bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Mobile ACT Responses From Two Cohorts
Authors: Hoel Sydney , Victory Amanda , Sagorac Gruichich Tijana , Stowe Zachary N. , McInnis Melvin G. , Cochran Amy , Thomas Emily B. K.
Published: May 2022

Background

Mobile transdiagnostic therapies offer a solution to the challenges of limited access to psychological care. However, it is unclear if individuals can actively synthesize and adopt concepts and skills via an app without clinician support.

Aims

The present study measured comprehension of and engagement with a mobile acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention in two independent cohorts. Authors hypothesized that participants would recognize that behaviors can be flexible in form and function and respond in an ACT process-aligned manner.

Methods

Mixed-methods analyses were performed on open-ended responses collected from initial participants (n = 49) in two parallel micro-randomized trials with: 1) first-generation college students (FGCSs) (n = 25) from a four-year public research university and 2) individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BP) (n = 24). Twice each day over six weeks, participants responded to questions about mood and behavior, after which they had a 50-50 chance of receiving an ACT-based intervention. Participants identified current behavior and categorized behavior as values-based or avoidant. Interventions were selected randomly from 84 possible prompts, each targeting one ACT process: engagement with values, openness to internal experiences, or self-awareness. Participants were randomly assigned to either exploratory (10 FGCS, 9 BP) or confirmatory (15 FGCS, 15 BP) groups for analyses. Responses from the exploratory group were used to inductively derive a qualitative coding system. This system was used to code responses in the confirmatory group. Coded confirmatory data were used for final analyses.

Results

Over 50% of participants in both cohorts submitted a non-blank response 100% of the time. For over 50% of participants, intervention responses aligned with the target ACT process for at least 96% of the time (FGCS) and 91% of the time (BP), and current behavior was labeled as values-based 70% (FGCS) and 85% (BP) of the time. Participants labeled similar behaviors flexibly as either values-based or avoidant in different contexts. Dominant themes were needs-based behaviors, interpersonal and family relationships, education, and time as a cost.

Conclusions

Both cohorts were engaged with the app, as demonstrated by responses that aligned with ACT processes. This suggests that participants had some level of understanding that behavior can be flexible in form and function.
Lithological Control of Stream Chemistry in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico
Authors: Hynek S. A. , McDowell W. H. , Bhatt M. P. , Orlando J. J. , Brantley S. L.
Published: May 2022

Meteoric waters move along pathways in the subsurface that differ as a function of lithology because of the effects of chemical and physical weathering. To explore how this affects stream chemistry, we investigated watersheds around an igneous intrusion in the Luquillo Mountains (Puerto Rico). We analyzed streams on 1) unmetamorphosed country rock (volcaniclastic sedimentary strata, VC) surrounding an igneous intrusion, 2) the quartz-diorite intrusion (QD), and 3) the metamorphosed aureole rock (hornfels-facies volcaniclastics, HF). These lithologies differ physically and chemically but weather under the same tropical rain forest conditions. The sedimentary VC lithology is pervasively fractured while the massive QD and HF lithologies are relatively unfractured. However, the QD fractures during weathering to produce spheroidally-weathered corestones surrounded by cm-thick rindlets of increasingly weathered rock. Meteoric waters flow pervasively through the network of already-fractured VC rock and the spheroidally weathered rindlets on the QD, but only access a limited fraction of the HF, explaining why streams draining HF are the most dilute in the mountains. This results in various thicknesses of regolith from thick (VC) to moderate (QD) to thin or nonexistent (HF). The pervasive fractures allow groundwater to flow deeply through the VC and then return to the mainstem river (Río Mameyes) at lower elevations. These “rock waters” drive concentrations of rock-derived solutes (silica, base cations, sulfate, phosphate) higher in the lower reaches of the stream. Water also flows through weathering-induced fractures on the QD at high elevations where rindletted corestones are present in stacks, and this water flux dissolves plagioclase and hornblende and oxidizes biotite. This “QD rock water” is not generated at lower elevations in the Río Icacos watershed, where stacks of corestones are absent, and contributions to stream solutes derive from weathering of feldspar- and hornblende-depleted saprolite. The stream chemistry in the QD-dominated watershed (Río Icacos) thus varies from concentrated QD-rock water at channel heads below steep ridgelines toward more diluted “saprolite water” downstream. These observations emphasize the importance of lithology and fracture patterns in dictating water flowpaths, stream chemistry, and regolith development in headwater catchments.
Clay Mineralogical Records in the North Bohai Coast of China in the Last Century: Sediment Provenance and Morphological Implications
Authors: Sun Shuang , Li Yan , Liu Dawei , Hu Ke
Published: May 2022

