Showing papers by "University of Georgia published in 2017"
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TL;DR: By identifying and synthesizing dispersed data on production, use, and end-of-life management of polymer resins, synthetic fibers, and additives, this work presents the first global analysis of all mass-produced plastics ever manufactured.
Abstract: Plastics have outgrown most man-made materials and have long been under environmental scrutiny. However, robust global information, particularly about their end-of-life fate, is lacking. By identifying and synthesizing dispersed data on production, use, and end-of-life management of polymer resins, synthetic fibers, and additives, we present the first global analysis of all mass-produced plastics ever manufactured. We estimate that 8300 million metric tons (Mt) as of virgin plastics have been produced to date. As of 2015, approximately 6300 Mt of plastic waste had been generated, around 9% of which had been recycled, 12% was incinerated, and 79% was accumulated in landfills or the natural environment. If current production and waste management trends continue, roughly 12,000 Mt of plastic waste will be in landfills or in the natural environment by 2050.
7,707 citations
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Imperial College London1, Anglia Ruskin University2, Brien Holden Vision Institute3, University of New South Wales4, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness5, Moorfields Eye Hospital6, York Hospital7, Heidelberg University8, L V Prasad Eye Institute9, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary10, Nova Southeastern University11, University of KwaZulu-Natal12, National Health and Medical Research Council13, World Health Organization14, National University of Singapore15, University of Melbourne16, Selçuk University17, University of Miami18, University of Adelaide19, Queen's University Belfast20, Harvard University21, The George Institute for Global Health22, University of Washington23, University of Michigan24, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman25, University of Alabama at Birmingham26, National Institutes of Health27, Johns Hopkins University28, University of São Paulo29, Henry Ford Health System30, University College London31, Sankara Nethralaya32, University of Nairobi33, University of Georgia34, University of Utah35, Federal University of São Paulo36, Yale University37, Alberta Children's Hospital38, University of Illinois at Chicago39, Medical College of Wisconsin40, Novartis41, University of Udine42, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign43, Royal Children's Hospital44, University of Missouri45, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention46, University of Milan47, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai48, Mayo Clinic49, Pan American Health Organization50, University of Indonesia51, University of Pennsylvania52, University of Crete53, University of Southern California54, University of Florence55, Capital Medical University56, Leipzig University57
TL;DR: A series of regression models were fitted to estimate the proportion of moderate or severe vision impairment and blindness by cause, age, region, and year, and found that world regions varied markedly in the causes of blindness and vision impairment in this age group.
1,909 citations
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Stony Brook University1, University of Minnesota2, University of Notre Dame3, University of Vermont4, University of Toronto5, Boston University6, University of Maryland, Baltimore7, Duke University8, University of Kansas9, King's College London10, Columbia University11, Broad Institute12, Purdue University13, University of Iowa14, University of Georgia15, Texas A&M University16, Oklahoma State University–Stillwater17, University of Groningen18, Florida State University19, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences20, Bryn Mawr College21, University of North Texas22, University of Otago23, University at Buffalo24, University of Arizona25, University of New South Wales26, Northwestern University27, Emory University28, University of Kentucky29, University of Pittsburgh30, Brown University31
TL;DR: The HiTOP promises to improve research and clinical practice by addressing the aforementioned shortcomings of traditional nosologies and provides an effective way to summarize and convey information on risk factors, etiology, pathophysiology, phenomenology, illness course, and treatment response.
