Bark beetle impacts on remotely sensed evapotranspiration in the Colorado Rocky Mountains

January 2019.Includes bibliographical references.Bark beetles represent a major ongoing forest disturbance throughout the southern Rocky Mountains with unknown implications for hydrological partitioning between the abiotic (evaporation) and biotic (transpiration) components of the total evapotranspiration (ET) flux. Since changes in ET are linked to both groundwater and surface water recharge processes, this scenario has the potential to affect water delivery to agricultural, industrial, and residential consumers downstream. Accordingly, this research used satellite remote sensing, eddy covariance, and hydrological modeling approaches to independently quantify the impact of bark beetles on growing season ET, the transpiration fraction of ET (T/ET), and streamflow across a range of spatial scales throughout the 144,462 km2 EPA Level III Southern Rocky Mountain ecoregion. The results of this work demonstrate statistically significant post-disturbance ET reductions between 9% (remote sensing) and 28% (eddy covariance) relative to pre-disturbance conditions. Further, commensurate decreases in transpiration and T/ET from disturbed areas suggest that the total ET flux was primarily sensitive to changes in transpiration. In the context of the water balance, the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrological model simulated decreased canopy interception and increased soil moisture as a result of beetle disturbance, which increased streamflow by 9%. Factoring in the number of grid cells that were disturbed, bark beetles decreased ET by 62,000 acre-feet and increased streamflow by 54,000 acre-feet between 2000 and 2013. These results will benefit water managers tasked with forecasting water resources from disturbed areas both now and in the future

Early childhood lung function is a stronger predictor of adolescent lung function in cystic fibrosis than early Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been suggested as a major determinant of poor pulmonary outcomes in cystic fibrosis (CF), although other factors play a role. Our objective was to investigate the association of early childhood Pseudomonas infection on differences in lung function in adolescence with CF

LIN28B and Let-7 in Diffuse Midline Glioma: A Review

Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is the most lethal of all childhood cancers. DMGs are driven by histone-tail-mutation-mediated epigenetic dysregulation and partner mutations in genes controlling proliferation and migration. One result of this epigenetic and genetic landscape is the overexpression of LIN28B RNA binding protein. In other systems, LIN28B has been shown to prevent let-7 microRNA biogenesis; however, let-7, when available, faithfully suppresses tumorigenic pathways and induces cellular maturation by preventing the translation of numerous oncogenes. Here, we review the current literature on LIN28A/B and the let-7 family and describe their role in gliomagenesis. Future research is then recommended, with a focus on the mechanisms of LIN28B overexpression and localization in DMG

Projected Evolution of California's San Francisco Bay-Delta-River System in a Century of Climate Change

Background: Accumulating evidence shows that the planet is warming as a response to human emissions of greenhouse gases. Strategies of adaptation to climate change will require quantitative projections of how altered regional patterns of temperature, precipitation and sea level could cascade to provoke local impacts such as modified water supplies, increasing risks of coastal flooding, and growing challenges to sustainability of native species. Methodology/Principal Findings: We linked a series of models to investigate responses of California’s San Francisco Estuary-Watershed (SFEW) system to two contrasting scenarios of climate change. Model outputs for scenarios of fast and moderate warming are presented as 2010–2099 projections of nine indicators of changing climate, hydrology and habitat quality. Trends of these indicators measure rates of: increasing air and water temperatures, salinity and sea level; decreasing precipitation, runoff, snowmelt contribution to runoff, and suspended sediment concentrations; and increasing frequency of extreme environmental conditions such as water temperatures and sea level beyond the ranges of historical observations. Conclusions/Significance: Most of these environmental indicators change substantially over the 21 st century, and many would present challenges to natural and managed systems. Adaptations to these changes will require flexible planning t

Plasma TGF-β1 in pediatric cystic fibrosis: Potential biomarker of lung disease and response to therapy

Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) is an important genetic modifier of lung disease severity in cystic fibrosis (CF), yet the mechanism behind this disease association remains unknown. Initial steps in the investigation of the relationship between TGF-β1 and CF lung disease include determining the most appropriate available biospecimen for TGF-β1 protein measurement