Provenance identification of the clastic sediments is critical for paleoenvironmental and morphological reconstruction on the estuarine coast. The North Bohai Coast (NBC) receives tremendous sediments mainly from the Liaohe and Daling fluvial systems. However, the detailed morphological evolution is still unclear due to the lack of precise discrimination of the sediment provenance. In this study, the clay mineralogy of the coastal sediments in the NBC was investigated to determine variation of the fine-grained sediment sources in the last century. The clay mineral content in the modern riverine sediments in the NBC was used to model sedimentary contribution from different fluvial systems. 210Pb and 137Cs radioactivity was measured to constrain the timing of centennial marine–terrestrial sedimentation. The migration of coastline and river channels in the NBC during the last hundred years was reconstructed by digitalizing the historical charts and satellite image. 210Pb following the CIC model and 137Cs dating are considered not applicable for the dated cores, whilst 210Pb using the CRS model yields acceptable chronologic results. Non-linear modeling results of the clay mineral composition are consistent with the lithological and coastal geomorphologic constraints. The outcome of provenance discrimination indicates that clay minerals in western and eastern NBC are mainly derived from the Daling and Liaohe rivers, respectively. In the middle NBC, the Daling River input was relatively major during the 1910s, 1940s, 1980s, and 2000s. The increase of Daling River input in the first two periods resulted from progradation and river channel migration, respectively. The fluvial contribution from the Liaohe River was major in the middle NBC during 1920–1940 and 1950–1970 AD, which attributes to rapid progradation of the Liaohe River and channel migration of the Daling River, respectively.
Beltanelliformis konovalovi sp. nov. From the Terminal Neoproterozoic of Central Urals: Taphonomic and Ecological Implications
Authors: Kolesnikov Anton
Published: May 2022

The siliciclastic succession of the Ediacaran Chernyi Kamen Formation in the Central Urals of Russia contains a rich complex of Ediacaran fossils that represent in situ benthic populations buried in life position. The present work reports Beltanelliformis konovalovi sp. nov. found as a paleocommunity of organisms and studied for their morphology and spatial distribution. Unlike the type species (B. brunsae), new fossils are preserved within fine-grained sandstone beds as three-dimensional pancake-like or flattened discoidal single, paired, or occasionally aggregated bodies with an ultra-thin rim. Statistical analysis shows significant predominance of small individuals in the paleocommunity, which in turn manifests different spatial distribution in comparison with larger ones. In addition, the studied paleocommunity exhibits patterns of self-organization in extremely shallow marine environment and adaption to periodic desiccation. These results provide quantitative support for the more complex ecology of Beltanelliformis and also expand the range of taphonomic possibilities of macroscopic life in the terminal Neoproterozoic.
The Water Cycle of the Baltic Sea Region From GRACE/GRACE-FO Missions and ERA5 Data
Authors: Boulahia Ahmed Kamel , García-García David , Vigo M. Isabel , Trottini Mario , Sayol Juan-Manuel
Published: May 2022

The water cycle of the Baltic Sea has been estimated from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and the GRACE Follow-On satellite time-variable gravity measurements, and precipitation and evaporation from ERA5 atmospheric reanalysis data for the periods 06/2002 to 06/2017 and 06/2018 to 11/2021. On average, the Baltic Sea evaporates 199 ± 3 km3/year, which is overcompensated with 256 ± 6 km3/year of precipitation and 476 ± 17 km3/year of water from land. This surplus of freshwater inflow produces a salty water net outflow from the Baltic Sea of 515 ± 27 km3/year, which increases to 668 ± 32 km3/year when the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits are included. In general, the balance among the fluxes is not reached instantaneously, and all of them present seasonal variability. The Baltic net outflow reaches an annual minimum of 221 ± 79 km3/year in September and a maximum of 814 ± 94 km3/year in May, mainly driven by the freshwater contribution from land. On the interannual scale, the annual mean of the Baltic net outflow can vary up to 470 km3/year from year to year. This variability is not directly related to the North Atlantic Oscillation during wintertime, although the latter is well correlated with net precipitation in both continental drainage basins and the Baltic Sea.
Tectonic Juxtaposition of Two Independent Paleoproterozoic Arcs by Cenozoic Duplexing in the Arun Tectonic Window of the Eastern Nepalese Himalaya
Authors: Li Rui , Ao Songjian , Xiao Wenjiao , Schulmann Karel , Mao Qigui , Song Dongfang , Tan Zhou , Wang Hao , Bhandari Saunak
Published: May 2022

