bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A data mining approach to investigate food groups related to incidence of bladder cancer in the BLadder cancer Epidemiology and Nutritional Determinants International Study
Authors: Yu Evan Y. W. , Wesselius Anke , Sinhart Christoph , Wolk Alicja , Stern Mariana Carla , Jiang Xuejuan , Tang Li , Marshall James , Kellen Eliane , van den Brandt Piet , Lu Chih-Ming , Pohlabeln Hermann , Steineck Gunnar , Allam Mohamed Farouk , Karagas Margaret R. , La Vecchia Carlo , Porru Stefano , Carta Angela , Golka Klaus , Johnson Kenneth C. , Benhamou Simone , Zhang Zuo-Feng , Bosetti Cristina , Taylor Jack A. , Weiderpass Elisabete , Grant Eric J. , White Emily , Polesel Jerry , Zeegers Maurice P. A.
Published: April 2020

At present, analysis of diet and bladder cancer (BC) is mostly based on the intake of individual foods. The examination of food combinations provides a scope to deal with the complexity and unpredictability of the diet and aims to overcome the limitations of the study of nutrients and foods in isolation. This article aims to demonstrate the usability of supervised data mining methods to extract the food groups related to BC. In order to derive key food groups associated with BC risk, we applied the data mining technique C5.0 with 10-fold cross-validation in the BLadder cancer Epidemiology and Nutritional Determinants study, including data from eighteen case–control and one nested case–cohort study, compromising 8320 BC cases out of 31 551 participants. Dietary data, on the eleven main food groups of the Eurocode 2 Core classification codebook, and relevant non-diet data (i.e. sex, age and smoking status) were available. Primarily, five key food groups were extracted; in order of importance, beverages (non-milk); grains and grain products; vegetables and vegetable products; fats, oils and their products; meats and meat products were associated with BC risk. Since these food groups are corresponded with previously proposed BC-related dietary factors, data mining seems to be a promising technique in the field of nutritional epidemiology and deserves further examination.
Sociodemographic and Psychological Correlates of Compliance with the COVID-19 Public Health Measures in France
Authors: Brouard Sylvain , Vasilopoulos Pavlos , Becher Michael
Published: April 2020

The COVID-19 disease was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, having since spread rapidly across the world. The infection and mortality rates of the disease have forced governments to implement a wave of public health measures. Depending on the context, these range from the implementation of simple hygienic rules to measures such as social distancing or lockdowns that cause major disruptions in citizens’ daily lives. The success of these crucial public health measures rests on the public's willingness to comply. However, individual differences in following the official public health recommendations for stopping the spread of COVID-19 have not yet to our knowledge been assessed. This study aims to fill this gap by assessing the sociodemographic and psychological correlates of implementing public health recommendations that aim to halt the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigate these associations in the context of France, one of the countries that has been most severely affected by the pandemic, and which ended up under a nationwide lockdown on March 17. In the next sections we describe our theoretical expectations over the associations between sociodemographics, personality, ideology, and emotions with abiding by the COVID-19 public health measures. We then test these hypotheses using data from the French Election Study.
Sleep disturbance mediates the link between childhood trauma and clinical outcome in severe mental disorders
Authors: Laskemoen Jannicke Fjæra , Aas Monica , Vaskinn Anja , Berg Akiah Ottesen , Lunding Synve Hoffart , Barrett Elizabeth Ann , Melle Ingrid , Simonsen Carmen
Published: April 2020

Background

The experience of childhood trauma is linked to more severe symptoms and poorer functioning in severe mental disorders; however, the mechanisms behind this are poorly understood. We investigate the relationship between childhood trauma and sleep disturbances in severe mental disorders including the role of sleep disturbances in mediating the relationship between childhood trauma and the severity of clinical symptoms and poorer functioning.

Methods

In total, 766 participants with schizophrenia-spectrum (n = 418) or bipolar disorders (n = 348) were assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Sleep disturbances were assessed through the sleep items in the self-reported Inventory of Depressive Symptoms. Clinical symptoms and functioning were assessed with The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. Mediation analyses using ordinary least squares regression were conducted to test if sleep disturbances mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and the severity of clinical symptoms and poorer functioning.

Results

Symptoms of insomnia, but not hypersomnia or delayed sleep phase, were significantly more frequent in participants with childhood trauma experiences compared to those without. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, and emotional neglect were significantly associated with insomnia symptoms. Insomnia symptoms partly mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and the severity of positive and depressive/anxiety symptoms, in addition to poorer functioning.

