Assessment Of Resolution Research Articles

Life after recovery: Increased resolution of forest resilience assessment sheds new light on post‐drought compensatory growth and recovery dynamics

Abstract Understanding the impacts of extreme drought on forest productivity requires a comprehensive assessment of tree and forest resilience. However, current approaches to quantifying resilience limit our understanding of forest response dynamics, recovery trajectories and drought legacies by constraining the temporal scale and resolution of assessment. We compared individual tree growth histories with growth forecasted using dynamic regression at an annual resolution, allowing drought impact and individual tree and stand level recovery dynamics to be assessed relative to a scenario where no drought occurred. The novel application of this approach allowed us to quantify the cumulative impact of drought legacy on radial growth at multiple stem heights at different stand densities. We show that the choice of pre‐ and post‐drought periods over which resilience is assessed can lead to systematic bias in both estimates and interpretations of resilience indices. In contrast, measuring growth resilience annually revealed clear nonlinearities in tree and stand recovery trajectories. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the influence of pre‐drought attributes such as tree size, growth rates and stand densities on growth resilience were only detectable at certain stages of recovery. Importantly, we show that the legacy of drought on tree growth can become positive for some individuals, extending up to 9 years after the event such that post‐recovery growth can result in the reclamation of some lost tree and stand basal area. Synthesis. We demonstrate the importance of increasing the temporal scale and resolution of forest resilience assessment in order to understand both patterns and drivers of drought recovery. We highlight the shortcomings of collapsing growth response into a single average value and show how drought legacy can persist into a post‐recovery phase, even positively impacting the growth of some trees. If unaccounted for, this post‐recovery growth phase can lead to an underestimation of resilience and an overestimation of above‐ground losses in productivity, highlighting the importance of considering longer‐term drought legacies and compensatory growth on basal area.

High resolution spatiotemporal assessment of ambient air pollution using ensemble modeling and links with hypertension in a Delhi based cohort

OPS 47: Increasing spatiotemporal resolution in assessment of exposure to outdoor air pollutants, Room 412, Floor 4, August 27, 2019, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Aim: High levels of ambient air pollution has been implicated as a major risk factor for morbidities and premature mortality in India. In this work, we retrospectively assessed daily average PM2.5 exposure at 1 km × 1 km grids in Delhi, India from 2010-2016, using multiple data sources and ensemble averaging approaches that combine machine learning algorithms. In addition, we linked the assessed exposures with blood pressure and hypertension in a cohort study. Methods: We implemented a multi-stage modeling exercise involving satellite data, land use variables, reanalysis based meteorological variables and population density. The relationship between PM2.5 and spatiotemporal predictors was modeled using five learners; generalized additive model, elastic net, support vector regressions, random forests and extreme gradient boosting. Predictions from each base learner was combined under a generalized additive model framework with penalized splines and tensor product smoothing. For studying the effects of ambient air pollution on blood pressure and hypertension, we used longitudinal mixed effects modeling with different exposure metrics while adjusting for confounders. Results: Average cross-validated (CV) R2 ranged from 0.69-0.92 for the ensemble averaged (EA) model across the years with annual average concentrations ranging from 104 to 139 μg/m3. The predictions were characterized by higher bias and root mean squared error in the fall and winter compared to summer and monsoon seasons. Spatial CV-R2 (yearly average) varied between 0.91-0.99, while temporal CV-R2 (daily variability) ranged from 0.65-0.90, showing adequate model performances. We demonstrated important seasonal and geographical differences in PM2.5 particulate matter concentrations using the model outputs. Conclusion: We have developed a detailed exposure assessment for ambient air pollution in a highly polluted region of India and provided insights to the effects of such exposures on longitudinally measured blood pressure measurements in a representative cohort.

Source-specific Fine Particulate Using Spatiotemporal Concentration Fields Developed using Chemical Transport Modelling and Data Assimilation

OPS 47: Increasing spatiotemporal resolution in assessment of exposure to outdoor air pollutants, Room 412, Floor 4, August 27, 2019, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM A number of studies have found differing associations of disease outcomes with PM2.5 components (or species), and sources (e.g., biomass burning, diesel vehicle and gasoline vehicle). Here, a unique data fusion method has been utilized to generate spatiotemporal fields of major gaseous pollutants and PM2.5 components (e.g., ozone, NO2, SO2, total PM2.5 mass and speciated PM2.5 including crustal metals) over North Carolina for 2002-2010. In a prior study, the PM2.5 total mass field was used as part of the CATHGEN study of associations between PM2.5 and disease associated with cardiac heart disease patients. Here, we extend the exposure method for further health analyses. The method fuses daily CMAQ model observations with observations to develop accurate spatiotemporal maps of pollutant concentrations. Those results are then used in an advanced chemical mass balance source apportionment model, CMBGC-Iteration that uses both gas and particulate matter concentrations to quantify source impacts. The method, as applied to North Carolina, quantifies the impacts of nine source categories and estimate source contributions of total PM2.5 mass. The nine source categories include sources of both primary (diesel vehicle, gasoline vehicle, suspended dust, biomass burning, and coal combustion sources) and secondary components (ammonium sulfate, ammonium bisulfate, ammonium nitrate and secondary organic carbon). The results show the dramatic decrease in source impacts, e.g., sulfate, primarily from coal-burning, and from mobile sources. Secondary organic aerosol, e.g., from biogenic emissions, is becoming more dominant over the state. This study highlights an advantage of using a chemical transport model to develop spatiotemporal fields of pollutants, i.e., the ability to assess PM components and their sources.

