bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolic Profile of Patients with Severe Endometriosis: a Prospective Experimental Study
Authors: Murgia Federica , Angioni Stefano , D’Alterio Maurizio Nicola , Pirarba Silvia , Noto Antonio , Santoru Maria Laura , Tronci Laura , Fanos Vassilios , Atzori Luigi , Congiu Francesca
Published: November 2020

Endometriosis is a common disease affecting women in reproductive age. There are several hypotheses on the pathogenesis of this disease. Often, its lesions and symptoms overlap with those of many other medical and surgical conditions, causing a delay in diagnosis. Metabolomics represents a useful diagnostic tool for the study of metabolic changes during a different physiological or pathological status. We used1H-NMR to explore metabolic alteration in a cohort of patients with endometriosis in order to contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease and to suggest new useful biomarkers. Thirty-seven patients were recruited for the metabolomic analysis: 22 patients affected by symptomatic endometriosis and 15 not affected by it. Their serum samples were collected and analyzed with1H-NMR. Multivariate statistical analysis was conducted, followed by univariate and pathway analyses. Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) was performed to determine the presence of any differences between the non-endometriosis and endometriosis samples (R2X = 0.596,R2Y = 0.713,Q2 = 0.635, andp < 0.0001). β-hydroxybutyric acid and glutamine were significantly increased, whereas tryptophan was significantly decreased in the endometriosis patients. ROC curves were built to test the diagnostic power of the metabolites (β-hydroxybutyric acid: AUC = 0.85 CI = 0.71–0.99; glutamine: AUC = 0.83 CI = 0.68–0.98; tryptophan: AUC = 0.75 CI = 0.54–0.95; β-hydroxybutyric acid + glutamine + tryptophan AUC = 0.92 CI = 0.81–1). The metabolomic approach enabled the identification of several metabolic alterations occurring in women with endometriosis. These findings may provide new bases for a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease and for the discovery of new biomarkers. Trial registration number NCT02337816
Lumen and mucosa-associatedLactobacillus rhamnosusfrom the intestinal tract of organ donors
Authors: Marsh Alan J. , Yaya Al-Mounawara A. , Ng Sandy , Chandrashekhar Kshipra , Roach Jeff , Magness Scott T. , Azcarate-Peril M. Andrea
Published: November 2020

Knowledge of the intra-individual spatial and regional distribution of intestinal microbial populations is essential to understand gut host–microbial interactions. In this study, we performed a compositional analysis of luminal and mucosal samples from the small and large intestine of four organ donors by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and high-throughput quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Since the human microbiota is subject to selection pressure at lower taxonomic levels, we isolated over 400 bacterial strains and investigated strain-level variation of 11Lactobacillus rhamnosusfrom different intestinal regions. Results substantiate reported inter-individual variability as well as intra-individual differences along the gastrointestinal tract. Although the luminal and mucosal-associated communities were similar within individuals, relative abundance reflected the donors’ demographic and potential pathologies. The total bacterial load of all donors increased from small intestine to colon, whileBifidobacteriumwas in greater abundance in the small intestine. Comparative genomic analysis ofL. rhamnosusshowed the strains segregated into two distinct clusters and identified no features specific to location. Analysis revealed genetic differences for exopolysaccharide production, carbohydrate utilization, pilus formation and vitamin K biosynthesis between clusters. This study contributes to the understanding of niche-specific microbial communities, encouraging subsequent studies to better understand microbial signatures at lower taxonomic levels.
Expanding mandatory healthcare personnel immunization beyond influenza: Impact of a broad immunization program with enhanced accountability
Authors: Talbot Thomas R. , Schimmel Ruth , Swift Melanie D. , Rolando Lori A. , Johnson Rochelle T. , Muscato Jannis , Sternberg Paul , Dubree Marilyn , McGown Paula W. , Yarbrough Mary I. , Hickson Gerald B.
Published: November 2020

Objective:

Evaluation of a mandatory immunization program to increase and sustain high immunization coverage for healthcare personnel (HCP).

Design:

Descriptive study with before-and-after analysis.

Setting:

Tertiary-care academic medical center.

Participants:

Medical center HCP.

Methods:

A comprehensive mandatory immunization initiative was implemented in 2 phases, starting in July 2014. Key facets of the initiative included a formalized exemption review process, incorporation into institutional quality goals, data feedback, and accountability to support compliance.

Results:

Both immunization and overall compliance rates with targeted immunizations increased significantly in the years after the implementation period. The influenza immunization rate increased from 80% the year prior to the initiative to >97% for the 3 subsequent influenza seasons (P < .0001). Mumps, measles and varicella vaccination compliance increased from 94% in January 2014 to >99% by January 2017, rubella vaccination compliance increased from 93% to 99.5%, and hepatitis B vaccination compliance from 95% to 99% (P < .0001 for all comparisons). An associated positive effect on TB testing compliance, which was not included in the mandatory program, was also noted; it increased from 76% to 92% over the same period (P < .0001).

