Examining the distributional equity of urban tree canopy cover (UTCC) has increasingly become an important interdisciplinary focus of ecologists and social scientists working within the field of ...environmental justice. However, while UTCC may serve as a useful proxy for the benefits provided by the urban forest, it is ultimately not a direct measure. In this study, we quantified the monetary value of multiple ecosystem services (ESD) provisioned by urban forests across nine U.S. cities. Next, we examined the distributional equity of UTCC and ESD using a number of commonly investigated socioeconomic variables. Based on trends in the literature, we predicted that UTCC and ESD would be positively associated with the variables median income and percent with an undergraduate degree and negatively associated with the variables percent minority, percent poverty, percent without a high school degree, percent renters, median year home built, and population density. We also predicted that there would be differences in the relationships between each response variable (UTCC and ESD) and the suite of socioeconomic predictor variables examined because of differences in how each response variable is derived. We utilized methods promoted within the environmental justice literature, including a multi-city comparative analysis, the incorporation of high-resolution social and environmental datasets, and the use of spatially explicit models. Patterns between the socioeconomic variables and UTCC and ESD did not consistently support our predictions, highlighting that inequities are generally not universal but rather context dependent. Our results also illustrated that although the variables UTCC and ESD had largely similar relationships with the predictor variables, differences did occur between them. Future distributional equity research should move beyond the use of proxies for environmental amenities when possible while making sure to consider that the use of ecosystem service estimates may result in different patterns with socioeconomic variables of interest. Based on our findings, we conclude that understanding and remedying the challenges associated with inequities requires an understanding of the local social-ecological system if larger sustainability goals are to be achieved.
Proca Q-balls and Q-shells Heeck, Julian; Rajaraman, Arvind; Riley, Rebecca ...
The journal of high energy physics,
10/2021, Letnik:
2021, Številka:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
A
bstract
Non-topological solitons such as Q-balls and Q-shells have been studied for scalar fields invariant under global and gauged U(1) symmetries. We generalize this frame-work to include a Proca ...mass for the gauge boson, which can arise either from spontaneous symmetry breaking or via the Stückelberg mechanism. A heavy (light) gauge boson leads to solitons reminiscent of the global (gauged) case, but for intermediate values these Proca solitons exhibit completely novel features such as disconnected regions of viable parameter space and Q-shells with unbounded radius. We provide numerical solutions and excellent analytic approximations for both Proca Q-balls and Q-shells. These allow us to not only demonstrate the novel features numerically, but also understand and predict their origin analytically.
Scalar field theories with particular U(1) -symmetric potentials contain nontopological soliton solutions called Q-balls. Promoting the U(1) to a gauge symmetry leads to the more complicated ...situation of gauged Q-balls. The soliton solutions to the resulting set of nonlinear differential equations have markedly different properties, such as a maximal possible size and charge. Despite these differences, we discover a relation that allows one to extract the properties of gauged Q-balls (such as the radius, charge, and energy) from the more easily obtained properties of global Q-balls. These results provide a new guide to understanding gauged Q-balls as well as providing simple and accurate analytical characterization of the Q-ball properties.
Complex scalar fields charged under a global U(1) symmetry can admit nontopological soliton configurations called Q-balls, which are stable against decay into individual particles or smaller Q-balls. ...These Q-balls are interesting objects within quantum field theory, but are also of phenomenological interest in several cosmological and astrophysical contexts. The Q-ball profiles are determined by a nonlinear differential equation, and so they generally require solution by numerical methods. In this work, we derive analytical approximations for the Q-ball profile in a polynomial potential and obtain simple expressions for the important Q-ball properties of charge, energy, and radius. These results improve significantly on the often-used thin-wall approximation and make it possible to describe Q-balls to excellent precision without having to solve the underlying differential equation.
Rights-of-way: a potential conservation resource Gardiner, Mary M; Riley, Christopher B; Bommarco, Riccardo ...
