AI developed to monitor changes to the globally important Thwaites Glacier

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

 

IMAGE: SCIENTISTS HAVE MAPPED THE CREVASSES ON THE THWAITES GLACIER ICE TONGUE THROUGH TIME USING DEEP LEARNING. THIS NEW RESEARCH MARKS A CHANGE IN THE WAY IN WHICH THE STRUCTURAL AND DYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF ICE SHELVES CAN BE INVESTIGATED. CREDIT: TRYSTAN SURAWY-STEPNEY view more 

CREDIT: TRYSTAN SURAWY-STEPNEY, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

AI developed to monitor changes to the globally important Thwaites Glacier 

Scientists have developed artificial intelligence techniques to track the development of crevasses - or fractures - on the Thwaites Glacier Ice Tongue in west Antarctica.  

A team of scientists from the University of Leeds and University of Bristol have adapted an AI algorithm originally developed to identify cells in microscope images to spot crevasses forming in the ice from satellite images. Crevasses are indicators of stresses building-up in the glacier. 

Thwaites is a particularly important part of the Antarctic Ice Sheet because it holds enough ice to raise global sea levels by around 60 centimetres and is considered by many to be at risk of rapid retreat, threatening coastal communities around the world.

Use of AI will allow scientists to more accurately monitor and model changes to this important glacier. 

Published today (Monday, Jan 9) in the journal Nature Geoscience, the research focussed on a part of the glacier system where the ice flows into the sea and begins to float. Where this happens is known as the grounding line and it forms the start of the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf and the Thwaites Glacier Ice Tongue, which is also an ice shelf.  

Despite being small in comparison to the size of the entire glacier, changes to these ice shelves could have wide-ranging implications for the whole glacier system and future sea-level rise. 

The scientists wanted to know if crevassing or fracture formation in the glacier was more likely to occur with changes to the speed of the ice flow. 

Development of the algorithm 

Using machine learning, the researchers taught a computer to look at radar satellite images and identify changes over the last decade. The images were taken by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellites, which can “see” through the top layer of snow and onto the glacier, revealing the fractured surface of the ice normally hidden from sight.  

The analysis revealed that over the last six years, the Thwaites Glacier ice tongue has sped up and slowed down twice, by around 40% each time - from four km/year to six km/year before slowing. This is a a substantial increase in the magnitude and frequency of speed change compared with past records.  

The study found a complex interplay between crevasse formation and speed of the ice flow. When the ice flow quickens or slows, more crevasses are likely to form. In turn, the increase in crevasses causes the ice to change speed as the level of friction between the ice and underlying rock alters.  

Dr Anna Hogg, a glaciologist in the Satellite Ice Dynamics group at Leeds and an author on the study, said: “Dynamic changes on ice shelves are traditionally thought to occur on timescales of decades to centuries, so it was surprising to see this huge glacier speed up and slow down so quickly.”   

“The study also demonstrates the key role that fractures play in un-corking the flow of ice - a process known as 'unbuttressing'.  

“Ice sheet models must be evolved to account for the fact that ice can fracture, which will allow us to measure future sea level contributions more accurately.”  

Trystan Surawy-Stepney, lead author of the paper and a doctoral researcher at Leeds, added: “The nice thing about this study is the precision with which the crevasses were mapped.  

“It has been known for a while that crevassing is an important component of ice shelf dynamics and this study demonstrates that this link can be studied on a large scale with beautiful resolution, using computer vision techniques applied to the deluge of satellite images acquired each week.” 

Satellites orbiting the Earth provide scientists with new data over the most remote and inaccessible regions of Antarctica.  The radar on board Sentinel-1 allows places like Thwaites Glacier to be imaged day or night, every week, all year round.   

Dr Mark Drinkwater of the European Space Agency commented: “Studies like this would not be possible without the large volume of high-resolution data provided by Sentinel-1. By continuing to plan future missions, we can carry on supporting work like this and broaden the scope of scientific research on vital areas of the Earth’s climate system.”  

