bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity in the Returns to Credits for Public Two-Year College Entrants
Authors: Schudde Lauren , Shea Meghan
Published: August 2021

Public two-year colleges offer an entry point to postsecondary education for many Americans who might otherwise forgo college. Most students leave college without a credential. A growing body of research examines the returns to higher education among two-year college entrants but primarily focuses on returns to credentials. This study examines the returns to different types of credits, including academic, technical, and developmental credits. In a series of individual fixed effects models, we use state administrative data following a population of public two-year college entrants to understand which college credits yield the greatest returns and how returns to credits vary across degree attainment. Our findings illustrate that average estimates of the returns to credits obscure varied patterns of returns among two-year college students, where sub-baccalaureate credential recipients appear to experience different returns to academic and technical credits compared with their peers.
Livestock-Associated Meticillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus—Current Situation and Impact From a One Health Perspective
Authors: Fetsch Alexandra , Etter Danai , Johler Sophia
Published: August 2021

Purpose of Review

In this article, we aim to provide an overview of the occurrence and characteristics of livestock-associated (LA-) meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We further question the role of LA-MRSA as a potential foodborne pathogen. We investigate recent findings and developments from a One Health perspective also highlighting current strategies and initiatives aiming to improve reporting, control, and prevention of LA-MRSA.

Recent Findings

While the overall number of invasive MRSA infections in humans is decreasing (in most European countries and the USA) or steadily increasing (in the Asia-Pacific region), the role of LA-MRSA as causative agent of invasive disease and as potential foodborne pathogen is still poorly understood. LA-MRSA prevalence in livestock remains high in many geographical regions and the acquisition of new virulence and resistance determinants constitutes a growing threat for human health.

The true incidence of LA-MRSA infections due to occupational exposure is unknown. Improved MRSA monitoring and tracking procedures are urgently needed. Strain typing is crucial to enable improved understanding of the impact of LA-MRSA on human and animal health.
Non-destructive thickness measurement of thermal barrier coatings using terahertz radiation
Authors: Isern Luis , Waddie Andrew J. , Chalk Christine , Moore Andrew J. , Nicholls John R.
Published: August 2021

A non-destructive thickness measurement technique based on terahertz (THz) reflectivity was successfully deployed to interrogate 7 wt.% yttria-stabilised zirconia thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) produced by electron-beam physical vapour deposition (EB-PVD). The THz technique was shown to produce accurate thickness maps for different samples with a resolution of 1 × 1 mm over a surface of 65 × 20 mm that were compared with direct examination of key cross-sections. All thickness measurements on different samples were calculated using a single value of refractive index. Small defects characteristic of EB-PVD, such as “carrot growths” and variations on column inclination, were evaluated and did not produce significant variations in the refractive index of the TBC. Moreover, the thickness maps correctly display thickness variations that are a consequence of the point-source nature of EB-PVD evaporation. In summary, this paper demonstrates the technique can be successfully deployed on large surfaces, and across different coatings of the same material produced under the same deposition conditions. It is shown that a single n value is required to map the thickness distribution for all samples. This combination of qualities indicates the potential of the technique for in-line control of TBC manufacture.
Defects and uncertainties of adhesively bonded composite joints
Authors: Omairey Sadik , Jayasree Nithin , Kazilas Mihalis
Published: August 2021

The increasing use of fibre reinforced polymer composite materials in a wide range of applications increases the use of similar and dissimilar joints. Traditional joining methods such as welding, mechanical fastening and riveting are challenging in composites due to their material properties, heterogeneous nature, and layup configuration. Adhesive bonding allows flexibility in materials selection and offers improved production efficiency from product design and manufacture to final assembly, enabling cost reduction. However, the performance of adhesively bonded composite structures cannot be fully verified by inspection and testing due to the unforeseen nature of defects and manufacturing uncertainties presented in this joining method. These uncertainties can manifest as kissing bonds, porosity and voids in the adhesive. As a result, the use of adhesively bonded joints is often constrained by conservative certification requirements, limiting the potential of composite materials in weight reduction, cost-saving, and performance. There is a need to identify these uncertainties and understand their effect when designing these adhesively bonded joints. This article aims to report and categorise these uncertainties, offering the reader a reliable and inclusive source to conduct further research, such as the development of probabilistic reliability-based design optimisation, sensitivity analysis, defect detection methods and process development.
Should Airbag Backpacks Be Standard Avalanche Safety Equipment?
Authors: Van Tilburg Christopher
Published: August 2021

Avalanche airbag backpacks have been shown to be effective at reducing avalanche mortality. However, they are yet to be considered standard avalanche safety equipment, which has long consisted of a transceiver, a shovel, and a probe. This is despite data showing that airbags reduce mortality by decreasing the likelihood of burial. In addition, airbags probably lessen trauma and possibly delay asphyxia. Moreover, the literature suggests airbags reduce mortality at a rate similar to transceivers. For those who work, volunteer, and recreate in avalanche terrain, airbags should be considered standard safety equipment. However, multiple barriers exist for universal adoption, including cost, size, weight, training burden, availability, risk tolerance, and lack of community support and recommendations from professional societies and associations.
Altruism in International Law
Authors: Rudall Jason
Published: August 2021

