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"King, Stuart"
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Discover our solar system
Readers find out how our solar system came into existence, and study the history and future of space exploration.
Book
Phytophthora infestans RXLR Effector PexRD2 Interacts with Host MAPKKKε to Suppress Plant Immune Signaling
Mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades are key players in plant immune signaling pathways, transducing the perception of invading pathogens into effective defense responses. Plant pathogenic oomycetes, such as the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans, deliver RXLR effector proteins to plant cells to modulate host immune signaling and promote colonization. Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which these effectors act in plant cells is limited. Here, we report that the P. infestans RXLR effector PexRD2 interacts with the kinase domain of MAPKKKε, a positive regulator of cell death associated with plant immunity. Expression of PexRD2 or silencing MAPKKKε in Nicotiana benthamiana enhances susceptibility to P. infestans. We show that PexRD2 perturbs signaling pathways triggered by or dependent on MAPKKKε. By contrast, homologs of PexRD2 from P. infestans had reduced or no interaction with MAPKKKε and did not promote disease susceptibility. Structure-led mutagenesis identified PexRD2 variants that do not interact with MAPKKKε and fail to support enhanced pathogen growth or perturb MAPKKKε signaling pathways. Our findings provide evidence that P. infestans RXLR effector PexRD2 has evolved to interact with a specific host MAPKKK to perturb plant immunity-related signaling.
Journal Article
The art of map illustration : a step-by-step artistic exploration of contemporary cartography and mapmaking
Embark on a unique artistic journey with The Art of Map Illustration! In this stunning book, visual storytellers, artists, and map enthusiasts alike will discover how to create a variety of bold, colorful, and lively maps using pen and ink, watercolor, mixed media, and digital art tools - step by step! Under the guidance and encouragement of four gifted map artists, aspiring mapmakers will learn how to work with the basic tools of the trade, as well as how to create distinctive maps of global points of interest, urban cities, quaint neighborhoods, and even the solar system. Artists will also learn how to use map art to evoke mood, communicate ideas, and express time and place. With dozens of tips, helpful techniques, and loads of inspiration, The Art of Map Illustration is the ultimate resource for contemporary artists seeking to learn the time-treasured art of cartography. -- back cover.
Book
Consultative review is worth the wait
eLife editors and reviewers consult with one another before sending out a decision after peer review. This means that authors do not have to spend time responding to confusing or conflicting requests for revisions.
Journal Article
Assessing Forest/Non-Forest Separability Using Sentinel-1 C-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar
Synthetic Aperture Radar has a unique potential for continuous forest mapping as it is not affected by cloud cover. While longer wavelengths, such as L-band, are commonly used for forest applications, in this paper we assess the aptitude of C-band Sentinel-1 data for this purpose, for which there is much interest due to its high temporal resolution (five days) and “free, full, and open” data policy. We tested its ability to distinguish forest from non-forest in six study sites, located in Alaska, Colombia, Finland, Florida, Indonesia, and the UK. Using the time series for a full year significantly increases the classification accuracy compared to a single scene (a mean of 85 % compared to 77 % across the study sites for the best classifier). Our results show that we can further improve the mean accuracy to 87 % when only considering the annual mean and standard deviation of co-polarized (VV) and cross-polarized (VH) backscatter. In this case, separation accuracies of up to 93 % (in Finland) are possible, though in the worst case (Alaska), the highest possible accuracy using these variables was 80 % . The best overall performance was observed when using a Support Vector Machine classifier, outperforming random forest, k-Nearest-Neighbors, and Quadratic Discriminant Analysis. We further show that the small information content we found in the phase data is an artifact of terrain slope orientation and has a negligible impact on classifier performance. We conclude that for the purposes of forest mapping the smaller file size and easier to process GRD products are sufficient, unless the SLC products are used to compute the temporal coherence which was not tested in this study.
Journal Article
The characteristics of billows generated by internal solitary waves
The spatial and temporal development of shear-induced overturning billows associated with breaking internal solitary waves is studied by means of a combined laboratory and numerical investigation. The waves are generated in the laboratory by a lock exchange mechanism and they are simulated numerically via a contour-advective semi-Lagrangian method. The properties of individual billows (maximum height attained, time of collapse, growth rate, speed, wavelength, Thorpe scale) are determined in each case, and the billow interaction processes are studied and classified. For broad flat waves, similar characteristics are seen to those in parallel shear flow, but, for waves not at the conjugate flow limit, billow characteristics are affected by the spatially varying wave-induced shear flow. Wave steepness and wave amplitude are shown to have a crucial influence on determining the type of interaction that occurs between billows and whether billow overturning can be arrested. Examples are given in which billows (i) evolve independently of one another, (ii) pair with one another, (iii) engulf/entrain one another and (iv) fail to completely overturn. It is shown that the vertical extent a billow can attain (and the associated Thorpe scale of the billow) is dependent on wave amplitude but that its value saturates once a given amplitude is reached. It is interesting to note that this amplitude is less than the conjugate flow limit amplitude. The number of billows that form on a wave is shown to be dependent on wavelength; shorter waves support fewer but larger billows than their long-wave counterparts for a given stratification.