Natural Resource Damage Assessments: Is Cooperation a Good Thing?

Abstract It has been nearly 55 years since the United States enacted the Clean Water Act (CWA) in which natural resource damages (NRD) were codified.1 The NRD cause of action, originally derived from the public trust doctrine and common law, was later integrated into the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1980 and into the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) in 1990. In response to the establishment of CERCLA and OPA, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) was charged with developing and promulgating NRD regulations under CERCLA while the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was charged to do so under OPA. Originally, DOI’s approach to assessing NRD under CERCLA emphasized monetary compensation, as this was a simple common denominator. Later, under OPA, NOAA’s regulations allowed NRD to be determined by, and compensated with, an ecological currency, e.g., using a Habitat or Resource Equivalency Approach (HEA2, REA3). This focus on putting restoration front and center in NRD assessments (NRDAs)4 was ultimately integrated into the DOI regulations in 2008. A critical and evolving aspect of NRDAs has been the concept of cooperation between the responsible party (RP) and the trustees in undertaking the NRDA (e.g., Israel 2006a; Connor and Gouguet 2005; Reinharz et al. 2005). This approach, supported by NOAA and others, is an effective means to identify and resolve legal uncertainties through stipulations and create working relationships that effectively focus on assessment resolution and restoration implementation; the ultimate outcome being a more rapid path to restoration and a significant decrease in litigation and other transactional costs. Over the past decade, the benefits of cooperative assessments have been questioned. It has been suggested that cooperative NRDAs do little to move the process forward in a timely manner. It has been further implied that cooperation equates to RPs paying up front for the cost of the assessment while the trustees conduct the assessment. In truth, both perspectives are correct, the reality being that cooperation means different things to different people. In this paper, we examine the historical underpinnings of the NRDA regulations, how this led to the development of the cooperative, restoration-based NRDA process, and the pros and cons of the cooperative NRDA process. We identify some of the inherent political, technical, cultural, and legal challenges with the cooperative NRDA paradigm as well as some of the benefits. Finally, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cooperation in the context of future NRDA cases, with an eye towards identification of specific processes that may help better understand or predict if cooperation is the best path forward for resolution of NRD liability.

Abstract 4933: In Situ analysis of FGFR2 RNA and comparison with FGFR2 gene copy number by dual-color in situ hybridization in a large cohort of gastric cancer patients

Abstract Gastric cancer is the 3rd most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, thus new treatment options are urgently needed. In gastric cancer, over-expression of the tumor-promoting tyrosine kinase receptor fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) has been described, representing a potential therapeutic target. FGFR2 expression in gastric cancer has been reported to be heterogeneous. Most methods for detection of RNA in FFPE (formalin fixed paraffin embedded) do not provide spatial resolution for assessment of tumor heterogeneity. Here we used a novel RNA in situ technique called RNAscope. The technology allows visual investigation of FGFR2 transcription on FFPE slides. Samples from 1036 gastric adenocarcinoma patients who underwent surgery in National Cancer Center Hospital East (Chiba, Japan) were assembled in tissue micro-arrays and analyzed by RNAscope. A total of 578 samples were also analyzed by DISH to determine gene amplification. Using these tissue based methods we were able to assess the localization and heterogeneity of both FGFR2 gene amplification and RNA expression. Strong FGFR2 gene amplification (FGFR2:CEN10 >10) was detected in 2% of 578 samples. Moderate FGFR2 gene amplification (FGFR2:CEN10 between 2 and 10) was seen in 8% of the samples. High FGFR2 RNA expression (score 4+) was seen in 4% of 718 evaluable samples. Gene amplification and RNA expression were closely correlated. All samples with dense clusters of score 4+ RNA showed FGFR2:CEN10 ratios >10. The identical tumor areas showed high gene amplification and RNA expression. FGFR2 RNA and gene amplification was highly heterogeneous in the tissue. Only 0.4% of the samples showed homogeneous FGFR2 expression in >80% of the tumor cells. High RNA expression intensity was associated with a more homogeneous expression pattern compared to moderate FGFR2 expression. In early stage I/II gastric cancer samples with score 4+ RNA expression are mostly of the differentiated type. RNA score 4+ patients of grade III/IV gastric cancer were mostly of undifferentiated histology. In a subset of 195 samples with available data cMet IHC 3+ and Her2 positivity status were not mutually exclusive with regards to FGFR2 RNA Score 4+ expression. In a multivariant analysis FGFR2 RNA expression was associated with patient outcome. Gastric cancer patients with score 4+ RNA expression had a shorter progression free survival compared to patients with score 0-3. Interestingly, there was a trend for patients with homogeneous score 3+ RNA expression, but not heterogeneous score 3+ expression, to show shorter PFS and OS suggesting that patients with high intensity or homogeneous FGFR2 RNA expression may define a subgroup of patients with gastric cancer. Patients with homogenous or strong focal FGFR2 expression might therefore be candidates for FGFR2 directed therapies in gastric cancer. Citation Format: Yasutoshi Kuboki, Christoph A. Schatz, Sabine Jabusch, Karl Koechert, Janine Feng, Sabine Wittemer-Rump, Karl Ziegelbauer, Thomas Krahn, Akiko Nagatsuma, Atsushi Ochiai. In Situ analysis of FGFR2 RNA and comparison with FGFR2 gene copy number by dual-color in situ hybridization in a large cohort of gastric cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4933.

