bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reconciling Coulter Counter and laser diffraction particle size analysis for aquaculture monitoring
Authors: Milligan T. G. , Law B. A. , Zions V. , Hill P. S. , Hua K. , McKindsey C. W. , Lacoursière‐Roussel A.
Published: June 2024

The disaggregated inorganic grain size (DIGS) of bottom sediment analyzed with a Coulter Counter (CC) has been used to show that the fraction of sediment deposited in flocs (floc fraction) increased in both the near and far field after the introduction of open cage salmon aquaculture, altering benthic habitat and species composition. As a result, DIGS was identified as a potential indicator of regional environmental changes due to aquaculture. Laser diffraction is an attractive alternative to the CC because of its greater efficiency and larger size range. To determine if a laser diffraction instrument, Beckman-Coulter LS 13 320 (LS), could replace the CC within a Canadian national aquaculture monitoring program, the DIGS of 581 samples from five different regions in eastern Canada were analyzed with an LS and a CC. Results show that the LS could not be used to calculate floc fraction. Instead, % sortable silt and the volume % of inorganic particles < 16 µm were evaluated as alternative proxies for fine sediment properties. LS and CC values for these parameters were correlated, but they were significantly different and the relationship between the instruments was dependent on the area sampled. The LS did not capture variations between areas seen in the CC DIGS data. Where the DIGS from the CC found no sorting in the finest size classes, all the LS samples had similar size distributions characterized by smooth modal peaks. The LS and CC both return values that can be used to monitor changes in the deposition of fine-grained sediment, but the LS cannot determine changes in floc deposition and caution is required if comparing different sedimentary environments.
Plasma H3Cit-DNA Discriminates Between Cancer and Inflammation in a Cohort of Patients with Unspecific Cancer Symptoms
Authors: Wannberg Fredrika , Hjalmar Viktoria , Ng Henry , Johansson Caroline , Probert Fay , Phillipson Mia , Åberg Mikael , Gordon Max , Mackman Nigel , Rosell Axel , Thålin Charlotte
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Cancer detection is challenging, especially in patients with unspecific cancer symptoms. Biomarkers could identify patients at high risk of cancer. Prior studies indicate that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are associated with cancer, but also with autoimmune and infectious diseases. The objective of this prospective study was to investigate markers associated with NET formation (nucleosomal citrullinated histone 3 [H3Cit-DNA], cell free DNA [cfDNA] and neutrophil elastase [NE]), and c-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with unspecific cancer symptoms, such as fatigue, weight loss or radiological sign of malignancy without an apparent primary tumor, referred to the Diagnostic Center at Danderyd Hospital in Sweden. Blood samples were drawn on admission, before cancer diagnosis. Out of 475 patients, 160 (34%) were diagnosed with cancer, 56 (12%) with autoimmune disease, 32 (7%) with infectious disease, 71 (15%) with other diseases and 156 (33%) received no diagnosis. H3Cit-DNA, cfDNA, NE and CRP were significantly higher in patients with cancer compared to patients without cancer (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p = 0.004, and p = 0.0002 respectively). H3Cit-DNA, but not cfDNA, NE or CRP, was significantly elevated in patients with cancer compared to patients with autoimmune disease (p = 0.0001). H3Cit-DNA, cfDNA, NE or CRP did not differ between cancer and infectious disease. In conclusion, H3Cit-DNA is elevated in patients diagnosed with cancer compared to non-cancer patients with the same symptomatology. Further studies should evaluate if H3Cit-DNA could aid in selecting patients that would benefit the most from a rapid cancer diagnostic work-up.

Graphical Abstract
Racial Differences in the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gallin Zachary , Kolevzon Ana M. , Reichenberg Abraham , Hankerson Sidney H. , Kolevzon Alexander
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Racial differences in prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have shifted in the United States (US) since the 1990s. This review addresses the nature and context of this shift and discusses potential contributing factors and areas for future research.

Methods

Seventeen population-based epidemiological birth cohort studies on ASD prevalence in the US that included race as a variable are included in the review. Studies were identified via a keyword search on PubMed. To be included, studies were required to include race or ethnicity as a variable in the prevalence estimates, include at least 1000 cases with autism, and be published in English by June 3rd, 2023.

Results

Results suggest that in nearly all birth cohorts prior to 2010, ASD prevalence rates were highest among White children. ASD prevalence rates among Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander (API) children (22.3, 22.5, and 22.2 per 1000, respectively) surpassed prevalence rates among White children (21.2 per 1000) in the 2010 birth cohort and continued to increase in the 2012 birth cohorts.

