bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Material Fantasies
Authors: Veenis Milena
Published: January 2021

In 1989 news broadcasts all over the world were dominated for weeks by images of East Germans crossing the Berlin Wall to West Germany. But what did the East Germans expect to find when they excitedly broke through the Wall? And what did they actually find when they made it over to the other side? This study draws on fifteen months of research into both the lives of East Germans before the fall of communism and their fast-changing world after they embraced capitalism. Grounded in powerful anthropological insights, Milena Veenis argues persuasively that national identifications and the bond between state and citizenry in both East and West Germany over the past twenty years has been shaped by the far-fetched, socialist and capitalist promises of consumption as the road to ultimate well-being. These promises also functioned as a way to cover up the more shameful and dirty aspects of both countries history and social life.
Dynamics of Power in Dutch Integration Politics
Authors: Uitermark Justus
Published: January 2021

Integration politics in the Netherlands has changed dramatically between 1990 and 2005. Whereas ethnic and religious differences were hitherto pacified through accommodation, a new and increasingly powerful current in Dutch politics problematizes-the presence of minorities. This development represents a challenge to sociologists and political scientists: how to map and explain drastic changes? Arguing that extant approaches are better at explaining continuity than change,-this book-develops a distinct approach to the study of dynamic power relations to understand drastic transformations in the national debate as well as urban governance.
Australia—Anti-Dumping Measures on A4 Copy Paper
Authors: Zhou Weihuan , Peng Delei
Published: January 2021

The World Trade Organization (WTO) Panel Report inAustralia – Anti-Dumping Measures on A4 Copy Paper(Australia – A4 Copy Paper) marks a significant development of the multilateral rules on anti-dumping. Under certain circumstances, WTO agreements permit members to impose anti-dumping measures to counteract the injurious effect of dumping on domestic industries, typically through import duties. The Report is the first to examine in detail when an anti-dumping authority may determine that a “particular market situation” exists in the country of exportation under Article 2.2 of the WTO Anti-Dumping Agreement, potentially justifying the imposition of elevated remedial duties. The Report also develops the jurisprudence on how such remedies may be calculated, expounding the use of benchmark costs for the calculation of a constructed normal value (CNV) under Article 2.2.1.1. These doctrinal questions are central to the longstanding debate over how far the Anti-Dumping Agreement allows anti-dumping measures against state intervention and market distortions. On both fronts, theAustralia – A4 Copy Paperpanel created flexibilities for WTO members to respond to government-induced distortions. In doing so, the Report deviates considerably from the course set by the Appellate Body in the landmarkEU – Biodieseldecision, which seemed to confine anti-dumping measures to responding to private action. At the same time, the panel left open several important issues relating to the adoption of CNVs and the use of benchmarks for their calculation, leaving wide latitude for investigating authorities to inflate dumping margins in practice.
‘You will build me’: fiscal disobedience, reciprocity and the dangerous negotiations of redistribution on Nairobi'smatatu
Authors: Ference Meghan E.
Published: January 2021

Those who populate the productive frontiers of capitalism are often targets of violence by groups and institutions aiming to poach, control and regulate their economic practices. This article draws on years of ethnographic research conducted with informal transport operators in Nairobi who drive, conduct and own the minibus taxis calledmatatu. In order to navigate the city, this workforce engages in a coordinated but tense economic dance along the dangerous and shifting lines between illegality, work and reciprocity. The article aims to situate the more dangerous and morally ambiguous aspects of the ‘hustle economy’ ethnographically, within the generative and ultimately mobile location of urban transportation infrastructures of thematatusector. Building on the conceptualizations of social infrastructure of AbdouMaliq Simone and Janet Roitman's study of fiscal disobedience, whereby the legitimacy of regulatory authority is questioned and undermined,matatuworkers as infrastructure challenge multiple levels of state and non-state regulation through a variety of practices that blend danger, violence and control with solidarity, reciprocity and redistribution. This article evaluates and analyses distinctive features of ‘hustling’ in Nairobi through the ethnographic lens ofmatatutransportation operators as they navigate dangerous negotiations with the state, the police and vigilante gangs.
Rhythms of the unemployed: making art and making do through spoken word in Kisumu, Kenya
Authors: Unseld Frederik
Published: January 2021

Young people from the low-income settlements in Kenya's third-largest city, Kisumu, struggling with unemployment refer to their efforts to generate a livelihood as ‘hustling’. At the same time, many of them put art (dance, music, poetry) at the centre of their lives. This article attempts to account for the significant popularity of the arts among Kisumu's youth. It understands the ‘way of the artist’ as an alternative interpretation of work and a framework in which people situate their experiences of unemployment, waiting and insecure work. To examine this framework in action, the article follows Janabii, a poet who has been at the centre of attempts to establish a spoken word scene in Kisumu. Janabii has spent several years in limbo, oscillating between glittering performances and a more discreet daily life, marked by functional homelessness and a refusal to surrender to the violence of Kenya's informal world of work. The article contributes to recent studies about hustling by combining an ethnography of a week in Janabii's life with a literary analysis of excerpts from one of his poems, in order to elucidate how his struggles to get by are narrated and stylized through a spoken word, artistic imaginary that interrelates with his everyday life.
LANDMARK EMPIRES: SEARCHING FOR MEDIEVAL EMPIRES AND IMPERIAL TRADITION IN HISTORIOGRAPHIES OF WEST AFRICA
Authors: Collet Hadrien
Published: January 2021