Much emphasis has been placed on the role that individualism, self-interest and reciprocity have in the formation and function of international legal rules. Rarely has attention been given to the presence of altruism in legal systems, let alone the international legal system. In a study that is the first of its kind in international legal scholarship, Altruism in International Law explores and analyses the emergence of altruistic legal relationships between states and people in other countries. The book also argues that the impulse for the emergence of these relationships is a cosmopolitan ideology, which co-exists with a persisting statist ideology, among the major actors in international law-making processes. Further still, the book reveals that individualistic legal norms are more often manifested as strict rules while altruistic legal norms find expression in flexible standards. This suggests that there is a connection between substance and form in international law.
Living for the City
Authors: Larmer Miles
Published: August 2021

Living for the City is a social history of the Central African Copperbelt, considered as a single region encompassing the neighbouring mining regions of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Haut Katanga and Zambian Copperbelt mine towns have been understood as the vanguard of urban 'modernity' in Africa. Observers found in these towns new African communities that were experiencing what they wrongly understood as a transition from rural 'traditional' society – stable, superstitious and agricultural – to an urban existence characterised by industrial work discipline, the money economy and conspicuous consumption, Christianity, and nuclear families headed by male breadwinners supported by domesticated housewives. Miles Larmer challenges this representation of Copperbelt society, presenting an original analysis which integrates the region's social history with the production of knowledge about it, shaped by both changing political and intellectual contexts and by Copperbelt communities themselves.
Religious Nationalism and Religious Freedom in Asia: Mapping Regional Trends in a Global Phenomenon
Authors: Neo Jaclyn , Scharffs Brett G.
Published: August 2021

In recent times, religious nationalism has emerged as a major basis for identity and mobilization. In Asia, religious nationalism specifically challenges existing pluralist approaches to constitutional government, which have generally been seen as necessary to ensure peaceful coexistence. The increasing alignment of religious and national boundaries has the worrying capacity to neutralize the “cross-cutting cleavages” that could otherwise vitiate the centrifugal tendencies of pluralistic societies. In the context of pluralistic Asia, therefore, religious nationalism is fundamentally anchored in a rejection of ethnic, religious, cultural, and even legal plurality. This has serious consequences for the freedoms of religious groups, particularly minority groups and minorities within dominant religious groups. This article introduces the Special Issue studying not only the phenomenon of religious nationalism in Asia, but also its impact on the rights of religious groups and their religious freedoms, broadly conceived.
Evidence of an Inverted U–Shaped Relationship between Stakeholder Management Performance Variation and Firm Performance
Authors: Laplume André O. , Harrison Jeffrey S. , Zhang Zhou , Yu Xin , Walker Kent
Published: August 2021

Empirical research is largely supportive of the assertion of instrumental stakeholder theory that a positive relationship exists between “managing for stakeholders” and firm performance. However, despite considerable debate on the subject, the amount of variation across firm investments in stakeholders (stakeholder management performance) has not been adequately investigated. We address this gap using a sample of more than eighteen thousand firm-level observations over ten years. We find evidence to support an inverted U–shaped relationship between variation in stakeholder management performance and Tobin’sq, suggesting that firms that have some imbalance in their stakeholder management, but not too much, perform best. We discuss the implications of our study for instrumental stakeholder theory and managerial practice.
“Progressive” Criminalization? A Sociological and Criminological Analysis Based on the German “No Means No” Provision
Authors: Kölbel Ralf
Published: August 2021

The “no means no” model has been applied in Germany since November 10, 2016. Its introduction has considerably extended the scope of criminalized forms of sexual interaction. This Article examines the criminal policy discourse that gave rise to it and the question of whether the new provisions have led to the changes in the practices of criminal prosecution proclaimed in advance. The results will be critically assessed. The new legislation relating to sexual offenses was also shaped on the initiative of groups perceiving themselves as emancipatory, and in the understanding of these groups, the “no means no” provision acts as “progressive” criminalization. Yet, aside from the fact that the associated expectations have hardly been met as of yet, this movement would have to resolve an essential question: Is penal law compatible with a “progressive” social policy they claim to stand for at all, and if so, what conditions does it have to meet?
The Concept of an “Act of a Sexual Nature” in Criminal Law
Authors: Corrêa Camargo Beatriz , Renzikowski Joachim
Published: August 2021

All jurisdictions assume a concept of an act of a sexual nature by regulating sex crimes. Until the sex revolution and feminist movements for equality in sexual relations, criminal law was mostly concerned with specific types of sexual acts, particularly non-marital sexual intercourse. With the paradigm shift of recent years, criminalization tends to embrace all acts of a sexual nature with another person without her valid consent. Whether the law contains a definition of a sexual act or not, borderline cases show that neither merely objective criteria nor purely subjective elements can serve as basis for the description of the conduct under prohibition. Our Article tries to overcome this deficit in the criminal law theory. Sexual acts should not be understood through the metaphor of a “picture,” as German legal scholars believe, but with the metaphor of a script played out by an actor as sexual theorists put it.
The Wolf-Pack Case and the Reform of Sex Crimes in Spain
Authors: Faraldo-Cabana Patricia
Published: August 2021

