bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Form and Substance in Singapore Constitutional and Administrative Law
Authors: CHNG Kenny
Published: March 2021

While Atiyah's and Summers’ concepts of form and substance in the context of constitutional law are often associated with constitutional interpretation, they can also be fruitfully applied to other areas of constitutional and administrative law. The intent of this paper is to apply the concepts of form and substance to Singapore constitutional and administrative law to illustrate that beyond constitutional interpretation, formalism is an apt description for several key areas of constitutional and administrative law doctrine and reasoning in Singapore, even to the extent of being formalistic. This article will argue that formalism in legal reasoning obtains in several important constitutional and administrative law doctrines in Singapore – specifically in the grounds of judicial review, ouster clause doctrine, and the rules on standing. This article will also evaluate the implications of these findings for the development of constitutional and administrative law in Singapore.
“The Mother of Combines”: Representations of the United States in Early Canadian Discourse on the Combines Problem and the Formation of Canadian National Identity
Authors: Hoffman C. P.
Published: March 2021

In 1887, Canada was in a fervour over so-called “combines,” a term used to cover price-fixing schemes, pool agreements, trusts, and other cartel arrangements. The public debate led to the passage in 1889 of the Anti-Combines Act, the world’s first modern competition statute, enacted a year prior to the United States’ Sherman Antitrust Act. But while Canada acted before its neighbour to the south, the United States was omnipresent in the Canadian debates in four ways: as a benchmark against which the Canadian economy and the combines problem should be judged; as a model for potential legal action; as a potential economic liberator; and as the very source and propagator of the combines problem. Canadians thus alternately presented the United States as saviour or devil, as paragon or antithesis. The result was a paradox of a sort: Canadians borrowed American ideas in order to avoid becoming American.
Merging One's Way to the Top: AB Inbev versus Heineken
Authors: Doan Minh Phuong , Sercu Piet
Published: March 2021

Leuven's Den Hoorn brewery, now AB Inbev SA, has become the world's largest brewing group by far, but critics say the company overpaid for its acquisitions. In this article, we study typical stock market reactions to the many takeover announcements by AB Inbev and the industry's runner-up, Heineken. Unlike Heineken's, the market leader's takeover announcements were met by, on average, a –2% price reaction in the stock market in the announcement month, but most of that is already undone in the next month. For Heineken, the same pattern shows up, only faster: the V-shaped reaction takes a few weeks rather than a few months. Such V-reactions may actually reflect a temporary rise in uncertainty rather than overpaying. The finding that reactions are reversed and heterogeneous across firms, raises issues of interpretation and optimal test design of event studies. (JEL Classifications: G12, G14, G17)
Oh, What a Musical War! A Retrospective after the First World War Centenary
Authors: MEINHART MICHELLE
Published: March 2021

As Emma Hanna notes in the opening line ofSounds of War, ‘In parallel with studies of the poetry of the Great War, Britain’s musical history of the conflict has focused on a small group of elite composers’ (p. 1). Indeed, musical interest in the war has tended to focus on the likes of Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams and George Butterworth just as literary enquiry has traditionally centred on Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves. However, as William Brooks, Christina Bashford and Gayle Magee write, ‘There are many stories that could be told [about the war], and the vast bulk of them concern ordinary people, not statesmen or generals or celebrated composers. To understand the war, surely, we need do no more than to give these voices a hearing.’1
Nutritional considerations of a paediatric gluten-free food guide for coeliac disease
Authors: Mager Diana R. , Cyrkot Samantha , Lirette Christine , Brill Herbert , Dowhaniuk Jenna , Mileski Heather , Basualdo-Hammond Carlota , Nasser Roseann , Assor Esther , Marcon Margaret , Turner Justine M.
Published: March 2021

The gluten-free (GF) diet is the only treatment for coeliac disease (CD). While the GF diet can be nutritious, increased reliance on processed and packaged GF foods can result in higher fat/sugar and lower micronutrient intake in children with CD. Currently, there are no evidence-based nutrition guidelines that address the GF diet. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to describe the methodological considerations in forming a GF food guide for Canadian children and youth (4–18 years) with CD. Food guide development occurred in three phases: (1) evaluation of nutrient intake and dietary patterns of children on the GF diet, (2) pre-guide stakeholder consultations with 151 health care professionals and 383 community end users and (3) development of 1260 GF diet simulations that addressed cultural preferences and food traditions, diet patterns and diet quality. Stakeholder feedback identified nutrient intake and food literacy as important topics for guide content. Except for vitamin D, the diet simulations met 100 % macronutrient and micronutrient requirements for age–sex. The paediatric GF plate model recommends intake of >50 % fruits and vegetables (FV), <25 % grains and 25 % protein foods with a stronger emphasis on plant-based sources. Vitamin D-fortified fluid milk/unsweetened plant-based alternatives and other rich sources are important to optimise vitamin D intake. The GF food guide can help children consume a nutritiously adequate GF diet and inform policy makers regarding the need for nutrition guidelines in paediatric CD.
Candidate Filtering: The Strategic Use of Electoral Manipulations in Russia
Authors: Szakonyi David
Published: March 2021

