RURAL VIRGINIA: PROVIDING FOR THE FUTURE THROUGH CHANGING POLICY

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Emergency medical services

When NASA was established in 1958, it was known that space flight would require efforts beyond those of NASA to ensure the health and safety of our astronauts. On 10 Aug. 1958, a Secretary of Defense memorandum was signed that assigned the first Department of Defense (DOD) Manager to provide support to NASA for Project Mercury. This established a chain of command through the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense. The current charter is dated 19 Mar. 1986 and assigns the DOD Manager responsibilities to the Commander and Chief, US Space Command. The DOD Managers charter has many support areas and among them are recovery of astronauts and medical support. Today these efforts support the Space Shuttle and Space Station Programs. Briefly, the program works with each organization tasking the other through a requirements document. Level of care, communications, and recovery requirements are established; NASA and the DOD provide the capability to meet them. NASA is also responsible for the specialized training and equipment needed to meet these requirements. A Shuttle launch a KSC requires an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) coordinator on console to facilitate communications, ensure proper coverage, and coordinate with area hospitals. A contingent of NASA medical personnel are assembled to provide triage and medical support capabilities. The DOD provides medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopters with surgeons and pararescue specialists (PJ's) or emergency medical technicians (EMT's). Each helicopter is equipped with at least one doctor and one PJ/EMT per astronaut crew member. Transoceanic abort landing (TAL) sites and end of mission (EOM) sites have similar structures, with TAL sites utilizing fixed wingg aircraft for MEDEVAC. The DOD also supports contingency planning for the support and return of crew members from the Space Station Freedom. Much of this support has been directed at the recovery of crew members following the landing of an Assured Crew Return Vehicle

The contribution of insect prey to the total nitrogen content of sundews (Drosera spp.) determined in situ by stable isotope analysis

The contribution of insect prey to total N in the carnivorous plants, Drosera rotundifolia and D. intermedia, was quantified in situ and without any experimental manipulation using natural abundance stable isotope analysis. Samples of D. rotundifolia and D. intermedia, insects and noncarnivorous reference plants were collected from three contrasting locations across Britain. The proportion of Drosera nitrogen obtained from insect prey was calculated by a mixing model using δ<sup>15</sup>N values from the different plant groups. The mean proportion of Drosera N derived from prey was 50%. There were significant differences in this proportion between sites, and significant differences within sites. There were significant differences between plant tissues and a significant negative relationship between the proportion of N derived from prey and the C : N ratio of Drosera tissues. There was little evidence of differences in prey capture/utilisation in response to N availability, possibly due to a limited range in available N between the sites. However, evidence of a positive benefit of prey capture was apparent through the decrease in C : N ratio with increasing prey N concentrations in the plants

python-ags4: A Python library to read, write, and validate AGS4 geodata files

Data gathered from geotechnical, geoenvironmental, and geophysical investigations can be broadly described as “geodata”. The AGS4 data format (Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists, 2011, 2017, 2021b, 2022) is one of the most widely used data transmittal formats for geodata and is used across the world. It is a plain text format consisting of multiple tables of comma-separated values, tied together with a robust data schema and a comprehensive suite of validation rules. The basic structure of an AGS4 file is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Simplified schematic of AGS4 data structure Source: Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists (2022) python-ags4 is a Python library that provides functionality to read, write, and validate AGS4 geodata files. It provides users with a gateway to access the full power of the Python ecosystem to explore, analyze, and visualize geodata. Pandas DataFrame (The pandas development team, 2020) is the primary data structure used within the library, therefore it can handle relatively large datasets reasonably fast. The data validation module checks the file for compliance with the validation rules and provides a detailed error report. An example error report is shown in Figure 2

An Assessment of Geophysical Survey Techniques for Characterising the Subsurface Around Glacier Margins, and Recommendations for Future Applications

