bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How healthy and processed are foods and drinks promoted in supermarket sales flyers? A cross-sectional study in the Netherlands
Authors: Hendriksen Audrey , Jansen Romy , Dijkstra Sanne Coosje , Huitink Marlijn , Seidell Jacob C , Poelman Maartje P
Published: April 2021

Objective:

To investigate to what extent promotions in Dutch supermarket sales flyers contribute to a healthy diet and whether there are differences between supermarket types.

Design:

A cross-sectional study investigating promotions on foods and beverages (n 7825) in supermarket sales flyers from thirteen Dutch supermarket chains (8-week period), including ten traditional, two discount and one organic supermarket chain(s). Promoted products were categorised by food group (e.g. bread), contribution to a healthy diet (yes/no), degree of processing (e.g. ultra-processed), promotion type (temporary reduction in price, volume-based promotions or advertised only) and percentage discount of price promotions. Differences between supermarket chains in the degree of healthiness and processing of products and the types of price promotions were investigated.

Results:

In total, 70·7 % of all promoted products in supermarket sales flyers did not contribute to a healthy diet and 56·6 % was ultra-processed. The average discount on less healthy products (28·7 %) was similar to that of healthy products (28·9 %). Less healthy products were more frequently promoted via volume-based promotions than healthy products (37·6 % v. 25·4 %, P < 0·001). Discount supermarket chains promoted less healthy (80·3 %) and ultra-processed (65·1 %) products more often than traditional supermarket chains (69·6 % and 56·6 %, respectively).

Conclusions:

The majority of promoted products via supermarket sales flyers do not contribute to a healthy diet. As promotions are an important determinant of food purchasing decisions, supermarkets do not support healthy choices. Future studies should identify barriers that withhold supermarket chains from promoting more healthy foods in supermarket sales flyers.
Restaurant kids’ meal beverage offerings before and after implementation of healthy default beverage policy statewide in California compared with citywide in Wilmington, Delaware
Authors: Ritchie Lorrene D , Lessard Laura , Harpainter Phoebe , Tsai Marisa M , Woodward-Lopez Gail , Tracy Tara , Gosliner Wendi , McCallops Kathleen , Thompson Isabel , Karpyn Allison
Published: April 2021

Objective:

In 2019, California and Wilmington, Delaware‘ implemented policies requiring healthier default beverages with restaurant kids’ meals. The current study assessed restaurant beverage offerings and manager perceptions.

Design:

Pre-post menu observations were conducted in California and Wilmington. Observations of cashiers/servers during orders were conducted pre-post implementation in California and post-implementation in Wilmington. Changes in California were compared using multilevel logistic regression and paired t tests. Post-implementation, managers were interviewed.

Setting:

Inside and drive-through ordering venues in a sample of quick-service restaurants in low-income California communities and all restaurants in Wilmington subject to the policy, the month before and 7–12 months after policy implementation.

Participants:

Restaurant observations (California n 110; Wilmington n 14); managers (California n 75; Wilmington n 15).

Results:

Pre-implementation, the most common kids’ meal beverages on California menus were unflavoured milk and water (78·8 %, 52·0 %); in Wilmington, juice, milk and sugar-sweetened beverages were most common (81·8 %, 66·7 % and 46·2 %). Post-implementation, menus including only policy-consistent beverages significantly increased in California (9·7 % to 66·1 %, P < 0·0001), but remained constant in Wilmington (30·8 %). During orders, cashiers/servers offering only policy-consistent beverages significantly decreased post-implementation in California (5·0 % to 1·0 %, P = 0·002). Few managers (California 29·3 %; Wilmington 0 %) reported policy knowledge, although most expressed support. Most managers wanted additional information for customers and staff.

Conclusions:

While the proportion of menus offering only policy-consistent kids’ meal default beverages increased in California, offerings did not change in Wilmington. In both jurisdictions, managers lacked policy knowledge, and few cashiers/servers offered only policy-consistent beverages. Additional efforts are needed to strengthen implementation of kids’ meal beverage policies.
Opportunities for diet quality improvement: the potential role of staple grain foods
Authors: Fontanelli Mariane de Mello , Martinez Arroyo Angela , Sales Cristiane Hermes , Seal Chris J , Fisberg Regina Mara
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Given the high disease burden associated with the low intake of whole grains, modelling studies that estimate the impact of dietary strategies to increase more healthful grain foods consumption are essential to inform evidence-based and culturally specific policies. The current study investigated the potential nutritional impact of replacing staple grain foods with more healthful options.

Design:

Based on the 2015 Health Survey of São Paulo, a cross-sectional, population-based study, we modelled the substitution of white rice and white bread with brown rice and whole-wheat bread. Outcomes included changes in more healthful grain foods, energy and nutrient intakes.

Setting:

Urban area of São Paulo, Brazil.

Participants:

Participants aged over 12 years who completed a semi-structured questionnaire and one 24-h recall (n1741).

