bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thinking Outside the Body: New Materialism and the Challenge of the Fetish
Authors: Green Louise
Published: August 2018

Fetishism has become such a key concept within Western thought, largely as a result of the work of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud, that it is easy to forget its origins. But the notion of fetishism originates in a very different context, and in many ways, an incommensurable system of thought—animism. Returning to this submerged backstory, I deploy the concept of the fetish to confront the recent enthusiasm for materiality that has emerged in response to current environmental crises. New materialism considers matter to have a liveliness not dependent on human subjects. This paper considers what divides “vital materialism” from the “animist materialism” that continues to structure everyday experience in a range of contexts in Africa and elsewhere and investigates the way in which fetishism, within the intellectual tradition of animism, alerts us to the strange ephemeralness of the avowed materialism of the new materialist project.
Strange Weather: Indigenous Materialisms, New Materialism, and Colonialism
Authors: Ravenscroft Alison
Published: August 2018

The essay looks at the challenges Australian Indigenous materialisms make to the Western concept of human and its relation to the inhuman, and it does this through reading the novels of Waanyi writer, critic, and activist Alexis Wright. In the Australian context, a highly productive knot is being tied between post-humanism and postcolonialism, such that the binary of “culture” and “nature” is understood in relation to another binary couple that sits snugly within “culture” and “nature,” and that is “colonizer” and “native.” The place of Indigenous-signed literary texts in critiques of Western materialisms cannot be underestimated. It is through the arts that most encounters between Indigenous and settler Australians take place. How non-Indigenous readers might approach these literary texts is a key ethical question with implications for new materialist and post-humanist projects.
OVERGROUPS OF WEAK SECOND MAXIMAL SUBGROUPS
Authors: MENG HANGYANG , GUO XIUYUN
Published: August 2018

A subgroup $H$ is called a weak second maximal subgroup of $G$ if $H$ is a maximal subgroup of a maximal subgroup of $G$. Let $m(G,H)$ denote the number of maximal subgroups of $G$ containing $H$. We prove that $m(G,H)-1$ divides the index of some maximal subgroup of $G$ when $H$ is a weak second maximal subgroup of $G$. This partially answers a question of Flavell [‘Overgroups of second maximal subgroups’, Arch. Math.64(4) (1995), 277–282] and extends a result of Pálfy and Pudlák [‘Congruence lattices of finite algebras and intervals in subgroup lattices of finite groups’, Algebra Universalis11(1) (1980), 22–27].
PERFECT POWERS THAT ARE SUMS OF TWO POWERS OF FIBONACCI NUMBERS
Authors: ZHANG ZHONGFENG , TOGBÉ ALAIN
Published: August 2018

In this paper, we consider the Diophantine equations $$\begin{eqnarray}\displaystyle F_{n}^{q}\pm F_{m}^{q}=y^{p} & & \displaystyle \nonumber\end{eqnarray}$$ with positive integers $q,p\geq 2$ and $\gcd (F_{n},F_{m})=1$, where $F_{k}$ is a Fibonacci number. We obtain results for $q=2$ or $q$ an odd prime with $q\equiv 3\;(\text{mod}\;4),3<q<1087$, and complete solutions for $q=3$.
ON THE SECOND-LARGEST SYLOW SUBGROUP OF A FINITE SIMPLE GROUP OF LIE TYPE
Authors: GLASBY S. P. , NIEMEYER ALICE C. , POPIEL TOMASZ
Published: August 2018

Let $T$ be a finite simple group of Lie type in characteristic $p$, and let $S$ be a Sylow subgroup of $T$ with maximal order. It is well known that $S$ is a Sylow $p$-subgroup except for an explicit list of exceptions and that $S$ is always ‘large’ in the sense that $|T|^{1/3}<|S|\leq |T|^{1/2}$. One might anticipate that, moreover, the Sylow $r$-subgroups of $T$ with $r\neq p$ are usually significantly smaller than $S$. We verify this hypothesis by proving that, for every $T$ and every prime divisor $r$ of $|T|$ with $r\neq p$, the order of the Sylow $r$-subgroup of $T$ is at most $|T|^{2\lfloor \log _{r}(4(\ell +1)r)\rfloor /\ell }=|T|^{O(\log _{r}(\ell )/\ell )}$, where $\ell$ is the Lie rank of $T$.
Status and conservation of the snow leopard Panthera uncia in Api Nampa Conservation Area, Nepal
Authors: Khanal Gopal , Poudyal Laxman Prasad , Devkota Bishnu Prasad , Ranabhat Rishi , Wegge Per
Published: August 2018

The snow leopard Panthera uncia is globally threatened and reliable information on its abundance, distribution and prey species is a prerequisite for its conservation. In October–November 2014 we assessed the distribution of the snow leopard in the recently established Api Nampa Conservation Area in the Nepal Himalayas. Within selected blocks we conducted sign surveys and counted the number of bharal Pseudois nayaur, its principal wild prey, along transects totalling 106 km. We recorded 203 putative snow leopard signs at an encounter rate of 1.91 signs/km. Generalized linear models of the number of signs detected per transect showed that elevation had a positive influence and human activities a negative influence on sign encounter rate; prey abundance had only a weak positive influence on sign encounter rate. Within the effectively surveyed area of c. 200 km2, we counted 527 bharal at an estimated density of 2.28 animals/km2. Recruitment of bharal was low, estimated at 48 kids/100 adult females, most likely a result of poor or overgrazed rangeland. We estimate the total number of bharal in this conservation area to be > 1,000, a prey base that could sustain 6–9 snow leopards. Based on our field observations, we identified human disturbance and habitat degradation associated with extraction of non-timber forest products, livestock grazing, and poaching as the main threats to the snow leopard. Standardized sign surveys, preferably supplemented by sampling with remote cameras or with genetic analysis of scats would provide robust baseline information on the abundance of snow leopards in this conservation area.
Folk-economic beliefs as “evidential fiction”: Putting the economic public discourse back on track
Authors: Acerbi Alberto , Sacco Pier Luigi
Published: August 2018

