We hypothesise that climate change, together with intensive agricultural systems, will increase the transfer of pollutants from land to water and impact on stream health. This study builds, for the ...first time, an integrated assessment of nutrient transfers, bringing together a) high-frequency data from the outlets of two surface water-dominated, headwater (~10km2) agricultural catchments, b) event-by-event analysis of nutrient transfers, c) concentration duration curves for comparison with EU Water Framework Directive water quality targets, d) event analysis of location-specific, sub-daily rainfall projections (UKCP, 2009), and e) a linear model relating storm rainfall to phosphorus load. These components, in combination, bring innovation and new insight into the estimation of future phosphorus transfers, which was not available from individual components. The data demonstrated two features of particular concern for climate change impacts. Firstly, the bulk of the suspended sediment and total phosphorus (TP) load (greater than 90% and 80% respectively) was transferred during the highest discharge events. The linear model of rainfall-driven TP transfers estimated that, with the projected increase in winter rainfall (+8% to +17% in the catchments by 2050s), annual event loads might increase by around 9% on average, if agricultural practices remain unchanged. Secondly, events following dry periods of several weeks, particularly in summer, were responsible for high concentrations of phosphorus, but relatively low loads. The high concentrations, associated with low flow, could become more frequent or last longer in the future, with a corresponding increase in the length of time that threshold concentrations (e.g. for water quality status) are exceeded. The results suggest that in order to build resilience in stream health and help mitigate potential increases in diffuse agricultural water pollution due to climate change, land management practices should target controllable risk factors, such as soil nutrient status, soil condition and crop cover.
Display omitted
•Climate change may increase pollutant transfers from agricultural land.•High temporal resolution data enabled present day nutrient dynamics to be analysed.•High flow events (>Q10) transported >90% of sediment, >80% of phosphorus•Longer periods of low flow and high concentration will increase ecological risk.•Average phosphorus loads may increase by 9% with higher rainfall volume and intensity.
FLAG Review 2019 Aoki, S.; Aoki, Y.; Bečirević, D. ...
The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields,
02/2020, Volume:
80, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
We review lattice results related to pion, kaon,
D
-meson,
B
-meson, and nucleon physics with the aim of making them easily accessible to the nuclear and particle physics communities. More ...specifically, we report on the determination of the light-quark masses, the form factor
f
+
(
0
)
arising in the semileptonic
K
→
π
transition at zero momentum transfer, as well as the decay constant ratio
f
K
/
f
π
and its consequences for the CKM matrix elements
V
us
and
V
ud
. Furthermore, we describe the results obtained on the lattice for some of the low-energy constants of
S
U
(
2
)
L
×
S
U
(
2
)
R
and
S
U
(
3
)
L
×
S
U
(
3
)
R
Chiral Perturbation Theory. We review the determination of the
B
K
parameter of neutral kaon mixing as well as the additional four
B
parameters that arise in theories of physics beyond the Standard Model. For the heavy-quark sector, we provide results for
m
c
and
m
b
as well as those for
D
- and
B
-meson decay constants, form factors, and mixing parameters. These are the heavy-quark quantities most relevant for the determination of CKM matrix elements and the global CKM unitarity-triangle fit. We review the status of lattice determinations of the strong coupling constant
α
s
. Finally, in this review we have added a new section reviewing results for nucleon matrix elements of the axial, scalar and tensor bilinears, both isovector and flavor diagonal.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is relatively rare, yet the economic and social burden is substantial. Having accurate incidence and prevalence estimates would facilitate efficient allocation of ...healthcare resources.
To provide a comprehensive and critical review of the epidemiological literature on ALS.
MEDLINE and EMBASE (1995-2011) databases of population-based studies on ALS incidence and prevalence reporting quantitative data were analyzed. Data extracted included study location and time, design and data sources, case ascertainment methods and incidence and/or prevalence rates. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) were calculated, and ALS case estimates were derived using 2010 population estimates.
In all, 37 articles met the inclusion criteria. In Europe, the median incidence rate (/100,000 population) was 2.08 (IQR 1.47-2.43), corresponding to an estimated 15,355 (10,852-17,938) cases. Median prevalence (/100,000 population) was 5.40 (IQR 4.06-7.89), or 39,863 (29,971-58,244) prevalent cases.
Disparity in rates among ALS incidence and prevalence studies may be due to differences in study design or true variations in population demographics such as age and geography, including environmental factors and genetic predisposition. Additional large-scale studies that use standardized case ascertainment methods are needed to more accurately assess the true global burden of ALS.
Aims/hypothesis
MicroRNAs regulate a broad range of biological mechanisms. To investigate the relationship between microRNA expression and type 2 diabetes, we compared global microRNA expression in ...insulin target tissues from three inbred rat strains that differ in diabetes susceptibility.