As for Thwaites Glacier Ice Tongue, it remains to be seen whether such short-term changes have any impact on the long-term dynamics of the glacier, or whether they are simply isolated symptoms of an ice shelf close to its end. 

The paper - “Episodic dynamic change linked to damage on the thwaites glacier ice tongue” - was authored by Trystan Surawy-Stepney, Anna E. Hogg and Benjamin J. Davison, from the University of Leeds; and Stephen L. Cornford, from the University of Bristol. 

Crevasses on Antarctic ice shelves change the material properties of the ice and influence their flow-speed. Research shows this coupling to be relevant but more complicated than previously thought for the Thwaites Glacier Ice Tongue.

CREDIT

Dr Anna Hogg, University of Leeds

Scientists have used radar imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellites to measure flow speed of the Thwaites Glacier Ice Tongue (shown) and analyse its structural integrity using deep learning.

CREDIT

Benjamin J. Davison, University of Leeds

JOURNAL

Nature Geoscience

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Imaging analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Episodic dynamic change linked to damage on the thwaites glacier ice tongue

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

9-Jan-2023

 Exotic wheat DNA helps breed ‘climate-proof’ crops

Peer-Reviewed Publication

EARLHAM INSTITUTE

Wheat containing exotic DNA from wild relatives benefits from up to 50 per cent higher yields in hot weather compared with elite lines lacking these genes.

Following a year when temperature records have been smashed, research from the Earlham Institute in Norwich, in collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), offers much-needed hope for improving crop resilience and food security in the face of climate change. 

The field trials in Mexico also emphasise the importance of genetic diversity in key crops, where decades of selective breeding have reduced their ability to adapt to a rapidly warming planet.

There is growing uncertainty around the ability of major food crops to continue to meet global demand as temperatures rise and weather events become more extreme. 

Wheat provides more global calories than any other crop yet most of the wheat grown around the world has limited genetic variation, making it vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

“Wheat is responsible for around 20 per cent of the calories consumed globally and is widely grown all over the world,” says Professor Anthony Hall, study author and Group Leader at the Earlham Institute. “But we don’t know whether the crops we’re planting today will be able to cope with tomorrow's weather.

“To make matters worse, developing new varieties can take a decade or more so acting quickly is vital.”

In collaboration with CIMMYT, Earlham Institute researchers set up a two-year field trial in Mexico’s Sonora desert. They studied 149 wheat lines, ranging from widely-used elite lines to those selectively bred to include DNA from wild relatives and landraces from Mexico and India. 

“Crossing elite lines with exotic material has its challenges,” said Matthew Reynolds, co-author of the study and leader of Wheat Physiology at CIMMYT.

“There’s a well-recognised risk of bringing in more undesirable than desirable traits, so this result represents a significant breakthrough in overcoming that barrier and the continued utilisation of genetic resources to boost climate resilience.”

The seeds were sown later in the season to force the plants to grow during hotter months, putting these crops under the kind of heat stress that is predicted to become the norm as global temperatures rise.

They found the plants bred with exotic DNA achieved a 50 per cent higher yield over wheat without this DNA. Importantly, the exotic lines didn’t perform any worse than the elite lines under normal conditions.

The researchers sequenced the plants to locate specific genetic differences responsible for the increased heat tolerance. They identified genetic markers that could allow the targeted introduction of this beneficial exotic DNA into elite lines, offering a quick way to improve climate resilience and mitigate against widespread crop failures.

Benedict Coombes, study author and PhD student at the Earlham Institute, said: “As we try to produce more food from less land to feed a growing global population, we urgently need to future-proof the crops we’re planting so they can thrive in an increasingly hostile climate.

“The key to this, we are increasingly finding, may lie within largely untapped genetic resources from wheat’s wild relatives and landraces.”

The researchers suggest breeding programmes incorporate the heat tolerance traits as a pre-emptive strategy to produce wheat crops that can cope with a less predictable climate.

