Ozone retrievals from the oxygen infrared channels of the Osiris infrared imager

Measurements by OSIRIS, an infrared imaging system that measures emission from excited-state molecular oxygen, are used to retrieve mesospheric ozone through a photochemical model. The design of the model and the spectral data used in the calculation of pho- tochemical production coe±cients are presented. The model has been run in a variety of modes to provide comparisons with measurements of excited-state molec- ular oxygen; it has been found that the model results are in excellent agreement with measurements. The model is used in conjunction with a retrieval scheme to estimate the con- centrations of mesospheric ozone from measurements made on a satellite platform. An analysis of the sensitivity of retrieved ozone to key model parameters is done, and it is shown that uncertainty in several kinetic reaction rates can signi¯cantly change the retrieved results. Comparisons are made for the ozone retrieved in this work and that from several other instruments that make similar measurements. The retrieved concentrations are shown to be in excellent agreement with results from other instruments. The present work provides a climatological database of mesospheric ozone and will provide useful comparisons with concurrent measurements of mesospheric ozone. The new data obtained in this work are in good agreement with expected results, and it is shown that the unprecedented high-spatial resolution of OSIRIS reveals interesting features that should be further investigated

A large genome-wide association study of age-related macular degeneration highlights contributions of rare and common variants.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.3448Advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, with limited therapeutic options. Here we report on a study of >12 million variants, including 163,714 directly genotyped, mostly rare, protein-altering variants. Analyzing 16,144 patients and 17,832 controls, we identify 52 independently associated common and rare variants (P < 5 × 10(-8)) distributed across 34 loci. Although wet and dry AMD subtypes exhibit predominantly shared genetics, we identify the first genetic association signal specific to wet AMD, near MMP9 (difference P value = 4.1 × 10(-10)). Very rare coding variants (frequency <0.1%) in CFH, CFI and TIMP3 suggest causal roles for these genes, as does a splice variant in SLC16A8. Our results support the hypothesis that rare coding variants can pinpoint causal genes within known genetic loci and illustrate that applying the approach systematically to detect new loci requires extremely large sample sizes.We thank all participants of all the studies included for enabling this research by their participation in these studies. Computer resources for this project have been provided by the high-performance computing centers of the University of Michigan and the University of Regensburg. Group-specific acknowledgments can be found in the Supplementary Note. The Center for Inherited Diseases Research (CIDR) Program contract number is HHSN268201200008I. This and the main consortium work were predominantly funded by 1X01HG006934-01 to G.R.A. and R01 EY022310 to J.L.H

Optical properties of subvisual cirrus clouds measured by the OSIRIS instrument

Satellite-based measurements with limb viewing geometry give high-quality information about the atmosphere. However, low-altitude measurements are very sensitive to thin clouds, which act as a semi-reflective layer that can screen out the lower atmosphere and the earth's surface. The work described in this thesis demonstrates the ability to retrieve the optical properties of these clouds from observations of scattered sunlight by the OSIRIS instrument. Retrievals from satellite measurements require a radiative transfer model well-suited to the measurement geometry. For this reason the SASKTRAN model is used, which employs full spherical geometry. Since this model was not initially intended to model cloud-particle scattering, several sources for the light-scattering properties of ice crystals -- from both first-principles algorithms and from in-cloud particle measurements -- were incorporated. Also, since these properties violate several simplifying assumptions of the model, modifications to the model were required. With the work described in this thesis, SASKTRAN replicates in-cloud radiance measurements with high accuracy across the measured spectrum. Cloud property retrievals are demonstrated that use SASKTRAN in an iterative retrieval technique. Assuming an effective cloud particle size, cloud particle number densities are retrieved that replicate the spectral measurements with very good accuracy. The effect of cloud properties on ozone and stratospheric aerosol retrievals is investigated. Systematic biases that result from neglecting cloud-particle scattering are discussed. Coincident measurements from another satellite instrument shows very good agreement with OSIRIS cloud properties

Factors that affect migratory Western Atlantic red knots (Calidris canutus rufa) and their prey during spring staging on Virginia's barrier islands.

