bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Agricultural Risk Factors Influence Microbial Ecology in Honghu Lake
Authors: Han Maozhen , Dsouza Melissa , Zhou Chunyu , Li Hongjun , Zhang Junqian , Chen Chaoyun , Yao Qi , Zhong Chaofang , Zhou Hao , Gilbert Jack A , Wang Zhi , Ning Kang
Published: April 2019

Agricultural activities, including stock-farming, planting industry, and fish aquaculture, can affect the physicochemical and biological characters of freshwater lakes. However, the effects of pollution producing by agricultural activities on microbial ecosystem of lakes remain unclear. Hence, in this work, we selected Honghu Lake as a typical lake that is influenced by agriculture activities. We collected water and sediment samples from 18 sites, which span a wide range of areas from impacted and less-impacted areas. We performed a geospatial analysis on the composition of microbial communities associated with physicochemical properties and antibiotic pollution of samples. The co-occurrence networks of water and sediment were also built and analyzed. Our results showed that the microbial communities of impacted and less-impacted samples of water were largely driven by the concentrations of TN, TP, NO3−-N, and NO2−-N, while those of sediment were affected by the concentrations of Sed-OM and Sed-TN. Antibiotics have also played important roles in shaping these microbial communities: the concentrations of oxytetracycline and tetracycline clearly reflected the variance in taxonomic diversity and predicted functional diversity between impacted and less-impacted sites in water and sediment samples, respectively. Furthermore, for samples from both water and sediment, large differences of network topology structures between impacted and less-impacted were also observed. Our results provide compelling evidence that the microbial community can be used as a sentinel of eutrophication and antibiotics pollution risk associated with agricultural activity; and that proper monitoring of this environment is vital to maintain a sustainable environment in Honghu Lake.
How Microbes Shape Their Communities? A Microbial Community Model Based on Functional Genes
Authors: Jiang Xiaoqing , Li Xin , Yang Longshu , Liu Chunhong , Wang Qi , Chi Weilai , Zhu Huaiqiu
Published: April 2019

Exploring the mechanisms of maintaining microbial community structure is important to understand biofilm development or microbiota dysbiosis. In this paper, we propose a functional gene-based composition prediction (FCP) model to predict the population structure composition within a microbial community. The model predicts the community composition well in both a low-complexity community as acid mine drainage (AMD) microbiota, and a complex community as human gut microbiota. Furthermore, we define community structure shaping (CSS) genes as functional genes crucial for shaping the microbial community. We have identified CSS genes in AMD and human gut microbiota samples with FCP model and find that CSS genes change with the conditions. Compared to essential genes for microbes, CSS genes are significantly enriched in the genes involved in mobile genetic elements, cell motility, and defense mechanisms, indicating that the functions of CSS genes are focused on communication and strategies in response to the environment factors. We further find that it is the minority, rather than the majority, which contributes to maintaining community structure. Compared to health control samples, we find that some functional genes associated with metabolism of amino acids, nucleotides, and lipopolysaccharide are more likely to be CSS genes in the disease group. CSS genes may help us to understand critical cellular processes and be useful in seeking addable gene circuitries to maintain artificial self-sustainable communities. Our study suggests that functional genes are important to the assembly of microbial communities.
Parenchymal and non‐parenchymal immune cells in the brain: A critical role in regulating CNS functions
Authors: Arcuri Cataldo , Mecca Carmen , Giambanco Ileana , Donato Rosario
Published: April 2019

The presence of immune cells in the central nervous system has long been the subject of research to find out their role. For a long time it was believed that the CNS was a privileged area from an immunological point of view, due to the presence of the blood‐brain barrier (BBB), as circulating immune cells were unable to penetrate the brain parenchyma, at least until the integrity of the BBB was preserved. For this reason the study of the CNS immune system has focused on the functions of microglia, the immunocompetent resident element of the brain parenchyma that retain the ability to divide and self‐renew during lifespan without any significant contribution from circulating blood cells. More recently, the presence of lymphatic vessels in the dural sinuses has been demonstrated with accompanying lymphocytes, monocytes and other immune cells. Moreover, meningeal macrophages, that is macrophages along the blood vessels and in the choroid plexus (CP), are also present. These non‐parenchymal immune cells, together with microglia, can affect multiple CNS functions. Here, we discuss the functional role of parenchymal and non‐parenchymal immune cells and their contribution to the regulation of neurogenesis.
Systematic Review of Surgical and Nonsurgical Interventions in Normal Men Complaining of Small Penis Size
Authors: Marra Giancarlo , Drury Andrew , Tran Lisa , Veale David , Muir Gordon H.
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Evidence on penile enhancement interventions is lacking. Nonetheless, many non–evidence-based solutions are readily available.

Aim

To investigate enhancement and nonenhancement interventions in men without penile abnormalities seeking to increase penis size.

Methods

We performed a systematic review with no time restrictions adhering to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies with fewer than 10 cases or including men with organic penile pathologies or previous penile surgeries were excluded.

Main Outcome Measures

When available, treatment efficacy was evaluated based on patient satisfaction, penile size increase, and complications.