“This is science we can now use to make an impact almost immediately,” added Professor Hall. “We’ve done the field trials, we know what genetic markers we’re looking for, and we’re starting conversations with wheat breeders so this is hopefully going to be the first of many steps to contribute to global food security in the coming years.

“The discoveries we’re making, and the action we’re taking, will hopefully mean people around the world can continue to have nutritious food on their plates.”

The research was funded by UKRI-BBSRC and supported by the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) and by the Sustainable Modernization of Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro) - an initiative from the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) and CIMMYT.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact Greg Bowker at the Earlham Institute on 01603 450 895 or 07792 154 497.

Notes to Editors:

The paper, Exotic alleles contribute to heat tolerance in wheat under field conditions, has been

published in the journal Communications Biology - https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-022-04325-5

About the Earlham Institute

The Earlham Institute is a hub of life science research, training, and innovation focused on understanding the natural world through the lens of genomics. Embracing the full breadth of life on Earth, our scientists specialise in developing and testing the latest tools and approaches needed to decode living systems and make predictions about biology.

The Earlham Institute is based within the Norwich Research Park and is one of eight institutes that receive strategic funding from UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC), as well as support from other research funders.

earlham.ac.uk

About CIMMYT

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is an international organization focused on non-profit agricultural research and training that empowers farmers through science and innovation to nourish the world in the midst of a climate crisis. Applying high-quality science and strong partnerships, CIMMYT works to achieve a world with healthier and more prosperous people, free from global food crises and with more resilient agri-food systems. CIMMYT’s research brings enhanced productivity and better profits to farmers, mitigates the effects of the climate crisis, and reduces the environmental impact of agriculture.  

CIMMYT is a member of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.

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JOURNAL

Communications Biology

DOI

10.1038/s42003-022-04325-5 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

Exotic wheat DNA helps breed ‘climate-proof’ crops

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

10-Jan-2023

Pandemic-forced shift to online education can be boon for future social workers

Study argues transition to online services can empower practitioners to better serve people virtually, in-person

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

LAWRENCE — The COVID-19 pandemic forced education, services, health care and many other aspects of everyday life online. For social work, that transition started as a challenge, but it can actually be an opportunity for educators, social workers and the people they serve. A University of Kansas professor has published a paper arguing that social work educators can adapt their teaching practices in a way that best prepares their students to interact with those they serve, whether online, in person or both.

Social welfare education, like most disciplines, was transitioning to online coursework in the years prior to the pandemic. The discipline features practice courses, in which students learn how to put the theories they learn into action. While it can be difficult to teach someone how to establish rapport with a client, assess progress of someone undergoing treatment, intervene with families in crisis or other skills online, it is necessary.

“Over about the last 10 years, we’ve gone from just teaching social welfare in person to teaching a blend of in-person and self-guided online content to teaching online hybrid courses that leverage teaching over a video conference platform for synchronous components that provide live interaction and using tools like Canvas for asynchronous components that allow for self-guided online activities,” said Nancy Kepple, associate professor of social welfare. “We’ve seen people try to translate exactly what they did in the classroom and say it didn’t work, or people change drastically what they did to make it fit within these virtual spaces. This paper basically says it’s not an either/or.”

While providing a framework for how to teach practice courses across modalities, Kepple and co-author D. Crystal Coles of Morgan State University argue that empowering future social workers to be comfortable working both in-person and online with clients is vital. Social work was already shifting to add more telehealth approaches, but the pandemic forced many services into an online space and revealed many people prefer to receive services online. The study was published in the Journal of Teaching in Social Work.

“In modern social work, we don’t only engage people in person anymore. I have colleagues in practice for whom working with people virtually is their preference, and this is the only way they engage with the people they serve.”