Abstract: The reliability and validity of traditional taxonomies are limited by arbitrary boundaries between psychopathology and normality, often unclear boundaries between disorders, frequent disorder co-occurrence, heterogeneity within disorders, and diagnostic instability. These taxonomies went beyond evidence available on the structure of psychopathology and were shaped by a variety of other considerations, which may explain the aforementioned shortcomings. The Hierarchical Taxonomy Of Psychopathology (HiTOP) model has emerged as a research effort to address these problems. It constructs psychopathological syndromes and their components/subtypes based on the observed covariation of symptoms, grouping related symptoms together and thus reducing heterogeneity. It also combines co-occurring syndromes into spectra, thereby mapping out comorbidity. Moreover, it characterizes these phenomena dimensionally, which addresses boundary problems and diagnostic instability. Here, we review the development of the HiTOP and the relevant evidence. The new classification already covers most forms of psychopathology. Dimensional measures have been developed to assess many of the identified components, syndromes, and spectra. Several domains of this model are ready for clinical and research applications. The HiTOP promises to improve research and clinical practice by addressing the aforementioned shortcomings of traditional nosologies. It also provides an effective way to summarize and convey information on risk factors, etiology, pathophysiology, phenomenology, illness course, and treatment response. This can greatly improve the utility of the diagnosis of mental disorders. The new classification remains a work in progress. However, it is developing rapidly and is poised to advance mental health research and care significantly as the relevant science matures. (PsycINFO Database Record
1,635 citations
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Anglia Ruskin University1, University of Oxford2, Heidelberg University3, L V Prasad Eye Institute4, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary5, Nova Southeastern University6, Brien Holden Vision Institute7, University of KwaZulu-Natal8, Flinders University9, University of New South Wales10, Royal Liverpool University Hospital11, World Health Organization12, National University of Singapore13, University of Melbourne14, Selçuk University15, University of Burgundy16, University of Miami17, University of Adelaide18, Queen's University Belfast19, Harvard University20, The George Institute for Global Health21, University of Washington22, University of Michigan23, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman24, University of Alabama25, National Institutes of Health26, Johns Hopkins University27, University of São Paulo28, Henry Ford Health System29, University College London30, University of Nairobi31, University of Georgia32, University of Utah33, Federal University of São Paulo34, Yale University35, Alberta Children's Hospital36, University of Pennsylvania37, Medical College of Wisconsin38, Novartis39, University of Udine40, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign41, Royal Children's Hospital42, University of Missouri43, University of Milan44, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention45, Singapore National Eye Center46, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai47, Mayo Clinic48, Pan American Health Organization49, University of Indonesia50, University of Crete51, Erasmus University Rotterdam52, University of Southern California53, University of Florence54, Stellenbosch University55, Capital Medical University56, Leipzig University57, Moorfields Eye Hospital58
TL;DR: There is an ongoing reduction in the age-standardised prevalence of blindness and visual impairment, yet the growth and ageing of the world's population is causing a substantial increase in number of people affected, highlighting the need to scale up vision impairment alleviation efforts at all levels.
1,473 citations
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Georgia Institute of Technology1, National Institutes of Health2, Florida State University3, City College of New York4, Hacettepe University5, California Institute of Technology6, University of Tromsø7, Virginia Tech8, Rikkyo University9, Emory University10, University of Georgia11, Auburn University12, Bethel University13
TL;DR: A wide range of new theoretical methods and analyses have been added to the code base, including functional-group and open-shell symmetry adapted perturbation theory, density-fitted coupled cluster with frozen natural orbitals, orbital-optimized perturbations and coupled-cluster methods, and the "X2C" approach to relativistic corrections, among many other improvements.
Abstract: Psi4 is an ab initio electronic structure program providing methods such as Hartree–Fock, density functional theory, configuration interaction, and coupled-cluster theory. The 1.1 release represents a major update meant to automate complex tasks, such as geometry optimization using complete-basis-set extrapolation or focal-point methods. Conversion of the top-level code to a Python module means that Psi4 can now be used in complex workflows alongside other Python tools. Several new features have been added with the aid of libraries providing easy access to techniques such as density fitting, Cholesky decomposition, and Laplace denominators. The build system has been completely rewritten to simplify interoperability with independent, reusable software components for quantum chemistry. Finally, a wide range of new theoretical methods and analyses have been added to the code base, including functional-group and open-shell symmetry adapted perturbation theory, density-fitted coupled cluster with frozen natura...
1,016 citations
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TL;DR: The assembly and annotation of a reference genome of maize is reported, using single-molecule real-time sequencing and high-resolution optical mapping to identify transposable element lineage expansions that are unique to maize.