Conclusion

We found frequent co-occurrence of childhood trauma history and current insomnia in severe mental disorders. Insomnia partly mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and the severity of clinical symptoms and functional impairment.
Clause-initial AND usage in a cross-sectional and longitudinal corpus of school-age children's narratives
Authors: KALLAY Jeffrey E. , REDFORD Melissa A.
Published: April 2020

Young children adopt an event-chaining strategy when storytelling, frequently linking clauses withand. The current study tested whether age-related changes in clause-initialandusage might index narrative structure development in the Eugene Children's Story Corpus (ECSC), which includes 180 structured spontaneous narratives elicited yearly for three years from 60 children, aged five to seven at study onset. The narratives were segmented into clauses to quantify clause-initialandusage. Adult judgments of narrative coherence and cohesiveness were elicited as measures of narrative structure. Mean length of utterance (MLU) and clause (MLC) were used as measures of language complexity. Results indicated developmental increases in all measures, but onlyand-connected dependent clause usage increased with cross-sectional and longitudinal age. Only MLC predicted the relative frequency of clause-initialandregardless of children's age. These results suggest children's frequent use ofandto connect events reflects immature language; its association with flat narrative structure is likely epiphenomenal.
Asymmetrical Intercalation in Germanic Complex Verbs
Authors: Berg Thomas
Published: April 2020

A shared feature of the Germanic languages is the occurrence of complex verbs consisting of the verb itself and what I refer to as the adverbal unit (AU). I examine the nature of the units that can be inserted into such complex verbs and compare intercalation patterns in AU-Vs and V-AUs. AU-Vs are found to be much more resistant to intercalation than V-AUs. The former accommodate the past participle marker, the infinitival linker, and—less commonly—verbs, whereas the latter accommodate NPs, ADVPs, and—less commonly—both phrase types concurrently. Thus, V-AUs may be split by more syntactic as well as heavier material than AU-Vs. I argue that this difference in cohesiveness is due to varying degrees of coactivation of Vs and AUs. The constituents of AU-Vs show a higher degree of coactivation than those of V-AUs. Adverbal units depend for their activation on the prior activation of verbs more than verbs depend for their activation on the prior activation of adverbal units. These different activation patterns lead to different degrees of cohesiveness and hence to different intercalation possibilities in the two verb types. Although intercalation is compulsory in some contexts, it proves to be a dispreferred option.*
Adjective Intensifiers in German
Authors: Stratton James M.
Published: April 2020

While the study of English intensifiers has been a topic of much empirical discussion (Bolinger 1972, Paradis 1997, Ito & Tagliamonte 2003, Xiao & Tao 2007, Fuchs 2017), intensification in the German language is underexplored. The present study operationalizes variationist methods to comprehensively examine the syntactic intensification of adjectives in German by investigating how adjective intensifiers rank empirically in terms of frequency and whether their use is sensitive to the social factorsgenderandage. Results indicate that in German, amplifiers are more frequent than downtoners, boosters are more frequent than maximizers, and the gender and the age of the speaker are factors that influence their use. These findings corroborate crosslinguistic findings (Peters 1994, Broekhuis 2013, D’Arcy 2015, Fuchs 2017). Broadly speaking, the present study suggests that the syntactic intensification of adjectives in German is, in many ways, similar to what has been observed previously in other Germanic languages.*
Association of biomarker S100B and cerebral oximetry with	neurological changes during carotid endarterectomy performed in awake	patients
Authors: Makovec Matej , Kerin Klemen , Skitek Milan , Jerin Aleš , Klokočovnik Tomislav
Published: April 2020

Summary. Background: This study attempted to correlate neurological symptoms in awake patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) under local anaesthesia (LA) with serum concentration of S100B protein and measurement of cerebral oximetry with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Patients and methods: A total of 64 consecutive CEAs in 60 patients operated under LA during an 18-month period were prospectively evaluated. A cerebral oximeter was used to measure cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) before and after cross-clamping along with serum concentration of the S100B protein. Selective shunting was performed when neurological changes occurred, regardless of NIRS. Neurological deterioration occurred (neurological symptoms group) in 7 (10.9 %) operations. In 57 (89.1 %) operations, the patients were neurologically stable (no neurological symptoms group). Results: The neurological symptoms that occurred after clamping correlated with an increase in the serum level of S100B ( P = .040). The cut-off of 22.5 % of S100B increase was determined to be optimal for identifying patients with neurological symptoms. There was no correlation between rSO2 decline and neurological symptoms ( P = .675). Two (3.1 %) perioperative strokes occurred. Conclusions: We found a correlation between neurological symptoms and serum S100B protein increase. However, because of the long evaluation time of serum S100B, this monitoring technique cannot be performed during CEA.
The Role of Seismic and Slow Slip Events in Triggering the 2018 M7.1 Anchorage Earthquake in the Southcentral Alaska Subduction Zone
Authors: Segou M. , Parsons T.
Published: April 2020

The M7.1 2018 Anchorage earthquake occurred in the bending part of the subducting North Pacific plate near the geometrical barrier formed by the underthrusting Yakutat terrane. We calculate the triggering potential related with stress redistribution from deformation sources including the M9.2 1964 earthquake coseismic slip, postseismic deformation, slip from regional M > 5 earthquakes, and the cumulative slip of previously detected slow slip events over the past 55 years. We investigate the deeper shallow depth (20–60 km) seismicity response to these perturbations using an epidemic type aftershock sequence model to describe earthquake‐to‐earthquake interactions. The statistical forecast captures the triggered seismicity during the 1983 M6+ aftershocks in Columbia Bay but performs poorly during the slow slip event period between 1992.0 and 2004.8 that presents a statistically significant rate change (β, Z > 2; M < 4.0). We find that stress effects from the 1964 postseismic source and the 12‐year‐long slow slip event (~M7.8) contribute to the 2018 Anchorage earthquake occurrence and that slow slip events modulate the deeper shallow depth seismicity patterns in the region.
Analysis of Iron Sources in Antarctic Continental Shelf Waters
Authors: Dinniman Michael S. , St‐Laurent Pierre , Arrigo Kevin R. , Hofmann Eileen E. , van Dijken Gert L.
Published: April 2020

