The potential of Hudson Valley glacial floods to drive abrupt climate change

The periodic input of meltwater into the ocean from a retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet is often hypothesized to have weakened the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and triggered several cold periods during the last deglaciation (21,000 to 8,000 years before present). Here, we use a numerical model to investigate whether the Intra-Allerød Cold Period was triggered by the drainage of Glacial Lake Iroquois, ~13,300 years ago. Performing a large suite of experiments with various combinations of single and successive, short (1 month) and long (1 year) duration flood events, we were unable to find any significant weakening of the AMOC. This result suggests that although the Hudson Valley floods occurred close to the beginning of the Intra-Allerød Cold Period, they were unlikely the sole cause. Our results have implications for re-evaluating the relationship of meltwater flood events (past and future) to periods of climatic cooling, particularly with regards to flood input location, volume, frequency, and duration.

Susceptibility of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) to Permethrin Under a Long-Term 4-Poster Deer Treatment Area on Shelter Island, NY

Pesticide resistance in medically significant disease vectors can negatively impact the efficacy of control efforts. Resistance research on ticks has focused primarily on species of veterinary significance that experience relatively high degrees of control pressure. Resistance in tick vectors of medical significance has received little attention, in part because area-wide pesticide applications are not used to control these generalist tick species. One of the few effective methods currently used for area-wide control of medically important ticks, including Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), is deployment of 4-poster devices. Deer self-apply a topical acaricide (permethrin) while feeding on corn from the devices. A 4-poster program using permethrin has been deployed on Shelter Island, NY to control I. scapularis populations since 2008. We collected engorged female ticks from deer in this management area and a location in the Mid-Hudson River Valley, NY without area-wide tick control. Larvae were reared from egg masses and their susceptibility to permethrin was tested. Larvae originating from a long-term laboratory colony were used as a susceptible baseline for comparison. Compared against the laboratory colony, resistance ratios at LC-50 for Shelter Island and Hudson Valley I. scapularis were 1.87 and 1.51, respectively. The susceptibilities of the field populations to permethrin were significantly lower than that of the colony ticks. We provide the first data using the larval packet test to establish baseline susceptibility for I. scapularis to permethrin along with information relevant to understanding resistance emergence in tick populations under sustained control pressure from 4-poster devices.

Hudson valley floods an unlikely trigger for Inter-Allerød Cold Period (IACP) cooling 13,300 years ago

<p>It has long been hypothesized that periodic meltwater input from a retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) inhibited North Atlantic deep water (NADW) formation, weakened the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and triggered several cold periods in the North Atlantic region during the last deglaciation (21-8ka yrs BP). Since the establishment of this hypothesis more than thirty years ago, geomorphic and chronologic evidence of meltwater flows from the LIS have been shown to roughly coincide with centennial-to-millennial scale cool periods (e.g., Younger Dryas, the 8.2 ka event).</p><p>            Here, we use realizations of the MITgcm ocean model to investigate the possibility that meltwater discharge from the Hudson River, New York City, USA ~13,300 yrs BP triggered the Inter-Allerød Cold Period (IACP). Using estimates of flood volumes, we assess the sensitivity of AMOC to both short duration (1 month), and long duration (1 year) flood events. We also evaluate the impact of successive flood events on AMOC to determine if sequential floods impact AMOC differently than a single flood event. Finally, we also assess whether the continuous background flux of meltwater from the paleo-Hudson River played role in ‘pre-conditioning’ the AMOC to weaken in response to short duration outburst floods.</p><p>We find that in all of our experiments, regardless of flood magnitude, duration, reoccurrence interval (frequency) or background meltwater flux, there is no significant weakening of the AMOC. This limited impact suggests that although the Hudson Valley floods occurred near the beginning of the IACP, they are unlikely the sole driver. Additional modeling experiments are needed to determine if the combination of multiple drainage pathways from the LIS could have been a trigger and/or contributor to the IACP.</p><p>Our results have significant implications for determining whether other isolated deglacial flood events triggered periods of climatic cooling: for example, the millennial-length Younger Dryas cooling is thought to have been triggered by a flood only 3-times larger than the one from the Hudson River, which again questions the role short-lived outburst floods played in triggering centennial to millennial scale climate cooling.</p>

Impact of hydroxychloroquine on disease progression and ICU admissions in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection

Disclaimer In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Purpose To evaluate whether use of hydroxychloroquine was associated with a reduced likelihood of intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the early weeks of the pandemic. Methods A retrospective, observational, cohort study was conducted to determine selected treatment outcomes in 336 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at an acute care, community hospital in the Hudson Valley region of New York from March 20 to April 20, 2020. Eligibility included admission to the hospital, a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and no need for intubation or intensive care at admission. The median (interquartile range) ages of patients who received hydroxychloroquine (n = 188 ) and those who did not (n = 148) were 68 (58-82) and 64 (51-73) years, respectively. In a multivariable model that included age, gender, obesity, diabetes, and hydroxychloroquine use, patients who received hydroxychloroquine were significantly more likely than those not treated with the drug to be transferred to an ICU (odds ratio, [OR], 8.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.8-17) and significantly more likely to be intubated (OR, 7.99; 95% CI, 3.76-16.91); these associations were not influenced by disease severity. In-hospital mortality did not differ significantly with disease severity between those who did and those who did not receive hydroxychloroquine. Conclusion Hydroxychloroquine use was significantly associated with increased risks of ICU admission and intubation in patients with mild, moderate, and severe symptoms of COVID-19. There were no significant between-group differences in mortality with use vs nonuse of hydroxychloroquine.

School Administrators’ Perceptions of Critical Teacher Skills

Forty school administrators in the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State were surveyed about the characteristics of preservice and novice teachers believed most critical. These administrators represented a broad and socio-demographically diverse cross-section of rural, suburban and urban school districts. The administrators collectively rated establishing rapport with students and behavior management as the most critical skills for preservice and new teachers to possess. Examining roles separately, assistant principals valued rapport with students and creating effective lessons as most important, whereas principals rated effectively communicating with parents and guardians, and reflecting on teaching performance as being most important. The most frequently cited reason for not hiring or reappointing a candidate was lack of engagement with students. An ability to collaborate with colleagues as well as competence in working with students with disabilities and ELLS represent skills administrators also valued in teacher candidates. Furthermore, administrators identified authentic classroom experiences prior to student teaching as invaluable preparation for the classroom and a “difference-maker” in the quality and effectiveness of preservice teacher candidates. Finally, administrators noted areas of current and future job demand; need and growth areas for teachers were reported to be STEM and STEAM, Special Education, Bilingual/Language Education, and Dual Certification.