The history of medieval West Africa is defined by the age of three great empires that succeeded one another: Ghāna, Māli, and Songhay. How did these empires come to frame our view of the West African past? To answer the question, we have to understand first how the European and Eurocentric concept of an empire was imposed on a specific African context and why it thrived. In this respect, the case of Sudanic empires in particular illuminates the process of history writing and scholars’ relationship with their time and object of study. In the last few years, Sudanic empires have made a prominent return to the historical conversation. I propose here a critical reflection on ‘empire’ and ‘imperial tradition’ in the western Sahel based on europhone and non-europhone (Arabic) historiographies, from the first histories written in postmedieval West Africa to those produced by twenty-first-century scholarship.
“The Farcical Tragedies of King Richard III”: The Nineteenth-Century Burlesques
Authors: Caputo Nicoletta
Published: January 2021

Unlike other Shakespearean tragedies,King Richard IIIwas never turned into a comedy through the insertion of a happy ending. It did, however, undergo a transformation of dramatic genre, as the numerousRichard IIIburlesques and travesties produced in the nineteenth century plainly show. Eight burlesques (or nine, including a pantomime) were written for and/or performed on the London stage alone. This essay looks at three of these plays, produced at three distinct stages in the history of burlesque's rapid rise and decline: 1823, 1844, and 1868. In focusing on these productions, I demonstrate how Shakespeare burlesques, paradoxically, enhanced rather than endangered the playwright's iconic status.King Richard IIIis a perfect case study because of its peculiar stage history. As Richard Schoch has argued, the burlesque purported to be “an act of theatrical reform which aggressively compensated for the deficiencies of other people'sproductions. . . . [It] claimed to perform not Shakespeare's debasement, but the ironic restoration of his compromised authority.” But this view of the burlesques’ importance is incomplete. Building on Schoch's work, I illustrate how theKing Richard IIIburlesques not only parodied deficient theatricalproductionsbut also called into question dramaticadaptationsof Shakespeare's plays. In so doing, these burlesques paradoxicallyrelegitimizedShakespeare.
How Fast Can Our Horses Go? Measuring the Quality of Positioning Technologies
Authors: Basiri Anahid
Published: January 2021

Whether Henry Ford or someone else gave us this famous quote, ‘If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses’, we may agree that it implies there is a limit to what we can expect from the performance of an existing solution. Science and technology always try to push the boundaries and ‘improve’; improving the quality of our lives or improving the quality of technologies. We, as researchers in the area of navigation, are no exception; we want to improve the quality of navigation services. And there are many ways to do so, and challenges and limitations to those attempts. Some researchers look to improve the accuracy, the reliability, the integrity through different approaches. Some try to reduce or model noise, some try to minimise human error, and some use novel techniques and algorithms for better prediction. Of course, when ‘our horses cannot go any faster’ and there is not much space for improvement for a certain technology or service, researchers may come up with a completely new solution, such as an automobile. Almost all new technologies go through the same exploration period; at the beginning, we want to see how and if it works so we try simple tasks, but then we become more ambitious (or greedier!) and so we introduce it to more difficult challenges until it hits the breaking point. At this point, curious researchers and inventors try to push the boundaries and make the technology better, and if improvement is not possible, they build (invent) a new solution. But what is the ‘quality’ that many of us want to improve? How the quality of a technology or service can be measured in the first place?
Specimens of opportunity provide vital information for research and conservation regarding elusive whale species
Authors: Smith Kerri J. , Mead James G. , Peterson Markus J.
Published: January 2021

Elusive species are challenging to study and conserve because basic elements of their biology may be unknown. Specimens of opportunity provide a means of collecting information on these species and may be critical for elusive species’ conservation. We used snowball sampling to identify Sowerby’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) specimens in museums and research institutions. Snowball sampling proved highly effective: we located 180 specimens from 24 institutions in North America and Europe, 62 of which were not listed in online collections databases, resulting in the largest collated dataset for this species. Analysis of these data resulted in several new findings for this species, including significant morphological variation between specimens from different collection regions, suggesting the presence of previously unidentified population structuring in this species. These data provide critical information regarding this species and demonstrate the effectiveness of specimens of opportunity for elusive species research and conservation. We recommend other researchers consider snowball sampling when designing research projects utilizing specimens of opportunity. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of snowball sampling and specimens of opportunity to elusive species research and conservation, and the methods of our study can be readily adapted for other species.
Inseminating dose for the artificial fertilization of Brycon amazonicus (Teleostei: Characidae)
Authors: Oliveira Rosilane Gomes de Souza de , Villacorta-Correa Marle Angélica
Published: January 2021

