Feasibility study ASCS remote sensing/compliance determination system

A short-term technical study was performed by the MSC Earth Observations Division to determine the feasibility of the proposed Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Automatic Remote Sensing/Compliance Determination System. For the study, the term automatic was interpreted as applying to an automated remote-sensing system that includes data acquisition, processing, and management

Stellar occultations enable milliarcsecond astrometry for Trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs

Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and Centaurs are remnants of our planetary system formation, and their physical properties have invaluable information for evolutionary theories. Stellar occultation is a ground-based method for studying these small bodies and has presented exciting results. These observations can provide precise profiles of the involved body, allowing an accurate determination of its size and shape. The goal is to show that even single-chord detections of TNOs allow us to measure their milliarcsecond astrometric positions in the reference frame of the Gaia second data release (DR2). Accurated ephemerides can then be generated, allowing predictions of stellar occultations with much higher reliability. We analyzed data from stellar occultations to obtain astrometric positions of the involved bodies. The events published before the Gaia era were updated so that the Gaia DR2 catalog is the reference. Previously determined sizes were used to calculate the position of the object center and its corresponding error with respect to the detected chord and the International Celestial Reference System (ICRS) propagated Gaia DR2 star position. We derive 37 precise astrometric positions for 19 TNOs and 4 Centaurs. Twenty-one of these events are presented here for the first time. Although about 68\% of our results are based on single-chord detection, most have intrinsic precision at the submilliarcsecond level. Lower limits on the diameter and shape constraints for a few bodies are also presented as valuable byproducts. Using the Gaia DR2 catalog, we show that even a single detection of a stellar occultation allows improving the object ephemeris significantly, which in turn enables predicting a future stellar occultation with high accuracy. Observational campaigns can be efficiently organized with this help, and may provide a full physical characterization of the involved object.Comment: 16 pages, 28 figures. The manuscript was accepted and is to be publishe

Evidence of an Antimicrobial-Immunomodulatory Role of Atlantic Salmon Cathelicidins during Infection with Yersinia ruckeri

Cathelicidins are a family of antimicrobial peptides that act as effector molecules of the innate immune system with broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. These evolutionary conserved cationic host-defence peptides are integral components of the immune response of fish, which are generally believed to rely heavily on innate immune defences to invading pathogens. In this study we showed that Atlantic salmon cathelicidin 1 and 2 (asCATH1 and asCATH2) stimulated peripheral blood leukocytes increasing the transcription of the chemokine interleukin-8. Further, functional differences were identified between the two cathelicidins. In the presence of serum, asCATH1 displayed greatly diminished host haemolytic activity, while the constitutively expressed asCATH2 had no haemolytic activity with or without serum. These findings support our hypothesis that fish cathelicidins exert their primary antimicrobial action at the site of pathogen invasion such as epithelial surfaces. Further, we hypothesise that like their mammalian counterparts in the presence of serum they act as mediators of the innate and adaptive immune response via the release of cytokines thus indirectly protecting against a variety of pathogens. We highlight the importance of this immunomodulatory role from the involvement of asCATHs during an infection with the fish pathogen Yersinia ruckeri. While we were able to demonstrate in vitro that asCATH1 and 2, possessed direct microbicidal activity against the fish pathogen, Vibrio anguillarum, and a common gram negative bacterium, Escherichia coli, little or no bactericidal activity was found against Y. ruckeri. The contribution of either asCATH in the immune response or as a potential virulence factor during yersiniosis is highlighted from the increased expression of asCATH1 and 2 mRNA during an in vivo challenge with Y. ruckeri . We propose that Atlantic salmon cathelicidins participate in the interplay between the innate and adaptive immune systems via the release of cytokines enabling a more effective response to invading pathogens

Extent and management of acid soils for sustainable crop production system in the tropical agroecosystems: a review

Increasing areas of agricultural land in high rainfall areas of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where crop production used to be reliable, are affected by soil acidity. This review focuses on the extent, causes and effect of soil acidity on soil properties and crop yield and its management from the context of SSA. Studies showed that the detrimental effects of soil acidity can be mitigated through liming, integrated acid soil management and the use of acid-tolerant germplasms. Application of lime resulted in yield increments of 34–252% in wheat, barley and tef, 29–53% in faba bean and soybean, and 42–332% in potato in Ethiopia, 111–182% in maize in Kenya, and 45–103% in Mucuna in Nigeria under moderate to severe acid soil conditions. This was accompanied by a corresponding increase in soil pH up to 1.9 units and a decrease in exchangeable acidity and aluminum up to 2.1 cmol kg−1. Use of acid-tolerant crop varieties such as maize expressing superior tolerance to Al toxicity resulted in a yield increase of 51% under low soil pH in Cameroon and Kenya. Overall, soil acidity covering ∼35% of SSA should be reclaimed with lime and integrated acid soil management interventions, which could significantly increase crop yield and enhance the resilience of the tropical agroecosystems

Business continuity management in Jordanian banks: Some cultural considerations

This article investigates the extent to which the Jordanian banking sector uses Business Continuity Management (BCM) as a way to manage organizational risk, disasters and crises, as well as business interruptions. The population in this study consists of the 17 Jordanian banks registered with the Amman Stock Exchange. Data were collected via an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Eleven completed questionnaires were obtained, representing a response rate of 64.7 per cent. Questionnaires were followed by three semi-structured interviews conducted with BCM managers from three Jordanian banks from different cultural backgrounds; local, Islamic and foreign. All the respondents have BCM programmes in place. There are no statistically significant differences in the practice of BCM between Jordanian banks in terms of organizational characteristics, such as size and age. However, the cultural backgrounds of the banks and culturally determined differences in their operations more generally have influenced the practice of BCM in significant ways