Conclusions

There are persistent racial differences in ASD prevalence in the US, and these differences were inverted after 2010, when ASD prevalence among Black, Hispanic, & API children surpassed ASD prevalence among White children. Possible drivers of this racial repatterning of ASD prevalence include changes in ASD screening and diagnosis, changes to health insurance policy, changes to immigration policy, and increased education attainment by minority groups.
Knowledge Graph-Aware Deep Interest Extraction Network on Sequential Recommendation
Authors: Wang Zhenhai , Xu Yuhao , Wang Zhiru , Fan Rong , Guo Yunlong , Li Weimin
Published: June 2024

Sequential recommendation is the mainstream approach in the field of click-through-rate (CTR) prediction for modeling users’ behavior. This behavior implies the change of the user’s interest, and the goal of sequential recommendation is to capture this dynamic change. However, existing studies have focused on designing complex dedicated networks to capture user interests from user behavior sequences, while neglecting the use of auxiliary information. Recently, knowledge graph (KG) has gradually attracted the attention of researchers as a structured auxiliary information. Items and their attributes in the recommendation, can be mapped to knowledge triples in the KG. Therefore, the introduction of KG to recommendation can help us obtain more expressive item representations. Since KG can be considered a special type of graph, it is possible to use the graph neural network (GNN) to propagate the rich information contained in the KG into the item representation. Based on this idea, this paper proposes a recommendation method that uses KG as auxiliary information. The method first propagates the knowledge information in the KG using GNN to obtain a knowledge-rich item representation. Then the temporal features in the item sequence are extracted using a transformer for CTR prediction, namely the Knowledge Graph-Aware Deep Interest Extraction network (KGDIE). To evaluate the performance of this model, we conducted extensive experiments on two real datasets with different scenarios. The results showed that the KGDIE method could outperform several state-of-the-art baselines. The source code of our model is available at https://github.com/gylgyl123/kgdie.
The forward-backward-forward algorithm with extrapolation from the past and penalty scheme for solving monotone inclusion problems and applications
Authors: Tongnoi Buris
Published: June 2024

In this paper, we consider an improved iterative method for solving the monotone inclusion problem in the form of $$0 \in A(x) + D(x) + N_{C}(x)$$

0
∈
A

(
x
)

+
D

(
x
)

+

N
C

(
x
)

in a real Hilbert space, where A is a maximally monotone operator, D and B are monotone and Lipschitz continuous, and C is the nonempty set of zeros of the operator B. We investigate the weak ergodic and strong convergence (when A is strongly monotone) of the iterates produced by our considered method. We show that the algorithmic scheme can also be applied to minimax problems. Furthermore, we discuss how to apply the method to the inclusion problem involving a finite sum of compositions of linear continuous operators by using the product space approach and employ it for convex minimization. Finally, we present a numerical experiment in TV-based image inpainting to validate the proposed theoretical theorem.
The indexation of retracted literature in seven principal scholarly databases: a coverage comparison of dimensions, OpenAlex, PubMed, Scilit, Scopus, The Lens and Web of Science
Authors: Ortega José Luis , Delgado-Quirós Lorena
Published: June 2024

In this study, the coverage and overlap of retracted publications, retraction notices and withdrawals are compared across seven significant scholarly databases, with the aim to check for discrepancies, pinpoint the causes of those discrepancies, and choose the best product to produce the most accurate picture of retracted literature. Seven scholarly databases were searched to obtain all the retracted publications, retraction notices and withdrawal from 2000. Only web search interfaces were used, excepting in OpenAlex and Scilit. The findings demonstrate that non-selective databases (Dimensions, OpenAlex, Scilit, and The Lens) index a greater amount of retracted literature than do databases that rely their indexation on venue selection (PubMed, Scopus, and WoS). The key factors explaining these discrepancies are the indexation of withdrawals and proceeding articles. Additionally, the high coverage of OpenAlex and Scilit could be explained by the inaccurate labeling of retracted documents in Scopus, Dimensions, and The Lens. 99% of the sample is jointly covered by OpenAlex, Scilit and WoS. The study suggests that research on retracted literature would require querying more than one source and that it should be advisable to accurately identify and label this literature in academic databases.
Formation and Physical Properties of (NbTa)$$_{67}$$(HfZr)$$_{33}$$ Medium-Entropy Alloy and (NbTa)$$_{67}$$(HfZrTi)$$_{33}$$ High-Entropy Alloy Prepared by Mechanical Alloying
Authors: Idczak Rafał , Sobota Piotr , Gnida Daniel , Kołodziej Sławomir , Chrząszcz Beata , Pasturel Mathieu , Pikul Adam
Published: June 2024

The medium-entropy alloy (NbTa)$$_{0.67}$$

0.67

(HfZr)$$_{0.33}$$

0.33

and the high-entropy alloy (NbTa)$$_{0.67}$$

0.67

(HfZrTi)$$_{0.33}$$

0.33

were prepared by mechanical alloying using high-energy planetary ball mill. The results of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy measurements suggest that both as-prepared powders are multicomponent alloys in amorphous (or highly disordered) state. The magnetic and thermodynamic results obtained for these powders undoubtedly prove that bulk superconductivity is not observed at temperatures exceeding 2 K. Thermal treatment of both studied materials leads to decomposition of the amorphous phase and precipitation of several crystalline phases. In both annealed samples, the structure of the main crystalline phase was identified as body-centered cubic (bcc), and in this phase, bulk superconductivity was observed below 6.5 K.
Frozen cheese curd as an intermediate for cheese making – homogenization as a tool to regain techno-functional properties
Authors: Schmidt Florian , Hinrichs Jörg
Published: June 2024

