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Aircraft noise exposure and body mass index among female participants in two Nurses Health Study prospective cohorts living around 90 airports in the United States
Get PDFAircraft noise exposure is linked to cardiovascular disease risk. One understudied candidate pathway is obesity. This study investigates the association between aircraft noise and obesity among female participants in two prospective Nurses’ Health Study (NHS and NHSII) cohorts.Aircraft day-night average sound levels (DNL) were estimated at participant residential addresses from modeled 1 dB (dB) noise contours above 44 dB for 90 United States (U.S.) airports in 5-year intervals 1995–2010. Biennial surveys (1994–2017) provided information on body mass index (BMI; dichotomized, categorical) and other individual characteristics. Change in BMI from age 18 (BMI18; tertiles) was also calculated. Aircraft noise exposures were dichotomized (45, 55 dB), categorized (<45, 45–54, ≥55 dB) or continuous for exposure ≥45 dB. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression using generalized estimating equations were adjusted for individual characteristics and neighborhood socioeconomic status, greenness, population density, and environmental noise. Effect modification was assessed by U.S. Census region, climate boundary, airline hub type, hearing loss, and smoking status.At baseline, the 74,848 female participants averaged 50.1 years old, with 83.0%, 14.8%, and 2.2% exposed to <45, 45–54, and ≥55 dB of aircraft noise, respectively. In fully adjusted models, exposure ≥55 dB was associated with 11% higher odds (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: −1%, 24%) of BMIs ≥30.0, and 15% higher odds (95%CI: 3%, 29%) of membership in the highest tertile of BMI18 (ΔBMI 6.7 to 71.6). Less-pronounced associations were observed for the 2nd tertile of BMI18 (ΔBMI 2.9 to 6.6) and BMI 25.0–29.9 as well as exposures ≥45 versus <45 dB. There was evidence of DNL-BMI trends (ptrends ≤ 0.02). Stronger associations were observed among participants living in the West, arid climate areas, and among former smokers.In two nationwide cohorts of female nurses, higher aircraft noise exposure was associated with higher BMI, adding evidence to an aircraft noise-obesity-disease pathway
Understanding the Validity of Real-world Security Patches
Get PDFIn today’s digital landscape, the spread of cyber threats presents an ongoing challenge for software security. Addressing vulnerabilities through effective patching practices is key to safeguarding systems and data from malicious exploitation. This study delves into the characteristics of security vulnerability patching within the software ecosystem, using a dataset spanning over 12 years. Our study explores 3,094 vulnerabilities across 682 open-source projects. Through analysis of vulnerable codes and associated patching activities; the research sheds light on the implications of patch deployment strategies. The study acquires some insights into patch development and deployment by examining the patterns of vulnerability symptoms, causes and consequences. The findings reveal that 15.5% unreliable vulnerabilities persist for extended periods before "actually" fixed. Moreover, the study finds 4.15% patches to be incorrect. This research advances cybersecurity resilience and informs facts for mitigating emerging threats in software systems by providing an understanding of security patching practices
The Development of PSMA-Targeted Drug Conjugates
Get PDFProstate cancer ranks as the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths among American men. Historically, treatments for prostate cancer have faced challenges with off-target effects and a lack of specificity, leading to diminished treatment efficacy and potential impacts on the patients’ quality of life. Efforts in targeted therapy focus on the delivery of cytotoxic agents to diseased tissue to achieve a controlled therapeutic outcome. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) being a dominant enzyme-biomarker associated with prostate cancer makes it an ideal target for various approaches, including antibodies, imaging agents, radiotherapeutics, and small-molecule drug conjugates (SMDC). Like many other groups in the field of targeted drug delivery,we have developed a phosphoramidate-based inhibitor which has a high-affinity for PSMA. This inhibitor binds irreversibly to PSMA and can deliver a diverse array of payloads to PSMA (+) cells. Current research in the Berkman lab focuses on the development of drug-delivery platforms that includes: (1) a cytotoxic agent, (2) a novel pH-sensitive linker, and (3) a small molecule targeting ligand for PSMA. Recent work in our group was the development of pH sensitivephosphoramidate scaffolds. Our goal was to design a modular drug-delivery platform for prostate cancer that allows for late-stage modifications without compromising its affinity for PSMA. The work detailed in this report demonstrates the selectivity and effectiveness of our PSMA-targeted SMDCs against PSMA (+) cell lines, exploration of self-immolative spacers to be incorporated into our phosphoramidate scaffolds, and the synthesis of a second-generation phosphoramidate-based SMDCs to broaden the application of clinically relevant targeted chemotherapeutic agents for prostate cancer therapy
Gender Bias in Sports in Nigerian Secondary Schools
Get PDFGender bias in sports in Nigerian secondary schools remains a significant challenge, perpetuating gender stereotypes and hindering girls’ access to sports. Despite the recognized benefits of sports for physical, social, and mental development, girls face numerous barriers rooted in societal norms, cultural beliefs, and institutional practices in participating in sports. Therefore, this study explores the contributing factors to this problem, and identify strategies to promote greater gender equity and access to sports opportunities for girls. Through interviews with selected secondary school teachers, firsthand insights into the issues of gender bias in sports within Nigerian secondary schools were obtained. The qualitative data obtained offers valuable insights into the lived experiences of educators regarding gender bias in sports. The findings highlight significant gender disparities in sports participation within Nigerian secondary schools, which is characterized by unequal resource allocation, favoring male sports activities. These disparities perpetuate gender stereotypes and hinder the participation of female students in sports. Additionally, this study shows that psychological effects, influenced by gender bias, negatively impact female students’ self-esteem and willingness to participate in sports. Moreover, teacher attitudes, stereotypes, and resource inequalities further contribute to gender inequities in sports. This study also showed that traditional gender roles and religious beliefs impose additional barriers to female students sports participation.This study emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive interventions to tackle cultural barriers and foster gender equity in sports. These interventions include awareness campaigns, teacher training, and equitable resource allocation. Policy development and implementation are critical for fostering gender equity in sports, necessitating government intervention and proactive measures within schools. Awareness-raising and community engagement were identified as crucial strategies for challenging these norms and advocating for policy reforms and cultural shifts
A Bryoflora of the Indian Heaven Wilderness, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington
Get PDFBryophyte distributions and abundance data are grossly underrepresented in floristics studies throughout the United States. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest, in Washington State, covers 1.3 million acres and extends from Mt. Rainier National Park to the Columbia River. The purpose of this study was to inventory the bryophytes of the Indian Heaven Wilderness, located in the eastern portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Skamania County. The Indian Heaven Wilderness consists of 84.1 km2 of protected land and ranges in elevation from 823 m to 1,372 m. The area was historically used for huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum) cultivation by the local Native Americans. The Indian Heaven Wilderness forested land is second-growth because of the historical burning of the land to promote huckleberry harvests. The habitats of the study area consist of rocky outcrops, open meadows, Douglas-fir-dominated forests, lakes, and streams. Based on historical records and our collecting efforts a total of 1,033 bryophyte specimens have been documented in the Indian Heaven Wilderness and vicinity. We collected 74 moss species representing 20 different families, and 62 of these species have not been previously described in the Indian Heaven Wilderness. One of the moss species collected, Gemmabryum vinosum J.R. Spence & K.M. Kellman, was not previously recorded as far north as Washington State. We collected 12 liverwort species representing 9 different families, and 2 of these species have not been previously documented in the Indian Heaven Wilderness. The bryoflora of the Indian Heaven Wilderness is a start to increasing sampling efforts of bryophytes through Washington State. An increase in bryophyte distribution data will aid in rarity assessment and conservation planning
SCALING ENERGY BALANCE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION MODELS, METRIC, SEBAL, AND SSEB, TO HIGH RESOLUTION sUAS IMAGERY
Get PDFA point measurement of evapotranspiration (ET) is usually not enough to capture the spatiotemporal variability within an irrigated field for precision irrigation management. Therefore, the key goal of this thesis was to study the suitability and scalability of high-altitude remote sensing driven ET estimation models for generating high resolution ET maps of irrigated field crops, with tall wheatgrass as a model crop. To realize this goal, three satellite-based surface energy balance (SEB) ET models have been adapted to work with sUAS (small Unmanned Aerial Systems) imagery. Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC), Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), and Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB) were the models used for producing ET maps using sUAS aerial imagery. For the growing season of 2023, sUAS multispectral and thermal images of a drip irrigated tall wheatgrass field were captured with a GSD of 2 cm. Since solar radiation is the primary driver of the ET process, the first objective was focused on the estimation of net radiation from sUAS imagery. The broadband albedo, a parameter critical for estimating the net radiation, was computed through the weighted average of narrow-band reflectance. The weighted average was obtained by simulating the incoming solar radiation and the narrow-band reflectance maps obtained from the sUAS multispectral imagery. The comparison of the computed albedo with the measured albedo yielded a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.02, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.01, and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 5.92%. As for the computed and measured net radiation the RMSE was 32.77 W/m2, the MAE was 23.03 W/m2 and the MAPE was 3.91%. The second objective assessed how the three ET models' estimation values correlate with one another. The model specific ET maps were correlated on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The ET estimates from the three models were then ensembled to come up with a single ET estimate. Upon comparison of the ensembled ET with the amount of water use in the 25, 50, 75% water-stressed and control (100% of required water based on WHAT?) irrigated plots, an MAE value of 0.70 mm/day, RMSE of 0.79 mm/day, and MAPE value of 2.15% was observed. Overall, results suggest that ET maps derived from sUAS imagery, can be used to help make informed irrigation decisions
