bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Psychometric Properties of the Resilience Scale
Authors: Cajada Lucia , Stephenson Zoe , Bishopp Darren
Published: July 2023

The aim of this paper was to critically evaluate the Resilience Scale (RS). The RS is a standardized 25-item self-report assessment tool that measures the degree of individual resilience focusing on positive psychological characteristics instead of deficits. Participants are required to rate, using a 7-point Likert item, how much they agree or disagree with the statements and how much they identify with them; higher scores reflect higher levels of resilience. The test authors suggest that five dimensions underpin the RS: equanimity, perseverance, meaningfulness, self-reliance, and existential aloneness, and the scale loads onto two factors described as personal competence and acceptance of self and life. However, there is little empirical support for the conceptual framework. The tool has been translated and validated in several languages as well as administered to over 3 million people around the world in 150 countries, making it the most widely used resilience measure. Nevertheless, there are questions with regards to the underlying construct and content validity, since the proposed theoretical constructs underpinning the scale are open to debate. Despite its popularity and apparent reliability, there are potential difficulties with the measure which are presented here. Finally, it is suggested that the scale would benefit from further examination of the underlying constructs which contribute to resilience.
Responsible Credit Risk Assessment with Machine Learning and Knowledge Acquisition
Authors: Guan Charles , Suryanto Hendra , Mahidadia Ashesh , Bain Michael , Compton Paul
Published: July 2023

Making responsible lending decisions involves many factors. There is a growing amount of research on machine learning applied to credit risk evaluation. This promises to enhance diversity in lending without impacting the quality of the credit available by using data on previous lending decisions and their outcomes. However, often the most accurate machine learning methods predict in ways that are not transparent to human domain experts. A consequence is increasing regulation in jurisdictions across the world requiring automated decisions to be explainable. Before the emergence of data-driven technologies lending decisions were based on human expertise, so explainable lending decisions can, in principle, be assessed by human domain experts to ensure they are fair and ethical. In this study we hypothesised that human expertise may be used to overcome the limitations of inadequate data. Using benchmark data, we investigated using machine learning on a small training set and then correcting errors in the training data with human expertise applied through Ripple-Down Rules. We found that the resulting combined model not only performed equivalently to a model learned from a large set of training data, but that the human expert’s rules also improved the decision making of the latter model. The approach is general, and can be used not only to improve the appropriateness of lending decisions, but also potentially to improve responsible decision making in any domain where machine learning training data is limited in quantity or quality.
Viewpoint: Some comics that made me and some comics that I made
Authors: Trantraal André
Published: July 2023

I was seven years old when I read my first comic book. Asterix and Caesar's gift has never really ranked amongst my favourites in the long-running French children's comic book series but the impact it had on me at the time was nothing less than life-changing.
Feasibility and Cost Analysis of Portable MRI Implementation in a Remote Setting in Canada
Authors: DesRoche Chloe N. , Johnson Ana P. , Hore Elizabeth B. , Innes Elaine , Silver Ian , Tampieri Donatella , Kwan Benjamin Y.M. , Jimenez Johanna Ortiz , Boyd J. Gordon , Islam Omar
Published: July 2023

Objective:

To conduct feasibility and cost analysis of portable MRI implementation in a remote setting where MRI access is otherwise unavailable.

Methods:

Portable MRI (ultra-low field, 0.064T) was installed in Weeneebayko General Hospital, Moose Factory, Ontario. Adult patients, presenting with any indication for neuroimaging, were eligible for study inclusion. Scanning period was from November 14, 2021, to September 6, 2022. Images were sent via a secure PACS network for Neuroradiologist interpretation, available 24/7. Clinical indications, image quality, and report turnaround time were recorded. A cost analysis was conducted from a healthcare system’s perspective in 2022 Canadian dollars, comparing cost of portable MRI implementation to transporting patients to a center with fixed MRI.

Results:

Portable MRI was successfully implemented in a remote Canadian location. Twenty-five patients received a portable MRI scan. All studies were of diagnostic quality. No clinically significant pathologies were identified on any of the studies. However, based on clinical presentation and limitations of portable MRI resolution, it is estimated that 11 (44%) of patients would require transfer to a center with fixed MRI for further imaging workup. Cost savings were $854,841 based on 50 patients receiving portable MRI over 1 year. Five-year budget impact analysis showed nearly $8 million dollars saved.

Conclusions:

Portable MRI implementation in a remote setting is feasible, with significant cost savings compared to fixed MRI. This study may serve as a model to democratize MRI access, offer timely care and improved triaging in remote areas where conventional MRI is unavailable.
Methylation Profiling Identifies Stability of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Mutation Over Time
Authors: Voisin Mathew R. , Gui Chloe , Patil Vikas , Gao Andrew F. , Zadeh Gelareh
Published: July 2023

Objective:

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status is a key diagnostic and prognostic feature of gliomas. It is thought to occur early in glioma tumorigenesis and remain stable over time. However, there are reports documenting a loss of IDH mutation status in a subset of patients with glioma recurrence. Here, we identified patients with a documented loss of IDH mutation status longitudinally and performed multi-platform analysis in order to determine if IDH mutations are stable throughout glioma evolution.