Knowledge of the sperm–oocyte ratio in fish fertilization serves as the basis for studies on artificial reproduction and gamete manipulation. The aim of this study was to determine the minimum insemination dose for Brycon amazonicus oocyte fertilization. Female and male gametes were used and tested with the following doses of spermatozoa oocyte–1 ml–1: 10,000, 20,000, 40,000, 60,000 and 80,000 (in triplicate). Fertilization rates were calculated and estimated from the regression equation by applying the segmented regression model ‘Linear Response Plateau’ to determine the appropriate proportion of gametes. Based on the equation Ŷ = 14.3415 + 0.0007836X, the fertilization rate increased up to 63.34% as it reached a plateau with a proportion of 62,524 spermatozoa oocyte–1 ml–1, which is the minimum insemination dose recommended for artificial insemination of the species.
Autologous vascularised pericardial flap tunneling technique in Scimitar syndrome repair with dextrocardia: lessons from the Senning procedure
Authors: Poncelet Alain J. , Carbonez Karlien , Rubay Jean E.
Published: January 2021

Scimitar syndrome is a rare variant (5%) of partial abnormal pulmonary venous return. Surgery is required when pulmonary overcirculation is present. Following repair, Scimitar vein stenosis occurs in approximately 20%. We applied a variant of the atrial switch technique using autologous pericardial flap in a patient with Scimitar syndrome and dextrocardia. This tunneling technique allowed tension-free anastomosis and minimal Scimitar vein rotation.
A Hysteretic Model Considering Contact Angle Hysteresis for Fitting Soil‐Water Characteristic Curves
Authors: Fu Y. P. , Liao H. J. , Chai X. Q. , Li Y. , Lv L. L.
Published: January 2021

The soil‐water characteristic curve (SWCC) plays an essential role in the analysis of the shear strength, deformation, hydraulic conductivity, and aqueous diffusion of unsaturated soils. A review of methods proposed for fitting the main SWCCs is presented. The methods can be categorized into three groups, namely, (i) empirical methods, (ii) domain methods, and (iii) theoretical methods. A hysteretic model considering the contact angle hysteresis is proposed for fitting the main SWCCs based on a theoretical method. The model links the physical quantities at the micro‐and macro‐scale. Specifically, a modified expression describing the relationship between the volume of the liquid bridge and the water content is derived, and the contact angle hysteresis behavior is modeled based on the study of total thermodynamic potential energy. The model has a clear physical meaning, and the parameters can be obtained easily. Comparisons of the model simulation and experimental data show that the proposed model accurately captures the main features of the SWCC and describes the nonlinear relationship between the matric suction and the water content during wetting and drying processes.
Significant Land Contributions to Interannual Predictability of East Asian Summer Monsoon Rainfall
Authors: Shi Pengfei , Lu Hui , Leung L. Ruby , He Yujun , Wang Bin , Yang Kun , Yu Le , Liu Li , Huang Wenyu , Xu Shiming , Liu Juanjuan , Huang Xiaomeng , Li Lijuan , Lin Yanluan
Published: January 2021

Marked by large interannual variability, East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) rainfall has profound socio‐economic impacts through its dominant influence on floods and droughts. Improving predictions of the interannual variations of EASM rainfall has important implications for over 20% of the world's population. While coupled modeling systems have demonstrated some prediction skill related to the El Niño Southern Oscillation with remote influence on EASM rainfall, the impact of soil moisture has heretofore not been systematically investigated. Using a weakly coupled data assimilation (WCDA) system to constrain the soil moisture and soil temperature in a coupled climate model with a global land data assimilation product, this study demonstrates significant improvements in simulating the interannual variations of EASM rainfall, capturing the notable shift to a “wetter‐South‐drier‐North” rainfall pattern in China in the early 1990s. Hindcast simulations initialized with the well‐balanced states from a coupled simulation with WCDA also show significant multi‐year rainfall prediction skill over East China and Tibetan Plateau. Improvements in predicting the EASM rainfall are attributed to the strong land‐atmosphere coupling in large areas over China, which allows improved predictions of soil moisture to influence precipitation through soil moisture‐precipitation feedback, and the effects of land anomalies on the EASM circulation. This study highlights the significant contribution of land to the interannual predictability of EASM rainfall, with a great potential to advance skillful interannual predictions of benefit to the large populations influenced by the annual whiplash of the summer monsoon rain.
Intraplate Seasonal Seismicity in the Northern Rocky Mountains of Montana and Idaho
Authors: Perry M. , Bendick R.
Published: January 2021

Hydrologic processes have been shown to influence seismic productivity in many regions around the world, especially on active plate boundaries. To examine the influence of hydrologic loading cycles on seismicity in intraplate regions, we investigate temporal patterns of seismic productivity in the northern Rocky Mountains of Montana and Idaho. Seasonal variations in seismicity are present, with enhanced productivity in December and January, and reduced productivity in June and July. Using Snowpack Telemetry and GPS data, we find that seismicity is temporally correlated with the highest hydrologic loading rates rather than peak load, consistent with rate and state models of fault behavior for faults in critically stressed domains. However, we cannot distinguish between high hydrologic stress rates and pore pressure increases at seismogenic depths lagging ∼6 months after peak snowmelt.
Does Lower‐Stratospheric Shear Influence the Mesoscale Organization of Convection?
Authors: Lane Todd P.
Published: January 2021

