Site-specific Characteristics Research Articles

Epidemiology, site-specific characteristics and survival of carcinosarcoma: a retrospective study based on SEER database

ObjectivesCarcinosarcoma (CS) is a rare and biphasic malignancy characterised by a highly invasive biological nature and poor prognosis. This study explored the epidemiology, site-specific characteristics and survival outcome of CS.DesignWe...

Elucidating salient site-specific functional connectivity features and site-invariant biomarkers in schizophrenia via deep neural networks

Schizophrenia is a highly heterogeneous disorder and salient functional connectivity (FC) features have been observed to vary across study sites, warranting the need for methods that can differentiate between site-invariant FC biomarkers and site-specific salient FC features. We propose a technique named Semi-supervised learning with data HaRmonisation via Encoder-Decoder-classifier (SHRED) to examine these features from resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans gathered from four sites. Our approach involves an encoder-decoder-classifier architecture that simultaneously performs data harmonisation and semi-supervised learning (SSL) to deal with site differences and labelling inconsistencies across sites respectively. The minimisation of reconstruction loss from SSL was shown to improve model performance even within small datasets whilst data harmonisation often led to lower model generalisability, which was unaffected using the SHRED technique. We show that our proposed model produces site-invariant biomarkers, most notably the connection between transverse temporal gyrus and paracentral lobule. Site-specific salient FC features were also elucidated, especially implicating the paracentral lobule for our local dataset. Our examination of these salient FC features demonstrates how site-specific features and site-invariant biomarkers can be differentiated, which can deepen our understanding of the neurobiology of schizophrenia.

Effect of site specific soil characteristics on the nonlinear ground response analysis and comparison of the results with equivalent linear analysis

Damages occurring during earthquakes may vary depending on the ground conditions in which the earthquake waves pass, the magnitude of the earthquake, the focal depth of the shaking and as well as the structural characteristics. Regional seismicity, ground movement and behavior of local soil conditions are important in earthquake-resistant building designs. Local site conditions consist of the layering, bedrock depth, and dynamic and topographic characteristics of soil that alter the bedrock waves through the soil profile during an earthquake. The change occurs in terms of amplitude, frequency and the time when the peak happens during the wave propagation. This initiates a big difference between the surface and bedrock motion. The behavior of the soil under cyclic loads resulting from seismic action is non-linear. This study aims to demonstrate the effects of strong ground motion by taking into account the nonlinear behavior of the soil layers. In addition, the results obtained from the equivalent linear and non-linear methods were compared. The results of the study showed that the characteristics of soil layers and strong ground motion (frequency content and duration) significantly affect the field response analysis and generally larger spectral parameters (about %20) have been obtained with the equivalent linear method compared to the nonlinear behavior. Finally, empirical models to estimate the soil amplification reflect different compared to the site specific analysis.

Alpha territorialisation in Milan: Framing a research agenda

Within the special issue, this paper aims to contribute to the debate on VIP urbanism in specific relation to phenomena of alpha territorialisation. Accordingly, it tries to apply this international figure to long-term analyses of the Milan case study, which can be considered an original intersection between the articulation of urbanisation and socio-spatial polarisation processes in the Italian national context and the dynamics of global cities, integrating international trends with site-specific characteristics. On this background and in relation to a comparison with the London case study, the article retraces the recent evolution of spatial processes, policy and planning in the Milan urban core: on the one hand, by recognising different local strategies, phases and possible meanings of phenomena of alpha territorialisation; on the other hand, by identifying open challenges for further research, policy making and planning. Two issues seem worth to be underlined and further explored: both the characteristics and spatial effects of super-rich in Milan, and the opportunities for value-capture mechanisms to work.

Feed-food and land use competition of lowland and mountain dairy cow farms

Dairy cows and other ruminants contribute to human nutrition as they are able to convert feed components containing human inedible fibre concentrations (e.g. roughage and by-products from the food processing industry) into valuable animal-sourced food. A number of crops often fed to dairy cows (e.g. soy or cereals) are however potentially edible by humans too. Additionally, land used to grow dairy cattle feed may compete with crop production for human consumption. Two different methods to assess the competition between feed consumption of dairy cows and human food supply were thus refined and tested on 25 Swiss dairy farms. With respect to the potential human edibility of the feeds used in dairy production, the human-edible feed conversion ratio (eFCR) was applied. The land use ratio (LUR) was used to relate the food production potential, per area of land utilised, with the dairy production output. Low to medium eFCR, with values ranging from 0.02 to 0.68 were found, as an average proportion of 0.74 of total DM intake consisted of roughage. In contrast, we found relatively high LUR (0.69–5.93) for most farms. If the land area used to produce feed for cows was used for crop production (applying a crop rotation), 23 of the 25 farms could have produced more edible protein and all farms more human-edible energy. Indicator values strongly depend on the underlying scenarios, such as the human-edible proportion of feeds or the suitability of land and climate for crop production. Reducing the amount of human-edible feeds in dairy farming by feeding by-products from the food processing industry and improving forage quality may be suitable strategies to reduce eFCR, but relying on low-opportunity cost feeds may restrict milk performance level per cow. On farm level, improving overall efficiency and therefore using less land (especially area suitable for crop production) per kg product decreases LUR. However, the most promising strategy to mitigate land use competition may be to localise dairy production to land areas not suitable for crop production. Both methods (eFCR and LUR) should be used in parallel. They offer an opportunity to holistically evaluate the net contribution of dairy production to the human food supply under different environmental conditions and stress the importance of production systems well suited to specific farm site characteristics.

Preserving specificity in federated graph learning for fMRI-based neurological disorder identification

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) offers a non-invasive approach to examining abnormal brain connectivity associated with brain disorders. Graph neural network (GNN) gains popularity in fMRI representation learning and brain disorder analysis with powerful graph representation capabilities. Training a general GNN often necessitates a large-scale dataset from multiple imaging centers/sites, but centralizing multi-site data generally faces inherent challenges related to data privacy, security, and storage burden. Federated Learning (FL) enables collaborative model training without centralized multi-site fMRI data. Unfortunately, previous FL approaches for fMRI analysis often ignore site-specificity, including demographic factors such as age, gender, and education level. To this end, we propose a specificity-aware federated graph learning (SFGL) framework for rs-fMRI analysis and automated brain disorder identification, with a server and multiple clients/sites for federated model aggregation and prediction. At each client, our model consists of a shared and a personalized branch, where parameters of the shared branch are sent to the server while those of the personalized branch remain local. This can facilitate knowledge sharing among sites and also helps preserve site specificity. In the shared branch, we employ a spatio-temporal attention graph isomorphism network to learn dynamic fMRI representations. In the personalized branch, we integrate vectorized demographic information (i.e., age, gender, and education years) and functional connectivity networks to preserve site-specific characteristics. Representations generated by the two branches are then fused for classification. Experimental results on two fMRI datasets with a total of 1218 subjects suggest that SFGL outperforms several state-of-the-art approaches.

Drainage area is not enough: multivariate hydraulic geometry in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT Regional hydraulic geometry curves, which relate drainage area to channel morphology, are powerful tools for river restoration and watershed management. While there is a strong correlation between channel morphology and drainage area, the importance of watershed slope and relief on channel-forming flow, especially in mountainous regions, cannot be ignored. This research used single variable power functions along with multiple regression to determine which network- and or local-scale variables are influencing channel morphology in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Within this region, watershed topography (i.e. relief and slope) and or local-scale characteristics (e.g. channel slope and sinuosity) are better predictors of channel morphology than drainage area. Additionally, the importance of local-scale characteristics in the multiple regression models provide strong evidence that site-specific conditions can be just as important as watershed characteristics in determining channel morphology. While multiple regression has been used to create hydraulic geometry equations in other regions, this is the first study that determined whether non-drainage area multiple regression models perform better than models that include drainage area. With the increasing ease with which network- and local-scale characteristics can be calculated, this research shows a clear need to incorporate additional network- and or site-specific characteristics into hydraulic geometry equations.

Development of a Pre-Diagnosis Procedure for the Evaluation of Indoor Radon Potential in Buildings

Indoor radon accumulation is considered the main source of human exposure to ionizing radiation. Depending on the average radon level, indoor long-term exposure can significantly increase the risk of lung cancer onset. The publication of international regulations on the protection of human health the exposure of ionizing radiation, defining threshold values over whom health consequences for occupants could be expected, led to the control and testing of radon levels in workplaces and premises using multiple techniques and approaches. In particular, since the main source of radon is soil, many efforts have been done for the redaction of maps of the geogenic potential risk, as well as the definition of proper measurement standards and techniques for indoor monitoring. Radon maps, based on geology and measurements of radon and/ or the natural radioactive content in the soil, constitute an evaluable tool for decision-making authorities in radon policies giving the possibility to characterize areas for radon risk where indoor radon measurements are not available. But, of course, they are not completely descriptive of the potential risk, so indoor monitoring in buildings is also required. The correct design of an indoor monitoring campaign is a crucial topic.. Scientific literature has largely demonstrated that many site-specific features influence the accumulation process, as well as most building materials represent a significant source, after the soil. The preliminary complete investigation in buildings should be properly defined since radiation safety in a situation of radon exposure completely ensured during the building's construction and maintenance phases as well as during the selling/rental ones. So, the aim of this work is to put the basis for the development of a pre-diagnosis procedure as a tool for the screening of buildings susceptible to high indoor radon activity concentrations. The work represents a very early stage of implementation of a qualitative method for the design of a measurement campaign for the indoor radon assessment. A pre-evaluation selection of the variables that play a leading role in the accumulation process is presented. A prior survey, based on evidence in scientific literature, was done to identify all relevant characteristics that most affect indoor radon levels, mainly concerning local geology, building features, ventilation, and occupancy factors. The selected parameters, classified into levels according to defined indicators and then combined, allow a more refined sample selection for measurements campaign in the indoor radon assessment process. Future development will be oriented to the validation of case studies and the implementation of the procedure in a software environment which will be the first tool available to systematize and regulate the radon monitoring process for short-term decision-making.

Site-specific periosteal cells with distinct osteogenic and angiogenic characteristics.

This study aimed to investigate the site-specific characteristics of rat mandible periosteal cells (MPCs) and tibia periosteal cells (TPCs) to assess the potential application of periosteal cells (PCs) in bone tissue engineering (BTE). MPCs and TPCs were isolated and characterized. The potential of proliferation, migration, osteogenesis and adipogenesis of MPCs and TPCs were evaluated by CCK-8, scratch assay, Transwell assay, alkaline phosphatase staining and activity, Alizarin Red S staining, RT‒qPCR, and Western blot (WB) assays, respectively. Then, these cells were cocultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to investigate their angiogenic capacity, which was assessed by scratch assay, Transwell assay, Matrigel tube formation assay, RT‒qPCR, and WB assays. MPCs exhibited higher osteogenic potential, higher alkaline phosphatase activity, and more mineralized nodule formation, while TPCs showed a greater capability for proliferation, migration, and adipogenesis. MPCs showed higher expression of angiogenic factors, and the conditioned medium of MPCs accelerated the migration of HUVECs, while MPC- conditioned medium induced the formation of more tubular structure in HUVECs in vitro. These data suggest that compared to TPCs, MPCs exert more consequential proangiogenic effects on HUVECs. PCs possess skeletal site-specific differences in biological characteristics. MPCs exhibit more eminent osteogenic and angiogenic potentials, which highlights the potential application of MPCs for BTE. Autologous bone grafting as the main modality for maxillofacial bone defect repair has many limitations. Constituting an important cell type in bone repair and regeneration, MPCs show greater potential for application in BTE, which provides a promising treatment option for maxillofacial bone defect repair.

Distribution pattern and habitat use of the protandrous shrimp Pandalus latirostris in relation to environmental characteristics in Akkeshi waters on the pacific coast of eastern Hokkaido, Japan

A sampling of the protandric shrimp, Pandalus latirostris, was conducted at fixed sites from July 2015 to March 2020 in Akkeshi Bay and the connecting Lake Akkeshi on the Pacific coast of eastern Hokkaido. Based on the occurrence pattern of P. latirostris, most individuals begin mating as males at Age-1, followed by a sex change to females, spawn eggs as females at Age-2, and hatch their eggs in the spring of Age-3. Pre-hatching ovigerous females were mainly found in eelgrass beds near and in Lake Akkeshi, where the water temperature was relatively high. The females probably migrate there to hatch their eggs, making sure of the high survival and growth of the hatched larvae. Juveniles and small males were also abundant in near and in Lake Akkeshi, indicating that many larvae remained in the eelgrass beds where they hatched. These eelgrass beds play an important role in the maintenance of the shrimp population as a major egg-hatching site and nursery habitat in Akkeshi waters. With ontogenetic development, the occurrence rate of P. latirostris gradually increased on the offshore side of Akkeshi Bay, with its body size being larger. As P. latirostris grow, they will probably disperse to the offshore side of Akkeshi Bay. However, the density of P. latirostris in the eelgrass bed in the bay near the lake was extremely high, with its strong preference at all ontogenetic stages. This eelgrass bed would help maintain the shrimp population as a “key habitat” for the shrimp. The site-specific environmental characteristics of vegetation beds influence the distribution and abundance of individuals within a population of P. latirostris through their growth and the associated change in habitat preference. In this study, the importance of maintaining the diverse habitats of P. latirostris will be discussed as part of the shrimp stock management measures.

Simulating Strong Ground Motion from the Great 1923 Kanto Earthquake in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area Based on Source Model Derived from Seismic Intensity Data

ABSTRACT This study simulates strong ground motions in the Tokyo metropolitan area during the 1923 Kanto earthquake using the stochastic Green’s function method. Source characteristics were modeled using seismic intensity inversion analysis, and path and site characteristics were modeled using inhomogeneous attenuation structure and empirical amplification factors. The results of these simulations were consistent with seismic intensities estimated based on the collapse rate of wooden houses. The distribution of pseudovelocity response spectra averaged at periods of 1–2 s was large: ∼200 cm/s in southern Kanagawa and southern Chiba prefectures, ∼100–200 cm/s in eastern Tokyo, and ∼50–100 cm/s in eastern Saitama prefecture despite its distance from strong-motion generation areas (SMGAs). The simulation results were regressed on site characteristics and fault distance, and the residuals were interpolated using the Kriging method to estimate detailed maps of seismic intensity and response spectra on an ∼250 m mesh reflecting site-specific characteristics. The following conclusions can be made: (1) all SMGAs, other than those in northern Tokyo Bay, were located near large slip areas based on coseismic geodetic and seismic waveform data. Although the SMGAs in the northern part of Tokyo Bay exerted little influence on the southern part of the Kanto region, their consideration was required to reproduce the seismic intensity at the northwest Tokyo and Saitama; (2) intense strong motion in central Tokyo occurred at the back marsh, delta, coastal lowlands, and filled lands, whereas low levels of strong motion were determined at terraces covered with volcanic ash soil. Combined with building distribution, this indicates areas of high seismic risk; (3) the seismic intensity and response spectra in the Tokyo metropolitan area obtained through this simulation were larger than those obtained from seismic records of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake—the most recent megathrust earthquake.

Applied Power Wheeling Concept Considering Site-Specific and Variability of VRE under Contingency Events

Unlike non-variable renewable energy (VRE) generators, VRE generators have site-specific, various, and uncertain characteristics that require different approaches for power wheeling cost calculations. The conventional power wheeling method cannot be used to accommodate the variability and site specificity of VRE. This study aims to develop a power wheeling calculation method that accommodates the variability and site specificity of VRE by comparing the postage stamp and MW mile methods in a multi-period optimal power flow simulation. The impact of line contingencies on the total power wheeling cost is also assessed. The simulation uses a modified IEEE 39 bus system as the test network, with three study cases centered on assessing the impacts of variability, site specificity, and line contingency. Based on the simulation, it is understood that the pivotal power wheeling cost is the line used by power wheeling actors, as there are cheaper and more expensive lines. Therefore, the total power wheeling cost is less affected by variability and more affected by the site specificity of VRE. On the other hand, because of the meshed network being employed as the test case, line contingency results in a lower cost for power wheeling actors to use fewer and cheaper lines.

Soil Contaminants and Their Removal through Surfactant-Enhanced Soil Remediation: A Comprehensive Review

This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of surfactants in enhancing the remediation of contaminated soils. The study examines recent and older research on the use of effluent treatment techniques combined with synthetic surface-active agents, bio-surfactants, and various categories of surfactants for soil reclamation purposes. The main purpose of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of surfactants in enhancing the remediation of contaminated soils. The research question is to explore the mechanisms through which surfactants enhance soil remediation and to assess the potential benefits and limitations of surfactant-based remediation methods. This review was conducted through an extensive literature search of relevant articles published in scientific databases. The articles were selected based on their relevance to the topic and their methodological rigor. Types of possible soil pollutants and the requirements of specific surfactants were discussed. Structural relationships between pollutant and surfactants were described thoroughly. Extensive study revealed that surfactants have shown great potential in enhancing the remediation of contaminated soils. Surfactants can improve the solubility and mobility of hydrophobic contaminants and facilitate their removal from soil. However, the effectiveness of surfactant-based remediation methods depends on several factors, including the type of contaminant, the soil properties, and the surfactant concentration and type. Surfactant-enhanced soil remediation can be an effective and sustainable method for addressing soil contamination. However, the optimal conditions for using surfactants depend on the specific site characteristics and contaminant properties, and further research is needed to optimize the use of surfactants in soil remediation.

Zoonotic implications of white-footed mice habitat selection and territoriality in fragmented landscapes.

White-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) populations can thrive in fragmented suburban and urban parks and residential spaces and play a pivotal role in the spread and prevalence of tick-borne diseases. We collected spatial data on 58 individual mice living at the intersection of county park land and residential land in suburban Howard County, MD, U.S.A. We analyzed mouse density, home-range size and overlap, and a Bayesian mixed-effects model to identify the habitats where they were found relative to where they were caught, as well as a resource selection function for general habitat use. We found that as mouse density increased, home-range size decreased. The overlap indices and the resource selection function supported territoriality coupled with site-specific space use in these suburban mouse populations. While mice occurred in open areas, forest edge, and forest, they showed a strong preference for forested areas. Interestingly, mice captured only 30 to 40 m into the forest rarely used the nearby private yards or human structures and this has direct implications for the placement of rodent-targeted tick control treatments. Our study supports the need for zoonotic disease management frameworks that are based on site-specific land cover characteristics as well as specific management objectives.

Seismology in the cloud: guidance for the individual researcher

The commercial cloud offers on-demand computational resources that could be revolutionary for the seismological community, especially as seismic datasets continue to grow. However, there are few educational examples for cloud use that target individual seismological researchers. Here, we present a reproducible earthquake detection and association workflow that runs on Microsoft Azure. The Python-based workflow runs on continuous time-series data using both template matching and machine learning. We provide tutorials for constructing cloud resources (both storage and computing) through a desktop portal and deploying the code both locally and remotely on the cloud resources. We report on scaling of compute times and costs to show that CPU-only processing is generally inexpensive, and is faster and simpler than using GPUs. When the workflow is applied to one year of continuous data from a mid-ocean ridge, the resulting earthquake catalogs suggest that template matching and machine learning are complementary methods whose relative performance is dependent on site-specific tectonic characteristics. Overall, we find that the commercial cloud presents a steep learning curve but is cost-effective. This report is intended as an informative starting point for any researcher considering migrating their own processing to the commercial cloud.

Modeling Soil Loss and Its Association to Site Physical Characteristics in Majang Watershed, Baro Abobo River Basin

One of Ethiopia’s threatening environmental problems is soil erosion. Minimizing soil erosion to the tolerable level needs evidence-based sustainable land management. This study aimed to investigate the soil erosion rate and its relation with site physical characteristics (slope, land use/cover, and soil properties) using the GIS-based RUSLE model in the Majang watershed. Climate data, DEM, Landsat image, and soil map were used to model soil erosion by applying the RUSLE model. The results showed that cultivated land is the most vulnerable type of land use to soil loss (35.1·t ha−1 year−1) followed by grasslands (19.6·t ha−1 year−1) in the watershed. Conversely, forest land is the least vulnerable land use and generates a very low amount of soil loss (12·t ha−1 year−1). Similarly, the average soil loss of the watershed is strongly related to the slope gradient. The model result indicated that a high amount of soil loss was observed in very steep slope land (62.8·t ha−1 year−1) but lower in the gentle slope (13.6·t ha−1 year−1). Soil types and their characteristics have greater roles in generating a high amount of soil loss. Acrisols, which lack organic matter content, have experienced a high soil loss rate (20·t ha−1 year−1). This implies soil loss is highly associated with site-specific characteristics such as slope gradient, land cover/use, and soil condition. The greatest share of the soil loss was estimated from steep slopes, bare and cultivated land, and less fertile soils. Therefore, building an integrated participatory approach needs immediate attention, and all farmers and stakeholders need to focus on on-site prioritization and invest more in conserving vulnerable areas.

The influence of oyster reefs and surrounding sediments on nitrogen removal – An in-situ study along the East coast of Australia

Oyster reefs play a crucial role in the removal of nitrogen (N) from aquatic systems by facilitating nutrient regeneration and denitrification, both in their tissues and shells and surrounding sediments. However, we still have a limited understanding about the contribution of each component of the reefs (e.g. oysters vs sediments) to N processes, and whether rates are dependent on site-specific characteristics. To address these knowledge gaps, we conducted an experiment across six oyster reefs along 1080 km of the Eastern Australian coast with different sediment characteristics. By using in-situ clear and dark incubation chambers, we assessed how benthic metabolism, nutrient and dinitrogen gas (N2) fluxes varied among the following treatments: ‘oysters’, ‘sediments’, and ‘sediments + oysters’ that were used to represent components of the whole reef habitat (i.e. reef matrix vs surrounding sediments vs the interaction among them, respectively), and sites. We found that during dark conditions and at siltier sites, N2 effluxes from oysters can be up to 23 times higher than sediments, while N2 effluxes from chambers with both sediments and oysters were similar to sediment treatments, and lower than oyster treatments. These results can be explained by sediment processes including nutrient assimilation by benthic microalgae and/or lower nutrient diffusion into interstitial space. Additionally, oyster treatments showed an uptake of nitrate (NO3-) that was likely converted into N2, whereas sediment treatments showed an overall release of NO3-. In dark conditions, ammonium (NH4+) fluxes remained consistent across treatments and sites, indicating that any exports from oyster excretion (in those treatments including oysters) were either counterbalanced by or comparable to exports from sediments. This study provides evidence that the crucial contribution of oyster reefs to N removal is dependent on interactions between reef components and environmental factors.

