bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Major and trace element geochemistry of the European Kupferschiefer – an evaluation of analytical techniques
Authors: Rahfeld Anne , Wiehl Norbert , Dressler Sandra , Möckel Robert , Gutzmer Jens
Published: March 2018

Simple and rapid techniques are needed for routine quantitative chemical bulk-rock analyses of Kupferschiefer, a black shale containing variable amounts of silicates, base metal sulphides, carbonates and an organic content of up to 30 weight percent. In this study, WD-XRF, TXRF, and ICP-OES of acid- as well as peroxide-digested samples were tested as potential techniques based on their availability and adaptability to analyse major (Si, Ti, Al, Mg, Ca, Fe, K, but also Cu, Zn, Pb) and selected trace (Ag, As, Ba, Co, Mo, Ni, V) element concentrations. Because of the absence of a suitable reference material, a comparative study was undertaken using instrumental neutron activation analysis to ascertain the accuracy of different approaches. Our results suggest that data from ICP-OES were much higher in accuracy compared to INAA than those from WD-XRF and TXRF, independent of the digestion procedure. The choice of digestion procedure is reflected in low detection limits but an underestimation of Cu, Ag, Co, and V concentrations reported by ICP-OES relative to those obtained by INAA in the case of acid digestion and increased detection limits coupled with a loss of over 25% Ag relative to INAA for peroxide digestion.

Supplementary material:
Geochemical data, list of irradiation times and measured isotopes can be found at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4015507
Shallow groundwater salinization of the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada
Authors: Matheson Edward J. , Hamilton Stewart M. , Kyser Kurt
Published: March 2018

Groundwaters with total dissolved solids up to 9.5 g/l occur at depths of <50 m in the Paleozoic strata of the Niagara Peninsula. Major ions and trace elements are 1.5–40 times higher than in the same strata elsewhere in Ontario. The δ
18
O and δ
2
H values (

;

) of groundwater suggest that meteoric precipitation is the primary source with a small portion recharged during Pleistocene glaciation. Tritium (up to 17.42 TU) and coliform bacteria (up to 600 counts/100 ml) data indicate groundwater is generally recently recharged and undergoes a series of modifications that progressively increase salinity. Elemental concentrations and δ
34
S of dissolved sulphate

indicate that the salinization is due to multiple processes: (1) road salt inputs into shallow groundwater, (2) upward flow of basinal brines that mix with meteoric groundwater, (3) gypsum and anhydrite dissolution, and (4) sulphide oxidation of minor metallic sulphide minerals. Comparison with water from flowing abandoned gas wells suggests some are acting as conduits allowing upward flow of deeper (Appalachian Basin) brines. The distribution of brine-impacted wells suggests natural vertical pathways also contribute to upward transport and mixing of brine.

Supplementary material:
The full set of δ
34
S

SO
4

in sulphate data are available at:
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4012885
From field analogues to realistic seismic modelling: a case study of an oil-producing andesitic sill complex in the Neuquén Basin, Argentina
Authors: Rabbel Ole , Galland Olivier , Mair Karen , Lecomte Isabelle , Senger Kim , Spacapan Juan Bautista , Manceda Rene
Published: March 2018

Interpretation of seismic data has played a major role in recent advances in the studies of igneous sill complexes. Seismic modelling studies based on field analogues represent a promising tool to close the scale gap between observations from outcrops and seismic data and support seismic interpretation. Virtual outcrop models are commonly used to include high-resolution geological structures in models of seismic-scale field analogues. However, realistic seismic modelling requires not only detailed structural input, but also well-constrained elastic properties and an adequate seismic modelling technique. Here, we present a seismic modelling study of oil-producing andesitic sills in the Neuquén Basin, Argentina, which implements all modelling elements at high accuracy by combining virtual outcrop models, well data and a 2(3)D filtering method. Our results indicate that the modelled seismic signatures of intrusive bodies observed in field analogues are characterized by frequency-dependent interference and strong amplitude variations owing to highly variable elastic properties of both host rock and sills. We demonstrate that detailed waveform patterns observed in real seismic data can be linked to intrusive bodies below the traditionally assumed limit of resolution via realistic seismic modelling. This illustrates how an integrated modelling approach based on field analogues can aid seismic interpretation.
Cryptic climatic signatures and tectonic controls on Cryogenian diamictites in the NW Tarim Craton, China
Authors: Wu Guanghui , Le Heron D. P. , Yang Liuyun , Luo Bingxu , Xiao Yang , Wang Bin
Published: March 2018

