bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Restricted v. unrestricted oral intake in high output end-jejunostomy patients referred to reconstructive surgery
Authors: Sobocki Jacek , Zaczek Zuzanna , Jurczak Paulina , Lachowicz Karolina , Kunecki Marek , Groszek Patrycja , Majewska Krystyna , Panczyk Mariusz , Forbes Alastair
Published: September 2020

The major complication of end jejunostomy is excessive fluid and electrolyte loss through the stoma, leading to hypovolaemia and dyselectrolytaemia within days and malnutrition within weeks. The aim was to compare the results of two nutritional approaches: unrestricted and restricted oral intake in patients with end jejunostomy commencing home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in terms of liver and renal biochemical markers and time to reconstructive bowel surgery with correlation to stoma output. Twenty patients with stabilised high output end-jejunostomy were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of ten patients with oral intake restricted to keep stomal output under 1000 ml. Group B consisted of ten patients with unrestricted oral intake. The following parameters were evaluated over 6 months: stomal output, self-estimation of general condition, body weight gain, plasma bilirubin and creatinine, number of hospitalisations prior to reconstructive surgery, the frequency of ostomy bag emptying, feelings of hunger and thirst in the daytime, and the time to reconstructive surgery. Stoma losses were compensated by parenteral supply. In group B, lower quality of life was observed, reflected by weakness, permanent feelings of hunger and thirst and the need for night-time emptying of the stoma bag. Patients in group B developed more complications and required more time to prepare for surgery. One death occurred in group B due to renal insufficiency followed by septic complications. Restricted oral intake seems to be more effective for prevention of HPN-related complications and shortening of time to surgery. Unrestricted oral intake appears to provoke uncontrolled losses of energy and protein, inhibiting weight gain.
Mortality in relation to profiles of clinical features in Ghanaian severely undernourished children aged 0–59 months: an observational study
Authors: Asare H. , Carboo J. , Nel E. D. , Dolman R. C. , Conradie C. , Lombard M. J. , Ricci C.
Published: September 2020

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is associated with a complex pattern of various clinical conditions. We investigated how risk factors cluster in children with SAM, the relationship between clusters of risk factors and mortality as well as length of stay in children with SAM. A prospective observational study design was used. Data were extracted from medical records of 601 infants and children aged 0–59 months admitted and treated for SAM in three Ghanaian referral hospital between June 2013 and June 2018. Among the 601 medical records extracted, ninety-nine died. Three clusters of medical features clearly emerged from data analyses. Firstly, an association was defined by eye signs, pallor, diarrhoea and vomiting with gastrointestinal infections and malaria. In this cluster, pallor and eye signs were related to 2- to 5-fold increased mortality risk. Secondly, HIV, oedema, fast pulse, respiratory infections and tuberculosis; among those features, HIV increased child mortality risk by 2-fold. Thirdly, shock, convulsions, dermatitis, cold hands and feet, weak pulse, urinary tract infections and irritability were clustered. Among those features, cold hands and feet, dermatitis, convulsions and shock increased child mortality risk in a range of 2- to 9-fold. Medical conditions and clinical signs in children diagnosed with SAM associate in patterns and are related to clinical outcomes.
Zooplankton summer composition in the southern Gulf of Mexico with emphasis on salp and hyperiid amphipod assemblages
Authors: Hereu Clara M. , Arteaga Maria Clara , Galindo-Sánchez Clara E. , Herzka Sharon Z. , Batta-Lona Paola G. , Jiménez-Rosenberg Sylvia P. A.
Published: September 2020

Mesoscale features within the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) are known to influence zooplankton dynamics. Here we describe the composition of the zooplankton assemblage off shelf during summer in relation to environmental conditions, with emphasis on hyperiid amphipods and salps. Zooplankton samples were collected in summer of 2015 and 2016 in the central and southern GOM and in the Yucatan Channel in 2015. Two anticyclonic gyres were present in the north and less intense coupled cyclonic-anticyclonic gyres in the south. Zooplankton abundances differed temporally and spatially. Copepods were the dominant group (>55% of total abundance), while several less abundant taxa contributed to inter-annual and spatial differences. Amphipods and salps comprised <3% and their abundances were positively correlated. Fifty-six hyperiid and 10 salp species were identified. The dominant amphipod species were:Lestrigonus bengalensis(summer 2015),Anchylomera blossevilleiandPrimnospp. juveniles (summer 2016). Dominant salp species wereIhlea punctata,Iasis cylindricaandThaliaspp. Lower salp and amphipod species richness and abundance were associated with anticyclonic structures. Spatial and temporal differences were partly associated with symbiotic relationships between the groups. This study supports previous evidence of high spatial and temporal variability in zooplankton abundance in off-shelf waters of the GOM.
Style-shifting in Multicultural London English in an all-girls homework club
Authors: Oxbury Rosie , de Leeuw Esther
Published: September 2020

This study investigated whether and how pre-adolescent girls style-shift in Multicultural London English (MLE), a variety of English that is relatively new and potentially still changing. We looked at the extent to which five 11-year-old girls in a homework club in East London, where MLE is spoken, changed their pronunciations in different speech contexts. The results showed that the girls did indeed change their pronunciations in the different contexts (i.e. they style-shifted), and that the patterns of style-shifting varied between both the individual participants and the three vowels which were examined.
Village Leaders, Dual Brokerage and Political Order in Rural China
Authors: Chen Xi , Liu Jingping
Published: September 2020

