Annual Uptake Research Articles

HPV vaccination uptake and administration from 2006 to 2016 in a commercially insured population of the United States

BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) infection can cause various cancers and can be prevented through vaccination. The American Cancer Society (ACS) has set an HPV vaccination completion target in 13-year-old children to 80% by 2026. While HPV vaccine coverage (proportion ever vaccinated) estimates are available, annual uptakes (proportion initiating vaccine in a year) in the United States (U.S.) are not well-known.MethodsWe analyzed MarketScan® claims database to assess HPV vaccination uptakes in the U.S. among the 9- to 26-year-olds in 2006–2016. The annual uptake was the ratio of the number of enrollees who had a first record of an HPV vaccine during the year, and the number of enrollees of similar age and sex that year.ResultsUptake was below 1% among children turning 9 and 10 years old during the year. Since 2009 among female and since 2013 among males, the annual uptake has been the highest in those turning 13 years old (19.7% among females and 17.6% among males in 2016). Catch-up vaccination among older adolescents and young adults increased after Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations, but eventually slowed down as more younger persons were vaccinated. Most young adolescents were vaccinated by pediatricians, whereas young adult women were predominantly vaccinated by obstetricians/gynecologists and young adult males by family physicians. While only about half of the adolescents had well-check visits, the majority of those who initiated HPV vaccination had one the same year.ConclusionContinued increase in uptake is needed to reach the ACS 2026 goals.

Differential response of soil CO2 , CH4 , and N2 O emissions to edaphic properties and microbial attributes following afforestation in central China.

Land use change specially affects greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and it can act as a sink/source of GHGs. Alterations in edaphic properties and microbial attributes induced by land use change can individually/interactively contribute to GHG emissions, but how they predictably affect soil CO2 , CH4 , and N2 O emissions remain unclear. Here, we investigated the direct and indirect controls of edaphic properties (i.e., dissolved organic carbon [DOC], soil organic C, total nitrogen, C:N ratio, -N, -N, soil temperature [ST], soil moisture [SM], pH, and bulk density [BD]) and microbial attributes (i.e., total phospholipid fatty acids [PLFAs], 18:1ω7c, nitrifying genes [ammonia-oxidizing archaea, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria], and denitrifying genes [nirS, nirK, and nosZ]) over the annual soil CO2 , CH4 , and N2 O emissions from the woodland, shrubland, and abandoned land in subtropical China. Soil CO2 and N2 O emissions were higher in the afforested lands (woodland and shrubland) than in the abandoned land, but the annual cumulative CH4 uptake did not significantly differ among all land use types. The CO2 emission was positively associated with microbial activities (e.g., total PLFAs), while the CH4 uptake was tightly correlated with soil environments (i.e., ST and SM) and chemical properties (i.e., DOC, C:N ratio, and -N concentration), but not significantly related to the methanotrophic bacteria (i.e., 18:1ω7c). Whereas, soil N2 O emission was positively associated with nitrifying genes, but negatively correlated with denitrifying genes especially nosZ. Overall, our results suggested that soil CO2 and N2 O emissions were directly dependent on microbial attributes, and soil CH4 uptake was more directly related to edaphic properties rather than microbial attributes. Thus, different patterns of soil CO2 , CH4 , and N2 O emissions and associated controls following land use change provided novel insights into predicting the effects of afforestation on climate change mitigation outcomes.

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Control Soil Methane Uptake in Tropical Montane Forests

AbstractTropical forests contribute about one third to global annual CH4 uptake by soils. Understanding the factors that control the soil‐atmosphere exchange of CH4 at a large scale is a critical step to improve the CH4 flux estimate for tropical soils, which is presently poorly constrained. Since tropical forest degradation often involves shifts in nutrient availabilities, it is critical to evaluate how this will affect soil CH4 flux. Here, we report how nitrogen (N; 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1), phosphorus (P; 10 kg P ha−1 yr−1), and combined N + P additions affect soil CH4 fluxes across an elevation gradient of tropical montane forests. We measured soil CH4 fluxes in a nutrient application experiment at different elevations over a period of 5 years. Nutrient additions increased soil CH4 uptake after 4–5 years of treatment but effects were not uniform across elevations. At 1,000 m, where total soil P was high, we detected mainly N limitation of soil CH4 uptake. At 2,000 m, where total soil P was low, a strong P limitation of soil CH4 uptake was observed. At 3,000 m, where total P was low in the organic layer but high in mineral soil, we found N limitation of soil CH4 uptake. Our results show that projected increases of N and P depositions may increase soil CH4 uptake in tropical montane forests but the direction, magnitude, and timing of the effects will depend on forests' nutrient status and plant‐microbial competition for N and P.

