Traffic restrictions during the 2008 Olympic Games reduced urban heat intensity and extent in Beijing

Satellite thermal remote sensing has been utilized to examine the urban heat dynamics in relation to the urban traffic restriction policy. During the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the traffic volume was approximately cut off by half through the road space rationing. Based on daily MODIS satellite thermal observations on the surface temperature, statistical models were developed to analyze the contribution of traffic volume reduction to the urban heat intensity and spatial extent. Our analyses show that cutting off half of the traffic volume has led to a marked decrease in the mean surface temperature by 1.5–2.4 °C and shrinkage of the heat extent by 820 km2 in Beijing. This research suggests that the impact of urban traffic on heat intensity is considerably larger than previously thought, and the management of urban traffic and vehicle fossil fuel use should be included in the future urban heat mitigation plan

Major Merger Galaxy Pairs at z = 0: Dust Properties and Companion Morphology

We present an analysis of dust properties of a sample of close major-merger galaxy pairs selected by K_s magnitude and redshift. The pairs represent the two populations of spiral–spiral (S+S) and mixed morphology spiral–elliptical (S+E). The Code Investigating GALaxy Emission software is used to fit dust models to the Two Micron All Sky Survey, Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, and Herschel flux density measurements, and to derive the parameters describing the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contribution, interstellar radiation field, and photodissociation regions. Model fits verify our previous Spitzer Space Telescope analysis that S+S and S+E pairs do not have the same level of enhancement of star formation and differ in dust composition. The spirals of mixed-morphology galaxy pairs do not exhibit the enhancements in interstellar radiation field and therefore dust temperature for spirals in S+S pairs in contrast to what would be expected according to standard models of gas redistribution due to encounter torques. This suggests the importance of the companion environment/morphology in determining the dust properties of a spiral galaxy in a close major-merger pair

Language Universals Engage Broca's Area

It is well known that natural languages share certain aspects of their design. For example, across languages, syllables like blif are preferred to lbif. But whether language universals are myths or mentally active constraints—linguistic or otherwise—remains controversial. To address this question, we used fMRI to investigate brain response to four syllable types, arrayed on their linguistic well-formedness (e.g., blif≻bnif≻bdif≻lbif, where ≻ indicates preference). Results showed that syllable structure monotonically modulated hemodynamic response in Broca's area, and its pattern mirrored participants' behavioral preferences. In contrast, ill-formed syllables did not systematically tax sensorimotor regions—while such syllables engaged primary auditory cortex, they tended to deactivate (rather than engage) articulatory motor regions. The convergence between the cross-linguistic preferences and English participants' hemodynamic and behavioral responses is remarkable given that most of these syllables are unattested in their language. We conclude that human brains encode broad restrictions on syllable structure

Germline Maintenance Through the Multifaceted Activities of GLH/Vasa in

Vasa homologs are ATP-dependent DEAD-box helicases, multipotency factors, and critical components that specify and protect the germline. They regulate translation, amplify piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and act as RNA solvents; however, the limited availability of mutagenesis-derived alleles and their wide range of phenotypes have complicated their analysis. Now, with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas9), these limitations can be mitigated to determine why protein domains have been lost or retained throughout evolution. Here, we define the functional motifs of GLH-1/Vasa i

Comparison of Current Sarcopenia Classification Criteria in Older New England Women

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia in a sample of older, sedentary women using criteria from the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), the International Working Group (IWG), and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project (FNIHSP). Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Setting and Participants: Community-dwelling women (n = 61) aged 71.9 ± 4.6 years (mean±SD) with a BMI 27.3 ± 6.0 kg/m2 who by self-report were healthy and did not exercise were recruited and evaluated for sarcopenia. Measurements: Height, weight, grip strength, gait speed, and appendicular lean mass (via segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis: SMF-BIA) were measured. Prevalence was reported using descriptive statistics and a Fisher’s exact test was used to analyze the distribution frequency of sarcopenia classification by different criteria. Results: In this sample 14.8% met EWGSOP criteria, 6.6% met FNIHSP criteria, and 3.3% met IWG criteria. There was a borderline significant difference in distribution frequency between EWGSOP and IWG classification criteria (p=0.053). Conclusion: The variation in sarcopenia prevalence depending on the diagnostic criteria used is consistent with previous research and there are borderline significant differences between classification criteria in this population. These data suggest the need for additional examination to determine current cut points for ALM measured by SMF-BIA, as well as which established definition of sarcopenia is appropriate for this population

