Prevalence of glycosuria and diabetes among Indians and Bantu

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Phytoplankton functional types observation from space in the Fram Strait (2002-2020)

Phytoplankton in the sunlit layer of the ocean act as the base of the marine food web fueling fisheries, and also regulate key biogeochemical processes. Phytoplankton composition structure varies in ocean biomes and different phytoplankton groups drive differently the marine ecosystem and biogeochemical processes. Because of this, variations in phytoplankton composition influence the entire ocean environment, specifically the ocean energy transfer and the export of organic carbon to the deep ocean. As one of the algorithms deriving phytoplankton composition from space borne data, within the framework of the EU Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS), EOF-PFT algorithm was developed using multi-spectral satellite data collocated to an extensive in-situ PFT data set based on HPLC pigments and sea surface temperature data (Xi et al. 2020, 2021; https://marine.copernicus.eu/). By using multi-sensor merged products and Sentinel-3 OLCI data, the algorithm provides global chlorophyll a data with per-pixel uncertainty for diatoms, haptophytes, dinoflagellates, chlorophytes and prokaryotic phytoplankton spanning the period from 2002 until today. Due to different lifespans and radiometric characteristics of the ocean color sensors, the consistency of the PFTs is evaluated to provide quality-assured data for a consistent long-term monitoring of the phytoplankton community structure. As current commonly used phytoplankton carbon estimation methods rely mostly on the backscattering property of phytoplankton, which could vary dramatically for different phytoplankton taxa, as a perspective of this study, phytoplankton carbon may be better estimated in a way that accounts for phytoplankton taxonomy

20-year satellite observations of phytoplankton functional types (PFTs) in the Atlantic Ocean

Phytoplankton composition structure varies in ocean biomes. Different phytoplankton groups drive differently the marine ecosystem and biogeochemical processes. Therefore, variations in phytoplankton composition influence the entire ocean environment, specifically the ocean energy transfer, the deep ocean carbon export, water quality etc. As one of the algorithms deriving phytoplankton composition from space borne data, the EOF-PFT algorithm was developed using multi-spectral satellite data collocated to an extensive global in-situ PFT data set based on HPLC pigments and sea surface temperature data (Xi et al. 2020, 2021). By using multi-sensor merged products and Sentinel-3 OLCI data, the algorithm provides global chlorophyll a (Chla) data with per-pixel uncertainty for diatoms, haptophytes, dinoflagellates, chlorophytes and prokaryotic phytoplankton spanning the period from 2002 until today, with products available on the EU Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS). The objectives of this study are to 1) evaluate CMEMS PFT products and improve their continuity along the products derived from different satellite sensors, and 2) 20-year satellite PFT products for time series analysis of climatology, trends, anomaly and phenology of multiple PFTs in the whole Atlantic and its different biogeochemical provinces (Longhurst, 2006)

Fetal MRI in the Identification of a Fetal Ventral Wall Defect Spectrum

Objective  To ascertain if useful criteria for prenatal diagnosis of fetal ventral body wall defects (VBWDs) exists by reviewing published literature on diagnosis of VBWD as compared with our own diagnostic experience. Study Design  A comprehensive literature review of diagnostic criteria of fetal VBWD including pentalogy of Cantrell (POC), omphalocele, exstrophy, imperforate anus, spina bifida (OEIS), cloacal exstrophy, limb-body wall complex (LBWC), and body stalk anomaly was performed followed by a retrospective review of all fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations from our medical center over a 2-year period. Results  Classically, OEIS is omphalocele, bladder exstrophy, imperforate anus, and spina bifida. POC is defects of the supraumbilical abdomen, sternum, diaphragm, pericardium, and heart. LBWC is two of the following: exencephaly or enencephaly with facial clefts, thoracoschisis or abdominoschisis, and limb defects. Twenty-four cases of VBWD on MRI over a 24-month period were identified with seven cases involving defects of additional organ systems. Six of these seven cases demonstrated findings from two or more of the traditional diagnoses POC, OEIS, and LBWC making diagnosis and counseling difficult. Conclusion  There is a lack of consensus on useful diagnostic criteria within the published literature which is reflected in our own diagnostic experience and poses a challenge for accurate prenatal counseling

Cloud information content analysis of multi-angular measurements in the oxygen A-band: application to 3MI and MSPI

The vertical distribution of cloud cover has a significant impact on a large number of meteorological and climatic processes. Cloud top altitude and cloud geometrical thickness are then essential. Previous studies established the possibility of retrieving those parameters from multi-angular oxygen A-band measurements. Here we perform a study and comparison of the performances of future instruments. The 3MI (Multi-angle, Multi-channel and Multi-polarization Imager) instrument developed by EUMETSAT, which is an extension of the POLDER/PARASOL instrument, and MSPI (Multi-angles Spectro-Polarimetric Imager) develoloped by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will measure total and polarized light reflected by the Earth's atmosphere–surface system in several spectral bands (from UV to SWIR) and several viewing geometries. Those instruments should provide opportunities to observe the links between the cloud structures and the anisotropy of the reflected solar radiation into space. Specific algorithms will need be developed in order to take advantage of the new capabilities of this instrument. However, prior to this effort, we need to understand, through a theoretical Shannon information content analysis, the limits and advantages of these new instruments for retrieving liquid and ice cloud properties, and especially, in this study, the amount of information coming from the A-Band channel on the cloud top altitude (CTOP) and geometrical thickness (CGT). We compare the information content of 3MI A-Band in two configurations and that of MSPI. Quantitative information content estimates show that the retrieval of CTOP with a high accuracy is possible in almost all cases investigated. The retrieval of CGT seems less easy but possible for optically thick clouds above a black surface, at least when CGT > 1–2 km

Enhanced terrestrial carbon export from East Antarctica during the early Eocene

Terrestrial organic carbon (TerrOC) acts as an important CO2 sink when transported via rivers to the ocean and sequestered in coastal marine sediments. This mechanism might help to modulate atmospheric CO2 levels over short- and long timescales (103 to 106 years), but its importance during past warm climates remains unknown. Here we use terrestrial biomarkers preserved in coastal marine sediment samples from Wilkes Land, East Antarctica (~67°S) to quantify TerrOC burial during the early Eocene (~54.4 to 51.5 Ma). Terrestrial biomarker distributions indicate the delivery of plant-, soil- and peat-derived organic carbon (OC) into the marine realm. Mass accumulation rates of plant- (long-chain n-alkane) and soil-derived (hopane) biomarkers dramatically increase between the earliest Eocene (~54 Ma) and the early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO; ~53 Ma). This coincides with increased OC mass accumulation rates and indicates enhanced TerrOC burial during the EECO. Leaf wax δ 2H values indicate that the EECO was characterised by wetter conditions relative to the earliest Eocene, suggesting that hydroclimate exerts a first-order control on TerrOC export. Our results indicate that TerrOC burial in coastal marine sediments UOB Open could have acted as an important negative feedback mechanism during the early Eocene, but also during other warm climate intervals