Developing an open data portal for the ESA climate change initiative

We introduce the rationale for, and architecture of, the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Open Data Portal (http://cci.esa.int/data/). The Open Data Portal hosts a set of richly diverse datasets – 13 “Essential Climate Variables” – from the CCI programme in a consistent and harmonised form and to provides a single point of access for the (>100 TB) data for broad dissemination to an international user community. These data have been produced by a range of different institutions and vary across both scientific and spatio-temporal characteristics. This heterogeneity of the data together with the range of services to be supported presented significant technical challenges. An iterative development methodology was key to tackling these challenges: the system developed exploits a workflow which takes data that conforms to the CCI data specification, ingests it into a managed archive and uses both manual and automatically generated metadata to support data discovery, browse, and delivery services. It utilises both Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) data nodes and the Open Geospatial Consortium Catalogue Service for the Web (OGC-CSW) interface, serving data into both the ESGF and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). A key part of the system is a new vocabulary server, populated with CCI specific terms and relationships which integrates OGC-CSW and ESGF search services together, developed as part of a dialogue between domain scientists and linked data specialists. These services have enabled the development of a unified user interface for graphical search and visualisation – the CCI Open Data Portal Web Presence

Evaluation of a brief pilot nutrition and exercise intervention for the prevention of weight gain in general practice patients

Objective To pilot-test a brief written prescription recommending lifestyle changes delivered by general practitioners (GPs) to their patients.Design The Active Nutrition Script (ANS) included five nutrition messages and personalised exercise advice for a healthy lifestyle and/or the prevention of weight gain. GPs were asked to administer 10 scripts over 4 weeks to 10 adult patients with a body mass index (BMI) of between 23 and 30 kg m&minus; 2. Information recorded on the script consisted of patients\u27 weight, height, waist circumference, gender and date of birth, type and frequency of physical activity prescribed, and the selected nutrition messages. GPs also recorded reasons for administering the script. Interviews recorded GPs views on using the script.Setting General practices located across greater Melbourne.Subjects and results Nineteen GPs (63% female) provided a median of nine scripts over 4 weeks. Scripts were administered to 145 patients (mean age: 54 &plusmn; 13.2 years, mean BMI: 31.7 &plusmn; 6.3 kg m&minus; 2; 57% female), 52% of whom were classified as obese (BMI &gt;30 kg m&minus; 2). GPs cited &lsquo;weight reduction&rsquo; as a reason for writing the script for 78% of patients. All interviewed GPs (90%, n = 17) indicated that the messages were clear and simple to deliver.Conclusions GPs found the ANS provided clear nutrition messages that were simple to deliver. However, GPs administered the script to obese patients for weight loss rather than to prevent weight gain among the target group. This has important implications for future health promotion interventions designed for general practice.<br /

Developing an Individual-level Geodemographic Classification

Geodemographics is a spatially explicit classification of socio-economic data, which can be used to describe and analyse individuals by where they live. Geodemographic information is used by the public sector for planning and resource allocation but it also has considerable use within commercial sector applications. Early geodemographic systems, such as the UK’s ACORN (A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods), used only area-based census data, but more recent systems have added supplementary layers of information, e.g. credit details and survey data, to provide better discrimination between classes. Although much more data has now become available, geodemographic systems are still fundamentally built from area-based census information. This is partly because privacy laws require release of census data at an aggregate level but mostly because much of the research remains proprietary. Household level classifications do exist but they are often based on regressions between area and household data sets. This paper presents a different approach for creating a geodemographic classification at the individual level using only census data. A generic framework is presented, which classifies data from the UK Census Small Area Microdata and then allocates the resulting clusters to a synthetic population created via microsimulation. The framework is then applied to the creation of an individual-based system for the city of Leeds, demonstrated using data from the 2001 census, and is further validated using individual and household survey data from the British Household Panel Survey

Canine Hereditary Ataxia in Old English Sheepdogs and Gordon Setters Is Associated with a Defect in the Autophagy Gene Encoding RAB24

Old English Sheepdogs and Gordon Setters suffer from a juvenile onset, autosomal recessive form of canine hereditary ataxia primarily affecting the Purkinje neuron of the cerebellar cortex. The clinical and histological characteristics are analogous to hereditary ataxias in humans. Linkage and genome-wide association studies on a cohort of related Old English Sheepdogs identified a region on CFA4 strongly associated with the disease phenotype. Targeted sequence capture and next generation sequencing of the region identified an A to C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located at position 113 in exon 1 of an autophagy gene, RAB24, that segregated with the phenotype. Genotyping of six additional breeds of dogs affected with hereditary ataxia identified the same polymorphism in affected Gordon Setters that segregated perfectly with phenotype. The other breeds tested did not have the polymorphism. Genome-wide SNP genotyping of Gordon Setters identified a 1.9 MB region with an identical haplotype to affected Old English Sheepdogs. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural evaluation of the brains of affected dogs from both breeds identified dramatic Purkinje neuron loss with axonal spheroids, accumulation of autophagosomes, ubiquitin positive inclusions and a diffuse increase in cytoplasmic neuronal ubiquitin staining. These findings recapitulate the changes reported in mice with induced neuron-specific autophagy defects. Taken together, our results suggest that a defect in RAB24, a gene associated with autophagy, is highly associated with and may contribute to canine hereditary ataxia in Old English Sheepdogs and Gordon Setters. This finding suggests that detailed investigation of autophagy pathways should be undertaken in human hereditary ataxia.American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (grant CHF 0407)American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (grant CHF 0925)Old English Sheepdog Club of AmericaTarTan Gordon Setter ClubEuropean Science Foundation (EURYI)Canine Health Information Center (DNA Repository