Organized mesoscale convection is important for many atmospheric phenomena and hazards, however the understanding of its governing mechanisms is incomplete. Theories explaining mesoscale organization rely on the interaction between convection outflows and lower‐tropospheric wind shear. Here a new mechanism is presented, where lower‐stratospheric wind shear is shown to influence mesoscale organization. The mechanism is linked to coupling between convection and gravity waves, with the stratosphere playing a role in shaping the tropospheric wave spectrum. The key result is that lower‐stratospheric shear creates a preference for organized systems propagating in the same direction as the shear vector by weakening the systems propagating in the opposite direction to the shear. This result has important implications for stratosphere‐troposphere interactions, numerical modeling, and understanding of convective organization in general.
Magnetotail Configuration Under Northward IMF Conditions
Authors: Li Wenhui , Wu Leyuan , Ge Yasong , Lü Lian‐Zhong
Published: January 2021

Due to the sparsity of space probes, it is still not clear on how the magnetic structure of the magnetotail looks like and how it evolves when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) directs northward. This simulation study uses two different global magnetosphere magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) models to simulate two northward IMF events and study the evolution of the magnetotail. Both models show that the magnetotail may form a structure that is composed of a dawnside tail lobe and a duskside tail lobe, under northward IMF conditions with significant By, instead of a northern tail lobe and a southern tail lobe under southward IMF conditions. In this magnetic configuration, a tail lobe extends a domain from northern (southern) cusp to southern (northern) IMF. The larger the magnitude of IMF clock angle, the longer and wider the magnetotail. Such magnetic configuration suggests that magnetotail reconnection is possible to occur when the dawnside tail lobe contacts with the duskside tail lobe and thus a substorm is also possible to occur under northward IMF conditions with significant By.
Flux Transfer Events at a Reconnection‐Suppressed Magnetopause: Cassini Observations at Saturn
Authors: Jasinski Jamie M. , Akhavan‐Tafti Mojtaba , Sun Weijie , Slavin James A. , Coates Andrew J. , Fuselier Stephen A. , Sergis Nick , Murphy Neil
Published: January 2021

We present the discovery of seven new flux transfer events (FTEs) at Saturn's dayside magnetopause by the Cassini spacecraft and analyze the observations of all eight known FTEs. We investigate how FTEs may differ at Saturn where the magnetopause conditions are likely to diamagnetically suppress magnetic reconnection from occurring. The measured ion‐scale FTEs have diameters close to or above the ion inertial length di∼1–27 (median and mean values of 5 and 8), considerably lower than typical FTEs found at Earth. The FTEs magnetic flux contents are 4–461 kWb (median and mean values of 16 and 77 kWb), considerably smaller (<0.1%) than average flux opened during magnetopause compression events at Saturn. This is in contrast to Earth and Mercury where FTEs contribute significantly to magnetospheric flux transfer. FTEs therefore represent a negligible proportion of the amount of open magnetic flux transferred at Saturn. Due to the likely suppression of the two main growth‐mechanisms for FTEs (continuous multiple x‐line reconnection and FTE coalescence), we conclude that adiabatic expansion is the likely (if any) candidate to grow the size of FTEs at Saturn. Electron energization is observed inside the FTEs, due to either Fermi acceleration or parallel electric fields. Due to diamagnetic suppression of reconnection at Saturn's magnetopause, we suggest that the typical size of FTEs at Saturn is most likely very small, and that there may be more di∼1 FTEs present in the Cassini magnetometer data that have not been identified due to their brief and unremarkable magnetic signatures.
Pore Pressure Regime and Fluid Flow Processes in the Shallow Nankai Trough Subduction Zone Based on Experimental and Modeling Results from IODP Site C0023
Authors: Zhang Junli , Hüpers Andre , Kreiter Stefan , Kopf Achim J.
Published: January 2021

Pore fluid pressure is a critical parameter controlling the dynamics of subduction zones and related geological hazards, but quantitative constraints on pore pressure are sparse. Here we provide robust estimates of pore pressure in the shallow Nankai Trough subduction zone based on consolidation experiments and numerical models. Our experimental data reveal excess pore pressures with nearly constant ratios of pore pressure to lithostatic stress for the accreted and underthrust sediments, implying the décollement is not a fluid barrier as previously inferred. Also, our research suggests repeated lithostatic pore pressure transients in the last 3 kyrs, probably associated with the propagation of the frontal thrust. The coupled pore pressure dissipation and chemical transport model results let us conclude the updip migration fluid originates from an overpressured horizon nearby, confirming the view of a heterogeneous plate boundary with overpressured and permeable patches along the fault surface that shift in time and space. The resulting high excess pore pressure leads to the shear strength of Nankai subduction thrust as low as 0.4–0.8 MPa. This provides quantitative constraints on the weakness of subduction thrusts at the toe of accretionary prisms and may explain why seismic slip can propagate all the way to the trench in some earthquakes (e.g., 2011 Tohoku event).
Depth Constraints on Coseismic Velocity Changes From Frequency‐Dependent Measurements of Repeating Earthquake Waveforms
Authors: Sheng Yixiao , Ellsworth William L. , Lellouch Ariel , Beroza Gregory C.
Published: January 2021