Global Uptake of Atmospheric Methane by Soil From 1900 to 2100

AbstractSoil methanotrophy is the only biological process that removes methane (CH4) from the atmosphere. There is good agreement about the size of the global sink but great uncertainty about its interannual variability and regional responses to changes in key environmental drivers. We used the process‐based methanotrophy model Methanotrophy Model (MeMo) v1.0 and output from global climate models to simulate regional and global changes in soil uptake of atmospheric CH4 from 1900 to 2100. The annual global uptake doubled from 17.1 ± 2.4 to 37.2 ± 3.3 Tg yr−1 from 1900‐2015 and could increase further to 82.7 ± 4.4 Tg yr−1 by 2100 (RCP8.5), primarily due to enhanced diffusion of CH4 into soil as a result of increases in atmospheric CH4 mole fraction. We show that during the period 1980–2015 temperature became an important influence on the increasing rates of soil methanotrophy, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. In RCP‐forced simulations the relative influence of temperature on changes in the uptake continues to increase, enhancing the soil sink through higher rates of methanotrophic metabolic activity, increases in the global area of active soil methanotrophy and length of active season. During the late 21st century under RCP6.0, temperature is predicted to become the dominant driver of changes in global mean soil uptake rates for the first time. Regionally, in Europe and Asia, nitrogen inputs dominate changes in soil methanotrophy, while soil moisture is the most important influence in tropical South America. These findings highlight that the soil sink could change in response to drivers other than atmospheric CH4 mole fraction.

Non-growing season plant nutrient uptake controls Arctic tundra vegetation composition under future climate

Plant growth and distribution in high-latitude tundra ecosystems is strongly limited by nutrient availability and is critical for quantifying centennial-scale carbon-climate interactions. However, land model representations of plant–nutrient interactions are uncertain, leading to poor comparisons with high-latitude observations. Although it has been recognized for decades in the observational community that plants continue to acquire nutrients well past when aboveground activity has ceased, most large-scale land models ignore this process. Here we address the role tundra plant nutrient acquisition during the non-growing season (NGS) has on centennial-scale vegetation growth and dynamics, with a focus on shrub expansion. We apply a well-tested mechanistic model of coupled plant, microbial, hydrological, and thermal dynamics that explicitly represents nutrient acquisition based on plant and microbial traits, thereby allowing a prognostic assessment of NGS nutrient uptake. We first show that the model accurately represents observed seasonality of NGS plant nutrient uptake in a northern Alaskan tundra site. Applying the model across the North America tundra indicates that NGS nutrient uptake is consistent with observations and ranges between ∼5% and 50% of annual uptake, with large spatial variability and dependence on plant functional type. We show that NGS plant nutrient acquisition strongly enhances modeled 21st century tundra shrub growth and expansion rates. Our results suggest that without NGS nutrient uptake, total shrub aboveground dominance would be ∼50% lower, limited primarily by their inability to grow tall enough to maximize their inherent capacity for light competition. Evergreen shrubs would be more strongly affected because of their relatively lower capacity for nutrient remobilization and acquisition compared to deciduous shrubs. Our results highlight the importance of NGS plant and soil processes on high-latitude biogeochemistry and vegetation dynamics and motivate new observations and model structures to represent these dynamics.

Characterization of spring thaw and its relationship with carbon uptake for different types of southern boreal forest

The timing of spring thaw is of great biological and hydrological significance in seasonally frozen boreal forests, and may significantly vary for different forest types because of variability in canopy architecture, forest floor characteristics, and soil types. This study explores inter-site variability of spring thaw and its controlling factors between two boreal coniferous (jack pine and black spruce) and one deciduous (aspen) forest sites located in Western Canada. The linkages between spring thaw and carbon uptake were also investigated. Long-term (1998 to 2015) observations of snowfall, snow water equivalent (SWE), snow temperature, soil temperature, soil water content, and CO2 fluxes were analyzed. Average annual peak SWE was 112±27, 98±22, and 93±23 mm for aspen, jack pine and black spruce sites, respectively. Snow accumulation was 15% to 20% higher for the deciduous forest site than for the coniferous forest sites despite similar seasonal snowfall of 117–122 mm. The onset of snowmelt, soil thaw start date and the time to complete snow ablation were quite similar across sites but the differences in soil thaw end date were large. Completion of soil thaw at the aspen site was about 18 and 30 days earlier than the jack pine and black spruce sites, respectively. An earlier soil thaw completion at the aspen site was likely driven by the higher sub-canopy net radiation because of the leafless canopy in spring. Between the two coniferous forest sites, soil thaw completion was delayed by about 2 weeks at the black spruce site where the thicker forest floor (ground cover i.e. moss/lichen and organic soil layer) caused higher ice content and also provided better insulation to the underlying soils. Onset and net annual carbon uptake were strongly correlated with snowmelt start and end dates as well as with soil thaw start and end dates for the coniferous forest sites but the correlations were not statistically significant for the aspen site. This study advances our understanding about the variability of spring thaw, its dynamics and controls, and its relationship to carbon uptake for different forest types in the southern boreal forest.

Effects of changes in throughfall on soil GHG fluxes under a mature temperate forest, northeastern China

Climate change scenarios predict a change in the rainfall regimes for this current century, which has different impacts on soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. However, how changes in annual rainfall affect annual GHG fluxes of forest soils remain unknown. A six-year field experiment with −25% and −50% throughfall (TF) and +25% TF manipulation was performed to explore the mechanisms involving GHG fluxes under a mature temperate forest, northeastern China and to work out whether the TF effect sizes on annual soil GHG fluxes vary with dry and wet years. The results showed that both −25% TF and −50% TF treatments depressed annual soil nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions but increased annual soil methane (CH4) uptake. A contrary pattern of annual soil GHG fluxes was observed in the +25% TF treatment. When annual TF input was decreased by 100 mm, annual soil N2O and CO2 emissions were decreased by 18.1 ± 3.1 mg N m−2 and by 39.4 ± 6.1 g C m−2 during the growing season, respectively, and annual soil CH4 uptake was increased by 11.5 ± 3.4 mg C m−2. Both −25% TF and −50% TF treatments reduced annual soil dissolved organic C (DOC) leaching by 29.3% and 45.6% and dissolved total N (DN) leaching by 30.8% and 39.6%, respectively. Contrary to annual soil N2O and CO2 emissions, annual soil CH4 uptake during the growing season significantly decreased with an increase in the annual leaching fluxes of soil DOC, inorganic N, and DN. Besides soil moisture and temperature and pH, soil GHG fluxes under manipulating TF condition were regulated by soil labile C and N status. Our findings indicated that the TF effect sizes on both annual GHG fluxes and net annual GHG balance (GWP) of forest soils varied with dry and wet years in northeastern China. The results highlight the importance of altered annual rainfall in regulating annual soil GHG fluxes and the GWP in temperate forests under global climate change.

Unusual characteristics of the carbon cycle during the 2015-2016 El Niño.

The 2015-2016 El Niño was one of the strongest on record, but its influence on the carbon balance is less clear. Using Northern Hemisphere atmospheric CO2 observations, we found both detrended atmospheric CO2 growth rate (CGR) and CO2 seasonal-cycle amplitude (SCA) of 2015-2016 were much higher than that of other El Niño events. The simultaneous high CGR and SCA were unusual, because our analysis of long-term CO2 observations at Mauna Loa revealed a significantly negative correlation between CGR and SCA. Atmospheric inversions and terrestrial ecosystem models indicate strong northern land carbon uptake during spring but substantially reduced carbon uptake (or high emissions) during early autumn, which amplified SCA but also resulted in a small anomaly in annual carbon uptake of northern ecosystems in 2015-2016. This negative ecosystem carbon uptake anomaly in early autumn was primarily due to soil water deficits and more litter decomposition caused by enhanced spring productivity. Our study demonstrates a decoupling between seasonality and annual carbon cycle balance in northern ecosystems over 2015-2016, which is unprecedented in the past five decades of El Niño events.