Unravelling the origins of Cryogenian diamictites is vital in determining their significance in a snowball Earth context and their relationship to environmental processes. Here, we present new sedimentological and geochemical data for the Cryogenian sedimentary rocks from the Tarim Craton, NW China. The diamictite member of the East Qiaoenbrak Formation contains (1) granitic pebbles with high sphericity, (2) well-developed stratification and (3) bed-scale grain-size changes suggesting cyclicity; also, (4) ice-rafted debris is conspicuously absent. Rather than deposits of direct glacial origin, the succession is instead interpreted as a subaqueous fan complex. The major and trace element ratios and REE patterns are consistent throughout 22 sampled intervals in the Qiaoenbrak Group, suggesting a uniformly felsic source area, probably from an island arc. Chemical index of alteration (CIA) analysis indicates low CIA values (49.5–54.3, average 51.6) throughout the Qiaoenbrak Group. We suggest that both the Qiaoenbrak Group and Yuermeinak Formation were deposited during the Marinoan glaciation, in a long-lasting cold and dry interval. It is likely that the Qiaoenbrak Group was deposited in a fault-controlled basin adjacent to an active continental margin, although the material may ultimately have derived from a glacial source (e.g. outwash).
Correlation of Somatic Genomic Alterations Between Tissue Genomics and ctDNA Employing Next-Generation Sequencing: Analysis of Lung and Gastrointestinal Cancers
Authors: Toor Omer M. , Ahmed Zaheer , Bahaj Waled , Boda Urooge , Cummings Lee S. , McNally Megan E. , Kennedy Kevin F. , Pluard Timothy J. , Hussain Arif , Subramanian Janakiraman , Masood Ashiq
Published: March 2018

Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) of cancer tissues is increasingly being carried out to identify somatic genomic alterations that may guide physicians to make therapeutic decisions. However, a single tissue biopsy may not reflect complete genomic architecture due to the heterogeneous nature of tumors. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis is a robust noninvasive method to detect and monitor genomic alterations in blood in real time. We analyzed 28 matched tissue NGS and ctDNA from gastrointestinal and lung cancers for concordance of somatic genomic alterations, driver, and actionable alterations. Six patients (21%) had at least one concordant mutation between tissue and ctDNA sequencing. At the gene level, among all the mutations (n = 104) detected by tissue and blood sequencing, 7.7% (n = 8) of mutations were concordant. Tissue and ctDNA sequencing identified driver mutations in 60% and 64% of the tested samples, respectively. We found high discordance between tissue and ctDNA testing, especially with respect to the driver and actionable alterations. Both tissue and ctDNA NGS detected actionable alterations in 25% of patients. When somatic alterations identified by each test were combined, the total number of patients with actionable mutations increased to 32%. Our data show significant discordance between tissue NGS and ctDNA analysis. These results suggest tissue NGS and ctDNA NGS are complementary approaches rather than exclusive of each other. When performed in isolation, tissue and ctDNA NGS can each potentially miss driver and targetable alterations, suggesting that both approaches should be incorporated to enhance mutation detection rates. Larger prospective studies are needed to better clarify this emerging precision oncology landscape. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(5); 1123–32. ©2018 AACR.
Metabolomics Profiles of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Korean Prospective Cohort: The Korean Cancer Prevention Study-II
Authors: Jee Sun Ha , Kim Minjoo , Kim Minkyung , Yoo Hye Jin , Kim Hyungyoon , Jung Keum Ji , Hong Seri , Lee Jong Ho
Published: March 2018

In the prospective Korean Cancer Prevention Study-II (KCPS-II), we investigated the application of metabolomics to differentiate subjects with incident hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC group) from subjects who remained free of cancer (control group) during a mean follow-up period of 7 years with the aim of identifying valuable metabolic biomarkers for HCC. We used baseline serum samples from 75 subjects with incident HCC and 134 age- and gender-matched cancer-free subjects. Serum metabolic profiles associated with HCC incidence were investigated via metabolomics analysis. Compared with the control group, the HCC group showed significantly higher serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase. At baseline, compared with the control group, the HCC group showed significantly higher levels of 9 metabolites, including leucine, 5-hydroxyhexanoic acid, phenylalanine, tyrosine, arachidonic acid, and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), but lower levels of 28 metabolites, including oleamide, androsterone sulfate, L-palmitoylcarnitine, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) 16:0, LPA 18:1, and lysophosphatidylcholines (lysoPC). Multiple linear regression revealed that the incidence of HCC was associated with the levels of tyrosine, AST, lysoPCs (16:1, 20:3), oleamide, 5-hydroxyhexanoic acid, androsterone sulfate, and TUDCA (adjusted R2 = 0.514, P = 0.036). This study showed the clinical relevance of the dysregulation of not only branched amino acids, aromatic amino acids, and lysoPCs but also bile acid biosynthesis and linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and fatty acid metabolism. In addition, tyrosine, AST, lysoPCs (16:1, 20:3), oleamide, 5-hydroxyhexanoic acid, androsterone sulfate, and TUDCA were identified as independent variables associated with the incidence of HCC. Cancer Prev Res; 11(5); 303–12. ©2018 AACR.
Adiposity at Age 10 and Mammographic Density among Premenopausal Women
Authors: Alimujiang Aliya , Imm Kellie R. , Appleton Catherine M. , Colditz Graham A. , Berkey Catherine S. , Toriola Adetunji T.
Published: March 2018

Although childhood adiposity is inversely associated with breast cancer risk, the association of childhood adiposity with mammographic density in premenopausal women has not been adequately studied. We analyzed data from 365 premenopausal women who came in for screening mammography at Washington University (St. Louis, MO) from 2015 to 2016. Body size at age 10 was self-reported using somatotype pictogram. Body mass index (BMI) at age 10 was imputed using data from Growing Up Today Study. Volpara software was used to evaluate volumetric percent density (VPD), dense volume (DV), and nondense volume (NDV). Adjusted multivariable linear regression models were used to evaluate the associations between adiposity at age 10 and mammographic density measures. Adiposity at age 10 was inversely associated with VPD and positively associated with NDV. A 1 kg/m2 increase in BMI at age 10 was associated with a 6.4% decrease in VPD, and a 6.9% increase in NDV (P < 0.001). Compared with women whose age 10 body size was 1 or 2, women with body size 3 or 4 had a 16.8% decrease in VPD and a 26.6% increase in NDV, women with body size 5 had a 32.2% decrease in VPD and a 58.5% increase in NDV, and women with body sizes ≥6 had a 47.8% decrease in VPD and a 80.9% increase in NDV (P < 0.05). The associations were attenuated, but still significant after adjusting for current BMI. Mechanistic studies to understand how childhood adiposity influences breast development, mammographic density, and breast cancer in premenopausal women are needed. Cancer Prev Res; 11(5); 287–94. ©2018 AACR.
Colorectal Tumors Require NUAK1 for Protection from Oxidative Stress
Authors: Port Jennifer , Muthalagu Nathiya , Raja Meera , Ceteci Fatih , Monteverde Tiziana , Kruspig Björn , Hedley Ann , Kalna Gabriela , Lilla Sergio , Neilson Lisa , Brucoli Martina , Gyuraszova Katarina , Tait-Mulder Jacqueline , Mezna Mokdad , Svambaryte Silvija , Bryson Amy , Sumpton David , McVie Allan , Nixon Colin , Drysdale Martin , Esumi Hiroyasu , Murray Graeme I. , Sansom Owen J. , Zanivan Sara R. , Murphy Daniel J.
Published: March 2018

Exploiting oxidative stress has recently emerged as a plausible strategy for treatment of human cancer, and antioxidant defenses are implicated in resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Targeted suppression of antioxidant defenses could thus broadly improve therapeutic outcomes. Here, we identify the AMPK-related kinase NUAK1 as a key component of the antioxidant stress response pathway and reveal a specific requirement for this role of NUAK1 in colorectal cancer. We show that NUAK1 is activated by oxidative stress and that this activation is required to facilitate nuclear import of the antioxidant master regulator NRF2: Activation of NUAK1 coordinates PP1β inhibition with AKT activation in order to suppress GSK3β-dependent inhibition of NRF2 nuclear import. Deletion of NUAK1 suppresses formation of colorectal tumors, whereas acute depletion of NUAK1 induces regression of preexisting autochthonous tumors. Importantly, elevated expression of NUAK1 in human colorectal cancer is associated with more aggressive disease and reduced overall survival.

Significance: This work identifies NUAK1 as a key facilitator of the adaptive antioxidant response that is associated with aggressive disease and worse outcome in human colorectal cancer. Our data suggest that transient NUAK1 inhibition may provide a safe and effective means for treatment of human colorectal cancer via disruption of intrinsic antioxidant defenses. Cancer Discov; 8(5); 632–47. ©2018 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 517
Female house wrens value the nest cavity more than exclusive access to males during conflicts with female intruders
Authors: Krieg Cara A. , Getty Thomas
Published: March 2018

Individuals should fight hardest when they stand to lose the most. Whereas males frequently compete for fertile females, females more often compete for high quality males, male care, or resources required to breed. We asked whether established, territorial female house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) challenged by simulated female intruders fight as if they place more value on retaining (1) their nesting cavity or (2) exclusive access to other benefits offered by males. We randomly assigned house wren pairs to receive one or three nest boxes and then assayed female aggression. The relative costs to losing differed between box treatments. For one-box females, the risk of losing the cavity and territory was higher. For three-box females, the risk of losing the cavity may be lower because intruders may be able to settle as secondary females in the supplemental boxes. In this situation, females would lose exclusive access to males and their territories but would still retain the male’s assistance rearing offspring since male house wrens favour their oldest brood. We found that one-box females were significantly more aggressive. This response may be adaptive, as females that switched territories between broods were significantly more likely to lose their entire nest prior to hatching than females that retained the same territory. We interpret our results to mean that female house wrens value the nest cavity more than other benefits from exclusive access to males and their territories. This work contributes to a body of evidence that females often compete for resources required to breed.
The impact of early-life stress on the expression of HPA-associated genes in the adult murine brain
Authors: Reshetnikov V.V. , Studenikina A.A. , Ryabushkina J.A. , Merkulova T.I. , Bondar N.P.
Published: March 2018