Abstract: Complete and accurate reference genomes and annotations provide fundamental tools for characterization of genetic and functional variation. These resources facilitate the determination of biological processes and support translation of research findings into improved and sustainable agricultural technologies. Many reference genomes for crop plants have been generated over the past decade, but these genomes are often fragmented and missing complex repeat regions. Here we report the assembly and annotation of a reference genome of maize, a genetic and agricultural model species, using single-molecule real-time sequencing and high-resolution optical mapping. Relative to the previous reference genome, our assembly features a 52-fold increase in contig length and notable improvements in the assembly of intergenic spaces and centromeres. Characterization of the repetitive portion of the genome revealed more than 130,000 intact transposable elements, allowing us to identify transposable element lineage expansions that are unique to maize. Gene annotations were updated using 111,000 full-length transcripts obtained by single-molecule real-time sequencing. In addition, comparative optical mapping of two other inbred maize lines revealed a prevalence of deletions in regions of low gene density and maize lineage-specific genes.
919 citations
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TL;DR: The evolution and state of the art of cancer nanotheranostics is described, with an emphasis on clinical impact and translation, and how diagnosis and therapy are interwoven to solve clinical issues and improve treatment outcomes.
Abstract: Advances in nanoparticle synthesis and engineering have produced nanoscale agents affording both therapeutic and diagnostic functions that are often referred to by the portmanteau 'nanotheranostics'. The field is associated with many applications in the clinic, especially in cancer management. These include patient stratification, drug-release monitoring, imaging-guided focal therapy and post-treatment response monitoring. Recent advances in nanotheranostics have expanded this notion and enabled the characterization of individual tumours, the prediction of nanoparticle-tumour interactions, and the creation of tailor-designed nanomedicines for individualized treatment. Some of these applications require breaking the dogma that a nanotheranostic must combine both therapeutic and diagnostic agents within a single, physical entity; instead, it can be a general approach in which diagnosis and therapy are interwoven to solve clinical issues and improve treatment outcomes. In this Review, we describe the evolution and state of the art of cancer nanotheranostics, with an emphasis on clinical impact and translation.
806 citations
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TL;DR: Although currently overshadowed by MS in terms of numbers of compounds resolved, NMR spectroscopy offers advantages both on its own and coupled with MS, and is adept at tracing metabolic pathways and fluxes using isotope labels.
619 citations
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University of Coimbra1, University of Brasília2, University of the Basque Country3, University of California, Santa Barbara4, University of Vigo5, Leibniz Association6, Technical University of Berlin7, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences8, National Scientific and Technical Research Council9, University of Tasmania10, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais11, University of Toulouse12, Georgia Southern University13, University of Hong Kong14, Universidad San Francisco de Quito15, University of Concepción16, Cornell University17, Polish Academy of Sciences18, Umeå University19, University of Tromsø20, University of Toronto21, University of Yamanashi22, Egerton University23, University of Georgia24, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras25, University of Maryland, Baltimore County26, Monash University27, James Cook University28
TL;DR: It is hypothesized that litter quality would increase with latitude (despite variation within regions) and traits would be correlated to produce ‘syndromes’ resulting from phylogeny and environmental variation, and it is found lower litter quality and higher nitrogen:phosphorus ratios in the tropics.
Abstract: Plant litter represents a major basal resource in streams, where its decomposition is partly regulated by litter traits. Litter-trait variation may determine the latitudinal gradient in decomposition in streams, which is mainly microbial in the tropics and detritivore-mediated at high latitudes. However, this hypothesis remains untested, as we lack information on large-scale trait variation for riparian litter. Variation cannot easily be inferred from existing leaf-trait databases, since nutrient resorption can cause traits of litter and green leaves to diverge. Here we present the first global-scale assessment of riparian litter quality by determining latitudinal variation (spanning 107°) in litter traits (nutrient concentrations; physical and chemical defences) of 151 species from 24 regions and their relationships with environmental factors and phylogeny. We hypothesized that litter quality would increase with latitude (despite variation within regions) and traits would be correlated to produce ‘syndromes’ resulting from phylogeny and environmental variation. We found lower litter quality and higher nitrogen:phosphorus ratios in the tropics. Traits were linked but showed no phylogenetic signal, suggesting that syndromes were environmentally determined. Poorer litter quality and greater phosphorus limitation towards the equator may restrict detritivore-mediated decomposition, contributing to the predominance of microbial decomposers in tropical streams.
