Analysis of the Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting Model Using Variations in Precipitation Input

Flooding is a serious risk for areas of the world that are near rivers and streams. The current operational standard in forecasting the conditions of these rivers and streams is the Sacramento Soil Moisture Assimilation model. For that reason, an accuracy analysis of the streamflow forecasts of the lumped version of the model was conducted. Many previous studies have looked at calibration of individual model components and assimilation methods, but basic accuracy and sensitivity analysis also important to consider. Different precipitation data sets were used to determine model sensitivity to precipitation inputs. Analysis was also conducted to see whether or not the sensitivity to times scales would be significant in the simulated streamflow values. Findings can be used for model correction and consideration of model biases as well as providing useful considerations when issuing flood warnings and other types of public communication

Visual perception of photographs of rotated 3D objects in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Wegman, J. J., Morrison, E., Wilcox, K. T., & DeLong, C. M. Visual perception of photographs of rotated 3D objects in goldfish (Carassius auratus). Animals, 12(14), (2022): 1797, https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12141797.This study examined goldfishes’ ability to recognize photographs of rotated 3D objects. Six goldfish were presented with color photographs of a plastic model turtle and frog at 0° in a two-alternative forced-choice task. Fish were tested with stimuli at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° rotated in the picture plane and two depth planes. All six fish performed significantly above chance at all orientations in the three rotation planes tested. There was no significant difference in performance as a function of aspect angle, which supported viewpoint independence. However, fish were significantly faster at 180° than at +/−90°, so there is also evidence for viewpoint-dependent representations. These fish subjects performed worse overall in the current study with 2D color photographs (M = 88.0%) than they did in our previous study with 3D versions of the same turtle and frog stimuli (M = 92.6%), although they performed significantly better than goldfish in our two past studies presented with black and white 2D stimuli (M = 67.6% and 69.0%). The fish may have relied on color as a salient cue. This study was a first attempt at examining picture-object recognition in fish. More work is needed to determine the conditions under which fish succeed at object constancy tasks, as well as whether they are capable of perceiving photographs as representations of real-world objectsThis work was supported with a RIT College of Liberal Arts Faculty Development Grant to CMD and the RIT Paul A. and Francena L. Miller Research Fellowship awarded to CMD from the Rochester Institute of Technology

Hiding in Plain Sight: Interplay between Staphylococcal Biofilms and Host Immunity.

Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are notable for their propensity to form biofilms on implanted medical devices. Staphylococcal biofilm infections are typified by their recalcitrance to antibiotics and ability to circumvent host immune-mediated clearance, resulting in the establishment of chronic infections that are often recurrent in nature. Indeed, the immunomodulatory lifestyle of biofilms seemingly shapes the host immune response to ensure biofilm engraftment and persistence in an immune competent host. Here, we provide a brief review of the mechanisms whereby S. aureus and S. epidermidis biofilms manipulate host-pathogen interactions and discuss the concept of microenvironment maintenance in infectious outcomes, as well as speculate how these findings pertain to the challenges of staphylococcal vaccine development