The article is titled “Maintaining the Magic,” as Kepple and Coles argue the strengths of one’s practice instruction can be maintained as it gets translated across modalities. Schools of social welfare/social work have returned to more in-person classes, but the main four modalities still exist: Traditional in-person; hybrid of in-person and self-guided online activities; online hybrid of synchronous virtual meetings and self-guided online activities; and fully asynchronous online. The article presents a framework in four parts for drawing on the strengths of each (while navigating their constraints) to ensure they are as effective as possible across modalities by considering structural components of space, time and people as well as a process component of interactivity.

In terms of learning location, educators designing practice courses need to consider space, whether a physical classroom, online space or self-guided course and how students will interact with each other and instructors. The authors give examples of how practice instructors can encourage people to work together based on the opportunities of physical or virtual spaces, maximizing what is available and unique to each. In regard to time, Kepple and Coles discuss how to ensure educators and students make the most of it. For example, in any online class, some amount of time is spent troubleshooting technology. While that may take time from instruction, educators can strategize ways to find additional time to give back to students and experiential practices. While considering people, educators should consider their own strengths as well as the experiences of those in the class and how those can be brought to the fore, whether in person or in online instruction. Finally, interactivity is key. Practice courses emphasize that students need interaction with their instructor, the ideas being conveyed and with fellow students to learn skills, such as making eye contact, empathizing with others, experiencing human warmth and other essential skills for social workers. The article provides strategies for role-playing and other ways to build interactions specific to each modality.

“Just reading about these ideas doesn’t teach you how to experience or convey these key skills. You have to understand what empathy is as a concept and as an experience to effectively convey it when interacting with someone,” Kepple said. “Social workers have to be prepared to work and help people in any space. Our field isn’t just confined to working with people in a 45- or 50-minute session in one room. We want to be on the leading edge of how we prepare our students for their profession.”

While technology has evolved to deliver education and social work services, the pandemic forced a quick adaptation. And though both life and education have somewhat shifted back to previous norms, the change showed an understanding of both technology and humanity is necessary, according to the authors. Some clients will need to receive services virtually because of distance or preference. Some educators may prefer in-person classes, but the student preferences are also diversifying. In addition, the students who will be the next generation of social workers will need to be prepared for new technologies. Educators thinking about how they can innovate in their approaches will help ensure new social workers are adaptable, the authors argue.

“It is important to think through how all of these pieces work and how that affects how we teach,” Kepple said. “It’s not brand new; it’s figuring out an intentional way of delivering what we know and what we do well in a new way. I want social workers and educators to believe they know what makes a good instructional space and that they can make practice spaces work across a range of methods.”

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JOURNAL

Journal of Teaching in Social Work

DOI

10.1080/08841233.2022.2120166 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Maintaining the Magic: Adapting Practice Pedagogies Across Course Modalities

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

10-Jan-2023

How do methanotrophs handle the toxic effects of hydrogen sulfide?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CARL R. WOESE INSTITUTE FOR GENOMIC BIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

 

IMAGE: M. CAPSULATUS BATH IS CURRENTLY USED COMMERCIALLY TO MAKE SINGLE CELL PROTEINS THAT ARE USED IN ANIMAL FEED. view more 

CREDIT: RAO LAB

Methanotrophs—organisms that grow by consuming methane—seem to be perfect for alleviating global warming, since methane accounts for about 30% of this effect. However, drilling sites, where the natural gas is mostly composed of methane, also contains hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which inhibits the growth of methanotrophs. In a new study, researchers have discovered that the methanotroph Methylococcus capsulatus Bath has an enzyme that helps it grow in the presence of small amounts of H2S.  

“Hydrogen sulfide is a major problem in oil and gas industries. If we are to develop biological solutions for addressing methane emissions, then we need to understand how methanotrophs respond to hydrogen sulfide,” said Christopher Rao (BSD/CABBI/GSE/MME), a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. “This study is one of the first investigations of how methanotrophs reprogram their metabolism in response to H2S.”

“Methanotrophs are the main methane sinks in nature since they use methane as their carbon source, unlike other bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, that use glucose,” said Sichong Pei, a former graduate student in the Rao and Mackie (MME) labs, and the first author of the paper. “By studying methanotrophs, we can understand and then engineer them to increase their methane consumption and help mitigate the greenhouse effects of methane.”