We revisit velocity changes caused by the 2004 Parkfield earthquake through the analysis of the coda of repeating earthquakes. Our results reveal the change to be strongly frequency dependent. Low‐frequency components of the coda of repeating earthquakes are more affected by the velocity alteration than high‐frequency components. We interpret this to indicate that the coseismic velocity reduction primarily occurs at a shallow depth, and is expressed in low‐frequency energy resulting from reverberations near the Earth's surface. This can only be observed at low frequencies because the shallow crust is highly dissipative. The high‐frequency component is relatively unaffected, as it is comprised of body waves scattered throughout the crust. We support this argument with direct observations of seismic wavefields across a wide range of depths in the shallow crust, supplemented by using downhole geophones and distributed acoustic sensing measurements.
Elastogravity Waves and Dynamic Ground Motions in the Korean Peninsula Generated by the March 11, 2011MW9.0 Tohoku‐Oki Megathrust Earthquake
Authors: Hong Tae‐Kyung , Kim Ilgoo , Park Seongjun , Kil Dongwoo
Published: January 2021

The mass dislocations caused by large coseismic slips in megathrust earthquakes are large enough to produce elastogravity waves. Despite, successful identification of elastogravity‐wave development during megathrust earthquakes, the nature of ground motions and hazard potentials in regional and teleseismic distances remains unknown. The dynamic ground motions from the March 11, 2011MW9.0 Tohoku‐Oki megathrust earthquake are retrieved from broadband seismic records throughout the Korean Peninsula. The dynamic ground motions of the megathrust earthquake are dominated by low‐frequency (<0.1 Hz) energy that is a mixture of elastogravity waves and seismic waves. The peak dynamic ground displacements in the Korean Peninsula reached ∼20 cm with horizontal permanent displacements of ∼2 cm or more. Radially‐polarized elastogravity waves developed instantly at the event origin time. Very‐long‐period (<0.004 Hz) energy is a mixture of seismic waves and coseismic permanent displacements, presenting radially polarized retrograde particle motions for ∼600 s. The peak ground displacements (PGDs) and velocities for the Tohoku‐Oki earthquake are larger than those for a localMW5.4 earthquake. The peak ground motions vary azimuthally following the source radiation pattern. The tangential PGD increases with distance along continental ray paths due to the development of crustally guided waves. Large and slow dynamic ground motions cause dynamic stress changes of ∼1.8 MPa in the lithosphere of the Korean Peninsula, while the properties of the mantle are scarcely affected by slow dynamic motions. The large long‐period displacements induced by megathrust earthquakes may cause considerable long‐duration distortion on large buildings at regional and teleseismic distances. The characteristic elastogravity‐wave features may be used for detection of mass‐dislocation events.
Rheology of the Fluid Oversaturated Fault Zones at the Brittle‐Plastic Transition
Authors: Okazaki Keishi , Burdette Eric , Hirth Greg
Published: January 2021

Large earthquakes and slow slip events typically nucleate along plate boundaries near the depth limit of the seismogenic zone, which is also recognized as the brittle‐plastic transition zone (BPT). High Vp/Vs ratios are commonly observed at the BPT in subduction zones, indicating the presence of aqueous fluid in pore spaces. We conducted experiments to investigate the rheology of quartz with different fluid fractions at deformation conditions that cross the BPT. The strengths of quartz aggregates with fluid‐filled porosities of 5–25 vol% are significantly lower than predicted by wet quartzite flow laws, and decrease with increasing fluid fraction. Recovered samples deformed in the ductile regime exhibit S‐C´ mylonitic structures characterized by elongate grains, shear localization and fluid segregation. Variations in strength are explained by a combination of a constitutive law for dislocation creep that includes the geometric effects of fluid fraction, a friction law that includes the effect of fluid fraction through its role on the real area of contact, and an empirical function to describe the smooth brittle‐plastic transition. Our results indicate that the presence of fluid‐filled porosity promotes significant weakening in shear zones, and that variations in fluid fraction (together with temperature) can explain transitions in the spectrum of slip behaviors observed along plate boundaries.
Wintertime Formaldehyde: Airborne Observations and Source Apportionment Over the Eastern United States
Authors: Green Jaime R. , Fiddler Marc N. , Fibiger Dorothy L. , McDuffie Erin E. , Aquino Janine , Campos Teresa , Shah Viral , Jaeglé Lyatt , Thornton Joel A. , DiGangi Joshua P. , Wolfe Glenn M. , Bililign Solomon , Brown Steven S.
Published: January 2021

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is generated from direct urban emission sources and secondary production from the photochemical reactions of urban smog. HCHO is linked to tropospheric ozone formation, and contributes to the photochemical reactions of other components of urban smog. In this study, pollution plume intercepts during the Wintertime INvestigation of Transport, Emissions, and Reactivity (WINTER) campaign were used to investigate and characterize the formation of HCHO in relation to several anthropogenic tracers. Analysis of aircraft intercepts combined with detailed chemical box modeling downwind of several cities suggests that the most important contribution to observed HCHO was primary emission. A box model analysis of a single plume suggested that secondary sources contribute to 21 ± 10% of the observed HCHO. Ratios of HCHO/CO observed in the northeast US, from Ohio to New York, ranging from 0.2% to 0.6%, are consistent with direct emissions combined with at most modest photochemical production. Analysis of the nocturnal boundary layer and residual layer from repeated vertical profiling over urban influenced areas indicate a direct HCHO emission flux of 1.3 × 1014 molecules cm−2 h−1. In a case study in Atlanta, GA, nighttime HCHO exhibited a ratio to CO (0.6%–1.8%) and was anti‐correlated with O3. Observations were consistent with mixing between direct HCHO emissions in urban air masses with those influenced by more rapid HCHO photochemical production. The HCHO/CO emissions ratios determined from the measured data are 2.3–15 times greater than the NEI 2017 emissions database. The largest observed HCHO/CO was 1.7%–1.8%, located near co‐generating power stations.
Seismic Ambient Noise Analyses Reveal Changing Temperature and Water Signals to 10s of Meters Depth in the Critical Zone
Authors: Oakley David O. S. , Forsythe Brandon , Gu Xin , Nyblade Andrew A. , Brantley Susan L.
Published: January 2021

