bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activatable MRI probes for the specific detection of bacteria
Authors: Periyathambi Prabu , Balian Alien , Hu Zhangjun , Padro Daniel , Hernandez Luiza I. , Uvdal Kajsa , Duarte Joao , Hernandez Frank J.
Published: October 2021

Activatable fluorescent probes have been successfully used as molecular tools for biomedical research in the last decades. Fluorescent probes allow the detection of molecular events, providing an extraordinary platform for protein and cellular research. Nevertheless, most of the fluorescent probes reported are susceptible to interferences from endogenous fluorescence (background signal) and limited tissue penetration is expected. These drawbacks prevent the use of fluorescent tracers in the clinical setting. To overcome the limitation of fluorescent probes, we and others have developed activatable magnetic resonance probes. Herein, we report for the first time, an oligonucleotide-based probe with the capability to detect bacteria using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The activatable MRI probe consists of a specific oligonucleotide that targets micrococcal nuclease (MN), a nuclease derived from Staphylococcus aureus. The oligonucleotide is flanked by a superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPION) at one end, and by a dendron functionalized with several gadolinium complexes as enhancers, at the other end. Therefore, only upon recognition of the MRI probe by the specific bacteria is the probe activated and the MRI signal can be detected. This approach may be widely applied to detect bacterial infections or other human conditions with the potential to be translated into the clinic as an activatable contrast agent.
Using Machine Learning to Establish Predictors of Mortality in Patients Undergoing Laparotomy for Emergency General Surgical Conditions
Authors: Smith Michelle T. D. , Bruce John L. , Clarke Damian L.
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Patients undergoing laparotomy for emergency general surgery (EGS) conditions, constitute a high‐risk group with poor outcomes. These patients have a high prevalence of comorbidities. This study aims to identify patient factors, physiological and time‐related factors, which place patients into a group at increased risk of mortality.

Methodology

In a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing an emergency laparotomy at Greys Hospital from December 2012 to 2018, we used decision tree discrimination to identify high‐risk groups.

Results

Our cohort included 1461 patients undergoing a laparotomy for an EGS condition. The mortality rate was 12.4% (181). Nine hundred and ten patients (62.3%) had at least one known comorbidity on admission. There was a higher rate of comorbidities among those that died (154; 85.1%). Patient factors found to be associated with mortality were the age of 46 years or greater (p < 0.001), current tuberculosis (p < 0.001), hypertension (p = 0.014), at least one comorbidity (0.006), and malignancy (0.033). Significant physiological risk factors for mortality were base excess less than −6.8 mmol/L (p < 0.001), serum urea greater than 7.0 mmol/L (p < 0.001) and waiting time from admission to operation (p = 0.014). In patients with an enteric breach, those younger than 46 years and a Shock Index of more than 1.0 were high‐risk. Patients without an enteric breach were high‐risk if operative duration exceeded 90 min (p = 0.004) and serum urea exceeding 7 mmol/dl (p = 0.016).

Conclusion

In EGS patients, patient factors as well as physiological factors place patients into a high‐risk group. Identifying a high‐risk group should prompt consideration for an adjusted approach that ameliorates outcomes.
Tipping the balance: intricate roles of the complement system in disease and therapy
Authors: Pouw Richard B. , Ricklin Daniel
Published: October 2021

The ability of the complement system to rapidly and broadly react to microbial intruders, apoptotic cells and other threats by inducing forceful elimination responses is indispensable for its role as host defense and surveillance system. However, the danger sensing versatility of complement may come at a steep price for patients suffering from various immune, inflammatory, age-related, or biomaterial-induced conditions. Misguided recognition of cell debris or transplants, excessive activation by microbial or damaged host cells, autoimmune events, and dysregulation of the complement response may all induce effector functions that damage rather than protect host tissue. Although complement has long been associated with disease, the prevalence, impact and complexity of complement’s involvement in pathological processes is only now becoming fully recognized. While complement rarely constitutes the sole driver of disease, it acts as initiator, contributor, and/or exacerbator in numerous disorders. Identifying the factors that tip complement’s balance from protective to damaging effects in a particular disease continues to prove challenging. Fortunately, however, molecular insight into complement functions, improved disease models, and growing clinical experience has led to a greatly improved understanding of complement’s pathological side. The identification of novel complement-mediated indications and the clinical availability of the first therapeutic complement inhibitors has also sparked a renewed interest in developing complement-targeted drugs, which meanwhile led to new approvals and promising candidates in late-stage evaluation. More than a century after its description, complement now has truly reached the clinic and the recent developments hold great promise for diagnosis and therapy alike.
Progress towards completing the mutant mouse null resource
Authors: Peterson Kevin A. , Murray Stephen A.
Published: October 2021