616 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors predict that in the marketplace, technology is rapidly changing the nature of service, customers' service frontline experiences, and customers' relationships with service providers, based on the prediction that in 2019, the prediction will be confirmed.
Abstract: Technology is rapidly changing the nature of service, customers’ service frontline experiences, and customers’ relationships with service providers. Based on the prediction that in the marketplace ...
599 citations
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TL;DR: This article propose an integrative framework of crisis and crisis management that draws from research in strategy, organizational theory, and organizational behavior as well as from research on public relations and corporate communication.
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TL;DR: In this article, the variation of anti-corruption and anti-elite saliency in party positioning across Europe was studied. And it was shown that while anticorruption salience is primarily related to the (regional) context in which a party operates, anti-ELite salience was primarily a function of party ideology, and extreme left and extreme conservative (TAN) parties are significantly more likely to emphasize antielite views.
Abstract: This article addresses the variation of anti-corruption and anti-elite salience in party positioning across Europe. It demonstrates that while anti-corruption salience is primarily related to the (regional) context in which a party operates, anti-elite salience is primarily a function of party ideology. Extreme left and extreme conservative (TAN) parties are significantly more likely to emphasize anti-elite views. Through its use of the new 2014 Chapel Hill Expert Survey wave, this article also introduces the dataset.
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University of Toulouse1, University of British Columbia2, Institut national de la recherche agronomique3, University of Paris4, University of Colorado Boulder5, University of Georgia6, Tel-Hai Academic College7, Dow AgroSciences8, DuPont Pioneer9, University of California, Davis10, Indiana University11, University of Memphis12, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute13
TL;DR: It is found that the genomic architecture of flowering time has been shaped by the most recent whole-genome duplication, which suggests that ancient paralogues can remain in the same regulatory networks for dozens of millions of years.
Abstract: The domesticated sunflower, Helianthus annuus L, is a global oil crop that has promise for climate change adaptation, because it can maintain stable yields across a wide variety of environmental conditions, including drought Even greater resilience is achievable through the mining of resistance alleles from compatible wild sunflower relatives, including numerous extremophile species Here we report a high-quality reference for the sunflower genome (36 gigabases), together with extensive transcriptomic data from vegetative and floral organs The genome mostly consists of highly similar, related sequences and required single-molecule real-time sequencing technologies for successful assembly Genome analyses enabled the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of the Asterids, further establishing the existence of a whole-genome triplication at the base of the Asterids II clade and a sunflower-specific whole-genome duplication around 29 million years ago An integrative approach combining quantitative genetics, expression and diversity data permitted development of comprehensive gene networks for two major breeding traits, flowering time and oil metabolism, and revealed new candidate genes in these networks We found that the genomic architecture of flowering time has been shaped by the most recent whole-genome duplication, which suggests that ancient paralogues can remain in the same regulatory networks for dozens of millions of years This genome represents a cornerstone for future research programs aiming to exploit genetic diversity to improve biotic and abiotic stress resistance and oil production, while also considering agricultural constraints and human nutritional needs
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University of California, Davis1, Agricultural Research Service2, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine3, University of Georgia4, China Agricultural University5, Technische Universität München6, Norwich Research Park7, Institut national de la recherche agronomique8, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada9, University of Arizona10, University of Zurich11, Johns Hopkins University12
TL;DR: It is proposed that the vast amounts of very similar repeated sequences cause frequent errors in recombination and lead to gene duplications and structural chromosome changes that drive fast genome evolution.
