Automated Identification of Oceanic Fronts for Operational Generation of Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) Advisories

PFZs, are essentially the frontal structures as identified from the satellite images of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and chlorophyll concentration. These regions are known for fish aggregation and provide cost-effectiveness in offshore fishing operations. Subjective identification of fronts may lead to human-errors, non-negotiable beyond a limit. To overcome this, we propose utilization of tools that help automated identification of the frontal structures. This approach not only removes the errors, but also helps shorten the time period of the operational process-chai

Following tagged Yellowfin tuna along the east coast of India explains its feeding behavior: a case study in the Bay of Bengal

Horizontal movement of pelagic fish predator, Yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) tuna, in the oceanic waters of Bay of Bengal has been decoded. Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSATs) were attached to adult tunas to study their distribution and migration. For this, environmental satellite data were matched with the tag locations to understand and characterize habitats of this species. A sub-set of the tag data was selected corresponding to the maximum resident time of tuna indicated by a high density data points. The tagged tuna spent 60 to 70% of its time in the waters having surface temperature within 28o to 29.5oC and sea surface height anomaly within+5 to +12 cm. The tag positions were located on the satellite images; chlorophyll, sea surface temperature, zooplankton and sea surface height anomaly. The two conditions, specific range of temperature and prey abundance, were found necessary for aggregation of tuna

Development of hepatic pathology in GBV‐B‐infected red‐bellied tamarins (Saguinus labiatus)

GB virus B (GBV‐B) is a new world monkey‐associated flavivirus used to model acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Critical for evaluation of antiviral or vaccine approaches is an understanding of the effect of HCV on the liver at different stages of infection. In the absence of longitudinal human tissue samples at defined time points, we have characterized changes in tamarins. As early as 2 weeks post‐infection histological changes were noticeable, and these were established in all animals by 6 weeks. Despite high levels of liver‐associated viral RNA, there was reversal of hepatic damage on clearance of peripheral virus though fibrosis was demonstrated in four tamarins. Notably, viral RNA burden in the liver dropped to near undetectable or background levels in all animals which underwent a second viral challenge, highlighting the efficacy of the immune response in removing foci of replication in the liver. These data add to the knowledge of GBV‐B infection in New World primates which can offer attractive systems for the testing of prophylactic and therapeutic treatments and the evaluation of their utility in preventing or reversing liver pathology

Changes in immune cell populations in the periphery and liver of GBV-B-infected and convalescent tamarins (Saguinus labiatus)

AbstractFlaviviruses related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in suitable animal models may provide further insight into the role that cellular immunity contributes to spontaneous clearance of HCV. We characterised changes in lymphocyte populations in tamarins with an acute GBV-B infection, a hepatitis virus of the flaviviridae. Major immune cell populations were monitored in peripheral and intra-hepatic lymphocytes at high viraemia or following a period when peripheral virus was no longer detected. Limited changes in major lymphocyte populations were apparent during high viraemia; however, the proportions of CD3+ lymphocytes decreased and CD20+ lymphocytes increased once peripheral viraemia became undetectable. Intrahepatic lymphocyte populations increased at both time points post-infection. Distinct expression patterns of PD-1, a marker of T-cell activation, were observed on peripheral and hepatic lymphocytes; notably there was elevated PD-1 expression on hepatic CD4+ T-cells during high viraemia, suggesting an activated phenotype, which decreased following clearance of peripheral viraemia. At times when peripheral vRNA was not detected, suggesting viral clearance, we were able to readily detect GBV-B RNA in the liver, indicative of long-term virus replication. This study is the first description of changes in lymphocyte populations during GBV-B infection of tamarins and provides a foundation for more detailed investigations of the responses that contribute to the control of GBV-B infection

Climate change hazards along the Indian coastal districts: spatial analysis on a climatic impact-driver framework

Concepts, approaches and frameworks for assessing the impacts of climate change are evolving quickly. Due to their particular geographic location, proximity to oceans, concentration of populated regions, and infrastructure, coastal communities are particularly sensitive to the effects of climate change. The present study aims to develop a thematic map based on the CID (climatic impact-drivers) framework proposed in the assessment report-6 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to evaluate the climate change’s physical hazards in the coastal districts of India. The study points out that West Bengal and Odisha are the two states with the highest cyclone hazard index values making them most vulnerable to cyclones. At the same time, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal respectively fall in the extremely severe category of flood, heatwave and shoreline change hazards. The maritime state of Gujarat along with Diu and Daman experiences maximum severity for the sea level rise hazard. The multi-hazards index developed in the study by considering 14 threshold-based CID indices showed that the coastal state of Andhra Pradesh has the highest proneness to the physical hazards due to climate chang

