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Sea Level Rise (SLR) caused by climate change is impacting coastal wetlands around the globe. Due to their distinctive biophysical characteristics and unique plant communities, freshwater tidal wetlands are expected to exhibit a different response to SLR as compared with the better studied salt marshes. In this study we employed the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM), which simulates regional- or local-scale changes in tidal wetland habitats in response to SLR, and adapted it for application in a freshwater-dominated tidal river system, the Hudson River Estuary. Using regionally-specific estimated ranges of SLR and accretion rates, we produced simulations for a spectrum of possible future wetland distributions and quantified the projected wetland resilience, migration or loss in the HRE through the end of the 21st century. Projections of total wetland extent and migration were more strongly determined by the rate of SLR than the rate of accretion. Surprisingly, an increase in net tidal wetland area was projected under all scenarios, with newly-formed tidal wetlands expected to comprise at least 33% of the HRE's wetland area by year 2100. Model simulations with high rates of SLR and/or low rates of accretion resulted in broad shifts in wetland composition with widespread conversion of high marsh habitat to low marsh, tidal flat or permanent inundation. Wetland expansion and resilience were not equally distributed through the estuary, with just three of 48 primary wetland areas encompassing >50% of projected new wetland by the year 2100. Our results open an avenue for improving predictive models of the response of freshwater tidal wetlands to sea level rise, and broadly inform the planning of conservation measures of this critical resource in the Hudson River Estuary.

ObjectiveExplore the association between following a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-accordant diet and kidney end points among urban adults.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingHealthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study.SubjectsA total of 1,534 urban dwelling participants of the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study with a baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/minute/1.73 m2.InterventionDASH diet accordance determined via a score based on nine target nutrients.Main outcome measureRapid kidney function decline (eGFR decline >3 mL/minute/1.73 m2 per year), incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) (follow-up eGFR 25%.ResultsParticipants' mean age was 48 years, and 59% were African-American. Median DASH score was 1.5 (range, 0-8). Over a median of 5 years, 13.4% experienced rapid eGFR decline, including 15.2% among participants not following a DASH-accordant diet (score ≤1) and 12.0% with higher accordance (score >1) (P = .08). Outcomes varied by hypertension status. In multinomial logistic regression models, following adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical factors, including total energy intake, low DASH diet accordance was associated with rapid eGFR decline among participants with hypertension (risk ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval: 1.17-2.42) but not among those without hypertension (risk ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval: 0.56-1.24; P interaction .001). There was no statistically significant association between DASH diet accordance and incident CKD or eGFR decline >25%. Results were similar when DASH diet accordance was analyzed in tertiles.ConclusionsAmong urban adults, low accordance to a DASH-type diet was not associated with incident CKD, but was associated with higher risk of rapid eGFR decline among those with hypertension, yet not among those without hypertension. Further study of dietary patterns as a potential target for improving kidney outcomes among high-risk populations is warranted.

The purposes of this research were. - 1) to study bookkeeping of local identity farmers in Maha Sarakham Province. 2) to study performance of local identity farmers in Maha Sarakham Province, and 3) to test bookkeeping performance of local identity farmers in Maha Sarakham Province. The sample group was 400 farmers who cultivated important economic crops in Maha Sarakham Province. Data was collected by questionnaires. Statistics used for data analysis were mean, standard deviation, multiple correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The results revealed the following findings. - 1) Farmers had opinions about bookkeeping both in general and in each aspect at a high level ; knowledge and ability, documentation and accounting methods, cooperation and coordination, and operational tools, 2) Farmers had opinions about performance both in general and in each aspect at a high level ; financial performance, and non-financial performance and 3) The result of the research hypothesis test is that the hypothesis is Accepted, bookkeeping impact on performance which can predict 42.90%.

The purposes of this research were; - 1) to study quality of life of the elderly in the 21st century.,2) to study the sustainable development of the elderly in the 21st century, and 3) to test factors on the sustainable development of the elderly in the 21st century. Data were collected from 400 elderly in the Northeast using questionnaires. Statistics used for data analysis were mean, standard deviation, multiple correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The results revealed the following findings; - 1) the elderly had opinions about quality of life both in general and in each aspect at a high level; physical (mean = 3.87), mental (mean = 4.07), self-development (mean = 3.89), rights and liberties (mean = 3.95), and social integration (mean = 4.05), 2) the elderly had opinions about the sustainable development both in general and in each aspect at a high level; social (mean = 4.07), economic (mean = 3.91), health (mean = 3.85), environment, (mean = 4.00) and technology (mean = 4.03) and 3) quality of life with rights (β = 0.329), self-development (β = 0.222), social integration (β = 0.189), physical (β = 0.188), mental (β = 0.103) had positive relationships and impact on the sustainable development of the elderly in the 21st century which can explain sustainable development at 58.10%.

By means of Raman spectroscopy of liquid microjets, we have investigated the crystallization process of supercooled quantum liquid mixtures composed of parahydrogen (pH2) or orthodeuterium (oD2) diluted with small amounts of neon. We show that the introduction of the Ne impurities affects the crystallization kinetics in terms of a significant reduction of the measured pH2 and oD2 crystal growth rates, similarly to what found in our previous work on supercooled pH2-oD2 liquid mixtures [Kühnel et al., Phys. Rev. B 89, 180201(R) (2014)]. Our experimental results, in combination with pathintegral simulations of the supercooled liquid mixtures, suggest in particular a correlation between the measured growth rates and the ratio of the effective particle sizes originating from quantum delocalization effects. We further show that the crystalline structure of the mixtures is also affected to a large extent by the presence of the Ne impurities, which likely initiate the freezing process through the formation of Ne-rich crystallites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In adults with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), daily prednisone may induce complete remissions (CR) and partial remissions (PR), but relapses are frequent and adverse events are common.Methods: We carried out 2 open-label, uncontrolled trials to explore the efficacy and tolerability of pulse oral dexamethasone as an alternative to daily prednisone. We enrolled adult patients with proteinuria > 3.5 g/day despite the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blockade. In the first trial, we enrolled 14 subjects with FSGS and administered 4 dexamethasone doses (25 mg/m2) daily for 4 days, repeated every 28 days over 32 weeks. The second trial involved a more intensive regimen. Eight subjects received 4 dexamethasone doses of 50 mg/m2 every 4 weeks for 12 weeks, followed by 4 doses of 25 mg/m2 every 4 weeks for 36 weeks; subjects were randomized to 2 doses every 2 weeks or 4 doses every 4 weeks.Results: In the first trial, we enrolled 13 subjects with FSGS and 1 with minimal change disease and found a combined CR and PR rate of 36%. In the second trial, we enrolled 8 subjects. The combined CR and PR rate was 29%. Analysis combining both trials showed a combined CR and PR rate of 33%. Adverse events were observed in 32% of subjects, with mood symptoms being most common. There were no serious adverse events related to the study.Conclusion: We conclude that high dose oral dexamethasone is well tolerated by adults with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and may have some efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption of the calyx extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (a natural pigment) onto cassava starch (CS) was evaluated in order to develop a simple and efficient process of separation and to obtain a biocomposite with antioxidant properties. The diffusion mechanism of anthocyanin on the adsorbent was analyzed, considering pH, contact time and adsorbent dosage. Dye adsorption equilibrium was reached after 12 h of contact time, and it was described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and intra-particle diffusion models. Adsorption equilibrium data were treated with Langmuir, Temkin and Freundlich adsorption isotherms models over the entire adsorbent dosage from 0.1 to 2.0 g. The adsorbent used was characterized by surface acidity, point of zero charge, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy before and after the adsorption of anthocyanins. The content of anthocyanins in the cassava starch was 1.3 ± 04 mg g-1. This study is useful to evaluate the industrial production of a biocomposite rich in antioxidants and the potential application of anthocyanin as a pigment in the food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effect of in ovo Bacillus spp. base probiotic (BBP) administration on hatchability, Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) recovery, performance, and microbiota composition in 2 independent trials using a virulent E. coli seeder challenge model. In each trial, one hundred and eighty 18-day-old embryos were allocated into 1 of 2 groups: Control and treated group (inoculated with 107 BBP). On day 19 of embryogenesis, seeder embryos (n = 