bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sea ice concentration impacts dissolved organic gases in the Canadian Arctic
Authors: Wohl Charel , Jones Anna E. , Sturges William T. , Nightingale Philip D. , Else Brent , Butterworth Brian J. , Yang Mingxi
Published: February 2022

Abstract. The marginal sea ice zone has been identified as a source
of different climate-active gases to the atmosphere due to its unique
biogeochemistry. However, it remains highly undersampled, and the impact of
summertime changes in sea ice concentration on the distributions of these
gases is poorly understood. To address this, we present measurements of
dissolved methanol, acetone, acetaldehyde, dimethyl sulfide, and isoprene in
the sea ice zone of the Canadian Arctic from the surface down to 60 m. The
measurements were made using a segmented flow coil equilibrator coupled to a
proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer. These gases varied in
concentrations with depth, with the highest concentrations generally
observed near the surface. Underway (3–4 m) measurements showed higher
concentrations in partial sea ice cover compared to ice-free waters for
most compounds. The large number of depth profiles at different sea ice
concentrations enables the proposition of the likely dominant production
processes of these compounds in this area. Methanol concentrations appear to
be controlled by specific biological consumption processes. Acetone and
acetaldehyde concentrations are influenced by the penetration depth of light
and stratification, implying dominant photochemical sources in this area.
Dimethyl sulfide and isoprene both display higher surface concentrations in
partial sea ice cover compared to ice-free waters due to ice edge blooms.
Differences in underway concentrations based on sampling region suggest that
water masses moving away from the ice edge influences dissolved gas
concentrations. Dimethyl sulfide concentrations sometimes display a
subsurface maximum in ice -free conditions, while isoprene more
reliably displays a subsurface maximum. Surface gas concentrations were used to
estimate their air–sea fluxes. Despite obvious in situ production, we
estimate that the sea ice zone is absorbing methanol and acetone from the
atmosphere. In contrast, dimethyl sulfide and isoprene are consistently emitted from the
ocean, with marked episodes of high emissions during ice-free conditions,
suggesting that these gases are produced in ice-covered areas and emitted
once the ice has melted. Our measurements show that the seawater
concentrations and air–sea fluxes of these gases are clearly impacted by sea
ice concentration. These novel measurements and insights will allow us to
better constrain the cycling of these gases in the polar regions and their
effect on the oxidative capacity and aerosol budget in the Arctic
atmosphere.
Rainfall erosivity mapping over mainland China based on high-density hourly rainfall records
Authors: Yue Tianyu , Yin Shuiqing , Xie Yun , Yu Bofu , Liu Baoyuan
Published: February 2022

Abstract. Rainfall erosivity quantifies the effect of rainfall and
runoff on the rate of soil loss. Maps of rainfall erosivity are needed for
erosion assessment using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and its
successors. To improve erosivity maps that are currently available, hourly
and daily rainfall data from 2381 stations for the period 1951–2018 were
used to generate new R-factor and 1-in-10-year event EI30 maps for
mainland China (available at
https://doi.org/10.12275/bnu.clicia.rainfallerosivity.CN.001; Yue et al.,
2020b). One-minute rainfall data from 62 stations, of which 18 had a record
length > 29 years, were used to compute the “true” rainfall
erosivity against which the new R-factor and 1-in-10-year EI30 maps
were assessed to quantify the improvement over the existing maps through
cross-validation. The results showed that (1) existing maps underestimated
erosivity for most of the south-eastern part of China and overestimated for
most of the western region; (2) the new R-factor map generated in this study
had a median absolute relative error of 16 % for the western region,
compared to 162 % for the existing map, and 18 % for the rest of China.
The new 1-in-10-year EI30 map had a median absolute relative error of
14 % for the central and eastern regions of China, compared to 21 % for
the existing map (map accuracy was not evaluated for the western region
where the 1 min data were limited); (3) the R-factor map was improved mainly
for the western region, because of an increase in the number of stations
from 87 to 150 and temporal resolution from daily to hourly; (4) the benefit
of increased station density for erosivity mapping is limited once the
station density reached about 1 station per 10 000 km2.
Ice Surface Velocity in the Eastern Arctic from Historical Satellite SAR Data
Authors: Strozzi Tazio , Wiesmann Andreas , Kääb Andreas , Schellenberger Thomas , Paul Frank
Published: February 2022

Abstract. Knowledge on ice surface velocity of glaciers and ice caps contributes to a better understanding of a wide range of processes related to glacier dynamics, mass change and response to climate. Based on the recent release of historical SAR data from various space agencies we compiled nearly complete mosaics of winter ice surface velocities for the 1990’s over the Eastern Arctic (Novaya Zemlya, Franz-Josef-Land, Severnaya Zemlya and Svalbard), a region with sparse optical velocity records from these years. We mainly applied offset-tracking to JERS-1 SAR data and filled data gaps using SAR interferometry and offset-tracking from ERS-1/2 SAR data. We studied the long-term variability of winter ice surface velocity by comparing our 1990’s results to 2008–2011 velocity maps from ALOS-1 PALSAR-1 and 2020–2021 maps from Sentinel-1. A general increase of winter velocities from the 1990’s to present along with a retreat of glacier fronts is obsverved. Exceptions to this general pattern are surges, which are widespread over Svalbard but rarely found in the other three regions. The dense time series of ice surface velocity from Sentinel-1 since 2015 were also considered to infer the representativeness of winter data with respect to mean annual values. We found that for non-surging glaciers short-term seasonal fluctuations are relatively small and winter ice surface velocities are a good representative of mean annual velocities with an underestimation of less than 10 %. Together with consistent datasets of glacier ice thickness and terminus position, the ice surface velocities in the Eastern Arctic provide the basis to quantify the regional decadal average calving flux during the 1990’s. The ice surface velocity data set for the 1990’s over the Eastern Arctic from satellite SAR data can be downloaded from https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.938381 (Strozzi et. al., 2021).
Rescue and homogenisation of 140 years of glacier mass balance data in Switzerland
Authors: Geibel Lea , Huss Matthias , Kurzböck Claudia , Hodel Elias , Bauder Andreas , Farinotti Daniel
Published: February 2022