A novel simulation model to predict photosynthetic active radiation interception in micro-irrigated citrus production orchards based on tree spacing, canopy geometry, and row orientation

Diurnal and seasonal patterns of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) intercepted by tree canopies in production orchards have an important role for eco-physiological processes that determine tree water use and productivity. Under well-watered conditions, PAR intercepted by trees is a reliable predictor of crop consumptive water use, which is regulated by tree spacing, tree row orientation, and by the tree canopy dimensions and geometry. Despite its advantages, only rare attempts have been made by the scientific and fruit production communities to develop canopy PAR interception simulators that rely on analytical principles to inform irrigation planning and management decisions. In this article, a novel model is presented that simulates PAR interception by citrus trees based on the canopy geometry and its shading patterns. The article also illustrates preliminary field testing and validation of the model with data collected in commercial citrus production orchards located in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The testing and validation could enable citrus growers and orchard managers to predict the net radiation for mature, micro-irrigated Navel orange and Page mandarin orchards grown with north–south and east–west tree row orientations and different tree densities. Results from the simulations and field validation showed that the canopy PAR light interception contributed 58.8 (± 0.02) and 71.1 (± 1.60) percent to the overall net radiation for the Navel orange orchards during the periods around summer solstice and autumnal equinox, respectively, whereas for the Page mandarin orchards, PAR light interception contributed 63.0 (±5.60) and 85.7 (±18.87) percent to the overall net radiation during the same time periods. Good correlations were found between daily values of PAR and net radiation for these citrus production orchards grown with the two alternative row orientations, which suggest that the proposed model could be used to inform irrigation planning and management decisions for different site-specific citrus orchard features and growing conditions.

Numerical modeling of wave attenuation: implications of representing vegetation found in coastal saltmarshes in the Chesapeake Bay.

Coastal communities are vulnerable to wave and storm surges during extreme events, highlighting the need to increase community resilience. The effectiveness of natural wetlands in attenuating waves is vital to designing strategies for protecting public safety. This study aimed to understand how vegetation attenuates waves and determine the best method for modeling vegetation's impact on wave dynamics. The researchers compared two different vegetation representations in numerical models, implicit and explicit, using SWAN and XBeach at varying spatial resolutions. The study focused on two marshes in the Chesapeake Bay, using field measurements to investigate the accuracy of each method in representing wave attenuation by vegetation and the implications of explicitly representing average characteristics of one vegetation species on a regional level. Results showed that explicit modeling using average vegetation characteristics provided more accurate results than the implicit model, which only showed wave attenuation due to topography. The finer scale resolution and site-specific vegetation characteristics further improved the accuracy of wave attenuation observed. Understanding the trade-offs between different vegetation representations in numerical models is essential to accurately represent wave attenuation and design effective protection strategies for coastal communities.

Mapping the Human Chondroitin Sulfate Glycoproteome Reveals an Unexpected Correlation Between Glycan Sulfation and Attachment Site Characteristics

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) control key events in human health and disease and are composed of chondroitin sulfate (CS) polysaccharide(s) attached to different core proteins. Detailed information on the biological effects of site-specific CS structures is scarce as the polysaccharides are typically released from their core proteins prior to analysis. Here we present a novel glycoproteomic approach for site-specific sequencing of CS modifications from human urine. Software-assisted and manual analysis revealed that certain core proteins carried CS with abundant sulfate modifications, while others carried CS with lower levels of sulfation. Inspection of the amino acid sequences surrounding the attachment sites indicated that the acidity of the attachment site motifs increased the levels of CS sulfation, and statistical analysis confirmed this relationship. However, not only the acidity but also the sequence and characteristics of specific amino acids in the proximity of the serine glycosylation site correlated with the degree of sulfation. These results demonstrate attachment site-specific characteristics of CS polysaccharides of CSPGs in human urine and indicate that this novel method may assist in elucidating the biosynthesis and functional roles of CSPGs in cellular physiology.