bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vanishing of cohomology and parameter rigidity of actions of solvable Lie groups, II
Authors: MARUHASHI HIROKAZU
Published: November 2020

Let

$M\stackrel {\rho _0}{\curvearrowleft }S$
be a

$C^\infty $
locally free action of a connected simply connected solvable Lie group S on a closed manifold M. Roughly speaking,

$\rho _0$
is parameter rigid if any

$C^\infty $
locally free action of S on M having the same orbits as

$\rho _0$
is

$C^\infty $
conjugate to

$\rho _0$
. In this paper we prove two types of result on parameter rigidity.

First let G be a connected semisimple Lie group with finite center of real rank at least

$2$
without compact factors nor simple factors locally isomorphic to

$\mathop {\mathrm {SO}}\nolimits _0(n,1)(n\,{\geq}\, 2)$
or

$\mathop {\mathrm {SU}}\nolimits (n,1)(n\geq 2)$
, and let

$\Gamma $
be an irreducible cocompact lattice in G. Let

$G=KAN$
be an Iwasawa decomposition. We prove that the action

$\Gamma \backslash G\curvearrowleft AN$
by right multiplication is parameter rigid. One of the three main ingredients of the proof is the rigidity theorems of Pansu, and Kleiner and Leeb on the quasi-isometries of Riemannian symmetric spaces of non-compact type.

Secondly we show that if

$M\stackrel {\rho _0}{\curvearrowleft }S$
is parameter rigid, then the zeroth and first cohomology of the orbit foliation of

$\rho _0$
with certain coefficients must vanish. This is a partial converse to the results in the author’s [Vanishing of cohomology and parameter rigidity of actions of solvable Lie groups. Geom. Topol. 21(1) (2017), 157–191], where we saw sufficient conditions for parameter rigidity in terms of vanishing of the first cohomology with various coefficients.
Almost all Steiner triple systems are almost resolvable
Authors: Ferber Asaf , Kwan Matthew
Published: November 2020

We show that for anyndivisible by 3, almost all order-nSteiner triple systems admit a decomposition of almost all their triples into disjoint perfect matchings (that is, almost all Steiner triple systems are almostresolvable).
Evolutionary significance of the blastozoanEumorphocystisand its pseudo-arms
Authors: Guensburg Thomas E. , Sprinkle James , Mooi Rich , Lefebvre Bertrand
Published: November 2020

Twelve specimens ofEumorphocystisBranson and Peck, 1940 provide the basis for new findings and a more informed assessment of whether this blastozoan (a group including eocrinoids, blastoids, diploporites, rhombiferans) constitutes the sister taxon to crinoids, as has been recently proposed. BothEumorphocystisand earliest-known crinoid feeding appendages express longitudinal canals, a demonstrable trait exclusive to these taxa. However, the specimen series studied here shows thatEumorphocystiscanals constrict proximally and travel within ambulacrals above the thecal cavity. This relationship is congruent with a documented blastozoan pattern but very unlike earliest crinoid topology. Earliest crinoid arm cavities lie fully beneath floor plates; these expand and merge directly with the main thecal coelomic cavity at thecal shoulders. Other associated anatomical features echo this contrasting comparison. Feeding appendages ofEumorphocystislack two-tiered cover plates, podial basins/pores, and lateral arm plating, all features of earliest crinoid ‘true arms.’Eumorphocystisfeeding appendages are buttressed by solid block-like plates added during ontogeny at a generative zone below floor plates, a pattern with no known parallel among crinoids.Eumorphocystisfeeding appendages express brachioles, erect extensions of floor plates, also unknown among crinoids. These several distinctions point to nonhomology of most feeding appendage anatomy, including longitudinal canals, removingEumorphocystisand other blastozoans from exclusive relationship with crinoids.Eumorphocystisfurther differs from crinoids in that thecal plates express diplopores, respiratory structures not present among crinoids, but ubiquitous among certain groups of blastozoans. Phylogenetic analysis placesEumorphocystisas a crownward blastozoan, far removed from crinoids.
ASSESSING LONG-RUN GROWTH PROSPECTS FOR THE UK’S REGIONS
Authors: Verikios George , Hurst Ian , Young Garry
Published: November 2020

The UK faces a number of economic challenges in the short to medium term. Prior to COVID-19, renegotiation of trading arrangements with the European Union was the most prominent of these. We build on existing macroeconomic analysis by assessing prospects for the UK’s regions generated by combining a global macroeconometric model and a regional computable general equilibrium of the UK. A central macroeconomic scenario shows a national average annual GDP growth rate of 1.7 per cent to 2044. When the macroeconomic scenario is applied across regions, growth rates range from 1.6 per cent for Cambridge to 2.2 per cent for Pembrokeshire; the standard deviation is low at 0.07 per cent and the coefficient of variation is 0.04 per cent. In contrast, much wider variation is observed in the standard deviation for exports (0.36 per cent), investment (0.11 per cent) and consumption (0.14 per cent). The country results favour Scotland, which grows at an annual rate of 1.8 per cent, whereas Wales is the slowest growing of the countries at 1.7 per cent. Consistent with the macroeconomic analysis, international trade is the most important contributor to the regional variation in growth rates. We also analyse the effects of higher government consumption relative to the forecasts and find most regions are predicted to experience lower economic activity except the handful in which government consumption is a much higher share of GDP than average.
EUROPEAN FISCAL RULES AS A LIABILITY IN THE TRANSATLANTIC TRADE CONFLICT: LESSONS FROM NiGEM SIMULATIONS
Authors: Dullien Sebastian , Stephan Sabine , Theobald Thomas
Published: November 2020