Previous studies showed that satellite‐derived estimates of chlorophyll a in coastal polynyas over the Antarctic continental shelf are correlated with the basal melt rate of adjacent ice shelves. A 5‐km resolution ocean/sea ice/ice shelf model of the Southern Ocean is used to examine mechanisms that supply the limiting micronutrient iron to Antarctic continental shelf surface waters. Four sources of dissolved iron are simulated with independent tracers, assumptions about the source iron concentration for each tracer, and an idealized summer biological uptake. Iron from ice shelf melt provides about 6% of the total dissolved iron in surface waters. The contribution from deep sources of iron on the shelf (sediments and Circumpolar Deep Water) is much larger at 71%. The relative contribution of dissolved iron supply from basal melt driven overturning circulation within ice shelf cavities is heterogeneous around Antarctica, but at some locations, such as the Amundsen Sea, it is the primary mechanism for transporting deep dissolved iron to the surface. Correlations between satellite chlorophyll a in coastal polynyas around Antarctica and simulated dissolved iron confirm the previous suggestion that productivity of the polynyas is linked to the basal melt of adjacent ice shelves. This correlation is the result of upward advection or mixing of iron‐rich deep waters due to circulation changes driven by ice shelf melt, rather than a direct influence of iron released from melting ice shelves. This dependence highlights the potential vulnerability of coastal Antarctic ecosystems to changes in ice shelf basal melt rates.
Seasonal Variations of the North Equatorial Current Across the Pacific Ocean
Authors: Liu Xueqi , Zhou Hui
Published: April 2020

The seasonal variations of North Equatorial Current (NEC) axis (YCM), intensity (INT), and transport across the Pacific basin are investigated based on altimetry data, Argo data, and ocean reanalysis data. In the western Pacific (WP), the NEC shifts southward/northward when it is intensified/weakened in the first/latter half of the year. However, in the interior Pacific (IP), the INT shows antiphase fluctuations with that in the WP with obvious westward propagations of the meridional shift of theYCM. In the eastern Pacific (EP), the phase relationship between the YCM and INT is opposite to that in the WP with the strengthening/weakening of the NEC being accompanied by a northward/southward shift of its axis. Different locations of the NEC seasonal thermocline departure maxima/minima in the WP, IP, and EP contribute to its distinct seasonal variations in these three basins. One of the new findings is that the seasonal shallowest thermocline generally corresponds to its largest meridional slope in the IP and EP, hence favoring the intensification of the NEC in these two basins, but not the case in the WP. Model experiments by blocking the baroclinic Rossby wave propagations and Ekman pumpings in different basins suggest that the seasonal variations of the NEC in the WP and EP are mainly controlled by the Ekman pumping, while those in the IP are controlled by the joint effect of the local Ekman pumping and the Rossby waves. The Sverdrup theory tends to overestimate the NEC's mean transport.
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and δ13C Variability During the Last Interglacial
Authors: Kessler A. , Bouttes N. , Roche D. M. , Ninnemann U. S. , Galaasen E. V. , Tjiputra J.
Published: April 2020

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is thought to be relatively vigorous and stable during Interglacial periods on multimillennial (equilibrium) timescales. However, recent proxy (δ13C benthic) reconstructions suggest that higher frequency variability in deep water circulation may have been common during some interglacial periods, including the Last Interglacial (LIG, 130–115 ka). The origin of these isotope variations and their implications for past AMOC remain poorly understood. Using iLOVECLIM, an Earth system model of intermediate complexity (EMIC) allowing the computation of
and direct comparison to proxy reconstructions, we perform a transient experiment of the LIG (125–115 ka) forced only by boundary conditions of greenhouse gases and orbital forcings. The model simulates large centennial‐scale variations in the interior
of the North Atlantic similar in timescale and amplitude to changes resolved by high‐resolution reconstructions from the LIG. In the model, these variations are caused by changes in the relative influence of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) and southern source water (SSW) and are closely linked to large (∼50%) changes in AMOC strength provoked by saline input and associated deep convection areas south of Greenland. We identify regions within the subpolar North Atlantic with different sensitivity and response to changes in preformed
of NADW and to changes in NADW versus SSW influence, which is useful for proxy record interpretation. This could explain the relatively large δ13C gradient (∼0.4%0) observed at ∼3 km water depth in the subpolar North Atlantic at the inception of the last glacial.
Application of a Modified Spheromak Model to Simulations of Coronal Mass Ejection in the Inner Heliosphere
Authors: Singh Talwinder , Kim Tae K. , Pogorelov Nikolai V. , Arge Charles N.
Published: April 2020

