bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fuzzy Logic Enhanced Second-Order Sliding Mode Controller Design for an Experimental Twin Rotor System Under External Disturbances
Authors: Ozer Hasan Omur , Hacioglu Yuksel , Yagiz Nurkan
Published: July 2024

Background

The twin rotor model is frequently studied by researchers because although it has a basic structure the coupled pitch and yaw motions are adequately represented. However, it is quite difficult to obtain an efficient controller due to external disturbances. Classical sliding mode controller (SMC), which is of first order, is recognized to be robust in case of parameter changes and external disturbances especially when the sliding motion takes place, but it possesses chattering in the control input which may damage the mechanical parts of the system.

Purpose

In this study it was aimed to design a robust controller without chattering effect which will be used for the control of the twin rotor system in real time experiments.

Methods

To remedy the chattering issue, a novel fuzzy logic enhanced second-order sliding mode controller (FSOSMC) based on super twisting algorithm is proposed. This controller suppresses chattering while enhancing the robustness of the controller where the sliding surface slope parameter is updated online via a fuzzy logic unit. Then the proposed controller is implemented on an experimental twin-rotor system which has highly nonlinear and coupled dynamics.

Results

Real time experiments were performed on the twin rotor system using the proposed FSOSMC. For comparison purpose the SMC and second-order sliding mode controller (SOSMC) were also applied to the same system. The results have shown that the proposed controller increased the tracking performance without increasing the control effort while reducing the chattering.

Conclusions

The experimental results verified the success of the designed FSOSMC, therefore it may be recommended for the robust and precise control of aerial vehicles.

Graphical Abstract
Sharing and Repairing at University: On Student Practices, and the Future of the Circular Campus
Authors: Hobson Kersty , O’Byrne Megan
Published: July 2024

For decades, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have added their names to multi-scale environmental declarations and programmes for action, such as UNESCO’s ‘Education for Sustainable Development’. More recently HEIs have incorporated key facets of the Circular Economy into their norms and practices. While such agendas often focus on waste management regimes and infrastructural issues, this paper argues that on-campus borrowing and repairing practices are pivotal to any ‘circular campus’ goals, particularly the practices of students. Yet, little is known about the current borrowing and repairing attitudes and behaviours of HEI attendees. In response, this paper discusses the results of a project at Cardiff University (Wales), which surveyed students about what they currently borrow and repair; what they would like to borrow and repair; and what stands in the way of them doing more. The results show that, despite popular discourse that young adults—in particular Generation Z—are the ‘sustainability generation’, results suggest their attitudes and practices align quite closely to the broader population trends as drawn from the extant literature, in terms of barriers to action and low engagement with formal sharing and repairing platforms and spaces. As such, this paper argues that forms of circular practices need to be incorporated into on-campus ‘activist learning’ to increase skills and confidence amongst students: and to work towards displacing the norms of high consumption lifestyles that students are starting to display.
Assessing the effects of different foundation base shapes on settlement and heaving in expansive clay: numerical analysis
Authors: Mohamed Walaa-Eldin Elsherif
Published: July 2024

This paper investigates the behavior of shallow foundations with different base shapes on expansive soils under various Stresses conditions and different slopes of the base. Expansive soils are soils that undergo significant volume changes due to variations in moisture content, which can cause severe damage to structures built on them. The shape of the foundation base can influence the magnitude and distribution of the soil pressures, as well as the deformation and cracking of the foundation. The paper presents a numerical analysis using a finite element method with Plaxis 3D. The paper also proposes some recommendations for the optimal design of foundation base shapes on expansive soils. The numerical results show that the foundation base shape has a significant effect on the stress and displacement distributions in the soil and the foundation and that some shapes perform better than others in terms of reducing the soil pressures. The paper provides some useful insights for the design and construction of shallow foundations on expansive soils.
Strategic view on the current role of AI in advancing environmental sustainability: a SWOT analysis
Authors: Greif Lucas , Kimmig Andreas , El Bobbou Sleiman , Jurisch Paul , Ovtcharova Jivka
Published: July 2024

Sustainability has become a critical global concern, focusing on key environmental goals such as achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, reducing waste, and increasing the use of recycled materials in products. These efforts often involve companies striving to minimize their carbon footprints and enhance resource efficiency. Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated significant potential in tackling these sustainability challenges. This study aims to evaluate the various aspects that must be considered when deploying AI for sustainability solutions. Employing a SWOT analysis methodology, we assessed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of 70 research articles associated with AI in this context. The study offers two main contributions. Firstly, it presents a detailed SWOT analysis highlighting recent advancements in AI and its role in promoting sustainability. Key findings include the importance of data availability and quality as critical enablers for AI’s effectiveness in sustainable applications, and the necessity of AI explainability to mitigate risks, particularly for smaller companies facing financial constraints in adopting AI. Secondly, the study identifies future research areas, emphasizing the need for appropriate regulations and the evaluation of general-purpose models, such as the latest large language models, in sustainability initiatives. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on AI’s role in sustainability by providing insights and recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, thus paving the way for further exploration at the intersection of AI and sustainable development.
Bioelectronic Delivery of Potassium Ions Controls Membrane Voltage and Growth Dynamics in Bacteria Biofilms
Authors: Dechiraju Harika , Li Yixiang , Comerci Colin , Luo Le , Figuerres Sydnie , Asefi Niloofar , Trevino Ansel , Barbee Alexie , Tebyani Maryam , Baniya Prabhat , Teodorescu Mircea , Süel Gürol , Rolandi Marco
Published: July 2024