Under the Trump administration, a transatlantic trade conflict has been escalating step by step. First, it was about tariffs on steel and aluminium, then about retaliation for the French digital tax, which is suspended until the end of the year. Most recently, the US administration threatened the European Union with tariffs on cars and car parts because of Canadian seafood being subject to lower import duties. As simulations with NiGEM show, a further escalation of the transatlantic trade conflict has the potential to slow down economic growth significantly in the countries involved. This is a considerable risk given the fact that the countries have to cope with the enormous negative effects of the pandemic shock. Furthermore, the damage caused by the trade conflict depends on the extent to which the affected countries use fiscal policy to stabilise their economies.
Disgust and disgust-driven moral concerns predict support for restrictions on transgender bathroom access
Authors: Vanaman Matthew E. , A. Chapman Hanah
Published: November 2020

Abstract

Many U.S. states have proposed policies that restrict bathroom access to an individual’s birth sex. These policies have had widespread effects on safety for transgender and gender-nonconforming people, as well as on state economies. In this registered report, we assessed the role of disgust in support for policies that restrict transgender bathroom access. We found that sensitivity to pathogen disgust was positively associated with support for bathroom restrictions; sexual and injury disgust were unrelated. We also examined the role of disgust-driven moral concerns, known as purity concerns, as well as harm-related moral concerns in support for bathroom restrictions. While concerns about harm to cisgender and transgender people predicted support for bathroom restrictions, purity was a much stronger predictor. Also, purity partially mediated the link between pathogen disgust and support for bathroom restrictions, even after accounting for harm concerns. Findings and implications are discussed.
NEW BAYESIAN RADIOCARBON MODELS AND CERAMIC CHRONOLOGIES FOR EARLY BRONZE IV TELL ABU EN-NI‘AJ AND MIDDLE BRONZE AGE TELL EL-HAYYAT, JORDAN
Authors: Fall Patricia L , Falconer Steven E , Höflmayer Felix
Published: November 2020

We present two new Bayesian14C models using IntCal20 that incorporate 17 new calibrated AMS ages for Early Bronze IV Tell Abu en-Ni‘aj and Middle Bronze Age Tell el-Hayyat, located in the northern Jordan Valley, Jordan. These freshly augmented suites of carbonized seed dates now include 25 AMS dates from Tell Abu en-Ni‘aj and 31 AMS dates from Tell el-Hayyat. The modeled founding date for Tell Abu en-Ni‘aj strengthens an emerging high chronology for Early Bronze IV starting by 2500 cal BC, while the end of its habitation by 2200 cal BC may exemplify a regional pattern of increasingly pervasive abandonment among late Early Bronze IV settlements in the Southern Levant. In turn, our modeled date for the Early Bronze IV/Middle Bronze Age transition at Tell el-Hayyat around 1900 cal BC pushes this interface about a century later than surmised traditionally, and its abandonment in Middle Bronze III marks an unexpectedly early end date before 1600 cal BC. These inferences, which coordinate Bayesian AMS models and typological ceramic sequences for Tell Abu en-Ni‘aj and Tell el-Hayyat, contribute to an ongoing revision of Early and Middle Bronze Age Levantine chronologies and uncoupling of their attendant interpretive links between the Southern Levant and Egypt.
‘Human ATMs’: M-Pesa and the expropriation of affective work in Safaricom's Kenya
Authors: Park Emma
Published: November 2020

This article explores the austere labour regime of Safaricom – Kenya's largest telecommunications firm and financial services provider – from the perspective of the women and men who work as ‘human ATMs’ for Safaricom's breakout service, M-Pesa. Far from women and men simply acting as ATMs, I argue that the affective and social labour of these people working at sites across the country constitutes a form of maintenance work that, while essentially free in Safaricom's accounts, critically underwrites the success of M-Pesa and Safaricom. In making this argument, I draw on the insights of feminist political theorist Nancy Fraser, who has pushed Marx's key insight that behind the sphere of exchange lies the ‘hidden abode’ of production. In contrast, Fraser argues that behind the ‘hidden abode’ of production lie domains more hidden still that constitute the ‘backstory’ of contemporary forms of accumulation. I argue that the work of ‘human ATMs’ constitutes both the ‘front story’ and the ‘backstory’ of contemporary modes of accumulation unfolding in Kenya. Their labour is formally exploited while broader forms of work required to build and maintain the social and material networks on which Safaricom depends are expropriated, forming the basis of new frontiers of accumulation. This process is mirrored in Safaricom's contemporary business strategy, which is premised on enclosing people's everyday habits and social networks in their digital forms as sites of innovation and market-making.
Following the infection dynamics of the tropical trematodeOligogonotylus mayaein its intermediate and definitive hosts for 13 years
Authors: May-Tec A.L. , Herrera-Castillo N.A. , Vidal-Martínez V.M. , Aguirre-Macedo M.L.
Published: November 2020

