Changes in reproductive morphology and physiology observed in the amphipod crustacean, Melita nitida Smith, maintained in the laboratory on polluted estuarine sediments

An earlier study showed that the amphipod crustacean Melita nitida Smith maintained on sediments dosed with waste crankcase oil developed physiological and morphological abnormalities. Most notably, mature females developed abnormal setae along the edges of their brood plates. The present study was conducted to determine whether similar abnormalities might be induced in animals maintained on polluted field sediments containing petroleum by-products among other toxic substances. In the laboratory, heterosexual pairs were maintained on three sediments taken from Jamaica Bay (New York) plus one control sediment and one toxic substratum (Ulva lactuca (L.) thalli). The results mirrored the results of the previous study. Under controlled conditions brood production was reduced on polluted sediments by as much as 57% and a greater proportion of females maintained on polluted sediments developed abnormal brood plate setae. In contrast, while brood production was lower in females exposed to U. lactuca than on the control sediment, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the number of females that developed abnormal brood plates

Questioning Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration Practices in a Major Urban Estuary: Perpetuating Myths of Degradation in Spite of Facts

The Jamaica Bay ecosystem is a dichotomy. It encompasses more than 12,000 acres of coastal estuarine marshes and an ecological diversity rivaling any coastal environment in the world. It is considerably altered, and is affected by a variety of ecological insults directly related to the fact that more than 14 million people live in its vicinity. Environmental protection institutions responded to the challenge of protecting the bay, surrounding wetlands and recreational benefits by addressing the increasing load of contaminants into the ecosystem. Billions of dollars have been spent during the past five decades on restoration attempts, including upgrading wastewater treatment plantsand the closure of three major sanitary landfills. Even with the curtailment of untreated wastewater release and ending periodic dredging and filling programs, all activities that are necessary processes in maintaining an urban harbor, the Jamaica Bay ecosystem has reached a point where many believe it to be unrecoverable, requiring massive infusions of restoration dollars. This categorization has been perpetuated based on questionable data (the “myths”) that, when investigated in rigorous scientific detail, prove to be unsubstantiated. In this paper, the origin of these myths and the scientific investigation that dispel them are discussed

Model Development, Field Section Characterization and Model Comparison for Excess Vehicle Fuel Use Due to Pavement Structural Response

In this study, consumption of energy due to pavement structural response through viscoelastic 3 deformation of asphalt pavement materials under vehicle loading was predicted for 17 field 4 sections in California by using three different models. Calculated dissipated energy values were 5 converted to excess fuel consumption (EFC) to facilitate comparisons under different traffic 6 loads (car, SUV, and truck) and speeds and different temperature conditions. The goal of the 7 study was to compare the different modeling approaches and provide first level estimates of EFC 8 in preparation for simulations of annual EFC for different traffic and climate scenarios as well as 9 different types of pavement structures on the California state highway network. Comparison of 10 the predicted EFC for all test sections showed that all three models produced different results 11 which can be attributed to the differences in the three modeling approaches. However, 12 predictions from the three models are generally of same order of magnitude or an order of 13 magnitude different indicating that overall these models can be calibrated using data from field 14 measurements, which is the next step in the research program

Can Limit State Design be used to Design a Pipeline Above 80% SMYS?’, OMAE

ABSTRACT This paper contains the results of a preliminary study, undertaken by C-FER and Andrew Palmer and Associates, for BP Exploration, to demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing limit states design procedures for the design of large diameter, onshore pipelines in remote areas. The objective of the study was to determine if a higher design factor can be justified than that currently specified for such a region; specifically if an increase in the basic design factor, F, from approximately 0.72 to 0.85 could be justified, thereby allowing the pipeline wall thickness to be reduced and a substantial weight saving to be achieved. The work included reliability analyses for three limit state failure scenarios: burst of undamaged pipelines, burst of corroded pipelines and burst of pipelines containing dents and gouges. Results presented show: (1) the calculated probability of rupture for a new pipe (i.e., with no damage, corrosion or other forms of deterioration); (2) the probabilities of failure for pipes containing corrosion or dent/gouge defects; and (3) the effects of a higher design pressure for each limit states scenario. The paper discusses the results, comments on the feasibility of justifying higher design factors and discusses the importance of an appropriate pipeline maintenance management system for monitoring and controlling structural integrity for the full life of a pipeline

Liver lesions in winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) from Jamaica Bay, New York: Indications of environmental degradation