Methods:

We retrospectively identified patients from our institution from 2009 to 2018 with immunohistochemistry (IHC)-recorded IDH mutation status changes longitudinally. Archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded and frozen tissue samples from these patients were collected from our institution’s tumour bank. Samples were analysed using methylation profiling, copy number variation, Sanger sequencing, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and IHC.

Results:

We reviewed 1491 archived glioma samples including 78 patients with multiple IDH mutant tumour samples collected longitudinally. In all instances of documented loss of IDH mutation status, multi-platform profiling identified a mixture of low tumour cell content and non-neoplastic tissue including perilesional, reactive or inflammatory cells.

Conclusions:

All patients with a documented loss of IDH mutation status longitudinally were resolved through multi-platform analysis. These findings support the hypothesis that IDH mutations occur early in gliomagenesis and in the absence of copy number changes at the IDH loci and are stable throughout tumour treatment and evolution. Our study highlights the importance of accurate surgical sampling and the role of DNA methylome profiling in diagnostically uncertain cases for integrated pathological and molecular diagnosis.
On the abundance of k-fold semi-monotone minimal sets in bimodal circle maps
Authors: BOYLAND PHILIP
Published: July 2023

Inspired by a twist map theorem of Mather. we study recurrent invariant sets that are ordered like rigid rotation under the action of the lift of a bimodal circle map g to the k-fold cover. For each irrational in the rotation set’s interior, the collection of the k-fold ordered semi-Denjoy minimal sets with that rotation number contains a
$(k-1)$
-dimensional ball with the weak topology on their unique invariant measures. We also describe completely their periodic orbit analogs for rational rotation numbers. The main tool used is a generalization of a construction of Hedlund and Morse that generates symbolic analogs of these k-fold well-ordered invariant sets.
Towards a finite-time singularity of the Navier–Stokes equations. Part 3. Maximal vorticity amplification
Authors: Moffatt H.K. , Kimura Yoshifumi
Published: July 2023

An exact analytical solution is obtained for the dynamical system derived in Part 1 of this series (Moffatt & Kimura, J. Fluid Mech, vol. 861, 2019a, pp. 930–967), which describes the approach of two initially circular vortices of finite but small cross-section symmetrically located on inclined planes. This exact solution, applicable in the inviscid limit, allows determination of the amplification

$\mathcal {A}_{\omega }$

of the axial vorticity within the finite time

$T$

during which the basic assumptions of the model continue to apply. It is first shown that, for arbitrarily prescribed

$\mathcal {A}_{\omega }$

, it is possible to specify smooth initial conditions of finite energy such that, in the inviscid limit, this amplification is achieved within the time

$T$

. When viscosity is included, an estimate is provided for the minimum vortex Reynolds number that is sufficient for the same result to hold. The predictions are broadly compatible with results from direct numerical simulations at moderate Reynolds numbers. Moreover, it is shown that one may come arbitrarily close to a finite-time singularity of the Navier–Stokes equation by appropriate choice of an initial, smooth, finite-energy velocity field; however, this approach to a singularity is ultimately thwarted through breach of the assumptions on which the dynamical system is based. Thus we make no claim here concerning realisation of a Navier–Stokes singularity. Moreover, we find that the conditions required to attain a large amplification

$\mathcal {A}_{\omega }\gg 1$

during the time

$T$

are far beyond those that can be realised in either experiment or direct numerical simulation.
Presidential Address ‘Some years of cudgelling my brains about the nature and function of science museums’: Frank Sherwood Taylor and the public role of the history of science
Authors: Boon Tim
Published: July 2023

Frank Sherwood Taylor was director of the Science Museum London for just over five years from October 1950. He was the only historian of science ever to have been director of this institution, which has always ridden a tightrope between advocacy of science and advocacy of its history, balancing differently at different points in its history. He was also president of the BSHS from 1951 to 1953. So what happened when a historian got his hands on the nation's pre-eminent public museum of science? To what extent did his historian's training and instincts affect his policies whilst director, and with what effect in the longer term? Taking this exceptional case, I suggest, enables us to consider how museum accounts of the past of science relate to historiographies of science otherwise available in the culture. In this discussion, drawing on new archival research, I consider the role of history within a key policy paper he wrote in 1951. I analyse and contextualize its main themes before considering, by way of conclusion, his legacy.
Use of the Microguide mobile phone application for ENT conditions: a national review
Authors: Wilson Emily , Dimitriou Alexia , Munnings Amberley , Hunt Alison
Published: July 2023

Objective

Smartphone applications are used widely in healthcare, including antimicrobial applications such as Microguide. There has been no review of hospitals using this smartphone application for ENT conditions.

Methods

This study analysed all hospital accounts using Microguide and examined the ENT conditions that were listed.

Results

In total, 123 hospitals were included in this study; 45 ENT-related conditions were listed on Microguide across all hospitals, with an average of 8 conditions listed per hospital.

