bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Circulating cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations in milrinone treated paediatric patients after congenital heart surgery
Authors: Gist Katja M. , Korst Armin , Nakano Stephanie J. , Stauffer Brian L. , Karimpour-Fard Anis , Zhou Wenru , Campbell Kristen , Wempe Michael F. , Sucharov Carmen C. , Miyamoto Shelley D. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackground:Milrinone is a phosphodiesterase type 3 inhibitor that results in a positive inotropic effect in the heart through an increase in cyclic adenosine monophosphate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate circulating cyclic adenosine monophosphate and milrinone concentrations in milrinone treated paediatric patients undergoing congenital heart surgery.Methods:Single-centre prospective observational pilot study from January 2015 to December 2017 including children aged birth to 18 years. Milrinone and circulating cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations were measured at four time points through the first post-operative day and compared between patients with and without low cardiac output syndrome, defined using clinical and laboratory criteria.Results:Fifty patients were included. Nine (18%) developed low cardiac output syndrome. For all patients, 22% had single ventricle heart disease. The density and distribution of cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations varied between those with and without low cardiac output syndrome but were not significantly different. Milrinone concentrations increased in all patients. Paired t-tests demonstrated an increase in circulating cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations during the post-operative period among patients without low cardiac output syndrome.Conclusions:In this prospective observational study, circulating cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations increased in those without low cardiac output syndrome during the first 24 post-operative hours and milrinone concentrations increased in all patients. Further study of the utility of cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations in milrinone treated patients is necessary.
Toward Narrowing Uncertainty in Future Projections of Local Extreme Precipitation
Authors: Marra Francesco , Armon Moshe , Adam Ori , Zoccatelli Davide , Gazal Osama , Garfinkel Chaim I. , Rostkier‐Edelstein Dorita , Dayan Uri , Enzel Yehouda , Morin Efrat 
Published: February 2021

AbstractProjections of extreme precipitation based on modern climate models suffer from large uncertainties. Specifically, unresolved physics and natural variability limit the ability of climate models to provide actionable information on impacts and risks at the regional, watershed and city scales relevant for practical applications. Here, we show that the interaction of precipitating systems with local features can constrain the statistical description of extreme precipitation. These observational constraints can be used to project local extremes of low yearly exceedance probability (e.g., 100‐year events) using synoptic‐scale information from climate models, which is generally represented more accurately than the local scales, and without requiring climate models to explicitly resolve extremes. The novel approach, demonstrated here over the south‐eastern Mediterranean, offers a path for improving the predictability of local statistics of extremes in a changing climate, independent of pending improvements in climate models at regional and local scales.
Observationally Constrained Cloud Phase Unmasks Orbitally Driven Climate Feedbacks
Authors: Sagoo Navjit , Storelvmo Trude , Hahn Lily , Tan Ivy , Danco James , Raney Bryan , Broccoli Anthony J. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe mechanisms which amplify orbitally driven changes in insolation and drive the glacial cycles of the past 2.6 million years, the Pleistocene, are poorly understood. Previous studies indicate that cloud phase feedbacks oppose ice sheet initiation when orbital configuration supports ice sheet growth. Cloud phase was observationally constrained in a recent study and provides evidence for a weaker negative cloud feedback in response to carbon dioxide doubling. We observationally constrain cloud phase in the Community Earth System Model and explore how changes in orbital configuration impact the climate response. Constraining cloud phase weakens the negative high latitude cloud phase feedback and unmasks positive water vapor and cloud feedbacks (amount and optical depth) that extend cooling to lower latitudes. Snowfall accumulation and ablation metrics also support ice sheet expansion as seen in proxy records. This indicates that well‐known cloud and water vapor feedbacks are the mechanisms amplifying orbital climate forcing.
