Integrating Gridded NASA Hydrological Data into CUAHSI HIS

The amount of hydrological data available from NASA remote sensing and modeling systems is vast and ever-increasing;but, one challenge persists:increasing the usefulness of these data for, and thus their use by, end user communities. The Hydrology Data and Information Services Center (HDISC), part of the Goddard Earth Sciences DISC, has continually worked to better understand the hydrological data needs of different end users, to thus better able to bridge the gap between NASA data and end user communities. One effective strategy is integrating the data in to end user community tools and environments. There is an ongoing collaborative effort between NASA HDISC, NASA Hydrological Sciences Branch, and CUAHSI to integrate NASA gridded hydrology data in to the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System (HIS)

Detection of Pfiesteria spp. by PCR in surface sediments collected from Chesapeake Bay tributaries (Maryland)

In 1997 blooms of Pfiesteria piscicida occurred in association with fish kills and human health problems in tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland) and the scientific and media response resulted in large economic losses in seafood sales and tourism. These events prompted the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to begin monitoring for Pfiesteria spp. in water column samples. Real-time PCR assays targeted to the 18S rRNA gene were developed by our laboratories and utilized in conjunction with traditional microscopy and fish kill bioassays for detection of these organisms in estuarine water samples. This monitoring strategy aided in determining temporal and spatial distribution of motile forms of Pfiesteria spp. (i.e. zoospores), but did not assess resting stages of the dinoflagellates’ life cycle. To address this area, a 3-year study was designed using real-time PCR assays for analysis of surface sediment samples collected from several Chesapeake Bay tributaries. These samples were tested with the real-time PCR assays previously developed by our laboratories. The data reported herein suggest a strong positive association between presence of Pfiesteria spp. in the sediment and water column, based on long-term water column monitoring data. P. piscicida is detected more commonly in Maryland’s estuarine waters than Pfiesteria shumwayae and sediment ‘cyst beds’ may exist for these organisms

Spatial distribution of Chlorpyrifos and Endosulfan in USA coastal waters and the Great Lakes

Between 1994 and 1997, 258 tissue and 178 sediment samples were analyzed for chlorpyrifos throughout the coastal United States and the Great Lakes. Subsequently, 95 of the 1997 tissue samples were reanalyzed for endosulfan. Tissue chlorpyrifos concentrations, which exceeded the 90th percentile, were found in coastal regions known to have high agricultural use rates but also strongly correlated with sites near high population. The highest concentrations of endosulfans in contrast, were generally limited to agricultural regions of the country. Detections of chlorpyrifos at several Alaskan sites suggest an atmospheric transport mechanism. Many Great Lakes sites had chlorpyrifos tissue concentrations above the 90th percentile which decreased with increasing distance from the Corn Belt region (Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin) where most agriculturally applied chlorpyrifos is used. Correlation analysis suggests that fluvial discharge is the primary transport pathway on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts for chlorpyrifos but not necessarily for endosulfans. (PDF contains 28 pages

Geospatial modeling of child mortality across 27 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Preventable mortality of children has been targeted as one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for the 2015-30 period. Global decreases in child mortality (4q1) have been seen, although sub-Saharan Africa remains an area of concern, with child mortality rates remaining high relative to global averages or even increasing in some cases. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa is highly heterogeneous. Thus, research that identifies primary risk factors and protective measures in the geographic context of sub-Saharan Africa is needed. In this study, household survey data collected by The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program aggregated at DHS sub-national area scale are used to evaluate the spatial distribution of child mortality (age 1 to 4) across 27 sub-Saharan Africa countries in relation to a number of demographic and health indicators collected in the DHS surveys. In addition, this report controls for spatial variation in potential environmental drivers of child mortality by modeling it against a suite of geospatial datasets. These datasets vary across the study area in an autoregressive spatial model that accounts for the spatial autocorrelation present in the data. This study shows that socio-demographic factors such as birth interval, stunting, access to health facilities and literacy, along with geospatial factors such as prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, variety of ethnic groups, mean temperature, and intensity of lights at night can explain up to 60% of the variance in child mortality across 255 DHS sub-national areas in the 27 countries. Additionally, three regions - Western, Central, and Eastern Africa - have markedly different mortality rates. By identifying the relative importance of policy-relevant socio-demographic and environmental factors, this study highlights priorities for research and programs targeting child mortality over the next decade. <br/