Conclusion

There is a significant disparity of ENT conditions listed on Microguide. A suggested list is recommended to be included for ENT departments using Microguide, to help improve antimicrobial stewardship for the specialty.
Death, deathless states, and time-consciousness in Sikh philosophy
Authors: Mandair Arvind-Pal S.
Published: July 2023

This article examines Sikh conceptualizations about death and immortality, focusing on several thematic lines of inquiry drawn from the utterances of the Sikh Gurus (gurbāṇī): (i) ordinary or empirical death; (ii) deathless states; (iii) after death? (iv) this life; (v) personhood and the (non-)existence of God. These themes address philosophical issues related to concerns about fear of death, belief in an afterlife, as well as its implications for the nature of self and the concept of God in Sikhism. At the same time, however, the article complicates our understanding of these topics by resituating them within discussions of time and time-consciousness, thereby highlighting the need for a form of logic more conducive to the understanding of death and immortality in Sikh thought.
STRIVING FOR THE UNDERNEATH: BODY AND PATHOS IN CHAYA CZERNOWIN'S COMPOSITION FOR VOICE IN INFINITE NOW AND HEART CHAMBER
Authors: Shley-Zondiner Sarit
Published: July 2023

In her two recent operas, Heart Chamber (2017–19) and Infinite Now (2015–16), Chaya Czernowin uses vocal ensembles to embody a single character. In a 2016 article, she explained that she wanted to liberate the individual voice from its fixed emotional, social and individual conventions (especially its ingrained pathos), and to work with the voice as a free imaginative sonic material, using the ensemble technique to achieve this. This article argues that the voice ensemble technique amplifies and intensifies the pathos of the voice rather than eliminating it. Recognising that the voice has strong somatic qualities since it is produced in the body, I suggest a material-musical analysis, based on the theories of Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht and Brian Massumi, that focuses on the body, the sensual experience and the physical space, and rejects the hermeneutic tradition that refers to meaning and interpretation only. What emerges is that the voices, instrumentation and electronics of the ensemble are designed to embody the inner body and the outer space at the same time. The voice ensemble may split and produce multi-layered mental–physical states, and express how traditional dichotomies, such as culture/nature, body/mind and subject/object, can meld into multi-perspective processual movements. It is in this intersection of sound and drama, manifesting the corporeal, that the unique power of opera is evinced.
Appropriateness of strategy comparisons in cost-effectiveness analyses of infant pneumococcal vaccination: a systematic review
Authors: Scheffer Mariska M. J. , Coffeng Luc E. , O’Mahony James F.
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is the standard framework for informing the efficient allocation of scarce healthcare resources. The importance of considering all relevant intervention strategies and appropriate incremental comparisons have both long been recognized in CEA. Failure to apply methods correctly can lead to suboptimal policies. Our objective is to assess if CEAs of infant pneumococcal vaccination apply appropriate methods with respect to the completeness of strategies assessed and incremental comparisons between them.

Methods

We conducted a systematic search of the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases and performed a comparative analysis of the retrieved pneumococcal vaccination CEAs. We checked the appropriateness of the incremental analyses by attempting to replicate the published incremental cost-effectiveness (CE) ratios from the reported costs and health effects.

Results

Our search returned twenty-nine eligible articles. Most studies failed to recognize one or more intervention strategies (n = 21). Incremental comparisons were questionable in four CEAs and insufficient reporting of cost and health effect estimates was identified in three studies. Overall, we only found four studies that made appropriate comparisons between all strategies. Lastly, study findings appear to be strongly associated with manufacturer sponsorship.

Conclusions

We found considerable scope for improvement regarding strategy comparison in the infant pneumococcal vaccination literature. To prevent overestimation of the CE of new vaccines, we urge greater adherence to existing guidelines recommending that all available strategies are evaluated to capture relevant comparators for CE evaluation. Closer adherence to existing guidelines will generate better evidence, leading to more effective vaccination policies.
The 1821 eruption of Bridgeman Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica: an observed Capelinhos-style hydrovolcanic event
Authors: Smellie John L. , Kraus Stefan , Williams Karen
Published: July 2023

The first recorded volcanic eruption in Antarctica occurred on Bridgeman Island (South Shetland Islands) in early 1821, < 2 years after Antarctica was discovered. However, the observations were disputed owing to a lack of physical evidence. A consensus arose that they probably referred to Penguin Island, a young volcano with a well-formed volcanic cone situated just 60 km to the west. However, a recent re-examination of the historical reports demonstrated that the event was undoubtedly located at Bridgeman Island. Our new study demonstrates that the eruption was explosive and lasted throughout 1821. The vent was situated in the sea ~500 m to the west of Bridgeman Island and the eruption was hydrovolcanic (Surtseyan). The new volcano constructed a tuff ring composed of unconsolidated lapilli and ash, which rapidly coalesced with nearby Bridgeman Island, similar to how the Capelinhos volcano joined with neighbouring Faial (Azores) in 1957–1958. The tuff ring had a very low profile and was rapidly removed by marine erosion. However, fumarolic activity persisted for a few decades. Because the eruption is only 200 years old, the underlying volcanic construct (Bridgeman Rise) should be regarded as dormant rather than extinct.
Prioritization of alien plant targets for biological control in South Africa's offshore sub-Antarctic islands
Authors: Canavan Kim , Paterson Iain Douglas
Published: July 2023

Invasive alien plants (IAPs) are a significant threat to the biodiversity and ecological functioning of the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands (PEIs); however, weed biological control has not yet been implemented as a management tool. The PEIs have had 23 alien plants recorded, of which several are considered beyond eradication and therefore could benefit from the release of safe and effective biocontrol agents. We used the South African Biological Control Target Selection (BCTS) system to provide a ranked list of the target species in order of priority for further biocontrol research. The highest-scoring species, and therefore those that should be considered first to be targeted, were Sagina procumbens and Cerastium fontanum. No biocontrol agents for IAPs have been released in any climate with as consistent low temperatures as in the PEIs, so the climatic compatibility of agents will be essential prior to any decision to release. However, with very few native species present on the PEIs, the programmes would involve limited host specificity testing, which would improve the feasibility and speed with which new biocontrol agents could be developed. Biocontrol may offer an environmentally safe and sustainable method of reducing the negative impacts of these priority species and thus warrants further investigation.
The developmental trajectory of diurnal cortisol in autistic and neurotypical youth
Authors: Corbett Blythe A. , McGonigle Trey , Muscatello Rachael A. , Liu Jinyuan , Vandekar Simon
Published: July 2023

Increasing age and puberty affect the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis maturation, which is likely associated with an increase in environmental demands (e.g., social) and vulnerability for the onset of psychiatric conditions (e.g., depression). There is limited research as to whether such patterns are consonant in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a condition marked by social challenges, dysregulation of the HPA axis, and higher rates of depression setting the stage for enhanced vulnerability during this developmental period.

The current study interrogated diurnal cortisol by examining (1) cortisol expression longitudinally over the pubertal transition between autistic and neurotypical youth, (2) the trajectory of diurnal cortisol and the unique contributions of age vs. puberty, and (3) potential sex differences. As hypothesized, results indicate autistic compared to typically developing youth demonstrate a shallower diurnal slope and elevated evening cortisol. These differences were in the context of higher cortisol and flatter rhythms based on age and pubertal development. Also, sex-based differences emerged such that females in both groups had higher cortisol, flatter slopes, and higher evening cortisol than males. The results show that despite the trait-like stability of diurnal cortisol, HPA maturation is impacted by age, puberty, sex, as well as an ASD diagnosis.
Association of post-operative ICU requirements with early extubation in the fontan procedure
Authors: Potter Keriann L. , Richmond Marc E. , Goldstone Andrew B. , Cheung Eva W.
Published: July 2023

Objectives:

This study investigated the association between early extubation (EE) and the degree of postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) support after the Fontan procedure, specifically evaluating the volume of postoperative intravenous fluid (IVF) and vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS).

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of patients who underwent Fontan palliation from 2008 to 2018 at a single center was completed. Patients were initially divided into pre-institutional initiative towards EE (control) and post-initiative (modern) cohorts. Differences between the cohorts were assessed using t-test, Wilcoxon, or chi-Square. Following stratification by early or late extubation, four groups were compared via ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis Test.

Results:

There was a significant difference in the rate of EE between the control and modern cohorts (mean 42.6 versus 75.7%, p = 0.01). The modern cohort demonstrated lower median VIS (5 versus 8, p = 0.002), but higher total mean IVF (101±42 versus 82 ±27 cc/kg, p < 0.001) versus control cohort. Late extubated (LE) patients in the modern cohort had the highest VIS and IVF requirements. This group received 67% more IVF (140 ± 53 versus 84 ± 26 cc/kg, p < 0.001) and had a higher median VIS at 24 hours (10 (IQR, 5–10) versus 4 (IQR, 2–7), p < 0.001) versus all other groups. In comparison, all EE patients had a 5-point lower median VIS when compared to LE patients (3 versus 8, p= 0.001).

Conclusions:

EE following the Fontan procedure is associated with reduced post-operative VIS. LE patients in the modern cohort received more IVF, potentially identifying a high-risk subgroup of Fontan patients deserving of further investigation.
SUBJECT-MATTER AND INTENSIONAL OPERATORS III: STATE-SENSITIVE SUBJECT-MATTER AND TOPIC SUFFICIENCY
Authors: FERGUSON THOMAS MACAULAY
Published: July 2023

Logical frameworks that are sensitive to features of sentences’ subject-matter—like Berto’s topic-sensitive intentional modals (TSIMs)—demand a maximally faithful model of the topics of sentences. This is an especially difficult task in the case in which topics are assigned to intensional formulae. In two previous papers, a framework was developed whose model of intensional subject-matter could accommodate a wider range of intuitions about particular intensional conditionals. Although resolving a number of counterintuitive features, the work made an implicit assumption that the subject-matter of an intensional conditional is a function of the subject-matters of its subformulae. This assumption—which I will call a principle of topic sufficiency—runs counter to some natural intuitions concerning topic. In this paper, we will investigate topic sufficiency and offer a semantic account that is state-sensitive, providing an implementation through the introduction of topic-sensitive logics related to William Parry’s prototypical
$\mathsf {PAI}$
.
School-based socio-emotional learning programs to prevent depression, anxiety and suicide among adolescents: a global cost-effectiveness analysis
Authors: Lee Y. Y. , Skeen S. , Melendez-Torres G. J. , Laurenzi C. A. , van Ommeren M. , Fleischmann A. , Servili C. , Mihalopoulos C. , Chisholm D.
Published: July 2023

Aims

Preventing the occurrence of depression/anxiety and suicide during adolescence can lead to substantive health gains over the course of an individual person’s life. This study set out to identify the expected population-level costs and health impacts of implementing universal and indicated school-based socio-emotional learning (SEL) programs in different country contexts.

Methods

A Markov model was developed to examine the effectiveness of delivering universal and indicated school-based SEL programs to prevent the onset of depression/anxiety and suicide deaths among adolescents. Intervention health impacts were measured in healthy life years gained (HLYGs) over a 100-year time horizon. Country-specific intervention costs were calculated and denominated in 2017 international dollars (2017 I$) under a health systems perspective. Cost-effectiveness findings were subsequently expressed in terms of I$ per HLYG. Analyses were conducted on a group of 20 countries from different regions and income levels, with final results aggregated and presented by country income group – that is, low and lower middle income countries (LLMICs) and upper middle and high-income countries (UMHICs). Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses were conducted to test model assumptions.

Results

Implementation costs ranged from an annual per capita investment of I$0.10 in LLMICs to I$0.16 in UMHICs for the universal SEL program and I$0.06 in LLMICs to I$0.09 in UMHICs for the indicated SEL program. The universal SEL program generated 100 HLYGs per 1 million population compared to 5 for the indicated SEL program in LLMICs. The cost per HLYG was I$958 in LLMICS and I$2,006 in UMHICs for the universal SEL program and I$11,123 in LLMICs and I$18,473 in UMHICs for the indicated SEL program. Cost-effectiveness findings were highly sensitive to variations around input parameter values involving the intervention effect sizes and the disability weight used to estimate HLYGs.

Conclusions

The results of this analysis suggest that universal and indicated SEL programs require a low level of investment (in the range of I$0.05 to I$0.20 per head of population) but that universal SEL programs produce significantly greater health benefits at a population level and therefore better value for money (e.g., less than I$1,000 per HLYG in LLMICs). Despite producing fewer population-level health benefits, the implementation of indicated SEL programs may be justified as a means of reducing population inequalities that affect high-risk populations who would benefit from a more tailored intervention approach.
Astaxanthin could regulate the gut-kidney axis to mitigate kidney injury in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice
Authors: Ha Mei , Yang Yuhui , Wu Mingzhu , Gong Ting , Chen Zongyue , Yu Luo
Published: July 2023

Abstract: Accumulating evidences have shown the beneficial effects of astaxanthin (AST) supplementation on metabolic diseases prevention and treatment. The goal of present study was to reveal the favorable interactions among AST supplementation, gut microbiota, and kidneys in vivo, so as to attenuate kidney impairment in diabetic mice. Twenty C57BL/6J mice were assigned to a normal control group and a diabetic model group induced by a high-fat diet plus low-dose streptozotocin, and then the diabetic mice were fed with a high-fat diet without or with AST [0.01% (AST_a) or 0.02% (AST_b)] for 12 weeks. When compared to the diabetes kidney disease (DKD) group, AST supplementation delayed the renal pathological progression, reduced fasting blood glucose (AST_b: 1.53-fold, p<0.05), repressed levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; AST_a: 1.24-fold, p=0.008; AST_b: 1.43-fold, p<0.001) and TMAO (AST_a: 1.51-fold, p=0.001; AST_b: 1.40-fold, p=0.003), inhibited IL-6 (AST_a: 1.40-fold, p=0.004; AST_b: 1.57-fold, p=0.001) and reactive oxygen species (ROS; AST_a: 1.30-fold, p=0.004; AST_b: 1.53-fold, p<0.001), as well as regulated the Sirt1/PGC-1α/NFκB p65 signaling pathway. Moreover, the results of 16S rRNA gene-based Illumina deep sequencing in each group revealed that dietary AST supplementation also favorably modulated the gut microbiota compared with the DKD group, as evidenced by the inhibition of the harmful bacteria Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Romboutsia, and Coriobacteriaceae_UCG-002, and the enhancement of the probiotics such as Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Roseburia, and Ruminococcaceae. Taken together, dietary AST supplementation could protect kidneys against inflammation and oxidative stress by adjusting the gut-kidney axis in diabetic mice.
Crustal and Upper Mantle Velocity Structure of SE Tibet From Joint Inversion of Rayleigh Wave Phase Velocity and Teleseismic Body Wave Data
Authors: Yang Xiaozhou , Luo Yinhe , Jiang Chengxin , Yang Yingjie , Niu Fenglin , Li Guoliang
Published: July 2023