Conclusions:

Thoughtful, step-wise implementation of a mandatory immunization program linked to professional accountability can be successful in increasing immunization rates as well as overall compliance with policy requirements to cover all recommended HCP immunizations.
BUSINESS AND LOCAL TAXATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
Authors: Tans Ryan
Published: November 2020

This article argues that weak local governments increase levels of taxation by “borrowing” institutional capacity from certain types of businesses. While many businesses lobby against taxation, businesses that are locally owned, nationally connected, and logistically complex build robust associations that support taxation. These types of businesses benefit from improvements in public infrastructure, so they empower their associations to monitor members’ tax compliance and to pressure officials to uphold their spending commitments. The article demonstrates the necessity of business support for taxation in the absence of state capacity by comparing two Philippine cities that differ in their ability to tax despite a number of similarities between them. The case studies show that tax increases co-varied with business support, and that business support waxed and waned depending on over-time variation in the capability of business associations to discourage tax evasion and to enforce official commitments to spend on infrastructure.
Poland's Postwar Trauma and Identity in Pawel Pawlikowski's Films: Reflections on Ida and Cold War
Authors: Kichelewski Audrey
Published: November 2020

Does homecoming epitomize Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski's last two films, Ida (2013) and Cold War (Zimna wojna, 2018)? Considering the box office, the awards won, and the film critics’ response, it seems that the transition from documentaries to feature films meant a turn to Polish history and identity for the director. (Pawlikowski was born in Warsaw but has spent most of his life abroad after his parents left Poland in the wake of the anti-Zionist campaign of March 1968, while he was still a teenager.) As Jerry White put it, analyzing Cold War in the light of Pawlikowski's earlier career as a British filmmaker interested in non-Polish themes, his last two films have put “Polish cinema back into global spotlight.” The question arises whether Pawlikowski's recent films gained worldwide success—in fact, they were more successful abroad than in Poland itself—because of the vision of Poland they convey, rather than a “Polish vision” of postwar European history and identity. This article examines several the major themes of Pawlikowski's films and compares them with the work of other acclaimed Polish directors, especially one of Krzysztof Kieslowski's later films, The Double Life of Véronique (La double vie de Véronique, 1991).
Female sex and femininity independently associate with common somatic symptom trajectories
Authors: Ballering Aranka V. , Wardenaar Klaas J. , olde Hartman Tim C. , Rosmalen Judith G. M.
Published: November 2020

Background

Multiple predictors have been associated with persistent somatic symptoms. However, previous studies problematically defined the persistence of symptoms, conflated participants' sex and gender, and focused on patient populations. Therefore, we studied associations between predictors, especially sex and gender, and longitudinal patterns of somatic symptoms in the general adult population. We also assessed whether predictors for persisting symptoms differ between sexes.

Method

To identify developmental trajectories of somatic symptoms, assessed by the SCL-90 SOM, we used latent class trajectory modeling in the Dutch Lifelines Cohort Study [N = 150 494; 58.6% female; median time to follow-up: 46.0 (min–max: 22.0–123.0) months]. To identify predictors of trajectories, we applied multiple logistic regression analyses. Predictors were measured by surveys at baseline and a composite gender index was previously developed.

Results

A five-class linear LCGA model fitted the data best: 93.7% of the population had a stable symptom trajectory, whereas 1.5% and 4.8% of the population had a consistently increasing or decreasing symptom trajectory, respectively. Female sex predicted severe, stable symptom severity (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.36–2.22), but not increasing symptom severity (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.99–1.40). Femininity was protective hereof (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.44–0.82 and OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.51–0.85, respectively). Merely a few predictors of symptom severity, for instance hours of paid employment and physical functioning, differed in strength between sexes. Yet, effect sizes were small.

Conclusion

Female sex and femininity predict symptom trajectories. No large sex differences in the strength of additional predictors were found, thus it may not be clinically useful to distinguish between predictors specific to male or female patients of persistent somatic symptoms.
From early care and education to adult problem behaviors: A prevention pathway through after-school organized activities
Authors: Vandell Deborah L. , Simpkins Sandra D. , Liu Yangyang
Published: November 2020

Motivated by Edward Zigler's proposition that programs serving children (birth through 12 years) can have long-term effects on well-being and development, we used data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1,258) to test two pathways by which early care and education (ECE) are linked to after-school organized activities in middle childhood and to problem behaviors in late adolescence and adulthood. In support of an activities pathway, we found children with more ECE hours and more epochs in center-based ECE settings from 1 to 54 months had more epochs in after-school organized activities from kindergarten to 5th grade, which then predicted less impulsivity and less police contact at age 26. In support of a child pathway, we found that more ECE hours and more epochs in center-based ECE settings were linked to externalizing problems in early childhood, which then predicted higher problem behaviors in middle childhood, late adolescence, and adulthood. Together, these pathways underscored the potential of direct and indirect links of ECE and after-school organized activities in relation to later development.
Guerrilla fan translation, language learning, and metalinguistic discussion in a Catalan-speaking community of gamers
Authors: Vazquez-Calvo Boris
Published: November 2020

