Very high Middle Miocene surface productivity on the U.S. mid-Atlantic shelf amid glacioeustatic sea level variability

The Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO) provides important insights into how the climate system operates under elevated temperatures and atmospheric CO2 levels. Few western North Atlantic paleotemperature or paleoecological records exist from the MCO, despite their importance for understanding both regional and global climate dynamics. Here we present quantitative MCO paleoecological data from the western North Atlantic, specifically from the Baltimore Gas & Electric (BG&E) marine sediment core from southern Maryland, USA. We examine alkenones and planktic foraminifera and document the first sea surface temperature (SST) and productivity estimates for the MCO and the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT) from the continental shelf. Increased levels of planktic foraminifer species diversity and surface productivity accompany high sea level intervals of the MCO, indicating coastal upwelling. Cooling episodes correlate to unconformities in the BG&E core that reflect sea level lowstands; these and sedimentary cycles tie the record to eccentricity-paced Antarctic ice sheet growth and decay. This dynamic record not only captures the variability in SST, sea level and coastal productivity during the warm MCO and the transition to cooler global temperatures during the MMCT, but it also demonstrates the variability in local conditions within and between intervals of high sea level

Broadband enhancement of light emission in silicon slot waveguides

We investigate the light emission properties of electrical dipole emitters inside 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) silicon slot waveguides and evaluate the spontaneous emission enhancement (F_p) and waveguide coupling ratio (β). Under realistic conditions, we find that greater than 10-fold enhancement in F_p can be achieved, together with a β as large as 0.95. In contrast to the case of high Q optical resonators, such performance enhancements are obtained over a broad wavelength region, which can cover the entire emission spectrum of popular optical dopants such as Er. The enhanced luminescence efficiency and the strong coupling into a limited set of well-defined waveguide modes enables a new class of power-efficient, CMOS-compatible, waveguide-based light sources

Pediatric Cerebral Palsy in Africa: Where Are We?

Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of physical disability in children worldwide. However, little is reported on this condition in the African context. Doctors from 22 countries in Africa, and representatives from a further 5 countries outside Africa, met to discuss the challenges in the evaluation and management of children with cerebral palsy in Africa and to propose service needs and further research. Basic care is limited by the poor availability of diagnostic facilities or medical personnel with experience and expertise in managing cerebral palsy, exacerbated by lack of available interventions such as medications, surgical procedures, or even regular therapy input. Relevant guidelines are lacking. In order to guide services for children with existing disabilities, to effectively target the main etiologies and to develop preventive strategies for the continent, research priorities must include multicenter collaborative studies looking at the prevalence, risk factors, and treatment of cerebral palsy

A comparison of postrelease survival parameters between single and mass stranded delphinids from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

© The Author(s), 2015. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Marine Mammal Science 32 (2016): 161–180, doi:10.1111/mms.12255.The viability of healthy single stranded dolphins as immediate release candidates has received little attention. Responders have been reluctant to release lone delphinids due to their social needs, even when they pass the same health evaluations as mass stranded animals. This study tracked postrelease success of 34 relocated and released satellite tagged delphinids from single and mass strandings. Three postrelease survival parameters (transmission duration, swim speed, and daily distance) were examined to evaluate whether they differed among single stranded/single released (SS/SR), mass stranded/single released (MS/SR), or mass stranded/mass released (MS/MR) dolphin groups. Comparisons were also made between healthy and borderline release candidates. Satellite tags transmitted for a mean of 21.2 d (SD = 19.2, range = 1–79), daily distance traveled was 42.0 km/d (11.25, 20.96–70.72), and swim speed was 4.3 km/h (1.1, 2.15–8.54). Postrelease parameters did not differ between health status groups, however, SS/SR dolphins transmitted for a shorter mean duration than MS/MR and MS/SR groups. Postrelease vessel-based surveys confirmed conspecific group location for two healthy, MS/SR dolphins. Overall, these results support the potential to release healthy stranded single delphinids; however, further refinement of health assessment protocols for these challenging cases is needed.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA NMFS); John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Program Grant Numbers: NA11NMF4390078, NA11NMF4390079, NA11NMF439009

The Bright Ages Survey. I. Imaging Data

This is the first paper in a series presenting and analyzing data for a K-selected sample of galaxies collected in order to identify and study galaxies at moderate to high redshift in rest-wavelength optical light. The sample contains 842 objects over 6 separate fields covering 75.6 arcmin^2 down to K=20-20.5. We combine the K-band with UBVRIzJH multi-band imaging, reaching depths of R~26. Two of the fields studied also have deep HST WFPC2 imaging, totaling more than 60 hours in the F300W, F450W, F606W, and F814W filters. Using artificial galaxy modeling and extraction we measure 85% completeness limits down to K=19.5-20, depending on the field examined. The derived K-band number counts are in good agreement with previous studies. We find a density for Extremely Red Objects(EROs; R-K>5) of 1.55+/-0.16 arcmin^{-2} for K<19.7, dominated by the 1714+5015 field (centered on 53w002), with an ERO number density more than 3 times that of the other sample fields. If we exclude the counts for 1714+5015, our density is 0.95+/- 0.14 arcmin. Both ERO densities are consistent with previous measurements due to the significant known cosmic variance of these red sources.Keck spectroscopic redshifts were obtained for 18 of the EROs, all but one of which are emission galaxies. None of the EROs in the 1714+5015 field for which we obtained spectroscopic redshifts are associated with the known z=2.39 over-density, although there are three different galaxy redshift pairs (z=0.90, z=1.03, z=1.22).Comment: 30 pages, 5 figures, accepted by Ap

Hematological, biochemical, and morphological parameters as prognostic indicators for stranded common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

© The Author(s), 2013. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Marine Mammal Science 30 (2014): 864–887, doi:10.1111/mms.12093.The current paucity of published blood values and other clinically relevant data for short-beaked common dolphins, Delphinus delphis, hinders the ability of veterinarians and responders to make well-informed diagnoses and disposition decisions regarding live strandings of this species. This study examined hematologic, clinical chemistry, and physical parameters from 26 stranded common dolphins on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in light of their postrelease survival data to evaluate each parameter's efficacy as a prognostic indicator. Statistically and clinically significant differences were found between failed and survived dolphins, including lower hematocrit, hemoglobin, TCO2, and bicarbonate and higher blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, and length-to-girth ratios in animals that failed. In general when compared to survivors, failed dolphins exhibited acidosis, dehydration, lower PCVs, and decreased body condition. Additionally, failed dolphins had the highest ALT, AST, CK, LDH, GGT, and lactate values. These blood values combined with necropsy findings indicate that there are likely a variety of factors affecting postrelease survival, including both preexisting illness and stranding-induced conditions such as capture myopathy. Closer evaluation of these parameters for stranded common dolphins on point of care analyzers in the field may allow stranding personnel to make better disposition decisions in the future.The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Program provided support for stranding response efforts during this study period (Grants: NA11NMF4390078, NA11NMF4390079, NA11NMF4390093). We would like to thank the Pegasus Foundation and Barbara Birdsey for their support and funding for the IFAW Satellite Tag Program. This project would not have been possible without a summer research grant from the US Army Medical Research and Material Command through Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (TCSVM)

The PRISM4 (mid-Piacenzian) paleoenvironmental reconstruction

The mid-Piacenzian is known as a period of relative warmth when compared to the present day. A comprehensive understanding of conditions during the Piacenzian serves as both a conceptual model and a source for boundary conditions as well as means of verification of global climate model experiments. In this paper we present the PRISM4 reconstruction, a paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the mid-Piacenzian ( ∼  3 Ma) containing data for paleogeography, land and sea ice, sea-surface temperature, vegetation, soils, and lakes. Our retrodicted paleogeography takes into account glacial isostatic adjustments and changes in dynamic topography. Soils and lakes, both significant as land surface features, are introduced to the PRISM reconstruction for the first time. Sea-surface temperature and vegetation reconstructions are unchanged but now have confidence assessments. The PRISM4 reconstruction is being used as boundary condition data for the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project Phase 2 (PlioMIP2) experiments

The β3-integrin endothelial adhesome regulates microtubule-dependent cell migration

Integrin β3 is seen as a key anti-angiogenic target for cancer treatment due to its expression on neovasculature, but the role it plays in the process is complex; whether it is pro- or anti-angiogenic depends on the context in which it is expressed. To understand precisely β3's role in regulating integrin adhesion complexes in endothelial cells, we characterised, by mass spectrometry, the β3-dependent adhesome. We show that depletion of β3-integrin in this cell type leads to changes in microtubule behaviour that control cell migration. β3-integrin regulates microtubule stability in endothelial cells through Rcc2/Anxa2-driven control of active Rac1 localisation. Our findings reveal that angiogenic processes, both in vitro and in vivo, are more sensitive to microtubule targeting agents when β3-integrin levels are reduced