Human Disturbance Influences Reproductive Success and Growth Rate in California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus)

The environment is currently undergoing changes at both global (e.g., climate change) and local (e.g., tourism, pollution, habitat modification) scales that have the capacity to affect the viability of animal and plant populations. Many of these changes, such as human disturbance, have an anthropogenic origin and therefore may be mitigated by management action. To do so requires an understanding of the impact of human activities and changing environmental conditions on population dynamics. We investigated the influence of human activity on important life history parameters (reproductive rate, and body condition, and growth rate of neonate pups) for California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Increased human presence was associated with lower reproductive rates, which translated into reduced long-term population growth rates and suggested that human activities are a disturbance that could lead to population declines. We also observed higher body growth rates in pups with increased exposure to humans. Increased growth rates in pups may reflect a density dependent response to declining reproductive rates (e.g., decreased competition for resources). Our results highlight the potentially complex changes in life history parameters that may result from human disturbance, and their implication for population dynamics. We recommend careful monitoring of human activities in the Gulf of California and emphasize the importance of management strategies that explicitly consider the potential impact of human activities such as ecotourism on vertebrate populations

p50–NF-κB Complexes Partially Compensate for the Absence of RelB: Severely Increased Pathology in p50−/−relB−/−Double-knockout Mice

RelB-deficient mice (relB−/−) have a complex phenotype including multiorgan inflammation and hematopoietic abnormalities. To examine whether other NF-κB/Rel family members are required for the development of this phenotype or have a compensatory role, we have initiated a program to generate double-mutant mice that are deficient in more than one family member. Here we report the phenotypic changes in relB−/− mice that also lack the p50 subunit of NFκB (p50−/−). The inflammatory phenotype of p50−/−relB−/− double-mutant mice was markedly increased in both severity and extent of organ involvement, leading to premature death within three to four weeks after birth. Double-knockout mice also had strongly increased myeloid hyperplasia and thymic atrophy. Moreover, B cell development was impaired and, in contrast to relB−/− single knockouts, B cells were absent from inflammatory infiltrates. Both p50−/− and heterozygous relB−/+ animals are disease-free. In the absence of the p50, however, relB−/+ mice (p50−/−relB−/+) had a mild inflammatory phenotype and moderate myeloid hyperplasia. Neither elevated mRNA levels of other family members, nor increased κB-binding activities of NF-κB/Rel complexes could be detected in single- or double-mutant mice compared to control animals. These results indicate that the lack of RelB is, in part, compensated by other p50-containing complexes and that the “classical” p50-RelA–NF-κB activity is not required for the development of the inflammatory phenotype

What do people do with porn? qualitative research into the consumption, use and experience of pornography and other sexually explicit media

This article reviews qualitative research into the consumption of pornography and other sexually explicit media emerging from a range of subject areas. Taking a critique of quantitative methods and a focus on measuring sexual effects and attitudes as a starting point, it considers the proposition that qualitative work is more suited to an examination of the complex social, cultural and political constructions of sexuality. Examining studies into the way men, women and young people see, experience, and use explicit media texts, the article identifies the key findings that have emerged. Qualitative work shows that sexuality explicit media texts are experienced and understood in a variety of ways and evoke strong and often contradictory reactions, not all of which are represented in public debates about pornography. These texts function in a range of different ways, depending on context; as a source of knowledge, a resource for intimate practices, a site for identity construction, and an occasion for performing gender and sexuality. The article reviews these studies and their findings, identifying what they suggest about directions for future research, both in terms of developing methodology and refining approaches to sexuality and media consumption.</p

Plasmonic lenses for ultrafast electron nanoemission

We show the capability of plasmonic lenses for next-generation ultrafast electron sources. Using electromagnetic simulations, we design structures capable of femtosecond, nanoscale electron pulses. Plasmonic properties of template-stripped gold prototypes are characterized using cathodoluminescence spectromicroscopy

Left-Handed W Bosons at the LHC

The production of W bosons in association with jets is an important background to new physics at the LHC. Events in which the W carries large transverse momentum and decays leptonically lead to large missing energy and are of particular importance. We show that the left-handed nature of the W coupling, combined with valence quark domination at a pp machine, leads to a large left-handed polarization for both W^+ and W^- bosons at large transverse momenta. The polarization fractions are very stable with respect to QCD corrections. The leptonic decay of the W bosons translates the common left-handed polarization into a strong asymmetry in transverse momentum distributions between positrons and electrons, and between neutrinos and anti-neutrinos (missing transverse energy). Such asymmetries may provide an effective experimental handle on separating W + jets from top quark production, which exhibits very little asymmetry due to C invariance, and from various types of new physics.Comment: 32 pages, revtex, 17 figures, 3 tables, v2 minor corrections to ME+PS results, no changes to conclusions, added reference

Tests of cosmic ray radiography for power industry applications

In this report, we assess muon multiple scattering tomography as a non-destructive inspection technique in several typical areas of interest to the nuclear power industry, including monitoring concrete degradation, gate valve conditions, and pipe wall thickness. This work is motivated by the need for radiographic methods that do not require the licensing, training, and safety controls of x-rays, and by the need to be able to penetrate considerable overburden to examine internal details of components that are otherwise inaccessible, with minimum impact on industrial operations. In some scenarios, we find that muon tomography may be an attractive alternative to more typical measurements.Comment: LA-UR-15-2212

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have proven efficacy in the treatment of panic disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder. Accumulating data shows that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment can also be efficacious in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. This review summarizes the findings of randomized controlled trials of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, examines the strengths and weaknesses of other therapeutic approaches and considers potential new treatments for patients with this chronic and disabling anxiety disorder

Design and testing of ultrafast plasmonic lens nanoemitters

Nanoscale electron pulses are increasingly in demand, including as probes of nanoscale ultrafast dynamics and for emerging light source and lithography applications. Using electromagnetic simulations, we show that gold plasmonic lenses as multiphoton photoemitters provide unique advantages, including emission from an atomically at surface, nanoscale pulse diameter regardless of laser spot size, and femtosecond-scale response time. We then present fabrication of prototypes with sub-nm roughness via e-beam lithography, as well as electro-optical characterization using cathodoluminescence spectromicroscopy. Finally, we introduce a DC photogun at LBNL built for testing ultrafast photoemitters. We discuss measurement considerations for ultrafast nanoemitters and predict that we can extract tens of pA photocurrent from a single plasmonic lens using a Ti:Sa oscillator. Altogether, this lays the groundwork to develop and test a broad class of plasmon-enhanced ultrafast nanoemitters