Supplement of the radiance-based method to validate satellite-derived land surface temperature products over heterogeneous land surfaces

Land surface temperature (LST) retrieved from satellite remote sensing data has become a key parameter in research on global environmental change; therefore, the acquisition of accurate satellite-derived LST information is crucial for the diagnosis and analysis of global change. However, it is relatively difficult to obtain the true value of a pixel due to the scale mismatch between in situ measurements and satellite-based observations, especially for commonly heterogeneous and nonisothermal land areas, which greatly increases the difficulty in estimating pixel-representative LST values from in situ measurements for validation of satellite-based LST products. In this study, a supplemented radiance-based (SR-based) validation method was developed to evaluate the latest moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 6 Level 2 daily LST/land surface emissivity (LSE) products over a heterogeneous and nonisothermal region of the Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (HiWATER) project, West China. In the SR-based framework, pixel-representative LST values are simulated by the MODTRAN model from the corresponding in situ measurements, such as LSE and atmospheric profile measurements, to evaluate the MODIS LST products. The validation results show that the MODIS daytime LST products from the Aqua satellite (MYD11_L2) have a greater accuracy than those from the Terra satellite (MOD11_L2). Analyses of the effect factors indicate a strong correlation between the errors in the MOD11_L2 LST product and the corresponding difference in the MODIS brightness temperature between bands 31 and 32. Although the requirement of synchronous or quasisynchronous in situ measurements for the validated LST products may limit the applicability of the SR-based method, it is still an effective and simple method for validating satellite-derived LST products over mixed pixels. Our method is an indispensable supplement for the validation methods of satellite-derived LST products, and it can be applied in West China and other areas with heterogeneous land surfaces

Slc39a7/zip7 Plays a Critical Role in Development and Zinc Homeostasis in Zebrafish

Background: Slc39a7/Zip7, also known as Ke4, is a member of solute carrier family 39 (Slc39a) and plays a critical role in regulating cell growth and death. Because the function of Zip7 in vivo was unclear, the present study investigated the function of zip7 in vertebrate development and zinc metabolism using zebrafish as a model organism. Principal Finding: Using real-time PCR to determine the gene expression pattern of zip7 during zebrafish development, we found that zip7 mRNA is expressed throughout embryonic development and into maturity. Interestingly, whole mount in situ hybridization revealed that while zip7 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed until 12 hours post-fertilization (hpf); at 24 hpf and beyond, zip7 mRNA was specifically detected only in eyes. Morpholino-antisense (MO) gene knockdown assay revealed that downregulation of zip7 expression resulted in several morphological defects in zebrafish including decreased head size, smaller eyes, shorter palates, and shorter and curved spinal cords. Analysis by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) showed reduced concentrations of zinc in brain, eyes, and gills of zip7-MO-injected embryos. Furthermore, incubation of the zip7 knockdown embryos in a zinc-supplemented solution was able to rescue the MO-induced morphological defects. Significance: Our data suggest that zip7 is required for eye, brain, and skeleton formation during early embryonic development in zebrafish. Moreover, zinc supplementation can partially rescue defects resulting from zip7 gene knockdown. Taken together, our data provide critical insight into a novel function of zip7 in development and zinc homeostasis in vivo in zebrafish

The ResTO-TerRiN Project: Contribution to the Systemic Modeling of Technical and Organizational Issues of a Territory Exposed to Natech Risk

International audienceThis paper presents a brief summary of work being carried out under the Franco-Japanese research project ResTO TerRiN. The main goal of the project is to produce relevant knowledge and effective methods and tools to improve the resilience of a territory against Natech accidents (chemical accidents triggered by natural hazards) especially those due to flood / tsunami. The work is based on a posteriori (in Japan and France) and a priori analysis of the industrial as well as the local governments' emergency management to the Natech accidents during the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami (GEJET) and during severe flooding events in France. Survey questionnaires in Japan and France are being applied to chemical facilities, to government agencies, and to citizens in France and Japan The data collected are used to model the impact of the natural hazard events on the facilities and the safety barriers, as well as the community and overall social impacts. These results are then used to understand societal and territorial resilience to these complex disasters and propose a Natech resilience model. In this paper we present the preliminary results of the ongoing work in Japan

Improvement of Antioxidant Activity of Defatted Selenium-Enriched Rice Bran by Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation

Selenium-enriched rice bran is a major by-product in the production of selenium-enriched polished rice, which is rich in selenium, dietary fiber, and active substances such as phenolic compounds. However, the high-value utilization of selenium-enriched rice bran has not been fully explored. In this study, four strains of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus, L. plantarum, and L. delbrueckii subsp.) were used to ferment defatted selenium-enriched rice bran. The physicochemical properties, nutritional characteristics, microstructure, physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of selenium-enriched rice bran were compared before and after fermentation. The results showed that lactic acid bacteria fermentation increased the insoluble dietary fiber/water-soluble dietary fiber ratio in selenium-enriched rice bran by 20%–45%, the contents of total phenols and total flavonoids by 5%–6% and 16%–31%, respectively, and the conversion efficiency of inorganic selenium to SeCys2 by 42%–49%. Moreover, the fermentation reduced the particle size of selenium-enriched rice bran, made the surface more loose and porous, and enhanced the hydration properties, cholesterol adsorption capacity and antioxidant activity. The decreasing order of the comprehensive scores of fermented selenium-enriched rice bran in principal component analysis (PCA) was L. plantarum > L. delbrueckii subsp. > S. thermophilus > L. acidophilus. Among these samples, the sample fermented with L. plantarum exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity in vitro, as well as the highest contents of total acid, SeCys2, total phenols and total flavonoids. This study provides a theoretical basis for the intensive development and utilization of selenium-enriched rice bran

Adiponectin Prevents Diabetic Premature Senescence of Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Promotes Endothelial Repair by Suppressing the p38 MAP Kinase/p16INK4A Signaling Pathway

OBJECTIVE - A reduced number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are casually associated with the cardiovascular complication of diabetes. Adiponectin exerts multiple protective effects against cardiovascular disease, independent of its insulin-sensitizing activity. The objective of this study was to investigate whether adiponectin plays a role in modulating the bioavailability of circulating EPCs and endothelial repair. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Adiponectin knockout mice were crossed with db+/- mice to produce db/db diabetic mice without adiponectin. Circulating number of EPCs were analyzed by flow cytometry. Reendothelialization was evaluated by staining with Evans blue after wire-induced carotid injury. RESULTS - In adiponectin knockout mice, the number of circulating EPCs decreased in an age-dependent manner compared with the wild-type controls, and this difference was reversed by the chronic infusion of recombinant adiponectin. In db/db diabetic mice, the lack of adiponectin aggravated the hyperglycemia-induced decrease in circulating EPCs and also diminished the stimulatory effects of the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone on EPC production and reendothelialization. In EPCs isolated from both human peripheral blood and mouse bone marrow, treatment with adiponectin prevented high glucose-induced premature senescence. At the molecular level, adiponectin decreased high glucose-induced accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and consequently suppressed activation of p38 MAP kinase (MAPK) and expression of the senescence marker p16INK4A. CONCLUSIONS - Adiponectin prevents EPC senescence by inhibiting the ROS/p38 MAPK/p16 INK4A signaling cascade. The protective effects of adiponectin against diabetes vascular complications are attributed in part to its ability to counteract hyperglycemia-mediated decrease in the number of circulating EPCs. © 2010 by the American Diabetes Association.published_or_final_versio

Dust emission reduction enhanced gas-to-particle conversion of ammonia in the North China Plain

Liu et al. found that the formation rate of particulate ammonium is slower in the atmosphere than that observed in the laboratory, while it is sped up due to an increase in aerosol acidity driven by an emission reduction of dust in North China Plain.Ammonium salt is an important component of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 mu m (PM2.5) and has significant impacts on air quality, climate, and natural ecosystems. However, a fundamental understanding of the conversion kinetics from ammonia to ammonium in unique environments of high aerosol loading is lacking. Here, we report the uptake coefficient of ammonia (gamma(NH3)) on ambient PM2.5 varying from 2.2 x 10(-4) to 6.0 x 10(-4) in the North China Plain. It is significantly lower than those on the model particles under simple conditions reported in the literature. The probability-weighted gamma(NH3) increases obviously, which is well explained by the annual decrease in aerosol pH due to the significant decline in alkali and alkali earth metal contents from the emission source of dust. Our results elaborate on the complex interactions between primary emissions and the secondary formation of aerosols and the important role of dust in atmospheric chemistry.Peer reviewe

Non-equivalence of Wnt and R-spondin ligands during Lgr5+ intestinal stem-cell self-renewal

