bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathway Enrichment Analysis of Microarray Data Fom Human Penis of Diabetic and Peyronie’s Patients, in Comparison with Diabetic Rat Erectile Dysfunction Models
Authors: Searl Tim , Ohlander Samuel , McVary Kevin T. , Podlasek Carol A.
Published: November 2021

Background

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a debilitating medical condition in which current treatments are minimally effective in diabetic patients due to neuropathy of the cavernous nerve, a peripheral nerve that innervates the penis. Loss of innervation causes apoptosis of penile smooth muscle, remodeling of corpora cavernosa (penile erectile tissue) morphology, and ED.

Aim

In this study, microarray and pathway analysis were used to obtain a global understanding of how signaling mechanisms are altered in diabetic patients and animal models as ED develops, in order to identify novel targets for disease management, and points of intervention for clinical therapy development.

Methods and Outcomes

Human corpora cavernosal tissue was obtained from diabetic (n = 4) and Peyronie’s (control, n = 3) patients that were undergoing prosthesis implant to treat ED, and BB/WOR diabetic (n = 5) and resistant (n = 5) rats. RNA was extracted using TRIzol, DNase treated, and purified by Qiagen mini kit. Microarray was performed using the Human Gene 2.0 ST Array. (i) Alterations in patient and diabetic rat pathway signaling were examined using several analytical tools (ShinyGO, Metascape, WebGestalt, STRING) and databases, (ii) Strengths/weaknesses of the different pathway analysis tools were compared, and (iii) Comparison of human and rat (BB/WOR and Streptozotocin) pathway analysis was performed. Two technical replicates were performed. P value (FDR) < .15 was used as threshold for differential expression. FDR < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Microarray identified 182 differentially expressed protein-coding genes. Pathway analysis revealed similar enrichments with different analytical tools. Down regulated pathways include development, tubular structure, sprouting, cell death, ischemia, angiogenesis, transcription, second messengers, and stem cell differentiation. ED patients, who have diabetes, incur significant loss of normal regulatory processes required for repair and replacement of injured corpora cavernosal tissue. Combined with loss of apoptotic regulatory mechanisms, this results in significant architectural remodeling of the corpora cavernosa, and loss of regenerative capacity in the penis.

Clinical Translation

This first report of microarray and pathway analysis in human corpora cavernosa, is critical for identification of novel pathways pertinent to ED and for validating animal models.

Strengths and Limitations

The analysis of tissue specific gene expression profiles provides a means of understanding drivers of disease and identifying novel pathways for clinical intervention.

Conclusion

Penis from diabetic ED patients lacks capacity for maintenance of corpora cavernosal architecture and regeneration, which are critical points for intervention for therapy development.
Sharing Knowledge
Authors: Kelp Christoph , Simion Mona
Published: November 2021

Assertion is the central vehicle for the sharing of knowledge. Whether knowledge is shared successfully often depends on the quality of assertions: good assertions lead to successful knowledge sharing, while bad ones don't. In Sharing Knowledge, Christoph Kelp and Mona Simion investigate the relation between knowledge sharing and assertion, and develop an account of what it is to assert well. More specifically, they argue that the function of assertion is to share knowledge with others. It is this function that supports a central norm of assertion according to which a good assertion is one that has the disposition to generate knowledge in others. The book uses this functionalist approach to motivate further norms of assertion on both the speaker and the hearer side and investigates ramifications of this view for other questions about assertion.
Buried in the Red Dirt
Authors: Hasso Frances S.
Published: November 2021

Bringing together a vivid array of analog and non-traditional sources, including colonial archives, newspaper reports, literature, oral histories, and interviews, Buried in the Red Dirt tells a story of life, death, reproduction and missing bodies and experiences during and since the British colonial period in Palestine. Using transnational feminist reading practices of existing and new archives, the book moves beyond authorized frames of collective pain and heroism. Looking at their day-to-day lives, where Palestinians suffered most from poverty, illness, and high rates of infant and child mortality, Frances Hasso's book shows how ideologically and practically, racism and eugenics shaped British colonialism and Zionist settler-colonialism in Palestine in different ways, especially informing health policies. She examines Palestinian anti-reproductive desires and practices, before and after 1948, critically engaging with demographic scholarship that has seen Zionist commitments to Jewish reproduction projected onto Palestinians. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Transnational Lawmaking Coalitions for Human Rights
Authors: Reiners Nina
Published: November 2021

Transnational Lawmaking Coalitions is the first comprehensive analysis of the role and impact of informal collaborations in the UN human rights treaty bodies. Issues as central to international human rights as the right to water, abortion, torture, and hate speech are often only clarified through the instrument of treaty interpretations. This book dives beneath the surface of the formal access, procedures, and actors of the UN treaty body system to reveal how the experts and external collaborators play a key role in the development of human rights. Nina Reiners introduces the concept of 'Transnational Lawmaking Coalitions' within a novel theoretical framework and draws on a number of detailed case studies and original data. This study makes a significant contribution to the scholarship on human rights, transnational actors, and international organizations, and contributes to broader debates in international relations and international law.
Evaluating the clinical effectiveness of new beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination antibiotics: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wilson Geneva M. , Fitzpatrick Margaret A. , Walding Kyle , Gonzalez Beverly , Schweizer Marin L. , Suda Katie J. , Evans Charlesnika T.
Published: November 2021

Background:

Ceftazidime/avibactam (C/A), ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T), imipenem/relebactam (I/R), and meropenem/vaborbactam (M/V) combine either a cephalosporin (C/T and C/A) or a carbapenem antibiotic (M/V and I/R) with a β-lactamase inhibitor. They are used to treat carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and/or multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA).

