bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How methods to assess land-use changes influence the resulting global warming potential and cost of optimized diets: a case study on Danish pigs applying life cycle assessment methodology
Authors: Gislason Styrmir , Bruun Thomas Sønderby , Wirsenius Stefan , Birkved Morten , Singh Chandrakant , Udesen Finn , Maresca Alberto
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Meeting the demands of a growing and increasingly affluent population necessitates a deeper understanding of the environmental and economic implications of production. This implication is most relevant in key production sectors including agriculture and livestock. This article is intended to provide an understanding of the influence of methods of assessing land-use change (LUC) with respect to minimizing both the global warming potential (GWP) and the monetary costs of pig feed formulation.

Methods

Feed mixtures intended for slaughter pigs were generated for minimal cost and GWP impacts by applying four differing LUC assessment methods. The objective function was the Danish slaughter pig feed unit, minimized for cost in Danish crowns (DKK), with GWP impacts constrained in multiple steps. Attributional LCA methodology was applied using the Agri-footprint 6.3 database, with GWP impacts calculated excluding land use changes, including direct land-use changes and including the carbon opportunity cost. Analyses of the functional relationship between the optimal cost and the GWP impact were conducted, followed by a comparative LCA of the cost of comparable feed mixture by applying two sets of functional units: 100 slaughter pig feed units and 1 kg of pig live weight.

Results and discussion

A similar relationship between cost and GWP impact was observed across all methods, although variability of GWP impact magnitude depending on method was observed. Reducing at an equivalent cost, GWP reduction ranged from 5.6 to 27% based on the pig feed functional unit, and 2.4 to 13% based on the pig live weight functional unit. Optimizing feed mixtures for GWP impacts resulted in significantly increased contributions to other impact categories, including a 56% increase in terrestrial ecotoxicity. Despite the increased contributions to other impact categories, all optimized feed mixtures achieved a reduction in endpoint indicators and single score. Endpoint reductions to the feed unit were 2.3–25% for ecosystem damage, 7.4–15% for human health, and 6.0–16% based on a single score value.

Conclusions

The findings emphasize the key importance of addressing LUC when optimizing the GWP of agri-food production. Suggestions are provided for areas of improvement in future optimization studies applying a dietary unit as the objective function, including additional midpoint impact categories and/or extended optimization covering whole areas of protection. The findings suggest that GWP impacts may be reduced at no additional cost if included or embedded in the pig feed formulation procedure.
Leveraging feature selection for enhanced fall risk prediction in elderly using gait analysis
Authors: Altunkaya Sabri
Published: August 2024

There is no effective fall risk screening tool for the elderly that can be integrated into clinical practice. Developing a system that can be easily used in primary care services is a current need. Current studies focus on the use of multiple sensors or activities to achieve higher accuracy. However, multiple sensors and activities reduce the availability of these systems. This study aims to develop a system to perform fall prediction for the elderly by using signals recorded from a single sensor during a short-term activity. A total of 168 features in the time and frequency domains were created using acceleration signals obtained from 71 elderly people. The features were weighted based on the ReliefF algorithm, and the artificial neural networks model was developed using the most important features. The best classification result was obtained using the 17 most important features of those weighted for K = 20 nearest neighbors. The highest accuracy was 82.2% (82.9% Sensitivity, 81.6% Specificity). The partially high accuracy obtained in our study shows that falling can be detected early with a sensor and a simple activity by determining the right features and can be easily applied in the assessment of the elderly during routine follow-ups.

Graphical Abstract
An analogue of the Blaschke–Santaló inequality for billiard dynamics
Authors: Tsodikovich Daniel
Published: August 2024

The Blaschke–Santaló inequality is a classical inequality in convex geometry concerning the volume of a convex body and that of its dual. In this work we investigate an analogue of this inequality in the context of a billiard dynamical system: we replace the volume with the length of the shortest closed billiard trajectory. We define a quantity called the “billiard product” of a convex body K, which is analogous to the volume product studied in the Blaschke–Santaló inequality. In the planar case, we derive an explicit expression for the billiard product in terms of the diameter of the body. We also investigate upper bounds for this quantity in the class of polygons with a fixed number of vertices.
Role of fiber orientation and design on thermal and mechanical properties of natural composite
Authors: Prasanthi P. Phani , Ramacharyulu D. Atchuta , Babu K. Sivaji , Madhav V. V. Venu , Chaitanya Ch. Sri , Saxena Kuldeep K. , Revathi V. , Abduvalieva Dilsora , Bandhu Din
Published: August 2024