The controversial trial of five men accused of gang-raping a young woman during the 2016 San Fermín festival and their conviction not for rape, but for a lesser crime of sexual abuse in 2018, known as La Manada (the Wolf-Pack) case, brought the Spanish law under intense public scrutiny. The case led to an outpouring of protests across the country and called for the urgent reform of rape laws, which then led to the drafting of new provisions to address the outcry. To set the analysis in the context of feminist activism, this Article is organized around the hashtags used during the protests. Accordingly, this Article examines three aspects of considerable debate: Namely the distinction between sexual abuse and rape (“it’s not abuse, it’s rape!”), the murky legal understanding of consent (“only yes is yes”), and the introduction of the gender perspective in the legal system (“sister, I believe you”). By addressing these issues, this Article demonstrates the pervasive influence of feminism over recent Spanish law-making, and the continued resistance which such efforts meet. This Article concludes by scrutinizing this effect and examining the conditions under which a civil society network may succeed in challenging socially outdated legal provisions.
Sexual Violence in the Digital Age: A Criminal Law Conundrum?
Authors: Jurasz Olga , Barker Kim
Published: August 2021

The emergence of new interactions, notably those online, has led to the parallel development of criminal behaviors—not all of which are captured by the current legal framework. This article addresses the challenge posed to criminal law by the emergence of technologically facilitated violence, specifically its sexualized online forms. In particular, it argues for cautious yet specific criminalization of violent behaviors online whilst considering the broader criminal liabilities of all actors involved in the facilitation and perpetration of digital sexual violence. This article draws upon national—contentious—examples of attempts to regulate disruptive sexual violence perpetrated through digital means, with particular attention given to provisions in the UK, Germany, and France.
Sexual Violence and Criminal Justice in the 21st Century
Authors: Burghardt Boris , Steinl Leonie
Published: August 2021

In recent years, no area of criminal law has received more public attention than the laws on sexual violence. Discussions about the need for reforms have exhibited a mobilizing force extending far beyond the legal community. From a legal perspective, these discussions concern intricate normative questions regarding the content of the right to sexual autonomy and the suitability of the consent paradigm to establish the limitations of its protection under criminal law. At the same time, they ultimately concern the question of gender-related societal power hierarchies. Acknowledging these broader socio-political dimensions allows us to comprehend the highly contentious manner in which this debate is often conducted. This Special Issue attempts to analyze from a transnational perspective both the fundamental legal and socio-political questions in the current discussions on sexual violence and criminal justice. A recurring theme is the question as to whether criminal law can be used not only as an instrument of repressive social control, but also as a means of power-critical – even emancipatory – social policy.
Victims’ Rights Looking Good on Paper — How Criminal Prosecution in Germany Fails Victims of Sexual Violence
Authors: Wolf Anne-Katrin , Werner Maja
Published: August 2021

Whether in Germany or abroad, victims of sexual violence typically played only a minor part in criminal proceedings, serving primarily as witnesses due to the widespread public and objective nature of the trial.1 This led to victim disempowerment and a paternalistic method of State protection of victims.2 During the last decades, this perception underwent major changes in European legal systems, owing to a rising awareness of victim’s needs, especially in cases of sexual violence.3 International and European conventions and treaties played a major role4 by establishing an international regulatory framework. To implement those international standards, domestic criminal laws have changed significantly on both substantive and procedural levels. Today, Germany’s criminal procedure law contains many mechanisms for protecting victims. Nevertheless, in cases of sexual violence, the implementation of these mechanisms in criminal proceedings leaves much to desire due to the affect of gender stereotypes and rape myths. This Article argues that in these cases the law in action ultimately fails to meet international requirements.
Dietary and serum vitamin D and preeclampsia risk in Chinese pregnant women: a matched case–control study
Authors: Huang Xue-Min , Liu Yan-Hua , Zhang Han , Cao Yuan , Dou Wei-Feng , Duan Dan-Dan , Chen Hua-Nan , Bo Yacong , Amoah Adwoa N. , Fu Wen-Jun , Zhao Xian-Lan , Zeng Fang-Fang , Chen Yu-Ming , Lyu Quan-Jun
Published: August 2021