Abstract. Glacier monitoring in Switzerland has resulted in some of the longest and most complete data series globally. Mass balance observations at individual locations, starting in the 19th century, are the backbone of the monitoring as they represent the raw and original glaciological data demonstrating the response of snow accumulation and snow/ice melt to changes in climate forcing. So far, however, the variety of sources of historic measurements has not been systematically processed and documented. Here, we present a new complete and extensive point glacier mass balance dataset for the Swiss Alps that provides attributes for data quality and corresponding uncertainties. Original sources were digitized or re-assessed to validate or to correct existing entries and to identify metadata. The sources of data are highly diverse and stem from almost 140 years of records, originating from handwritten field notes, unpublished project documents, various digital sources, published reports, as well as meta-knowledge of the observers. The project resulted in data series with metadata for 63 individual Swiss glaciers, including more than 60'000 point observations of mass balance. Data were systematically analyzed and homogenized, e.g. by supplementing partly missing information based on correlations inferred from direct measurements. A system to estimate uncertainty in all individual observations was developed indicating that annual point balance is measured with a typical error of 0.07 m water equivalent (w.e.), while the average error in winter snow measurements is 0.20 m w.e. Our dataset permits further investigating the climate change impacts on Swiss glaciers. Results show an absence of long-term trends in snow accumulation over glaciers, while melt rates have substantially increased over the last three decades.
Climate and Cryosphere Cause Regime Shifts in Water Yield over the Upper Brahmaputra River
Authors: Li Hao , Liu Liu , Shan Baoying , Wang Lei , Koppa Akash , Zhong Feng , Li Dongfeng , Wang Xuanxuan , Liu Wenfeng , Li Xiuping , Xu Zongxue
Published: February 2022

Abstract. Although evidence of hydrological responses to climate is abundant, changes in water yield (WY) in mountainous regions due to climate change and intensified cryospheric melt remain unclear, mainly because of limited observations and large uncertainties in cryosphere-hydrological modeling. In this study, we used annual runoff observations and a high-resolution precipitation dataset to examine the long-term changes in WY in the Upper Brahmaputra River (UBR) basin, as represented by six sub-basins from the stream head to downstream. We found that WY generally increased during 1982–2013, but regime shifts were detected in the late 1990s. Moreover, the direction of the changes in WY reversed from increasing to decreasing in recent years despite the magnitude of the changes continually increasing from less than 10 % to 80.5 %. Furthermore, we used the double mass curve technique to assess the effects of climate, vegetation, and the cryosphere on WY. The results showed that the climate and cryosphere together contributed to over 80 % of the magnitude increases in WY over the entire UBR basin. However, the combined effects were either offsetting or additive, further leading to slight or substantial magnitude increases, respectively, in which the role of vegetation was nearly negligible. Nevertheless, we found that meltwater from the cryosphere had the potential to alleviate the loss of water availability, which mainly resulted from reduced effective precipitation in most regions. Therefore, the combined effects of climate and cryosphere changes should be considered in ecological restoration and water resources management, particularly involving co-benefits for upstream and downstream regions.
Integrating process-based information into an ANN for root-zone soil moisture prediction
Authors: Souissi Roiya , Zribi Mehrez , Corbari Chiara , Mancini Marco , Muddu Sekhar , Tomer Sat Kumar , Upadhyaya Deepti B. , Al Bitar Ahmad
Published: February 2022

Abstract. Quantification of root-zone soil moisture (RZSM) is crucial for agricultural applications and soil sciences. RZSM impacts processes such as vegetation transpiration and water percolation. Surface soil moisture (SSM) can be assessed through active and passive microwave remote sensing methods, but no current sensor enables direct RZSM retrieval. Spatial maps of RZSM can be retrieved via proxy observations (vegetation stress, water storage change, and surface soil moisture) or via land surface model predictions. In this study, we investigated the combination of surface soil moisture information with process-based inferred features involving artificial neural networks (ANNs). We considered the infiltration process through the soil water index (SWI) computed with a recursive exponential filter and the evaporation process through the evaporative efficiency computed based on a MODIS remote sensing dataset and simplified analytical model, while vegetation growth was expressed through normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series. Several ANN models with different sets of features were developed. Training was conducted considering in situ stations distributed several areas worldwide characterized by different soil and climate patterns of the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN), and testing was applied to stations of the same data hosting facility. The results indicate that the integration of process-based features into ANN models increased the overall performance over the reference model level in which only SSM features were considered. In arid and semi-arid areas, for instance, performance enhancement was observed when the evaporative efficiency was integrated into the ANN models. To assess the robustness of the approach, the trained models were applied on observation sites in Tunisia, Italy and South-India that are not part of ISMN. The results reveal that joint use of surface soil moisture, evaporative efficiency, NDVI and recursive exponential filter represented the best alternative for more accurate predictions in the case of Tunisia, where the mean correlation of the predicted RZSM based on SSM only sharply increased from 0.443 to 0.801 when process-based features were integrated into the ANN models in addition to SSM. However, process-based features have no to little added value in temperate to tropical conditions.
Uncovering the veil of night light changes in times of catastrophe
Authors: Schippers Vincent G. , Botzen Wouter J. W.
Published: February 2022

