Winter Mass Mortality of Animals in Texas Bays

The Texas coast experienced three unusually cold weather periods in the 1980\u27s, one in 1983 and two in 1989, that caused massive fish kills. Identification of organisms killed and estimation of the number of estuarine fishes and invertebrates killed was accomplished through a systematic standardized approach utilizing airplanes, ground qualitative observations and quantitative counts, and trawling. Of 159 species identified, 103 were fishes, 45 were invertebrates, and 11 were vertebrates other than fishes. About 14 million fishes were killed in December 1983, 11 million in February 1989 and 6 million in December 1989; number of invertebrates killed ranged from 13,000 in February 1989 to 1,000,000 in 1983. These assessments are the largest in area and most comprehensive to be documented in the literature with known levels of precision. Methodology used provides reasonably precise estimates which managers can use to assess extensive widespread kills and subsequent impacts on affected populations. It is recommended that managers consider reducing fishing mortality on the remaining economically important populations after extensive kills to speed recovery of those populations

Use of Risk Models to Predict Death in the Next Year Among Individual Ambulatory Patients With Heart Failure

Importance: The clinical practice guidelines for heart failure recommend the use of validated risk models to estimate prognosis. Understanding how well models identify individuals who will die in the next year informs decision making for advanced treatments and hospice. Objective: To quantify how risk models calculated in routine practice estimate more than 50% 1-year mortality among ambulatory patients with heart failure who die in the subsequent year. Design, Setting, and Participants: Ambulatory adults with heart failure from 3 integrated health systems were enrolled between 2005 and 2008. The probability of death was estimated using the Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) and the Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) risk calculator. Baseline covariates were collected from electronic health records. Missing covariates were imputed. Estimated mortality was compared with actual mortality at both population and individual levels. Main Outcomes and Measures: One-year mortality. Results: Among 10930 patients with heart failure, the median age was 77 years, and 48.0% of these patients were female. In the year after study enrollment, 1661 patients died (15.9% by life-table analysis). At the population level, 1-year predicted mortality among the cohort was 9.7% for the SHFM (C statistic of 0.66) and 17.5% for the MAGGIC risk calculator (C statistic of 0.69). At the individual level, the SHFM predicted a more than 50% probability of dying in the next year for 8 of the 1661 patients who died (sensitivity for 1-year death was 0.5%) and for 5 patients who lived at least a year (positive predictive value, 61.5%). The MAGGIC risk calculator predicted a more than 50% probability of dying in the next year for 52 of the 1661 patients who died (sensitivity, 3.1%) and for 63 patients who lived at least a year (positive predictive value, 45.2%). Conversely, the SHFM estimated that 8496 patients (77.8%) had a less than 15% probability of dying at 1 year, yet this lower-risk end of the score range captured nearly two-thirds of deaths (n = 997); similarly, the MAGGIC risk calculator estimated a probability of dying of less than 25% for the majority of patients who died at 1 year (n = 914). Conclusions and Relevance: Although heart failure risk models perform reasonably well at the population level, they do not reliably predict which individual patients will die in the next year

On the Classical String Solutions and String/Field Theory Duality

We classify almost all classical string configurations, considered in the framework of the semi-classical limit of the string/gauge theory duality. Then, we describe a procedure for obtaining the conserved quantities and the exact classical string solutions in general string theory backgrounds, when the string embedding coordinates depend non-linearly on the worldsheet time parameter.Comment: LaTeX, 15 pages, no figures; V2: some typos corrected; V3: no corrections, to appear in JHE

High-throughput, high-resolution interferometric light microscopy of biological nanoparticles