The effect of vitamin D (VD) on the risk of preeclampsia (PE) is uncertain. Few of previous studies focused on the relationship between dietary VD intake and PE risk. Therefore, we conducted this 1:1 matched case–control study to explore the association of dietary VD intake and serum VD concentrations with PE risk in Chinese pregnant women. A total of 440 pairs of participants were recruited during March 2016 to June 2019. Dietary information was obtained using a seventy-eight-item semi-quantitative FFQ. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D3 were measured by liquid chromatography–tandem MS. Multivariate conditional logistic regression was used to estimate OR and 95 % CI. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) were plotted to evaluate the dose–response relationship of dietary VD intake and serum VD concentrations with PE risk. Compared with the lowest quartile, the OR of the highest quartile were 0·45 (95 % CI 0·29, 0·71, Ptrend = 0·001) for VD dietary intake and 0·26 (95 % CI 0·11, 0·60, Ptrend = 0·003) for serum levels after adjusting for confounders. In addition, the RCS analysis suggested a reverse J-shaped relationship between dietary VD intake and PE risk (P-nonlinearity = 0·02). A similar association was also found between serum concentrations of total 25(OH)D and PE risk (P-nonlinearity = 0·02). In conclusion, this study provides evidence that higher dietary intake and serum levels of VD are associated with the lower risk of PE in Chinese pregnant women.
Qu'est-ce qu'un constructiviste peut dire sur la question animale — ou toute autre question normative, d'ailleurs ?
Authors: Soucy Guillaume
Published: August 2021

DansFellow creatures, Christine Korsgaard soutient que les êtres humains auraient l'obligation morale de traiter les animaux sensibles comme des fins en soi. Cependant, cet article tente de démontrer que la méthode korsgaardienne dépasse ce que permet une théorie constructiviste conséquente et soutient que nous devrions opter pour une version humienne plutôt que kantienne du constructivisme. Selon moi, une telle conception permet tout à fait de soutenir des positions éthiques substantielles sur la question animale sans avoir à compromettre ses engagements ontologiques.
Contested Numbers: Census Controversies and the Press in 1960s Nigeria
Authors: Serra Gerardo , Jerven Morten
Published: August 2021

This article reconstructs the controversies following the release of the figures from Nigeria's 1963 population census. As the basis for the allocation of seats in the federal parliament and for the distribution of resources, the census is a valuable entry point into postcolonial Nigeria's political culture. After presenting an overview of how the Africanist literature has conceptualized the politics of population counting, the article analyses the role of the press in constructing the meaning and implications of the 1963 count. In contrast with the literature's emphasis on identification, categorization, and enumeration, our focus is on how the census results informed a broader range of visual and textual narratives. It is argued that analysing the multiple ways in which demographic sources shape debates about trust, identity, and the state in the public sphere results in a richer understanding of the politics of counting people and narrows the gap between demographic and cultural history.
Intestinal parasites in Przewalski's horses (Equus ferus przewalskii): a field survey at the Hortobágy National Park, Hungary
Authors: Jota Baptista C. , Sós E. , Szabados T. , Kerekes V. , Madeira de Carvalho L.
Published: August 2021

The Pentezug Wildhorse Reserve, located in the Hortobágy National Park, Hungary, has one of the biggest ex situ populations of Przewalski's horses and aims to preserve its landscape and to study this subspecies. Between September and November 2018, 79 faecal samples were collected from Przewalski's horses. The McMaster, Willis flotation, natural sedimentation and coproculture methods were applied to all the samples. Results showed an average level of 1287 eggs per gram (EPG), which is a high faecal egg-shedding level. All the samples were positive for strongyle-type eggs (100%). There were no statistical differences regarding the EPG values between different harems of the population. The same happened when considering sexes, ages, lactating status or when bachelors are compared with harem members. Cyathostominae were dominant, when compared to Strongylinae and Tricostrongylidae, and 15 different morphological infective third-stage larvae types and/or species belonging to the order Strongylida were identified. The subfamily Cyathostominae was prevalent in 100% of the horses. Strongylus vulgaris was the most prevalent strongylin (40.5%). Additionally, 27.8% were positive for Parascaris sp. and 2.5% showed Oxyuris equi in their faeces. This study revealed that there is a higher prevalence of Triodontophorus serratus and Poteriostomum spp. in juveniles. Horses with S. vulgaris showed lower levels of EPG. This was the first study involving this population, showing 100% prevalence of intestinal parasites.
Leukogram and cortisol parameters in Swiss mice experimentally infected withAngiostrongylus costaricensis
Authors: Benvegnú E. , Hermes C.C. , Guizzo J.A. , Soares S.M. , Costa M.M. , Rodriguez R. , Frandoloso R. , Vieira M.I.B.
Published: August 2021

This study describes changes in haematological parameters, cytokine profile, histopathology and cortisol levels in Swiss mice experimentally infected withAngiostrongylus costaricensis. Twenty-eight Swiss mice were divided into two groups (G1 and G2) of 14 animals each. In each group, eight animals were infected orally with ten third-stage larvae ofA.costaricensisand six were used as a control group. The mice of groups G1 and G2 were sacrificed 14 and 24 days after infection, respectively. Samples were collected for histopathological and haematological analyses and determination of the cytokine profile and cortisol levels. Granulomatous reaction, eosinophilic infiltrate and vasculitis in the intestinal tract, pancreas, liver and spleen were observed with varying intensity in infected animals. Our results showed that the mice developed normocytic and hypochromic anaemia, and that the histopathological lesions caused by the experimental infection influenced increases in cortisol, neutrophil and monocyte levels. In addition to this, we detected increased interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor alpha levels in the infected animals.
Oppy on Thomistic cosmological arguments
Authors: FESER EDWARD
Published: August 2021