The magnetic fields of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), which originate close to the Sun in the form of a flux rope, determine their geoeffectiveness. Therefore, robust flux rope‐based models of CMEs are required to perform magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations aimed at space weather predictions. We propose a modified spheromak model and demonstrate its applicability to CME simulations. In this model, such properties of a simulated CME as the poloidal and toroidal magnetic fluxes, and the helicity sign can be controlled with a set of input parameters. We propose a robust technique for introducing CMEs with an appropriate speed into a background, MHD solution describing the solar wind in the inner heliosphere. Through a parametric study, we find that the speed of a CME is much more dependent on its poloidal flux than on the toroidal flux. We also show that the CME speed increases with its total energy, giving us control over its initial speed. We further demonstrate the applicability of this model to simulations of CME‐CME collisions. Finally, we use this model to simulate the 12 July 2012 CME and compare the plasma properties at 1 AU with observations. The predicted CME properties agree reasonably with observational data.
Deep Learning Emulation of Subgrid‐Scale Processes in Turbulent Shear Flows
Authors: Pal Anikesh
Published: April 2020

Deep neural networks (DNNs) are developed from a data set obtained from the dynamic Smagorinsky model to emulate the subgrid‐scale (SGS) viscosity (νsgs) and diffusivity (κsgs) for turbulent stratified shear flows encountered in the oceans and the atmosphere. These DNNs predict νsgs and κsgs from velocities, strain rates, and density gradients such that the evolution of the kinetic energy budget and density variance budget terms is similar to the corresponding values obtained from the original dynamic Smagorinsky model. These DNNs also compute νsgs and κsgs ∼2–4 times quicker than the dynamic Smagorinsky model resulting in a ∼2–2.5 times acceleration of the entire simulation. This study demonstrates the feasibility of deep learning in emulating the subgrid‐scale (SGS) phenomenon in geophysical flows accurately in a cost‐effective manner. In a broader perspective, deep learning‐based surrogate models can present a promising alternative to the traditional parameterizations of the subgrid‐scale processes in climate models.
Will Climate Change Impact Polar NOxProduced by Energetic Particle Precipitation?
Authors: Maliniemi Ville , Marsh Daniel, R. , Tyssøy Hilde Nesse , Smith‐Johnsen Christine
Published: April 2020

Energetic electron precipitation (EEP) is an important source of polar nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the upper atmosphere. During winter, mesospheric NOxhas a long chemical lifetime and is transported to the stratosphere by the mean meridional circulation. Climate change is expected to accelerate this circulation and therefore increase polar mesospheric descent rates. We investigate the Southern Hemispheric polar NOxdistribution during the 21st century under a variety of future scenarios using simulations of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM). We simulate stronger polar mesospheric descent in all future scenarios that increase the atmospheric radiative forcing. Polar NOxin the upper stratosphere is significantly enhanced in two future scenarios with the largest increase in radiative forcing. This indicates that the ozone depleting NOxcycle will become more important in the future, especially if stratospheric chlorine species decline. Thus, EEP‐related atmospheric effects may become more prominent in the future.
Spatiotemporal Evolution of Heat Wave Severity and Coverage Across the United States
Authors: Keellings David , Moradkhani Hamid
Published: April 2020

Heat waves have pronounced impacts on human health, ecosystems, and society. Heat waves have become more frequent and intense globally and are likely to intensify further in a warming climate. Across the United States there is a warming trend in average surface temperatures, but concordant increase in heat wave severity appears absent. Limitations in heat waves studies may be responsible for limited detection of a heat wave warming signal. We track daily spatiotemporal evolution of heat waves using geometric concepts and clustering algorithms to investigate how heat manifests on the land surface. We develop a spatial metric combining heat wave frequency, magnitude, duration, and areal extent. We find mixed trends in some individual heat wave characteristics across the United States during 1981–2018. However, exploration of the spatiotemporal evolution of combined heat wave characteristics shows considerable increases during this period and indicates a substantial increase in heat wave hazard across the United States.
Propagation Teepee: A Possible High‐Frequency (15–30 MHz) Remote Lightning Signature Identified by Citizen Scientists
Authors: Fung Shing F. , Typinski David , Flagg Richard , Ashcraft Thomas , Greenman Wes , Higgins Charles , Brown James , Dodd Larry , Reyes Francisco , Sky Jim , Thieman James , Garcia Leonard
Published: April 2020

A high‐frequency spectral feature is identified in ground‐based spectrograph data at 15–30 MHz. The feature, likely of terrestrial origin, is often recorded by a group of citizen scientists (the Spectrograph User Group) whose main interest is to observe Jupiter's radio emissions. The feature appears as radio band noise enhancement in which the frequency of enhancement increases and then decreases with time, forming a “triangular spectral feature.” The teepee tent shape leads to its name (TP for short). TPs usually have well‐defined leading and trailing edges. While some TPs occur in isolation, they are often seen in groups, distributed either in time or in apex frequency. While most TPs appear diffuse, close‐up views of a few TPs reveal that they actually consist of discrete bursts, highly suggestive of lightning strokes as possible radiation sources. Here, we investigate the possible generation of TPs by ionospheric reflection of radiation from remote lightning storms.
Internal Variability Dominates Over Externally Forced Ocean Circulation Changes Seen Through CFCs
Authors: Lester J. G. , Lovenduski N. S. , Graven H. D. , Long M. C. , Lindsay K.
Published: April 2020

