"Maximizing Conservation and In-Kind Cost Share: Applying Goal Programming to Forest Protection"

This research evaluates the potential gains in benefits from using Goal Programming to preserve forestland. Two- and three-dimensional Goal Programming models are developed and applied to data from applicants to the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program, the largest forest protection program in the United States. Results suggest that not only do these model yield substantial increases in benefits, but by being able to account for both environmental benefits and in-kind partner cost share, Goal Programming may be flexible enough to facilitate adoption by program managers needing to account for both ecological and political factors.Goal programming, multi-objective programming, conservation optimization, forest conservation, environmental services, in-kind cost sharing, matching grants

Creating topological interfaces and detecting chiral edge modes in a 2D optical lattice

We propose and analyze a general scheme to create chiral topological edge modes within the bulk of two-dimensional engineered quantum systems. Our method is based on the implementation of topological interfaces, designed within the bulk of the system, where topologically-protected edge modes localize and freely propagate in a unidirectional manner. This scheme is illustrated through an optical-lattice realization of the Haldane model for cold atoms, where an additional spatially-varying lattice potential induces distinct topological phases in separated regions of space. We present two realistic experimental configurations, which lead to linear and radial-symmetric topological interfaces, which both allows one to significantly reduce the effects of external confinement on topological edge properties. Furthermore, the versatility of our method opens the possibility of tuning the position, the localization length and the chirality of the edge modes, through simple adjustments of the lattice potentials. In order to demonstrate the unique detectability offered by engineered interfaces, we numerically investigate the time-evolution of wave packets, indicating how topological transport unambiguously manifests itself within the lattice. Finally, we analyze the effects of disorder on the dynamics of chiral and non-chiral states present in the system. Interestingly, engineered disorder is shown to provide a powerful tool for the detection of topological edge modes in cold-atom setups.Comment: 18 pages, 21 figure

Ascertaining the Core Collapse Supernova Mechanism: An Emerging Picture?

Here we present the results from two sets of simulations, in two and three spatial dimensions. In two dimensions, the simulations include multifrequency flux-limited diffusion neutrino transport in the "ray-by-ray-plus" approximation, two-dimensional self gravity in the Newtonian limit, and nuclear burning through a 14-isotope alpha network. The three-dimensional simulations are model simulations constructed to reflect the post stellar core bounce conditions during neutrino shock reheating at the onset of explosion. They are hydrodynamics-only models that focus on critical aspects of the shock stability and dynamics and their impact on the supernova mechanism and explosion. In two dimensions, we obtain explosions (although in one case weak) for two progenitors (11 and 15 Solar mass models). Moreover, in both cases the explosion is initiated when the inner edge of the oxygen layer accretes through the shock. Thus, the shock is not revived while in the iron core, as previously discussed in the literature. The three-dimensional studies of the development of the stationary accretion shock instability (SASI) demonstrate the fundamentally new dynamics allowed when simulations are performed in three spatial dimensions. The predominant l=1 SASI mode gives way to a stable m=1 mode, which in turn has significant ramifications for the distribution of angular momentum in the region between the shock and proto-neutron star and, ultimately, for the spin of the remnant neutron star. Moreover, the three-dimensional simulations make clear, given the increased number of degrees of freedom, that two-dimensional models are severely limited by artificially imposed symmetries.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

A Solvable Sequence Evolution Model and Genomic Correlations

We study a minimal model for genome evolution whose elementary processes are single site mutation, duplication and deletion of sequence regions and insertion of random segments. These processes are found to generate long-range correlations in the composition of letters as long as the sequence length is growing, i.e., the combined rates of duplications and insertions are higher than the deletion rate. For constant sequence length, on the other hand, all initial correlations decay exponentially. These results are obtained analytically and by simulations. They are compared with the long-range correlations observed in genomic DNA, and the implications for genome evolution are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