The tectonic evolution of the Himalayan orogenic belt before Cenozoic convergence is important to understand its modern structural framework. There is still controversy regarding the tectonic history of the lower Lesser Himalaya Sequence (LHS) in the frame of the Paleoproterozoic geological record. In this study, integrated analysis of field geology, zircon U-Pb age, Hf isotope, and whole-rock geochemistry was conducted across the LHS and the Main Central Thrust zone in the Arun Valley, eastern Nepal, to address their Precambrian tectonic evolution and the later convergence. Two groups of metasedimentary rocks with different age spectrums of detrital zircons and Hf isotope in the Paleoproterozoic can be distinguished in an imbricated duplexing system in the study area. One group with a maximum depositional age around ca. 1800 Ma has a unimodal detrital zircon pattern and negative zircon ƐHf (t) values ranging from −8.9 to 0.9. These data can be interpreted to reflect the deposition of zircons close to a Japanese-type arc that was isolated from the northern Indian Craton. The other group of calc-silicate rocks and quartzite with multiple peaks of detrital zircons in the Paleoproterozoic show a younger maximum depositional age around ca. 1,600 Ma and variable zircon ƐHf (t) values ranging from −6.7 to 8.8, indicating their deposition in a back-arc basin of an Andean-type arc established on the northern Indian Craton. The geochemistry of an orthogneiss sample dated at 1783 ± 11 Ma indicates high potassium, peraluminous granodiorite protolith emplaced in a volcanic arc or syn-collisional tectonic setting, supporting the existence of the Paleoproterozoic Andean-type arc. We hypothesize that possibly two arc systems developed, respectively, onto and in the proximity of northern Indian Craton in the Paleoproterozoic at the final stages of the Columbia supercontinent formation. These two arcs were juxtaposed either in the Paleoproterozoic or Cenozoic time, and were finally imbricated during the Cenozoic duplexing.
Investigating a New Psychological Variable in Second Language Acquisition: Comparing Social Identity Across Canadian French Education Programs
Authors: Walton Hilary
Published: May 2022

This study investigates social identity as a potential psychological variable in second language education. Despite the fact that school plays a critical role in the formation of social identity for students, social identity has yet to be studied across educational contexts. Thus, this study investigates social identity differences across three groups of learners enrolled in French as a second language programs in Ontario, Canada: core French, extended French and French immersion, to determine whether students’ membership in a particular language program influences their social identity. Sixty high school students registered in these programs completed a validated measure of social identity (i.e., Ingroup Identification Questionnaire) and answered several open-ended questions about student dynamics within and between French programs. Results confirm that there are statistically significant differences in social identity between all programs. Findings suggest that French immersion students have the highest level of social identity associated with their French program, followed by extended French and lastly, by core French students. This corresponds to the amount of class time that students spend in program-specific classes with their same-program peers. Qualitative findings suggest that French immersion and extended French students are aware of ingroup-behavior, experience a bond with their same-program peers and, in some cases, perceive a division with students enrolled in other programs, while the same is not true for core French students. These dynamics between students enrolled in different French programs provide further evidence for the formation of education program-based social identities. This is one of the few studies to measure social identity in educational settings and the first study to compare the social identities of second language learners. Its findings may be used to help future studies examine group-level behaviors resulting from social identity in various educational contexts and support social identity as a psychological variable that merits further attention in education research.
Increased Risk for Respiratory Complications in Male Extremely Preterm Infants: A Propensity Score Matching Study
Authors: Su Zhiwen , Lin Lili , Fan Xi , Jia Chunhong , Shi Bijun , Huang Xiaoxia , Wei Jianwei , Cui Qiliang , Wu Fan
Published: May 2022

Background

Many factors can affect the clinical outcome of extremely premature infants (EPIs), but the effect of sex is paradoxical. This study used propensity score matching to adjust baseline information to reassess the clinical outcome of EPIs based on sex.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on EPIs admitted in the Department of Neonatology of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from 2011 to 2020. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to adjust the confounding factors including gestational age, birth weight, 1-minute Apgar score ≤ 3, withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment(WWLST), mechanical ventilation, duration of mechanical ventilation, the mother with advanced age (≥35 years old), complete-course antenatal steroid therapy and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The survival rate at discharge and the incidence of major complications were evaluated between the male and female groups.

Results

A total of 439 EPIs were included, and 240 (54.7%) infants were males. After matching the nine confounding factors, 148 pairs of infants were finally enrolled. There was no significant difference in the survival rate at discharge, as well as the mortality of activating treatment or WWLST between the two groups (all P>0.05). However, the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and moderate to severe BPD in the male group was significantly increased (all P<0.01), especially at birth weight between 750 and 999 grams.

Conclusions

The male EPIs have a higher risk of respiratory complications than females, particularly at 750 to 999 grams of birth weight.
Molecular Characterization of Thyroid Follicular Lesions in the Era of “Next-Generation” Techniques
Authors: Rossi Esther Diana , Locantore Pietro , Bruno Carmine , Dell’Aquila Marco , Tralongo Pietro , Curatolo Mariangela , Revelli Luca , Raffaelli Marco , Larocca Luigi Maria , Pantanowitz Liron , Pontecorvi Alfredo
Published: May 2022