Driven by their affinity to popular culture, fans frequently engage in linguistic practices that may be conducive to language learning. This study seeks to find out how a group of Catalan-speaking gamers decided to start producing fan translations of video games from English into Catalan. Based on a digital ethnography (online interviews and observation of the group’s activity), two types of analysis were conducted: a content analysis for recurrent trends and a focused analysis of internal metalinguistic discussions on the quality of translations. Results indicate that fan translators (1) organize hierarchically with set roles and functions, (2) curate their group identity and care for the promotion of Catalan as a vehicle for cultural production, (3) learn language incidentally in three ways:while translating(ensuring the comprehension of English and the linguistic quality and creativity of the transfer into Catalan),through sharing language doubtswith their peers on their Telegram group and dialogically agreeing on pragmatically acceptable English-Catalan translations, andthrough metalinguistic discussionson translation tests received from potential new members. The study resonates with a novel subfield in computer-assisted language learning: language learning in the digital wilds, which might be fertile ground for studies on incidental and informal language learning online. The study may also serve as inspiration for effective integration of translation into language classrooms in a manner that bridges vernacular fan translation and pedagogic translation, considering the importance of metalinguistic discussion for language learning and the sociocultural dimension of both translation and language learning.
Making Kr+1-free graphs r-partite
Authors: Balogh József , Clemen Felix Christian , Lavrov Mikhail , Lidický Bernard , Pfender Florian
Published: November 2020

The Erdős–Simonovits stability theorem states that for all ε > 0 there exists α > 0 such that if G is a Kr+1-free graph on n vertices with e(G) > ex(n, Kr+1)– α n2, then one can remove εn2 edges from G to obtain an r-partite graph. Füredi gave a short proof that one can choose α = ε. We give a bound for the relationship of α and ε which is asymptotically sharp as ε → 0.
Morphological processing in heritage speakers: A masked priming study on the Turkish aorist
Authors: Uygun Serkan , Clahsen Harald
Published: November 2020

Previous research has shown that heritage speakers struggle with inflectional morphology. ‘Limitations of online resources’ for processing a non-dominant language has been claimed as one possible reason for these difficulties. To date, however, there is very little experimental evidence on real-time language processing in heritage speakers. Here we report results from a masked priming experiment with 97 bilingual (Turkish/German) heritage speakers and a control group of 40 non-heritage speakers of Turkish examining regular and irregular forms of the Turkish aorist. We found that, for the regular aorist, heritage speakers use the same morphological decomposition mechanism (‘affix stripping’) as control speakers, whereas for processing irregularly inflected forms they exhibited more variability (i.e., less homogeneous performance) than the control group. Heritage speakers also demonstrated semantic priming effects. At a more general level, these results indicate that heritage speakers draw on multiple sources of information for recognizing morphologically complex words.
Surface mould brachytherapy planning in giant cell tumour of the tendon sheath of finger and dosimetric comparison with external beam radiotherapy: a case report
Authors: Gupta Anil , Pandey Rambha , Krishna Anant , Kumar Rishabh , Sharma Seema , Sarawagi Rashmi , Garg Kanika
Published: November 2020

Introduction:

Giant cell tumour of the tendon sheath (GCTTS) is the second most common tumour of the hand. Despite surgery, local recurrence after excision has been reported in up to 45% of cases. Post-operative radiotherapy (PORT) has been found to be promising in preventing these recurrences in high-risk group. One of the reservations of PORT is secondary effects of radiation which may cause a decreased range of motion of the affected joint, sensory changes and nail changes. Surface mould brachytherapy can provide a high dose to target volume with a rapid fall of dose to surrounding structures. Despite this, it is less used, the possible reason can be less technical proficiency.

Methods:

We have technically illustrated surface mould brachytherapy in a case of GCTTS of the left index finger, and compared dosimetrically with more widely used conventional photon and electron external beam radiotherapy.

Conclusion:

The 6-MV photon treatment plan with a bolus plan provided the least dose to skin (106%) and phalanges (103%). It has a Homogeneity index (1·06) closest to 1, whereas the Conformity index of all plans was similar. The dose coverage was adequate in all plans. The second-best plan dosimetrically was the surface mould brachytherapy.
„Es wird nicht mehr so sein, wie es einmal war“
Authors: Jäger Reinhold S.
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Die Corona-Pandemie führt zu Konsequenzen, die für Individuen, Gruppen von Personen, Institutionen und die Politik bedeutsam sind. Der zeitweise Lockdown in einer großen Anzahl von Ländern hat verdeutlicht, an welchen Stellen und für wen Nachteile entstanden sind, die mittel- und langfristig auch Auswirkungen auf die Bildungsbiographien haben werden. Insoweit kann davon gesprochen werden, dass es nie mehr so sein wird wie es einmal war. In dieser besonderen Situation ist die Pädagogische Psychologie als Fach und fachpolitische Vertretung gefordert. Dieser Beitrag soll deutlich machen, dass die Pädagogische Psychologie den Konsequenzen der Pandemie – soweit die Bildung angesprochen ist – nicht hilflos ausgeliefert ist. Vielmehr, dass die eigene Expertise genutzt werden kann und muss, einen eigenen und nachhaltigen Beitrag für die Weiterentwicklung der Bildung zu leisten. Die Argumentation läuft entlang zweier Achsen: Politikberatung und Beratung pädagogischer Institutionen sowie Monitoring und Förderung. Hierbei spielen Schul- und Unterrichtsentwicklung ebenso eine Rolle wie Leadership, Personalentwicklung, Digitalisierung, Diagnostik und Evaluation. Sie alle werden mit der Frage im Hintergrund erörtert, wie Bildungseinrichtungen zur notwendigen Geltung verholfen werden kann. Die Orientierung an der Schule gilt hierbei als Blaupause für alle Bildungseinrichtungen.
Validation of the Short Dark Triad in a German Sample
Authors: Wehner Caroline , Maaß Ulrike , Leckelt Marius , Back Mitja D. , Ziegler Matthias
Published: November 2020