Incumbents have many tools to tip elections in their favor, yet little is known about how they choose between strategies. By comparing various tactics, this article argues that electoral malpractice centered on manipulating institutions offers the greatest effectiveness while shielding incumbents from public anger and criminal prosecution. To demonstrate this, the study focuses on a widespread institutional tactic: preventing candidates from accessing the ballot. First, in survey experiments, Russian voters respond less negatively to institutional manipulations, such as rejecting candidates, than to blatant fraud, such as ballot box stuffing. Next, using evidence from 25,935 Russian mayoral races, the article shows that lower societal and implementation costs enable incumbents to strategically reject candidacies from credible challengers and then reduce their electoral vulnerability. In all, the technology behind specific manipulations helps determine when and how incumbents violate electoral integrity.
Crowning the “Sun of the Aryans”: Mohammad Reza Shah's Coronation and Monarchical Spectacle in Pahlavi Iran
Authors: Steele Robert
Published: March 2021

Coronations are commonly held at the beginning of a monarch's reign, symbolizing accession to the throne and the continuation of the dynasty. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's coronation ceremony of 1967, however, was held twenty-six years into his rule and was designed to draw attention to the renewed glory of Iranian monarchy and the successes of the Pahlavi shahs. This coronation ceremony and related events offer important insights into the Pahlavi ideologues’ conceptualization of monarchy and the strategies they employed to inculcate their ideology in a domestic and global audience. The shah and the monarchy were presented as revolutionary and reformist, and simultaneously as the ultimate defenders of tradition; as religious by nature, but also as proponents of the separation of church and state. This paper seeks to understand, using a range of underutilized primary source material, how the regime delivered these apparently contradictory notions, and what it sought to gain from holding the event in the way that it did.
Art, authenticity and citizenship for people living with dementia in a care home
Authors: Hughes Julian C. , Baseman Jordan , Hearne Catherine , Lie Mabel Leng Sim , Smith Dominic , Woods Simon
Published: March 2021

This paper reports on a study which examined the notions of authenticity and citizenship for people living with cognitive impairment or dementia in a care home in the North-East of England. We demonstrated that both notions were present and were encouraged by engagement with an artist, where this involved audio and visual recordings and the creation of a film. The artist's interactions were observed by a non-participant observer using ethnographic techniques, including interviews with the residents, their families and the staff of the care home. The data were analysed using grounded theory and the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. Our findings suggest that participatory art might help to maintain and encourage authenticity and citizenship in people living with dementia in a care home. Certainly, authenticity and citizenship are notions worth pursuing in the context of dementia generally, but especially in care homes.
A voice to be heard: patient and public involvement in health technology assessment and clinical practice guidelines in Malaysia
Authors: Kamaruzaman Hanin Farhana , Ku Abd Rahim Ku Nurhasni , Mohamed Ghazali Izzuna Mudla , Mohd Yusof Mohd Aminuddin
Published: March 2021

Patient and public involvement (PPI) in health technology assessment (HTA) is widely promoted to ensure that all health-related decisions are made after taking into consideration the viewpoints of important stakeholders. In Malaysia, patients or their representatives have been involved in the development of HTA and Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) since 2009 and their influences have been growing steadily over the years. This paper aimed to describe the journey, achievements, challenges, and future direction of the PPI throughout all stages of the development and implementation of HTA and CPG in Malaysia. Currently, in Malaysia, patients or their representatives are mainly involved during the initial development of HTA and CPG drafts as well as during the internal and external reviews. Additionally, they are also encouraged to be involved during the implementation of HTA and CPG recommendations. Although their involvement in this aspect has slowly increased over time, challenges remain in the form of limited representativeness of selected patients or carers, uncertainty on the level of patient involvement allowed during the HTA/CPG development processes, and limited health literacy, which affect their ability to contribute meaningfully throughout the processes. Continuous improvement in these processes is important as patients or their representatives play a pivotal role in ensuring transparency, accountability, and credibility throughout the HTA/CPG development and decision-making processes.
EXPLORING SYNTACTIC PRIMING AS A MEASURE OF IMPLICIT LANGUAGE APTITUDE
Authors: Li Shaofeng , Qian Jiancheng
Published: March 2021

This study investigates the validity of syntactic priming as a measure of implicit language aptitude. Syntactic priming refers to the tendency to reproduce a linguistic structure due to a previous exposure to the structure. The validity of the construct was verified by collating evidence for divergent validity—whether it is dissociable from explicit aptitude; convergent validity—whether it is correlated with other measures of implicit aptitude; and predictive validity—whether it is predictive of learning attainment. One hundred sixty-six university EFL learners completed three tests of implicit aptitude: syntactic priming, sequence learning, and LLAMA_D; three tests of explicit aptitude: LLAMA_B, _E, and _F; and three tests of L2 proficiency: untimed grammaticality judgment, metalinguistic knowledge, and elicited imitation. The results showed that syntactic priming was dissociable from explicit aptitude, but it failed to converge with the other measures of implicit aptitude, and it also failed to predict L2 proficiency. The results also showed that priming was negatively correlated with sequence learning and that sequence learning was a negative predictor of learners’ metalinguistic knowledge. On the other hand, the construct validity of explicit aptitude was strong. The results suggest the multidimensionality of implicit aptitude and the need for more research into the construct validity of syntactic priming as a cognitive ability for implicit learning.
Social Forces and Street-level Governance in Shanghai: From Compliance to Participation in Recycling Regulations
Authors: Qin Xuan , Owen Catherine
Published: March 2021