Results

We included 17 studies, assessing a total of 21 interventions in 1,192 men screened, with 773 followed up after nonsurgical (n = 248) or surgical (n = 525) treatment. The quality of the studies was poor in terms of methodology for patient selection and outcomes assessment. The vast majority of series reported normal penile size. Among nonsurgical treatments, extenders increased flaccid length (but by <2 cm), injectables increased girth but were associated with a high complication rate, and vacuum devices did not increase size. Surgical interventions included suspensory ligament incision (the most used method; n = 12), tissue grafting (autologous, n = 2; dermal fat, n = 3, ex vivo, n = 2), flaps (n = 2), and penile disassembly (n = 1). Some men reported a significant size increase; however, complications were not infrequent, and none of the techniques was externally validated. When provided, counseling was effective, with the majority of men coming to understand that their penis was normal and unwilling to undergo any further treatment.

Conclusion

Treatment of small penis in normal men is supported by scant, low-quality evidence. Structured counseling should be always performed, with extenders eventually used by those still seeking enhancement. Injectables and surgery should remain a last option, considered unethical outside of clinical trials.
Experimental determination of the aerodynamic coefficients of spinning bodies
Authors: Nguyen S. , Corey M. , Chan W. , Greenhalgh E.S. , Graham J.M.R.
Published: April 2019

To accurately predict the probabilities of impact damage to aircraft from runway debris, it is important to understand and quantify the aerodynamic forces that contribute to runway debris lofting. These lift and drag forces were therefore measured in experiments with various bodies spun over a range of angular velocities and Reynolds numbers. For a smooth sphere, the Magnus effect was observed for ratios of spin speed to flow speed between 0.3 and 0.4, but a negative Magnus force was observed at high Reynolds numbers as a transitional boundary layer region was approached. Similar relationships between lift and spin rate were found for both cube- and cylinder-shaped test objects, particularly with a ratio of spin speed to flow speed above 0.3, which suggested comparable separation patterns between rapidly spinning cubes and cylinders. A tumbling smooth ellipsoid had aerodynamic characteristics similar to that of a smooth sphere at a high spin rate. Surface roughness in the form of attached sandpaper increased the average lift on the cylinder by 24%, and approximately doubled the lift acting on the ellipsoid in both rolling and tumbling configurations.
Tuberculosis among healthcare personnel, United States, 2010–2016
Authors: Mongkolrattanothai Thitipong , Lambert Lauren A. , Winston Carla A.
Published: April 2019

We describe characteristics of US healthcare personnel (HCP) diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). Among 64,770 adults with TB during 2010–2016, 2,460 (4%) were HCP. HCP with TB were more likely to be born outside of the United States, and less likely to have TB attributed to recent transmission, than non-HCP.
Mass transfer around bubbles flowing in cylindrical microchannels
Authors: Rivero-Rodriguez Javier , Scheid Benoit
Published: April 2019

This work focuses on the mass transfer around unconfined bubbles in cylindrical microchannels when they are arranged in a train. We characterise how the mass transfer, quantified by the Sherwood number, $Sh$, is affected by the channel and bubble sizes, distance between bubbles, diffusivity, mean flow velocity, deformation of the bubble, the presence of surfactants in the limit of rigid interface and off-centred positions of the bubbles. We analyse the influence of the dimensionless numbers and especially the distance between bubbles and the Péclet number, $Pe$, which we vary over eight decades, identifying five different mass transfer regimes. We show different concentration patterns and the dependence of the Sherwood numbers. These regimes can be classified by either the importance of the diffusion along the streamlines or the interaction between bubbles. For small $Pe$ the diffusion along the streamlines is not negligible as compared to convection, whereas for large $Pe$ convection dominates in the streamlines direction and, thus, crosswind diffusion becomes crucial in governing the mass transfer through boundary layers or the remaining wake behind the bubbles. Interaction of bubbles occurs for very small $Pe$ where the mass transfer is purely diffusive, or for very large $Pe$ where long wakes eventually reach the following bubble. We also observe that the bubble deformability mainly affects the $Sh$ in the regime for very large $Pe$ in which bubbles interaction matters, and also that the rigid interface affects the boundary layer and the remaining wake. The effect of off-centred position of the bubble, determined by the transverse force balance, is also limited to large $Pe$. The boundary layers on rigid bubble surfaces are thicker than those on stress-free bubble surfaces, and thus the mass transfer is weaker. For centred bubbles, the influence of inertia on the mass transfer is negligible. Finally, we discuss the implication of our results on the dissolution of bubbles.
Glacier mass balance over the central Nyainqentanglha Range during recent decades derived from remote-sensing data
Authors: WU KUNPENG , LIU SHIYIN , JIANG ZONGLI , XU JUNLI , WEI JUNFENG
Published: April 2019

To obtain information on changes in glacier mass balance in the central Nyainqentanglha Range, a comprehensive study was carried out based on digital-elevation models derived from the 1968 topographic maps, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission DEM (2000) and TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X (2013). Glacier area changes between 1968 and 2016 were derived from topographic maps and Landsat OLI images. This showed the area contained 715 glaciers, with an area of 1713.42 ± 51.82 km2, in 2016. Ice cover has been shrinking by 0.68 ± 0.05% a−1since 1968. The glacier area covered by debris accounted for 11.9% of the total and decreased in the SE–NW directions. Using digital elevation model differencing and differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry, a significant mass loss of 0.46 ± 0.10 m w.e. a−1has been recorded since 1968; mass losses accelerated from 0.42 ± 0.20 m w.e. a−1to 0.60 ± 0.20 m w.e. a−1between 1968–2000 and 2000–2013, with thinning noticeably greater on the debris-covered ice than the clean ice. Surface-elevation changes can be influenced by ice cliffs, as well as debris cover and land- or lake-terminating glaciers. Changes showed spatial and temporal heterogeneity and a substantial correlation with climate warming and decreased precipitation.
The procedural fairness limitations of fitness to practise hearings: a case study into social work
Authors: Kirkham Richard , Leigh Jadwiga , McLaughlin Kenneth , Worsley Aidan
Published: April 2019

The norm in fitness to practise proceedings (FTPP) is that where sanctions might be imposed procedural fairness requires a court-like hearing. This paper questions that paradigm, using empirical research to focus on the FTPP to which social workers must account. Procedural fairness is a multi-faceted legitimising concept used to justify the design of decision-making processes. With FTPPs, the major justification is an ‘instrumentally’ focused model of procedural fairness which prioritises making decisions that look right, a goal which is delivered in the context of social work. But other justifications for procedural fairness are inadequately fulfilled, with in particular a ‘dignitarian’ respect not achieved due to the high levels of non-attendance by registrant social workers. Further, procedural fairness as ‘public accountability’ is undermined due to the relative lack of engagement of FTPPs with the perspective of the social work community. These findings hint that in the context of a poorly organised and resource-poor profession other hybrid forms of FTPP might have a stronger claim to procedural fairness than the court-like model.
Response of Chironomidae to environmental disturbances in a high mountain lake in Patagonia during the last millennium
Authors: Williams Natalia , Añón Suárez Diego , Rieradevall Maria , Rizzo Andrea , Daga Romina , Arribére María A. , Ribeiro Guevara Sergio
Published: April 2019

Through the last millennium, Patagonia has been affected by changing climate conditions and successive volcanic eruptions. Lake Tonček is a high-altitude lake in the Southern Volcanic Zone in the northern Patagonian Andes. We documented the responses of the subfossil chironomid community to the effects of successive volcanic and different conditions in a sedimentary sequence from this lake comprising the last 900 years. The community composition and structure (abundance, diversity, and richness) and the development of morphological anomalies in the chironomid mouthparts were evaluated throughout the core. Both climatic conditions and volcanism affected the chironomid community differentially. The chironomid community changed following short-term climate change patterns, being affecting not only by temperature changes but also by variations in the regional precipitation regime. Decreases in abundance and diversity were only observed in coarse volcanic layers. In these samples, we recorded a high percentage of damaged chironomid mouthparts caused by mechanical wear, breakage or abrasion, possibly due to the increase of mineral particles. Our results represent important baseline data about the responses of chironomid communities to environmental disturbances in high-altitude lakes over long time frames.
Towards Organic Carbon Isotope Records from Stalagmites: Coupled δ13C and 14C Analysis Using Wet Chemical Oxidation
Authors: Lechleitner Franziska A , Lang Susan Q , Haghipour Negar , McIntyre Cameron , Baldini James U L , Prufer Keith M , Eglinton Timothy I
Published: April 2019

Speleothem organic matter can be a powerful tracer for past environmental conditions and karst processes. Carbon isotope measurements (δ13C and 14C) in particular can provide crucial information on the provenance and age of speleothem organic matter, but are challenging due to low concentrations of organic matter in stalagmites. Here, we present a method development study on extraction and isotopic characterization of speleothem organic matter using a rapid procedure with low laboratory contamination risk. An extensive blank assessment allowed us to quantify possible sources of contamination through the entire method. Although blank contamination is consistently low (1.7 ± 0.34 – 4.3 ± 0.86 μg C for the entire procedure), incomplete sample decarbonation poses a still unresolved problem of the method, but can be detected when considering both δ13C and 14C values. We test the method on five stalagmites, showing reproducible results on samples as small as 7 μg C for δ13C and 20 μg C for 14C. Furthermore, we find consistently lower non-purgeable organic carbon (NPOC) 14C values compared to the carbonate 14C over the bomb spike interval in two stalagmites from Yok Balum Cave, Belize, suggesting overprint of a pre-aged or even fossil source of carbon on the organic fraction incorporated by these stalagmites.
Le «non-présent vivant». Phénoménologie et déconstruction du messianisme chez Derrida
Authors: HARDY JEAN-SÉBASTIEN
Published: April 2019

Dans une constellation de textes entourant Spectres de Marx, Derrida procède à un geste qui semble contraire à la «déconstruction» et qui paraît s’apparenter plutôt à la méthode phénoménologique. En érigeant la messianicité au statut de structure universelle indéconstructible, ces textes donnent lieu en effet à une radicalisation et une transcendantalisation de la temporalité propre aux messianismes historiques. Cet article entend d’abord mettre en évidence le caractère phénoménologique de cette approche et ensuite en questionner la légitimité et le sens à la lumière de textes ultérieurs, où Derrida analyse le rapport entre médias et christianisme.
High-frequency B-dot probes used to detect characteristics of ion cyclotron range of frequency waves in EAST
Authors: Liu Lunan , Zhang Xinjun , Qin Chengming , Zhao Yanping , Yuan Shuai , Mao Yuzhou , Wang Jianhua
Published: April 2019