This study investigated the effect of milk homogenization/fat globule size on the plasticization of fresh and frozen stored cheese curd and its respective oiling-off behavior. The cheese was frozen either slowly in a freezing chamber or quickly with liquid nitrogen to study the influence of freezing, frozen storage, and thawing. For non-frozen cheese curd, a one-stage homogenization at 2 MPa before renneting still leads to plasticization, while relative oiling off is reduced from 2.6 to 1.9%. This was explained by reduced fat globule size and an increased surface area covered by whey proteins and casein, which is denser and more stable than the native fat globule membrane. For homogenization pressures above 4 MPa, no plasticization was observed. However, freezing and thawing counteract mild homogenization, so minor oiling off occurs, and flowability is enhanced. Extending frozen storage time up to 3 months did not result in more oiling off or higher tan δ values. Moreover, there was no significant effect between the two freezing methods. In conclusion, freezing and frozen storage for up to 3 months is a valid method to preserve cheese curd as techno-functional properties are regained after thawing.
Archaeology meets environmental genomics: implementing sedaDNA in the study of the human past
Authors: Özdoğan Kadir Toykan , Gelabert Pere , Hammers Neeke , Altınışık N. Ezgi , de Groot Arjen , Plets Gertjan
Published: June 2024

Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) has become one of the standard applications in the field of paleogenomics in recent years. It has been used for paleoenvironmental reconstructions, detecting the presence of prehistoric species in the absence of macro remains and even investigating the evolutionary history of a few species. However, its application in archaeology has been limited and primarily focused on humans. This article argues that sedaDNA holds significant potential in addressing key archaeological questions concerning the origins, lifestyles, and environments of past human populations. Our aim is to facilitate the integration of sedaDNA into the standard workflows in archaeology as a transformative tool, thereby unleashing its full potential for studying the human past. Ultimately, we not only underscore the challenges inherent in the sedaDNA field but also provide a research agenda for essential enhancements needed for implementing sedaDNA into the archaeological workflow.
Die transkutane elektrische Nervenstimulation (TENS) – eine effektive und effiziente physikalisch-medizinische Methode
Authors: Crevenna Richard
Published: June 2024

Die transkutane elektrische Nervenstimulation (TENS) ist eine nichtmedikamentöse, nichtinvasive, etablierte und anerkannte, analgesierende Behandlungsmethode, die stationär, ambulant oder als Heimtherapie angeboten werden kann. TENS ist als Elektrotherapie eine physikalisch-medizinische Therapie und zählt zur Niederfrequenztherapie. Zumeist werden kleine tragbare Geräte für die Heimtherapie verwendet, wobei elektrische Energie an das periphere Nervensystem über Elektroden durch einen externen Stimulator übertragen wird. Der Einsatz der TENS-Therapie ist sehr weit verbreitet, sicher, günstig und effektiv, d. h. effizient. Die Applikation von TENS erfolgt entweder mit niedrigerer Frequenz (etwa 2–4 Hz, als sog. Low-frequency-TENS) oder höherer Frequenz (etwa 70–100 Hz, als sog. High-frequency-TENS). Typische TENS-Indikationen stellen Schmerzsyndrome am Bewegungs- und Stützapparat wie Tendomyopathien (wie z. B. Tennisarm, Golfer-Ellbogen, Achillodynie, Fersensporn), Arthrosen und degenerative Wirbelsäulensyndrome, Kiefergelenkdysfunktionen, Stumpf- und Phantomschmerzen, postoperative Schmerzen sowie gynäkologische Schmerzsyndrome wie u. a. „pelvic pain“ dar. TENS ist auch in der Spätschwangerschaft sicher und effektiv anwendbar. Die Anwendung bei Neuralgien, Radikulopathien (z. B. nach Bandscheibenvorfall), Mononeuropathien (z. B. Karpaltunnelsyndrom) sowie Polyneuropathien ist eine interessante, nichtmedikamentöse Möglichkeit. TENS-Geräte zur analgesierenden TENS-Heimtherapie können bei Verwendung einer entsprechenden Spezialsonde, die typischerweise im linken Ohr appliziert wird, auch zur Durchführung einer sog. „transdermalen aurikulären Vagusstimulation“ verwendet werden.
High-Throughput Microstructural Characterization and Process Correlation Using Automated Electron Backscatter Diffraction
Authors: Fowler J. Elliott , Ruggles Timothy J. , Cillessen Dale E. , Johnson Kyle L. , Jauregui Luis J. , Craig Robert L. , Bianco Nathan R. , Henriksen Amelia A. , Boyce Brad L.
Published: June 2024

The need to optimize the processing conditions of additively manufactured (AM) metals and alloys has driven advances in throughput capabilities for material property measurements such as tensile strength or hardness. High-throughput (HT) characterization of AM metal microstructure has fallen significantly behind the pace of property measurements due to intrinsic bottlenecks associated with the artisan and labor-intensive preparation methods required to produce highly polished surfaces. This inequality in data throughput has led to a reliance on heuristics to connect process to structure or structure to properties for AM structural materials. In this study, we show a transformative approach to achieve laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) printing, HT preparation using dry electropolishing and HT electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). This approach was used to construct a library of > 600 experimental EBSD sample sets spanning a diverse range of LPBF process conditions for AM Kovar. This vast library is far more expansive in parameter space than most state-of-the-art studies, yet it required only approximately 10 labor hours to acquire. Build geometries, surface preparation methods, and microscopy details, as well as the entire library of >600 EBSD data sets over the two sample design versions, have been shared with intent for the materials community to leverage the data and further advance the approach. Using this library, we investigated process–structure relationships and uncovered an unexpected, strong dependence of microstructure on location within the build, when varied, using otherwise identical laser parameters.
GraphMriNet: a few-shot brain tumor MRI image classification model based on Prewitt operator and graph isomorphic network
Authors: Liao Bin , Zuo Hangxu , Yu Yang , Li Yong
Published: June 2024