This article interrogates the operating logic of China's street-level regulatory state, demonstrating that residents’ committees (RCs) assume a role as regulatory intermediaries to enhance the efficiency of local governance. Using Shanghai's new recycling regulations as a case study, it explores the mechanisms by which RCs elicit not only citizens’ compliance but also active participation. We show that the central mechanisms derive from the RCs’ skilful mobilization of particular social forces, namely mianzi and guanxi, which are produced within close-knit social networks inside Shanghai's housing estates (xiaoqu). We advance three arguments in the study of China's emerging regulatory state. First, we show how informal social forces are employed in regulatory governance at the street level, combining authoritarian control with grassroots participation. Second, the focus on RCs as regulatory intermediaries reveals the important role played by these street-level administrative units in policy implementation. Third, we suggest that the RCs’ harnessing of informal social forces is essential not only for successful policy implementation at street level but also for the production of the local state's political legitimacy.
COVID-19-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children presenting uniquely with sinus node dysfunction in the setting of shock
Authors: Tomlinson Lesya G. , Cohen Mitchell I. , Levorson Rebecca E. , Tzeng Megan B.
Published: March 2021

SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19, generally has a mild disease course in children. However, a severe post-infectious inflammatory process known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children has been observed in association with COVID-19. This inflammatory process is a result of an abnormal immune response with similar clinical features to Kawasaki disease. It is well established that multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is associated with myocardial dysfunction, coronary artery dilation or aneurysms, and occasionally arrhythmias. The most common electrocardiographic abnormalities seen include premature atrial or ventricular ectopy, variable degrees of atrioventricular block, and QTc prolongation, and rarely, haemodynamically significant arrhythmias necessitating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. However, presentation with fever, hypotension, and relative bradycardia with a left axis idioventricular rhythm has not been previously reported. We present a case of a young adolescent with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children with myocarditis and a profoundly inappropriate sinus node response to shock with complete resolution following intravenous immunoglobulin.
Insulin resistance surrogates and left ventricular hypertrophy in normotensive obese children
Authors: Bjelakovic Ljiljana , Vukovic Vladimir , Stankovic Sanja , Ciric Milan , Lukic Stevo , Bratic Milovan , Pantelic Sasa , Saranac Ljiljana , Bjelakovic Bojko
Published: March 2021

Background:

The relationship between different surrogates of insulin resistance and left ventricular geometry in obese children is still unclear.

Objective:

We sought to explore the relationship between commonly used measures of insulin sensitivity/resistance (homeostatic model assessment index, serum uric acid, and triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio) and left ventricular geometry in normotensive obese children.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, 32 normotensive obese children were examined. Transthoracic echocardiography was used to measure left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness. Homeostasis model assessment index, serum uric acid level, and a ratio of triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were used as markers of the insulin resistance. Simple and partial correlation analyses (to control for the effects of body mass index) were conducted to explore relationship between studied variables and left ventricular mass index or relative wall thickness as outcome variables.

Results:

We found positive correlations between homeostasis model assessment index and relative wall thickness (r = 0.47, p = 0.03) which remained significant after controlling for the effect of body mass index, z-score (r = 0.48, p = 0.03). The cutoff level of homeostasis model assessment index with the optimum sensitivity (Sn) and specificity (Sp) derived from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for predicting concentric remodelling was ≥5.51 with Sn = 83.33 and Sp = 68.75.

Conclusion:

There is a positive relationship between homeostasis model assessment index and relative wall thickness of obese normotensive children which may help to distinguish at risk obese normotensive children for the development of concentric left ventricular remodelling.
Pediatric Co-Norms for Finger Tapping, Grip Strength, and Grooved Pegboard in a Community Sample
Authors: Wilcox Gabrielle , Nordstokke David
Published: March 2021

Objective:

Motor tests, including Finger-Tapping Test, Grooved Pegboard Test, and Grip Strength Test, are frequently used by neuropsychologists when assessing pediatric populations. Many of the norms available for these measures are outdated, have not been co-normed, and have samples with limited diversity. This study aims to provide updated, co-norms for three commonly used motor tasks with a diverse population.

Method:

Participants (n = 476; age range 6–14) were recruited from community settings to complete each of the three motor tests.

Results:

Results demonstrate generally improved performance across ages with no significant difference between performance of males and females on the Grooved Pegboard Test or the Finger Tapping Test. The only significant findings were on the Grip Strength Test where 12–14-year-old boys demonstrated stronger performance on the dominant hand.