Understanding factors that influence a species' distribution and abundance across the annual cycle is required for range-wide conservation. Thousands of imperiled red knots (Calidris cantus rufa) stop on Virginia's barrier islands each year to replenish fat during spring migration. We investigated the variation in red knot presence and flock size, the effects of prey on this variation, and factors influencing prey abundance on Virginia's barrier islands. We counted red knots and collected potential prey samples at randomly selected sites from 2007-2018 during a two-week period during early and peak migration. Core samples contained crustaceans (Orders Amphipoda and Calanoida), blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), coquina clams (Donax variabilis), and miscellaneous prey (horseshoe crab eggs (Limulus polyphemus), angel wing clams (Cyrtopleura costata), and other organisms (e.g., insect larvae, snails, worms)). Estimated red knot peak counts in Virginia during 21-27 May were highest in 2012 (11,959) and lowest in 2014 (2,857; 12-year peak migration [Formula: see text] = 7,175, SD = 2,869). Red knot and prey numbers varied across sampling periods and substrates (i.e., peat and sand). Red knots generally used sites with more prey. Miscellaneous prey ([Formula: see text] = 2401.00/m2, SE = 169.16) influenced red knot presence at a site early in migration, when we only sampled on peat banks. Coquina clams ([Formula: see text] = 1383.54/m2, SE = 125.32) and blue mussels ([Formula: see text] = 777.91/m2, SE = 259.31) affected red knot presence at a site during peak migration, when we sampled both substrates. Few relationships between prey and red knot flock size existed, suggesting that other unmeasured factors determined red knot numbers at occupied sites. Tide and mean daily water temperature affected prey abundance. Maximizing the diversity, availability, and abundance of prey for red knots on barrier islands requires management that encourages the presence of both sand and peat bank intertidal habitats

Brown Lab, Public

We are a collaborative molecular modeling and bioinformatics lab at Virginia Tech. We work with individuals all over campus and at other universities to provide computational support to their research, as well as pursuing our own work on amyloid and IDPs. With this OSF, we give you information on our most commonly used techniques and example methods for generating a shared group, multi-project OSF. For information about our current projects or to view our tutorials, head to the Wiki page. To see some of our published papers and images, along with scripts and files to help you with your own molecular modeling, check our Files. Like what we are doing? Feel free to use our templates to make your research more transparent and open. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Anne M. Brown at [email protected]

Differing roles for TCF4 and COL8A2 in central corneal thickness and fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy.

Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is the most common late-onset, vision-threatening corneal dystrophy in the United States, affecting about 4% of the population. Advanced FECD involves a thickening of the cornea from stromal edema and changes in Descemet membrane. To understand the relationship between FECD and central corneal thickness (CCT), we characterized common genetic variation in COL8A2 and TCF4, genes previously implicated in CCT and/or FECD. Other genes previously associated with FECD (PITX2, ZEB1, SLC4A11), and genes only known to affect CCT (COL5A1, FOXO1, AVGR8, ZNF469) were also interrogated. FECD probands, relatives and controls were recruited from 32 clinical sites; a total of 532 cases and 204 controls were genotyped and tested for association of FECD case/control status, a 7-step FECD severity scale and CCT, adjusting for age and sex. Association of FECD grade with TCF4 was highly significant (OR= 6.01 at rs613872; p = 4.8×10(-25)), and remained significant when adjusted for changes in CCT (OR= 4.84; p = 2.2×10(-16)). Association of CCT with TCF4 was also significant (p = 6.1×10(-7)), but was abolished with adjustment for FECD grade (p = 0.92). After adjusting for FECD grade, markers in other genes examined were modestly associated (p ∼ 0.001) with FECD and/or CCT. Thus, common variants in TCF4 appear to influence FECD directly, and CCT secondarily via FECD. Additionally, changes in corneal thickness due to the effect of other loci may modify disease severity, age-at-onset, or other biomechanical characteristics

Pathogen reduction technologies: The pros and cons for platelet transfusion

The transfusion of platelets is essential for diverse pathological conditions associated with thrombocytopenia or platelet disorders. To maintain optimal platelet quality and functions, platelets are stored as platelet concentrates (PCs) at room temperature under continuous agitation—conditions that are permissive for microbial proliferation. In order to reduce these contaminants, pathogen reduction technologies (PRTs) were developed by the pharmaceutical industry and subsequently implemented by blood banks. PRTs rely on chemically induced cross-linking and inactivation of nucleic acids. These technologies were initially introduced for the treatment of plasma and, more recently, for PCs given the absence of a nucleus in platelets. Several studies verified the effectiveness of PRTs to inactivate a broad array of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. However, the safety of PRT-treated platelets has been questioned in other studies, which focused on the impact of PRTs on platelet quality and functions. In this article, we review the literature regarding PRTs, and present the advantages and disadvantages related to their application in platelet transfusion medicine