Observations of oceanic transient tracers have indicated that the circulation in the Southern Ocean has changed in recent decades, potentially driven by changes in external climate forcing. Here, we use the CESM Large Ensemble to analyze changes in two oceanic tracers that are affected by ocean circulation: the partial pressure of chlorofluorocarbon‐12 (pCFC12) and the idealized model tracer Ideal Age (IAGE) over the 1991 to 2005 period. The small ensemble mean change in IAGE suggests that there has been very little externally forced change in Southern Ocean circulation over this period, in contrast to strong internal variability. Further, our analysis implies that real‐world observations of changes in pCFC12 may not be a robust way to characterize externally driven changes in Southern Ocean circulation because of the large internal variability in pCFC12 changes exhibited by the individual ensemble members.
Drought Reconstruction Over the Past Two Centuries in Southern Myanmar Using Teak Tree‐Rings: Linkages to the Pacific and Indian Oceans
Authors: Zaw Zaw , Fan Ze‐Xin , Bräuning Achim , Xu Chen‐Xi , Liu Wen‐Jie , Gaire Narayan Prasad , Panthi Shankar , Than Kay Zin
Published: April 2020

To develop a high‐resolution paleoclimate proxy record facilitating adaptation measures on drought impacts, we constructed a regional composite tree‐ring chronology of teak (Tectona grandis) by combining three local site chronologies from southern Myanmar. Our regional tree‐ring record is strongly correlated with the November–April self‐calibrated Palmer drought severity index and enabled us to reconstruct drought variability for the period 1802–2016. The reconstruction explained 46.5% of the actual self‐calibrated Palmer drought severity index variance. Over the past two centuries, we detected one extreme (1812) and six severe drought years (1810, 1811, 1816, 1852, 1887, and 1980). Dry periods coincided with six major famines that occurred in India. Spatial correlation analyses revealed that drought occurrence is linked to broader‐scale atmospheric circulations of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, especially during the positive phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Our reconstruction provides a useful historical perspective for assessing adaptation measures intent on mitigating future drought impacts in Myanmar.
Assessment of Sea Ice Extent in CMIP6 With Comparison to Observations and CMIP5
Authors: Shu Qi , Wang Qiang , Song Zhenya , Qiao Fangli , Zhao Jiechen , Chu Min , Li Xinfang
Published: April 2020

Both the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice extents (SIEs) from 44 coupled models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) are evaluated by comparing them with observations and CMIP5 results. The CMIP6 multimodel mean can adequately reproduce the seasonal cycles of both the Arctic and Antarctic SIE. The observed Arctic September SIE declining trend (−0.82 ± 0.18 million km2 per decade) between 1979 and 2014 is slightly underestimated in CMIP6 models (−0.70 ± 0.06 million km2 per decade). The observed weak but significant upward trend of the Antarctic SIE is not captured, which was an issue already in the CMIP5 phase. Compared with CMIP5 models, CMIP6 models have lower intermodel spreads in SIE mean values and trends, although their SIE biases are relatively larger. The CMIP6 models did not reproduce the new summer tendencies after 2000, including the faster decline of Arctic SIE and the larger interannual variability in Antarctic SIE.
Decadal Changes of Meridional Eddy Heat Transport in the Subpolar North Atlantic Derived From Satellite and In Situ Observations
Authors: Müller Vasco , Melnichenko Oleg
Published: April 2020

The interannual variability of the meridional eddy heat transport in the North Atlantic is investigated based on the combined use of satellite observations of sea level anomaly (SLA) and sea surface temperature (SST) over the 25 year period from 1993 to 2017. The focus is on 47°N, a latitude close to the boundary between the subpolar and the subtropical gyres. The vertical structure of the eddy heat transport is reconstructed in 10° longitude × 5° latitude boxes from a composite analysis of Argo profile data and observations of mesoscale eddies in altimetric SLA. The transport is surface intensified with almost 95% happening above the pycnocline. It can vary immensely both zonally and vertically, in some cases reversing sign below the pycnocline. The basin‐wide integrated eddy heat transport accounts for around 6% of the total meridional heat transport. During the observed period, the eddy heat transport increased on average by 0.6 TW/yr, accelerating to 1.3 TW/yr after 2005. The observed trends and variations in the eddy heat transport can be related to the large‐scale temperature gradients in the region and in response to the North Atlantic Oscillation. They provide a considerable contribution to the variability of the total oceanic heat transport, suggesting a potentially important forcing mechanism in the ocean component of the climate system.
Submesoscale Eddy and Frontal Instabilities in the Kuroshio Interacting With a Cape South of Taiwan
Authors: Cheng Yu‐Hsin , Chang Ming‐Huei , Ko Dong S. , Jan Sen , Andres Magdalena , Kirincich Anthony , Yang Yiing Jang , Tai Jen‐Hua
Published: April 2020

The processes underlying the strong Kuroshio encountering a cape at the southernmost tip of Taiwan are examined with satellite‐derived chlorophyll and temperature maps, a drifter trajectory, and realistic model simulations. The interaction spurs the formation of submesoscale cyclonic eddies that trap cold and high‐chlorophyll water and the formation of frontal waves between the free stream and the wake flow. An observed train of eddies, which have relative vorticity about one to four times the planetary vorticity (f), is shed from the recirculation that occurs in the immediate lee of the cape as a result of flow separation. These propagate downstream at a speed of 0.5–0.6 m s−1. Farther downstream, the corotation and merging of two or three adjacent eddies are common owing to the topography‐induced slowdown of eddy propagation farther downstream. It is found that the relative vorticity of a corotating system (1.2f) is 70% weaker than that of a single eddy due to the increase of eddy diameter from ~16 to ~33 km, in agreement with Kelvin's circulation theorem. The shedding period of the submesoscale eddies is strongly modulated by either diurnal or semidiurnal tidal flows, which typically reach 0.2–0.5 m s−1, whereas its intrinsic shedding period is insignificant. The frontal waves predominate in the horizontal free shear layer emitted from the cape, as well as a density front. Energetics analysis suggests that the wavy features result primarily from the growth of barotropic instability in the free shear layer, which may play a secondary process in the headland wake.
Secchi Disk Measurements in Turbid Water
Authors: Bowers D. G. , Roberts E. M. , Hoguane A. M. , Fall K. A. , Massey G. M. , Friedrichs C. T.
Published: April 2020

In the classical theory of the Secchi disk depth, diffuse sunlight falling on the disk is reflected back to the observer's eye along the most direct route, as a beam. The disappearance depth, ZSD, of the disk is then expected to vary inversely with the sum of the beam and diffuse attenuation coefficients: c + KD. Observations presented here show that, in the most turbid waters sampled, the Secchi disk is visible at greater depths (by a factor of up to 4) than predicted by this theory. In these conditions, the disk appears blurry, and it seems likely that some of the light reflected by the disk returns to the eye as diffuse light, photons being scattered one or more times on their journey from the disk surface to the observer. We have modified the theory of the Secchi disk in turbid water to allow for a mixture of beamed and diffuse light contributing to disk visibility. The modified theory corrects the under‐estimate of Secchi depths in turbid waters and gives good agreement with observations over a wide range of turbidity. The insight gained allows a more informed interpretation of Secchi disk measurements in turbid water.
Enhancing the antitumor activity of an engineered TRAIL-coated oncolytic adenovirus for treating acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Wang Zixuan , Liu Wenmo , Wang Lizheng , Gao Peng , Li Zhe , Wu Jiaxin , Zhang Haihong , Wu Hui , Kong Wei , Yu Bin , Yu Xianghui
Published: April 2020

The use of oncolytic viruses has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach due to the features of these viruses, which selectively replicate and destroy tumor cells while sparing normal cells. Although numerous oncolytic viruses have been developed for testing in solid tumors, only a few have been reported to target acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and overall patient survival has remained low. We previously developed the oncolytic adenovirus rAd5pz-zTRAIL-RFP-SΔ24E1a (A4), which carries the viral capsid protein IX linked to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and results in increased infection of cancer cells and improved tumor targeting. To further improve the therapeutic potential of A4 by enhancing the engagement of virus and leukemia cells, we generated a new version of A4, zA4, by coating A4 with additional soluble TRAIL that is fused with a leucine zipper-like dimerization domain (zipper). ZA4 resulted in enhanced infectivity and significant inhibition of the proliferation of AML cells from cell lines and primary patient samples that expressed moderate levels of TRAIL-related receptors. ZA4 also elicited enhanced anti-AML activity in vivo compared with A4 and an unmodified oncolytic adenoviral vector. In addition, we found that the ginsenoside Rh2 upregulated the expression of TRAIL receptors and consequently enhanced the antitumor activity of zA4. Our results indicate that the oncolytic virus zA4 might be a promising new agent for treating hematopoietic malignancies such as AML.
Soil bacterial populations are shaped by recombination and gene-specific selection across a grassland meadow
Authors: Crits-Christoph Alexander , Olm Matthew R , Diamond Spencer , Bouma-Gregson Keith , Banfield Jillian F
Published: April 2020

Soil microbial diversity is often studied from the perspective of community composition, but less is known about genetic heterogeneity within species. The relative impacts of clonal interference, gene-specific selection, and recombination in many abundant but rarely cultivated soil microbes remain unknown. Here we track genome-wide population genetic variation for 19 highly abundant bacterial species sampled from across a grassland meadow. Genomic inferences about population structure are made using the millions of sequencing reads that are assembled de novo into consensus genomes from metagenomes, as each read pair describes a short genomic sequence from a cell in each population. Genomic nucleotide identity of assembled genomes was significantly associated with local geography for over half of the populations studied, and for a majority of populations within-sample nucleotide diversity could often be as high as meadow-wide nucleotide diversity. Genes involved in metabolite biosynthesis and extracellular transport were characterized by elevated nucleotide diversity in multiple species. Microbial populations displayed varying degrees of homologous recombination and recombinant variants were often detected at 7–36% of loci genome-wide. Within multiple populations we identified genes with unusually high spatial differentiation of alleles, fewer recombinant events, elevated ratios of nonsynonymous to synonymous variants, and lower nucleotide diversity, suggesting recent selective sweeps for gene variants. Taken together, these results indicate that recombination and gene-specific selection commonly shape genetic variation in several understudied soil bacterial lineages.
Chlorine disinfection promotes the exchange of antibiotic resistance genes across bacterial genera by natural transformation
Authors: Jin Min , Liu Lu , Wang Da-ning , Yang Dong , Liu Wei-li , Yin Jing , Yang Zhong-wei , Wang Hua-ran , Qiu Zhi-gang , Shen Zhi-qiang , Shi Dan-yang , Li Hai-bei , Guo Jian-hua , Li Jun-wen
Published: April 2020