The plasma in the scrape-off layer (SOL) has an important effect on the coupling of the waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF). The high-frequency B-dot (HFB) probes have been installed to investigate the behaviour of ICRF waves on EAST. The fast and slow ICRF wave field amplitudes are measured and a domain parallel wavenumber is deduced. Results of measurements on a test experimental platform and EAST experiments are presented, which include vacuum and plasma situations. In vacuum it is found that field amplitudes increase linearly with ICRF power. Besides, during plasma operation, field amplitudes measured were decreased by an order of magnitude and no linear relation with power was observed. Fast and slow wave power densities fluctuate strongly with plasma density. The experimental results in the laboratory coincide with the simulation results and allow for validating of the measurement method.
Aggregation behavior of the amyloid model peptide NACore
Authors: Pallbo Jon , Sparr Emma , Olsson Ulf
Published: April 2019

The aggregation of the 11 residue long NACore peptide segment of α-synuclein (68-GAVVTGVTAVA-78) has been investigated using a combination of cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, and spectroscopy techniques. The aqueous peptide solubility is pH dependent, and aggregation was triggered by a pH quench from pH 11.3 to approximately pH 8 or 6, where the average peptide net charge is weakly negative (pH 8), or essentially zero (pH 6). Cryo-TEM shows the presence of long and stiff fibrillar aggregates at both pH, that are built up from β-sheets, as demonstrated by circular dichroism spectroscopy and thioflavin T fluorescence. The fibrils are crystalline, with a wide angle X-ray diffraction pattern that is consistent with a previously determined crystal structure of NACore. Of particular note is the cryo-TEM observation of small globular shaped aggregates, of the order of a few nanometers in size, adsorbed onto the surface of already formed fibrils at pH 6. The fibrillation kinetics is slow, and occurs on the time scale of days. Similarly slow kinetics is observed at both pH, but slightly slower at pH 6, even though the peptide solubility is here expected to be lower. The observation of the small globular shaped aggregates, together with the associated kinetics, could be highly relevant in relation to mechanisms of secondary nucleation and oligomer formation in amyloid systems.
Communicative resources and credibility in public discourse on refugees
Authors: Smith-Khan Laura
Published: April 2019

This article examines how communicative resources affect the construction of credible texts and identities in a public debate on Australia's treatment of a refugee. It centres on two key written statements—one from the Immigration Minister, and another from a Somali refugee. The analysis is divided into four levels, exploring the parties’ respective linguistic, material, identity, and platform resources, and how these impact their statements’ creation and reception, and their participation in discourse creation more generally. The article finds that there are inequalities on all four resource levels that largely undermine the refugee's ability to present a credible text and identity and challenge mainstream discourse on refugees. The article demonstrates how a multi-level analysis of communicative resources can challenge assumptions about participation and uncover inequalities invisible in the prevailing discourse. (Asylum, Australia, communicative resources, discourse, intercultural communication, media, power, refugee)*
The discursive construction of mobile chronotopes in mobile-phone messaging
Authors: Lyons Agnieszka , Tagg Caroline
Published: April 2019

This article draws on data from an ethnographic project to explore the ways in which migrant micro-entrepreneurs exploit mobile messaging apps to co-construct mobile chronotopes: dynamic configurations of time and space negotiated by geographically separated participants, who draw on different contexts and frames of understanding. Analysis of mobile messages by two couples—Chinese butchers in Birmingham and Polish shop-owners in London—informed by interview and interactional data collected at work and home, suggests they discursively negotiate and exploit multiple chronotopic layers, creating complex intersections between virtual and physical spaces in everyday interactions. We focus on the role that multilingual and multimodal semiotic resources play in co-constructing mobile chronotopes. In particular, we explore critical junctures at which communicative expectations are challenged, rendering mobile chronotope negotiation visible. Our concept of the mobile chronotope has implications for both the theorisation of mobile phone communication and understanding how chronotopes function in contemporary transnational migrant discourse. (Chronotope, migrant entrepreneur, mobile messaging, transnational migration)*
Having a Personal (Performance) Practice: Dance Artists' Everyday Work, Support, and Form
Authors: Schuh Anne
Published: April 2019

Personal Performance Practice (PPP) refers to a regular activity—differentiated from training and production—popular among contemporary dance artists. Against the backdrop of contemporary neoliberal working conditions, this article analyzes PPP by applying the ambivalent notion of “support” in order to show how PPP makes the daily work of dance visible, encouraging a discussion on the sustaining systems of dance. Framing this argument is the notion that in the long run, practice brings about shifts in style and in the aesthetics of dancing. The article thus calls for an acknowledgment of dance artists’ everyday work.
I am uncertain, but We are not: a new subjectivity of the Anthropocene
Authors: Hamilton Scott
Published: April 2019

