876 research outputs found
Salt marsh ecosystem biogeochemical responses to nutrient enrichment: a paired N-15 tracer study
We compared processing and fate of dissolved NO3- in two New England salt marsh ecosystems, one receiving natural flood tide concentrations of similar to 1-4 mu mol NO3-/L and the other receiving experimentally fertilized flood tides containing similar to 70-100 mu mol NO3-/L. We conducted simultaneous (NO3-)-N-15 (isotope) tracer additions from 23 to 28 July 2005 in the reference (8.4 ha) and fertilized (12.4 ha) systems to compare N dynamics and fate. Two full tidal cycles were intensively studied during the paired tracer additions. Resulting mass balances showed that essentially 100% (0.48-0.61 mol NO3-N.ha(-1).h(-1)) of incoming NO3- was assimilated, dissimilated, sorbed, or sedimented (processed) within a few hours in the reference system when NO3- concentrations were 1.3-1.8 mu mol/L. In contrast, only 50-60% of incoming NO3- was processed in the fertilized system when NO3- concentrations were 84-96 mu mol/ L; the remainder was exported in ebb tidewater. Gross NO3- processing was similar to 40 times higher in the fertilized system at 19.34- 24.67 mol NO3-N.ha(-1).h(-1). Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium was evident in both systems during the first 48 h of the tracer additions but \u3c1% of incoming (NO3-)-N-15 was exported as (NH4+)-N-15. Nitrification rates calculated by (NO3-)-N-15 dilution were 6.05 and 4.46 mol.ha(-1).h(-1) in the fertilized system but could not be accurately calculated in the reference system due to rapid (\u3c4 h) NO3- turnover. Over the five-day paired tracer addition, sediments sequestered a small fraction of incoming NO3-, although the efficiency of sequestration was 3.8% in the reference system and 0.7% in the fertilized system. Gross sediment N sequestration rates were similar at 13.5 and 12.6 mol.ha(-1).d(-1), respectively. Macrophyte NO3- uptake efficiency, based on tracer incorporation in aboveground tissues, was considerably higher in the reference system (16.8%) than the fertilized system (2.6%), although bulk uptake of NO3- by plants was lower in the reference system (1.75 mol NO3-.ha(-1).d(-1)) than the fertilized system (similar to 10 mol NO3-.ha(-1).d(-1)). Nitrogen processing efficiency decreased with NO3- load in all pools, suggesting that the nutrient processing capacity of the marsh ecosystem was exceeded in the fertilized marsh
The Black Hole Mass of NGC 4151: Comparison of Reverberation Mapping and Stellar Dynamical Measurements
We present a stellar dynamical estimate of the black hole (BH) mass in the Seyfert 1 galaxy, NGC 4151. We analyze ground-based spectroscopy as well as imaging data from the ground and space, and we construct 3-integral axisymmetric models in order to constrain the BH mass and mass-to-light ratio. The dynamical models depend on the assumed inclination of the kinematic symmetry axis of the stellar bulge. In the case where the bulge is assumed to be viewed edge-on, the kinematical data give only an upper limit to the mass of the BH of ⌠4 Ă 107 Mâ (1 ). If the bulge kinematic axis is assumed to have the same inclination as the symmetry axis of the large-scale galaxy disk (i.e., 23⊠relative to the line of sight), a best-fit dynamical mass between 4 â 5 Ă 107 Mâ is obtained. However, because of the poor quality of the fit when the bulge is assumed to be inclined (as determined by the noisiness of the 2 surface and its minimum value), and because we lack spectroscopic data that clearly resolves the BH sphere of influence, we consider our measurements to be tentative estimates of the dynamical BH mass. With this preliminary result, NGC 4151 is now among the small sample of galaxies in which the BH mass has been constrained from two independent techniques, and the mass values we find for both bulge inclinations are in reasonable agreement with the recent estimate from reverberation mapping (4.57+0.57 â0.47 Ă 107 Mâ) published by Bentz et al
Neratinib + fulvestrant + trastuzumab for HR-positive, HER2-negative, HER2-mutant metastatic breast cancer: Outcomes and biomarker analysis from the SUMMIT trial
BACKGROUND: HER2 mutations are targetable alterations in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). In the SUMMIT basket study, patients with HER2-mutant MBC received neratinib monotherapy, neratinib + fulvestrant, or neratinib + fulvestrant + trastuzumab (N + F + T). We report results from 71 patients with HR+, HER2-mutant MBC, including 21 (seven in each arm) from a randomized substudy of fulvestrant versus fulvestrant + trastuzumab (F + T) versus N + F + T.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with HR+ HER2-negative MBC with activating HER2 mutation(s) and prior cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) therapy received N + F + T (oral neratinib 240 mg/day with loperamide prophylaxis, intramuscular fulvestrant 500 mg on days 1, 15, and 29 of cycle 1 then q4w, intravenous trastuzumab 8 mg/kg then 6 mg/kg q3w) or F + T or fulvestrant alone. Those whose disease progressed on F + T or fulvestrant could cross-over to N + F + T. Efficacy endpoints included investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (RECIST v1.1), duration of response, and progression-free survival (PFS). Plasma and/or formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples were collected at baseline; plasma was collected during and at end of treatment. Extracted DNA was analyzed by next-generation sequencing.