It is unequivocally recognized that thyroid nodules are frequently detected in the adult population and mostly characterized by benign lesions (up to 70% of them), with only 5%–15% malignant lesions. The evaluation of thyroid lesions with fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) represents one of the first and most useful diagnostic tools in the definition of their nature. Despite the fact that the majority of thyroid lesions are correctly diagnosed as either benign (70%–75%) or malignant (5%–10%) entities, the remaining nodules (20%–25%) represent the “gray zone” of follicular lesions, which belong to indeterminate categories, according to the different classification systems. This indeterminate group of lesions includes both benign and malignant entities, which cannot be easily discriminate with morphology alone. In these last decades, the increasing role of molecular testings, feasibly performed on cytological material combined with the discoveries of specific genetic alterations in the field of thyroid pathology, has opened the pace to their more accurate and specific contribution on cytology. In fact, in 2015, in the revised management guidelines for patients with thyroid nodules and well-differentiated thyroid cancers (WDTCs), the American Thyroid Association (ATA) confirmed the performance of molecular testing in thyroid indeterminate cytology, and the same performance was addressed in recent update of the management of thyroid nodules in the second edition of the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology (TBSRTC). In the current review, we discuss the role of molecular tests for the different thyroid diagnostic categories of the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology, mostly focusing our attention on the follicular and indeterminate lesions.
Impact of Synthesis Method and Metal Salt Precursors on the CO2 Adsorption Performance of Layered Double Hydroxides Derived Mixed Metal Oxides
Authors: Cheah Li Anne , Manohara G. V. , Maroto-Valer M. Mercedes , Garcia Susana
Published: May 2022

Since the 1990s, Mg-Al layered double hydroxide- (LDH-) based mixed metal oxides (MMOs) have emerged as promising CO2capture sorbents. Despite the numerous attempts to improve these materials, the impact of the synthesis method and employed metal salt precursors on the properties of LDHs and MMOs remains unknown. In order to address this gap, the present study investigated how two common synthesis methods (i.e., co-precipitation and urea hydrolysis) and two different salt precursors (i.e., metal chlorides and metal nitrates) affected the physical properties of LDHs and CO2capture performance of derived MMOs at intermediate temperature (200°C). The true chemical composition of the LDH phase was confirmed by the lattice parameter “a”, which reveals the Mg/Al ratios at the octahedral layers. The impact of synthesis methods and metal salt precursors was evaluated in terms of synthesis efficiency metrics (e.g., synthesis yield, purity, and percentage of unreacted reactants), and their relationship was studied with the CO2adsorption behavior of MMOs in different aspects (e.g., adsorption capacities, kinetics, and cyclic stability). Pure MgO was used as a reference to assess the cyclic stability of MMOs sorbents. It was found that the LDHs synthesized by the co-precipitation method are superior in terms of high synthesis yields (∼100%), good LDH purity, high adsorption capacities, and kinetics. In contrast, the LDHs synthesized with the urea hydrolysis method are better in terms of cyclic stability but tend to have low synthesis yields (54%–81%) and LDH purity (containing many amorphous impurities of Al-based hydroxides).
Startup Process Optimization of Hydropower Unit Based on Stress Measurement of Francis Turbine Runner
Authors: Zhou Ye , Ma Jianfeng , Cao Dengfeng , Wu Lielong
Published: May 2022

The energy efficiency characteristics of the turbine, cavitation performance of the runner, and operation stability of the unit are the three major concerns of a hydropower field, the latter two factors leading to the units’ cavitation and stability problems under some operation conditions and fatigue failure of the runner blades, which are the main causes of structural and mechanical failure for the hydropower units. In this article, three conventional unit startup processes are introduced, and combined with the optimal impulse control strategy, an optimized unit startup method is proposed. As the optimal guide vane opening adjustment setting value is obtained by solving the planned startup control strategy, 3D modeling and CFD simulation are carried out, then the equivalent stress characteristics are obtained by finite element calculation when the unit is running from startup to no load at a rated speed on three different startup modes. At last, the dynamic stress tests of the runner blade are performed at the hydropower station by using wireless acquisition and transmission technology, and the peak value and characteristics of the dynamic and static stresses of the blade under different startup processes are obtained. In this, the validity of the model analysis is proved by the comparison between the simulation calculation and the measured results, and the effectiveness of the startup control strategy is proved by combining the runner blade dynamic stress simulation, calculation, and the field dynamic stress test results. The optimization method of the startup process proposed in the article can alleviate the abnormal vibration of the unit and provide a basis for long-term stable operation of the hydropower unit.
Modeling and Simulation Analysis on Mixing Characteristics of Two-Phase Flow Around Spacer Grid
Authors: Xiao Y. , Duan T. C. , Ren Quan-Yao , Zheng Xiao-Yu , Zheng Meiyin , He Rui
Published: May 2022

The spacer grid has a significant impact on the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the rod bundle channel, which directly determines the possibility of a boiling crisis. The multi-phase flow model coupling boiling model is proposed to acquire the secondary flow and void fraction for subcooled flow boiling in the fuel assembly. Compared with the experimental data, the RNG k–ε turbulence model is selected in the current research. In addition, the thermal-hydraulic parameters of subcooled boiling flow in the 5 × 5 rod bundle with a spacer grid are studied focusing on the influence of different arrangements of mixing vanes. It is found that the distribution of the vapor phase is greatly influenced by the intensity and flow direction of secondary flow. In addition, the thermal–hydraulic characteristics in the sub-channels and around the fuel rods are investigated, which demonstrates that uniform crossflow makes vapor harder to accumulate around the fuel rods. Furthermore, the mixing characteristics of different types of spacer grids are also discussed in detail.
SCADA Data Based Wind Power Interval Prediction Using LUBE-Based Deep Residual Networks
Authors: Li Huajin
Published: May 2022

