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Aridity is expected to increase globally in a warmer world. Research now suggests that this is substantially amplified by land–atmosphere feedbacks associated with the land surface’s response to climate and plant responses to increased atmospheric CO 2 . The response of the terrestrial water cycle to global warming is central to issues including water resources, agriculture and ecosystem health. Recent studies 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 indicate that aridity, defined in terms of atmospheric supply (precipitation, P ) and demand (potential evapotranspiration, E p ) of water at the land surface, will increase globally in a warmer world. Recently proposed mechanisms for this response emphasize the driving role of oceanic warming and associated atmospheric processes 4 , 5 . Here we show that the aridity response is substantially amplified by land–atmosphere feedbacks associated with the land surface’s response to climate and CO 2 change. Using simulations from the Global Land Atmosphere Coupling Experiment (GLACE)-CMIP5 experiment 7 , 8 , 9 , we show that global aridity is enhanced by the feedbacks of projected soil moisture decrease on land surface temperature, relative humidity and precipitation. The physiological impact of increasing atmospheric CO 2 on vegetation exerts a qualitatively similar control on aridity. We reconcile these findings with previously proposed mechanisms 5 by showing that the moist enthalpy change over land is unaffected by the land hydrological response. Thus, although oceanic warming constrains the combined moisture and temperature changes over land, land hydrology modulates the partitioning of this enthalpy increase towards increased aridity.

Widespread negative correlations between summertime-mean temperatures and precipitation over land regions are a well-known feature of terrestrial climate. This behavior has generally been interpreted in the context of soil moisture–atmosphere coupling, with soil moisture deficits associated with reduced rainfall leading to enhanced surface sensible heating and higher surface temperature. The present study revisits the genesis of these negative temperature–precipitation correlations using simulations from the Global Land–Atmosphere Coupling Experiment–phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (GLACE-CMIP5) multimodel experiment. The analyses are based on simulations with five climate models, which were integrated with prescribed (noninteractive) and with interactive soil moisture over the period 1950–2100. While the results presented here generally confirm the interpretation that negative correlations between seasonal temperature and precipitation arise through the direct control of soil moisture on surface heat flux partitioning, the presence of widespread negative correlations when soil moisture–atmosphere interactions are artificially removed in at least two out of five models suggests that atmospheric processes, in addition to land surface processes, contribute to the observed negative temperature–precipitation correlation. On longer time scales, the negative correlation between precipitation and temperature is shown to have implications for the projection of climate change impacts on near-surface climate: in all models, in the regions of strongest temperature–precipitation anticorrelation on interannual time scales, long-term regional warming is modulated to a large extent by the regional response of precipitation to climate change, with precipitation increases (decreases) being associated with minimum (maximum) warming. This correspondence appears to arise largely as the result of soil moisture–atmosphere interactions.

Changes in soil moisture are likely to contribute to future changes in latent heat flux and various characteristics of daily precipitation. Such contributions during the second half of the twenty-first century are assessed using the simulations from the GLACE-CMIP5 experiment, applying a linear regression analysis to determine the magnitude of these contributions. As characteristics of daily precipitation, mean daily precipitation, the frequency of wet days and the intensity of precipitation on wet days are considered. Also, the frequency and length of extended wet and dry spells are studied. Particular focus is on the regional (for nine selected regions) as well as seasonal variations in the magnitude of the contributions of the projected differences in soil moisture to the future changes in latent heat flux and in the characteristics of daily precipitation. The results reveal the overall tendency that the projected differences in soil moisture contribute to the future changes in response to the anthropogenic climate forcing for all the meteorological variables considered here. These contributions are stronger and more robust (i.e., there are smaller deviations between individual climate models) for the latent heat flux than for the characteristics of daily precipitation. It is also found that the contributions of the differences in soil moisture to the future changes are generally stronger and more robust for the frequency of wet days than for the intensity of daily precipitation. Consistent with the contributions of the projected differences in soil moisture to the future changes in the frequency of wet days, soil moisture generally contributes to the future changes in the characteristics of wet and dry spells. The magnitude of these contributions does not differ systematically between the frequency and the length of such extended spells, but the contributions are generally slightly stronger for dry spells than for wet spells. Distinguishing between the nine selected regions and between the different seasons, it is found that the strength of the contributions of the differences in soil moisture to the future changes in the various meteorological variables varies by region and, in particular, by season. Similarly, the robustness of these contributions varies between the regions and in the course of the year. The importance of soil moisture changes for the future changes in various aspects of daily precipitation and other aspects of the hydrological cycle illustrates the need for a comprehensive and realistic representation of land surface processes and of land surface conditions in climate models.

Contributions of changes in soil moisture to the projected climate change in the tropics at the end of the twenty first century are quantified using the simulations from five different global climate models, which contributed to the GLACE–CMIP5 experiment. “GLACE” refers to the Global Land Atmosphere Coupling Experiment and “CMIP5” to the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. This is done by relating the overall projected changes in climate to those changes in climate that are related to the projected changes in soil moisture. The study focusses on two particular aspects of the interactions of the soil moisture with climate, the soil moisture–temperature coupling and the soil moisture–precipitation coupling. The simulations show distinct future changes in soil moisture content in the tropics, with a general tendency of increases in the central parts of the tropics and decreases in the subtropics. These changes are associated with corresponding changes in precipitation, with an overall tendency of an approximate 5 % change in soil moisture in response to a precipitation change of 1 mm/day. All five individual models are characterized by the same qualitative behaviour, despite differences in the strength and in the robustness of the coupling between soil moisture and precipitation. The changes in soil moisture content are found to give important contributions to the overall climate change in the tropics. This is in particularly the case for latent and sensible heat flux, for which about 80 % of the overall changes are related to soil moisture changes. Similarly, about 80 % of the overall near-surface temperature changes (with the mean temperature changes in the tropics removed) are associated with soil moisture changes. For precipitation, on the other hand, about 30–40 % of the overall change can be attributed to soil moisture changes. The robustness of the contributions of the soil moisture changes to the overall climate change varies between the different meteorological variables, with a high degree of robustness for the surface energy fluxes, a fair degree for near-surface temperature and a low degree for precipitation. Similar to the coupling between soil moisture and precipitation, the five individual models are characterized by the same qualitative behaviour, albeit differences in the strength and the robustness of the contributions of the soil moisture change. This suggests that despite the regional differences in the projected climate changes between the individual models, the basic physical mechanisms governing the soil moisture–temperature coupling and the soil moisture–precipitation coupling work similarly in these models. The experiment confirms the conceptual models of the soil moisture–temperature coupling and the soil moisture–precipitation coupling described Seneviratne et al. (Earth-Sci Rev 99:125–161, 2010). For the soil moisture–temperature coupling, decreases (increases) in soil moisture lead to increasing (decreasing) sensible heat fluxes and near-surface temperatures. The soil moisture–precipitation coupling is part of a positive feedback loop, where increases (decreases) in precipitation cause increases (decreases) in soil moisture content, which, in turn, lead to increasing (decreasing) latent heat fluxes and precipitation.

Currently, the deployment of tracking devices is one of the most frequently used approaches to study movement ecology of birds. Recent miniaturization of light‐level geolocators enabled studying small bird species whose migratory patterns were widely unknown. However, geolocators may reduce vital rates in tagged birds and may bias obtained movement data. There is a need for a thorough assessment of the potential tag effects on small birds, as previous meta‐analyses did not evaluate unpublished data and impact of multiple life‐history traits, focused mainly on large species and the number of published studies tagging small birds has increased substantially. We quantitatively reviewed 549 records extracted from 74 published and 48 unpublished studies on over 7,800 tagged and 17,800 control individuals to examine the effects of geolocator tagging on small bird species (body mass <100 g). We calculated the effect of tagging on apparent survival, condition, phenology and breeding performance and identified the most important predictors of the magnitude of effect sizes. Even though the effects were not statistically significant in phylogenetically controlled models, we found a weak negative impact of geolocators on apparent survival. The negative effect on apparent survival was stronger with increasing relative load of the device and with geolocators attached using elastic harnesses. Moreover, tagging effects were stronger in smaller species. In conclusion, we found a weak effect on apparent survival of tagged birds and managed to pinpoint key aspects and drivers of tagging effects. We provide recommendations for establishing matched control group for proper effect size assessment in future studies and outline various aspects of tagging that need further investigation. Finally, our results encourage further use of geolocators on small bird species but the ethical aspects and scientific benefits should always be considered. Tagging slightly reduces only apparent survival of treated birds. The authors found stronger tagging effects when relatively heavier tags were used and no differences between published and unpublished studies. Finally, they call for the control group establishment in all future studies and provide guidelines for the selection of control individuals.

Several hundred clinical trials currently explore the role of circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis for therapy decisions, but assays are lacking for comprehensive molecular characterization of CTCs with diagnostic precision. We therefore combined a workflow for enrichment and isolation of pure CTCs with a non‐random whole genome amplification method for single cells and applied it to 510 single CTCs and 189 leukocytes of 66 CTC‐positive breast cancer patients. We defined a genome integrity index (GII) to identify single cells suited for molecular characterization by different molecular assays, such as diagnostic profiling of point mutations, gene amplifications and whole genomes of single cells. The reliability of > 90% for successful molecular analysis of high‐quality clinical samples selected by the GII enabled assessing the molecular heterogeneity of single CTCs of metastatic breast cancer patients. We readily identified genomic disparity of potentially high relevance between primary tumors and CTCs. Microheterogeneity analysis among individual CTCs uncovered pre‐existing cells resistant to ERBB2 ‐targeted therapies suggesting ongoing microevolution at late‐stage disease whose exploration may provide essential information for personalized treatment decisions and shed light into mechanisms of acquired drug resistance. Synopsis A novel workflow enabling detection, isolation and characterization of single circulating tumors cells (CTCs) from blood suggests that CTCs may harbor genetic alterations undetectable in the primary tumor and associated with therapy resistance. Single circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are analyzed by a semi‐automated workflow combining CellSearch® enrichment, DEPArrayTM isolation and Ampli1TM whole genome amplification (WGA). The WGA quality of single CTCs is assessed by a genome integrity index (GII). The GII predicts outcome of downstream sequence‐based molecular assays. Single cell analysis reveals the existence of rare potential therapy escape variants. The diagnostic precision of the workflow enables molecular monitoring of CTCs under iatrogenic selection. Graphical Abstract A novel workflow enabling detection, isolation and characterization of single circulating tumors cells (CTCs) from blood suggests that CTCs may harbor genetic alterations undetectable in the primary tumor and associated with therapy resistance.

Clean conditions and prophylactic measures around calving are essential for the health and welfare of calves. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the association of different navel care (NC) practices on the occurrence of omphalitis in neonatal dairy calves. Between December 2016 and July 2019, 196 dairy farms in Eastern Germany were visited once within a large-scale cross-sectional study. 1,967 calves aged five to 21 days were clinically examined, including palpation of the external umbilicus for inflammation signs. Furthermore, information on animal health and farm management, including the implementation of NC, was obtained through interviews with the farm or herd manager. Causal diagrams were drawn, containing variables considering NC (practice of NC, method of application, preparation applied, frequency of NC, time of first NC, wearing gloves during NC) as influence variables, omphalitis as target variable, and all potential confounders to perform multivariable statistical analyses at animal level. Over one-fourth of all calves examined showed omphalitis signs (n = 525 calves, 26.7%). The odds of omphalitis tended to increase (OR = 2.3) if no NC was performed compared to regular NC. Almost half of all other variables analysed seemed relevant for the occurrence of omphalitis. Administering the preparation into the umbilical cord reduced the odds of omphalitis by 62% compared to no NC. Repeated applications tended to decrease the odds of omphalitis by 44% compared to single applications. Furthermore, wearing gloves during NC tended to increase the odds of omphalitis by 30% compared to not wearing gloves. Neither the preparation applied, the method of application, nor the timing of NC had an impact on the omphalitis occurrence. Considering these results, different NC practices influence the odds of omphalitis in neonatal dairy calves. Nevertheless, further investigations are necessary regarding the application procedure of NC during the daily farm routine.

The concept of sequence-definition in the sense of polymer chemistry is introduced to conjugated, rod-like oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s via an iterative synthesis procedure. Specifically, monodisperse sequence-defined trimers and pentamers were prepared via iterative Sonogashira cross-coupling and deprotection. The reaction procedure was extended to tetra- and pentamers for the first time yielding a monodisperse pentamer with 18% and a sequence-defined pentamer with 3.2% overall yield. Furthermore, three novel trimers with a 9 H- fluorene building block at predefined positions within the phenylene ethynylene chain were synthesised in 23–52% overall yields. Hence, it was confirmed that a functionality of interest can be incorporated selectively at a pre-defined position of these monodisperse oligomers. All respective intermediate structures were fully characterised by proton and carbon NMR, mass spectrometry, size-exclusion chromatography, and IR spectroscopy. Additionally, thermal and optical transitions are reported for the different oligomers.

•Focused meditation and exercise relieve chronic low back pain to a comparable extent.•Perceived stress is better improved by meditation than exercise.•Adherence with meditation is limited and should be improved in future trials. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week meditation program (focused meditation) in patients with chronic low-back pain. A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 68 patients (55 years;75% female) with chronic low-back pain who scored >40mm on a 100mm Visual-Analogue-Scale. Subjects were allocated to an 8-week meditation program (focused meditation) with weekly 75min classes or to a self-care exercise program with a wait-list offer for meditation. Both groups were instructed to practice at home. Outcomes were assessed baseline and after 4 and 8 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the change in mean back pain at rest after 8 weeks. Secondary outcomes included function, pain-related bothersomeness, perceived stress, quality-of-life (QOL), and psychological outcomes. Twelve (meditation) and 4 (exercise) patients were lost to follow-up. The primary outcome, pain at rest after 8 weeks, was reduced from 59.3±13.9mm to 40.8±21.8mm with meditation vs. 52.9±11.8mm to 37.3±18.2mm with exercise (adjusted group difference: −1.4 (95%CI:11.6;8.8;p=n.s.) Perceived stress was significantly more reduced with meditation (p=0.011). No significant treatment effects were found for other secondary outcomes as pain-related bothersomeness, function, quality-of-life and psychological scores, although the meditation group consistently showed non-significant better improvements compared to the exercise group. Focused meditation and self-care exercise lead to comparable, symptomatic improvements in patients with chronic low back pain. Future studies should include longer-term follow-ups and develop guided meditation programs to support compliance.

Background Mechanical obstruction of ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) during the first year after shunt implantation is a common complication and is widely described in the literature. In this paper, we evaluated the suitability of the shuntography for the diagnosis of mechanical complications of the VPS in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). Methods We retrospectively identified 49 patients with pathologic shuntography over of a period of 20 years in our hospital. The percentage of procedure-associated complications was determined. Results Ninety-eight percent ( n  = 48) of the patients who underwent shuntography showed clinical and radiographic signs of underdrainage prior to examination. Shuntography revealed mechanical complications of the VP shunt in 37% ( n  = 18) as a cause of clinical deterioration and following revision operation. During shuntography, mechanical obstruction was discovered in 78% ( n  = 14) and disconnection of shunt components in 22% ( n  = 4). In the obstruction group, in 50% ( n  = 7) the closure was detected in the ventricular catheter, in 29% ( n  = 4) in the distal catheter of the VPS, and in 21% ( n  = 3) in both sides of the VPS. In the case of an inconspicuous shuntography (63%, n  = 31), the patients received symptomatic therapy (32%, n  = 10) or re-adjustment of the valve setting (68%, n  = 21). Fifty-seven percent of the patients who underwent surgical treatment improved clinically by at least one point according to the Kiefer score. Conclusion Shuntography can produce valuable clinical information uncovering mechanic complications after implantation VPS in patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus. Patients with mechanical complications of their VPS needed revision surgery and showed clinical benefit after treatment.