Conclusion:

This study provides updated and co-normed data on frequently used motor tasks with a diverse pediatric sample, which are useful for clinicians.
College student sleep quality and mental and physical health are associated with food insecurity in a multi-campus study
Authors: Hagedorn Rebecca L , Olfert Melissa D , MacNell Lillian , Houghtaling Bailey , Hood Lanae B , Savoie Roskos Mateja R , Goetz Jeannine R , Kern-Lyons Valerie , Knol Linda L , Mann Georgianna R , Esquivel Monica K , Hege Adam , Walsh Jennifer , Pearson Keith , Berner Maureen , Soldavini Jessica , Anderson-Steeves Elizabeth T , Spence Marsha , Paul Christopher , Waity Julia F , Wall-Bassett Elizabeth D , Hingle Melanie D , Kelly E Brooke , Lillis J Porter , Coleman Patty , Fontenot Mary Catherine
Published: March 2021

Objective:

To assess the relationship between food insecurity, sleep quality, and days with mental and physical health issues among college students.

Design:

An online survey was administered. Food insecurity was assessed using the ten-item Adult Food Security Survey Module. Sleep was measured using the nineteen-item Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Mental health and physical health were measured using three items from the Healthy Days Core Module. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to assess the relationship between food insecurity, sleep quality, and days with poor mental and physical health.

Setting:

Twenty-two higher education institutions.

Participants:

College students (n 17 686) enrolled at one of twenty-two participating universities.

Results:

Compared with food-secure students, those classified as food insecure (43·4 %) had higher PSQI scores indicating poorer sleep quality (P < 0·0001) and reported more days with poor mental (P < 0·0001) and physical (P < 0·0001) health as well as days when mental and physical health prevented them from completing daily activities (P < 0·0001). Food-insecure students had higher adjusted odds of having poor sleep quality (adjusted OR (AOR): 1·13; 95 % CI 1·12, 1·14), days with poor physical health (AOR: 1·01; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·02), days with poor mental health (AOR: 1·03; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·03) and days when poor mental or physical health prevented them from completing daily activities (AOR: 1·03; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·04).

Conclusions:

College students report high food insecurity which is associated with poor mental and physical health, and sleep quality. Multi-level policy changes and campus wellness programmes are needed to prevent food insecurity and improve student health-related outcomes.
Nutrient supplementation among pregnant women in China: an observational study
Authors: Han Tao , Dong Jingwen , Zhang Jiangtao , Zhang Chenxiao , Wang Yuxuan , Zhang Zhiruo , Xiang Mi
Published: March 2021

Objective:

To clarify nutrient supplementation usage and primary source of information among pregnant women in China.

Design:

This cross-sectional study used information on nutrient supplementation and primary source of information collected via face-to-face interviews. Data on the usage of folic acid, Ca/vitamin D, Fe, vitamins, DHA and other dietary supplements were collected. Primary source of information was categorised as family/relatives, friends/co-workers, the Internet, books/magazines, television/radio, doctors, other people and oneself.

Setting:

Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Chengdu, China.

Participants:

One thousand eighty-one Chinese pregnant women aged ≥20 years with singleton pregnancies.

Results:

In all three trimesters of pregnancy, usage was highest and most stable for folic acid (81·7 %), followed by vitamins (vitamin A, B-group vitamins, vitamin C and multivitamins; 75·0 %), whereas Ca/vitamin D (51·4 %) and Fe (18·1 %) usage was low, potentially indicating a deficiency risk. All supplementation usage percentages increased with pregnancy duration (P < 0·05). Notably, approximately 10 % of the pregnant women in our study did not use any nutrient supplementation, and this was especially common in early pregnancy. More than 50 % of the women reported getting information on nutrient supplementation from family members, and about 30 % reported getting this information from doctors.

Conclusions:

Among pregnant women in China, awareness about nutrient supplementation increases as the pregnancy progresses, but some types of nutrient supplementation (such as Ca/vitamin D and Fe) remain at low levels. It is necessary to pay more attention to the health education of pregnant women in China, and the influence of family members should be emphasised.
Genetic analysis of seed coat colour in adzuki bean (Vigna angularis L.)
Authors: Chu Liwei , Zhao Pu , Huang Xueqi , Zhao Bo , Li Yisong , Yang Kai , Wan Ping
Published: March 2021

Seed coat colour is an important quality trait, domestication trait and morphological marker, and is closely associated with flavonoid and anthocyanin metabolism pathways. The seed coat colour of adzuki bean, an important legume crop, influences the processing quality of its paste, the commodity and its nutritional quality. In this study, the genetic relationships of seed coat colour were analysed using 12 hybridized combinations of F2 individuals and four F3 families derived from hybridized combinations between the accessions of eight seed coat colours. The loci of the colour traits were analysed based on phenotypes and using the chi-square test. Ivory colour is recessive to red and is controlled by a single R locus. Black, black mottle on grey, black mottle on red, light brown, golden and brown are all dominant to red. The phenotypes of black mottle on red, light brown, golden and brown are all controlled by a single genetic locus. Black mottle on grey is controlled by two loci. Black is controlled with two loci, and the black locus shows dominant epistasis to another locus. A genetic model of these seed coat colours was predicted. Our results will be important for gene mapping and cloning of seed coat colour characters and for providing further insight into the regulatory network of seed coat colour.
BISIMULATIONS FOR KNOWING HOW LOGICS
Authors: FERVARI RAUL , VELÁZQUEZ-QUESADA FERNANDO R. , WANG YANJING
Published: March 2021