RESULTS: ORR for 57 N + F + T-treated patients was 39% [95% confidence interval (CI) 26% to 52%); median PFS was 8.3 months (95% CI 6.0-15.1 months). No responses occurred in fulvestrant- or F + T-treated patients; responses in patients crossing over to N + F + T supported the requirement for neratinib in the triplet. Responses were observed in patients with ductal and lobular histology, 1 or â„1 HER2 mutations, and co-occurring HER3 mutations. Longitudinal circulating tumor DNA sequencing revealed acquisition of additional HER2 alterations, and mutations in genes including PIK3CA, enabling further precision targeting and possible re-response.
CONCLUSIONS: The benefit of N + F + T for HR+ HER2-mutant MBC after progression on CDK4/6is is clinically meaningful and, based on this study, N + F + T has been included in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network treatment guidelines. SUMMIT has improved our understanding of the translational implications of targeting HER2 mutations with neratinib-based therapy
Steps Toward Determination of the Size and Structure of the Broad-Line Region in Active Galactic Nuclei. XII. Ground-Based Monitoring of 3C 390.3
Results of a ground-based optical monitoring campaign on 3C 390.3 in 1994-1995 are presented. The broadband fluxes (B, V, R, and I), the spectrophotometric optical continuum flux and the Fλ(5177 Ă
),integrated emission-line fluxes of Há”Ș HÎČ, Hᔧ, He I λ5876 and He II λ4686 all show a nearly monotonic increase with episodes of milder short-term variations superposed. The amplitude of the continuum variations increases with decreasing wavelength (4400-9000 Ă
). The optical continuum variations follow the variations in the ultraviolet and X-ray with time delays, measured from the centroids of the cross-correlation functions, typically around 5 days, but with uncertainties also typically around 5 days; zero time delay between the high-energy and low-energy continuum variations cannot be ruled out. The strong optical emission lines Há”Ș HÎČ, Hᔧ, He I λ5876 respond to the high-energy continuum variations with time delays typically about 20 days, with uncertainties of about 8 days. There is some evidence that He II λ4686 responds somewhat more rapidly, with a time delay of around 10 days, but again, the uncertainties are quite large (~8 days). The mean and rms spectra of the Há”Ș and HÎČ line profiles provide indications for the existence of at least three distinct components located at ±4000 and 0 km s-1 relative to the line peak. The emission-line profle variations are largest near line center
Seismic topographic scattering in the context of GW detector site selection
In this paper, we present a calculation of seismic scattering from irregular
surface topography in the Born approximation. Based on US-wide topographic
data, we investigate topographic scattering at specific sites to demonstrate
its impact on Newtonian-noise estimation and subtraction for future
gravitational-wave detectors. We find that topographic scattering at a
comparatively flat site in Oregon would not pose any problems, whereas
scattering at a second site in Montana leads to significant broadening of wave
amplitudes in wavenumber space that would make Newtonian-noise subtraction very
challenging. Therefore, it is shown that topographic scattering should be
included as criterion in the site-selection process of future low-frequency
gravitational-wave detectors.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure
The future of wildlife conservation funding: What options do U.S. college students support?
Insufficient funding is a major impediment to conservation efforts around the world. In the United States, a decline in hunting participation threatens sustainability of the âuser-pay, public benefitâ model that has supported wildlife conservation for nearly 100âyears, forcing wildlife management agencies to contemplate alternative funding strategies. We investigated support for potential funding options among diverse college students, a rapidly expanding and politically active voting bloc with a potentially powerful influence on the future of conservation. From 2018 to 2020, we surveyed 17,203 undergraduate students at public universities across 22 states. Students preferred innovative approaches to conservation funding, with 72% supporting funding derived from industry sources (e.g., natural resource extraction companies), 63% supporting state sources (e.g., general sales tax), and 43% supporting conventional user-based sources such as license fees and excise taxes associated with outdoor recreation activities (e.g., hunting). Findings emphasize the need to broaden the base of support for conservation funding and highlight the importance of considering the preferences and perspectives of young adults and other diverse beneficiaries of wildlife conservation
A Variational Method in Out of Equilibrium Physical Systems
A variational principle is further developed for out of equilibrium dynamical
systems by using the concept of maximum entropy. With this new formulation it
is obtained a set of two first-order differential equations, revealing the same
formal symplectic structure shared by classical mechanics, fluid mechanics and
thermodynamics. In particular, it is obtained an extended equation of motion
for a rotating dynamical system, from where it emerges a kind of topological
torsion current of the form , with and
denoting components of the vector potential (gravitational or/and
electromagnetic) and is the angular velocity of the accelerated frame.
In addition, it is derived a special form of Umov-Poynting's theorem for
rotating gravito-electromagnetic systems, and obtained a general condition of
equilibrium for a rotating plasma. The variational method is then applied to
clarify the working mechanism of some particular devices, such as the Bennett
pinch and vacuum arcs, to calculate the power extraction from an hurricane, and
to discuss the effect of transport angular momentum on the radiactive heating
of planetary atmospheres. This development is seen to be advantageous and opens
options for systematic improvements.Comment: 22 pages, 1 figure, submitted to review, added one referenc
Prenatal exposures and exposomics of asthma
This review examines the causal investigation of preclinical development of childhood asthma using exposomic tools. We examine the current state of knowledge regarding early-life exposure to non-biogenic indoor air pollution and the developmental modulation of the immune system. We examine how metabolomics technologies could aid not only in the biomarker identification of a particular asthma phenotype, but also the mechanisms underlying the immunopathologic process. Within such a framework, we propose alternate components of exposomic investigation of asthma in which, the exposome represents a reiterative investigative process of targeted biomarker identification, validation through computational systems biology and physical sampling of environmental medi
Nitrogen uptake and internal recycling in Zostera marina exposed to oyster farming: eelgrass potential as a natural biofilter
Oyster farming in estuaries and coastal lagoons frequently overlaps with the distribution of seagrass meadows, yet there are few studies on how this aquaculture practice affects seagrass physiology. We compared in situ nitrogen uptake and the productivity of Zostera marina shoots growing near off-bottom longlines and at a site not affected by oyster farming in San Quintin Bay, a coastal lagoon in Baja California, Mexico. We used benthic chambers to measure leaf NH4 (+) uptake capacities by pulse labeling with (NH4)-N-15 (+) and plant photosynthesis and respiration. The internal N-15 resorption/recycling was measured in shoots 2 weeks after incubations. The natural isotopic composition of eelgrass tissues and vegetative descriptors were also examined. Plants growing at the oyster farming site showed a higher leaf NH4 (+) uptake rate (33.1 mmol NH4 (+) m(-2) day(-1)) relative to those not exposed to oyster cultures (25.6 mmol NH4 (+) m(-2) day(-1)). We calculated that an eelgrass meadow of 15-16 ha (which represents only about 3-4 % of the subtidal eelgrass meadow cover in the western arm of the lagoon) can potentially incorporate the total amount of NH4 (+) excreted by oysters (similar to 5.2 x 10(6) mmol NH4 (+) day(-1)). This highlights the potential of eelgrass to act as a natural biofilter for the NH4 (+) produced by oyster farming. Shoots exposed to oysters were more efficient in re-utilizing the internal N-15 into the growth of new leaf tissues or to translocate it to belowground tissues. Photosynthetic rates were greater in shoots exposed to oysters, which is consistent with higher NH4 (+) uptake and less negative delta C-13 values. Vegetative production (shoot size, leaf growth) was also higher in these shoots. Aboveground/belowground biomass ratio was lower in eelgrass beds not directly influenced by oyster farms, likely related to the higher investment in belowground biomass to incorporate sedimentary nutrients
Heavy Flavour Physics at HERA - a Survey
At the HERA collider at DESY, high energy electron and positron beams
interact with proton beams. A review is presented of the variety of ways in
which these collisions produce final states containing charm and beauty quarks.Comment: 45 pages including 30 figures. Submitted to International Journal of
Modern Physics
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