An extensive micrometeorological and numerical modeling case study was conducted at Happy Jack, Arizona, during hydrologic year 2003. The goal of the study was to provide an initial assessment of the potential difference in the energy budget of a snow covered surface between an arid subtropical climate and more popularly studied regions. Modeling the snowpack evolution using the SNTHERM snowmelt model produced snow water equivalent values that were in good agreement with measured values for three different modeled ablation periods. The importance of the net radiation flux in ablation of the snow pack was decreased compared to that in more traditionally studied regions due to the earlier timing of ablation and subsequent lower solar altitude angles at the Arizona site. Consequently, the relative importance of the sensible heat flux increased and the relative importance of the latent heat flux decreased. The ground heat flux, ignored in most studies, accounted for up to 18% of the melt energy in this study due to shallower snow depths and presumably greater heat storage during the longer warm season of the subtropical climate.

It has been known for several decades that protein aggregation is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease). It was assumed that these aggregations, which are closely associated with the lesions or plaques characteristic of these diseases, formed as a byproduct by the neurodegenerative disease process. This view of neurodegenerative diseases has changed dramatically over the last few years. It is now clear that protein aggregates are seen in the early stages of pathogenesis, suggesting that they are not the result of cellular damage. Furthermore, evidence that these insoluble complexes are cytotoxic and trigger apoptosis suggest that protein aggregation plays a seminal role in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases.

New evidence extends these finding further by demonstrating that insoluble protein aggregates of non-disease related proteins are toxic to cells and that the ubiquitin, which is present in these protein aggregates, can trigger cell apoptosis. This new understanding of the seminal role that aggregates play in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases has lead to a re-examination of the role of aggregation in other disease mechanisms. Recent evidence suggests that certain forms of liver disease, diabetes, systemic and localized amyloidosis are considered to involve protein misfolding and aggregation. With this increased understanding of the role of protein aggregation in the etiology of a variety of diseases, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlay the process of protein aggregation is of increased importance.

Archaeological research in the northern Tucson Basin over the last two decades has confirmed that species of the genus Agave were cultivated in extensive agricultural fields marked by the presence of rock piles, terraces, and check dams. Researchers estimate that ~10,000 agaves were harvested annually from a standing population of >100,000 cultivated plants in the larger fields, potentially providing the annual caloric requirements for as many as 155 persons. However, the annual caloric return from harvested agave has been overestimated by ~55% when you consider that inulintype fructans are the major storage carbohydrate in agave. As a nondigestible carbohydrate, inulin and its subgroup oligofructose are not absorbed in the small intestine, but are fermented in the large bowel and thus have a lower net energy value than traditional carbohydrates such as starch.

The editor has retracted the article "Survival and growth of blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) ecotypes" based on the advice of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas because the author of this article, Simon A. Lei, has admitted to data fabrication of articles similar to this one. The author was a visiting lecturer in the Education college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas at the time of the publication of this article and is no longer affiliated with the university. It is recommended that authors no longer cite this article in any work.

We measured population size and density of Pyrgulopsis morrisoni and Heterelmis sp. within a single spring in central Arizona over four sampling periods in 2001 to evaluate the effect of sampling without replacement. Our analysis detected significant differences in total population size across sampling periods. Sampling without replacement caused a transitory decline in total population size of each organism, though P. morrisoni was again locally abundant the following year. Spring ecosystems are affected by several anthropogenic stressors and many endemic aquatic invertebrates have been afforded Federal protection. Studies should not contribute stress. Until more is known about fecundity, recruitment, and population fluctuations, employ sampling methods that do not remove significant numbers of individuals.

Pinnacle Peak Park (PPP), located in the northern portion of Scottsdale, Arizona, is a 61-hectare (ha), municipal park established by the City of Scottsdale as part of its recreational and educational programs. All of the plants in 31, 10-m × 10-m quadrats (0.5% of the total park area) were identified, tallied, and measured for their coverage to establish the Importance Value for the 33 taxa constituting the dominant, perennial flora of PPP. An exhaustive inventory of the vascular flora revealed the presence of 143 taxa of vascular plants representing 47 families. Analyses of the basic geology and chemical composition of the soil were conducted. A description of the park and its flora, as well as background information on the creation and patterns of use for PPP, is also provided.

In vitro antibacterial activity of herbal products commonly used by the Mexican-American community was analyzed in this study. Traditional uses for these herbal products include general tonics and over-the-counter medications used to treat specific conditions or diseases. The present study examined the antibacterial activity of 151 herbal products using the disk diffusion method as part of the process of understanding the chemistry, toxicity and efficacy of these plant products. Ethanol extracts of the herbs were examined using a standard antimicrobial disk diffusion method. Extracts were tested against both Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. Pilot study data with herbal products from Phoenix resulted in 4 plants being active against Staphylococcus aureus and 1 active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa of the 38 plants tested. These results served to validate our procedures and indicate the need for the present study. Implications of these results for bioactivity and drug discovery potential of herbal products are discussed. This study serves as basis for further research on these herbs.

The present study investigated the effectiveness of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) on symptoms of Parkinson Disease (PD). Specifically, the question of whether improvements in symptoms measured by overall score on the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Quality of Life Inventory (PDQ-39) were addressed using a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled design. Results elucidate the role of OMT in the treatment of symptoms of PD and contribute to the literature base on OMT. Implications for the management of other chronic degenerative diseases are discussed.