As a new type of epistemic logics, thelogics of knowing howcapture the high-level epistemic reasoning about the knowledge of various plans to achieve certain goals. Existing work on these logics focuses on axiomatizations; this paper makes the first study of their model theoretical properties. It does so by introducing suitable notions of bisimulation for a family of fiveknowing howlogics based on different notions of plans. As an application, we study and compare the expressive power of these logics.
Discrimination and Exclusion on Grounds of Sexual and Gender Identity: Are LGBT People’s Voices Heard at the Workplace?
Authors: Di Marco Donatella , Hoel Helge , Lewis Duncan
Published: March 2021

The review explores key issues associated with discrimination and hostility faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people at work and organizational responses to it. Starting from a description of the main challenges facing LGBT workers’ identity management, the review examines manifestations of negative attitudes towards gender and sexual minority groups, highlighting processes of subtle discrimination and exclusion. It presents and critiques dominant organizational responses to LGBT stigmatization, highlighting the need for holistic, intersectional approaches, and pointing out issues requiring further research.
Development of a Program based on Goal Management Training for Adolescents with Executive Dysfunctions Complaints
Authors: Nunes Liana Garcia , Seabra Alessandra Gotuzo
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to develop a program based on Goal Management Training (GMT) and to investigate its effectiveness on executive functions, through formal instruments and an ecological task. Participants were 25 adolescents with complaints of executive dysfunctions. They underwent neuropsychological assessment of working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, planning, and intellectual ability. Participants also took part in a cooking activity and were evaluated for errors per action, of omission, activity performance time, recipe consultation. After, they were randomly allocated to an active control group (CG), which underwent psychoeducation sessions, and an experimental group (EG), stimulated through GMT in eight sessions. Then participants underwent another assessment and follow-up after 4 weeks. In post-intervention analyses, results showed an improvement in executive functions in EG, in the working memory measurement and time of the ecological activity (g= 1.78 and .93, respectively), IQ (g= −1.01), reasoning (g= −.89), flexibility (g= −1.21), and inhibition (g= −3.11). In follow-up evaluation, large-size effects were observed on flexibility (g= −2.95), inhibition (g= −5.78) and execution time of the ecological activity (g= .98). Significant interactions between assessment Time x Group revealed EG gains in IQ, scores in reasoning and flexibility. EG also had longer execution time in flexibility and inhibition tests. That is, EG had greater scores and probably was less impulsive in these tests. Furthermore, EG decreased the number of verifications and the time in the ecological task, that is, had a more efficient performance. Results suggest the intervention can be as instrument to promote executive function.
Role Models or Partisan Models? The Effect of Prominent Women Officeholders
Authors: Manento Cory , Schenk Marie
Published: March 2021

Women remain underrepresented in electoral politics compared to their share of the population. Using an original dataset spanning 1975–2019, we examine whether the presence of women in prominent political office leads to an increase in the number of women serving in state legislatures. We define prominence in two ways: the total number of women elected to statewide office and the length of a state’s history of electing women. We find that the prominence effect diverges by party. The election of prominent Democratic women leads to an increase in the proportion of Democratic women state legislators, while the election of Republican women leads to a decrease in the proportion of Republican women state legislators. Rather than serving as role models for women of both parties to enter the political pipeline, electing more women to prominent office is contributing to a greater representational gap between the parties in state legislatures.
The Role of Post‐Shock Heating by Plastic Deformation During Impact Devolatilization of Calcite (CaCO3)
Authors: Kurosawa Kosuke , Genda Hidenori , Azuma Shintaro , Okazaki Keishi
Published: March 2021

An accurate understanding of the relationship between the impact conditions and the degree of shock‐induced thermal metamorphism in meteorites allows the impact environment in the early Solar System to be understood. A recent hydrocode has revealed that impact heating is much higher than previously thought. This is because plastic deformation of the shocked rocks causes further heating during decompression, which is termed post‐shock heating. Here we compare impact simulations with laboratory experiments on the impact devolatilization of calcite to investigate whether the post‐shock heating is also significant in natural samples. We calculated the mass of CO2 produced from the calcite, based on thermodynamics. We found that iSALE can reproduce the devolatilization behavior for rocks with the strength of calcite. In contrast, the calculated masses of CO2 at lower rock strengths are systematically smaller than the experimental values. Our results require a reassessment of the interpretation of thermal metamorphism in meteorites.
Distributed Global Debris Thickness Estimates Reveal Debris Significantly Impacts Glacier Mass Balance
Authors: Rounce D. R. , Hock R. , McNabb R. W. , Millan R. , Sommer C. , Braun M. H. , Malz P. , Maussion F. , Mouginot J. , Seehaus T. C. , Shean D. E.
Published: March 2021