Results:

The substitution of all white rice and white bread with brown rice and whole-wheat bread, respectively, would result in more than 5 % increases in Zn (+9·1 %), Ca (+9·3 %), vitamin E (+18·8 %), dietary fibre (+27·0 %) and Mg (+52·9 %) intake, while more than a 5 % decrease would be seen for total carbohydrate (–6·1 %), folate (–6·6 %), available carbohydrate (–8·5 %), Fe (–8·6 %), vitamin B6(–12·5 %), vitamin B2(–17·4 %), and vitamin B1(–20·7 %). A substantial increase in the amount of more healthful grain foods consumed would be seen (10 g/d to 220 g/d, or from 4 % to 69 % of total grain intake).

Conclusions:

Replacing white rice and white bread with their whole-grain versions has the potential to improve diet quality, suggesting they are prime targets for policy actions aiming at increasing intake of more healthful grain foods.
Commercial foods for infants under the age of 36 months: an assessment of the availability and nutrient profile of ultra-processed foods
Authors: da Rocha Karini F , de Araújo Célia RB , de Morais Inês L , Padrão Patrícia , Moreira Pedro , Ribeiro Karla Danielly da S
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Considering the negative impact of the consumption of ultra-processed foods on health, the current study assessed the availability and nutritional profile of commercial ultra-processed foods for infants in Natal, Brazil.

Design:

A cross-sectional exploratory study.

Setting:

Foods targeted at children under the age of 36 months sold in retail establishments located in high- and low-income areas of the one capital city of Brazil.

Participants:

1645 food products consisting of ninety-five different types of food were available. The foods were assessed according to the NOVA classification: minimally processed, processed and ultra-processed. The nutritional content per 100 g was assessed according to processing classification.

Results:

Half of foods founded were breast milk substitutes and cereal foods (31·6 and 26·3 %, respectively). The foods were predominantly ultra-processed (79 %) and only 4·2 % were minimally processed, with similar proportions of ultra-processed foods being found in both high- and low-income areas. After excluding breast milk substitutes and follow-up formulas, all cereals, food supplements and some of the fruit or vegetable purees were ultra-processed, higher in energy density, fat, carbohydrate and protein and low in fibre (P < 0·05).

Conclusions:

The findings reveal that ultra-processed foods for infants are widely available in Brazil, reaffirming the need to strengthen the regulation of foods for infants and young children by introducing complementary measures designed to promote the production and marketing of foods manufactured using lower levels of processing.
Optimal gestational weight gain in Chinese pregnant women by Chinese-specific BMI categories: a multicentre prospective cohort study
Authors: Zhang Cai-Xia , Lai Jian-Qiang , Liu Kai-Yan , Yang Nian-Hong , Zeng Guo , Mao Li-Mei , Li Zeng-Ning , Teng Yue , Xia Wei , Dai Nan , Wang Zhi-Xu , Su Yi-Xiang
Published: April 2021

Objective:

To establish optimal gestational weight gain (GWG) in Chinese pregnant women by Chinese-specific BMI categories and compare the new recommendations with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2009 guidelines.

Design:

Multicentre, prospective cohort study. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the OR, 95 % CI and the predicted probabilities of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The optimal GWG range was defined as the range that did not exceed a 1 % increase from the lowest predicted probability in each pre-pregnancy BMI group.

Setting:

From nine cities in mainland China.

Participants:

A total of 3731 women with singleton pregnancy were recruited from April 2013 to December 2014.

Results:

The optimal GWG (ranges) by Chinese-specific BMI was 15·0 (12·8–17·1), 14·2 (12·1–16·4) and 12·6 (10·4–14·9) kg for underweight, normal weight and overweight pregnant women, respectively. Inappropriate GWG was associated with several adverse pregnancy outcomes. Compared with women gaining weight within our proposed recommendations, women with excessive GWG had higher risk for macrosomia, large for gestational age and caesarean section, whereas those with inadequate GWG had higher risk for low birth weight, small for gestational age and preterm delivery. The comparison between our proposed recommendations and IOM 2009 guidelines showed that our recommendations were comparable with the IOM 2009 guidelines and could well predict the risk of several adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Conclusions:

Inappropriate GWG was associated with higher risk of several adverse pregnancy outcomes. Optimal GWG recommendations proposed in the present study could be applied to Chinese pregnant women.
TAKE OFF YOUR HOODIE
Authors: Alinor Malissa , Tinkler Justine
Published: April 2021

Previous research has demonstrated that Black men are perceived to be more threatening than White men. Relatedly, public discourse suggests that respectable dress may reduce this perception. In this paper, we test whether professional attire reduces associations of threat with Black men. In three separate studies, participants completed a modified version of the Weapons Implicit Association Test (IAT). In Study 1, we tested whether Black men are associated with threat more than White men dressed in similar attire. In Study 2, we sought to test whether professional dress lessens the association between race and threat through intra-race comparisons. In Study 3, we assessed the perception of threat of Black men compared to White men when dressed in differing attire. Overall, findings indicate that participants associate Black men with threat more than White men, regardless of attire. Moreover, contrary to expectations, participants more strongly associate professional than casual dress with threat. The results have implications for public and scientific discourse regarding how contextual cues affect perceptions of Black men as threatening.
A SFCW harmonic radar system for maritime search and rescue using passive and active tags
Authors: Harzheim Thomas , Mühmel Marc , Heuermann Holger
Published: April 2021

