Estimation of Direct and Indirect Economic Losses Caused by a Flood With Long‐Lasting Inundation: Application to the 2011 Thailand Flood

River floods are common natural disasters that cause serious economic damage worldwide. In addition to direct economic damage, such as the destruction of physical assets, floods with long‐lasting inundation cause direct and indirect economic losses within and outside the affected area. Direct economic losses include loss of opportunity, due to interruption of business activities, and the costs associated with emergency measures such as cleaning, while indirect economic losses affect sectors within the trade and supply network. Few studies have explicitly estimated direct and indirect economic losses in several sectors, due to the difficulty of modeling inundation depth and period at finer scales. Here we developed a global modeling framework to estimate the direct and indirect economic losses associated with floods using a computable general equilibrium model and a global river and inundation model, which can simulate the flood extent, depth, and period. Application of the method to the 2011 Thailand flood demonstrated that the estimated economic losses due to business interruption in the industry and service sectors totaled $14.7 billion, which was about two thirds of the estimated direct economic damage caused by the flood ($22.0 billion). The estimated indirect economic losses reduced the gross domestic product of Thailand by 4.81% in 2011, without considering transboundary effects, and will cause more than 0.5% reduction in gross domestic product even in 2030, resulting in $55.3 billion of total losses from 2011 to 2030. Comprehensive estimation of direct and indirect economic losses facilitates understanding of various types of flood‐related economic risks during and after a flood

A deep level transient spectroscopy study of beryllium implanted n-type 6H-SiC

Beryllium implantation induced defects in 6H-SiC pn junctions have been investigated by deep level transient spectroscopy. Five defect centers labeled BE1, BE2, BE3, BE4, and BE5 have been detected in the temperature range 100-450 K. A comparative study has also been performed in low beryllium doped n-type 6H-SiC, which proved that the BE1, BE2, and BE3 centers are electron traps located at 0.34, 0.44, and 0.53 eV, respectively, below the conduction band edge. On the other hand, the BE4 and BE5 centers have been found to be hole traps which are situated at 0.64 and 0.73 eV, respectively, above the valence band edge. Possible defect configurations associated with these deep levels are discussed. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Beryllium implantation induced deep level defects in p-type 6h-silicon carbide

Beryllium implantation into p-type 6H-SiC and subsequent thermal annealing were performed. Deep level transient spectroscopy was used to investigate the deep level defects induced by this beryllium-implantation process. Four deep levels were detected in the temperature range 100-500 K. The level BEP1 at Ev+0.41 eV was found to be consistent with the ionization level of the Be acceptor observed in Hall measurements.published_or_final_versio

MAGNETIC AND STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF FeSi MULTILAYERS IRRADIATED BY ARGON IONS

MAGNETIC AND STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF FeSi MULTILAYERS IRRADIATED BY ARGON IONS. We prepared Fe/Si multilayers (MLs) by helicon plasma sputtering to investigate the antiferromagnetic couplings (AFC) between Fe layers sandwiched by Si spacers. [Fe (2nm)/Si (1.5nm)]30 MLs showed the ferromagnetic couplings (FC). The ion irradiation by 400 keV Ar ions was performed to [Fe (2nm)/Si (1.5nm)]30 MLs using AIST 400 keV ion implanter. The magnetic and structural properties were investigated by Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) and Conversion Electron Mössbauer Spectroscopy (CEMS). The value of saturation magnetization in as-deposited [Fe (2nm)/Si (1.5nm)]30 MLs is smaller than that of bulk α-Fe (1700 emu at RT). This decrease of saturation magnetization implies an atomic mixing in the interface region. The values of saturation magnetization decrease with increasing Ar ion dose. The CEMS spectrum of [Fe (2nm)/Si (1.5nm)]30 MLs shows the doublet peaks overlapped with broad sextet peaks. The doublet peaks correspond to nonmagnetic Fe1-xSix phases formed in the interface region. On the other hand, the distribution of hyperfine fields (Hhf) was estimated from broad sextet peaks and smaller values of Hhf correspond to ferromagnetic Fe1-xSix phases. The amounts of nonmagnetic Fe1-xSix phases in CEMS spectra seem not to change with increasing Ar ion dose but the values of Hhf decrease with increasing Ar ion dose. These results indicate the peculiar atomic mixing by Ar ion irradiation in the interface region

Personal care products in matched human and environmental samples collected under the framework of RESPIRA Project

The indoor environment is an important source of exposure to microbial communities that may deleteriously affect human respiratory health. Recent studies demonstrated that the microbial community structure can be altered by the use of household products such as antimicrobial agents. Hence, in order to understand the modulation of the indoor microbiome by household products and their joint effect in the respiratory status of COPD patients we evaluated the levels of antimicrobials agents in dust samples and matched urine samples from patients with COPD. Overall, the concentrations in dust samples are one to two orders of magnitude higher that the concentrations in human urine. Triclosan was detected in all the dust samples, triclocarban was detected in 82% of the dust samples and parabens in 90% to 100% of the samples. In urine samples, triclosan was detected in 56% of the samples, triclocarban was always bellow detection limit (0.25 ng/mL) and parabens detection frequency varied widely (23-84%). Interestingly, the highest level reported in dust for triclosan (1200 ng/g) corresponded to the house of the patient with the highest triclosan concentration in urine (140 ng/mL) and at that house high levels of antibiotic resistant bacteria were found. Such results suggest that the use of antimicrobials might be associated with the presence of resistant bacteria and thus deserve to be further studied.publishe

