bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RNAi technology for plant protection and its application in wheat
Authors: Liu Shaoshuai , Geng Shuaifeng , Li Aili , Mao Yingbo , Mao Long
Published: March 2021

The RNAi technology takes advantage of the intrinsic RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism that exists in nearly all eukaryotes in which target mRNAs are degraded or functionally suppressed. Significant progress has been made in recent years where RNAi technology is applied to several crops and economic plants for protection against diseases like fungi, pests, and nematode. RNAi technology is also applied in controlling pathogen damages in wheat, one of the most important crops in the world. In this review, we first give a brief introduction of the RNAi technology and the underneath mechanism. We then review the recent progress of its utilization in crops, particular wheat. Finally, we discuss the existing challenges and prospect future development of this technology in crop protection.
Low-FODMAP-Diät – Lösung aller Probleme?
Authors: Heinrich Henriette
Published: March 2021

Das Thema Ernährung ist für Patienten mit einem Reizdarmsyndrom hochrelevant, da Nahrungsmittel als symptomauslösend empfunden werden. Die Abkürzung FODMAP steht für „fermentierbare Oligosaccharide, Disaccharide, Monosaccharide und Polyole“, also kurzkettige Kohlenhydrate, die im Dünndarm schlecht absorbiert werden und durch Fermentationsprozesse Blähungen und Stuhlunregelmässigkeiten hervorrufen können. Die FODMAP-Diät ist bei Reizdarmsyndrom(RDS)-Patienten zur Symptomkontrolle effektiv und verläuft in 3 Phasen (Reduktion – Reexposition – Personalisierung) und sollte von einer geschulten Ernährungsberatung in enger Zusammenarbeit mit dem behandelnden Gastroenterologen/in erfolgen um eine Fehl- oder Mangelernährung zu vermeiden.
Exploring the Availability and Potential of International Data for Criminological Study
Authors: Nivette Amy E.
Published: March 2021

Despite advances in recent decades to internationalize criminology, one major roadblock that is often mentioned is the difficulty in collecting and obtaining high-quality international and cross-cultural data. More than ever, there is a growing amount of international data covering a wide variety of topics relevant to understanding crime. Visible and accessible international data can open up channels for dialogue and collaboration between cultures and regions, as well as opportunities to test, refine, and develop theoretical and empirical knowledge. This paper therefore aims to make the ‘world of data’ out there more visible not only to shed light on the potential for international research and collaboration, but to highlight the growing, rich body of international knowledge that already exists.
Writers and Revolution
Authors: Beecher Jonathan
Published: March 2021

The revolution of 1848 has been described as the revolution of the intellectuals. In France, the revolution galvanised the energies of major romantic writers and intellectuals. This book follows nine writers through the revolution of 1848 and its aftermath: Alphonse de Lamartine, George Sand, Marie d'Agoult, Victor Hugo, Alexis de Tocqueville, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Alexander Herzen, Karl Marx, and Gustave Flaubert. Conveying a sense of the experience of 1848 as these writers lived it, this fresh and engaging study captures the sense of possibility at a time when it was not yet clear that the Second French Republic had no future. By looking closely at key texts in which each writer attempted to understand, judge, criticise, or intervene in the revolution, Jonathan Beecher shows how each endeavoured to answer the question posed explicitly by Tocqueville: Why, within the space of two generations, did democratic revolutions twice culminate in the dictatorship of a Napoleon?
Recommendations for Safety Education and Training for Graduate Students Directing Field Projects
Authors: Davis Kaitlyn E. , Meehan Pascale , Klehm Carla , Kurnick Sarah , Cameron Catherine
Published: March 2021

Graduate schools provide students opportunities for fieldwork and training in archaeological methods and theory, but they often overlook instruction in field safety and well-being. We suggest that more explicit guidance on how to conduct safe fieldwork will improve the overall success of student-led projects and prepare students to direct safe and successful fieldwork programs as professionals. In this article, we draw on the experiences of current and recent graduate students as well as professors who have overseen graduate fieldwork to outline key considerations in improving field safety and well-being and to offer recommendations for specific training and safety protocols. In devising these considerations and recommendations, we have referenced both domestic and international field projects, as well as those involving community collaboration.
Mitigating Chronic Diseases during Archaeological Fieldwork
Authors: Klehm Carla , Hildebrand Elisabeth , Meyers Maureen S.
Published: March 2021

Chronic diseases and preexisting conditions shape daily life for many archaeologists both in and out of the field. Chronic issues, however, can be overlooked in safety planning, which more often focuses on emergency situations because they are considered mundane, or they are imperceptible to project directors and crews until a serious problem arises. This article focuses on asthma, diabetes, and depression as common medical conditions that impact otherwise healthy archaeologists during fieldwork, with the goal of raising awareness of these conditions in particular, and the need to be more attentive to chronic diseases in general. Archaeological fieldwork presents novel situations that put those with chronic diseases and preexisting conditions at risk: environmental hazards, remoteness from medical and social resources and networks, lack of group awareness, and varying cultural norms. As a result, if chronic diseases are not attended to properly in the field, they can lead to life-threatening situations. Managing the risk presented by these conditions requires a group culture where team members are aware of issues, as appropriate, and collaborate to mitigate them during fieldwork. Descriptions of how chronic diseases affect archaeologists in the field are followed by “best practice” recommendations for self-management and for group leaders.
The End of Cornucopia: Party Financing after the Great Recession
Authors: Ignazi Piero , Fiorelli Chiara
Published: March 2021

This article investigates the dimension and evolution of the financing of political parties. It focuses on 28 parties in the five major European countries (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain), analysing the parties’ budgets from 2002 to 2016. The article's assessment shows that the availability of funds increased until the beginning of the Great Recession (2008), and then decreased, mainly due to a decline in public support for parties. Diminished state generosity has led parties to look for different sources of financing: the article shows the proportion of self-funding resources in terms of membership fees and private donations that has sustained the parties’ finances. Finally the article presents a model that helps to explain the shrinking of parties’ income by including parties’ ideological alignment, electoral outcome, presence in government and share of public financing, and countries’ public spending and GDP level, to investigate the plausible causes of the reduction of parties’ income.
Clinical outcomes and risk factors for mortality from ventilator-associated events: A registry-based cohort study among 30,830 intensive care unit patients
Authors: Zhu Shichao , Wang Wen , Kang Yan , He Qiao , Zhang Hui , Deng Yuhua , Cai Lin , Zhang Rui , Sun Xin , Zong Zhiyong
Published: March 2021

Objective:

To investigate the clinical impact of ventilator-associated events (VAEs) on adverse prognoses and risk factors for mortality among intensive care unit (ICU) patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) based on an ICU healthcare-associated infection (ICU-HAI) registry.

Design:

A cohort study was conducted based on an ICU-HAI registry including 30,830 patients between 2015 and 2018.

Setting:

The study was conducted using data from 5 adult ICUs of a referral hospital.

Patients:

Adult patients in the ICU-HAI registry who received ≥4 consecutive IMV days.

Methods:

Clinical outcomes and mortality risk factors for VAEs were analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM), multivariate regression models, and sensitivity analyses.

Results:

Of 6,426 included patients, 1,803 developed 1,899 VAEs. After PSM, patients with VAEs did have prolonged length of stay in the ICU and in the hospital, increased hospitalization costs, longer days on mechanical ventilation, higher proportion of ≥9 days on mechanical ventilation, higher rate of failure in extubating mechanical ventilation, and excess all-cause mortality in the ICU. Older age (adjusted OR [aOR], 1.02), higher APACHE II score on ICU admission (aOR, 1.06), pneumonia (aOR, 1.49), blood transfusion (aOR 1.43), immunosuppressive drugs (aOR, 1.69), central-line catheter (aOR, 2.06), and ≥2 VAEs in the ICU (aOR, 1.99) were associated with higher risks for all-cause mortality in an ICU.

Conclusions:

Patients with VAEs indeed had poorer clinical outcomes. Older age, higher APACHE II score on ICU admission, pneumonia, blood transfusion, immunosuppressive drugs, central-line catheter, and ≥2 VAEs in the ICU were risk factors for all-cause mortality of VAE patients in the ICU.
Immunities and Criminal Proceedings (Equatorial Guinea v. France) (I.C.J.)
Authors: Kovács Péter
Published: March 2021

On December 11, 2020, the International Court of Justice (ICJ or Court) delivered by majority its judgment on the merits of the litigation between Equatorial Guinea and France concerning the legal status of a building at 42 Avenue Foch, situated in Paris, in the very elegant 16th district, close to the Arc de Triomphe (Place de l'Étoile/Place Charles de Gaulle).
Eating context and ultraprocessed food consumption among UK adolescents
Authors: Rauber F. , Martins C. A. , Azeredo C. M. , Leffa P. S. , Louzada M. L. C. , Levy R. B.
Published: March 2021

We aimed to evaluate the association between eating context patterns and ultraprocessed food consumption at two main meal occasions in a representative sample of UK adolescents. Data were acquired from 4-d food records of adolescents aged 11–18 years, who participated in the 2014–2016 UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (n 542). The eating context was assessed considering the location of the meal (lunch and dinner) occasion, the individuals present, whether the television was on and if the food was consumed at a table. Ultraprocessed foods were identified using the NOVA classification. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify eating context patterns for lunch and dinner. Linear regression models adjusted for the covariates were utilised to test the association between eating context patterns and the proportion of total daily energy intake derived from ultraprocessed foods. Their contribution was about 67 % to energy intake. Three patterns were retained for lunch (‘At school with friends’, ‘TV during family meal’ and ‘Out-of-home (no school)’), and three patterns were retained for dinner (‘Watching TV alone in the bedroom’, ‘TV during family meal’ and ‘Out-of-home with friends’). At lunch, there was no significant association between any of the three patterns and ultraprocessed food consumption. At dinner, the patterns ‘Watching TV alone in the bedroom’ (coefficient: 4·95; 95 % CI 1·87, 8·03) and ‘Out-of-home with friends’ (coefficient: 3·13; 95 % CI 0·21, 6·14) were associated with higher consumption of ultraprocessed food. Our findings suggest a potential relationship between the immediate eating context and ultraprocessed food consumption by UK adolescents.
Infectivity of entomopathogenic nematodes against the legume pod-borer, Maruca vitrata Fabricius, infesting pigeon pea
Authors: Pervez R. , Rao U.
Published: March 2021

