ALBERT

Description: A central challenge in global ecology is the identification of key functional processes in ecosystems that scale, but do not require, data for individual species across landscapes. Given that nearly all tree species form symbiotic relationships with one of two types of mycorrhizal fungi—arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi—and that AM- and ECM-dominated forests often have distinct nutrient economies, the detection and mapping of mycorrhizae over large areas could provide valuable insights about fundamental ecosystem processes like nutrient cycling, species interactions, and overall forest productivity. We explored remotely sensed tree canopy spectral properties to detect underlying mycorrhizal association across a gradient of AM- and ECM-dominated forest plots. Statistical mining of reflectance, reflectance derivatives, and band differencing across moderate/high-resolution Landsat data revealed distinctly unique phenological signals that differentiated AM- and ECM-associations. This approach was trained and validated against measurements of tree species and mycorrhizal association across 140,000 trees throughout the temperate US. We were able to predict 77% of the variation in mycorrhizal association distribution within the forest plots (p〈0.001). The implications for this work move us towards mapping mycorrhizal association globally and advancing our understanding of biogeochemical cycling and other ecosystem processes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The Panoramic Cameras on NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers have each returned more than 17000 images of their calibration targets. In order to make optimal use of this dataset for reflectance calibration, a correction must be made for the presence of airfall dust. Here we present an improved dust correction procedure based on a two-layer scattering model and we present a dust reflectance spectrum derived from long-term trends in the dataset. The dust on the calibration targets appears brighter than dusty areas of the Martian surface. We derive detailed histories of dust deposition and removal revealing two distinct environments: At the Spirit landing site half the year is dominated by dust deposition, the other half by dust removal, usually in brief, sharp events. At the Opportunity landing site the Martian year has a semiannual dust cycle with dust removal happening gradually throughout two removal seasons each year. The highest observed optical depth of settled dust on the calibration target is 1.5 on Spirit and 1.1 on Opportunity (at 601 nm). We derive a general prediction for dust deposition rates of 0.004 +/− 0.001 in units of surface optical depth deposited per sol per unit atmospheric optical depth. We expect this procedure to lead to improved reflectance-calibration of the Panoramic Camera dataset. In addition it is easily adapted to similar datasets from other missions in order to deliver improved reflectance calibration as well as data on dust reflectance properties and deposition and removal history.

Description: Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 1458: Transforming Development and Disaster Risk Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su10051458 Authors: Frank Thomalla Michael Boyland Karlee Johnson Jonathan Ensor Heidi Tuhkanen Åsa Gerger Swartling Guoyi Han John Forrester Darin Wahl This article focuses on the complex relationship between development and disaster risk. Development and disaster risk are closely linked as the people and assets exposed to risk, as well as their vulnerability and capacity, are largely determined by development processes. Transformation is key to moving from current development patterns that increase, create or unfairly distribute risks, to forms of development that are equitable, resilient and sustainable. Based on a review of existing literature, we present three opportunities that have the potential to lead to transformation in the development-disaster risk relationship: (i) exposing development-disaster risk trade-offs in development policy and decision-making; (ii) prioritizing equity and social justice in approaches to secure resilience; and (iii) enabling transformation through adaptive governance. This research aims to contribute to breaking down existing barriers in research, policy and practice between the disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and development communities by providing cross-sectoral opportunities to operationalize theoretical knowledge on transformation. It also helps to clarify the connections between different global agendas by positioning transformation as a potential bridging concept to link disconnected policy processes. This paper argues for empirical research to test the opportunities presented here and further define transformative pathways at multiple scales.

Description: Behavioral shifts can initiate morphological evolution by pushing lineages into new adaptive zones. This has primarily been examined in ecological behaviors, such as foraging, but social behaviors may also alter morphology. Swallows and martins (Hirundinidae) are aerial insectivores that exhibit a range of social behaviors, from solitary to colonial breeding and foraging. Using a well-resolved phylogenetic tree, a database of social behaviors, and morphological measurements, we ask how shifts from solitary to social breeding and foraging have affected morphological evolution in the Hirundinidae. Using a threshold model of discrete state evolution, we find that shifts in both breeding and foraging social behavior are common across the phylogeny of swallows. Solitary swallows have highly variable morphology, while social swallows show much less absolute variance in all morphological traits. Metrics of convergence based on both the trajectory of social lineages through morphospace and the overall morphological distance between social species scaled by their phylogenetic distance indicate strong convergence in social swallows, especially socially foraging swallows. Smaller physical traits generally observed in social species suggest that social species benefit from a distinctive flight style, likely increasing maneuverability and foraging success and reducing in-flight collisions within large flocks. These results highlight the importance of sociality in species evolution, a link that had previously been examined only in eusocial insects and primates. Using a bird family with diversity in social behavior, the swallows and martins (Hirundinidae), we examine how switches between social and nonsocial behavior influence morphological evolution. We find strong convergence in social swallow species to small body morphology, while solitary swallow species exhibit highly variable morphology. These results illustrate the importance of social behavior on morphological evolution. Photograph by Joel G. Jorgensen.