Wind is a pollution-free renewable energy source. It has attracted increasing attention owing to the decarbonization of electricity generation. However, owing to the dynamic nature of wind speed, ensuring a stable supply of wind energy to electric grid networks is challenging. Therefore, accurate short-term forecasting of wind power prediction plays a key role for wind farm engineers. With the boom in AI technologies, deep-learning-based forecasting models have demonstrated superior performance in wind power forecasting. This paper proposes a short-term deep-learning-based interval prediction algorithm for forecasting short-term wind power generation in wind farms. The proposed approach combines the lower upper bound estimation (LUBE) method and a deep residual network (DRN). Wind farm data collected in northwestern China are selected for this empirical study. The proposed approach is compared with three benchmark short-term forecasting approaches. Extensive experiments conducted on the data collected from five wind turbines in 2021 indicate that the proposed algorithm is efficient, stable, and reliable.
MaRTiny—A Low-Cost Biometeorological Sensing Device With Embedded Computer Vision for Urban Climate Research
Authors: Kulkarni Karthik K. , Schneider Florian A. , Gowda Tejaswi , Jayasuriya Suren , Middel Ariane
Published: May 2022

Extreme heat puts tremendous stress on human health and limits people’s ability to work, travel, and socialize outdoors. To mitigate heat in public spaces, thermal conditions must be assessed in the context of human exposure and space use. Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) is an integrated radiation metric that quantifies the total heat load on the human body and is a driving parameter in many thermal comfort indices. Current sensor systems to measure MRT are expensive and bulky (6-directional setup) or slow and inaccurate (globe thermometers) and do not sense space use. This engineering systems paper introduces the hardware and software setup of a novel, low-cost thermal and visual sensing device (MaRTiny). The system collects meteorological data, concurrently counts the number of people in the shade and sun, and streams the results to an Amazon Web Services (AWS) server. MaRTiny integrates various micro-controllers to collect weather data relevant to human thermal exposure: air temperature, humidity, wind speed, globe temperature, and UV radiation. To detect people in the shade and Sun, we implemented state of the art object detection and shade detection models on an NVIDIA Jetson Nano. The system was tested in the field, showing that meteorological observations compared reasonably well to MaRTy observations (high-end human-biometeorological station) when both sensor systems were fully sun-exposed. To overcome potential sensing errors due to different exposure levels, we estimated MRT from MaRTiny weather observations using machine learning (SVM), which improved RMSE. This paper focuses on the development of the MaRTiny system and lays the foundation for fundamental research in urban climate science to investigate how people use public spaces under extreme heat to inform active shade management and urban design in cities.
State of the Art of Triad-Based Ecological Risk Assessment: Current Limitations and Needed Implementations in the Case of Soil Diffuse Contamination
Authors: Grassi Giacomo , Lamy Isabelle , Pucheux Nicolas , Ferrari Benoit Jean Dominique , Faburé Juliette
Published: May 2022

Soils can be sinks of pollutant mixtures, whose effects on terrestrial ecosystems are not of obvious interpretation. Risk assessment is rather codified and many approaches can be used. Nevertheless, there are still uncertainties remaining when dealing with diffuse pollution, including chronic inputs of low, sublethal, concentrations of mixtures of micropollutants. In this paper, we reviewed through a comprehensive literature analysis one of the latest promising methodologies, the triad approach, in order to understand its area of application in terrestrial ecosystems, the ways of applicability and the reported actual usage. In the case of diffuse pollution, where all the criteria of the triad approach can differ in their indication, we show that some improvements have to be made in either the chemical, ecological or ecotoxicological approaches to be able to clearly identify the risk and to address the uncertainties linked to the low, sublethal contents of contaminants.
Identification and Measurement of Multidimensional Relative Poverty of Chinese Rural Adults Considering Climate Factors
Authors: Hou Xiaoyuan , Wu Haitao , Wang Wei
Published: May 2022

The climate conditions in different regions of China are different, resulting in uneven climate resources owned by residents. It is important to design a comprehensive evaluation method to measure the multidimensional relative poverty (MRP) status and differences in rural areas considering climate factors from the micro-level. With adults as the research object, imitating multidimensional poverty index (MPI) and other indexes, and referring to the relative poverty lines in Britain, Australia, and other countries, this study considers the housing sunshine level and air quality of the living environment, which can reflect the superposition of economy and climate, in the dimension of human settlements environment, and establishes an indicator system of MRP in rural China. Using the Chinese General Social Survey data in 2018 and the A-F method to measure the indicator poverty rate, multidimensional relative poverty index (MRPI), and indicator contribution rate, this study evaluates the MRP in rural China including climate factors. The results show that the poverty rate of sunshine level and air quality indicator in North China is the highest in China, and the MRPI is the lowest. In North China, the sunshine level and air quality indicator poverty rate are 17.47% and 53.01%, respectively. MRPI under K = 1 standard is 0.1182. It shows that the indicator system can identify the typical phenomenon that highly industrialized economic development may negatively affect the environment. MRP alleviation should focus on coordinated governance of the economy, education, health, and the human settlements, we should establish a climate emergency plan for joint prevention and control with the meteorological department, set afforestation protection areas, set climate-related building standards such as sunshine times of rural houses, and improve and upgrade the energy use in rural areas to achieve the harmonious development of the society, economy, and environment and the high-quality life pursued by rural residents.
Evaluating Cumulative Drought Effect on Global Vegetation Photosynthesis Using Numerous GPP Products
Authors: Wu Changlin , Wang Tengjun
Published: May 2022