The concept of ‘the Anthropocene’ as a new human-induced geological epoch has made its way into IR. Debates have recently arisen between ‘post-humanists’ stressing its destruction of subject-object binaries and ‘New Anthropocentrists’ arguing that it increases the importance of the human being as planetary steward. This article moves beyond these debates to question a strange but unexplored foundation that underlies the basic discourse of the Anthropocene: the assertion that humanity must be grouped together as a collective species, ‘anthropos’, or planetary ‘We’. Using the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, it argues that the Anthropocene reveals a new and deeper shift in human subjectivity, moving from an individualistic Cartesian ‘I’ to a collective and planetary ‘We’. This argument is made in three steps. First, today's common treatment of humanity as a collective whole in Anthropocene literature is examined. Second, it details how transformations in subjectivity occur by shifting the historical boundaries of our most fundamental notion of certainty – the ‘subiectum’ – and how the technologies of Earth System Science (ESS) subtly facilitate this shift today. Finally, the article argues how this subjective transformation from the ‘I’ to the ‘We’ results from the temporal, spatial, and existential incalculability and uncertainty of the Anthropocene, thereby fostering the rise of certainty in new forms of conflictual identity politics.
Les exclus
Authors: Zubkova Elena
Published: April 2019

Dans quelle mesure l’État soviétique a-t-il été capable de contrôler les phénomènes d’exclusion sociale (et de les empêcher) et à quel point la société réintégrait-elle les exclus ? Examiner le phénomène de la mendicité en URSS des années 1940 aux années 1960 contribue à répondre à ces questions. Le phénomène de la mendicité est envisagé comme une réaction à la pauvreté : la mendicité était une stratégie de survie des groupes sociaux exclus de la société à cause de leur faible niveau de vie. Dans un premier temps, une brève rétrospective historique de la lutte contre la mendicité en URSS de la révolution d’Octobre 1917 jusqu’au milieu des années 1950 montre les continuités et les ruptures dans les politiques d’État concernant ce phénomène. Ensuite, la mendicité – importante dans le quotidien en Union soviétique après la Seconde Guerre mondiale – est analysée à travers la reconstruction des « histoires de vie » de certains mendiants. La dernière partie de l’article est consacrée au discours public sur la mendicité dans les années 1950 jusqu’au début des années 1960, discours qui reflète les opinions des dirigeants et de la société.
Narratives and Normativity: Totalitarianism and Narrative Change in the European Legal Tradition after World War II
Authors: Tuori Kaius
Published: April 2019

After WWII, a new form of Europeanism emerged in legal history that gained momentum from European unification. This article explores the emergence of this new narrative as part of the process of exile from totalitarianism and its connection with the reestablishment of the European intellectual and political order after the war. The purpose is to explore the parallel afterwar processes of narrative and normative change and the influences and connections between them. It focuses on a specific historical case, the turn toward Europe, its legal heritage and human rights in the post-war era writing of legal history, especially in the writings of Paul Koschaker, Franz Wieacker, and Helmut Coing, and its linkages to the simultaneous process of European integration. It explores a new argument about the interlinkage between narrativity and normativity as cognitive processes that rely on the creation and sustaining of belief, and the ideas of legitimacy and identity construction.
Formulation analyses of high-volume prescription drugs
Authors: Fawcett T.G. , Gates-Rector S. , Gindhart A.M. , Rost M. , Kabekkodu S.N. , Blanton J. R. , Blanton T. N.
Published: April 2019

A collection of 65 formulated tablets and capsules were analyzed for phase composition by full pattern matching powder diffraction methods. The collection contained 32 of the top 200 prescription drugs sold in 2016 as well as many high-volume prescriptions and over the counter drugs from prior years. The study was used to evaluate new methods of analysis as well as the efficacy of programs designed to collect references on high volume excipients and pharmaceuticals for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™. The use of full pattern matching methods as well as reference pattern additions of many common excipients enabled major phase excipient identification in all formulations. This included identification of crystalline, nanocrystalline, and amorphous ingredients because full pattern matching involved the use of characteristic coherent and incoherent scatter. Oftentimes identification of the major excipients significantly aided the clean identification of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and their polymorphic form, even at low concentrations (1–10 wt. %). Overall 93% of the APIs were identified, most through a PDF®material reference, but also through patent cross-referencing and similarity analysis comparisons.
What do we learn about redistribution effects of pension systems from internationally comparable measures of Social Security wealth?
Authors: Belloni Michele , Brugiavini Agar , Buia Raluca E. , Carrino Ludovico , Cavapozzi Danilo , Orso Cristina E. , Pasini Giacomo
Published: April 2019

We present novel estimates of Social Security Wealth (SSW) at the individual level based on the SHARE survey. Our estimates are based on a rigorous methodology taking into account country-specific legislations, the earning history and the longevity prospects of individuals. The key advantage over existing estimates is that our measures of SSW are fully comparable across countries. This allows us to construct indexes of the redistribution enacted by the pension systems in Europe. Finally, we provide descriptive evidence of the relationship between SSW and private wealth.
False-green kyllinga (Kyllinga gracillima) control in cool-season turfgrass
Authors: Elmore Matthew T. , Patton Aaron J. , Tuck Daniel P. , Murphy James A. , Carleo Jenny
Published: April 2019

We conducted research to evaluate various herbicides for POST false-green kyllinga control in cool-season turfgrass (primarily creeping bentgrass). In a preliminary evaluation, single and sequential applications of halosulfuron-methyl (70 g ai ha−1), mesotrione (175 g ai ha−1), and sulfentrazone (140 g ai ha−1), as well as a single application of imazosulfuron (740 g ai ha−1), were evaluated in New Jersey. Imazosulfuron and sequential applications of halosulfuron-methyl controlled false-green kyllinga >93% at 9 and 18 wk after initial treatment (WAIT). Sulfentrazone and mesotrione controlled false-green kyllinga <50%. Additional experiments were conducted to evaluate single and sequential applications of halosulfuron-methyl (70 g ha−1), imazosulfuron (420 and 740 g ha−1), and sulfentrazone (140 g ha−1) in New Jersey and Indiana at two locations in each state. At 12 WAIT, imazosulfuron generally controlled false-green kyllinga more effectively than other treatments at all locations. Sequential applications of imazosulfuron controlled false-green kyllinga 100% at 12 WAIT. Halosulfuron-methyl was less effective in Indiana than in New Jersey. Sulfentrazone controlled false-green kyllinga <40% at 12 WAIT. This research demonstrates that imazosulfuron is more effective than halosulfuron-methyl and sulfentrazone for POST false-green kyllinga control in cool-season turf.
Badly Behaved Detrital (U‐Th)/He Ages: Problems With He Diffusion Models or Geological Models?
Authors: Fox Matthew , Dai Jin‐Gen , Carter Andrew
Published: April 2019

Dispersion in apatite (U‐Th)/He ages makes extracting thermochronological information challenging. This is particularly problematic for constraining the thermal history of sedimentary basins, as the total amount of heating during burial can be small and at the limits of the sensitivity of the apatite (U‐Th)/He system in apatite, but undetectable with other thermochronometric systems. Here we explore the importance of the differences in predepositional thermal histories for individual crystals and the effect of radiation damage‐related diffusion during both the predepositional and postdepositional thermal history on the dispersion of apatite (U‐Th)/He ages. Different predepositional thermal histories can lead to a large spread of detrital ages due to radiation damage and its effect on He diffusivity. The resulting ages may appear scattered, and relationships between age and [eU], a conventional proxy for accumulated radiation damage, may be nonexistent or nonsensical. Furthermore, other variables that are expected to control He diffusivity could vary as a function of source region, resulting in false conclusions about controls on He diffusivity and the applicability of the apatite (U‐Th)/He system in general. We suggest that in some situations in which detrital apatite (U‐Th)/He age does not correlate with [eU], it is not because of problems with the thermochronometric system, but problems with the assumed geological model.
Characterization of Aerosol Aging Potentials at Suburban Sites in Northern and Southern China Utilizing a Potential Aerosol Mass (Go:PAM) Reactor and an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer
Authors: Li Jinjian , Liu Qianyun , Li Yongjie , Liu Tengyu , Huang Dandan , Zheng Jing , Zhu Wenfei , Hu Min , Wu Yusheng , Lou Shengrong , Hallquist Åsa M. , Hallquist Mattias , Chan Chak K. , Canonaco Francesco , Prévôt André S. H. , Fung Jimmy C. H. , Lau Alexis K. H. , Yu Jian Zhen
Published: April 2019

Aerosol mass spectrometry was used to characterize submicron aerosols before and after aging in a Gothenburg Potential Aerosol Mass (Go:PAM) reactor at two suburban sites in China, one in northern China at Changping (CP), Beijing, and a second in southern China at Hong Kong (HK). Organic aerosol (OA) dominated in the ambient nonrefractory particulate matter <1 μm (NR‐PM1) for both CP (42–71%) and HK (43–61%), with a large contribution from secondary OA factors that were semivolatile oxygenated (SVOOA) and low‐volatility oxygenated (LVOOA). Under constant OH exposure, OA enhancement (78–98%) dominated the NR‐PM1 mass increment at both sites, while nitrate was enhanced the most among the inorganic species (7–9%). Overall, the CP site exhibited higher OA oxidation potential and more enhancement of SVOOA than LVOOA (7.5 vs. 2.7 μg/m3), but the reverse was observed in HK (0.8 vs. 2.6 μg/m3). In CP, more enhancement of the less oxygenated SVOOA suggests that aerosol aging was more sensitive to the abundant locally emitted primary OA and volatile organic compound precursors. On the contrary, the more formation of the highly oxidized LVOOA in HK indicates that aerosol aging mainly escalated the degree of oxygenation of OA as ambient aerosol was already quite aged and there was a lack of volatile organic compound precursors. The comparative measurements using the same oxidation system reveal distinct key factors and mechanisms that influence secondary aerosol formation in two suburban locations in China, providing scientific insights to assist formulation of location‐specific mitigation measures of secondary pollution.
A Tribute to Wally Broecker
Authors: Barker Stephen
Published: April 2019

An editor of Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology shares fond memories of his postdoc with Wally Broecker, who died in February.
Science in This Century Needs People
Authors: Parrish Julia
Published: April 2019

An ecologist built an army of beach surveyors over 20 years and now has the world’s largest data set of marine bird mortality informing climate change and disaster studies.
An Intercomparison of Verification Scores for Evaluating the Sea Ice Edge Position in Seasonal Forecasts
Authors: Palerme Cyril , Müller Malte , Melsom Arne
Published: April 2019