Frontiers in ecology and the environment,
April 2018, Letnik:
16, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Rights-of-way (ROW) that enable the transport of humans, goods, and energy (eg roads and road verges, railways and embankments, and power lines and the corridors they occupy) cover vast areas and can ...resemble a species-rich natural habitat. We examine the value of ROW for biodiversity conservation. Similar to grasslands or heathlands, the green spaces associated with ROW often harbor high numbers of species, including rare plants and animals. There is, however, a risk that ROW can act as ecological traps, by attracting organisms that fail to survive and/or reproduce within ROW green spaces. To date, a focus on documenting species occurrence has left major gaps in our understanding of how life in a ROW influences the survival and reproduction of populations, their biotic interactions, and movements within a broader landscape. Estimating these parameters allows for management to better recognize the potential conservation value of these landscape elements.
Abstract Purpose Normative biopsychosocial stressors that occur during entry into adolescence can affect school performance. As a set of resources for adapting to life's challenges, good health may ...buffer a child from these potentially harmful stressors. This study examined the associations between health (measured as well-being, functioning, symptoms, and chronic conditions) and school outcomes among children aged 9–13 years in 4th–8th grades. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1,479 children from 34 schools followed from 2006 to 2008. Survey data were obtained from children and their parents, and school records were abstracted. Measures of child self-reported health were dichotomized to indicate presence of a health asset. Outcomes included attendance, grade point average, state achievement test scores, and child-reported school engagement and teacher connectedness. Results Both the transition into middle school and puberty had independent negative influences on school outcomes. Chronic health conditions that affected children's functional status were associated with poorer academic achievement. The number of health assets that a child possessed was positively associated with school outcomes. Low levels of negative stress experiences and high physical comfort had positive effects on teacher connectedness, school engagement, and academic achievement, whereas bullying and bully victimization negatively affected these outcomes. Children with high life satisfaction were more connected with teachers, more engaged in schoolwork, and earned higher grades than those who were less satisfied. Conclusions As children enter adolescence, good health may buffer them from the potentially negative effects of school and pubertal transitions on academic success.
As the search for an immune privileged allogeneic donor mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) line continues in equine medicine, the characterization of the cells between different sources becomes important. ...Our research seeks to more clearly define the MSC marker expression of different equine MSC donors.
The bone marrow-derived MSCs from two equine breeds and different blood donor-types were compared over successive culture passages to determine the differential expression of important antigens. Eighteen Thoroughbreds and 18 Standardbreds, including 8 blood donor (erythrocyte Aa, Ca, and Qa antigen negative) horses, were evaluated. Bone marrow was taken from each horse for isolation and culture of MSCs. Samples from passages 2, 4, 6, and 8 were labelled and evaluated by flow cytometry. The cell surface expression of CD11a/18, CD44, CD90 and MHC class II antigens were assessed. Trilineage assays for differentiation into adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic lines were performed to verify characterization of the cells as MSCs.
There were significant differences in mesenchymal stem cell marker expression between breeds and blood antigen-type groups over time. Standardbred horses showed a significantly lower expression of MHC class II than did Thoroughbred horses at passages 2, 4 and 6. CD90 was significantly higher in universal blood donor Standardbreds as compared to non-blood donor Standardbreds over all time points. All MSC samples showed high expression of CD44 and low expression of CD11a/18.
Universal blood donor- type Standardbred MSCs from passages 2-4 show the most ideal antigen expression pattern of the horses and passages that we characterized for use as a single treatment of donor bone marrow-derived MSCs. Further work is needed to determine the significance of this differential expression along with the effect of the expression of MHC I on equine bone marrow-derived MSCs.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) -2 and MMP-3 in serum, and keratinocyte-derived chemoattractant (KC), interleukin 8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemoattractant 1 ...(MCP-1) in synovial fluid (SF) as stifle osteoarthritis (OA) biomarkers in dogs. Dogs with naturally occurring cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) rupture (OA group) and healthy controls were recruited. Stifles with CrCL deficiency were surgically stabilized. Serum, SF, and synovial biopsy samples were collected from the OA group preoperatively, whereas samples were collected once from control dogs. A blinded veterinary pathologist graded synovial biopsies. Serum and SF analyses were performed using xMAP technology. General linear regression was used for statistical comparisons of serum biomarkers, and mixed linear regression for SF biomarkers and temporal concentration changes. The overall discriminative ability was quantified using area under curve (AUC). Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess correlations between synovial histology grades and the biomarkers. Samples from 62 dogs in the OA group and 50 controls were included. The MMP-2 and MMP-3 concentrations between the OA and control groups were not significantly different, and both with an AUC indicating a poor discriminative ability. All three SF biomarker concentrations were significantly different between the OA group and controls (P <0.05). The MCP-1 was the only biomarker showing an acceptable discriminative performance with an AUC of 0.91 (95% confidence interval: 0.83-0.98). The sum of the inflammatory infiltrate score was significantly correlated with all three SF biomarkers (P <0.01). Summed synovial stroma, and all scores combined were significantly correlated with IL-8 and MCP-1 concentrations (P <0.003), and the summed synoviocyte scores were significantly correlated with MCP-1 concentrations (P <0.001). Correlations between MCP-1 concentrations and synovial histopathologic grading and its discriminative ability suggest its potential as a synovitis biomarker in canine stifle OA associated with CrCL rupture.
Bandaging of limb wounds in horses leads to formation of exuberant granulation tissue (EGT) that retards healing due to protracted inflammation, aberrant vascularisation and delayed ...epithelialisation. EGT is not observed if wounds are left undressed or when wounds are on the body. A previous study showed that short-term administration of proteins derived from orf virus dampened inflammation and promoted epithelialisation of open wounds in horses. Here, we investigated the impact of orf virus interleukin-10 and vascular endothelial growth factor-E on the development and resolution of EGT. Excisional wounds were created on the forelimb of four horses, and bandages were maintained until full healing to induce EGT formation. Matching body wounds were created to ensure EGT was limited to the limb, and to differentiate the effects of the viral proteins on normal healing and on EGT formation. Viral proteins or the hydrogel vehicle control were administered topically to site-matched wounds at day 1, with repeat administration at day 8. Wound healing and EGT formation were monitored macroscopically. Wound margin samples were harvested at 2, 7 and 14 days, and at full healing, with histology used to observe epithelialisation, immunofluorescence used to detect inflammatory cells, angiogenesis and cell death, and qPCR to measure expression of genes regulating inflammation and angiogenesis. Limb wounds developed EGT, and exhibited slower healing than body wounds. Viral protein treatment did not accelerate healing at either location nor limit EGT formation in limb wounds. Treatment of limb wounds did however increase epithelialisation and angiogenesis, without dampening inflammatory cell infiltration or gene expression. The healed wounds also had less occlusion and death of blood vessels and fewer epidermal rete ridges following viral protein treatment. These findings indicate that the viral protein treatment does not suppress wound inflammation or EGT formation, but does promote vascular and epidermal repair and EGT resolution.
To examine the associations between having a special health care need and school outcomes measured as attendance, student engagement, behavioral threats to achievement, and academic achievement.
A ...total of 1457 children in the fourth through sixth grades from 34 schools in 3 school districts and their parents provided survey data; parents completed the Children With Special Health Care Needs Screener. School records were abstracted for attendance, grades, and standardized achievement test scores.
Across 34 schools, 33% of children screened positive for special health care needs. After adjusting for sociodemographic and school effects, children with special health care needs had lower motivation to do well in school, more disruptive behaviors, and more frequent experiences as a bully victim. They experienced significantly lower academic achievement, as measured by grades, standardized testing, and parental-assessed academic performance. These findings were observed for children who qualified as having a special health care need because they had functional limitations attributed to a chronic illness or a behavioral health problem but not for those who qualified only because they took prescription medications.
Specific subgroups of children with special health care needs are at increased risk for poor school outcomes. Health and school professionals will need to collaborate to identify these children early, intervene with appropriate medical and educational services, and monitor long-term outcomes.
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