bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adapting to a Pandemic: Web-Based Residency Training and Script Concordance Testing in Emergency Medicine During COVID-19
Authors: Naylor Katarzyna , Chrzanowska-Wąsik Maja , Okońska Patrycja , Kucmin Tomasz , Al-Wathinani Ahmed M. , Goniewicz Krzysztof
Published: November 2023

Objective:

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated alternative methods to ensure the continuity of medical education. Our study explores the efficacy and acceptability of a digital continuous medical education initiative for medical residents during this challenging period.

Methods:

From September to December 2020, 47 out of 60 enrolled trainee doctors participated in this innovative digital Continuous Medical Education (CME) approach. We utilized the Script Concordance Test to bolster clinical reasoning skills. Three simulation scenarios, namely Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), and European Paediatric Life Support (EPLS), were transformed into interactive online sessions via Zoom™. Participant feedback was also collected through a survey.

Results:

Consistent Script Concordance Testing (SCT) scores among participants indicated the effectiveness of the online training module. Feedback suggested a broad acceptance of this novel training approach. However, discrepancies observed between formative SCT scores, and summative Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ) assessments highlighted areas for potential refinement.

Conclusions:

Our findings showcase the resilience and adaptability of medical education amidst challenges like the global pandemic. The success of methodologies such as SCT, endorsed by prestigious bodies like the European Resuscitation Council and the American Heart Association, suggests their potential in preparing health care professionals for emergent situations. This research offers valuable insights for shaping future online CME strategies.
Modelled frontal ablation and velocities at Kronebreen, Svalbard, are sensitive to the choice of submarine melt rate scenario
Authors: Holmes Felicity Alice , van Dongen Eef , Kirchner Nina
Published: November 2023

Both submarine melt and calving are important for the overall mass balance of marine-terminating glaciers, but uncertainty is rife with regards to the magnitude of the processes. Modelling allows for these processes to be investigated without the need to visit inaccessible ice marginal zones. This study looks at the impact of different submarine melt and sea-ice back pressure scenarios on modelled calving activity and dynamics at Kronebreen, Svalbard, by running separate summer and winter simulations with various submarine melt parameterisations and sea-ice characteristics. It is found that submarine melt is an important driver of seasonal variation in modelled glacier dynamics and calving activity, with the choice of sliding law also exerting a significant influence on results.
On -unramified extensions over imaginary quadratic fields
Authors: Kim Kwang-Seob , König Joachim
Published: November 2023

Let
$n$
be an integer congruent to
$0$
or
$3$
modulo
$4$
. Under the assumption of the ABC conjecture, we prove that, given any integer
$m$
fulfilling only a certain coprimeness condition, there exist infinitely many imaginary quadratic fields having an everywhere unramified Galois extension of group
$A_n \times C_m$
. The same result is obtained unconditionally in special cases.
A note on almost Yamabe solitons
Authors: Costa-Filho Wagner Oliveira
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we present a sufficient condition for almost Yamabe solitons to have constant scalar curvature. Additionally, under some geometric scenarios, we provide some triviality and rigidity results for these structures.
The Young Marx on Feudalism as the Democracy of Unfreedom
Authors: Halikias Dimitrios
Published: November 2023

Karl Marx consistently contrasts the alienation and egoism of bourgeois, capitalist society with the holism and intimacy of medieval feudalism. In his critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of right, he cryptically terms medievalism the ‘democracy of unfreedom’, arguing that feudalism embodied an integration of political and economic life that the fragmented modern constitutional state abandons. Focusing on writings from the early 1840s, this article examines Marx’s account of feudalism to better understand his early democratic theory and its relationship to his account of human emancipation. While Marx rejects feudal nostalgia and insists on the revolutionary progress brought by capitalism and liberal constitutionalism, he nonetheless believes that medievalism models a partial unity of political and economic life that ‘true democracy’ will restore and radicalize.
The effect of spring grass availability and silage supplementation on dairy cow performance and dry matter intake during early lactation
Authors: Walsh Sarah , Delaby Luc , Kennedy Michael , McKay Zoe , O'Donovan Michael , Fleming Christina , Egan Michael
Published: November 2023

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of level and timing of silage supplementation during early lactation on animal performance and dry matter intake (DMI). Two farm-lets were established with a high (1253 kg DM/ha) and low (862 kg DM/ha) grass availability at turnout. In spring, cows were assigned to one of two treatments as they calved over 2 years; high grass (HG) and low grass (LG). During period 1 (week 1–6), cows on the HG treatment were offered a high daily herbage allowance (DHA) with low silage and the LG treatment were offered a low DHA with high silage. In period 2 (week 7–12), half of the cows from the HG treatment in P1 switched to the LG treatment in P2 and vice versa as 20 LG cows in P1 switched to the HG treatment in P2. Cows on the HG treatment in P2 received a high DHA with no silage and the LG treatment received a low DHA with 3 kg DM/cow silage. Grass DMI was significantly higher for the HG treatment during both periods (+1.6 and +3.4 kg DM/cow/day, respectively). The HG treatment produced +0.9 kg milk/cow/day and had a higher protein concentration (+1.1 g/kg milk) compared to cows on the LG treatment during period 2. Differences in animal performance observed in period 2 were maintained throughout the 8-week carryover period.
Breeding in an agricultural landscape: conservation actions increase nest survival in a ground-nesting bird
Authors: Kiss Ádám , Végvári Zsolt , Kubelka Vojtěch , Monoki Ákos , Kapocsi István , Gőri Szilvia , Székely Tamás
Published: November 2023