The effect of static pressure-wind covariance on vertical carbon dioxide exchange at a windy subalpine forest site

Accounting for turbulent temperature and water vapor fluctuations on the vertical flux of CO2 measured by an open-path infrared gas analyzer are commonly known as the Webb–Pearman–Leuning (WPL) corrections. Static pressure fluctuations also affect air sample density, but the magnitude and effect of these changes on CO2 flux is not usually considered. In our study, the turbulent static pressure p and the vertical wind component w covariance w′p′¯ from just-above a Rocky Mountain subalpine forest are examined. The magnitude of w′p′¯ was highly correlated to the mean horizontal wind speed U with similar characteristics during the daytime and nighttime. The pressure term was calculated from w′p′¯ and compared to other terms in the equation for the vertical net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE). We found the following: (1) for U≲6 m s−1, the pressure term was small, (2) as U increased beyond 6 m s−1, the pressure term became more and more important reaching a magnitude of ≈ 2 μmol m−2 s−1 at U of 12 m s−1 (for leaf area index LAI ≈ 2.6 m2 m−2), (3) for a more dense forest (LAI ≈ 4.8 m2 m−2), the magnitude of the pressure term at U of 12 m s−1 was ≈ 1 μmol m−2 s−1, or about half the open forest value, and (4) based on 14 years of measurements, the interannual mean and standard deviation of the yearly cumulative pressure and NEE terms were −32.8± 24.5 g C m−2 year−1 and −147.4± 231.7 g C m−2 year−1, respectively. Therefore, on average, including the pressure term in the NEE calculation reduces the annual carbon uptake by the GLEES forest from 147.4 g C m−2 year−1 to 114.6 g C m−2 year−1. This implies that carbon uptake by forests in windy locations that ignore the pressure term can be overestimated by as much as 20%. However, the year-to-year variability of both NEE and the pressure term was large due to changes in the forest structure and LAI from beetle attack and tree die-off. Finally, we present results from sensor-manipulation experiments examining the effect of tilting the quad-disk pressure ports on the turbulent static pressure.

Warming and drought increase but wetness reduces the net sink of CH4 in alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau

Alpine meadows are significant CH4 sink. However, the response of soil CH4 uptake to future climate change in the alpine meadows remains poorly understood. We carried out an alpine meadow field experiments to determine how warming and altered precipitation (drought and wetness) affect CH4 uptake, as well as its underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that this mesic alpine meadow was a CH4 sink under all treatments (ranging from −311.4 to −487.1 mg m−2 CH4). Warming significantly increased CH4 uptake by an average of 18.14% of the annual cumulative CH4 uptake and by 48.68% of the non-growing season cumulative CH4 uptake. Drought enhanced the positive warming effect on CH4 uptake by decreasing soil water content, but wetness weakened this effect. Moreover, using high-throughput sequencing and GeoChip approaches, we found that warming stimulated CH4 uptake not only by increasing CH4 oxidation but also by decreasing CH4 production through changing the methanotroph community compositional structure. Further analysis revealed that the dynamics of daily CH4 uptake were mainly regulated by soil water content during the growing season, whereas daily CH4 uptake was strongly correlated with soil temperature during the non-growing season. Warming and altered precipitation influence soil CH4 uptake in different ways during the growing and non-growing seasons. Based on our results, we predict that Tibetan Plateau mesic alpine meadows will remain a net sink of CH4 under future climate warming and drought scenarios, but soil CH4 uptake will decrease if precipitation increases in future.

High Levels of CO2 Exchange During Synoptic‐Scale Events Introduce Large Uncertainty Into the Arctic Carbon Budget

AbstractCO2 release from thawing permafrost is both a consequence of, and a driver for, global warming, making accurate information on the Arctic carbon cycle essential for climate predictions. Eddy covariance data obtained from Bayelva (Svalbard) in 2015, using well‐established processing and quality control techniques, indicate that most of the annual net CO2 uptake is due to high CO2 flux events in winter that are associated with strong winds and probably relate to technical limitations of the gas analyzer. Emission events may relate to either (unidentified) instrumental limitations or to physical processes such as CO2 advection. Excluding the high winter uptake events yields an annual CO2 budget close to zero; whether or not these events are included can, therefore, have a considerable effect on carbon budget calculations. Further investigation will be crucial to pinpoint the factors causing these high CO2 flux events and to derive scientifically substantiated flux processing standards.

Estimation of Net Primary Productivity and Net Annual Assimilation in the Forests of Kumaun Himalaya

Estimation of carbon uptake by the forests is required to measure the carbon flux of a region. In present study, net primary productivity (NPP) and net annual assimilation (NAA) of carbon was estimated in forests of Kumaun Himalaya by integration of field based measurements and information generated using satellite data. Aboveground NPP was estimated by quantification of aboveground biomass increment, root mortality and litterfall. Root mortality value was added to the biomass accumulation of root component to compute the total belowground productivity. Net Annual Assimilation (NAA) was computed as a difference between carbon uptake in NPP and litterfall plus root mortality. NPP values ranged from 5.20 t/ha/yr (degraded sal forest) to 21.38 t/ha/yr (temperate conifer forest). Total estimated values of net annual uptake of carbon and net annual assimilation of carbon in the study area were 748.93 × 10 4 t/yr and 457.27 × 10 4 t/yr, respectively. Estimation of NPP and NAA are useful for further computation of carbon flux to know the status of forest as sink or source of carbon to the atmosphere.

Soil Nitrogen Dynamics in a Managed Temperate Grassland Under Changed Climatic Conditions

Grasslands are one of the most common biomes in the world with a wide range of ecosystem services. Nevertheless, quantitative data on the change in nitrogen dynamics in extensively managed temperate grasslands caused by a shift from energy- to water-limited climatic conditions have not yet been reported. In this study, we experimentally studied this shift by translocating undisturbed soil monoliths from an energy-limited site (Rollesbroich) to a water-limited site (Selhausen). The soil monoliths were contained in weighable lysimeters and monitored for their water and nitrogen balance in the period between 2012 and 2018. At the water-limited site (Selhausen), annual plant nitrogen uptake decreased due to water stress compared to the energy-limited site (Rollesbroich), while nitrogen uptake was higher at the beginning of the growing period. Possibly because of this lower plant uptake, the lysimeters at the water-limited site showed an increased inorganic nitrogen concentration in the soil solution, indicating a higher net mineralization rate. The N2O gas emissions and nitrogen leaching remained low at both sites. Our findings suggest that in the short term, fertilizer should consequently be applied early in the growing period to increase nitrogen uptake and decrease nitrogen losses. Moreover, a shift from energy-limited to water-limited conditions will have a limited effect on gaseous nitrogen emissions and nitrate concentrations in the groundwater in the grassland type of this study because higher nitrogen concentrations are (over-) compensated by lower leaching rates.

Seven years of wetter and delayed wet season enhanced soil methane uptake during the dry season in a tropical monsoon forest

Tropical monsoon forest soils have the potential to mitigate global warming by removing methane (CH4) from the atmosphere, yet whether this function would be altered under future precipitation regimes remains unclear. In this study, we conducted two rainfall manipulation treatments, including the delayed wet season (DW) and wetter wet season (WW), since 2012 in a tropical monsoon forest in southern China to investigate the impact of changing precipitation patterns on soil CH4 uptake over two measurement years between 2018 and 2019. We found that DW significantly increased the annual average soil CH4 uptake by 164%, mainly due to a significant increase during the dry season via enhancing soil moisture and soil enzyme activities. Although WW exerted a limited impact on the annual average soil CH4 uptake, it remarkably increased CH4 uptake during the dry season due to the alteration of soil temperature, nutrient conditions, and enzyme activities. Furthermore, we found that methanotrophic abundance increased and decreased with soil moisture during the dry and wet seasons, respectively. The optimum air-filled soil porosity for CH4 uptake was 0.45 m3 m−3. Our results suggested that the role of tropical monsoon forests as CH4 sinks would be enhanced under delayed wet season, which should not be overlooked for determining the global CH4 uptake capacity of forest soils in the future.

Trends and timing of risk-reducing mastectomy uptake in unaffected BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers in Slovenia

ObjectivesRisk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) is one of key prevention strategies in female carriers of germline BRCA pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PV/LPV). We retrospectively investigated the rate, timing and longitudinal trends of bilateral RRM uptake and the incidence and types of cancers among unaffected BRCA carriers who underwent genetic counseling at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana in Slovenia. Materials and methodsFemale BRCA carriers without personal history of cancer were included in the study. Clinical data on PV/LPV type, date of RRM, type of reconstructive procedure, occult carcinoma and histopathology results was collected and analyzed. ResultsOf the 346 unaffected BRCA carriers (median age 43 years, 70% BRCA1, 30% BRCA2, median follow-up 46 months) who underwent genetic testing between October 1999 and December 2019, 25.1% had a RRM (range 35–50 years, median age at surgery 38 years). A significant difference in time to prophylactic surgery between women undergoing RRM only vs. women undergoing RRM combined with risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy was observed (22.6 vs 8.7 months, p = 0.0009). We observed an upward trend in the annual uptake in line with the previously observed Angelina Jolie effect. In 5.7% of cases, occult breast cancer was detected. No women developed breast cancer after RRM. Women who did not opt for surgical prevention developed BRCA1/2-related cancers (9.3%). ConclusionThe uptake of RRM among unaffected BRCA carriers is 25.1% and is similar to our neighboring countries. No women developed breast cancer after RRM while women who did not opt for surgical prevention developed BRCA1/2 related cancers in 9.3% of cases. The reported data may provide meaningful aid for carriers when deciding on an optimal prevention strategy.

The European Heat Wave 2018: The Dendroecological Response of Oak and Spruce in Western Germany

The European heat wave of 2018 was characterized by extraordinarily dry and hot spring and summer conditions in many central and northern European countries. The average temperatures from June to August 2018 were the second highest since 1881. Accordingly, many plants, especially trees, were pushed to their physiological limits. However, while the drought and heat response of field crops and younger trees have been well investigated in laboratory experiments, little is known regarding the drought and heat response of mature forest trees. In this study, we compared the response of a coniferous and a deciduous tree species, located in western and central–western Germany, to the extreme environmental conditions during the European heat wave of 2018. Combining classic dendroecological techniques (tree–ring analysis) with measurements of the intra–annual stem expansion (dendrometers) and tree water uptake (sap flow sensors), we found contrasting responses of spruce and oak trees. While spruce trees developed a narrow tree ring in 2018 combined with decreasing correlations of daily sap flow and dendrometer parameters to the climatic parameters, oak trees developed a ring with above–average tree–ring width combined with increasing correlations between the daily climatic parameters and the parameters derived from sap flow and the dendrometer sensors. In conclusion, spruce trees reacted to the 2018 heat wave with the early completion of their growth activities, whereas oaks appeared to intensify their activities based on the water content in their tree stems.

Annual aboveground carbon uptake enhancements from assisted gene flow in boreal black spruce forests are not long-lasting

Assisted gene flow between populations has been proposed as an adaptive forest management strategy that could contribute to the sequestration of carbon. Here we provide an assessment of the mitigation potential of assisted gene flow in 46 populations of the widespread boreal conifer Picea mariana, grown in two 42-year-old common garden experiments and established in contrasting Canadian boreal regions. We use a dendroecological approach taking into account phylogeographic structure to retrospectively analyse population phenotypic variability in annual aboveground net primary productivity (NPP). We compare population NPP phenotypes to detect signals of adaptive variation and/or the presence of phenotypic clines across tree lifespans, and assess genotype‐by‐environment interactions by evaluating climate and NPP relationships. Our results show a positive effect of assisted gene flow for a period of approximately 15 years following planting, after which there was little to no effect. Although not long lasting, well-informed assisted gene flow could accelerate the transition from carbon source to carbon sink after disturbance.

Oxygen budget of the north-western Mediterranean deep- convection region

Abstract. The north-western Mediterranean deep convection plays a crucial role in the general circulation and biogeochemical cycles of the Mediterranean Sea. The DEWEX (DEnse Water EXperiment) project aimed to better understand this role through an intensive observation platform combined with a modelling framework. We developed a three-dimensional coupled physical and biogeochemical model to estimate the cycling and budget of dissolved oxygen in the entire north-western Mediterranean deep-convection area over the period September 2012 to September 2013. After showing that the simulated dissolved oxygen concentrations are in a good agreement with the in situ data collected from research cruises and Argo floats, we analyse the seasonal cycle of the air–sea oxygen exchanges, as well as physical and biogeochemical oxygen fluxes, and we estimate an annual oxygen budget. Our study indicates that the annual air-to-sea fluxes in the deep-convection area amounted to 20 molm-2yr-1. A total of 88 % of the annual uptake of atmospheric oxygen, i.e. 18 mol m−2, occurred during the intense vertical mixing period. The model shows that an amount of 27 mol m−2 of oxygen, injected at the sea surface and produced through photosynthesis, was transferred under the euphotic layer, mainly during deep convection. An amount of 20 mol m−2 of oxygen was then gradually exported in the aphotic layers to the south and west of the western basin, notably, through the spreading of dense waters recently formed. The decline in the deep-convection intensity in this region predicted by the end of the century in recent projections may have important consequences on the overall uptake of atmospheric oxygen in the Mediterranean Sea and on the oxygen exchanges with the Atlantic Ocean, which appear necessary to better quantify in the context of the expansion of low-oxygen zones.

Extensive Urban Green Roof Shows Consistent Annual Net Uptake of Carbon as Documented by 5 Years of Eddy‐Covariance Flux Measurements

AbstractVegetated roofs or green roofs may supply a number of different urban ecosystem services such as thermal regulation of local air temperature by evaporative cooling or climate change mitigation by sequestration of CO2. However, knowledge about the annual and seasonal variations of green roof carbon uptake due to changes in meteorological conditions and water availability remains scarce. We studied the annual variation of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) by eddy‐covariance flux measurements during a 5‐year period from 2014 to 2019 on a large and unirrigated green roof at the Berlin‐Brandenburg airport (BER) in Berlin, Germany. The roof vegetation was dominated by Sedum species and herbs. The BER green roof showed net uptake of carbon in each of the 5 study years with an average uptake of −141.1 g C m−2 y−1 and an average measurement uncertainty of ±15.5 g C m−2 y−1. The NEE, however, was characterized by significant interannual variation in which the maximum annual uptake of −189 g C m−2 y−1 in a year with above average precipitation roughly doubles the minimum uptake of −95 g C m−2 y−1 in a dry year. The variation of NEE was a function of the annual amount of precipitation and the frequency of rainfall, that is, the number of dry days per year (DDY). The roof might lose its carbon uptake function in a warmer future climate with an increasing number of DDY. Sustainable irrigation of the roof (e.g., rainwater harvesting) could help to maintain the carbon uptake function of the green roof vegetation.

Parental Attitude to Influenza Infection: Willingness for Childhood Vaccination

Introduction: As the 2020- 2021 flu season coincides with the currently circulating Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Ireland is introducing free influenza vaccines to children ages 2- 12 this year. This is to minimise the disease and economic burden of influenza to an already- strained hospital system due to the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, it is important to identify factors that may affect vaccine uptake. Objective: To explore parental knowledge and attitudes towards influenza infection and potential factors affecting willingness to routinely vaccinate their child (ren). Methods: This descriptive study involved interviewing parents (n= 300) attending the paediatric outpatient department (OPD) at University Hospital Galway. A pilot study assisted with standardizing the questionnaire and in optimizing the clinical catchment area (Emergency Department vs. postnatal ward vs. OPD clinics). Galway Clinical Research Ethics Committee granted the ethical approval and data was analyzed using SPSS. Results: The majority of respondents were Irish (251, 83.7%), 236 (78.7%) with private health insurance. The commonest age range was 31-40 years (163, 54.3%). Less than 40% had a Bachelor’s degree (113, 37.7%) as their highest education level. Most participants (226, 75.3%) agreed with annual influenza vaccine for their child if recommended. The following factors were shown to positively affect potential annual influenza vaccine uptake (p