Abstract. Natural disasters have large social and economic consequences. However, adequate economic and social data to study subnational economic effects of these negative shocks are typically hard to come by especially in low-income countries. For this reason, the use of night light data is becoming increasingly popular in studies that aim to estimate the impacts of natural disasters on local economic activity. However, it is often unclear what observed changes in night lights represent exactly. In this paper, we examine how changes in night light emissions following a severe hurricane relate with local population, employment, and income statistics. We do so for the case of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the coastline of Lousiana and Mississippi in August 2005. Hurricane Katrina is an excellent case for this purpose since it is one of the biggest hurricanes in recent history in terms of human and economic impacts, made landfall in a country with high-quality sub-national socioeconomic data collection, and is covered extensively in the academic literature. We find that overall night light changes reflect the general pattern of direct impacts of Katrina as well as indirect impacts and subsequent population and economic recovery. Our results suggest that change in light intensity is mostly reflective of changes in resident population and the total number of employed people within the affected area, and less so but positively related to aggregate income and real GDP.
Modern earthquakes as a key to understanding those of the past: the intensity attenuation curve speaks about earthquake depth and magnitude
Authors: Sbarra Paola , Burrato Pierfrancesco , De Rubeis Valerio , Tosi Patrizia , Valensise Gianluca , Vallone Roberto , Vannoli Paola
Published: February 2022

Abstract. The Italian historical earthquake record is among the richest worldwide; as such it allows the development of advanced techniques for retrieving quantitative information by calibration with recent earthquakes. Building on a pilot elaboration of northern Italy earthquakes, we developed a procedure for determining the focal depth of all Italian earthquakes from intensity data alone. In a second step the procedure calculates their magnitude, taking into account the inferred depth. Focal depth exhibits a substantial variability countrywide, but so far received little attention: pre-instrumental earthquakes were routinely "flattened" at upper crustal level (~10 km), on the grounds that the calculation of focal depth is heavily dependent on the largely unknown local propagation properties. We gathered a learning set of 42 earthquakes documented by reliable instrumental data and by numerous intensity observations. Rather unexpectedly we observe (1) that within 50 km from the epicenter the ground motion attenuation rate is primarily controlled by focal depth and largely independent of magnitude; (2) that within this distance the fluctuations of crustal attenuation properties are negligible countrywide; and (3) that knowing both the depth and the expected epicentral intensity makes it possible to estimate a reliable magnitude.
An approach for constraining mantle viscosities through assimilation of palaeo sea level data into a glacial isostatic adjustment model
Authors: Schachtschneider Reyko , Saynisch-Wagner Jan , Klemann Volker , Bagge Meike , Thomas Maik
Published: February 2022

Abstract. Glacial isostatic adjustment is largely governed by the rheological
properties of the Earth's mantle. Large mass redistributions in the
ocean–cryosphere system and the subsequent response of the
viscoelastic Earth have led to dramatic sea level changes in the
past. This process is ongoing, and in order to understand and predict
current and future sea level changes, the knowledge of mantle
properties such as viscosity is essential. In this study, we present a
method to obtain estimates of mantle viscosities by the assimilation of
relative sea level rates of change into a viscoelastic model of the
lithosphere and mantle. We set up a particle filter with probabilistic
resampling. In an identical twin experiment, we show that mantle
viscosities can be recovered in a glacial isostatic adjustment model
of a simple three-layer Earth structure consisting of an elastic
lithosphere and two mantle layers of different viscosity. We
investigate the ensemble behaviour on different parameters in the following three set-ups: (1) global observations data set since last glacial maximum
with different ensemble initialisations and observation uncertainties,
(2) regional observations from Fennoscandia or Laurentide/Greenland
only, and (3) limiting the observation period to 10 ka until the
present. We show that the recovery is successful in all cases if the
target parameter values are properly sampled by the initial ensemble
probability distribution. This even includes cases in which the target
viscosity values are located far in the tail of the initial ensemble
probability distribution. Experiments show that the method is
successful if enough near-field observations are available. This makes
it work best for a period after substantial deglaciation until the present
when the number of sea level indicators is relatively high.
Grain-size evolution controls the accumulation dependence of modeled firn thickness
Authors: Kingslake Jonathan , Skarbek Robert , Case Elizabeth , McCarthy Christine
Published: February 2022