Objective:

We compared the pooled clinical success of these medications to older therapies.

Methods:

PubMed and EMBASE were searched from January 1, 2012, through September 2, 2020, for C/A, C/T, I/R, and M/V studies. The main outcome was clinical success, which was assessed using random-effects models. Stratified analyses were conducted for study drug, sample size, quality, infection source, study design, and multidrug-resistant gram-negative organism (MDRGNO) population. Microbiological success and 28- and 30-day mortality were assessed as secondary outcomes. Heterogeneity was determined using I2 values.

Results:

Overall, 25 articles met the inclusion criteria; 8 observational studies and 17 randomized control trials. We detected no difference in clinical success comparing new combination antibiotics with standard therapies for all included organisms (pooled OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.96–1.51). We detected a moderate level of heterogeneity among the included studies I2 = 56%. Studies that focused on patients with CRE or MDRPA infections demonstrated a strong association between treatment with new combination antibiotics and clinical success (pooled OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.60–3.57).

Conclusions:

C/T, C/A, I/R, and M/V are not inferior to standard therapies for treating various complicated infections, but they may have greater clinical success for treating MDRPA and CRE infections. More studies that evaluate the use of these antibiotics for drug-resistant infections are needed to determine their effectiveness.
Optimizing Highly Infectious Disease Isolation Unit Management: Experiences From the Infectious Diseases Isolation and Research Unit, Fort Portal, Uganda
Authors: Alum Susan , Asiimwe Moses , Kanyomozi Gerald , Nalikka Jacqueline , Okwaro Peace , Migisha Isabella , Muhindo Brenda , Wailagala Abdullah , Okello Stephen , Blair Paul , Waitt Peter , Bhadelia Nahid , Ayebare Rodgers , Kwiecien Antonia , Saunders David , Lamorde Mohammed , Kibuuka Hannah , Clark Danielle
Published: November 2021

Infectious disease outbreaks on the scale of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are a new phenomenon in many parts of the world. Many isolation unit designs with corresponding workflow dynamics and personal protective equipment postures have been proposed for each emerging disease at the health facility level, depending on the mode of transmission. However, personnel and resource management at the isolation units for a resilient response will vary by human resource capacity, reporting requirements, and practice setting. This study describes an approach to isolation unit management at a rural Uganda Hospital and shares lessons from the Uganda experience for isolation unit managers in low- and middle-income settings.
Knocking on the barracks’ door: How role conceptions shape the military's reactions to political demands
Authors: Harig Christoph , Ruffa Chiara
Published: November 2021

Academic research on civil-military relations often assumes that dangers for democracy and civilian control mainly emanate from the military's predisposition of ‘pushing’ its way into politics. Yet, civilian control frequently is a precondition for governments’ moves of ‘pulling’ the military into roles that may potentially be problematic. These can include the military's involvement in political disputes or internal public security missions. Notwithstanding its empirical relevance, little academic work has been devoted to understanding how ‘pulling’ works. In this article, we aim to provide a first, exploratory framework of ‘pulling’ that captures the dynamics of the military's reactions and indirect consequences for civil-military relations. We identify three analytically distinct phases in which pulling occurs. First, politicians initiate either operational or political pulling moves. Second, we situate the military's reaction on a spectrum that ranges from refusal to non-conditional compliance. This reaction is driven by the military's role conceptions about appropriate missions and their relation to politics. In a third phase, the military may slowly start shifting its role conceptions to adapt to its new roles. We illustrate our argument with case studies of two different instances of pulling: operational pulling in the case of France (2015–19) and operational – then-turned-political – pulling in the case of Brazil (2010–20).
First report on the diet and reproductive biology of red-toothed triggerfishOdonus niger(Ruppell, 1836) from the south-eastern Arabian Sea
Authors: Suyani Nitin Kanji , Rajesh Mridula , Rajesh Kothanahally Mallegowda
Published: November 2021