Bioelectrical signaling, or bioelectricity, is crucial in regulating cellular behavior in biological systems. This signaling, involving ion fluxes and changes in membrane potential (Vmem), is particularly important in the growth of bacterial biofilm. Current microfluidic-based methods for studying bacterial colonies are limited in achieving spatiotemporal control over ionic fluxes due to constant flow within the system. To address this limitation, we have developed a platform that integrates biofilm colonies with bioelectronic ion pumps that enable delivery of potassium (K+) ions, allowing for controlled manipulation of local potassium concentration. Our study examines the impact of controlled K+ delivery on bacterial biofilm growth patterns and dynamics. We observed significant changes in Vmem and coordination within the biofilms. Furthermore, we show that localized K + delivery is highly effective in controlling biofilm expansion in a spatially targeted manner. These findings offer insights into the mechanisms underlying bacterial signaling and growth, and suggest potential applications in bioengineering, synthetic biology, and regenerative medicine, where precise control over cellular signaling and subsequent tissue growth is required.
Beyond therapeutic potential: a systematic investigation of ketamine misuse in patients with depressive disorders
Authors: Juneja Keshav , Afroze Sabah , Goti Zeel , Sahu Sweta , Asawa Shivani , Bhuchakra Hamsa Priya , Natarajan Balaganesh
Published: July 2024

Ketamine, a pharmacological agent that acts as an antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, has garnered considerable interest because of its notable and expeditious antidepressant properties observed in individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) who exhibit resistance to conventional therapeutic interventions. A comprehensive and rigorous systematic review was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of ketamine abuse undergoing ketamine treatment for depressive disorders. A comprehensive search was conducted across the electronic databases to identify pertinent studies published between 2021 and 2023. The present investigation incorporated a comprehensive range of studies encompassing the abuse or misuse of ketamine, including case reports, observational studies, and clinical trials. Data extraction and quality assessment were conducted in accordance with predetermined criteria. The findings of this systematic review demonstrate the importance of monitoring and addressing ketamine abuse in patients receiving ketamine treatment for depressive disorders like MDD. The wide range of reported prevalence rates highlights the need for standardized criteria and measures for defining and assessing ketamine abuse. This study presents a significant contribution to the field by introducing a novel screening questionnaire and assessment algorithm designed to identify and evaluate ketamine misuse among major depressive disorder (MDD) patients undergoing ketamine treatment. This innovative tool holds the potential to enhance clinical practice by providing healthcare professionals with a standardized approach to promptly detect and address ketamine misuse. The integration of this screening tool into routine care protocols can facilitate more effective monitoring and management of ketamine misuse in this population, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes and safety.
Efficient Heart Disease Classification Through Stacked Ensemble with Optimized Firefly Feature Selection
Authors: Natarajan Krishnamoorthy , Vinoth Kumar V. , Mahesh T. R. , Abbas Mohamed , Kathamuthu Nirmaladevi , Mohan E. , Annand Jonnakuti Rajkumar
Published: July 2024

In the current century, heart-related sickness is one of the important causes of death for all humans. An estimated 17.5 million deaths occur due to heart disease worldwide. It is observed that more than 75% of peoples with average income level mostly suffer from heart diseases and its complications. So, there is need for predicting heart infection and its related complications. Data mining is the method of converting raw data into useful information. These tools allow given data to predict future trends. Data mining concepts were mainly adapted in heart disease data sets to interpret the intricate inferences out of it. In the modern world, many research are carried in health care engineering with the use of mining and prediction techniques. This investigation aims to identify significant features in heart disease dataset and to apply ensembling techniques for improving exactness of prediction. Prediction models are developed using different ensembling techniques like stacking and voting. For the experimental purpose, the Z-Alizadeh Sani dataset is used, which is available in the UCI machine learning data repository. Stacking and voting techniques are applied to the dataset. Stacking with substantial characteristics has the maximum accuracy of 86.79% in the Z-Alizadeh dataset. Test outcome proves that the prediction model implemented with the features selected using firefly algorithm and stacking-based classification model has the highest accuracy prediction than other technique. Furthermore, this study delineates a comparative analysis with prior works, showcasing the superior capabilities of the firefly algorithm in optimizing feature selection processes, which is crucial for advancing the accuracy of heart disease predictions.
Expressed preferences for public health education of students during COVID-19 vaccination intervention: a cross-sectional comparative study
Authors: Roy Debendra Nath , Azam Md.Shah , Islam Ekramul
Published: July 2024