Abstract. The net rate of snow accumulation b is predicted to increase over large areas of the Antarctica and Greenland ice sheets as the climate warms. Models disagree on how this will affect the thickness of the firn layer – the relatively low-density upper layer of the ice sheets that influences altimetric observations of ice-sheet mass change and paleo-climate reconstructions from ice cores. Here we examine how b influences firn compaction and porosity in a simplified model that accounts for mass conservation, dry firn compaction, grain size evolution, and the impact of grain size on firn compaction. Treating b as a boundary condition and employing an Eulerian reference frame helps to untangle the factors controlling the b-dependence of firn thickness. We present numerical simulations using the model as well as simplified steady-state approximations to the full model, to demonstrate how the downward advection of porosity and of grain size are both affected by b, but have opposing impacts on firn thickness. The net result is that firn thickness increases with b and that the strength of this dependence increases with the surface grain size. We also quantify the circumstances under which porosity- and grain-size-advection balance exactly, which counter-intuitively renders steady-state firn thickness independent of b. These findings are qualitatively independent of the stress-dependence of firn compaction and whether the thickness of the ice-sheet is increasing, decreasing, or steady. They do depend on the grain-size dependence of firn compaction. Firn models usually ignore grain-size evolution, but we highlight the complex effect it can have on firn thickness when included in a simplified model. This work motivates future efforts to better observationally constrain the rheological effect of grain size in firn.
GBaTSv2: A revised synthesis of the likely basal thermal state of the Greenland Ice Sheet
Authors: MacGregor Joseph A. , Chu Winnie , Colgan William T. , Fahnestock Mark A. , Felikson Denis , Karlsson Nanna B. , Nowicki Sophie M. J. , Studinger Michael
Published: February 2022

Abstract. The basal thermal state (frozen or thawed) of the Greenland Ice Sheet is under-constrained due to few direct measurements, yet knowledge of this state is becoming increasingly important to interpret modern changes in ice flow. The first synthesis of this state relied on inferences from widespread airborne and satellite observations and numerical models, for which most of the underlying datasets have since been updated. Further, new and independent constraints on the basal thermal state have been developed from analysis of basal and englacial reflections observed by airborne radar sounding. Here we synthesize constraints on the Greenland Ice Sheet’s basal thermal state from boreholes, thermomechanical ice-flow models that participated in the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6 (ISMIP6), BedMachine v4 bed topography, Making Earth Science Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) multi-year surface velocity mosaic v1, and multiple inferences of a thawed bed from airborne radar sounding. Most constraints can only identify where the bed is likely thawed rather than where it is frozen. This revised synthesis of the Greenland likely Basal Thermal State version 2 (GBaTSv2) indicates that 32 % of the ice sheet’s bed is likely thawed, 39 % is likely frozen, and the remainder (29 %) is too uncertain to specify. Although the spatial pattern of GBaTSv2 is broadly similar to the previous synthesis, including a scalloped frozen core and thawed outlet-glacier systems, the likely basal thermal state of nearly half (48 %) of the ice sheet has changed designation. This revised synthesis suggests that more of northern Greenland is likely thawed at its bed, and conversely that more of southern Greenland is likely frozen, both of which influence interpretation of the ice sheet’s present subglacial hydrology and models of its future evolution. The GBaTSv2 dataset, including both code that performed the analysis and the resulting raster products, is freely available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5714527.
A climate-change attribution retrospective of some impactful weather extremes of 2021
Authors: Faranda Davide , Bourdin Stella , Ginesta Mireia , Krouma Meriem , Messori Gabriele , Noyelle Robin , Pons Flavio , Yiou Pascal
Published: February 2022

Abstract. The IPCC report AR6 indicates a general consensus that anthropogenic climate change is modifying frequency and intensity of class of extreme events such as cold spells, heatwaves, storms or floods. A different point of view is to investigate whether a specific extreme event would have been possible in the absence of climate change, or whether climate change may have affected its specific characteristics. Here, we address this question by performing an attribution of some major extreme events that occurred in 2021 over Europe and North America: the winter storm Filomena, the French Spring cold spell, the Westphalia Floods, the Mediterranean summer heatwave, the hurricane Ida, the Po Valley tornadoes outbreak, the medicane Apollo and the late autumn Scandinavian cold-spell. We focus on the role of the atmospheric circulation associated with the events and its likelihood in present (factual world) and past climate conditions (counterfactual world) – defined using the ERA5 dataset 1950 to present. We use an analogs-based methodology whose aim is to find the most similar sea-level pressure patterns to the target events in the factual and counterfactual worlds and compute significant shifts in probability, persistence, predictability and seasonality of the patterns. We also diagnose whether in the present climate the analogs of the studied events lead to warmer/cooler or dryer/wetter conditions than in the past. We find that most of the events are significantly modified in present climate with respect to the past, because of changes in position, persistence and seasonality of cyclonic/anticyclonic patterns. Two of the events, storm Filomena and Medicane Apollo, appears to be a black swan of the atmospheric circulation, with analogs of bad quality. Our approach, complementary to the statistical methods already available in the community, warns that the role of the atmospheric circulation should be taken into account when performing attribution studies.
Extending the applicability of a wind-farm gravity-wave model to vertically non-uniform atmospheres
Authors: Devesse Koen , Lanzilao Luca , Jamaer Sebastiaan , van Lipzig Nicole , Meyers Johan
Published: February 2022

