A large scale hearing loss screen reveals an extensive unexplored genetic landscape for auditory dysfunction

The developmental and physiological complexity of the auditory system is likely reflected in the underlying set of genes involved in auditory function. In humans, over 150 non-syndromic loci have been identified, and there are more than 400 human genetic syndromes with a hearing loss component. Over 100 non-syndromic hearing loss genes have been identified in mouse and human, but we remain ignorant of the full extent of the genetic landscape involved in auditory dysfunction. As part of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, we undertook a hearing loss screen in a cohort of 3006 mouse knockout strains. In total, we identify 67 candidate hearing loss genes. We detect known hearing loss genes, but the vast majority, 52, of the candidate genes were novel. Our analysis reveals a large and unexplored genetic landscape involved with auditory function

The FLUXNET2015 dataset and the ONEFlux processing pipeline for eddy covariance data

The FLUXNET2015 dataset provides ecosystem-scale data on CO2, water, and energy exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere, and other meteorological and biological measurements, from 212 sites around the globe (over 1500 site-years, up to and including year 2014). These sites, independently managed and operated, voluntarily contributed their data to create global datasets. Data were quality controlled and processed using uniform methods, to improve consistency and intercomparability across sites. The dataset is already being used in a number of applications, including ecophysiology studies, remote sensing studies, and development of ecosystem and Earth system models. FLUXNET2015 includes derived-data products, such as gap-filled time series, ecosystem respiration and photosynthetic uptake estimates, estimation of uncertainties, and metadata about the measurements, presented for the first time in this paper. In addition, 206 of these sites are for the first time distributed under a Creative Commons (CC-BY 4.0) license. This paper details this enhanced dataset and the processing methods, now made available as open-source codes, making the dataset more accessible, transparent, and reproducible.Peer reviewe

Soil respiration in paludified forests of European Russia

Soil respiration studies in paludified forests of the European part of Russia are quite rare in comparison with those of open peat bogs, which make long-term observations in this region highly relevant. In this study, soil CO(2)emissions were measured by the close chamber method in different microlandscapes of paludified forests. For four summer seasons with different environments, soil respiration ranged from 1078 to 248 mg CO2 m(-2) h(-1)in a paludified spruce forest site with coarse woody debris to 659-820 mg CO2 m(-2) h(-1)in a paludified boggy pine forest. The most intensive soil respiration was observed during the hot summer of 2013 and the lowest in the hot and humid summer of 2016. Annual total soil CO(2)emissions in paludified forests in 2015-2016 were approximately 2000-3000 g CO2 m(-2). During the year, the lowest CO(2)emission values were observed from November to April (14-84 mg CO2 m(-2) h(-1)) and the maximum were in July and August (522-1205 mg CO2 m(-2) h(-1)). The contributions of CO(2)emissions in the cold November-April period were 6-8.5%. The impacts of temperature on soil respiration were higher (r(2) = 0.45-0.57) than those of groundwater levels (r(2) = 0.17-0.49). Soil respiration in the paludified spruce forest and in the pine bog generally were higher than emissions from ecosystems with similar hydrothermal conditions in the boreal zone

Response of Spruce Forest Ecosystem CO₂ Fluxes to Inter-Annual Climate Anomalies in the Southern Taiga

Climate extremes and anomalies modify the CO2 ecosystem–atmosphere exchange of the boreal forests and consequently alter the terrestrial carbon stocks and the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. The effects of the anomalous weather conditions on the CO2 net ecosystem exchange (NEE), total ecosystem respiration (TER), and gross primary production (GPP) of the typical southern taiga nemorose spruce forest were analyzed using continuous eddy covariance flux measurements in the 2015–2020 period. The forest was found to be a source of atmospheric CO2 in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020 (the mean annual GPP/TER ratio was between 0.87 and 0.97). In 2018, the forest was found to act as a CO2 sink (GPP/TER = 1.47) when a positive temperature anomaly in the growing season was accompanied by a negative precipitation anomaly and increased global radiation. The early start of the CO2 uptake in the anomalously warm winter of 2019/2020 did not result in an increase in the annual GPP/TER ratio (0.90). The comparison of the flux data obtained from the nemorose spruce forest on the well-drained soils with the data obtained from paludified spruce forest in the same landscape showed that the mean annual GPP/TER ratio of the sites alternatively responded to the mentioned anomalies. This study suggests that a variety of soil moisture regimes across the southern taiga spruce forests provide a non-uniformity in the response reactions of the CO2 ecosystem–atmosphere exchange on the climate anomalies

Response of Spruce Forest Ecosystem CO2 Fluxes to Inter-Annual Climate Anomalies in the Southern Taiga

Climate extremes and anomalies modify the CO2 ecosystem–atmosphere exchange of the boreal forests and consequently alter the terrestrial carbon stocks and the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. The effects of the anomalous weather conditions on the CO2 net ecosystem exchange (NEE), total ecosystem respiration (TER), and gross primary production (GPP) of the typical southern taiga nemorose spruce forest were analyzed using continuous eddy covariance flux measurements in the 2015–2020 period. The forest was found to be a source of atmospheric CO2 in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020 (the mean annual GPP/TER ratio was between 0.87 and 0.97). In 2018, the forest was found to act as a CO2 sink (GPP/TER = 1.47) when a positive temperature anomaly in the growing season was accompanied by a negative precipitation anomaly and increased global radiation. The early start of the CO2 uptake in the anomalously warm winter of 2019/2020 did not result in an increase in the annual GPP/TER ratio (0.90). The comparison of the flux data obtained from the nemorose spruce forest on the well-drained soils with the data obtained from paludified spruce forest in the same landscape showed that the mean annual GPP/TER ratio of the sites alternatively responded to the mentioned anomalies. This study suggests that a variety of soil moisture regimes across the southern taiga spruce forests provide a non-uniformity in the response reactions of the CO2 ecosystem–atmosphere exchange on the climate anomalies

Three-Year Variability Of Energy And Carbon Dioxide Fluxes At Clear-Cut Forest Site In The European Southern Taiga

Forest  clearing  strongly  influences  the energy,  water and greenhouse  gas exchange at the land sur face - atmosphere inter face. To estimate effects of clear cutting on sensible (H), latent heat (LE) and  CO2 fluxes the continuous eddy covariance measurements were provided at the recently clear-cut  area situated in the western  part of Russia from spring 2016 to the end of 2018. The possible effects of surrounding  forest on the air flow disturbances and on the spatial pattern of horizontal advection terms within the selected clear-cut area were investigated using a process-based 3D momentum, energy and CO2 exchange  model.  The modeling  results showed a very low contribution  of horizontal advection term into total turbulent momentum  fluxes at flux tower location in case of the southern wind direction. The results of field flux measurements  indicated  a strong inter- and intra-annual  variability of energy and CO2 fluxes. The energy budget is characterized by higher  daily and monthly   LE fluxes throughout  the entire  period  of measurements excepting the first two months after timber harvest. The mean Bowen ratio (β=H/LE) was 0.52 in 2016, 0.30 - in 2017 and 0.35 - in 2018. Analysis of CO2 fluxes during the first year following harvest showed  that the monthly CO2 release at the clear-cut area consistently exceeded the CO2 uptake  rates. The mean net ecosystem  exchange  (NEE) in the period was 3.3±1.3 gC∙m-2∙d-1. During the second and the third years of the flux measurements the clear-cut was also a prevailed sink of CO2 for the atmosphere excepting short periods in June and in the first part  of July when daily CO2  uptake was higher than CO2  release rates. The mean NEE rates  averaged   for  the entire warm period of corresponding  years were 1.2±2.3  gС∙m-2∙d-1 in 2017 and 2.8±2.5  gC∙m-2∙d-1 in 2018, respectively.  The mean ratio between  gross  primary  production  (GPP) and ecosystem  respiration (TER) was 0.58 in 2016, 0.84 - in 2017 and 0.74 - in 2018

Hot Spots Of Soil Respiration In A Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest In Southern Vietnam: A Brief Study Of Spatial Distribution

Many studies report  asymmetrical  spatial distribution  of soil respiration caused by presence of areas with significantly higher emission rates (so-called hot spots). For seasonally dry tropical  forest soil respiration  was measured on 1 ha plot with 20m, 5m and 1 m scale in the first half of dry season. 457 measurements made in 9 series at 54 sampling points. The results suggest  that lognormal  spatial distribution  model appears to be much more supported  rather than the normal one. A statistical method  proposed for estimation the mean value and its confidence  interval of lognormally distributed data. The mean emission rate E(RS) for the lognormal distribution amounted  to 4.28 µmol m-2 s-1, the 95% confidence  interval is 3.93 to 4.76 µmol m-2 s-1. However, the standard sample mean can be used as an estimator of the mean of lognormally distributed values of soil respiration  if their coefficient  of variance remains approximately the same as in our study (CV=0.35).  Based on the data obtained and literature  sources,  recommendations  are given on the number of sampling  points for estimating the spatial average value with a given accuracy

Risk Factors for Acquisition of Drug Resistance during Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, 2005–2010

Acquired resistance to antituberculosis drugs decreases effective treatment options and the likelihood of treatment success. We identified risk factors for acquisition of drug resistance during treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) and evaluated the effect on treatment outcomes. Data were collected prospectively from adults from Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, who had pulmonary MDR TB during 2005–2008. Acquisition of resistance to capreomycin and of extensively drug-resistant TB were more likely among patients who received 3 effective drugs (9.4% vs. 0% and 8.6% vs. 0.8%, respectively). Poor outcomes were more likely among patients with acquired capreomycin resistance (100% vs. 25.9%), acquired ofloxacin resistance (83.6% vs. 22.7%), or acquired extensive drug resistance (100% vs. 24.4%). To prevent acquired drug resistance and poor outcomes, baseline susceptibility to first- and second-line drugs should be determined quickly, and treatment should be adjusted to contain >3 effective drugs