The critical zone sustains terrestrial life, but we have few tools to explore it efficiently beyond the first few meters of the subsurface. Using analyses of high‐frequency ambient seismic noise from densely spaced seismometers deployed in the forested Shale Hills subcatchment of the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SSHCZO), we show that temporal changes in seismic velocities at depths from ∼1 m to tens of m can be detected. These changes are driven by variations at the land surface. The Moving‐Window Cross‐Spectral (MWCS) method was employed to measure seismic‐velocity changes in coda waves at hourly resolution in 10 different frequency bands. We observed a diurnal signal, a seasonal signal, and a meteorological‐event‐based signal. These signals were compared to time‐series measurements of precipitation, well water levels, soil moisture, soil temperature, air temperature, latent heat flux, and air pressure in the heavily instrumented catchment. Most of the velocity changes can be explained by variations in temperature that result in thermoelastic strains that propagate to depth. But some double minima in seismic velocity time‐series observed after large rain events were attributed in part to the effects of water infiltration. These results show that high‐frequency ambient noise data may in some locations be used to detect changes in the critical zone from ∼1 to ∼100 m or greater depth with hourly resolution. But interpretation of such data requires multiple environmental data sets to deconvolve the complex interrelationships among thermoelastic and hydrological effects in the subsurface critical zone.
Ground‐Based GNSS and C/NOFS Observations of Ionospheric Irregularities Over Africa: A Case Study of the 2013 St. Patrick’s Day Geomagnetic Storm
Authors: Amaechi P. O. , Oyeyemi E. O. , Akala A. O. , Messanga H. E. , Panda S. K. , Seemala Gopi K. , Oyedokun J. O. , Fleury R. , Amory‐Mazaudier C.
Published: January 2021

In this paper, the variations of ionospheric irregularities have been studied using C/NOFS, ground‐based GNSS and magnetometer measurements in Africa during the St. Patrick geomagnetic storm of March 17, 2013. The latitudinal distribution of irregularities was examined using GNSS‐ROTI maps covering longitude 25°–45°E. Longitudinal characteristics were also investigated along with equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) and vertical drift velocity (Vz) from 12 to 21 March 2013. The results show postsunset irregularities from 12°S–27°N with the stronger ones confined within 1°S–7°S and 12°N–22°N in the prestorm period. The observed pre‐reversal enhancement (PRE) with Vz varying from 22.51–59.47 m/s between 20.26 and 20.86 LT corresponded with the occurrence of EPBs. PRE greater than 40 m/s nevertheless, supported long lasting depletions. During the main phase, prompt penetration electric field enhanced the PRE thus, extended the latitudinal range of irregularities to 31°N. It also induced a long duration EPB along 15°E and several depletions over the Eastern sector. During the recovery phase, stormtime wind drove a conspicuous asymmetry in the morphology of the postsunset anomaly. This corresponded with the reduction in the latitudinal extent and strength of irregularities. Westward/eastward disturbance dynamo electric field inhibited/triggered irregularities in the postsunset/postmidnight period on 18 March over the Eastern sector. The difference in the drift accounted for the longitudinal variations of irregularities before the storm. During the main phase however, irregularities were present (reduced) over the Eastern (Atlantic/Western) sectors. This difference might have been related to the changes in the wind inferred from the anomaly shape.
Comment on ‘‘A Modular Framework for Modeling Unsaturated Soil Hydraulic Properties Over the Full Moisture Range” by Weber et al.
Authors: Peters Andre , Iden Sascha C.
Published: January 2021

Weber et al. (2019) (W19 in the following) present a modular framework for parametrizing soil hydraulic properties. The W19 model framework is almost identical to the model system developed jointly by Peters (2013), https://doi.org/10.1002/wrcr.20548, Iden and Durner (2014), https://doi.org/10.1002/2014wr015937, and Peters (2014), https://doi.org/10.1002/2014wr016107, to which we will refer as PDI ("Peters‐Durner‐Iden") model in the following. The primary goal of this comment is to uncover some inconsistencies of the W19 formulation. In the following, we (i) comment on the statement made by W19 regarding the number of parameters in the original PDI formulation, (ii) critically analyze the use of their function to parameterize the water retention curve (WRC), and (iii) show that, in contrast to the statement in W19, using their formulation of for parametrizing noncapillary hydraulic conductivity leads to systematic deviations from the physically based film‐conductivity model developed by Tokunaga (2009), https://doi.org/10.1029/2009wr007734.
Secretoglobin 3A2 eliminates human cancer cells through pyroptosis
Authors: Yokoyama Shigetoshi , Nakayama Shun , Xu Lei , Pilon Aprile L. , Kimura Shioko
Published: January 2021