Methods
Using microarrays, we measured the expression of 283 microRNAs in adipose, liver and muscle tissue from hyperglycaemic (Goto–Kakizaki), intermediate glycaemic (Wistar Kyoto) and normoglycaemic (Brown Norway) rats (
n
= 5 for each strain). Expression was compared across strains and validated using quantitative RT-PCR. Furthermore, microRNA expression variation in adipose tissue was investigated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes exposed to hyperglycaemic conditions.
Results
We found 29 significantly differentiated microRNAs (
p
adjusted
< 0.05): nine in adipose tissue, 18 in liver and two in muscle. Of these, five microRNAs had expression patterns that correlated with the strain-specific glycaemic phenotype. MiR-222 (
p
adjusted
= 0.0005) and miR-27a (
p
adjusted
= 0.006) were upregulated in adipose tissue; miR-195 (
p
adjusted
= 0.006) and miR-103 (
p
adjusted
= 0.04) were upregulated in liver; and miR-10b (
p
adjusted
= 0.004) was downregulated in muscle. Exposure of 3T3-L1 adipocytes to increased glucose concentration upregulated the expression of miR-222 (
p
= 0.008), miR-27a (
p
= 0.02) and the previously reported miR-29a (
p
= 0.02). Predicted target genes of these differentially expressed microRNAs are involved in pathways relevant to type 2 diabetes.
Conclusion
The expression patterns of miR-222, miR-27a, miR-195, miR-103 and miR-10b varied with hyperglycaemia, suggesting a role for these microRNAs in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes, as modelled by the Gyoto–Kakizaki rat. We observed similar patterns of expression of miR-222, miR-27a and miR-29a in adipocytes as a response to increased glucose levels, which supports our hypothesis that altered expression of microRNAs accompanies primary events related to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.
The 8th Banff Conference on Allograft Pathology was held in Edmonton, Canada, 15–21 July 2005. Major outcomes included the elimination of the non‐specific term ‘chronic allograft nephropathy’ (CAN) ...from the Banff classification for kidney allograft pathology, and the recognition of the entity of chronic antibody‐mediated rejection. Participation of B cells in allograft rejection and genomics markers of rejection were also major subjects addressed by the conference.
The Banff consensus process has now eliminated the use of the term “chronic allograft nephropathy” (CAN) and replaced it with specific terms that distinguish non‐specific atrophy and fibrosis from specific entities such as slow antibody‐mediated rejection.
The trace element signature of Earth's continental crust resembles that of arc lavas, but the continents may have formed during ancient igneous pulses that are hard to reconcile with supra-subduction ...zone magmatism. We explore the role of coupled arc–back-arc accretionary processes in crust generation by considering the tectonic context of whole rock Nd isotope and zircon Hf–O isotope data from igneous rocks of the Australian Tasmanides (515–230 Ma), which is thought to have evolved by the repeated opening and closure of sediment-filled back-arc basins behind a long-lived subduction zone. The significance of this process for continental crust formation has yet to be evaluated from an isotopic perspective. Granitic rocks in this area define striking secular
ε
Nd–
ε
Hf–δ
18O trends that correlate with the pattern of deformational events and register changes in magma source during tectonic activity. These trends reveal that juvenile magmatic input was enhanced during extensional, back-arc rifting episodes that immediately followed crustal thickening, suggesting a relationship between slab rollback and continental growth. Interaction between juvenile magma and sedimentary units deposited during a preceding back-arc rifting cycle was integral to the formation of stable continental material. This highlights the importance of back-arc environments for both the generation and differentiation of continental crust. The juvenile component within the Tasmanide igneous rocks increased from the Cambrian to the Triassic, consistent with a diminished input from craton-derived metasedimentary material as the subduction zone migrated outboard of the Gondwana margin. Subduction zone retreat formed large tracts of new crust in eastern Australia at comparable rates to crust generation at modern island arcs, providing a mechanism for rapid continental growth at convergent margins. Using isotopic tracers to link tectonic evolution and crust generation in modern and ancient orogens can lead to a better understanding of the geodynamic controls on planetary differentiation.
The Phoenicians emerged in the Northern Levant around 1800 BCE and by the 9th century BCE had spread their culture across the Mediterranean Basin, establishing trading posts, and settlements in ...various European Mediterranean and North African locations. Despite their widespread influence, what is known of the Phoenicians comes from what was written about them by the Greeks and Egyptians. In this study, we investigate the extent of Phoenician integration with the Sardinian communities they settled. We present 14 new ancient mitogenome sequences from pre-Phoenician (~1800 BCE) and Phoenician (~700-400 BCE) samples from Lebanon (n = 4) and Sardinia (n = 10) and compare these with 87 new complete mitogenomes from modern Lebanese and 21 recently published pre-Phoenician ancient mitogenomes from Sardinia to investigate the population dynamics of the Phoenician (Punic) site of Monte Sirai, in southern Sardinia. Our results indicate evidence of continuity of some lineages from pre-Phoenician populations suggesting integration of indigenous Sardinians in the Monte Sirai Phoenician community. We also find evidence of the arrival of new, unique mitochondrial lineages, indicating the movement of women from sites in the Near East or North Africa to Sardinia, but also possibly from non-Mediterranean populations and the likely movement of women from Europe to Phoenician sites in Lebanon. Combined, this evidence suggests female mobility and genetic diversity in Phoenician communities, reflecting the inclusive and multicultural nature of Phoenician society.