Abstract. Recent research suggests that atmospheric gravity waves can affect off-shore wind farm performance. A fast wind-farm boundary-layer model has been proposed to simulate the effects of these gravity waves on wind-farm operation by Allaerts and Meyers (2019). The current work extends the applicability of that model to free atmospheres in which wind and stability vary with altitude. We validate the model using reference cases from literature on mountain waves. Analysis of two reference flows shows that internal gravity wave resonance caused by the atmospheric non-uniformity can prohibit perturbations in the ABL at the wavelengths where it occurs. To determine the overall impact of the vertical variations in the atmospheric conditions on wind farm operation, we consider one year of operation of the Belgian–Dutch wind-farm cluster with the extended model. We find that this impact on individual flow cases is often of the same order of magnitude as the total flow perturbation. In 16.5 % of the analysed flows, the relative difference in upstream velocity reduction between uniform and non-uniform free atmospheres is more than 30 %. However, this impact is small when averaged over all cases. This suggests that variations in the atmospheric conditions should be taken into account when simulating wind-farm operation in specific atmospheric conditions.
Modernizing Odd Lot Trading
Authors: Robert P. Bartlett, III
Published: February 2022

Traditional odd lot trades (i.e., trades involving fewer than 100 shares) now comprise over half of all equity trades on U.S. exchanges. Under Regulation National Market System, however, these trades are excluded from a market center’s trade execution statistics. In addition, while brokers are required to consider odd lot quotes as part of their duty of best execution, odd lot quotes are formally excluded from the calculation of the national best bid and offer. This Article, written for a symposium on the Future of Securities Regulation at Columbia Law School, examines whether these regulatory exclusions for odd lot trades and quotes increase trade execution costs for retail trades filled in non-exchange venues. Across more than 3 billion trades during 2020, odd lot trades filled in nonexchange venues received ten percent less price improvement than non-odd lot trades. In addition, using order book data from Nasdaq, examination of a sample of retail, non-exchange trades in two popular retail stocks—Amazon and GameStop— on January 27, 2021 reveals that thirty-one to forty-six percent of odd lot trades would have received better pricing had the venue filled the order at the Nasdaq odd lot quote. These results suggest that the differential treatment of odd lots and round lots in the regulation of U.S. market structure may impair the execution quality of marketable odd lot orders from retail traders.
The New Separation of Ownership and Control
Authors: Paul G. Mahoney  , Julia D. Mahoney
Published: February 2022

Scholars and policymakers have long debated whether corporations should serve social purposes at the expense of shareholder wealth. The SEC was recently drawn into the debate as it faces calls to mandate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures. This Article urges the SEC to proceed with caution. The adoption of ESG disclosure mandates in order to serve environmental or social goals is not well-aligned with the SEC’s stated mission of protecting Main Street investors and maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets. Accordingly, the SEC should decline to act absent a showing that ESG disclosures will serve the financial interests of the households for whom institutional investors are fiduciaries and whose retirement and other savings they manage.
COVID-19 Vaccine: The Fight Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Syeda Saima , Shrivastava Anju
Published: February 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the pandemic in the year 2020, leading to disruption of the healthcare system with a great impact on socio-economy worldwide. Owing to this, an accelerated development of safe and efficient vaccines is required to fight against this virus. In this line, various vaccine development platforms have been exploited globally in order to manage the exponentially increasing rate of infection and mortality. Some vaccines in clinical phase trials have entered into emergency use authorization by few countries while others are in a preclinical stage. The present review summarizes the various platforms of vaccine development and also gives an insight into the vaccination programme initiated in India.
It’s Life, That’s All: Albert Camus’ The Plague
Authors: Mehraj Maumil
Published: February 2022

Books are written on Florence and Athens. These cities have what it takes to entice or exalt. They appease a certain hunger of the soul whose nourishment is memory. But no one would have an idea to write on a city where nothing tempts the mind, where ugliness has taken on a measureless part, where the past is reduced to nothingness. And yet sometimes this is very tempting . . . Oran is one of these cities. (Opening, The Plague)
Sustainable Agriculture: Negotiating Tradition and Modernity
Authors: Tripathy Gopi Devdutt , Roy Brototi , Yadav Meena
Published: February 2022

It has been projected that by the year 2050, the global population will reach 9.3 billion. By implication, this means that food production has to increase from 8.4 billion tonnes to 13.4 billion tonnes in order to keep pace with this increase (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2014), and also, that the already existing land, water, and energy crisis will possibly get further intensified. The crucial question is: Are we ready to deal with this? Clearly, we are amidst an agricultural crisis, wherein the ability of agriculture to fulfil human needs is threatened by factors such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, land degradation through soil erosion, compaction, salinization and pollution, depletion and pollution of water resources, rising production costs, poverty and a decrease of the rural population (Velten et al., 2015).
On the significance of Plant Intelligence for Sound Cultivation
Authors: Savyasaachi Mr.
Published: February 2022

The contemporary agrarian crisis has three significant aspects. First, mainstream agrarian knowledge systems are created by manipulating plant living materials, depriving them of their resilience and immunity. Second, it increases the distance between the consumers and the producers of agricultural goods. Third, it gives low priority to the large population of marginal cultivators, who have to depend on government programmes and capital-rich farmers, especially when they run into crisis on account of crop failure and indebtedness.
Portrait of a Pleasant Peasant Placed on your Porch
Authors: Chowdhury Manosh
Published: February 2022