The generation of a comprehensive catalog of null alleles covering all protein-coding genes is the goal of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium. Over the past 20 years, significant progress has been made towards achieving this goal through the combined efforts of many large-scale programs that built an embryonic stem cell resource to generate knockout mice and more recently employed CRISPR/Cas9-based mutagenesis to delete critical regions predicted to result in frameshift mutations, thus, ablating gene function. The IMPC initiative builds on prior and ongoing work by individual research groups creating gene knockouts in the mouse. Here, we analyze the collective efforts focusing on the combined null allele resource resulting from strains developed by the research community and large-scale production programs. Based upon this pooled analysis, we examine the remaining fraction of protein-coding genes focusing on clearly defined mouse–human orthologs as the highest priority for completing the mutant mouse null resource. In summary, we find that there are less than 3400 mouse–human orthologs remaining in the genome without a targeted null allele that can be further prioritized to achieve our overall goal of the complete functional annotation of the protein-coding portion of a mammalian genome.
Nonhuman primates’ tissue banks: resources for all model organism research
Authors: Witham Claire , Wells Sara
Published: October 2021

Biobanks containing tissue and other biological samples from many model organisms provide easy and faster access to ex vivo resources for a wide-range of research programmes. For all laboratory animals, collecting and preserving tissue at post-mortem is an effective way of maximising the benefits of individual animals and potentially reducing the numbers required for experimentation in the future. For primate tissues, biobanks represent the scarcest of these resources but quite possibly those most valuable for preclinical and translation studies.
Heat strain and mortality effects of prolonged central European heat wave—an example of June 2019 in Poland
Authors: Błażejczyk Krzysztof , Twardosz Robert , Wałach Piotr , Czarnecka Kaja , Błażejczyk Anna
Published: October 2021

The occurrence of long-lasting severe heat stress, such as in July–August 2003, July 2010, or in April–May 2018 has been one of the biggest meteorological threats in Europe in recent years. The paper focuses on the biometeorological and mortality effects of the hot June that was observed in Central Europe in 2019. The basis of the study was hourly and daily Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) values at meteorological stations in Poland for June 2019. The average monthly air temperature and UTCI values from 1951 to 2018 were analysed as background. Grosswetterlagen calendar of atmospheric circulation was used to assess synoptic conditions of heat wave. Several heat strain measures were applied : net heat storage (S), modelled heart rate (HR), sultriness (HSI), and UTCI index. Actual total mortality (TM) and modelled strong heat-related mortality (SHRM) were taken as indicators of biometeorological consequences of the hot June in 2019. The results indicate that prolonged persistence of unusually warm weather in June 2019 was determined by the synoptic conditions occurring over the European region and causing advection of tropical air. They led to the emergence of heat waves causing 10% increase in TM and 5 times bigger SHRM then in preceding 10 years. Such increase in SHRM was an effect of overheating and overload of circulatory system of human organism.
Palbociclib as an early-line treatment for Japanese patients with hormone receptor–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative advanced breast cancer: a review of clinical trial and real-world data
Authors: Masuda Norikazu , Kosaka Nobuyoshi , Iwata Hiroji , Toi Masakazu
Published: October 2021

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide and in Japan. The majority of breast cancers are hormone receptor–positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative (HER2‒), and endocrine therapy is an effective therapy for this type of breast cancer. However, recent substantial advances have been made in the management of HR+/HER2‒ advanced breast cancer (ABC) with the advent of targeted therapies, such as cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors, resulting in significant improvements in survival outcomes versus endocrine therapy alone. To evaluate the optimal use of palbociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, in HR+/HER2– ABC, this review summarizes clinical trial and real-world data for palbociclib. In addition, current biomarker studies in palbociclib clinical research are reviewed. In Japanese patients, palbociclib was shown to be effective with a manageable safety profile, although differences were observed in the frequency of adverse event and dosing parameters. Current evidence supporting palbociclib as a first-line treatment strategy for patients with HR+/HER2‒ ABC in Asia, and specifically japan, is also discussed.
Effects of soil heterogeneity on susceptibility of shallow landslides
Authors: Oguz Emir Ahmet , Depina Ivan , Thakur Vikas
Published: October 2021