This paper introduces a new maritime search and rescue system based on S-band illumination harmonic radar (HR). Passive and active tags have been developed and tested while attached to life jackets and a small boat. In this demonstration test carried out on the Baltic Sea, the system was able to detect and range the active tags up to a distance of 5800 m using an illumination signal transmit-power of 100 W. Special attention is given to the development, performance, and conceptual differences between passive and active tags used in the system. Guidelines for achieving a high HR dynamic range, including a system components description, are given and a comparison with other HR systems is performed. System integration with a commercial maritime X-band navigation radar is shown to demonstrate a solution for rapid search and rescue response and quick localization.
How Can Psychological Science Help Counter the Spread of Fake News?
Authors: van der Linden Sander , Roozenbeek Jon , Maertens Rakoen , Basol Melisa , Kácha Ondřej , Rathje Steve , Traberg Cecilie Steenbuch
Published: April 2021

In recent years, interest in the psychology of fake news has rapidly increased. We outline the various interventions within psychological science aimed at countering the spread of fake news and misinformation online, focusing primarily on corrective (debunking) and pre-emptive (prebunking) approaches. We also offer a research agenda of open questions within the field of psychological science that relate to how and why fake news spreads and how best to counter it: the longevity of intervention effectiveness; the role of sources and source credibility; whether the sharing of fake news is best explained by the motivated cognition or the inattention accounts; and the complexities of developing psychometrically validated instruments to measure how interventions affect susceptibility to fake news at the individual level.
The Initiative Process and Policy Innovation in the American States
Authors: LaCombe Scott J. , Boehmke Frederick J.
Published: April 2021

We utilize a new policy adoption database with over 500 policies to test whether the initiative process influences the timing of policy adoption. Prior studies have produced both supportive and null findings of the effect of the initiative, but typically examine policies one policy or a single composite score at a time. Theoretical accounts suggest that the initiative process should have heterogeneous effects on policy outcomes depending on the configuration of public and government preferences. By pooling hundreds of policies we are able to estimate the average effect of the initiative process on state policy adoption more systematically while also evaluating variation in its effect. We find via a pooled event history analysis that the initiative tends to increase innovativeness, but that this effect can be cancelled out by signature and distribution requirements. We find that this effect varies substantially across policies and is more consistently positive on average in states more liberal populations. We also find evidence that the initiative process moderates the effect of ideology on policy adoption, while making the adoption of non-ideological policies more likely on average.
An Algorithm for Thermodynamic Parameter Optimization: Application to the Martian Mantle
Authors: Khan D. , Liebske C. , Connolly J. A. D.
Published: April 2021

The compilation of thermodynamic models for geophysical applications is such a tedious and complex process that it is generally impractical for researchers to refit parameters in existing models in light of new constraints. To mitigate this difficulty, we develop a Bayesian algorithm that permits the modification of a thermodynamic model to account for additional observational constraints. This algorithm can be applied to any thermodynamic dataset and can utilize a wide variety of experimental constraints. To demonstrate the applicability of the algorithm it is used to revise the Stixrude and Lithgow‐Bertelloni (2011, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365‐246x.2010.04890.x), whole‐mantle terrestrial thermodynamic model, using phase equilibrium constraints provided by Bertka and Fei (1997, https://doi.org/10.1029/96jb03270), for the more iron‐rich compositions that are thought to be relevant to the Martian mantle. The revised thermodynamic model provides a more reliable prediction of phase equilibria in the Martian mantle. Seismic properties are calculated in an internally self‐consistent manner along hot and cold areotherms to constrain the upper and lower bounds of these properties for different bulk silicate Mars compositional models.
Reducing Surface Wetness Leads to Tropical Hydrological Cycle Regime Transition
Authors: Fan Bowen , Tan Zhihong , Shaw Tiffany A. , Kite Edwin S.
Published: April 2021

Earth’s modern climate is characterized by wet, rainy deep tropics, however, paleoclimate and planetary science have revealed a wide range of hydrological cycle regimes connected to different external parameters. Here we investigate how surface wetness affects the tropical hydrological cycle. When surface wetness is decreased in an Earth‐like general circulation model, the tropics remain wet but the transition from a rainy to a rain‐free regime. The rain‐free regime occurs when surface precipitation is suppressed as negative evaporation (surface condensation) balances moisture flux convergence. The regime transition is dominated by near‐surface relative humidity changes in contrast to the hypothesis that relative humidity changes are small. We show near‐surface relative humidity changes responsible for the regime transition are controlled by re‐evaporation of stratiform precipitation near the lifting condensation level. Re‐evaporation impacts the near‐surface through vertical mixing. Our results reveal a new rain‐free tropical hydrological cycle regime that goes beyond the wet/dry paradigm.
Sea Surface Temperatures in the Indian Sub‐Antarctic Southern Ocean for the Last Four Interglacial Periods
Authors: Shukla Sunil Kumar , Crosta Xavier , Ikehara Minoru
Published: April 2021