The increasing trend in drought events under the background of global warming makes it more important to understand the drought effect on vegetation photosynthesis. While diverse global gross primary production (GPP) datasets were adopted to investigate the drought impact on photosynthesis, few studies focused on the discrepancies of drought response among different GPP datasets, especially for the cumulative drought impact. Therefore, a total of twenty-six global GPP datasets based on process, machine learning (ML), and light-use efficiency (LUE) model schemes were obtained to appraise the cumulative impact of drought stress on photosynthesis from 2001 to 2010. Moreover, a relatively reliable global pattern of drought’s cumulative effect on vegetation photosynthesis was acquired from these global GPP products through probability analysis. The results illustrated that the cumulative impact of drought existed in 52.11% of vegetation cover land with the cumulative time scales dominantly at a short term (1–4 months, 31.81%). Obvious heterogeneity of the drought cumulative effect in space and different vegetation functional types was observed, as the reliability of the drought effect decreased with latitude decreasing and a higher sensitivity to drought in herbaceous vegetation than woody plants. Our findings highlighted the importance of ways in characterizing moisture conditions across vegetation types among various GPP models and the necessity of GPP dataset selection in investigating drought effect on photosynthesis.
Missing Interactions: The Current State of Multispecies Connectivity Analysis
Authors: Wood Sylvia L. R. , Martins Kyle T. , Dumais-Lalonde Véronique , Tanguy Olivier , Maure Fanny , St-Denis Annick , Rayfield Bronwyn , Martin Amanda E. , Gonzalez Andrew
Published: May 2022

Designing effective habitat and protected area networks, which sustain species-rich communities is a critical conservation challenge. Recent decades have witnessed the emergence of new computational methods for analyzing and prioritizing the connectivity needs of multiple species. We argue that the goal of prioritizing habitat for multispecies connectivity should be focused on long-term persistence of a set of species in a landscape or seascape. Here we present a review of the literature based on 77 papers published between 2010 and 2020, in which we assess the current state and recent advances in multispecies connectivity analysis in terrestrial ecosystems. We summarize the four most employed analytical methods, compare their data requirements, and provide an overview of studies comparing results from multiple methods. We explicitly look at approaches for integrating multiple species considerations into reserve design and identify novel approaches being developed to overcome computational and theoretical challenges posed by multispecies connectivity analyses. There is a lack of common metrics for multispecies connectivity. We suggest the index of metapopulation capacity as one metric by which to assess and compare the effectiveness of proposed network designs. We conclude that, while advances have been made over the past decade, the field remains nascent by its ability to integrate multiple species interactions into analytical approaches to connectivity. Furthermore, the field is hampered its ability to provide robust connectivity assessments for lack of a clear definition and goal for multispecies connectivity conservation.
Genetic and Epigenetic Differentiation Across Intertidal Gradients in the Foundation Plant Spartina alterniflora
Authors: Mounger Jeannie M. , van Riemsdijk Isolde , Boquete M. Teresa , Wagemaker Cornelis A. M. , Fatma Samar , Robertson Marta H. , Voors Sandy A. , Oberstaller Jenna , Gawehns Fleur , Hanley Torrance C. , Grosse Ivo , Verhoeven Koen J. F. , Sotka Erik E. , Gehring Catherine A. , Hughes A. Randall , Lewis David B. , Schmid Marc W. , Richards Christina L.
Published: May 2022

Ecological genomics approaches have informed us about the structure of genetic diversity in natural populations that might underlie patterns in trait variation. However, we still know surprisingly little about the mechanisms that permit organisms to adapt to variable environmental conditions. The salt marsh foundation plant Spartina alterniflora exhibits a dramatic range in phenotype that is associated with a pronounced intertidal environmental gradient across a narrow spatial scale. Both genetic and non-genetic molecular mechanisms might underlie this phenotypic variation. To investigate both, we used epigenotyping-by-sequencing (epiGBS) to evaluate the make-up of natural populations across the intertidal environmental gradient. Based on recent findings, we expected that both DNA sequence and DNA methylation diversity would be explained by source population and habitat within populations. However, we predicted that epigenetic variation might be more strongly associated with habitat since similar epigenetic modifications could be rapidly elicited across different genetic backgrounds by similar environmental conditions. Overall, with PERMANOVA we found that population of origin explained a significant amount of the genetic (8.6%) and epigenetic (3.2%) variance. In addition, we found that a small but significant amount of genetic and epigenetic variance (<1%) was explained by habitat within populations. The interaction of population and habitat explained an additional 2.9% of the genetic variance and 1.4% of the epigenetic variance. By examining genetic and epigenetic variation within the same fragments (variation in close-cis), we found that population explained epigenetic variation in 9.2% of 8,960 tested loci, even after accounting for differences in the DNA sequence of the fragment. Habitat alone explained very little (<0.1%) of the variation in these close-cis comparisons, but the interaction of population and habitat explained 2.1% of the epigenetic variation in these loci. Using multiple matrix regression with randomization (MMRR) we found that phenotypic differences in natural populations were correlated with epigenetic and environmental differences even when accounting for genetic differences. Our results support the contention that sequence variation explains most of the variation in DNA methylation, but we have provided evidence that DNA methylation distinctly contributes to plant responses in natural populations.
Promoting Biodiversity Conservation Requires a Better Understanding of the Relationships Between Ecosystem Services and Multiple Biodiversity Dimensions
Authors: Wu Shuyao , Chen Yuqing , Hao Chaozhi , Liu Kaidi , Zhang Wentao , Zhang Linbo
Published: May 2022

