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Developing an Observing Air–Sea Interactions Strategy (OASIS) for the global ocean
No full textThe Observing Air–Sea Interactions Strategy (OASIS) is a new United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development programme working to develop a practical, integrated approach for observing air–sea interactions globally for improved Earth system (including ecosystem) forecasts, CO2 uptake assessments called for by the Paris Agreement, and invaluable surface ocean information for decision makers. Our “Theory of Change” relies upon leveraged multi-disciplinary activities, partnerships, and capacity strengthening. Recommendations from >40 OceanObs’19 community papers and a series of workshops have been consolidated into three interlinked Grand Ideas for creating #1: a globally distributed network of mobile air–sea observing platforms built around an expanded array of long-term time-series stations; #2: a satellite network, with high spatial and temporal resolution, optimized for measuring air–sea fluxes; and #3: improved representation of air–sea coupling in a hierarchy of Earth system models. OASIS activities are organized across five Theme Teams: (1) Observing Network Design & Model Improvement; (2) Partnership & Capacity Strengthening; (3) UN Decade OASIS Actions; (4) Best Practices & Interoperability Experiments; and (5) Findable–Accessible–Interoperable–Reusable (FAIR) models, data, and OASIS products. Stakeholders, including researchers, are actively recruited to participate in Theme Teams to help promote a predicted, safe, clean, healthy, resilient, and productive ocean
A flow-through imaging system for automated measurement of ichthyoplankton
No full textMicroscopic imaging and morphometric measurement of fish embryos and larvae is essential in environmental monitoring of fish populations and to evaluate larvae development in aquaculture. Traditional microscopy methods require time-consuming, repetitive work by human experts.
We present a method for fast imaging and analysis of millimetre-scale ichthyoplankton suspended in seawater. Our system can be easily built from common and off-the-shelf components and uses open-source software for image capture and analysis. Our system obtains images of similar quality to traditional microscopy, and biological measurements comparable to those by human experts, with minimal human interaction. This saves time and effort, while increasing the size of data sets obtained.
We demonstrate our approach with cod eggs and larvae, and present results showing biologically relevant endpoints including egg diameter, larval standard length, yolk volume and eye diameter, with comparison to similar measurements reported in the literature.
• High throughput, microscope-scale imaging of fish eggs and larvae
• Automated measurement of biologically relevant endpoints
• Easily built from off-the-shelf components and open-source softwar
The Sun's role in decadal climate predictability in the North Atlantic
No full textDespite several studies on decadal-scale solar influence on climate, a systematic analysis of the Sun's contribution to decadal surface climate predictability is still missing. Here, we disentangle the solar-cycle-induced climate response from internal variability and from other external forcings such as greenhouse gases. We utilize two 10-member ensemble simulations with a state-of-the-art chemistry–climate model, to date a unique dataset in chemistry–climate modeling. Using these model simulations, we quantify the potential predictability related to the solar cycle and demonstrate that the detectability of the solar influence on surface climate depends on the magnitude of the solar cycle. Further, we show that a strong solar cycle forcing organizes and synchronizes the decadal-scale component of the North Atlantic Oscillation, the dominant mode of climate variability in the North Atlantic region
Growth performance, hepatic enzymes, and gut health status of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in response to dietary Cetobacterium somerae fermentation product
No full textIntensive aquaculture practices compromise the health of fish. Probiotics especially those isolated from aquatic animals play important roles in improving fish health. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of stabilized fermentation product of Cetobacterium somerae (XMX-1) on the growth performance, gut and liver health of common carp. A total of 300 carps (initial weight of 2.32 ± 0.02 g) were divided into the control (fed a basal diet) and XMX-1 groups (fed a basal diet with 2 g/kg, 3 g/kg, 4 g/kg or 5 g/kg XMX-1 diet). After 8-week feeding, growth performance, serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS), diamine oxidase activity (DAO), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were evaluated. The intestinal total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, the expression of gut health related genes was tested. In addition, the liver triacylglycerol (TAG) and the expression of liver lipid metabolism related genes were conducted. Results showed that XMX-1 addition had no effect on the growth