The feeding habits and reproductive biology of red-toothed triggerfishOdonus niger(Ruppell, 1836) was analysed from 449 specimens collected from the Karnataka coast of the south-eastern Arabian Sea. Of the total stomachs examined, only 54 (12%) were empty and 395 contained food remains. The diet comprised crustacean remains (48.0%), zooplankton (21.4%), algae (16.5%), fish remains (6.1%) and cephalopod remains (5.3%) along with partially digested matter (2.3%) and detritus (0.4%). The species was found to be a generalist feeder and an omnivore. The overall sex ratio between males and females (1: 0.44) was significantly (P< 0.05) different. Histological examination of the ovaries indicated asynchronous ovarian development in females, with males maturing earlier than females. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) patterns of males and females, and the presence of ripe ovaries and spermatozoids suggested that April–May is the peak spawning period. The absolute and relative fecundity estimates ranged from 16,464–312,420 eggs and 251–2812 eggs g−1respectively. Fecundity was positively correlated with total length and body weight. The biological information on diet composition and reproductive traits provided for the first time in this study can facilitate conservation, management and sustainable exploitation of this species in the study area.
Home environment of 11-year-old children born to parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder – a controlled, 4-year follow-up study: The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study – VIA 11
Authors: Krantz Mette Falkenberg , Hjorthøj Carsten , Brandt Julie Marie , Prøsch Åsa Kremer , Rohd Sinnika Birkehøj , Wilms Martin , Veddum Lotte , Steffensen Nanna Lawaetz , Knudsen Christina Bruun , Andreasen Anna Krogh , Stadsgaard Henriette , Hemager Nicoline , Burton Birgitte Klee , Gregersen Maja , Søndergaard Anne , Greve Aja , Gantriis Ditte Lou , Melau Marianne , Ohland Jessica , Mortensen Preben Bo , Bliksted Vibeke , Mors Ole , Thorup Anne A. E. , Nordentoft Merete
Published: November 2021

Background

The home environment has a major impact on child development. Parental severe mental illness can pose a challenge to the home environment of a child. We aimed to examine the home environment of children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and controls longitudinally through at-home assessments.

Methods

Assessments were conducted within The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study, a nationwide multi-center cohort study of children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and population-based controls. The level of at-home stimulation and support was measured at age 7 (N = 508 children) and age 11 (N = 430 children) with the semi-structured HOME Inventory. Results from the 11-year follow-up study were analyzed and compared with 7-year baseline results to examine change across groups.

Results

At age 11, children of parents with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder had lower levels of stimulation and support than controls (mean (s.d.) = 46.16 (5.56), 46.87 (5.34) and 49.25 (4.37) respectively, p < 0.001). A higher proportion of children with parental schizophrenia or bipolar disorder lived in inadequate home environments at age 11, compared with controls (N (%) = 24 (15.0), 12 (12.2) and 6 (3.5) respectively, p < 0.003). The changes in home environment scores did not differ across groups from age 7 to age 11.

Conclusions

Assessed longitudinally from the children's age of 7 to 11, children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder had lower levels of stimulation and support in their homes than controls. Integrated support which can target practical, economic, social and health issues to improve the home environment is indicated.
Understanding the psychological therapy treatment outcomes for young adults who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), moderators of outcomes, and what might be done to improve them
Authors: Buckman Joshua E. J. , Stott Joshua , Main Nicole , Antonie Daniela M. , Singh Satwant , Naqvi Syed A. , Aguirre Elisa , Wheatley Jon , Cirkovic Mirko , Leibowitz Judy , Cape John , Pilling Stephen , Saunders Rob
Published: November 2021

Background

To determine: whether young adults (aged 18–24) not in education, employment or training (NEET) have different psychological treatment outcomes to other young adults; any socio-demographic or treatment-related moderators of differential outcomes; and whether service-level changes are associated with better outcomes for those who are NEET.

Methods

A cohort was formed of 20 293 young adults treated with psychological therapies in eight Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services. Pre-treatment characteristics, outcomes, and moderators of differential outcomes were compared for those who were and were not NEET. Associations between outcomes and the following were assessed for those that were NEET: missing fewer sessions, attending more sessions, having a recorded diagnosis, and waiting fewer days between referral and starting treatment.

Results

Those who were NEET had worse outcomes: odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] for reliable recovery = 0.68 (0.63–0.74), for deterioration = 1.41 (1.25–1.60), and for attrition = 1.31 (1.19–1.43). Ethnic minority participants that were NEET had better outcomes than those that were White and NEET. Living in deprived areas was associated with worse outcomes. The intensity of treatment (high or low) did not moderate outcomes, but having more sessions was associated with improved outcomes for those that were NEET: odds (per one-session increase) of reliable recovery = 1.10 (1.08–1.12), deterioration = 0.94 (0.91–0.98), and attrition = 0.68 (0.66–0.71).

Conclusions

Earlier treatment, supporting those that are NEET to attend sessions, and in particular, offering them more sessions before ending treatment might be effective in improving clinical outcomes. Additional support when working with White young adults that are NEET and those in more deprived areas may also be important.
An update on the conservation status of the Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax: global and local population estimates, trends, and threats
Authors: MORALES MANUEL B. , BRETAGNOLLE VINCENT
Published: November 2021

The Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax is an iconic species and an indicator of healthy grassland and farmland ecosystems. It formerly ranged almost continuously from north-western Africa and Iberia to central Asia, encompassing France, Italy, southern Russia, and the Middle East, occupying natural grass steppes, pastured grasslands, and extensive cereal farmland. Today, two main distribution sub-ranges persist: a western one comprising the Iberian Peninsula, France, and Sardinia, and an eastern one encompassing mainly southern Russia and Kazakhstan but reaching north-western China and isolated spots in Turkey. We describe the changes that occurred across the species’ range and were documented during the last and current centuries and revise the status and trends of Little Bustard populations throughout that range. We provide the first global estimate of the world population, as well as those of the two sub-ranges, discussing the main threats and global conservation implications of these estimates. Historically abundant in Europe and northern Africa, the Little Bustard has strongly declined over the second half of the 20th century, becoming extinct in at least 15 countries. Such spectacular regression is mainly associated with land-use change and agricultural intensification. Other threats are legal hunting, poaching, and collision with powerlines. In the last two decades, the species has severely declined (c.6% yearly rate) in its traditional population stronghold, the Iberian Peninsula. Conversely, there is evidence of recent population growth in some areas of the Eastern range, but increases are unquantified and require further study. Many populations are probably small and scattered, with no reliable information on size and trends. Nevertheless, the Eastern range may now be considered the species’ stronghold with more than half the world’s population. The diverging dynamics and ecological differences between the two sub-ranges require a global conservation strategy that treats each as a different conservation unit to assure the species’ recovery.
Composition Analysis by STEM-EDX of Ternary Semiconductors by Internal References
Authors: Nilsen Julie Stene , van Helvoort Antonius T. J.
Published: November 2021

A practical method to determine the composition within ternary heterostructured semiconductor compounds using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in scanning transmission electron microscopy is presented. The method requires minimal external input factors such as user-determined or calculated sensitivity factors by incorporating a known compositional relationship, here a fixed stoichiometric ratio in III–V compound semiconductors. The method is demonstrated for three different systems; AlGaAs/GaAs, GaAsSb/GaAs, and InGaN/GaN with three different specimen geometries and compared to conventional quantification approaches. The method incorporates absorption effects influencing the composition analysis without the need to know the thickness of the specimen. Large variations in absorption conditions and assumptions regarding the reference area limit the accuracy of the developed method.
Impacts of long-term composted manure and straw amendments on rice-associated weeds in a rice–wheat rotation system
Authors: Gao Pinglei , Hong Aimei , Han Min , Song Minghan , Duan Yunhui , Zhang Haiyan , Li Yong , Sun Yicheng , Sun Guojun , Dai Qigen , Ran Wei
Published: November 2021

As part of a long-term experiment to determine the impacts of composted manure and straw amendments (replacing 50% of chemical fertilizer with composted pig manure, wheat straw return combined with chemical fertilizer, and setting no fertilizer and chemical fertilizer-only as controls) on rice-associated weeds in a rice (Oryza sativaL.)–wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) rotation system, species richness, abundance, density, and biomass of weeds were assessed during years 8 and 9. Fertilization decreased the species richness and total density of rice-associated weeds but increased their total biomass. The species richness and densities of broadleaf and sedge weeds decreased with fertilization, while species richness of grass weeds increased only with straw return and density was not significantly affected. The shoot biomass per square meter of grass and broadleaf weeds was significantly higher with fertilization treatments than with the no-fertilizer control, while that of sedge weeds declined with fertilizer application. With fertilization, the densities of monarch redstem (Ammannia bacciferaL.) and smallflower umbrella sedge (Cyperus difformisL.) decreased, that of Chinese sprangletop [Leptochloa chinensis(L.) Nees] increased, and those of barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli(L.) P. Beauv.] and monochoria [Monochoria vaginalis(Burm. f.) C. Presl ex Kunth] were not significantly affected.Ammannia bacciferawas the most abundant weed species in all treatments. Whereas composted pig manure plus fertilizer resulted in higher density ofA. bacciferaand lower shoot biomass per plant than chemical fertilizer only, wheat straw return plus chemical fertilizer caused lower density and shoot biomass ofA. baccifera. Therefore, it may be possible that fertilization strategies that suppress specific weeds could be used as improved weed management program components in rice production systems.
Characterization and inheritance of dicamba resistance in a multiple-resistant waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) population from Illinois
Authors: Bobadilla Lucas K. , Giacomini Darci A. , Hager Aaron G. , Tranel Patrick J.
Published: November 2021

Waterhemp [Amaranthus tuberculatus(Moq.) Sauer] is one of the most troublesome agronomic weeds in the midwestern United States. The rapid evolution and selection of herbicide-resistance traits inA. tuberculatusis a major challenge in managing this species. AnA. tuberculatuspopulation, designated CHR, was identified in 2012 in Champaign County, IL, and previously characterized as resistant to herbicides from six site-of-action groups: 2,4-D (Group 4), acetolactate synthase inhibitors (Group 2), protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitors (Group 14), 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase inhibitors (Group 27), photosystem II inhibitors (Group 5), and very-long-chain fatty-acid synthesis inhibitors (Group 15). Recently, ineffective control of CHR was observed in the field after dicamba application. Therefore, this research was initiated to confirm dicamba resistance, quantify the resistance level, and investigate its inheritance in CHR. Multiple field trials were conducted at the CHR location to confirm poor control with dicamba and compare dicamba treatments with other herbicides. Greenhouse trials were conducted to quantify the resistance level in CHR and confirm genetic inheritance of the resistance. In field trials, dicamba did not provide more than 65% control, while glyphosate and glufosinate provided at least 90% control. Multiple accessions were generated from controlled crosses and evaluated in greenhouse trials. Greenhouse dicamba dose–response experiments indicated a resistance level of 5- to 10-fold relative to a sensitive parental line. Dose–response experiments using F1lines indicated that dicamba resistance was an incompletely dominant trait. Segregation analysis with F2and backcross populations indicated that dicamba resistance had moderate heritability and was potentially a multigenic trait. Although dicamba resistance was predominantly inherited as a nuclear trait, minor maternal inheritance was not completely ruled out. To our knowledge, CHR is one of the first cases of dicamba resistance inA. tuberculatus. Further studies will focus on elucidating the genes involved in dicamba resistance.
GPR and EMI Characterization of the Hyperarid Study Site of Yungay, Chile: Implications of Applying Geophysical Methods on Mars
Authors: Dal Bo I. , Klotzsche A. , Bol R. , Moradi G. , Weihermüller L. , Vereecken H. , van der Kruk J.
Published: November 2021