Agricultural intensification has affected wildlife across Europe, triggering steep declines and regional extinctions of farmland birds. Effective conservation activities are essential for the preservation of biodiversity in an agricultural landscape, but current efforts have not succeeded in halting these declines. Here we investigate a ground-nesting shorebird, the collared pratincole Glareola pratincola, which has shifted its habitat use in Central Europe over the last 20 years from alkaline grasslands to intensively managed agricultural fields. We show that nesting success was different between three agricultural habitat types, with the highest nesting success in fallow lands and the lowest in row crops. Nesting success was also associated with the timing of breeding and breeding density, as nests produced early in the breeding season and those in high-breeding-density areas hatched more successfully than those produced later in the season and at low density. We implemented direct conservation measures including marking nests and negotiating with farmers to avoid cultivating the field between nest markers, controlling nest predators and, most recently, creating suitable nesting sites and foraging areas for pratincoles. As a result of these conservation actions, nest survival increased from 11.2% to 83.5% and the size of the breeding population increased from 13 to 56 pairs during 2012–2021. Thus, we show that agricultural landscapes can continue to provide suitable habitats, and targeted conservation actions have the potential to reverse the declines of farmland species.
Revisiting jīng 椋 on the ancient Korean Peninsula
Authors: Xu Ye , Kwon In-han
Published: November 2023

This article presents relevant data on the usage of the sinograph jīng 椋 and revisits its origin and lexical form on the basis of textual examination, using primary sources from China, Korea and Japan. The authors conclude that jīng 椋, and its variants jīng, jīng 稤 and the miscopied form lǜe 掠, originated from its radical character jīng 京, meaning “warehouse, granary”, and that jīng 椋 was widely used in Koguryŏ, Paekche, Silla and Japan. Historical documents during the Koryŏ period also attest to the use of jīng 椋. The authors have reconstructed the lexical form of jīng 椋 as the disyllabic pre-Old Korean **kuL.raH in Paekche and **koL.raH in Silla, and the monosyllabic Old Korean *kolR as a Sillaic substratum that underwent the syllabic contraction and liquid change **-r- > *-l, that is **koL.raH > *kolR. The Western Old Japanese kun'yomi of jīng 椋, kura, is a loan from pre-Old Korean **kuL/koL.raH that took place before the eighth century.
Impact of unconditional cash transfers on household livelihood outcomes in Nigeria
Authors: Eluwa Titilope F. , Eluwa George I. E. , Iorwa Apera , Daini Babajide O. , Abdullahi Kabir , Balogun Modasola , Yaya Sanni , Ahinkorah Bright O. , Lawal Abdullahi
Published: November 2023

In 2018, Nigeria began the implementation of a cash transfer programme (CCT) for poor and vulnerable people. We evaluated the impact of cash transfer on household livelihood outcomes in Nigeria. Using multistage cluster sampling methodology, beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries within the same locality were randomly selected to participate in a survey to assess the impact of cash transfer on food security and food diversity.

When gender, marital status, educational status, and age were controlled, beneficiaries were about three times more likely than non-beneficiaries to report experiencing little or no hunger. Children 0–59 months of beneficiaries were twice likely to have at least three meals a day compared to children of non-beneficiaries. Difference in differences regression analysis showed that on the average, beneficiaries of the cash transfer significantly consumed more diverse food than non-beneficiaries. Beneficiaries of the CCT experienced fewer episodes of severe hunger, have more meal frequency, and higher household dietary diversity than non-beneficiaries. This shows that the CCT programme is effective and can directly mitigate adverse effects of malnutrition with its long-term negative impact on children and thus must be expanded to more vulnerable people across all states in Nigeria.
Obstacle avoidance path planning of 6-DOF robotic arm based on improved A* algorithm and artificial potential field method
Authors: Tang Xianxing , Zhou Haibo , Xu Tianying
Published: November 2023

Most studies on path planning of robotic arm focus on obstacle avoidance at the end position of robotic arm, while ignoring the obstacle avoidance of robotic arm joint linkage, and the obstacle avoidance method has low flexibility and adaptability. This paper proposes a path obstacle avoidance algorithm for the overall 6-DOF robotic arm that is based on the improved A* algorithm and the artificial potential field method. In the first place, an improved A* algorithm is proposed to address the deficiencies of the conventional A* algorithm, such as a large number of search nodes and low computational efficiency, in robotic arm end path planning. The enhanced A* algorithm proposes a new node search strategy and local path optimization method, which significantly reduces the number of search nodes and enhances search efficiency. To achieve the manipulator joint rod avoiding obstacles, a method of robotic arm posture adjustment based on the artificial potential field method is proposed. The efficiency and environmental adaptability of the robotic arm path planning algorithm proposed in this paper are validated through three types of simulation analysis conducted in different environments. Finally, the AUBO-i10 robotic arm is used to conduct path avoidance tests. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can make the manipulator move smoothly and effectively plan an obstacle-free path, proving the method’s viability.
Inhibitory and facilitative effects of lexical neighbors in spoken word recognition: The role of language experience
Authors: Botezatu Mona Roxana , Garcia Dalia L.
Published: November 2023

The study evaluated whether the direction (inhibitory or facilitative) of the phonological neighborhood density effect in English spoken word recognition was modulated by the relative strength of competitor activation (neighborhood type) in two groups of English-dominant learners of Spanish who differed in language experience. Classroom learners and heritage learners of Spanish identified spoken English words from dense (e.g., BEAR) and sparse (e.g., BOAT) phonological neighborhoods presented in moderate noise. The phonological neighborhood was separately manipulated at word onset (cohort) and word offset (rhyme). Classroom learners were overall slower in recognizing spoken words from denser neighborhoods. Strongly active (onset) neighbors exerted inhibitory effects in both classroom and heritage learners. Critically, weakly active (offset) neighbors exerted inhibitory effects in classroom learners but facilitative effects in heritage learners. The results suggest that the activation of both within and cross-language neighbors should be considered in determining the direction of neighbor effects in bilingual lexical processing.
Paternal high-fat diet altered H3K36me3 pattern of pre-implantation embryos
Authors: Meng Bin , He Jiahui , Cao Wenbin , Zhang Yanru , Qi Jia , Luo Shiwei , Shen Chong , Zhao Juan , Xue Ying , Qu Pengxiang , Liu Enqi
Published: November 2023

The global transition towards diets high in calories has contributed to 2.1 billion people becoming overweight, or obese, which damages male reproduction and harms offspring. Recently, more and more studies have shown that paternal exposure to stress closely affects the health of offspring in an intergenerational and transgenerational way. SET Domain Containing 2 (SETD2), a key epigenetic gene, is highly conserved among species, is a crucial methyltransferase for converting histone 3 lysine 36 dimethylation (H3K36me2) into histone 3 lysine 36 trimethylation (H3K36me3), and plays an important regulator in the response to stress. In this study, we compared patterns of SETD2 expression and the H3K36me3 pattern in pre-implantation embryos derived from normal or obese mice induced by high diet. The results showed that SETD2 mRNA was significantly higher in the high-fat diet (HFD) group than the control diet (CD) group at the 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, and 16-cell stages, and at the morula and blastocyst stages. The relative levels of H3K36me3 in the HFD group at the 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, 16-cell, morula stage, and blastocyst stage were significantly higher than in the CD group. These results indicated that dietary changes in parental generation (F0) male mice fed a HFD were traceable in SETD2/H3K36me3 in embryos, and that a paternal high-fat diet brings about adverse effects for offspring that might be related to SETD2/H3K36me3, which throws new light on the effect of paternal obesity on offspring from an epigenetic perspective.
Embryological characteristics and clinical outcomes of oocytes with different degrees of abnormal zona pellucida during assisted reproductive treatment
Authors: Fang Junshun , Sun Hua , Chen Linjun , Wang Jie , Lin Fei , Xu Zhipeng , Zhu Lihua , Wang Shanshan
Published: November 2023

Abnormalities in the zona pellucida (ZP) adversely affect oocyte maturation, embryo development and pregnancy outcomes. However, the assessment of severity is challenging. To evaluate the effects of different degrees of ZP abnormalities on embryo development and clinical outcomes, in total, 590 retrieval cycles were scored and divided into four categories (control, mild, moderate and severe) based on three parameters: perivitelline space, percentage of immature oocytes and percentage of oocytes with abnormal morphology. As the severity of abnormal ZP increased, both the number of retrieved oocytes and mature oocytes decreased. The fertilization rate did not differ significantly among groups. The rates of embryo cleavage and day-3 high-quality embryos in the mild group and the moderate group did not vary significantly between the two groups but were significantly higher than those in the severe group. The blastulation rates of the abnormal ZP groups were similar; however, they were lower than those of the control group. Moreover, the cycle cancellation rate of the severe abnormal ZP group was as high as 66.20%, which was significantly higher than that of the other three groups. Although the rates of cumulative clinical pregnancy and live births were lower than those in the control group, they were comparable among the abnormal ZP groups. There were no differences in the neonatal outcomes of the different groups. Together, ZP abnormalities show various degrees of severity, and in all patients regardless of the degree of ZP abnormalities who achieve available embryos, there will be an opportunity to eventually give birth.
Effects of facial biofeedback on hypomimia, emotion recognition, and affect in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Roßkopf Sarah , Wechsler Theresa Friederike , Tucha Stefanie , Mühlberger Andreas
Published: November 2023

Objectives:

Facial expressions are a core component of emotions and nonverbal social communication. Therefore, hypomimia as secondary symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) has adverse effects like social impairment, stigmatization, under-diagnosis and under-treatment of depression, and a generally lower quality of life. Beside unspecific dopaminergic treatment, specific treatment options for hypomimia in PD are rarely investigated. This quasi-randomized controlled trial evaluated the short-term effects of facial electromyogram (EMG) based biofeedback to enhance facial expression and emotion recognition as nonverbal social communication skills in PD patients. Furthermore effects on affect are examined.