Chlorine disinfection to drinking water plays an important role in preventing and controlling waterborne disease outbreaks globally. Nevertheless, little is known about why it enriches the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in bacteria after chlorination. Here, ARGs released from killed antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), and culturable chlorine-injured bacteria produced in the chlorination process as the recipient, were investigated to determine their contribution to the horizontal transfer of ARGs during disinfection treatment. We discovered Escherichia coli, Salmonella aberdeen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis showed diverse resistance to sodium hypochlorite, and transferable RP4 could be released from killed sensitive donor consistently. Meanwhile, the survival of chlorine-tolerant injured bacteria with enhanced cell membrane permeabilisation and a strong oxidative stress-response demonstrated that a physiologically competent cell could be transferred by RP4 with an improved transformation frequency of up to 550 times compared with the corresponding untreated bacteria. Furthermore, the water quality factors involving chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), ammonium nitrogen and metal ions (Ca2+ and K+) could significantly promote above transformation frequency of released RP4 into injured E. faecalis. Our findings demonstrated that the chlorination process promoted the horizontal transfer of plasmids by natural transformation, which resulted in the exchange of ARGs across bacterial genera and the emergence of new ARB, as well as the transfer of chlorine-injured opportunistic pathogen from non-ARB to ARB. Considering that the transfer elements were quite resistant to degradation through disinfection, this situation poses a potential risk to public health.
Propagation of hippocampal ripples to the neocortex by way of a subiculum-retrosplenial pathway
Authors: Nitzan Noam , McKenzie Sam , Beed Prateep , English Daniel Fine , Oldani Silvia , Tukker John J. , Buzsáki György , Schmitz Dietmar
Published: April 2020

Bouts of high frequency activity known as sharp wave ripples (SPW-Rs) facilitate communication between the hippocampus and neocortex. However, the paths and mechanisms by which SPW-Rs broadcast their content are not well understood. Due to its anatomical positioning, the granular retrosplenial cortex (gRSC) may be a bridge for this hippocampo-cortical dialogue. Using silicon probe recordings in awake, head-fixed mice, we show the existence of SPW-R analogues in gRSC and demonstrate their coupling to hippocampal SPW-Rs. gRSC neurons reliably distinguished different subclasses of hippocampal SPW-Rs according to ensemble activity patterns in CA1. We demonstrate that this coupling is brain state-dependent, and delineate a topographically-organized anatomical pathway via VGlut2-expressing, bursty neurons in the subiculum. Optogenetic stimulation or inhibition of bursty subicular cells induced or reduced responses in superficial gRSC, respectively. These results identify a specific path and underlying mechanisms by which the hippocampus can convey neuronal content to the neocortex during SPW-Rs.
Dynamic electrocatalyst with current-driven oxyhydroxide shell for rechargeable zinc-air battery
Authors: Deng Ya-Ping , Jiang Yi , Liang Ruilin , Zhang Shao-Jian , Luo Dan , Hu Yongfeng , Wang Xin , Li Jun-Tao , Yu Aiping , Chen Zhongwei
Published: April 2020

Recent fruitful studies on rechargeable zinc-air battery have led to emergence of various bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts, especially metal-based materials. However, their electrocatalytic configuration and evolution pathway during battery operation are rarely spotlighted. Herein, to depict the underlying behaviors, a concept named dynamic electrocatalyst is proposed. By selecting a bimetal nitride as representation, a current-driven “shell-bulk” configuration is visualized via time-resolved X-ray and electron spectroscopy analyses. A dynamic picture sketching the generation and maturation of nanoscale oxyhydroxide shell is presented, and periodic valence swings of performance-dominant element are observed. Upon maturation, zinc-air battery experiences a near two-fold enlargement in power density to 234 mW cm−2, a gradual narrowing of voltage gap to 0.85 V at 30 mA cm−2, followed by stable cycling for hundreds of hours. The revealed configuration can serve as the basis to construct future blueprints for metal-based electrocatalysts, and push zinc-air battery toward practical application.
Aspartate aminotransferase Rv3722c governs aspartate-dependent nitrogen metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Jansen Robert S. , Mandyoli Lungelo , Hughes Ryan , Wakabayashi Shoko , Pinkham Jessica T. , Selbach Bruna , Guinn Kristine M. , Rubin Eric J. , Sacchettini James C. , Rhee Kyu Y.
Published: April 2020