Interglacial periods (IG) offer an opportunity to understand natural climate variability and its drivers under potential warmer‐than‐present conditions. However, sea‐surface temperature (SST) records from the Southern Ocean (SO) are limited. The first SST record from the Sub‐Antarctic western Indian SO covering the last four IGs suggest warmer conditions during Marine Isotope Stage 5e than 9e, 7e, and Holocene. Each IG presents two (early and late) warm phases interrupted by a cooling, except Holocene that experienced a continuous warming. The early warm phase might be attributable to changes in northern summer insolation with feedbacks from Northern and Southern Hemisphere ice‐sheets, global oceanic circulation, and the carbon cycle. Conversely, the late warm phase might be due to changes in Southern Hemisphere summer insolation. Larger millennial‐scale SST variability for IGs older than Holocene could be attributed to a less stable thermohaline circulation, which resulted in more variable heat redistribution between the two hemispheres.
Buoyancy‐Driven Flexure at the Front of Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, Observed With ICESat‐2 Laser Altimetry
Authors: Becker Maya K. , Howard Susan L. , Fricker Helen A. , Padman Laurie , Mosbeux Cyrille , Siegfried Matthew R.
Published: April 2021

Mass loss from Antarctica’s three largest ice shelves is dominated by calving, primarily of large tabular icebergs every few decades. Smaller, more frequent calving events also occur, but it is more difficult to detect them and quantify their contribution to total ice‐shelf mass loss. We used surface elevation data from NASA’s ICESat‐2 laser altimeter to examine the structure of the Ross Ice Shelf front between October 2018 and July 2020. Profiles frequently show a depression a few meters deep about 200–800 m upstream of the front, with higher values on the eastern portion of the ice shelf. This structure results from bending due to buoyancy of a submerged ice bench generated by ice‐front melting near the waterline when warm water is present in summer. These bending stresses may cause small‐scale calving events whose frequency would change as summer sea ice and atmosphere–ocean heat exchanges vary over time.
Possible Links Between Methane Seepages and Glacial‐Interglacial Transitions in the South China Sea
Authors: Deng Yinan , Chen Fang , Guo Qingjun , Hu Yu , Chen Daohua , Yang Shengxiong , Cao Jun , Chen Hong , Wei Rongfei , Cheng Sihai , Zhou Jianhou , Liu Chenhui , Jiang Xuexiao , Zhu Jiang
Published: April 2021

Methane seeps are widespread at continental margins, and may exert an influence on climate change. However, many details concerning the relationship between methane seepage and climate change in the geological history remain unclear. Geological records of cold seeps at glacial‐interglacial transitions remain scarce due to the lack of relatively complete records. Here we present geochemical data of seep carbonates from a drill core from the South China Sea, which reveals three stages of methane seepage linked to the dissociation of biogenic methane hydrate: ∼130.3 ka BP before, MIS 5 (∼130.3 to 111.4 ka BP) and MIS 1 (∼11.1 to 10.0 ka BP). Our results evidence that methane seepage was induced by warm seawater and subsequently hydrostatic pressure drop during deglaciations. We suspect this process to occur in other world regions and infer that methane seepage might occur more widespread at glacial‐interglacial transitions, which in turn might have accelerated global warming.
Increasing Influence of Indian Ocean Dipole on Precipitation Over Central Equatorial Africa
Authors: Jiang Yan , Zhou Liming , Roundy Paul E. , Hua Wenjian , Raghavendra Ajay
Published: April 2021

Using observational rainfall datasets, we identify a positive correlation between precipitation over Central Equatorial Africa (CEA) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) during September‐December (SOND) for the period 1981–2019. Rainfall amount significantly increases during positive IOD events. The enhancement in precipitation is primarily attributed to increased rainfall frequency and reaches the maximum in October. IOD impacts rainfall via modifying the Walker circulation over the tropical Indian Ocean and moisture in the middle troposphere over CEA. The Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) activity covaries with IOD to modulate the African Easterly Jet, which is critical to convection development over CEA. SOND rainfall has increased for the last two decades, which is concurrent with increases in both the IOD index and the correlation between IOD and rainfall. The IOD‐congruent rainfall changes potentially account for much of rainfall trends in southern and eastern CEA.
Lithospheric Control of Melt Generation Beneath the Rungwe Volcanic Province, East Africa: Implications for a Plume Source
Authors: Njinju Emmanuel A. , Stamps D. Sarah , Neumiller Kodi , Gallager James
Published: April 2021

The Rungwe Volcanic Province (RVP) is a volcanic center in an anomalous region of magma‐assisted rifting positioned within the magma‐poor Western Branch of the East African Rift (EAR). The source of sublithospheric melt for the RVP is enigmatic, particularly since the volcanism is highly localized, unlike the Eastern Branch of the EAR. Some studies suggest the source of sublithospheric melt beneath the RVP arises from thermal perturbations in the upper mantle associated with an offshoot of the African superplume flowing from the SW, while others propose a similar mechanism, but from the Kenyan plume diverted around the Tanzania Craton from the NE. Another possibility is decompression melting from upwelling sublithospheric mantle due to lithospheric modulated convection (LMC) where the lithosphere is thin. The authors test the hypothesis that sublithospheric melt feeding the RVP can be generated from LMC. We develop a 3D thermomechanical model of LMC beneath the RVP and the Malawi Rift and constrain parameters for sublithospheric melt generation due to LMC. We assume a rigid lithosphere and use non‐Newtonian, temperature‐, pressure‐, and porosity‐dependent creep laws of anhydrous peridotite for the sublithospheric mantle. We find a pattern of upwelling from LMC beneath the RVP. The upwelling generates melt only for elevated mantle potential temperatures (Tp), which suggests a heat source possibly from plume material. At elevated Tp, LMC associated decompression melts occurs at a maximum depth of ∼150 km beneath the RVP. We suggest upwelling due to LMC entrains plume materials resulting in melt generation beneath the RVP.
Stalling and Dissipation of a Near‐Inertial Wave (NIW) in an Anticyclonic Ocean Eddy: Direct Determination of Group Velocity and Comparison With Theory
Authors: Sanford Thomas B. , Ma Barry B. , Alford Matthew H.
Published: April 2021