Method:

A sample of 34 in-patients with PD were allocated either to facial EMG-biofeedback as experimental group or non-facial exercises as control group. Facial expression during posing of emotions (measured via EMG), facial emotion recognition, and positive and negative affect were assessed before and after treatment. Stronger improvements were expected in the EMG-biofeedback in comparison to the control group.

Results:

The facial EMG-biofeedback group showed significantly greater improvements in overall facial expression, and especially for happiness and disgust. Also, overall facial emotion recognition abilities improved significantly stronger in the experimental group. Positive affect was significantly increased in both groups with no significant differences between them, while negative affect did not change within both groups.

Conclusions:

The study provides promising evidence for facial EMG-biofeedback as a tool to improve facial expression and emotion recognition in PD. Embodiment theories are discussed as working mechanism.
Sustained attention in mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Hamilton Calum A. , Gallagher Peter , Ciafone Joanna , Barnett Nicola , Barker Sally A.H. , Donaghy Paul C. , O’Brien John T. , Taylor John-Paul , Thomas Alan J.
Published: November 2023

Objective:

Attentional impairments are common in dementia with Lewy bodies and its prodromal stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB). People with MCI may be capable of compensating for subtle attentional deficits in most circumstances, and so these may present as occasional lapses of attention. We aimed to assess the utility of a continuous performance task (CPT), which requires sustained attention for several minutes, for measuring attentional performance in MCI-LB in comparison to Alzheimer’s disease (MCI-AD), and any performance deficits which emerged with sustained effort.

Method:

We included longitudinal data on a CPT sustained attention task for 89 participants with MCI-LB or MCI-AD and 31 healthy controls, estimating ex-Gaussian response time parameters, omission and commission errors. Performance trajectories were estimated both cross-sectionally (intra-task progress from start to end) and longitudinally (change in performance over years).

Results:

While response times in successful trials were broadly similar, with slight slowing associated with clinical parkinsonism, those with MCI-LB made considerably more errors. Omission errors were more common throughout the task in MCI-LB than MCI-AD (OR 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1–4.7), while commission errors became more common after several minutes of sustained attention. Within MCI-LB, omission errors were more common in those with clinical parkinsonism (OR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3–2.9) or cognitive fluctuations (OR 4.3, 95% CI: 2.2–8.8).

Conclusions:

Sustained attention deficits in MCI-LB may emerge in the form of attentional lapses leading to omissions, and a breakdown in inhibitory control leading to commission errors.
Effects of egg as an early complementary food on growth of 6- to 9-month-old infants: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Ricci Hannah , Faber Mieke , Ricci Cristian , Kruger Herculina S , Malan Linda , Nakiranda Regina , Visser Marina , Smuts Cornelius Marius
Published: November 2023

Objective:

To assess the effect of daily egg consumption for six months on linear growth (primary outcome), weight-for-age, weight-for-length, mid-upper arm circumference-for-age, head circumference-for-age Z-scores, gross motor milestones development, anaemia and iron status (secondary outcomes) in a low socioeconomic community.

Participants:

Infants aged 6 to 9 months living in the peri-urban Jouberton area, in the Matlosana Municipality, South Africa.

Design:

A randomised controlled trial with a parallel design was implemented. Eligible infants were randomly allocated to the intervention (n 250) receiving one egg/day and the control group (n 250) receiving no intervention. The participants were visited weekly to monitor morbidity and gross motor development, with information on adherence collected for the intervention group. Trained assessors took anthropometric measurements, and a blood sample was collected to assess anaemia and iron status. There was blinding of the anthropometric assessors to the groups during measurements and the statistician during the analysis.

Results:

Baseline prevalence of stunting, underweight, wasting, overweight and anaemia was 23·8 %, 9·8 %, 1·2 %, 13·8 % and 29·2 %, respectively, and did not differ between groups. Overall, 230 and 216 participants in the intervention and control groups completed the study, respectively. There was no intervention effect on length-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-length Z-scores, gross motor milestone development, anaemia and iron status.

Conclusions:

Daily egg intake did not affect linear growth, underweight, wasting, motor milestones development, anaemia and iron status. Other interventions are necessary to understand the effect of animal-source food intake on children’s growth and development. This trial was registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (NCT05168085).
Top-Down Versus Bottom-Up Approaches to Aspect: The Case of the Dutch Prepositional Progressive
Authors: Bogaards Maarten
Published: November 2023

Progressive constructions in Germanic are usually studied as progressive constructions—that is, exclusively so. I characterize this as a top-down approach to aspect, which, I argue, harbors the risk of overlooking relevant language-specific structures that are similar in form and meaning. This paper, therefore, advocates taking a bottom-up approach. Based on a case study of the prepositional progressive in Dutch (aan het-progressive), I claim that this approach is of added empirical and theoretical value. Drawing on construction-based theories, the relevant patterns—dubbed situational constructions—are analyzed in terms of horizontal constructional links.*
A QTL allele from wild soybean enhances protein content without reducing the oil content
Authors: Park Cheolwoo , Nguyen Trang Thi , Liu Dequan , Wang Qingyu , Xu Donghe
Published: November 2023