A Literature Review of Wetland Treatment Systems Used to Treat Runoff Mixtures Containing Antibiotics and Pesticides from Urban and Agricultural Landscapes

Wetland treatment systems are used extensively across the world to mitigate surface runoff. While wetland treatment for nitrogen mitigation has been comprehensively reviewed, the implications of common-use pesticides and antibiotics on nitrogen reduction remain relatively unreviewed. Therefore, this review seeks to comprehensively assess the removal of commonly used pesticides and antibiotics and their implications for nitrogen removal in wetland treatment systems receiving non-point source runoff from urban and agricultural landscapes. A total of 181 primary studies were identified spanning 37 countries. Most of the reviewed publications studied pesticides (n = 153) entering wetlands systems, while antibiotics (n = 29) had fewer publications. Even fewer publications reviewed the impact of influent mixtures on nitrogen removal processes in wetlands (n = 16). Removal efficiencies for antibiotics (35–100%), pesticides (−619–100%), and nitrate-nitrogen (−113–100%) varied widely across the studies, with pesticides and antibiotics impacting microbial communities, the presence and type of vegetation, timing, and hydrology in wetland ecosystems. However, implications for the nitrogen cycle were dependent on the specific emerging contaminant present. A significant knowledge gap remains in how wetland treatment systems are used to treat non-point source mixtures that contain nutrients, pesticides, and antibiotics, resulting in an unknown regarding nitrogen removal efficiency as runoff contaminant mixtures evolve

OBSCN Mutations Associated with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Haploinsufficiency

Studies of the functional consequences of DCM-causing mutations have been limited to a few cases where patients with known mutations had heart transplants. To increase the number of potential tissue samples for direct investigation we performed whole exon sequencing of explanted heart muscle samples from 30 patients that had a diagnosis of familial dilated cardiomyopathy and screened for potentially disease-causing mutations in 58 HCM or DCM-related genes.We identified 5 potentially disease-causing OBSCN mutations in 4 samples; one sample had two OBSCN mutations and one mutation was judged to be not disease-related. Also identified were 6 truncating mutations in TTN, 3 mutations in MYH7, 2 in DSP and one each in TNNC1, TNNI3, MYOM1, VCL, GLA, PLB, TCAP, PKP2 and LAMA4. The mean level of obscurin mRNA was significantly greater and more variable in healthy donor samples than the DCM samples but did not correlate with OBSCN mutations. A single obscurin protein band was observed in human heart myofibrils with apparent mass 960 ± 60 kDa. The three samples with OBSCN mutations had significantly lower levels of obscurin immunoreactive material than DCM samples without OBSCN mutations (45±7, 48±3, and 72±6% of control level).Obscurin levels in DCM controls, donor heart and myectomy samples were the same.OBSCN mutations may result in the development of a DCM phenotype via haploinsufficiency. Mutations in the obscurin gene should be considered as a significant causal factor of DCM, alone or in concert with other mutations

Correction: Messer, T.L.; Burchell, M.R.; Birgand, F. Comparison of Four Nitrate Removal Kinetic Models in Two Distinct Wetland Restoration Mesocosm Systems. Water 2017, 9, 517

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [1]: (1): The author name “François Bírgand” should be François Birgand. (2): Reference 38 should be the following: Birgand, F.; Aveni-Deforge, K.; Smith, B.; Maxwell, B.M.; Horstman, M.; Gerling, A.B.; Carey, C.C. First report of a novel multiplexer pumping system coupled to a water quality probe to collect high temporal frequency in situ water chemistry measurements at multiple sites. Limnol. Oceanogr. Methods 2016, 14, 767–783, doi:10.1002/lom3.10122. (3): Reference 49 should be the following: Christensen, P.B.; Nielsen, L.P.; Sørensen, J.; Revsbech, N.P. Denitrification in Nitrate-Rich Streams: Diurnal and Seasonal Variation Related to Benthic Oxygen Metabolism. Limnol. Oceanogr. 1990, 35, 640–651