Early life is an important period for the development of the nervous system and for the programming of behavioural phenotypes in adulthood. In our study, two types of early-life stress were used: prolonged separation of pups from their mothers (for 3 h/day, maternal separation (MS)) and brief separation (for 15 min/day, handling (HD)). We analysed the effects of early-life stress on behaviour and the expression of HPA-associated genes in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and frontal cortex of male mice. Adult mice in the MS group demonstrated reduced locomotor activity and deficiencies in spatial long-term memory, while the HD showed no significant changes. Additionally, early-life MS resulted in reduced hippocampal Crhr1 mRNA, increased MR/GR mRNA in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Both groups, HD and MS, showed increased Avp mRNA in the hypothalamus. Thus, prolonged maternal separation but not brief leads to adverse behavioural changes and influences the expression of HPA-associated genes in a brain region-specific manner.
The Nocturnal Evolution of Atmospheric Structure in a Basin as a Larger-Scale Katabatic Flow Is Lifted over Its Rim
Authors: Whiteman C. David , Lehner Manuela , Hoch Sebastian W. , Adler Bianca , Kalthoff Norbert , Vogt Roland , Feigenwinter Iris , Haiden Thomas , Hills Matthew O. G.
Published: March 2018

The successive stages of nocturnal atmospheric structure inside a small isolated basin are investigated when a katabatically driven flow on an adjacent tilted plain advects cold air over the basin rim. Data came from Arizona’s Meteor Crater during intensive observing period 4 of the Second Meteor Crater Experiment (METCRAX II) when a mesoscale flow above the plain was superimposed on the katabatic flow leading to a flow acceleration and then deceleration over the course of the night. Following an overflow-initiation phase, the basin atmosphere over the upwind inner sidewall progressed through three stages as the katabatic flow accelerated: 1) a cold-air-intrusion phase in which the overflowing cold air accelerated down the upwind inner sidewall, 2) a bifurcation phase in which the katabatic stable layer lifted over the rim included both a nonnegatively buoyant upper layer that flowed horizontally over the basin and a negatively buoyant lower layer (the cold-air intrusion) that continued on the slope below to create a hydraulic jump at the foot of the sidewall, and 3) a final warm-air-intrusion phase in which shear instability in the upper overflowing layer produced a lee wave that brought warm air from the elevated residual layer downward into the basin. Strong winds during the third phase penetrated to the basin floor, stirring the preexisting, intensely stable, cold pool. Later in the night a wind direction change aloft decelerated the katabatic wind and the atmosphere progressed back through the bifurcation and cold-air-intrusion phases. A conceptual diagram illustrates the first four evolutionary phases.
Erroneous Attribution of Deep Convective Invigoration to Aerosol Concentration
Authors: Varble Adam
Published: March 2018

Contiguous time–height cloud objects at the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains (SGP) site are matched with surface condensation nuclei (CN) concentrations and retrieved thermodynamic and kinematic vertical profiles for warm-cloud-base, cold-cloud-top systems in convectively unstable environments. Statistical analyses show that previously published conclusions that increasing CN concentrations cause a decrease in minimum cloud-top temperature (CTT) at the SGP site through the aerosol convective invigoration effect are unfounded. The CN–CTT relationship is statistically insignificant, while correlations between convective available potential energy (CAPE), level of neutral buoyancy (LNB), and CN concentration account for most of the change in the CN–CTT positive correlation. Removal of clouds with minimum CTTs > −36°C from the analysis eliminates the CN–CTT correlation. Composited dirty conditions at the SGP have ~1°C-warmer low levels and ~1°C-cooler upper levels than clean conditions. This correlation between aerosol concentrations and thermodynamic profiles may be caused by an increase in regional rainfall preceding deep convective conditions as CN concentration decreases. Increased rainfall can be expected to increase wet deposition of aerosols, cool low-level temperatures, and warm upper-level temperatures. The masking of a potential aerosol effect by such small thermodynamic changes implies that the strategy of analyzing subsets of aerosol data by binned meteorological factor values is not a valid method for discerning an aerosol effect in some situations. These findings highlight the need for more careful, detailed, and strategic observations to confidently isolate and quantify an aerosol deep convective invigoration effect.
Insights into Atmospheric Predictability through Global Convection-Permitting Model Simulations
Authors: Judt Falko
Published: March 2018

Global convection-permitting models enable weather prediction from local to planetary scales and are therefore often expected to transform the weather prediction enterprise. This potential, however, depends on the predictability of the atmosphere, which was explored here through identical twin experiments using the Model for Prediction Across Scales. The simulations were produced on a quasi-uniform 4-km mesh, which allowed the illumination of error growth from convective to global scales. During the first two days, errors grew through moist convection and other mesoscale processes, and the character of the error growth resembled the case of [Formula: see text] turbulence. Between 2 and 13 days, errors grew with the background baroclinic instability, and the character of the error growth mirrored the case of [Formula: see text] turbulence. The existence of an error growth regime with properties similar to [Formula: see text] turbulence confirmed the radical idea of E. N. Lorenz that the atmosphere has a finite limit of predictability, no matter how small the initial error. The global-mean predictability limit of the troposphere was estimated here to be around 2–3 weeks, which is in agreement with previous work. However, scale-dependent predictability limits differed between the divergent and rotational wind component and between vertical levels, indicating that atmospheric predictability is a more complex problem than that of homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. The practical value of global cloud-resolving models is discussed in light of the various aspects of atmospheric predictability.
A Diagnostic Study of the Evolution of the MJO from Indian Ocean to Maritime Continent: Wave Dynamics versus Advective Moistening Processes
Authors: Hung Ching-Shu , Sui Chung-Hsiung
Published: March 2018

The evolution processes for propagating Madden–Julian oscillations with strong magnitude over the Indian Ocean (IO) and Maritime Continent (MC) are investigated through a diagnosis of ECMWF reanalysis data for November–April 1982–2011. A scale-separated lower-tropospheric (1000–700 hPa) moisture budget is analyzed for four stages of composite life cycle: suppressed, cloud developing, convective, and decaying. Overall, the budgets in the IO and MC are dominated by wave-induced boundary layer convergence in the anomalous easterlies (WC) and advection. Starting from the suppressed stage in the central IO, moistening by WC and advection by easterly anomalies contributes to an initiation of the MJO convection in the western IO while surface evaporation and/or shallow convection moistens the central IO. In the following cloud developing and convective stage in the central IO, moistening by WC and advection by the downstream Kelvin–Rossby wave east of central IO lead to eastward propagation of deep convection. In the MC, the suppressed stage coincides with the convective stage in the central IO that promotes anomalous easterlies, subsidence, and enhanced rain rate over islands. Unlike WC and advective moistening in the IO that both occur in the equatorial zone, advective moistening in MC tends to be negative (positive) on windward (leeward) side of the major islands in the equatorial zone and more organized over the Arafura Sea, conducive to a southward detour of the eastward-propagating MJO.
Evaluation of Spatial and Temporal Performances of ERA-Interim Precipitation and Temperature in Mainland China
Authors: Liu Zhengjia , Liu Yansui , Wang Sisi , Yang Xiujing , Wang Lunche , Baig Muhammad Hasan Ali , Chi Wenfeng , Wang Zhaosheng
Published: March 2018

ERA-Interim has been widely considered as a valid proxy for observations at global and regional scales. However, the verifications of ERA-Interim precipitation and temperature in mainland China have been rarely conducted, especially in the spatial and long-term performances. Therefore, in this study, we employed the interpolated ground station (STA) data to evaluate the spatial and temporal patterns and trends of ERA-Interim precipitation and temperature during 1980–2012. The results showed that relatively weaker performances were observed in ERA-Interim precipitation, with the skill score (S index) ranging from 0.41 to 0.50. Interannual ERA-Interim precipitation presented comparable trends with STA precipitation at the annual and seasonal scales. Spatial patterns of empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes and corresponding principal components were evidently different between annual ERA-Interim and STA precipitation. For temperature, annual and seasonal patterns of ERA-Interim data were in good consistency with those of STA over China with the S index ranging from 0.59 to 0.70. Yet interannual STA temperature recorded stronger warming trends (from 0.37 K decade−1 of wintertime to 0.53 K decade−1 of springtime) at the annual and seasonal scales compared to corresponding periods for ERA-Interim temperature (from 0.03 K decade−1 of wintertime to 0.25 K decade−1 of summertime). Overall, ERA-Interim precipitation and temperature had good agreement with STA data in east China with lower elevation (<1000 m above sea level), but good agreements were not observed in west China with higher elevation. The findings suggest that caution should be paid when using ERA-Interim precipitation and temperature in areas with complex orography.
Influence of the Subtropical High and Storm Track on Low-Cloud Fraction and Its Seasonality over the South Indian Ocean
Authors: Miyamoto Ayumu , Nakamura Hisashi , Miyasaka Takafumi
Published: March 2018

The south Indian Ocean is characterized by enhanced midlatitude storm-track activity around a prominent sea surface temperature (SST) front and unique seasonality of the surface subtropical Mascarene high. The present study investigates the climatological distribution of low-cloud fraction (LCF) and its seasonality by using satellite data, in order to elucidate the role of the storm-track activity and subtropical high. On the equatorward flank of the SST front, summertime LCF is locally maximized despite small estimated inversion strength (EIS) and high SST. This is attributable to locally augmented sensible heat flux (SHF) from the ocean under the enhanced storm-track activity, which gives rise to strong instantaneous wind speed while acting to relax the meridional gradient of surface air temperature. In the subtropics, summertime LCF is maximized off the west coast of Australia, while wintertime LCF is distributed more zonally across the basin unlike in other subtropical ocean basins. Although its zonally extended distribution is correspondent with that of LCF, EIS alone cannot explain the wintertime LCF enhancement, which precedes the EIS maximum under continuous lowering of SST and enhanced SHF in winter. Basinwide cold advection associated with the wintertime westward shift of the subtropical high contributes to the enhancement of SHF, especially around 15°–25°S, while seasonally enhanced storm-track activity augments SHF around 30°S. The analysis highlights the significance of large-scale controls, particularly through SHF, on the seasonality of the climatological LCF distribution over the south Indian Ocean, which reflect the seasonality of the Mascarene high and storm-track activity.
Influences of Pacific Climate Variability on Decadal Subsurface Ocean Heat Content Variations in the Indian Ocean
Authors: Jin Xiaolin , Kwon Young-Oh , Ummenhofer Caroline C. , Seo Hyodae , Schwarzkopf Franziska U. , Biastoch Arne , Böning Claus W. , Wright Jonathon S.
Published: March 2018

Decadal variabilities in Indian Ocean subsurface ocean heat content (OHC; 50–300 m) since the 1950s are examined using ocean reanalyses. This study elaborates on how Pacific variability modulates the Indian Ocean on decadal time scales through both oceanic and atmospheric pathways. High correlations between OHC and thermocline depth variations across the entire Indian Ocean Basin suggest that OHC variability is primarily driven by thermocline fluctuations. The spatial pattern of the leading mode of decadal Indian Ocean OHC variability closely matches the regression pattern of OHC on the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO), emphasizing the role of the Pacific Ocean in determining Indian Ocean OHC decadal variability. Further analyses identify different mechanisms by which the Pacific influences the eastern and western Indian Ocean. IPO-related anomalies from the Pacific propagate mainly through oceanic pathways in the Maritime Continent to impact the eastern Indian Ocean. By contrast, in the western Indian Ocean, the IPO induces wind-driven Ekman pumping in the central Indian Ocean via the atmospheric bridge, which in turn modifies conditions in the southwestern Indian Ocean via westward-propagating Rossby waves. To confirm this, a linear Rossby wave model is forced with wind stresses and eastern boundary conditions based on reanalyses. This linear model skillfully reproduces observed sea surface height anomalies and highlights both the oceanic connection in the eastern Indian Ocean and the role of wind-driven Ekman pumping in the west. These findings are also reproduced by OGCM hindcast experiments forced by interannual atmospheric boundary conditions applied only over the Pacific and Indian Oceans, respectively.
Predictability of Sudden Stratospheric Warmings in the ECMWF Extended-Range Forecast System
Authors: Karpechko Alexey Yu.
Published: March 2018

The skill of the Arctic stratospheric retrospective ensemble forecasts (hindcasts) of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts extended-range system is analyzed with a focus on the predictability of the major sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) during the period 1993–2016. Thirteen SSWs took place during this period. It is found that forecasts initialized 10–15 days before the SSWs show worse skill in the stratosphere than forecasts initialized during normal conditions in terms of root-mean-square errors but not in terms of anomaly correlation. Using the spread of ensemble members to estimate forecasted SSW probability, it is shown that some SSWs can be predicted with high (>0.9) probability at lead times of 12–13 days if a difference of 3 days between actual and forecasted SSW is allowed. Focusing on SSWs with significant impacts on the tropospheric circulation, on average, the forecasted SSW probability is found to increase from nearly 0 at 1-month lead time to 0.3 at day 13 before SSW, and then rapidly increases to nearly 1 at day 7. The period between days 8 and 12 is when most of the SSWs are predicted, with a probability of 0.5–0.9, which is considerably larger than the observed SSW occurrence frequency. Therefore, this period can be thought of as an estimate of the SSW predictability limit in this system. Indications that the predictability limit for some SSWs may be longer than 2 weeks are also found; however, this result is inconclusive and more studies are needed to understand when and why such long predictability is possible.
A Dynamical Initialization Scheme for Tropical Cyclones under the Influence of Terrain
Authors: Liu Hao-Yan , Wang Yuqing , Xu Jing , Duan Yihong
Published: March 2018

This study extends an earlier dynamical initialization (DI) scheme for tropical cyclones (TCs) to situations under the influence of terrain. When any terrain lower than 1 km exists between 150 and 450 km from the TC center, topographic variables are defined and a filtering algorithm is used to remove noise due to the presence of terrain before the vortex separation is conducted. When any terrain higher than 1 km exists between 150 and 300 km from the TC center, or the TC center is within 150 km of land, a semi-idealized integration without the terrain is conducted to spin up an axisymmetric TC vortex before the inclusion of the terrain and the merging of the TC vortex with the large-scale analysis field. In addition, a procedure for the vortex size/intensity adjustment is introduced to reduce the initial errors before the forecast run. Two sets of hindcasts, one without (CTRL run) and one with the new DI scheme (DI run), are conducted for nine TCs affected by terrain over the western North Pacific in 2015. Results show that the new DI scheme largely reduces the initial position and intensity errors. The 72-h position errors and the intensity errors up to the 36-h forecasts are smaller in DI runs than in CTRL runs and smaller than those from the HWRF forecasts for the same TCs as well. The new DI scheme is also shown to produce the TC inner-core structure and rainbands more consistent with satellite and radar observations.
Development of a Human–Machine Mix for Forecasting Severe Convective Events
Authors: Karstens Christopher D. , Correia James , LaDue Daphne S. , Wolfe Jonathan , Meyer Tiffany C. , Harrison David R. , Cintineo John L. , Calhoun Kristin M. , Smith Travis M. , Gerard Alan E. , Rothfusz Lans P.
Published: March 2018

Providing advance warning for impending severe convective weather events (i.e., tornadoes, hail, wind) fundamentally requires an ability to predict and/or detect these hazards and subsequently communicate their potential threat in real time. The National Weather Service (NWS) provides advance warning for severe convective weather through the issuance of tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings, a system that has remained relatively unchanged for approximately the past 65 years. Forecasting a Continuum of Environmental Threats (FACETs) proposes a reinvention of this system, transitioning from a deterministic product-centric paradigm to one based on probabilistic hazard information (PHI) for hazardous weather events. Four years of iterative development and rapid prototyping in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) with NWS forecasters and partners has yielded insights into this new paradigm by discovering efficient ways to generate, inform, and utilize a continuous flow of information through the development of a human–machine mix. Forecasters conditionally used automated object-based guidance within four levels of automation to issue deterministic products containing PHI. Forecasters accomplished this task in a timely manner while focusing on communication and conveying forecast confidence, elements considered necessary by emergency managers. Observed annual increases in the usage of first-guess probabilistic guidance by forecasters were related to improvements made to the prototyped software, guidance, and techniques. However, increasing usage of automation requires improvements in guidance, data integration, and data visualization to garner trust more effectively. Additional opportunities exist to address limitations in procedures for motion derivation and geospatial mapping of subjective probability.
How belief in a just world might shape responses to discrimination: A case study of left-behind children in China
Authors: Lan Tian , Jia Xuji , Liu Xia
Published: March 2018

Background:

Previous study has indicated that perceived discrimination affected the children’s behaviors, but whether belief in a just world moderates the relationship between perceived discrimination and problem behaviors among left-behind children and whether there are differences between boys and girls are still unknown.

Aims:

This study aims at exploring whether perceived discrimination influences the left-behind children’s behaviors and the moderating role of belief in a just world among both boys and girls.

Methods:

Using cross-sectional data on rural left-behind children in Henan Province of China, this study examined the relationships among perceived discrimination (personal and group), belief in a just world and problem behaviors for both boys and girls. The participants included 336 boys and 310 girls. Self-report questionnaires captured perceived discrimination, belief in a just world and problem behaviors.

Results:

The results demonstrated that Chinese left-behind boys who perceived a high amount of personal discrimination were prone to exhibit problem behaviors. Yet, neither perceived personal nor group discrimination was associated with problem behaviors among the left-behind girls. Moreover, the children’s belief in a just world moderated the association between perceived discrimination and problem behaviors among the boys; in those who reported higher levels of belief in a just world, the negative effect of perceived personal discrimination on problem behaviors appeared weaker, comparing to those who reported lower levels of belief in a just world. In addition, the negative effect of perceived group discrimination on problem behaviors appeared stronger among the left-behind boys who reported higher levels of belief in a just world.

Conclusion:

Belief in a just world provided a protect function for the left-behind children when facing perceived personal discrimination. More attention should be paid on belief in a just world, perceived discrimination and problem behaviors among left-behind children.
The elusiveness of political truth: From the conceit of objectivity to intersubjective judgement
Authors: Coleman S
Published: March 2018

Political truth is never neutral, objective or absolute – that’s why it’s political. The normative realisation of democratic politics depends upon the communicability of intersubjective perspectives rather than the quest for capital-T Truth. Three key principles of political communication are set out that might strengthen the quality of intersubjective political judgment: the principle of social curiosity; the principle of collective interpretation; and the principle of working through disagreement. The article concludes by considering debates about political truth surrounding the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 and the need to respond to such tragedy through intersubjective judgment.
The Ontology of Personhood: Distinguishing Sober from Enthusiastic Personalised Medicine
Authors: Feiler Therese
Published: March 2018

In light of the successful occupation of the term ‘person’ for Personalised Medicine, it is necessary to ask what different notions of personhood practically imply. This article examines two. The first is the reductionist molecular individual, embraced by PM enthusiasts. Here the person is a contradictory dividuum, oscillating between increased autonomy and a new, infantilising tech-paternalism. The second relies on a Christ-analogical distinction of two modes. The dramatic amplitude of personal absence-presence then unfolds throughout time. This provides the logic or spirit of the medical act. Drawing on the ethics of war, it will be recast as an arduous task of mending.
Inside the trade union family: The ‘two worlds’ within the European Trade Union Confederation
Authors: Adamczyk Sławomir
Published: March 2018

The enlargement of the EU in 2004 and 2007 to the post-communist states of Central and Eastern Europe brought an encounter between two distinct ‘trade union worlds’ in terms of attitudes towards European integration. Unions from the old EU Member States want to defend their existing national standards, while those from Central and Eastern Europe have nothing to defend and look for solutions at EU level. I ask whether it is possible for the European Trade Union Confederation to realize a trade union vision of ‘Social Europe’ based solely on the perspectives of the West.
Is a new paradigm needed? A commentary on the analysis by Sławomir Adamczyk
Authors: Czarzasty Jan , Mrozowicki Adam
Published: March 2018

In this commentary, we support the core thesis of Sławomir Adamczyk that there exist ‘two trade union worlds’ within the European Trade Union Confederation, but our emphasis is somewhat different. The East–West divide can be explained both in terms of structural differences and of contrasting expectations about the role of European integration, rooted in the diverse histories and experiences of national affiliates. In the context of recurring particularistic logics which privilege national or regional interests over transnational labour solidarity, the need to create a new paradigm of trade union cooperation based on the recognition, articulation and, if possible, reconciliation of diverse workers’ interests can be legitimately seen as a major challenge to European trade union institutions.
Investigation of harmonic plane waves: detailed analysis of recent thermoplastic model with single delay term
Authors: Kumari Bharti , Kumar Anil , Mukhopadhyay Santwana
Published: March 2018

This work is concerned with a recent thermoelastic model. We investigate the propagation of plane harmonic waves in the context of this very recently proposed heat conduction model, an exact heat conduction model with a single delay term, established by Quintanilla. This model attempted to reformulate the heat conduction model that takes into account microstructural effects in heat transport phenomena and provided an alternative heat conduction theory with a single delay term. We aim to study the harmonic plane waves propagating in a thermoelastic medium by employing this new model and derive the exact dispersion relation solution. We mainly focus on a longitudinal wave coupled to a thermal field and find two different modes of this wave. We derive asymptotic expressions for several important characterizations of the wave fields: phase velocity, specific loss, penetration depth, and amplitude ratio. Analytical expressions for these wave characteristics are obtained for different cases of very-high- and low-frequency regions for elastic- and thermal-mode longitudinal waves. To verify the analytical results, we also carry out computational work to obtain numerical results of the wave characterizations for intermediate values of frequency and illustrate the results graphically. We show that our analytical and numerical results are in perfect match. On the basis of the analytical and numerical results, a thorough analysis of the effects of the single delay parameter on various wave characteristics is presented. We highlight several characteristic features of the new thermoelastic model, as compared with other models.
Overall severities of gastrointestinal symptoms in pediatric outpatients with and without autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Thulasi Venkatraman , Steer Robert A , Monteiro Iona M , Ming Xue
Published: March 2018

In order to determine the effectiveness of a Gastrointestinal Severity Index to screen for gastrointestinal disorders, the Gastrointestinal Severity Index was administered to 135 children with autism spectrum disorders and 146 comparisons with and without gastrointestinal disorders. The mean Gastrointestinal Severity Index scores of the groups were 3.53 ± 1.78, 3.15 ± 1.99, 0.81 ± 1.25, and 0.29 ± 0.76 (comparative pediatric patients with gastrointestinal disorder = autism spectrum disorder + gastrointestinal disorder > autism spectrum disorder-gastrointestinal disorder > comparative pediatric patients without gastrointestinal disorder, respectively), Ps < 0.05. Receiver operating characteristic curves and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated to ascertain which Gastrointestinal Severity Index cutoff scores yielded the highest sensitivity and specificity rates for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.97) for the comparison group was higher (P < 0.001) than the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.85) for autism spectrum disorder children indicating that the Gastrointestinal Severity Index was more effective in screening for gastrointestinal disorders in comparisons. However, the same Gastrointestinal Severity Index cutoff score of 2 and above yielded, respectively, sensitivity and specificity rates of 92% and 93% for comparisons and 80% and 79% for autism spectrum disorder children. The negative and positive predictive values based on these sensitivity and specificity rates were calculated for a range of prevalences of gastrointestinal disorders and indicated that the Gastrointestinal Severity Index may be useful for screening children with and without autism spectrum disorder for gastrointestinal symptoms.
On naming Arab revolutions and oppositional media narratives
Authors: Labidi Imed Ben
Published: March 2018

The unfinished Arab revolutions produced unsettling conditions, sectarian wars, counter-revolutionary wars, proxy wars and transitional democracies. US and Arab media responses could not find effective words to describe them and their underlying geopolitical implications. Whether to name them ‘protest’ or ‘unrest’, American mainstream media initially welcomed the events with a cautious curiosity while Arab media favoured a romanticized coverage. But as the protests spread fast and continued, a more dominant popular narrative in the US shaped by the ‘exceptionalist’ perspective about the Middle East emerged. This article explains how dominant discursive framings deployed a form of ‘nature talk’, specifically through names, phrases and locutions such as ‘Arab Spring’, ‘Jasmine revolution’, ‘Arab transition’, and horticultural words like ‘flower’, ‘rose’ and ‘blossom’ to describe the Arab uprisings. Because of an intellectually limiting media-produced racial vernacular during the period of mass protest, this dominant mainstream narrative spoke about the events either by using neo-imperial language that characterized the revolutions as an Islamist threat or by employing culturally reductionist vocabulary which infantilized protesters. The goal here is to place specific media frames and images that such linguistic constructions create and disseminate within the context of power relations, the politics of naming and knowledge production.
Health literacy in a complex digital media landscape: Pediatric obesity patients’ experiences with online weight, food, and health information
Authors: Holmberg Christopher , Berg Christina , Dahlgren Jovanna , Lissner Lauren , Chaplin John Eric
Published: March 2018

This study aimed to explore experiences with online information regarding food, weight management, and health in a group of adolescents in treatment for obesity. Individual semi-structured interviews with 20 adolescents were conducted. Participants used a screen-recorded laptop to demonstrate their search procedures and online information sources. The transcribed interviews were categorized using qualitative content analysis. The adolescents described both encouraging and discouraging experiences. On one hand, they said that online forums could provide nutritious meal ideas and inspiration as well as social support for behavior change. On the other hand, they mentioned that there was a confusing amount of misleading commercial content online and also experiences of peer-facilitated food marketing in online networks. An overarching theme was generated: social media might be a resource for health inspiration, health information, and social support, but requires awareness and competencies. Implications for clinical practice are discussed in light of these findings.