Soybean is one of the chief crops producing protein and oil for human consumption. Wild soybean, the ancestor of cultivated soybean, possesses high seed protein content; therefore, it is a valuable genetic resource that could enhance protein content in the cultivated varieties. To identify the genes responsible for increasing protein content in wild soybean, a population comprising 113 BC4F6 chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSL) was developed from a cross between soybean cultivar ‘Jackson’ and wild soybean accession JWS156-1. The CSSL population was cultivated in the field conditions for 3 years (2018, 2019 and 2020), and the seeds harvested from each line were analysed for protein and oil contents by InfraTec Nova instrument. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis with 243 SSR markers identified 12 QTLs associated with seed protein, oil and protein + oil contents. Among these QTLs, qPro8 and qPro19, two major and stable QTLs for protein content, were detected on chromosomes 8 and 19, respectively. No QTL for oil content was detected in the vicinity of qPro19, indicating that qPro19 did not influence the seed oil content. The effect of qPro19 was validated using near-isogenic lines (NILs) of qPro19. By introducing the qPro19 allele from wild soybean into another soybean variety, ‘Tachiyutaka’, a BC4 line, T-678, that showed enhanced seed protein content, without reducing the seed oil content. This study implied that the qPro19 allele from wild soybean could be a potential genetic resource for breeding programmes aimed to improve soybean seed quality.
Knee Point‐Based Multiobjective Optimization for the Numerical Weather Prediction Model in the Greater Beijing Area
Authors: Wang Heng , Mo Hongsu , Di Zhenhua , Liu Rui , Lang Yang , Duan Qingyun
Published: November 2023

Determination of the optimal parameter values in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models has a significant impact on predictions. Here, we propose a knee point‐based multiobjective optimization (KMO) method to find an optimal solution of the NWP model parameters. We apply it to optimize the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model's summer precipitation and temperature simulations for the Greater Beijing area. The results showed that it required fewer than 125 samples (i.e., 25 times the number of dimensions of the parameter space) to obtain the WRF model's optimal parameter values. The optimal parameters determined by KMO outperform the default parameters in WRF simulations for summer precipitation and temperature prediction in the Greater Beijing area, across all periods (calibration, validation, and testing). Additionally, clear physical interpretations are provided to explain why the optimal parameters lead to improved precipitation and temperature forecasting. Overall, the proposed method is effective and efficient to improve NWP.
Climate Change Will Increase Biomass Proportion of Global Forest Carbon Stocks Under an SSP5–8.5 Climate Trajectory
Authors: Mekonnen Zelalem A. , Riley William J.
Published: November 2023

A large amount of carbon is stored in global forests. However, the fraction of carbon stored as plant biomass versus soil organic carbon (SOC) varies among forest types, and potential changes over the 21st century are uncertain. Here, we used extensive data derived from inventories and remote sensing and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models to examine the current and 21st century dynamics in the proportion of biomass and SOC across global forests. We found that precipitation, elevation, soil, and wildfire were the primary controls of these differences in carbon pools. Under the SSP5–8.5 climate scenario, CMIP6 models project that the ratio of biomass to ecosystem carbon in global forests will increase across the 21st century, with the largest increases in boreal forests (95 ± 37%) compared to moist tropical forests (16 ± 15%). Changes in forest carbon pools resulting in greater biomass fraction will affect disturbance, and ecosystem carbon and energy balances, all of which interact with the climate system.
On the Potential Role of Viscoelasticity in Fluid‐Induced Seismicity
Authors: Khajehdehi Omid , Davidsen Jörn
Published: November 2023

Fluid‐induced earthquakes adversely affect industrial operations like hydraulic fracturing (e.g., 4.6 Mw in Alberta, Canada) and enhanced geothermal systems (e.g., 5.5 Mw in Pohang, South Korea). Identifying all underlying physical processes contributing to fluid‐induced seismicity presents an open challenge. Recent work reports signatures of event‐event triggering or aftershocks—common for tectonic settings—within the context of fluid‐induced seismicity. Here, we investigate the underlying potential cause of these field observations from a modeling perspective. We extend a novel conceptual model to simulate the characteristics of crustal rheology and stress interactions in a porous medium by combining viscoelastic effects with fluid diffusion and invasion percolation associated with a point source. Our model successfully reproduces realistic aftershock behavior and statistical properties similar to those resulting from tectonic loading indicating that the statistical properties of aftershocks are unaffected by the fluid injection rate. At the same time, the Gutenberg‐Richter relation, the spatial footprint of fluid‐induced events and their dependence on the permeability field are largely unaltered by the viscoelasticity of the medium and the aftershocks it causes. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of varying fluid injection rates on detecting aftershocks and event‐event triggering sequences during viscoelastic stress redistribution. We find that when the injection rate is sufficiently high, aftershock detection and recovery of their statistical properties are only feasible when the underlying internal stress redistribution is directly accessible. This could explain why aftershocks have not been reported in some field studies of fluid‐induced seismicity.
Significant Impact of Hydrothermalism on the Biogeochemical Signature of Sinking and Sedimented Particles in the Lau Basin
Authors: Tilliette Chloé , Gazeau Frédéric , Chavagnac Valérie , Leblond Nathalie , Montanes Maryline , Leblanc Karine , Schmidt Sabine , Charrière Bruno , Bhairy Nagib , Guieu Cécile
Published: November 2023

Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for diazotrophs, which are abundant in the Western Tropical South Pacific Ocean (WTSP). Their success depends on the numerous trace metals, particularly Fe, released from shallow hydrothermal vents along the Tonga Arc. This study aimed to explore the spatio‐temporal impact of hydrothermal fluids on particulate trace metal concentrations and biological activity. To identify the composition of sinking particles across a wide area of the WTSP, we deployed sediment traps at various depths, both close and further west of the Tonga Arc. Seafloor sediments were cored at these deployment sites, including at a remote location in the South Pacific Gyre. The sinking particles were composed of a large amount of biological material (up to 88 mg d−1), indicative of the high productivity of the region. A significant portion of this material (∼21 ± 12 wt.%) was lithogenic of hydrothermal origin, as revealed through Al‐Fe‐Mn tracing. The sinking material showed similar patterns between lithogenic and biogenic fractions, indicating that hydrothermal input within the photic layer triggered surface production. A hydrothermal fingerprint was suggested in the sediments due to the high sedimentation rates (>47 cm kyr−1) and the presence of large, heterogeneous, metal‐rich particles. The presence of nearby active deep hydrothermal sources was suspected near the Lau Ridge due to the large particle size (1–976 μm) and the significant excess of Fe and Mn (2–20 wt.%). Overall, this study revealed that hydrothermal sources have a significant influence on the biogeochemical signature of particles in the region.
High Values of the Arctic Amplification in the Early Decades of the 21st Century: Causes of Discrepancy by CMIP6 Models Between Observation and Simulation
Authors: Chylek Petr , Folland Chris K. , Klett James D. , Wang Muyin , Lesins Glen , Dubey Manvendra K.
Published: November 2023

Arctic Amplification (AA) in the first decade of the 21st century has reached values between 4 and 5, with a subsequent decrease to current values of about 3.6, while the value was from 2 to 3 during the twentieth century. The ensemble mean of the CMIP6 models has difficulty in reproducing the recently observed high values of the AA. In this report, we identify the main reason for this difficulty to be the CMIP6 models overestimate of the mean global temperature trend since about 1990. The largest values of the AA are observed in winter and spring. A sharp AA peak in 1987 spring was caused by a peak in the Arctic temperature trend occurring at the same time as a dip in the trend of mean global temperature. The winter AA has increased almost monotonically since 1990. Dividing the AA between the Arctic land and ocean areas shows that the ocean area makes a larger contribution to the AA. Our future projection of the AA suggests an increasing AA for about the next decade, followed by a slow decrease to about 3.5 in the 2050s.
Land Surface Temperature Sensitivity to Changes in Vegetation Phenology Over Northern Deciduous Forests
Authors: Park Chang‐Eui , Jeong Sujong
Published: November 2023

Changes in vegetation phenology are important contributors to seasonal climate change over the northern land surface. However, the biogeophysical effects of phenological shifts on land surface temperature (LST) remain uncertain. Here, we demonstrated the sensitivity of LST to advanced start of growing season (SOS) and delayed end of growing season (EOS) during corresponding green‐up and senescence periods over northern deciduous forests. Moreover, the mechanism responsible for LST sensitivity was assessed by quantifying the contributions of biogeophysical properties to LST sensitivity by applying a two resistance mechanism method to an experimental set using Community Land Model version 5. LST sensitivities to advanced SOS and delayed EOS were −2.1 × 10−2 K day−1 and −2.8 × 10−2 K day−1, respectively, indicating cooling effects by phenological shifts. The different responses of the aerodynamic resistance to SOS and EOS could explain the higher LST sensitivity to EOS than that to SOS. The decrease in the aerodynamic resistance in response to delayed EOS was three times larger than that to advanced SOS, thereby inducing a larger surface cooling effect during senescence period through enhanced turbulent heat transfer. Thus, the reduced aerodynamic resistance could explain the cooling effect of the phenological shift, which is an important consideration for projecting seasonal climate change.
The Role of Boreal Seagrass Meadows in the Coastal Filter
Authors: Prystay T. S. , Sipler R. E. , Foroutani M. B. , Le Bris A.
Published: November 2023

By removing nutrients from the water, coastal ecosystems serve as a filter between land and the open sea. Seagrasses contribute to the coastal filter by trapping and absorbing nutrients. Understanding the processes and environmental conditions underpinning the variability in nutrient retention among and within seagrass meadows is important to evaluate their role in the coastal filter across geographic regions, especially in less studied regions. This study evaluates the role of eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows in the coastal filter in boreal Newfoundland, Canada, and identifies environmental traits driving variability in nutrient fluxes. We measured carbon (Corg) and nitrogen (N) proportions and stable isotopic composition in the surface sediment (top 5 cm) of three eelgrass meadows. Sediment cores were collected from different locations (i.e., inside, edge, outside) relative to each meadow. Sediment %N (0.22%), %Corg (2.82%), Corg stock (11.1 Mg Corg ha−1), and N stock (0.91 Mg N ha−1) were elevated in our study sites; however, nutrient content was not consistently higher inside the meadow than at the edge or outside. Variability in nutrient retention was best explained by a negative relationship with sediment bulk density. Additionally, differences in carbon isotopic (δ13Corg) enrichment between eelgrass tissue (−11.6‰) and sediment (−22.1‰) within sites indicated that sediment nutrients were predominantly derived from allochthonous marine sources, where variability was best explained by salinity. This study improves the understanding of the role of eelgrass to nutrient cycles in boreal coastal systems and the potential of eelgrass as a blue carbon ecosystem.
A polymeric piezoelectric MEMS accelerometer with high sensitivity, low noise density, and an innovative manufacturing approach
Authors: Ge Chang , Cretu Edmond
Published: November 2023

