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The Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings, also known as the Third Pole, play an important role in the global and regional climate and hydrological cycle. Carbonaceous aerosols (CAs), including black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC), can directly or indirectly absorb and scatter solar radiation and change the energy balance on the Earth. CAs, along with the other atmospheric pollutants (e.g., mercury), can be frequently transported over long distances into the inland Tibetan Plateau. During the last decades, a coordinated monitoring network and research program named “Atmospheric Pollution and Cryospheric Changes” (APCC) has been gradually set up and continuously operated within the Third Pole regions to investigate the linkage between atmospheric pollutants and cryospheric changes. This paper presents a systematic dataset of BC, OC, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and water-insoluble organic carbon (WIOC) from aerosols (20 stations), glaciers (17 glaciers, including samples from surface snow and ice, snow pits, and 2 ice cores), snow cover (2 stations continuously observed and 138 locations surveyed once), precipitation (6 stations), and lake sediment cores (7 lakes) collected across the Third Pole, based on the APCC program. These data were created based on online (in situ) and laboratory measurements. High-resolution (daily scale) atmospheric-equivalent BC concentrations were obtained by using an Aethalometer (AE-33) in the Mt. Everest (Qomolangma) region, which can provide new insight into the mechanism of BC transportation over the Himalayas. Spatial distributions of BC, OC, WSOC, and WIOC from aerosols, glaciers, snow cover, and precipitation indicated different features among the different regions of the Third Pole, which were mostly influenced by emission sources, transport pathways, and deposition processes. Historical records of BC from ice cores and lake sediment cores revealed the strength of the impacts of human activity since the Industrial Revolution. BC isotopes from glaciers and aerosols identified the relative contributions of biomass and fossil fuel combustion to BC deposition on the Third Pole. Mass absorption cross sections of BC and WSOC from aerosol, glaciers, snow cover, and precipitation samples were also provided. This updated dataset is released to the scientific communities focusing on atmospheric science, cryospheric science, hydrology, climatology, and environmental science. The related datasets are presented in the form of excel files. BC and OC datasets over the Third Pole are available to download from the National Cryosphere Desert Data Center (https://doi.org/10.12072/ncdc.NIEER.db0114.2021; Kang and Zhang, 2021).

The retreat of sea ice has been found to be very significant in the Arctic under global warming. It is projected to continue and will have great impacts on navigation. Perspectives on the changes in sea ice and navigability are crucial to the circulation pattern and future of the Arctic. In this investigation, the decadal changes in sea ice parameters were evaluated by the multi-model from the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 6, and Arctic navigability was assessed under two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) and two vessel classes with the Arctic transportation accessibility model. The sea ice extent shows a high possibility of decreasing along SSP5-8.5 under current emissions and climate change. The decadal rate of decreasing sea ice extent will increase in March but decrease in September until 2060, when the oldest ice will have completely disappeared and the sea ice will reach an irreversible tipping point. Sea ice thickness is expected to decrease and transit in certain parts, declining by −0.22 m per decade after September 2060. Both the sea ice concentration and volume will thoroughly decline at decreasing decadal rates, with a greater decrease in volume in March than in September. Open water ships will be able to cross the Northern Sea Route and Northwest Passage between August and October during the period from 2045 to 2055, with a maximum navigable percentage in September. The time for Polar Class 6 (PC6) ships will shift to October–December during the period from 2021 to 2030, with a maximum navigable percentage in October. In addition, the central passage will be open for PC6 ships between September and October during 2021–2030.

Raman elastic thermobarometry has recently been applied in many petrological studies to recover the pressure and temperature (P–T) conditions of mineral inclusion entrapment. Existing modelling methods in petrology either adopt an assumption of a spherical, isotropic inclusion embedded in an isotropic, infinite host or use numerical techniques such as the finite-element method to simulate the residual stress and strain state preserved in the non-spherical anisotropic inclusions. Here, we use the Eshelby solution to develop an analytical framework for calculating the residual stress and strain state of an elastically anisotropic, ellipsoidal inclusion in an infinite, isotropic host. The analytical solution is applicable to any class of inclusion symmetry and an arbitrary inclusion aspect ratio. Explicit expressions are derived for some symmetry classes, including tetragonal, hexagonal, and trigonal. The effect of changing the aspect ratio on residual stress is investigated, including quartz, zircon, rutile, apatite, and diamond inclusions in garnet host. Quartz is demonstrated to be the least affected, while rutile is the most affected. For prolate quartz inclusion (c axis longer than a axis), the effect of varying the aspect ratio on Raman shift is demonstrated to be insignificant. When c/a=5, only ca. 0.3 cm−1 wavenumber variation is induced as compared to the spherical inclusion shape. For oblate quartz inclusions, the effect is more significant, when c/a=0.5, ca. 0.8 cm−1 wavenumber variation for the 464 cm−1 band is induced compared to the reference spherical inclusion case. We also show that it is possible to fit an effective ellipsoid to obtain a proxy for the averaged residual stress or strain within a faceted inclusion. The difference between the volumetrically averaged stress of a faceted inclusion and the analytically calculated stress from the best-fitted effective ellipsoid is calculated to obtain the root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) for quartz, zircon, rutile, apatite, and diamond inclusions in garnet host. Based on the results of 500 randomly generated (a wide range of aspect ratio and random crystallographic orientation) faceted inclusions, we show that the volumetrically averaged stress serves as an excellent stress measure and the associated RMSD is less than 2 %, except for diamond, which has a systematically higher RMSD (ca. 8 %). This expands the applicability of the analytical solution for any arbitrary inclusion shape in practical Raman measurements.