With the improving skill of sea ice forecasts, verification methods are becoming increasingly important to inform model developers and users. In this study, the Modified Hausdorff Distance (MHD), the Spatial Probability Score (SPS), and a variation of the SPS are compared in order to assess their performances for evaluating the ice edge position in the new European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts seasonal forecasts (SEAS5). On average, the SEAS5 forecasts outperform a climatological reference during about 3 weeks using the MHD, and during about 5 weeks using the SPS. Furthermore, our results show that the MHD is more sensitive than the SPS to the presence of isolated sea ice patches. Moreover, the variation of the SPS introduced here is not seasonally dependent (contrary to the original SPS) and can be interpreted as a distance error of the ice edge position, which is a potentially relevant information for end users.
Artificial Aurora Produced by HAARP
Authors: Tulegenov B. , Streltsov A. V. , Kendall E. , McCarrick M. , Galkin I.
Published: April 2019

We present results from the ionospheric heating experiment conducted at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility, Alaska, on 12 March 2013. During the experiment, HAARP transmitted in the direction of the magnetic zenith X‐mode 4.57‐MHz wave. The transmitted power was modulated with the frequency of 0.9 mHz, and it was pointed on a 20‐km spot at the altitude of 120 km. The heating (1) generates disturbances in the magnetic field detected with the fluxgate magnetometer on the ground and (2) produces bright luminous spots in the ionosphere, observed with the HAARP telescope. Numerical simulations of the 3‐D reduced magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model reveal that these effects can be related to the magnetic field‐aligned currents, excited in the ionosphere by changing the conductivity in the E region when the large‐scale electric field exists in the heating region.
Gravity Wave Ducting Observed in the Mesosphere Over Jicamarca, Peru
Authors: Lehmacher Gerald A. , Kudeki Erhan , Reyes Pablo M. , Lee Kiwook , Heale Christopher J. , Snively Jonathan B.
Published: April 2019

Short‐period gravity waves are ubiquitous in the mesosphere, but the vertical structures of their perturbations are difficult to observe. The Jicamarca 50‐MHz very high frequency radar allows observations of winds and turbulent scatter with high temporal and vertical resolution. We present a case of a quasi‐monochromatic gravity wave with period 520 (±40) s that is likely ducted below a southward wind jet between 68 and 74 km. Above this layer of evanescence, a northward wind enables it to emerge into a more stable layer, where it is refracted to a short vertical wavelength of 2.2 (±0.2) km; data show evidence of weak nonlinearity, and possible overturning or partial reflection from higher altitudes, above the observable region, in the form of a standing wave structure in vertical velocity at approximately 75 km. Based on the dispersion relation, and with help of a two‐dimensional model, we determine that most likely the wave is propagating northward and is being ducted below and tunneling through the regions of evanescence created by the wind flow and typical mesospheric thermal structure. This is the first time that such an event has been identified in the Jicamarca mesospheric echoes, and it is distinct from Kelvin‐Helmholtz billows also commonly seen with this sensitive radar—instead apparently revealing tunneling of the gravity wave through ambient winds.
Large Fine‐Scale Spatiotemporal Variations of CH4 Diffusive Fluxes From Shrimp Aquaculture Ponds Affected by Organic Matter Supply and Aeration in Southeast China
Authors: Yang Ping , Zhang Yan , Yang Hong , Zhang Yifei , Xu Jin , Tan Lishan , Tong Chuan , Lai Derrick Y. F.
Published: April 2019

Mariculture shrimp ponds are important CH4 sources to the atmosphere. However, the spatiotemporal variations of CH4 concentration and flux at fine spatial scales in mariculture ponds are poorly known, particularly in China, worlds largest aquaculture producer. In this study, the plot‐scale spatiotemporal variations of water CH4 concentration and flux, both within and among ponds, were researched in shrimp ponds in Shanyutan wetland, Min River Estuary, Southeast China. The average water CH4 concentration and diffusion flux across the water‐air interface in the shrimp ponds over the shrimp aquaculture period varied from 2.29 ± 0.29 to 50.48 ± 20.91 μM and from 0.09 ± 0.01 to 2.32 ± 0.95 mmol·m−2·hr−1, respectively. The CH4 emissions from the estuarine ponds varied greatly between seasons, with peaks in August and September, which was similar to the trend of water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentrations. There was no remarkable difference in CH4 concentration and flux between shrimp ponds but significantly spatiotemporal differences in CH4 concentration and flux within the ponds. Significantly higher emissions occurred in the feeding zone, accounting for approximately 60% of total CH4 emission flux, while much lower CH4 emissions appeared in aeration zone, contributing 14% to total flux. This study suggests the importance of considering spatiotemporal variation in the whole‐pond estimates of CH4 concentration and flux. In light of such high spatial variation within ponds, improving aeration and feed utilization efficiency would help to mitigate CH4 emissions from mariculture ponds.
Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition Increases the Possibility of Macroalgal Dominance on Remote Coral Reefs
Authors: Chen Xiaoyan , Yu Kefu , Huang Xueyong , Wang Yinghui , Liao Zhiheng , Zhang Ruijie , Yao Qiucui , Wang Jikun , Wang Wenhuan , Tao Shichen , Zhang Huiling
Published: April 2019