The study focuses on exploring the mechanical and thermal properties of natural bagasse fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix composites. Young’s modulus of these composites was determined through tests involving varied orientations of bagasse fibers. Experimental findings were then correlated with analytical models. Thermal conductivity was predicted using simulation studies aided by Micromechanics and Finite Element methods. Finite Element outcomes were cross-referenced with analytical data to validate the FE models. At 10% weight fraction of bagasse fiber, the maximum elasticity modulus of the composite increases significantly by approximately 88% when aligned at 0° orientations, compared to the 90° orientation. Similarly, there's a noteworthy 67% improvement compared to the 45° orientation, maintaining the same bagasse fiber weight fraction. Longitudinal thermal conductivity increased with higher bagasse fiber weight fractions, while transverse thermal conductivity remained relatively constant despite changes in fiber volume. About 98% of the decrement in transverse thermal conductivity is observed compared to longitudinal conductivity at all the percentages of the fiber considered for the study. These findings underscore the significant impact of bagasse fiber orientation on both effective elasticity and thermal conductivity within these fiber-based structures.
Identification of PANoptosis-relevant subgroups and predicting signature to evaluate the prognosis and immune landscape of patients with biliary tract cancer
Authors: Liu Dongming , Chen Wenshuai , Han Zhiqiang , Wang Yu , Liu Wei , Ling Aomei , Wu Qiang , Li Huikai , Guo Hua
Published: August 2024

Background

This study conducted molecular subtyping of biliary tract cancer patients based on 19 PANoptosis-related gene signatures.

Methods

Through consensus clustering, patients were categorized into two subtypes, A and B. By integrating multi-omics data and clinical information from different cohorts, we elucidated the association between different subtypes of biliary tract cancer and patient prognosis, which correlated with the immune infiltration characteristics of patients.

Results

LASSO regression analysis was performed on the 19 gene signatures, and we constructed and validated a 9-gene risk score prognostic model that accurately predicts the overall survival rate of different biliary tract cancer patients. Additionally, we developed a predictive nomogram demonstrating the clinical utility and robustness of our model. Further analysis of the risk score-based immune landscape highlighted potential associations with immune cell infiltration, chemotherapy, and immune therapy response.

Conclusion

Our study provides valuable insights into personalized treatment strategies for biliary tract cancer, which are crucial for improving patient prognosis and guiding treatment decisions in clinical practice.
Migrant Work Conditions and Health Status—A Longitudinal Study on ‘Dirty Work’ Among Undocumented and Newly Regularized Workers
Authors: Lenko Mariya , Refle Jan-Erik , Burton-Jeangros Claudine , Fakhoury Julien , Consoli Liala , Jackson Yves
Published: August 2024

Migrant workers, particularly undocumented migrants, may be constrained to accept ‘dirty work’. This term refers to poorly paid jobs with long working hours and significant exposure to various risks, potentially affecting their health. While many scholars discuss the health-related risks associated with these work conditions, empirical quantitative evidence is scarce regarding their direct effects on health among undocumented and newly regularized migrants. Consequently, we have formulated the following research question: Does ‘dirty work’ have an influence on the self-rated health of undocumented and newly regularized migrants over time? To answer this question, we utilized a dataset collected during an exceptional regularization procedure in the Swiss Canton of Geneva. Through surveys conducted across four waves, we demonstrate the direct and indirect effects of work conditions on migrants’ health using both random effects and fixed effects models. Our operationalization of ‘dirty work’ reveals that exposure to physically demanding positions has a direct, negative impact on migrants’ self-rated health. This result holds independently of the development of chronic health conditions over time. Our study confirms the existence of a relationship between occupational risks and health and underscores the significance of residence status in this context.
Individualisation and individualised science across disciplinary perspectives
Authors: Kaiser Marie I. , Killin Anton , Abendroth Anja-Kristin , Back Mitja D. , Baune Bernhard T. , Bilstein Nicola , Breitmoser Yves , Caspers Barbara A. , Gadau Jürgen , Gossmann Toni I. , Kaiser Sylvia , Krüger Oliver , Kurtz Joachim , Lengersdorf Diana , Malsch Annette K. F. , Müller Caroline , Rauthmann John F. , Reinhold Klaus , Richter S. Helene , Stummer Christian , Trappes Rose , Voelcker-Rehage Claudia , Wittmann Meike J.
Published: August 2024

Recent efforts in a range of scientific fields have emphasised research and methods concerning individual differences and individualisation. This article brings together various scientific disciplines—ecology, evolution, and animal behaviour; medicine and psychiatry; public health and sport/exercise science; sociology; psychology; economics and management science—and presents their research on individualisation. We then clarify the concept of individualisation as it appears in the disciplinary casework by distinguishing three kinds of individualisation studied in and across these disciplines: IndividualisationONE as creating/changing individual differences (the process that generates differences between individuals: intrapopulation or intraspecific variation/heterogeneity); IndividualisationTWO as individualising applications (the tailoring or customising of something—information, treatment, a product or service, etc.—for an individual or specific group of individuals); and IndividualisationTHREE as social changes influencing autonomy, risk, and responsibilities (the process discussed under the rubric of sociological individualisation theory). Moreover, we analyse conceptual links between individualisation and individuality, and characterise different sorts of individuality that the disciplines study. This paper aims to promote interdisciplinary research concerning individualisation by establishing a common conceptual-theoretical basis, while leaving room for disciplinary differences.
Grant chaser and revenue raiser: public school principals and the limitations of philanthropic funding
Authors: Rowe Emma , Di Gregorio Elisa
Published: August 2024