Since the continental collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates began about 50 Ma ago, southeastern Tibet (SET) has undergone complex tectonic deformation. In this study, we investigate fine scale structural features of the crustal and upper mantle depths (<250 km) beneath SET, which hold important clues to understanding the dynamic processes related to this collision. A 3D shear velocity model is constructed through jointly inverting Rayleigh wave phase velocity and teleseismic body wave data from more than 650 stations. Our 3D model identifies three independent low‐velocity zones (LVZs) in the mid‐lower crust with unprecedented details. More specifically, we observe a prominent LVZ beneath the North Chuan‐Dian Block, which is well separated from another LVZ beneath the Tengchong volcano in the south. This LVZ beneath the volcano represents a focused magma reservoir in the crust whose origin is potentially linked to the mantle upwelling associated with the eastward subduction of the Indian plate. The third LVZ, observed around the Xiaojiang Fault, likely represents a separated and mechanically weak layer in the mid‐lower crust due to the combined effects of regional crustal thickening under the southeastward plateau expansion, mantle upwelling, and shear heating of strike‐slip faults. In the upper mantle, we observe strong velocity reductions both in localized areas beneath the Tibetan Plateau and the broad region south of 26°N. These low velocity anomalies are sitting above high velocity anomalies at deeper depths, suggesting their association with lithospheric thickening and delamination processes.
Increasing Shortwave Penetration Through the Bottom of the Oceanic Mixed Layer in a Warmer Climate
Authors: Tian Feng , Zhang Rong‐Hua
Published: July 2023

Shortwave penetration (Qpen) through the bottom of the oceanic mixed layer (ML) profoundly affects the thermal structure in the upper ocean and consequently contributes to sea surface temperature (SST) change, which has not been adequately understood under global warming. Here, using ensemble earth system model simulations under a high‐emissions scenario (SSP5‐8.5), we investigate the Qpen change and related effects on some oceanic parameters, which are regionally dependent. It is found that globally averaged Qpen typically increased by 2.49 ± 0.83 W m−2 in the second half of the 21st century, which is comparable to an increase in the net surface heat flux (3.01 ± 0.31 W m−2), corresponding to an increase in SST by 3.07 ± 0.83°C. Although there exist substantial intermodel uncertainties in the projected chlorophyll change, the shoaled ML contributes the most of the increase in Qpen in the global ocean, whereas in the tropical ocean, the reduction in the chlorophyll concentration plays an equivalent role with the mixed layer depth in determining Qpen change. The ML heat budget indicates that the enhanced Qpen leads to surface cooling through a decrease in the surface net surface heat flux. However, the cooling is compensated for by a warming effect from ocean dynamical change due to more shortwave penetration into the subsurface layer, leading to a small net effect on the ML heat budget. It is suggested that the impact of Qpen on the global oceanic ML heat balance needs to be adequately recognized.
Surprising Decrease in the Martian He Bulge During PEDE‐2018 and Changes in Upper Atmospheric Circulation
Authors: Elrod Meredith K. , Bougher Stephen , Roeten Kali , Arnold Kenneth
Published: July 2023

Using the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) on the Mars Atmosphere Volatile and Evolution spacecraft (MAVEN), we analyzed data from Mars Year (MY) 32, 34, and 35 to examine the He bulge during the northern winter solstice (Ls ∼ 180–240), specifically focusing on the effects from the planet encircling dust event (PEDE‐2018). He collects on the dawn/nightside winter polar hemisphere of Mars. The seasonal migration of the He bulge has been observed and modeled (M. Elrod et al., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JA023482; Gupta et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JE006976). The MAVEN orbit precesses around Mars allowing for a variety of latitude and local time observations throughout the Martian year. MY 32, 34, and 35 had the best possible opportunities to observe the He bulge during northern winter (Ls ∼ 180–240). NGIMS observations during MY 32 and MY 35 revealed a He bulge from the nightside to dawn in alignment with modeling and previous publications. However, in MY 34, during the PEDE, the He bulge was not present, indicating that the PEDE directly impacted upper atmospheric circulation. Updates in modeling indicate changes in circulation and winds can cause He to shift further north than MAVEN was able to observe. While adding a simple static version of gravity waves to the Mars Global Ionosphere Thermosphere Model model may account for some of the variations in the global circulation during the dust event, other studies (e.g., Yiğit, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01118-7) have posited that the gravity waves during the dust storm were more variable than the initial parameters we have included.
A Global Comparison of Marine Chlorophyll Variability Observed in Eulerian and Lagrangian Perspectives
Authors: Kuhn Angela M. , Mazloff Matthew , Dutkiewicz Stephanie , Jahn Oliver , Clayton Sophie , Rynearson Tatiana , Barton Andrew D.
Published: July 2023

Ocean chlorophyll time series exhibit temporal variability on a range of timescales due to environmental change, ecological interactions, dispersal, and other factors. The differences in chlorophyll temporal variability observed at stationary locations (Eulerian perspective) or following water parcels (Lagrangian perspective) are poorly understood. Here we contrasted the temporal variability of ocean chlorophyll in these two observational perspectives, using global drifter trajectories and satellite chlorophyll to generate matched pairs of Eulerian‐Lagrangian time series. We found that for most ocean locations, chlorophyll variances measured in Eulerian and Lagrangian perspectives are not statistically different. In high latitude areas, the two perspectives may capture similar variability due to the large spatial scale of chlorophyll patches. In localized regions of the ocean, however, chlorophyll variability measured in these two perspectives may significantly differ. For example, in some western boundary currents, temporal chlorophyll variability in the Lagrangian perspective was greater than in the Eulerian perspective. In these cases, the observing platform travels rapidly across strong environmental gradients and constrained by the shelf topography, potentially leading to greater Lagrangian variability in chlorophyll. In contrast, we found that Eulerian chlorophyll variability exceeded Lagrangian variability in some key upwelling zones and boundary current extensions. In these cases, variability in the nutrient supply may generate intermittent chlorophyll anomalies in the Eulerian perspective, while the Lagrangian perspective sees the transport of such anomalies off‐shore. These findings aid with the interpretation of chlorophyll time series from different sampling methodologies, inform observational network design, and guide validation of marine ecosystem models.
Influence of Critical Zone Architecture and Snowpack on Streamflow Generation Processes: A Mountain‐Meadow Headwater System in a Mediterranean Climate
Authors: Klos P. Z. , Lucas R. G. , Conklin M. H.
Published: July 2023

Observations from a granitic watershed within a Mediterranean climate reveal the hydrologic and critical zone functioning of a perennial stream headwater and its upslope contributing area within a meadow system in the Sierra Nevada, California. Chemical analysis (diagnostic tools of mixing models, end member mixing analysis, tritium, etc.) and physical data (stream stage, piezometers, soil water, snowpack, etc.) indicate there are two primary pathways of water input into a headwater stream sourced from a mountain meadow. One input is a shallower and younger subsurface pathway with water that resembles snowpack chemistry, and the other a deeper and older subsurface pathway with water that reflects the chemistry of the groundwater derived from the contributing hillslopes. Multi‐year observations reveal that regardless of snowpack amount, during the period of peak hillslope infiltration, shallow and deep pathways in the hillslope behave similarly to initiate headwater streams. However, during summer dry periods, similarities in active pathways within the meadow center are not maintained between high and low snowpack years. With less snow, perennial groundwater discharge within the meadow center is eliminated, becoming only a seasonal source at the meadow's outlet. At the meadow's edge, geophysically observed downslope thinning in saprolite thickness creates reduced lateral transmissivity and initiation points for headwater streams via enhanced groundwater discharge of upslope water. Combined, these findings suggest how loss of snowpack and critical zone structure can together mediate hydrologic function in a wet meadow system in a Mediterranean climate. Creating new understanding about the stability of hydraulic functioning in headwater wet‐meadow systems under a changing climate.
Life expectancy after bariatric surgery or usual care in patients with or without baseline type 2 diabetes in Swedish Obese Subjects
Authors: Carlsson Lena M. S. , Carlsson Björn , Jacobson Peter , Karlsson Cecilia , Andersson-Assarsson Johanna C. , Kristensson Felipe M. , Ahlin Sofie , Svensson Per-Arne , Taube Magdalena , Näslund Ingmar , Karason Kristjan , Peltonen Markku , Sjöholm Kajsa
Published: July 2023

Objectives

To determine life expectancy and causes of death after bariatric surgery in relation to baseline type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the prospective, Swedish Obese Subjects study.

Methods

The study included 2010 patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery and 2037 matched controls, eligible for surgery. The surgery group underwent gastric bypass (n = 265), banding (n = 376), or vertical banded gastroplasty (n = 1369). The control group (n = 2037) received usual obesity care. Causes of death were obtained from the Swedish Cause of Death Register, case sheets and autopsy reports, in patients with baseline T2D (n = 392 surgery patients/n = 305 controls) or non-T2D (n = 1609 surgery patients/n = 1726 controls) during a median follow-up 26 years.

Results

In T2D and non-T2D subgroups, bariatric surgery was associated with increased life expectancy (2.1, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.2–4.0; and 1.6, 0.5–2.7 years, respectively) and reduced overall mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (adjHR) = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.61–0.97; and 0.82, 0.72–0.94, respectively), and the treatment benefit was similar (interaction p = 0.615). Bariatric surgery was associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality in both subgroups (adjHR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.46–0.91; and 0.70, 0.55–0.88, respectively (interaction p = 0.516)).

Conclusions

Bariatric surgery is associated with similar reduction of overall and cardiovascular mortality and increased life expectancy regardless of baseline diabetes status.
Chromosome genome assembly and annotation of the spiny red gurnard (Chelidonichthys spinosus)
Authors: Wang Yibang , Zhang Hui , Xian Weiwei , Iwasaki Wataru
Published: July 2023

Chelidonichthys spinosus, a secondary economic fish, is increasingly being exploited and valued in China. However, overfishing has led to it being recognized as one of the most depleted marine species in China. In this study, we generated a chromosome-level genome of C. spinosus using PacBio, Illumina, and Hi-C sequencing data. Ultimately, we assembled a 624.7 Mb genome of C. spinosus, with a contig N50 of 13.77 Mb and scaffold N50 of 28.11 Mb. We further anchored and oriented the assembled sequences onto 24 pseudo-chromosomes using Hi-C techniques. In total, 25,358 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 24,072 (94.93%) genes were functionally annotated. The dot plot reveals a prominent co-linearity between C. spinosus and Cyclopterus lumpus, indicating a remarkably close phylogenetic relationship between these two species. The assembled genome sequences provide valuable information for elucidating the genetic adaptation and potential molecular basis of C. spinosus. They also have the potential to provide insight into the evolutionary investigation of teleost fish and vertebrates.
Atomic structures, conformers and thermodynamic properties of 32k atmospheric molecules
Authors: Besel Vitus , Todorović Milica , Kurtén Theo , Rinke Patrick , Vehkamäki Hanna
Published: July 2023

