How Do Modeling Choices and Erosion Zone Locations Impact the Representation of Connectivity and the Dynamics of Suspended Sediments in a Multi-Source Soil Erosion Model?

[Abstract] Soil erosion and suspended sediment transport understanding is an important issue in terms of soil and water resources management in the critical zone. In mesoscale watersheds (>10 km2) the spatial distribution of potential sediment sources within the catchment associated with rainfall dynamics is considered to be the main factor in the observed suspended sediment flux variability within and between runoff events. Given the high spatial heterogeneity that can exist for such scales of interest, distributed physically based models of soil erosion and sediment transport are powerful tools to distinguish the specific effect of structural and functional connectivity on suspended sediment flux dynamics. As the spatial discretization of a model and its parameterization can crucially influence how the structural connectivity of the catchment is represented in the model, this study analyzed the impact of modeling choices in terms of the contributing drainage area (CDA) threshold to define the river network and of Manning's roughness parameter (n) on the sediment flux variability at the outlet of two geomorphologically distinct watersheds. While the modeled liquid and solid discharges were found to be sensitive to these choices, the patterns of the modeled source contributions remained relatively similar when the CDA threshold was restricted to the range of 15 to 50 ha, with n restricted to the range 0.4–0.8 on the hillslopes and to 0.025–0.075 in the river. The comparison of the two catchments showed that the actual location of sediment sources was more important than the choices made during discretization and parameterization of the model. Among the various structural connectivity indicators used to describe the geological sources, the mean distance to the stream was the most relevant proxy for the temporal characteristics of the modeled sedigraphs.Francia. Agence Nationale de la Recherche; ANR-11-EQPX-0011This research has been supported by the Draix Bléone and OHMCV long-term observatories, funded by the National Institute of Science of the Universe, for access to datasets and the OZCAR research infrastructure (grant no. ANR-11-EQPX-0011)

Do technology and social media preferences differ with age? A study of the use of social technologies for business purposes in Spain

Social technologies have rapidly become part of the workplace culture with companies using social platforms to communicate, for customer service, to gain exposure and create awareness, to gain new customers, to increase revenue and profits, for marketing purposes, to network and build relationships, and for recruiting purposes. This paper reports the results of a study of the usage of social technologies by working women in Spain to determine the purposes for using these platforms in a business environment. Furthermore, statistical analyses of the data reveal whether the age of the respondents make a difference in social media preferences. Based on these results, organizations will have a better grasp of how to optimize the use of social technologies in business and which age groups are better suited for managing specific platforms based on the purposes studied, thus adding to the literature in the field

Comparison of D2 dopamine receptor occupancy after oral administration of quetiapine fumarate immediate-release and extended-release formulations in healthy subjects

Quetiapine is an established drug for treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. While initially manufactured as an immediate-release (IR) formulation, an extended-release (XR) formulation has recently been introduced. Pharmacokinetic studies show that quetiapine XR provides a lower peak and more stable plasma concentration than the IR formulation. This study investigated if the pharmacokinetic differences translate into different time curves for central D2 dopamine receptor occupancy. Eleven control subjects were examined with positron emission tomography (PET) and the radioligand [11C]raclopride. Eight subjects underwent all of the scheduled PET measurements. After baseline examination, quetiapine XR was administered once-daily for 8 d titrated to 300 mg/d on days 5–8, followed by 300 mg/d quetiapine IR on days 9–12. PET measurements were repeated after the last doses of quetiapine XR and IR at predicted times of peak and trough plasma concentrations. Striatal D2 receptor occupancy was calculated using the simplified reference tissue model. Peak D2 receptor occupancy was significantly higher with quetiapine IR than XR in all subjects (50±4% and 32±11%, respectively), consistent with lower peak plasma concentrations for the XR formulation. Trough D2 receptor occupancy was similarly low for both formulations (IR 7±7%, XR 8±6%). The lower peak receptor occupancy associated with quetiapine XR may explain observed pharmacodynamic differences between the formulations. Assuming that our findings in control subjects are valid for patients with schizophrenia, the study supports the view that quetiapine, like the prototype atypical antipsychotic clozapine, may show antipsychotic effect at lower D2 receptor occupancy than typical antipsychotics

Measurement of psychological entitlement in 28 countries

This article presents the cross-cultural validation of the Entitlement Attitudes Questionnaire, a tool designed to measure three facets of psychological entitlement: active, passive, and revenge entitlement. Active entitlement was defined as the tendency to protect individual rights based on self-worthiness. Passive entitlement was defined as the belief in obligations to and expectations toward other people and institutions for the fulfillment of the individual’s needs. Revenge entitlement was defined as the tendency to protect one’s individual rights when violated by others and the tendency to reciprocate insults. The 15-item EAQ was validated in a series of three studies: the first one on a general Polish sample (N = 1,900), the second one on a sample of Polish students (N = 199), and the third one on student samples from 28 countries (N = 5,979). A three-factor solution was confirmed across all samples. Examination of measurement equivalence indicated partial metric invariance of EAQ for all national samples. Discriminant and convergent validity of the EAQ was also confirmed

Cultural Dimensions of Entitlement (Kulturowe wymiary postaw roszczeniowych)

W oparciu o dane z prób studenckich z 27 krajów (N = 6192) sprawdzano uniwersalność trójwymiarowego modelu postaw roszczeniowych - zarówno w obrębie badanych prób krajowych, jak i na poziomie ponadkulturowym. W artykule przedstawiamy model teoretyczny umożliwiający porównania międzykulturowe w odniesieniu do postaw roszczeniowych oraz związki wyróżnionych postaw ze wskaźnikami rozwoju socjoekonomicznego społeczeństw (w tym funkcjonowania demokracji i gospodarki) oraz wartościami kulturowymi Schwartza. Uzyskane wyniki omawiamy w odniesieniu do modelu ekokulturowego Berry’ego oraz teorii rozwoju ludzkiego Ingleharta.On the basis of findings obtained from students samples from 27 countries (N = 6192) applicability of three-dimensional entitlement model on individual and cultural level were tested. In the article we present theoretical model allowing for cross-cultural comparisons of entitlement attitudes and its relations to socioeconomic development of societies (including functioning of democracy and economy) and cultural values by Shalom Schwartz. Obtained results are discussed in the terms of John Berry’s eco-cultural model and Ronald Inglehart’s human development theory

WSES guidelines for management of Clostridium difficile infection in surgical patients

In the last two decades there have been dramatic changes in the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), with increases in incidence and severity of disease in many countries worldwide. The incidence of CDI has also increased in surgical patients. Optimization of management of C difficile, has therefore become increasingly urgent. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts prepared evidenced-based World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) guidelines for management of CDI in surgical patients

WSES guidelines for management of Clostridium difficile infection in surgical patients

In the last two decades there have been dramatic changes in the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), with increases in incidence and severity of disease in many countries worldwide. The incidence of CDI has also increased in surgical patients. Optimization of management of C difficile, has therefore become increasingly urgent. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts prepared evidenced-based World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) guidelines for management of CDI in surgical patients.Peer reviewe

Modeled contributions of sediment sources to total suspended sediment flux in two mesoscale catchments

Metadata describing the data presented in the article published by Uber et al (2021).Uber, M., Nord, G., Legout, C., and Cea, L.: How do modeling choices and erosion zone locations impact the representation of connectivity and the dynamics of suspended sediments in a multi-source soil erosion model?, Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 123–144, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-123-2021, 2021.To download corresponding data files, please use the following link:https://doi.osug.fr/data/public/IGE_EROSION_MODEL_2020/Complete dataset can be vizualized using the following R application:https://shiny.osug.fr/app/EROSION_MODEL.2020The application enables to show the contribution of erosion zones that act as sediment sources to total suspended sediment load in percent simulated with the IBER soil erosion model. Model output can be visualized for two mesoscale Mediterranean catchments in southeastern France, the 42 km2 Claduègne catchment and the 20 km2 Galabre catchment and for different sets of scenarios: (i) CDA threshold: The threshold of contributing drainage area (CDA) defines the length of the river network. Values were varied from 15 ha to 500 ha. (ii) Manning's n: river: Manning's roughness parameter in the river network. Values were varied from 0.025 to 0.1. (iii) Manning's n: hillslopes: Manning's roughness parameter on the hillslopes. Values were varied from 0.2 to 0.8. (iv) Source classification: Source classification based on connectivity, i.e. sediment sources were subdivided based on their distance to the outlet and their distance to the river. In addition to the modeled source contributions the time series of rainfall intensity, liquid and solid discharge can be displayed

Binding geometry of benzo[a] pyrene diol epoxide covalently bound to DNA. A flow linear dichroism study

Flow linear dichroism (LD) provides new structural information on 7β,8α-dihydroxy-9α, 10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a] pyrene (anti-BPDE) covalently bound to DNA: by resolving the LD spectrum with respect to the polarized absorption components of the pyrenyl chromophore, we have determined the orientations of the in-plane symmetry axes of the bound compound relative to the helix axis of DNA [they are on average oriented at 70\ub0(short axis) and 30\ub0(long axis)]; for both (+)- and (–)-anti-BPDE adducts the flexibility of the DNA is increased