Lost in Translation: Social Media Outreach, Concerns, and Responses to the Potential Decommissioning of Diablo Nuclear Power Plant

The following study investigated the process in designing a social media campaign the effectively conveys a large corporation’s, like Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), essence online during a significant event that will impact the entire community that corporation serves. The trend in social media campaigns to reach a greater audience during events like the potential decommissioning of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant (DCPP) is important and becoming a more efficient approach in keeping the public informed. The campaign’s focus was to restore PG&E’s online presence by taking down real-life concerns of those who will be impacted by the decommissioning of DCPP. With extensive scholarly research, interviews of PG&E officials, and a survey that recorded concerns and reached 233 people, the design of the campaign attempts to change the perspective of PG&E in the eyes of the public of San Luis Obispo (SLO), as well as strives to change the stigma about big corporations and the communities. This stigma was apparent in the way they communicated with the residents of SLO, which was very much in big-corporate fashion during public meetings. Notes were taken of the public’s concerns, but nothing was returned to them in terms of a response. This paper and coinciding project addresses the concerns of the public, while also reiterating the essence of PG&E’s brand online, which has been essentially forgotten by the public. The importance of sensitivity and awareness in the topic of nuclear power is addressed, as well as the corporations that run those nuclear plants. The focus of more effective awareness through a social media campaign and online presence is maintained throughout the study

Spectral decomposition of starbursts and AGNs in 5-8 micron Spitzer IRS spectra of local ULIRGs

We present an analysis of the 5-8 micron Spitzer-IRS spectra of a sample of 68 local Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs). Our diagnostic technique allows a clear separation of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and starburst (SB) components in the observed mid-IR emission, and a simple analytic model provides a quantitative estimate of the AGN/starburst contribution to the bolometric luminosity. We show that AGNs are ~30 times brighter at 6 micron than starbursts with the same bolometric luminosity, so that even faint AGNs can be detected. Star formation events are confirmed as the dominant power source for extreme infrared activity, since ~85% of ULIRG luminosity arises from the SB component. Nonetheless an AGN is present in the majority (46/68) of our sources.Comment: 5 Pages, 3 figures. MNRAS Letters, Accepte

Envisioning present and future land-use change under varying ecological regimes and their influence on landscape stability

7siopenClimate change plays an important role in shaping ecological stability of landscape systems. Increasing weather fluctuations such as droughts threaten the ecological stability of natural and anthropogenic landscapes. Uncertainty exists regarding the validity of traditional landscape assessment schemes under climate change. This commentary debates the main factors that threaten ecological stability, discussing basic approaches to interpret landscape functioning. To address this pivotal issue, the intimate linkage between ecological stability and landscape diversity is explored, considering different approaches to landscape stability assessment. The impact of land-use changes on landscape stability is finally discussed. Assessment methodologies and indicators are reviewed and grouped into homogeneous classes based on a specific nomenclature of stability aspects which include landscape composition, fragmentation and connectivity, thermodynamic and functional issues, biodiversity, soil degradation, and ecological disturbance. By considering land-use change as one of the most important factors underlying climate change, individual components of landscape stability are finally delineated and commented upon. In this regard, specific trajectories of land-use change (including agricultural intensification, land abandonment, and urbanization) are investigated for their effects on ecological stability. A better understanding of land-use impacts on landscape stability is crucial for a better knowledge of processes leading to land degradation.openProkopova M.; Salvati L.; Egidi G.; Cudlin O.; Vcelakova R.; Plch R.; Cudlin P.Prokopova, M.; Salvati, L.; Egidi, G.; Cudlin, O.; Vcelakova, R.; Plch, R.; Cudlin, P

Revealing the active galactic nucleus in the superantennae through L-band spectroscopy

We present an L-band spectrum of the Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy IRAS 19254-7245 (the Superantennae), obtained with VLT-ISAAC. The high signal to noise ratio allows a study of the main spectral features with unprecedented detail for an extragalactic source. We argue that the main energy source in the IR is an obscured AGN. This is indicated by the low equivalent width of the 3.3 micron PAH feature, the broad absorption feature at 3.4 um, and the steep continuum at lambda>3.7 um (f_lambda ~lambda^(2.7)). The substructure of the 3.4 um absorption feature indicates that the absorption is due to hydrocarbon chains of 6-7 carbon atoms.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures. ApJ Letters, in pres

Glutamate-mediated blood-brain barrier opening. implications for neuroprotection and drug delivery

The blood-brain barrier is a highly selective anatomical and functional interface allowing a unique environment for neuro-glia networks. Blood-brain barrier dysfunction is common in most brain disorders and is associated with disease course and delayed complications. However, the mechanisms underlying blood-brain barrier opening are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate the role of the neurotransmitter glutamate in modulating early barrier permeability in vivo Using intravital microscopy, we show that recurrent seizures and the associated excessive glutamate release lead to increased vascular permeability in the rat cerebral cortex, through activation of NMDA receptors. NMDA receptor antagonists reduce barrier permeability in the peri-ischemic brain, whereas neuronal activation using high-intensity magnetic stimulation increases barrier permeability and facilitates drug delivery. Finally, we conducted a double-blind clinical trial in patients with malignant glial tumors, using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging to quantitatively assess blood-brain barrier permeability. We demonstrate the safety of stimulation that efficiently increased blood-brain barrier permeability in 10 of 15 patients with malignant glial tumors. We suggest a novel mechanism for the bidirectional modulation of brain vascular permeability toward increased drug delivery and prevention of delayed complications in brain disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: In this study, we reveal a new mechanism that governs blood-brain barrier (BBB) function in the rat cerebral cortex, and, by using the discovered mechanism, we demonstrate bidirectional control over brain endothelial permeability. Obviously, the clinical potential of manipulating BBB permeability for neuroprotection and drug delivery is immense, as we show in preclinical and proof-of-concept clinical studies. This study addresses an unmet need to induce transient BBB opening for drug delivery in patients with malignant brain tumors and effectively facilitate BBB closure in neurological disorders