A controlled study of adenoviral-vector–mediated gene transfer in the nasal epithelium of patients with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a monogenic disease that deranges multiple systems of ion transport in the airways, culminating in chronic infection and destruction of the lung. The introduction of a normal copy of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene into the airway epithelium through gene transfer is an attractive approach to correcting the underlying defects in patients with cystic fibrosis. We tested the feasibility of gene therapy using adenoviral vectors in the nasal epithelium of such patients. An adenoviral vector containing the normal CFTR complementary DNA in four logarithmically increasing doses (estimated multiplicity of infection, 1, 10, 100, and 1000), or vehicle alone, was administered in a randomized, blinded fashion to the nasal epithelium of 12 patients with cystic fibrosis. Gene transfer was quantitated by molecular techniques that detected the expression of CFTR messenger RNA and by functional measurements of transepithelial potential differences (PDs) to assess abnormalities of ion transport specific to cystic fibrosis. The safety of this treatment was monitored by nasal lavage and biopsy to assess inflammation and vector replication. The adenoviral vector was detected in nasal-lavage fluid by culture, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or both in a dose-dependent fashion for up to eight days after vector administration. There was molecular evidence of gene transfer by reverse-transcriptase PCR assays or in situ hybridization in five of six patients treated at the two highest doses. However, the percentage of epithelial cells transfected by the vector was very low (<1 percent), and measurement of PD across the epithelium revealed no significant restoration of chloride transport or normalization of sodium transport. At the lower doses of vector, there were no toxic effects. However, at the highest dose there was mucosal inflammation in two of three patients. In patients with cystic fibrosis, adenoviral-vector–mediated transfer of the CFTR gene did not correct functional defects in nasal epithelium, and local inflammatory responses limited the dose of adenovirus that could be administered to overcome the inefficiency of gene transfer. Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The normal CFTR gene codes for a protein (CFTR) that plays a key part in epithelial transport of salt and water. Mutations in CFTR result in abnormal secretions that obstruct and ultimately damage epithelium in many areas of the body. The principal cause of death among patients with cystic fibrosis is lung disease. Patients who are homozygous for mutations in the CFTR gene have defective cyclic AMP (cAMP)–regulated secretion of chloride8,9 and elevated absorption of sodium

Transcription factor TFCP2L1 patterns cells in the mouse kidney collecting ducts

Although most nephron segments contain one type of epithelial cell, the collecting ducts consists of at least two: intercalated (IC) and principal (PC) cells, which regulate acid-base and salt-water homeostasis, respectively. In adult kidneys, these cells are organized in rosettes suggesting functional interactions. Genetic studies in mouse revealed that transcription factor Tfcp2l1 coordinates IC and PC development. Tfcp2l1 induces the expression of IC specific genes, including specific H+-ATPase subunits and Jag1. Jag1 in turn, initiates Notch signaling in PCs but inhibits Notch signaling in ICs. Tfcp2l1 inactivation deletes ICs, whereas Jag1 inactivation results in the forfeiture of discrete IC and PC identities. Thus, Tfcp2l1 is a critical regulator of IC-PC patterning, acting cell-autonomously in ICs, and non-cell-autonomously in PCs. As a result, Tfcp2l1 regulates the diversification of cell types which is the central characteristic of 'salt and pepper' epithelia and distinguishes the collecting duct from all other nephron segments

A many-analysts approach to the relation between religiosity and well-being

The relation between religiosity and well-being is one of the most researched topics in the psychology of religion, yet the directionality and robustness of the effect remains debated. Here, we adopted a many-analysts approach to assess the robustness of this relation based on a new cross-cultural dataset (N=10,535 participants from 24 countries). We recruited 120 analysis teams to investigate (1) whether religious people self-report higher well-being, and (2) whether the relation between religiosity and self-reported well-being depends on perceived cultural norms of religion (i.e., whether it is considered normal and desirable to be religious in a given country). In a two-stage procedure, the teams first created an analysis plan and then executed their planned analysis on the data. For the first research question, all but 3 teams reported positive effect sizes with credible/confidence intervals excluding zero (median reported β=0.120). For the second research question, this was the case for 65% of the teams (median reported β=0.039). While most teams applied (multilevel) linear regression models, there was considerable variability in the choice of items used to construct the independent variables, the dependent variable, and the included covariates