SeaWiFS calibration and validation plan, volume 3

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) will be the first ocean-color satellite since the Nimbus-7 Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which ceased operation in 1986. Unlike the CZCS, which was designed as a proof-of-concept experiment, SeaWiFS will provide routine global coverage every 2 days and is designed to provide estimates of photosynthetic concentrations of sufficient accuracy for use in quantitative studies of the ocean's primary productivity and biogeochemistry. A review of the CZCS mission is included that describes that data set's limitations and provides justification for a comprehensive SeaWiFS calibration and validation program. To accomplish the SeaWiFS scientific objectives, the sensor's calibration must be constantly monitored, and robust atmospheric corrections and bio-optical algorithms must be developed. The plan incorporates a multi-faceted approach to sensor calibration using a combination of vicarious (based on in situ observations) and onboard calibration techniques. Because of budget constraints and the limited availability of ship resources, the development of the operational algorithms (atmospheric and bio-optical) will rely heavily on collaborations with the Earth Observing System (EOS), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) oceans team, and projects sponsored by other agencies, e.g., the U.S. Navy and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Other elements of the plan include the routine quality control of input ancillary data (e.g., surface wind, surface pressure, ozone concentration, etc.) used in the processing and verification of the level-0 (raw) data to level-1 (calibrated radiances), level-2 (derived products), and level-3 (gridded and averaged derived data) products

Characterization of a novel polyextremotolerant fungus, \u3ci\u3eExophiala viscosa\u3c/i\u3e, with insights into its melanin regulation and ecological niche

Black yeasts are polyextremotolerant fungi that contain high amounts of melanin in their cell wall and maintain a primar yeast form. These fungi grow in xeric, nutrient depletes environments which implies that they require highly flexible metabolisms and have been suggested to contain the ability to form lichen-like mutualisms with nearby algae and bacteria. However, the exact ecological niche and interactions between these fungi and their surrounding community are not well understood. We have isolated 2 novel black yeasts from the genus Exophiala that were recovered from dryland biological soil crusts. Despite notable differences in colony and cellular morphology, both fungi appear to be members of the same species, which has been named Exophiala viscosa (i.e. E. viscosa JF 03-3 Goopy and E. viscosa JF 03-4F Slimy). A combination of whole genome sequencing, phenotypic experiments, and melanin regulation experiments have been performed on these isolates to fully characterize these fungi and help decipher their fundamental niche within the biological soil crust consortium. Our results reveal that E. viscosa is capable of utilizing a wide variety of carbon and nitrogen sources potentially derived from symbiotic microbes, can withstand many forms of abiotic stresses, and excretes melanin which can potentially provide ultraviolet resistance to the biological soil crust community. Besides the identification of a novel species within the genus Exophiala, our study also provides new insight into the regulation of melanin production in polyextremotolerant fungi

Using metapopulation models to estimate the effects of pesticides and environmental stressors to Spring Chinook salmon in the Yakima River Basin, WA

Population-level endpoints provide ecological relevance to Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs), because this is the level at which environmental management decisions are made. However, many population-level risk assessments do not reflect the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the populations they represent, and thus preclude an understanding of how population dynamics and viability are affected by toxicants on a regional scale. We have developed a probabilistic ERA (specifically, a Bayesian Network-Relative Risk Model (BN-RRM)) that integrates an Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework, to quantify the sub-lethal and lethal effects of toxicants and environmental stressors on the metapopulation dynamics of salmonids. As a case study for developing this model, we have examined the impacts of organophosphate (OP) insecticides, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen on the Spring Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) salmon metapopulation in the Yakima River Basin (YRB), Washington. A stochastic Matrix Metapopulation Model was developed using demographic data for three Spring Chinook salmon populations and one supplemental hatchery population in the YRB. Site specific data on OP contaminated habitats utilized by various salmonid life stages were incorporated into the metapopulation model by incrementally reducing survival parameters based on levels of exposure. Exposure scenarios were simulated for 200 replications of 50-year population projections using RAMAS Metapop©, and the results were incorporated into the BN-RRM. The results of this modeling effort indicated that small, wild Spring Chinook populations in the YRB have a greater probability of altered population dynamics when exposed to stressors than larger, supplemented populations. Additionally, the results indicated a seasonal effect of the stressors, with summer conditions posing a greater risk to salmon populations than winter conditions. This probabilistic ERA framework shows promise for estimating the spatiotemporal impacts of stressors on ESA-listed species (i.e., Pacific salmon) at the metapopulation level, where population dynamics and spatial structure create complex risk dynamics