Folk-economic beliefs may be regarded as “evidential fictions” that exploit the natural tendency of human cognition to organize itself in narrative form. Narrative counter-arguments are likely more effective than logical debunking. The challenge is to convey sound economic reasoning in narratively conspicuous forms – an opportunity for economics to rethink its role and agency in public discourse, in the spirit of its old classics.
The mind of the market: Lay beliefs about the economy as a willful, goal-oriented agent
Authors: Forstmann Matthias , Burgmer Pascal
Published: August 2018

We propose an extension to Boyer & Petersen's (B&P's) framework for folk-economic beliefs, suggesting that certain evolutionarily acquired cognitive inference systems can cause modern humans to perceive abstract systems such as the economy as willful, goal-oriented agents. Such an anthropomorphized view, we argue, can have meaningful effects on people's moral evaluations of these agents, as well as on their political and economic behavior.
Mapping theterra incognitaof economic cognition will require an experimental paradigm that incorporates context
Authors: Lightner Aaron D. , Hagen Edward H.
Published: August 2018

Researchers, including Boyer & Petersen (B&P), commonly use experimental economic studies to draw their conclusions. These studies conventionally strip away context and present participants only with abstract rules. Because context is a strictly necessary component of the decision-making process, it is not clear that inferences about high-level folk psychological concepts (e.g., rationality) can be drawn from decontextualized economic games.
Comparing pharmacologic mechanism of action for the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitors valbenazine and deutetrabenazine in treating tardive dyskinesia: does one have advantages over the other?
Authors: Stahl Stephen M.
Published: August 2018

The two approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia both inhibit the vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (VMAT2) yet have pharmacologic properties that distinguish one from the other. Knowing these differences may help optimize which treatment to select for individual patients.
ON THE CONVERGENCE RATE OF THE ALTERNATING DIRECTION METHOD OF MULTIPLIERS IN A COMPLEX DOMAIN
Authors: LI L. , WANG G. Q. , ZHANG J. L.
Published: August 2018

We focus on the convergence rate of the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) in a complex domain. First, the complex form of variational inequality (VI) is established by using the Wirtinger calculus technique. Second, the$O(1/K)$convergence rate of the ADMM in a complex domain is provided. Third, the ADMM in a complex domain is applied to the least absolute shrinkage and selectionator operator (LASSO). Finally, numerical simulations are provided to show that ADMM in a complex domain has the$O(1/K)$convergence rate and that it has certain advantages compared with the ADMM in a real domain.
The implementation of European Union (EU) rules on cross-border care: moving towards convergence?
Authors: Nordeng Zuzana , Veggeland Frode
Published: August 2018

This article studies the implementation of the European Union (EU)’s Patients’ Rights Directive in Germany and Norway. The objective of the Directive was to allow EU member states to have a say in the regulatory work, ensure predictability and uniformity in the application of EU rules on cross-border care, and enhance a move towards EU harmonisation in this area. So far, the implementation processes in Norway and Germany have mixed results regarding the likelihood of achieving uniformity and harmonisation. Although the Directive has had convergent effects on certain areas of cross-border care, such as setting up National Contact Points and providing patients with the basic right to treatment abroad, implementation also shows divergent patterns. In both countries, adapting to EU rules has strengthened patients’ rights to choose freely among health-service providers in a wider European health-service market. However, due to legal discretion and country-specific institutions within which the new rules are applied, divergent patterns prevail.
Characterization of Seaward‐Dipping Reflectors Along the South American Atlantic Margin and Implications for Continental Breakup
Authors: McDermott Carl , Lonergan Lidia , Collier Jenny S. , McDermott Kenneth G. , Bellingham Paul
Published: August 2018

Thick packages of lavas forming seaward‐dipping reflectors (SDRs) are diagnostic features of volcanic passive margins. Despite their significance to continental breakup studies, their formation mechanism is still debated. We use ~22,000 km of high‐quality, depth‐migrated, seismic data to document the three‐dimensional geometry of SDRs offshore South America. We find two types: Type I are planar and occur as fault‐bounded wedges. Type II are characterized by reflections that become more convex‐upward in the downdip direction and terminate against a subhorizontal base. We interpret the transition from Type I to Type II SDRs to represent a continuum from continental rifting to full plate separation with formation of new, subaerially generated, magmatic crust. Type I SDRs formed in half grabens during the stretching of continental crust, while Type II lavas infill the space produced by flexing of the crust due to the solidification of the underlying feeder dikes as the magmatic crust moved away from the spreading center. Type II SDRs vary in length and thickness along the margin. In the north, close to the Paraná flood basalts, they are long (tens of kilometers), reach thicknesses of up to 15 km, and have an across margin width of up to 600 km. To the south the Type II SDRs are thinner with lava lengths of <10 km. We propose that Type II lavas in the north erupted from a subaerial, plate spreading center above the Tristan mantle plume and that the shorter lava flows to the south indicates eruption into water, consistent with a cooler, off‐plume mantle.
The Need for an Integrated Land‐Lake‐Atmosphere Modeling System, Exemplified by North America's Great Lakes Region
Authors: Sharma A. , Hamlet A. F. , Fernando H. J. S. , Catlett C. E. , Horton D. E. , Kotamarthi V. R. , Kristovich D. A. R. , Packman A. I. , Tank J. L. , Wuebbles D. J.
Published: August 2018

In the face of future climate change, it is prudent to seek sustainable adaptation strategies to address regional and local impacts. These impacts are multidimensional, involving interdependencies between systems (weather, urban land use, agriculture, etc.) that are typically modeled independently. To achieve a holistic understanding and thus identify more effective strategies for addressing and/or mitigating impacts, an integrated interdisciplinary research approach is essential. Here we discuss the broader challenges and threats faced by regions encompassing large bodies of water. We illustrate with North America's Great Lakes region, discussing how an integrated model of atmosphere, land, and lake could provide critical information to inform decisions. We stress the need to include input from diverse stakeholders in the development of tools to ensure the quality and usability of impact assessments. Research investments toward such capabilities should engage multiple disciplines including atmospheric sciences, hydrodynamics, hydrology, and biogeochemistry as well as data analytics and modeling. Also, detailed measurement and documentation of urban and agricultural land use, lake surface temperature and ice‐cover, and observations of energy and mass exchanges at the interfaces of atmosphere, land, and water are needed. We envision the development of an integrated set of modeling tools that will improve both the utility of weather forecasts and long‐term climate projections of the impacts on ecosystem sustainability, hydrometeorological extremes, engineering design, human health, and socioeconomic systems. Such a modeling system can serve as a template for other regions with cities, large lakes, inland seas, and coastlines facing similar kinds of climate change impacts.
Effects in the Near‐Magnetopause Magnetosheath Elicited by Large‐Amplitude Alfvénic Fluctuations Terminating in a Field and Flow Discontinuity
Authors: Farrugia C. J. , Cohen I. J. , Vasquez B. J. , Lugaz N. , Alm L. , Torbert R. B. , Argall M. R. , Paulson K. , Lavraud B. , Gershman D. J. , Gratton F. T. , Matsui H. , Rogers A. , Forbes T. G. , Payne D. , Ergun R. E. , Mauk B. , Burch J. L. , Russell C. T. , Strangeway R. J. , Shuster J. , Nakamura R. , Fuselier S. A. , Giles B. L. , Khotyaintsev Y. V. , Lindqvist P. A. , Marklund G.T. , Petrinec S. M. , Pollock C. J.
Published: August 2018

In this paper we report on a sequence of large‐amplitude Alfvénic fluctuations terminating in a field and flow discontinuity and their effects on electromagnetic fields and plasmas in the near‐magnetopause magnetosheath. An arc‐polarized structure in the magnetic field was observed by the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms‐C in the solar wind, indicative of nonlinear Alfvén waves. It ends with a combined tangential discontinuity/vortex sheet, which is strongly inclined to the ecliptic plane and at which there is a sharp rise in the density and a drop in temperature. Several effects resulting from this structure were observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft in the magnetosheath close to the subsolar point (11:30 magnetic local time) and somewhat south of the geomagnetic equator (−33° magnetic latitude): (i) kinetic Alfvén waves; (ii) a peaking of the electric and magnetic field strengths where E·J becomes strong and negative (−1 nW/m3) just prior to an abrupt dropout of the fields; (iii) evolution in the pitch angle distribution of energetic (a few tens of kilo‐electron‐volts) ions (H+, Hen+, and On+) and electrons inside a high‐density region, which we attribute to gyrosounding of the tangential discontinuity/vortex sheet structure passing by the spacecraft; (iv) field‐aligned acceleration of ions and electrons that could be associated with localized magnetosheath reconnection inside the high‐density region; and (v) variable and strong flow changes, which we argue to be unrelated to reconnection at partial magnetopause crossings and likely result from deflections of magnetosheath flow by a locally deformed, oscillating magnetopause.
Ultralow Frequency Electrodynamics of Magnetosphere‐Ionosphere Interactions Near the Plasmapause During Substorms
Authors: Streltsov Anatoly V. , Mishin Evgeny V.
Published: August 2018

Ultra low frequency (ULF) electromagnetic waves have been regularly observed by the CRRES, Cluster, and Van Allen Probes satellites near the plasmapause during substorms. Frequently, the small‐scale waves are detected together with a large‐scale quasi‐stationary electric field collocating with mesoscale plasma flows penetrating into the plasmasphere. These observations suggest that the plasmapause plays an important role in the conversion of the kinetic energy of energetic particles moving toward the Earth from the reconnection site in the magnetotail into a large‐scale electric field. The field penetrates along the magnetic field into the ionosphere and generates small‐scale, shear Alfvén waves and field‐aligned currents. These waves can form a standing pattern between the hemispheres, and under certain conditions, they can be amplified by interactions with the ionosphere. This scenario is verified in the paper by reproducing with simulations structure and amplitude of the ULF waves observed by the Van Allen Probe‐A satellite near the plasmapause on 17 March 2015. The simulations are based on the reduced two‐fluid MHD model describing generation of ULF Alfvén waves and field‐aligned currents by the ionospheric feedback instability driven by the large‐scale electric field. Simulations demonstrate good, quantitative agreement between spatial structure, frequency, and amplitude of the simulated waves and the observations.
Source Properties and Triggering Processes of Long‐Period Events Beneath Volcanoes Inferred From an Analytical Formula for Crack Resonance Frequencies
Authors: Taguchi Kimiko , Kumagai Hiroyuki , Maeda Yuta , Torres Roberto
Published: August 2018

Long‐period (LP) seismic events are thought to arise from the oscillations of a fluid‐filled resonator. The fluid properties and resonator geometry of LP sources have been estimated by comparing observed frequencies to those calculated from a crack model. However, simultaneous determinations of crack geometry and fluid properties have been based on time‐consuming crack model simulations. We developed an alternative method to estimate these crack model parameters using a recently proposed analytical formula. We applied it to LP events at Kusatsu‐Shirane volcano, Japan and Galeras volcano, Colombia, which have been thought to be generated by resonances of cracks filled with misty and dusty gases, respectively. Our estimates of the crack model parameters displayed temporal changes in both crack geometry and fluid properties, which previous studies have not shown. Our estimated parameters had common features at the two volcanoes: (1) Crack volumes and gas‐weight fractions of water vapor in the cracks were positively correlated, and (2) mist and dust volumes were proportional to the product of crack aperture and crack length or width. From these features, we inferred that the LP events were triggered by volumetric changes associated with condensation of water vapor exsolved from magma at Kusatsu‐Shirane and by fragmentation of vesiculated magma intruded into the crack at Galeras. This study demonstrates a useful new method to investigate the state of fluids and triggering processes of LP events.
First Direct Estimates of Volume and Water Mass Transports Across the Reykjanes Ridge
Authors: Petit Tillys , Mercier Herlé , Thierry Virginie
Published: August 2018

The Reykjanes Ridge is a major topographic feature located south of Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean that strongly influences the subpolar gyre circulation. Based on velocity and hydrographic measurements carried out along the crest of the Reykjanes Ridge from the Icelandic continental shelf to 50°N during the RREX cruise in June–July 2015, we derived the first direct estimates of volume and water mass transports over the Reykjanes Ridge. North of 53.15°N, circulation was mainly westward; south of this latitude it was mainly eastward. The westward transport was estimated at 21.9 ± 2.5 Sv (Sv = 106 m3 s−1) and represents the subpolar gyre intensity. The westward flows followed two main pathways at 57°N near the Bight Fracture Zone and at 59–62°N. We argue that those pathways were connected to the northern branch of the North Atlantic Current and to the Sub‐Arctic Front, respectively, which were both intersected by the southern part of the section. In addition to this horizontal circulation, mixing and bathymetry shaped the water mass distribution. Water mass transformations in the Iceland Basin lead to the formation of weakly stratified Subpolar Mode Water. We explain why Subpolar Mode Water, the main water mass contributing to the westward flow, was denser at 57°N than at 59–62°N. At higher densities, both Intermediate Water and Icelandic Slope Water contributed more to the westward transport across the Reykjanes Ridge than the sum of Labrador Sea Water and Iceland‐Scotland Overflow Water.
Mississippi River Plume Variability in the Gulf of Mexico From SMAP and MODIS‐Aqua Observations
Authors: da Silva Carolina E. , Castelao Renato M.
Published: August 2018

The Mississippi‐Atchafalaya River System (MARS) is an important source of freshwater and terrigenous material to the Gulf of Mexico. We used sea surface salinity (SSS) measurements from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite and terrigenous dissolved organic carbon (tDOC) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to describe the MARS plume seasonality and interaction with the Gulf circulation. Our analyses revealed good agreement between SMAP and in situ salinity for S > 31, and that satellite‐derived tDOC can serve as a useful tracer for the river plume. A boundary detection algorithm was used to quantify the frequency of plume occurrence in the Gulf for the last 15 years. The MARS plume has its maximum offshore extension during summer, retracting to closer to shore during fall/winter. Variability at monthly time scales is controlled by river discharge and alongshore winds, which explain up to 60% of the local variance in the frequency of plume occurrence near the shelfbreak. Maximum variability in plume extension is found to the east of the Mississippi River Delta due to wind reversals that generally occur during summer. The combined use of SMAP salinity and MODIS‐tDOC allowed for a detailed view of anomalous events in 2015 and 2016, when the MARS plume was transported for 350 km from the coast due to interactions with the Loop Current and with dipole eddies. While SMAP observations allow for tracking the river plume even in cloudy conditions, high‐resolution MODIS data allow for a more accurate characterization of sharp fronts and of the width of river‐influenced filaments.
Seasonal Variations in the Siliciclastic Fluxes to the Western Philippine Sea and Their Impacts on Seawater εNd Values Inferred From 1 Year of In Situ Observations Above Benham Rise
Authors: Xu Zhaokai , Li Tiegang , Colin Christophe , Clift Peter D. , Sun Rongtao , Yu Zhaojie , Wan Shiming , Lim Dhongil
Published: August 2018

The Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of siliciclastic sediments and the Nd isotopic compositions of planktonic foraminifera are investigated in sediment trap samples collected in 2015 at water depths of 500 and 2,800 m to (1) track the seasonal changes in the sources and transport patterns of siliciclastic sediments to Benham Rise, (2) constrain the Nd isotopic compositions of the planktonic foraminifera throughout the water column, and (3) assess the influences of lithogenic inputs on the Nd isotopic compositions of the water masses. We demonstrate that volcanic matter and eolian dust are derived primarily from Luzon Island and the Ordos Desert, respectively. In addition, we show that reduced precipitation over Luzon Island and the weakened East Asian winter monsoon intensity result in mass fluxes from Luzon Island and the eastern Asian deserts to the sea, respectively, that are weaker in the winter than in the spring. Furthermore, the εNd values of the foraminifera collected at a water depth of 500 m change slightly in 2015, suggesting negligible impacts of lithogenic Nd inputs characterized by significant seasonal flux variations. In contrast, the εNd values of the planktonic foraminifera collected at a water depth of 2,800 m are systematically more radiogenic and appear to display seasonal variability. Such results suggest the rapid modification of εNd values during the settling of planktonic foraminifera by the precipitation of Mn coatings derived from water masses at deposition depths, with greater contributions of colder water masses originating from the volcanic Luzon Island margin during the winter.
Seasonal Phasing of Agulhas Current Transport Tied to a Baroclinic Adjustment of Near‐Field Winds
Authors: Hutchinson Katherine , Beal Lisa M. , Penven Pierrick , Ansorge Isabelle , Hermes Juliet
Published: August 2018

The Agulhas Current plays a significant role in both local and global ocean circulation and climate regulation, yet the mechanisms that determine the seasonal cycle of the current remain unclear, with discrepancies between ocean models and observations. Observations from moorings across the current and a 22‐year proxy of Agulhas Current volume transport reveal that the current is over 25% stronger in austral summer than in winter. We hypothesize that winds over the Southern Indian Ocean play a critical role in determining this seasonal phasing through barotropic and first baroclinic mode adjustments and communication to the western boundary via Rossby waves. Our hypothesis is explored using single‐layer and one‐and‐a‐half layer models. We find that the barotropic contribution to seasonal phasing is small, with the majority of the seasonal signal deflected offshore and along the Mozambique Ridge. The summertime maximum and wintertime minimum can, however, be reproduced by a one‐and‐a‐half layer reduced gravity model in which adjustment time to wind forcing via Rossby waves is in line with observations from satellite altimetry. Additionally, near‐field winds (to the west of 35°E) are shown to have a controlling influence on the seasonal phasing, as signals from farther afield dissipate through destructive interference with overlying winds before reaching the western boundary. These results suggest a critical role for a baroclinic adjustment to near‐field winds in setting the summertime maximum in Agulhas Current transport.
Application of an LAI Inversion Algorithm Based on the Unified Model of Canopy Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function to the Heihe River Basin
Authors: Ma Bo , Li Jucai , Fan Wenjie , Ren Huazhong , Xu Xiru , Cui Yaokui , Peng Jingjing
Published: August 2018

The leaf area index (LAI) is one of the most important parameters of vegetation canopy structure, which can represent the growth conditions of vegetation effectively. The accuracy, availability, and timeliness of LAI data can be improved greatly, which is of great importance to vegetation‐related research. There are various types of vegetation and terrain conditions in the Heihe River Basin, the second largest inland river basin in northwest China. It is not only helpful to evaluate the accuracy of LAI retrieval algorithms for the complex land surface but also useful to understand the fragile ecological status of the Heihe River Basin. In contrast to previous LAI inversion models, the bidirectional reflectance distribution function unified model can be applied for both continuous and discrete vegetation, and it is appropriate for analyzing heterogeneous vegetation distributions. In this work, we produced 30‐m LAI products once a month in the growing season of 2012. Results show that the algorithm can effectively retrieve LAIs. We verified the LAI product using field measurement data. The mean absolute errors in forest, farmland, and sparse grassland are 0.44, 0.56, and 0.38 respectively, and the R2 is 0.8736. Further analysis shows that main errors come from three parts: errors in the parameters, mistakes in the vegetation classification, and interval of the look‐up table. Mixed pixel is also a problem for this model. Despite this, high resolution and applicability means this algorithm can be a good approach for LAI retrieval.
Impacts of Autumnal Eurasian Snow Cover on Predominant Modes of Boreal Winter Surface Air Temperature Over Eurasia
Authors: Han Shuangze , Sun Jianqi
Published: August 2018

In the present paper, the linkage between the predominant modes of boreal winter surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies over Eurasia and the preceding autumnal Eurasian snow cover is investigated for the period of 1979–2014. The first leading winter Eurasian SAT mode exhibits a strong signal over the region northward from 40°N; in association with this SAT mode, a significant zonal dipole pattern in snow cover can be observed in the midlatitude Eurasia during November. Such anomalous November snow cover strengthens the wave activity flux upward propagating over the middle latitudes, which can change the stratospheric polar vortex thereafter. In the following winter, the anomalous polar vortex signal propagates downward to the surface and gives rise to the negative Arctic Oscillation‐like structure. Consequently, this leads to the winter SAT anomalies occupying the area north of 40°N. The second leading winter Eurasian SAT mode shows negative values northward from 60°N as well as positive over the middle latitudes of Eurasia; in association with the second SAT mode, the significant anomalous snow cover appears to the east of the Ural Mountains during October. Such an anomalous snow signal can persist from October until the subsequent winter and produce a wave‐like structure with a southeastward propagation from the Ural Mountains to the midlatitude Eurasia in the midtroposphere and upper troposphere, which results in the dipole anomalous temperatures lying in the middle to high latitudes of Eurasia. The preceding autumn snow cover signal is valuable for the prediction of the winter SAT over the Eurasian continent.
Triggered Lightning Return Stroke Luminosity up to 1 km in Two Optical Bands
Authors: Carvalho F. L. , Uman M. A. , Jordan D. M. , Wilkes R. A. , Kotovsky D. A.
Published: August 2018

Luminosity waveforms measured using two types of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are presented as a function of time and channel height for 15 triggered‐lightning return strokes. Short vertical sections of 20 channel heights ranging from 0 to 1 km were observed by both types of APDs. For APD type I, the return stroke luminosity waveforms decay faster following a single initial peak (IP) than the waveforms recorded by APD type II, which often exhibit a second maximum (SM) following the IP, though the risetimes of the initial luminosity wavefront preceding the IP are similar for both types of APDs. APD type II responds better to longer wavelengths than APD type I, and since the SM occurs about 10 μs after the IP at the channel‐bottom and about 20 μs after the IP at 1‐km height, the SM is likely a consequence of spectral lines excited during the cooling of the channel, following the initial high‐temperature/pressure stage. The initial optical radiation during the return stroke is likely dominated by ionized atomic species radiated at higher temperatures (NII lines between 450 and 600 nm) better captured by APD type I, while the later optical radiation is likely due to neutral atomic species radiated at lower temperatures (e.g., H‐alpha at 656.3 nm, OI at 715.7 nm and 777.4 nm, and the NI at 744.4 nm) better captured by APD type II. The average IP upward speed is 1.3e8 m/s, while the average SM upward speed is 3.1e7 m/s.
Geochemical Trends in the Burns Formation Layered Sulfate Deposits at Meridiani Planum, Mars, and Implications for Their Origin
Authors: McCollom Thomas M.
Published: August 2018

The layered deposits that comprise the Burns formation at Meridiani Planum have a chemical composition that closely resembles Martian basalts with addition of an oxidized sulfur component. Alternative scenarios proposed to explain this composition differ over whether the sulfur component was added by itself (sulfur only) or was accompanied by transport of other elements, primarily Mg, Fe, and Ca (sulfur‐plus‐cations). Analysis of trends in elemental abundance relative to SO3 and TiO2 indicates that many elements, including Si, Al, K, Na, P, Cr, and Ti, were essentially immobile during the addition of the sulfur component and throughout all subsequent diagenetic processes. Conversely, the divalent cations (Fe, Mg, Ca, Mn, and Zn) were mobilized during diagenesis. This mobilization obscures any trends in composition that were established prior to diagenesis, making it difficult to determine whether these elements were transported into the materials along with sulfur or not. Mass balance models indicate that the current compositions can plausibly be accounted for by either sulfur‐only or sulfur‐plus‐cations scenarios. However, the sulfur‐plus‐cations scenario requires that the bedrocks had a much more complex geochemical history in order to arrive at their present chemical composition, including highly variable compositions prior to diagenetic alteration and extensive mobilization of elements during diagenesis. Conversely, sulfur‐only scenarios are consistent with the evidence for immobility of many elements and require only limited mobilization of cations during diagenesis. Overall, sulfur‐only scenarios provide a much simpler and more straightforward means of accounting for the chemical composition of the Burns formation than scenarios that involve cation mobility.
Hydrological Controls on the Seasonal Variability of Dissolved and Particulate Black Carbon in the Altamaha River, GA
Authors: Roebuck J. Alan , Medeiros Patricia M. , Letourneau Maria L. , Jaffé Rudolf
Published: August 2018

Rivers play an important role in the transport of organic carbon from terrestrial to marine environments. A significant portion of this material is black carbon (BC), a residue of incomplete biomass and fossil fuel combustion. BC is mobilized in fluvial systems as both particulate BC (PBC) and dissolved BC (DBC), and the export of BC to coastal environments may have significant implications for carbon cycling in marine environments. However, while little is known regarding the potential connectivity between riverine export of PBC and DBC or the potential importance of such a relationship in constraining future BC budgets, current knowledge suggests that fluvial export of PBC and DBC are decoupled in small fire‐impacted watersheds. This study aims to further address this subject on a larger watershed scale. For this study, 13 monthly samples were collected (September 2015 to September 2016) near the mouth of the Altamaha River, Georgia. PBC and DBC were characterized using the benzenze polycarboxylic acid method. Seasonal hydrology and regional shifts in storm events play an important role for both PBC and DBC export during high flow months. The DBC concentrations were comparable among wet and dry seasons, whereas evidence of seasonal salt water intrusions suggests an additional estuarine contribution of PBC at the sampling location. The DBC and PBC fluxes were generally coupled, although this pattern was disrupted during initial storm pulses. While this is the first report of potential coupling between DBC and PBC export, environmental drivers controlling this behavior between DBC and PBC remain to be constrained.
Estimating Soil Respiration in a Subalpine Landscape Using Point, Terrain, Climate, and Greenness Data
Authors: Berryman Erin M. , Vanderhoof Melanie K. , Bradford John B. , Hawbaker Todd J. , Henne Paul D. , Burns Sean P. , Frank John M. , Birdsey Richard A. , Ryan Michael G.
Published: August 2018

Landscape carbon (C) flux estimates help assess the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to buffer further increases in anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Advances in remote sensing have led to coarse‐scale estimates of gross primary productivity (GPP; e.g., MODIS 17), yet efforts to develop spatial respiration products are lacking. Here we demonstrate a method to predict growing season soil respiration at a regional scale in a mixed subalpine ecosystem. We related field measurements (n = 396) of growing season soil respiration mostly from subalpine forests in the Southern Rocky Mountains ecoregion to a suite of biophysical predictors using a Random Forest model (30‐m pixel size). We found that Landsat Enhanced Vegetation Index, growing season aridity index, temperature, precipitation, elevation, and slope aspect explained spatiotemporal variability in soil respiration. Our model had a psuedo‐r2 of 0.45 and root‐mean‐square error of roughly one quarter of the mean value of respiration. Predicted growing season soil respiration across the region was remarkably consistent across 2004, 2005, and 2006 (150‐day sums of 542.8, 544.3, and 536.5 g C/m2, respectively). Yet we observed substantial variability in spatial patterns of soil respiration predictions that varied among years, suggesting that our method is sensitive to changes in respiration drivers. Mean predicted growing season soil respiration was 73% of MODIS GPP, while predicted soil respiration was generally within 20% of nocturnal net ecosystem exchange from nearby eddy covariance towers. Thus, geospatial and remotely sensed data sets can be used to estimate soil respiration at landscape scales.
Deglacial Warming and Hydroclimate Variability in the Central Indonesian Archipelago
Authors: Schröder Jan F. , Kuhnt Wolfgang , Holbourn Ann , Beil Sebastian , Zhang Peng , Hendrizan Marfasran , Xu Jian
Published: August 2018

We present centennial‐scale records of sea surface temperature and oxygen isotopes from the Celebes Sea, Makassar Strait, Flores Sea, and northwestern Banda Sea, which provide new insights into the variability of Indonesian hydroclimate over the past 25 kyr. Deglacial warming was generally gradual with an amplitude of 3–4 °C. Statistical evaluation of the temperature data suggests that the onset of deglacial sea surface temperatures warming in the tropical Indonesian Sea occurred earlier than the global atmospheric CO2 rise. In contrast to previous terrestrial precipitation records, our ice volume‐corrected δ18O of seawater (δ18Osw) does not support widespread aridity in central Indonesia during the last glacial period. While δ18Osw was substantially enriched during Heinrich Stadial 1 and the Younger Dryas, δ18Osw values were only ~0.2‰ heavier during the Last Glacial Maximum than during the Holocene. Heavier δ18Osw during Heinrich Stadial 1 and the Younger Dryas either reflects a decline in precipitation amount and/or increased δ18O of rainfall in central Indonesia, both likely caused by a southward displacement of the tropical rain belt. Comparison of the Celebes Sea, Makassar Strait, Flores Sea, and Banda Sea records suggests that rainfall isotope and/or amount changes were comparable over Borneo and Sulawesi during the last termination.
The Wilson Cycle and Effects of Tectonic Structural Inheritance on Rifted Passive Margin Formation
Authors: Salazar‐Mora Claudio A. , Huismans Ritske S. , Fossen Haakon , Egydio‐Silva Marcos
Published: August 2018

The parallelism between older collisional belts and younger rift systems is widely known and particularly well portrayed along the Atlantic Ocean. How tectonic inherited and new‐formed shear zones control rift nucleation and the final architecture of rifted conjugate passive margins is still poorly understood. Here we present lithospheric‐scale thermo‐mechanical numerical models that self‐consistently create extensional and contractional tectonic inheritance, where prior extension and contraction are systematically varied. Our results show that (1) initial reactivation occurs along the former lithospheric suture zones; (2) upper crustal thick‐skinned basement thrusts are partially or fully reactivated depending on the amount of prior contraction and size of the orogen; (3) with a small amount of contraction, thick‐skinned thrusts are efficiently reactivated in extension and provide the template for rifted margin formation; (4) with larger amounts of contraction, thick‐skinned thrusts distal to the lithospheric suture zone do not reactivate in extension; and (5) reactivation of prior contractional shear zones dominates during the early stages of rifting, while during the final stage of margin formation new‐formed extensional shear zones dominate. Force balance analysis predicts an inverse relation between midcrustal viscosity and the maximum offset for reactivation of weak upper crustal structures. Force balance also predicts that the degree of weakening or healing of the weak suture and the thermal thinning of the necking area control at which stage suture reactivation is deactivated and extension proceeds by mantle lithosphere thermal necking. Two rifted conjugate margins with orogenic inheritance in the North and South Atlantic are used for comparison.
Alpinetin exerts anti-colitis efficacy by activating AhR, regulating miR-302/DNMT-1/CREB signals, and therefore promoting Treg differentiation
Authors: Lv Qi , Shi Can , Qiao Simiao , Cao Na , Guan Chunge , Dai Yue , Wei Zhifeng
Published: August 2018

Alpinetin, a flavonoid compound extracted from the seeds of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata, has been demonstrated to exert massive biological properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of alpinetin on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, and elucidate the potential mechanisms. Alpinetin significantly alleviated colitis in mice, accompanied with restored Th17/Treg balance in colons. In vitro, alpinetin directly promoted Treg differentiation but exerted little effect on Th17 differentiation, and the action was in an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-dependent manner. It acted as a potential AhR activator, evidenced by increased expression of CYP1A1, dissociation of AhR/HSP90 complexes, AhR nuclear translocation, XRE-driven luciferase reporter gene and DNA-binding activity of AhR/ARNT/XRE in T cells. Furthermore, alpinetin significantly promoted expression of miR-302 but not others, and restrained expression of DNMT-1 and methylation level of Foxp3 promoter region in CD4+ T cells and colons of colitis mice. However, the association of CREB and Foxp3 promoter region but not expression, nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity of CREB was up-regulated by alpinetin in CD4+ T cells. The relationship of alpinetin-adjusted AhR activation, expressions of miR-302 and DNMT-1, association of CREB and Foxp3 promoter region, and Treg differentiation was confirmed by using CH223191, siAhR, miR-302 inhibitor and pcDNA3.1(+)-mDNMT-1. Finally, CH223191 abolished the amelioration of alpinetin on colitis, induction of Treg cells and regulation of miR-302/DNMT-1/CREB signals in colons of colitis mice. In conclusion, alpinetin ameliorated colitis in mice via activating AhR, regulating miR-302/DNMT-1/CREB signals, therefore promoting Treg differentiation.
Dual role of autophagy on docetaxel-sensitivity in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Cristofani Riccardo , Montagnani Marelli Marina , Cicardi Maria Elena , Fontana Fabrizio , Marzagalli Monica , Limonta Patrizia , Poletti Angelo , Moretti Roberta Manuela
Published: August 2018

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of death in males. Available treatments often lead to the appearance of chemoresistant foci and metastases, with mechanisms still partially unknown. Within tumour mass, autophagy may promote cell survival by enhancing cancer cells tolerability to different cell stresses, like hypoxia, starvation or those triggered by chemotherapic agents. Because of its connection with the apoptotic pathways, autophagy has been differentially implicated, either as prodeath or prosurvival factor, in the appearance of more aggressive tumours. Here, in three PC cells (LNCaP, PC3, and DU145), we tested how different autophagy inducers modulate docetaxel-induced apoptosis. We selected the mTOR-independent disaccharide trehalose and the mTOR-dependent macrolide lactone rapamycin autophagy inducers. In castration-resistant PC (CRPC) PC3 cells, trehalose specifically prevented intrinsic apoptosis in docetaxel-treated cells. Trehalose reduced the release of cytochrome c triggered by docetaxel and the formation of aberrant mitochondria, possibly by enhancing the turnover of damaged mitochondria via autophagy (mitophagy). In fact, trehalose increased LC3 and p62 expression, LC3-II and p62 (p62 bodies) accumulation and the induction of LC3 puncta. In docetaxel-treated cells, trehalose, but not rapamycin, determined a perinuclear mitochondrial aggregation (mito-aggresomes), and mitochondria specifically colocalized with LC3 and p62-positive autophagosomes. In PC3 cells, rapamycin retained its ability to activate autophagy without evidences of mitophagy even in presence of docetaxel. Interestingly, these results were replicated in LNCaP cells, whereas trehalose and rapamycin did not modify the response to docetaxel in the ATG5-deficient (autophagy resistant) DU145 cells. Therefore, autophagy is involved to alter the response to chemotherapy in combination therapies and the response may be influenced by the different autophagic pathways utilized and by the type of cancer cells.
Roles of Nmnat1 in the survival of retinal progenitors through the regulation of pro-apoptotic gene expression via histone acetylation
Authors: Kuribayashi Hiroshi , Baba Yukihiro , Iwagawa Toshiro , Arai Eisuke , Murakami Akira , Watanabe Sumiko
Published: August 2018

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a severe, genetically heterogeneous dystrophy of the retina and mutations in the nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 1 (NMNAT1) gene is one of causal factors of LCA. NMNAT1 is a nuclear enzyme essential for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) biosynthesis pathways, but the mechanisms underlying the LCA pathology and whether NMNAT1 has a role in normal retinal development remain unclear. Thus, we examined the roles of Nmnat1 in retinal development via short hairpin (sh)-RNA-mediated downregulation. Retinal explants expressing sh-Nmnat1 showed large numbers of apoptotic retinal progenitor cells in the inner half of the neuroblastic layer. Decreased intracellular NAD content was observed and the addition of NAD to the culture medium attenuated sh-Nmnat1-induced apoptosis. Of the nuclear Sirtuin (Sirt) family, the expression of sh-Sirt1 and sh-Sirt6 resulted in a phenotype similar to that of sh-Nmnat1. Sirt proteins are histone deacetylases and the expression of sh-Nmnat1 increased the levels of acetylated histones H3 and H4 in the retina. Expression of sh-Nmnat1 resulted in significantly increased expression of Noxa and Fas, two pro-apoptotic genes. Acetylation of the genomic 5′-untranslated regions of Noxa and Fas loci was upregulated by sh-Nmnat1 expression. The co-expression of sh-Fas with sh-Nmnat1 reduced the number of apoptotic cells induced by sh-Nmnat1 expression alone. Taken together, our data suggested that the increased expression of Noxa and Fas explains, at least in part, the phenotype associated with sh-Nmnat1 in the retina. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the importance of the NAD biosynthesis pathway in normal development of the retina.