Abstract. The structure, correlates, and assessment of the Dark Triad are widely discussed in several fields of psychology. Based on the German version of the Short Dark Triad (SDT), we add to this by (a) providing a competitive test of existing structural models, (b) testing the nomological network, and (c) proposing an ultrashort 9-item version of the SDT (uSDT). A sample of N = 969 participants provided data on the SDT and a range of further measures. Our competitive test of five structural models revealed that fit indices and nomological network assumptions were best met in a three-factor model, with separate factors for psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. The results provided an extensive overview of the raw, unique, and shared associations of Dark Triad dimensions with narcissism facets, sadism, impulsivity, self-esteem, sensation seeking, the Big Five, maladaptive personality traits, sociosexual orientation, and behavioral criteria. Finally, the uSDT exhibited satisfactory psychometric properties. The highest overlap in expected relations between SDT and uSDT, and convergent and discriminant measures was also found for the three-factor model. Our study underlines the utility of a three-factor model of the Dark Triad, extends findings on its nomological network, and provides an ultrashort instrument.
How International Economic Sanctions Harm the Environment
Authors: Madani Kaveh
Published: November 2020

As soft political tools, economic sanctions aim at isolating a sanctioned state and hurt its economy to force it to change course, policies, and actions. In response to sanctions and to evade their grip, a sanctioned state adopts a range of survivalist, aggressive, and unsustainable policies that reduce the economic pressure of sanctions at the expense of accelerated environmental degradation. While economic sanctions cannot be blamed as the cause of environmental problems in sanctioned states, their role in catalyzing environmental degradation is noteworthy. This paper takes the first step in setting the theoretical ground for exploring the environmental implications of sanctions by developing a generic causal model that explains how economic sanctions can impact the environment. It is shown that sanctions lower the priority of the environmental sector in the public policy agenda in a sanctioned state and increase the natural resource‐intensity of its economy. It is argued that although the environmental damages of sanctions are mainly unintended by the sanctioning and sanctioned states, such damages are unavoidable in practice. The study calls for attention to the transgenerational and transboundary environmental impacts of economic sanctions and their justice and human rights implications for which the sanctioning and sanctioned states must be held accountable.
Soil Water Content and Soil Respiration Rates Are Reduced for Years Following Wildfire in a Hot and Dry Climate
Authors: Cooperdock Sol C. , Hawkes Christine V. , Xu Derry R. , Breecker Daniel O.
Published: November 2020

Increasing fire severity and frequency may stress ecosystems also impacted by climate change. We studied the physical limitations to regeneration after fire in an ecosystem that already experiences high summer temperatures and drought and is therefore a possible analog of the future. We compared soil respiration as an indicator of microbial activity in burned and unburned forest soils in central Texas, where two recent wildfires have occurred (2011 and 2015). We also measured soil temperature, water content, soil water δ18O and δD values, total C, N, pH, and δ13C values of total organic matter. Burned soils had lower total C and N than unburned soils; however, lab‐based respiration measurements, which controlled for temperature and water content, suggest that microbial activity in burned and unburned soils are similar. Conversely, field measurements show that during hot and dry months respiration rates in burned soils were much lower than they were in unburned soils due to differences in soil temperature and water content. Soil temperature at 5 cm reached 60°C in burned soils due to the removal of canopy cover, the removal of organic matter insulation, and the deposition of black ash on the soil surface. Higher temperatures increased evaporation as indicated by significantly lower deuterium excess of water in soils burned in 2015 than unburned soils. If the disturbance of vegetation by fire is substantial enough, the resulting perturbations to soils persist for years, most importantly increased heat absorption which results in lower water contents and ultimately reduced microbial activity.
Transport Upscaling in Highly Heterogeneous Aquifers and the Prediction of Tracer Dispersion at the MADE Site
Authors: Dentz Marco , Comolli Alessandro , Hakoun Vivien , Hidalgo Juan J.
Published: November 2020

We present an upscaled Lagrangian approach to predict the plume evolution in highly heterogeneous aquifers. The model is parameterized by transport‐independent characteristics such as the statistics of hydraulic conductivity and the Eulerian flow speed. It can be conditioned on the tracer properties and flow data at the injection region. Thus, the model is transferable to different solutes and hydraulic conditions. It captures the large‐scale non‐Gaussian features for the evolution of the longitudinal mass distribution observed for the bromide and tritium tracer plumes at the Macrodispersion Experiment (MADE) site (Columbus, Mississippi, USA), which are characterized by a slow moving peak and pronounced forward tailing. These large‐scale features are explained by advective tracer propagation due to a broad distribution of spatially persistent Eulerian flow speeds as a result of spatial variability in hydraulic conductivity.
An Innovative Application of Generative Adversarial Networks for Physically Accurate Rock Images With an Unprecedented Field of View
Authors: Niu Yufu , Wang Ying Da , Mostaghimi Peyman , Swietojanski Pawel , Armstrong Ryan T.
Published: November 2020

High‐resolution X‐ray microcomputed tomography (micro‐CT) data are used for the accurate determination of rock petrophysical properties. High‐resolution data, however, result in a small field of view, and thus, the representativeness of a simulation domain can be brought into question when dealing with geophysical applications. This paper applies a cycle‐in‐cycle generative adversarial network (CinCGAN) to improve the resolution of 3‐D micro‐CT data and create a super‐resolution image using unpaired training images. Effective porosity, Euler characteristic, pore size distribution, and absolute permeability are measured on super‐resolution and high‐resolution ground‐truth images to evaluate the physical accuracy of the proposed CinCGAN. The results demonstrate that CinCGAN provides physically accurate images with an order of magnitude larger field of view when compared to typical micro‐CT methods. This unlocks new pathways for the geophysical characterization of subsurface rocks with broad implications for flow modeling in highly heterogeneous rocks or fundamental studies on nonlocal forces that extend beyond domain sizes typically used for pore‐scale simulation.
Necessary Conditions for Warm Inflow Toward the Filchner Ice Shelf, Weddell Sea
Authors: Daae K. , Hattermann T. , Darelius E. , Mueller R. D. , Naughten K. A. , Timmermann R. , Hellmer H. H.
Published: November 2020

Understanding changes in Antarctic ice shelf basal melting is a major challenge for predicting future sea level. Currently, warm Circumpolar Deep Water surrounding Antarctica has limited access to the Weddell Sea continental shelf; consequently, melt rates at Filchner‐Ronne Ice Shelf are low. However, large‐scale model projections suggest that changes to the Antarctic Slope Front and the coastal circulation may enhance warm inflows within this century. We use a regional high‐resolution ice shelf cavity and ocean circulation model to explore forcing changes that may trigger this regime shift. Our results suggest two necessary conditions for supporting a sustained warm inflow into the Filchner Ice Shelf cavity: (i) an extreme relaxation of the Antarctic Slope Front density gradient and (ii) substantial freshening of the dense shelf water. We also find that the on‐shelf transport over the western Weddell Sea shelf is sensitive to the Filchner Trough overflow characteristics.
Characterizing Radio Frequency Magnetic Radiation of Initial Upward Leader Stepping in Triggered Lightning With Interferometric Lightning Mapping
Authors: Fan Yanfeng , Lu Gaopeng , Zhang Yang , Lyu Weitao , Zheng Dong , Fan Xiangpeng , Li Xiao , Zhang Yijun
Published: November 2020

In summer of 2019, the bandwidth of magnetic field sensor with relatively high sensitivity was extended to 1.2 MHz during the triggered lightning experiment of Field Experiment Base on Lightning Sciences, China Meteorological Administration (CMA‐FEBLS) in Conghua, Guangdong Province. The measurements with the new magnetic fields reveal the presence of microsecond‐scale magnetic pulses during the entire duration of upward positive leader (UPL), including the quiet stage when only few signals can be discerned in previous observations, which indicates that the UPL generally propagates in a stepwise manner during the initial stage of triggered lightning. Synchronous mapping observations from the broadband VHF interferometer shows that the VHF radiation corresponds to the onset of individual magnetic pulses, indicating that the VHF signals are radiated by the breakdown processes of individual stepping, and these breakdown events launch the meter‐scale current pulses as the radiation source of individual magnetic pulses.
Exploring the ENSO Impact on Basin‐Scale Floods Using Hydrological Simulations and TRMM Precipitation
Authors: Yan Yan , Wu Huan , Gu Guojun , Ward Philip J. , Luo Lifeng , Li Xiaomeng , Huang Zhijun , Tao Jing
Published: November 2020

El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an important driver of interannual climate variability with increasing attention for its impacts on water and flood management. The impact of ENSO on basin‐scale floods during the TRMM period (1998–2013) is examined by using the streamflow outputs from the Dominant river Routing Integrated with VIC Environment model (DRIVE). Significant simultaneous correlations between flood indices and Niño 3.4 appear in many flood‐prone river basins during peak flood months across both the tropics and midlatitudes especially for flood frequency and flood duration. Gauged by significant lag‐correlations between floods and Niño 3.4, significant ENSO‐leading‐floods relations are found as well in many river basins in South America, south and southeastern Asia, and northern Africa. These ENSO‐floods‐relations can greatly enhance understanding of physical mechanisms relevant to the ENSO impact and may also improve the skills of basin‐scale monthly‐to‐seasonal flood forecast, thus allowing for better preparedness and management of flood risks.
Eddy‐Like Features Near St. Matthew Island, Eastern Bering Sea Shelf: Observations From the Oculus Coastal Glider
Authors: Ladd C. , Bell S. W. , Kimmel D. G. , Mordy C. W. , Stabeno P. J. , Stalin S.
Published: November 2020