We present a time series of 13 years (2003–2016) of continuous monthly data on the prevalence and mean abundance of the trematodeOligogonotylus mayaefor all the hosts involved in its life cycle. We aimed to determine whether annual (or longer than annual) environmental fluctuations affect these infection parameters ofO. mayaein its intermediate snail hostPyrgophorus coronatus, and its second and definitive fish hostMayaheros urophthalmusfrom the Celestun tropical coastal lagoon, Yucatan, Mexico. Fourier time series analysis was used to identify infection peaks over time, and cross-correlation among environmental forcings and infection parameters. Our results suggest that the transmission ofO. mayaein all its hosts was influenced by the annual patterns of temperature, salinity and rainfall. However, there was a biannual accumulation of metacercarial stages ofO. mayaeinM. urophthalmus, apparently associated with the temporal range of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (five years) and the recovery of the trematode population after a devasting hurricane. TakingO. mayaeas an example of what could be happening to other trematodes, it is becoming clear that environmental forcings acting at long-term temporal scales affect the population dynamics of these parasites.
A new species ofRhabdias(Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae), a lung parasite ofPseudopaludicola pocoto(Anura: Leptodactylidae) from north-eastern Brazil: description and phylogenetic analyses
Authors: Morais D.H. , Müller M.I. , Melo F.T.V. , Aguiar A. , Willkens Y. , de Sousa Silva C. , Giese E.G. , Ávila R.W. , da Silva Reinaldo José
Published: November 2020

Rhabdias pocoton. sp. is herein described from the lungs of the swamp frogPseudopaludicola pocotoMagalhães, Loebmann, Nogueira, Kokubum, Baptista, Haddad & Garda, 2014, from the Caatinga biome in the state of Ceará, in north-eastern Brazil. The new species is characterized by a body that dilates posteriorly, six small lips (protuberances) and two rounded lateral expansions of cuticular inflation on the anterior end, each containing an amorphous gland-like structure inside and a short and conical tail. Additionally, molecular analysis and comparison of the partial mitochondrial cytochromecoxidase I sequence ofR.pocoton. sp. revealed genetic divergence between the new species and the sequences ofRhabdiasspp. previously deposited in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the new taxon into theR. pseudosphaerocephalaspecies complex +R. glaurungiclade. The new discovery represents the 19th species ofRhabdiasspp. described in the Neotropical region, the ninth in Brazil and the first species ofRhabdiasfound parasitizing South American frogs of the genusPseudopaludicola, as well as the first Caatinga biome species ofRhabdias.
A multi-centre analysis of a decade of endoscopic pharyngeal pouch surgery in Cheshire and Merseyside
Authors: Hampton T , Allan J , Pearson D , Emerson H , Jones G H , Junaid M , Kanzara T , Lau A S , Siau R , Williams S P , Wilkie M D
Published: November 2020

Background

There are sparse data on the outcomes of endoscopic stapling of pharyngeal pouches. The Mersey ENT Trainee Collaborative compared regional practice against published benchmarks.

Methods

A 10-year retrospective analysis of endoscopic pharyngeal pouch surgery was conducted and practice was assessed against eight standards. Comparisons were made between results from the tertiary centre and other sites.

Results

A total of 225 procedures were performed (range of 1.2–9.2 cases per centre per year). All centres achieved 90 per cent resumption of oral intake within 2 days. All centres achieved less than 2-day hospital stays. Primary success (84 per cent (i.e. abandonment of endoscopic stapling in 16 per cent)), symptom resolution (83 per cent) and recurrence rates (13 per cent) failed to meet the standard across the non-tertiary centres.

Conclusion

Endoscopic pharyngeal pouch stapling is a procedure with a low mortality and brief in-patient stay. There was significant variance in outcomes across the region. This raises the question of whether this service should become centralised and the preserve of either tertiary centres or sub-specialist practitioners.
The births of International Studies in China
Authors: Hwang Yih-Jye
Published: November 2020

This article explores how International Studies as a scientific discipline emerged and developed in China, against the background of a Sinocentric world order that had predominated in East Asia for a long time. The argument of this article is threefold. First, the discipline relied heavily on historical, legal, and political studies, and placed a heavy focus on the investigation of China's integration into the Westphalian system. Second, studies of International Relations were grounded in a problem-solving approach to various issues China was facing at various times in the course of modernisation. Third, the historical development of International Studies in China has had a profound impact on the current IR scholarship in both the PRC and Taiwan, including the recent surge of attempts to establish a Chinese School of IR theory in China and the voluntary acceptance of Western IR in Taiwan. By way of conclusion, the article suggests that there is still an indigenous Chinese site of agency with regards to developing IR. This agency exists despite the fact that in the course of the disciplinary institutionalisation of IR Chinese scholars have largely absorbed Western knowledge.
Low-dose prostaglandin E1 is safe and effective for critical congenital heart disease: is it time to revisit the dosing guidelines?
Authors: Vari Daniel , Xiao Wendi , Behere Shashank , Spurrier Ellen , Tsuda Takeshi , Baffa Jeanne M.
Published: November 2020

Introduction:

Prostaglandin E1 is used to maintain ductal patency in critical congenital heart disease (CHD). The standard starting dose of prostaglandin E1 is 0.05 µg/kg/minute. Lower doses are frequently used, but the efficacy and safety of a low-dose regimen of prostaglandin E1 has not been established.