Background

Public health education is a powerful tool for improving communicable disease awareness and prevention protocols. Despite the fact that health education is crucial for the advancement of COVID-19 awareness and vaccination decisions, how a teacher approaches students to learn about health education during COVID-19 vaccination is  a challenging issue. This study aimed to assess the preferences for public health education during COVID-19 vaccination intervention and compare the predictors of preferences between science and non-science university students in Bangladesh.

Methods

A multi-item questionnaire was developed and an online link was conveniently sent to the encounters between 31st May, 2023 and 15th August, 2023. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to rationalize the research objective.

Results

The pooled preference for public health education was 71.3% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 67.7–74.3) vs. 81.5% (95% CI 79.3–84.7) between science and non-science students. Out of twelve predictors “vaccine agreement”, “bio-safety behavior", and “disease awareness” were significantly associated (p < 0.01, p < 0.05) with the preference for public health education in both groups. Varied effects were also observed for some predictors: vaccine “safety” and “side effects” were significant (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) in science and non-science students, respectively. To address the conflict in decisions, non-science students significantly preferred “prevention alliance” whereas science students preferred “environmental health” issues (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Public health education was more preferred by non-science university students than by science students in making COVID-19 vaccine decisions . The focus of transformative public health education should be interdisciplinary, including information on communicable diseases, public health measures, and prevention alliances, as well as information about vaccines' side effects and safety.
A model for enhancing digital transformation through technology-related continuing professional development activities in academic libraries in context
Authors: Nakaziba Sarah , Ngulube Patrick
Published: July 2024

This paper is based on the findings of a doctoral study that aimed to examine the role of continuing professional development (CPD) in enhancing digital transformation in selected university libraries in Uganda. One of the ways of effecting digital transformation is to continuously build the technological competencies of the librarians working in academic institutions through attending technology-related CPD. The study adopted a mixed methods approach with a convergent parallel design for collecting qualitative and quantitative data from six universities in Uganda. Quantitative data were collected from 76 librarians with a minimum degree-level qualification from the six selected universities. Qualitative data were obtained from six University Librarians working in these universities. The study findings indicated several challenges hindering librarians from participating in technology-related CPDs such as lack of management support, lack of personal interest, limited funding, and lack of opportunities, among others. The implementation of digital transformation within university libraries in Uganda was also reported to be beset by a lack of competent staff, limited management support, lack of funds, and technological gaps. Therefore, this paper presents a proposed model to address challenges hindering the digital transformation and the participation in technology-related continuing professional development activities within academic libraries. The proposed model is based on the study findings, and it draws from Watkin and Marsick’s learning organisation model, andragogy theory, the technology-organisation-environment framework, and extant literature. The model will guide academic libraries in the implementation of a conducive environment to necessitate staff development and implementation of digital transformation.
Review on practice and challenges of ICT integration as pedagogical tools in Ethiopian primary school curriculum implementation
Authors: Gonfa Merga Hunde , Birhanu Asnake Lealem , Gendo Kemal Mohammed
Published: July 2024

These days' students are more comfortable with technology. Therefore, we need to start using technology in creative ways to make it less boring. The use of ICT in teaching has the potential to transform higher education. It's a dynamic approach to education. When compared to the conventional chalk and talk learning method, it offers additional advantages. For students, the entire educational process can occasionally seem tiresome. ICT use in the classroom is crucial in this digital age to provide students with the opportunity to acquire and apply the necessary 21st-century skills. Therefore, understanding the problems and difficulties associated with ICT use in education will help instructors get past these difficulties and become proficient users of technology. Since the introduction of information and communications technologies (ICT) into the classroom, educators have developed their perspectives about ICT's usefulness as a teaching tool, its impact on students' learning outcomes, and its influence on their self-assurance and competency. There are obstacles to ICT integration in education. Lack of time, resources, access, and technological help are some of the external obstacles that teachers must overcome.
Adaptive interior design method for different MBTI personality types based on generative artificial intelligence
Authors: Huang Zhaoxu
Published: July 2024