18) were inoculated with 4.5 × 104 E. coli/ mL + 272 μg/mL tetracycline and segregated into mesh hatching bags. Twelve chicks per group were euthanized at hatch and at day 7 to evaluate the gastrointestinal composition of total GNB or total aerobic pasteurized bacteria. Also, in trial 2, ceca content from five chickens at day 7 were collected to evaluate microbiota composition. Embryos inoculated with BBP showed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the total number of GNB at day-of-hatch (DOH) and day 7. Probiotic treatment increased BW at DOH and day 7, and BW gain (days 0 to 7) when compared with Control chickens. Proteobacteria phylum was significantly reduced, while the Firmicutes was significantly increased by the BBP as compared to the Control (P < 0.05). At family level, Enterobacteriaceae was significantly decreased, while the Lachnospiraceae was significantly elevated in the BBP as compared to the Control group (P < 0.05). The genus Oscillospira was significantly enriched in the BBP group, whereas the unidentified genus of family Enterobacteriaceae in the Control group (P < 0.05). The BBP group increased the bacterial species richness, although there was no significant difference between treatments (P > 0.05). Interestingly, beta diversity showed a significant difference in bacterial community structure between Control and BBP groups (P < 0.05). The results of the present study suggest that in ovo administration of a BBP can reduce the severity of virulent E. coli horizontal transmission and infection of broiler chickens during hatch. The reduction in the severity of the transmission and infection by the BPP might be achieved through alterations of microbiota composition and its community structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally “exact” quantum Monte Carlo computations for the ground state of many bosons make use of importance sampling. The importance sampling is based either on a guiding function or on an initial variational wave function. Here we investigate the need of importance sampling in the case of path integral ground state (PIGS) Monte Carlo. PIGS is based on a discrete imaginary time evolution of an initial wave function with a nonzero overlap with the ground state, which gives rise to a discrete path which is sampled via a Metropolis-like algorithm. In principle the exact ground state is reached in the limit of an infinite imaginary time evolution, but actual computations are based on finite time evolutions and the question is whether such computations give unbiased exact results. We have studied bulk liquid and solid 4He with PIGS by considering as initial wave function a constant, i.e., the ground state of an ideal Bose gas. This implies that the evolution toward the ground state is driven only by the imaginary time propagator, i.e., there is no importance sampling. For both phases we obtain results converging to those obtained by considering the best available variational wave function (the shadow wave function) as initial wave function. Moreover we obtain the same results even by considering wave functions with the wrong correlations, for instance, a wave function of a strongly localized Einstein crystal for the liquid phase. This convergence is true not only for diagonal properties such as the energy, the radial distribution function, and the static structure factor, but also for off-diagonal ones, such as the one-body density matrix. This robustness of PIGS can be traced back to the fact that the chosen initial wave function acts only at the beginning of the path without affecting the imaginary time propagator. From this analysis we conclude that zero temperature PIGS calculations can be as unbiased as those of finite temperature path integral Monte Carlo. On the other hand, a judicious choice of the initial wave function greatly improves the rate of convergence to the exact results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conflicting evidence challenges clinical decision‐making when breast reconstruction is considered in the context of radiotherapy. Current literature was evaluated and key statements on topical issues were generated and discussed by an expert panel at the International Oncoplastic Breast Surgery Meeting in Milan 2017. Methods: Studies on radiotherapy and breast reconstruction (1985 to September 2017) were screened using MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL. The literature review yielded 30 controversial key questions. A set of key statements was derived and the highest levels of clinical evidence (LoE) for each of these were summarized. Nineteen panellists convened for dedicated discussions at the International Oncoplastic Breast Surgery Meeting to express agreement, disagreement or abstention for the generated key statements. Results: The literature review identified 1522 peer‐reviewed publications. A list of 22 key statements was produced, with the highest LoE recorded for each statement. These ranged from II to IV, with most statements (11 of 22, 50 per cent) supported by LoE III. There was full consensus for nine (41 per cent) of the 22 key statements, and more than 75 per cent agreement was reached for half (11 of 22). Conclusion: Poor evidence exists on which to base patient‐informed consent. Low‐quality studies are conflicting with wide‐ranging treatment options, precluding expert consensus regarding optimal type and timing of breast reconstruction in the context of radiotherapy. There is a need for high‐quality evidence from prospective registries and randomized trials in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]