Supraglacial debris affects glacier mass balance as a thin layer enhances surface melting, while a thick layer reduces it. While many glaciers are debris‐covered, global glacier models do not account for debris because its thickness is unknown. We provide the first globally distributed debris thickness estimates using a novel approach combining sub‐debris melt and surface temperature inversion methods. Results are evaluated against observations from 22 glaciers. We find the median global debris thickness is ∼0.15 ± 0.06 m. In all regions, the net effect of accounting for debris is a reduction in sub‐debris melt, on average, by 37%, which can impact regional mass balance by up to 0.40 m water equivalent (w.e.) yr‐1. We also find recent observations of similar thinning rates over debris‐covered and clean ice glacier tongues is primarily due to differences in ice dynamics. Our results demonstrate the importance of accounting for debris in glacier modeling efforts.
Tonga Slab Morphology and Stress Variations Controlled by a Relic Slab: Implications for Deep Earthquakes in the Tonga‐Fiji Region
Authors: Liu Hao , Gurnis Michael , Leng Wei , Jia Zhe , Zhan Zhongwen
Published: March 2021

Deep focus earthquakes within the Tonga‐Fiji subduction system account for about two‐thirds of the global total and provide significant constraints on slab deformation. The factors controlling the intense deformation remain unclear. Here, we use two‐dimensional, time‐dependent geodynamic models to study the morphology, stress state, and thermal structure of the Tonga‐Fiji subduction zone. The results, consistent with tomographic images and focal mechanisms, demonstrate that collision between a relic slab from the Vanuatu Trench and the Tonga slab may control the steeper dip of the Tonga slab and earthquakes in the mantle transition zone. We suggest that the magnitude 8.2 and 7.9 earthquakes in 2018 mostly ruptured within the warm rim of the Tonga slab and occurred beneath the folding relic slab with high temperatures of at least ∼900°C and ∼1100°C, respectively. The findings support the hypothesis that local slab temperature likely controls rupture of deep earthquakes.
BGC‐Argo Floats Observe Nitrate Injection and Spring Phytoplankton Increase in the Surface Layer of Levantine Sea (Eastern Mediterranean)
Authors: D'Ortenzio F. , Taillandier V. , Claustre H. , Coppola L. , Conan P. , Dumas F. , Durrieu du Madron X. , Fourrier M. , Gogou A. , Karageorgis A. , Lefevre D. , Leymarie E. , Oviedo A. , Pavlidou A. , Poteau A. , Poulain P. M. , Prieur L. , Psarra S. , Puyo‐Pay M. , Ribera d'Alcalà M. , Schmechtig C. , Terrats L. , Velaoras D. , Wagener T. , Wimart‐Rousseau C.
Published: March 2021

In the eastern Mediterranean Sea, satellites have observed events of spring surface‐chlorophyll increase in the Rhodes Gyre region recurring intermittently. Few in situ biogeochemical data, however, exist to confirm their consistency, elucidate their seasonal characteristics, or discriminate among the possible drivers. During the year 2018, an array of BGC‐Argo floats was deployed in the region, collecting the first‐ever annual time series of in situ profiles of biogeochemical parameters in this area. Their observations demonstrated that nitrates, driven by mixed‐layer dynamics, were available at surface from December 2018 onwards and could have sustained phytoplankton growth. Phytoplankton accumulation at the surface was observed by satellite only in March 2019 when the mixed‐layer depth shoaled. These findings confirm that blooms occurring before the start of seasonal stratification are not easily recorded by satellite observations and reaffirm the need to consolidate the BGC‐Argo network to establish time series of the evolution of biogeochemical processes.
Intermediate Aerosol Loading Enhances Photosynthetic Activity of Croplands
Authors: Wang Xin , Wang Chengzhang , Wu Jin , Miao Guofang , Chen Min , Chen Shuli , Wang Songhan , Guo Zhengfei , Wang Zhenhua , Wang Bin , Li Jing , Zhao Yujin , Wu Xiaolin , Zhao Chuanfeng , Lin Weili , Zhang Yongguang , Liu Lingli
Published: March 2021

Aerosols can affect crop photosynthesis by altering radiation and meteorological conditions. By combining field observations, mechanistic modeling, and satellite‐retrieved solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), we assessed aerosols' impacts on crop photosynthesis from leaf to regional scale. We found that the initial increase in aerosol optical depth (AOD) enhanced photosynthesis of sun leaves, shade leaves, and canopy, which reached their maximum at AOD = 0.76, 1.13, and 0.93, respectively, and then decreased. Aerosol‐induced changes in radiation regime and the concurrent high relative humidity led to such nonlinear responses. Similarly, the SIF of croplands in the North China Plain (NCP) also showed a bell‐shaped response to aerosols. The optimal AOD level at which SIF reached the maximum value varied from 0.56 to 1.04, depending on the background meteorological conditions. Approximately 76%–90% of the NCP exceeded the optimal AOD level, suggesting that stringent aerosol pollution control could promote cropland productivity in this region.
Airborne Measurements of Contrail Ice Properties—Dependence on Temperature and Humidity
Authors: Bräuer T. , Voigt C. , Sauer D. , Kaufmann S. , Hahn V. , Scheibe M. , Schlager H. , Diskin G. S. , Nowak J. B. , DiGangi J. P. , Huber F. , Moore R. H. , Anderson B. E.
Published: March 2021