Accurately predicting homeowners’ aesthetic preferences is crucial in interior design. This study develops a fine-tuning model (LORA) for interior design styles corresponding to different MBTI personality types, leveraging the Stable Diffusion Web UI platform and integrating it into a generative artificial intelligence framework. Subsequently, personalized aesthetic preference architectural interior renderings are recommended based on homeowners’ personality traits, aiming to achieve an adaptive interior design approach. To achieve more precise adaptive solutions, this research surveys the style and color tendencies of respondents with different MBTI personality types and adds style description prompts to assist in image generation. The study finds that this method can better predict the interior design styles favored by certain MBTI personality types. This research contributes to addressing aesthetic biases between designers and homeowners, bringing innovative ideas and methods to interior design, and is expected to enhance homeowners’ satisfaction.
Questionable suitability of pure geological publications to distant inventory of world-class palaeogeographical geosites
Authors: Ruban Dmitry A.
Published: July 2024

Present acceleration of interest in geoheritage makes urgent a very large inventory of geosites in all parts of the world, which task cannot be achieved by only geoconservationists. Pure geological publications seem to be promising to deal with geosites without visiting them. To realize the existence of such an opportunity, ten fresh examples of research articles reporting exceptional palaeogeographical localities from the different geographical domains and geological time slices were considered. A semi-quantitative, score-based assessment of suitability (quality) of the published information was undertaken. This procedure should be distinguished from geosite evaluation, which is not the aim of this study. It was found that the outcomes of pure geological research published in journal articles can really help to identify world-class geosites, although the information from these articles is not enough to characterize geosites (especially regarding such properties as accessibility and vulnerability). Finding additional literature and realizing conservation status are the other challenges of geosite inventories based on only journal articles. Some recommendations for writing geoheritage-unrelated articles so to satisfy the needs of geoconservation were given.
Hydrocarbon prospective study using seismic inversion and rock physics in an offshore field, Niger Delta
Authors: Falade Ayodele O. , Amigun John O. , Abiola Olubola
Published: July 2024

This study integrates seismic inversion and rock physics techniques to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of an offshore field in the Niger Delta. Five wells revealed three reservoir sands with favourable reservoir properties, including gross thickness (49.2–81.4 m), porosity (0.18–0.2), permeability (565–1481 mD), and water saturation (0.16–0.54). A robust wavelet extraction process was implemented to guide seismic inversion, and a well log-centric approach was employed to validate the resulting acoustic impedance data. Rock physics analysis established correlations between acoustic impedance (Zp), porosity, fluid content, and lithology, enabling the identification of hydrocarbon-filled sands, brine-saturated sands, and shales. These relationships enabled the discrimination of hydrocarbon-filled sands [5000–8000 (m/s)(g/cc)], from brine-saturated sands [5600–8400 (m/s)(g/cc)], and shales [5000–9000 (m/s)(g/cc)] within the inverted seismic data. The inverted acoustic impedance section showed a general increase with depth, reflecting the typical compaction effects in the Niger Delta. Analysis of the impedance distribution across horizon time slices revealed prospective zones with low impedance values [below 6300 (m/s)(g/cc)], particularly in horizons 1 and 2. These newly identified zones exhibit the strongest potential for hydrocarbon accumulation and warrant further investigation. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of using well log and rock physics constrained seismic inversion for hydrocarbon exploration in an offshore field in the Niger Delta.
Unfolding the interaction of radioactive Cs and Sr with polyethylene-derived microplastics in marine environment
Authors: Yadav Sonali , Rout Sabyasachi , Joshi Vikram , Pulhani Vandana , Kumar A. V.
Published: July 2024

To unveil the interaction of radioactive Cs and Sr with polyethylene-derived microplastics in the marine environment, a mesocosm study was conducted in a stepwise manner by investigating the uptake capability of microplastics at three different stages: pristine, radiation-exposed, and marine-exposed microplastics. The study demonstrates that the physio-chemical properties of microplastics undergo significant alterations upon exposure to the environment, leading to the emergence of biofilm formation upon marine exposure, while radiation exposure induces surface roughness and cracks. Biofilm growth enhances the uptake of radionuclides by microplastics. However, the growth of biofilms increases the density of microplastics through aggregation, leading to a buoyancy transition from positive to negative buoyancy. Various interaction mechanisms, such as electrostatic, ion–dipole, and physical diffusion interactions, were identified as important mechanisms playing key roles in radionuclide binding to polyethylene-derived microplastics. Despite the significantly lower apparent distribution coefficients observed for radio Cs (in the range of 7.3–23.6 L/kg) and Sr (in the range of 4.3–8.06 L/kg) in the marine system, typically 2–3 orders of magnitude lower than those on marine suspended sediment, this study offers compelling evidence that microplastics in marine environments are capable of sequestering radio Cs and Sr. Consequently, microplastics can potentially accumulate these radionuclides, highlighting their role as potential reservoirs as well as vectors of radionuclides in marine environments.
Enhancing torsional performance of reinforced concrete beams: a comparative analysis of shear reinforcement strategies
Authors: Mahzuz H. M. A. , Nury Ahmad Hasan , Ahmed Mushtaq , Islam Shariful , Ullah Md. Ashraf , Chowdhury Samin Azhan
Published: July 2024