কৃষলক্ষেক্ষে ঐষত঴য আয আধুষনকতায তকক টা কৃলক্ষকযা আভদাষন কক্ষযনষন। তাাঁক্ষদয ঩ক্ষে এটা কযায ককাক্ষনা ঐষত঴াষ঳ক কাযণই নাই। ফযং, তাাঁযাই কক্ষেক ঴াজায ফছয ধক্ষয ঳াযােণ „঴ারনাগাদ‟ কথক্ষকক্ষছন, ঳ফক্ষচক্ষে ঳াম্প্রষতক প্রমুষিটা উদ্ভাফন কক্ষযক্ষছন। কখক্ষনা পরন ফাড়াক্ষনায জনয, কখক্ষনা ঩ুষি ঑ প্রক্ষোজক্ষনয কথা কবক্ষফ, কখক্ষনা ঩ষযশ্রভ রাঘক্ষফয জনয। এটু কু ফুঝফায জনয কৃষলয ইষত঴াক্ষ঳য ঩ষিত ঴ফায ককাক্ষনা দযকাযই ঩ক্ষড় না আভাক্ষদয। এক ধাক্ষনযই ঱ক্ষে-঱ক্ষে যকক্ষভয ফীজবফষচেয তাাঁযাই ঳ংযেণ কক্ষযষছক্ষরন; জরপ্রফাক্ষ঴য উচ্চতায ঳ক্ষে ঩াল্লা কদফায ঱঳য ফলকাকাক্ষর তাাঁযাই খুাঁক্ষজ ক঩ক্ষেষছক্ষরন। জজফ঳ায ফরক্ষত আজক্ষকয „঳াক্ষেইক্ষনফর কৃষলষফজ্ঞানীক্ষদয‟ প্রচায঩ক্ষে মা ঩া঑ো মাে ক঳টা঑ আষফষ্কাক্ষযয জনয তাাঁযা কটষরষব঱ক্ষনয ঳ক্ষচতনতাভূরক অনুষ্ঠাক্ষনয জনয অক্ষ঩ো কক্ষযনষন। তক্ষফ কগাড়াক্ষতই কৃলক ফরক্ষত আষভ ককান ফগকক্ষক ষনক্ষদক঱ কযষছ তা স্পি কক্ষয ষনই। ফাংরাক্ষদক্ষ঱, এফং ফাংরা বালাে, কৃলক ঱ব্দটা চালীয ঳ভাথকক। ইংযাষজ বালাে ঑ ইউক্ষযা঩ীে ঳ভাক্ষজ ষ঩জযান্ট আয পাভকাক্ষযয কম গুণগত ঩াথককযটু কু ষনষিত কযা মাে ঱ব্দান্তক্ষয, তায ঳ুক্ষমাগ ফাংরাে কনই। এখাক্ষন ১০০ একয জষভয ভাষরক঑ জটির ককাক্ষনা কগৌযফ প্রকা঱ কযায জনয ঱঴ক্ষযয বযা ভজষরক্ষ঱ ফক্ষর ফ঳ক্ষত ঩াক্ষযন “আষভ চালীঘক্ষযয কছক্ষর”। ঘটনাচক্ষে এযকভ ভধযষফত্ত ফা ষফত্ত঱ারী আ঳ক্ষয ককাক্ষনা কৃষলভজযু থাক্ষকন না। থাকক্ষর তাাঁয ঩ষযচক্ষেয এই অফাধ আত্ম঳াৎকযক্ষণয ঩য ষনিেই ষনক্ষজয ঩ষযচে বু রক্ষত ফ঳ক্ষতন। তা঴ক্ষর, আষভ কৃলক ফরক্ষত „বূ স্বাভী‟ কফাঝাক্ষনায ককাক্ষনা ঳ম্ভাফনাই যাখক্ষত চাই না। কৃলক
Outcome of decompressive craniectomy and hematoma evacuation treatment for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Tuyen Nguyen Van , Thao Ta Duc , Thao Ta Duc , Yen Nguyen Trong , Linh Nguyen Hai
Published: February 2022

Background: Patients with spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage who had large hematomas, seriously edema and high intracerebral pressure showing a poor prognosis, with mortality rate is very high. Surgical decompressive craniectomy evacuation hematoma treatment (DCEH) effectively reduce high intracranial pressure. However, some studies show that have no overall benefit of functional outcome and mortality. Objective: To assess some prognostic factors and outcome of surgical decompressive craniectomy evacuation hematoma treatment (DCEH) for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage. Subject and method: Observational study in 30 patients with supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage who were performed DCEH at Stroke Center - 108 Military Central Hospital from 1/2016 to 7/2020. Outcome was evaluated in the 6th months after stroke. Result and conclusion: The mean age in study was 55.8 ± 10.7 years, which age under 60 was 73.3%. The mortality rate after 6 months was 29.4% while the survival rate was 60%. Favourable outcome was shown in mRS range from 0 to 3, accounted for 33.3% compared with 66.7% in the unfavourable outcome group. Main factors which affected to the results were the volume of the hematoma, the midline compression, the damage of internal capsule, the level of blood in ventricles, the Graeb, ICH, and mICH scales.
Assessment of treatment in melasma by picosecond laser at 108 Military Central Hospital
Authors: Hai Le Thi Thu , Phuong Bui Thi Thu
Published: February 2022

