Colorado State University

About: Colorado State University is a education organization based out in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Laser. The organization has 31430 authors who have published 69040 publications receiving 2724463 citations. The organization is also known as: CSU & Colorado Agricultural College.

Homogenization of regional river dynamics by dams and global biodiversity implications.

Abstract: Global biodiversity in river and riparian ecosystems is generated and maintained by geographic variation in stream processes and fluvial disturbance regimes, which largely reflect regional differences in climate and geology. Extensive construction of dams by humans has greatly dampened the seasonal and interannual streamflow variability of rivers, thereby altering natural dynamics in ecologically important flows on continental to global scales. The cumulative effects of modification to regional-scale environmental templates caused by dams is largely unexplored but of critical conservation importance. Here, we use 186 long-term streamflow records on intermediate-sized rivers across the continental United States to show that dams have homogenized the flow regimes on third- through seventh-order rivers in 16 historically distinctive hydrologic regions over the course of the 20th century. This regional homogenization occurs chiefly through modification of the magnitude and timing of ecologically critical high and low flows. For 317 undammed reference rivers, no evidence for homogenization was found, despite documented changes in regional precipitation over this period. With an estimated average density of one dam every 48 km of third- through seventh-order river channel in the United States, dams arguably have a continental scale effect of homogenizing regionally distinct environmental templates, thereby creating conditions that favor the spread of cosmopolitan, nonindigenous species at the expense of locally adapted native biota. Quantitative analyses such as ours provide the basis for conservation and management actions aimed at restoring and maintaining native biodiversity and ecosystem function and resilience for regionally distinct ecosystems at continental to global scales.

Mutations in prion-like domains in hnRNPA2B1 and hnRNPA1 cause multisystem proteinopathy and ALS

Abstract: Algorithms designed to identify canonical yeast prions predict that around 250 human proteins, including several RNA-binding proteins associated with neurodegenerative disease, harbour a distinctive prion-like domain (PrLD) enriched in uncharged polar amino acids and glycine. PrLDs in RNA-binding proteins are essential for the assembly of ribonucleoprotein granules. However, the interplay between human PrLD function and disease is not understood. Here we define pathogenic mutations in PrLDs of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) A2B1 and A1 in families with inherited degeneration affecting muscle, brain, motor neuron and bone, and in one case of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Wild-type hnRNPA2 (the most abundant isoform of hnRNPA2B1) and hnRNPA1 show an intrinsic tendency to assemble into self-seeding fibrils, which is exacerbated by the disease mutations. Indeed, the pathogenic mutations strengthen a 'steric zipper' motif in the PrLD, which accelerates the formation of self-seeding fibrils that cross-seed polymerization of wild-type hnRNP. Notably, the disease mutations promote excess incorporation of hnRNPA2 and hnRNPA1 into stress granules and drive the formation of cytoplasmic inclusions in animal models that recapitulate the human pathology. Thus, dysregulated polymerization caused by a potent mutant steric zipper motif in a PrLD can initiate degenerative disease. Related proteins with PrLDs should therefore be considered candidates for initiating and perhaps propagating proteinopathies of muscle, brain, motor neuron and bone.

Re-Os Ages of Group IIA, IIIA, IVA, and IVB Iron Meteorites

Abstract: Rhenium and osmium concentrations and osmium isotopic ratios of group IIA, IIIA, IVA, and IVB iron meteorites were determined by negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry with modified digestion and equilibration techniques. Precise isochrons are defined for all four groups. An absolute age of 4558 million years is assumed for group IIIA irons, leading to closure ages of 4537 ± 8, 4456 ± 25, and 4527 ± 29 million years for the group IIA, IVA, and IVB irons, respectively. The initial osmium-187/osmium-188 ratios of the IIA, IIIA, and IVA groups, as a function of crystallization age, suggest that the rhenium/osmium ratio of the parental materials to these asteroidal cores was similar to that of ordinary chondrites. Data for IVB irons, in contrast, indicate a different mode of formation and derivation from a distinctly nonchondritic osmium reservoir.

Soil organic matter, biota and aggregation in temperate and tropical soils - Effects of no-tillage

Abstract: The long-term stabilization of soil organic matter (SOM) in tropical and temperate regions is mediated by soil biota (e.g. fungi, bacte- ria, roots and earthworms), soil structure (e.g. aggregation) and their interactions. On average, soil C turnover was twice as fast in tropical com- pared with temperate regions, but no major differences were observed in SOM quality between the two regions. Probably due to the soil mineralogy dominated by 1:1 clay minerals and oxides in tropical regions, we found a higher aggregate stability, but a lower correlation between C contents and aggregate stability in tropical soils. In addition, a smaller amount of C associated with clay and silt particles was observed in tro- pical versus temperate soils. In both tropical and temperate soils, a general increase in C levels (≈ 325 ± 113 kg C·ha -1 ·yr -1 ) was observed under no-tillage compared with conventional tillage. On average, in temperate soils under no-tillage, compared with conventional tillage, CH4 uptake (≈ 0.42 ± 0.10 kg C-CH4·ha -1 ·yr -1