Torsion failure poses a critical threat to the structural integrity of reinforced concrete, particularly in seismic hazard zones. This study aims to overcome this difficulty by conducting a thorough examination of the torsional characteristics of Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) beams. This study examined the torsional characteristics of various RCC beams by utilizing different configurations of shear reinforcements. The objective was to determine an effective alternative shear reinforcement configuration in comparison to the traditional Non-welded Rectangular Stirrup Beam (NRSB). Comparing three types of beams, namely NRSB, Welded Rectangular Stirrup Beam (WRSB), and Welded Warren Truss Beam (WWTB), a novel warren truss-shaped shear reinforcement was introduced. All beams were constructed with consistent dimensions of concrete and uniform weights of reinforcement, including 16 mm bars for the top and bottom longitudinal reinforcement and 10 mm bars as shear reinforcements. Two separate concrete mix ratios were evaluated, specifically 1:1.5:1.5 and 1:2.5:2.5 (by volume) respectively. Theoretical calculations based on elastic theory were used to determine the angle of twist for each beam. The torsional moment resistance of WRSB and WWTB was found to be 4.4% and 1% higher, respectively, compared to the traditional NRSB, while using a mix ratio of 1:1.5:1.5. Regarding the alternative mixture ratio, the torsional moment for WRSB was 10% more, whereas for WWTB it was 2.4% less. As a result, the WRSB specimens exhibited the highest torsional moment for both mix ratios, but the NRSB and WWTB specimens had comparable values.
Introduction: J. Willard Hurst and The Common Law Tradition in American Legal Historiography
Authors: Gordon Robert W.
Published: July 2024

In 1963 the Italian historiographer Arnaldo Momigliano told an assembly of legal historians that they were gathered to celebrate “a historical event of some importance, the end of history of law as an autonomous branch of historical research.” At least in the historiography of ancient law, he said, “the elimination of history of law as independent history now seems to me to be settled.”
South Africa in the Seventies
Authors: Hill Edmund
Published: July 2024

Plus c’est la même chose, plus ça change. It is only to be expected that this strange looking-glass country should even oblige one to put platitudes back to front. In the seventies, all appears to be exactly as it was in the sixties, if not more so, with the Vorster brothers reigning supreme in Church and State—the Prime Minister’s elder brother was elected Moderator of the N.G.K., the biggest of the three Galvinist Afrikaner churches, at their synod last year. And yet there is a change in the smell of things, at least to my nostrils. I will try to illustrate this state of affairs by a miscellany of episodes that have marked the last eighteen months.

We begin with the Msini case. Mr Msini is a crippled African who works, I believe as a night watchman, for a firm in Wellington, about forty miles from Cape Town.
Remembering Gandhi
Authors: Yendell Agnes
Published: July 2024

Gandhi is much too easily dismissed, sweepingly over-simplified, decried as an unpractical idealist, and thought to have failed in what he set out to do. It depends on what you call failure. Jerusalem stoned the prophets, the Messiah was crucified, Gandhi and Martin Luther King were assassinated, and their teaching seems only to survive precariously. But as Horace Alexander writes, ‘The impression he has made in circles where people are trying to break away from the hideous tyranny of violence and counter-violence, which threatens quickly to destroy the whole world, is specially worth examining’. This interest seems to be more in his philosophy of life than in this or that political action, but Gandhi himself never separated politics from his religious philosophy. He is a world figure, who has a message for mankind, and we have in this book an account of his message less in words than in events, although the illuminating reasons for his decisions are always given.
The Production Effect Becomes Spatial
Authors: Saint-Aubin Jean , Poirier Marie , Yearsley James M. , Guitard Dominic
Published: July 2024

Abstract: In the verbal domain, it is well established that words read aloud are better remembered than their silently read counterparts. It has been hypothesized that this production effect stems from the addition of distinctive features, with the caveat that the processing that generates added features interferes with rehearsal. Here, we tested the idea that a similar trade-off is found in the visuospatial domain. In all experiments, a short series of single dots sequentially appeared at various locations on a screen. Participants produced the items by clicking on them at presentation, watched the items appear quietly, or produced an irrelevant click after each item to better even out rehearsal opportunities between produced and control conditions. In Experiment 1, the dots appeared within a visible grid and an order reconstruction task was used. Experiment 2 also called upon reconstruction, but with the grid removed. In Experiments 3, a recall task was used. The results show that producing items hindered performance compared to the control condition. Conversely, production improved performance compared to the control condition where rehearsal was hindered. This is the first demonstration of a visuospatial production effect. The key findings were successfully modeled by the Revised Feature Model (RFM).
GNSS Geodesy Quantifies Water‐Storage Gains and Drought Improvements in California Spurred by Atmospheric Rivers
Authors: Martens Hilary R. , Lau Nicholas , Swarr Matthew J. , Argus Donald F. , Cao Qian , Young Zachary M. , Borsa Adrian A. , Pan Ming , Wilson Anna M. , Knappe Ellen , Ralph F. Martin , Gardner W. Payton
Published: July 2024