Brain tumors are regarded as one of the most lethal forms of cancer, primarily due to their heterogeneity and low survival rates. To tackle the challenge posed by brain tumor diagnostic models, which typically require extensive data for training and are often confined to a single dataset, we propose a diagnostic model based on the Prewitt operator and a graph isomorphic network. Firstly, during the graph construction stage, edge information is extracted from MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) images using the Prewitt filtering algorithm. Pixel points with a gray value intensity greater than 128 are designated as graph nodes, while the remaining pixel points are treated as edges of the graph. Secondly, the graph data is inputted into the GIN model for training, with model parameters optimized to enhance performance. Compared with existing work using small sample sizes, the GraphMriNet model has achieved classification accuracies of 100%, 100%, 100%, and 99.68% on the BMIBTD, CE-MRI, BTC-MRI, and FSB open datasets, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy has improved by 0.8% to 5.3% compared to existing research. In a few-shot scenario, GraphMriNet can accurately diagnose various types of brain tumors, providing crucial clinical guidance to assist doctors in making correct medical decisions. Additionally, the source code is available at this link: https://github.com/keepgoingzhx/GraphMriNet.
Teachers’ Formative Assessment Practices in Their Mathematics Classroom Using Learning Analytics Visualizations
Authors: Moed-Abu Raya Kholod , Olsher Shai
Published: June 2024

This study explores how the use of learning analytics (LA) visualizations to eliciting examples tasks (EET) on the topic of functions can shape middle school mathematics teachers’ formative assessment (FA) practices. Teachers’ practices were examined when provided with LA visualizations, offering them an interactive analysis of their students’ work. The findings showed that LA visualizations enhanced teachers’ evaluations of their students’ work, including challenges and strengths. Two key areas of FA were supported when teachers interacted with LA: designing and implementing classroom discussions and other learning activities and enhancing the quality of feedback. The patterns of use indicated that when teachers were not convinced of the data presented, they used critical thinking and accessed other reports and interactive tools to confirm their impressions.
Green human resource management and green ambidexterity innovation in the wine industry: exploring the role of green intellectual capital and top management environmental awareness
Authors: Martínez-Falcó Javier , Sánchez-García Eduardo , Marco-Lajara Bartolomé , Zaragoza-Sáez Patrocinio
Published: June 2024

The present study investigates the influence of green human resource management (GHRM) on green ambidexterity innovation (GAI) within Spanish wineries, examining the mediating effect of Green Intellectual Capital (GIC) and the moderating role of Top Management Environmental Awareness (TMEA). Building on existing literature, a conceptual model was developed and tested using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with data collected from 196 Spanish wineries between September 2022 and January 2023. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between GHRM and GAI, with GIC partially mediating and TMEA positively moderating this relationship. The originality of this study lies in its empirical testing of the proposed model, addressing a previously unexplored area in the field. These results provide valuable insights for both academia and industry, highlighting the importance of integrating environmental considerations into human resource practices to foster innovation and sustainability.
Effectiveness assessment of recent large vision-language models
Authors: Jiang Yao , Yan Xinyu , Ji Ge-Peng , Fu Keren , Sun Meijun , Xiong Huan , Fan Deng-Ping , Khan Fahad Shahbaz
Published: June 2024

The advent of large vision-language models (LVLMs) represents a remarkable advance in the quest for artificial general intelligence. However, the models’ effectiveness in both specialized and general tasks warrants further investigation. This paper endeavors to evaluate the competency of popular LVLMs in specialized and general tasks, respectively, aiming to offer a comprehensive understanding of these novel models. To gauge their effectiveness in specialized tasks, we employ six challenging tasks in three different application scenarios: natural, healthcare, and industrial. These six tasks include salient/camouflaged/transparent object detection, as well as polyp detection, skin lesion detection, and industrial anomaly detection. We examine the performance of three recent open-source LVLMs, including MiniGPT-v2, LLaVA-1.5, and Shikra, on both visual recognition and localization in these tasks. Moreover, we conduct empirical investigations utilizing the aforementioned LVLMs together with GPT-4V, assessing their multi-modal understanding capabilities in general tasks including object counting, absurd question answering, affordance reasoning, attribute recognition, and spatial relation reasoning. Our investigations reveal that these LVLMs demonstrate limited proficiency not only in specialized tasks but also in general tasks. We delve deep into this inadequacy and uncover several potential factors, including limited cognition in specialized tasks, object hallucination, text-to-image interference, and decreased robustness in complex problems. We hope that this study can provide useful insights for the future development of LVLMs, helping researchers improve LVLMs for both general and specialized applications.
Accounting for the value of ecosystem assets: from value judgments to management needs—take Yancheng City as an example
Authors: Sun Xuemin , He Shuai , Chen Shang , Li Wenwen , Jin Yuemei , Sun Xiaoping , Tang Boping
Published: June 2024