The eastern Bering Sea Shelf is characterized by high biological productivity, seasonal sea ice, and commercially important fisheries. Enhanced productivity is often associated with small‐scale oceanographic features. Our objective was to use an autonomous underwater vehicle to examine features typically missed by ~20‐km spaced shipboard sampling. A coastal glider (Oculus) sampled ~3 dives hr−1 with horizontal spacing of ~300 m per dive in August/September 2017. In the north‐south transition zone near St. Matthew Island, the glider sampled four eddy‐like features associated with weaker vertical stratification. These features had diameters of 15–20 km and were associated with higher surface chlorophyll. Shipboard data collected in the same region approximately a month later showed that a similar feature was associated with high concentrations of small copepods. Incorporating higher resolution sampling available with gliders into the Bering Sea observing network will improve our understanding of ecosystem response to patchiness in the system.
Space Imaging Geodesy Reveals Near Circular, Coseismic Block Rotation During the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura Earthquake, New Zealand
Authors: Wang Teng , Jiao Liqing , Tapponnier Paul , Shi Xuhua , Wei Shengji
Published: November 2020

Large earthquakes usually rupture plate boundary faults, releasing the accumulated stress as displacements localized along smooth, narrow faults. However, certain earthquakes initiate off main faults, rupturing adjacent, secondary faults. The mechanisms of such atypical stress release remain enigmatic, partly due to a lack of detailed geodetic evidence. Here using the 3D coseismic displacement field derived from space imaging geodesy, we detect 10‐km‐scale, nearly‐circular coseismic block rotation during the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake in New Zealand. Together, geodetic observations, longer term local paleomagnetic data, analytical, and discrete element modeling imply that localized block rotation occurred south of the Hope fault along weak, steep, bedding‐parallel boundaries within a narrow, ~20‐km‐wide dextral shear zone. That stress near plate boundary faults can be partially released in zones of distributed ruptures absorbing coseismic rotation may retard rupture along main faults. Our observations also suggest that coseismic rotation may help accomodate plate boundary propagation.
Pressure Drag for Shallow Cumulus Clouds: From Thermals to the Cloud Ensemble
Authors: Gu Jian‐Feng , Stephen Plant Robert , Holloway Christopher E. , Muetzelfeldt Mark R.
Published: November 2020

This study takes the first step to bridge the gap between the pressure drag of a shallow cloud ensemble and that of an individual cloud composed of rising thermals. It is found that the pressure drag for a cloud ensemble is primarily controlled by the dynamical component. The dominance of dynamical pressure drag and its increased magnitude with height are independent of cloud lifetime and are common features of individual clouds except that the total drag of a single cloud over life cycle presents vertical oscillations. These oscillations are associated with successive rising thermals but are further complicated by the evaporation‐driven downdrafts outside the cloud. The horizontal vorticity associated with the vortical structure is amplified as the thermals rise to higher altitudes due to continuous baroclinic vorticity generation. This leads to the increased magnitude of local minima of dynamical pressure perturbation with height and consequently to increased dynamical pressure drag.
Kelvin‐Helmholtz Billow Interactions and Instabilities in the Mesosphere Over the Andes Lidar Observatory: 1. Observations
Authors: Hecht J. H. , Fritts D. C. , Gelinas L. J. , Rudy R. J. , Walterscheid R. L. , Liu A. Z.
Published: November 2020

A very high spatial resolution (∼25 m pixel at 90 km altitude) OH airglow imager was installed at the Andes Lidar Observatory on Cerro Pachón, Chile, in February 2016. This instrument was collocated with a Na wind‐temperature lidar. On 1 March 2016, the lidar data showed that the atmosphere was dynamically unstable before 0100 UT and thus conducive to the formation of Kelvin‐Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs). The imager revealed the presence of a KHI and an apparent atmospheric gravity wave (AGW) propagating approximately perpendicular to the plane of primary KHI motions. The AGW appears to have induced modulations of the shear layer leading to misalignments of the emerging KHI billows. These enabled strong KHI billow interactions, as they achieved large amplitudes and a rapid transition to turbulence thereafter. The interactions manifested themselves as vortex tube and knot features that were earlier identified in laboratory studies, as discussed in Thorpe (1987, https://doi.org/10.1029/JC092iC05p05231; 2002, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.200212858307) and inferred to be widespread in the atmosphere based on features seen in tropospheric clouds but which have never been identified in previous upper atmospheric observations. This study presents the first high‐resolution airglow imaging observation of these KHI interaction dynamics that drive rapid transitions to turbulence and suggest the potential importance of these dynamics in the mesosphere and at other altitudes. A companion paper (Fritts et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033412) modeling these dynamics confirms that the vortex tubes and knots yield more rapid and significantly enhanced turbulence relative to the internal instabilities of individual KHI billows.
Subseasonal‐to‐Seasonal Hindcast Skill Assessment of Ridging Events Related to Drought Over the Western United States
Authors: Gibson Peter B. , Waliser Duane E. , Goodman Alexander , DeFlorio Michael J. , Delle Monache Luca , Molod Andrea
Published: November 2020