A near‐inertial wave stalling and breaking in a critical layer was observed for a week by a pair of autonomous velocity and density profilers on concentric paths in an ocean mesoscale eddy. Profiler observations provide estimates of the eddy's vertical vorticity and shear, quantities needed to test theories of downward near‐inertial wave (NIW) energy flux and loss from inertial wave–eddy interactions. The unique observations of the wave's intrinsic frequency and vertical wavenumber m provide a novel estimate of the vertical group velocity Cgz from changes in with respect to m. Shear, strain, energy flux convergence, and parameterized turbulence are all elevated near 140 m depth, near the bottom of the strongest eddy velocities. Our observations are consistent with a downgoing NIW's group velocity decreasing owing to wave–eddy interactions, providing important clues on global energetics of NIW mixing.
A Rainfall‐Based, Sequential Depression‐Filling Algorithm and Assessments on a Watershed in Northeastern Indiana, USA
Authors: Noel S. A. , Ault A. C. , Buckmaster D. R. , Krogmeier J. V.
Published: April 2021

The landscapes across much of the Midwestern United States are characterized by glacial activity that left water‐holding kettles, depressions, and potholes. Until recently, traditional watershed algorithms assumed these depressions to be errors in the elevation data and filled them as a means of correction, when many of these features may rarely fill and have the potential to dramatically affect surface flow patterns. These depressions play an important role in hydrology, water management, site planning, and agronomy. An optimized sequential depression‐filling algorithm (SDFA) was developed which fills these water‐holding features sequentially based on their respective retention capacity and contributing area. Outputs reflect the state of connectivity following the application of a user‐specified amount of rainfall excess (i.e., in excess of infiltration); depressions that have not been filled will remain as their own hydrologically common subcatchments. A performant algorithm is integral to future delivery and utilization by practitioners both in the office and in the field. The optimal set of subroutines were able to fill all of the depressions in a 239 km2watershed in northeastern Indiana in 42 s and 1.5 h on a consumer desktop computer for digital elevation models (DEMs) at 30 m and 3 m resolutions, respectively (O(n2) overall performance).
Multiple Phase Screen Modeling of HF Wave Field Scintillations Caused by the Irregularities in Inhomogeneous Media
Authors: Ding Mingkai , Tong Peng , Wei Yinsheng , Yu Lei
Published: April 2021

High frequency (HF) radio waves propagating through regions of ionospheric plasma irregularities exhibit random fluctuations in both amplitude and phase referred to as scintillations, which heavily influences the detection performance of HF sky‐wave radar and hybrid sky‐surface wave radar systems. In this paper, a numerical multiple phase screen model for HF sky‐wave propagation is developed, which can simulate the HF wave field scintillations caused by the irregularities in inhomogeneous media. In this model, the random phase changes due to irregularities and the diffraction effect due to phase mixing are considered separately and computed sequentially, where the phase change is numerically calculated using a geometric optical phase delay to allow for the consideration of horizontal electron density gradients. Utilizing the proposed model, we first simulate the observations of scintillation from the direct wave of the HF hybrid sky‐surface wave radar. The statistics of simulation and measured data, including power spectrum and scintillation indices on amplitude and phase, are considered to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model. Then, we analyze the effects of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) on the intensity of scintillation. The simulation indicates that the horizontal electron density gradients due to TIDs cause the fluctuation of the amplitude scintillation index .
A Strong Sub‐Thermocline Intrusion of the North Equatorial Subsurface Current Into the Makassar Strait in 2016–2017
Authors: Li Mingting , Yuan Dongliang , Gordon Arnold L. , Gruenburg Laura K. , Li Xiang , Li Rui , Yin Xueli , Yang Ya , Corvianatie Corry , Wei Jun , Yang Song
Published: April 2021

The poorly resolved pathway of the sub‐thermocline waters (>300 m) within the Makassar Strait, the primary inflow path of the Indonesian Throughflow, is investigated using in situ mooring measurements and Argo profiles at the entrance to the Indonesian Seas. We focus on the strong sub‐thermocline intrusion in the summer of 2016, when significant changes of sub‐thermocline transport thrice as large as the interannual standard deviation occurred. Analysis suggests that the intrusion was drawn from the North Equatorial Subsurface Current (NESC) flowing westward below the North Equatorial Countercurrent, which was composed of a mixture of intermediate‐depth waters from both the North and South Pacific. The anomalously strong NESC to the Makassar sub‐thermocline in the summer 2016 is suggested to be in response to the 2015/2016 extreme El Niño event, forced by the trade wind anomalies over the western‐central Pacific Ocean through westward and downward propagating baroclinic Rossby waves.
Warming and Freshening of the Pacific Inflow to the Arctic From 1990‐2019 Implying Dramatic Shoaling in Pacific Winter Water Ventilation of the Arctic Water Column
Authors: A. Woodgate Rebecca , Peralta‐Ferriz Cecilia
Published: April 2021