National Cancer Institute’s First International Workshop on the Biology, Prevention, and Treatment of Relapse after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Summary and Recommendations from the Organizing Committee

The National Cancer Institute’s First International Workshop on the Biology, Prevention, and Treatment of Relapse after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation was organized and convened to identify, prioritize, and coordinate future research activities related to relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Each of the Workshop’s 6 Working Committees has published individual reports of ongoing basic, translational, and clinical research and recommended areas for future research related to the areas of relapse biology, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment. This document summarizes each committee’s recommendations and suggests 3 major initiatives for a coordinated research effort to address the problem of relapse after allo-HSCT: (1) to establish multicenter correlative and clinical trial networks for basic/translational, epidemiologic, and clinical research; (2) to establish a network of biorepositories for the collection of samples before and after allo-HSCT to aid in laboratory and clinical studies; and (3) to further refine, implement, and study the Workshop-proposed definitions for disease-specific response and relapse and recommendations for monitoring of minimal residual disease. These recommendations, in coordination with ongoing research initiatives and transplantation organizations, provide a research framework to rapidly and efficiently address the significant problem of relapse after allo-HSCT

Dataset for the Environmental Risk Assessment of Chlorpyrifos to Chinook Salmon in four Rivers of Washington State, United States

Data files available below. This data set is in support of Landis et al (in press) The integration of chlorpyrifos acetylcholinesterase inhibition, water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration into a regional scale multiple stressor risk assessment estimating risk to Chinook salmon in four rivers in Washington State, USA. DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4199. In this research We estimated the risk to populations of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) due to chlorpyrifos (CH), water temperature (WT) and dissolved oxygen concentrations (DO) in four watersheds in Washington State, USA. The watersheds included the Nooksack and Skagit Rivers in the Northern Puget Sound, the Cedar River in the Seattle -Tacoma corridor, and the Yakima River, a tributary of the Columbia River. The Bayesian network relative risk model (BN-RRM) was used to conduct this ecological risk assessment and was modified to contain an AChE inhibition pathway parameterized using data from chlorpyrifos toxicity datasets. The completed BN-RRM estimated risk at a population scale to Chinook salmon employing classical matrix modeling run up to 50 year timeframes. There were 4 primary conclusions drawn from the model building process and the risk calculations. First, the incorporation of an AChE inhibition pathway and the output from a population model can be combined with environmental factors in a quantitative fashion. Second, the probability of not meeting the management goal of no loss to the population ranges from 65 to 85 percent. Environmental conditions contributed to a larger proportion of the risk compared to chlorpyrifos. Third, the sensitivity analysis describing the influence of the variables on the predicted risk varied depending on seasonal conditions. In the summer, WT and DO were more influential that CH. In the winter, when the seasonal conditions are more benign, CH was the driver. Fourth, in order to reach the management-goal, we calculated the conditions that would increase in juvenile survival, adult survival, and a reduction in toxicological effects. The same process in this example should be applicable to the inclusion of multiple pesticides and to more descriptive population models such as those describing metapopulations. This research was supported by USEPA STAR Grant RD-83579501. Excel spreadsheet, model in Netica

SEXTANT X-Ray Pulsar Navigation Demonstration: Additional On-Orbit Results

The Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) is a technology demonstration enhancement to the Neutron-star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission, a NASA Astrophysics Explorer Mission of Opportunity to the International Space Station, launched in June of 2017. In late 2017, SEXTANT successfully completed a first demonstration of in-space and autonomous X-ray pulsar navigation (XNAV). This form of navigation relies on processing faint signals from millisecond pulsars-rapidly rotating neutron stars that appear to pulsate in the X-ray band-and could potentially provide a GPS-like navigation capability applicable throughout the solar-system and beyond. In this work, we briefly review prior SEXTANT results and then present new results focusing on: making use of the high- flux but rotationally unstable Crab pulsar, and using XNAV to estimate position, velocity, and time in the presence of an imperfect local clock