Label-free, visible light microscopy is an indispensable tool for studying biological nanoparticles (BNPs). However, conventional imaging techniques have two major challenges: (i) weak contrast due to low-refractive-index difference with the surrounding medium and exceptionally small size and (ii) limited spatial resolution. Advances in interferometric microscopy have overcome the weak contrast limitation and enabled direct detection of BNPs, yet lateral resolution remains as a challenge in studying BNP morphology. Here, we introduce a wide-field interferometric microscopy technique augmented by computational imaging to demonstrate a 2-fold lateral resolution improvement over a large field-of-view (>100 × 100 μm2), enabling simultaneous imaging of more than 104 BNPs at a resolution of ∼150 nm without any labels or sample preparation. We present a rigorous vectorial-optics-based forward model establishing the relationship between the intensity images captured under partially coherent asymmetric illumination and the complex permittivity distribution of nanoparticles. We demonstrate high-throughput morphological visualization of a diverse population of Ebola virus-like particles and a structurally distinct Ebola vaccine candidate. Our approach offers a low-cost and robust label-free imaging platform for high-throughput and high-resolution characterization of a broad size range of BNPs.Accepted manuscrip

A boundary element analysis on the influence of Krc and e/d on the performance of cyclically loaded single pile in clay

The environment prevalent in oceans necessitates the piles supporting offshore structures to be designed against lateral cyclic loading initiated by wave action. Such quasi-static load reversal induces deterioration in the strength and stiffness of the soil-pile system, introducing progressive reduction in the bearing capacity associated with increased settlement of the pile foundation. To understand the effect of lateral cyclic load on axial response of single piles in soft clay, a numerical model was previously developed and validated by the author. Using the methodology, further analysis has been carried out to investigate how the variation in relative pilesoil stiffness and eccentricity effects the degradation of axial pile capacity due to the effect of lateral cyclic load. This paper presents a brief description of the methodology, analysis and interpretations of the theoretical results obtained from the further analysis and the relevant conclusions drawn there from

Genomic network analysis of environmental and livestock F-type 1 plasmid populations

F-type plasmids are diverse and of great clinical significance, often carrying genes conferring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) such as extended-spectrum β-lactamases, particularly in Enterobacterales. Organising this plasmid diversity is challenging, and current knowledge is largely based on plasmids from clinical settings. Here, we present a network community analysis of a large survey of F-type plasmids from environmental (influent, effluent and upstream/downstream waterways surrounding wastewater treatment works) and livestock settings. We use a tractable and scalable methodology to examine the relationship between plasmid metadata and network communities. This reveals how niche (sampling compartment and host genera) partition and shape plasmid diversity. We also perform pangenome-style analyses on network communities. We show that such communities define unique combinations of core genes, with limited overlap. Building plasmid phylogenies based on alignments of these core genes, we demonstrate that plasmid accessory function is closely linked to core gene content. Taken together, our results suggest that stable F-type plasmid backbone structures can persist in environmental settings while allowing dramatic variation in accessory gene content that may be linked to niche adaptation. The association of F-type plasmids with AMR may reflect their suitability for rapid niche adaptation

A brother and sister with the same karyotype: Case report of two siblings with partial 3p duplication and partial 9p deletion and sex reversal

Two siblings with the same male unbalanced karyotype demonstrate sex reversal. The older sib appeared phenotypically female and the younger sib demonstrated a male gender. The female had gonadal dysgenesis with bilateral ovatestes. The male had bilateral testes. The report discusses the phenotypical differences and genes associated with sex reversal

Development of an Urban Watershed Rehabilitation Method Using Stakeholder Feedback to Direct Investigation and Restoration Planning

Includes appendicesThis research was supported by the U.S. EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program under Grant No. R-827147-01-0 and was a project of Texas A&M University's Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy in The Bush School of Government and Public Service.surveyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Grant No. R-827147-01-0

One Europe or None? Monism, Involution and Relations with Russia

The crisis in relations between Russia and the European Union (EU) is part of the broader breakdown of the post-Cold War security order. This commentary focuses on structural interpretation and identifies four interlinked processes shaping the crisis: tension between the logic of the enlargement and transformation; a dynamic of involution and resistance; the problem of monism, whereby the expanding self is unable adequately to engage with the un-integrated other; and the recent emergence of ‘other Europes’ that may potentially overcome involution. The erosion of the Atlantic system provides an opportunity for delayed institutional and ideational innovation