The Amplifier - v. 5, no. 11

In this issue...April Fool, MSM Boosters, Montana Power, Theta Tau, Engineering Day, Lydia's, The Anaconda Company, St. James Hospital, Museum Hall, Orediggers

The Amplifier - v. 6, no. 3

In this issue...International Club, Circle K Club, The Anaconda Company, Sigma Rho, Y.M.C.A., Michael Hickey, Marcus Daly, Continental Oil Company, Student Union Building

The Amplifier - v. 6, no. 11

In this issue...April Fool edition, seismograpgh, Petroleum Engineer, Library display, Anson Ford, Butte postmaster, Dr. Vernon Griffiths, Alumni tickets, ping pong, Magma

The Amplifier - v. 7, no. 5

In this issue...Ping Pong, Silver Bells Formal, Wives Bridge Club, Georgetown Lake, Trumpeter Swans, hockey, Silver Bow County, anaconda Company, hunting, Sputnik

The Amplifier - v. 7, no. 6

In this issue...World War I, book drive, Pete Gross, Columbia Gardens, Marcus Daly, greyhound racing, Governor Donald Nutter, Santa Claus, Sid Brown, Metals Bank

The Amplifier - v. 7, no. 13

In this issue...Leonard Field, Copper Guards, M-Days, Geology Field Trip, Columbia Riding Club, U.S. Army, International Club, Bob Johnson, Carroll College

The Amplifier - v. 8, no. 5

In this issue...Fish and Game Commission, Peace Corps, Great Falls Brewery, George D. McDonald, Glee club, Intramural basketball, Sugar Bowl, Metals Bank

The Amplifier - v. 8, no. 11

In this issue...M-Day dance, V. Jenks Orchestra, voting, Montana Legislature, Tom Sheehy, tennis, Columbia Gardens, Loretta Peck, commencement

The Amplifier - v. 9, no. 4

In this issue...US Bureau of Land Management, Koehler Stout, Denver Post, President Kennedy, Anaconda Company, American Society of Metals, Metals Bank

The Amplifier - v. 10, no. 4

In this issue...Berkeley Pit, parking permit, Christmas Formal, NASA, Metals Bank, Mrs. Peck, Alumni Coliseum, Park Street, Big M, barrel racing, Sparky McGarry

The Amplifier - v. 11, no. 3

In this issue...Economic Opportunity Act, Magma Staff, International Club, Hillbilly Hop, George Phelps, Butte YMCA, Library, Metals Bank, Sigma Rho, Park Street Mansion

The Amplifier - v. 12, no. 7

In this issue...International Club, Easter Dance, Tiddledywinks, Mine Rescue, First Aid, Mineral Dressing, College Days, Circle K Club, Sigma Xi

Expression of metallothionein genes I and II in bank vole clethrionomys glareolus populations chronically exposed in situ to heavy metals

The expression of two metallothionein genes (Mt-I and Mt-II) in the liver, kidney, and gonad of bank voles collected at four metal-contaminated sites (Cd, Zn, Pb, and Fe) were measured using the quantitative real-time PCR method (QPCR). Relative Mt gene expression was calculated by applying a normalization factor (NF) using the expression of two housekeeping genes, ribosomal 18S and beta-actin. Relative Mt expression in tissues of animals from contaminated sites was up to 54.8-fold higher than those from the reference site for Mt-I and up to 91.6-fold higher for Mt-II. Mt-II gene expression in the livers of bank voles from contaminated sites was higher than Mt-I gene expression. Inversely, Mt-II expression in the kidneys of voles was lower than Mt-I expression. Positive correlations between cadmium levels in the tissues and Mt-I were obtained in all studied tissues. Zinc, which undergoes homeostatic regulation, correlated positively with both Mt-I and Mt-II gene expression only in the kidney. Results showed that animals living in chronically contaminated environments intensively activate detoxifying mechanisms such as metallothionein expression. This is the first time that QPCR techniques to measure MT gene expression have been applied to assess the impact of environmental metal pollution on field collected bank voles.

Cruise Report: Summer 2008 Ecological Assessment of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER NF-08-09-CCEHBR (June 14-June 21, 2008)

Summary: This cruise report is a summary of a field survey conducted within the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS), located between Cape Cod and Cape Ann at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay. The survey was conducted June 14 – June 21, 2008 on NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER Cruise NF-08-09-CCEHBR. Multiple indicators of ecological condition and human dimensions were sampled synoptically at each of 30 stations throughout SBNMS using a random probabilistic sampling design. Samples were collected for the analysis of benthic community structure and composition; concentrations of chemical contaminants (metals, pesticides, PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs) in sediments and target demersal biota; nutrient and chlorophyll levels in the water column; and other basic habitat characteristics such as depth, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, sediment grain size, and organic carbon content. In addition to the fish samples that were collected for analysis of chemical contaminants relative to human-health consumption limits, other human-dimension indicators were sampled as well including presence or absence of fishing gear, vessels, surface trash, marine mammals, and noxious sediment odors. The overall purpose of the survey was to collect data to assess the status of ecosystem condition and potential stressor impacts throughout SBNMS, based on these various indicators and corresponding management thresholds, and to provide this information as a baseline for determining how such conditions may be changing with time. While sample analysis is still ongoing a few preliminary results and observations are reported here. A final report will be completed once all data have been processed. The results are anticipated to be of value in supporting goals of the SBNMS and National Marine Sanctuary Program aimed at the characterization, protection, and management of sanctuary resources (pursuant to the National Marine Sanctuary Reauthorization Act) as well as a new priority of NCCOS and NOAA to apply Ecosystem Based approaches to the Management of coastal resources (EBM) through Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEAs) conducted in various coastal regions of the U.S. including the Northeast Atlantic continental shelf. This was a multi-disciplinary partnership effort made possible by scientists from the following organizations:  NOAA, National Ocean Service (NOS), National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR), Charleston, SC.  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), Atlantic Ecology Division (GED), Narragansett, RI.  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), Gulf Ecology Division (GED), Gulf Breeze, FL.  U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Wetlands Research Center, Gulf Breeze Project Office, Gulf Breeze, FL.  NOAA, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), NOAA ship Nancy Foster. (31pp) (PDF contains 58 pages)