Archives of in situ sea surface temperature (SST) measurements extend back more than 160 years. Quality of the measurements is variable, and the area of the oceans they sample is limited, especially ...early in the record and during the two world wars. Measurements of SST and the gridded data sets that are based on them are used in many applications so understanding and estimating the uncertainties are vital. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the various components that contribute to the overall uncertainty of SST measurements made in situ and of the data sets that are derived from them. In doing so, it also aims to identify current gaps in understanding. Uncertainties arise at the level of individual measurements with both systematic and random effects and, although these have been extensively studied, refinement of the error models continues. Recent improvements have been made in the understanding of the pervasive systematic errors that affect the assessment of long‐term trends and variability. However, the adjustments applied to minimize these systematic errors are uncertain and these uncertainties are higher before the 1970s and particularly large in the period surrounding the Second World War owing to a lack of reliable metadata. The uncertainties associated with the choice of statistical methods used to create globally complete SST data sets have been explored using different analysis techniques, but they do not incorporate the latest understanding of measurement errors, and they want for a fair benchmark against which their skill can be objectively assessed. These problems can be addressed by the creation of new end‐to‐end SST analyses and by the recovery and digitization of data and metadata from ship log books and other contemporary literature.
Key Points
Digitization of data and metadata from ship's logs will help reduce uncertainty
A major barrier to reducing uncertainty in SST is a lack of reliable metadata
New SST analyses and intercomparisons are needed to improve understanding
Immune cell plasticity has extensive implications in the pathogenesis and resolution of metabolic disorders, cancers, autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory disorders. Over the past decade, ...nutritional status has been discovered to influence the immune response. In metabolic disorders such as obesity, immune cells interact with various classes of lipids, which are capable of controlling the plasticity of macrophages and T lymphocytes. The purpose of this review is to discuss lipids and their impact on innate and adaptive immune responses, focusing on two areas: (1) the impact of altering lipid metabolism on immune cell activation, differentiation and function and (2) the mechanism by which lipids such as cholesterol and fatty acids regulate immune cell plasticity.
•Annealing dependent microstructural evolution and change in conductivity of ZnO films.•Preferential growth along (002) and (100) planes in air and vacuum annealed films.•Resistivity varied between ...106 and 10−2Ωcm depending on annealing conditions.•Hydrogen interstitials, and hydrogen-oxygen vacancy complexes affect the conductivity.•Narrow ZnO bandgap assigned to band tail effect related to intrinsic defects states.
We report the microstructural evolution of the preferred orientation and electrical conductivity of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films prepared by ion beam sputtering. Elastic recoil detection analysis results showed 0.6at% H in as-deposited film which decreased to 0.35at% in air annealed film due to H diffusion. XRD results showed that the preferred orientation can be tuned by selecting annealing conditions. Vacuum annealed films exhibited (100) orientation, whereas air annealed film showed (002) orientation. The annealing conditions caused a dramatic increase in the resistivity of air annealed films (∼106Ωcm), whereas vacuum annealed films showed lower resistivity (∼10−2Ωcm). High resistivity in air annealed film is attributed to the lack of hydrogen interstitials and hydrogen-oxygen vacancy complexes. Raman results supported the XRD results which demonstrated that annealing assisted in recovery of the crystalline disorder in as-deposited films. Air annealed film exhibited the highest optical transmission (89.7%) in the UV–vis region compared to as-deposited and vacuum annealed films (∼85%). Optical bandgap was found to vary between 3.11eV and 3.18eV in as-deposited and annealed films, respectively. The bandgap narrowing is associated with the intrinsic defects which introduced defect states resulting in band tail in ZnO films.
