Characteristics of In Situ Fine Fraction Aerosol Spectra from 300-700 nm Observed Around the Korean Peninsula During KORUS-OC

In situ aerosol extinction and absorption spectra covering the 300-700 nm range at 1 nm spectral resolution were measured aboard the R/V Onnuri during the Korea U.S. Ocean Color (KORUS-OC) cruise around the Korean Peninsula from May 21 through June 3, 2016. Total absorption spectra were obtained from aerosols collected on glass fiber filters and subsequently placed in the center of an integrating sphere (Labsphere DRA-CA-30) attached to a dual beam spectrophotometer (Cary 100 Bio UV-Visible Spectrophotometer, 0.2 nm spectral resolution). Absorption spectra from methanol and deionized water extracts of aerosols collected on Teflon filters were measured in a liquid waveguide capillary cell (World Precision Instruments LWCC- 3100, ~0.4 nm spectral resolution). Extinction spectra were measured with a custom built instrument (SpEx, ~0.8 nm spectral resolution). The measurements were obtained at a height of ~10 m above the sea surface with an inlet that limited the measured aerosols to diameters 1.3 m. All four sets of spectra exhibit curvature in log-log space with 2nd order polynomials providing a better fit to the measured spectra than power law fits. The deionized water extracts were also analyzed with an ion chromatograph (Dionex ICS-3000 Ion Chromatography System) and with an aerosol mass spectrometer (Aerodyne Research, Inc. HR-ToF High Resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometer) to examine chemical composition. These data indicate the optical spectra are sensitive to differing chemical properties of the measured ambient aerosols and suggest differing sources and/or atmospheric processes influence the observed optical signatures. The measured suite of spectra are combined to examine the spectral characteristics of single scattering albedo, as well as to examine the contribution of soluble absorbing chromophores to the total absorption spectra. Additional measurements made during the affiliated Korea U.S. - Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) campaign will be used to provide further insight on the observed spectral characteristics

CpG-creating mutations are costly in many human viruses.

Mutations can occur throughout the virus genome and may be beneficial, neutral or deleterious. We are interested in mutations that yield a C next to a G, producing CpG sites. CpG sites are rare in eukaryotic and viral genomes. For the eukaryotes, it is thought that CpG sites are rare because they are prone to mutation when methylated. In viruses, we know less about why CpG sites are rare. A previous study in HIV suggested that CpG-creating transition mutations are more costly than similar non-CpG-creating mutations. To determine if this is the case in other viruses, we analyzed the allele frequencies of CpG-creating and non-CpG-creating mutations across various strains, subtypes, and genes of viruses using existing data obtained from Genbank, HIV Databases, and Virus Pathogen Resource. Our results suggest that CpG sites are indeed costly for most viruses. By understanding the cost of CpG sites, we can obtain further insights into the evolution and adaptation of viruses

Spatially-coordinated airborne data and complementary products for aerosol, gas, cloud, and meteorological studies: The NASA ACTIVATE dataset

The NASA Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE) produced a unique dataset for research into aerosol-cloud-meteorology interactions. An HU-25 Falcon and King Air conducted systematic and spatially coordinated flights over the northwest Atlantic Ocean. This paper describes the ACTIVATE flight strategy, instrument and complementary dataset products, data access and usage details, and data application notes

Queer Spaces in Kentucky: Understanding LGBTQ Migration

Situated as a geographical fusion of the Bible Belt and the rural south, Kentucky - specifically Appalachia, KY - has been popularly known as a breeding ground of intolerance and bigotry toward the LGBTQ community. Consequently, there exists the notion that a large portion of the LGBTQ community members migrate out of the region in favor of more secular, urban residences to escape social alienation and become immersed in a more expansive queer community. Our research sought to explore the validity of this notion and gain a more complete understanding of the ways in which rural and urban spaces are conceptualized by the LGBTQ Kentucky community through migration. We hypothesized that while there are both positive and negative elements to living in either urban or rural spaces, the general migratory trend is from rural to urban. We tested this hypothesis by conducting ten semi-structured interviews with LGBTQ Kentuckians at both colleges and universities across the state. Individuals were asked questions regarding the motives behind their migration, the discrimination they faced at their former and current residences and the satisfaction and the impact moving has had on their lives. Two majors themes appeared among a majority of the participants: first, discrimination, particularly stemming from religious ideologies, played a large role in pushing the LGBTQ individuals away from rural areas; secondly, while new social technology has permitted rural LGBTQ Kentuckians greater access to local queer communities, the migratory trend is still one of rural individuals moving to more urban areas. The results of this study make clear the progress and resilience rural LGBTQ communities maintain in the face of widespread discrimination, and illuminate the diverse ways in which oppression can be subverted over time. Simultaneously, however, it is a call to action to provide more support to rural locales for LGBTQ folks