Origin of Strong Nonlinear Dependence of Fracture (Joint) Spacing on Bed Thickness in Layered Rocks: Mechanical Analysis and Modeling
Authors: Chemenda A. I. , Lamarche J. , Matonti C. , Bazalgette L. , Richard P. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractFracturing (jointing) affects large volumes of rocks and strongly impacts their mechanical stability and permeability. In layered sedimentary basins, the fractures typically form subparallel sets with different fracture spacing S. This parameter has been extensively studied both in the field and in mechanical models in relation to the thickness T of the fractured layers. A linear relation was suggested by most studies. A few geological investigations involving wide ranges of T values have shown that the T(S) relation is generally strongly nonlinear and that in thick beds (T >∼1.5 m), S practically does not depend on T. The origin of this relation remained hitherto unexplained. Here we obtained such a relation in 2‐D finite‐difference models of 3‐layer sedimentary sequences where layers interact through the interfaces of strength R. The middle layer has elastoplastic properties with coupled tensile and shear failure mechanisms. The number of fractures forming in this layer increases under horizontal extension to a saturation value S depending on R. At T < ∼0.5 m, the increase of S with T is near‐linear. At ∼1 m < T < 2 m, it is strongly nonlinear; and S changes little at larger T where S is more than certain value Scr. The increase of ratio D = T/S with T is, on the contrary, close to linear. This behavior is explained by the fact that for D >∼2, the stress state in the upper and lower horizons of the middle layer between fractures spaced 2Scr apart is practically independent of T.
On the Role of Anthropogenic Activity and Sea‐Level‐Rise in Tidal Distortion on the Open Coast of the Yellow Sea Shelf
Authors: Feng Xi , Feng Hui 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThis study investigates how varied coastline strategies and rising mean‐sea‐level influence tidal distortion along the open coast of the Yellow Sea shelf. The major contributors to tidal distortion were first identified. Then, the primary tidal constituents causing changes in tidal propagation and distortion in response to shoreline reconstruction management and near‐future sea‐level‐rise (SLR) were determined. The intrinsic mechanisms causing tidal duration asymmetry (TDA) were investigated and found to differ in various types of coastal systems. Specifically, the nonlinear tidal interaction between M2/M4, M2/S2/MS4 and K1/O1/M2 are the top three dominant contributors to TDA. The interactions between M2/M4 and M2/S2/MS4 are most sensitive to different coastline configurations and produce the largest evolution in tidal distortion. Two primary factors are (i) the location of the amphidromic point of the semidiurnal tides in the deep ocean, which controls the M2 and S2 energy fluxes into embayment, and (ii) the nondimensional amplitude (A/h), which importantly indicates tidal nonlinearity and determines shallow tide generation. For the coast with a progressive tidal system, tidal distortion and shallow‐water tide genesis depend mainly on the influx of semidiurnal tides from offshore, which is controlled by the position of the M2 amphidrome. For a coast with quasistanding tidal behavior, however, the scales and positions of tidal flats and shoals play vital roles in tidal distortion and the genesis of shallow‐water tides. Model simulations suggest that hardened shoreline or SLR could dampen the advection and bottom dissipation, thus reducing tidal distortion.
Balancing Accuracy and Efficiency of Atmospheric Models in the Northern Adriatic During Severe Bora Events
Authors: Denamiel Cléa , Tojčić Iva , Vilibić Ivica 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIn process‐oriented studies, accurate representation of severe bora rotor dynamics in the northern Adriatic is known to require the use of model resolutions of the order of 100 m. In regional climate studies, computation time and numerical cost are, however, minimized with resolutions of the order of 10 km. The latter is not accurate enough to drive the coastal dense water formation and the long‐term Adriatic‐Ionian thermohaline circulation resulting from these events. This work leverages the capacity of kilometer‐scale atmospheric models to balance accuracy and efficiency in coupled atmosphere‐ocean climate studies in the Adriatic Sea. The sensitivity of severe bora dynamics and air‐sea interactions to atmospheric model resolution is thus tested within the Adriatic Sea and Coast (AdriSC) modeling suite as well as with the best available reanalysis. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model at 15‐km, 3‐km, and 1.5‐km resolution, and ERA5 at 30‐km resolution, are compared for an ensemble of 22 severe bora storms spanning between 1991 and 2019. It is found that (1) ERA5 reanalysis and WRF 15‐km model highly diverge (up to 43% for the wind speed) from WRF 3‐km results while (2) WRF 3‐km conditions converge toward the WRF 1.5‐km solution for both basic bora dynamics (differences below 6% for the wind speed) and air‐sea interactions (differences 5 times smaller than with WRF 15‐km results). Consequently, kilometer‐scale atmospheric models should be used to reproduce properly the dense water formation during severe bora events and the long‐term thermohaline circulation of the Adriatic‐Ionian basin.
