Thirsty for Justice: A People's Blueprint for California Water

The report's first chapter analyzes the origins of environmental discrimination in California water policy. After an overview of how low income communities and communities of color have been historically left out of California water management, we analyze political, economic and social trends that produce the current exclusionary system and emerging policies and technologies that could further harm low-income communities and communities of color.In the second chapter, we provide an overview of what we term "water governance": who controls water supply and quality and what agencies are responsible for ensuring that people have enough clean water. We explain the current system of water governance, examine changing patterns in control over water, and provide examples of communities that face profound barriers to participating in water decisions. We conclude by discussing barriers within water regulatory entities that prevent community voices from entering into water decision-making.In the third chapter, we provide a picture of water-related environmental injustices that low-income communities and communities of color face on a daily basis. These communities' lack of access to safe, affordable drinking water and healthy watersheds exemplifies the health burdens many communities bear as a result of California's water policies.Our report concludes with policy recommendations for how to remedy some of the most pressing water concerns low-income communities and communities of color face, in order to guarantee the basic right to safe and affordable water

Infragravity waves: From driving mechanisms to impacts

Infragravity (hereafter IG) waves are surface ocean waves with frequencies below those of wind-generated “short waves” (typically below 0.04 Hz). Here we focus on the most common type of IG waves, those induced by the presence of groups in incident short waves. Three related mechanisms explain their generation: (1) the development, shoaling and release of waves bound to the short-wave group envelopes (2) the modulation by these envelopes of the location where short waves break, and (3) the merging of bores (breaking wave front, resembling to a hydraulic jump) inside the surfzone. When reaching shallow water (O(1–10 m)), IG waves can transfer part of their energy back to higher frequencies, a process which is highly dependent on beach slope. On gently sloping beaches, IG waves can dissipate a substantial amount of energy through depth-limited breaking. When the bottom is very rough, such as in coral reef environments, a substantial amount of energy can be dissipated through bottom friction. IG wave energy that is not dissipated is reflected seaward, predominantly for the lowest IG frequencies and on steep bottom slopes. This reflection of the lowest IG frequencies can result in the development of standing (also known as stationary) waves. Reflected IG waves can be refractively trapped so that quasi-periodic along-shore patterns, also referred to as edge waves, can develop. IG waves have a large range of implications in the hydro-sedimentary dynamics of coastal zones. For example, they can modulate current velocities in rip channels and strongly influence cross-shore and longshore mixing. On sandy beaches, IG waves can strongly impact the water table and associated groundwater flows. On gently sloping beaches and especially under storm conditions, IG waves can dominate cross-shore sediment transport, generally promoting offshore transport inside the surfzone. Under storm conditions, IG waves can also induce overwash and eventually promote dune erosion and barrier breaching. In tidal inlets, IG waves can propagate into the back-barrier lagoon during the flood phase and induce large modulations of currents and sediment transport. Their effect appears to be smaller during the ebb phase, due to blocking by countercurrents, particularly in shallow systems. On coral and rocky reefs, IG waves can dominate over short-waves and control the hydro-sedimentary dynamics over the reef flat and in the lagoon. In harbors and semi-enclosed basins, free IG waves can be amplified by resonance and induce large seiches (resonant oscillations). Lastly, free IG waves that are generated in the nearshore can cross oceans and they can also explain the development of the Earth's “hum” (background free oscillations of the solid earth)

Orienting Ocean-Bottom Seismometers from P-wave and Rayleigh wave polarizations

International audienceWe present two independent, automated methods for estimating the horizontal misorientations of ocean bottom seismic sensors from their recorded data. The techniques measure the three-dimensional directions of particle motion of (1) P-waves and (2) Rayleigh waves of earthquake recordings. For P-waves, we used a principal component analysis to determine the directions of particle motions (polarisations) in multiple frequency passbands. Since P-wave polarisation may deviate from the direction of propagation due to seismic anisotropy and dipping discontinuities beneath stations, we further corrected for these deviations using a simple fit equation which yields sensor orientations of significantly increased accuracy. For Rayleigh waves, we evaluated the degree of elliptical polarisation in the vertical plane in the time and frequency domain. We apply both methods to 57 three-component broadband and wideband seismometers that were installed for 13 months on the ocean floor around La Réunion hotspot as part of the RHUM-RUM project (http://www.rhum-rum.net/). For P-wave polarisations we obtained misorientation estimates for 31 out of 44 functioning ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS), with an average uncertainty (95% confidence interval) of 11° per station. At 7 of these OBS, data coverage was sufficient to correct polarisation measurements for underlying seismic anisotropy and dipping discontinuities which improved the average orientation uncertainty to 6° per station. For Rayleigh-wave polarisations we obtained misorientation estimates for 40 out of 44 functioning OBS, with an average uncertainty (95% confidence interval) of 16° per station. Results obtained from the two methods are fully consistent within their respective error bars; the orientation angles differ on average by 3.1° and 3.7° for circular mean and median statistics, respectively. The good agreement between the two methods also makes them useful for reliably detecting possible misorientations of terrestrial seismic stations