Field surveys in the Xisha and Zhongsha archipelagos, in the midnorthern South China Sea, show macroalgal dominance on remote reefs that were previously dominated by corals. This study was conducted to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon. Benthic composition analyses indicated that macroalgae that are rare on pristine reefs dominated 27% of 81 study sites, and live coral cover dropped to 16.3% in 2015. Nearly one third of corals came into direct contact with macroalgae. Further analyses on the algal distribution patterns, nutrient fluxes, and air mass backward trajectories suggest that atmospheric nitrogen deposition is the major external supply of nutrients. The greater cover of macroalgae on the coral reefs coincides with the considerable atmospheric nitrogen deposition from the southwest during the summer monsoon. Moreover, the remote coral reefs hosted sevenfold greater macroalgae cover than the coastal coral reefs because atmospheric nitrogen assimilates effectively in the N limited and high visibility water. Macroalgae promotion is projected to grow with the increasing atmospheric nitrogen supply in the coming decade, which constitutes a larger stress on remote coral reefs.
Thermal plasticity of a freshwater cnidarian holobiont: detection of trans-generational effects in asexually reproducing hosts and symbionts
Authors: Ye Siao , Badhiwala Krishna N , Robinson Jacob T , Cho Won Hee , Siemann Evan
Published: April 2019

Understanding factors affecting the susceptibility of organisms to thermal stress is of enormous interest in light of our rapidly changing climate. When adaptation is limited, thermal acclimation and deacclimation abilities of organisms are critical for population persistence through a period of thermal stress. Holobionts (hosts plus associated symbionts) are key components of various ecosystems, such as coral reefs, yet the contributions of their two partners to holobiont thermal plasticity are poorly understood. Here, we tested thermal plasticity of the freshwater cnidarian Hydra viridissima (green hydra) using individual behavior and population responses. We found that algal presence initially reduced hydra thermal tolerance. Hydra with algae (symbiotic hydra) had comparable acclimation rates, deacclimation rates, and thermal tolerance after acclimation to those without algae (aposymbiotic hydra) but they had higher acclimation capacity. Acclimation of the host (hydra) and/or symbiont (algae) to elevated temperatures increased holobiont thermal tolerance and these effects persisted for multiple asexual generations. In addition, acclimated algae presence enhanced hydra fitness under prolonged sublethal thermal stress, especially when food was limited. Our study indicates while less intense but sublethal stress may favor symbiotic organisms by allowing them to acclimate, sudden large, potentially lethal fluctuations in climate stress likely favor aposymbiotic organisms. It also suggests that thermally stressed colonies of holobionts could disperse acclimated hosts and/or symbionts to other colonies, thereby reducing their vulnerability to climate change.
A clinically translatable hyperspectral endoscopy (HySE) system for imaging the gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Yoon Jonghee , Joseph James , Waterhouse Dale J. , Luthman A. Siri , Gordon George S. D. , di Pietro Massimiliano , Januszewicz Wladyslaw , Fitzgerald Rebecca C. , Bohndiek Sarah E.
Published: April 2019

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) enables visualisation of morphological and biochemical information, which could improve disease diagnostic accuracy. Unfortunately, the wide range of image distortions that arise during flexible endoscopy in the clinic have made integration of HSI challenging. To address this challenge, we demonstrate a hyperspectral endoscope (HySE) that simultaneously records intrinsically co-registered hyperspectral and standard-of-care white light images, which allows image distortions to be compensated computationally and an accurate hyperspectral data cube to be reconstructed as the endoscope moves in the lumen. Evaluation of HySE performance shows excellent spatial, spectral and temporal resolution and high colour fidelity. Application of HySE enables: quantification of blood oxygenation levels in tissue mimicking phantoms; differentiation of spectral profiles from normal and pathological ex vivo human tissues; and recording of hyperspectral data under freehand motion within an intact ex vivo pig oesophagus model. HySE therefore shows potential for enabling HSI in clinical endoscopy.
Ceramides bind VDAC2 to trigger mitochondrial apoptosis
Authors: Dadsena Shashank , Bockelmann Svenja , Mina John G. M. , Hassan Dina G. , Korneev Sergei , Razzera Guilherme , Jahn Helene , Niekamp Patrick , Müller Dagmar , Schneider Markus , Tafesse Fikadu G. , Marrink Siewert J. , Melo Manuel N. , Holthuis Joost C. M.
Published: April 2019

Ceramides draw wide attention as tumor suppressor lipids that act directly on mitochondria to trigger apoptotic cell death. However, molecular details of the underlying mechanism are largely unknown. Using a photoactivatable ceramide probe, we here identify the voltage-dependent anion channels VDAC1 and VDAC2 as mitochondrial ceramide binding proteins. Coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations reveal that both channels harbor a ceramide binding site on one side of the barrel wall. This site includes a membrane-buried glutamate that mediates direct contact with the ceramide head group. Substitution or chemical modification of this residue abolishes photolabeling of both channels with the ceramide probe. Unlike VDAC1 removal, loss of VDAC2 or replacing its membrane-facing glutamate with glutamine renders human colon cancer cells largely resistant to ceramide-induced apoptosis. Collectively, our data support a role of VDAC2 as direct effector of ceramide-mediated cell death, providing a molecular framework for how ceramides exert their anti-neoplastic activity.