To unequivocally discover the actual presence of life or even of near surface liquid water on extraterrestrial planetary bodies would be a key scientific breakthrough for humankind. For this reason, studying similar environments on Earth is essential to understanding the processes shaping such extraterrestrial objects. The Yungay area in the Chilean part of the Atacama Desert is deemed to be particularly suitable as a terrestrial analog of Mars (TAM). In this study, we deployed multi‐frequency ground penetrating radar (GPR) and a six‐coil electromagnetic induction (EMI) system with a maximum depth of investigation of 1.8 m over an area of 0.66 hectares (110 x 60 m). By applying a LOWESS algorithm to the GPR envelope data, we aimed to extrapolate the strongest amplitudes indicating physical contrasts to 3D. The results were constrained with two existing pits 100 m apart. Whereas clay content was mostly responsible for GPR signal attenuation, changes in texture and stratigraphy were linked with strong amplitude reflections. EMI showed very low apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) values between 0 and 5 mS/m. The ECa variability could be linked to changes in clay content with depth. This agreed with the surface obtained from the LOWESS algorithm. Although soil samples are still necessary to constrain the measured signals, we showed the benefits of applying geophysics for large‐scale characterization and can conclude that these two methods are suitable for such hyperarid TAM environments. A similar routine if applied on the surface of Mars could deliver promising results for similar characteristics.
Observations of Nutrient Supply by Mesoscale Eddy Stirring and Small‐Scale Turbulence in the Oligotrophic North Atlantic
Authors: Spingys Carl P. , Williams Richard G. , Tuerena Robyn E. , Naveira Garabato Alberto , Vic Clément , Forryan Alexander , Sharples Jonathan
Published: November 2021

Sustaining biological export over the open ocean requires a physical supply of nutrients to the mixed layer and thermocline. The relative importance of diapycnal mixing, diapycnal advection, and isopycnal stirring by mesoscale eddies in providing this nutrient supply is explored using a field campaign in oligotrophic waters in the subtropical North Atlantic, consisting of transects over and off the mid‐Atlantic ridge. Eddy stirring rates are estimated from the excess temperature variance dissipation relative to the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation, and using eddy statistics from satellite observations combined with 9‐month‐long mooring data. The vertical nutrient fluxes by diapycnal mixing, diapycnal advection, and isopycnal mesoscale eddy stirring are assessed using nitrate measurements from observations or a climatology. Diapycnal mixing and advection provide a nutrient supply within the euphotic zone, but a loss of nutrients within the upper thermocline. Eddy stirring augments, and is comparable to, the diapycnal transfer of nutrients within the summertime upper thermocline, while also acting to replenish nutrients within the deeper parts of the thermocline. The eddy supply of nitrate is relatively small in the center of the subtropical gyre, reaching up to 0.06 mol N m−2yr−1, but is likely to be enhanced on the flanks of the gyre due to larger isopycnal slopes and lateral nitrate gradients. The nutrient supply to the euphotic zone is achieved via a multistage mechanism: a diapycnal transfer of nutrients by small‐scale turbulence to the euphotic zone, and an isopycnal stirring of nutrients by mesoscale eddies replenishing nutrients in the upper thermocline.
Melting and Evolution of Amphibole‐Rich Back‐Arc Abyssal Peridotites at the Mado Megamullion, Shikoku Basin
Authors: Sen A. , Snow J. E. , Ohara Y. , Hirauchi K. , Kouketsu Y. , Sanfilippo A. , Basch V. , Harigane Y. , Fujii M. , Okino K. , Akizawa N.
Published: November 2021

