Integrating Radar Image Data with Google Maps

A public Web site has been developed as a method for displaying the multitude of radar imagery collected by NASA s Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) instrument during its 16-year mission. Utilizing NASA s internal AIRSAR site, the new Web site features more sophisticated visualization tools that enable the general public to have access to these images. The site was originally maintained at NASA on six computers: one that held the Oracle database, two that took care of the software for the interactive map, and three that were for the Web site itself. Several tasks were involved in moving this complicated setup to just one computer. First, the AIRSAR database was migrated from Oracle to MySQL. Then the back-end of the AIRSAR Web site was updated in order to access the MySQL database. To do this, a few of the scripts needed to be modified; specifically three Perl scripts that query that database. The database connections were then updated from Oracle to MySQL, numerous syntax errors were corrected, and a query was implemented that replaced one of the stored Oracle procedures. Lastly, the interactive map was designed, implemented, and tested so that users could easily browse and access the radar imagery through the Google Maps interface

Fungi associated with hibernating bats in New Brunswick caves: the genus Leuconeurospora

Two species of Leuconeurospora, L. capsici and L. polypaeciloides (Ascomycota: Pseudeurotiaceae), are reported from the fur and skin of hibernating bats and from other substrata in caves in New Brunswick, Canada. Separate analyses using ITS, RPB1 and RPB2 DNA sequence data are in agreement and show these two species and the type species, L. pulcherrima form discrete clades within a distinct Leuconeurospora clade. The three species are distinguishable morphologically by their anamorphs, having dark conidia in L. capsici, hyaline conidia in L. polypaeciloides and no conidia in L. pulcherrima. Ascomata and ascospores are produced in L. pulcherrima and in mated isolates of L. polypaeciloides, but have not been observed in L. capsici. Leuconeurospora species are psychrotolerant, with faster growth and heavier conidial development at 7 C than at 22 C. Of 151 bats sampled from 10 caves, 51 yielded isolates of L. polypaeciloides and 15 yielded L. capsici. The results were not uniform: neither species was isolated from bats in 3 caves, while 3 caves yielded isolates of both species and 2 yielded L. polypaeciloides only. These species were also isolated from cave walls and arthropods in the cave.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

A conceptual framework for nomenclatural stability and validity of medically important fungi: a proposed global consensus guideline for fungal name changes supported by ABP, ASM, CLSI, ECMM, ESCMID-EFISG, EUCAST-AFST, FDLC, IDSA, ISHAM, MMSA, and MSGERC.

The rapid pace of name changes of medically important fungi is creating challenges for clinical laboratories and clinicians involved in patient care. We describe two sources of name change which have different drivers, at the species versus the genus level. Some suggestions are made here to reduce the number of name changes. We urge taxonomists to provide diagnostic markers of taxonomic novelties. Given the instability of phylogenetic trees due to variable taxon sampling, we advocate to maintain genera at the largest possible size. Reporting of identified species in complexes or series should where possible comprise both the name of the overarching species and that of the molecular sibling, often cryptic species. Because the use of different names for the same species will be unavoidable for many years to come, an open access online database of the names of all medically important fungi, with proper nomenclatural designation and synonymy, is essential. We further recommend that while taxonomic discovery continues, the adaptation of new name changes by clinical laboratories and clinicians be reviewed routinely by a standing committee for validation and stability over time, with reference to an open access database, wherein reasons for changes are listed in a transparent way