Journal Article
Imaging the choroidal microvasculature in intensive and high dependency care unit patients: a pilot study
ObjectivesMicrocirculatory dysfunction drives the end-organ pathophysiology of circulatory shock but is not reflected within existing clinical indices of perfusion, such as blood pressure. The choroidal vasculature of the retina can be measured non-invasively and we hypothesised that this may reflect dysfunction in other organs. We tested the feasibility of measuring the choroid in intensive care and explored associations between choroidal measurements and clinical parameters.DesignA pilot study of optical coherence tomography conducted in a sample of general intensive care unit (ICU) patients.SettingA tertiary mixed ICU within the UK.Participants15 patients were recruited. One patient was excluded following withdrawal of active treatment. 12/14 (86%) of the remaining patients had successful baseline imaging and 6 (40%) of these had follow-up imaging within intensive care. These patients had a mean age of 56.3 years, were 71% (10/14) male and mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation 2 (APACHE2) score on ICU admission was 20.4.Outcome measuresChoroidal anatomy, including choroidal and suprachoroidal thickness, as well as volumetric analysis of intrachoroidal blood vessels, was assessed using automated image segmentation along with clinical, physiological and biochemical data at ICU admission and after an interval of 12–72 hours. Feasibility and safety data were assessed throughout ICU admission.ResultsBaseline choroidal vascular index and choroidal thickness were positively associated with fluid balance, and negatively with APACHE2 score, haematocrit and albumin content. A measurable suprachoroidal space was seen in nine (75%) patients (range 25.0–110.0 microns) and was inversely associated with heart rate. There was substantial intraindividual variation in choroidal measurements over time. There were no safety concerns.ConclusionsMeasuring the choroid is feasible in patients with Intensive Care Society Level 2 or Level 3 requirements. The suprachoroidal space may be markedly enlarged in these patients. Exploratory associations with systemic variables suggest that the choroid may provide information about the microvascular function of other major organs. Size and change of choroidal measurements may reflect perfusion pressure and vascular leakage.
Journal Article
Factors determining satisfaction among facility-based maternity clients in Nepal
Background
With an increasing number of institutional deliveries, the Nepalese health system faces a challenge to ensure a quality of service provision. This paper aims to identify the determinants of client satisfaction with maternity care in Nepal using data from a nationally representative health facility survey.
Methods
A total of 447 exit interviews, with women who had either recently delivered or who had experienced obstetric complications, were conducted across 13 districts in Nepal (87% in hospitals, 8% in Primary Health Care Centres (PHCCs), and 5% in Sub/Health Posts(S/HPs). Client satisfaction was measured using an eight item scale that covered accessibility, interpersonal communication, physical environment, technical aspect of care and decision making. A client satisfaction index was computed using ordinal principal component analysis. A multivariate probit model was used to assess the net effect of explanatory variables on client satisfaction.
Results
Longer waiting times and overcrowding increased the likelihood of dissatisfaction. Having an opportunity to ask questions was positively associated with client satisfaction. Respondents from hill districts and rural areas were more likely to be satisfied in comparison to respondents from mountain, terai and urban areas. Socio-demographic factors (age, parity, caste/ethnicity, education, and ecological zone) and supply side factors (the time taken to reach a facility, type of facility, payment for services, and unknown heath worker or anyone entering the delivery room) were not statistically associated with satisfaction.
Conclusions
The findings suggest client satisfaction with the quality of maternity services in Nepal could be improved by reducing waiting times and overcrowding, and giving the mothers adequate time to ask questions. If clients are more satisfied they are more likely to use the facility again/recommend to a friend.
Journal Article
Numerical simulation of shear-induced instabilities in internal solitary waves
A numerical method that employs a combination of contour advection and pseudo-spectral techniques is used to simulate shear-induced instabilities in an internal solitary wave (ISW). A three-layer configuration for the background stratification, in which a linearly stratified intermediate layer is sandwiched between two homogeneous ones, is considered throughout. The flow is assumed to satisfy the inviscid, incompressible, Oberbeck–Boussinesq equations in two dimensions. Simulations are initialized by fully nonlinear, steady-state, ISWs. The results of the simulations show that the instability takes place in the pycnocline and manifests itself as Kelvin–Helmholtz billows. The billows form near the trough of the wave, subsequently grow and disturb the tail. Both the critical Richardson number (${\\mathit{Ri}}_{c} $) and the critical amplitude required for instability are found to be functions of the ratio of the undisturbed layer thicknesses. It is shown, therefore, that the constant, critical bound for instability in ISWs given in Barad & Fringer (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 644, 2010, pp. 61–95), namely ${\\mathit{Ri}}_{c} = 0. 1\\pm 0. 01$, is not a sufficient condition for instability. It is also shown that the critical value of ${L}_{x} / \\lambda $ required for instability, where ${L}_{x} $ is the length of the region in a wave in which $\\mathit{Ri}\\lt 1/ 4$ and $\\lambda $ is the half-width of the wave, is sensitive to the ratio of the layer thicknesses. Similarly, a linear stability analysis reveals that ${\\bar {\\sigma } }_{i} {T}_{w} $ (where ${\\bar {\\sigma } }_{i} $ is the growth rate of the instability averaged over ${T}_{w} $, the period in which parcels of fluid are subjected to $\\mathit{Ri}\\lt 1/ 4$) is very sensitive to the transition between the undisturbed pycnocline and the homogeneous layers, and the amplitude of the wave. Therefore, the alternative tests for instability presented in Fructus et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 620, 2009, pp. 1–29) and Barad & Fringer (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 644, 2010, pp. 61–95), respectively, namely ${L}_{x} / \\lambda \\geq 0. 86$ and ${\\bar {\\sigma } }_{i} {T}_{w} \\gt 5$, are shown to be valid only for a limited parameter range.
Journal Article