Graham Oppy has criticized several Thomistic versions of the cosmological argument in a series of publications over the years, most recently in aReligious Studiesarticle responding to my bookFive Proofs of the Existence of God. Here I reply to his criticisms, arguing that while Oppy raises important issues, a besetting weakness of his approach is a failure adequately to grapple with the metaphysical underpinnings of the arguments.
The Psychosocial Impact of Compounding Humanitarian Crises Caused by War and COVID-19 Informing Future Disaster Response
Authors: Harutyunyan Hakob , Mukhaelyan Artak , Hertelendy Attila J. , Voskanyan Amalia , Benham Todd , Issa Fadi , Hart Alex , Ciottone Gregory R.
Published: August 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused the greatest global loss of life and economic impact due to a respiratory virus since the 1918 influenza pandemic. While health care systems around the world faced the enormous challenges of managing COVID-19 patients, health care workers in the Republic of Armenia were further tasked with caring for the surge of casualties from a concurrent, large-scale war. These compounding events put a much greater strain on the health care system, creating a complex humanitarian crisis that resulted in significant psychosocial consequences for health care workers in Armenia.
Inclusive Assessment of Class Participation: Students’ Takeaways as a One-Minute Paper
Authors: Levin-Banchik Luba
Published: August 2021

Building on the concept of a one-minute paper, I suggest students’ takeaways as a simple technique for inclusive assessment of participation in a classroom. Acknowledging cultural and language barriers, the takeaways technique allows an instructor to grade participation not by observing the frequency of spoken comments but instead by the quality of written comments in students’ one-point takeaway memos completed at the end of each class. In this way, all students have an equal chance to be appraised for their participation, indicated by being attentive in class. This article surveys the scholarship on one-minute papers and participation grading in political science, outlines takeaway procedures, and discusses how to adjust this technique for face-to-face and online learning environments. I suggest that takeaways ensure transparency in grading participation, enable equal opportunities to participate, encourage students’ attentiveness, and create a communication channel for the exchange of immediate feedback between a professor and students.
100 days outcome of severe wasting in hospitalised infants <6 months of age
Authors: Patel Jai Prakash , Meena Rajesh Kumar , Shah Dheeraj , Gupta Piyush
Published: August 2021

Objective:

To assess the outcome of severe wasting in infants below 6 months of age.

Design:

A prospective observational study conducted between January 2017 and October 2018.

Setting:

A medical college-affiliated hospital in Eastern Delhi, catering mainly to the urban poor population.

Participants:

All children with severe wasting (weight-for-length Z-score (WLZ) < −3 sd) between 1 and 6 months of age, requiring hospitalisation.

Results:

Out of fifty children enrolled, during hospitalisation, forty-two (84 %) recovered (WLZ > −3 sd) and discharged; the median (interquartile range (IQR)) duration of stay was 9·5 (6·5, 13·0) d. After 100 d of enrolment, sustained cure (WLZ > −2 SD) could be achieved in only fifteen (30 %) infants, while another fourteen (28 %) recovered from severe wasting, but remained in moderately wasted state (WLZ between −2 and −3 sd). Overall, there were three (6 %) deaths (all during first week of hospitalisation); three (6 %) relapses and fifteen (30 %) defaulters (5, 5, 2, 1 and 2 defaulted during hospitalisation at day 15, day 60, day 75 and day 90, respectively).

Conclusions:

The overall recovery rate from severe wasting in infants below 6 months of age was below the acceptable levels. In order to achieve better long-term outcome, community linkage services after discharge from hospital are required for supervised feeding, close monitoring and supportive care.
Quaternary Reelfoot Fault Deformation in the Obion River Valley, Tennessee, USA
Authors: Delano Jaime E. , Briggs Richard W. , Thompson Jobe Jessica , Gold Ryan D. , Engelhart Simon E.
Published: August 2021

Blind reverse faults are challenging to detect, and earthquake records can be elusive because deep fault slip does not break the surface along readily recognized scarps. The blind Reelfoot fault in the New Madrid seismic zone in the central United States has been the subject of extensive prior investigation; however, the extent of slip at the southern portion of the fault remains unconstrained. In this study, we use lidar to map terraces and lacustrine landforms in the Obion River valley and investigate apparent broad folding resulting from slip on the buried Reelfoot fault. We compare remote surface mapping results with three auger boreholes in the ∼24 ka Finley terrace and interpret apparent warping as due to tectonic folding and not stratigraphic thickening. We combine our results with historical records of coseismic lake formation that indicate surface deformation dammed the Obion River in the 1812 CE earthquake. Older terraces (deposited at least 35–55 ka) record progressive fold scarps ≥1, ≥2, and ≥8 m high indicating a long record of earthquakes predating the existing paleoseismic record. Broad, distributed folding above the Reelfoot fault into the Obion River valley is consistent with a deep active fault tip along the southern reaches of the fault. Our analyses indicate the entire length of the fault (≥70 km) is capable of rupture and is more consistent with longer rupture scenarios.
Accelerated Sea‐Level Rise Limits Vegetation Capacity to Sequester Soil Carbon in Coastal Wetlands: A Study Case in Southeastern Australia
Authors: Sandi S. G. , Rodriguez J. F. , Saco P. M. , Saintilan N. , Riccardi G.
Published: August 2021