Methods:

We investigated neonates with critical CHD who were started on prostaglandin E1 at 0.01 µg/kg/minute. We reviewed 154 consecutive patients who were separated into three anatomical groups: obstruction to systemic circulation, obstruction to pulmonary circulation, and inadequate mixing (d-transposition of the great arteries). Treatment failure rates and two commonly reported side effects, respiratory depression and seizure, were studied.

Results:

A total of 26 patients (17%) required a dose increase in prostaglandin E1. Patients with pulmonary obstruction were more likely to require higher doses than patients with systemic obstruction (15/49, 31% versus 9/88, 10%, p = 0.003). Twenty-eight per cent of patients developed respiratory depression and 8% of patients needed mechanical ventilation. Prematurity (<37 week gestation) was the primary risk factor for respiratory depression. No patient required dose escalation or tracheal intubation while on transport. No patient had a seizure attributed to prostaglandin E1.

Conclusions:

Prostaglandin E1 at an initial and maintenance dose of 0.01 µg/kg/minute was sufficient to maintain ductal patency in 83% of our cohort. The incidence of respiratory depression requiring mechanical ventilation was low and was mostly seen in premature infants. Starting low-dose prostaglandin E1 at 0.01 µg/kg/minute is a safe and effective therapy for critical CHD.
Single center experience of pediatric percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy
Authors: Herron Christopher , Forbes Thomas J. , Kobayashi Daisuke
Published: November 2020

Background:

Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy is a percutaneous procedure that creates a window in the parietal pericardium by balloon dilation. The use of percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy has not been reported well in children.

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to describe the single centre experience of percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy in children.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study to describe all the children aged <20 years undergoing percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy during an 18-year period (2001–2019). Patient characteristics, technical and ultimate procedural success, and repeat interventions were collected.

Results:

A total of 13 percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy’s were performed in 11 children at the median age of 12 years (range 1.8–19). The etiologies of pericardial effusion were post-pericardiotomy syndrome (n = 4), restrictive cardiomyopathy (n = 1), autoimmune diseases (n = 3), malignancy (n = 2), and idiopathic (n = 1). Two patients received two percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy. The technical success of percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy was 100% with no acute adverse events (balloon rupture or local bleeding). Five (45%) required re-intervention and ultimately three required a surgical pericardial window 6 to 35 days after the percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy. As a result, ultimate procedural success rate was 73% (8/11).

Conclusion:

Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy was performed safely with high technical success in children. Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy may be considered for recurrent and persistent pericardial effusion, before considering a surgical pericardial window.
The role of explanatory models of breast cancer in breast cancer prevention behaviors among Arab-Israeli physicians and laywomen
Authors: Soffer Michal , Cohen Miri , Azaiza Faisal
Published: November 2020

Background:

‘Explanatory Models’ (EMs) are frameworks through which individuals and groups understand diseases, are influenced by cultural and religious perceptions of health and illness, and influence both physicians and patients’ behaviors.

Aims:

To examine the role of EMs of illness (cancer-related perceptions) in physicians’ and laywomen’s behaviors (decision to recommend undergoing regular mammography, adhering to mammography) in the context of a traditional-religious society, that is, the Arab society in Israel.

Methods:

Two combined samples were drawn: a representative sample of 146 Arab physicians who serve the Arab population and a sample composed of 290 Arab women, aged 50–70 years, representative of the main Arab groups residing in the north and center of Israel (Muslims, Christians) were each randomly sampled (cluster sampling). All respondents completed a closed-ended questionnaire.

Results:

Women held more cultural cancer-related beliefs and fatalistic beliefs than physicians. Physicians attributed more access barriers to screening as well as fear of radiation to women patients and lower social barriers to screening, compared with the women’s community sample. Higher fatalistic beliefs among women hindered the probability of adherence to mammography; physicians with higher fatalistic beliefs were less likely to recommend mammography.

Conclusions:

The role of cultural perceptions needs to be particularly emphasized. In addition to understanding the patients’ perceptions of illness, physicians must also reflect on the social, cultural, and psychological factors that shape their decision to recommend undergoing regular mammography.
Determining the informational needs of family caregivers of people with intellectual disability who require palliative care: A qualitative study
Authors: McKibben Laurie , Brazil Kevin , McLaughlin Dorry , Hudson Peter
Published: November 2020

Objectives

People with intellectual disabilities are living longer, and many require palliative care. There is a lack of evidence regarding information needs which may exist for their family caregivers. This study aimed to determine the informational needs of family caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities who require palliative care.

Methods

A qualitative, exploratory design was underpinned by the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and the Transformative Paradigm. The study involved five Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts and two Hospices in one region of the United Kingdom. Family caregivers (n = 10) participated in individual interviews. HSC professionals’ (n = 28) perceptions of informational needs were explored within focus groups (n = 6).

Results

Family caregivers reported information needs chiefly concerning the disease, financial entitlements, and practical support which could change over the disease trajectory. Findings evidence the expertise of long-term family caregivers, prior to the end of life. Palliative care and intellectual disability teams acknowledged their role to work in partnership and facilitate access to information. Recommendations were mapped onto a co-designed logic model.