In order to reverse the global trend of biodiversity loss, the concept of ecosystem services has been widely applied to make policymakers and the general public realize that conserving biodiversity possesses both intrinsic and utilitarian values. However, to achieve this goal, it is necessary to first have a clear understanding of the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES). To advance our understanding of this issue, we first reviewed the major progress in current BES studies, with an emphasis on three biodiversity dimensions (i.e., taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and ecosystem diversity). Based on the findings, we then propose three research topics as future directions: (1) More direct and explicit studies on the effects of different dimensions of biodiversity on various ecosystem service types; (2) developing a biodiversity-based understanding of the formation of ecosystem services; (3) creation of science-based ecosystem management plans and policies that can maximize synergies between biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service enhancement. By conducting such research, we will be able to not only further understand the complex relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services but also better promote the concept of ecosystem services for more successful biodiversity conservation in the future.
Vulnerability Assessment and Spatio-Temporal Difference Analysis of Inland Fisheries Flood Disaster in China
Authors: Lu Honggang , Zheng Jiaxi , Ou Hanyun , Liu Yinong , Li Xijian
Published: May 2022

Vulnerability research is an active option for fisheries to adapt to climate change. Based on the vulnerability analysis framework of the vulnerability scoping diagram, a vulnerability evaluation index system for inland fisheries in China was constructed in three dimensions, including exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The entropy method was used to evaluate the flood disaster vulnerability of China’s inland fisheries from 2010 to 2019 and its decomposition. The temporal and spatial differences between vulnerability and its decomposition were analyzed. Kernel density estimation and factor contribution model were used to analyze the changing trend of vulnerability and main influencing factors. The results show that: during the study period, the vulnerability of inland fisheries in China to flood disasters showed a fluctuating downward trend, and the high vulnerability areas were mainly distributed in South China and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River; the exposure index first decreased and then increased, and the high-exposure regions were mainly concentrated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River; the sensitivity index first decreased and then increased, and the high-sensitivity areas were concentrated in North-east China, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and South China; the adaptive capacity index showed a downward trend, and the areas with lower adaptive capacity were concentrated in the South-west and North-west. From the factor contribution model, the economic losses of fishery floods and the affected area had the greatest impact on the exposure index; fingerling production and freshwater fishery production had the greatest impact on the sensitivity index; the index with a lower contribution to the adaptive capacity index was the total power of fishery machinery and fishery technology promotion. Therefore, building reservoirs, optimizing aquaculture layout and promoting fishery modernization are the keys to reducing the vulnerability of inland fisheries to flood disasters.
Genome Editing for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa
Authors: Tripathi Leena , Dhugga Kanwarpal S. , Ntui Valentine O. , Runo Steven , Syombua Easter D. , Muiruri Samwel , Wen Zhengyu , Tripathi Jaindra N.
Published: May 2022

Sustainable intensification of agriculture in Africa is essential for accomplishing food and nutritional security and addressing the rising concerns of climate change. There is an urgent need to close the yield gap in staple crops and enhance food production to feed the growing population. In order to meet the increasing demand for food, more efficient approaches to produce food are needed. All the tools available in the toolbox, including modern biotechnology and traditional, need to be applied for crop improvement. The full potential of new breeding tools such as genome editing needs to be exploited in addition to conventional technologies. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas)-based genome editing has rapidly become the most prevalent genetic engineering approach for developing improved crop varieties because of its simplicity, efficiency, specificity, and easy to use. Genome editing improves crop variety by modifying its endogenous genome free of any foreign gene. Hence, genome-edited crops with no foreign gene integration are not regulated as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in several countries. Researchers are using CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing for improving African staple crops for biotic and abiotic stress resistance and improved nutritional quality. Many products, such as disease-resistant banana, maize resistant to lethal necrosis, and sorghum resistant to the parasitic plant Striga and enhanced quality, are under development for African farmers. There is a need for creating an enabling environment in Africa with science-based regulatory guidelines for the release and adoption of the products developed using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Some progress has been made in this regard. Nigeria and Kenya have recently published the national biosafety guidelines for the regulation of gene editing. This article summarizes recent advances in developments of tools, potential applications of genome editing for improving staple crops, and regulatory policies in Africa.
Characteristics of Genomic Alterations in Pericardial Effusion of Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: He Jiaxue , Hu Xintong , Chen Liguo , Liu Qiaoliang , Jiang Yanfang
Published: May 2022

Background: The feasibility and value of pericardial effusion as a liquid biopsy sample for actionable alteration detection in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been adequately investigated. Here, we aim to reveal genomic alterations between pericardial effusion and paired tumor tissue, plasma (plasma cfDNA), and pleural effusion supernatant (PE-cfDNA) based on second-generation sequencing technology.

