Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover

Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural clines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale

Predicted Pulsed-Power/Flash-Lamp Performance of the NIF Main Amplifier

The laser glass for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) Main Amplifier system is pumped by a system of 192 pulsed power/flash lamp assemblies. Each of these 192 assemblies consists of a 1.6 MJ (nominal) capacitor bank working with a Pre-Ionization/Lamp Check (PILC) pulser to drive an array of 40 flash lamps. This paper describes the predicted performance of these Power Conditioning System (PCS) modules in concert with flashlamp assemblies in NIF. Each flashlamp assembly consists of 20 parallel sets of lamps in series pairs. The sensitivity of system performance to various design parameters of the PILC pulser and the main capacitor bank is described. Results of circuit models are compared to sub-scale flashlamp tests and to measurements taken in tests of a PCS module driving a flashlamp assembly in the First Article NIF Test Module facility at Sandia National Laboratories. Also included are predictions from a physics-based, semi-empirical amplifier gain code

The Effects of Ibuprofen on the Physiology and Survival of Patients with Sepsis

Sepsis is associated with a mortality rate of 30 to 50 percent and with substantial morbidity. 1 The relative contributions of the inflammatory response and infection to these adverse outcomes are unknown. 2 , 3 In animal models of sepsis, treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs improves survival and reduces physiologic abnormalities. 4 – 8 The synthesis of prostaglandin and thromboxane has been linked with abnormalities of airway mechanics, pulmonary hypertension, hypoxemia, cardiovascular collapse, and multiple organ failure in animals and in humans with the sepsis syndrome. 9 – 25 Ibuprofen has been shown to have effects on sepsis in humans, but because of their small samples (fewer . . 

Energy Assurance: Essential Energy Technologies for Climate Protection and Energy Security

We present and apply a new method for analyzing the significance of advanced technology for achieving two important national energy goals: climate protection and energy security. Quantitative metrics for U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 and oil independence in 2030 are specified, and the impacts of 11 sets of energy technologies are analyzed using a model that employs the Kaya identity and incorporates the uncertainty of technological breakthroughs. The goals examined are a 50% to 80% reduction in CO2 emissions from energy use by 2050 and increased domestic hydrocarbon fuels supply and decreased demand that sum to 11 mmbd by 2030. The latter is intended to insure that the economic costs of oil dependence are not more than 1% of U.S. GDP with 95% probability by 2030. Perhaps the most important implication of the analysis is that meeting both energy goals requires a high probability of success (much greater than even odds) for all 11 technologies. Two technologies appear to be indispensable for accomplishment of both goals: carbon capture and storage, and advanced fossil liquid fuels. For reducing CO2 by more than 50% by 2050, biomass energy and electric drive (fuel cell or battery powered) vehicles also appear to be necessary. Every one of the 11 technologies has a powerful influence on the probability of achieving national energy goals. From the perspective of technology policy, conflict between the CO2 mitigation and energy security is negligible. These general results appear to be robust to a wide range of technology impact estimates; they are substantially unchanged by a Monte Carlo simulation that allows the impacts of technologies to vary by 20%