Persistent atmospheric ridging events centered near the western United States are associated with widespread precipitation deficits and meteorological drought. Due to the relatively low skill of dynamical models in forecasting precipitation on subseasonal‐to‐seasonal (S2S) time scales across this region, forecasts of ridging are explored in this study as a potential bridge for early warning drought prediction. To assess skill, we evaluate deterministic and probabilistic S2S hindcasts (out to 6 week lead time) of ridging events and geopotential height anomalies over the western United States in five ensemble hindcast systems. Prediction skill for ridging events is shown to be highly variable across models. For some models, longer‐time‐averaged patterns of geopotential height anomalies across the first 6 weeks can be skillfully simulated, when evaluated probabilistically against climatology. The most skillful models show modest skill in forecasting above normal ridging occurrences at lead times of Weeks 3–4 and Weeks 5–6, with some sensitivity to the specific ridge location and method for determining skill. Using the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model as a case study, longer lead time forecast busts are shown to often occur under extended periods of highly active La Nina‐like tropical convection. Model errors at simulating these tropical convection features may have a disproportionately large impact and degrade downstream forecasts over the western United States. Despite the documented model shortcomings, our results highlight an opportunity to target skillful ridging forecasts from dynamical models for improving early warning drought forecasting at S2S lead times.
Active Fold‐Thrust Belt to Foreland Transition in Northern Adria, Italy, Tracked by Seismic Reflection Profiles and GPS Offshore Data
Authors: Pezzo G. , Petracchini L. , Devoti R. , Maffucci R. , Anderlini L. , Antoncecchi I. , Billi A. , Carminati E. , Ciccone F. , Cuffaro M. , Livani M. , Palano M. , Petricca P. , Pietrantonio G. , Riguzzi F. , Rossi G. , Sparacino F. , Doglioni C.
Published: November 2020

The Adria microplate is the foreland of the oppositely verging Apennines and Alps or Dinarides fold‐thrust belts associated to the related subduction zones. Along its western margin, the Adria plate hosts the active Northern Apennines accretionary prism, which is buried under the Adriatic Sea and the Po Plain. The interpretation of seismic reflection profiles and borehole data allowed us to define the geometry of the transition from the Apennines fold‐thrust belt to its undeformed foreland. Moreover, continuous GPS (CGPS) data from offshore hydrocarbon platforms anchored to the seabed of the northern Adriatic plate allow to measure present‐day kinematics. Although the CGPS signals are affected by non‐tectonic components associated with hydrocarbon extraction, the integration of geodetic analysis, subsurface geological reconstructions, and analytical modeling allowed us to constrain the ongoing tectonic activity. Shortening is currently accommodated by aseismic slip along the basal detachment, likely accumulating elastic energy along the frontal ramp that may eventually seismically slip. Our multidisciplinary study suggests that the study area may not be sheltered from relevant seismic sequences similar to the Mw 6 Emilia 2012 events and that the occurrence of potential seismogenic sources in the area should be carefully evaluated. Similar studies may be useful to constrain the present‐day activity in other marine areas and to identify potential and hitherto unrecognized seismogenic sources along the entire Apennines belt and other accretionary prisms worldwide.
Estimating Net Irrigation Across the North China Plain Through Dual Modeling of Evapotranspiration
Authors: Koch Julian , Zhang Wenmin , Martinsen Grith , He Xin , Stisen Simon
Published: November 2020

Irrigation is the greatest human interference with the terrestrial water cycle. Detailed knowledge on irrigation is required to better manage water resources and to increase water use efficiency (WUE). This study applies a framework to quantify net irrigation at monthly timescale at a spatial resolution of 1 km2 providing high spatial and temporal detail for regional water resources management. The study is conducted in the Haihe River Basin (HRB) in China encompassing the North China Plain (NCP), a global hot spot of groundwater depletion. Net irrigation is estimated based on the systematic evapotranspiration (ET) residuals between a remote sensing‐based model and a hydrologic model that does not include an irrigation scheme. The results suggest an average annual net irrigation of 126 mm yr−1 (15.2 km3 yr−1) for NCP and 108 mm yr−1 (18.6 km3 yr−1) for HRB. It is found that net irrigation can be estimated with higher fidelity for winter crops than for summer crops. The simulated water balance for NCP is evaluated with Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data, and the net irrigation estimates can close the water balance gap. Annual winter wheat classifications reveal an increasing crop area with a trend of 2,200 km2 yr−1. This trend is not accompanied by a likewise increasing trend in irrigation water use, which suggests an increased WUE in the NCP, which is further supported by net primary productivity data. The proposed framework has potential to be transferred to other regions and support decision makers to support sustainable water management.
Preferential Flow in Riparian Groundwater: Gateways for Watershed Solute Transport and Implications for Water Quality Management
Authors: Hester Erich T. , Fox Garey A.
Published: November 2020

