Early planetesimal differentiation and late accretion shaped Earth's nitrogen budget.

The relative roles of protoplanetary differentiation versus late accretion in establishing Earth's life-essential volatile element inventory are being hotly debated. To address this issue, we employ first-principles calculations to investigate nitrogen (N) isotope fractionation during Earth's accretion and differentiation. We find that segregation of an iron core would enrich heavy N isotopes in the residual silicate, while evaporation within a H2-dominated nebular gas produces an enrichment of light N isotope in the planetesimals. The combined effect of early planetesimal evaporation followed by core formation enriches the bulk silicate Earth in light N isotopes. If Earth is comprised primarily of enstatite-chondrite-like material, as indicated by other isotope systems, then late accretion of carbonaceous-chondrite-like material must contribute ~ 30-100% of the N budget in present-day bulk silicate Earth. However, mass balance using N isotope constraints shows that the late veneer contributes only a limited amount of other volatile elements (e.g., H, S, and C) to Earth.

Chalcogen isotopes reveal limited volatile contribution from late veneer to Earth.

The origin of Earth's volatile elements is highly debated. Comparing the chalcogen isotope ratios in the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) to those of its possible building blocks, chondritic meteorites, allows constraints on the origin of Earth's volatiles; however, these comparisons are complicated by potential isotopic fractionation during protoplanetary differentiation, which largely remains poorly understood. Using first-principles calculations, we find that core-mantle differentiation does not notably fractionate selenium and tellurium isotopes, while equilibrium evaporation from early planetesimals would enrich selenium and tellurium in heavy isotopes in the BSE. The sulfur, selenium, and tellurium isotopic signatures of the BSE reveal that protoplanetary differentiation plays a key role in establishing most of Earth's volatile elements, and a late veneer does not substantially contribute to the BSE's volatile inventory.

Research on an Adaptive Method for the Angle Calibration of Roadside LiDAR Point Clouds.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), a laser-based technology for environmental perception, finds extensive applications in intelligent transportation. Deployed on roadsides, it provides real-time global traffic data, supporting road safety and research. To overcome accuracy issues arising from sensor misalignment and to facilitate multi-sensor fusion, this paper proposes an adaptive calibration method. The method defines an ideal coordinate system with the road's forward direction as the X-axis and the intersection line between the vertical plane of the X-axis and the road surface plane as the Y-axis. This method utilizes the Kalman filter (KF) for trajectory smoothing and employs the random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm for ground fitting, obtaining the projection of the ideal coordinate system within the LiDAR system coordinate system. By comparing the two coordinate systems and calculating Euler angles, the point cloud is angle-calibrated using rotation matrices. Based on measured data from roadside LiDAR, this paper validates the calibration method. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves high precision, with calculated Euler angle errors consistently below 1.7%.

Preliminary study on forgery identification of Hetian Jade with Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis.

In this study, Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) was applied to study the elemental information of geological samples with the assistance of chemometric techniques. Samples of genuine Hetian Jade from Xijiang Province of China, counterfeit jade samples purchased at the neighborhood market, and granitoid samples from the same geographic location of genuine Hetian Jade were analyzed using INAA. The preliminary study indicates that INAA, with the help of principal component analysis (PCA), can be applied to obtain the multi-elemental concentrations of geological samples with high sensitivity, thereby effectively differentiating genuine Hetian Jade from counterfeit ones.

Calcium isotope compositions as a means to trace carbonate recycling.

Marine carbonate, an important CO2 reservoir, is continuously sent to the Earth's deep interior at subduction zones, forming an essential part of the global carbon cycle. The pros and cons of using calcium isotope compositions to trace marine carbonates recycled into the mantle are discussed in this Perspective.

Response to Comment on "Discovery of davemaoite, CaSiO3-perovskite, as a mineral from the lower mantle".

Walter et al. issue a number of critical comments on our report about the discovery of davemaoite to the end that they believe to show that our results do not provide compelling evidence for the presence of davemaoite in the type specimen and that the hosting diamond had formed in the lithosphere. Their claim is based on a misinterpretation of the diffraction data contained in the paper, an insufficient analysis of the compositional data that disregards the three-dimensional distribution of inclusions, and the arbitrary assumption that Earth's mantle shows no lateral variations in temperature, inconsistent with state-of-the-art assessments of mantle temperature variations and with their own published results.

The Association between Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety, Quality of Life, and Diabetic Kidney Disease among Chinese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Depression and anxiety are common comorbid symptoms among patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Little is known about the influence of poor psychological conditions on the disease progression and quality of life (QOL) in DKD patients. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of, and risk factors for, depression and anxiety in Chinese DKD patients, and to analyze their impact on the renal function, proteinuria, and QOL. A total of 620 adult patients with Type 2 diabetes and DKD being treated at a tertiary hospital in East China were recruited. Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed by the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and Anxiety Scale. Among the DKD participants, 41.3% had symptoms of depression and 45.0% had anxiety symptoms. A poor education, physical inactivity, stroke, low serum albumin, CKD stage 3-4, macroalbuminuria, and a poor QOL were independent risk factors for depression in the DKD patients. Whereas a higher education, physical inactivity, diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, low hemoglobin, CKD stage 3-4, and a poor QOL were risk factors for anxiety. Depression and anxiety scores among the DKD patients were negatively correlated with the eGFR and QOL scores. Moreover, depression and anxiety symptoms were independent risk factors for DKD patients with CKD stage 3-4 and a poor QOL. Our findings suggest a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among Chinese DKD patients, and the severity of psychological symptoms is closely linked to the deterioration of renal function and the QOL. The early screening and intervention of psychopathological disorders is thus strongly recommended for improving the QOL and clinical outcomes among DKD patients.

Discovery of davemaoite, CaSiO3-perovskite, as a mineral from the lower mantle.

Calcium silicate perovskite, CaSiO3, is arguably the most geochemically important phase in the lower mantle, because it concentrates elements that are incompatible in the upper mantle, including the heat-generating elements thorium and uranium, which have half-lives longer than the geologic history of Earth. We report CaSiO3-perovskite as an approved mineral (IMA2020-012a) with the name davemaoite. The natural specimen of davemaoite proves the existence of compositional heterogeneity within the lower mantle. Our observations indicate that davemaoite also hosts potassium in addition to uranium and thorium in its structure. Hence, the regional and global abundances of davemaoite influence the heat budget of the deep mantle, where the mineral is thermodynamically stable.

Coupled deep-mantle carbon-water cycle: Evidence from lower-mantle diamonds.

Diamonds form in a variety of environments between subducted crust, lithospheric and deep mantle. Recently, deep source diamonds with inclusions of the high-pressure H2O-phase ice-VII were discovered. By correlating the pressures of ice-VII inclusions with those of other high-pressure inclusions, we assess quantitatively the pressures and temperatures of their entrapment. We show that the ice-VII-bearing diamonds formed at depths down to 800 ± 60 km but at temperatures 200-500 K below average mantle temperature that match the pressure-temperature conditions of decomposing dense hydrous mantle silicates. Our work presents strong evidence for coupled recycling of water and carbon in the deep mantle based on natural samples.

Safety, immunogenicity of lyophilized purified vero cell cultured rabies vaccine administered in Zagreb and Essen regimen in post-exposure subjects: A post-marketing, parallel control clinical trial.