Uncertainties in parameters of landslide susceptibility models often hinder them from providing accurate spatial and temporal predictions of landslide occurrences. Substantial contribution to the uncertainties in landslide assessment originates from spatially variable geotechnical and hydrological parameters. These input parameters may often vary significantly through space, even within the same geological deposit, and there is a need to quantify the effects of the uncertainties in these parameters. This study addresses this issue with a new three-dimensional probabilistic landslide susceptibility model. The spatial variability of the model parameters is modeled with the random field approach and coupled with the Monte Carlo method to propagate uncertainties from the model parameters to landslide predictions (i.e., factor of safety). The resulting uncertainties in landslide predictions allow the effects of spatial variability in the input parameters to be quantified. The performance of the proposed model in capturing the effect of spatial variability and predicting landslide occurrence has been compared with a conventional physical-based landslide susceptibility model that does not account for three-dimensional effects on slope stability. The results indicate that the proposed model has better performance in landslide prediction with higher accuracy and precision than the conventional model. The novelty of this study is illustrating the effects of the soil heterogeneity on the susceptibility of shallow landslides, which was made possible by the development of a three-dimensional slope stability model that was coupled with random field model and the Monte Carlo method.
Multidimensional Item Response Theory in the Style of Collaborative Filtering
Authors: Bergner Yoav , Halpin Peter , Vie Jill-Jênn
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a machine learning approach to multidimensional item response theory (MIRT), a class of latent factor models that can be used to model and predict student performance from observed assessment data. Inspired by collaborative filtering, we define a general class of models that includes many MIRT models. We discuss the use of penalized joint maximum likelihood to estimate individual models and cross-validation to select the best performing model. This model evaluation process can be optimized using batching techniques, such that even sparse large-scale data can be analyzed efficiently. We illustrate our approach with simulated and real data, including an example from a massive open online course. The high-dimensional model fit to this large and sparse dataset does not lend itself well to traditional methods of factor interpretation. By analogy to recommender-system applications, we propose an alternative “validation” of the factor model, using auxiliary information about the popularity of items consulted during an open-book examination in the course.
Better Information From Survey Data: Filtering Out State Dependence Using Eye-Tracking Data
Authors: Büschken Joachim , Böckenholt Ulf , Otter Thomas , Stengel Daniel
Published: October 2021

Ideally, survey respondents read and understand survey instructions, questions, and response scales, and provide answers that carefully reflect their beliefs, attitudes, or knowledge. However, respondents may also arrive at their responses using cues or heuristics that facilitate the production of a response, but diminish the targeted information content. We use eye-tracking data as covariates in a Bayesian switching-mixture model to identify different response behaviors at the item–respondent level. The model distinguishes response behaviors that are predominantly influenced either positively or negatively by the previous response, and responses that reflect respondents’ preexisting knowledge and experiences of interest. We find that controlling for multiple types of adaptive response behaviors allows for a more informative analysis of survey data and respondents.
Methylation studies in Peromyscus: aging, altitude adaptation, and monogamy
Authors: Horvath Steve , Haghani Amin , Zoller Joseph A. , Naderi Asieh , Soltanmohammadi Elham , Farmaki Elena , Kaza Vimala , Chatzistamou Ioulia , Kiaris Hippokratis
Published: October 2021

DNA methylation-based biomarkers of aging have been developed for humans and many other mammals and could be used to assess how stress factors impact aging. Deer mice (Peromyscus) are long-living rodents that have emerged as an informative model to study aging, adaptation to extreme environments, and monogamous behavior. In the present study, we have undertaken an exhaustive, genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation inPeromyscus, spanning different species, stocks, sexes, tissues, and age cohorts. We describe DNA methylation-based estimators of age for different species of deer mice based on novel DNA methylation data generated on highly conserved mammalian CpGs measured with a custom array. The multi-tissue epigenetic clock for deer mice was trained on 3 tissues (tail, liver, and brain). Two human-Peromyscusclocks accurately measure age and relative age, respectively. We present CpGs and enriched pathways that relate to different conditions such as chronological age, high altitude, and monogamous behavior. Overall, this study provides a first step towards studying the epigenetic correlates of monogamous behavior and adaptation to high altitude inPeromyscus. The human-Peromyscusepigenetic clocks are expected to provide a significant boost to the attractiveness ofPeromyscusas a biological model.
Quantification of pulmonary involvement in COVID-19 pneumonia by means of a cascade of two U-nets: training and assessment on multiple datasets using different annotation criteria
Authors: Lizzi Francesca , Agosti Abramo , Brero Francesca , Cabini Raffaella Fiamma , Fantacci Maria Evelina , Figini Silvia , Lascialfari Alessandro , Laruina Francesco , Oliva Piernicola , Piffer Stefano , Postuma Ian , Rinaldi Lisa , Talamonti Cinzia , Retico Alessandra
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims at exploiting artificial intelligence (AI) for the identification, segmentation and quantification of COVID-19 pulmonary lesions. The limited data availability and the annotation quality are relevant factors in training AI-methods. We investigated the effects of using multiple datasets, heterogeneously populated and annotated according to different criteria.

Methods

We developed an automated analysis pipeline, the LungQuant system, based on a cascade of two U-nets. The first one (U-net$$_1$$

1

) is devoted to the identification of the lung parenchyma; the second one (U-net$$_2$$

2

) acts on a bounding box enclosing the segmented lungs to identify the areas affected by COVID-19 lesions. Different public datasets were used to train the U-nets and to evaluate their segmentation performances, which have been quantified in terms of the Dice Similarity Coefficients. The accuracy in predicting the CT-Severity Score (CT-SS) of the LungQuant system has been also evaluated.