Ischemic stroke risk, smoking, and the genetics of inflammation in a biracial population: the stroke prevention in young women study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although cigarette smoking is a well-established risk factor for vascular disease, the genetic mechanisms that link cigarette smoking to an increased incidence of stroke are not well understood. Genetic variations within the genes of the inflammatory pathways are thought to partially mediate this risk. Here we evaluate the association of several inflammatory gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with ischemic stroke risk among young women, further stratified by current cigarette smoking status.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A population-based case-control study of stroke among women aged 15–49 identified 224 cases of first ischemic stroke (47.3% African-American) and 211 age-comparable control subjects (43.1% African-American). Several inflammatory candidate gene SNPs chosen through literature review were genotyped in the study population and assessed for association with stroke and interaction with smoking status.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 8 SNPs (across 6 genes) analyzed, only <it>IL6 </it>SNP rs2069832 (allele C, African-American frequency = 92%, Caucasian frequency = 55%) was found to be significantly associated with stroke using an additive model, and this was only among African-Americans (age-adjusted: OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.0–5.0, p = 0.049; risk factor adjusted: OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.0–6.5, p = 0.05). When stratified by smoking status, two SNPs demonstrated statistically significant gene-environment interactions. First, the T allele (frequency = 5%) of <it>IL6 </it>SNP rs2069830 was found to be protective among non-smokers (OR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.11–.082, p = 0.02), but not among smokers (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 0.48–5.58, p = 0.43); genotype by smoking interaction (p = 0.036). Second, the C allele (frequency = 39%) of <it>CD14 </it>SNP rs2569190 was found to increase risk among smokers (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.09–3.86, p = 0.03), but not among non-smokers (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.62–1.39, p = 0.72); genotype by smoking interaction (p = 0.039).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study demonstrates that inflammatory gene SNPs are associated with early-onset ischemic stroke among African-American women (<it>IL6</it>) and that cigarette smoking may modulate stroke risk through a gene-environment interaction (<it>IL6 and CD14</it>). Our finding replicates a prior study showing an interaction with smoking and the C allele of <it>CD14 </it>SNP rs2569190.</p

Visualizing the Anthropocene dialectically: Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens’ eco-crisis trilogy

The ambition of this article is to propose a way of visualizing the Anthropocene dialectically. As suggested by the Dutch atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen and the professor of biology Eugene F. Stoermer, the term Anthropocene refers to a historical period in which humankind has turned into a geological force that transforms the natural environment in such a way that it is hard to distinguish between the human and the natural world. Crutzen and Stoermer explain that the Anthropocene has begun after the Holocene, the geological epoch that followed the last ice age and lasted until the industrial revolution. Drawing on a number of figures such as the “tenfold” increase in urbanisation, the extreme transformation of land surface by human action, the use of more than 50% of all accessible fresh water by humans, and the massive increase in greenhouse emissions, Crutzen and Stoermer conclude that the term Anthropocene describes aptly mankind's influence on ecological and geological cycles (Crutzen & Stoermer, 2000, p.17). The wager of this article is that we need to identify ways to visualize the Anthropocene dialectically and I proceed to do so using as a case study Jessica Woodworth's and Peter Brosen's trilogy on the conflict between humans and nature, which consists of Khadak (2006), Altiplano (2009), and The Fifth Season (La Cinquième Saison, 2012)

Integration of Chlorpyrifos Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition, Water Temperature, and Dissolved Oxygen Concentration into a Regional Scale Multiple Stressor Risk Assessment Estimating Risk to Chinook Salmon

We estimated the risk to populations of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) due to chlorpyrifos (CH), water temperature (WT), and dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) in 4 watersheds in Washington State, USA. The watersheds included the Nooksack and Skagit Rivers in the Northern Puget Sound, the Cedar River in the Seattle–Tacoma corridor, and the Yakima River, a tributary of the Columbia River. The Bayesian network relative risk model (BN‐RRM) was used to conduct this ecological risk assessment and was modified to contain an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition pathway parameterized using data from CH toxicity data sets. The completed BN‐RRM estimated risk at a population scale to Chinook salmon employing classical matrix modeling runs up to 50‐y timeframes. There were 3 primary conclusions drawn from the model‐ building process and the risk calculations. First, the incorporation of an AChE inhibition pathway and the output from a population model can be combined with environmental factors in a quantitative fashion. Second, the probability of not meeting the management goal of no loss to the population ranges from 65% to 85%. Environmental conditions contributed to a larger proportion of the risk compared to CH. Third, the sensitivity analysis describing the influence of the variables on the predicted risk varied depending on seasonal conditions. In the summer, WT and DO were more influential than CH. In the winter, when the seasonal conditions are more benign, CH was the driver. Fourth, in order to reach the management goal, we calculated the conditions that would increase juvenile survival, adult survival, and a reduction in toxicological effects. The same process in this example should be applicable to the inclusion of multiple pesticides and to more descriptive population models such as those describing metapopulations. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:28–42. © 2019 SETA