The largest share in the climate impact of aviation results from contrail cirrus clouds. Here, the dependence of microphysical contrail ice properties and extinction on temperature and humidity is investigated. Contrail measurements were performed at various altitudes during the 2018 ECLIF II/NDMAX campaign with the NASA DC‐8 chasing the DLR A320. Ice number concentrations and contrail extinction coefficients are largest at altitudes near 9.5 km, typical for short‐ and medium‐range air traffic. At higher altitudes near 11.5 km, low ambient water vapor concentrations lead to smaller contrail particle sizes and lower extinction coefficients. In addition, contrails were detected below 8.2 km near the Schmidt‐Appleman contrail formation threshold temperature. Here, only a small fraction (<15%) of the emitted soot particles were activated into ice. Our observations enhance the understanding of contrail formation near the formation threshold and give a glimpse on the altitude dependence of climate‐relevant contrail properties.
Blowing Snow at McMurdo Station, Antarctica During the AWARE Field Campaign: Surface and Ceilometer Observations
Authors: Loeb Nicole A. , Kennedy Aaron
Published: March 2021

Blowing snow (BLSN) is an impactful process in cold climates, affecting regional thermodynamics, radiation properties, and the surface mass balance of snow. Though it has significant climatic impacts, the process is still poorly understood and not widely included in weather and climate models. In 2016, the AWARE Field Campaign saw the deployment of a large suite of in situ and remote sensing instruments to McMurdo Station, Antarctica allowing for investigation of BLSN. A ceilometer‐based BLSN detection algorithm used elsewhere in Antarctica is applied to data from AWARE, yielding a BLSN frequency of 14.1% compared to 8.2% as detected by human observers. To increase confidence in detections, the algorithm is updated to have shorter temporal averaging and to include a variety of meteorological thresholds to limit false detections due to fog. Efforts to incorporate a laser disdrometer into the algorithm were unsuccessful. An unphysical dependence of particle size distributions on wind speed is found suggesting observations are problematic at wind speeds greater than 10 m s−1. The revised algorithm detected a BLSN frequency of 7.4%, increasing agreement with human observations and confidence that the process is actively occurring at the observation site. These observations are put into context of a climatology of human observations of BLSN at McMurdo station from 2002–2018. An annual average of 8.0%–14.0% is estimated, with a total annual range of 3.4%–21.3%. Regardless of whether BLSN is observed by humans or instrument, the majority of cases at this location are associated with ongoing precipitation.
Late Quaternary Intraplate Deformation Defined by the Las Chacras Fault Zone, West‐Central Argentina
Authors: Rimando Jeremy M. , Schoenbohm Lindsay M. , Ortiz Gustavo , Alvarado Patricia , Venerdini Agostina , Owen Lewis A. , Seagren Erin G. , Figueiredo Paula Marques , J. Hammer Sarah
Published: March 2021

Several major (up to MW7.5) earthquakes over the past 320 years have shaken the thick‐skinned Sierras Pampeanas region of Argentina, despite exhibiting much lower GPS‐shortening rates than across the thin‐skinned Precordillera region to its west. Whether geodetic shortening rates indicate an actual long‐term shortening gradient, and whether shortening rates translate to higher uplift rates due to steeper faults in the Sierras Pampeanas, remain uncertain due to the limited spatio‐temporal coverage and the inherently large error in the vertical component of deformation of GPS measurements. We measure geomorphic offsets and use10Be terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating to determine slip rates on the Las Chacras Fault Zone (LCFZ)—an ∼30 km long, NNW‐trending, steeply dipping (55–65°E) reverse fault that branches off of the longest, westernmost, thick‐skinned Valle Fértil range‐front fault in the western Sierras Pampeanas. Average shortening and uplift rates measured on the LCFZ are ∼0.2 and ∼0.3–0.4 mm/yr, respectively. Despite an uplift rate similar to most other faults in the region, the LCFZ shortening rate is lower than faults to its west; this is in agreement with the inferred west‐east decrease in shortening rates from GPS data, indicating consistent regional deformation patterns since the Late Pleistocene. The decrease in shortening to the east coincides spatially with the termination of the flat portion of the subducted Nazca plate between 67 and 68°W. From scaling relationships among magnitude, slip rate, and fault length, the LCFZ is capable of generating earthquakes of MW6.7–7.1.
Tracing and Closing the Water Balance in a Vegetated Lysimeter
Authors: Benettin Paolo , Nehemy Magali F. , Asadollahi Mitra , Pratt Dyan , Bensimon Michaël , McDonnell Jeffrey J. , Rinaldo Andrea
Published: March 2021