Abstract: Aegilops tauschii is the diploid progenitor of the D genome of hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum, genomes AABBDD) and an important genetic resource for wheat. The large size and highly repetitive nature of the Ae. tauschii genome has until now precluded the development of a reference-quality genome sequence. Here we use an array of advanced technologies, including ordered-clone genome sequencing, whole-genome shotgun sequencing, and BioNano optical genome mapping, to generate a reference-quality genome sequence for Ae. tauschii ssp. strangulata accession AL8/78, which is closely related to the wheat D genome. We show that compared to other sequenced plant genomes, including a much larger conifer genome, the Ae. tauschii genome contains unprecedented amounts of very similar repeated sequences. Our genome comparisons reveal that the Ae. tauschii genome has a greater number of dispersed duplicated genes than other sequenced genomes and its chromosomes have been structurally evolving an order of magnitude faster than those of other grass genomes. The decay of colinearity with other grass genomes correlates with recombination rates along chromosomes. We propose that the vast amounts of very similar repeated sequences cause frequent errors in recombination and lead to gene duplications and structural chromosome changes that drive fast genome evolution.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of disclosure language (control/no disclosure, SP, sponsored, and paid ad) in Instagram-based influencer advertising on ad recognition, brand attitude, and pu...
Abstract: In this study we examined the effect of disclosure language (control/no disclosure, “SP,” “Sponsored,” and “Paid Ad”) in Instagram-based influencer advertising on ad recognition, brand attitude, pu...
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TL;DR: The classic ADMM can be extended to the N-block Jacobi fashion and preserve convergence in the following two cases: (i) matrices A_i and Ai are mutually near-orthogonal and have full column-rank, or (ii) proximal terms are added to theN subproblems (but without any assumption on matrices $$A_i$$Ai).
Abstract: This paper introduces a parallel and distributed algorithm for solving the following minimization problem with linear constraints: $$\begin{aligned} \text {minimize} ~~&f_1(\mathbf{x}_1) + \cdots + f_N(\mathbf{x}_N)\\ \text {subject to}~~&A_1 \mathbf{x}_1 ~+ \cdots + A_N\mathbf{x}_N =c,\\&\mathbf{x}_1\in {\mathcal {X}}_1,~\ldots , ~\mathbf{x}_N\in {\mathcal {X}}_N, \end{aligned}$$minimizef1(x1)+ź+fN(xN)subject toA1x1+ź+ANxN=c,x1źX1,ź,xNźXN,where $$N \ge 2$$Nź2, $$f_i$$fi are convex functions, $$A_i$$Ai are matrices, and $${\mathcal {X}}_i$$Xi are feasible sets for variable $$\mathbf{x}_i$$xi. Our algorithm extends the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) and decomposes the original problem into N smaller subproblems and solves them in parallel at each iteration. This paper shows that the classic ADMM can be extended to the N-block Jacobi fashion and preserve convergence in the following two cases: (i) matrices $$A_i$$Ai are mutually near-orthogonal and have full column-rank, or (ii) proximal terms are added to the N subproblems (but without any assumption on matrices $$A_i$$Ai). In the latter case, certain proximal terms can let the subproblem be solved in more flexible and efficient ways. We show that $$\Vert {\mathbf {x}}^{k+1} - {\mathbf {x}}^k\Vert _M^2$$źxk+1-xkźM2 converges at a rate of o(1 / k) where M is a symmetric positive semi-definte matrix. Since the parameters used in the convergence analysis are conservative, we introduce a strategy for automatically tuning the parameters to substantially accelerate our algorithm in practice. We implemented our algorithm (for the case ii above) on Amazon EC2 and tested it on basis pursuit problems with >300 GB of distributed data. This is the first time that successfully solving a compressive sensing problem of such a large scale is reported.
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TL;DR: It is shown that the gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron uses the most structurally complex glycan known: the plant pectic polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan-II, cleaving all but 1 of its 21 distinct glycosidic linkages.
Abstract: The metabolism of carbohydrate polymers drives microbial diversity in the human gut microbiota. It is unclear, however, whether bacterial consortia or single organisms are required to depolymerize highly complex glycans. Here we show that the gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron uses the most structurally complex glycan known: the plant pectic polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan-II, cleaving all but 1 of its 21 distinct glycosidic linkages. The deconstruction of rhamnogalacturonan-II side chains and backbone are coordinated to overcome steric constraints, and the degradation involves previously undiscovered enzyme families and catalytic activities. The degradation system informs revision of the current structural model of rhamnogalacturonan-II and highlights how individual gut bacteria orchestrate manifold enzymes to metabolize the most challenging glycan in the human diet.
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Stanford University1, University of South Florida2, University of Georgia3, Virginia Tech4, University of Florida5, Santa Fe Institute6, University of California, Los Angeles7, Indiana University8, State University of New York Upstate Medical University9, Pennsylvania State University10, University of Michigan11
TL;DR: Temperature-dependent transmission based on a mechanistic model is an important predictor of human transmission occurrence and incidence in tropical and subtropical regions and in temperate areas even if vectors are present.
Abstract: Recent epidemics of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya have heightened the need to understand the seasonal and geographic range of transmission by Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. We use mechanistic transmission models to derive predictions for how the probability and magnitude of transmission for Zika, chikungunya, and dengue change with mean temperature, and we show that these predictions are well matched by human case data. Across all three viruses, models and human case data both show that transmission occurs between 18-34°C with maximal transmission occurring in a range from 26-29°C. Controlling for population size and two socioeconomic factors, temperature-dependent transmission based on our mechanistic model is an important predictor of human transmission occurrence and incidence. Risk maps indicate that tropical and subtropical regions are suitable for extended seasonal or year-round transmission, but transmission in temperate areas is limited to at most three months per year even if vectors are present. Such brief transmission windows limit the likelihood of major epidemics following disease introduction in temperate zones.
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TL;DR: Examination of users of four social networking sites and their influence on online bridging and bonding social capital found that Twitter users had the highest bridging social capital, followed by Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, while Snapchat usersHad the highest bonding socialcapital, following by Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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TL;DR: Attention to social comparison, SNS trust, tie strength, and homophily also significantly moderated the relationship between frequent use of each SNS to follow brands, and brand community-related outcomes.
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TL;DR: It is suggested that a failure to distinguish between grandiose and vulnerable presentations of narcissism has led to a less cohesive and coherent literature and that trait-based models of personality and personality disorder can bring greater clarity to many of these important debates.
Abstract: There has been a surge in interest in and research on narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Despite or because of this increased attention, there are several areas of substantial debate that surround the construct, including descriptions of grandiose and vulnerable dimensions or variants, questions regarding the existence of a consensual description, central versus peripheral features of narcissism, distinctions between normal and pathological narcissism, possible etiological factors, the role of self-esteem in narcissism, where narcissism should be studied, how it can be assessed, and its representation in diagnostic nosologies. We suggest that a failure to distinguish between grandiose (i.e., overtly immodest, self-centered, entitled, domineering) and vulnerable (e.g., self-centered, distrustful, neurotic, introverted) presentations of narcissism has led to a less cohesive and coherent literature and that trait-based models of personality and personality disorder can bring greater clarity to many of these important debates.
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TL;DR: The aim of this review is to highlight the recent advances (over the past 10years) in developing antimicrobial materials for urinary catheters and to outline future requirements and prospects that guide catheter materials selection and design.
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TL;DR: The recent findings on the evolutionary origin and molecular mechanism of gbM are highlighted and studies describing the possible roles for this enigmatic epigenetic phenotype are synthesized.
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TL;DR: The 2017 version of Cloudy as mentioned in this paper is the most recent version of the spectral synthesis code, which has made many improvements to the scope and accuracy of the physics which have been made since the previous release.
Abstract: We describe the 2017 release of the spectral synthesis code Cloudy , summa- rizing the many improvements to the scope and accuracy of the physics which have been made since the previous release. Exporting the atomic data into external data files has enabled many new large datasets to be incorporated into the code. The use of the complete datasets is not realistic for most calculations, so we describe the lim- ited subset of data used by default, which predicts significantly more lines than the previous release of Cloudy . This version is nevertheless faster than the previous release, as a result of code optimizations. We give examples of the accuracy limits using small models, and the performance requirements of large complete models. We summarize several advances in the H- and He-like iso-electronic sequences and use our complete collisional-radiative models to establish the densities where the coronal and local thermodynamic equilibrium approximations work.