Geophysical surveys provide an efficient and non-invasive means of studying subsurface conditions in numerous sedimentary settings. In this study, we explore the application of three geophysical methods to a proglacial environment, namely ground penetrating radar (GPR), seismic refraction and multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW). We apply these geophysical methods to three glacial landforms with contrasting morphologies and sedimentary characteristics, and we use the various responses to assess the applicability and limitations of each method for these proglacial targets. Our analysis shows that GPR and seismic (refraction and MASW) techniques can provide spatially extensive information on the internal architecture and composition of moraines, but careful survey designs are required to optimise data quality in these geologically complex environments. Based on our findings, we define a number of recommendations and a potential workflow to guide future geophysical investigations in analogous settings. We recommend the initial use of GPR in future studies of proglacial environments to inform (a) seismic survey design and (b) the selection of seismic interpretation techniques. We show the benefits of using multiple GPR antenna frequencies (e.g., 25 and 100 MHz) to provide decimetre scale imaging in the near surface (e.g., < 15 m) while also enabling signal penetration to targets at up to ∼40 m depth (e.g., bedrock). This strategy helps to circumvent changes in radar signal penetration resulting from variations in substrate conductivity or abundant scatterers. Our study also demonstrates the importance of combining multiple geophysical methods together with ground-truthing through sedimentological observations to reduce ambiguity in interpretations. Implementing our recommendations will improve geophysical survey practice in the field of glacial geology and allow geophysical methods to play an increasing role in the interpretation of glacial landforms and sediments.publishedVersio

Prophage induction reduces Shiga toxin producing \u3ci\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/i\u3e (STEC) and Salmonella enterica on tomatoes and spinach: A model study

Fresh produce is increasingly implicated in foodborne outbreaks and most fresh produce is consumed raw, emphasizing the need to develop non-thermal methods to control foodborne pathogens. This study investigates bacterial cell lysis through induction of prophages as a novel approach to control foodborne bacterial pathogens on fresh produce. Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella enterica isolates were exposed to different prophage inducers (i.e. mitomycin C or streptonigrin) and growth of the cells was monitored by measuring the optical density (OD600) during incubation at 37C. Beginning at three hours after addition of the inducer, all concentrations (0.5, 1, 2 mg/mL) of mitomycin C, or 2 mg/mL streptonigrin significantly reduced the OD600 in broth cultures, in a concentration dependent manner, relative to cultures where no inducer was added. PCR confirmed bacterial release of induced bacteriophages and demonstrated that a single compound could successfully induce multiple types of prophages. The ability of mitomycin C to induce prophages in STEC O157:H7 and in S. enterica (serovars Typhimurium and Newport) on fresh produce was evaluated by inoculating red greenhouse tomatoes or spinach leaves with 5 x 107 and 5 x 108 colony forming units, respectively. After allowing time for the inoculum to dry on the fresh produce samples, 6 mg/mL mitomycin C was sprayed onto each sample, while control samples were sprayed with water. Following overnight incubation at 4C, the bacterial cells were recovered and plate counts were performed. A 3 log reduction in STEC O157:H7 cells was observed on tomatoes sprayed with mitomycin C compared to those sprayed with water, while a 1 log reduction was obtained on spinach. Similarly, spraying mitomycin C on tomatoes and spinach inoculated with S. enterica isolates resulted in a 1-1.5 log and 2 log reduction, respectively. These findings serve as a proof of concept that prophage induction can effectively control bacterial foodborne pathogens on fresh produce

Sarcoendoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ ATPase. A Critical Target in Chlorine Inhalation–Induced Cardiotoxicity