The Pacific inflow to the Arctic traditionally brings heat in summer, melting sea ice; dense waters in winter, refreshing the Arctic’s cold halocline; and nutrients year‐round, supporting Arctic ecosystems. Bering Strait moorings from 1990 to 2019 find increasing (0.010 ± 0.006 Sv/yr) northward flow, reducing Chukchi residence times by ∼1.5 months over this period (record maximum/minimum ∼7.5 and ∼4.5 months). Annual mean temperatures warm significantly (0.05 ± 0.02°C/yr), with faster change (∼0.1°C/yr) in warming (June/July) and cooling (October/November) months, which are now 2°C to 4°C above climatology. Warm (≥0°C) water duration increased from 5.5 months (the 1990s) to over 7 months (2017), mostly due to earlier warming (1.3 ± 0.7 days/yr). Dramatic winter‐only (January–March) freshening (0.03 psu/yr) makes winter waters fresher than summer waters. The resultant winter density change, too large to be compensated by Chukchi sea‐ice processes, shoals the Pacific Winter Water (PWW) equilibrium depth in the Arctic from 100–150 to 50–100 m, implying PWW no longer ventilates the Arctic’s cold halocline at 33.1 psu.
Observations of Ubiquitous Nighttime Temperature Inversions in Mars' Tropics After Large‐Scale Dust Storms
Authors: Steele L. J. , Kleinböhl A. , Kass D. M.
Published: April 2021

We report the ubiquitous occurrence of nighttime temperature inversions in the tropical Martian atmosphere during the dusty season, as observed by the Mars Climate Sounder. The inversions occur after large‐scale regional dust storms, with their strengths largely correlated to the strengths of the dust storms. Inversions strengthen between 2 and 4 a.m., with the bases of the inversions getting cooler, and the tops of the inversions getting warmer. The inversions are strongest and most frequent around Tharsis and Terra Sabaea, but are also observed over the flat plains early in the dust storm decay period. These inversions likely result from the effects of both a strengthened migrating diurnal tide (due to the increased dustiness of the atmosphere), along with nonmigrating tides forced by zonal variations in aerosol abundance and topography. These results highlight an important interplay between the dust distribution, water ice clouds and thermal tides.
Soil Moisture Active Passive Improves Global Soil Moisture Simulation in a Land Surface Scheme and Reveals Strong Irrigation Signals Over Farmlands
Authors: He Liming , Chen Jing M. , Mostovoy Georgy , Gonsamo Alemu
Published: April 2021

The successful Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission provides operational soil moisture products of high quality; yet its impacts on global carbon and water cycle estimation are yet to be further investigated. Here we assimilated the SMAP enhanced Level‐2 soil moisture product at 9 km resolution into a land surface scheme in order to study the soil moisture control on the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. We found that SMAP significantly improves soil moisture simulations, especially in the spring. Extensive wetting signals were revealed over croplands in arid and semi‐arid regions and could not be explained using reanalysis meteorological data, indicating an additional water input, for example, irrigation. Stronger impacts on gross primary production and evapotranspiration simulations are found in wetting adjustments than in drying adjustments after data assimilation. This study suggests that the performance of the land surface scheme benefits greatly from assimilating the SMAP soil moisture product.
A Global Assessment of Coastal Marine Heatwaves and Their Relation With Coastal Urban Thermal Changes
Authors: Hu Leiqiu
Published: April 2021

Ocean temperature significantly influences global and regional weather and climate. Coastal marine heatwaves (MHWs) do not only profoundly impact marine ecosystems but can influence the climate of coastal regions. This study provides the first observational assessment of global coastal MHWs changes, showing a latitudinal‐dependent pattern with considerably strengthened severity of MHWs in the past four decades. Coastal MHWs have been found closely linked to remarkable changes in coastal urban thermal environments, showing consistent trends of increase in air temperature and moisture, and mostly reduced wind speed among 38 major coastal cities. These effects collectively exacerbate the thermal discomfort during the warm season. The findings demonstrate the strong coupling of coastal oceans and lands under the influence of global warming and regional interactions of ocean, land, and the atmosphere, and contribute to a global initial understanding of the characteristics and co‐variation of thermal extremes over the coastal regions.
Neurocognitive disorders in the elderly: altered functional resting-state hyperconnectivities in postoperative delirium patients
Authors: Winterer Jeanne M. , Ofosu Kwaku , Borchers Friedrich , Hadzidiakos Daniel , Lammers-Lietz Florian , Spies Claudia , Winterer Georg , Zacharias Norman
Published: April 2021