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TL;DR: This work states that sand scarcity is an emerging issue with major sociopolitical, economic, and environmental implications that needs to be addressed urgently.
Abstract: Between 1900 and 2010, the global volume of natural resources used in buildings and transport infrastructure increased 23-fold ( 1 ). Sand and gravel are the largest portion of these primary material inputs (79% or 28.6 gigatons per year in 2010) and are the most extracted group of materials worldwide, exceeding fossil fuels and biomass ( 2 ). In most regions, sand is a common-pool resource, i.e., a resource that is open to all because access can be limited only at high cost. Because of the difficulty in regulating their consumption, common-pool resources are prone to tragedies of the commons as people may selfishly extract them without considering long-term consequences, eventually leading to overexploitation or degradation. Even when sand mining is regulated, it is often subject to rampant illegal extraction and trade ( 3 ). As a result, sand scarcity ( 4 ) is an emerging issue with major sociopolitical, economic, and environmental implications.
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International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics1, Institut de recherche pour le développement2, University of Georgia3, Leibniz Association4, Fort Valley State University5, Cornell University6, University of Florida7, Junagadh Agricultural University8, United States Department of Agriculture9, Amity University10, University of Vienna11, University of Arizona12, Indian Council of Agricultural Research13, University of Montpellier14, University of Lyon15, Oklahoma State University–Stillwater16, DuPont Pioneer17, Aberystwyth University18, Visva-Bharati University19, Agricultural Research Service20
TL;DR: This work resequenced and analyzed 994 pearl millet lines, enabling insights into population structure, genetic diversity and domestication, and establishes marker trait associations for genomic selection, to define heterotic pools, and to predict hybrid performance.
Abstract: Pearl millet [Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone] is a staple food for more than 90 million farmers in arid and semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa, India and South Asia. We report the ~1.79 Gb draft whole genome sequence of reference genotype Tift 23D2B1-P1-P5, which contains an estimated 38,579 genes. We highlight the substantial enrichment for wax biosynthesis genes, which may contribute to heat and drought tolerance in this crop. We resequenced and analyzed 994 pearl millet lines, enabling insights into population structure, genetic diversity and domestication. We use these resequencing data to establish marker trait associations for genomic selection, to define heterotic pools, and to predict hybrid performance. We believe that these resources should empower researchers and breeders to improve this important staple crop.
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University of Wisconsin-Madison1, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee2, University of Waterloo3, Virginia Tech4, Dartmouth College5, Michigan State University6, Queen's University7, University of Georgia8, University of California, Santa Barbara9, Iowa State University10, University of California, Davis11, Universidad Nacional del Sur12, Institute of Ecosystem Studies13
TL;DR: It is found that in Midwest and Northeast North America, most urban lakes and rural lakes that are surrounded by >1% impervious land cover show increasing chloride trends, and many lakes will exceed the aquatic life threshold criterion for chronic chloride exposure in the next 50 y if current trends continue.
Abstract: The highest densities of lakes on Earth are in north temperate ecosystems, where increasing urbanization and associated chloride runoff can salinize freshwaters and threaten lake water quality and the many ecosystem services lakes provide. However, the extent to which lake salinity may be changing at broad spatial scales remains unknown, leading us to first identify spatial patterns and then investigate the drivers of these patterns. Significant decadal trends in lake salinization were identified using a dataset of long-term chloride concentrations from 371 North American lakes. Landscape and climate metrics calculated for each site demonstrated that impervious land cover was a strong predictor of chloride trends in Northeast and Midwest North American lakes. As little as 1% impervious land cover surrounding a lake increased the likelihood of long-term salinization. Considering that 27% of large lakes in the United States have >1% impervious land cover around their perimeters, the potential for steady and long-term salinization of these aquatic systems is high. This study predicts that many lakes will exceed the aquatic life threshold criterion for chronic chloride exposure (230 mg L-1), stipulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in the next 50 y if current trends continue.