Animal models of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are widely used for testing potential new therapies for RA. However, the question of which animal model is most predictive of therapeutic efficacy in human ...RA commonly arises in data evaluation. A retrospective review of the animal models used to evaluate approved, pending RA therapies, and compounds that were discontinued during phase II or III clinical trials found that the three most commonly used models were adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats and mice. Limited data were found for more recently developed genetically modified animal models. Examination of the efficacy of various compounds in these animal models revealed that a compound’s therapeutic efficacy, rather than prophylactic efficacy, in AIA and CIA models was more predictive of clinical efficacy in human RA than data from either model alone.
Appropriate integration of GABAergic interneurons into nascent cortical circuits is critical for ensuring normal information processing within the brain. Network and cognitive deficits associated ...with neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia, that result from NMDA receptor-hypofunction have been mainly attributed to dysfunction of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons that paradoxically express low levels of synaptic NMDA receptors. Here, we reveal that throughout postnatal development, thalamic, and entorhinal cortical inputs onto hippocampal neurogliaform cells are characterized by a large NMDA receptor-mediated component. This NMDA receptor-signaling is prerequisite for developmental programs ultimately responsible for the appropriate long-range AMPAR-mediated recruitment of neurogliaform cells. In contrast, AMPAR-mediated input at local Schaffer-collateral synapses on neurogliaform cells remains normal following NMDA receptor-ablation. These afferent specific deficits potentially impact neurogliaform cell mediated inhibition within the hippocampus and our findings reveal circuit loci implicating this relatively understudied interneuron subtype in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by NMDA receptor-hypofunction.Proper brain function depends on the correct assembly of excitatory and inhibitory neurons into neural circuits. Here the authors show that during early postnatal development in mice, NMDAR signaling via activity of long-range synaptic inputs onto neurogliaform cells is required for their appropriate integration into the hippocampal circuitry.
An observationally constrained time series of historical aerosol effective radiative forcing (ERF) from 1750 to 2019 is developed in this study. We find that the time history of aerosol ERFs ...diagnosed in CMIP6 models exhibits considerable variation and explore how the time history of aerosol forcing influences the probability distributions of present‐day aerosol forcing and emergent metrics such as climate sensitivity. Using a simple energy balance model, trained on CMIP6 climate models and constrained by observed near‐surface warming and ocean heat uptake, we derive estimates for the historical aerosol forcing. We find 2005–2014 mean aerosol ERF to be −1.1 (−1.8 to −0.5) W m−2 relative to 1750. Assuming recently published historical emissions from fossil fuel and industrial sectors and biomass burning emissions from SSP2‐4.5, aerosol ERF in 2019 is −0.9 (−1.5 to −0.4) W m−2. There is a modest recovery in aerosol forcing (+0.025 W m−2 decade−1) between 1980 and 2014. This analysis also gives a 5%–95% range of equilibrium climate sensitivity of 1.8°C –5.1°C (best estimate 3.1°C) with a transient climate response of 1.2°C –2.6°C (best estimate 1.8°C).
Plain Language Summary
There are two main human drivers of climate change: (a) Greenhouse gas emissions, which warm the planet; and (b) air pollution (aerosols) that offset some of this warming. Unfortunately, disentangling the effects of historical aerosol cooling is difficult based on the available observations. Therefore, we often use climate models to estimate how much aerosols have cooled the Earth since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Over the mid‐to‐late 20th Century, some climate models simulate less warming compared to 1850 than has been observed. This may be because aerosol cooling in some climate models is too strong. Our approach combines the relationships between aerosol emissions and their cooling effects on temperature from 11 climate models with simpler representations of the underlying physics. This simpler mathematical framework allows us to more fully account for uncertainty in both aerosol cooling and its effects on surface temperature and ocean heat uptake by running a much larger set of simulations. Our results suggest that the effect of aerosol cooling has only unwound slowly since 1980, and that it is difficult to determine how sensitive the climate is from this method.
Key Points
We determine the most plausible time history of aerosol forcing that matches surface temperature and Earth energy uptake constraints
Constrained aerosol forcing shows a modest recovery between 1980 and 2014, slower than the rate simulated by many CMIP6 models
The best estimate aerosol forcing using this method is −1.10 W m−2 for 2005–2014 relative to 1750
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