Postoperative delirium (POD) represents a confusional state during days/weeks after surgery and is particularly frequent in elderly patients. Hardly any fMRI studies were conducted to understand the underlying pathophysiology of POD patients. This prospective observational cohort study aims to examine changes of specific resting-state functional connectivity networks across different time points (pre- and 3–5 months postoperatively) in delirious patients compared to no-POD patients. Two-hundred eighty-three elderly surgical patients underwent preoperative resting-state fMRI (46 POD). One-hundred seventy-eight patients completed postoperative scans (19 POD). For functional connectivity analyses, three functional connectivity networks with seeds located in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and hippocampus were investigated. The relationship of POD and connectivity changes between both time points (course connectivity) were examined (ANOVA). Preoperatively, delirious patients displayed hyperconnectivities across the examined functional connectivity networks. In POD patients, connectivities within NAcc and OFC networks demonstrated a decrease in course connectivity [max. F = 9.03, p = 0.003; F = 4.47, p = 0.036, resp.]. The preoperative hyperconnectivity in the three networks in the patients at risk for developing POD could possibly indicate existing compensation mechanisms for subtle brain dysfunction. The observed pathophysiology of network function in POD patients at least partially involves dopaminergic pathways.
USP24 promotes drug resistance during cancer therapy
Authors: Wang Shao-An , Young Ming-Jer , Wang Yi-Chang , Chen Shu-Hui , Liu Chia-Yu , Lo Yao-An , Jen Hung-Hsiang , Hsu Kai-Cheng , Hung Jan-Jong
Published: April 2021

Drug resistance has remained an important issue in the treatment and prevention of various diseases, including cancer. Herein, we found that USP24 not only repressed DNA-damage repair (DDR) activity by decreasing Rad51 expression to cause the tumor genomic instability and cancer stemness, but also increased the levels of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters P-gp, ABCG2, and ezrin to enhance the pumping out of Taxol from cancer cells, thus resulted in drug resistance during cancer therapy. A novel USP24 inhibitor, NCI677397, was screened for specific inhibiting the catalytic activity of USP24. This inhibitor was identified to suppress drug resistance via decreasing genomic instability, cancer stemness, and the pumping out of drugs from cancer cells. Understanding the role and molecular mechanisms of USP24 in drug resistance will be beneficial for the future development of a novel USP24 inhibitor. Our studies provide a new insight of USP24 inhibitor for clinically implication of blocking drug resistance during chemotherapy.
ATF3 deficiency impairs the proliferative–secretory phase transition and decidualization in RIF patients
Authors: Wang Zhilong , Liu Yang , Liu Jingyu , Kong Na , Jiang Yue , Jiang Ruiwei , Zhen Xin , Zhou Jidong , Li Chaojun , Sun Haixiang , Yan Guijun
Published: April 2021

Decidualization is a complex process involving cellular proliferation and differentiation of the endometrial stroma and is required to establish and support pregnancy. Dysregulated decidualization has been reported to be a critical cause of recurrent implantation failure (RIF). In this study, we found that Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) expression was significantly downregulated in the endometrium of RIF patients. Knockdown of ATF3 in human endometrium stromal cells (hESCs) hampers decidualization, while overexpression could trigger the expression of decidual marker genes, and ameliorate the decidualization of hESCs from RIF patients. Mechanistically, ATF3 promotes decidualization by upregulating FOXO1 via suppressing miR-135b expression. In addition, the endometrium of RIF patients was hyperproliferative, while overexpression of ATF3 inhibited the proliferation of hESCs through CDKN1A. These data demonstrate the critical roles of endometrial ATF3 in regulating decidualization and proliferation, and dysregulation of ATF3 in the endometrium may be a novel cause of RIF and therefore represent a potential therapeutic target for RIF.
Functional cooperation between ASK1 and p21Waf1/Cip1 in the balance of cell-cycle arrest, cell death and tumorigenesis of stressed keratinocytes
Authors: De Blasio Carlo , Verma Nagendra , Moretti Marta , Cialfi Samantha , Zonfrilli Azzurra , Franchitto Matteo , Truglio Federica , De Smaele Enrico , Ichijo Hidenori , Naguro Isao , Screpanti Isabella , Talora Claudio
Published: April 2021

Both CDKN1A (p21 Waf1/Cip1) and Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) play important roles in tumorigenesis. The role of p21 Waf1/Cip1 in attenuating ASK1-induced apoptosis by various stress conditions is well established. However, how ASK1 and p21 Waf1/Cip1 functionally interact during tumorigenesis is still unclear. To address this aspect, we crossed ASK1 knockout (ASK1KO) mice with p21Waf1/Cip1 knockout (p21KO) mice to compare single and double-mutant mice. We observed that deletion of p21Waf1/Cip1 leads to increased keratinocyte proliferation but also increased cell death. This is mechanistically linked to the ASK1 axis-induced apoptosis, including p38 and PARP. Indeed, deletion of ASK1 does not alter the proliferation but decreases the apoptosis of p21KO keratinocytes. To analyze as this interaction might affect skin carcinogenesis, we investigated the response of ASK1KO and p21KO mice to DMBA/TPA-induced tumorigenesis. Here we show that while endogenous ASK1 is dispensable for skin homeostasis, ASK1KO mice are resistant to DMBA/TPA-induced tumorigenesis. However, we found that epidermis lacking both p21 and ASK1 reacquires increased sensitivity to DMBA/TPA-induced tumorigenesis. We demonstrate that apoptosis and cell-cycle progression in p21KO keratinocytes are uncoupled in the absence of ASK1. These data support the model that a critical event ensuring the balance between cell death, cell-cycle arrest, and successful divisions in keratinocytes during stress conditions is the p21-dependent ASK1 inactivation.
Atlas of breast cancer infiltrated B-lymphocytes revealed by paired single-cell RNA-sequencing and antigen receptor profiling
Authors: Hu Qingtao , Hong Yu , Qi Pan , Lu Guangqing , Mai Xueying , Xu Sheng , He Xiaoying , Guo Yu , Gao Linlin , Jing Zhiyi , Wang Jiawen , Cai Tao , Zhang Yu
Published: April 2021