M. capsulatus Bath is currently used for commercial purposes where they are fed pure methane to make single cell proteins that are used in animal feed. Although the bacteria have been studied extensively for this purpose, it is unclear how M. capsulatus Bath performs on natural gas, which, in addition to methane, also contains carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and H2S.

“H2S is so toxic and corrosive that the petrochemical industry has to remove it from natural gas, in a step called ‘sweetening’,” Pei said. “However, we know that there are methanotrophs that live in hot springs, which have high concentrations of methane and H2S. These bacteria must have a natural resistance to sulfur compounds, which means that using these bacteria cuts out the sweetening process and saves money.”

Although other researchers have studied the inhibitory effects of H2S on M. capsulatus Bath, they only used physiological tests where they measured the growth rate of bacteria in the presence of the gas. In the current study, the group looked at transcription—the process by which cells use DNA to make messenger RNA—in the cell to further investigate the effects of H2S on the metabolism of these bacteria.

First, the researchers used different concentrations of H2S to see what concentrations were inhibitory. Although M. capsulatus Bath could grow with 0.1% H2S, the growth rate decreased at 0.5% and 0.75% concentrations, and they were completely inhibited at 1% H2S. “We were trying to find the sweet spot where the bacteria could tolerate H2S, without it being too stressful,” Pei said.

The researchers then grew the bacteria with different concentrations of H2S, including 0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 0.75%, and looked at the changes in RNA and small molecule levels. They found that at 0.75% H2S the bacteria switch from using the calcium dependent methanol dehydrogenase mxaF to the lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase xoxF.

“These bacteria grow on methane by first converting it to methanol, which is then converted to formaldehyde with the help of the enzyme methanol dehydrogenase,” Pei said. “The gene xoxF was identified a decade ago and it uses the element lanthanide. We saw that the transcription of xoxF increased fivefold compared to mxaF.”

Lanthanide is generally found in very low concentrations in nature—usually in the micromolar range. The question, then, is why would bacteria depend on an enzyme that uses lanthanide? “Three billion years ago, the Earth’s atmosphere mainly contained methane and H2S. It is likely that the ancient microorganisms contained enzymes that were accustomed to these harsh conditions. One hypothesis is that the bacteria inherited the xoxF gene, which produces this relatively ancient enzyme, allowing them to function under sulfide-rich conditions.”

Although these bacteria have xoxF, they primarily depend on mxaF because it is more efficient. However, the researchers showed that when these bacteria are exposed to sulfide, they switch to using xoxF. “Previously, this switch was only seen when researchers added lanthanide,” Pei said. “I believe that there is an intriguing mechanism behind the switch and this is just one piece of the puzzle.”

The study “Systems analysis of the effect of hydrogen sulfide on the growth of Methylococcus capsulatus Bath” was published in Applied Microbial and Cell Physiology and can be found at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-022-12236-y. The study was funded by Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc.

 

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DOI

10.1007/s00253-022-12236-y 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Cells

ARTICLE TITLE

Systems analysis of the effect of hydrogen sulfide on the growth of Methylococcus capsulatus Bath

Forests can help manage water amid development, climate change

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

In areas near Raleigh projected to see heavier future development, keeping buffers of trees or other greenery around waterways could help slow rushing streams during wet conditions, and keep them flowing during dry ones. However, North Carolina State University researchers behind a recent study warned these so-called “riparian buffers” would not be a magic bullet for managing water as development increases and the climate grows warmer and wetter.

“Buffers are good for watersheds – there’s a lot of literature that shows that they’re great for water quantity and also for quality,” said the study’s lead author Elly T. Gay, a graduate student in forestry and environmental resources at NC State. “But in the future, buffers in isolation may not be viable as the only option to mitigate negative consequences that increased development and more variable climate might have on water quantity; they need to be coupled with other management strategies.”