Results

Both the volumetric DSC (vDSC) and the accuracy showed a dependency on the annotation quality of the released data samples. On an independent dataset (COVID-19-CT-Seg), both the vDSC and the surface DSC (sDSC) were measured between the masks predicted by LungQuant system and the reference ones. The vDSC (sDSC) values of 0.95±0.01 and 0.66±0.13 (0.95±0.02 and 0.76±0.18, with 5 mm tolerance) were obtained for the segmentation of lungs and COVID-19 lesions, respectively. The system achieved an accuracy of 90% in CT-SS identification on this benchmark dataset.

Conclusion

We analysed the impact of using data samples with different annotation criteria in training an AI-based quantification system for pulmonary involvement in COVID-19 pneumonia. In terms of vDSC measures, the U-net segmentation strongly depends on the quality of the lesion annotations. Nevertheless, the CT-SS can be accurately predicted on independent test sets, demonstrating the satisfactory generalization ability of the LungQuant.
An image processing tool for the detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity by evaluating the myocardial metabolic activity in [18F]FDG PET/CT
Authors: Seiffert Alexander P. , Gómez-Grande Adolfo , Castro-Leal Gonzalo , Rodríguez Antonia , Palomino-Fernández David , Gómez Enrique J. , Sánchez-González Patricia , Bueno Héctor
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity is one of the main complications during and after cancer treatment. While echocardiography is the most used technique in clinical practice to evaluate left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, a multimodal approach is preferred for the early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. In this paper, an image processing tool allowing the qualitative and quantitative analysis of myocardial metabolic activity by [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET/CT) images, acquired routinely during and after cancer treatment, is presented.

Methods

The methodology is based on cardiac single photon emission computed tomography image processing protocols used in clinical practice. LV polar maps are created, and quantitative regional values are calculated. The tool was validated in a study group of 24 patients with Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (HL and NHL, respectively) treated with anthracyclines. Staging, interim and end-of-treatment [18F]FDG PET/CT images were acquired and the presented tool was used to extract the quantitative metrics of LV metabolic activity.

Results

Results show an overall increase of metabolic activity in the interim PET image acquired while on treatment compared to staging PET, which then decreased in the end-of-treatment scan. Positive correlation coefficients between staging and interim scans, and negative correlation coefficients between interim and end-of-treatment scans also support this finding. Metabolic changes occur predominantly in the septal region.

Conclusion

The proposed methodology and presented software solution provides the capability to assess quantitatively myocardial metabolism acquired by routine [18F]FDG PET/CT scanning during cancer treatment for evaluating anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. The [18F]FDG PET/CT septal-lateral uptake ratio is proposed as a new quantitative measure of myocardial metabolism.
Effect of Temperature and Acoustic Pressure During Ultrasound Liquid-Phase Processing of Graphite in Water
Authors: Morton Justin A. , Eskin Dmitry G. , Grobert Nicole , Mi Jiawei , Porfyrakis Kyriakos , Prentice Paul , Tzanakis Iakovos
Published: October 2021

Ultrasound-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation is a promising method for manufacturing two-dimensional materials. Understanding the effect of ultrasonication parameters such as the temperature and input power on the developed pressure field is pivotal for optimization of the process. Limited research has been carried out to determine the optimal temperature for exfoliation, with some data generating disputed results. Simply maximizing the sonication power does not necessarily produce a higher yield because of shielding. In this study, a high-temperature calibrated cavitometer was used to measure the acoustic pressure generated in different graphite solutions in deionized water at various temperatures (from 10°C to 70°C) and input power conditions (from 20% to 100%). In addition, high-speed optical imaging provided insight on the shock wave generation from transient bubble collapses under different sonication conditions. The optimal sono-exfoliation parameters were determined to be 20% input power at 10°C for graphite flake solution, and 100% input power at 40°C to 50°C for graphite powder solution.
Impact of propofol sedation on the diagnostic accuracy of hepatic venous pressure gradient measurements in patients with cirrhosis
Authors: Ebrahimi Fahim , Semela David , Heim Markus
Published: October 2021

Background

Measurement of the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is the gold standard to evaluate the presence and severity of portal hypertension. The procedure is generally safe and well tolerated, but nevertheless, some patients demand for sedation. However, it is unknown whether propofol sedation would impair the accuracy of portal pressure measurements.

Methods

This is a prospective observational cohort study including cirrhotic patients with suspected portal hypertension undergoing invasive measurement of HVPG. Measurements of HVPG were performed in awake condition as well as under sedation with propofol infusion.

Results

In total, 37 patients were included. Mean HVPG in awake condition was 15.9 mmHg (IQR 13–19) and during sedation 14.1 mmHg (IQR 12–17). While measures of free hepatic vein pressure (FHVP) were not altered after propofol sedation (p = 0.34), wedged hepatic vein pressure values (WHVP) decreased in an average by  2.05 mmHg (95% CI − 2.46 to − 1.16; p < 0.001) which was proportional to the magnitude of HVPG. In 31 out of 37 patients (83.8%), portal hypertension with HVPG ≥ 12 mmHg was found. Under sedation with propofol, two patients (5.4%) with borderline values would have been incorrectly classified as < 12 mmHg. After adjustment for the average difference of − 10%, all patients were correctly classified. Intraclass correlation coefficient between HVPG measurement in awake condition and under propofol sedation was 0.927 (95% CI 0.594–0.975).