The Mado Megamullion is an oceanic core complex (OCC) in the Shikoku back‐arc basin within the Philippine Sea Plate. Mantle peridotites (serpentinized) recovered by six dredge and submersible cruises exhibit signatures of extensive deformation. Amorphous pseudomorphs after plagioclase in many of the samples, as well as plagioclase‐spinel intergrowths, are clear evidence of melt stagnation and mantle reaction. Spinels show a wide range of compositions in terms of their Cr#, Mg#, and TiO2 content. The presence of apparently magmatic high‐temperature pargasitic amphibole in veins and as replacement of clinopyroxene suggests that it may be a primary or near‐primary mineral crystallized from a hydrous melt which is unusual for abyssal peridotites. Two trace‐element populations of clinopyroxenes are in equilibrium with depleted and enriched basaltic melts, respectively. Rare‐earth element (REE) in the most depleted clinopyroxenes are modeled by 10% fractional melting except for a ubiquitous La‐Ce “kick.” Multiple models of open system melting combined with subsequent mixing of an enriched melt can explain the REE data. Broadly it appears that the peridotites underwent variable degrees of partial melting with moderate influx of enriched melts, which agrees with the other textural and chemical evidence of melt‐rock reaction and re‐fertilization. The compositions of the accumulated melts simulated by the open system models reproduce the enrichments in fluid mobile elements (Ba, U, and Pb) observed in basalts dredged from the Shikoku basin. Back‐arc basin peridotites at Mado Megamullion appear to have a unique petrographic and geochemical character that is distinct from those of peridotites exposed at the seafloor after formation from mid‐ocean ridges.
Optical, Structural and Kinematic Characteristics of Freshwater Plumes Under Landfast Sea Ice During the Spring Freshet in the Alaskan Coastal Arctic
Authors: Okkonen Stephen R. , Laney Samuel R.
Published: November 2021

Rivers deliver freshwater and entrained terrestrial materials into the coastal ocean from adjacent continental landmasses. In the coastal Arctic, a large fraction of terrestrially sourced dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC) is delivered by snowpack meltwaters of the spring freshet, when many coastal ocean regions remain covered by landfast ice. Here we report on an array of moored sensors and telemetering ice buoys deployed in advance of the 2018 spring freshet in Stefansson Sound near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. This instrumented array monitored temporal and spatial variations in hydrographic properties before and during the freshet, as well as optical properties that serve as proxies for DOC and POC contained in the freshet plumes. The temporal evolution of these optical signals occurred in five stages, each associated with characteristic water column structural and kinematic characteristics. Spatial differences among fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) and optical backscatter (OBS) signals across the ice buoy array, evident later during the freshet, allowed identification of plume waters sourced from the Kuparuk, Sagavanirktok, and Shaviovik drainage basins.
Active Layer Thickness Variation on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau: Historical and Projected Trends
Authors: Xu Xiaoming , Wu Qingbai
Published: November 2021

As the buffer layer between the atmosphere and permafrost, the active layer is vulnerable to climate change. The variation in the active layer thickness (ALT) has important effects on surface energy balance, ecosystem, hydrological cycle, vegetation cover, and engineering construction in permafrost regions. The goal of this study is to discuss the active layer variation under different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) for specific warming levels and to reveal the potential interactions between the ALT and the associated driving factors in typical hydrological basins. We revised the Stefan solution using the edaphic factor and the thawing index calculated by multimodel data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 to estimate the variation in the ALT. During 2015 to 2100, the ALT will increase by 14 cm (SSP1‐2.6), 43 cm (SSP2‐4.5), and 1.44 m (SSP5‐8.5), with average increase rates of 2.5 cm/decade, 5.8 cm/decade, and 17.5 cm/decade, respectively. The rates of increase of the ALT in the Hexi basin, Inner basin, Mekong basin, Yangtze basin, and Yellow basin are 12.6 cm/decade, 6.7 cm/decade, 5.2 cm/decade, 8.0 cm/decade, and 5 cm/decade, respectively. These results illustrate that air temperature is the primary determinant of ALT variation and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and snow depth may influence the ALT change. The most significant correlations are between the ALT and NDVI in the Yangtze basin. In different seasons, the spring snow depth has the greatest impact on the ALT in the Hexi basin.
The Role of Mesoscale Convective Systems in Precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau Region
Authors: Kukulies Julia , Chen Deliang , Curio Julia
Published: November 2021

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) have been identified as an important source of precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) region. However, the characteristics and structure of MCS‐induced precipitation are not well understood in this location. Infrared (IR) satellite imagery has been used for MCS tracking, but cirrus clouds or cold surfaces can lead to false MCS classification over mountain regions. Here, we combine brightness temperatures from IR imagery with satellite precipitation estimates from GPM IMERG and track MCSs over the TP, at the boundary of the TP (TPB), and in the surrounding lower‐elevation plains (LE), between 2000 and 2019. In most parts of LE and TPB, MCSs produced 50%–80% of the total summer precipitation (60%–90% of summer heavy precipitation), whereas MCSs over the TP account for below 10% of the total summer precipitation (10%–30% of summer heavy precipitation). Our results also show that MCSs that produce the largest amounts of heavy precipitation are characterized by longevity and large extents rather than by high intensities. These are mainly located in the populous areas south and east of the TP. A tracking of meso‐β convective systems over the TP shows that small‐scale convection makes a large contribution to total and heavy precipitation. This suggests that more localized convective systems are important for the regional water cycle over the higher terrain and highlights the importance of convective‐scale modeling to improve our understanding of precipitation dynamics in the TP region.
Tectonism and Enhanced Cryovolcanic Potential Around a Loaded Sputnik Planitia Basin, Pluto
Authors: McGovern P. J. , White O. L. , Schenk P. M.
Published: November 2021