Estimates of global carbon stocks in coastal wetlands reveal that these are some of the most efficient carbon‐sequestering environments in the world, which has prompted a renewed interest in conservation and restoration programs as an opportunity for greenhouse gas abatement. Accumulation of carbon in coastal wetlands is linked to diverse factors such as the type of vegetation, geomorphic setting, and sediment supply. Feedbacks between these factors and the tidal flow conditions drive the dynamics of carbon accumulation rates. Climate change‐induced sea‐level rise has been shown to increase the vulnerability to submergence of saltmarsh and mangroves in coastal wetlands, even if accommodation and landward colonization are possible. These potential losses of wetland vegetation combined with the reduced productivity of newly colonized areas will directly affect the capacity of the wetlands to sequester carbon from sediments and root growth. Here, we implement an eco‐geomorphic model to simulate vegetation dynamics, soil carbon accumulation, and changes in soil carbon stock for a restored mangrove‐saltmarsh wetland experiencing accelerated sea‐level rise. We evaluate model outcomes for existing conditions and two different management scenarios aimed at mitigating sea‐level rise effects and conserve wetland vegetation. Even though some management measures can result in partial conservation of wetland vegetation, they do not necessarily result in the best option for soil carbon capture. Our results suggest that accelerated sea‐level can trigger accelerated wetland colonization resulting in wetland areas with limited opportunities for soil carbon capture from sediment and root mineralization, an issue that has not been considered in previous studies.
Long‐Term Disconnect Between Nutrient Inputs and Riverine Exports in a Semi‐Arid, Agricultural Watershed: Yakima River Basin 1945–2012
Authors: Grieger S. R. , Harrison J. A.
Published: August 2021

Nutrient budgets are useful tools in addressing impaired water quality from increasing anthropogenic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs to watersheds. Long term analyses can identify temporal ecological responses to past nutrient management strategies. Multidecadal watershed analyses of nutrient dynamics traditionally have been limited to large humid or mesic river basins focused primarily on a single nutrient (N or P). Here we present a long term, dual N and P input‐output budget for the agriculturally rich Yakima River Basin (YRB) located in the semi‐arid western U.S. We quantified N and P terrestrial inputs from 1945 to 2012 using past agricultural and water quality data to investigate interactions between water flow and N and P exports in the YRB. Between 1945 and 2012, N and P inputs to agricultural lands increased by over 18 and 10‐fold, respectively, with synthetic fertilizer accounting for the majority of input increases. While such increases in nutrient inputs were comparable to other U.S. basins, observed riverine N and P export did not significantly increase over time. Rather, we found that since the mid‐1970s both N and P loads and concentrations in the Yakima River have decreased, indicating a temporal disconnect between nutrient inputs and riverine exports in the YRB. This disconnect highlights a need to further investigate nutrient dynamics at local scales in semi‐arid watersheds. Our analysis raises questions about long‐term N and P retention in the YRB and potential impacts on future water quality across the western US.
A Disaggregation‐Emulation Approach for Optimization of Large Urban Drainage Systems
Authors: Seyedashraf Omid , Bottacin‐Busolin Andrea , Harou Julien J.
Published: August 2021

Multi‐objective optimization can help identify efficient and appealing designs of urban drainage systems. However, their application to large‐scale problems is hindered by the computational cost of urban drainage simulation. We propose a novel disaggregation approach that allows simulating a portion of a drainage network while the remaining part is represented by a surrogate model that maps changes in the region of interest to hydraulic head time‐series at synthetic nodes shared with the remaining part of the network. The proposed approach is demonstrated with an application to the many‐objective optimization of sustainable urban drainage systems in two urban areas. The design problem's decision variables include the types of sustainable drainage systems, their combination within a subcatchment, their surface areas and spatial distribution, whereas the objectives include the minimization of capital cost, flood volume, flood duration, and total suspended solids or average peak runoff. The results show that the proposed disaggregation‐emulation approach can provide an accurate representation of the system dynamics while significantly reducing the computational time compared to a model that simulates the whole network dynamics. Two alternative surrogate models are considered based on multilayer perceptron (MLP) and generalized regression neural networks (GRNN). MLP is found to be more accurate compared to GRNN at the cost of a larger computational time for the training process.
Arid Coastal Carbonates and the Phanerozoic Record of Carbonate Chemistry
Authors: Smith B. P. , Cantine M. D. , Bergmann K. D. , Ramos E. J. , Martindale R. C. , Kerans C.
Published: August 2021