Conclusions

Propofol sedation during HVPG measurements is generally safe, however it may lead to relevant alterations of HVPG readings.
High-dose-rate plesiotherapy with customized molds in non-melanoma skin cancer: efficacy and safety at 10 years—single institution experience
Authors: Membrive Conejo I. , Pera Cegarra O. , Foro Arnalot P. , Reig Castillejo A. , Rodríguez de Dios N. , Sanz Latiesas X. , Deza G. , Quera Jordana J. , Fernandez-Velilla Cepria E. , Martínez Moñino A. , Liu Cheng F. , Algara López M.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Our center adopted high-dose-rate brachytherapy with surface applicators (plesiotherapy) in 2008, creating custom molds to treat irregular areas. This study describes the efficacy and safety outcomes after extensive follow-up in the patients.

Methods/patients

We planned the treatment using two computed tomography (CT) scans: the first to delineate the lesion and the second after placing the thermoplastic mold. Fusing the two CT images enables planning of the target volume and pinpointing, where the catheters are in the mold.

Results

Seventy patients received plesiotherapy, either exclusively or following excision in patients with risk factors for recurrence. Those receiving plesiotherapy alone showed a complete response rate of 95.8%, and recurrences occurred in 5.7% at a mean follow-up of 96.2 months. Chronic toxicity appeared in 26.6% of patients, but severity was limited to grade 1 or 2.

Conclusions

High-dose-rate brachytherapy with customized molds yields a high rate of complete response, with long-term recurrence rates in line with similar studies and an acceptable toxicity rate.
Stochastic analysis of a SIRI epidemic model with double saturated rates and relapse
Authors: Zhang Yan , Gao Shujing , Chen Shihua
Published: October 2021

Infectious diseases have for centuries been the leading causes of death and disability worldwide and the environmental fluctuation is a crucial part of an ecosystem in the natural world. In this paper, we proposed and discussed a stochastic SIRI epidemic model incorporating double saturated incidence rates and relapse. The dynamical properties of the model were analyzed. The existence and uniqueness of a global positive solution were proven. Sufficient conditions were derived to guarantee the extinction and persistence in mean of the epidemic model. Additionally, ergodic stationary distribution of the stochastic SIRI model was discussed. Our results indicated that the intensity of relapse and stochastic perturbations greatly affected the dynamics of epidemic systems and if the random fluctuations were large enough, the disease could be accelerated to extinction while the stronger relapse rate were detrimental to the control of the disease.
Optimal location of cutoff walls for seawater intrusion
Authors: Zheng Han , Wenxi Lu , Yue Fan , Tiansheng Miao , Jin Lin , Jiuhui Li
Published: October 2021

In this paper, the simulation–optimization method is used to study the optimal location of cutoff walls for seawater intrusion. The optimization model is based on minimizing the chlorine concentration of two water sources after 50 years. In order to reduce the computational complexity, a Kriging surrogate model simulation is coupled with the optimization model. Finally, a hypothetical case is used to evaluate the accuracy of the surrogate model and the performance of the optimization model. The results show that the outputs of the Kriging surrogate model and the variable density groundwater simulation model for the same cutoff wall design fit well, and the average relative error of the two outputs is only 2.2% which proves that it is feasible to apply the Kriging surrogate model to this problem. By solving the optimization model, the location of the cutoff wall which minimizes the sum of chlorine concentration of the two water sources after 50 years is obtained. This provides a stable and reliable method for the site selection of cutoff walls for future projects intended to prevent and control seawater intrusion.
Role of thermal spray in combating climate change
Authors: Viswanathan V. , Katiyar Nirmal Kumar , Goel Gaurav , Matthews Allan , Goel Saurav
Published: October 2021

Thermal spraying is a scalable surface engineering technique used to add or to restore functionality of a solid surface by applying a coating. Examples of this include protection against wear, erosion, abrasion, and heat. In a specific sense, thermal spraying is particularly used to deposit thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) which finds use in transportation, power generation and automotive sector. As being a surface technique, thermal spraying much like other surface coating techniques can avoid the use of excessive bulk materials and in turn offers longevity to the life of the component, so it already contributes to the reduction of global warming by virtue of avoiding the use of excessive scarce materials and improving fuel efficiency. In terms of its contribution to the cause of global warming, thermal spraying stands in sharp contrast to the energy-intensive processes such as melting, casting, extrusion and welding. With the rise of additive manufacturing, it is possible to use thermal spray to complement that process in many ways and “cold spray additive manufacturing” (CSAM) is already gaining popularity. The thermal spraying technique relies on using selective types of gases—hydrogen being one of them and few types of metals/alloys which are now classed as critical raw materials due to them being on the supply risk register. Efforts to consider recycling and reuse and to find alternatives to these are very timely to continue drawing the advantage of thermal spraying being a relatively green technique. In particular, the green energy initiatives and the drive to develop energy storage and battery technologies could challenge the supply of raw materials such as hydrogen gas and rare earth elements. This underlines the research and development need for alternate materials and processes to address the issue of climate change which is the major focal point of the COP 26 Summit at Glasgow in 2021. The combination of digital technologies and thermal spray coatings will reduce gas, powder and power consumption, which will make this manufacturing process even greener.
Conceptualization and management of disasters and climate change events in Africa: a review
Authors: Ihinegbu Christopher
Published: October 2021

