First global observations of the mesospheric potassium layer

Metal species, produced by meteoric ablation, act as useful tracers of upper atmosphere dynamics and chemistry. Of these meteoric metals, K is an enigma: at extratropical latitudes, limited available lidar data show that the K layer displays a semiannual seasonal variability, rather than the annual pattern seen in other metals such as Na and Fe. Here we present the first near-global K retrieval, where K atom number density profiles are derived from dayglow measurements made by the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System spectrometer on board the Odin satellite. This robust retrieval produces density profiles with typical layer peak errors of ±15% and a 2km vertical grid resolution. We demonstrate that these retrieved profiles compare well with available lidar data and show for the first time that the unusual semiannual behavior is near-global in extent. This new data set has wider applications for improving understanding of the K chemistry and of related upper atmosphere processes. Key Points First quantitative retrieval of the terrestrial K layer from space The unusual semiannual behavior of K is near global in extent

Adaptation of Left Ventricular Twist Mechanics in Exercise-Trained Children Is Only Evident after the Adolescent Growth Spurt.

The extent of structural cardiac remodeling in response to endurance training is maturity dependent. In adults, this structural adaptation is often associated with the adaptation of left ventricular (LV) twist mechanics. For example, an increase in LV twist often follows an expansion in end-diastolic volume, whereas a reduction in twist may follow a thickening of the LV walls. While structural cardiac remodeling has been shown to be more prominent post-peak height velocity (PHV), it remains to be determined how this maturation-dependent structural remodeling influences LV twist. Therefore, we aimed to (1) compare LV twist mechanics between trained and untrained children pre- and post-PHV and (2) investigate how LV structural variables relate to LV twist mechanics pre- and post-PHV. Left ventricular function and morphology were assessed (echocardiography) in endurance-trained and untrained boys (n = 38 and n = 28, respectively) and girls (n = 39 and n = 34, respectively). Participants were categorized as either pre- or post-PHV using maturity offset to estimate somatic maturation. Pre-PHV, there were no differences in LV twist or torsion between trained and untrained boys (twist: P = .630; torsion: P = .382) or girls (twist: P = .502; torsion: P = .316), and LV twist mechanics were not related with any LV structural variables (P > .05). Post-PHV, LV twist was lower in trained versus untrained boys (P = .004), with torsion lower in trained groups, irrespective of sex (boys: P < .001; girls: P = .017). Moreover, LV torsion was inversely related to LV mass (boys: r = -0.55, P = .001; girls: r = -0.46, P = .003) and end-diastolic volume (boys: r = -0.64, P < .001; girls: r = -0.36, P = .025) in both sexes. A difference in LV twist mechanics between endurance-trained and untrained cohorts is only apparent post-PHV, where structural and functional remodeling were related

A novel methodology to estimate pre-atmospheric dynamical conditions of small meteoroids

Recent observations using the Wind and Ulysses spacecrafts and the Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment (SOFIE) during the period between 2007 and 2020 indicate a total cosmic dust influx at Earth ranging from 22 to 32 tonnes per day. Much is still unclear about the formation, evolution, and propagation of this cosmic dust throughout our Solar System, as well as the transport and chemical interaction of such particles within our own atmosphere. Studying meteoroids, which are particles small and fast enough to ablate in the Earth’s upper atmosphere producing meteor plasma detectable by meteor radars, offers an opportunity to better understand these processes. While meteor radars provide a powerful tool to detect meteoroids, they are limited to detecting particles that produce a sufficient amount of plasma within the instrument’s field-of-view, and thus most of their trajectory remains undetected. In this work, we report a novel methodology, using new polarization measurements as well as two state-of-the art models, to determine the pre-atmosphere dynamical characteristics of the detected particles, before they suffer any significant ablation or deceleration. We present the results for 20 meteor detection case studies, and find that for the majority of particles, at least 80% (typically 95%) of the particle mass has already been lost at the time of detection. In addition, while all particles experienced deceleration by the time of detection, this was typically small (≤ 4% of their initial velocity). Future work will implement this new methodology to automatically determine the initial mass and velocities of individual meteors. This will help provide more precise meteor orbits and characterization of parent source populations, as well as the identification of potential interstellar particles

The collective impact of rare diseases in Western Australia: an estimate using a population-based cohort.

PURPOSE: It has been argued that rare diseases should be recognized as a public health priority. However, there is a shortage of epidemiological data describing the true burden of rare diseases. This study investigated hospital service use to provide a better understanding of the collective health and economic impacts of rare diseases. METHODS: Novel methodology was developed using a carefully constructed set of diagnostic codes, a selection of rare disease cohorts from hospital administrative data, and advanced data-linkage technologies. Outcomes included health-service use and hospital admission costs. RESULTS: In 2010, cohort members who were alive represented approximately 2.0% of the Western Australian population. The cohort accounted for 4.6% of people discharged from hospital and 9.9% of hospital discharges, and it had a greater average length of stay than the general population. The total cost of hospital discharges for the cohort represented 10.5% of 2010 state inpatient hospital costs. CONCLUSIONS: This population-based cohort study provides strong new evidence of a marked disparity between the proportion of the population with rare diseases and their combined health-system costs. The methodology will inform future rare-disease studies, and the evidence will guide government strategies for managing the service needs of people living with rare diseases.Genet Med advance online publication 22 September 2016Genetics in Medicine (2016); doi:10.1038/gim.2016.143

The Idea of Social Life

This paper reclaims the idea that human society is a form of life, an idea once vibrant in the work of Toennies, Durkheim, Simmel, Le Bon, Kroeber, Freud, Bion, and Follett but moribund today. Despite current disparagements, this idea remains the only and best answer to our primary experience of society as vital feeling. The main obstacle to conceiving society as a life is linguistic; the logical form of life is incommensurate with the logical form of language. However, it is possible to extend our conceptual reach by appealing to alternative symbolisms more congenial to living form such as, and especially, art.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68336/2/10.1177_004839319502500201.pd

How Biology Became Social and What It Means for Social Theory

In this paper I first offer a systematic outline of a series of conceptual novelties in the life-sciences that have favoured, over the last three decades, the emergence of a more social view of biology. I focus in particular on three areas of investigation: (1) technical changes in evolutionary literature that have provoked a rethinking of the possibility of altruism, morality and prosocial behaviours in evolution; (2) changes in neuroscience, from an understanding of the brain as an isolated data processor to the ultrasocial and multiply connected social brain of contemporary neuroscience; and (3) changes in molecular biology, from the view of the gene as an autonomous master of development to the ‘reactive genome’ of the new emerging field of molecular epigenetics. In the second section I reflect on the possible implications for the social sciences of this novel biosocial terrain and argue that the postgenomic language of extended epigenetic inheritance and blurring of the nature/nurture boundaries will be as provocative for neo-Darwinism as it is for the social sciences as we have known them. Signs of a new biosocial language are emerging in several social-science disciplines and this may represent an exciting theoretical novelty for twenty-first social theory

Multiple drivers of decline in the global status of freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: Astacidea)

International audienceRates of biodiversity loss are higher in freshwater ecosystems than in most terrestrial or marine ecosystems, making freshwater conservation a priority. However, prioritization methods are impeded by insufficient knowledge on the distribution and conservation status of freshwater taxa, particularly invertebrates. We evaluated the extinction risk of the world's 590 freshwater crayfish species using the IUCN Categories and Criteria and found 32% of all species are threatened with extinction. The level of extinction risk differed between families, with proportionally more threatened species in the Parastacidae and Astacidae than in the Cambaridae. Four described species were Extinct and 21% were assessed as Data Deficient. There was geographical variation in the dominant threats affecting the main centres of crayfish diversity. The majority of threatened US and Mexican species face threats associated with urban development, pollution, damming and water management. Conversely, the majority of Australian threatened species are affected by climate change, harvesting, agriculture and invasive species. Only a small proportion of crayfish are found within the boundaries of protected areas, suggesting that alternative means of long-term protection will be required. Our study highlights many of the significant challenges yet to come for freshwater biodiversity unless conservation planning shifts from a reactive to proactive approach

The evolution of language: a comparative review

For many years the evolution of language has been seen as a disreputable topic, mired in fanciful "just so stories" about language origins. However, in the last decade a new synthesis of modern linguistics, cognitive neuroscience and neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory has begun to make important contributions to our understanding of the biology and evolution of language. I review some of this recent progress, focusing on the value of the comparative method, which uses data from animal species to draw inferences about language evolution. Discussing speech first, I show how data concerning a wide variety of species, from monkeys to birds, can increase our understanding of the anatomical and neural mechanisms underlying human spoken language, and how bird and whale song provide insights into the ultimate evolutionary function of language. I discuss the ‘‘descended larynx’ ’ of humans, a peculiar adaptation for speech that has received much attention in the past, which despite earlier claims is not uniquely human. Then I will turn to the neural mechanisms underlying spoken language, pointing out the difficulties animals apparently experience in perceiving hierarchical structure in sounds, and stressing the importance of vocal imitation in the evolution of a spoken language. Turning to ultimate function, I suggest that communication among kin (especially between parents and offspring) played a crucial but neglected role in driving language evolution. Finally, I briefly discuss phylogeny, discussing hypotheses that offer plausible routes to human language from a non-linguistic chimp-like ancestor. I conclude that comparative data from living animals will be key to developing a richer, more interdisciplinary understanding of our most distinctively human trait: language

Risk assessment of axillary lymph node metastases in early breast cancer patients using the maximum entropy network

Describes an artificial neural network (ANN) architecture for constructing maximum entropy (MaxEnt) models based on discrete distributions. Entropy is maximized by a partition function method involving the use of Lagrange multipliers which is capable of implementation by an ANN architecture. The maximum entropy network (MaxEN), consists of a training module and a testing module of interconnected processing elements. The practical use of the MaxEN network is illustrated with an application in the clinical management of early breast cancer patient