The legume pod-borer, Maruca vitrata Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) (LPB), is an important insect pest of pigeon pea. Chemical pesticides are generally employed to manage this pest, but because of the soil residue issues and other environmental hazards associated with their use, biopesticides are also in demand. Another benign alternative is to use entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) to manage this vital pest. In the present study, the infectivity of ten native EPNs was evaluated against LPB by assessing their penetration and production in the LPB. The effectiveness of the promising EPNs against second-, third- and fourth-instar LPB larvae was also studied. Heterorhabditis sp. (Indian Agricultural Research Institute-Entomopathogenic Nematodes Rashid Pervez (IARI-EPN RP) 06) and Oscheius sp. (IARI-EPN RP 08) were found to be most pathogenic to LPB, resulting in about 100% mortality within 72 h, followed by Steinernema sp. (IARI-EPN RP 03 and 09). Oscheius sp. (IARI-EPN RP 04) was found to be the least pathogenic to LPB larva with 67% mortality. Maximum penetration was exhibited by Heterorhabditis sp. (IARI-EPN RP 06) followed by Oscheius sp. (IARI-EPN RP 08), whereas the lowest rate of penetration was exhibited by Oscheius sp. (IARI-EPN RP 01). The highest rate of production was observed with Oscheius sp. (IARI-EPN RP 08), followed by Oscheius sp. (IARI-EPN RP 04 and 10). Among the tested instars of the LPB larvae, second-instar larvae were more susceptible to EPNs, followed by third- and fourth-instar larvae. The results indicate that Heterorhabditis sp. (IARI-EPN RP 06) and Oscheius sp. (IARI-EPN RP 08) have a good potential to the manage LPB.
Reproductive biology of the scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) in the central-eastern Pacific Ocean
Authors: Estupiñán-Montaño Colombo , Carrera-Fernández Maribel , Galván-Magaña Felipe
Published: March 2021

There are limited data regarding the reproductive biology of the scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) in Ecuadorian waters, which limits the development of appropriate management measures of its populations. A total of 1664 S. lewini specimens were recorded in Manta, Ecuador in 2003–2009. Specimens were caught by local commercial fisheries and measured between 50–310 cm total length (TL). Females were more frequently caught, with a sex ratio of 1M:1.8F. The median size at maturity was 178.1 cm TL for males and 219.4 cm TL for females, which was larger compared with other localities. Gravid females, which measured 246–298 cm TL, contained 16–22 embryos. Embryos, which were observed from October–July, measured between 11.1–54.6 cm TL and the available data agreed with a gestation period of 10–11 months that starts in September and ends in June/July. Size at birth was 47–55 cm TL. Sampling data indicated that most fishing activity occurred in nearshore and around seamounts in the central-eastern Pacific Ocean, with much of the landed catch comprising immature individuals. This study documents the reproductive biology of S. lewini in the central-eastern Pacific Ocean and provides additional information to improve management and conservation measures for this species.
Older parents and filial support obligations: a comparison of family solidarity norms between native and immigrant populations in Italy
Authors: Albertini Marco , Mantovani Debora
Published: March 2021

Although older migrants in Southern Europe are increasing in number, relatively little attention has been paid to their care needs and resources. The availability of informal care is an important determinant of wellbeing in later life and norms regulating filial obligations have an important role in affecting the quality and quantity of support received. Using data from a qualitative survey conducted in Italy, this article sheds light on the social norms regulating filial obligations towards older parents among natives and three groups of immigrants: Maghrebis, Chinese and Filipinos. The results indicate a number of commonalities between the four different groups considered, such as: the principle of delayed reciprocity at the basis of filial support obligations; a gender bias in attributing the most psychologically, physically and time-demanding caring obligations to adult daughters and daughters-in-law; and a preference for intergenerational residential autonomy shared by Italian, Filipinos and, to a lesser extent, Maghrebi respondents. At the same time, numerous differences emerge between natives and immigrants, and between immigrant groups. The most significant differences are observed regarding: the possibility of resorting to a paid care-giver, which is more common among Italians and, to a lesser extent, Filipino respondents; and a stronger gender bias among the Chinese and Maghrebi groups, i.e. they attribute the majority of personal care responsibilities to daughters and daughters-in-law.
Analysis of the early COVID-19 epidemic curve in Germany by regression models with change points
Authors: Küchenhoff Helmut , Günther Felix , Höhle Michael , Bender Andreas
Published: March 2021

We analysed the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic curve from March to the end of April 2020 in Germany. We use statistical models to estimate the number of cases with disease onset on a given day and use back-projection techniques to obtain the number of new infections per day. The respective time series are analysed by a trend regression model with change points. The change points are estimated directly from the data. We carry out the analysis for the whole of Germany and the federal state of Bavaria, where we have more detailed data. Both analyses show a major change between 9 and 13 March for the time series of infections: from a strong increase to a decrease. Another change was found between 25 March and 29 March, where the decline intensified. Furthermore, we perform an analysis stratified by age. A main result is a delayed course of the pandemic for the age group 80 + resulting in a turning point at the end of March. Our results differ from those by other authors as we take into account the reporting delay, which turned out to be time dependent and therefore changes the structure of the epidemic curve compared to the curve of newly reported cases.
No Right to Be Wrong: What Americans Think about Civil-Military Relations
Authors: Krebs Ronald R. , Ralston Robert , Rapport Aaron
Published: March 2021

An influential model of democratic civil-military relations insists that civilian politicians and officials, accountable to the public, have “the right to be wrong” about the use of force: they, not senior military officers, decide when force will be used and set military strategy. While polls have routinely asked about Americans’ trust in the military, they have rarely probed deeply into Americans’ views of civil-military relations. We report and analyze the results of a June 2019 survey that yields two important, and troubling, findings. First, Americans do not accept the basic premises of democratic civil-military relations. They are extraordinarily deferential to the military’s judgment regarding when to use military force, and they are comfortable with high-ranking officers intervening in public debates over policy. Second, in this polarized age, Americans’ views of civil-military relations are not immune to partisanship. Consequently, with their man in the Oval Office in June 2019, Republicans—who, as political conservatives, might be expected to be more deferential to the military—were actually less so. And Democrats, similarly putting ideology aside, wanted the military to act as a check on a president they abhorred. The stakes are high: democracy is weakened when civilians relinquish their “right to be wrong.”
Strong Aerosol Effects on Cloud Amount Based on Long‐Term Satellite Observations Over the East Coast of the United States
Authors: Cao Yang , Wang Minghuai , Rosenfeld Daniel , Zhu Yannian , Liang Yuan , Liu Zhoukun , Bai Heming
Published: March 2021

Here, we use 16‐year satellite and reanalysis data in combination with a multivariate regression model to investigate how aerosols affect cloud fraction (CF) over the East Coast of the United States. Cloud droplet number concentrations (Nd), cloud geometrical thickness, lower tropospheric stability, and relative humidity at 950 hPa (RH950) are identified as major cloud controlling parameters that explain 97% of the variability in CF. Nd is shown to play an important role in regulating the dependence of CF on RH950. The observed annual‐mean CF shows no significant trend due to the cancellation from the opposite trends in Nd and RH950. The multivariate regression model revealed that the decline in Nd alone would lead to about a 20% relative decline in CF. Our results indicate the significant aerosol effects on CF and suggest the need to account for pollution‐induced cloud changes in quantifying cloud feedback based on long‐term observations.
The Prominent Spring Bloom and Its Relation to Sea‐Ice Melt in the Sea of Okhotsk, Revealed by Profiling Floats
Authors: Kishi S. , Ohshima K. I. , Nishioka J. , Isshiki N. , Nihashi S. , Riser S. C.
Published: March 2021

Seven profiling floats equipped with oxygen sensors deployed in the Sea of Okhotsk provide time series data for 33 cases of spring phytoplankton bloom period, including 9 cases in which sea ice existed just before the bloom (prior‐ice case). As an index of biological productivity, we calculated net community production (NCP) based on the increasing oxygen rate using the Redfield ratio. The total NCP in the euphotic layer averaged for prior‐ice cases is 31.3 mmolC m−2 day−1), ∼3 times higher than that of non‐ice cases. In addition to intensification of surface stratification, other factors of sea‐ice melt likely enhance the bloom. The influence of sea‐ice melt is particularly large in the southwestern region, where the iron availability likely limits phytoplankton growth. A suggested scenario is that when the sea ice containing sediment/iron is transported from the northern shelves, a prominent bloom is induced via the iron supply by sea‐ice melt.
Large‐Scale Conditions for the Record‐Setting Southern California Marine Heatwave of August 2018
Authors: Wei Xinyue , Li Kai‐Yuan , Kilpatrick Thomas , Wang Minyang , Xie Shang‐Ping
Published: March 2021

In early August 2018, a record‐setting marine heatwave (MHW) occurred along the coast of Southern and Baja California. Water temperature at Scripps Pier rose to 26.4°C, the highest in 102 years of measurements. This paper investigates the large‐scale ocean‐atmospheric conditions for this Southern California MHW event. This intense and sustained event is the result of the superposition of “weather” timescale warming by a coastal wind relaxation and intraseasonal warming by coastally trapped waves. For weather‐scale warming, climatological upwelling was weakened by a wind relaxation, due to anomalous offshore low pressure associated with passing tropical cyclones John and Kristy. For intraseasonal warming, the upwelling was inhibited and the thermocline was deepened by poleward‐propagating coastally trapped waves, which provided a slow warming background. The mixed layer heat budget analysis indicates that the reduced upwelling and deepened thermocline are the major cause of the MHW.
Improving the MJO Forecast of S2S Operation Models by Correcting Their Biases in Linear Dynamics
Authors: Wu Jie , Jin Fei‐Fei
Published: March 2021

The operational dynamic subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) models for Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) forecasting mostly still suffer from systematic errors in capturing the MJO's key dynamic features, such as its growth rate and propagation speed. By deriving the linear dynamic operators using the linear inverse modeling (LIM) approach, we propose a method to partly correct the errors in MJO linear dynamic operators to improve the MJO predictions of three operational dynamic S2S models. Correcting the deficiencies of the too‐fast decay rates and the unrealistic propagating phase speeds lead to MJO prediction skills being extended by approximately 2–4 days. The improvements are more significant for the models with larger biases in MJO amplitude and propagation. This approach in principle may be extendable to predictions of other types of climate variability such as ENSO on one hand, and possible inclusions of nonlinear dynamics effects on the other hand.
Was Gale Crater (Mars) Connected to a Regionally Extensive Groundwater System?
Authors: Roseborough V. , Horvath D. G. , Palucis M. C.
Published: March 2021