An Efficient Method For Mapping Flood Extent In A Coastal Floodplain Using Landsat TM And DEM Data

An efficient and economical method for mapping flooding extent in a coastal floodplain is described. This method was based on the reflectance features of water versus non-water targets on a pair of Landsat 7 Thematic Mapper (TM) images ( before and during the flood event), as well as modelling inundation using Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data. Using limited ground observation, most flooded and non-flooded areas derived from this analysis were verified. Utilizingonly TM data, the total flooded areas in Pitt County, North Carolina on 30 September 1999 was 237.9 km2 or 14.0% of the total county area. This number could be low due to the underestimation of the flooded areas beneath dense vegetation canopies. To further investigate this underestimation, a subset of the area covering the four central topographic quadrangles, the Greenville area, in Pitt County was selected. Through addition of the DEM data into the flood mapping analysis of the Greenville area revealed that the total flooded area was 98.6 km2 (out of a study area of 593.9 km2 ) or 16.5%. In the Greenville study area, the three landuse and landcover categories most aVected by the flood were bottomland forest/hardwood swamps (32.7 km2 ), southern yellow pine ( 28.8 km2 ), and cultivated land (19.1 km2 ). Their total flooded areas were 80.6 km2 or 81.7% of the total flooded area within this study area. The DEM data helped greatly in identifying the flooding that occurred underneath forest canopies, especially within bottomland forest and hardwood swamps. The method was reliable and could be applied quickly in other coastal floodplain regions using data that are relatively easy to obtain and analyse, and at a reasonable cost. This method should also work well in areas of large spatial extent where topography is relative flat

Simple Sari Cloth Filtration of Water Is Sustainable and Continues To Protect Villagers from Cholera in Matlab, Bangladesh

A simple method for filtering water to reduce the incidence of cholera was tested in a field trial in Matlab, Bangladesh, and proved effective. A follow-up study was conducted 5 years later to determine whether the filtration method continued to be employed by villagers and its impact on the incidence of cholera. A total of 7,233 village women collecting water daily for their households in Bangladesh were selected from the same study population of the original field trial for interviewing. Analysis of the data showed that 31% of the women used a filter of which 60% used sari filters for household water. Results showed that sari filtration not only was accepted and sustained by the villagers and benefited them, including their neighbors not filtering water, in reducing the incidence of cholera, the latter being an unexpected benefit

Modeled nitrate levels in well water supplies and prevalence of abnormal thyroid conditions among the Old Order Amish in Pennsylvania

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nitrate is a widespread contaminant of drinking water supplies, especially in agricultural areas. Nitrate intake from drinking water and dietary sources can interfere with the uptake of iodide by the thyroid, thus potentially impacting thyroid function.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We assessed the relation of estimated nitrate levels in well water supplies with thyroid health in a cohort of 2,543 Old Order Amish residing in Lancaster, Chester, and Lebanon counties in Pennsylvania for whom thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were measured during 1995-2008. Nitrate measurement data (1976-2006) for 3,613 wells in the study area were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey and we used these data to estimate concentrations at study participants' residences using a standard linear mixed effects model that included hydrogeological covariates and kriging of the wells' residuals. Nitrate levels estimated by the model ranged from 0.35 mg/L to 16.4 mg/L N-NO₃^-, with a median value of 6.5 mg/L, which was used as the cutpoint to define high and low nitrate exposure. In a validation analysis of the model, we calculated that the sensitivity of the model was 67% and the specificity was 93%. TSH levels were used to define the following outcomes: clinical hyperthyroidism (n = 10), clinical hypothyroidism (n = 56), subclinical hyperthyroidism (n = 25), and subclinical hypothyroidism (n = 228).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In women, high nitrate exposure was significantly associated with subclinical hypothyroidism (OR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.11-2.32). Nitrate was not associated with subclinical thyroid disease in men or with clinical thyroid disease in men or women.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although these data do not provide strong support for an association between nitrate in drinking water and thyroid health, our results do suggest that further exploration of this hypothesis is warranted using studies that incorporate individual measures of both dietary and drinking water nitrate intake.</p

Availability of outpatient substance use disorder treatment programs in the United States

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78029/1/41.pd