Forests can filter water, and they can also slow water down to prevent floods or keep water levels up during droughts, said the study’s co-author Katherine Martin, assistant professor of forestry and environmental resources at NC State. Alternatively, stream flows can be more extreme in urban areas with more paved surfaces. Riparian buffers are one tool to help manage water in urban areas.

“Urban hydrology is a lot more flashy,” Martin said. “When it rains, and you have an area with a lot of buildings and roads, the rainfall goes immediately into the streams. There’s not a lot of time for it to seep into the ground. In forests, the water is filtered through the soil, and used by plants. It’s a slower process of getting the water to the stream, even if it’s not raining. That’s important for aquatic species, so they have enough water. When stream levels are low, pollutants get concentrated.”

In the study, researchers projected average stream flow between 2017 and 2060 for the Upper Neuse River Watershed, the watershed that starts in Durham, feeds into Falls Lake to supply water to Raleigh, and drains through to Goldsboro. They modeled the impact of three different scenarios for riparian buffers to see how they’d impact stream flow: They tested a “business as usual” scenario with existing forest or greenspace, which includes a 50-foot state mandated buffer area, as well as many areas that were exempted. They also looked at a scenario with 50 feet of forested buffers throughout the entire watershed; and a scenario where forest buffers were extended to 100 feet.

They also projected the impact of climate change on precipitation and temperature, and if low-intensity development were to continue to grow.

“We modeled a higher greenhouse gas emissions scenario, but precipitation was not particularly extreme,” said Martin. “We were also interested in testing how expanded development would affect stream flow because of this link between increased impervious surface, and the impact it has on water quantity and quality.”

They found that on average, daily streamflow across the watershed would increase. They projected average daily stream flow to increase by as much a 28% in some areas without buffers.

In wetter conditions, they saw that buffers linked with larger reductions in stream flow in some of the most developed areas.

During dry spells, they saw that buffers had mixed results. In some areas, buffers were actually linked with reductions in daily stream flow during dry spells – so the opposite of what they would hope to see. But, buffers did seem to help maintain water levels in areas at either end of the development spectrum: buffers helped maintain stream flow in an area of the watershed with the highest amount of future development, and they also helped maintain water levels in areas that are not yet developed.

“We found that buffers can increase flow during the lowest flow events, and they can decrease flow during the highest flow events in more localized areas,” Gay said. “These localized areas are typically in the places with the highest levels of development – we found buffers had the largest effect in those areas.”

However, researchers said the effects weren’t as striking as they expected, and there was little difference when they compared the 50-foot and 100-foot buffers.

“This suggests there is a role for buffers in mitigating extremes for stream flow, but it can’t be the only strategy,” Martin said. “We need a comprehensive plan for the future if we want to maintain high water quality that includes not only riparian buffers, but more, and larger, green spaces, which have an abundance of benefits beyond just water.”

The study, “Riparian buffers increase future baseflow and reduce peakflows in a developing watershed,” was published online in Science of The Total Environment. Co-authors included Peter V. Caldwell, Ryan E. Emanuel, Georgina M. Sanchez and Kelly M. Suttles. The work was funded by the USDA Forest Service Joint Venture Agreement No. 18-JF-11330155-036.

 

-oleniacz-

Note to Editors: The study abstract follows.

 

Riparian buffers increase future baseflow and reduce peakflows in a developing watershed

 

Authors: Elly T. Gay, Katherine L. Martin, Peter V. Caldwell, Ryan E. Emanuel, Georgina M. Sanchez and Kelly M. Suttles.