Ecosystem assets form a significant portion of natural resource assets. Accounting for natural resource assets accurately interprets the theory of 'lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets'. This facilitates effective and unified management of ‘mountains, water, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and desert ecosystem’ and serves as a crucial bridge from qualitative understanding to the valuation of the theory of ecosystem services and from theoretical discussion to management practice. Yancheng is the only coastal ecological wetland city with world natural heritage on China’s 10,000-mile coastline integrating three green genes and biodiversity of ocean, forest, and wetland. Yancheng, selected as a study case, is an important ecological barrier and a treasure trove of ecological resources in the eastern coastal areas of China. The ecosystem service value of Yancheng City from 2019 to 2021 was calculated respectively. The income-capitalization method was used to divide the annual ecosystem service value by the bank loan interest rate in the same period to obtain the ecosystem asset stock value of the past 3 years. The value of ecosystem services in Yancheng City are classified to three parts based on their value attributes: first, ecological products with use value attributes that have already been realized; second, the value of those with use value attributes but have not yet been realized; and third, the value of support services with nonuse value attributes. By comparing the value components of supply, regulation, and cultural ecological products in Yancheng, the intensity of existing development and the potential for future growth of Yancheng ecosystem services are assessed. The Yancheng case shows that ecosystem asset value accounting is an practical assessment tool that transitions from value judgment to service management needs, which can provide a scientific basis for ecological environment management.
Diversity of Tropical Cyclones Rapid Intensification
Authors: Peng Ke , Tian Yu‐Xun , Fang Juan , Liu Yan , Gu Jian‐Feng
Published: June 2024

The study investigates the rapid intensification (RI) of tropical cyclones (TCs) in the Northwestern Pacific. We found that rapid changes in the maximum wind speed (Vmax) and the minimum central pressure (Pmin) are not always concurrent. RI cases can be categorized into three types: (a) RIv, only Vmax strengthens rapidly; (b) RIp, only Pmin decreases rapidly; (c) RIpv, rapid changes in Vmax and Pmin occur concurrently. At the onset of RI, RIv‐type TCs exhibit the weakest intensity and the smallest size, with deep convection concentrated in the inner‐core region; RIp‐type TCs are characterized by the strongest cyclone intensity and the largest outer‐core size, with strong convection covering the inner‐ and outer‐core regions; RIpv‐type TCs show moderate intensity, size, and convection distribution. For RIpv, significant strengthening of wind profile is concentrated in the inner‐core region, while for RIp it is more prominent in the outer‐core.
Temporal Variability of Ventilation in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean
Authors: Gerke Lennart , Arck Yannis , Tanhua Toste
Published: June 2024

The Arctic Ocean plays an important role in the regulation of the earth's climate system, for instance by storing large amounts of carbon dioxide within its interior. It also plays a critical role in the global thermohaline circulation, transporting water entering from the Atlantic Ocean to the interior and initializing the southward transport of deep waters. Currently, the Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid changes due to climate warming. The resulting consequences on ventilation patterns, however, are scarce. In this study we present transient tracer (CFC‐12 and SF6) measurements, in conjunction with dissolved oxygen concentrations, to asses ventilation and circulation changes in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean over three decades (1991–2021). We constrained transit time distributions of water masses in different areas and quantified temporal variability in ventilation. Specifically, mean ages of intermediate water layers in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean were evaluated, revealing a decrease in ventilation in each of the designated areas from 2005 to 2021. This intermediate layer (250–1,500 m) is dominated by Atlantic Water entering from the Nordic Seas. We also identify a variability in ventilation during the observation period in most regions, as the data from 1991 shows mean ages comparable to those from 2021. Only in the northern Amundsen Basin, where the Arctic Ocean Boundary Current is present at intermediate depths, the ventilation in 1991 is congruent to the one in 2005, increasing thereafter until 2021. This suggests a reduced ventilation and decrease in the strength of the Boundary Current during the last 16 years.
High Spatial Resolution in Total Water Storage Variations Inferred From GPS: Case Study in the Great Lakes Watershed, US
Authors: Zheng Shuo , Zhang Zizhan , Scanlon Bridget R. , Yan Haoming , Sun Alexander Y. , Rateb Ashraf , Li Yan
Published: June 2024