Effect of Remdesivir on COVID-19 PCR Positivity and Cycle Threshold in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Information regarding Coronavirus disease 2019 in the transplant population is lacking. Recently it has been suggested that cycle threshold values obtained on polymerase chain reaction tests may serve as a marker of disease severity with lower values (i.e., higher viral load) being associated with higher mortality. This study was done to assess the impact of remdesivir use on the time to a negative COVID-19 PCR as well as the degree of change between two Ct’s based on treatment. A total of 30 kidney transplant patients with a new diagnosis of COVID-19 were assessed. Serial PCR results were followed from the time of diagnosis then every 2–4 weeks until negative. In patients who received remdesivir immediately after COVID-19 confirmation compared to no remdesivir, time to negative PCR was not statistically different with a median duration of 57 days in both groups (p = 0.369). The change in the Ct between the first and the second PCR test was also not statistically different between groups with a median change of 18.4 cycles in the remdesivir group and 15.7 cycles without remdesivir (p = 0.516). The results of this small single-center analysis suggest that remdesivir may not be beneficial in shortening time to a negative COVID-19 PCR

Assessing in vivo mutation frequencies and creating a high-resolution genome-wide map of fitness costs of Hepatitis C virus.

Like many viruses, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) has a high mutation rate, which helps the virus adapt quickly, but mutations come with fitness costs. Fitness costs can be studied by different approaches, such as experimental or frequency-based approaches. The frequency-based approach is particularly useful to estimate in vivo fitness costs, but this approach works best with deep sequencing data from many hosts are. In this study, we applied the frequency-based approach to a large dataset of 195 patients and estimated the fitness costs of mutations at 7957 sites along the HCV genome. We used beta regression and random forest models to better understand how different factors influenced fitness costs. Our results revealed that costs of nonsynonymous mutations were three times higher than those of synonymous mutations, and mutations at nucleotides A or T had higher costs than those at C or G. Genome location had a modest effect, with lower costs for mutations in HVR1 and higher costs for mutations in Core and NS5B. Resistance mutations were, on average, costlier than other mutations. Our results show that in vivo fitness costs of mutations can be site and virus specific, reinforcing the utility of constructing in vivo fitness cost maps of viral genomes

DISTRIBUTED MARITIME OPERATIONS AND UNMANNED SYSTEMS TACTICAL EMPLOYMENT

The concept of Distributed Maritime Operations intends to enable a force that is capable of winning a fleet-on-fleet engagement through the integration of manned and unmanned systems, execution of deceptive tactics, and emboldening of units to conduct offensive strikes. This report contributes to the concept of DMO in the 2030-2035 timeframe through the development of an operational simulation that examines the ability for various compositions of multi-domain fleet assets to perform tactical operations in a naval combat environment. This project studies the impact of the friendly force employment of deception and tactics against an enemy force, and the resulting impact on the adversary’s ability to progress through the various stages of a kill chain. Through the development and analysis of a discrete event simulation, this research investigates the ability for naval forces in the air, surface, and electromagnetic warfare domains to contribute to DMO through the performance of tactical offensive operations and employment of deceptive tactics. The analysis resulted in two major findings. In terms of force composition, an increased number of missile carrying assets had the largest impact on operational effectiveness and survivability. Tactically, the utilization of electronic jamming, coupled with the utilization of unmanned deceptive swarms, provided a significant improvement in the survivability of friendly force assets as well as the attrition of enemy forces.OPNAV N9Ihttp://archive.org/details/distributedmarit1094559587Lieutenant, United States NavyLieutenant, United States NavyMajor, Singapore ArmyCivilian, Other, SingaporeMajor, Singapore ArmyMajor, Singapore Air ForceCaptain, United States Marine CorpsLieutenant Commander, Singapore NavyCivilian, Other, SingaporeMajor, Singapore Air ForceCivilian, Other, SingaporeMajor, Singapore Air ForceCaptain, Israel ArmyCaptain, United States Marine CorpsMajor, Singapore ArmyMajor, Singapore ArmyLieutenant, United States NavyLieutenant, United States NavyCaptain, Singapore ArmyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited