Ground-based radar detection of the equatorward boundary of ion auroral oval in the dusk-midnight sector and its dynamical association with substorms

One of the important boundaries of the auroral region in the dusk-midnight sector is the equatorward boundary of the ion precipitation. In this region, on average, the ion precipitation region is equatorward of the electron precipitation region and is important in the overall energy budget. There are ground and satellite based measurement techniques to detect this important boundary but many of these measurements lack the temporal and spatial coverage required to study the dynamical features of this boundaries relationship with substorms. In this paper a review of a new ground based radar technique to determine the boundary and its limitations are presented. The new radar method is used to study the substorm growth phase dynamics. It found that on average, the boundary is located more equatorward during substorms than during non substorms. This implies that magnetotail stretching is a necessary condition for substorms. It is also found that statically there is no difference in the location of the boundary for substorms and non substorms in the 18-19 hours magnetic local time sector. The equatorward expansion rate of the boundary shows clear distinction between substorms and non substorms: The equatorward expansion rate of the boundary is much lower during non substorms than during substorms. Implications of the results for substorm dynamics are also presented

Statistical properties of substorm auroral onset beads/rays

Auroral substorms are often associated with optical ray or bead structures during initial brightening (substorm auroral onset waves). Occurrence probabilities and properties of substorm onset waves have been characterized using 112 substorm events identified in Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) all-sky imager data and compared to Rice Convection Model–Equilibrium (RCM-E) and kinetic instability properties. All substorm onsets were found to be associated with optical waves, and thus, optical waves are a common feature of substorm onset. Eastward propagating wave events are more frequent than westward propagating wave events and tend to occur during lower-latitude substorms (stronger solar wind driving). The wave propagation directions are organized by orientation of initial brightening arcs. We also identified notable differences in wave propagation speed, wavelength (wave number), period, and duration between westward and eastward propagating waves. In contrast, the wave growth rate does not depend on the propagation direction or substorm strength but is inversely proportional to the wave duration. This suggests that the waves evolve to poleward expansion at a certain intensity threshold and that the wave properties do not directly relate to substorm strengths. However, waves are still important for mediating the transition between the substorm growth phase and poleward expansion. The relation to arc orientation can be explained by magnetotail structures in the RCM-E, indicating that substorm onset location relative to the pressure peak determines the wave propagation direction. The measured wave properties agree well with kinetic ballooning interchange instability, while cross-field current instability and electromagnetic ion cyclotron instability give much larger propagation speed and smaller wave period

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

AKR breakup and auroral particle acceleration at substorm onset

The dynamical behavior of auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) is investigated in connection with auroral particle acceleration at substorm onsets using high-time-resolution wave spectrograms provided by Polar/PWI electric field observations. AKR develops explosively at altitudes above a preexisting low-altitude AKR source at substorm onsets. This “AKR breakup” suggests an abrupt formation of a new field-aligned acceleration region above the preexisting acceleration region. The formation of the new acceleration region is completed in a very short time (amplitude increases 10,000 times in 30 seconds), suggesting that the explosive development is confined to a localized region. AKR breakups are usually preceded (1–3 minutes) by the appearance and/or gradual enhancement of the low-altitude AKR. This means that the explosive formation of the high-altitude electric field takes place in the course of the growing low-altitude acceleration. The development of the low-altitude acceleration region is thus a necessary condition for the ignition of the high-altitude bursty acceleration. The dH/dt component from a search-coil magnetometer at ground shows that a few minutes prior to substorm onsets, the quasi-DC component begins a negative excursion that is nearly synchronized with the start of the gradual enhancement of the low-altitude AKR, indicating a precursor-like behavior for the substorm. This negative variation of dH/dt suggests an exponentially increasing ionospheric current induced by the upward field-aligned current. At substorm onsets, the decrease in the quasi-DC variation of dH/dt further accelerates, indicating a sudden reinforcement of the field-aligned current

Key features of >30 keV electron precipitation during high speed solar wind streams: A superposed epoch analysis

We present an epoch analysis of energetic (>30 keV) electron precipitation during 173 high speed solar wind streams (HSS) using riometer observations of cosmic noise absorption (CNA) as a proxy for the precipitation. The arrival of the co-rotating interaction region (CIR) prior to stream onset, elevates the precipitation which then peaks some 12 h after stream arrival. Precipitation continues for several days following the HSS arrival. The MLT distribution of CNA is generally consistent with the statistical pattern explained via the substorm process, though the statistical deep minimum of CNA/precipitation does change during the HSS suggesting increased precipitation in the 15–20 MLT sector. The level of precipitation is strongly controlled by the average state of the IMF BZ component on the day prior to the arrival of the stream interface. An average negative IMF BZ will produce higher CNA across all L-shells and MLT, up to 100% higher than an average positive IMF BZ