Summertime Transport Pathways From Different Northern Hemisphere Regions Into the Arctic
Authors: Zheng Cheng , Wu Yutian , Ting Mingfang , Orbe Clara , Wang Xinyue , Tilmes Simone 
Published: February 2021

AbstractTrace gases and aerosols play an important role in Arctic chemistry and climate. As most Arctic tracers and aerosols are transported from midlatitude source regions, long‐range transport into the Arctic is one of the key factors to understand the current and future states of Arctic climate. While previous studies have investigated the airmass fraction and transit time distribution in the Arctic, the actual transport pathways and their underlying dynamics and efficiencies are yet to be understood. In this study, we implement a large ensemble of idealized tagged pulse passive tracers in the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model version 5 to identify and analyze summertime transport pathways from different Northern Hemisphere surface regions into the Arctic. Three different transport pathways are identified as those associated with fast, intermediate and slow time scales. Midlatitude tracers can be transported into the Arctic in the troposphere via the fast transport pathway (∼8 days), which moves tracers northward from the source region mainly through transient eddies. For the intermediate transport pathway, which happens on 1–3 weeks’ time scales, midlatitude tracers are first zonally transported by the jet stream, and then advected northward into the Arctic over Alaska and northern North Atlantic. Tropical and subtropical tracers are transported into the Arctic lower stratosphere via the slow transport pathway (1–3 months), as the tracers are lifted upward into the tropical and subtropical lower stratosphere, and then transported into the Arctic following the isentropic surfaces.
Impact of Soil Moisture Initializations on WRF‐Simulated North American Monsoon System
Authors: Wang Yuechun , Quiring Steven M. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThis study investigates the influence of soil moisture initialization on the North American Monsoon System (NAMS) using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with Noah‐MP Land Surface Model. Five sets of experiments using different soil moisture initializations were conducted from May 1 to October 1 in 2015–2017. The model forecast for each set of experiments consists of five ensemble members. The simulation using North American Regional Reanalysis is the control run (WRF‐Ctrl). Four sets of sensitivity experiments were conducted with extremely wet (WRF‐Wet) and dry (WRF‐dry) initial conditions and using different soil moisture products from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (WRF‐GLDAS) and NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive L4 (WRF‐SMAP). Results show that the WRF model can capture the key features of the NAMS, but it exhibits a wet bias in the higher elevation regions and a dry bias in the lower elevation regions. Our analysis of extremely wet and dry cases reveals that initial soil moisture conditions can affect precipitation through both modulating surface energy partitioning and influencing large‐scale pressure and wind patterns. When different soil moisture products are used to initialize the model, it can lead to substantial changes in spatial pattern of the NAM precipitation. Initializing the model with SMAP and GLDAS can reduce the overestimation of precipitation over high terrain areas. The results indicate that high‐quality soil moisture products have the potential to improve model representation of the NAMS, especially with future improvements in model convective parameterization.