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) deliver significant and essential precipitation to the western United States (US) with consequential interannual variability. The intensity and frequency of ARs strongly influence reservoir levels, mountain snowpack, and groundwater recharge, which are key drivers of water‐resource availability and natural hazards. Between October 2022 and April 2023, western states experienced exceptionally heavy precipitation from several families of powerful ARs. Using observations of surface‐loading deformation from Global Navigation Satellite Systems, we find that terrestrial water‐storage gains exceeded 100% of normal within vital California watersheds. Independent water‐storage solutions derived from different data‐analysis and inversion methods provide an important measure of precision. The sustained storage increases, which we show are closely associated with ARs at daily‐to‐weekly timescales, alleviated both meteorological and hydrological drought conditions in the region, with a lag in hydrological‐drought improvements. Quantifying water‐storage recovery associated with extreme precipitation after drought advances understanding of an increasingly variable hydrologic cycle.
Subtropical Foehn Winds, Southeast Queensland, Australia
Authors: Wiesner Leon , McGowan Hamish , Sturman Andrew , Dale Tony
Published: July 2024

Foehn winds have been a focus of research in mid‐latitude mountainous regions for more than 150 years, where their onset is typically associated with warm, dry, and gusty winds. This research has now extended into high latitude regions, yet research of foehn winds in subtropical and tropical regions remains scarce. Here we present results from the first investigation of foehn winds in the subtropics of Southeast Queensland (SEQ), Australia. Analysis of meteorological records found that foehn winds occur throughout the year with peak frequency and duration in late winter (August) associated with the passage of shortwave troughs over southern Australia. Modeling of wind fields and atmospheric boundary layer conditions for three case studies was conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Results showed foehn events in SEQ can be associated with mountain waves and hydraulic jump features in the lee of topographic barriers. Over lee slopes, acceleration of wind speeds and topographic channeling of foehn winds was found to occur, along with substantial increases in air temperature, and decreases in relative humidity. Warming of the foehn airstream is believed to occur primarily through isentropic drawdown with a likely contribution from surface sensible heat flux. Recommendations for future research are made in light of the importance of foehn winds to wildfire management and mitigation in SEQ.
More Heavy Precipitation in World Urban Regions Captured Through a Two‐Way Subgrid Land‐Atmosphere Coupling Framework in the NCAR CESM2
Authors: Liu Shu , Han Yilun , Wang Peng , Zhang Guang J. , Wang Bin , Wang Yong
Published: July 2024

Current global climate models (GCMs), limited to grid‐scale land‐atmosphere coupling, cannot represent subgrid urban‐rural precipitation contrasts. This study develops an innovative two‐way subgrid land‐atmosphere coupling framework in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) to explicitly resolve land‐atmosphere interaction over subgrid individual land units. Results show that urban heat island (UHI) leads to the urban rainfall effect (URE), which in turn alleviates overestimated UHI over China in CESM2. The URE manifests as a shift toward more heavy precipitation and less light precipitation in world urban areas than in surrounding rural counterparts. This feature is consistent with available observations. In heavy precipitation situations, the UHI promotes atmospheric instability and enhances atmospheric water vapor holding capacity, resulting in more heavy precipitation in urban areas. Conversely, in light precipitation situations, the UHI and decreased evaporation from urban impermeable surfaces diminish atmospheric relative humidity, suppressing light precipitation.
Energetic Charged Particle Measurements During Juno's Two Close Io Flybys
Authors: Paranicas C. , Mauk B. H. , Clark G. , Kollmann P. , Nénon Q. , Ebert R. W. , Szalay J. R. , Sulaiman A. H. , Connerney J. E. P. , Bolton S.
Published: July 2024

On days 2023‐364 and 2024‐034, the Juno spacecraft made close passages of Jupiter's moon Io, at altitudes of about 1,500 km. Data obtained from the first flyby, when the spacecraft was on magnetic field lines connected to both Jupiter and Io, revealed deep flux decreases. In addition, Juno's energetic particle detectors observed tens to hundreds of keV electron and proton beams. Such beams could be generated near Jupiter on field lines associated with Io. The second encounter occurred in the plasma wake and a more modest flux decrease was observed. Furthermore, data from both encounters suggest a spatially extensive decrease in >1 MeV electrons that includes regions inward of Io's orbit. In the immediate vicinity of Io, signatures of absorption likely dominate the data whereas diffusion and wave‐particle interactions are expected to be needed to understand MeV electron data in the wider spatial region around Io.
Compaction Creep and Evolution of Transport Properties of Carbonate Fault Gouges During the Percolation of CO2‐Rich Fluids
Authors: Duan Qingbao , Chen Jianye
Published: July 2024