performance of carps at a supplementation level up to 5 g/kg (P > 0.05). However, dietary XMX-1 at addition levels ranging from 2 g/kg to 5 g/kg reduced serum LPS and DAO. Furthermore, all XMX-1 additions significantly increased total SOD activity compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In contrast, dietary 3 g/kg XMX-1 significantly increased the expression of intestinal hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1α), Occludin, Hepcidin and zonula occludens (ZO)-1 (P < 0.05). Dietary 2 g/kg XMX-1 significantly increased the expression of intestinal Hepcidin and ZO-1 (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary XMX-1 decreased the level of serum ALT (P ≤ 0.37) and liver TAG (P ≤ 0.07). Furthermore, we found that dietary XMX-1 significantly reduced the expression of genes related to lipid synthesis including sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP1c) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, dietary 3 g/kg XMX-1 significantly increased the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Together, our findings suggest that XMX-1 additions of 3 g/kg had the best effect on fish health
Getting in touch: communication in physical therapy practice and the multiple functions of language
No full textIn physical therapy, communication that actively involves the patient is seen as the foundation of patient-centered treatment. Research on communication in physical therapy highlights how patients' opportunity to actively participate is often limited by the therapists' focus on biomedical facts and clinical tasks. Few studies have explored aspects of communication in clinical practice that may promote patients' active participation. The aim of this study is to shed light on verbal and nonverbal communication used by physical therapists to get in touch with patients and how this physical and linguistic touching may contribute to encouraging patients' participation. The selected case is from a qualitative observational case study of the first encounter between a female physical therapist and a male patient with chronic neck pain. Drawing on theories about communication and the metafunctions of language, the findings highlight how the therapist's use of unfinished sentences, repetitions of the patient's own words, touch, gaze and accepting interruptions from the patient promotes the patient's participation. Demonstrations of the use of linguistic communication theory in this study may contribute to enhancing physical therapists' self-awareness around communication and how to get in touch with patients, which is a fundamental element in patient-centered treatment
Identification of a Phage Display-Derived Peptide Interacting with the N-Terminal Region of Factor VII Activating Protease (FSAP) Enables Characterization of Zymogen Activation
No full textFactor VII Activating protease (FSAP) has a protective effect in diverse disease conditions as inferred from studies in FSAP–/– mice and humans deficient in FSAP activity due to single-nucleotide polymorphism. The zymogen form of FSAP in plasma is activated by extracellular histones that are released during tissue injury or inflammation or by positively charged surfaces. However, it is not clear whether this activation mechanism is specific and amenable to manipulation. Using a phage display approach, we have identified a Cys-constrained 11 amino acid peptide, NNKC9/41, that activates pro-FSAP in plasma. The synthetic linear peptide has a propensity to cyclize through the terminal Cys groups, of which the antiparallel cyclic dimer, but not the monocyclic peptide, is the active component. Other commonly found zymogens in the plasma, related to the hemostasis system, were not activated. Binding studies with FSAP domain deletion mutants indicate that the N-terminus of FSAP is the key interaction site of this peptide. In a monoclonal antibody screen, we identified MA-FSAP-38C7 that prevented the activation of pro-FSAP by the peptide. This antibody bound to the LESLDP sequence (amino acids 30–35) in an intrinsically disordered stretch in the N-terminus of FSAP. The plasma clotting time was shortened by NNKC9/41, and this was reversed by MA-FSAP-38C7, demonstrating the utility of this peptide. Peptide NNKC9/41 will be useful as a tool to delineate the molecular mechanism of activation of pro-FSAP, elucidate its biological role, and provide a starting point for the pharmacological manipulation of FSAP activity
Utility of a three-gene transcriptomic signature in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in a low-endemic hospital setting
No full textBackground
Host transcriptomic blood signatures have demonstrated diagnostic potential for tuberculosis (TB), requiring further validation across different geographical settings. Discriminating TB from other diseases with similar clinical manifestations is crucial for the development of an accurate immunodiagnostic tool. In this exploratory cohort study, we evaluated the performance of potential blood-based transcriptomic signatures in distinguishing TB disease from non-TB lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalised patients in a TB low-endemic country.