The piezoelectric coupling principle is widely used (along with capacitive coupling and piezoresistive coupling) for MEMS accelerometers. Piezoelectric MEMS accelerometers are used primarily for vibration monitoring. Polymer piezoelectric MEMS accelerometers offer the merits of heavy-metal-free structure material and simple microfabrication flow. More importantly, polymeric piezoelectric MEMS accelerometers may be the basis of novel applications, such as fully organic inertial sensing microsystems using polymer sensors and organic integrated circuits. This paper presents a novel polymer piezoelectric MEMS accelerometer design using PVDF films. A simple and rapid microfabrication flow based on laser micromachining of thin films and 3D stereolithography was developed to fabricate three samples of this design. During proof-of-concept experiments, the design achieved a sensitivity of 21.82 pC/g (equivalent open-circuit voltage sensitivity: 126.32 mV/g), a 5% flat band of 58.5 Hz, and a noise density of 6.02 µg/√Hz. Thus, this design rivals state-of-the-art PZT-based counterparts in charge sensitivity and noise density, and it surpasses the performance capabilities of several commercial MEMS accelerometers. Moreover, this design has a 10-times smaller device area and a 4-times larger flat band than previous state-of-the-art organic piezoelectric MEMS accelerometers. These experimentally validated performance metrics demonstrate the promising application potential of the polymeric piezoelectric MEMS accelerometer design presented in this article.
Oncolytic adenoviruses expressing checkpoint inhibitors for cancer therapy
Authors: Xie Daoyuan , Tian Yaomei , Hu Die , Wang Yuanda , Yang Yuling , Zhou Bailing , Zhang Rui , Ren Zhixiang , Liu Mohan , Xu Jie , Dong Chunyan , Zhao Binyan , Yang Li
Published: November 2023

Despite the remarkable success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), primary resistance to ICIs causes only subsets of patients to achieve durable responses due to the complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Oncolytic viruses (OVs) can overcome the immunosuppressive TME and promote systemic antitumor immunity in hosts. Engineered OVs armed with ICIs would likely have improved effectiveness as a cancer therapy. According to the diverse immune cell landscapes among different types of tumors, we rationally and precisely generated three recombinant oncolytic adenoviruses (OAds): OAd-SIRPα-Fc, OAd-Siglec10-Fc and OAd-TIGIT-Fc. These viruses were designed to locally deliver SIRPα-Fc, Siglec10-Fc or TIGIT-Fc fusion proteins recognizing CD47, CD24 or CD155, respectively, in the TME to achieve enhanced antitumor effects. Our results suggested that OAd-SIRPα-Fc and OAd-Siglec10-Fc both showed outstanding efficacy in tumor suppression of macrophage-dominated tumors, while OAd-TIGIT-Fc showed the best antitumor immunity in CD8+ T-cell-dominated tumors. Importantly, the recombinant OAds activated an inflammatory immune response and generated long-term antitumor memory. In addition, the combination of OAd-Siglec10-Fc with anti-PD-1 significantly enhanced the antitumor effect in a 4T1 tumor model by remodeling the TME. In summary, rationally designed OAds expressing ICIs tailored to the immune cell landscape in the TME can precisely achieve tumor-specific immunotherapy of cancer.
Health benefits and harms of mammography screening in older women (75+ years)—a systematic review
Authors: Mathieu Erin , Noguchi Naomi , Li Tong , Barratt Alexandra L. , Hersch Jolyn K. , De Bock Geertruida H. , Wylie Elizabeth J. , Houssami Nehmat
Published: November 2023

Background

There is little evidence on the balance between potential benefits and harms of mammography screening in women 75 years and older. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise the evidence on the outcomes of mammography screening in women aged 75 years and older.

Methods

A systematic review of mammography screening studies in women aged 75 years and over.

Results

Thirty-six studies were included in this review: 27 observational studies and 9 modelling studies. Many of the included studies used no or uninformative comparison groups resulting in a potential bias towards the benefits of screening. Despite this, there was mixed evidence about the benefits and harms of continuing mammography screening beyond the age of 75 years. Some studies showed a beneficial effect on breast cancer mortality, and other studies showed no effect on mortality. Some studies showed some harms (false positive tests and recalls) being comparable to those in younger age-groups, with other studies showing increase in false positive screens and biopsies in older age-group. Although reported in fewer studies, there was consistent evidence of increased overdiagnosis in older age-groups.

Conclusion

There is limited evidence available to make a recommendation for/against continuing breast screening beyond the age of 75 years. Future studies should use more informative comparisons and should estimate overdiagnosis given potentially substantial harm in this age-group due to competing causes of death.