The concepts of disasters, hazards and climatic events are well established, showing disciplinary-based perspectives. Globally, efforts have been made to come to a common understanding of these concepts; however, there remains a gap in the conceptualizations of these concepts in Africa, the hub of climate change impacts. This paper identified and characterized the understanding, management practices and limitations of disasters/climate change studies in Africa. This study employed a multi-level review process that resulted in the selection of 170 peer-reviewed articles for study. Findings revealed that the majority of the studies were tied to case studies both in the southern region of Africa and the country of South Africa. Findings also revealed that the 'natural disaster' narrative, which excludes the influence of humans in triggering these events, dominated the studies. This was complemented by the dominance of single-hazard narrative and disaster/hazard management measures that promote the prediction and modeling of nature and disasters. Further, it identified limitations in disaster and hazard studies in Africa such as the lack of synthesis of case studies, lack of adaptive planning, lack of state capacities, research-policy gaps among others. It was recommended that research on climate hazards should explore multi-hazards/disasters, demand driven, give more attention to underrepresented disciplines and capture future dynamics in the employed methodologies.
Production of bioethanol from wheat straw via optimization of co-culture conditions of Bacillus licheniformis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Sharma Shweta , Jha Paras Kumar , Panwar Amit
Published: October 2021

Bioethanol production has been a challenge for the researchers with respect to enhancing the bioethanol yield. In this study, we are reporting an efficient novel method to produce bioethanol. The process comprises co-culture technique to produce bioethanol from wheat straw, by co-culturingBacillus licheniformisandSaccharomyces cerevisiae.Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation allows wheat straw hydrolysis by cellulase enzyme produced byBacillus licheniformisand conversion of produced reducing sugar into ethanol bySaccharomyces cerevisiae. Pre-treatment of wheat straw and optimization of co-culturing parameters like, time, pH, substrate concentrations and nitrogen source concentrations gave a net yield of ⁓ 4.11 g/l bioethanol. Scale up of optimised media to fermenter has resulted in a significant enhancement of bioethanol production to ⁓ 14.70 g/l.
Objets captifs: Les artefacts catholiques en Méditerranée au début de l’époque moderne
Authors: Hershenzon Daniel
Published: October 2021

Objets captifs: Les artefacts catholiques en Méditerranée au début de l’époque moderne

Les objets de dévotion catholique – images et effigies du Christ, de la Vierge et des saints, missels, rosaires, crucifix et objets liturgiques – ont circulé par milliers dans la Méditerranée occidentale à l’époque moderne. Pour une large part, cette mobilité a été une conséquence indirecte de la piraterie et de la traite d’êtres humains qui interconnectaient les territoires méditerranéens de l’Espagne, du Maroc et de la régence ottomane d’Alger. Le moment de rupture que constitue la captivité a conféré à ces objets aux caractéristiques très différentes une trajectoire commune, rendant ainsi pertinent leur regroupement sous une même catégorie. L’article soutient que les artefacts catholiques ont joué un rôle prépondérant dans l’expérience des captifs catholiques, des renégats et de leurs maîtres musulmans tout autant que dans l’économie de la rançon qui a permis le rachat des captifs. À contre-pied des intentions de leurs concepteurs initiaux, ces objets ont fourni aux captifs, aux convertis et aux maîtres des ressources inattendues participant à brouiller la frontière religieuse et ont créé de nouveaux enchevêtrements entre les membres de ces trois groupes et la matérialité catholique. L’argument est développé en trois étapes. Tout d’abord, l’article affirme que l’augmentation du nombre de captifs après la trêve hispano-ottomane de 1581 a entraîné une augmentation du nombre d’objets de dévotion envoyés depuis l’Espagne aux catholiques retenus en captivité au Maghreb. Il affirme ensuite que certains de ces objets ont fini par bénéficier aux convertis à l’islam, tandis que les dirigeants algériens et marocains en ont pillé d’autres. Enfin, l’article souligne que le pillage et la réutilisation de ces objets ont conféré aux captifs la capacité de racheter un emblème de leur dieu, ont offert aux Trinitaires et aux Mercédaires l’opportunité de parfaire leur réputation en rançonnant des objets sacrés et ont permis aux dirigeants maghrébins de garantir les privilèges religieux de leurs propres sujets asservis en Espagne. L’accent mis sur la mobilité de ces objets montre à quel point les objets de dévotion catholique ont continué à articuler les relations sociales, politiques et économiques en Méditerranée occidentale au cours du long xviie siècle.
A theory of glacier dynamics and instabilities Part 2: Flatbed ice streams
Authors: Ou Hsien-Wang
Published: October 2021

