Seafloor character and sedimentary processes in eastern Long Island Sound and western Block Island Sound

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2006. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geo-Marine Letters 26 (2006): 59-68, doi: 10.1007/s00367-006-0016-4.Multibeam bathymetric data and seismic-reflection profiles collected in eastern Long Island and western Block Island Sounds reveal previously unrecognized glacial features and modern bedforms. Glacial features include an ice-sculptured bedrock surface, a newly identified recessional moraine, exposed glaciolacustrine sediments, and remnants of stagnant-ice-contact deposits. Modern bedforms include fields of transverse sand waves, barchanoid waves, giant scour depressions, and pockmarks. Bedform asymmetry and scour around obstructions indicate that net sediment transport is westward across the northern par of the study area near Fishers Island and eastward across the southern par near Great Gull Island.This work was supported by the Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, and the Atlantic Hydrographic Branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Influence of nutrients and currents on the genomic composition of microbes across an upwelling mosaic

Metagenomic data sets were generated from samples collected along a coastal to open ocean transect between Southern California Bight and California Current waters during a seasonal upwelling event, providing an opportunity to examine the impact of episodic pulses of cold nutrient-rich water into surface ocean microbial communities. The data set consists of ∼5.8 million predicted proteins across seven sites, from three different size classes: 0.1–0.8, 0.8–3.0 and 3.0–200.0 μm. Taxonomic and metabolic analyses suggest that sequences from the 0.1–0.8 μm size class correlated with their position along the upwelling mosaic. However, taxonomic profiles of bacteria from the larger size classes (0.8–200 μm) were less constrained by habitat and characterized by an increase in Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Flavobacteria and double-stranded DNA viral sequences. Functional annotation of transmembrane proteins indicate that sites comprised of organisms with small genomes have an enrichment of transporters with substrate specificities for amino acids, iron and cadmium, whereas organisms with larger genomes have a higher percentage of transporters for ammonium and potassium. Eukaryotic-type glutamine synthetase (GS) II proteins were identified and taxonomically classified as viral, most closely related to the GSII in Mimivirus, suggesting that marine Mimivirus-like particles may have played a role in the transfer of GSII gene functions. Additionally, a Planctomycete bloom was sampled from one upwelling site providing a rare opportunity to assess the genomic composition of a marine Planctomycete population. The significant correlations observed between genomic properties, community structure and nutrient availability provide insights into habitat-driven dynamics among oligotrophic versus upwelled marine waters adjoining each other spatially

Epidemiologists working together with anthropologists: lessons from a study to evaluate the epidemiological impact of a city-wide sanitation program

Barreto, Mauricio Lima. Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. “Documento produzido em parceria ou por autor vinculado à Fiocruz, mas não consta à informação no documento”.Pronex-Centres of Excellence Programme CNPq 661086/1998-4Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d’Antropologia Cultural i Història d’Amèrica i Àfrica. Barcelona, España / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde, Ambiente e Trabalho. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Universidade Federal da Bahia. Instituto de Saúde Coletiva. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Universidade Federal da Bahia. Instituto de Saúde Coletiva. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Este artigo discute o papel das abordagens qualitativas em estudos epidemiológicos, começando com uma discussão geral de ambos os métodos. Centra-se em um estudo de caso sobre o impacto na saúde de uma intervenção ambiental em Salvador, Bahia, Brasil. A maioria de estudos nesta linha, que derivam de pesquisas de fonte primária, traz pouca discussão sobre as questões metodológicas e teóricas envolvidas em estudos em longo prazo. Quatro aspectos específicos dessa experiência são especialmente destacados: (a) elaboração de questionários para o estudo epidemiológico; (b) construção de um instrumento observacional para medir os hábitos de higiene; (c) um estudo etnográfico que antecedeu a pesquisa epidemiológica; (d) observação dos efeitos da intervenção de saúde sobre as desigualdades de saúde. Finalmente, o estudo considera em detalhe como os resultados dos estudos qualitativos e quantitativos podem ser sintetizados. Ele fornece uma visão geral e crítica das estratégias de acompanhamento, ilustrada, sempre que possível, com exemplos apropriados.This paper discusses the role of qualitative approaches in epidemiological studies, beginning with a general discussion of epidemiological and anthropological methods. It focuses on a case study of the health impact of an environmental intervention carried out in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil. Most of the precedent studies fields, based on primary date, use to devote little attention to the methodological and theorethical questions attached to long-term studies. Four specific aspects of this experience are highlighted: (a) drawing up epidemiological study; (b) construction of an observational instrument to measure hygiene habits; (c) an ethnographic study that was carried out before the epidemiological study; (d) observation of the effects of health intervention on health inequalities. Finally, the report details how the findings of qualitative and quantitative studies might be synthesized. It provides a critical overview of follow-up strategies, illustrated with proper examples whenever possible.En este artículo se discute el papel de los enfoques cualitativos en los estudios epidemiológicos, comenzando con una discusión general de ambos métodos. Se centra en un estudio de caso sobre el impacto en la salud de una intervención ambiental en Salvador, Bahía, Brasil. La mayoría de los estudios en esta línea, que se deriven de la fuente principal de la investigación, aporta poca discusión sobre los aspectos metodológicos y teóricos que participan en estudios a largo plazo. Cuatro aspectos específicos de esta experiencia son especialmente prominentes: (a) elaboración de cuestionarios para el estudio epidemiológico; (b) la construcción de un instrumento para medir los hábitos de higiene de observación; (c) un estudio etnográfico que precedió a la investigación epidemiológica; (d) observación de los efectos de las intervenciones sanitarias sobre las desigualdades en salud. Por último, el estudio considera en detalle cómo los resultados de los estudios cualitativos y cuantitativos se pueden sintetizar. Proporciona una visión general y crítica de estrategias de seguimiento, ilustraciones siempre que sea posible, con ejemplos apropiados

Island provides a pathogen refuge within climatically suitable area

Surveillance of pathogens can lead to significant advances towards making effective decisions in research and management for species threatened by disease. <i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</i> has been a major contributing factor to the global decline of amphibians. Knowledge of the distribution of <i>B. dendrobatidis</i> can contribute to understanding patterns of species decline and prioritizing action. Therefore, we surveyed four spatially distinct populations of a <i>B. dendrobatidis</i> susceptible species, the green and golden bell frog (<i>Litoria aurea</i>), for evidence of infection in the population. Three mainland populations were infected at a prevalence of 3.5-28.3 %, with median infection loads of 0.28-627.18 genomic equivalents (GE). Conversely, we did not detect infection in an island population 3 km from the mainland; the isolation and infrequent visitation of the island suggests that the pathogen has not arrived. Management actions for <i>B. dendrobatidis</i> and conservation of susceptible frog species are heavily dependent on the presence and absence of the pathogen in the population. Prevention of the accidental introduction of <i>B. dendrobatidis</i> and safe guarding genetic diversity of <i>L. aurea</i> is necessary to preserve unique diversity of the island population, whereas containment and control of the pathogen can be directed towards mainland populations. Knowledge of disease dynamics also provides a context to understand the ecology of remaining populations as variation in the physiology or habitat of the mainland populations have facilitated persistence of these populations alongside <i>B. dendrobatidis</i>. Other islands should be a priority target in disease surveillance, to discover refuges that can assist conservation