Satellite observations (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), 1983–2009) of linear trends in cloud cover are compared to those in global precipitation (Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) pentad V2.2, 1983–2009), to investigate possible cause(s) of the linear trends in both cloud cover and precipitation. The spatial distributions of the linear trends in total cloud cover and precipitation are both characterized primarily by a broadening of the major ascending zone of Hadley circulation. Our correlation studies suggest that global warming, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) can explain 67 %, 49 % and 38 %, respectively, of the spatial variabilities in the linear trends in cloud cover, but causality is harder to establish. Further analysis of the broadening of the major ascending zone of Hadley circulation shows that the trend in global temperature, rather than those in AMO and PDO, is the primary contributor to the observed linear trends in total cloud cover and precipitation in 1983–2009. The underlying mechanism driving this broadening is proposed to be the moisture–convection–latent-heat feedback cycle under global warming conditions. The global analysis is extended by investigating connections between clouds and precipitation in China, based on a large number of long-running, high-quality surface weather stations in 1957–2005. This reveals a quantitative matching relationship between the reduction in light precipitation and the reduction in total cloud cover. Furthermore, our study suggests that the reduction in cloud cover in China is primarily driven by global temperature; PDO plays a secondary role, while the contribution from AMO and Niño3.4 is insignificant, consistent with the global analysis.

Objective: To analyze the indications and results of prenatal cytogenetic screening in patients from a specialized center in Xiamen City, China, to provide a reference database for prenatal diagnosis. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, observational study included 7,400 pregnant women who underwent chorionic villous sampling (CVS), amniocentesis or cordocentesis at the Women and Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, China, over a 10-year period (2008-2018). Clinical data and the results of the cytogenetic analysis were assessed. Results: Fetal chromosomal aberrations were observed in 335 of 7, 400 (4.5%) cases, with trisomy 21 the most common aberration (87/335, 26%). A high risk on maternal serum screening was the indication for cytogenetic analysis in 36 of the 87 fetuses with trisomy 21 (41.4%). Abnormal fetal ultrasonographic findings were the clinical indication for cytogenetic testing in more than half of fetuses with abnormal karyotypes (181/335, 54%). Conclusions: Prenatal cytogenetic analysis is useful for the prenatal diagnosis of birth defects in Xiamen City, and may prevent termination of potentially healthy fetuses.

Oxybenzone (OBZ), a popular additive in sunscreen, can protect human skin by blocking ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun (Baker et al. 2015). In addition to being used in sunscreens, OBZ is also widely used in perfumes, shampoos, lip balms, and other pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) (Aguirre et al. 1992, Emonet et al. 2001, Kasichayanula et al. 2007). OBZ can enter rivers, lakes, groundwater, sewage, and so on through human activities and was identified as an 'emerging environmental pollutant' by the Environmental Protection Agency of the USA (Rodil et al. 2012, Agüera et al. 2013). With the rise in coastal tourism, a large number of coral reefs in coastal areas are being exposed to water containing OBZ (Barón et al. 2013, Tashiro and Kameda 2013). OBZ, as a pseudo-persistent pollutant, has a long-term toxic effect on the environment (Vione et al. 2013).

Residual pressure can be preserved in mineral inclusions, e.g. quartz-in-garnet, after exhumation due to differential expansion between inclusion and host crystals. Raman spectroscopy has been applied to infer the residual pressure and provides information on the entrapment temperature and pressure conditions. However, the amount of residual pressure relaxation cannot be directly measured. An underestimation or overestimation of residual pressure may lead to significant errors between calculated and actual entrapment pressure. This study focuses on three mechanisms responsible for the residual pressure modification: (1) viscous creep; (2) plastic yield; (3) proximity of inclusion to the thin-section surface. Criteria are provided to quantify how much of the expected residual pressure is modified due to these three mechanisms. An analytical solution is introduced to demonstrate the effect of inclusion depth on the residual pressure field when the inclusion is close to the thin-section surface. It is shown that for a quartz-in-garnet system, the distance between the thin-section surface and inclusion centre needs to be at least 3 times the inclusion radius to avoid pressure release. In terms of viscous creep, representative case studies on a quartz-in-garnet system show that viscous relaxation may occur from temperatures as low as 600–700 ∘C depending on the particular pressure–temperature (P–T) path and various garnet compositions. For quartz entrapped along the prograde P–T path and subject to viscous relaxation at peak T above 600–700 ∘C, its residual pressure after exhumation may be higher than predicted from its true entrapment conditions. Moreover, such a viscous resetting effect may introduce apparent overstepping of garnet nucleation that is not related to reaction affinity.

Snow cover plays a key role for sustaining ecology and society in mountainous regions. Light-absorbing particulates (including black carbon, organic carbon, and mineral dust) deposited on snow can reduce surface albedo and contribute to the near-worldwide melting of snow and ice. This study focused on understanding the role of black carbon and other water-insoluble light-absorbing particulates in the snow cover of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The results found that the black carbon, organic carbon, and dust concentrations in snow cover generally ranged from 202 to 17 468 ng g−1, 491 to 13 880 ng g−1, and 22 to 846 µg g−1, respectively, with higher concentrations in the central to northern areas of the TP. Back trajectory analysis suggested that the northern TP was influenced mainly by air masses from Central Asia with some Eurasian influence, and air masses in the central and Himalayan region originated mainly from Central and South Asia. The relative biomass-burning-sourced black carbon contributions decreased from ∼ 50 % in the southern TP to ∼ 30 % in the northern TP. The relative contribution of black carbon and dust to snow albedo reduction reached approximately 37 and 15 %, respectively. The effect of black carbon and dust reduced the snow cover duration by 3.1 ± 0.1 to 4.4 ± 0.2 days. Meanwhile, the black carbon and dust had important implications for snowmelt water loss over the TP. The findings indicate that the impacts of black carbon and mineral dust need to be properly accounted for in future regional climate projections, particularly in the high-altitude cryosphere.

Snow depth is one of the key physical parameters for understanding land surface energy balance, soil thermal regime, water cycle, and assessing water resources from local community to regional industrial water supply. Previous studies by using in situ data are mostly site specific; data from satellite remote sensing may cover a large area or global scale, but uncertainties remain large. The primary objective of this study is to investigate spatial variability and temporal change in snow depth across the Eurasian continent. Data used include long-term (1966–2012) ground-based measurements from 1814 stations. Spatially, long-term (1971–2000) mean annual snow depths of >20 cm were recorded in northeastern European Russia, the Yenisei River basin, Kamchatka Peninsula, and Sakhalin. Annual mean and maximum snow depth increased by 0.2 and 0.6 cm decade−1 from 1966 through 2012. Seasonally, monthly mean snow depth decreased in autumn and increased in winter and spring over the study period. Regionally, snow depth significantly increased in areas north of 50° N. Compared with air temperature, snowfall had greater influence on snow depth during November through March across the former Soviet Union. This study provides a baseline for snow depth climatology and changes across the Eurasian continent, which would significantly help to better understanding climate system and climate changes on regional, hemispheric, or even global scales.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of graded levels of isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO) on the performance, immune function and intestinal microflora and intestinal mucosal morphology of weaned pigs. In a 28-day experiment, one hundred eighty, twenty eight-day-old, crossbred (Duroc×Large White×Landrace), weaned pigs, with an initial body weight of 8.19±1.45 kg, were fed either an unsupplemented corn-soybean meal based diet or similar diets supplemented with 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, or 0.8% IMO added at the expense of corn. Each treatment was replicated six times with six pigs (three barrows and three gilts) per pen. From day 0 to 14, weight gain was linearly increased (p0.05). These results indicate that dietary inclusion of IMO increases weight gain, gain:feed and enhanced the immune status of pigs, and could be a valuable feed additive for use in weaned pigs, particularly during the period immediately after weaning.

The near-surface soil freeze/thaw status is an important indicator of climate change. Using data from 636 meteorological stations across China, we investigated the changes in the first date, the last date, the duration, and the number of days of the near-surface soil freeze over the period 1956–2006. The results reveal that the first date of the near-surface soil freeze was delayed by about 5 days, or at a rate of 0.10 ± 0.03 day yr−1, and the last date was advanced by about 7 days, or at a rate of 0.15 ± 0.02 day yr−1. The duration of the near-surface soil freeze decreased by about 12 days or at a rate of 0.25 ± 0.04 day yr−1, while the actual number of the near-surface soil freeze days decreased by about 10 days or at a rate of 0.20 ± 0.03 day yr−1. The rates of changes in the near-surface soil freeze/thaw status increased dramatically from the early 1990s through the end of the study period. Regionally, the changes in western China were greater than those in eastern China. Changes in the near-surface soil freeze/thaw status were primarily controlled by changes in air temperature, but urbanization may also play an important role.

The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) is the insect vector responsible for the worldwide spread of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), the bacterial pathogen associated with citrus greening disease. Developmental changes in the insect vector impact pathogen transmission, such that D. citri transmission of CLas is more efficient when bacteria are acquired by nymphs when compared with adults. We hypothesize that expression changes in the D. citri immune system and commensal microbiota occur during development and regulate vector competency. In support of this hypothesis, more proteins, with greater fold changes, were differentially expressed in response to CLas in adults when compared with nymphs, including insect proteins involved in bacterial adhesion and immunity. Compared with nymphs, adult insects had a higher titre of CLas and the bacterial endosymbionts Wolbachia, Profftella and Carsonella. All Wolbachia and Profftella proteins differentially expressed between nymphs and adults are upregulated in adults, while most differentially expressed Carsonella proteins are upregulated in nymphs. Discovery of protein interaction networks has broad applicability to the study of host–microbe relationships. Using protein interaction reporter technology, a D. citri haemocyanin protein highly upregulated in response to CLas was found to physically interact with the CLas coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis enzyme phosphopantothenoylcysteine synthetase/decarboxylase. CLas pantothenate kinase, which catalyses the rate-limiting step of CoA biosynthesis, was found to interact with a D. citri myosin protein. Two Carsonella enzymes involved in histidine and tryptophan biosynthesis were found to physically interact with D. citri proteins. These co-evolved protein interaction networks at the host–microbe interface are highly specific targets for controlling the insect vector responsible for the spread of citrus greening.

Snow density is one of the basic properties used to describe snow cover characteristics, and it is a key factor for linking snow depth and snow water equivalent, which are critical for water resources assessment and modeling inputs. In this study, we used long-term data from ground-based measurements to investigate snow density (bulk density) climatology and its spatiotemporal variations across the former Soviet Union (USSR) from 1966 to 2008. The results showed that the long-term monthly mean snow density was approximately 0.22 ± 0.05 g cm−3 over the study area. The maximum and minimum monthly mean snow density was about 0.33 g cm−3 in June, and 0.14 g cm−3 in October, respectively. Maritime and ephemeral snow had the highest monthly mean snow density, while taiga snow had the lowest. The higher values of monthly snow density were mainly located in the European regions of the former USSR, on the coast of Arctic Russia, and the Kamchatka Peninsula, while the lower snow density occurred in central Siberia. Significant increasing trends of snow density from September through June of the next year were observed, however, the rate of the increase varied with different snow classes. The long-term (1966–2008) monthly and annual mean snow densities had significant decreasing trends, especially during the autumn months. Spatially, significant positive trends in monthly mean snow density lay in the southwestern areas of the former USSR in November and December and gradually expanded in Russia from February through April. Significant negative trends mainly lay in the European Russia and the southern Russia. There was a high correlation of snow density with elevation for tundra snow and snow density was highly correlated with latitude for prairie snow.

Microbial dynamics have rarely been investigated in Lake Geneva, known as the largest lake in western Europe. From a 5-month survey, we report dynamic patterns of free-living virus, bacteria and small phytoplankton abundances in response to a variety of environmental parameters. For the first time, we fractionated the primary production to separate the contribution of different size-related biological compartments and measured both bacterial and viral production in addition to experiments conducted to quantify the virus-induced bacterial mortality. We observed marked seasonal and vertical variations in picocyanobacteria, bacteria and virus abundances and production. The contribution of picoplankton and nanoplankton production to the total primary production was high (reaching up to 76% of total primary production) in November and the spring–summer transition period, respectively. The impact of viral lysis on both bacteria and picocyanobacteria was significantly higher than grazing activities. Virus-induced picocyanobacterial mortality reached up to 66% of cell removal compared to virus induced (heterotrophic) bacterial mortality, which reached a maximum of 34% in July. Statistical analyzes revealed that temperature and top-down control by viruses are among important factors regulating the picocyanobacterial dynamics in this lake. More generally speaking, our results add to the growing evidence and accepted view nowadays that viruses are an important actor of freshwater microbial dynamics and more globally of the functioning of the microbial food webs.