Effects of Scale and Input Data on Assessing the Future Impacts of Coastal Flooding: An Application of DIVA for the Emilia-Romagna Coast

This paper assess sea-level rise related coastal flood impacts for Emilia-Romagna (Italy) using the Dynamic Interactive Vulnerability Assessment (DIVA) modeling framework and investigate the sensitivity of the model to four uncertainty dimensions, namely (1) elevation, (2) population (3) vertical land movement (4) scale and resolution of assessment. A one-driver-at-a-time sensitivity approach is used in order to explore and quantify the effects of uncertainties in input data and assessment scale on model outputs. Of particular interest is the sensitivity of flood risk estimates when using datasets of different resolution. The change in assessment scale is implemented through the use of a more detailed digital coastline and input data for the coastline segmentation process. This change leads to a 35-fold increase in the number of coastal segments and in a more realistic spatial representation of coastal flood impacts for the Emilia-Romagna coast. Furthermore, the coastline length increases by 43%, considerably influencing adaptation costs (construction of dikes). With respect to input data our results show that by the end of the century coastal flood impacts are more sensitive to variations in elevation and vertical land movement data than to variations in population data in the study area. The inclusion of local information on human induced subsidence rates increases the relative sea-level by 60cm in 2100, resulting in coastal flood impacts that are up to 25% higher compared to those generated with the global DIVA values, which mainly account for natural processes. The choice of one elevation model over another can result in differences of approximately 45% of the coastal floodplain extent and up to 50% in flood damages by 2100. Our results emphasize that the scale of assessment and resolution of the input data can have significant implications for the results of coastal flood impact assessments. Understanding and communicating these implications is essential for effectively supporting decision makers in developing long-term robust and flexible adaptation plans for future changes of highly uncertain scale and direction.

Dual-Source CT with Improved Temporal Resolution in Assessment of Left Ventricular Function: A Pilot Study

Functional analysis using MDCT has been limited by insufficient temporal resolution. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of a dual-source CT system with improved temporal resolution in the determination of both volume- or time-dependent functional parameters and regional wall motion in comparison with cine MRI. Twenty patients (15 of whom had previous myocardial infarction) were prospectively examined using dual-source CT. MRI was used as the standard of reference. Using the Simpson's method, ventricular volumes were determined for the whole of the cardiac cycle and results compared using Parson's correlation and Bland-Altman analysis. Regional wall motion was assessed on cine images and compared using weighted kappa statistics. Dual-source CT revealed a strong correlation with cine MRI regarding the quantification of end-diastolic volume (r = 0.98), end-systolic volume (r = 0.99), stroke volume (r = 0.96), and ejection fraction (r = 0.95). Good correlation was obtained for peak ejection rate (r = 0.79) and peak filling rate (r = 0.84), whereas agreement proved only moderate for time-to-peak ejection rate (r = 0.68) or time-to-peak filling rate from end-systole (r = 0.64). The mean difference for ejection fraction was negligible (bias, 0.72%). Good agreement between both techniques was likewise found for regional wall motion (kappa = 0.88). With the improvement of temporal resolution between 42 and 83 milliseconds, dual-source CT not only enables accurate assessment of global functional parameters, but it also allows for quantification of time-dependent variables and reliable evaluation of regional wall motion.

Esomeprazole is superior to omeprazole for the healing of erosive esophagitis (EE) in gerd patients

Week 8Healing (%) 93.7% 84.2% <0.001 Week 4Healing (%) 817% 68.7% <0.001 Investigator Assessment of Heartburn Resolution (week 4) 68.3% 58.1% <0.001 Investigator Assessment ofResolution of Regurgitation (week 4) 80.1% 75.2% 0003 Time to Sustained Resolution ofHeartburn (Median #of days) 5 8 <0.001 %Days WIthout Heartburn (mean ±SO) 749±29.8 69.7 ±30.5 <0.001 %Nights Without Heartburn (mean ± SO) 90.8 ± 16.9 87.9 ± 18.8 <0.001 343