Sputnik Planitia on Pluto is a vast plain consisting of a nitrogen ice deposit filling a broad topographic depression, likely an impact basin. The basin displays a broad, raised rim and is surrounded by numerous extensional fault systems, each with characteristic orientations with respect to the basin center. The nitrogen ice exerts a large mechanical load on the water ice outer shell crust (here also containing the lithosphere). We calculate models of stress and deformation related to this load, varying dimensional, mechanical, and boundary condition properties of the load and Pluto's lithosphere, in order to constrain the conditions that led to the formation of the observed tectonic and topographic signals. We demonstrate that the tectonic configuration is diagnostic of a particular set of conditions that hold for the Sputnik basin and Pluto, including moderate elastic lithosphere thickness (40–75 km, with higher values favored if initial basin topography is compensated) and a basin that was pan‐shaped and shallow (∼3 km) at the time of nitrogen deposition initiation. These tectonic systems show the contributions of both flexural (bending) and membrane (stretching) responses of the lithosphere, with the latter dominating in proportion to the importance of spherical geometry effects. Rim topography may also show an influence of primordial annular trans‐basin ice shell thickening from the impact process. Analysis of stress‐driven cryomagma transport shows that loading stresses can facilitate ascent of cryomagmas in annular zones around the basin, the locations of which overlap the observed distances from Sputnik of several candidate cryovolcanic sites.
Interannual Variability of Methane Storage and Emission During Autumn Overturn in a Small Lake
Authors: Ragg R. B. , Peeters F. , Ingwersen J. , Teiber‐Siessegger P. , Hofmann H.
Published: November 2021

Methane emissions from freshwater systems, and especially from small lakes, source a significant proportion of naturally produced atmospheric methane. In small temperate lakes, storage flux, that is, the diffusive emission of methane that was stored in anoxic waters during the seasonal overturn of the water column, can contribute a large fraction of annual methane emissions. Here, we use an extensive field data set to quantify methane storage in anoxic deep water and identify as well as quantify the sources and losses of this methane. The comparison of measurements from 4 years in a small temperate lake (Illmensee) shows that methane storage can differ substantially between years. In 2012 and 2018, the annual maximum of the methane stored in the entire water column was around twice as high (5,350 and 5,822 kg) as in 2013 and 2017 (2,722 and 2,295 kg). A methane mass balance approach suggests that the variability of methane storage in the anoxic water between the years was not caused by the methane flux at the anoxic–oxic water interface, but rather was related to changes in the methane source from the anoxic sediments. The interannual differences in sediment flux could not be explained by sediment temperature, but rather by the differing supply of organic matter. Our findings suggest that phytoplankton blooms promote methane storage within the same year and thus cause interannual variability in emissions during autumn overturn.
Occurrence and Variations of Middle and Low Latitude Sporadic E Layer Investigated With Longitudinal and Latitudinal Chains of Ionosondes
Authors: Tang Qiong , Zhao Jiaqi , Yu Zhibin , Liu Yi , Hu Lianhuan , Zhou Chen , Zhao Zhengyu , Feng Xueshang
Published: November 2021

A longitudinal chain and a latitudinal chain of ionosondes, located at Yakutsk (129.60°E, 62.00°N), Mohe (122.37°E, 53.50°N), Beijing (116.25°E, 40.25°N), Wuhan (114.61°E, 30.53°N), Sanya (109.42°E, 18.34°N), I‐Cheon (127.54°E, 37.14°N), San Vito (17.80°E, 40.60°N), Roquest (0.50°E, 40.80°N), Millstone Hill (71.50°W, 42.60°N), and Alpena (83.56°W, 45.07°N) ionosondes, are utilized to statistically investigate the sporadic E layer (Es) occurrence rate and variation. The Es occurrence rates at all stations show a similar dependence on local time and season. However, the seasonal dependence of Es occurrence is more distinct at middle latitudes than that at low latitudes along the 120°E longitude. Results at different stations along ∼40°N latitude show much lower Es occurrence at the American sector than that at European and East Asian sectors, which is most likely because the horizontal geomagnetic field in north America is smaller than in other regions. The statistical results demonstrate that the seasonal variations of Es occurrence and strength are related to the annual variation of meteor counts. Simulation results show that the summer maximum of the ion vertical drift velocity driven by the variations of neutral densities and winds could also contribute to the seasonal variations of Es occurrence and intensity. The seasonal variations of the quasi‐6‐day and quasi‐16‐day oscillations in Es are also investigated. The seasonal variations of periodic disturbances of the Es differ between each station. Planetary waves in the MLT region cannot fully explain the seasonal variations of the periodic disturbance of Es. Solar and geomagnetic activities can also result in periodic variations of the Es.
Enhanced prediction of renal function decline by replacing waist circumference with “A Body Shape Index (ABSI)” in diagnosing metabolic syndrome: a retrospective cohort study in Japan
Authors: Nagayama Daiji , Fujishiro Kentaro , Tsuda Shinichi , Watanabe Yasuhiro , Yamaguchi Takashi , Suzuki Kenji , Saiki Atsuhito , Shirai Kohji
Published: November 2021

Background

Abdominal obesity as a risk factor for diagnosing metabolic syndrome (MetS) is conventionally evaluated using waist circumference (WC), although WC does not necessarily reflect visceral adiposity.