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway governs diverse developmental, homeostatic and pathologic processes. Palmitoylated Wnt ligands engage cell surface Frizzled (Fzd) receptors and Lrp5/6 co-receptors enabling β-catenin nuclear translocation and Tcf/Lef-dependent gene transactivation1–3. Mutations in Wnt downstream signaling components have revealed diverse functions presumptively attributed to Wnt ligands themselves, although direct attribution remains elusive, as complicated by redundancy between 19 mammalian Wnts and 10 Fzds1 and Wnt hydrophobicity2,3. For example, individual Wnt ligand mutations have not revealed homeostatic phenotypes in the intestinal epithelium4, an archetypal canonical Wnt pathway-dependent rapidly self-renewing tissue whose regeneration is fueled by proliferative crypt Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells (ISCs)5–9. R-spondin ligands (Rspo1–4) engage distinct Lgr4-6 and Rnf43/Znrf3 receptor classes10–13, markedly potentiate canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling and induce intestinal organoid growth in vitro and Lgr5+ ISCs in vivo8,14–17. However, the interchangeability, functional cooperation and relative contributions of Wnt versus Rspo ligands to in vivo canonical Wnt signaling and ISC biology remain unknown. Here, we deconstructed functional roles of Wnt versus Rspo ligands in the intestinal crypt stem cell niche. We demonstrate that the default fate of Lgr5+ ISCs is lineage commitment, escape from which requires both Rspo and Wnt ligands. However, gain-of-function studies using Rspo versus a novel non-lipidated Wnt analog reveal qualitatively distinct, non-interchangeable roles for these ligands in ISCs. Wnts are insufficient to induce Lgr5+ ISC self-renewal, but rather confer a basal competency by maintaining Rspo receptor expression that enables Rspo to actively drive and specify the extent of stem cell expansion. This functionally non-equivalent yet cooperative interplay between Wnt and Rspo ligands establishes a molecular precedent for regulation of mammalian stem cells by distinct priming and self-renewal factors, with broad implications for precision control of tissue regeneration

Understanding Natech Risk Perception and Adjustment of Households Living near Industrial Areas in Osaka Bay

This research project collected data based on a stratified random mail survey from two communities in Sakai (Osaka, Japan) and Higashinada (Kobe, Japan) living within two kilometers from industrial parks. The questionnaires focused on household awareness, risk perception and hazard adjustments for earthquakes, tsunamis, and chemical and natural hazard triggered chemical accidents (known as Natech) accidents. Furthermore, we also examined household views (acceptance, trust, and information needed) towards local government and industries’ ability to protect them under the risk of earthquake, tsunami, and chemical and Natech accidents. Our findings show that in both surveyed areas, households are well prepared for earthquakes and tsunami, but not for chemical and Natech accidents. Risk perception concerning earthquakes and tsunami were higher in both areas than for chemical and Natech accidents. This study found that households’ level of trust in government’s ability to protect them under the risk of chemical and Natech accidents was low. Respondents had more trust in local government’s ability to protect them against earthquake and tsunami threats. The study results demonstrate the need to provide better information to residents living near industrial parks regarding the risks they are subject to and the types of protective actions they can take if an accident occurs alone or concurrent with an earthquake and/ or tsunami.This research project collected data based on a stratified random mail survey from two communities in Sakai (Osaka, Japan) and Higashinada (Kobe, Japan) living within two kilometers from industrial parks. The questionnaires focused on household awareness, risk perception and hazard adjustments for earthquakes, tsunamis, and chemical and natural hazard triggered chemical accidents (known as Natech) accidents. Furthermore, we also examined household views (acceptance, trust, and information needed) towards local government and industries’ ability to protect them under the risk of earthquake, tsunami, and chemical and Natech accidents. Our findings show that in both surveyed areas, households are well prepared for earthquakes and tsunami, but not for chemical and Natech accidents. Risk perception concerning earthquakes and tsunami were higher in both areas than for chemical and Natech accidents. This study found that households’ level of trust in government’s ability to protect them under the risk of chemical and Natech accidents was low. Respondents had more trust in local government’s ability to protect them against earthquake and tsunami threats. The study results demonstrate the need to provide better information to residents living near industrial parks regarding the risks they are subject to and the types of protective actions they can take if an accident occurs alone or concurrent with an earthquake and/ or tsunami