Can maternal postpartum testosterone and estradiol retrospectively predict the offspring's sex at birth? A cross‐sectional study in Ghana

Abstract The selection of X‐ or Y‐bearing spermatozoa during fertilization may depend on maternal circulating sex hormones. The zona pellucida of the developing oocyte is adapted to be selective for the Y‐bearing spermatozoa when maternal circulating androgens are relatively high. This study sought to determine whether maternal postpartum testosterone and estradiol can retrospectively predict the offspring sex at birth. The study was cross‐sectional from December 2020 to April 2021 at the Reproductive and Child Health unit in Tamale. The participants were part of a previous study and comprised 178 mother–offspring dyads (mother–daughter = 90, mother–son = 88). The mothers were between the ages of 18 and 35 years and had a median (interquartile range‐IQR) postpartum interval of 111 (60–187) days. A single venous blood sample was drawn from the mothers between 8.00 am and 12.00 pm local time on each day to reduce diurnal variation. Postpartum serum estradiol, testosterone, and sex hormone‐binding globulin were assayed using the ELISA technique. The serum total testosterone and the testosterone‐to‐estradiol ratio (TT: E2) were higher in mothers with sons while estradiol was higher in mothers with daughters (p 1.659 nmol/L, ≤141.862 pmol/L, and > 31.5, respectively for total testosterone, estradiol, and TT: E2. The maternal testosterone‐to‐estradiol ratio may be more predictive of offspring sex at birth than either testosterone or estradiol alone

Noise on broadband Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS) from the German (DEPAS) and French (INSU) instruments pools as recorded in the RHUM-RUM project

A long-standing discussion in the OBS community is about the influence of OBS design on noise levels of seismic records. We present results from the RHUM-RUM experiment in the Indian Ocean. RHUM-RUM is a German-French seismological experiment based on the sea floor surrounding the island of La Réunion, western Indian Ocean. RHUM-RUM’s central component is a 13-month deployment (Oct 2012 to Nov 2013) of 57 broad- and wideband ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) and hydrophones over an area of 2000x2000 km2 surrounding the hotspot. The array contained 48 wideband OBS from the German DEPAS pool and 9 broad-band OBS from the French INSU pool. It is the largest deployment of DEPAS and INSU OBS so far, and the first joint experiment. Therefore it allows to compare the performance of these distinct instrument types in different ocean-floor environments. The INSU seismic sensors stand away from their OBS frames, whereas the DEPAS sensors are integrated into theirs. At long periods (>10 s), the DEPAS seismometers are affected by significantly stronger noise than the INSU seismometers. On the horizontal components, this can be explained by tilting of the frame and buoy assemblage, e.g., through the action of ocean-bottom currents. However, the long period noise level on the vertical components suggests that the DEPAS intruments are also affected by significant self-noise of the CMG-40TOBS seismometer itself. By comparison, the INSU instruments (Trillium 240OBS sensors) are much quieter at periods >30 s and hence better suited for long-period studies. The trade-off of the instrument design is that the integrated DEPAS setup is easier to deploy and recover, especially when large numbers of stations are involved or fast deployment/recovery of the instruments is desired (e.g. active experiments). Additionally, the wideband sensor has only half the power consumption of the broadband INSU seismometers. This presentation also reviews network performance and data quality: Of the 57 stations, 46 and 53 yielded good seismometer and hydrophone recordings, respectively. The 19,751 total deployment days yielded 18,735 days of hydrophone recordings and 15,941 days of seismometer recordings, which are 94% and 80% of the theoretically possible yields

The impact of value-based healthcare for inflammatory bowel diseases on healthcare utilization: a pilot study