Human capital growth and poverty: Evidence from Ethiopia and Peru

In this paper we use high quality data from two developing countries, Ethiopia and Peru, to estimate the production functions of human capital from age 1 to age 15. We characterize the nature of persistence and dynamic complementarities between two components of human capital: health and cognition. We also explore the implications of different functional form assumptions for the production functions. We find that more able and higher income parents invest more, particularly at younger ages when investments have the greatest impacts. These differences in investments by parental income lead to large gaps in inequality by age 8 that persist through age 15

Polyethylene and metal debris generated by non-articulating surfaces of modular acetabular components

We report a prospective study of the liner-metal interfaces of modular uncemented acetabular components as sources of debris. We collected the pseudomembrane from the screw-cup junction and the empty screw holes of the metal backing of 19 acetabula after an average implantation of 22 months. Associated osteolytic lesions were separately collected in two cases. The back surfaces of the liners and the screws were examined for damage, and some liners were scanned by electron microscopy. The tissues were studied histologically and by atomic absorption spectrophotometry to measure titanium content. The pseudomembrane from the screw-cup junction contained polyethylene debris in seven specimens and metal debris in ten. The material from empty screw holes was necrotic tissue or dense fibroconnective tissue with a proliferative histiocytic infiltrate and foreign-body giant-cell reaction. It contained polyethylene debris in 14 cases and metal in five. The two acetabular osteolytic lesions also showed a foreign-body giant-cell reaction to particulate debris. The average titanium levels in pseudomembranes from the screw-cup junction and the empty screw holes were 959 micrograms/g (48 to 11,900) and 74 micrograms/g (0.72 to 331) respectively. The tissue from the two lytic lesions showed average titanium levels of 139 and 147 micrograms/g respectively. The back surfaces of the PE liners showed surface deformation, burnishing, and embedded metal debris. All 30 retrieved screws demonstrated fretting at the base of the head and on the proximal shaft. Non-articular modular junctions create new interfaces for the generation of particulate debris, which may cause granulomatous reaction

Morphology of the 12-micron Seyfert Galaxies: II. Optical and Near-Infrared Image Atlas

We present 263 optical and near-infrared (NIR) images for 42 Seyfert 1s and 48 Seyfert 2s, selected from the Extended 12-micron Galaxy Sample. Elliptically-averaged profiles are derived from the images, and isophotal radii and magnitudes are calculated from these. We also report virtual aperture photometry, that judging from comparison with previous work, is accurate to roughly 0.05mag in the optical, and 0.07mag in the NIR. Our B-band isophotal magnitude and radii, obtained from ellipse fitting, are in good agreement with those of RC3. When compared with the B band, V, I, J, and K isophotal diameters show that the colors in the outer regions of Seyferts are consistent with the colors of normal spirals. Differences in the integrated isophotal colors and comparison with a simple model show that the active nucleus+bulge is stronger and redder in the NIR than in the optical. Finally, roughly estimated Seyfert disk surface brightnesses are significantly brighter in B and K than those in normal spirals of similar morphological type.Comment: 17 pgs including figures; Table 2 is a separate file. Complete Figure 1 is available by contacting the authors. Accepted for publication in ApJ

A Catalog of Coding Sequence Variations in Salivary Proteins’ Genes Occurring during Recent Human Evolution

Saliva houses over 2000 proteins and peptides with poorly clarified functions, including proline-rich proteins, statherin, P-B peptides, histatins, cystatins, and amylases. Their genes are poorly conserved across related species, reflecting an evolutionary adaptation. We searched the nucleotide substitutions fixed in these salivary proteins’ gene loci in modern humans compared with ancient hominins. We mapped 3472 sequence variants/nucleotide substitutions in coding, noncoding, and 5′-3′ untranslated regions. Despite most of the detected variations being within noncoding regions, the frequency of coding variations was far higher than the general rate found throughout the genome. Among the various missense substitutions, specific substitutions detected in PRB1 and PRB2 genes were responsible for the introduction/abrogation of consensus sequences recognized by convertase enzymes that cleave the protein precursors. Overall, these changes that occurred during the recent human evolution might have generated novel functional features and/or different expression ratios among the various components of the salivary proteome. This may have influenced the homeostasis of the oral cavity environment, possibly conditioning the eating habits of modern humans. However, fixed nucleotide changes in modern humans represented only 7.3% of all the substitutions reported in this study, and no signs of evolutionary pressure or adaptative introgression from archaic hominins were found on the tested genes