Background: Melasma is a common acquired, chronic hypermelanosis, more common in women and dark skin types, less dangerous but greatly affects aesthetics. The picosecond laser have been used with good effectiveness on melasma. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a picosecond laser (Picoplus, Lutronic, Korea) on patients with melasma. Subject and method: We conducted a comparative longitudinal descriptive study in 58 dermal and mixed melasma patients (100% females), middle-aged, with initial severe MASI underwent treatments in 108 Military Central Hospital from 7/2017 to 12/2018 with picosecond laser. Result: Good/excellent improvement 28.9%, fair 42.2% after 8 treatment sessions. All most patient was no side effect, only 3.4% patients had temporary burning sensation. Conclusion: Treatment of melasma using a picosecond laser is an effective and safe method. However, the disadvantage of the method is the multistage procedure.
The dual toning technique of 1064nm Nd:YAG picosecond and quasi-long pulsed laser combined with D-pigment cream in treatment of melasma
Authors: Hai Le Thi Thu , Phương Bui Thi Thu , Minh Nguyen Thi Hong
Published: February 2022

Objective: To evaluate the efﬁcacy and safety of the dual toning laser of Nd:YAG 1064nm picosecond and quasi-long pulsed laser combined with D-pigment night cream in treatment of severe melasma. Subject and method: Twenty four Vietnamese females, mean age of 44.46 ± 8.04 years, Fitzpatrick skin type IV with the clinical diagnosis of dermal and mixed-type melasma were treated with 5 combination sessions of picosecond laser Nd:YAG 1064nm (Picoplus) with a spot size of 8mm, the energy of 0.65 - 0.8J/cm2 and quasi-long pulsed mode laser (Clarity) with the duration of 0.35ms, the spot size of 15mm, the energy of 2.6J/cm2, ICD (Intelligent Cool Device) off. Mild and transient erythema was the endpoint. Laser treatments were given every 4 weeks. All patients were applied with UVA/B sunscreen, SPF of at least 30 in daytime and D-pigment cream at night. Improvement was rated by mMASI at the baseline (first -T1) and after 5 sessions (sixth -T6). Result: The mean mMASI score of 24 patients at T1 was 11.10 ± 3.59 (min 6.0; max 22.4); after one month of 5th session, the mean mMASI score at T6 was reduced to 5.43 ± 2.18 (min 1.8 - max 11.0) (mMASI score reduced by a mean of 5.68 ± 2.36), achieving 51.06 ± 13.17% reduction. There were no unexpected side effects in any patients. Conclusion: Dual toning technique using 1064nm Nd:YAG picosecond and quasi-long pulsed laser combined with D-pigment cream at night was safe, effective and well-tolerated in treatment of patients with melasma. Further larger studies should be carried out with control to confirm the advantage of the method.
Oral-contraceptive related ischemic colitis in young women: A case report
Authors: Nga Dinh Thi , Ky Thai Doan , Binh Nguyen Canh , Ngan Hoang Kim , Tuyet Duong Thi , Quang Pham Minh Ngoc , Hoai Mai Thu , Tuan Nguyen Anh , Thao Tran Phuong
Published: February 2022

Ischemic colitis is the most common form of gastrointestinal (GI) ischemia. The mechanism of ischemic colitis is the lack of colonic blood supply, and the causes are numerous and can be divided into two groups: vascular occlusive and non-occlusive diseases. Despite being common in elderly patients, ischemic colitis is rare in the young and usually associated with some estrogenic drugs, sickle cell anemia, vasculitis, and lupus erythematosus. In Vietnam, estrogen is a rare cause of ischemic colitis. We encountered a clinical case of ischemic colitis in a young female patient taken oral contraceptives for a long time. She visited the hospital for acute abdominal pain and bloody stools. Blood tests and abdominal computed tomography were normal. Endoscopy appearance showed a “single-stripe” sign at the descending colon to the splenic flexure. The biopsy result revealed acute mucosal damage. The patient was managed conservatively with bowel rest, intravenous fluids, and empirical antibiotics. The symptoms were improved with abdominal pain relief and yellow stools after four days. Through this case report, we warn about the risk of ischemic colitis in young women taking oral contraceptives
The radiological outcomes of short-segment pedicle screw fixation combined with transforaminal interbody fusion for treatment of thoracolumbar burst fracture
Authors: Quyen Nguyen Ngoc , Hau Phan Trong , Van Vu Hong
Published: February 2022

Objective: This study aims to evaluate radiological outcomes of short-segment pedicle screw fixation with transforaminal interbody fusion (TIF) using bone chip graft for treatment of unstable thoracolumbar burst fracture, Denis type IIB. Subject and method: The data in this study were retrospectively collected from all patients with isolated unstable thoracolumbar burst fractures treated by posterior short segment pedicle screw fixation and TIF from January 2013 to January 2017. All patients were followed up for a minimum time interval of 1 year. For radiologic outcome evaluation, a loss percentage of anterior vertebral body heights (%ABC), vertebral kyphotic angle (VKA) and regional kyphotic angle (RKA) were collected preoperatively, postoperatively and at final follow-up. Result: There were 36 patients who met the inclusion criteria with a mean follow-up duration of 53 months (range, 17-73 months). The mean % ABC, VKA and, RKA at the time of admission were 49.9%, 24.6o and 19.7o, respectively. These values were 17.6%, 11.5o, 8.5o postoperatively, and 27.5%, 14.4° and 14.1° at final follow-up, respe­ctively. Fusion rate at final follow-up was 91.7% based on Bridwell’s criteria. There were 6 patients (16.7%) with hardware failure at final follow-up. Conclusion: Short-segment pedicle screw fixation with TIF using bone chip graft is an effective surgical management for unstable thoracolumbar burst fracture with the acceptable radiological outcomes in Vietnamese patients.
Acute ischemic stroke after thoracoscopic lobectomy for the left upper lobe lung cancer: A case report
Authors: Son Le Hai , Kiem Tran Trong , Vien Mai Van , Hai Ngo Vi , Tuyen Nguyen Trong
Published: February 2022

