means of bioinformatics software.

Simultaneous quantification of ten cytotoxic drugs by a validated LC-ESI-MS/MS method.

A liquid chromatography separation with electrospray ionisation and tandem mass spectrometry detection method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of ten commonly handled cytotoxic drugs in a hospital pharmacy. These cytotoxic drugs are cytarabine, gemcitabine, methotrexate, etoposide phosphate, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, irinotecan, doxorubicin, epirubicin and vincristine. The chromatographic separation was carried out by RPLC in less than 21 min, applying a gradient elution of water and acetonitrile in the presence of 0.

Nitrogen critical loads and management alternatives for N-impacted ecosystems in California.

Empirical critical loads for N deposition effects and maps showing areas projected to be in exceedance of the critical load (CL) are given for seven major vegetation types in California. Thirty-five percent of the land area for these vegetation types (99,639 km(2)) is estimated to be in excess of the N CL. Low CL values (3-8 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)) were determined for mixed conifer forests, chaparral and oak woodlands due to highly N-sensitive biota (lichens) and N-poor or low biomass vegetation in the case of coastal sage scrub (CSS), annual grassland, and desert scrub vegetation.

Sources and deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to Western U.S. national parks.

Seasonal snowpack, lichens, and lake sediment cores were collected from fourteen lake catchments in eight western U.S. National Parks and analyzed for sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to determine their current and historical deposition, as well as to identify their potential sources.

Lichen-based critical loads for atmospheric nitrogen deposition in Western Oregon and Washington Forests, USA.

Critical loads (CLs) define maximum atmospheric deposition levels apparently preventative of ecosystem harm. We present first nitrogen CLs for northwestern North America's maritime forests. Using multiple linear regression, we related epiphytic-macrolichen community composition to: 1) wet deposition from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program, 2) wet, dry, and total N deposition from the Communities Multi-Scale Air Quality model, and 3) ambient particulate N from Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE).