Introduction to challenges and solutions for shoreline armor removal and design of soft shore protection

Along coastlines all over the world, land use development has created a need for holding the shoreline in a static position or at least minimizing the dynamic movement of the shoreline. Intense development along the shorelines of the Salish Sea from the 1950s to the 1970s was conducted with limited regulatory oversight or understanding of the cumulative impacts that housing, transportation corridors and other infrastructure would have on the marine environment. Over the last couple of decades it has become widely understood that the practice of using hard armor (timber walls, concrete walls and rockeries) to stabilize shorelines has degraded coastal processes, changed structural habitat and resulted in functional response from biological communities. In the effort to restore processes and ecosystem function, hard armoring is being replaced with soft shore protection. The HABITAT2 session has been convened to discuss the challenges faced by engineers and scientists designing soft shore stabilization and lessons learned from the design process through to construction. A few guidance documents for designing soft shore stabilization have been produced and discuss the design criteria and considerations such as Green Shores for Coastal Development Guide (Stewardship Centre for BC), Marine Shoreline Design Guidelines (WDFW), Soft Shoreline Stabilization Guide (Ecology) and Living Shorelines Guidance (NOAA). Although these are holistic general guidelines, the topographic complexity of the Salish Sea shorelines requires detailed project specific engineering designs, comprehensive construction specifications so that projects are built in accordance with the design and rigorous construction oversight to field fit and adjust the design for unpredictable factors. This presentation is an overview of some of the challenges associated with soft shore stabilization design touching on the ways the guidance documents are used in the design process. We will provide project examples showing some of the design constraints such as insufficient width of the backshore for full restoration, placement and quantities of large wood to be effective and transitions between soft shorelines and adjacent hard armor

ADCP Observations of Currents and Suspended Sediment in the Macrotidal Gulf of Martaban, Myanmar

The Ayeyarwady and Thanlwin Rivers, which drain Myanmar, together form one of the largest point sources of freshwater and sediment to the global ocean. Combined, these rivers annually deliver an estimated 485 Mt of sediment to the northern Andaman Sea. This sediment contributes to a perennially muddy zone within the macro-tidal Gulf of Martaban, but little is known about the processes that dominate dispersal and trapping of sediment there, as very few water column observations are available. A research cruise in December 2017 provided a rare opportunity to obtain Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data along transects from the Gulf of Martaban and adjacent continental shelf. Two transects were obtained from the outer portion of the Gulf of Martaban in water depths that ranged from about 20–35 m. These showed very fast currents, especially during flood tide conditions, exceeding 1.5 m/s. The backscatter record from the ADCP indicated asymmetries in distribution of suspended sediment during the ebb versus flood phase of the tide. During ebb tidal conditions, the backscatter record indicated that sediment was transported in either a surface advected layer, or fairly well-mixed throughout the water column. In contrast, during flood tidal conditions, sediment was confined to the bottom boundary layer, even though the velocities were faster during flood than the ebb conditions. The vertical structure of the currents during flood tide conditions indicated the presence of sediment–induced stratification because currents within the near-bed turbid layers were relatively slow, but speeds increased markedly above these layers. This albeit limited dataset provides an exciting glimpse into the dynamics of sediment transport within the muddy, macrotidal Gulf of Martaban, and implies the importance of tidal straining and bottom nepheloid layer formation there

Adenosine and Autism: A Spectrum of Opportunities [post-print]

In rodents, insufficient adenosine produces behavioral and physiological symptoms consistent with several comorbidities of autism. In rodents and humans, stimuli postulated to increase adenosine can ameliorate these comorbidities. Because adenosine is a broad homeostatic regulator of cell function and nervous system activity, increasing adenosine\u27s influence might be a new therapeutic target for autism with multiple beneficial effects

Incidencias Cognitivas Conductuales en niños y niñas con ausencia de sus progenitores

Describir los factores cognitivos conductuales en niños y niñas en edades de cero a cinco años con ausencia de alguno de los progenitores.El objetivo general de esta monografía planteó, describir los factores cognitivos conductuales de niños y niñas en edades de cero a cinco años, con ausencia de alguno de los progenitores. La investigación se desarrolló mediante el análisis cualitativo, de diseño descriptivo. Los resultados surgen a partir de tres categorías inductivas donde emerge el siguiente análisis: Algunas de las características que se evidencian en el fenómeno de la ausencia parental son; primero, con frecuencia los niños no cuentan con condiciones básicas necesarias que proporcionen bienestar, luego, se manifiestan alteraciones cognitivas en su aprendizaje y afectaciones sociales; baja adaptación, desajuste emocional. finalmente, surgen otros factores de riesgo que impactan el desarrollo de los ciclos vitales.The general objective of this monograph was to describe the cognitive-behavioral factors of children from zero to five years of age, with the absence of one of the parents. The research was developed through qualitative analysis, with a descriptive design. The results emerge from three inductive categories where the following analysis emerges: Some of the characteristics that are evidenced in the phenomenon of parental absence are: children often do not have the basic conditions necessary to provide welfare, then, cognitive alterations are manifested in their learning and social affectations; low adaptation, emotional maladjustment. finally, other risk factors that impact the development of the vital cycles emerge

The infrared imaging spectrograph (IRIS) for TMT: the science case

The InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is a first-light instrument being designed for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). IRIS is a combination of an imager that will cover a 16.4" field of view at the diffraction limit of TMT (4 mas sampling), and an integral field unit spectrograph that will sample objects at 4-50 mas scales. IRIS will open up new areas of observational parameter space, allowing major progress in diverse fields of astronomy. We present the science case and resulting requirements for the performance of IRIS. Ultimately, the spectrograph will enable very well-resolved and sensitive studies of the kinematics and internal chemical abundances of high-redshift galaxies, shedding light on many scenarios for the evolution of galaxies at early times. With unprecedented imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets, IRIS will allow detailed exploration of a range of planetary systems that are inaccessible with current technology. By revealing details about resolved stellar populations in nearby galaxies, it will directly probe the formation of systems like our own Milky Way. Because it will be possible to directly characterize the stellar initial mass function in many environments and in galaxies outside of the the Milky Way, IRIS will enable a greater understanding of whether stars form differently in diverse conditions. IRIS will reveal detailed kinematics in the centers of low-mass galaxies, allowing a test of black hole formation scenarios. Finally, it will revolutionize the characterization of reionization and the first galaxies to form in the universe.Comment: to appear in Proc. SPIE 773

Separable mechanisms drive local and global polarity establishment in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestinal epithelium

Apico-basolateral polarization is essential for epithelial cells to function as selective barriers and transporters, and to provide mechanical resilience to organs. Epithelial polarity is established locally, within individual cells to establish distinct apical, junctional and basolateral domains, and globally, within a tissue where cells coordinately orient their apico-basolateral axes. Using live imaging of endogenously tagged proteins and tissue-specific protein depletion in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryonic intestine, we found that local and global polarity establishment are temporally and genetically separable. Local polarity is initiated prior to global polarity and is robust to perturbation. PAR-3 is required for global polarization across the intestine but local polarity can arise in its absence, as small groups of cells eventually established polarized domains in PAR-3-depleted intestines in a HMR-1 (E-cadherin)dependent manner. Despite the role of PAR-3 in localizing PKC-3 to the apical surface, we additionally found that PAR-3 and PKC-3/ aPKC have distinct roles in the establishment and maintenance of local and global polarity. Taken together, our results indicate that different mechanisms are required for local and global polarity establishment in vivo

Ketogenic Diet Improves Core Symptoms of Autism in BTBR Mice

Autism spectrum disorders share three core symptoms: impaired sociability, repetitive behaviors and communication deficits. Incidence is rising, and current treatments are inadequate. Seizures are a common comorbidity, and since the 1920’s a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet has been used to treat epilepsy. Evidence suggests the ketogenic diet and analogous metabolic approaches may benefit diverse neurological disorders. Here we show that a ketogenic diet improves autistic behaviors in the BTBR mouse. Juvenile BTBR mice were fed standard or ketogenic diet for three weeks and tested for sociability, self-directed repetitive behavior, and communication. In separate experiments, spontaneous intrahippocampal EEGs and tests of seizure susceptibility (6 Hz corneal stimulation, flurothyl, SKF83822, pentylenetetrazole) were compared between BTBR and control (C57Bl/6) mice. Ketogenic diet-fed BTBR mice showed increased sociability in a three-chamber test, decreased self-directed repetitive behavior, and improved social communication of a food preference. Although seizures are a common comorbidity with autism, BTBR mice fed a standard diet exhibit neither spontaneous seizures nor abnormal EEG, and have increased seizure susceptibility in just one of four tests. Thus, behavioral improvements are dissociable from any antiseizure effect. Our results suggest that a ketogenic diet improves multiple autistic behaviors in the BTBR mouse model. Therefore, ketogenic diets or analogous metabolic strategies may offer novel opportunities to improve core behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorders

The Lateralizing Asymmetry of Adrenal Adenomas

Abstract Context It is presumed that the incidence of adrenal adenomas is symmetric between the left and right adrenal gland; however, anecdotal observations suggest a potential lateralizing asymmetry. Objective: To investigate the symmetry in detection of adrenal adenomas and relevance to patient care. Design: Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Population and Setting One thousand three hundred seventy-six patients with abdominal computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging demonstrating benign-appearing adrenal adenomas. Main Outcome Location and size of adrenal adenomas. Results: Left-sided adenomas were discovered in 65% of patients, right-sided in 21%, and bilateral adenomas in 14%. Among unilateral adenomas, 75% were left-sided. Left-sided adenomas were more prevalent than right-sided adenomas in each size category except the largest: <10 mm, 87%; 10 to 19 mm, 74%; 20 to 29 mm, 72%; ≥30 mm, 56% (P < 0.0001 for each category, except P = 0.19 when ≥30 mm). Among those with bilateral adenomas, the left-sided adenoma was significantly larger than the right one in 61% of patients (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the baseline prevalence or incidence of cardiometabolic diseases between patients with left-sided vs right-sided adenomas during 5.10 (4.2) years of follow-up. Conclusions: Adrenal adenomas are substantially more likely to be identified on the left adrenal than the right. This observation may be due to detection bias attributed to the location of the right adrenal, which may preclude identification of right-sided adenomas until they are substantially larger. These findings suggest the potential for an underrecognition of right-sided adenomas that may also impair the accurate detection of bilateral adrenal diseases

Mechanisms of CFTR Functional Variants That Impair Regulated Bicarbonate Permeation and Increase Risk for Pancreatitis but Not for Cystic Fibrosis

CFTR is a dynamically regulated anion channel. Intracellular WNK1-SPAK activation causes CFTR to change permeability and conductance characteristics from a chloride-preferring to bicarbonate-preferring channel through unknown mechanisms. Two severe CFTR mutations (CFTRsev) cause complete loss of CFTR function and result in cystic fibrosis (CF), a severe genetic disorder affecting sweat glands, nasal sinuses, lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines, and male reproductive system. We hypothesize that those CFTR mutations that disrupt the WNK1-SPAK activation mechanisms cause a selective, bicarbonate defect in channel function (CFTRBD) affecting organs that utilize CFTR for bicarbonate secretion (e.g. the pancreas, nasal sinus, vas deferens) but do not cause typical CF. To understand the structural and functional requirements of the CFTR bicarbonate-preferring channel, we (a) screened 984 well-phenotyped pancreatitis cases for candidate CFTRBD mutations from among 81 previously described CFTR variants; (b) conducted electrophysiology studies on clones of variants found in pancreatitis but not CF; (c) computationally constructed a new, complete structural model of CFTR for molecular dynamics simulation of wild-type and mutant variants; and (d) tested the newly defined CFTRBD variants for disease in non-pancreas organs utilizing CFTR for bicarbonate secretion. Nine variants (CFTR R74Q, R75Q, R117H, R170H, L967S, L997F, D1152H, S1235R, and D1270N) not associated with typical CF were associated with pancreatitis (OR 1.5, p = 0.002). Clones expressed in HEK 293T cells had normal chloride but not bicarbonate permeability and conductance with WNK1-SPAK activation. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest physical restriction of the CFTR channel and altered dynamic channel regulation. Comparing pancreatitis patients and controls, CFTRBD increased risk for rhinosinusitis (OR 2.3, p<0.005) and male infertility (OR 395, p<<0.0001). WNK1-SPAK pathway-activated increases in CFTR bicarbonate permeability are altered by CFTRBD variants through multiple mechanisms. CFTRBD variants are associated with clinically significant disorders of the pancreas, sinuses, and male reproductive system.Fil: LaRusch, Jessica. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Jung, Jinsei. Yonsei University College of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: General, Ignacio. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lewis, Michele D.. Mayo Clinic. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Estados UnidosFil: Park, Hyun Woo. Yonsei University College of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Brand, Randall E.. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Gelrud, Andres. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Anderson, Michelle A.. University of Michigan; Estados UnidosFil: Banks, Peter A.. Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Division of Gastroenterology; Estados UnidosFil: Conwell, Darwin. Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Division of Gastroenterology; Estados UnidosFil: Lawrence, Christopher. Medical University of South Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Romagnuolo, Joseph. Medical University of South Carolina; Estados UnidosFil: Baillie, John. University of Duke; Estados UnidosFil: Alkaade, Samer. St. Louis University. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Cote, Gregory. Indiana University; Estados UnidosFil: Gardner, Timothy B.. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Amann, Stephen T.. North Mississippi Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Slivka, Adam. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Sandhu, Bimaljit. Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Aloe, Amy. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Kienholz, Michelle L.. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Yadav, Dhiraj. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Barmada, M. Michael. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Bahar, Ivet. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Lee, Min Goo. Yonsei University College of Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Whitcomb, David C.. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: North American Pancreatitis Study Group. No especifica

Benign Adrenocortical Tumors and the Detection of Nonadrenal Neoplasia.

CONTEXT: Patients with adrenocortical tumors have been frequently observed to have nonadrenal neoplasia. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether patients with benign adrenocortical tumors have a higher likelihood of having nonadrenal neoplasia detected. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Case-control study of patients with benign adrenocortical tumors (cases; n = 400) and normal adrenal glands (controls; n = 400), who underwent repeated abdominal cross-sectional imaging. MAIN OUTCOMES: Primary analyses: association between case-control status and benign abdominal neoplasia detected via cross-sectional imaging. Secondary analyses: association between case-control status and tumors detected via other imaging modalities. RESULTS: The mean interval of abdominal imaging was 4.7 (SD = 3.8) years for cases and 5.9 (4.8) years for controls. Cases were more likely to have detected intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas (8.5% vs. 4.5%, adjusted OR = 2.22, 95% CI (1.11, 4.63)) compared with controls. In secondary analyses, cases were more likely to have detected thyroid nodules (25.5% vs. 17.0%, adjusted OR = 1.77, 95% CI (1.15, 2.74)), hyperparathyroidism or parathyroid adenomas (3.5% vs. 1.3%, adjusted OR = 3.00, 95% CI (1.00, 11.64)), benign breast masses (6.0% vs. 3.3%, adjusted OR = 3.25, 95% CI (1.28, 8.78)), and benign prostatic hyperplasia (20.5% vs. 5.3%, adjusted OR = 3.20, 95% CI (1.14, 10.60)). Using a composite outcome, cases had higher odds of detection of the composite of IPMN, thyroid nodules, parathyroid tumors, benign breast masses, and prostate hyperplasia (adjusted OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.60, 3.50) when compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with benign adrenocortical tumors had higher odds of detected pancreatic IPMN, as well as thyroid nodules, parathyroid tumors, benign breast masses, and prostate hyperplasia compared with patients with normal adrenal glands. These associations may have important implications for patient care and healthcare economics, regardless of whether they reflect incidental discoveries due to imaging detection or frequency bias, or a common risk for developing multiple neoplasia