Gale crater, home of the Curiosity rover, contains some of the best geomorphic and sedimentologic evidence on Mars for large lakes during the Hesperian and Amazonian. Orbital data and rover observations of delta deposits and terminations of gully networks suggest several phases of stable lake levels. However, the regional extent, water source (groundwater vs. surface water), and climate during each lake stand are debated. Consistent gully network termination elevations (GNTEs) within Gale and 17 regional craters suggest that GNTEs record paleolake levels. Hydrologic modeling indicates these lakes may have been coeval and the result of a regional groundwater table, recording a drying trend from subhumid conditions to semiarid conditions. Crater counting indicates that most lake‐hosting craters impacted after ∼3.7 Ga and surface water persisted intermittently until the Early Amazonian, constraining the timing but not duration of lakes. This work has implications for understanding water sources and volumes affecting sediments investigated by Curiosity.
How Does the North Atlantic SST Pattern Respond to Anthropogenic Aerosols in the 1970s and 2000s?
Authors: Fiedler S. , Putrasahan D.
Published: March 2021

We show how changes in the global distribution of anthropogenic aerosols favor different spatial patterns in the North Atlantic sea‐surface temperature (NASST). The NASSTs largely show the expected decrease associated with the anthropogenic aerosols in the 1970s, but also an unusual warming response in the eastern sub‐polar gyre, the region of the North Atlantic warming hole. The NASST response reversed for the anthropogenic aerosols in the 2000s against 1970s. The regional reduction in anthropogenic aerosols favored as follows: (1) a strengthening of the warming hole and (2) a NASST increase at high latitudes associated with changes in the coupled atmosphere‐ocean dynamics. We found that the gyre component of the northward Atlantic heat transport in mid‐to high latitudes is an important driver for the heat convergence associated with the NASST patterns. At least two‐thirds of the NASST response in MPI‐ESM1.2 is associated with aerosol‐cloud interactions, highlighting the need to better understand them.
Globally Correlated Ground Magnetic Disturbances During Substorms
Authors: Ohtani Shinichi , Imajo Shun , Nakamizo Aoi , Gjerloev Jesper W.
Published: March 2021

We observationally address substorm‐related ground magnetic disturbances in terms of the substorm current wedge (SCW) system. The study consists of three data analyses, which approach different aspects of this subject. First, by comparing nightside magnetic disturbances below and above the ionosphere, we confirm that substorm‐related midlatitude magnetic disturbances around the edges of the SCW can be attributed to a remote current system (i.e., SCW) rather than to a local ionospheric current. Second, we statistically examine the magnetic local time (MLT) distributions of the correlation between midlatitude magnetic variations and the nightside westward auroral electrojet (AEJ). We confirm that nightside magnetic disturbances are consistent with the SCW, and find that correlated magnetic variations extend to the midday sector. Finally, we introduce midlatitude and high‐latitude geomagnetic indices for each MLT quadrant, and find that their variations are often correlated with the nightside AEJ intensity. From the magnitude of the correlated variations it is inferred that midday magnetic disturbances at both midlatitudes and high latitudes are remote effects of the SCW. In the dawn‐sector and dusk‐sector auroral zone, in contrast, correlated magnetic disturbances can be attributed mostly to the global enhancement of AEJs, which suggests that the global region‐1 system also changes in correlation with the nightside westward AEJ during substorms. These results consistently indicate that ground magnetic disturbances are correlated globally with the substorm westward AEJ. In contrast, the geomagnetic effect of midlatitude ionospheric currents must be relatively small not only on the night side but also on the day side.
Potassium Isotope Fractionation During Magmatic Differentiation and the Composition of the Mantle
Authors: Hu Yan , Teng Fang‐Zhen , Helz Rosalind T. , Chauvel Catherine
Published: March 2021

Stable potassium (K) isotopes are emerging as tracers of terrestrial recycling and planetary processes. These applications require well‐defined K isotopic compositions for the mantle and the bulk silicate Earth (BSE). Both values are determined primarily by basalts formed via partial melting of the mantle. Basaltic melts experience igneous differentiation before reaching the surface, which may alter their isotopic compositions compared to their mantle sources. This study investigates K isotope fractionation during the differentiation and solidification of the Kilauea Iki lava lake, Hawaii, for which crystallization and thermal histories are well documented. High‐precision K isotopic ratios (δ41K) are measured in 13 Kilauea Iki samples that cover its complete differentiation history, ranging from olivine‐rich, high‐MgO cumulates to increasingly differentiated, MgO‐depleted samples. The limited δ41K range of −0.42 to −0.37‰ in all but one sample reveals no analytically resolvable fractionation across diverse bulk compositions, even though their bulk MgO contents varied from 26.9 to 2.37 wt.%. The lack of K isotopic fractionation is consistent with an absence of K‐rich minerals in the crystallizing assemblage, where only plagioclase can accommodate a small amount of K. A highly differentiated vein displays the lowest δ41K of −0.47‰ among the Kilauea Iki suite, which is consistent with our modeling calculations that suggest measurable K isotope fractionation at more advanced magmatic differentiation stages. Combining our new results with literature data, we propose an average δ41K of −0.42 ± 0.08‰ (2SD) for the pristine mantle and of −0.42 ± 0.07‰ (2SD) for the BSE.
Enrichment of Trace Metals (V, Cu, Co, Ni, and Mo) in Arctic Sediments—From Siberian Arctic Shelves to the Basin
Authors: Li Li , Wang Xiaojing , Ren Yijun , Su Huaqiang , Hu Limin , Yang Gang , Li Zhongqiao , Bosin Aleksandr A. , Astakhov Anatolii S. , Chen Jianfang , Liu Yanguang , Shi Xuefa
Published: March 2021