 

Published: Dec. 9, 2022, Science of The Total Environment

 

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160834

 

Abstract: Land conversion and climate change are stressing freshwater resources. Riparian areas, streamside vegetation/forest land, are critical for regulating hydrologic processes and riparian buffers are used as adaptive management strategies for mitigating land conversion effects. However, our ability to anticipate the efficacy of current and alternative riparian buffers under changing conditions remains limited. To address this information gap, we simulated hydrologic responses for different levels of buffer protection under a future scenario of land/climate change through the year 2060. We used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to project future streamflow in the Upper Neuse River watershed in North Carolina, USA. We tested the capacity of riparian buffers to mitigate the effects of future land use and climate change on daily mean streamflow under three buffer treatments: present buffer widths and fully forested 15 m and 30 m buffers throughout the basin. The treatments were tested using a combination of a future climate change scenario and landcover projections that indicated a doubling of low-intensity development between 2017 and 2060. In areas with >50 % development, the 30 m buffers were particularly effective at increasing average daily streamflow during the lowest flow events by 4 % and decreasing flow during highest flow events by 3 % compared to no buffer protection. In areas between 20 and 50 % development, both 15 m and 30 m buffers reduced low flow by 8 % with minimal effects on high flow. Results indicate that standardized buffers might be more effective at a local scale with further research needing to focus on strategic buffer placement at the watershed scale. These findings highlight a novel approach for integrating buffers into hydrologic modeling and potential for improved methodology. Understanding the effects of riparian buffers on streamflow is crucial given the pressing need to develop innovative strategies that promote the conservation of invaluable ecosystem services.

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JOURNAL

Science of The Total Environment

DOI

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160834 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

ARTICLE TITLE

Riparian buffers increase future baseflow and reduce peakflows in a developing watershed

School garden-based interventions can improve blood sugar, reduce bad cholesterol in children

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON

School garden-based interventions can improve metabolic parameters such as blood sugar and cholesterol in children, according to a new study from UTHealth Houston.

A cluster randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and The University of Texas at Austin found that Texas Sprouts – a gardening, nutrition, and cooking intervention implemented in elementary schools in Austin – improved glucose control and reduced bad cholesterol in high-risk minority youth. The results were published today in JAMA Network Open.

“The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 2.5 cups of vegetables per day for children 9 to 13 years old,” said Adriana Pérez, PhD, senior author of the study and professor of biostatistics and data science with the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. “Texas Sprouts incorporates nutrition, gardening, and cooking components that improved glucose control and reduced bad cholesterol in children.”

From 2016 to 2019, researchers analyzed 16 low-income elementary schools in the greater Austin area with majority Hispanic student populations. The schools were randomly assigned to either Texas Sprouts intervention or delayed intervention.

Texas Sprouts spanned the nine-month school year and involved the formation of a Garden Leadership Committee; a quarter-acre outdoor teaching garden; a series of 18 student gardening, nutrition, and cooking lessons taught by trained educators throughout the school year; and nine monthly parent lessons. The delayed intervention was implemented the following academic year and received an identical intervention.

The team measured students’ height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) parameters, as well as their glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, and lipid panel – a blood test that measures the amount of certain fat molecules known as lipids in the blood – via an optional fasting blood draw.

Compared to schools in the control group, Texas Sprouts schools saw a 0.02% reduction in HbA1c, or mean blood sugar levels over the past three months, and a 6.4 mg/dL reduction in bad cholesterol, indicating a reduced risk of diabetes and prediabetes among this population. There were no intervention effects on glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, or other lipid parameters.

Based on the study results, Perez said more elementary schools should incorporate garden-based interventions.

“Small increases in dietary fiber and vegetable intake, as well as reductions in added sugar intake, may have combined effects on lowering bad cholesterol and improving glucose control,” said Pérez, who is based in Austin.

Other co-authors from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Austin Campus included Deanna M. Hoelscher, PhD, RDN, campus dean and director of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living; and Alexandra E. van den Berg, PhD, MPH, professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences and associate director of the center.

Additional co-authors, all with The University of Texas at Austin, were Jaimie N. Davis, PhD, RD; Matthew J. Landry, PhD, RDN; Sarvenaz Vandyousefi, PhD, MS, RD; Matthew R. Jeans, MS, MM; and Erin A. Hudson. Landry is also with Stanford University, while Vandyousefi is also with New York University School of Medicine and Jeans is affiliated with The Health Management Academy in Virginia.