Significance of results

New insights into the specific informational needs of this family caregiving population. A co-designed logic model presents these needs and how they may be addressed. Central co-ordinators have been advocated for these caregivers. This model could have international applicability for similar family carers, supporting people with other disabilities or cognitive impairment, and should be further explored.
Trump v. The ACA
Authors: Gusmano Michael K. , Sparer Michael S. , Brown Lawrence D.
Published: November 2020

Before his incoherent response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of President Trump's health policy agenda was the elimination of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which he has called a ‘disaster’. The attacks on the ACA included proposals to repeal the law through the legislative process, to erode it through a series of executive actions, and to ask the courts to declare it unconstitutional. Despite these ongoing challenges, the ACA remains largely intact as the U.S. heads into the 2020 election. The longer term fate of the law, however, is uncertain and the outcome of the 2020 election is likely to have a dramatic effect on the direction of health policy in the U.S.
Legal origins, religion and health outcomes: a cross-country comparison of organ donation laws
Authors: Riambau Guillem , Lai Clin , Zhao Boyu Lu , Liu Jean
Published: November 2020

This paper investigates what drives countries to legislate presumed consent – making citizens organ donors by default unless they opt out – instead of explicit consent. Results reveal the following: First, civil law predicts presumed consent, which uncovers a mechanism by which an institution that long pre-dates transplantation medicine has an impact on current health outcomes. This is in line with previous research that has found that civil law regimes tend to be more comfortable with a centralized and activist government than common law ones. Second, Catholicism predicts presumed consent. This is consistent with previous research that shows Catholicism generally relies on more hierarchical structures and is less likely to encourage social responsibility among its members. Last, higher pro-social behavior decreases the likelihood of presumed consent. This could be explained by policy-makers trying not to discourage donations where pro-social behavior is high by making it look a requirement rather than an altruistic act. The implications of the findings are discussed, with a particular focus on policy-switches in organ donations.
Intravascular ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of central	venous diseases
Authors: Li Xin , D’Amico Giuseppe , Quintini Cristiano , Uso Teresa Diago , Gadani Sameer , Romero-Marrero Carlos , Martin Charles , Partovi Sasan
Published: November 2020

Summary: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has been used extensively in coronary applications. Its use in venous applications has increased as endovascular therapy has increasingly become the mainstay therapy for central venous diseases. IVUS has been used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in managing venous stenotic disease, venous occlusive disease, and IVC filter placement and removal. IVUS has been proven to be effective in providing detailed measurement of the venous anatomy, which aid in determining the appropriate size and the approach for venous stent placement. In IVC filter placement, IVUS can provide detailed measurement and guide IVC filter placement in emergent and critical care settings. It also has certain utility in filter removal. At any rate, to date there are only a few studies examining its impact on patient outcomes. Prospective randomized controlled trials are warranted in the future.
An Array of Low‐Cost, High‐Speed, Autonomous Electric Field Mills for Thunderstorm Research
Authors: Antunes de Sá A. , Marshall R. , Sousa A. , Viets A. , Deierling W.
Published: November 2020

The atmospheric electric field is an important research parameter in understanding storm electrification and energy exchange between lightning and the atmosphere across the globe. The near‐surface electric field can range from a few V/m (order of 10–100 V/m), mainly produced by the currents in the global electric circuit and local charge perturbations, to tens of kV/m in the presence of electrified clouds. The electric field mill (EFM), a variable capacitance electrometer, has been the instrument of choice in the atmospheric electricity community studying phenomena associated with the atmospheric electric field. The EFM is particularly useful in following storm movement and evolution, monitoring the fair‐weather electric field at distant locations, and measuring the vertical electric field inside clouds with EFM deployments on balloons. In this paper, we describe a new electric field mill ground‐based design, which focuses on lowering the manufacturing and operational costs of doing research with an array of EFM instruments while maintaining the scientific capabilities offered by past designs and commercially available devices. The theory of operation, data processing, and calibration of the instrument are also described. Example data from the first generation of these new field mills, deployed in the RELAMPAGO campaign in Argentina, are presented here. The RELAMPAGO deployment and data set illustrate important strengths of this design, for example, cost, autonomy, longevity, and measurement quality.
Controls of the Topological Connectivity on the Structural and Functional Complexity of River Networks
Authors: Ranjbar Sevil , Singh Arvind , Wang Dingbao
Published: November 2020

Catchments are complex systems containing channel networks and hillslopes. Channel networks interact with hillslopes and are pathways for transporting water, sediment, and nutrients. Understanding the branching and flux transport patterns of channel networks is critical for predicting the response of catchments to external forcing such as climate and tectonics. However, factors creating complexities in catchments are not fully understood. Here, we propose a new framework based on multiscale entropy approach to evaluate complexity of catchments using two different representations of channel networks. First, we investigate the structural complexity using the width‐function, which characterizes the spatial arrangement of channels. Second, we utilize the incremental area‐function along the main channel to study the functional complexity that captures the patterns of transport of fluxes. Our analysis reveals stronger controls of topological connectivity on the functional complexity than on structural complexity, indicating unchannelized surface (hillslope) contribution to the increase of heterogeneity in transport processes.
Different Enrichment Patterns of Magnetic Particles Modulated by Primary Iron‐Phosphorous Input
Authors: Ren Juan , Long Xiaoyong , Ji Junfeng , Barrón Vidal , Torrent José , Wang Yong , Xie Shiyou
Published: November 2020