Bose-Einstein condensation by polarization gradient laser cooling

Attempts to create quantum degenerate gases without evaporative cooling have been pursued since the early days of laser cooling, with the consensus that polarization gradient cooling (PGC, also known as "optical molasses") alone cannot reach condensation. In the present work, we report that simple PGC can generate a small Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) inside a corrugated micrometer-sized optical dipole trap. The experimental parameters enabling BEC creation were found by machine learning, which increased the atom number by a factor of 5 and decreased the temperature by a factor of 2.5, corresponding to almost two orders of magnitude gain in phase space density. When the trapping light is slightly misaligned through a microscopic objective lens, a BEC of $\sim 250$ $^{87}$Rb atoms is formed inside a local dimple within 40 ms of PGC.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

New Hubble Space Telescope Discoveries of Type Ia Supernovae at z > 1: Narrowing Constraints on the Early Behavior of Dark Energy

We have discovered 21 new Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and have used them to trace the history of cosmic expansion over the last 10 billion years. These objects, which include 13 spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia at z > 1, were discovered during 14 epochs of reimaging of the GOODS fields North and South over two years with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on HST. Together with a recalibration of our previous HST-discovered SNe Ia, the full sample of 23 SNe Ia at z > 1 provides the highest-redshift sample known. Combined with previous SN Ia datasets, we measured H(z) at discrete, uncorrelated epochs, reducing the uncertainty of H(z>1) from 50% to under 20%, strengthening the evidence for a cosmic jerk--the transition from deceleration in the past to acceleration in the present. The unique leverage of the HST high-redshift SNe Ia provides the first meaningful constraint on the dark energy equation-of-state parameter at z >1. The result remains consistent with a cosmological constant (w(z)=-1), and rules out rapidly evolving dark energy (dw/dz >>1). The defining property of dark energy, its negative pressure, appears to be present at z>1, in the epoch preceding acceleration, with ~98% confidence in our primary fit. Moreover, the z>1 sample-averaged spectral energy distribution is consistent with that of the typical SN Ia over the last 10 Gyr, indicating that any spectral evolution of the properties of SNe Ia with redshift is still below our detection threshold.Comment: typos, references corrected, minor additions to exposition 82 pages, 17 figures, 6 tables. Data also available at: http://braeburn.pha.jhu.edu/~ariess/R06. Accepted, Astrophysical Journal vol. 656 for March 10, 200

An Environmental Science and Engineering Framework for Combating Antimicrobial Resistance

On June 20, 2017, members of the environmental engineering and science (EES) community convened at the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Biennial Conference for a workshop on antimicrobial resistance. With over 80 registered participants, discussion groups focused on the following topics: risk assessment, monitoring, wastewater treatment, agricultural systems, and synergies. In this study, we summarize the consensus among the workshop participants regarding the role of the EES community in understanding and mitigating the spread of antibiotic resistance via environmental pathways. Environmental scientists and engineers offer a unique and interdisciplinary perspective and expertise needed for engaging with other disciplines such as medicine, agriculture, and public health to effectively address important knowledge gaps with respect to the linkages between human activities, impacts to the environment, and human health risks. Recommendations that propose priorities for research within the EES community, as well as areas where interdisciplinary perspectives are needed, are highlighted. In particular, risk modeling and assessment, monitoring, and mass balance modeling can aid in the identification of “hot spots” for antibiotic resistance evolution and dissemination, and can help identify effective targets for mitigation. Such information will be essential for the development of an informed and effective policy aimed at preserving and protecting the efficacy of antibiotics for future generations

Dental and craniofacial defects in the Crtap−/− mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta type VII

BackgroundInactivating mutations in the gene for cartilage‐associated protein (CRTAP) cause osteogenesis imperfecta type VII in humans, with a phenotype that can include craniofacial defects. Dental and craniofacial manifestations have not been a focus of case reports to date. We analyzed the craniofacial and dental phenotype of Crtap−/− mice by skull measurements, micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT), histology, and immunohistochemistry.ResultsCrtap−/− mice exhibited a brachycephalic skull shape with fusion of the nasofrontal suture and facial bones, resulting in mid‐face retrusion and a class III dental malocclusion. Loss of CRTAP also resulted in decreased dentin volume and decreased cellular cementum volume, though acellular cementum thickness was increased. Periodontal dysfunction was revealed by decreased alveolar bone volume and mineral density, increased periodontal ligament (PDL) space, ectopic calcification within the PDL, bone‐tooth ankylosis, altered immunostaining of extracellular matrix proteins in bone and PDL, increased pSMAD5, and more numerous osteoclasts on alveolar bone surfaces.ConclusionsCrtap−/− mice serve as a useful model of the dental and craniofacial abnormalities seen in individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta type VII.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155878/1/dvdy166.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155878/2/dvdy166_am.pd