Assessing spatiotemporal water storage variability in the Great Lakes Watershed (GLW) is critical given its transboundary status impacting both Canada and the United States. Here, we apply a novel inversion strategy to global positioning system (GPS) vertical movements to achieve high spatial resolution total water storage (TWS) variations in GLW through improved processing. The steps are composed of removing load changes driven by the lake water fluctuation by forward modeling, isolating the Great Lakes grids to solve the ill‐conditioned problem in inversion, and inverting the GPS residual series to estimate TWS variations on land (TWSGPS). The results show that the regional dense continuous GPS observation network can successfully resolve TWS on land at monthly timescales with 30–45 km spatial resolution. We also could effectively capture fine‐scale TWS features than GRACE/GFO mascon products. GRACE/GFO satellites largely underestimate seasonal and long‐term TWS spatial fluctuations, but their temporal patterns coincide with those from GPS. The average annual amplitude of TWSGPS on land reaches 82.0 mm, greatly exceeding estimates from GRACE/GFO (∼48.0 mm) and composite hydrological model outputs (∼62.0 mm). The seasonal groundwater fluctuations inferred from GPS have peak‐to‐peak amplitudes of ∼40 km3 with the maximum around September. This coincides with that from GRACE/GFO. However, the magnitudes and phases of groundwater storage from GPS vary markedly among the subbasins in GLW, and the different snow and soil moisture amounts measured in each subbasin cause discrepancies among these GPS estimates. This study shows the value of GPS data in spatially downscaling GRACE/GFO data and providing high‐resolution output at spatiotemporal scales with low latency.
What Drove the Carrington Event? An Analysis of Currents and Geospace Regions
Authors: Thomas Dean , Weigel Robert S. , Pulkkinen Antti , Schuck Peter W. , Welling Daniel T. , Ngwira Chigomezyo M.
Published: June 2024

The 1859 Carrington event is the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history, and the literature provides numerous explanations for what drove the negative H perturbation on the Earth. There is debate on what dominated the event. Our analysis shows a combination of causes of similar orders of magnitude. Previous analyses generally rely upon the observed H perturbation at Colaba, India; historic newspaper reports; and empirical models. We expand the analysis using two Space Weather Modeling Framework simulations to examine what drove the event. We compute contributions from currents and geospace regions to the northward B field on Earth's surface, BN. We examine magnetospheric currents parallel and perpendicular to the local B field, ionospheric currents, and gap region field–aligned currents (FACs). We also evaluate contributions from the magnetosheath, near–Earth, and neutral sheet regions. A combination of currents and geospace regions significantly contribute to BN on the Earth's surface, changing as the storm evolves. At storm onset, magnetospheric currents and gap–region FACs dominate in the equatorial region. At auroral latitudes, gap–region FACs and ionospheric currents are the largest contributors. At storm peak, azimuthal magnetospheric currents and gap–region FACs dominate at equatorial latitudes. Gap–region FACs and ionospheric currents dominate in the auroral zone, down to mid‐latitudes. Both the magnetosheath and FACs contribute at storm peak, but are less significant than that from the near–Earth ring current. During recovery, the near–Earth ring current is the largest contributor at equatorial latitudes. Ionospheric currents and gap–region FACs dominate in the auroral zone.
The Seasonal Effect of Coastal Current and Upwelling on the Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Matter in the Northwestern South China Sea
Authors: Lu Xuan , Lao Qibin , Wang Chao , Chen Fajin , Cai Shangjun , Liu Sihai
Published: June 2024

Previous studies have primarily focused on the impact of human activities on coastal dissolved organic matter (DOM) cycles, while neglecting the role of dynamic processes. This limits our comprehensive understanding of the dynamic processes of coastal DOM, particularly in coastal waters affected by multiple dynamic processes. In this study, the dynamics of DOM in the northwestern South China Sea (SCS) were investigated using DOM‐related parameters and a three end‐member mixing model, which accounted for the effects of coastal currents and upwelling during the spring, summer, and winter seasons. Our results demonstrated that the net addition of DOM was predominantly observed in the nearshore during all seasons, owing to strong coastal currents that induced phytoplankton production and particle desorption. However, owing to weaker coastal currents and upwelling in spring and winter, DOM removal induced by decomposition was observed in the western offshore area. This observation can be attributed to the abundance of microorganisms in spring and increased vertical water mixing in winter. Conversely, in summer, stronger upwelling provided more bio‐refractory DOM, limiting its decomposition, whereas stronger coastal currents stimulated productivity and particle desorption, resulting in the net addition of DOM during this period. In the eastern offshore area, DOM decomposition was the primary mechanism for eliminating DOM owing to weak or absent coastal currents and upwelling. Our study revealed that DOM decomposition is widespread in the coastal regions of the northwestern SCS and that stronger coastal currents and upwelling facilitate the net addition of DOM.
The landscape of RNA-chromatin interaction reveals small non-coding RNAs as essential mediators of leukemia maintenance
Authors: Yun Haiyang , Zoller Julian , Zhou Fengbiao , Rohde Christian , Liu Yi , Blank Maximilian Felix , Göllner Stefanie , Müller-Tidow Carsten
Published: June 2024

RNA constitutes a large fraction of chromatin. Spatial distribution and functional relevance of most of RNA-chromatin interactions remain unknown. We established a landscape analysis of RNA-chromatin interactions in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In total more than 50 million interactions were captured in an AML cell line. Protein-coding mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs exhibited a substantial number of interactions with chromatin in cis suggesting transcriptional activity. In contrast, small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) associated with chromatin predominantly in trans suggesting chromatin specific functions. Of note, snoRNA-chromatin interaction was associated with chromatin modifications and occurred independently of the classical snoRNA-RNP complex. Two C/D box snoRNAs, namely SNORD118 and SNORD3A, displayed high frequency of trans-association with chromatin. The transcription of SNORD118 and SNORD3A was increased upon leukemia transformation and enriched in leukemia stem cells, but decreased during myeloid differentiation. Suppression of SNORD118 and SNORD3A impaired leukemia cell proliferation and colony forming capacity in AML cell lines and primary patient samples. Notably, this effect was leukemia specific with less impact on healthy CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. These findings highlight the functional importance of chromatin-associated RNAs overall and in particular of SNORD118 and SNORD3A in maintaining leukemia propagation.
ADT-OH exhibits anti-metastatic activity on triple-negative breast cancer by combinatorial targeting of autophagy and mitochondrial fission
Authors: Yu Shihui , Cao Zhiting , Cai Fangfang , Yao Yingying , Chang Xiaoyao , Wang Xiaoyang , Zhuang Hongqin , Hua Zi-Chun
Published: June 2024