Material and methods: A total of 26 advanced NSCLC patients were retrospectively studied. The following samples were collected and sequenced using two targeted next-generation sequencing panels: pericardial effusion (n = 26), matched tumor tissue (n = 6), plasma (n = 16), and pleural effusion supernatant (n = 5).

Results: A total of 10 actionable alterations were identified in pericardial effusion of the NSCLC patients, including MET amplification, EGFR L858R, EGFR T790M, EGFR exon 19 deletion, EGFR L861Q, KRAS G12C, EML4-ALK (exon 18: exon 20) fusion, EML4-ALK (exon 20: exon 20) fusion, EML4-ALK (exon 6: exon 20) fusion, and ERBB2 exon 20 insertion. All these actionable alterations harbored multiple drug-sensitive targets as well as several drug-resistant targets, such as EGFR T790M. Compared to plasma cfDNA of 16 patients, paired pericardial effusion had higher number of actionable alterations (p = 0.08) as well as higher percentage of the population with actionable alterations (p = 0.16). Moreover, 8 out of 10 actionable alterations with single nucleotide variations (SNVs) or insertions/deletions (indels) had a higher variant allele frequency (VAF) in pericardial effusion than plasma cfDNA. In addition, we identified two actionable alterations in paired pericardial effusion, which were absence in PE-cfDNA. Clearly, 2 out of 3 actionable alterations with SNVs/indels in pericardial effusion had a higher VAF than those in PE-cfDNA. Our finding suggested the importance of pericardial effusion in the optimal selection of patients for targeted therapy.

Conclusion: Among liquid biopsy specimens from the advanced NSCLC patients, pericardial effusion may be a better candidate for genomic profiling than plasma cfDNA, while it could serve as a supplement to PE-cfDNA in detecting actionable alterations. Therefore, pericardial effusion might provide a new alternative for selection of patients for better treatment management.
Study of the Combined Effect of Maternal Tobacco Smoking and Polygenic Risk Scores on Birth Weight and Body Mass Index in Childhood
Authors: Fuentes-Paez Georgina , Escaramís Geòrgia , Aguilar-Lacasaña Sofía , Andrusaityte Sandra , Brantsæter Anne Lise , Casas Maribel , Charles Marie-Aline , Chatzi Leda , Lepeule Johanna , Grazuleviciene Regina , Gützkow Kristine B. , Heude Barbara , Maitre Léa , Ruiz-Arenas Carlos , Sunyer Jordi , Urquiza Jose , Yang Tiffany C. , Wright John , Vrijheid Martine , Vilor-Tejedor Natàlia , Bustamante Mariona
Published: May 2022

Background: Maternal smoking during pregnancy has adverse health effects on the offspring, including lower birth weight and increased risk for obesity. These outcomes are also influenced by common genetic polymorphisms. We aimed to investigate the combined effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy and genetic predisposition on birth weight and body mass index (BMI)-related traits in 1,086 children of the Human Early Life Exposome (HELIX) project.

Methods: Maternal smoking during pregnancy was self-reported. Phenotypic traits were assessed at birth or at the age of 8 years. Ten polygenic risk scores (PRSs) per trait were calculated using the PRSice v2 program. For birth weight, we estimated two sets of PRSs based on two different base GWAS summary statistics: PRS-EGG, which includes HELIX children, and PRS-PanUK, which is completely independent. The best PRS per trait (highest R2) was selected for downstream analyses, and it was treated in continuous or categorized into three groups. Multivariate linear regression models were applied to evaluate the association of the explanatory variables with the traits of interest. The combined effect was evaluated by including an interaction term in the regression models and then running models stratified by the PRS group.

Results: BMI-related traits were correlated among them but not with birth weight. A similar pattern was observed for their PRSs. On average, the PRSs explained ∼4% of the phenotypic variation, with higher PRS values related to higher trait values (p-value <5.55E-08). Sustained maternal smoking was associated with lower birth weight and higher BMI and related traits (p-value <2.99E-02). We identified a gene by environment (GxE) interaction for birth weight between sustained maternal smoking and the PRS-EGG in three groups (p-value interaction = 0.01), which was not replicated with the PRS-PanUK (p-value interaction = 0.341). Finally, we did not find any statistically significant GxE interaction for BMI-related traits (p-value interaction >0.237).

Conclusion: Sustained maternal smoking and the PRSs were independently associated with birth weight and childhood BMI-related traits. There was low evidence of GxE interactions.