Ocean chemistry and carbonate sedimentation link Earth's climate, carbon cycle, and marine pH. The carbonate system in seawater is complex and there are large uncertainties in key parameters in deep time. Here, we link sedimentary textures formed in arid coastal environments and preserved in the rock record to past seawater carbonate chemistry. Prior to the mid‐Mesozoic, tepee structures and pisoids – features associated with peritidal environments – co‐vary with available shelf area during cycles of supercontinent formation and rifting. In contrast, tepees and pisoids are consistently scarce after the mid‐Mesozoic, which coincides with a radiation in pelagic calcifiers as well as the breakup of Pangea. Numerical models suggest that the global and temporal abundances of tepee structures and pisoids are correlated with secular shifts in seawater chemistry, and that trends likely reflect the underlying influence of tectonics and biotic innovation on marine alkalinity and the saturation states of carbonate minerals. As independent sedimentary proxies, tepees and pisoids serve as benchmarks for global carbon cycle models and provide a new proxy record of seawater chemistry that can help discern links among tectonics, biotic innovation, and seawater chemistry.
Vatnajökull Mass Loss Under Solar Geoengineering Due to the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
Authors: Yue Chao , Schmidt Louise Steffensen , Zhao Liyun , Wolovick Michael , Moore John C.
Published: August 2021

The objective of solar geoengineering by stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is to lower global temperatures, but it may also have adverse side effects. Iceland is situated close to the overturning regions of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) that warms the North Atlantic area. Hence, this may be one region where reduced irradiance by SAI may not be successful in reducing impacts from greenhouse gas warming. We examine this proposition by estimating how the Icelandic Vatnajökull ice cap (VIC) surface mass balance (SMB) and surface runoff changes in response to greenhouse gas and solar geoengineering scenarios over the period 1982–2089. We use the surface energy and mass balance model SEMIC driven by Earth System Model output under the GeoMIP G4, and CMIP RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 greenhouse gas scenarios. Geoengineering significantly reduces VIC near‐surface air temperature by 0.4°C, downward longwave radiation by 2.4 Wm−2 and increases snowfall by 4.9 mm yr−1 relative to RCP4.5. During the SAI period 2020–2069, modeled annual mean SMB under G4, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 are −0.34 ± 0.18 m yr−1, −0.56 ± 0.06 m yr−1 and −0.66 ± 0.04 m yr−1, respectively; surface runoff reduction under G4 is 6 ± 6% and 7 ± 6% (95% confidence interval uncertainties) compared with that under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, which is far smaller than the 20 ± 2% and 32 ± 2% reductions for the Greenland ice sheet. The differences may be attributed to the reinvigoration of AMOC under G4 relative to RCP4.5 which brings more heat to Iceland than Greenland, leading to around half the cooling and longwave radiation reductions than for Greenland.
Glassy Nodules Pinpoint a Meteorite Impact
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: August 2021

Researchers working in Chile’s Atacama Desert have collected thousands of “atacamaites” that suggest a meteorite struck the region roughly 8 million years ago.
Geodetic Constraints on Cratonic Microplates and Broad Strain During Rifting of Thick Southern African Lithosphere
Authors: Wedmore L. N. J. , Biggs J. , Floyd M. , Fagereng Å. , Mdala H. , Chindandali P. , Williams J. N. , Mphepo F.
Published: August 2021

Southern Africa is typically considered to belong to a single tectonic plate, Nubia, despite active faulting along the southwestern branch of the East African Rift System. We analyze regional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements, and find that the “San” microplate, situated south of the southwestern branch of the East African Rift, is statistically distinct from Nubia, with 0.4–0.7 mm/yr of extension across the boundary. Adding nine new campaign GNSS sites, we show that the extension rate across the southern Malawi Rift is 2.2 ± 0.3 mm/yr, with 75% of the relative velocity occurring over 890 km, despite the surface expression of faulting being <150 km wide. Thus, for the first time, we use geodetic measurements to describe the accommodation of strain in broad zones between Archean cratons in southern Africa's thick continental lithosphere.
Hydroxyl Radical (OH) Response to Meteorological Forcing and Implication for the Methane Budget
Authors: He Jian , Naik Vaishali , Horowitz Larry Wayne
Published: August 2021

The hydroxyl radical (OH) is a powerful oxidant in the troposphere controlling the atmospheric lifetimes of many short‐lived climate forcers such as methane. In this study, the GFDL‐AM4.1 model is used to investigate the meteorological impacts on OH and the methane budget and lifetime over 1980–2017. Driven by meteorological reanalyses from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (Version 2), our model gives an 11.2 Tg yr−1 difference in the derived methane emissions and 0.24 years difference in the estimated methane lifetime. The results suggest that meteorology affects the mean OH concentrations but not OH trend, while the latter shows strong correlation with reactive nitrogen emissions. Despite the relatively small difference in global tropospheric OH (∼2%) induced by different meteorological forcings, the difference is much larger regionally, leading to a difference of 8 Tg yr−1 in tropical methane emissions.
Thermospheric Mass Density Disturbances Due to Magnetospheric Forcing From 2014–2020 CASSIOPE Precise Orbits
Authors: Calabia Andrés , Jin Shuanggen
Published: August 2021