Value-based healthcare (VBHC) is considered to be the solution that will improve quality and decrease costs in healthcare. Many hospitals are implementing programs on the basis of this strategy, but rigorous scientific reports are still lacking. In this pilot study, we present the first-year outcomes of a VBHC program for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) management that focuses on highly coordinated care, task differentiation of providers, and continuous home monitoring. IBD patients treated within the VBHC program were identified in an administrative claims database from a commercial insurer allowing comparisons to matched controls. Only patients for whom data were available the year before and after starting the program were included. Healthcare utilization including visits, hospitalizations, laboratory and imaging tests, and medications were compared between groups. In total, 60 IBD patients treated at the VBHC Center were identified and were matched to 177 controls. Significantly fewer upper endoscopies were performed (-10%, P=0.012), and numerically fewer surgeries (-25%, P=0.49), hospitalizations (-28%, 0=0.71), emergency department visits (-37%, P=0.44), and imaging studies (-25 to -86%) were observed. In addition, 65% fewer patients (P=0.16) used steroids long term. IBD-related costs were 16% ($771) lower than expected (P=0.24). These are the first results of a successfully implemented VBHC program for IBD. Encouraging trends toward fewer emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and long-term corticosteroid use were observed. These results will need to be confirmed in a larger sample with more follow-u

NDFIP allows NEDD4/NEDD4L-induced AQP2 ubiquitination and degradation.

Regulation of our water homeostasis is fine-tuned by dynamic translocation of Aquaporin-2 (AQP2)-bearing vesicles to and from the plasma membrane of renal principal cells. Whereas binding of vasopressin to its type-2 receptor initiates a cAMP-protein kinase A cascade and AQP2 translocation to the apical membrane, this is counteracted by protein kinase C-activating hormones, resulting in ubiquitination-dependent internalization of AQP2. The proteins targeting AQP2 for ubiquitin-mediated degradation are unknown. In collecting duct mpkCCD cells, siRNA knockdown of NEDD4 and NEDD4L E3 ligases yielded increased AQP2 abundance, but they did not bind AQP2. Membrane Yeast Two-Hybrid assays using full-length AQP2 as bait, identified NEDD4 family interacting protein 2 (NDFIP2) to bind AQP2. NDFIP2 and its homologue NDFIP1 have PY motifs by which they bind NEDD4 family members and bring them close to target proteins. In HEK293 cells, NDFIP1 and NDFIP2 bound AQP2 and were essential for NEDD4/NEDD4L-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of AQP2, an effect not observed with PY-lacking NDFIP1/2 proteins. In mpkCCD cells, downregulation of NDFIP1, NEDD4 and NEDD4L, but not NDFIP2, increased AQP2 abundance. In mouse kidney, Ndfip1 and Ndfip2 mRNA distribution was similar and high in proximal tubules and collecting ducts, which was also found for NDFIP1 proteins. Our results reveal that NEDD4/NEDD4L mediate ubiquitination and degradation of AQP2, but that NDFIP proteins are needed to connect NEDD4/NEDD4L to AQP2. As NDFIP1/2 bind many NEDD4 family E3 ligases, which are implicated in several cellular processes, NDFIP1/2 may be the missing link for AQP2 ubiquitination and degradation from different subcellular locations

Expression of NDFIP1, NDFIP2, NEDD4 and NEDD4L in the mouse kidney.

<p>(A) <i>Ndfip1</i>, <i>Ndfip2</i>, <i>Nedd4 and Nedd4L mRNA expression along the nephron</i>. mRNA was isolated from different mouse nephron segments, and subjected to RT-qPCR to determine Ndfip1, Ndfip2, Nedd4 and Nedd4L mRNA levels. The determined mRNA levels were normalized to that of the housekeeping gene Rpl26 and presented as fraction of the segment with the highest level of expression, which was set to 1. Values are means ± SE from 6 mice. Segments indicated are proximal convoluted (S1) and straight (S3) tubule (PCT, PST), medullary (mTAL) and cortical (cTAL) thick ascending limb of Henle’s loop, distal convoluted tubule (DCT), connecting tubule (CNT), and the cortical (CCD) and outer medullary (OMCD) collecting duct. (B) <i>NDFIP1</i>, <i>but not NDFIP2</i>, <i>co-localizes with AQP2</i>. Cryo-sections of mouse kidneys were subjected to immunohistochemistry for NDFIP1 or NDFIP2 (green), AQP2 (red), and the nuclear dye DAPI (blue). Especially in the cortex and inner medulla, NDFIP1 colocalized with AQP2 in collecting duct principal cells. For NDFIP2, co-localization with AQP2 was never observed. Scale bars represent 25 μm.</p

Linking of NEDD4 or NEDD4L to AQP2 by NDFIP1 or NDFIP2 mediates AQP2 ubiquitination.