High basal autophagy and enhanced mitochondrial fission in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells support cell migration and promote plasticity of cancer cell metabolism. Here, we suggest a novel combination therapy approach for the treatment of TNBC that targets Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission and autophagy pathways. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) mediates a myriad of biological processes, including autophagy and mitochondrial function. In this study, we demonstrated that 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione (ADT-OH), one of the most widely utilized sustained-release H2S donors, effectively suppresses metastasis of TNBC cells in the absence of proliferation inhibition in vitro and in vivo. ADT-OH treatment ameliorated autophagy flux by suppressing autophagosome formation and induced mitochondrial elongation through decreasing expression of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and increasing expression of mitochondrial fusion protein (Mfn2). At the same time, ADT-OH downregulated mitophagy flux and inhibited mitochondrial function, eventually leading to the inhibition of migration and invasion in TNBC cells. In vivo, intraperitoneal administration of ADT-OH revealed a potent anti-metastatic activity in three different animal models, the MDA-MB-231 orthotopic xenograft model, the 4T1-Luci orthotopic model and the 4T1-Luci tail vein metastasis model. However, ADT-OH has an extremely low water solubility, which is a significant barrier to its effectiveness. Thus, we demonstrated that the solubility of ADT-OH in water can be improved significantly by absorption with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (CD). Remarkably, the obtained CD-ADT-OH demonstrated superior anti-cancer effect to ADT-OH in vivo. Altogether, this study describes a novel regulator of mammalian mitochondrial fission and autophagy, with potential utility as an experimental therapeutic agent for metastatic TNBC.
Inorganic Cs3Bi2I9 lead-free halide perovskite film for large-area X-ray detector via low-cost ambient spray coating
Authors: Chen Yen-Ting , Wen Zi-Xiang , Lin Chen-Fu , Li Ming-Hsien , Chen Peter
Published: June 2024

Lead-free Cs3Bi2I9 single crystals have been demonstrated to be promising materials for direct X-ray detectors with remarkable performance. However, their application for 2D X-ray imaging is hindered by their time-consuming preparation and limited crystal size. In this paper, a thick Cs3Bi2I9 perovskite film fabricated via facile spray coating at a low processing temperature, which increases the area of the photoactive film, reduces the processing time, decreases the energy budget and the production cost, and enhances the production yield due to high material utilization, has great potential for commercial applications. Careful control of the processing temperature and intervals during spray coating results in a dense and thick perovskite film with well-stacked perovskite domains. The compact perovskite film enhances the charge transport capability of the Cs3Bi2I9 perovskite film and reduces the dark current density of the X-ray detector. The resultant X-ray detector, prepared through a two-step spray coating process, exhibited a sensitivity of 127.23 μC Gyair
−1 cm−2 and a detection limit of 7.4 μGyair s−1. In addition, the device delivers long-term stability with a consistent photoresponse when exposed to consecutive X-ray pulse irradiation.
A fluorescent perilipin 2 knock-in mouse model reveals a high abundance of lipid droplets in the developing and adult brain
Authors: Madsen Sofia , Delgado Ana C. , Cadilhac Christelle , Maillard Vanille , Battiston Fabrice , Igelbüscher Carla Marie , De Neck Simon , Magrinelli Elia , Jabaudon Denis , Telley Ludovic , Doetsch Fiona , Knobloch Marlen
Published: June 2024

Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic lipid storage organelles. They are tightly linked to metabolism and can exert protective functions, making them important players in health and disease. Most LD studies in vivo rely on staining methods, providing only a snapshot. We therefore developed a LD-reporter mouse by labelling the endogenous LD coat protein perilipin 2 (PLIN2) with tdTomato, enabling staining-free fluorescent LD visualisation in living and fixed tissues and cells. Here we validate this model under standard and high-fat diet conditions and demonstrate that LDs are highly abundant in various cell types in the healthy brain, including neurons, astrocytes, ependymal cells, neural stem/progenitor cells and microglia. Furthermore, we also show that LDs are abundant during brain development and can be visualized using live imaging of embryonic slices. Taken together, our tdTom-Plin2 mouse serves as a novel tool to study LDs and their dynamics under both physiological and diseased conditions in all tissues expressing Plin2.
200 GHz single chip microsystems for dynamic nuclear polarization enhanced NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Sahin Solmaz Nergiz , Farsi Reza , Boero Giovanni
Published: June 2024