Low-volatile organic compounds (LVOCs) drive key atmospheric processes, such as new particle formation (NPF) and growth. Machine learning tools can accelerate studies of these phenomena, but extensive and versatile LVOC datasets relevant for the atmospheric research community are lacking. We present the GeckoQ dataset with atomic structures of 31,637 atmospherically relevant molecules resulting from the oxidation of α-pinene, toluene and decane. For each molecule, we performed comprehensive conformer sampling with the COSMOconf program and calculated thermodynamic properties with density functional theory (DFT) using the Conductor-like Screening Model (COSMO). Our dataset contains the geometries of the 7 Mio. conformers we found and their corresponding structural and thermodynamic properties, including saturation vapor pressures (pSat), chemical potentials and free energies. The pSat were compared to values calculated with the group contribution method SIMPOL. To validate the dataset, we explored the relationship between structural and thermodynamic properties, and then demonstrated a first machine-learning application with Gaussian process regression.
Gut-microbiota in children and adolescents with obesity: inferred functional analysis and machine-learning algorithms to classify microorganisms
Authors: Squillario Margherita , Bonaretti Carola , La Valle Alberto , Di Marco Eddi , Piccolo Gianluca , Minuto Nicola , Patti Giuseppa , Napoli Flavia , Bassi Marta , Maghnie Mohamad , d’Annunzio Giuseppe , Biassoni Roberto
Published: July 2023

The fecal microbiome of 55 obese children and adolescents (BMI-SDS 3.2 ± 0.7) and of 25 normal-weight subjects, matched both for age and sex (BMI-SDS − 0.3 ± 1.1) was analysed. Streptococcus, Acidaminococcus, Sutterella, Prevotella, Sutterella wadsworthensis, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Prevotella copri positively correlated with obesity. The inferred pathways strongly associated with obesity concern the biosynthesis pathways of tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and methionine pathways. Furthermore, polyamine biosynthesis virulence factors and pro-inflammatory lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathway showed higher abundances in obese samples, while the butanediol biosynthesis showed low abundance in obese subjects. Different taxa strongly linked with obesity have been related to an increased risk of multiple diseases involving metabolic pathways related to inflammation (polyamine and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis). Cholesterol, LDL, and CRP positively correlated with specific clusters of microbial in obese patients. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes-ratio was lower in obese samples than in controls and differently from the literature we state that this ratio could not be a biomarker for obesity.
Dissociating two aspects of human 3D spatial perception by studying fighter pilots
Authors: Ginosar Gily , Karpas Ehud D. , Weitzner Idan , Ulanovsky Nachum
Published: July 2023

Human perception of 3D space has been investigated extensively, but there are conflicting reports regarding its distortions. A possible solution to these discrepancies is that 3D perception is in fact comprised of two different processes—perception of traveled space, and perception of surrounding space. Here we tested these two aspects on the same subjects, for the first time. To differentiate these two aspects and investigate whether they emerge from different processes, we asked whether these two aspects are affected differently by the individual's experience of 3D locomotion. Using an immersive high-grade flight-simulator with realistic virtual-reality, we compared these two aspects of 3D perception in fighter pilots—individuals highly experienced in 3D locomotion—and in control subjects. We found that the two aspects of 3D perception were affected differently by 3D locomotion experience: the perception of 3D traveled space was plastic and experience-dependent, differing dramatically between pilots and controls, while the perception of surrounding space was rigid and unaffected by experience. This dissociation suggests that these two aspects of 3D spatial perception emerge from two distinct processes.
Microwave-assisted synthesis of amphoteric fluorescence carbon quantum dots and their chromium adsorption from aqueous solution
Authors: Tohamy Hebat-Allah S. , El-Sakhawy Mohamed , Kamel Samir
Published: July 2023

The chromium adsorption behavior from aqueous solution by the amphoteric Janus nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (AJ–N–CQDs) was investigated. The pseudo-first-order and the second-order adsorption kinetics models were employed to analyze the experimental data; the second-order adsorption kinetics model presented a better correlation to the experimental data, suggesting a chemisorptions process. The values obtained in the pseudo-first-order are still suitable for describing the Kinetics of Cr(VI) sorption. These values elucidate the surface processes involving chemisorption and physisorption in the adsorption of Cr(VI) by AJ–N–CQDs. The R2 of the Boyd model gave a better fit to the adsorption data of AJ–N–CQDs (i.e., external diffusion), which means the surface processes involving external Cr(VI) adsorption by AJ–N–CQDs. The higher value of α may be due to the greater surface area of the AJ–N–CQDs for the immediate adsorption of Cr(VI) from the aqueous solution. AJ–N–CQDs have fluorescence spectra before and after Cr(VI) adsorption, indicating they are promising for chemical sensor applications.