This paper draws on survey and interview data with public school principals, in order to examine the impact of philanthropy in public schools in Australia. As a result of systemic government funding deficits, school principals are applying for competitive grants from a diverse range of sources. This includes non-government organisations such as charities and businesses, as well as competitive government grants to pay for important resourcing in the school. We focus on what we refer to as ‘philanthropic grant chasing’ in public schools as reported by school principals, paying attention to their involvement with the registered charity Australian Schools Plus, one of the first government-subsidised charities that enables businesses and corporations to donate to public schools for a tax deduction. Public school principals expressed dilemmas and ambivalences regarding philanthropy, regarding it as a ‘double-edged sword’. The vast majority rejected the idea of philanthropy as a long-term solution or remedy for systemic issues of under-funding. We found that philanthropic grants were conditional, and imposed excessive accountability and performative measures on principals, with interviewees describing the process as onerous, with ‘too many strings attached’. Competitive philanthropic grants were also found to intensify principal workload. This paper points to how competitive philanthropic grants, and the necessity to generate additional funding, has a detrimental impact on leaders’ workload, time, and long-term school resourcing. It is remodelling the expertise of the principal to grant chaser and revenue raiser. Whilst philanthropic organisations frequently claim otherwise, we argue that philanthropy exacerbates rather than redresses educational equity.
Performance of high sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) improved with microcrystalline cellulose and 2,3-dialdehyde cellulose for proton exchange membranes
Authors: Moussa Mohamed Amine Ben , Ahmed Zakarya , Charradi Khaled , Fraj Boutheina Ben , Boufi Sami , Koschella Andreas , Heinze Thomas , Keshk Sherif M. A. S. , Assaker Ibtissem Ben
Published: August 2024

Sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) has received substantial attention for its potential to improve the electrochemical behavior and thermomechanical capabilities of direct methanol fuel cells. This study examines how the integration by solution casting of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and 2,3-dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) onto highly sulfonated PEEK (with a sulfonation degree of 80%) affects its physicochemical properties and morphological structures. The mechanical attributes and proton conductivity of the polymer matrix are impacted by MCC and DAC inclusion into SPEEK membrane. The maximum proton conductivity was seen in the SPEEK/MCC membranes at 70 °C (up to 0.1 S cm−1). The proton conductivity in methanol vapor was increased by SPEEK/DAC membranes at high temperatures as opposed to pristine SPEEK and SPEEK/MCC membranes.
Comparison of functional performance outcomes between oral patented crystalline glucosamine sulfate and platelet-rich plasma among knee osteoarthritis patients: a propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Amarase Chavarin , Tanavalee Aree , Ngarmukos Srihatach , Tanavalee Chotetawan , Jaruthien Nonn , Somrak Pakpoom , Tantavisut Saran
Published: August 2024

Background

Among the medications used to treat knee osteoarthritis (OA), oral patented crystalline glucosamine sulfate (pCGS) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) have become popular alternatives to painkillers or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Although studies have shown that pCGS and PRP improve clinical outcomes, no study has compared outcomes between these optional treatments. We compared functional performance outcomes from baseline to the 1-year follow-up (FU) between oral pCGS and PRP in patients with knee OA.

Materials and methods

Three hundred eighty-two patients receiving oral pCGS and 122 patients receiving PRP injections were enrolled for a review of functional performance outcomes, including a five-time sit-to-stand test (5xSST), time up-and-go test (TUGT), and 3-minute walk distance test (3MWDT). The patients were followed up for one year. The pCGS group received 1500 mg daily, whereas the PRP group received 2 cycles of intra-articular injections at week 0 and week 6. Using propensity score matching based on age, sex, height, weight, BMI, and Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) classification, all three functional performance outcomes were compared between the baseline (pretreatment), 6-week, 12-week, 24-week, and 1-year FUs.

Results

With a ratio of 2:1 (pCGS: PRP), 204 patients in the pCGS group were matched with 102 patients in the PRP group. Compared with the baseline levels, the PRP group showed significant improvements in 5xSST and TUGT outcomes from 6 weeks and significant improvements in 3MWDT outcomes from 12 weeks, whereas the pCGS group showed significant improvements in TUGT outcomes from 6 weeks and significant improvements in 5xSST and 3MWDT outcomes from 12 weeks. At the 24-week and 1-year FU, both groups showed significant improvements in all three functional performance tests without adverse events.

Conclusions

Although the PRP group showed faster improvements in 5xSST outcomes at six weeks, from the 12-week to 1-year FU, both the pCGS and PRP groups showed significant improvements in 5xSST, TUGT, and 3MWDT outcomes. As the use of PRP is more complicated and invasive than the use of oral pCGS, the benefits and drawbacks of selecting PRP over pCGS in knee OA treatment should be examined.
Intrinsic capacity and recent falls in adults 80 years and older living in the community: results from the ilSIRENTE Study
Authors: Cacciatore Stefano , Marzetti Emanuele , Calvani Riccardo , Picca Anna , Salini Sara , Russo Andrea , Tosato Matteo , Landi Francesco
Published: August 2024

Background

Falls in older adults significantly impact overall health and healthcare costs. Intrinsic capacity (IC) reflects functional reserve and is an indicator of healthy aging.

Aims

To explore the association between IC and recent falls (≤ 90 days) in community-dwelling octogenarians from the Aging and Longevity in the Sirente geographic area (IlSIRENTE) study.

Methods

The Minimum Data Set for Home Care (MDS−HC) and supplementary questionnaires and tests were used to assess the five IC domains: locomotion, cognition, vitality, psychology, and sensory. Scores in each domain were rescaled using the percent of maximum possible score method and averaged to obtain an overall IC score (range 0−100).

Results

The study included 319 participants (mean age 85.5 ± 4.8 years, 67.1% women). Mean IC score was 80.5 ± 14.2. The optimal IC score cut-off for predicting the two-year risk of incident loss of at least one activity of daily living (ADL) was determined and validated in a subset of 240 individuals without ADL disability at baseline (mean age 84.7 ± 4.4 years, 67.1% women). Participants were then stratified into low (< 77.6) and high (≥ 77.6) IC categories. Those with high IC (63.9%) were younger, more often males, and had lower prevalence of recent falls, disability, multimorbidity, and polypharmacy. Logistic regression models including IC as a continuous variable revealed a significant association between higher IC and lower odds of falls. This association was significant in the unadjusted (odds ratio [OR] 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.94–0.98, p < 0.001), age- and sex-adjusted (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.98, p < 0.001), and fully adjusted models (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93–0.99, p = 0.003). When considering IC as a categorical variable, unadjusted logistic regression showed a strong association between high IC and lower odds of falls (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.16–0.60, p < 0.001). This association remained significant in both the age- and sex-adjusted (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.15–0.59, p < 0.001) and fully adjusted models (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.16–0.82, p = 0.007). The locomotion domain was independently associated with falls in the unadjusted (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97–0.99, p < 0.001), age- and sex-adjusted (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.96–0.99, p < 0.001), and fully adjusted model (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–0.99, p < 0.001).

Discussion

This is the first study using an MDS−HC-derived instrument to assess IC. Individuals with higher IC were less likely to report recent falls, with locomotion being an independently associated domain.

Conclusions

Lower IC is linked to increased odds of falls. Interventions to maintain and improve IC, especially the locomotion domain, may reduce fall risk in community-dwelling octogenarians.
One Flow to Correct Them all: Improving Simulations in High-Energy Physics with a Single Normalising Flow and a Switch
Authors: Daumann Caio , Donega Mauro , Erdmann Johannes , Galli Massimiliano , Späh Jan Lukas , Valsecchi Davide
Published: August 2024

Simulated events are key ingredients in almost all high-energy physics analyses. However, imperfections in the simulation can lead to sizeable differences between the observed data and simulated events. The effects of such mismodelling on relevant observables must be corrected either effectively via scale factors, with weights or by modifying the distributions of the observables and their correlations. We introduce a correction method that transforms one multidimensional distribution (simulation) into another one (data) using a simple architecture based on a single normalising flow with a boolean condition. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the method on a physics-inspired toy dataset with non-trivial mismodelling of several observables and their correlations.
Removal of antibiotics from wastewater using nanoparticles-based technology: a review
Authors: Hashmi Muhammad Zaffar , Habib Afraz , Hasnain Ahmad
Published: August 2024

Water is essential to support life processes on the planet earth. Industrialization, urbanization, and growing population significantly impacted the water quality due to chemicals pollution. Among chemicals contamination, antibiotics pollution degraded the freshwater quality and posed toxic effects to the environment. Nanotechnology is eco-friendly and is useful for the treatment of pollutants. The review summarizes different nanoparticles-based technologies alone or in combination with other compounds to remove antibiotics in wastewater. The influence of environmental factors i.e. temperature and pH on the removal efficiency of nanoparticles were also reviewed. The review indicated that nanoparticles in combination with metal oxides showed more efficiency > 80% than nanoparticles used alone < 60%, suggesting these methods are effective for removal of antibiotics. Laccase-HBT technology was efficient for tetracycline class of antibiotics, nano-Fe2O3 technology for penicillin class of antibiotics and nano graphene-oxide technology for fluoroquinolones class of antibiotics. Penicillin class of antibiotics removal efficiency by nanomaterials was more as compared to other classes. Zero valent iron nanoparticles performance was better in highly acidic conditions while zinc oxide nanoparticles was efficient in basic conditions. This review will help the researchers regarding knowledge depth of nanotechnology to treat antibiotics and the application of nanotechnology to treat contaminated wastewater.
History and the Development of Historical Scholarship in Africa
Authors: Arowosegbe Jeremiah O.
Published: August 2024

How has historical scholarship fared in Africa? What is the state of decolonization and deconstruction historiography in the production of historical knowledge on the continent? What role does the state play in aiding or undermining historians’ access to official historical data and the production of historical knowledge in postcolonial Africa? This article engages these questions. It harps on the reconstruction of African intellectual history as a daunting postcolonial challenge, and argues that historians on Africa need to engage with and reexamine the development of the discipline of history in Africa in relation to the debates on decolonization and the enterprise of history-writing in the production of historical knowledge and historical scholarship across the continent. This illuminates the understanding of the history of contemporary Africa. It also throws fresh light on the continent’s remote past as a way of establishing its connections with the present. Complementary to the problems of writing the history of contemporary Africa, this work argues that to appreciate and understand the problems of history-writing on Africa, we need to focus on the development and limitations of the discipline across the institutional sites of the universities in postcolonial Africa.
Flow film boiling on a sphere in the mixed and forced convection regimes
Authors: Kumar Rohit , Premachandran B.
Published: August 2024

Saturated flow film boiling on a sphere has been numerically studied in this work for both vertical and horizontal flow configurations. The simulations were performed using a numerical methodology developed by the authors for boiling flows on three-dimensional unstructured meshes. For interface capturing, the coupled level set and volume of fluid method is used. The interface evolution, vapour wake dynamics and heat transfer have been thoroughly investigated by varying the saturated liquid flow velocity, sphere diameter and wall superheat. The relative importance of both the buoyancy and the inertial forces is described in terms of the Froude number

$(Fr)$

. The vapour bubble evolves periodically at low

$Fr$

values, while a stable vapour column develops at high

$Fr$

values. The interface evolution pattern obtained in the present work is in good agreement with the results of experimental studies available in the literature. For all the values of

$Fr$

, a stable vapour column develops for a large-diameter sphere and releases vapour bubbles of varying sizes. Furthermore, for a large-diameter sphere, surface capillary waves are observed at the interface, similar to the observations of some of the experimental studies available in the literature. The flow in the liquid and vapour wakes appears to be strongly coupled. The heat transfer in the present work is estimated using the spatially and temporally averaged Nusselt numbers. Finally, an fast Fourier transform analysis of the space-averaged Nusselt number reveals a strong interaction among the different forces.
Quantifying Changes in the Arctic Shortwave Cloud Radiative Effects
Authors: Kim Doyeon , Kang Sarah M. , Kim Hanjun , Taylor Patrick C.
Published: August 2024

The shortwave cloud radiative effect (SWCRE) is important for the Arctic surface radiation budget and is a major source of inter‐model spread in simulating Arctic climate. To better understand the individual contributions of various radiative processes to changes in SWCRE, we extend the existing Approximate Partial Radiative Perturbation (APRP) method by adding the absorptivity for the upward beam, considering differences in reflectivity between upward and downward beams, and analyzing the cloud masking effect resulting from changes in surface albedo. Using data from CMIP model experiments, the study decomposes the SWCRE over the Arctic surface and analyzes inter‐model differences in quadrupled CO2 simulations. The study accounts for the influence of surface albedo, cloud amount, and cloud microphysics in the response of SWCRE to Arctic warming. In the sunlit season, CMIP models exhibit a strong, negative SWCRE with a large inter‐model spread. Arctic clouds dampen the surface albedo feedback by reflecting incoming solar radiation and further decrease the shortwave radiation reflected by surface, a fraction of which is scattered back to the surface by clouds. Specifically, this accounts for the majority of the inter‐model spread in SWCRE. In addition, increased (decreased) cloud amount and cloud liquid water reduce (increase) incoming shortwave fluxes at the surface, but they are found to be not critical to the Arctic surface radiation budget and its inter‐model variation. Overall, the extended APRP method offers a useful tool for analyzing the complex interactions between clouds and radiative processes, accurately decomposes the individual SWCRE responses at the Arctic surface.
Investigating Ultra‐Low Velocity Zones as Sources of PKP Scattering Beneath North America and the Western Pacific Ocean: Potential Links to Subducted Oceanic Crust
Authors: Thorne Michael S. , Pachhai Surya , Li Mingming , Ward Jamie , Rost Sebastian
Published: August 2024

Seismic energy arriving before the compressional (P) wave passing through the core (PKP), called PKP precursors, have been detected for decades, but the origin of those arrivals is ambiguous. The largest amplitude arrivals are linked to scattering at small‐scale lowermost mantle structure, but because these arrivals traverse both source and receiver sides of the mantle, it is unknown which side of the path the energy is scattered from. To address this ambiguity, we apply a new seismic array method to analyze PKP waveforms from 58 earthquakes recorded in North America that allows localization of the origin of the PKP precursors at the core‐mantle boundary (CMB). We compare these measurements with high frequency 2.5‐D synthetic predictions showing that the PKP precursors are most likely associated with ultra‐low velocity zone structures beneath the western Pacific and North America. The most feasible scenario to generate ULVZs in both locations is through melting of mid‐ocean ridge basalt in subducted oceanic crust.
Some Reefs Could Bleach Year-Round by 2080
Authors: Cutts Elise
Published: August 2024

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions could protect some reefs more than others.
What Can Hurricane Sam (2021) Tell Us About Extreme Ocean Waves Under Tropical Cyclones?
Authors: Zhao X. , Oruba L. , Hauser D. , Zhang B. , Dormy E.
Published: August 2024

We investigate the ocean wave field under Hurricane Sam (2021). Whilst measurements of waves under Tropical Cyclones are rare, an unusually large number of quality in situ and remote measurements are available in that case. First, we highlight the good consistency between the wave spectra provided by the Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring (SWIM) instrument onboard the China‐France Oceanography SATellite, the in situ spectra measured by National Data Buoy Center buoys, and a saildrone. The impact of strong rains on SWIM spectra is then further investigated. We show that whereas the rain definitely affects the normalized radar cross section, both the innovative technology (beam rotating scanning geometry) and the post‐processing processes applied to retrieve the 2D wave spectra ensure a good quality of the resulting wave spectra, even in heavy rain conditions. On this basis, the satellite, airborne and in situ observations are confronted to the analytical model proposed by Kudryavtsev et al. (2015, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JC011284). We show that an extended fetch mechanism may be invoked to explain the large significant wave height observed in the right front quadrant of Hurricane Sam.
Intense Changes in the Main Source of Organic Carbon to the Gulf Coastal Plain Following the Cretaceous‐Paleogene Boundary
Authors: Sosa‐Montes de Oca C. , Witts J. D. , Lowery C. M. , Kearns L. E. , Garb M. P. , Naujokaityte J. , Myers C. E. , Landman N. H. , Pancost R. D.
Published: August 2024

To explore both environmental change and the response of non‐fossilizing phytoplankton across the Cretaceous‐Paleogene (K‐Pg) boundary mass extinction event, we determined changes in organic matter (OM) sources using a range of apolar (n‐alkanes, acyclic isoprenoids, steranes, and hopanes) and polar (BIT index) biomarkers. We analyzed two K‐Pg proximal sections, located in the Mississippi Embayment, Gulf Coastal Plain (USA), covering ∼300 kyrs prior to and ∼3 myrs after the K‐Pg event. The OM abundance and composition changed dramatically across the boundary. The post‐impact ejecta layer and burrowed unit are characterized by an increase in the mass accumulation rate (MAR) of plant and soil biomarkers, including high‐molecular‐weight n‐alkanes and C29 steranes as well as the BIT index, related to an erosive period which transported terrestrial OM to the ocean in the aftermath of the impact event. At the same time, MARs of putative aquatic biomarkers decrease (low‐molecular‐weight n‐alkanes, C27 steranes and pristane and phytane), which suggests a collapse of the marine phytoplankton community. The increase of terrestrial OM to the ocean, during the first 280 kyrs after the Chicxulub impact event, is a combination of reworked kerogen, soil and some plant material. Crucially, within the latter part of this erosion period, only ∼160 kyrs after the K‐Pg do biomarkers return to distributions similar to those in the upper Cretaceous, although not to pre‐impact MARs. Thus, our results suggest a long‐term interval for the full sedimentary and ecological recovery of the non‐fossilizing phytoplankton community after this event.
Drought Characterization With GPS: Insights Into Groundwater and Surface‐Reservoir Storage in California
Authors: Young Zachary M. , Martens Hilary R. , Hoylman Zachary H. , Gardner W. Payton
Published: August 2024

Drought intensity is commonly characterized using meteorologically‐based metrics that do not provide insight into water deficits within deeper hydrologic systems. In contrast, global positioning system (GPS) displacements are sensitive to both local and regional hydrologic‐storage fluctuations. While a few studies have leveraged this sensitivity to produce geodetic drought indices, hydrologic drought characterization using GPS is not commonly accounted for in drought assessment and management. To motivate this application, we produce a new geodetic drought index (GDI) and quantify its ability to characterize hydrologic drought conditions in key surface and sub‐surface hydrologic reservoirs/pools across California. In northern California, the GDI exhibits a strong regional association with surface‐reservoir storage at the 1‐month time scale (correlation coefficient: 0.83) and groundwater levels at the 3‐month time scale (correlation coefficient: 0.87), along with moderate associations with stream discharge at the daily (instantaneous) time scale (correlation coefficient: 0.50). Groundwater in southern California is best characterized with a 12‐month GDI (correlation coefficient: 0.77), and surface‐reservoir storage is optimized with the 3‐month GDI (correlation coefficient: 0.72). Two sigma uncertainties are ±0.03. Differences between northern and southern California reveal that the GDI is sensitive to unique aquifer and drainage basin characteristics. In addition to capturing long‐term hydrologic trends, rapid changes in the GDI initiate during clusters of large atmospheric river events that closely mirror fluctuations in traditional hydrologic and meteorological observations. We show that GPS‐based hydrologic drought indices provide a significant opportunity to improve drought assessment, in California and beyond, by improving our understanding of the hydrologic cycle.
Fetal behavior and gestational serotonin reuptake inhibitor exposure: relationships between behavior, drug dosage, plasma drug level, and a measure of drug bioeffect
Authors: Salisbury Amy L. , Anderson George M. , Yang Amy , Stika Catherine S. , Rasmussen-Torvik Laura J. , Gollan Jacqueline K. , Wisner Katherine L.
Published: August 2024

Determination of the relationships between drug dosage, maternal and infant (cord blood) plasma drug concentrations, and serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) bioeffect on offspring neurobehavior is crucial to assessing the effects of gestational SRI exposure. Measurement of maternal and cord blood platelet serotonin (5-HT) provides an index of inhibitory bioeffect at the 5-HT transporter and complements other measures of drug exposure. Three groups of mother-infant pairs were evaluated: (1) mothers with depression untreated with SRIs (DEP, n = 17), (2) mothers treated for depression with SRIs (DEP + SRI, n = 17), and (3) mothers who were not depressed and untreated (ND, n = 29). Fetal movement was assessed using a standardized ultrasound imaging and rating protocol. Maternal and cord blood platelet 5-HT levels were obtained from all participants. For the SRI + DEP group, maternal and infant plasma drug concentrations and an estimate of third-trimester maternal SRI drug exposure were obtained. As expected, substantially lower median platelet 5-HT levels were observed in the DEP + SRI group than in the non-exposed, combined ND and DEP groups. In non-exposed mothers and infants, platelet 5-HT levels were not affected by the presence of maternal depression. Lower maternal and infant platelet 5-HT levels were associated with more immature fetal movement quality. Although these data are limited by small sample size, the bioeffect index of in vivo platelet 5-HT transporter inhibition appears to provide a valuable approach for elucidating and possibly predicting the effects of gestational SRI exposure on fetal and perinatal neurobehavior.
A pilot randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern on disease activity, symptoms and microbiota profile in adults with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Marsh Abigail , Chachay Veronique , Banks Merrilyn , Okano Satomi , Hartel Gunter , Radford-Smith Graham
Published: August 2024

Background/Objectives

There is a lack of certainty in dietary prescription for individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) due to heterogeneity in studies to date. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy on disease activity of a modified anti-inflammatory dietary pattern purposely designed to reduce intake of food additives (IBD-MAID), compared to standard care, in adults with IBD.

Subject/Methods

Adults with IBD were randomised to IBD-MAID (meals provided) [n = 29] or general healthy eating (GHE) [n = 29] for 8 weeks. Disease activity, faecal calprotectin (FC), C-reactive protein (CRP), symptoms, and quality of life (S&QOL) were assessed using validated tools.

Results

The IBD-MAID was well tolerated and adhered to (92% adherence). At week 8, there was no statistically significant difference in change from baseline in outcome measures between groups. However, baseline to week 8 analysis indicated: (1) statistically significant improvements in S (p = 0.001) & QOL (p = 0.004), FC (p = 0.007), and Crohn’s disease activity (p = 0.03) but not ulcerative colitis, in individuals following the IBD-MAID and (2) statistically significant improvement in QOL in individuals receiving GHE (p = 0.015). Correlation analysis on change from baseline to week 8 revealed a greater decrease in food additives intake was associated with statistically significant improvements in FC, S & QOL and alignment of anti-inflammatory dietary principles with improvements in QOL.

Conclusion

The IBD-MAID was well tolerated. The most novel finding pertains to the correlation between reduced food additives intake and improvements in inflammatory markers, S&QOL. Further research is needed to explore the effects of food additives exposure on IBD course.

Trial registration

12619001500145
Human tactile sensing and sensorimotor mechanism: from afferent tactile signals to efferent motor control
Authors: Wei Yuyang , Marshall Andrew G. , McGlone Francis P. , Makdani Adarsh , Zhu Yiming , Yan Lingyun , Ren Lei , Wei Guowu
Published: August 2024

In tactile sensing, decoding the journey from afferent tactile signals to efferent motor commands is a significant challenge primarily due to the difficulty in capturing population-level afferent nerve signals during active touch. This study integrates a finite element hand model with a neural dynamic model by using microneurography data to predict neural responses based on contact biomechanics and membrane transduction dynamics. This research focuses specifically on tactile sensation and its direct translation into motor actions. Evaluations of muscle synergy during in -vivo experiments revealed transduction functions linking tactile signals and muscle activation. These functions suggest similar sensorimotor strategies for grasping influenced by object size and weight. The decoded transduction mechanism was validated by restoring human-like sensorimotor performance on a tendon-driven biomimetic hand. This research advances our understanding of translating tactile sensation into motor actions, offering valuable insights into prosthetic design, robotics, and the development of next-generation prosthetics with neuromorphic tactile feedback.
Fast imaging of millimeter-scale areas with beam deflection transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Zheng Zhihao , Own Christopher S. , Wanner Adrian A. , Koene Randal A. , Hammerschmith Eric W. , Silversmith William M. , Kemnitz Nico , Lu Ran , Tank David W. , Seung H. Sebastian
Published: August 2024

Serial section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has proven to be one of the leading methods for millimeter-scale 3D imaging of brain tissues at nanoscale resolution. It is important to further improve imaging efficiency to acquire larger and more brain volumes. We report here a threefold increase in the speed of TEM by using a beam deflecting mechanism to enable highly efficient acquisition of multiple image tiles (nine) for each motion of the mechanical stage. For millimeter-scale areas, the duty cycle of imaging doubles to more than 30%, yielding a net average imaging rate of 0.3 gigapixels per second. If fully utilized, an array of four beam deflection TEMs should be capable of imaging a dataset of cubic millimeter scale in five weeks.
Homing gene drives can transfer rapidly between Anopheles gambiae strains with minimal carryover of flanking sequences
Authors: Pescod Poppy , Bevivino Giulia , Anthousi Amalia , Shepherd Josephine , Shelton Ruth , Lombardo Fabrizio , Nolan Tony
Published: August 2024

CRISPR-Cas9 homing gene drives are designed to induce a targeted double-stranded DNA break at a wild type allele (‘recipient’), which, when repaired by the host cell, is converted to the drive allele from the homologous (‘donor’) chromosome. Germline localisation of this process leads to super-Mendelian inheritance of the drive and the rapid spread of linked traits, offering a novel strategy for population control through the deliberate release of drive individuals. During the homology-based DNA repair, additional segments of the recipient chromosome may convert to match the donor, potentially impacting carrier fitness and strategy success. Using Anopheles gambiae strains with variations around the drive target site, here we assess the extent and nature of chromosomal conversion. We show both homing and meiotic drive contribute as mechanisms of inheritance bias. Additionally, over 80% of homing events resolve within 50 bp of the chromosomal break, enabling rapid gene drive transfer into locally-adapted genetic backgrounds.
An image-based screen for secreted proteins involved in breast cancer G0 cell cycle arrest
Authors: Weston William A. , Holt Jordan A. , Wiecek Anna J. , Pilling James , Schiavone Lovisa Holmberg , Smith David M. , Secrier Maria , Barr Alexis R.
Published: August 2024

Secreted proteins regulate the balance between cellular proliferation and G0 arrest and therefore play important roles in tumour dormancy. Tumour dormancy presents a significant clinical challenge for breast cancer patients, where non-proliferating, G0-arrested cancer cells remain at metastatic sites, below the level of clinical detection, some of which can re-enter proliferation and drive tumour relapse. Knowing which secreted proteins can regulate entry into and exit from G0 allows us to manipulate their signalling to prevent tumour relapse. To identify novel secreted proteins that can promote breast cancer G0 arrest, we performed a secretome-wide, image-based screen for proteins that increase the fraction of cells in G0 arrest. From a secretome library of 1282 purified proteins, we identified 29 candidates that promote G0 arrest in non-transformed and transformed breast epithelial cells. The assay we have developed can be adapted for use in other perturbation screens in other cell types. All datasets have been made available for re-analysis and our candidate proteins are presented for alternative bioinformatic refinement or further experimental follow up.
IrCytoToxDB: a dataset of iridium(III) complexes cytotoxicities against various cell lines
Authors: Krasnov Lev , Tatarin Sergei , Smirnov Daniil , Bezzubov Stanislav
Published: August 2024

Iridium(III) complexes nowadays became rising stars in various health-related applications. Thus, there is a necessity to assess cytotoxicity of the synthesized molecules against cancer/normal cell lines. In this report, we present a dataset of 2694 experimental cytotoxicity values of 803 iridium complexes against 127 different cell lines. We specify the experimental conditions and provide representation of the complexes molecules in machine-readable format. The dataset provides a starting point for exploration of new iridium-based cellular probes and opens new possibilities for predictions of toxicities and data-driven generation of new organometallic anticancer agents.
Multi-omics analysis identifies repurposing bortezomib in the treatment of kidney-, nervous system-, and hematological cancers
Authors: Larsson Peter , Olsson Maxim , Sarathchandra Sithumini , Fäldt Beding Anna , Forssell-Aronsson Eva , Kovács Anikó , Karlsson Per , Helou Khalil , Parris Toshima Z.
Published: August 2024

Repurposing of FDA-approved drugs is a quick and cost-effective alternative to de novo drug development. Here, we identify genes involved in bortezomib sensitivity, predict cancer types that may benefit from treatment with bortezomib, and evaluate the mechanism-of-action of bortezomib in breast cancer (BT-474 and ZR-75–30), melanoma (A-375), and glioblastoma (A-172) cells in vitro. Cancer cell lines derived from cancers of the blood, kidney, nervous system, and skin were found to be significantly more sensitive to bortezomib than other organ systems. The in vitro studies confirmed that although bortezomib effectively inhibited the β5 catalytic site in all four cell lines, cell cycle arrest was only induced in G2/M phase and apoptosis in A-375 and A-172 after 24h. The genomic and transcriptomic analyses identified 33 genes (e.g. ALDH18A1, ATAD2) associated with bortezomib resistance. Taken together, we identified biomarkers predictive of bortezomib sensitivity and cancer types that might benefit from treatment with bortezomib.