Autopsy specimens from human victims or experimental animals that die due to acute chlorine gas exposure present features of cardiovascular pathology. We demonstrate acute chlorine inhalation–induced reduction in heart rate and oxygen saturation in rats. Chlorine inhalation elevated chlorine reactants, such as chlorotyrosine and chloramine, in blood plasma. Using heart tissue and primary cardiomyocytes, we demonstrated that acute high-concentration chlorine exposure in vivo (500 ppm for 30 min) caused decreased total ATP content and loss of sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) activity. Loss of SERCA activity was attributed to chlorination of tyrosine residues and oxidation of an important cysteine residue, cysteine-674, in SERCA, as demonstrated by immunoblots and mass spectrometry. Using cardiomyocytes, we found that chlorine-induced cell death and damage to SERCA could be decreased by thiocyanate, an important biological antioxidant, and by genetic SERCA2 overexpression. We also investigated a U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved drug, ranolazine, used in treatment of cardiac diseases, and previously shown to stabilize SERCA in animal models of ischemia–reperfusion. Pretreatment with ranolazine or istaroxime, another SERCA activator, prevented chlorine-induced cardiomyocyte death. Further investigation of responsible mechanisms showed that ranolazine- and istaroxime-treated cells preserved mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP after chlorine exposure. Thus, these studies demonstrate a novel critical target for chlorine in the heart and identify potentially useful therapies to mitigate toxicity of acute chlorine exposure.This work was supported by the CounterACT Program, National Institutes of Health, Office of the Director, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grant U54 ES015678 (C.W.W.), and by Children’s Hospital of Colorado/Colorado School of Mines Pilot Award G0100394 and a Children’s Hospital of Colorado Research Institute’s Pilot Award (S.A.)

Reconstructing the recent failure chronology of a multistage landslide complex using cosmogenic isotope concentrations: St Catherine's Point, UK

The pre-existing multistage landslide complex at St Catherine’s Point comprises a series of large rotational and translational failures that form the western section of the Isle of Wight Undercliff, UK. Cosmogenic beryllium and aluminum concentrations extracted from chert samples of the Upper Greensand are used to date the most recent sequential failure events. We use our understanding of the failure mechanics and landslide geomorphology to produce a cosmogenic exposure model that incorporates pre-failure topography into our shielding calculations. This method allowed us to date two successive landslides at the site using 10Be, the most recent of which occurred ~1064 ± 348 (± 1 σ) 10Be years ago, much more recently than was previously thought. An earlier failure event is dated at ~3471 ± 348 10Be years, supporting the hypothesis that the St Catherine’s Point landslide complex was reactivated by relative sea-level rise at the end of the Holocene Climatic Optimum period

An Assessment of Geophysical Survey Techniques for Characterising the Subsurface Around Glacier Margins, and Recommendations for Future Applications

Geophysical surveys provide an efficient and non-invasive means of studying subsurface conditions in numerous sedimentary settings. In this study, we explore the application of three geophysical methods to a proglacial environment, namely ground penetrating radar (GPR), seismic refraction and multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW). We apply these geophysical methods to three glacial landforms with contrasting morphologies and sedimentary characteristics, and we use the various responses to assess the applicability and limitations of each method for these proglacial targets. Our analysis shows that GPR and seismic (refraction and MASW) techniques can provide spatially extensive information on the internal architecture and composition of moraines, but careful survey designs are required to optimise data quality in these geologically complex environments. Based on our findings, we define a number of recommendations and a potential workflow to guide future geophysical investigations in analogous settings. We recommend the initial use of GPR in future studies of proglacial environments to inform (a) seismic survey design and (b) the selection of seismic interpretation techniques. We show the benefits of using multiple GPR antenna frequencies (e.g., 25 and 100 MHz) to provide decimetre scale imaging in the near surface (e.g., < 15 m) while also enabling signal penetration to targets at up to ∼40 m depth (e.g., bedrock). This strategy helps to circumvent changes in radar signal penetration resulting from variations in substrate conductivity or abundant scatterers. Our study also demonstrates the importance of combining multiple geophysical methods together with ground-truthing through sedimentological observations to reduce ambiguity in interpretations. Implementing our recommendations will improve geophysical survey practice in the field of glacial geology and allow geophysical methods to play an increasing role in the interpretation of glacial landforms and sediments