Primary vs. Secondary Antibody Deficiency: Clinical Features and Infection Outcomes of Immunoglobulin Replacement

<div><p>Secondary antibody deficiency can occur as a result of haematological malignancies or certain medications, but not much is known about the clinical and immunological features of this group of patients as a whole. Here we describe a cohort of 167 patients with primary or secondary antibody deficiencies on immunoglobulin (Ig)-replacement treatment. The demographics, causes of immunodeficiency, diagnostic delay, clinical and laboratory features, and infection frequency were analysed retrospectively. Chemotherapy for B cell lymphoma and the use of Rituximab, corticosteroids or immunosuppressive medications were the most common causes of secondary antibody deficiency in this cohort. There was no difference in diagnostic delay or bronchiectasis between primary and secondary antibody deficiency patients, and both groups experienced disorders associated with immune dysregulation. Secondary antibody deficiency patients had similar baseline levels of serum IgG, but higher IgM and IgA, and a higher frequency of switched memory B cells than primary antibody deficiency patients. Serious and non-serious infections before and after Ig-replacement were also compared in both groups. Although secondary antibody deficiency patients had more serious infections before initiation of Ig-replacement, treatment resulted in a significant reduction of serious and non-serious infections in both primary and secondary antibody deficiency patients. Patients with secondary antibody deficiency experience similar delays in diagnosis as primary antibody deficiency patients and can also benefit from immunoglobulin-replacement treatment.</p></div

Helicity Analysis of Semileptonic Hyperon Decays Including Lepton Mass Effects

Using the helicity method we derive complete formulas for the joint angular decay distributions occurring in semileptonic hyperon decays including lepton mass and polarization effects. Compared to the traditional covariant calculation the helicity method allows one to organize the calculation of the angular decay distributions in a very compact and efficient way. In the helicity method the angular analysis is of cascade type, i.e. each decay in the decay chain is analyzed in the respective rest system of that particle. Such an approach is ideally suited as input for a Monte Carlo event generation program. As a specific example we take the decay $\Xi^0 \to \Sigma^+ + l^- + \bar{\nu}_l$ ($l^-=e^-, \mu^-$) followed by the nonleptonic decay $\Sigma^+ \to p + \pi^0$ for which we show a few examples of decay distributions which are generated from a Monte Carlo program based on the formulas presented in this paper. All the results of this paper are also applicable to the semileptonic and nonleptonic decays of ground state charm and bottom baryons, and to the decays of the top quark.Comment: Published version. 40 pages, 11 figures included in the text. Typos corrected, comments added, references added and update

Geographies of landscape: Representation, power and meaning

Green criminology has sought to blur the nature-culture binary and this article seeks to extend recent work by geographers writing on landscape to further our understanding of the shifting contours of the divide. The article begins by setting out these different approaches, before addressing how dynamics of surveillance and conquest are embedded in landscape photography. It then describes how the ways we visualize the Earth were reconfigured with the emergence of photography in the 19th century and how the world itself has been transformed into a target in our global media culture

Measurement of the production cross section for W-bosons in association with jets in pp collisions at s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This Letter reports on a first measurement of the inclusive W + jets cross section in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC, with the ATLAS detector. Cross sections, in both the electron and muon decay modes of the W-boson, are presented as a function of jet multiplicity and of the transverse momentum of the leading and next-to-leading jets in the event. Measurements are also presented of the ratio of cross sections sigma (W + >= n)/sigma(W + >= n - 1) for inclusive jet multiplicities n = 1-4. The results, based on an integrated luminosity of 1.3 pb(-1), have been corrected for all known detector effects and are quoted in a limited and well-defined range of jet and lepton kinematics. The measured cross sections are compared to particle-level predictions based on perturbative QCD. Next-to-leading order calculations, studied here for n <= 2, are found in good agreement with the data. Leading-order multiparton event generators, normalized to the NNLO total cross section, describe the data well for all measured jet multiplicitie

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal