bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pygoscelis penguin diets on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, with a special focus on the krill Euphausia superba
Authors: Panasiuk Anna , Wawrzynek-Borejko Justyna , Musiał Aleksandra , Korczak-Abshire Małgorzata 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIn the krill-based ecosystem of the Antarctic, fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of Euphausia superba may have strong impacts on predator populations; thus, it is crucial to observe the feeding ecology of Antarctic predators, especially in the light of climate change and increasing human pressure. We determined the composition of euphausiid species in diet samples collected from Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) penguins on King George Island (South Shetlands Islands) during a breeding season. For all three penguin species, euphausiids (mainly E. superba) represented almost the entirety of researched stomach samples (i.e. 99.9% in the case of Adélie and chinstrap penguins), while gentoo penguins also proved to feed on fish (99.4% krill; 0.5% fish). Analysed material differed in the size of eaten E. superba specimens, with the smallest crustaceans consumed by Adélie penguins. Furthermore, we found differences in the ratio of consumed krill and krill size. Such disparities may be a result of sex-based differences and slight differences in feeding areas between the birds. Additionally, we noted some fragments of plastic debris in the investigated penguin diet samples.
Changes in the waterbird community of the Parc National du Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania, 1980–2017
Authors: OUDMAN THOMAS , SCHEKKERMAN HANS , KIDEE AMADOU , VAN ROOMEN MARC , CAMARA MOHAMED , SMIT COR , TEN HORN JOB , PIERSMA THEUNIS , EL-HACEN EL-HACEN MOHAMED 
Published: January 2020

SummaryThe Parc National du Banc d’Arguin in Mauritania hosts the largest concentrations of coastal waterbirds along the East Atlantic Flyway. In spite of this importance, a review of the changes in the numbers of waterbirds in the area is lacking since the first complete count in 1980. Here we analysed the seven complete waterbird counts made since then, and the additional yearly counts made in one subunit (Iwik region) since 2003. We present evidence for changes in the community composition of waterbirds over the past four decades. Total waterbird numbers showed a decrease between 1980 and 2017, with only Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus showing a significant increase in numbers. Five species showed significant declines: Long-tailed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus, Red Knot Calidris canutus, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, and Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus. In the remaining species, the variation in numbers between counts was too large, and the number of complete counts too small, for trends to be detected. The yearly counts at Iwik region also showed sharp decreases in the numbers of Red Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Marsh Harrier, but not of Long-tailed Cormorant and Eurasian Curlew. A multivariate analysis revealed a significant change in species composition over time, which was caused mainly by changes in the species depending on the intertidal mudflats for feeding (generally in decline) vs. the species depending on fish and crustaceans in the sublittoral and offshore zones (often showing increases).
Capping Human Water Footprints in the World's River Basins
Authors: Hogeboom Rick J. , de Bruin Davey , Schyns Joep F. , Krol Maarten S. , Hoekstra Arjen Y. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIncreased water demand and overexploitation of limited freshwater resources lead to water scarcity, economic downturn, and conflicts over water in many places around the world. A sensible policy measure to bridle humanity's water footprint, then, is to set local and time‐specific water footprint caps, to ensure that water appropriation for human uses remains within ecological boundaries. This study estimates—for all river basins in the world—monthly blue water flows that can be allocated to human uses, while explicitly earmarking water for nature. Addressing some implications of temporal variability, we quantify trade‐offs between potentially violating environmental flow requirements versus underutilizing available flow—a trade‐off that is particularly pronounced in basins with a high seasonal and interannual variability. We discuss several limitations and challenges that need to be overcome if setting water footprint caps is to become a practically applicable policy instrument, including the need (for policy makers) to reach agreement on which specific capping procedure to follow. We conclude by relating local and time‐specific water footprint caps to the planetary boundary for freshwater use.
On Estimation of Daytime Equatorial Vertical (E × B) Plasma Drifts Using Optical Neutral Dayglow Emission Measurements
Authors: Karan Deepak K. , Pallamraju Duggirala 
Published: January 2020

AbstractVertical drift (E × B) over the geomagnetic equator of the Earth is one of the fundamental parameters that governs the equatorial electrodynamics, which is responsible for the formation of large‐scale phenomena in low and equatorial latitudes. We present a novel approach using ground‐based optical neutral oxygen dayglow emission intensity measurements to estimate the daytime equatorial vertical drifts. The diurnal patterns of the dayglow emission intensities at OI 557.7, 630.0, and 777.4 nm wavelengths obtained from a low‐latitude location, Hyderabad (78.4°E, 17.5°N; 8.9°N MLAT), India, are observed to be symmetric with respect to local noon on some days and asymmetric on some other. The extent of asymmetric nature is characterized by a parameter called Asymmetricity in Time (AT), which shows similar variations with the integrated Equatorial Electrojet (EEJ) strength. AT values obtained from the dayglow measurements are used to infer the vertical drifts. Vertical drifts derived by this method match well with the global climatological model estimates and with radar measurements. This new approach provides an alternative method for obtaining vertical drifts to enable systematic investigations of equatorial electrodynamics.