Magnetic particles associated with iron (Fe) oxides are widespread on the surface of Earth and Mars and serve as reasonable climatic indicators. Ferrimagnetic maghemite (Mgh) and antiferromagnetic hematite (Hm), which dominate magnetism and redness, often coexist or compete with each other in soils and sediments. The formation efficiency of Mgh relative to Hm could be modulated by geochemical background besides climate, especially by phosphate (P), which has a high affinity for the surfaces of precursor iron oxides in natural systems. We investigated two Ferralsol sequences around a P mining field with similar climates and contrasting P/Fe ratios. High P/Fe ratios retard iron oxide crystallization, grain growth, and transformation into Hm, thereby promoting more effective accumulation of ferrimagnetic Mgh as an intermediate product. The lack of ligand‐protected effects well interprets asynchronous changes in magnetism and redness in soils and sediments across large spatiotemporal scales, especially in highly weathered soils.
Differences Between ICESat and CryoSat‐2 Sea Ice Thicknesses Over the Arctic: Consequences for Analyzing the Ice Volume Trend
Authors: Kim Jong‐Min , Sohn Byung‐Ju , Lee Sang‐Moo , Tonboe Rasmus Tage , Kang Eui‐Jong , Kim Hyun‐Cheol
Published: November 2020

Two sources of readily available and non‐overlapping space‐borne data on sea ice thickness over the Arctic (i.e., Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite [ICESat] and CryoSat‐2 [CS2]) were compared using overlapping thermal microwave radiometer data to examine their respective differences. As a bridge connecting these two data sets, data on the vertically polarized emissivity difference between 10.65 and 18.7 GHz derived from the Advanced Microwave Sounding Radiometer were related to ICESat and CS2 thickness values via regression. The results indicate that there are substantial and systematic differences in the ice thickness between these two data sets over the Arctic; ICESat ice thickness was systematically lower than that of CS2 by ~50 cm, compared to ice thickness from Operation IceBridge and upper looking sonar data. The CS2 thickness observed later than that of ICESat was found to be thicker, contradicting the thinning expected under global warming conditions. Correcting for the 50‐cm difference between ICESat or CS2 data revealed trends in ice volume that are consistent with the expected and modeled declines in the Pan‐Arctic Ice‐Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System data, further corroborating the 50 cm of relative bias observed between the two data sets.
Exceptionally Low Arctic Stratospheric Ozone in Spring 2020 as Seen in the CAMS Reanalysis
Authors: Inness A. , Chabrillat S. , Flemming J. , Huijnen V. , Langenrock B. , Nicolas J. , Polichtchouk I. , Razinger M.
Published: November 2020

A reanalysis data set produced by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring service (CAMS reanalysis, 2003 to present day) augmented by ERA5 data for the years before 2003 is used to describe the evolution of the 2020 Arctic ozone season and to compare it with years back to 1979. Ozone columns over large parts of the Arctic reached record low values in March and April 2020 because of an exceptionally strong, cold, and persistent Arctic polar vortex. Minimum ozone columns were below 250 DU for most of March and the first half of April, with the lowest values of 211 DU in the CAMS reanalysis found on 18 March. Such low values are extremely unusual for the Arctic. The previous years with similarly strong Arctic ozone depletion were 2011 and 1997 with minimum values of 232 and 217 DU, respectively. The performance of the CAMS ozone analysis is assessed by comparison with ozonesonde data and found to agree well with the independent observations. We find a clear sign of chemical ozone destruction with ozone severely depleted in a layer between 80 and 50 hPa in late March and early April when partial pressure values below 2 mPa were observed. Profiles from the limb sounders Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment‐Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE‐FTS) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) show clear signs of chlorine activation and the presence of polar stratospheric clouds. Monthly mean ozone columns in March 2020 were up to 180 DU or 40% lower than the CAMS climatology (2003–2019) while values for 2011 and 1997 were lower by 31% and 35%, respectively.
GFDL's SPEAR Seasonal Prediction System: Initialization and Ocean Tendency Adjustment (OTA) for Coupled Model Predictions
Authors: Lu Feiyu , Harrison Matthew J. , Rosati Anthony , Delworth Thomas L. , Yang Xiaosong , Cooke William F. , Jia Liwei , McHugh Colleen , Johnson Nathaniel C. , Bushuk Mitchell , Zhang Yongfei , Adcroft Alistair
Published: November 2020

The next‐generation seasonal prediction system is built as part of the Seamless System for Prediction and EArth System Research (SPEAR) at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). SPEAR is an effort to develop a seamless system for prediction and research across time scales. The ensemble‐based ocean data assimilation (ODA) system is updated for Modular Ocean Model Version 6 (MOM6), the ocean component of SPEAR. Ocean initial conditions for seasonal predictions, as well as an ocean state estimation, are produced by the MOM6 ODA system in coupled SPEAR models. Initial conditions of the atmosphere, land, and sea ice components for seasonal predictions are constructed through additional nudging experiments in the same coupled SPEAR models. A bias correction scheme called ocean tendency adjustment (OTA) is applied to coupled model seasonal predictions to reduce model drift. OTA applies the climatological temperature and salinity increments obtained from ODA as three‐dimensional tendency terms to the MOM6 ocean component of the coupled SPEAR models. Based on preliminary retrospective seasonal forecasts, we demonstrate that OTA reduces model drift—especially sea surface temperature (SST) forecast drift—in coupled model predictions and improves seasonal prediction skill for applications such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Effects of Topographic Resolution and Geologic Setting on Spatial Statistical River Temperature Models
Authors: O'Sullivan Antóin M. , Devito Kevin J. , Ogilvie Jae , Linnansaari Tommi , Pronk Toon , Allard Serge , Curry R. Allen
Published: November 2020