Discerning Changes in High‐Frequency Climate Variability Using Geochemical Populations of Individual Foraminifera
Authors: Glaubke Ryan H. , Thirumalai Kaustubh , Schmidt Matthew W. , Hertzberg Jennifer E. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIndividual foraminiferal analysis (IFA) has proven to be a useful tool in reconstructing the amplitude of high‐frequency climate signals such as the annual cycle and the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO). However, using IFA to evaluate past changes in climate variability is complicated by many factors including geographic location, foraminiferal ecology, methods of sample processing, and the influence of multiple, superimposed high‐frequency climate signals. Robust statistical tools and rigorous uncertainty analysis are therefore required to ensure the reliability of IFA‐based interpretations of paleoclimatic change. Here, we present a new proxy system model—called the Quantile Analysis of Temperature using Individual Foraminiferal Analyses (QUANTIFA)—that combines methods for assessing IFA detection sensitivity with analytical tools for processing and interpreting IFA data to standardize and streamline reconstructions employing IFA‐Mg/Ca measurements. Model exercises with simulated and real IFA data demonstrate that the dominant signal retained by IFA populations is largely determined by the annual‐to‐interannual ratio of climate variability at a given location and depth and can be impacted by seasonal biases in foraminiferal productivity. In addition, our exercises reveal that extreme quantiles can be reliable indicators of past changes in climate variability, are often more sensitive to climate change than quantiles within the distributional interior, and can be used to distinguish changes in interannual phenomena like ENSO from seasonality. Altogether, QUANTIFA provides a useful tool for modeling IFA uncertainties and processing IFA data that can be leveraged to establish a history of past climate variability.
COVID-19-related psychological distress and engagement in preventative behaviors among individuals with severe mental illnesses
Authors: Pinkham Amy E. , Ackerman Robert A. , Depp Colin A. , Harvey Philip D. , Moore Raeanne C. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractIndividuals with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) may be disproportionately vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and psychological distress. This study investigated the prevalence of engagement in COVID-19 preventative behaviors, predictors of these behaviors, and COVID-19-related psychological distress. One hundred and sixty-three individuals with SMIs (94 with schizophrenia spectrum illnesses and 69 with affective disorders) and 27 psychiatrically healthy comparison participants were recruited from ongoing studies across 3 sites, to complete a phone survey querying implementation of 8 specific COVID-19 preventative behaviors that participants engaged in at least once in the past month as well as standard assessments of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, loneliness, and coping. Data were collected between 3 April 2020 and 4 June 2020. The large majority of our SMI sample, which consisted of outpatients with relatively mild symptom severity, endorsed engaging in multiple preventative behaviors. Relatively few differences were found between groups; however, individuals with SMI were less likely to work remotely than healthy individuals and individuals with schizophrenia spectrum illness were less likely to stay home as a preventative measure, wear face masks, and work remotely than individuals with affective disorders. Differences in staying home remained after controlling for potential confounds. Although individuals with SMI reported more psychological distress related to COVID-19, this distress was largely unrelated to engagement in preventative behaviors. The large majority of individuals with SMI in this outpatient sample, regardless of broad diagnostic category, reported performing multiple behaviors intended to prevent COVID-19 infection at least once a month and reported distress associated with the pandemic. These findings suggest a good level of awareness of COVID-19 among stable outpatients with SMI. The degree to which more acutely ill persons with SMI engage in such preventative behaviors, however, remains to be examined.
Regulatory genomic circuitry of human disease loci by integrative epigenomics
Authors: Boix Carles A. , James Benjamin T. , Park Yongjin P. , Meuleman Wouter , Kellis Manolis 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAnnotating the molecular basis of human disease remains an unsolved challenge, as 93% of disease loci are non-coding and gene-regulatory annotations are highly incomplete1–3. Here we present EpiMap, a compendium comprising 10,000 epigenomic maps across 800 samples, which we used to define chromatin states, high-resolution enhancers, enhancer modules, upstream regulators and downstream target genes. We used this resource to annotate 30,000 genetic loci that were associated with 540 traits4, predicting trait-relevant tissues, putative causal nucleotide variants in enriched tissue enhancers and candidate tissue-specific target genes for each. We partitioned multifactorial traits into tissue-specific contributing factors with distinct functional enrichments and disease comorbidity patterns, and revealed both single-factor monotropic and multifactor pleiotropic loci. Top-scoring loci frequently had multiple predicted driver variants, converging through multiple enhancers with a common target gene, multiple genes in common tissues, or multiple genes and multiple tissues, indicating extensive pleiotropy. Our results demonstrate the importance of dense, rich, high-resolution epigenomic annotations for the investigation of complex traits.