Summary Background Optimal drug treatment for patients with resistant hypertension is undefined. We aimed to test the hypotheses that resistant hypertension is most often caused by excessive sodium ...retention, and that spironolactone would therefore be superior to non-diuretic add-on drugs at lowering blood pressure. Methods In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, we enrolled patients aged 18–79 years with seated clinic systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater (or ≥135 mm Hg for patients with diabetes) and home systolic blood pressure (18 readings over 4 days) 130 mm Hg or greater, despite treatment for at least 3 months with maximally tolerated doses of three drugs, from 12 secondary and two primary care sites in the UK. Patients rotated, in a preassigned, randomised order, through 12 weeks of once daily treatment with each of spironolactone (25–50 mg), bisoprolol (5–10 mg), doxazosin modified release (4–8 mg), and placebo, in addition to their baseline blood pressure drugs. Random assignment was done via a central computer system. Investigators and patients were masked to the identity of drugs, and to their sequence allocation. The dose was doubled after 6 weeks of each cycle. The hierarchical primary endpoints were the difference in averaged home systolic blood pressure between spironolactone and placebo, followed (if significant) by the difference in home systolic blood pressure between spironolactone and the average of the other two active drugs, followed by the difference in home systolic blood pressure between spironolactone and each of the other two drugs. Analysis was by intention to treat. The trial is registered with EudraCT number 2008-007149-30, and ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02369081. Findings Between May 15, 2009, and July 8, 2014, we screened 436 patients, of whom 335 were randomly assigned. After 21 were excluded, 285 patients received spironolactone, 282 doxazosin, 285 bisoprolol, and 274 placebo; 230 patients completed all treatment cycles. The average reduction in home systolic blood pressure by spironolactone was superior to placebo (–8·70 mm Hg 95% CI −9·72 to −7·69; p<0·0001), superior to the mean of the other two active treatments (doxazosin and bisoprolol; −4·26 –5·13 to −3·38; p<0·0001), and superior when compared with the individual treatments; versus doxazosin (–4·03 –5·04 to −3·02; p<0·0001) and versus bisoprolol (–4·48 –5·50 to −3·46; p<0·0001). Spironolactone was the most effective blood pressure-lowering treatment, throughout the distribution of baseline plasma renin; but its margin of superiority and likelihood of being the best drug for the individual patient were many-fold greater in the lower than higher ends of the distribution. All treatments were well tolerated. In six of the 285 patients who received spironolactone, serum potassium exceeded 6·0 mmol/L on one occasion. Interpretation Spironolactone was the most effective add-on drug for the treatment of resistant hypertension. The superiority of spironolactone supports a primary role of sodium retention in this condition. Funding The British Heart Foundation and National Institute for Health Research.
Chemerin, a chemoattractant protein and adipokine, has been identified as the endogenous ligand for a G protein-coupled receptor encoded by the gene
(also known as ChemR23), and as a consequence the ...receptor protein was renamed the chemerin receptor in 2013. Since then, chemerin has been identified as the endogenous ligand for a second G protein-coupled receptor, encoded by the gene
Therefore, the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Committee on Receptor Nomenclature and Drug Classification recommends that the official name of the receptor protein for chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1) is chemerin receptor 1, and G protein-coupled receptor 1 is chemerin receptor 2 to follow the convention of naming the receptor protein after the endogenous ligand. Chemerin receptor 1 and chemerin receptor 2 can be abbreviated to Chemerin
and Chemerin
, respectively. Chemerin requires C-terminal processing for activity, and human chemerin21-157 is reported to be the most active form, with peptide fragments derived from the C terminus biologically active at both receptors. Small-molecule antagonist, CCX832, selectively blocks CMKLR1, and resolvin E1 activation of CMKLR1 is discussed. Activation of both receptors by chemerin is via coupling to G
, causing inhibition of adenylyl cyclase and increased Ca
flux. Receptors and ligand are widely expressed in humans, rats, and mice, and both receptors share ∼80% identity across these species.
knockout mice highlight the role of this receptor in inflammation and obesity, and similarly,
knockout mice exhibit glucose intolerance. In addition, the chemerin receptors have been implicated in cardiovascular disease, cancer, steroidogenesis, human immunodeficiency virus replication, and neurogenerative disease.
