The Waters of The Third Pole: Sources of Threat, Sources of Survival

The purpose of this report is to open up a dialogue on an issue that could put the lives and livelihoods of millions of people at risk in the foreseeable future. This issue is water – water as a vital resource and as a potential crisis driver in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. In seeking to foster that dialogue, the report has three specific objectives: [i] to survey various types of potential water-related hazards and crisis drivers that could affect the region; [ii] to foster new types of alliances – including greater attention to what will be called humanitarian policy-maker/ science dialogues – for addressing the threats that the region may face; and [iii] to propose first steps that must be taken now to lead to prevention and preparedness measures commensurate with the nature and scale of threats facing the region

Atlantic oceanography conducted during the period July 1, 1962 -June 30, 1963

In July 1962 a short cruise was made on CHAIN to investigate the hypothesis (Worthington 1962) that the major circulation of the North Atlantic is divided into two anti-cyclonic eddies or gyres. Evidence from International Geophysical Year data indicated that the thermocline water east of the Grand Banks had different characteristics from Sargasso Sea water. In particular, the dissolved oxygen content throughout the thermocline was at a much higher level in the more northerly waters than in the Sargasso Sea. It was deduced from this that the Gulf Stream, which transports a large volume of water of the Sargasso Sea type, does not turn south around the Tail of the Banks, but that the strong, narrow currents found to the East of the Banks transport water of different origin.The Geqphysics Branch, Office of Naval Research Under Contract-Nonr-2196(00) (NR-083-004

Experimental VLF relative navigation on R/V Atlantis II, cruise 15

Originally issued as Reference No. 66-61, series later renamed WHOI-.An experimental long-range relative navigation system was employed on the Research Vessel ATLANTIS II of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution during Cruise 8 to the Indian Ocean in 1963 and Cruise 15 which circumnavigated the globe in 1965. The very low frequencies (VLF) transmitted by stations having stab1lized carriers (a few part s in 10 11) can be received throughout the world. Navigational information is obtained from the comparison of the received signals of two or more stations with a precision oscillator which serves as a reference. Geographical changes result in phase changes which may be computed to longitude and latitude if the starting point is known; thus, the system is relative. Reference points could be supplied to the VLF system from a satellite radio navigator that was loaned to the U.S. Navy for this cruise. Best positioning agreed to within three nautical miles from best ship's position under favorable conditions. The VLF equipment also was able to provide (l) a measure of ship's drift on station, (2) precise time and frequencies, and (3) a means for calibrating the ship's EM log at sea.Submitted to the Office of Naval Research under Contract Nonr-3351(00) NR 083-501 and to the National Science Foundation Grant 821

Identification of metabolic pathways influenced by the G-protein coupled receptors GprB and GprD in Aspergillus nidulans

Heterotrimeric G-protein-mediated signaling pathways play a pivotal role in transmembrane signaling in eukaryotes. Our main aim was to identify signaling pathways regulated by A. nidulans GprB and GprD G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). When these two null mutant strains were compared to the wild-type strain, the DeltagprB mutant showed an increased protein kinase A (PKA) activity while growing in glucose 1% and during starvation. In contrast, the DeltagprD has a much lower PKA activity upon starvation. Transcriptomics and (1)H NMR-based metabolomics were performed on two single null mutants grown on glucose. We noted modulation in the expression of 11 secondary metabolism gene clusters when the DeltagprB and DeltagprD mutant strains were grown in 1% glucose. Several members of the sterigmatocystin-aflatoxin gene cluster presented down-regulation in both mutant strains. The genes of the NR-PKS monodictyphenone biosynthesis cluster had overall increased mRNA accumulation in DeltagprB, while in the DeltagprD mutant strain the genes had decreased mRNA accumulation. Principal component analysis of the metabolomic data demonstrated that there was a significant metabolite shift in the DeltagprD strain. The (1)H NMR analysis revealed significant expression of essential amino acids with elevated levels in the DeltagprD strain, compared to the wild-type and DeltagprB strains. With the results, we demonstrated the differential expression of a variety of genes related mainly to secondary metabolism, sexual development, stress signaling, and amino acid metabolism. We propose that the absence of GPCRs triggered stress responses at the genetic level. The data suggested an intimate relationship among different G-protein coupled receptors, fine-tune regulation of secondary and amino acid metabolisms, and fungal development