With 50% of the Arctic Ocean is consisted of continental shelves, extensive shelf‐basin exchange processes exist here and plays a key role in regulating the biogeochemical recycling process of trace metals in the Arctic region. In this study, short sediment cores were collected along three transects from Siberian‐Chukchi shelves to adjacent slope/basin areas. An increasing trend was found for the bulk concentrations of several metals (V, Cu, Co, Ni, and Mo) from shelf to slope/basin cores with increasing water depth. Sequential extraction experiments indicated that the Fe/Mn oxide fractions increased significantly from shelf (9%–21%) to basin cores (24%–76%) for Cu, Co, Ni, and V, while the organic/sulfide phase remained significant (∼40%) for Mo. In addition, the observed dissolved metal concentrations in porewater indicated the remobilization of Fe, Mn, and Mo from shelf sediment, while V was always removed from water to the sediment, both on the shelf or in the slope/basin. Overall, in combination with the statistical analysis, we proposed that metals are transported from shelves to the central Arctic and are scavenged mainly by Mn oxides from the water column, which results in the enrichment of metals in slope/basin sediment. With the climate change, such transport and accumulation mechanism may be intensified over time, slowly leading the Arctic sediment to be a more and more important sink for those metals.
Estimating the Impacts of Radiation Belt Electrons on Atmospheric Chemistry Using FIREBIRD II and Van Allen Probes Observations
Authors: Duderstadt K. A. , Huang C.‐L. , Spence H. E. , Smith S. , Blake J. B. , Crew A. B. , Johnson A. T. , Klumpar D. M. , Marsh D. R. , Sample J. G. , Shumko M. , Vitt F. M.
Published: March 2021

This study considers the impact of electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts on atmospheric composition using observations from the NASA Van Allen Probes and NSF Focused Investigations of Relativistic Electron Burst Intensity, Range, and Dynamics (FIREBIRD II) CubeSats. Ratios of electron flux between the Van Allen Probes (in near‐equatorial orbit in the radiation belts) and FIREBIRD II (in polar low Earth orbit) during spacecraft conjunctions (2015–2017) allow an estimate of precipitation into the atmosphere. Total Radiation Belt Electron Content, calculated from Van Allen Probes RBSP‐ECT MagEIS data, identifies a sustained 10‐day electron loss event in March 2013 that serves as an initial case study. Atmospheric ionization profiles, calculated by integrating monoenergetic ionization rates across the precipitating electron flux spectrum, provide input to the NCAR Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model in order to quantify enhancements of atmospheric HOx and NOx and subsequent destruction of O3 in the middle atmosphere. Results suggest that current APEEP parameterizations of radiation belt electrons used in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project may underestimate the duration of events as well as higher energy electron contributions to atmospheric ionization and modeled NOx concentrations in the mesosphere and upper stratosphere.
New Particle Formation and Growth to Climate‐Relevant Aerosols at a Background Remote Site in the Western Himalaya
Authors: Sebastian Mathew , Kanawade Vijay P. , Soni Vijay K. , Asmi Eija , Westervelt Daniel. M. , Vakkari Ville , Hyvärinen Antti‐Pekka , Pierce Jeffrey R. , Hooda Rakesh K.
Published: March 2021

New particle formation (NPF) can influence the Earth's radiative budget when the newly formed particles grow to climate‐relevant sizes. Here, we present analysis of 21 months of continuous aerosol size distribution measurements at a background remote site in the western Himalaya and provide observational evidence that newly formed particles grow to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)‐active sizes (i.e., >20–100 nm in diameter). Out of total 55 NPF events, 38 (66%) events occurred in the pre‐monsoon season (March–May). NPF events were classified into those with and without pollution influence as polluted and cleaner, respectively, using black carbon data. The analysis of air mass age, based on the ratio of number concentration of Aitken to accumulation mode aerosols, indicated that NPF occurred in the relatively cleaner air masses reaching to the site. The median formation rate of 10 nm particles and particle growth rates for cleaner events were three‐fold and two‐fold, respectively, higher than polluted events. We present the first estimates of the survival probability of newly formed particles to 50 and 100 nm size, which was not attempted in an Indian environment previously. The survival probability to 50 nm particles ranged from 44% to 98%, with a mean and standard deviation of 82 ± 18%. On average, ∼60% of the particles surviving to 50 nm survived to 100 nm, making the overall survival probability of 100 nm to 53 ± 31%. This indicates that the probability of nucleated particles growing to CCN‐active sizes under a large source of condensing vapor (transported from nearby lower‐altitude regions) and low pre‐existing particle concentrations (background mountain site) is high compared to the previous studies. These findings highlight the importance of the efficiency of nucleation events for producing CCN, which is a critical basis of aerosol indirect effects.
Modeling Ammonia and Its Uptake by Secondary Organic Aerosol Over China
Authors: Wu Kai , Zhu Shupeng , Liu Yiming , Wang Haolin , Yang Xianyu , Liu Lei , Dabdub Donald , Cappa Christopher D.
Published: March 2021

Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) can affect nitrogen deposition, particle acidity, and gas‐particle partitioning. Although the inorganic chemistry of NH3 in fine particulate (PM2.5) formation are well‐constrained, the understanding of interactions between NH3 and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) are rather insufficient until recently. Laboratory studies indicate that NH3 molecule can react with SOA then forms nitrogen‐containing organic compounds (NOCs), which can further react to form heterocyclic organic compounds. In this study, we use a modified version of the CMAQ model to simulate the potential importance of the SOA‐ammonia uptake mechanism on air quality over China in summer and winter 2017, considering a range of assumed NH3 uptake coefficients (10−3–10−5). Our results show that uptake of NH3 by SOA leads to a decrease in gas‐phase NH3 mixing ratio, by as much as 27.5% and 19.0% for the highest uptake coefficient scenario (10−3) in summer and winter, respectively. The largest reduction of ammonia occurs over the Sichuan Basin and the North China Plain. The reduction of gas‐phase NH3 engenders a decrease of ammonium nitrate, by up to 30%, but has little impact on the ammonium sulfate concentration. Uptake of NH3 does not significantly affect SOA concentrations owing to overall moderate changes in aerosol acidity, and thus small effects on SOA formation from isoprene. Altogether, NH3 uptake led to a reduction in the average PM2.5 concentration up to 8.9% and 8.7% for the highest uptake coefficient (10−3) in summer and winter, respectively. These results highlight the need for better constraints on the NH3‐SOA interactions.
Application of Symmetric Instability Parameterization in the Coastal and Regional Ocean Community Model (CROCO)
Authors: Dong Jihai , Fox‐Kemper Baylor , Zhu Jinxuan , Dong Changming
Published: March 2021

As one kind of submesoscale instability, symmetric instability (SI) of the ocean surface mixed layer (SML) plays a significant role in modulating the SML energetics and material transport. The small spatial scales of SI, O(10 m–1 km), are not resolved by current climate ocean models and most regional models. This study describes comparisons in an idealized configuration of the SI parameterization scheme proposed by Bachman et al. (2017, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2016.12.003) (SI‐parameterized) versus the K‐Profile Parameterization scheme (SI‐neglected) as compared to a SI‐permitting model; all variants use the Coastal and Regional Ocean Community Model version of the Regional Ocean Modeling System and this study also serves to introduce the SI parameterization in that model. In both the SI‐parameterized and SI‐permitting models, the geostrophic shear production is enhanced and anticyclonic potential vorticity is reduced versus the SI‐neglected model. A comprehensive comparison of the energetics (geostrophic shear production, vertical buoyancy flux), mixed layer thickness, potential vorticity, and tracer redistribution indicate that all these variables in the SI‐parameterized case have structures closer to the SI‐permitting case in contrast to the SI‐neglected one, demonstrating that the SI scheme qualitatively improves representation of the impacts of SI. This work builds toward applying the SI scheme in a realistic regional or climate model.
Numerical Analysis of the Effect of Subgrid Variability in a Physically Based Hydrological Model on Runoff, Soil Moisture, and Slope Stability
Authors: Leonarduzzi E. , Maxwell R. M. , Mirus B. B. , Molnar P.
Published: March 2021

In coarse resolution hydrological modeling, we face the problem of subgrid variability, the effects of which are difficult to express and are often hidden in the parameterization and calibration. We present a numerical experiment with the physically based hydrological model ParFlow‐CLM with which we quantify the effect of subgrid heterogeneities in headwater catchments within the cell size typically used for regional hydrological applications. We simulate homogeneous domains and domains with subgrid heterogeneities in topography or soil thickness for two climates and soil types. The presence of side slope is the main error source, leading to large underestimation of runoff, and marginally also of evapotranspiration. The spatial distribution of soil saturation in the presence of subgrid variability in topography also leads to underestimation of landslide risk. Soil thickness is the second influential subgrid property, affecting soil moisture distribution and surface runoff formation. Results are consistent for the climates and the soil types considered. The topographic wetness index approach is tested as a way to downscale soil moisture simulations within the domain. Although this method is successful in reproducing some spatial variability and patterns, it fails when the coarse grid mean soil saturation is inaccurate or subgrid topography does not represent subsurface flow paths accurately. We conclude that ignoring subgrid variability in topography and soil thickness in coarse‐scale hydrological models may lead locally to underestimation of runoff and slope instability. Users of such models should be aware of these biases and consider ways to include subgrid effects in coarse‐scale hydrological predictions.
A Dynamic and Fully Implicit Non‐Isothermal, Two‐Phase, Two‐Component Pore‐Network Model Coupled to Single‐Phase Free Flow for the Pore‐Scale Description of Evaporation Processes
Authors: Weishaupt K. , Helmig R.
Published: March 2021

We couple a dynamic, fully implicit non‐isothermal two‐phase, two‐component pore‐network model (PNM) to a free‐flow domain where the single‐phase flow Navier‐Stokes equations with component and energy transport are solved. A monolithic coupling scheme guarantees the conservation of mass, momentum and energy across the coupling interface and allows solving the system without any coupling iterations. We present a numerical example and show that the model is able to temporally resolve the pore‐local flow and transport dynamics of an evaporation process.
Statistical Investigation of the Frequency Dependence of the Chorus Source Mechanism of Plasmaspheric Hiss
Authors: Meredith Nigel P. , Bortnik Jacob , Horne Richard B. , Li Wen , Shen Xiao‐Chen
Published: March 2021