Non-canonical inflammasome activation that recognizes intracellular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) causes pyroptosis, the inflammatory death of innate immune cells. The role of pyroptosis in innate immune cells is to rapidly eliminate pathogen-infected cells and limit the replication niche in the host body. Whether this rapid cell elimination process of pyroptosis plays a role in elimination of cancer cells is largely unknown. Our earlier study demonstrated that a multi-functional secreted protein, secretoglobin (SCGB) 3A2, chaperones LPS to cytosol, and activates caspase-11 and the non-canonical inflammasome pathway, leading to pyroptosis. Here we show that SCGB3A2 exhibits marked anti-cancer activity against 5 out of 11 of human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines in mouse xenographs, while no effect was observed in 6 of 6 small cell lung cancer cell lines examined. All SCGB3A2-LPS-sensitive cells express syndecan 1 (SDC1), a SCGB3A2 cell surface receptor, and caspase-4 (CASP4), a critical component of the non-canonical inflammasome pathway. Two epithelial-derived colon cancer cell lines expressing SDC1 and CASP4 were also susceptible to SCGB3A2-LPS treatment. TCGA analysis revealed that lung adenocarcinoma patients with higherSCGB3A2mRNA levels exhibited better survival. These data suggest that SCGB3A2 uses the machinery of pyroptosis for the elimination of human cancer cells via the non-canonical inflammasome pathway, and that SCGB3A2 may serve as a novel therapeutic to treat cancer, perhaps in combination with immuno and/or targeted therapies.
A catalogue of 863 Rett-syndrome-causing MECP2 mutations and lessons learned from data integration
Authors: Ehrhart Friederike , Jacobsen Annika , Rigau Maria , Bosio Mattia , Kaliyaperumal Rajaram , Laros Jeroen F. J. , Willighagen Egon L. , Valencia Alfonso , Roos Marco , Capella-Gutierrez Salvador , Curfs Leopold M. G. , Evelo Chris T.
Published: January 2021

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare neurological disorder mostly caused by a genetic variation in MECP2. Making new MECP2 variants and the related phenotypes available provides data for better understanding of disease mechanisms and faster identification of variants for diagnosis. This is, however, currently hampered by the lack of interoperability between genotype-phenotype databases. Here, we demonstrate on the example of MECP2 in RTT that by making the genotype-phenotype data more Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR), we can facilitate prioritization and analysis of variants. In total, 10,968 MECP2 variants were successfully integrated. Among these variants 863 unique confirmed RTT causing and 209 unique confirmed benign variants were found. This dataset was used for comparison of pathogenicity predicting tools, protein consequences, and identification of ambiguous variants. Prediction tools generally recognised the RTT causing and benign variants, however, there was a broad range of overlap Nineteen variants were identified that were annotated as both disease-causing and benign, suggesting that there are additional factors in these cases contributing to disease development.
Probing the role of thermal vibrational disorder in the SPT of VO$$_2$$ by Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Suleiman Aminat Oyiza , Mansouri Sabeur , Émond Nicolas , Le Drogoff Boris , Bégin Théophile , Margot Joëlle , Chaker Mohamed
Published: January 2021

Phase competition in transition metal oxides has attracted remarkable interest for fundamental aspects and technological applications. Here, we report a concurrent study of the phase transitions in undoped and Cr-doped VO$$_2$$

2

thin films. The structural, morphological and electrical properties of our films are examined and the microstructural effect on the metal–insulator transition (MIT) are highlighted. We further present a distinctive approach for analyzing the Raman data of undoped and Cr-doped VO$$_2$$

2

thin films as a function of temperature, which are quantitatively correlated to the electrical measurements of VO$$_2$$

2

films to give an insight into the coupling between the structural phase transition (SPT) and the MIT. These data are also combined with reported EXAFS measurements and a connection between the Raman intensities and the mean Debye–Waller factors $$\sigma ^2$$

σ
2

is established. We found that the temperature dependence of the $$\sigma _{R}^{2}(V-V)$$

σ

R

2

(
V
-
V
)

as calculated from the Raman intensity retraces the temperature profile of the $$\sigma _{EXAFS}^{2}(V-V)$$

σ

EXAFS

2

(
V
-
V
)

as obtained from the EXAFS data analysis. Our findings provide an evidence on the critical role of the thermal vibrational disorder in the VO$$_2$$

2

phase transitions. Our study demonstrates that correlating Raman data with EXAFS analysis, the lattice and electronic structural dynamics can be probed.
Primary Sjogren syndrome increases the risk of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw
Authors: Kuo Pei-I , Lin Tzu-Min , Chang Yu-Sheng , Hou Tsung-Yun , Hsu Hui-Ching , Lin Sheng-Hong , Chen Wei-Sheng , Lin Yi-Chun , Wang Li-Hsuan , Chang Chi-Ching , Chen Jin-Hua
Published: January 2021