Objective

To examine whether replacing WC with “A Body Shape Index (ABSI)”, an abdominal obesity index calculated by dividing WC by an allometric regression of weight and height, in MetS diagnosis is useful for predicting renal function decline.

Subjects/Methods

In total, 5438 Japanese urban residents (median age 48 years) who participated in a public health screening program for 4 consecutive years were enrolled. Systemic arterial stiffness was assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI). The predictability of the new-onset renal function decline (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) by replacing high WC with high ABSI (ABSI ≥ 0.080) was examined using three sets of MetS diagnostic criteria: Japanese, IDF and NCEP-ATPIII.

Results

In Japanese and NCEP-ATPIII criteria, MetS diagnosed using ABSI (ABSI-MetS) was associated with significantly higher age-adjusted CAVI compared to non-MetS, whereas MetS diagnosed using WC (WC-MetS) showed no association. Kaplan–Meier analysis of the rate of new-onset renal function decline over 4 years (total 8.7%) showed remarkable higher rate in subjects with ABSI-MetS than in those without (log-rank test p < 0.001), but almost no difference between subjects with and without WC-MetS (p = 0.014–0.617). In gender-specific Cox-proportional hazards analyses including age, proteinuria, and treatments of metabolic disorders as confounders, ABSI-MetS (Japanese criteria for both sexes, IDF criteria for men) contributed independently to the new-onset renal function decline. Of these, the contribution of IDF ABSI-MetS disappeared after adjustment by high CAVI in the subsequent analysis.

Conclusion

In this study, replacing WC with ABSI in MetS diagnostic criteria more efficiently predicted subjects at risk of renal function decline and arterial stiffening.
Rank-invariant estimation of inbreeding coefficients
Authors: Zhang Qian S. , Goudet Jérôme , Weir Bruce S.
Published: November 2021

The two alleles an individual carries at a locus are identical by descent (ibd) if they have descended from a single ancestral allele in a reference population, and the probability of such identity is the inbreeding coefficient of the individual. Inbreeding coefficients can be predicted from pedigrees with founders constituting the reference population, but estimation from genetic data is not possible without data from the reference population. Most inbreeding estimators that make explicit use of sample allele frequencies as estimates of allele probabilities in the reference population are confounded by average kinships with other individuals. This means that the ranking of those estimates depends on the scope of the study sample and we show the variation in rankings for common estimators applied to different subdivisions of 1000 Genomes data. Allele-sharing estimators of within-population inbreeding relative to average kinship in a study sample, however, do have invariant rankings across all studies including those individuals. They are unbiased with a large number of SNPs. We discuss how allele sharing estimates are the relevant quantities for a range of empirical applications.
Neoadjuvant eribulin in HER2-negative early-stage breast cancer (SOLTI-1007-NeoEribulin): a multicenter, two-cohort, non-randomized phase II trial
Authors: Pascual Tomás , Oliveira Mafalda , Villagrasa Patricia , Ortega Vanesa , Paré Laia , Bermejo Begoña , Morales Serafín , Amillano Kepa , López Rafael , Galván Patricia , Canes Jordi , Salvador Fernando , Nuciforo Paolo , Rubio Isabel T. , Llombart-Cussac Antonio , Di Cosimo Serena , Baselga José , Harbeck Nadia , Prat Aleix , Cortés Javier
Published: November 2021

Eribulin prolongs overall survival in patients with pre-treated advanced breast cancer. However, no biomarker exists to prospectively select patients who will benefit the most from this drug. SOLTI-1007-NeoEribulin is a phase II, open-label, two-cohort, exploratory pharmacogenomic study in patients with clinical stage I–II HER2-negative breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant eribulin monotherapy treatment. Primary objective was to explore the association of baseline tumor gene expression with pathological complete response in the breast (pCRB) at surgery. Key secondary objectives were pCRB rates in all patients and according to HR status, gene expression changes during treatment and safety. One-hundred one hormonal receptor-positive (HR + ) and seventy-three triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients were recruited. The pCRB rates were 6.4% in all patients, 4.9% in HR + disease and 8.2% in TNBC. The TNBC cohort was interrupted due to a progression disease rate of 30.1%. The pCRB rates differed according to intrinsic subtypes: 28.6% in HER2-enriched, 11.1% in Normal-like, 7.9% in Luminal B, 5.9% in Basal-like and 0% in Luminal A (HER2-enriched vs. others odds ratio = 7.05, 95% CI 1.80–42.14; p-value = 0.032). Intrinsic subtype changes at surgery occurred in 33.3% of cases, mostly (49.0%) Luminal B converting to Luminal A or Basal-like converting to Normal-like. Baseline tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were significantly associated with pCR. Eribulin showed a good safety profile with a low response and pCRB rates. Patients with HER2-negative disease with a HER2-enriched profile may benefit the most from eribulin. In addition, significant biological activity of eribulin is observed in Luminal B and Basal-like subtypes.