River temperature exerts a critical control on habitat for aquatic biota. As the climate warms in eastern Canada, threats to habitats of cold‐water species will increase, underpinning the necessity to develop an understanding of landscape‐scale, thermal regimes of flowing waters. We assessed the performance of spatial statistical network (SSN) models of river temperature using high‐resolution thermal infrared imagery (0.6 m) and LiDAR (1 m) compared to NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM—30 m) topographic data and interrogate LiDAR derived fine‐scale models (3 ha) to describe groundwater connectivity to surface waters in catchments with shallow overburden and varied bedrock geology. LiDAR improved model performance in a catchment underlain by a homogeneous, high hydraulic conductance bedrock (Cains River) but did not improve model performance in a catchment with heterogeneous bedrock and variable hydraulic conductance (North Pole Stream). We hypothesize that differences in bedrock conductance modified topographic controls on subsurface flows and discharge patterns to the rivers and thus produced the mixed performance of the SSN models. At finer scales, river reaches in steep valleys incising high conductance bedrock produced groundwater discharge, which was absent in incised valleys with low conductance bedrock. These findings indicate that while topography exerts an important control on landscape‐scale hydrological processes, geologic setting is a similarly important influence on hydrological processes. We suggest the inclusion of a third dimension of spatial autocorrelation, representative of the vertical plane that captures the geologic setting, would broaden the geographic applicability of spatial statistical models for river temperature studies.
A balance score between immune stimulatory and suppressive microenvironments identifies mediators of tumour immunity and predicts pan-cancer survival
Authors: Turan Tolga , Kongpachith Sarah , Halliwill Kyle , Roelands Jessica , Hendrickx Wouter , Marincola Francesco M. , Hudson Thomas J. , Jacob Howard J. , Bedognetti Davide , Samayoa Josue , Ceccarelli Michele
Published: November 2020

Background

The balance between immune-stimulatory and immune-suppressive mechanisms in the tumour microenvironment is associated with tumour rejection and can predict the efficacy of immune checkpoint-inhibition therapies.

Methods

We consider the observed differences between the transcriptional programmes associated with cancer types where the levels of immune infiltration predict a favourable prognosis versus those in which the immune infiltration predicts an unfavourable prognosis and defined a score named Mediators of Immune Response Against Cancer in soLid microEnvironments (MIRACLE). MIRACLE deconvolves T cell infiltration, from inhibitory mechanisms, such as TGFβ, EMT and PI3Kγ signatures.

Results

Our score outperforms current state-of-the-art immune signatures as a predictive marker of survival in TCGA (n = 9305, HR: 0.043, p value: 6.7 × 10−36). In a validation cohort (n = 7623), MIRACLE predicts better survival compared to other immune metrics (HR: 0.1985, p value: 2.73 × 10−38). MIRACLE also predicts response to checkpoint-inhibitor therapies (n = 333). The tumour-intrinsic factors inversely associated with the reported score such as EGFR, PRKAR1A and MAP3K1 are frequently associated with immune-suppressive phenotypes.

Conclusions

The association of cancer outcome with the level of infiltrating immune cells is mediated by the balance of activatory and suppressive factors. MIRACLE accounts for this balance and predicts favourable cancer outcomes.
Exosomal arrow (Arr)/lipoprotein receptor protein 6 (LRP6) in Drosophila melanogaster increases the extracellular level of Sol narae (Sona) in a Wnt-independent manner
Authors: Han Jeong-Hoon , Kim Yeon , Cho Kyung-Ok
Published: November 2020

Wg/Wnt as a signaling protein binds to Frizzled (Fz) and Arrow (Arr), two Wg co-receptors essential for Wg signaling for cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell survival. Arr has a long extracellular region, a single transmembrane domain and an intracellular region. Here, we report that a new arrm7 mutant is identified in a genetic screen as a suppressor of lethality induced by overexpression of Sol narae (Sona), a secreted metalloprotease in ADAMTS family involved in Wg signaling. arrm7 allele has a premature stop codon, which encodes Arrm7 protein missing the intracellular region. arrm7 clones show cell death phenotype and overexpression of Arrm7 protein also induces cell death. Levels of extracellular Sona were decreased in both arrm7 and arr2 null clones, demonstrating that Arr increases the level of extracellular Sona. Indeed, Arr but not Arrm7, increased levels of Sona in cytoplasm and exosome fraction by inhibiting the lysosomal degradation pathway. Interestingly, Arr itself was identified in the exosome fraction, demonstrating that Arr is secreted to extracellular space. When Sona-expressing S2 cells were treated with exosomal Arr, the extracellular level of active Sona was increased. These results show that exosomal Arr dictates Sona-expressing cells to increase the level of extracellular Sona. This new function of Arr occurred in the absence of Wg because S2 cells do not express Wg. We propose that Arr plays two distinct roles, one as an exosomal protein to increase the level of extracellular Sona in a Wnt-independent manner and the other as a Wg co-receptor in a Wnt-dependent manner.
MCL1 binds and negatively regulates the transcriptional function of tumor suppressor p73
Authors: Widden Hayley , Kaczmarczyk Aneta , Subedi Ashok , Whitaker Robert H. , Placzek William J.
Published: November 2020