<p>(A) <i>NDFIP1/2 link binding of NEDD4/NEDD4L to AQP2</i>. HEK293 cells transiently-expressing AQP2 and NEDD4 or AQP2 and NEDD4L with or without wildtype-NDFIP1/NDFIP2 (1, 2) or their PY-mutants (1-PY*, 2-PY*) were lysed and subjected to AQP2-immunoprecipitation (IP: α-AQP2). The AQP2 IP-fractions (upper panel) and lysates (lysate) were subjected to immunoblotting for NEDD4 or NEDD4L (IB: α-NEDD4/NEDD4L), NDFIP1/2/1-PY*/2-PY* (IB: α-myc), and AQP2 (IB: α-AQP2). Only upon co-expression with AQP2 and wild type NDFIP1/NDFIP2, NEDD4 or NEDD4L were detected in the immunoprecipitate. (B/C) <i>NEDD4/NEDD4L binding to NDFIP1-2 is needed for AQP2 ubiquitination and degradation</i>. HEK293 cells transiently expressed AQP2 and NEDD4 (B) or NEDD4L (C) with or without NDFIP1/NDFIP2 (1, 2) or their PY-mutants (1-PY*, 2-PY*). AQP2 was immunoprecipitated (IP: α-AQP2) and subjected to immunoblotting for ubiquitin (IB: α-Ub), revealing AQP2 coupled to one (AQP2-Ub₁), two (AQP2-Ub₂) or three (AQP2-Ub₃) ubiquitin molecules. Semi-quantification of the ubiquitinated AQP2 signals is given (control is set to 100%). Co-transfection of AQP2 with NEDD4/NEDD4L and NDFIP1/NDFIP2 increased AQP2 ubiquitination, whereas with NDFIP1/2-PY mutants no increase was detected. Co-transfection of AQP2 with NEDD4 or NEDD4L alone does not increase the abundance of ubiquitinated AQP2. Immuno-precipitating IgGs ({IgG}) are indicated. Coomassie staining of the blots confirmed loading of protein equivalents. Molecular masses of proteins are indicated on the left (in kDa).</p

NDFIP2, a NEDD4 family interacting protein, binds to AQP2 in a MYTH assay.

<p>(A) <i>Specific interaction of NDFIP2 with AQP2</i>. Colony growth on interaction-selection media of yeast cells expressing NubG-NDFIP2 together with AQP2 indicates interaction (left two panels). No colony growth is detected with the artificial bait (CD4-Cub) a human integral membrane protein (right two panels). NubG-OST and NubI-OST serve as negative and positive controls for interaction in the ER-membrane, respectively, whereas NubG-FUR4 and NubI-FUR4 serve as negative and positive controls for interaction in the plasma membrane, respectively. These data confirm expression of AQP2 in the ER and plasma membrane of yeast cells and reveal the absence of self-activation. (B) <i>Topology and interaction elements of NDFIP2</i>. The part of NDFIP2 found to interact with AQP2 (amino acid 203–336, indicated with grey marking) covers part of the N-tail, the transmembrane domains (indicated with dashed line) and a part of the luminal/extracellular C-terminus. The PY elements which interact with the NEDD4/4L ww domains are indicated with a closed line. (C) <i>Alignment of the sequences of human NDFIP2 and NDFIP1</i>. Of the sequence of NDFIP2 (isoform 1; NP_061953.2) found to interact with AQP2 in the MYTH assay (aa 203–336, grey), 68% is identical (*) and 86% is similar (. or:) to that of NDFIP1 (NP_085048.1). The PPY-motifs (black rectangle) known to bind to NEDD4 and NEDD4L are not, but the transmembrane domains (dashed rectangle) are within the AQP2 binding region. (D) <i>NDFIP1 and NDFIP2 interact with AQP2</i>. HEK cells were transiently-transfected with an empty construct (-), or constructs encoding myc-tagged NDFIP1, NDFIP2 or AQP2 separately or combined (indicated on top), grown for 2 days, lysed and subjected to AQP2-immunoprecipitation (IP: α-AQP2). The IP-fractions (upper panel) and total lysates (indicated) were immunoblotted for NDFIP1 or -2 (IB: α-myc), or AQP2 (IB: α-AQP2). Only when co-expressed with AQP2, NDFIP1 and NDFIP2 were detected in the immunoprecipitate. Coomassie staining of the blots confirmed loading of protein equivalents. Molecular masses of proteins are indicated on the left (in kDa).</p