The reproductive biology of fishes impact many other components of their life history, and can influence their vulnerability to fisheries, therefore for more informed management, a good understanding ...is essential. For lumpfish (
Cyclopterus lumpus
), a semi-pelagic species found across the north-Atlantic and targeted by fishers for their roe, comprehensive knowledge of this aspect of their life history is still lacking. Through a combination of regular sampling from scientific surveys and fisheries and modern methodology in fish reproductive biology, we investigated the ovary development of lumpfish throughout vitellogenesis. The results showed that ovaries of lumpfish had a wide range of oocyte sizes and that lumpfish are a determinate, batch spawner with ovary development taking at least 8 months. They spawn a maximum of two batches per season with a similar number of eggs in each batch. Unusually for a determinate batch spawner, the two batches were easily distinguished within the ovary prior to ovulation. Average egg size ranged from between 2050 and 2500 µm, with larger fish having larger eggs, and the egg diameter of the second batch being on average 1.6% smaller than the first. Lumpfish were documented as spawning over a 4-month period, but it is likely that spawning occurs over a greater period. A macroscopic and oocyte size frequency distribution (OSFD) scale for lumpfish is presented which can be used for future studies of lumpfish.
The Return to Protectionism Fajgelbaum, Pablo D; Goldberg, Pinelopi K; Kennedy, Patrick J ...
The Quarterly journal of economics,
02/2020, Letnik:
135, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Abstract
After decades of supporting free trade, in 2018 the United States raised import tariffs and major trade partners retaliated. We analyze the short-run impact of this return to protectionism ...on the U.S. economy. Import and retaliatory tariffs caused large declines in imports and exports. Prices of imports targeted by tariffs did not fall, implying complete pass-through of tariffs to duty-inclusive prices. The resulting losses to U.S. consumers and firms that buy imports was $51 billion, or 0.27% of GDP. We embed the estimated trade elasticities in a general-equilibrium model of the U.S. economy. After accounting for tariff revenue and gains to domestic producers, the aggregate real income loss was $7.2 billion, or 0.04% of GDP. Import tariffs favored sectors concentrated in politically competitive counties, and the model implies that tradeable-sector workers in heavily Republican counties were the most negatively affected due to the retaliatory tariffs. JEL Code: F1.
The performance of a new historical reanalysis, the NOAA–CIRES–DOE Twentieth Century Reanalysis version 3 (20CRv3), is evaluated via comparisons with other reanalyses and independent observations. ...This dataset provides global, 3-hourly estimates of the atmosphere from 1806 to 2015 by assimilating only surface pressure observations and prescribing sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration, and radiative forcings. Comparisons with independent observations, other reanalyses, and satellite products suggest that 20CRv3 can reliably produce atmospheric estimates on scales ranging from weather events to long-term climatic trends. Not only does 20CRv3 recreate a ‘‘best estimate’’ of the weather, including extreme events, it also provides an estimate of its confidence through the use of an ensemble. Surface pressure statistics suggest that these confidence estimates are reliable. Comparisons with independent upper-air observations in the Northern Hemisphere demonstrate that 20CRv3 has skill throughout the twentieth century. Upper-air fields from 20CRv3 in the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century correlate well with full-input reanalyses, and the correlation is predicted by the confidence fields from 20CRv3. The skill of analyzed 500-hPa geopotential heights from 20CRv3 for 1979–2015 is comparable to that of modern operational 3–4-day forecasts. Finally, 20CRv3 performs well on climate time scales. Long time series and multidecadal averages of mass, circulation, and precipitation fields agree well with modern reanalyses and station- and satellite-based products. 20CRv3 is also able to capture trends in tropospheric-layer temperatures that correlate well with independent products in the twentieth century, placing recent trends in a longer historical context.
The historical surface temperature data set HadCRUT provides a record of surface temperature trends and variability since 1850. A new version of this data set, HadCRUT3, has been produced, benefiting ...from recent improvements to the sea surface temperature data set which forms its marine component, and from improvements to the station records which provide the land data. A comprehensive set of uncertainty estimates has been derived to accompany the data: Estimates of measurement and sampling error, temperature bias effects, and the effect of limited observational coverage on large‐scale averages have all been made. Since the mid twentieth century the uncertainties in global and hemispheric mean temperatures are small, and the temperature increase greatly exceeds its uncertainty. In earlier periods the uncertainties are larger, but the temperature increase over the twentieth century is still significantly larger than its uncertainty.
PDF