In Part 1, we have considered the dynamics of topographically confined glaciers, which may undergo surge cycles when the bed becomes temperate. In this Part 2, we consider the ice discharge over a flatbed, which would self-organize into alternating stream/ridge pairs of wet/frozen beds. The meltwater drainage, no longer curbed by the bed trough, would counter the conductive cooling to render a minimum bed strength at some intermediate width, toward which the stream would evolve over centennial timescale. At this stationary state, the stream width is roughly twice the geometric mean of the stream height and length, which is commensurate with its observed width. Over a flatbed, streams invariably interact, and we deduce that the neighboring ones would exhibit compensating cycles of maximum velocity and stagnation over the centennial timescale. This deduction is consistent with observed time variation of Ross ice streams B and C (ISB/C), which is thus a manifestation of the natural cycle. Moreover, the model uncovers an overlooked mechanism of the ISC stagnation: as ISB widens following its reactivation, it narrows ISC to augment the loss of the meltwater, leading to its stagnation. This stagnation is preceded by ice thickening hence opposite to the thinning-induced surge termination.
Improving the Usability of Galileo and Voyager Images of Jupiter's Moon Europa
Authors: Bland Michael T. , Weller Lynn A. , Archinal Brent A. , Smith Ethan , Wheeler Benjamin H.
Published: October 2021

NASA's Voyager 1, Voyager 2, and Galileo spacecraft acquired hundreds of images of Jupiter's moon Europa. These images provide the only moderate‐ to high‐resolution views of the moon's surface and are therefore a critical resource for scientific analysis and future mission planning. Unfortunately, uncertain knowledge of the spacecraft's position and pointing during image acquisition resulted in significant errors in the location of the images on the surface. The result is that adjacent images are poorly aligned, with some images displaced by more than 100 km from their correct location. These errors severely degrade the usability of the Voyager and Galileo imaging data sets. To improve the usability of these data sets, we used the U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers to build a nearly global image tie‐point network with more than 50,000 tie points and 135,000 image measurements on 481 Galileo and 221 Voyager images. A global least‐squares bundle adjustment of our final Europa tie‐point network calculated latitude, longitude, and radius values for each point by minimizing residuals globally, and resulted in root mean square (RMS) uncertainties of 246.6 m, 307.0 m, and 70.5 m in latitude, longitude, and radius, respectively. The total RMS uncertainty was 0.32 pixels. This work enables direct use of nearly the entire Galileo and Voyager image data sets for Europa. We are providing the community with updated NASA Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility Spacecraft, Planet, Instrument, C‐matrix (pointing), and Events kernels, mosaics of Galileo images acquired during each observation sequence, and individual processed and projected level 2 images.
Focusing Fluids in Faults: Evidence From Stable Isotopic Studies of Dated Clay‐Rich Fault Gouge of the Alberta Rockies
Authors: Lynch E. A. , Pană D. , van der Pluijm B. A.
Published: October 2021

Isotopic studies of Canadian Rocky Mountain thrust faults preserve the timing and identity of orogenic fluids and their fault zone pathways. Using previously dated samples, we measure the O‐ and H‐isotopic compositions of fault gouge. These nearly 100% neomineralized gouges and their associated damage zones act as primary orogenic fluid pathways. As such, they provide a specific and local look into the nature of the Late Jurassic to Early Eocene orogenic plumbing system in the Alberta Rockies. Considering clay polytype stability and regional temperature conditions, we obtain a range of geofluid isotopic compositions during Jurassic‐Eocene thrust faulting: δ18Ofluid ranged from ∼−3.3 to 9.2 ± 3.2‰; δDfluid ranged from −119 to −46 ± 13‰ VSMOW. The range of O‐ and H‐isotopic compositions reflects mixing of fluid sources, including the pervasive presence of surface‐sourced fluids (up to ∼90%). The interpreted prevalence of a surface fluid source in fault rocks is in agreement with regional isotopic trends previously observed in undated veins of fractured host rock. Our results confirm that thrust faults of the Alberta Rocky Mountains acted as major fluid‐focusing conduits during orogenic activity. We further show that these faults incorporated both deeply sourced and surface‐sourced fluids into zones of enhanced and dynamic permeability, heterogeneously distributing fluids along fault planes across the fold‐thrust belt, promoting the growth of fault‐zone weakening clay minerals.
Testing Homes for Potential Sources of Lead Exposure as a High‐School Science Project
Authors: Sefchick Evan M. , Dusevic Daniel , Dougherty Jack R. , Terraciano Andrew , Ellis Tyler , van Geen Alexander
Published: October 2021