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JOURNAL

JAMA Network Open

DOI

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.50375 

ARTICLE TITLE

Effects of a School-Based Nutrition, Gardening, and Cooking Intervention on Metabolic Parameters in High-risk Youth

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

10-Jan-2023

Effects of school-based nutrition, gardening, cooking intervention on metabolic outcomes in high-risk youth

JAMA Network Open

Peer-Reviewed Publication

JAMA NETWORK

About The Study: In this secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial of 695 children, a school-based gardening, nutrition, and cooking intervention resulted in improved glucose control and reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in high-risk youth. These findings suggest that elementary schools should incorporate garden-based interventions as a way to improve metabolic parameters in children. 

Authors: Jaimie N. Davis, Ph.D., R.D., of the University of Texas at Austin, is the corresponding author. 

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

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JOURNAL

JAMA Network Open

Fluid on the lungs: Relatively little known hazard linked to open water swimming

Older age, swimming long distances, cold water, female sex among risk factors. Often occurs in those who are otherwise fit and healthy, doctors warn

Peer-Reviewed Publication

BMJ

Fluid on the lungs, or pulmonary oedema as it’s formally known, is a relatively little known hazard associated with open water swimming, warn doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports after treating a woman with the condition.

Older age, swimming long distances, cold water, and female sex are among the risk factors,  as are high blood pressure and pre-existing heart disease. But it frequently occurs in those who are otherwise fit and healthy, highlight the authors.

Open water swimming has become very popular, with more than 3 million enthusiasts in England in 2021 alone. But mounting evidence points to a link between the activity and a condition called swimming-induced pulmonary oedema, or SIPE for short.

First reported in 1989, SIPE leaves swimmers struggling to draw breath and depletes their blood of vital oxygen. It affects an estimated 1-2% of open water swimmers, but cases are likely to be underreported, say the authors.

The woman in question was in her 50s and a keen competitive long distance swimmer and triathlete.

Otherwise fit and well, she was struggling to breathe and coughing up blood after taking part in an open water swimming event at night in water temperatures of around 17°C while wearing a wetsuit. Her symptoms started after swimming 300 metres.

She had no medical history of note, but experienced breathing difficulties during an open water swim a fortnight earlier which had forced her to abandon the event and left her feeling breathless for some days afterwards. 

On arrival at hospital, her heartbeat was rapid, and a chest x-ray revealed pulmonary oedema. Further scans revealed that fluid had infiltrated the heart muscle, a sign of strain known as myocardial oedema. But she had no structural heart disease. 

Her symptoms settled within 2 hours of arrival at hospital. And after careful monitoring, she was discharged the following morning. 

It’s not clear exactly what causes SIPE. But it likely involves increases in arterial pressure in the lungs secondary to centralisation of blood volume in a cold environment, combined with an exaggerated constriction of these blood vessels in response to the cold and increased blood flow during physical exertion.

But recurrence is common and has been reported in 13%-22% of scuba divers and swimmers, suggesting a predisposition to the condition, say the authors. 

They advise swimming at a slower pace, accompanied, in warmer water, without a tight-fitting wetsuit, and avoidance of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen, to minimise the risk.

For those experiencing symptoms for the first time, the authors recommend stopping swimming and getting out of the water straight away, then sitting upright, and calling for medical assistance if required.

This is just one case, emphasise the authors, whose aim in reporting it is to raise awareness among doctors and swimmers of a relatively little known condition. 

“The UK Diving Medical Committee has published guidance for divers. However, at present, there are no formal national medical guidelines concerning the recognition and management of this complex condition,” they note.

 

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JOURNAL

BMJ Case Reports

DOI

10.1136/bcr-2022-251274 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Case study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Myocardial oedema in the setting of immersion pulmonary oedema - Cause or effect?

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

9-Jan-2023