This review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020203131).
INPP5D regulates inflammasome activation in human microglia
Authors: Chou Vicky , Pearse Richard V. , Aylward Aimee J. , Ashour Nancy , Taga Mariko , Terzioglu Gizem , Fujita Masashi , Fancher Seeley B. , Sigalov Alina , Benoit Courtney R. , Lee Hyo , Lam Matti , Seyfried Nicholas T. , Bennett David A. , De Jager Philip L. , Menon Vilas , Young-Pearse Tracy L.
Published: November 2023

Microglia and neuroinflammation play an important role in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase D (INPP5D/SHIP1) is a myeloid-expressed gene genetically-associated with AD. Through unbiased analyses of RNA and protein profiles in INPP5D-disrupted iPSC-derived human microglia, we find that reduction in INPP5D activity is associated with molecular profiles consistent with disrupted autophagy and inflammasome activation. These findings are validated through targeted pharmacological experiments which demonstrate that reduced INPP5D activity induces the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, cleavage of CASP1, and secretion of IL-1β and IL-18. Further, in-depth analyses of human brain tissue across hundreds of individuals using a multi-analytic approach provides evidence that a reduction in function of INPP5D in microglia results in inflammasome activation in AD. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying microglia-mediated processes in AD and highlight the inflammasome as a potential therapeutic target for modulating INPP5D-mediated vulnerability to AD.
Contribution of pks+ E. coli mutations to colorectal carcinogenesis
Authors: Chen Bingjie , Ramazzotti Daniele , Heide Timon , Spiteri Inmaculada , Fernandez-Mateos Javier , James Chela , Magnani Luca , Graham Trevor A. , Sottoriva Andrea
Published: November 2023

The dominant mutational signature in colorectal cancer genomes is C > T deamination (COSMIC Signature 1) and, in a small subgroup, mismatch repair signature (COSMIC signatures 6 and 44). Mutations in common colorectal cancer driver genes are often not consistent with those signatures. Here we perform whole-genome sequencing of normal colon crypts from cancer patients, matched to a previous multi-omic tumour dataset. We analyse normal crypts that were distant vs adjacent to the cancer. In contrast to healthy individuals, normal crypts of colon cancer patients have a high incidence of pks + (polyketide synthases) E.coli (Escherichia coli) mutational and indel signatures, and this is confirmed by metagenomics. These signatures are compatible with many clonal driver mutations detected in the corresponding cancer samples, including in chromatin modifier genes, supporting their role in early tumourigenesis. These results provide evidence that pks + E.coli is a potential driver of carcinogenesis in the human gut.
PD-1- CD45RA+ effector-memory CD8 T cells and CXCL10+ macrophages are associated with response to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Cappuyns Sarah , Philips Gino , Vandecaveye Vincent , Boeckx Bram , Schepers Rogier , Van Brussel Thomas , Arijs Ingrid , Mechels Aurelie , Bassez Ayse , Lodi Francesca , Jaekers Joris , Topal Halit , Topal Baki , Bricard Orian , Qian Junbin , Van Cutsem Eric , Verslype Chris , Lambrechts Diether , Dekervel Jeroen
Published: November 2023

The combination of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (atezo/bev) has dramatically changed the treatment landscape of advanced HCC (aHCC), achieving durable responses in some patients. Using single-cell transcriptomics, we characterize the intra-tumoural and peripheral immune context of patients with aHCC treated with atezo/bev. Tumours from patients with durable responses are enriched for PDL1+ CXCL10+ macrophages and, based on cell–cell interaction analysis, express high levels of CXCL9/10/11 and are predicted to attract peripheral CXCR3+ CD8+ effector-memory T cells (CD8 TEM) into the tumour. Based on T cell receptor sharing and pseudotime trajectory analysis, we propose that CD8 TEM preferentially differentiate into clonally-expanded PD1- CD45RA+ effector-memory CD8+ T cells (CD8 TEMRA) with pronounced cytotoxicity. In contrast, in non-responders, CD8 TEM remain frozen in their effector-memory state. Finally, in responders, CD8 TEMRA display a high degree of T cell receptor sharing with blood, consistent with their patrolling activity. These findings may help understand the possible mechanisms underlying response to atezo/bev in aHCC.
Local adaptation and future climate vulnerability in a wild rodent
Authors: Marková Silvia , Lanier Hayley C. , Escalante Marco A. , da Cruz Marcos O. R. , Horníková Michaela , Konczal Mateusz , Weider Lawrence J. , Searle Jeremy B. , Kotlík Petr
Published: November 2023

As climate change continues, species pushed outside their physiological tolerance limits must adapt or face extinction. When change is rapid, adaptation will largely harness ancestral variation, making the availability and characteristics of that variation of critical importance. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing and genetic-environment association analyses to identify adaptive variation and its significance in the context of future climates in a small Palearctic mammal, the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). We found that peripheral populations of bank vole in Britain are already at the extreme bounds of potential genetic adaptation and may require an influx of adaptive variation in order to respond. Analyses of adaptive loci suggest regional differences in climate variables select for variants that influence patterns of population adaptive resilience, including genes associated with antioxidant defense, and support a pattern of thermal/hypoxic cross-adaptation. Our findings indicate that understanding potential shifts in genomic composition in response to climate change may be key to predicting species’ fate under future climates.