Closure of the soil water balance is fundamental to ecohydrology. But closing the soil water balance with hydrometric information offers no insight into the age distribution of water transiting the soil column via deep drainage or the combination of soil evaporation and transpiration. This is a major challenge in our discipline currently; tracing the water balance is the needed next step. Here we report results from a controlled tracer experiment aimed at both closing the soil water balance and tracing its individual components. This was carried out on a 2.5 m3lysimeter planted with a willow tree. We applied 25 mm of isotopically enriched water on top of the lysimeter and tracked it for 43 days through the soil water, the bottom drainage, and the plant xylem. We then destructively sampled the system to quantify the remaining isotope mass. More than 900 water samples were collected for stable isotope analysis to trace the labeled irrigation. We then used these data to quantify when and where the labeled irrigation became the source of plant uptake or deep percolation. Evapotranspiration dominated the water balance outflow (88%). Tracing the transpiration flux showed further that transpiration was soil water that had fallen as precipitation 1–2 months prior. The tracer breakthrough in transpiration was complex and different from the breakthrough curves observed within the soil or in the bottom drainage. Given the lack of direct experimental data on travel time to transpiration, these results provide a first balance closure where all the relevant outflows are traced.
ω-3PUFA supplementation ameliorates adipose tissue inflammation and insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in subjects with obesity: a potential role for apolipoprotein E
Authors: Hernandez James D. , Li Ting , Rau Cassandra M. , LeSuer William E. , Wang Panwen , Coletta Dawn K. , Madura James A. , Jacobsen Elizabeth A. , De Filippis Eleanna
Published: March 2021

Background

Long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3PUFA) supplementation in animal models of diet-induced obesity has consistently shown to improve insulin sensitivity. The same is not always reported in human studies with insulin resistant (IR) subjects with obesity.

Objective

We studied whether high-dose ω-3PUFA supplementation for 3 months improves insulin sensitivity and adipose tissue (AT) inflammation in IR subjects with obesity.

Methods

Thirteen subjects (BMI = 39.3 ± 1.6 kg/m2) underwent 80 mU/m2·min euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp with subcutaneous (Sc) AT biopsy before and after 3 months of ω-3PUFA (DHA and EPA, 4 g/daily) supplementation. Cytoadipokine plasma profiles were assessed before and after ω-3PUFA. AT-specific inflammatory gene expression was evaluated on Sc fat biopsies. Microarray analysis was performed on the fat biopsies collected during the program.

Results

Palmitic and stearic acid plasma levels were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) after ω-3PUFA. Gene expression of pro-inflammatory markers and adipokines were improved after ω-3PUFA (P < 0.05). Systemic inflammation was decreased after ω-3PUFA, as shown by cytokine assessment (P < 0.05). These changes were associated with a 25% increase in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (4.7 ± 0.6 mg/kg ffm•min vs. 5.9 ± 0.9 mg/kg ffm•min) despite no change in body weight. Microarray analysis identified 53 probe sets significantly altered post- ω-3PUFA, with Apolipoprotein E (APOE) being one of the most upregulated genes.

Conclusion

High dose of long chain ω-3PUFA supplementation modulates significant changes in plasma fatty acid profile, AT, and systemic inflammation. These findings are associated with significant improvement of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. Unbiased microarray analysis of Sc fat biopsy identified APOE as among the most differentially regulated gene after ω-3PUFA supplementation. We speculate that ω-3PUFA increases macrophage-derived APOE mRNA levels with anti-inflammatory properties.
Structural and functional brain-wide alterations in A350V Iqsec2 mutant mice displaying autistic-like behavior
Authors: Lichtman Daniela , Bergmann Eyal , Kavushansky Alexandra , Cohen Nadav , Levy Nina S. , Levy Andrew P. , Kahn Itamar
Published: March 2021

IQSEC2 is an X-linked gene that is associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability, and epilepsy. IQSEC2 is a postsynaptic density protein, localized on excitatory synapses as part of the NMDA receptor complex and is suggested to play a role in AMPA receptor trafficking and mediation of long-term depression. Here, we present brain-wide structural volumetric and functional connectivity characterization in a novel mouse model with a missense mutation in the IQ domain of IQSEC2 (A350V). Using high-resolution structural and functional MRI, we show that animals with the A350V mutation display increased whole-brain volume which was further found to be specific to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Moreover, using a data-driven approach we identify putative alterations in structure–function relations of the frontal, auditory, and visual networks in A350V mice. Examination of these alterations revealed an increase in functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and the dorsomedial striatum. We also show that corticostriatal functional connectivity is correlated with individual variability in social behavior only in A350V mice, as assessed using the three-chamber social preference test. Our results at the systems-level bridge the impact of previously reported changes in AMPA receptor trafficking to network-level disruption and impaired social behavior. Further, the A350V mouse model recapitulates similarly reported brain-wide changes in other ASD mouse models, with substantially different cellular-level pathologies that nonetheless result in similar brain-wide alterations, suggesting that novel therapeutic approaches in ASD that result in systems-level rescue will be relevant to IQSEC2 mutations.