Gene rv3722c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is essential for in vitro growth, and encodes a putative pyridoxal phosphate-binding protein of unknown function. Here we use metabolomic, genetic and structural approaches to show that Rv3722c is the primary aspartate aminotransferase of M. tuberculosis, and mediates an essential but underrecognized role in metabolism: nitrogen distribution. Rv3722c deficiency leads to virulence attenuation in macrophages and mice. Our results identify aspartate biosynthesis and nitrogen distribution as potential species-selective drug targets in M. tuberculosis.
Photoinduced site-selective alkenylation of alkanes and aldehydes with aryl alkenes
Authors: Cao Hui , Kuang Yulong , Shi Xiangcheng , Wong Koi Lin , Tan Boon Beng , Kwan Jeric Mun Chung , Liu Xiaogang , Wu Jie
Published: April 2020

The dehydrogenative alkenylation of C-H bonds with alkenes represents an atom- and step-economical approach for olefin synthesis and molecular editing. Site-selective alkenylation of alkanes and aldehydes with the C-H substrate as the limiting reagent holds significant synthetic value. We herein report a photocatalytic method for the direct alkenylation of alkanes and aldehydes with aryl alkenes in the absence of any external oxidant. A diverse range of commodity feedstocks and pharmaceutical compounds are smoothly alkenylated in useful yields with the C-H partner as the limiting reagent. The late-stage alkenylation of complex molecules occurs with high levels of site selectivity for sterically accessible and electron-rich C-H bonds. This strategy relies on the synergistic combination of direct hydrogen atom transfer photocatalysis with cobaloxime-mediated hydrogen-evolution cross-coupling, which promises to inspire additional perspectives for selective C-H functionalizations in a green manner.
Finding Plastic Patches in Coastal Waters using Optical Satellite Data
Authors: Biermann Lauren , Clewley Daniel , Martinez-Vicente Victor , Topouzelis Konstantinos
Published: April 2020

Satellites collecting optical data offer a unique perspective from which to observe the problem of plastic litter in the marine environment, but few studies have successfully demonstrated their use for this purpose. For the first time, we show that patches of floating macroplastics are detectable in optical data acquired by the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2 satellites and, furthermore, are distinguishable from naturally occurring materials such as seaweed. We present case studies from four countries where suspected macroplastics were detected in Sentinel-2 Earth Observation data. Patches of materials on the ocean surface were highlighted using a novel Floating Debris Index (FDI) developed for the Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI). In all cases, floating aggregations were detectable on sub-pixel scales, and appeared to be composed of a mix of seaweed, sea foam, and macroplastics. Building first steps toward a future monitoring system, we leveraged spectral shape to identify macroplastics, and a Naïve Bayes algorithm to classify mixed materials. Suspected plastics were successfully classified as plastics with an accuracy of 86%.
Universal patterns in passenger flight departure delays
Authors: Wang Yanjun , Cao Yakun , Zhu Chenping , Wu Fan , Hu Minghua , Duong Vu , Watkins Michael , Barzel Baruch , Stanley H. Eugene
Published: April 2020

Departure delays are a major cause of economic loss and inefficiency in the growing industry of passenger flights. A departure delay of a current flight is inevitably affected by the late arrival of the flight immediately preceding it with the same aircraft. We seek to understand the mechanisms of such propagated delays, and to obtain universal metrics by which to evaluate an airline’s operational effectiveness in delay alleviation. Here we use big data collected by the American Bureau of Transportation Statistics to design models of flight delays. Offering two dynamic models of delay propagation, we divided all carriers into two groups exhibiting a shifted power law or an exponentially truncated shifted power law delay distribution, revealing two universal delay propagation classes. Three model parameters, extracted directly from dual data mining, help characterize each airline’s operational efficiency in delay mitigation. Therefore, our modeling framework provides the crucially lacking evaluation indicators for airlines, potentially contributing to the mitigation of future departure delays.
One-step synthesis of zwitterionic graphene oxide nanohybrid: Application to polysulfone tight ultrafiltration hollow fiber membrane
Authors: Syed Ibrahim G. P. , Isloor Arun M. , Ismail A. F. , Farnood Ramin
Published: April 2020

In this paper, novel zwitterionic graphene oxide (GO) nanohybrid was synthesized using monomers [2-(Methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SBMA) and N,N′-methylenebis(acrylamide) (MBAAm) (GO@poly(SBMA-co-MBAAm), and incorporated into polysulfone (PSF) hollow fiber membrane for the effectual rejection of dye from the wastewater. The synthesized nanohybrid was characterized using FT-IR, PXRD, TGA, EDX, TEM and zeta potential analysis. The occurrence of nanohybrid on the membrane matrix and the elemental composition were analyzed by XPS. The as-prepared tight ultrafiltration hollow fiber membrane exhibited high rejection of reactive black 5 (RB-5, 99%) and reactive orange 16 (RO-16, 74%) at a dye concentration of 10 ppm and pure water flux (PWF) of 49.6 L/m2h. Fabricated nanocomposite membranes were also studied for their efficacy in the removal of both monovalent (NaCl) and divalent salts (Na2SO4). The results revealed that the membrane possesses complete permeation to NaCl with less rejection of Na2SO4 (<5%). In addition, the nanocomposite membrane revealed outstanding antifouling performance with the flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 73% towards bovine serum albumin (BSA). Therefore, the in-house prepared novel nanocomposite membrane is a good candidate for the effective decolorization of wastewater containing dye.