Riparian zones are key gateways for solutes in watersheds, including nutrients and pollutants moving toward the stream network. In human‐dominated landscapes, they are widely used as buffers to remove pollutants at substantial cumulative cost yet vary widely in their effectiveness, and much is unknown about the detailed processes involved and their controls. Preferential flow is widespread in riparian zones, oriented both horizontally toward the channel (often bypassing beneficial reactions in the soil during baseflow) or vertically (enhancing beneficial reactions by infiltrating surface flow during storms). Preferential flow thus contributes to widespread variability of riparian zone/buffer function, with implications for legacy nutrients stored in upland soils and aquifers. This creates a disconnect between functional riparian definitions based on flow and transport processes and common operational ones based on buffer width. Enhanced field characterization of preferential flow path spatial distribution and connectivity, together with developments in simulating preferential solute transport in soils, would allow better prediction of spatial and temporal variation in riparian zone function. Such prediction in turn would allow improved buffer function by tailoring buffer design to site specific conditions, thereby reconciling functional and operational viewpoints.
MiR-22, regulated by MeCP2, suppresses gastric cancer cell proliferation by inducing a deficiency in endogenous S-adenosylmethionine
Authors: Tong Dongdong , Zhang Jing , Wang Xiaofei , Li Qian , Liu Liying , Lu Axin , Guo Bo , Yang Juan , Ni Lei , Qin Hao , Zhao Lingyu , Huang Chen
Published: November 2020

This study investigated the effect of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) on miRNA transcription. Our results of miRNA chip assay and ChIP-seq showed that MeCP2 inhibited the expressions of numerous miRNAs by binding to their upstream elements, including not only the promoter but also the distal enhancer. Among the affected miRNAs, miR-22 was identified to remarkably suppress gastric cancer (GC) cell proliferation, arrest G1–S cell cycle transition, and induce cell apoptosis by targeting MeCP2, MTHFD2, and MTHFR. Understanding GC metabolism characteristics is the key to developing novel therapies that target GC metabolic pathways. Our study revealed that the metabolic profiles in GC tissues were altered. SAM (S-adenosylmethionine), a universal methyl donor for histone and DNA methylation, which is specifically involved in the epigenetic maintenance of cancer cells, was found increased. The production of SAM is promoted by the folate cycle. Knockdown of MTHFD2 and MTHFR, two key enzymes in folate metabolism and methyl donor SAM production, significantly suppressed GC cell proliferation. MiR-22 overexpression reduced the level of endogenous SAM by suppressing MTHFD2 and MTHFR, inducing P16, PTEN, and RASSF1A hypomethylation. In conclusion, our study suggests that miR-22 was inhibited by MeCP2, resulting in deficiency of endogenous SAM, and ultimately leading to tumor suppressor dysregulation.
Characterization of the genomic landscape and actionable mutations in Chinese breast cancers by clinical sequencing
Authors: Lang Guan-Tian , Jiang Yi-Zhou , Shi Jin-Xiu , Yang Fan , Li Xiao-Guang , Pei Yu-Chen , Zhang Chen-Hui , Ma Ding , Xiao Yi , Hu Peng-Chen , Wang Hai , Yang Yun-Song , Guo Lin-Wei , Lu Xun-Xi , Xue Meng-Zhu , Wang Peng , Cao A-Yong , Ling Hong , Wang Zhong-Hua , Yu Ke-Da , Di Gen-Hong , Li Da-Qiang , Wang Yun-Jin , Yu Ying , Shi Le-Ming , Hu Xin , Huang Wei , Shao Zhi-Ming
Published: November 2020

The remarkable advances in next-generation sequencing technology have enabled the wide usage of sequencing as a clinical tool. To promote the advance of precision oncology for breast cancer in China, here we report a large-scale prospective clinical sequencing program using the Fudan-BC panel, and comprehensively analyze the clinical and genomic characteristics of Chinese breast cancer. The mutational landscape of 1,134 breast cancers reveals that the most significant differences between Chinese and Western patients occurred in the hormone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative breast cancer subtype. Mutations in p53 and Hippo signaling pathways are more prevalent, and 2 mutually exclusive and 9 co-occurring patterns exist among 9 oncogenic pathways in our cohort. Further preclinical investigation partially suggests that NF2 loss-of-function mutations can be sensitive to a Hippo-targeted strategy. We establish a public database (Fudan Portal) and a precision medicine knowledge base for data exchange and interpretation. Collectively, our study presents a leading approach to Chinese precision oncology treatment and reveals potentially actionable mutations in breast cancer.
Site-switchable mono-O-allylation of polyols
Authors: Tang Hua , Tian Yu-Biao , Cui Hongyan , Li Ren-Zhe , Zhang Xia , Niu Dawen
Published: November 2020

Site-selective modification of complex molecules allows for rapid accesses to their analogues and derivatives, and, therefore, offers highly valuable opportunities to probe their functions. However, to selectively manipulate one out of many repeatedly occurring functional groups within a substrate represents a grand challenge in chemistry. Yet more demanding is to develop methods in which alterations to the reaction conditions lead to switching of the specific site of reaction. We report herein the development of a Pd/Lewis acid co-catalytic system that achieves not only site-selective, but site-switchable mono-O-allylation of polyols with readily available reagents and catalysts. Through exchanging the Lewis acid additives that recognize specific hydroxyls in a polyol substrate, our system managed to install a versatile allyl group to the target in a site-switchable manner. Our design demonstrates remarkable scope, and is amenable to the direct derivatization of various complex, bioactive natural products.