Long-term Aquatic Invertebrate Monitoring at Buffalo National River, Arkansas

Aquatic invertebrate community structure was used to assess long-term water quality integrity in the mainstem of the Buffalo National River, Arkansas from 2005 to 2013. Nine benthic invertebrate samples were collected from each of six sampling sites using a Slack-Surber sampler. The Stream Condition Index (SCI) developed for Ozark streams was used to assess integrity of the invertebrate communities. This index is calculated using taxa richness, EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) Richness, Shannon’s Diversity Index, and Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI). Sørensen’s similarity index was used to assess community similarity among sites, and scores were then analyzed using ascendant hierarchical cluster analysis. The benthic invertebrate fauna was diverse with 167 distinct taxa identified from all sites, with similarities ranging from 70% to 83%. Cluster analysis showed that sites were clustered in a longitudinal progression, with those sites closest to one another in linear distance generally being the most closely related. Overall, the invertebrate taxa of the Buffalo River are largely intolerant (mean tolerance value= 4.38). Taxa richness was typically greater than 20 among samples, and EPT richness values consistently were greater than 12 for all sites in most years. Shannon’s diversity index values generally ranged from 2.0 to 2.5 among sites and years. Metric values tended to decrease in a downstream direction to Site 4, and then increase to levels observed upstream. The exception was for HBI, which did not show this response and values for this metric generally were below 5. SCI scores among sampling sites were variable but not generally impaired and were fully biologically-supporting. Water quality (temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, pH, turbidity) met state standards in all instances. Habitat data were summarized, but found to be poorly correlated with invertebrate metrics (\u3c30% significant). Although the condition of invertebrate communities and water quality in the Buffalo River are largely sound and have high integrity, numerous ongoing and projected threats to these resources remain, and those threats largely originate outside of the park’s jurisdictional boundaries. Inherent variability of invertebrate community diversity and density across sites and years highlights the importance of using multi-metric assessment and multiyear monitoring to support management decisions

The Role of Neck Musculature in Traumatic Brain Injuries in Older Adults: Implications From Sports Medicine

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are common and serious injuries to older adults. The majority of TBIs in older adults are sustained when the head impacts the ground or other surface during a fall. While several non-modifiable risk factors have been identified for fall-related TBIs in older adults, there still remains a dearth of knowledge surrounding modifiable risk factors. Thus, this significant knowledge gap warrants an investigation into research across disciplines. The sports medicine literature has examined several modifiable risk factors to prevent a mild form of TBI known as concussion. While this research has identified several risk factors, one particular risk factor may have potential implications to fall-related TBIs in older adults. The sports medicine literature has shown that decreased neck strength and slower neck muscle activation are significant predictors for sports-related concussion. Similarly, older adults experience age-related declines to neck muscle strength and muscle activation. Consequently, these age-related declines to the neck musculature may result in the inability of older adults to control their head during a fall, which results in greater impact forces being transmitted to the brain and increases the risk of TBI. This perspective article assesses the sports medicine literature related to the implications of neck strength and muscle activation in sports-related concussion, discusses age-related declines to neck strength and muscle activation, and highlights the potential impact of the neck musculature on fall-related TBIs in older adults

Can malignant and inflammatory pleural effusions in dogs be distinguished using computed tomography

Computed tomography (CT) is the primary imaging modality used to investigate human patients with suspected malignant or inflammatory pleural effusion, but there is a lack of information about the clinical use of this test in dogs. To identify CT signs that could be used to distinguish pleural malignant neoplasia from pleuritis, a retrospective case‐control study was done based on dogs that had pleural effusion, pre‐ and postcontrast thoracic CT images, and cytological or histopathological diagnosis of malignant or inflammatory pleural effusion. There were 20 dogs with malignant pleural effusion (13 mesothelioma, 6 carcinoma; 1 lymphoma), and 32 dogs with pleuritis (18 pyothorax; 14 chylothorax). Compared to dogs with pleuritis, dogs with malignant pleural effusions were significantly older (median 8.5 years vs. 4.9 years, P = 0.001), more frequently had CT signs of pleural thickening (65% vs.34%, P = 0.05), tended to have thickening of the parietal pleura only (45% vs. 3%, P = 0.002) and had more marked pleural thickening (median 3 mm vs. 0 mm, P = 0.03). Computed tomography signs of thoracic wall invasion were observed only in dogs with malignant pleural effusions (P = 0.05). There were no significant differences in pleural fluid volume, distribution or attenuation, degree of pleural contrast accumulation, amount of pannus, or prevalence of mediastinal adenopathy. Although there was considerable overlap in findings in dogs with malignant pleural effusion and pleuritis, marked thickening affecting the parietal pleural alone and signs of thoracic wall invasion on CT support diagnosis of pleural malignant neoplasia, and may help prioritize further diagnostic testing

Whole-genome sequencing of trypanosoma brucei reveals introgression between subspecies that is associated with virulence

Human African trypanosomiasis is caused by two subspecies of Trypanosoma brucei. Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense is found in East Africa and frequently causes acute disease, while Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is found in West Africa and is associated with chronic disease. Samples taken from a single focus of a Ugandan outbreak of T. b. rhodesiense in the 1980s were associated with either chronic or acute disease. We sequenced the whole genomes of two of these isolates, which showed that they are genetically distinct from each other. Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism markers in a panel of 31 Ugandan isolates plus 32 controls revealed a mixture of East African and West African haplotypes, and some of these haplotypes were associated with the different virulence phenotypes. It has been shown recently that T. b. brucei and T. b. rhodesiense populations undergo genetic exchange in natural populations. Our analysis showed that these strains from the Ugandan epidemic were intermediate between the reference genome sequences of T. b. gambiense and T. b. brucei and contained haplotypes that were present in both subspecies. This suggests that the human-infective subspecies of T. brucei are not genetically isolated, and our data are consistent with genomic introgression between East African and West African T. b. brucei subspecies. This has implications for the control of the parasite, the spread of drug resistance, and understanding the variation in virulence and the emergence of human infectivity.<p></p> IMPORTANCE We present a genetic study of the acute form of “sleeping sickness” caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense from a single outbreak in Uganda. This represents an advance in our understanding of the relationship between the T. b. rhodesiense and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense subspecies that have previously been considered geographically distinct. Our data suggest that introgression of West African-derived T. brucei haplotypes may be associated with differences in disease presentation in the East African disease. These findings are not only of scientific interest but also important for parasite control, as they suggest that the human-infective T. brucei subspecies are not genetically isolated.<p></p&gt

Protocol for Monitoring Aquatic Invertebrates of Small Streams in the Heartland Inventory & Monitoring Network, Version 2.1

Executive Summary The Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network (HTLN) is a component of the National Park Service’s (NPS) strategy to improve park management through greater reliance on scientific information. The purposes of this program are to design and implement long-term ecological monitoring and provide information for park managers to evaluate the integrity of park ecosystems and better understand ecosystem processes. Concerns over declining surface water quality have led to the development of various monitoring approaches to assess stream water quality. Freshwater streams in network parks are threatened by numerous stressors, most of which originate outside park boundaries. Stream condition and ecosystem health are dependent on processes occurring in the entire watershed as well as riparian and floodplain areas; therefore, they cannot be manipulated independently of this interrelationship. Land use activities—such as timber management, landfills, grazing, confined animal feeding operations, urbanization, stream channelization, removal of riparian vegetation and gravel, and mineral and metals mining—threaten stream quality. Accordingly, the framework for this aquatic monitoring is directed towards maintaining the ecological integrity of the streams in those parks. Invertebrates are an important tool for understanding and detecting changes in ecosystem integrity, and they can be used to reflect cumulative impacts that cannot otherwise be detected through traditional water quality monitoring. The broad diversity of invertebrate species occurring in aquatic systems similarly demonstrates a broad range of responses to different environmental stressors. Benthic invertebrates are sensitive to the wide variety of impacts that influence Ozark streams. Benthic invertebrate community structure can be quantified to reflect stream integrity in several ways, including the absence of pollution sensitive taxa, dominance by a particular taxon combined with low overall taxa richness, or appreciable shifts in community composition relative to reference condition. Furthermore, changes in the diversity and community structure of benthic invertebrates are relatively simple to communicate to resource managers and the public. To assess the natural and anthropogenic processes influencing invertebrate communities, this protocol has been designed to incorporate the spatial relationship of benthic invertebrates with their local habitat including substrate size and embeddedness, and water quality parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, and turbidity). Rigid quality control and quality assurance are used to ensure maximum data integrity. Detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) and supporting information are associated with this protocol