MCL1, an anti-apoptotic protein that controls chemosensitivity and cell fate through its regulation of intrinsic apoptosis, has been identified as a high-impact target in anti-cancer therapeutic development. With MCL1-specific inhibitors currently in clinical trials, it is imperative that we understand the roles that MCL1 plays in cells, especially when targeting the Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3) pocket, the central region of MCL1 that mediates apoptotic regulation. Here, we establish that MCL1 has a direct role in controlling p73 transcriptional activity, which modulates target genes associated with DNA damage response, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression. This interaction is mediated through the reverse BH3 (rBH3) motif in the p73 tetramerization domain, which restricts p73 assembly on DNA. Here, we provide a novel mechanism for protein-level regulation of p73 transcriptional activity by MCL1, while also framing a foundation for studying MCL1 inhibitors in combination with platinum-based chemotherapeutics. More broadly, this work expands the role of Bcl-2 family signaling beyond cell fate regulation.
Combined treatment of mitoxantrone sensitizes breast cancer cells to rapalogs through blocking eEF-2K-mediated activation of Akt and autophagy
Authors: Guan Yidi , Jiang Shilong , Ye Wenling , Ren Xingcong , Wang Xinluan , Zhang Yi , Yin Mingzhu , Wang Kuansong , Tao Yongguang , Yang JinMing , Cao Dongsheng , Cheng Yan
Published: November 2020

Oncogenic activation of the mTOR signaling pathway occurs frequently in tumor cells and contributes to the devastating features of cancer, including breast cancer. mTOR inhibitors rapalogs are promising anticancer agents in clinical trials; however, rapalogs resistance remains an unresolved clinical challenge. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which cells become resistant to rapalogs may guide the development of successful mTOR-targeted cancer therapy. In this study, we found that eEF-2K, which is overexpressed in cancer cells and is required for survival of stressed cells, was involved in the negative-feedback activation of Akt and cytoprotective autophagy induction in breast cancer cells in response to mTOR inhibitors. Therefore, disruption of eEF-2K simultaneously abrogates the two critical resistance signaling pathways, sensitizing breast cancer cells to rapalogs. Importantly, we identified mitoxantrone, an admitted anticancer drug for a wide range of tumors, as a potential inhibitor of eEF-2K via a structure-based virtual screening strategy. We further demonstrated that mitoxantrone binds to eEF-2K and inhibits its activity, and the combination treatment of mitoxantrone and mTOR inhibitor resulted in significant synergistic cytotoxicity in breast cancer. In conclusion, we report that eEF-2K contributes to the activation of resistance signaling pathways of mTOR inhibitor, suggesting a novel strategy to enhance mTOR-targeted cancer therapy through combining mitoxantrone, an eEF-2K inhibitor.
Identification and elimination of false positives in electrochemical nitrogen reduction studies
Authors: Choi Jaecheol , Suryanto Bryan H. R. , Wang Dabin , Du Hoang-Long , Hodgetts Rebecca Y. , Ferrero Vallana Federico M. , MacFarlane Douglas R. , Simonov Alexandr N.
Published: November 2020

Ammonia is of emerging interest as a liquefied, renewable-energy-sourced energy carrier for global use in the future. Electrochemical reduction of N2 (NRR) is widely recognised as an alternative to the traditional Haber–Bosch production process for ammonia. However, though the challenges of NRR experiments have become better understood, the reported rates are often too low to be convincing that reduction of the highly unreactive N2 molecule has actually been achieved. This perspective critically reassesses a wide range of the NRR reports, describes experimental case studies of potential origins of false-positives, and presents an updated, simplified experimental protocol dealing with the recently emerging issues.
Rapid and robust assembly and decoding of molecular tags with DNA-based nanopore signatures
Authors: Doroschak Kathryn , Zhang Karen , Queen Melissa , Mandyam Aishwarya , Strauss Karin , Ceze Luis , Nivala Jeff
Published: November 2020

Molecular tagging is an approach to labeling physical objects using DNA or other molecules that can be used when methods such as RFID tags and QR codes are unsuitable. No molecular tagging method exists that is inexpensive, fast and reliable to decode, and usable in minimal resource environments to create or read tags. To address this, we present Porcupine, an end-user molecular tagging system featuring DNA-based tags readable within seconds using a portable nanopore device. Porcupine’s digital bits are represented by the presence or absence of distinct DNA strands, called molecular bits (molbits). We classify molbits directly from raw nanopore signal, avoiding basecalling. To extend shelf life, decrease readout time, and make tags robust to environmental contamination, molbits are prepared for readout during tag assembly and can be stabilized by dehydration. The result is an extensible, real-time, high accuracy tagging system that includes an approach to developing highly separable barcodes.