High‐school students tested soil, paint, and water for lead (Pb) in a total of 80 houses in their town of Pelham, New York, where blood‐Pb data indicate relatively high levels of child exposure. All the samples were tested in the laboratory using established procedures but this was preceded by testing of soil and paint in the field with a kit by the students. The total Pb concentration in 32 of the 159 soil samples that were collected exceeded 400 ppm, the EPA standard for bare soil in residential areas where children play. Only 4 of the 118 tap water samples that were collected contained over 15 ppb Pb, with the data showing that flushing for 2 min clearly lowered Pb concentration further across the board. The highest risk of child exposure may be posed by old Pb‐based paint, however, which was detected in 9 of the 48 samples that were tested. Residents were also the least willing to let the students test or sample their paint. High‐school students could help reduce exposure in the many towns where child blood‐Pb levels remain high today by identifying sources and, while doing so, learn about environmental science and measurement from this hands‐on experience.
Evaluation of Rainfall‐Snowfall Separation Performance in Remote Sensing Datasets
Authors: You Yalei , Peters‐Lidard Christa , Ringerud Sarah , Haynes John M.
Published: October 2021

The first step to accurately measure global snowfall is to separate rainfall from snowfall correctly (i.e., precipitation phase discrimination). This study first evaluates the phase discrimination performance in four remote sensing datasets, including observations from ground radar, spaceborne radars, and spaceborne radiometer, relative to ground observations. Results show that the snowfall discrimination accuracy varies greatly among these datasets ranging from 42% to 96%, dependent on whether and how the temperature information are considered. For example, over half of the snowfall from the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) spaceborne radar is actually rainfall at the surface since it detects snowfall in the air without considering the temperature information close to the surface. Second, we evaluate the discrimination performance using the temperature information from four reanalysis datasets. It is found that MERRA2 temperature close to the surface is colder than the other three datasets, leading to more rainfall being misclassified as snowfall.
A Global Bottom‐Up Approach to Estimate Fuel Consumed by Fires Using Above Ground Biomass Observations
Authors: Di Giuseppe F. , Benedetti A. , Coughlan R. , Vitolo C. , Vuckovic M.
Published: October 2021

Real‐time estimates of the fuel consumed during a fire (dry‐matter) relies on indirect estimate from remotely sensed released energy combined with biome dependent conversion coefficients. The uncertainties in the conversions lead to the use of inflation factors to avoid large underestimations in the prediction of aerosol load during fires. In this study, adopting two different fire inventories for burned areas, we apply above ground biomass (AGB) observations [from Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) L‐band vegetation optical depth] as proxy for fuel load in deriving estimates of dry‐matter. These new estimates are then converted into biomass burning aerosols and validated against independent aerosol optical depth observations from the AERONETin situglobal network. Results showed that use of AGB as a proxy observation of fuel load improves fire emission estimates and substituting the need for indirect dry‐matter estimates from remotely sensed fire activity or for the use of inflation factors.
An Investigation of the Impact of Different Turbulence Schemes on the Tropical Cyclone Boundary Layer at Turbulent Gray‐Zone Resolution
Authors: Xu Hongxiong , Wang Hui , Duan Yihong
Published: October 2021

Accurately resolving turbulence in the tropical‐cyclone boundary layer (TCBL) is crucial for realistic simulations of tropical cyclones (TCs), but how well the fine‐scale structure of the simulated TCBL can be reproduced at gray‐zone resolutions by state‐of‐the‐art planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterization schemes, and why the simulated fine‐scale structure is so sensitive to the PBL scheme, are yet to be evaluated and understood. To address these issues, a series of numerical experiments under idealized conditions were conducted using the advanced research weather research and forecasting (WRF‐ARW) model at 500 and 166 m grid spacing. An 18‐hr WRF‐ARW large‐eddy simulation (LES) with a 55‐m grid spacing based on the nonlinear backscatter and anisotropy subfilter‐scale (NBA‐SFS) stress scheme was used as reference (RLES). Results from experiments using five different PBL schemes, that is, two conventional schemes—the Yonsei University (YSU) and the original MYNN (termed MYNN1)—two scale‐aware schemes—the Shin‐Hong (S‐H) and the revised MYNN (termed MYNN2)—and the coarse‐resolution LES (CLES), were subsequently compared with the RLES. The YSU and S‐H not only produced better simulations of TC intensity and structure than the other three PBL schemes, but also produced a fine‐scale turbulent structure reasonably well compared with the RLES. Discrepancies in the simulated fine‐scale structure among the PBL schemes result primarily from the different strength of vertical mixing, which could be reduced by the scale‐aware option. Results from a series of sensitivity experiments with a 166‐m grid spacing demonstrate that the scale‐aware S‐H can significantly improve the finer resolution simulations than the conventional YSU at relatively finer grid spacing at gray zone.