To gain mechanistic insights into the functions and developmental dynamics of tumor-infiltrated immune cells, especially B-lymphocytes, here we combine single-cell RNA-sequencing and antigen receptor lineage analysis to characterize a large number of triple-negative breast cancer infiltrated immune cells and report a comprehensive atlas of tumor-infiltrated B-lymphocytes. The single-cell transcriptional profiles reveal significant heterogeneity in tumor-infiltrated B-cell subgroups. The single-cell antigen receptor analyses demonstrate that compared with those in peripheral blood, tumor-infiltrated B-cells have more mature and memory B-cell characteristics, higher clonality, more class switching recombination and somatic hypermutations. Combined analyses suggest local differentiation of infiltrated memory B-cells within breast tumors. The B-cell signatures based on the single-cell RNA-sequencing results are significantly associated with improved survival in breast tumor patients. Functional analyses of tumor-infiltrated B-cell populations suggest that mechanistically, B-cell subgroups may contribute to immunosurveillance through various pathways. Further dissection of tumor-infiltrated B-cell populations will provide valuable clues for tumor immunotherapy.
Protein kinase A controls the hexosamine pathway by tuning the feedback inhibition of GFAT-1
Authors: Ruegenberg Sabine , Mayr Felix A. M. C. , Atanassov Ilian , Baumann Ulrich , Denzel Martin S.
Published: April 2021

The hexosamine pathway (HP) is a key anabolic pathway whose product uridine 5’-diphospho-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) is an essential precursor for glycosylation processes in mammals. It modulates the ER stress response and HP activation extends lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans. The highly conserved glutamine fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase 1 (GFAT-1) is the rate-limiting HP enzyme. GFAT-1 activity is modulated by UDP-GlcNAc feedback inhibition and via phosphorylation by protein kinase A (PKA). Molecular consequences of GFAT-1 phosphorylation, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we identify the GFAT-1 R203H substitution that elevates UDP-GlcNAc levels in C. elegans. In human GFAT-1, the R203H substitution interferes with UDP-GlcNAc inhibition and with PKA-mediated Ser205 phosphorylation. Our data indicate that phosphorylation affects the interactions of the two GFAT-1 domains to control catalytic activity. Notably, Ser205 phosphorylation has two discernible effects: it lowers baseline GFAT-1 activity and abolishes UDP-GlcNAc feedback inhibition. PKA controls the HP by uncoupling the metabolic feedback loop of GFAT-1.
Short-term interaction between silent and devastating earthquakes in Mexico
Authors: Cruz-Atienza V. M. , Tago J. , Villafuerte C. , Wei M. , Garza-Girón R. , Dominguez L. A. , Kostoglodov V. , Nishimura T. , Franco S. I. , Real J. , Santoyo M. A. , Ito Y. , Kazachkina E.
Published: April 2021

Either the triggering of large earthquakes on a fault hosting aseismic slip or the triggering of slow slip events (SSE) by passing seismic waves involve seismological questions with important hazard implications. Just a few observations plausibly suggest that such interactions actually happen in nature. In this study we show that three recent devastating earthquakes in Mexico are likely related to SSEs, describing a cascade of events interacting with each other on a regional scale via quasi-static and/or dynamic perturbations across the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca. Such interaction seems to be conditioned by the transient memory of Earth materials subject to the “traumatic” stress produced by seismic waves of the great 2017 (Mw8.2) Tehuantepec earthquake, which strongly disturbed the SSE cycles over a 650 km long segment of the subduction plate interface. Our results imply that seismic hazard in large populated areas is a short-term evolving function of seismotectonic processes that are often observable.
Genetic evidence for the association between COVID-19 epidemic severity and timing of non-pharmaceutical interventions
Authors: Ragonnet-Cronin Manon , Boyd Olivia , Geidelberg Lily , Jorgensen David , Nascimento Fabricia F. , Siveroni Igor , Johnson Robert A. , Baguelin Marc , Cucunubá Zulma M. , Jauneikaite Elita , Mishra Swapnil , Watson Oliver J. , Ferguson Neil , Cori Anne , Donnelly Christl A. , Volz Erik
Published: April 2021

Unprecedented public health interventions including travel restrictions and national lockdowns have been implemented to stem the COVID-19 epidemic, but the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions is still debated. We carried out a phylogenetic analysis of more than 29,000 publicly available whole genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences from 57 locations to estimate the time that the epidemic originated in different places. These estimates were examined in relation to the dates of the most stringent interventions in each location as well as to the number of cumulative COVID-19 deaths and phylodynamic estimates of epidemic size. Here we report that the time elapsed between epidemic origin and maximum intervention is associated with different measures of epidemic severity and explains 11% of the variance in reported deaths one month after the most stringent intervention. Locations where strong non-pharmaceutical interventions were implemented earlier experienced much less severe COVID-19 morbidity and mortality during the period of study.