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TL;DR: An advanced 4D biofabrication approach, based on printing of shape‐morphing biopolymer hydrogels, is developed for the fabrication of hollow self‐folding tubes with unprecedented control over their diameters and architectures at high resolution.
Abstract: Despite the tremendous potential of bioprinting techniques toward the fabrication of highly complex biological structures and the flourishing progress in 3D bioprinting, the most critical challenge of the current approaches is the printing of hollow tubular structures. In this work, an advanced 4D biofabrication approach, based on printing of shape-morphing biopolymer hydrogels, is developed for the fabrication of hollow self-folding tubes with unprecedented control over their diameters and architectures at high resolution. The versatility of the approach is demonstrated by employing two different biopolymers (alginate and hyaluronic acid) and mouse bone marrow stromal cells. Harnessing the printing and postprinting parameters allows attaining average internal tube diameters as low as 20 µm, which is not yet achievable by other existing bioprinting/biofabrication approaches and is comparable to the diameters of the smallest blood vessels. The proposed 4D biofabrication process does not pose any negative effect on the viability of the printed cells, and the self-folded hydrogel-based tubes support cell survival for at least 7 d without any decrease in cell viability. Consequently, the presented 4D biofabrication strategy allows the production of dynamically reconfigurable architectures with tunable functionality and responsiveness, governed by the selection of suitable materials and cells.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the assembly and annotation of maize, a genetic and agricultural model species, using Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing and high-resolution optical mapping is reported.
Abstract: Complete and accurate reference genomes and annotations provide fundamental tools for characterization of genetic and functional variation. These resources facilitate elucidation of biological processes and support translation of research findings into improved and sustainable agricultural technologies. Many reference genomes for crop plants have been generated over the past decade, but these genomes are often fragmented and missing complex repeat regions. Here, we report the assembly and annotation of maize, a genetic and agricultural model species, using Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing and high-resolution optical mapping. Relative to the previous reference genome, our assembly features a 52-fold increase in contig length and significant improvements in the assembly of intergenic spaces and centromeres. Characterization of the repetitive portion of the genome revealed over 130,000 intact transposable elements (TEs), allowing us to identify TE lineage expansions unique to maize. Gene annotations were updated using 111,000 full-length transcripts obtained by SMRT sequencing. In addition, comparative optical mapping of two other inbreds revealed a prevalence of deletions in the low gene density region and maize lineage-specific genes.
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TL;DR: Stomatal conductance of two species (a broadleaf and a conifer) increased with increasing temperature, and this response was independent of carbon metabolism, plant water status, or vapour pressure difference.
Abstract: The effect of temperature on stomatal conductance (gs) and corresponding gas exchange parameters was studied in two tree species with contrasting leaf anatomy and ecophysiology-a broadleaf angiosperm, Populus deltoides x nigra (poplar), and a needle-leaf gymnosperm, Pinus taeda (loblolly pine). Experiments were conducted in growth chambers across a leaf temperature range of 19-48°C. Manipulations of temperature were done in well-watered and drought soil conditions and under ambient (400 ppm) and elevated (800 ppm) air CO2 concentrations. Increases in leaf temperature caused stomatal opening at both ambient and elevated [CO2]. The gs increased by 42% in poplar and by 40% in loblolly pine when leaf temperature increased from 30°C to 40°C at a vapour pressure difference of 1 kPa. Stomatal limitation to photosynthesis decreased in elevated temperature in loblolly pine but not in poplar. The ratio of net photosynthesis to gs depended on leaf temperature, especially at high temperatures. Evaporative cooling of transpiring leaves resulted in reductions in leaf temperature up to 9°C in well-watered poplar but only 1°C in drought-stressed poplar and in loblolly pine. As global mean temperatures rise and temperature extremes become more frequent and severe, understanding the effect of temperature on gs, and modelling that relationship, will become increasingly important.