An external ventricular drainage catheter impregnated with rifampicin, trimethoprim and triclosan, with extended activity against MDR Gram-negative bacteria: an in vitro and in vivo study

Background: External ventricular drainage (EVD) carries a high risk of ventriculitis, increasingly caused by MDR Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumannii. Existing antimicrobial EVD catheters are not effective against these, and we have developed a catheter with activity against MDR bacteria and demonstrated the safety of the new formulation for use in the brain. Objectives: Our aim was to determine the ability of a newly formulated impregnated EVD catheters to withstand challenge with MDR Gram-negative bacteria and to obtain information about its safety for use in the CNS. Methods: Catheters impregnated with three antimicrobials (rifampicin, trimethoprim and triclosan) were challenged in flow conditions at four weekly timepoints with high doses of MDR bacteria, including MRSA and Acinetobacter, and monitored for bacterial colonization. Catheter segments were also inserted intracerebrally into Wistar rats, which were monitored for clinical and behavioural change, and weight loss. Brains were removed after either 1week or 4weeks, and examined for evidence of inflammation and toxicity. Results: Control catheters colonized quickly after the first challenge, while no colonization occurred in the impregnated catheters even after the 4week challenge. Animals receiving the antimicrobial segments behaved normally and gained weight as expected. Neurohistochemistry revealed only surgical trauma and no evidence of neurotoxicity. Conclusions The antimicrobial catheter appears to withstand bacterial challenge for at least 4weeks, suggesting that it might offer protection against infection with MDR Gram-negative bacteria in patients undergoing EVD. It also appears to be safe for use in the CNS

Denial of long-term issues with agriculture on tropical peatlands will have devastating consequences

Letter to the Editor

Exile Vol. XX No. 1

ARTWORK by Sue Sartarelli cover, 24 by Chris Schulze 5, 24, 29 by Heather Richey 6 by Katheryn Riedl 7 by Jane Joldersma 10 by Jan Mosher 12 Pat Victory 15 Rona Rosen 20, 31 Arthur Ernst 21 Kim McMullen 24 FICTION First Time by Bud Foufos 3-4 Father\u27s Last Party by Vic Coccimiglio 11 untitled by Catherine Bader 16-17 God and Sergeant Mays by J. Frank Burkhard 22 Pages of a Story by Peter Porteous 27-31 POETRY The Rest by Ezra Pound (preface) In the Midst of an Echo by Phil Mercurio 4 Sierra Madre Prose by John Purcell 5 untitled by Sue Payne 6 untitled by Cathy Graff 6 untitled by Sharon Singleton 7 Big Al by Phil Mercurio 9-10 untitled by Sharon Singleton 12 Folksinger by Alison Orleans 13 Sweat Rebellion by S. Hunt 13 Blackgrey by Laurie Wharton 14 What is she to you? by Peter Porteous 18 Pojects by Mary Mueller 21 untitled by Dawn Patnode 25 The Barn by Mary Schloss 25 PHOTOGRAPHY by Bruce Andre 1, 18 by Jane Joldersma 4, 23, 26 by Breese Olander 8 by Pam Purcell 8 by Loree Ruman 13, 14 Foster Schmidt 19 Chip Andreae 19, 23 Nancy Pickenson 26 Nancy Chorpenning 32 Many thanks to the advertising agencie -2 Pgs. 25 and 26 are out of order in the published edition and can be found between pages 8 and 9

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Exile Vol. XXIII no. 1

PROSE The White Butterfly by Dalton Trevisan (translated from the Portugese by Alexis Levitin) 5-6 Natural Selection by Anne Tomfohrde 7-14 Stuck a Feather in His Cap... (for Boo) by Tim Cockey 15-18 An Act of Violence by William McNaughton 19-22 Shall We Now Praise Famous Men? by Lawrence Weber 23-24 POETRY Wake by Dawn Patnode 26 Pebble by Lenore Mayhew 27 Bien: yo respeto... by José Mártí 28 Yes: I respect by José Mártí (translated from the Spanish by Joan Straub) 29 untitled by Mary Schloss 30 Nursing Home by Tim Cockey 31 Maia by Betsy Sloan 32 untitled by Loranna Franz 33 Momento Num Cafe by Manuel Banderia 34 Moment in a Café by Manuel Banderia (translated from the Portoguese by Alexis Levitin) 35 Pleiades by Dawn Patnode 36-37 untitled by Sharon Singleton 39 Travel by Libby Thomas 40 untitled by José Pretlow 41 Melancolía by Rubén Darío 42 Melancholy by Rubén Darío (translated from the Spanish by Joan Straub) 43 Lake Shore Drive by Alison Orleans 44 Repudiation by Tona Dickerson 45 Auvers 1889 by Dawn Patnode 47 Retreat by Deb Allbery 48 An Illusion Of Dancing Figures by Lawrence Weber 50-58 Cloud by Lenore Mayhew 59 ESSAYS Climbing \u27earth\u27s undying monument\u27 by Richard H. Soaper, Jr. 61-71 A Program for the American Land by Lindy Davies 72-77 Kerouac and His Critics (For Amy) by John Kralik 80-82 Cover photograph from a late nineteenth century glass negative found in an Ohio antique shop and used with the permission of its owner