Long‐term thermospheric mass density disturbances due to magnetospheric forcing are not clear due to a lack of measurement data and imprecise models. In this study, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) precise orbits of CAScade SmallSat and IOnospheric Polar Explorer (CASSIOPE) are used to infer high‐resolution thermospheric mass densities between the years 2014 and 2020. The CASSIOPE densities are comprehensively validated at altitudes from 325 to 425 km at intervals of 25 km with the High Accuracy Satellite Drag Model (HASDM) density database, and further compared with the Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter Radar Exosphere/2000 (NRLMSISE‐00) and the Jacchia‐Bowman/2008 (JB2008) empirical models. The CASSIOPE densities are very similar to the HASDM and JB2008 densities, while the NRLMSISE‐00 largely overestimates (∼150%) during low solar‐flux conditions. For density values above ∼10−12 kg/m3, the correlation of CASSIOPE with HASDM is ∼5% better than the models, and the standard deviation is within 10% of the background density. For density values below ∼10−12 kg/m3, systematic errors have shown to reduce the precision of the CASSIOPE densities. By setting geomagnetic contributions to zero in the models, the density disturbances due to magnetospheric forcing are isolated from the CASSIOPE time‐series, allowing investigation into the correlations and time‐delay responses to the models and to the merging electric field (Em). A new linear dependence of the time delay to the Em was found and then parameterized in this study. Time delays occurred at the 4–7 h range during geomagnetic storms, and at 9–11 h during quiet conditions; neither had significant dependence on altitude. The results represent the validation of the first high‐resolution thermospheric mass density estimates inferred from commercial‐off‐the‐shelf GNSS receivers.
PROMISE: a real-world clinical-genomic database to address knowledge gaps in prostate cancer
Authors: Koshkin Vadim S. , Patel Vaibhav G. , Ali Alicia , Bilen Mehmet A. , Ravindranathan Deepak , Park Joseph J. , Kellezi Olesia , Cieslik Marcin , Shaya Justin , Cabal Angelo , Brown Landon , Labriola Matthew , Graham Laura S. , Pritchard Colin , Tripathi Abhishek , Nusrat Sanober , Barata Pedro , Jang Albert , Chen Shuang R. , Garje Rohan , Acharya Luna , Hwang Clara , Pilling Amanda , Oh William , Jun Tomi , Natesan Divya , Nguyen Chris , Kilari Deepak , Pierro Michael , Thapa Bicky , Cackowski Frank , Mack Alleda , Heath Elisabeth , Marshall Catherine H. , Tagawa Scott T. , Halabi Susan , Schweizer Michael T. , Armstrong Andrew , Dorff Tanya , Alva Ajjai , McKay Rana
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Prostate cancer is a heterogeneous disease with variable clinical outcomes. Despite numerous recent approvals of novel therapies, castration-resistant prostate cancer remains lethal. A “real-world” clinical-genomic database is urgently needed to enhance our characterization of advanced prostate cancer and further enable precision oncology.

Methods

The Prostate Cancer Precision Medicine Multi-Institutional Collaborative Effort (PROMISE) is a consortium whose aims are to establish a repository of de-identified clinical and genomic patient data that are linked to patient outcomes. The consortium structure includes a (1) bio-informatics committee to standardize genomic data and provide quality control, (2) biostatistics committee to independently perform statistical analyses, (3) executive committee to review and select proposals of relevant questions for the consortium to address, (4) diversity/inclusion committee to address important clinical questions pertaining to racial disparities, and (5) patient advocacy committee to understand patient perspectives to improve patients’ quality of care.

Results

The PROMISE consortium was formed by 16 academic institutions in early 2020 and a secure RedCap database was created. The first patient record was entered into the database in April 2020 and over 1000 records have been entered as of early 2021. Data entry is proceeding as planned with the goal to have over 2500 patient records by the end of 2021.

Conclusions

The PROMISE consortium provides a powerful clinical-genomic platform to interrogate and address data gaps that have arisen with increased genomic testing in the clinical management of prostate cancer. The dataset incorporates data from patient populations that are often underrepresented in clinical trials, generates new hypotheses to direct further research, and addresses important clinical questions that are otherwise difficult to investigate in prospective studies.
The UroLift implant: mechanism behind rapid and durable relief from prostatic obstruction
Authors: Roehrborn Claus G. , Chin Peter T. , Woo Henry H.
Published: August 2021

Background

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an affliction of the aging male population that contributes to bothersome and disruptive lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The UroLift® implant has been developed as a mechanical means of widening the prostatic urethra and providing relief from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) through a minimally invasive procedure.

Methods

In the current study, we utilize histological results from canine tissue, resected tissue from human subjects treated with the UroLift System and post-market surveillance data collected by the manufacturer in order to elucidate the long-term biological mechanism of action of the UroLift implant.

Results

The delivery of the implant causes tissue compression, likely resulting in focal ischemia that causes observed local atrophy and minimal-mild chronic inflammation that ultimately remodels tissue to produce a widened prostatic urethra.

Conclusions

These studies reveal the lack of impact the device has on systemic tissue, providing evidence that the UroLift System is benign and biocompatible, and offering histologic explanation for the clinically observed durability.