Liver sections of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) collected from Jamaica Bay and Shinnecock Bay, New York, in 1989, were examined microscopically to determine the pervasiveness of liver lesions observed previously in Jamaica Bay winter flounder. Neoplastic lesions were not detected in fish from Jamaica Bay or the Shinnecock Bay reference site. Twenty-two percent of Jamaica Bay winter flounder examined (n=103) had unusual vacuolization of hepatocytes and biliary pre-ductal and ductal cells (referred to hereafter as the vacuolated cell lesion). The lesion, identical to that found in 25% of Jamaica Bay winter flounder examined in 1988, has previously been identified in fishes taken from highly polluted regions of the Atlantic coast (e.g., Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, and Black Rock Harbor, Connecticut). Prevalence of the vacuolated cell lesion in winter flounder from Jamaica Bay was significantly greater (

Reduced neural tracking of prediction error in substance-dependent individuals

Objective: Substance-dependent individuals make poor decisions on the Iowa Gambling Task, a reward-related decisionmaking task that involves risk and uncertainty. Task performance depends on several factors, including how sensitive individuals are to feedback and how well they learn based on such feedback. A physiological signal that guides decision making based on feedback is prediction error. The authors investigated whether disruptions in the neural systems underlying prediction error processing in substance-dependent individuals could account for decision-making performance on a modified Iowa Gambling Task. Methods: Thirty-two substance-dependent individuals and 30 healthy comparison subjects played a modified version of the Iowa Gambling Task during MR scanning. Trial-totrial behavior and functional MRI (fMRI) blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal were analyzed using a computational model of prediction error based on internal expectancies. The authors investigated how well BOLD signal tracked prediction error in the striatum and the orbitofrontal cortex as well as over the whole brain in patients relative to comparison subjects

Empirical Modeling of a Rolling- Piston Compressor Heat Pump for Predictive Control in Low Lift Cooling

ABSTRACT Measured performance and empirical modeling of an inverter-drive

Inducing Head Motion with a Novel Helmet during Head-First Impact Can Mitigate Neck Injury Metrics: An Experimental Proof- of-Concept Investigation using Mechanical Surrogates

ABSTRACT There is a need for cervical spine injury prevention from head-first impacts in many sports and in various transportation contexts. We present an experimental helmet prototype that induces anterior or posterior head motion in a head-first impact as a mitigation strategy. Instrumented mechanical surrogates for the human neck, head, and helmet were tested on a drop tower. Peak lower-neck axial force and moment were used as injury metrics. A factorial experiment examining 3 escapes, 3 platform angles, and 2 platform stiffnesses was performed. The appropriate head-motion "escape" reduced mean peak axial force by up to 56% and moment by up to 72% compared to no-escape

Lessons Learned: Feasibility of a Discussion Prompting Tool to Increase Fertility Risk Discussion Among Adolescent Oncology Families

The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of distributing a prompting tool (stress egg) in order to increase discussions about fertility risk and preservation (FP) among female adolescent oncology patients, parents, and healthcare providers (HCP). 200 eggs were distributed to four pediatric oncology centers. Qualitative interviews were completed with healthcare staff (N=7) after 6 months of distribution to newly diagnosed female oncology patients ages 12-18. Interviews showed that the main barriers to distribution of the prompt were: forgetting to distribute the eggs; uncertainty about the significance of fertility; and uncertainty about fertility issues in general for female adolescent cancer patients. The scientific community must continually explore effective avenues of communication to ensure such information is received. The stress egg has potential to impact a cancer survivor’s outlook on future partnering, family life, and self-concept when used in conjunction with policy

A Modular Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) System for Gait Assistance in Pediatric Cerebral Palsy

Foot drop, the inability to lift the forefoot during gait, is a common symptom of disorders such as diabetes, stroke, spina bifida, and cerebral palsy. This condition makes walking difficult and unsafe, often resulting in stumbles and falls due to lack of ground clearance. The current standard of care is orthotic bracing, which presents donning and doffing challenges, restricts ankle motion, and contributes to social stigma in many parts of the world. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is an alternative approach which uses small amounts of electrical current delivered through skin-surface electrodes to stimulate peripheral nerves, thus generating muscle contraction and ultimately functional movement of a human limb. When packaged in a wearable device with onboard sensors capable of detecting gait phase, stimulation current can be applied to the lower leg to cause the foot to lift during the swing phase of gait. While several FES foot-drop systems are commercially available, they cost upward of $13,000 and provide a level of adjustability and complexity not needed for many conditions. The Messiah FES team is working to develop a low-cost, portable, easy-to-use, and durable electrical stimulation device to restore legged ambulation to children with mobility impairments resulting from cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and other conditions with similar effects. Our clinical partner is CURE Ethiopia, with our primary contacts being Dr. Tim Nunn and Dr. Laurence Wicks at the CURE Ethiopia Children\u27s Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Funding for this work provided by The Collaboratory for Strategic Partnerships and Applied Research.https://mosaic.messiah.edu/engr2022/1007/thumbnail.jp