We use data from eight satellites to statistically examine the role of chorus as a potential source of plasmaspheric hiss. We find that the strong equatorial (|λm| < 6°) chorus wave power in the frequency range 50 < f < 200 Hz does not extend to high latitudes in any magnetic local time sector and is unlikely to be the source of the low frequency plasmaspheric hiss in this frequency range. In contrast, strong equatorial chorus wave power in the medium frequency range 200 < f < 2,000 Hz is observed to extend to high latitudes and low altitudes in the pre‐noon sector, consistent with ray tracing modeling from a chorus source and supporting the chorus to hiss generation mechanism. At higher frequencies, chorus may contribute to the weak plasmaspheric hiss seen on the dayside in the frequency range 2,000 < f < 3,000 Hz band but is not responsible for the weak plasmaspheric hiss on the nightside in the frequency range 3,000 < f < 4,000 Hz.
Calcium channel α2δ1 subunit is a functional marker and therapeutic target for tumor-initiating cells in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Ma Yuanyuan , Yang Xiaodan , Zhao Wei , Yang Yue , Zhang Zhiqian
Published: March 2021

It is hypothesized that tumor-initiating cells (TICs) with stem cell-like properties constitute a sustaining force to drive tumor growth and renew fully established malignancy. However, the identification of such a population in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) has been hindered by the lacking of reliable surface markers, and very few of the currently available surface markers are of functional significance. Here, we demonstrate that a subpopulation of TICs could be specifically defined by the voltage-gated calcium channel α2δ1 subunit from non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines and clinical specimens. The α2δ1+ NSCLC TICs are refractory to conventional chemotherapy, and own stem cell-like properties such as self-renewal, and the ability to generate heterogeneous tumors in NOD/SCID mice. Moreover, α2δ1+ NSCLC cells are more enriched for TICs than CD133+, or CD166+ cells. Interestingly, α2δ1 is functionally sufficient and indispensable to promote TIC properties by mediating Ca2+ influx into cells, which subsequently activate Calcineurin/NFATc2 signaling that directly activates the expression of NOTCH3, ABCG2. Importantly, a specific antibody against α2δ1 has remarkably therapeutic effects on NSCLC xenografts by eradicating TICs. Hence, targeting α2δ1 to prevent calcium influx provides a novel strategy for targeted therapy against TICs of NSCLC.
Association of sleep disorders with subfoveal choroidal thickness in preschool children
Authors: Shen Shiya , Li Xiaoxiao , Li Rui , Huang Dan , Zhao Xiaoyan , Zhang Xiaohan , Hao Qingfeng , Sun Qigang , Tong Haohai , Zheng Xinyu , Cao Yelongzi , Liu Shuning , Zhu Hui , Liu Hu
Published: March 2021

Objective

To explore the association between sleep disorders and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in preschool children.

Methods

In this population-based cross-sectional study, children aged 60–72 months were measured for SFCT using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and for sleep disorders using the Chinese version of Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between sleep disorders and SFCT.

Results

A total of 1337 children (mean (SD) age: 66.88 (3.41) months) were included in the analyses. In multivariable linear analysis, a higher total CSHQ score (indicating higher likelihood of sleep disorders) was associated with a thinner subfoveal choroid (beta, −0.070; 95% CI, −0.141 to −0.001; P = 0.046). When each of eight CSHQ subscale scores was analysed by the multivariable model, only the Daytime Sleepiness subscale score was negatively associated with the SFCT (beta, −0.115; 95% CI, −0.183 to −0.046; P = 0.001). The children with clinically significant daytime sleepiness (n = 364, 27.2%) had significantly thinner subfoveal choroid than other children (295.47 vs. 308.52 μm, P = 0.007).

Conclusions

Only daytime sleepiness was significantly associated with SFCT in preschool children in this study. The potential relationship between sleep disorders during childhood and children’s ocular development needs further research.
Overcoming the design, build, test bottleneck for synthesis of nonrepetitive protein-RNA cassettes
Authors: Katz Noa , Tripto Eitamar , Granik Naor , Goldberg Sarah , Atar Orna , Yakhini Zohar , Orenstein Yaron , Amit Roee
Published: March 2021

We apply an oligo-library and machine learning-approach to characterize the sequence and structural determinants of binding of the phage coat proteins (CPs) of bacteriophages MS2 (MCP), PP7 (PCP), and Qβ (QCP) to RNA. Using the oligo library, we generate thousands of candidate binding sites for each CP, and screen for binding using a high-throughput dose-response Sort-seq assay (iSort-seq). We then apply a neural network to expand this space of binding sites, which allowed us to identify the critical structural and sequence features for binding of each CP. To verify our model and experimental findings, we design several non-repetitive binding site cassettes and validate their functionality in mammalian cells. We find that the binding of each CP to RNA is characterized by a unique space of sequence and structural determinants, thus providing a more complete description of CP-RNA interaction as compared with previous low-throughput findings. Finally, based on the binding spaces we demonstrate a computational tool for the successful design and rapid synthesis of functional non-repetitive binding-site cassettes.