Intrinsic activity in the fly brain gates visual information during behavioral choices

The small insect brain is often described as an input/output system that executes reflex-like behaviors. It can also initiate neural activity and behaviors intrinsically, seen as spontaneous behaviors, different arousal states and sleep. However, less is known about how intrinsic activity in neural circuits affects sensory information processing in the insect brain and variability in behavior. Here, by simultaneously monitoring Drosophila's behavioral choices and brain activity in a flight simulator system, we identify intrinsic activity that is associated with the act of selecting between visual stimuli. We recorded neural output (multiunit action potentials and local field potentials) in the left and right optic lobes of a tethered flying Drosophila, while its attempts to follow visual motion (yaw torque) were measured by a torque meter. We show that when facing competing motion stimuli on its left and right, Drosophila typically generate large torque responses that flip from side to side. The delayed onset (0.1-1 s) and spontaneous switch-like dynamics of these responses, and the fact that the flies sometimes oppose the stimuli by flying straight, make this behavior different from the classic steering reflexes. Drosophila, thus, seem to choose one stimulus at a time and attempt to rotate toward its direction. With this behavior, the neural output of the optic lobes alternates; being augmented on the side chosen for body rotation and suppressed on the opposite side, even though the visual input to the fly eyes stays the same. Thus, the flow of information from the fly eyes is gated intrinsically. Such modulation can be noise-induced or intentional; with one possibility being that the fly brain highlights chosen information while ignoring the irrelevant, similar to what we know to occur in higher animals

Serine residue 115 of MAPK-activated protein kinase MK5 is crucial for its PKA-regulated nuclear export and biological function

The mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase-5 (MK5) resides predominantly in the nucleus of resting cells, but p38MAPK, extracellular signal-regulated kinases-3 and -4 (ERK3 and ERK4), and protein kinase A (PKA) induce nucleocytoplasmic redistribution of MK5. The mechanism by which PKA causes nuclear export remains unsolved. In the study reported here we demonstrated that Ser-115 is an in vitro PKA phosphoacceptor site, and that PKA, but not p38MAPK, ERK3 or ERK4, is unable to redistribute MK5 S115A to the cytoplasm. However, the phosphomimicking MK5 S115D mutant resides in the cytoplasm in untreated cells. While p38MAPK, ERK3 and ERK4 fail to trigger nuclear export of the kinase dead T182A and K51E MK5 mutants, S115D/T182A and K51E/S115D mutants were able to enter the cytoplasm of resting cells. Finally, we demonstrated that mutations in Ser-115 affect the biological properties of MK5. Taken together, our results suggest that Ser-115 plays an essential role in PKA-regulated nuclear export of MK5, and that it also may regulate the biological functions of MK5

Reviews and Syntheses: Ocean acidification and its potential impacts on marine ecosystems

Ocean acidification, a complex phenomenon that lowers seawater pH, is the net outcome of several contributions. They include the dissolution of increasing atmospheric CO₂ that adds up with dissolved inorganic carbon (dissolved CO₂, H₂CO₃, HCO₃⁻, and CO₃²⁻) generated upon mineralization of primary producers (PP) and dissolved organic matter (DOM). The aquatic processes leading to inorganic carbon are substantially affected by increased DOM and nutrients via terrestrial runoff, acidic rainfall, increased PP and algal blooms, nitrification, denitrification, sulfate reduction, global warming (GW), and by atmospheric CO₂ itself through enhanced photosynthesis. They are consecutively associated with enhanced ocean acidification, hypoxia in acidified deeper seawater, pathogens, algal toxins, oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species, and thermal stress caused by longer stratification periods as an effect of GW. We discuss the mechanistic insights into the aforementioned processes and pH changes, with particular focus on processes taking place with different timescales (including the diurnal one) in surface and subsurface seawater. This review also discusses these collective influences to assess their potential detrimental effects to marine organisms, and of ecosystem processes and services. Our review of the effects operating in synergy with ocean acidification will provide a broad insight into the potential impact of acidification itself on biological processes. The foreseen danger to marine organisms by acidification is in fact expected to be amplified by several concurrent and interacting phenomena

Regulation of atypical MAP kinases ERK3 and ERK4 by the phosphatase DUSP2

The atypical MAP kinases ERK3 and ERK4 are activated by phosphorylation of a serine residue lying within the activation loop signature sequence S-E-G. However, the regulation of ERK3 and ERK4 phosphorylation and activity is poorly understood. Here we report that the inducible nuclear dual-specificity MAP kinase phosphatase (MKP) DUSP2, a known regulator of the ERK and p38 MAPKs, is unique amongst the MKP family in being able to bind to both ERK3 and ERK4. This interaction is mediated by a conserved common docking (CD) domain within the carboxyl-terminal domains of ERK3 and ERK4 and the conserved kinase interaction motif (KIM) located within the non-catalytic amino terminus of DUSP2. This interaction is direct and results in the dephosphorylation of ERK3 and ERK4 and the stabilization of DUSP2. In the case of ERK4 its ability to stabilize DUSP2 requires its kinase activity. Finally, we demonstrate that expression of DUSP2 inhibits ERK3 and ERK4-mediated activation of its downstream substrate MK5. We conclude that the activity of DUSP2 is not restricted to the classical MAPK pathways and that DUSP2 can also regulate the atypical ERK3/4-MK5 signalling pathway in mammalian cells