Drawing on an ethnographic study in two counties in Hunan province, this article explores how political brokerage has contributed to political order in China by facilitating contentious and non-contentious bargaining between the government and ordinary people. To account for the changing role of village leaders in rural politics, the article develops a concept of dual brokerage. This concept not only recognizes formal and informal linkages between village leaders and the two principals – the government and the community of villagers – but also underscores the interactivity between the linkages. We contend that despite the tensions between village leaders’ roles as state agents and as village representatives, these two roles in the reform era tend to be mutually beneficial. Under such an institutional configuration, village leaders in China in the reform era have strong incentives to act as dual agents and can make policy implementation more flexible and the use of state force more moderate. A comparison between the trilateral interactions before and after the tax reform in 2005 confirms that whether village leaders can effectively act as dual agents has a significant impact on the quality of rural governance in China.
Private-land control and deforestation dynamics in the context of implementing the Native Forest Law in the Northern Argentinian Dry Chaco
Authors: Marinaro Sofia , Gasparri Nestor Ignacio , Piriz-Carrillo Veronica
Published: September 2020

Subtropical dry forests are among the largest and most threatened terrestrial biomes worldwide. In Argentina, the Native Forest Law (NFL) was passed in 2007 to regulate deforestation by mandating the provincial zonation of forested areas, while the erection of fences has been an increasingly common mechanism of private-land control reinforcement in the region; this is mainly fuelled by imminent land-use changes, recent land transactions or subsidies from the NFL. We explored the dynamics between the erection of fences and deforestation in the Northern Argentinian Dry Chaco (NADC) during the implementation of the NFL. We found that a third of land deforested during 2000–2017 had been previously fenced, with the highest percentage (44%) occurring during the sanction of the NFL (2007) and the completion of the forest-zonation maps (2011). Only 34% of deforestation within fenced areas occurred in zones where deforestation was legally permitted. In total, 327 386 ha of forests had been fenced within NADC by 2017, representing areas of potential access restriction for local people, who historically used forest resources for survival. Additionally, 57% of the fenced area occurred in zones where deforestation was restricted. A novel remote-sensing application can serve as an early-warning tool for deforestation.
Covid-19 and Priorities for Research in Aging
Authors: Rylett R. J. , Alary Flamine , Goldberg Joanne , Rogers Susan , Versteegh Patricia
Published: September 2020

This article describes priority areas for research on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on older adults that have been identified by the CIHR Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA). The process used by CIHR-IA consists of several iterative phases and thus far has resulted in identification of three key areas for Covid-19 research needs and four cross-cutting thematic areas. The key research priority areas are as follows: response of older adults to disease, vaccination, and therapeutics; mental health and isolation; and supportive care environments. The four cross-cutting themes are equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI); ethical/moral considerations; evidence-informed practices; and digital health technologies. The priorities outlined in this article will inform CIHR-IA’s responses to Covid-19 research needs.
Does incubation period of COVID-19 vary with age? A study of epidemiologically linked cases in Singapore
Authors: Tan W. Y. T. , Wong L. Y. , Leo Y. S. , Toh M. P. H. S.
Published: September 2020

This study estimates the incubation period of COVID-19 among locally transmitted cases, and its association with age to better inform public health measures in containing COVID-19. Epidemiological data of all PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases from all restructured hospitals in Singapore were collected between 23 January 2020 and 2 April 2020. Activity mapping and detailed epidemiological investigation were conducted by trained personnel. Positive cases without clear exposure to another positive case were excluded from the analysis. One hundred and sixty-four cases (15.6% of patients) met the inclusion criteria during the defined period. The crude median incubation period was 5 days (range 1–12 days) and median age was 42 years (range 5–79 years). The median incubation period among those 70 years and older was significantly longer than those younger than 70 years (8 vis-à-vis 5 days, P = 0.040). Incubation period was negatively correlated with day of illness in both groups. These findings support current policies of 14-day quarantine periods for close contacts of confirmed cases and 28 days for monitoring infections in known clusters. An elderly person who may have a longer incubation period than a younger counterpart may benefit from earlier and proactive testing, especially after exposure to a positive case.
On the Authorship of the Old Turkic Inscriptions
Authors: HAO CHEN
Published: September 2020

This article focuses on the authorship of the Kül Tégin and Bilge Kağan inscriptions and manages to reveal the different layers of the text. Through a careful analysis of the Old Turkic inscriptions and the relative Chinese accounts concerning the Türk royal lineage after Bilge Kağan, it concludes that the text on the south side of the Kül Tégin Inscription and the north side of the Bilge Kağan Inscription were narrated by the younger son of Bilge Kağan, Teŋri Teg Teŋride Bolmış Türk Bilge Kağan, in Kaiyuan XXVIII (ca. 740). In that year his elder brother (Teŋri Teg Teŋri Yaratmış Türk Bilge Kağan) passed away, so the Chinese emperor sent envoys to ‘appoint’ him as the new Türk kağan. He took the opportunity of the visit of Chinese delegates led by Li Zhi to ask the Chinese craftsmen to inscribe his words onto his father's memorial. The same text was also inscribed onto the blank side of his uncle's memorial, while inserting a quotation of his father's words.
SETI: the argument for artefact searches
Authors: Shostak Seth
Published: September 2020

For six decades, SETI has attempted to prove the existence of technologically advanced intelligence by detecting artificially generated electromagnetic signals. While such signals could certainly exist and – given the right circumstances – might be measurable here on Earth, contemporary searches are all compromised by limited sensitivity and a reliance on persistent transmissions. The energy required for any putative transmitters, the possible wish of the senders to be cryptic, and a likely ignorance about Homo sapiens’ existence all lead to the reasonable conclusion that greater attention to artefact searches could hasten the discovery of alien intelligence. We consider both the motivation, the advantages and the disadvantages of this approach. We also enumerate some of the specific artefact strategies that have been proposed and pursued.
ACROSTICS AND TELESTICHS IN AUGUSTAN POETRY: OVID'S EDGY AND SUBVERSIVE SIDESWIPES
Authors: Mitchell Keith
Published: September 2020

This article considers acrotelestich wordplay in the major poets of the Augustan period, with particular reference to Ovid, and analyses its main types and characteristics. The article's final section seeks to demonstrate that Ovid invented a new category, that of political acrostics and telestichs, unique to him and uniquely suited to his own experience of Augustan terror and of the need for literary subterfuge and plausible deniability.
Epigenetic signatures associated with maternal body mass index or gestational weight gain: a systematic review
Authors: Opsahl Julia O. , Moen Gunn-Helen , Qvigstad Elisabeth , Böttcher Yvonne , Birkeland Kåre I. , Sommer Christine
Published: September 2020

Maternal body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) impacts both the mother’s and the child’s health, and epigenetic modifications have been suggested to mediate some of these effects in offspring. This systematic review aimed to summarize the current literature on associations between maternal BMI and GWG and epigenetic marks. We performed systematic searches in PubMed and EMBASE and manual searches of reference lists. We included 49 studies exploring the association between maternal BMI and/or GWG and DNA methylation or miRNA; 7 performed in maternal tissues, 13 in placental tissue and 38 in different offspring tissues. The most consistent findings were reported for the relationship between maternal BMI, in particular pre-pregnant BMI, and expression of miRNA Let-7d in both maternal blood and placental tissue, methylation of the gene HIF3A in umbilical cord blood and umbilical tissue, and with expression in the miR-210 target gene, BDNF in placental tissue and cord blood. Correspondingly, methylation of BDNF was also found in placental tissue and cord blood. The current evidence suggests that maternal BMI is associated with some epigenetic signatures in the mother, the placenta and her offspring, which could indicate that some of the effects proposed by the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease-hypothesis may be mediated by epigenetic marks. In conclusion, there is a need for large, well-designed studies and meta-analyses that can clarify the relationship between BMI, GWG and epigenetic changes.
Optimierungsbedarf von Spielersperren
Authors: Loy Johanna K. , Sedlacek Lucia , Kraus Ludwig
Published: September 2020

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund und Fragestellung: Spielersperren stellen eine effektive Maßnahme des Spielerschutzes dar. Sie bedürfen jedoch einer Anpassung an die Bedürfnisse von Personen mit Glücksspielproblemen. Studien weisen auf Defizite hinsichtlich Sperrvorgang und -dauer sowie Zugangskontrollen hin. Ziel der qualitativen Untersuchung war es, Empfehlungen für die Optimierung von Spielersperren abzuleiten. Methodik: Mit semi-strukturierten Leitfäden wurden die am Prozess einer Spielesperre beteiligten Akteure zu Regelungen der Spielersperre, persönlichen Erfahrungen und Barrieren befragt. Einbezogen wurden Glücksspielende mit und ohne Sperre sowie Angehörige, Fachkräfte, Mitarbeitende von Spielbanken, Spielhallen und der Gesellschaft für Spielerschutz und Prävention (GSP). Insgesamt wurden 20 Einzel- und sechs Gruppeninterviews geführt. Ergebnisse: Als zentrale Ansatzunkte der Optimierung wurden Sperrdauer und -umfang (übergreifendes Sperrsystem) sowie Zugangskontrollen genannt. Empfohlen wurden eine Antragstellung über Post oder Internet zur Senkung der Hemmschwelle und ein rascheres Inkrafttreten der Spielersperre. Kontrovers diskutiert wurden Sperrdauer und Optionen einer Entsperrung. Durch den Einsatz einer Spielerkarte versprachen sich die Befragten eine Verbesserung des Spielerschutzes durch Feststellung einer laufenden Spielersperre und Begrenzung von Spielzeit oder Geldeinsätzen. Diskussion: Spielersperren wurden von allen Befragten grundsätzlich positiv bewertet. Optimierungsbedarf wurde in den gesetzlichen Regelungen und Sperrkonditionen gesehen. Von einer Schließung von Gesetzeslücken sowie einer intensiven Aufklärung und Motivation von Glücksspielenden, Angehörigen und Glücksspielanbietern werden positive Effekte auf die Inanspruchnahme von Spielersperren erwartet.
Covid-19-Pandemie und Verhaltenssüchte
Authors: Rumpf Hans-Jürgen , Brand Matthias , Wegmann Elisa , Montag Christian , Müller Astrid , Müller Kai , Wölfling Klaus , Stark Rudolf , Steins-Löber Sabine , Hayer Tobias , Schlossarek Samantha , Hoffmann Hannah , Leménager Tagrid , Lindenberg Katajun , Thomasius Rainer , Batra Anil , Mann Karl , te Wildt Bert , Mößle Thomas , Rehbein Florian
Published: September 2020

Zusammenfassung. Einführung und Zielsetzung: Die COVID-19 Pandemie und die entsprechenden Lockdown-Maßnahmen verdeutlichen, dass besondere Strategien der Verhaltens- und Verhältnisprävention für Online-Verhaltenssüchte notwendig sind. Begründung: Die Wahrscheinlichkeit ist hoch, dass die COVID-19 Krise und die begleitenden Maßnahmen zu deren Eindämmung die Risiken für die Entwicklung von Verhaltenssüchten erhöht haben. Dazu tragen Faktoren wie Fortfall von terrestrischen Angeboten, soziale Isolation und erzwungene Inaktivität sowie Bedeutungsgewinn von Online-Angeboten bei. Gleichzeitig können als Folge bei bereits bestehenden Störungen die Schwere zu- und Remissionschancen abgenommen haben. Auch von einem erhöhten Rückfallrisiko kann ausgegangen werden. Schlussfolgerung: Es sind epidemiologische Studien notwendig, um veränderte Prävalenzen, Versorgungsbedarfe und geänderte Risikofaktoren zu erfassen. Es besteht die Notwendigkeit, Maßnahmen der Verhältnis- und Verhaltensprävention zu entwickeln und umzusetzen. Die Identifizierung von Risikoverhalten wäre durch Tracking des Online-Verhaltens möglich und könnte Ausgangspunkt für Maßnahmen wie Spiel- oder Anwendungspausen, Warnhinweise und Verbraucherschutzinformationen sowie konkrete Angebote der Frühintervention oder weitergehende Hilfen sein. Die Anbieter stehen hier in der Pflicht, Verantwortung für ihre Produkte zu übernehmen, das Risiko von Verhaltenssüchten zu minimieren und Maßnahmen von Frühentdeckung und Intervention zu ermöglichen und bereitzustellen.
Circadian Rhythms, Sleep, and Aging
Authors: Garbarino Sergio , Lanteri Paola , Prada Valeria , Falkenstein Michael , Sannita Walter G.
Published: September 2020

Abstract. Circadian mechanisms and the sleep-wakefulness rhythms guarantee survival, adaptation, efficient action in everyday life or in emergencies and well-being. Disordered circadian processes at central and/or cellular levels, sleep disorders, and unhealthy wakefulness/sleep rhythms can impair the physiological circadian organization and result in subjective, professional, or behavioral changes ranging from functional inadequacy to higher risks at work or on the road to medical relevance. Circadian rhythms and the sleep organization change ontogenetically; major changes result from normal aging and from the multiple diseases that are often associated. There are circular functional interactions involving sleep/sleep disorders, the autonomic and immune systems, and the functional changes in the circadian system due to aging that deserve attention but have been overlooked thus far.
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Correlates With Depressive Symptoms Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Brandt Emma , Wilson J. Kevin , Rieger Rebecca E. , Gill Darbi , Mayer Andrew R. , Cavanagh James F.
Published: September 2020

Abstract. Depression is a pervasive psychiatric problem following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). However, the onset and course of symptom expression following mTBI can differ from that of spontaneous episodes of depression. Here, we aimed to assess a physiological metric closely linked to depression: respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a measure of high frequency heart rate variability. RSA is reduced during depressive episodes, and higher resting RSA has been shown to predict future recovery from depression. In this study, we investigated if these patterns were observed throughout the typical timeframe of sub-acute mTBI recovery. Although RSA did not differ between mTBI ( n = 50) and control ( n = 27) groups, depressive symptoms were reliably correlated with RSA only in the mTBI group. This pattern was consistent 2 weeks, 2 months, and 4 months post-injury. Furthermore, resting RSA shortly following injury predicted the trajectory of depressive symptoms 2 months later. These findings generalize the connection between RSA and depression to a clinical population where depressive symptoms are common but often difficult to parse from other post-trauma consequences.
Physical Forcing Controls the Basin‐Scale Occurrence of Nitrogen‐Fixing Organisms in the North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Cheung Shunyan , Nitanai Risa , Tsurumoto Chihiro , Endo Hisashi , Nakaoka Shin‐ichiro , Cheah Wee , Lorda Jaime Färber , Xia Xiaomin , Liu Hongbin , Suzuki Koji
Published: September 2020

Biological nitrogen fixation is increasingly recognized as an important source of new nitrogen in a warming ocean. However, the basin‐scale spatiotemporal distribution of nitrogen‐fixing organisms (diazotrophs) in the ocean and its controlling environmental factors remain unclear. Here we examined the basin‐scale seasonal distribution patterns of major diazotrophs (filamentous cyanobacterial Trichodesmium, unicellular cyanobacterial UCYN‐A1, and proteobacterial Gamma‐A) in surface waters of the North Pacific from 2014 to 2016 with unprecedented coverage and resolution. In general, UCYN‐A1, Trichodesmium, and Gamma‐A were abundant during spring‐autumn, summer‐autumn, and spring respectively. Regarding latitudinal patterns of abundance, UCYN‐A1 showed dome shape; Trichodesmium was gradually decreasing from low‐ to high‐latitude regions; and Gamma‐A did not show a clear pattern, which were coincident with the distinct correlations between the diazotrophs and temperature. All three diazotrophs were abundant (reached 106–107 nifH gene copy number L−1) in the North Pacific transition zone and subtropical gyre, where the cyanobacterial diazotrophs were more abundant in both the western and eastern North Pacific than in the central North Pacific. The diazotroph abundance in the western North Pacific was positively correlated with eddy kinetic energy and sea surface height anomaly, which implies an enhancement of diazotrophs in mesoscale eddies associated with the western boundary current Kuroshio and its extension. The cyanobacterial diazotrophs were positively correlated with wind stress curl, a measurable parameter of wind‐driven upwelling, in the eastern North Pacific. Our study refines the biogeography of three major diazotrophs and highlights the importance of physical forcing in mediating their dynamics.
A Lagrangian Snow Evolution System for Sea Ice Applications (SnowModel‐LG): Part II—Analyses
Authors: Stroeve Julienne , Liston Glen E. , Buzzard Samantha , Zhou Lu , Mallett Robbie , Barrett Andrew , Tschudi Mark , Tsamados Michel , Itkin Polona , Stewart J. Scott
Published: September 2020

Sea ice thickness is a critical variable, both as a climate indicator and for forecasting sea ice conditions on seasonal and longer time scales. The lack of snow depth and density information is a major source of uncertainty in current thickness retrievals from laser and radar altimetry. In response to this data gap, a new Lagrangian snow evolution model (SnowModel‐LG) was developed to simulate snow depth, density, and grain size on a pan‐Arctic scale, daily from August 1980 through July 2018. In this study, we evaluate the results from this effort against various data sets, including those from Operation IceBridge, ice mass balance buoys, snow buoys, MagnaProbes, and rulers. We further compare modeled snow depths forced by two reanalysis products (Modern Era Retrospective‐Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 and European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis, 5th Generation) with those from two historical climatologies, as well as estimates over first‐year and multiyear ice from satellite passive microwave observations. Our results highlight the ability of our SnowModel‐LG implementation to capture observed spatial and seasonal variability in Arctic snow depth and density, as well as the sensitivity to the choice of reanalysis system used to simulate snow depths. Since 1980, snow depth is found to decrease throughout most regions of the Arctic Ocean, with statistically significant trends during the cold season months in the marginal ice zones around the Arctic Ocean and slight positive trends north of Greenland and near the pole.
Quantifying On‐Farm Nitrous Oxide Emission Reductions in Food Supply Chains
Authors: Eagle A. J. , McLellan E. L. , Brawner E. M. , Chantigny M. H. , Davidson E. A. , Dickey J. B. , Linquist B. A. , Maaz T. M. , Pelster D. E. , Pittelkow C. M. , van Kessel C. , Vyn T. J. , Cassman K. G.
Published: September 2020

Reducing nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agriculture is critical to limiting future global warming. In response, a growing number of food retailers and manufacturers have committed to reducing N2O emissions from their vast networks of farmer suppliers by providing technical assistance and financial incentives. A key challenge for such companies is demonstrating that their efforts are leading to meaningful progress toward their climate mitigation commitments. We show that a simplified version of soil surface nitrogen (N) balance—or partial N balance—the difference between N inputs to and outputs from a farm field (fertilizer N minus crop N), is a robust indicator of direct N2O emissions from fields with maize and other major rainfed temperate‐region crops. Furthermore, we present a generalized environmental model that will allow food‐supply‐chain companies to translate aggregated and anonymized changes in average N balance across their supplying farms into aggregated changes in N2O emissions. This research is an important first step, based on currently available science, in helping companies demonstrate the impact of their sustainability efforts.
On Removal of Sea State Contribution to Sentinel‐1 Doppler Shift for Retrieving Reliable Ocean Surface Current
Authors: Moiseev A. , Johnsen H. , Johannessen J. A. , Collard F. , Guitton G.
Published: September 2020

The Doppler frequency shift acquired by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) contains information about ocean surface motion induced by waves and the underlying ocean currents in the radar range direction. An accurate estimate of the wave‐induced contribution is therefore required to derive a reliable estimation of the ocean surface current. In this study, we developed an empirical model for estimating the wave‐induced Doppler shift based on Sentinel‐1B Wave Mode (WV) Level 2 Ocean products acquired from December 2017 to January 2018 collocated with wind field from ECMWF and wavefield from WAVEWATCH III. We found that the relationship between the wind field at 10 m height and the Doppler shift from Sentinel‐1 is in agreement with previous findings based on ASAR observations. Retraining of the conventional CDOP model for the Sentinel‐1 observations (CDOP‐S) yields distinct improvements. We speculate that the improvement is due to different sensor properties and hence biases in the data. Moreover, combing wave and wind information into the model yield considerable improvements especially for the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific. Given accurate wave bias correction, the ocean surface radial velocity maps based on 2 months of Sentinel‐1 acquisitions agree with ocean surface current climatology derived from multiyear drifter observations. This suggests that Sentinel‐1 Doppler shift observations can be used to study ocean surface currents with 20 km spatial resolutions at a monthly time scale.
The Evolution of Sediment Sources Over a Sequence of Postfire Sediment‐Laden Flows Revealed Through Repeat High‐Resolution Change Detection
Authors: Guilinger James J. , Gray Andrew B. , Barth Nicolas C. , Fong Brandon T.
Published: September 2020

Postfire debris flows are particularly complex to study because they do not form discrete initiation locations and commonly involve multiple simultaneously operating erosional processes. Although recent work has begun to elucidate a more mechanistic understanding of postfire debris flows, there is still a paucity of detailed sediment budgets characterizing these events. In this study, we seek to understand how postfire sediment sources and erosional processes change over multiple storm cycles. To do this, we performed repeat high‐resolution change detection in a headwater catchment burned by the 2018 Holy Fire in the Santa Ana Mountains, California, USA. This included terrestrial laser scanning in a zero‐order catchment (0.95 ha) and unmanned aerial vehicle structure from motion of a headwater channel network (up to 6.5 ha). During the initial storm events that produced runoff‐generated debris flows, we found that the evacuation of dry ravel and prefire colluvium accounted for half of the eroded material. These initial flows also acted to clear out much of the material stored within downstream headwater channel networks. In subsequent storm events of equal or greater rainfall intensity, total erosion from the study site was subdued, and the relative importance of shallow hillslope erosion from interrill and rill erosion was increased, as has been noted in similar studies in the region. Overall, this suggests that channel sediment supplies may be more rapidly depleted than hillslope sources, which may drive a trend of decreasing sediment fluxes over time from burned headwater catchments subject to repeated runoff events.
Improved Representation of Clouds in the Atmospheric Component LMDZ6A of the IPSL‐CM6A Earth System Model
Authors: Madeleine Jean‐Baptiste , Hourdin Frédéric , Grandpeix Jean‐Yves , Rio Catherine , Dufresne Jean‐Louis , Vignon Etienne , Boucher Olivier , Konsta Dimitra , Cheruy Frédérique , Musat Ionela , Idelkadi Abderrahmane , Fairhead Laurent , Millour Ehouarn , Lefebvre Marie‐Pierre , Mellul Lidia , Rochetin Nicolas , Lemonnier Florentin , Touzé‐Peiffer Ludovic , Bonazzola Marine
Published: September 2020

The cloud parameterizations of the LMDZ6A climate model (the atmospheric component of the IPSL‐CM6 Earth system model) are entirely described, and the global cloud distribution and cloud radiative effects are evaluated against the CALIPSO‐CloudSat and CERES observations. The cloud parameterizations in recent versions of LMDZ favor an object‐oriented approach for convection, with two distinct parameterizations for shallow and deep convection and a coupling between convection and cloud description through the specification of the subgrid‐scale distribution of water. Compared to the previous version of the model (LMDZ5A), LMDZ6A better represents the low‐level cloud distribution in the tropical belt, and low‐level cloud reflectance and cover are closer to the PARASOL and CALIPSO‐GOCCP observations. Mid‐level clouds, which were mostly missing in LMDZ5A, are now better represented globally. The distribution of cloud liquid and ice in mixed‐phase clouds is also in better agreement with the observations. Among identified deficiencies, low‐level cloud covers are too high in mid‐latitude to high‐latitude regions, and high‐level cloud covers are biased low globally. However, the cloud global distribution is significantly improved, and progress has been made in the tuning of the model, resulting in a radiative balance in close agreement with the CERES observations. Improved tuning also revealed structural biases in LMDZ6A, which are currently being addressed through a series of new physical and radiative parameterizations for the next version of LMDZ.
A Warm, Stratified, and Restricted Labrador Sea Across the Middle Eocene and Its Climatic Optimum
Authors: Cramwinckel Marlow J. , Coxall Helen K. , Śliwińska Kasia K. , Polling Marcel , Harper Dustin T. , Bijl Peter K. , Brinkhuis Henk , Eldrett James S. , Houben Alexander J. P. , Peterse Francien , Schouten Stefan , Reichart Gert‐Jan , Zachos James C. , Sluijs Appy
Published: September 2020

Several studies indicate that North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation might have initiated during the globally warm Eocene (56–34 Ma). However, constraints on Eocene surface ocean conditions in source regions presently conducive to deep water formation are sparse. Here we test whether ocean conditions of the middle Eocene Labrador Sea might have allowed for deep water formation by applying (organic) geochemical and palynological techniques, on sediments from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 647. We reconstruct a long‐term sea surface temperature (SST) drop from ~30°C to ~27°C between 41.5 to 38.5 Ma, based on TEX86. Superimposed on this trend, we record ~2°C warming in SST associated with the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO; ~40 Ma), which is the northernmost MECO record as yet, and another, likely regional, warming phase at ~41.1 Ma, associated with low‐latitude planktic foraminifera and dinoflagellate cyst incursions. Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages together with planktonic foraminiferal stable oxygen isotope ratios overall indicate low surface water salinities and strong stratification. Benthic foraminifer stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios differ from global deep ocean values by 1–2‰ and 2–4‰, respectively, indicating geographic basin isolation. Our multiproxy reconstructions depict a consistent picture of relatively warm and fresh but also highly variable surface ocean conditions in the middle Eocene Labrador Sea. These conditions were unlikely conducive to deep water formation. This implies either NADW did not yet form during the middle Eocene or it formed in a different source region and subsequently bypassed the southern Labrador Sea.
The Visual Complexity of Coronal Mass Ejections Follows the Solar Cycle
Authors: Jones S. R. , Scott C. J. , Barnard L. A. , Highfield R. , Lintott C. J. , Baeten E.
Published: September 2020

The Heliospheric Imagers on board National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s twin STEREO spacecraft show that coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can be visually complex structures. To explore this complexity, we created a citizen science project with the U.K. Science Museum, in which participants were shown pairs of CME images and asked to decide which image in each pair appeared the most “complicated.” A Bradley‐Terry model was then applied to these data to rank the CMEs by their “complicatedness,” or “visual complexity.” This complexity ranking revealed that the annual average visual complexity values follow the solar activity cycle, with a higher level of complexity being observed at the peak of the cycle. The average complexity of CMEs observed by STEREO‐A was also found to be significantly higher than those observed by STEREO‐B. Visual complexity was found to be associated with CME size and brightness, but our results suggest that complexity may be influenced by the scale‐sizes of structure in the CMEs.
Genome-wide identification of differentially methylated promoters and enhancers associated with response to anti-PD-1 therapy in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Cho Jae-Won , Hong Min Hee , Ha Sang-Jun , Kim Young-Joon , Cho Byoung Chul , Lee Insuk , Kim Hye Ryun
Published: September 2020

Although approved programmed cell death protein (PD)-1 inhibitors show durable responses, clinical benefits to these agents are only seen in one-third of patients in most cancer types. Therefore, strategies for improving the response to PD-1 inhibitor for treating various cancers including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are urgently needed. Compared with genome and transcriptome, tumor DNA methylome in anti-PD-1 response was relatively unexplored. We compared the pre-treatment methylation status ofcis-regulatory elements between responders and non-responders to treatment with nivolumab or pembrolizumab using the Infinium Methylation EPIC Array, which can profile ~850,000 CpG sites, including ~350,000 CpG sites located in enhancer regions. Then, we analyzed differentially methylated regions overlapping promoters (pDMRs) or enhancers (eDMRs) between responders and non-responders to PD-1 inhibitors. We identified 1007 pDMRs and 607 eDMRs associated with the anti-PD-1 response. We also identified 1109 and 1173 target genes putatively regulated by these pDMRs and eDMRs, respectively. We found that eDMRs contribute to the epigenetic regulation of the anti-PD-1 response more than pDMRs. Hypomethylated pDMRs of Cytohesin 1 Interacting Protein (CYTIP) and TNF superfamily member 8 (TNFSF8) were more predictive than programmed cell death protein ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression for anti-PD-1 response and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in a validation cohort, suggesting their potential as predictive biomarkers for anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. The catalog of promoters and enhancers differentially methylated between responders and non-responders to PD-1 inhibitors presented herein will guide the development of biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for improving anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in NSCLC.
Disease severity dictates SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody responses in COVID-19
Authors: Chen Xiangyu , Pan Zhiwei , Yue Shuai , Yu Fei , Zhang Junsong , Yang Yang , Li Ren , Liu Bingfeng , Yang Xiaofan , Gao Leiqiong , Li Zhirong , Lin Yao , Huang Qizhao , Xu Lifan , Tang Jianfang , Hu Li , Zhao Jing , Liu Pinghuang , Zhang Guozhong , Chen Yaokai , Deng Kai , Ye Lilin
Published: September 2020

COVID-19 patients exhibit differential disease severity after SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is currently unknown as to the correlation between the magnitude of neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses and the disease severity in COVID-19 patients. In a cohort of 59 recovered patients with disease severity including severe, moderate, mild, and asymptomatic, we observed the positive correlation between serum neutralizing capacity and disease severity, in particular, the highest NAb capacity in sera from the patients with severe disease, while a lack of ability of asymptomatic patients to mount competent NAbs. Furthermore, the compositions of NAb subtypes were also different between recovered patients with severe symptoms and with mild-to-moderate symptoms. These results reveal the tremendous heterogeneity of SARS-CoV-2-specific NAb responses and their correlations to disease severity, highlighting the needs of future vaccination in COVID-19 patients recovered from asymptomatic or mild illness.
Transcriptome plasticity underlying plant root colonization and insect invasion by Pseudomonas protegens
Authors: Vesga Pilar , Flury Pascale , Vacheron Jordan , Keel Christoph , Croll Daniel , Maurhofer Monika
Published: September 2020

Pseudomonas protegens shows a high degree of lifestyle plasticity since it can establish both plant-beneficial and insect-pathogenic interactions. While P. protegens protects plants against soilborne pathogens, it can also invade insects when orally ingested leading to the death of susceptible pest insects. The mechanism whereby pseudomonads effectively switch between lifestyles, plant-beneficial or insecticidal, and the specific factors enabling plant or insect colonization are poorly understood. We generated a large-scale transcriptomics dataset of the model P. protegens strain CHA0 which includes data from the colonization of wheat roots, the gut of Plutella xylostella after oral uptake and the Galleria mellonella hemolymph after injection. We identified extensive plasticity in transcriptomic profiles depending on the environment and specific factors associated to different hosts or different stages of insect infection. Specifically, motor-activity and Reb toxin-related genes were highly expressed on wheat roots but showed low expression within insects, while certain antimicrobial compounds (pyoluteorin), exoenzymes (a chitinase and a polyphosphate kinase), and a transposase exhibited insect-specific expression. We further identified two-partner secretion systems as novel factors contributing to pest insect invasion. Finally, we use genus-wide comparative genomics to retrace the evolutionary origins of cross-kingdom colonization.
Rare and common vertebrates span a wide spectrum of population trends
Authors: Daskalova Gergana N. , Myers-Smith Isla H. , Godlee John L.
Published: September 2020

The Earth’s biota is changing over time in complex ways. A critical challenge is to test whether specific biomes, taxa or types of species benefit or suffer in a time of accelerating global change. We analysed nearly 10,000 abundance time series from over 2000 vertebrate species part of the Living Planet Database. We integrated abundance data with information on geographic range, habitat preference, taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships, and IUCN Red List Categories and threats. We find that 15% of populations declined, 18% increased, and 67% showed no net changes over time. Against a backdrop of no biogeographic and phylogenetic patterning in population change, we uncover a distinct taxonomic signal. Amphibians were the only taxa that experienced net declines in the analysed data, while birds, mammals and reptiles experienced net increases. Population trends were poorly captured by species’ rarity and global-scale threats. Incorporation of the full spectrum of population change will improve conservation efforts to protect global biodiversity.
Publisher Correction: Evolution of generalist resistance to herbicide mixtures reveals a trade-off in resistance management
Authors: Comont David , Lowe Claudia , Hull Richard , Crook Laura , Hicks Helen L. , Onkokesung Nawaporn , Beffa Roland , Childs Dylan Z. , Edwards Robert , Freckleton Robert P. , Neve Paul
Published: September 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Flexible genes establish widespread bacteriophage pan-genomes in cryoconite hole ecosystems
Authors: Bellas Christopher M. , Schroeder Declan C. , Edwards Arwyn , Barker Gary , Anesio Alexandre M.
Published: September 2020

Bacteriophage genomes rapidly evolve via mutation and horizontal gene transfer to counter evolving bacterial host defenses; such arms race dynamics should lead to divergence between phages from similar, geographically isolated ecosystems. However, near-identical phage genomes can reoccur over large geographical distances and several years apart, conversely suggesting many are stably maintained. Here, we show that phages with near-identical core genomes in distant, discrete aquatic ecosystems maintain diversity by possession of numerous flexible gene modules, where homologous genes present in the pan-genome interchange to create new phage variants. By repeatedly reconstructing the core and flexible regions of phage genomes from different metagenomes, we show a pool of homologous gene variants co-exist for each module in each location, however, the dominant variant shuffles independently in each module. These results suggest that in a natural community, recombination is the largest contributor to phage diversity, allowing a variety of host recognition receptors and genes to counter bacterial defenses to co-exist for each phage.
Printing accuracy tracking with 2D optical microscopy and super-resolution metamaterial-assisted 1D terahertz spectroscopy
Authors: Zhuldybina Mariia , Ropagnol Xavier , Bois Chloé , Zednik Ricardo J. , Blanchard François
Published: September 2020

Printable electronics is a promising manufacturing technology for the potential production of low-cost flexible electronic devices, ranging from displays to active wear. It is known that rapid printing of conductive ink on a flexible substrate is vulnerable to several sources of variation during the manufacturing process. However, this process is still not being subjected to a quality control method that is both non-invasive and in situ. To address this issue, we propose controlling the printing accuracy by monitoring the spatial distribution of the deposited ink using terahertz (THz) waves. The parameters studied are the printing speed of an industrial roll-to-roll press with flexography printing units and the pre-calibration compression, or expansion factor, for a pattern printed on a flexible plastic substrate. The pattern, which is carefully selected, has Babinet’s electromagnetic transmission properties in the THz frequency range. To validate our choice, we quantified the geometric variations of the printed pattern by visible microscopy and compared its accuracy using one-dimensional THz spectroscopy. Our study shows a remarkable agreement between visible microscopic observation of the printing performance and the signature of the THz transmission. Notably, under specific conditions, one-dimensional (1D) THz information from a resonant pattern can be more accurate than two-dimensional (2D) microscopy information. This result paves the way for a simple strategy for non-invasive and contactless in situ monitoring of printable electronics production.
Enhanced laser action from smart fabrics made with rollable hyperbolic metamaterials
Authors: Lin Hung-I , Wang Chun-Che , Shen Kun-Ching , Shalaginov Mikhail Y. , Roy Pradip Kumar , Bera Krishna Prasad , Kataria Monika , Paul Inbaraj Christy Roshini , Chen Yang-Fang
Published: September 2020

Rollable photonic devices that can adapt to freeform surfaces with reduced dimensions while maintaining their original functionalities are highly desirable. Among photonic devices, metamaterials with hyperbolic dispersion in momentum space, defined as hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM), possess a large photonic density of states that has been proven to boost light-matter interaction. However, these devices are mainly developed on rigid substrates, restricting their functionalities. Here, we present the attempt to integrate flexible and rollable HMMs consisting of polymer and metal multilayers on paper substrate. Quite interestingly, this design enables to exhibit high photonic density of states and scattering efficiency to enhance stimulated emission and induce pronounced laser action. The flexible and rollable HMM structure remains well its functionalities on freeform surfaces with curvature radius of 1 mm, and can withstand repeated bending without performance degradation. The intensity of laser action is enhanced by 3.5 times as compared to the flat surface. We anticipate that this flexible and rollable HMM structure can serve as a diverse platform for flexible photonic technologies, such as light-emitting devices, wearable optoelectronics, and optical communication.