Cerebral infarction is normally caused by thrombosis in chronic cardiogenic patients. However, it may be an acute appearance after surgery because of thrombus formation in dammaged vascular. The left upper lobectomy is the highest risk factor for cerebral infarction among anatomical lung resection. Here we report a 69-year-old patient who presented with left hemiparesis after left upper lung lobectomy on the fourth day. We strongly suspect that cerebral infarction is one of cardiopulmonary complications after anatomical lung resection in this case
SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Vietnam, April 2020–October 2021
Authors: Hoan Nghiem Xuan , Hoan Phan Quoc , Manh Nguyen Dang , Song Le Huu
Published: February 2022

Objective: Several distinct severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants have emerged in different regions worldwide, including Vietnam. This study was conducted is to understand the molecularly genetic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 which has not yet been systematically investigated in Vietnamese clinical setting. Subject and method: We analyzed 671 Vietnamese full-length SARS-CoV-2 sequences available on the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) with data available by 19 October 2021. Sequence variation was done using CoVsurver mutations App (https://www.gisaid.org/epiflu-applications/covsurver-mutations-app/). Phylogenetic tree was built using nextclade algorithms. Result: Our report highlighted that there has been a substantial change in the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 circulating through last three waves and ongoing wave of COVID-19. Currently, the Delta variant was dominant with widespread national level. The Alpha variant was almost disappeared and other VOCs, including Beta, Gamma were speculated to be not circulating yet in Vietnam. Conclusion: Surveillance of the emergent variants of SARS-CoV-2 requires an expanded research program to improve our understanding of emerging SARS-CoV-2 mutations profile and their impact on the protective immunity against variants with these mutations. In addition, our surveillance for molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Vietnam will contribute to the efforts at the global levels to fight the pandemic.
Utility of Kanji as Per Rasaratna Samuchchaya - An Extensive Review
Authors: Prajapati Ankita , Katti Anand
Published: February 2022

Sandhana Kalpana in Ayurveda proposes many alcoholic formulations. The medicinal values are extracted in a self-generated weak alcohol medium through fermentation. Kanji which is prepared by fermenting boiled masha dhanya with gruel of raktashali is given paramount importance. Kanji is a unique kind of formulation having vast utility. Rasaratna Samucchaya authored by Rasavagbhata emphasizes usefulness of kanji in many folds. This article is an effort to compile vast literature on kanji in Rasaratna Samuchchaya, analyse and present it systematically. The utility of kanji with refernce to parada, maharasa, uparasa, sadharana rasa, loha, ratna are discussed.

Key words: Kanji, Kanjika, Rasaratna Samuchchaya.
Impact of Prefabricated Versus 3-D Insoles on Pain and Quality of Life in Patients with Plantar Fasciitis
Authors: Kumari Rohina , . Surbhi
Published: February 2022

Background: Plantar fasciitis is a condition in which the plantar fascia becomes inflamed. It causes discomfort and stiffness in the heel and medial arch of the foot, which can interfere with daily activities. Plantar fasciitis is commonly treated with insoles. Patient satisfaction with insoles has been demonstrated to improve symptoms in studies. However, just a few studies have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of using 3 D insoles to treat PF.
Aims and Objective: To assess the effectiveness of prefabricated and 3-D insoles on pain and quality of life in patients with plantar fasciitis.
Methodology: Twenty subjects with plantar fasciitis were studied. All subjects had previously been prescribed and were using insoles to prevent the extent of pain. The impact of the insoles on pain was assessed by using VAS (visual analog scale) and quality of life was assessed by using American chronic pain association.
Result: Higher pain scores and reduced quality of life were recorded with prefabricated insoles when compared to customized 3 D insoles.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates the efficacy of customized 3D printing insoles for reducing pain, improving quality of life and comfort in individuals with plantar fasciitis. In comparison to prefabricated insoles, customized 3D insoles are effective in the treatment of plantar fasciitis.

Key words: plantar fasciitis, pain, quality of life, prefabricated insoles, 3D insoles.
Solitary Cutaneous Metastasis of Carcinoma Larynx - An Unusual Occurrence
Authors: Tele Jyoti , Kanetkar S.R. , Kumbhar S.S.
Published: February 2022

Background - Carcinoma larynx with cutaneous metastasis is rare to occur. Cutaneous metastasis from head and neck region are usually considered a poor prognostic sign.
Case Report - We report a case of moderately differentiated carcinoma of larynx presenting with solitary cutaneous metastasis in suprascapular region. Patient is a 40 year old lady, farmer by occupation who developed dysphagia and throat pain for which she was investigated and on biopsy was diagnosed as moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of larynx. When she was admitted for chemoradiotherapy, a swelling was noted in right suprascapular region. FNAC of this swelling revealed metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Conclusion - Cutaneous metastases are believed to be due to systemic spread and they represent terminal stage of malignant disease with limited survival period. FNAC is a minimally invasive method, that can be used to diagnose such lesions and it is a good alternative to performing biopsies.

Key words: Carcinoma Larynx, Solitary Cutaneous Metastasis, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of head and neck.