The risk of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) in primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS) has rarely been explored. To explore the association between BRONJ and pSS, we conducted a population-based propensity-score-matched cohort study using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, including pSS patients receiving antiosteoporotic therapy and patients without pSS receiving antiosteoporotic therapy. A 1:4 matched-pair cohort based on propensity score was created. The stratified Cox proportional hazards model compared the risk of BRONJ in the pSS and non-pSS groups. In the study, 23,280 pSS patients and 28,712,152 controls were enrolled. After matching, 348 patients with pSS receiving antiosteoporotic drugs and 50,145 without pSS receiving antiosteoporotic drugs were included for analysis. The risk of developing BRONJ was 1.96 times higher in pSS patients compared with non-pSS patients after adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities. No dose–response effect was observed in the bisphosphonate-treated pSS cohorts, documented as the cumulative defined daily doses of either < 224 or ≥ 224 (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.407, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.412–7.790; HR: 2.143, 95% CI 1.046–4.393, respectively) increased risk of developing osteonecrosis of the jaw. In conclusion, the risk of BRONJ is significantly higher in patients with pSS compared with the general population.
Weighted gene co-expression network analysis of the salt-responsive transcriptomes reveals novel hub genes in green halophytic microalgae Dunaliella salina
Authors: Panahi Bahman , Hejazi Mohammad Amin
Published: January 2021

Despite responses to salinity stress in Dunaliella salina, a unicellular halotolerant green alga, being subject to extensive study, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Here, Empirical Bayes method was applied to identify the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between hypersaline and normal conditions. Then, using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), which takes advantage of a graph theoretical approach, highly correlated genes were clustered as a module. Subsequently, connectivity patterns of the identified modules in two conditions were surveyed to define preserved and non-preserved modules by combining the Zsummary and medianRank measures. Finally, common and specific hub genes in non-preserved modules were determined using Eigengene-based module connectivity or module membership (kME) measures and validation was performed by using leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV). In this study, the power of beta = 12 (scale-free R2 = 0.8) was selected as the soft-thresholding to ensure a scale-free network, which led to the identification of 15 co-expression modules. Results also indicate that green, blue, brown, and yellow modules are non-preserved in salinity stress conditions. Examples of enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways in non-preserved modules are Sulfur metabolism, Oxidative phosphorylation, Porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, Vitamin B6 metabolism. Moreover, the systems biology approach was applied here, proposed some salinity specific hub genes, such as radical-induced cell death1 protein (RCD1), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 13 (MAP3K13), long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase (ACSL), acetyl-CoA carboxylase, biotin carboxylase subunit (AccC), and fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (ALDO), for the development of metabolites accumulating strains in D. salina.
EBF1 drives hallmark B cell gene expression by enabling the interaction of PAX5 with the MLL H3K4 methyltransferase complex
Authors: Bullerwell Charles E. , Robichaud Philippe Pierre , Deprez Pierre M. L. , Joy Andrew P. , Wajnberg Gabriel , D’Souza Darwin , Chacko Simi , Fournier Sébastien , Crapoulet Nicolas , Barnett David A. , Lewis Stephen M. , Ouellette Rodney J.
Published: January 2021

PAX5 and EBF1 work synergistically to regulate genes that are involved in B lymphocyte differentiation. We used the KIS-1 diffuse large B cell lymphoma cell line, which is reported to have elevated levels of PAX5 expression, to investigate the mechanism of EBF1- and PAX5-regulated gene expression. We demonstrate the lack of expression of hallmark B cell genes, including CD19, CD79b, and EBF1, in the KIS-1 cell line. Upon restoration of EBF1 expression we observed activation of CD19, CD79b and other genes with critical roles in B cell differentiation. Mass spectrometry analyses of proteins co-immunoprecipitated with PAX5 in KIS-1 identified components of the MLL H3K4 methylation complex, which drives histone modifications associated with transcription activation. Immunoblotting showed a stronger association of this complex with PAX5 in the presence of EBF1. Silencing of KMT2A, the catalytic component of MLL, repressed the ability of exogenous EBF1 to activate transcription of both CD19 and CD79b in KIS-1 cells. We also find association of PAX5 with the MLL complex and decreased CD19 expression following silencing of KMT2A in other human B cell lines. These data support an important role for the MLL complex in PAX5-mediated transcription regulation.
Effect of volatile and total intravenous anesthesia on syndecan-1 shedding after minimally invasive gastrectomy: a randomized trial
Authors: Kim Na Young , Kim Ki Jun , Lee Ki-Young , Shin Hye Jung , Cho Jaein , Nam Da Jeong , Kim So Yeon
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to compare the effects of volatile anesthesia and total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) on syndecan-1 shedding in patients with gastric cancer undergoing minimally invasive gastrectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to either the Volatile (n = 68) or the TIVA (n = 68) group. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane/remifentanil or propofol/remifentanil in the Volatile and TIVA groups, respectively. Serum syndecan-1 was evaluated at pre-operation, end of operation, and postoperative day (POD) 1. Inflammatory markers including white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP), were also measured at pre-operation, end of operation, and POD 1, 2, 3, and 5. The TIVA group showed significantly lower levels of syndecan-1 at the end of the operation compared to the Volatile group; however, no difference was seen between the groups at POD 1. The WBC count and NLR were significantly lower in the TIVA group at the end of the operation than the Volatile group, but there were no differences between the groups at POD 1, 2, 3, and 5. CRP levels were similar between the groups at all time points. In conclusion, despite TIVA being superior to volatile anesthesia in protecting endothelial glycocalyx during the operation, both did not prevent postoperative syndecan-1 shedding after gastrectomy.

Clinical trial registration number: NCT04183296 (ClinicalTrial.gov, 03/12/2019).