Description: Abstract The methods to quantify equilibrium climate sensitivity are still debated. We collect millennial‐length simulations of coupled climate models and show that the global mean equilibrium warming is higher than those obtained using extrapolation methods from shorter simulations. Specifically, 27 simulations with 15 climate models forced with a range of CO2 concentrations show a median 17% larger equilibrium warming than estimated from the first 150 years of the simulations. The spatial patterns of radiative feedbacks change continuously, in most regions reducing their tendency to stabilizing the climate. In the equatorial Pacific, however, feedbacks become more stabilizing with time. The global feedback evolution is initially dominated by the tropics, with eventual substantial contributions from the mid‐latitudes. Time‐dependent feedbacks underscore the need of a measure of climate sensitivity that accounts for the degree of equilibration, so that models, observations, and paleo proxies can be adequately compared and aggregated to estimate future warming.

Description: Introduction: Symptomatic anemia transfusion support represents a significant problem for patients with MDS. The principal strategy in managing these patients remains supportive care with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. However, there is paucity of real-world data regarding patterns of use of ESA and other therapies, and its impact on transfusion needs in these patients early in their clinical course. To address this question, we performed a retrospective claims-based study to characterize treatment patterns and transfusion burden in patients with MDS. Methods: In this retrospective claims analysis of a large national health insurance plan, all patients aged ≥ 18 years with newly diagnosed MDS (≥ 2 medical claims with an International Classification of Diseases, 9th or 10th Revision [ICD-9 or ICD-10] diagnosis codes ≥ 30 days apart) identified between January 2012 and May 2018 were included. Index date was defined as date of first diagnosis. Continuous health plan enrollment for ≥ 6 months pre- and 3 months post-index date was required. RBC transfusion status was evaluated during the 16 weeks prior to first diagnosis as well as 16 weeks prior to and immediately following line of therapy (LOT) 1 and LOT2. Transfusion burden categories were adapted and modified from the proposed International Working Group 2018 revised criteria (Platzbecker U, et al., Blood. 2019;133(10):1096-1107). Categories included transfusion independence (TI), defined as patients receiving no transfusions during the observation period; low (LTB), moderate (MTB), and high transfusion burden (HTB) were defined by patient's having 1-3, 4-7, and ≥ 8 unique dates for a transfusion during the observation periods, respectively. Therapies in each LOT were captured using pharmacy and medical claims data. The end of a LOT was defined after ≥ 60-day gap in therapy, a claim for any new or additional MDS therapy, or patient death; LOT durations are described for non-censored patients. Results: Among the 3,587 patients identified (mean age = 74.9 years, 44.3% female), transfusion burden during 16 weeks prior to index was: 78.8% TI, 19.2% LTB, 1.9% MTB, and 0.2% HTB. Among the 1,935 patients who received LOT1, transfusion burden in the 16 weeks preceding LOT1 was: 57.0% TI, 36.3% LTB, 5.6% MTB, and 1.1% HTB. The top 5 regimens in LOT1 were ESA monotherapy (61.9%), hypomethylating agent (HMA) monotherapy (19.2%), white blood cell growth factor (WBCGF) monotherapy (3.5%), immunomodulators (3.3%), and HMA + ESA (2.7%) (Figure). Of 824 patients who received LOT2, transfusion burden prior to LOT2 was: 49.4% TI, 28.6% LTB, 16.5% MTB, and 5.5% HTB. The top 5 regimens in LOT2 were ESA monotherapy (44.2%), HMA monotherapy (12.1%), HMA + ESA (9.2%), WBCGF + ESA (6.9%), and WBCGF monotherapy (6.4%) (Figure). In LOT1, the median treatment duration for ESA monotherapy was 2.8 months (mean = 5.2 months, standard deviation [SD] = 6.8) whereas in LOT2, the median treatment duration was 2.0 months (mean = 3.7 months, SD = 5.0). Amongst patients receiving ESA monotherapy as LOT2, 90.4% had prior ESA monotherapy as LOT1. In patients treated with HMA monotherapy in LOT1 that also experienced a LOT2, 39.1% moved on to a variety of LOT2 regimens (Table), while in 15.5% ESAs were combined with HMA (Table). Conclusions: Our results show that at the time of diagnosis, 20% of MDS patients were transfusion dependent, but up to 50% require treatment. The high rate of ESA use is likely due to anemia-related symptoms. In those treated with ESA monotherapy, approximately 50% have a LOT1 duration that is 〈 3 months, and interestingly, the majority of patients restart a second LOT with an ESA as the most common regimen. Additional analyses are necessary to determine whether this indicates a switch in ESA agent, escalation in dose of prior ESA, treatment cycling due to elevated hemoglobin, or other reasons. Considering the short median treatment duration and worsening of transfusion dependency beyond first line, there remains a high unmet need for MDS therapy that more effectively slows the progression of transfusion dependence. Disclosures Mukherjee: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Projects in Knowledge: Honoraria; Celgene Corporation: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Partnership for Health Analytic Research, LLC (PHAR, LLC): Consultancy; McGraw Hill Hematology Oncology Board Review: Other: Editor. Slabaugh:Celgene Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership. Copher:Celgene Corporation: Employment. Johnson:Optum: Employment; Celgene Corporation: Consultancy. Buzinec:Optum: Employment. Mearns:Celgene Corporation: Employment.