Method
Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction qPCR) was used to evaluate 26 previously published genes in blood from 31 patients (14 TB and 17 lower respiratory tract infection cases) admitted to Oslo University Hospital in Norway. The diagnostic accuracies of differentially expressed genes were determined by receiver operating characteristic curves.
Results
A significant difference (p < .01) in the age distribution was observed between patients with TB (mean age, 40 ± 15 years) and lower respiratory tract infection (mean age 59 ± 12 years) . Following adjustment for age, ETV7, GBP1, GBP5, P2RY14 and BLK were significantly differentially expressed between patients with TB and those with LRI. A general discriminant analysis generated a three-gene signature (BAFT2, ETV7 and CD1C), which diagnosed TB with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.69 − 1.00), sensitivity of 69.23% (95% CI, 38.57%−90.91%) and specificity of 94.12% (95% CI, 71.31%−99.85%).
Conclusion
The three-genes signature may have potential to improve diagnosis of TB in a hospitalised low-burden setting. However, the influence of confounding variables or covariates such as age requires further evaluation in larger studies
A Genetic Algorithm to Model Solar Radio Active Regions From 3D Magnetic Field Extrapolations
No full textIn recent decades our understanding of solar active regions (ARs) has improved substantially due to observations made with better angular resolution and wider spectral coverage. While prior AR observations have shown that these structures were always brighter than the quiet Sun at centimeter wavelengths, recent observations at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths have shown ARs with well defined dark umbrae. Given this new information, it is now necessary to update our understanding and models of the solar atmosphere in active regions. In this work, we present a data-constrained model of the AR solar atmosphere, in which we use brightness temperature measurements of NOAA 12470 at three radio frequencies: 17, 100 and 230 GHz. The observations at 17 GHz were made by the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH), while the observations at 100 and 230 GHz were obtained by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Based on our model, which assumes that the radio emission originates from thermal free-free and gyroresonance processes, we calculate radio brightness temperature maps that can be compared with the observations. The magnetic field at distinct atmospheric heights was determined in our modelling process by force-free field extrapolation using photospheric magnetograms taken by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). In order to determine the best plasma temperature and density height profiles necessary to match the observations, the model uses a genetic algorithm that modifies a standard quiet Sun atmospheric model. Our results show that the height of the transition region (TR) of the modelled atmosphere varies with the type of region being modelled: for umbrae the TR is located at 1080 ± 20 km above the solar surface; for penumbrae, the TR is located at 1800 ± 50 km; and for bright regions outside sunspots, the TR is located at 2000 ± 100 km. With these results, we find good agreement with the observed AR brightness temperature maps. Our modelled AR can be used to estimate the emission at frequencies without observational coverage
How microblogging affords conditions for realising student voices about the body and sexuality in a science education lesson
No full textAbstract Empowering students to express their own voices is an important educational aim; yet, the exploration of sensitive topics in discussion-based activities poses particular challenges concerning the realisation of student voices. In consideration of this issue, we analyse how one teacher and his lower secondary students coped with such challenges by using microblogging technology designed specifically for educational purposes. We examine the extent to which this technology affords extended conditions for the aforementioned realisation when ideas about the body and sexuality are presented, shared and justified in a science lesson. Our results illustrate how microblogging contributes to the emergence of new communicative principles of sequentiality that are not present in classroom discussions without digital technology. We argue that these principles are central to why students are ultimately being provided a space for participation wherein conditions for realising their voices about a sensitive topic in Science are extended