To compare the safety and immunogenicity of lyophilized PVRV under Zagreb and Essen regimen.A post-marketing parallel control clinical trial was conducted. Totally 240 subjects were assigned to two groups randomly, immunized with lyophilized PVRV under Zagreb and Essen schedule. Solicited adverse events were observed after each dose and unsolicited adverse events were collected. Serum samples were collected on days 0, 7, 14, 42, 180 and 365 to be used to determine immunogenicity level. No severe adverse events (SAE) were observed. The incidence of adverse events under Zagreb and Essen were similar and there was no significant difference between the two groups and within all age groups. Fever and pain were the most frequently reported systemic and local adverse events (AEs) respectively. There were no differences in the GMT and the positive seroconversion rate between these two groups. All participants in the Zagreb group obtained protective effect on day 14, while 99.16% of the subjects obtained in the Essen group. Both groups showed similar enduring immunity. Immunizations under Zagreb and Essen regimens showed similar safety and immunogenicity. For lyophilized PVRV, Zagreb was non-inferior to Essen to patients of all age groups.

Nickel isotopic evidence for late-stage accretion of Mercury-like differentiated planetary embryos.

Earth's habitability is closely tied to its late-stage accretion, during which impactors delivered the majority of life-essential volatiles. However, the nature of these final building blocks remains poorly constrained. Nickel (Ni) can be a useful tracer in characterizing this accretion as most Ni in the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) comes from the late-stage impactors. Here, we apply Ni stable isotope analysis to a large number of meteorites and terrestrial rocks, and find that the BSE has a lighter Ni isotopic composition compared to chondrites. Using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, we show that core-mantle differentiation cannot produce the observed light Ni isotopic composition of the BSE. Rather, the sub-chondritic Ni isotopic signature was established during Earth's late-stage accretion, probably through the Moon-forming giant impact. We propose that a highly reduced sulfide-rich, Mercury-like body, whose mantle is characterized by light Ni isotopic composition, collided with and merged into the proto-Earth during the Moon-forming giant impact, producing the sub-chondritic Ni isotopic signature of the BSE, while delivering sulfur and probably other volatiles to the Earth.

High-temperature inter-mineral potassium isotope fractionation: implications for K-Ca-Ar chronology.

Recent advances in high-precision potassium (K) isotopic analysis have found considerable isotopic variation in rock samples of the Earth's continental and oceanic crusts; however, it is still uncertain whether there is any resolvable inter-mineral and mineral-melt K isotopic fractionation during igneous and metamorphic processes. Here, we report K isotope compositions of mineral separates from three extremely well preserved igneous rocks (intrusive/extrusive and mafic/intermediate/felsic) in order to investigate possible inter-mineral and mineral-melt K isotopic fractionation at magmatic temperatures. For the first time, we found large inter-mineral fractionation of K isotopes in natural samples (up to 1.072‰), where plagioclase displays a significant enrichment of heavier K isotopes compared to potassium feldspar and biotite in a granite. In addition, we also observed smaller but measurable K isotope fractionation (0.280‰±0.030‰) between ternary feldspar phenocrysts and matrix in a trachyandesite, as well as a comparable isotope fractionation (0.331‰±0.010‰) between plagioclase and the bulk in a gabbroic intrusive rock. We also evaluated such results by comparing the theoretically calculated equilibrium K isotope fractionation factors between relevant igneous minerals in literature and this study. In general, the measured inter-mineral fractionations are consistent with the theoretical calculations (i.e., plagioclase is enriched in heavier isotopes compared to potassium feldspar). Specifically, the measured K isotope fractionation between phenocryst rim and matrix in the trachyandesite agrees well with the calculated equilibrium isotope fractionation. However, the measured K isotope fractionations between phenocryst core and matrix as well as between plagioclase and K-feldspar are significantly larger (by a factor of ~2-3) than the calculated isotope fractionations, which suggest isotopic disequilibrium due to kinetic processes. Using a range of plagioclase-melt isotope fractionation factors inferred from the theoretical calculations in this study, we modeled the K isotopic fractionation during the formation of lunar anorthositic crust, and the result shows a negligible effect on the K isotopic compositions in both lunar crust and mantle. The K isotopic difference between Earth and Moon, therefore, cannot be the result of Lunar Magma Ocean differentiation. Finally, we evaluate the effect of observed inter-mineral fractionations on K-Ar and 40Ar-39Ar dating. This study indicates the variation of 40K/K ratio would contribute a maximum 0.08% error to the K-Ar and 40Ar-39Ar age uncertainties. We propose a refined 40K/total K ratio as 0.00011664±0.00000011 (116.64±0.11ppm) instead of the conventional value, 0.0001167(2) for the present Earth. Because some minerals fractionate K isotopes, ultrahigh precision age dating with the K-Ca-Ar dating systems must measure the K isotope fractionation in the same mineral fractions used for age dating.

The association between ambient temperature and sperm quality in Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: Few epidemiological investigations have focused on the influence of environmental temperature on human sperm quality. Here, we evaluated the potential association between ambient temperature and human sperm quality in Wuhan, China, and examined the interactive effect of particulate matter (PM2.5) and temperature. METHODS: 1780 males who had been living in Wuhan for no less than three months and received semen analysis at the Department of Reproductive Medicine in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University between April 8, 2013 and June 30, 2015 were recruited. Daily mean meteorological data and air pollution data (PM2.5, O3 and NO2) in Wuhan between 2013 and 2015 were collected. A generalized linear model was used to explore the associations between ambient temperature and sperm quality (including sperm concentration, percentage of normal sperm morphology, and progressive motility) at 0-9, 10-14, 15-69, 70-90, and 0-90 days before semen examination, and the interaction between temperature and PM2.5. RESULTS: The associations between ambient temperature and sperm quality were an inverted U-shape at five exposure windows, except for a lag of 0-9 days for sperm concentration. A 1 °C increase in ambient temperature above the thresholds was associated with a 2.038 (1.292 ~ 2.783), 1.814 (1.217 ~ 2.411), 1.458 (1.138 ~ 1.777), 0.934(0.617 ~ 1.251) and 1.604 (1.258 ~ 1.951) decrease in the percentage of normal sperm morphology at lag 0-9, lag 10-14, lag 15-69, lag 70-90, and lag 0-90 days, respectively. The interaction p-values of PM2.5 and temperature were mostly less than 0.05 at five exposure windows. When ambient temperature exposure levels were above the thresholds, a 0.979 (0.659-1.299) and 3.559 (0.251 ~ 6.867) decrease in percentage of normal sperm morphology per 1 °C increase in temperature at lag 0-90 days was observed in the PM2.5 ≤ P50 group and PM2.5 > P50 group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that exposure to ambient temperature has a threshold effect on sperm quality, and PM2.5 enhances the effect of temperature on sperm quality when temperatures are above the threshold.

Severe multiple rabid dog bite injuries in a child in central China: Continuous 10-year observation and analysis on this case.

Dog bites are common in rural areas of underdeveloped countries or regions, affecting persons of different ages. Suspected rabid dog bites will lead to more severe outcomes, especially in children because injuries often occur on their heads and faces that are highly innervated parts of the body. In such circumstances, immediate and complete post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) will be essential, though vaccine hesitancy is a problem. Herein, we report a 4-y-old girl who was seriously bitten by a confirmed rabid dog in rural China. Multiple lacerations and punctures distributed on her head, neck, face, extremities, and back after being bitten. It was in question that surgery or PEP should be performed in priority when the dog was not confirmed rabid at first, but considering the risks of rabies, immediate PEP was provided to her, along with immunogenicity tests to ensure an adequate protective immune response. Because of the severity of her injuries, medical practitioners suggested her parents to bring her to take immunogenicity tests in 1-, 5-, and 10-y intervals to ensure adequate rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) titers. Her parents had a good preference for medical advices, and in the 10-y interval, it was found that her RVNA titer was below protection level, so a booster vaccination was given to her, and 14 d after that, according to immunogenicity test, RVNA titer arose quickly above the protection level.

Short-Term Effects of Carbonaceous Components in PM2.5 on Pulmonary Function: A Panel Study of 37 Chinese Healthy Adults.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the health effects of indoor/outdoor carbonaceous compositions in PM2.5 on pulmonary function among healthy students living in the local university campus. METHODS: Daily peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) were measured among 37 healthy students in the morning and evening for four two-week periods. Concurrent concentrations of indoor and outdoor PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5µm), carbonaceous components in PM2.5, ambient temperature, and relative humidity in the study area were also obtained. Mixed-effects model was applied to evaluate the associations between carbonaceous components and lung function. Different lags for the carbonaceous components were investigated. RESULTS: In single-pollutant model, a 10 µg/m3 increase of indoor and outdoor EC (elemental carbon) associated with -3.93 (95%CI: -6.89, -0.97) L/min and -3.21 (95%CI: -5.67, -0.75) L/min change in evening PEF at lag 0 day, respectively. Also, a 10 µg/m3 increase of indoor and outdoor POC (primary organic carbon) concentration was significantly associated with -5.82 (95%CI: -10.82, -0.81) L/min and -7.32 (95%CI: -12.93, -1.71) L/min change of evening PEF at lag 0 day. After adjusting total mass of PM2.5, indoor EC consistently had a significant adverse impact on evening PEF and FEV1 at lag3 day and a cumulative effect at lag0-3 day. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that carbonaceous components in PM2.5 indeed have impacts on pulmonary function among healthy young adults especially on evening PEF. Thus, the local mitigation strategies on pollution are needed.

Response to letter to the editor on analysis.

Recently Hui Liu commented on a paper titled "Analysis on the risks of severe adverse events in rabies post-exposure prophylaxis and appropriate decision-making procedure" and arose some questions on the paper. In this reply letter, we would like to address the questions to make the previous paper more clear.

Analysis on the risks of severe adverse events in rabies post-exposure prophylaxis and appropriate decision-making procedure.

Severe adverse events (AEs) following post-exposure rabies vaccination had been occasionally described in previous studies. Once AEs occurred, immediate medical treatment and appropriate change of vaccine and vaccination schedule were of significance. It was also important and challengeable to determine the relationship among adverse reactions, vaccines residues and laboratory tests for patients, to choose a proper vaccine in resumed vaccination, to avoid the reoccurrence of AEs and to ensure adequate immune response. Here, we present steps about how to cope with AEs by giving an example with a two-year-old girl who was identified as category II exposure to rabies, suffered from anaphylaxis after first dose administration with human diploid rabies vaccine (HDCV) so vaccination was temporarily suspended. Dexamethasone was prescribed to her in anti-allergy therapy. Allergy tests indicated that the patient was not sensitive to allergens and heterologous proteins. Vaccine test report showed that residual kanamycin existed in that batch of vaccines. This reminded us to provide her antibiotic skin sensitivity test which found she was allergic to kanamycin. Thus, we could conclude it was the cause of AEs. Then, 0.5 mL lyophilized Purified Vero Cell Rabies Vaccine (PVRV) without any residues was enrolled in the resumed vaccination. To ensure successful immunization, immunogenicity test was also provided which showed adequate immune response (RVNA ≥ 0.5 IU/mL) starting from day14. Besides, no further AEs occurred afterward. This study emphasized the importance of in-depth survey, analysis and implied the necessity to scientifically and properly choose the optimal vaccine for patients and appropriately provide treatments if AEs occurred.

Individual-level modifiers of the acute effects of air pollution on mortality in Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: Ambient air pollution has posed negative effects on human health. Individual-level factors may modify this effect, but previous studies have controversial conclusions, and evidence is lacking especially in developing countries. This study aims to examine the modifying effects of sex, age, and education level of individuals on the associated between daily mortality and air pollutants, including particulate matter < 10 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). METHODS: Time-series analysis was conducted to investigate the acute effects of the air pollution on daily mortality from January 2002 to December 2010 in Wuhan, China. Generalized Additive Models (GAM) were used to examine the association stratified by sex for non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality. For non-accidental mortality, stratified analysis was also conducted by age and educational level. RESULTS: Outdoor air pollution was associated with daily non-accidental and cardiovascular mortality. An increase of 10 µg/m3 in a 2-day average concentration of PM10, SO2, and NO2 was corresponding to the increase in non-accidental mortality of 0.29% (95%CI: 0.06-0.53%), 1.22% (95%CI: 0.77-1.67%) and 1.60% (95%CI: 1.00-2.19%), respectively. The effects of air pollution were faster in females than males. The magnitude of the estimates was higher for females with low education, aged 65-75 years for PM10 and < 65 years for SO2. To be more specific, we observed that per 10 µg/m3 increase in SO2 was association with increases in non-accidental mortality of 2.03% (95%CI: 1.38-2.67) for all females and 3.10% (95%CI: 2.05-4.16) for females with low education. CONCLUSION: Females and people with low-education are more susceptible to the effect of air pollution, which would provide a sound scientific basis for determination of air pollution standards.

Effects of Organic Compounds on Dissolution of the Phosphate Minerals Chlorapatite, Whitlockite, Merrillite, and Fluorapatite: Implications for Interpreting Past Signatures of Organic Compounds in Rocks, Soils and Sediments.

Phosphate is an essential nutrient for life on Earth, present in adenosine triphosphate (ATP), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), and phospholipid membranes. Phosphorus does not have a significant volatile phase, and its release from minerals is therefore critical to its bioavailability. Organic ligands can enhance phosphate release from minerals relative to release in inorganic solutions, and phosphorus depletion in paleosols has consequently been used as a signature of the presence of ligands secreted by terrestrial organisms on early Earth. We performed batch dissolution experiments of the Mars-relevant phosphate minerals merrillite, whitlockite, chlorapatite, and fluorapatite in solutions containing organic compounds relevant to Mars. We also analyzed these phosphate minerals using the ChemCam laboratory instrument at Los Alamos, providing spectra of end-member phosphate phases that are likely present on the surface of Mars. Phosphate release rates from chlorapatite, whitlockite, and merrillite were enhanced by mellitic, oxalic, succinic, and acetic acids relative to inorganic controls by as much as >35 × . The effects of the organic compounds could be explained by the denticity of the ligand, the strength of the complex formed with calcium, and the solution saturation state. Merrillite, whitlockite, and chlorapatite dissolution rates were more strongly enhanced by acetic and succinic acids relative to inorganic controls (as much as >10 ×) than were fluorapatite dissolution rates (≲2 ×). These results suggest that depletion of phosphate in soils, rocks or sediments on Mars could be a sensitive indicator of the presence of organic compounds.

Spatiotemporal Changes in Fine Particulate Matter Pollution and the Associated Mortality Burden in China between 2015 and 2016.

In recent years, research on the spatiotemporal distribution and health effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been conducted in China. However, the limitations of different research scopes and methods have led to low comparability between regions regarding the mortality burden of PM2.5. A kriging model was used to simulate the distribution of PM2.5 in 2015 and 2016. Relative risk (RR) at a specified PM2.5 exposure concentration was estimated with an integrated exposure-response (IER) model for different causes of mortality: lung cancer (LC), ischaemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular disease (stroke) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The population attributable fraction (PAF) was adopted to estimate deaths attributed to PM2.5. 72.02% of cities experienced decreases in PM2.5 from 2015 to 2016. Due to the overall decrease in the PM2.5 concentration, the total number of deaths decreased by approximately 10,658 per million in 336 cities, including a decrease of 1400, 1836, 6312 and 1110 caused by LC, IHD, stroke and COPD, respectively. Our results suggest that the overall PM2.5 concentration and PM2.5-related deaths exhibited decreasing trends in China, although air quality in local areas has deteriorated. To improve air pollution control strategies, regional PM2.5 concentrations and trends should be fully considered.