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is one of the most powerful and versatile hyperpolarization methods to enhance nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals. A major drawback of DNP is the cost and complexity of the required microwave hardware, especially at high magnetic fields and low temperatures. To overcome this drawback and with the focus on the study of nanoliter and subnanoliter samples, this work demonstrates 200 GHz single chip DNP microsystems where the microwave excitation/detection are performed locally on chip without the need of external microwave generators and transmission lines. The single chip integrated microsystems consist of a single or an array of microwave oscillators operating at about 200 GHz for ESR excitation/detection and an RF receiver operating at about 300 MHz for NMR detection. This work demonstrates the possibility of using the single chip approach for the realization of probes for DNP studies at high frequency, high field, and low temperature.
Chemo-, regio- and stereoselective access to polysubstituted 1,3-dienes via Nickel-catalyzed four-component reactions
Authors: Chen Shanglin , Wang Ya-Nan , Xie Jinhui , Li Wangyang , Ye Mingxing , Ma Xingxing , Yang Kai , Li Shijun , Lan Yu , Song Qiuling
Published: June 2024

1,2-Difunctionalization of alkynes offers a straightforward approach to access polysubstituted alkenes. However, simultaneous multi-component cascade transformations including difunctionalization of two alkynes with both syn- and anti-selectivity in one catalyst system is undeveloped and proves to be a significant challenge. Herein, we report a Nickel-catalyzed four-component reaction to access polysubstituted 1,3-dienes using two terminal alkynes, aryl boroxines, and perfluoroalkyl iodides, wherein the reaction forms three new C-C bonds in a single vessel and serve as a modular strategy to access polysubstituted 1,3-dienes with excellent chemoselectivity, good regioselectivity and exclusive stereoselectivity. Control experiments reveal the plausible reaction mechanism and DFT calculations explain the cause for the formation of this unusual four-component reaction. Furthermore, we successfully incorporate two biologically active units into 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted 1,3-dienes, which greatly increases the diversity of molecular scaffolds and brings more potential values to medicinal chemistry, the synthetic utility of our protocol is further demonstrated by the late-stage transformations.
Real-world severe COVID-19 outcomes associated with use of antivirals and neutralising monoclonal antibodies in Scotland
Authors: Tibble Holly , Mueller Tanja , Proud Euan , Hall Elliott , Kurdi Amanj , Robertson Chris , Bennie Marion , Woolford Lana , Laidlaw Lynn , Sterniczuk Kamil , Sheikh Aziz
Published: June 2024

We sought to investigate the incidence of severe COVID-19 outcomes after treatment with antivirals and neutralising monoclonal antibodies, and estimate the comparative effectiveness of treatments in community-based individuals. We conducted a retrospective cohort study investigating clinical outcomes of hospitalisation, intensive care unit admission and death, in those treated with antivirals and monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 in Scotland between December 2021 and September 2022. We compared the effect of various treatments on the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, stratified by most prevalent sub-lineage at that time, and controlling for comorbidities and other patient characteristics. We identified 14,365 individuals treated for COVID-19 during our study period, some of whom were treated for multiple infections. The incidence of severe COVID-19 outcomes (inpatient admission or death) in community-treated patients (81% of all treatment episodes) was 1.2% (n = 137/11894, 95% CI 1.0-1.4), compared to 32.8% in those treated in hospital for acute COVID-19 (re-admissions or death; n = 40/122, 95% CI 25.1-41.5). For community-treated patients, there was a lower risk of severe outcomes (inpatient admission or death) in younger patients, and in those who had received three or more COVID-19 vaccinations. During the period in which BA.2 was the most prevalent sub-lineage in the UK, sotrovimab was associated with a reduced treatment effect compared to nirmaltrelvir + ritonavir. However, since BA.5 has been the most prevalent sub-lineage in the UK, both sotrovimab and nirmaltrelvir + ritonavir were associated with similarly lower incidence of severe outcomes than molnupiravir. Around 1% of those treated for COVID-19 with antivirals or neutralising monoclonal antibodies required hospital admission. During the period in which BA.5 was the prevalent sub-lineages in the UK, molnupiravir was associated with the highest incidence of severe outcomes in community-treated patients.
A global dataset of the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation for 1982–2022
Authors: Zhao Weiqing , Zhu Zaichun , Cao Sen , Li Muyi , Zha Junjun , Pu Jiabin , Myneni Ranga B.
Published: June 2024

The fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) is an essential biophysical parameter that characterizes the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. Despite the extensive utilization of several satellite-derived FPAR products, notable temporal inconsistencies within each product have been underscored. Here, the new generation of the GIMMS FPAR product, GIMMS FPAR4g, was developed using a combination of a machine learning algorithm and a pixel-wise multi-sensor records integration approach. PKU GIMMS NDVI, which eliminates the orbital drift and sensor degradation issues, was used as the data source. Comparisons with ground-based measurements indicate root mean square errors ranging from 0.10 to 0.14 with R-squared ranging from 0.73 to 0.87. More importantly, our product demonstrates remarkable spatiotemporal coherence and continuity, revealing a persistent terrestrial darkening over the past four decades (0.0004 yr−1, p < 0.001). The GIMMS FPAR4g, available for half-month intervals at a spatial resolution of 1/12° from 1982 to 2022, promises to be a valuable asset for in-depth analyses of vegetation structures and functions spanning the last 40 years.