Rapid Outer Radiation Belt Flux Dropouts and Fast Acceleration During the March 2015 and 2013 Storms: The Role of Ultra‐Low Frequency Wave Transport From a Dynamic Outer Boundary
Authors: Ozeke L. G. , Mann I. R. , Olifer L. , Dufresne K. Y. , Morley S. K. , Claudepierre S. G. , Murphy K. R. , Spence H. E. , Baker D. N. , Degeling A. W. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractWe present simulations of the outer radiation belt electron flux during the March 2015 and 2013 storms using a radial diffusion model. Despite differences in disturbance short‐time intensity between the two storms, the response of the ultra‐relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt was remarkably similar, both showing a sudden drop in the electron flux followed by a rapid enhancement in the outer belt flux to levels over an order of magnitude higher than those observed during the pre‐storm interval. Simulations of the ultra‐relativistic electron flux during the March 2015 storm show that outward radial diffusion can explain the flux dropout down to L*~4. However, in order to reproduce, the observed flux dropout at L* < 4 requires the addition of a loss process characterized by an electron lifetime of around 1 hr operating below L*~3.5 during the flux dropout interval. Nonetheless, during the pre‐storm and recovery phase of both storms, the radial diffusion simulation reproduces the observed flux dynamics. For the March 2013 storm, the flux dropout across all L‐shells is reproduced by outward radial diffusion activity alone. However, during the flux enhancement interval at relativistic energies, there is evidence of a growing local peak in the electron phase space density at L*~3.8, consistent with local acceleration such as by very low frequency chorus waves. Overall, the simulation results for both storms can accurately reproduce the observed electron flux only when event specific radial diffusion coefficients are used, instead of the empirical diffusion coefficients derived from ultra‐low frequency wave statistics.
A Study on Meteor Head Echo Using a Probabilistic Detection Model at Jicamarca
Authors: Li Yanlin , Zhou Qihou , Scott Mark , Milla Marco 
Published: January 2020

AbstractA coded long pulse is applied to the Jicamarca 50 MHz high power large aperture radar to study meteor head echoes. We develop a probabilistic detection model, which finds 25% more meteors than the commonly used signal‐to‐noise threshold method. The long code and the probabilistic approach allow us to detect over 180 meteors per minute during the dawn hours, which is several times higher than reported previously. The typical mass of the meteoroids is estimated to be about 10−9 kg, slightly smaller than other sensitive very‐high‐frequency and ultrahigh‐frequency high power large aperture radars except the Arecibo radar. The high sensitivity allows us to observe numerous meteors in the presence of the strongest equatorial electrojet. We report and discuss the characteristics of meteor flux rate, ablation height, and velocity with a constant noise power for the first time for the Jicamarca radar. The highest average detection height is found to be near 2 a.m., instead of near 6 a.m. when the largest average velocity is observed. This is likely due to the combination of the relative large atmospheric velocity and the substantial atmospheric entry angles around 2 a.m. The observed characteristics suggest that many meteors are detected 8° off zenith despite that the full beam width is only 2.4°.
Polynomial Reconstruction of the Reconnection Magnetic Field Observed by Multiple Spacecraft
Authors: Denton R. E. , Torbert R. B. , Hasegawa H. , Dors I. , Genestreti K. J. , Argall M. R. , Gershman D. , Le Contel O. , Burch J. L. , Russell C. T. , Strangeway R. J. , Giles B. L. , Fischer D. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractWe describe methods for polynomial reconstruction of the magnetic field close to a cluster of spacecraft and apply that to reconstruction of the magnetic field observed during a magnetic reconnection event on 10 August 2017 by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft. Four different models are described, which vary in complexity between a 12‐parameter linear model, which has only linear variation with respect to the spatial coordinates, and a 27‐parameter quadratic model, which has the full quadratic expansion except that the second derivative with respect to the Minimum Directional Derivative minimum gradient coordinate
has been neglected. In contrast to previous reconstruction techniques, these reconstructions can be found using only the magnetic field and current density measured at a single time by the cluster of spacecraft. The equations satisfying
are satisfied exactly, while the equations specifying the model fields at the spacecraft locations are satisfied for most models in a best least squares sense. For this magnetotail event, the models have very small errors in magnetic field components (
0.1 nT) at a distance from the nearest spacecraft on the order of the spacecraft separation,
, here equal to 20.5 km. The magnetic structures found using the quadratic models are very time dependent, with a stretched field leading to plasmoid formation at one point in time.
Irrigation‐Induced Potential Evapotranspiration Decrease in the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China, as Simulated by the WRF Model
Authors: Zhang Xuezhen , Ding Nana , Han Songjun , Tang Qiuhong 
Published: January 2020

AbstractEvapotranspiration occurs via land‐atmosphere coupling. To understand the impacts of irrigation on local potential evapotranspiration, we carried out a couple of simulations with the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model, where an irrigation scheme was incorporated, for the irrigated area in the middle reaches of the Heihe River, Northwest China. By comparing the irrigation simulation (hereafter, the IRRG case) with the simulation excluding irrigation (hereafter, the NATU case), we found that irrigation may lead to a decrease in reference evapotranspiration (ET0) during the growing season (May to September), which is a metric of potential evapotranspiration, by approximately 1.05 mm d−1, accounting for approximately 19% of NATU ET0. The ET0 in the IRRG is closer to the ground measurements than the NATU ET0, with a root‐mean‐square error of 0.75 mm d−1 in the IRRG and 1.86 mm d−1 in the NATU cases. Meanwhile, irrigation leads to an actual evapotranspiration (ETa) increase of approximately 2.1 mm d−1 for croplands. Such an asymmetric relationship between ET0 decrease and ETa increase was found over the irrigated croplands. The ET0 decrease was mainly induced by the moistening and cooling effects of irrigation through intensified evapotranspiration and reduced sensible heat. This study highlights the importance of considering land‐atmosphere coupling when assessing the impacts of climatic change on irrigation water requirements.
COPD and asthma in patients with opioid dependency: a cross-sectional study in primary care
Authors: Mehta S. , Parmar N. , Kelleher M. , Jolley C. J. , White P. , Durbaba S. , Ashworth M. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractPatients treated for drug addiction have high asthma and COPD prevalence rates. The relative contributions of cigarette smoking, smoking intensity and possible smoking of other substances has not been described. We aimed to describe the prevalence and determinants of asthma and COPD in patients prescribed methadone as opioid substitution therapy (OST). In a cross-sectional study of an anonymised patient-level primary care dataset of UK inner-city general practices (n = 46), 321,395 patients aged ≥18 years were identified. A total of 676 (0.21%) had a record of a methadone ever issued in primary care. The association between respiratory disease and methadone prescribing was examined using logistic regression. Models were adjusted for potential effects of clustering by practice. A total of 97.3% of patients prescribed methadone were cigarette smokers, either current (81.2%) or ex-smokers (16.1%). The prevalences of asthma and COPD were higher in methadone patients (14.2% and 12.4%, respectively) compared to non-methadone patients (4.4% and 1.1%, respectively). Methadone was an independent determinant of asthma, adjusting for smoking status (OR 3.21; 95% CI: 2.52, 4.10) or for smoking intensity (3.08; 2.27, 4.19), and of COPD, adjusting for smoking status (6.00; 4.61, 7.80) or for smoking intensity (5.80; 4.12, 8.17). COPD and asthma prevalence were substantially higher in those prescribed methadone compared to those never prescribed methadone. Prescription of methadone was an independent predictor for both COPD and asthma, even after adjustment for smoking status and smoking intensity. Possible explanations include confounding by association with smoking of heroin or crack cocaine, both of which may have a causal association with COPD and asthma.
Koala retrovirus viral load and disease burden in distinct northern and southern koala populations
Authors: Sarker Nishat , Fabijan Jessica , Owen Helen , Seddon Jennifer , Simmons Greg , Speight Natasha , Kaler Jasmeet , Woolford Lucy , Emes Richard David , Hemmatzadeh Farhid , Trott Darren J. , Meers Joanne , Tarlinton Rachael Eugenie 
Published: January 2020

AbstractKoala retrovirus (KoRV) displays features of both an endogenous and exogenous virus and is linked to neoplasia and immunosuppression in koalas. This study explores the apparent differences in the nature and impact of KoRV infection between geographically and genetically separated “northern” and “southern” koala populations, by investigating the disease status, completeness of the KoRV genome and the proviral (DNA) and viral (RNA) loads of 71 northern and 97 southern koalas. All northern animals were positive for all KoRV genes (gag, pro-pol and env) in both DNA and RNA forms, whereas many southern animals were missing one or more KoRV genes. There was a significant relationship between the completeness of the KoRV genome and clinical status in this population. The proviral and viral loads of the northern population were significantly higher than those of the southern population (P < 0.0001), and many provirus-positive southern animals failed to express any detectable KoRV RNA. Across both populations there was a positive association between proviral load and neoplasia (P = 0.009). Potential reasons for the differences in the nature of KoRV infection between the two populations are discussed.
Whispering-Gallery Mode Lasing in a Floating GaN Microdisk with a Vertical Slit
Authors: Zhu Gangyi , Li Jiaping , Zhang Nan , Li Xin , Dai Jun , Cui Qiannan , Song Qinghai , Xu Chunxiang , Wang Yongjin 
Published: January 2020

AbstractControlling the lasing mode, emission direction, threshold, and quality factor of whispering-gallery mode lasing is important for practical applications such as optical interconnections, on-chip communications, trace detection, high-density storage, etc. In order to simultaneously control the mode and emission direction and to achieve a high-quality factor in a low-threshold whisper-gallery mode laser, such as a GaN floating microdisk, a novel fabrication design of a microdisk with a vertical slit is proposed. To demonstrate proof of concept, we experimentally measure whispering-gallery mode lasing spectra of microdisks with and without a slit. Our findings suggest that the disks can indeed operate in whispering-gallery mode, and the slit is able to change the optical path in the microcavity without breaking lasing resonance. The slit in the microdisk can also influence the lasing mode, quality factor, and directional emission. Therefore, our study provides a feasible way to control whispering-gallery mode lasing properties.
Poly-γ-glutamic acid induces system tolerance to drought stress by promoting abscisic acid accumulation in Brassica napus L.
Authors: Xu Zongqi , Ma Junjie , Lei Peng , Wang Qian , Feng Xiaohai , Xu Hong 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAs a new plant biostimulant, poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) may be an effective anti-drought agent that can efficiently alleviate the damage to plants under drought stress. In this study, the effects of γ-PGA on the physiological responses of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) seedlings under drought stress were investigated using hydroponics. Growth and development of the rape seedlings were significantly inhibited in a polyethylene glycol-simulated drought environment. However, 12 d after application of γ-PGA under drought stress, the fresh weight, chlorophyll content, and relative water content of rape seedlings all markedly increased. Moreover, proline content and antioxidant enzyme activity were all markedly enhanced, and the malondialdehyde content was significantly reduced in rape seedlings treated with γ-PGA. Furthermore, the content of the important anti-drought response hormone, abscisic acid (ABA), as well as the expression levels of the ABA metabolism regulation genes BnNCED3, BnZEP, and BnAAO4, significantly increased. These results indicate that γ-PGA may induce elements of a tolerance system to drought stress by promoting ABA accumulation in B. Napus.
Combined network pharmacology and virtual reverse pharmacology approaches for identification of potential targets to treat vascular dementia
Authors: Lagunin Alexey A. , Ivanov Sergey M. , Gloriozova Tatyana A. , Pogodin Pavel V. , Filimonov Dmitry A. , Kumar Sandeep , Goel Rajesh K. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractDementia is a major cause of disability and dependency among older people. If the lives of people with dementia are to be improved, research and its translation into druggable target are crucial. Ancient systems of healthcare (Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Sowa-Rigpa) have been used from centuries for the treatment vascular diseases and dementia. This traditional knowledge can be transformed into novel targets through robust interplay of network pharmacology (NetP) with reverse pharmacology (RevP), without ignoring cutting edge biomedical data. This work demonstrates interaction between recent and traditional data, and aimed at selection of most promising targets for guiding wet lab validations. PROTEOME, DisGeNE, DISEASES and DrugBank databases were used for selection of genes associated with pathogenesis and treatment of vascular dementia (VaD). The selection of new potential drug targets was made by methods of NetP (DIAMOnD algorithm, enrichment analysis of KEGG pathways and biological processes of Gene Ontology) and manual expert analysis. The structures of 1976 phytomolecules from the 573 Indian medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of dementia and vascular diseases were used for computational estimation of their interactions with new predicted VaD-related drug targets by RevP approach based on PASS (Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances) software. We found 147 known genes associated with vascular dementia based on the analysis of the databases with gene-disease associations. Six hundred novel targets were selected by NetP methods based on 147 gene associations. The analysis of the predicted interactions between 1976 phytomolecules and 600 NetP predicted targets leaded to the selection of 10 potential drug targets for the treatment of VaD. The translational value of these targets is discussed herewith. Twenty four drugs interacting with 10 selected targets were identified from DrugBank. These drugs have not been yet studied for the treatment of VaD and may be investigated in this field for their repositioning. The relation between inhibition of two selected targets (GSK-3, PTP1B) and the treatment of VaD was confirmed by the experimental studies on animals and reported separately in our recent publications.