Comparative evaluation of 19 reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification assays for detection of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Dong Yajuan , Wu Xiuming , Li Shenwei , Lu Renfei , Li Yingxue , Wan Zhenzhou , Qin Jianru , Yu Guoying , Jin Xia , Zhang Chiyu 
Published: February 2021

AbstractCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global pandemics. To facilitate the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection, various RT-LAMP assays using 19 sets of primers had been developed, but never been compared. We performed comparative evaluation of the 19 sets of primers using 4 RNA standards and 29 clinical samples from COVID-19 patients. Six of 15 sets of primers were firstly identified to have faster amplification when tested with four RNA standards, and were further subjected to parallel comparison with the remaining four primer sets using 29 clinical samples. Among these 10 primer sets, Set-4 had the highest positive detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 (82.8%), followed by Set-10, Set-11, and Set-13 and Set-17 (75.9%). Set-14 showed the fastest amplification speed (Tt value < 8.5 min), followed by Set-17 (Tt value < 12.5 min). Based on the overall detection performance, Set-4, Set-10, Set-11, Set-13, Set-14 and Set-17 that target Nsp3, S, S, E, N and N gene regions of SARS-CoV-2, respectively, were determined to be better than the other primer sets. Two RT-LAMP assays with the Set-4 primers in combination with any one of four other primer sets (Set-14, Set-10, Set-11, and Set-13) were recommended to be used in the COVID-19 surveillance.
Early detection of drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae by quantitative flow cytometry
Authors: Sawada Takahiro , Katayama Masayuki , Takatani Shogo , Ohiro Yoshiyuki 
Published: February 2021

AbstractEarly detection of drug resistance contributes to combating drug-resistant bacteria and improving patient outcomes. Microbial testing in the laboratory is essential for treating infectious diseases because it can provide critical information related to identifying pathogenic bacteria and their resistance profiles. Despite these clinical requirements, conventional phenotypic testing is time-consuming. Additionally, recent rapid drug resistance tests are not compatible with fastidious bacteria such asStreptococcusandHaemophilusspecies. In this study, we validated the feasibility of direct bacteria counting using highly sensitive quantitative flow cytometry. Furthermore, by combining flow cytometry and a nucleic acid intercalator, we constructed a highly sensitive method for counting viable fastidious bacteria. These are inherently difficult to measure due to interfering substances from nutrients contained in the medium. Based on the conventional broth microdilution method, our method acquired a few microliter samples in a time series from the same microplate well to exclude the growth curve inconsistency between the samples. Fluorescent staining and flow cytometry measurements were completed within 10 min. Therefore, this approach enabled us to determine antimicrobial resistance for these bacteria within a few hours. Highly sensitive quantitative flow cytometry presents a novel avenue for conducting rapid antimicrobial susceptibility tests.
Biochemical and structural characterization of a recombinant fibrinogen-related lectin from Penaeus monodon
Authors: Singrang Nongnuch , Laophetsakunchai Sirasit , Tran Bich Ngoc , Matsudaira Paul T. , Tassanakajon Anchalee , Wangkanont Kittikhun 
Published: February 2021

AbstractFibrinogen-related lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins of the innate immune system that recognize glycan structures on microbial surfaces. These innate immune lectins are crucial for invertebrates as they do not rely on adaptive immunity for pathogen clearance. Here, we characterize a recombinant fibrinogen-related lectin PmFREP from the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon expressed in the Trichoplusia ni insect cell. Electron microscopy and cross-linking experiments revealed that PmFREP is a disulfide-linked dimer of pentamers distinct from other fibrinogen-related lectins. The full-length protein binds N-acetyl sugars in a Ca2+ ion-independent manner. PmFREP recognized and agglutinated Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Weak binding was detected with other bacteria, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, but no agglutination activity was observed. The biologically active PmFREP will not only be a crucial tool to elucidate the innate immune signaling in P. monodon and other economically important species, but will also aid in detection and prevention of shrimp bacterial infectious diseases.