To investigate the impact of CO2‐rich fluids on compaction behaviors and transport properties in carbonate fault zones, we conducted compaction‐coupled fluid flow experiments with CO2‐rich fluids percolating precompacted calcite aggregates. Our findings reveal distinct responses among samples subjected to different fluid conditions. Specifically, samples exposed to dry conditions exhibited negligible compaction strain, while those under wet‐closed conditions displayed relatively minor strain. In contrast, samples subjected to flow‐through conditions demonstrated significant compaction strain, with strain rates higher by 2–3 orders of magnitude than closed conditions due to enhanced pressure solution, subcritical cracking, and chemical dissolution. Strain rate, permeability, and grain size distribution exhibited spontaneous variations in response to fluid flow and compaction. Microstructures and mechanical and transport data suggest that deformation during the initial infiltration of CO2‐rich fluids was dominated by subcritical cracking, followed by pressure solution as grain size evolved, which resulted in compaction and reduced permeability. The persistent infiltration of CO2‐rich fluids further enhanced inhomogeneous dissolution‐precipitation with preferred dissolution channels serving as fluid pathways. The re‐precipitations may cement fault rocks and form low permeability seals, resulting in anisotropic fluid flow and localized fluid pressure in fault zones. As applied to nature, our results provide experimental evidence for the evolution of internal structures and transport behaviors, shedding important light on the mechanisms and sealing potential of carbonate faults in response to the infiltration of CO2‐rich fluids during the post‐seismic and inter‐seismic processes.
Geostatistical Inversion for Subsurface Characterization Using Stein Variational Gradient Descent With Autoencoder Neural Network: An Application to Geologic Carbon Sequestration
Authors: Liu Mingliang , Grana Dario , Mukerji Tapan
Published: July 2024

Geophysical subsurface characterization plays a key role in the success of geologic carbon sequestration (GCS). While deterministic inversion methods are commonly used due to their computational efficiency, they often fail to adequately quantify the model uncertainty, which is essential for informed decision‐making and risk mitigation in GCS projects. In this study, we propose the SVGD‐AE method, a novel geostatistical inversion approach that integrates geophysical data with prior geological knowledge to estimate subsurface properties. SVGD‐AE combines Stein Variational Gradient Descent (SVGD) for sampling high‐dimensional distributions with an autoencoder (AE) neural network for re‐parameterizing reservoir models, aiming to accurately preserve geologic characteristics of reservoir models derived from prior knowledge. Through a synthetic example of pre‐stack seismic inversion, we demonstrate that the SVGD‐AE method outperforms traditional probabilistic methods, particularly in inverse problems with complex posterior distributions. Then, we apply the SVGD‐AE method to the Illinois Basin—Decatur Project (IBDP), a large‐scale CO2 storage initiative in Decatur, Illinois, USA. The resulting petrophysical models with quantified uncertainty enhance our understanding of subsurface properties and have broad implications for the feasibility, decision making, and long‐term safety of CO2 storage at the IBDP.
Circadian disruption reduces MUC4 expression via the clock molecule BMAL1 during dry eye development
Authors: Zeng Hao , Yang Xue , Liao Kai , Zuo Xin , Liang Lihong , He Dalian , Ju Rong , Wang Bowen , Yuan Jin
Published: July 2024

Circadian disruption, as a result of shiftwork, jet lag, and other lifestyle factors, is a common public health problem associated with a wide range of diseases, such as metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. In the present study, we established a chronic jet lag model using a time shift method every 3 days and assessed the effects of circadian disruption on ocular surface homeostasis. Our results indicated that jet lag increased corneal epithelial defects, cell apoptosis, and proinflammatory cytokine expression. However, the volume of tear secretion and the number of conjunctival goblet cells did not significantly change after 30 days of jet lag. Moreover, further analysis of the pathogenic mechanism using RNA sequencing revealed that jet lag caused corneal transmembrane mucin deficiency, specifically MUC4 deficiency. The crucial role of MUC4 in pathogenic progression was demonstrated by the protection of corneal epithelial cells and the inhibition of inflammatory activation following MUC4 replenishment. Unexpectedly, genetic ablation of BMAL1 in mice caused MUC4 deficiency and dry eye disease. The underlying mechanism was revealed in cultured human corneal epithelial cells in vitro, where BMAL1 silencing reduced MUC4 expression, and BMAL1 overexpression increased MUC4 expression. Furthermore, melatonin, a circadian rhythm restorer, had a therapeutic effect on jet lag-induced dry eye by restoring the expression of BMAL1, which upregulated MUC4. Thus, we generated a novel dry eye mouse model induced by circadian disruption, elucidated the underlying mechanism, and identified a potential clinical treatment.
The impact of REM sleep loss on human brain connectivity
Authors: Di Tianqi , Zhang Libo , Meng Shiqiu , Liu Wangyue , Guo Yang , Zheng Enyu , Xie Chao , Xiang Shitong , Jia Tianye , Lu Lin , Sun Yan , Shi Jie
Published: July 2024

Brain function is vulnerable to the consequences of inadequate sleep, an adverse trend that is increasingly prevalent. The REM sleep phase has been implicated in coordinating various brain structures and is hypothesized to have potential links to brain variability. However, traditional imaging research have encountered challenges in attributing specific brain region activity to REM sleep, remained understudied at the whole-brain connectivity level. Through the spilt-night paradigm, distinct patterns of REM sleep phases were observed among the full-night sleep group (n = 36), the early-night deprivation group (n = 41), and the late-night deprivation group (n = 36). We employed connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) to delineate the effects of REM sleep deprivation on the functional connectivity of the brain (REM connectome) during its resting state. The REM sleep-brain connectome was characterized by stronger connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) and between the DMN and visual networks, while fewer predictive edges were observed. Notably, connections such as those between the cingulo-opercular network (CON) and the auditory network, as well as between the subcortex and visual networks, also made significant contributions. These findings elucidate the neural signatures of REM sleep loss and reveal common connectivity patterns across individuals, validated at the group level.
Factors underlying the neurofunctional domains of the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment assessed by a standardized neurocognitive battery
Authors: Gunawan Tommy , Luk Jeremy W. , Schwandt Melanie L. , Kwako Laura E. , Vinson Tonette , Horneffer Yvonne , George David T. , Koob George F. , Ramchandani Vijay A. , Diazgranados Nancy , Goldman David
Published: July 2024

The Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) is a neurobiologically-informed framework designed to understand the etiology and heterogeneity of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Previous studies validated the three neurofunctional domains of ANA: Incentive Salience (IS), Negative Emotionality (NE) and Executive Function (EF) using secondary data. The present cross-sectional observational study assessed these domains in an independent, prospective clinical sample. Adults across the drinking spectrum (N = 300) completed the ANA battery, a standardized collection of behavioral tasks and self-report assessments. Factor analyses were used to identify latent factors underlying each domain. Associations between identified domain factors were evaluated using structural equation models. Receiver operating characteristics analyses were used to determine factors with the strongest ability to classify individuals with problematic drinking and AUD. We found (1) two factors underlie the IS domain: alcohol motivation and alcohol insensitivity. (2) Three factors were identified for the NE domain: internalizing, externalizing, and psychological strength. (3) Five factors were found for the EF domain: inhibitory control, working memory, rumination, interoception, and impulsivity. (4) These ten factors showed varying degrees of cross-correlations, with alcohol motivation, internalizing, and impulsivity exhibiting the strongest correlations. (5) Alcohol motivation, alcohol insensitivity, and impulsivity showed the greatest ability in classifying individuals with problematic drinking and AUD. Thus, the present study identified unique factors underlying each ANA domain assessed using a standardized assessment battery. These results revealed additional dimensionality to the ANA domains, bringing together different constructs from the field into a single cohesive framework and advancing the field of addiction phenotyping. Future work will focus on identifying neurobiological correlates and identifying AUD subtypes based on these factors.
A discrete subpopulation of PFC-LHb neurons govern cocaine place preference
Authors: Abdel-Hay Nur , Kabirova Marina , Yaka Rami
Published: July 2024

Addiction is a complex behavioral disorder characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and drug use despite harmful consequences. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a crucial role in cocaine addiction, involving decision-making, impulse control, memory, and emotional regulation. The PFC interacts with the brain’s reward system, including the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). The PFC also projects to the lateral habenula (LHb), a brain region critical for encoding negative reward and regulating the reward system. In the current study, we examined the role of PFC-LHb projections in regulating cocaine reward-related behaviors. We found that optogenetic stimulation of the PFC-LHb circuit during cocaine conditioning abolished cocaine preference without causing aversion. In addition, increased c-fos expression in LHb neurons was observed in animals that received optic stimulation during cocaine conditioning, supporting the circuit’s involvement in cocaine preference regulation. Molecular analysis in animals that received optic stimulation revealed that cocaine-induced alterations in the expression of GluA1 subunit of AMPA receptor was normalized to saline levels in a region-specific manner. Moreover, GluA1 serine phosphorylation on S845 and S831 were differentially altered in LHb and VTA but not in the PFC. Together these findings highlight the critical role of the PFC-LHb circuit in controlling cocaine reward-related behaviors and shed light on the underlying mechanisms. Understanding this circuit’s function may provide valuable insights into addiction and contribute to developing targeted treatments for substance use disorders.