bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrating Formative and Summative Clinical Skills Examinations to Promote Learning for Early Medical Students: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Goldberg Gabrielle R. , Olvet Doreen M. , Fiorino Elizabeth K. , John Janice T.
Published: June 2024

Background

Medical educators aim to train students with high-quality clinical skills through the promotion of self-regulated learning and the development of lifelong learning skills. Formative clinical skills examinations (FCSE) allow for real-time learner-centered feedback and coaching which are key in promoting the development of expertise in early learners. This study assessed the impact of the integration of FCSE with learner-centered, real-time feedback and coaching based on an “educational plan-do-study-act” (PDSA) cycle on early medical students’ experience and performance.

Methods

A mixed methods study was designed to assess the integration of FCSE for first- and second-year medical students. FCSE consisted of linked stations: students gathered a history from a standardized patient (SP), performed a hypothesis-driven physical examination followed by real-time learner-centered feedback and coaching. Each student met with one faculty and one SP to reflect on their performance, identify areas for improvement, re-practice of skills, and identify a plan for ongoing practice improvement. Students were surveyed upon completion of formative and summative clinical skills examinations. Student communication and clinical reasoning performance were compared to historical controls.

Results

Students reported that FSCE improved the learning environment and helped prepare them for subsequent summative clinical skills examinations. Students appreciated the opportunity for practice and real-time feedback and reported applying their take-home points on subsequent exams. Student longitudinal performance was not impacted by the transition to FSCE.

Conclusion

While labor-intensive, FCSE with real-time feedback and coaching are an effective means of promoting learning and should be considered for integration early in medical school curricula.
Online Learning for Surgical Skill in Clinical-year Medical Students: a Rapid Review
Authors: Sheik-Ali Azizi
Published: June 2024

Background

Surgical skills are essential competencies in medical education. All doctors registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) are required to perform surgical tasks safely and effectively. There are no reviews specifically investigating the use of online learning in teaching surgical skills for medical students in their clinical years. The aim of this rapid review was to investigate the effectiveness and perceptions of online teaching of surgical skills for medical students in their clinical years.

Methods

A rapid review was performed of the MEDLINE and EMBASE database in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The quality of the searched articles was evaluated using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument. Both observational studies and randomised controlled trials were included in the review if they met the inclusion criteria of involving medical students in their clinical years, online learning, and surgical-related skills or content.

Findings

Our search strategy yielded 140 studies. Eleven studies were included in the review equating to an analysis of 636 medical students. The results indicate that online teaching of surgical skills allows improved surgical skill acquisition, with medical students having an overall positive perception towards it.

Conclusion

This rapid review suggests that online teaching of surgical skills can be effective for medical students in their clinical years in surgical skill acquisition and positive medical student perception. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to support the conclusions of this review.
An Updated Review of Spatial Forest Planning: Approaches, Techniques, Challenges, and Future Directions
Authors: Baskent Emin Zeki , Borges José Guilherme , Kašpar Jan
Published: June 2024

Purpose of Review

The spatial forest planning concept has evolved as an essential component of the forest management planning process. The development of both exact and heuristic modeling techniques as analytical solution techniques have seen significant progress in application to spatial forest planning over the last two decades. This paper aims at providing a comprehensive review of the current state of spatial forest planning in both scope and depth, focusing on different approaches and techniques used, the challenges faced, and the potential future developments. For that purpose, we conduct a world-wide literature review and an extensive analysis of the status and trends over the past two decades in spatial forest planning.

Recent Findings

The literature review indicates that recent advancements have led to the development of new algorithms/formulations for addressing spatial constraints in forest planning with exact solution techniques. Nevertheless, it highlights further that heuristic techniques are still widely used, especially in large real-world problems that encompass multiple ecosystem services and constraints. Besides the provisioning services, there has been a noticeable increase in the proportion of regulating, supporting and cultural services addressed in objective functions of forest management planning models. Adjacency/green-up relationships, opening size, core area, wildlife habitat and the spatial arrangement of fuel treatments have been considered as indicators to address the provision of these services and spatial forest problem.

We pinpoint persistent challenges to using exact modeling techniques to address large real problems with multiple ecosystems services. We highlight further that determining the optimal combination and values of heuristic parameters and assessing the quality of heuristic solutions remains a central challenge. Finally, we highlight the potential of artificial intelligence to overcome computational obstacles to the application of both exact and heuristic techniques to spatially explicit forest management planning.
Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Immunomodulatory Potential for Orthopedic Applications can be fine-tuned via 3D nano-engineered Scaffolds
Authors: Banche-Niclot Federica , Lim Jaesang , McCulloch Patrick , Corradetti Bruna , Taraballi Francesca
Published: June 2024

Purpose of Review

This concise review delves into the pivotal role of three-dimensional (3D) nanostructured scaffolds in fostering mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) immunomodulatory capabilities, with a specific focus on orthopedic applications. In this ever-advancing research field, where inflammation and tissue repair are intricately linked, manipulation of the immunomodulatory properties of MSCs becomes crucial, especially for inflammatory-based diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA). The primary inquiries include the promise of nanoscale tools to revolutionize orthopedic regenerative medicine, the role of tailored design features in steering cellular immunomodulatory response, and the resulting beneficial impact on tissue regeneration.

Recent Findings

Recent studies demonstrate the crucial importance of precise control over 3D scaffold design at the nanoscale to maximize the efficacy of regenerative therapies. Compared to 2D, engineered 3D environments with specific chemical composition and finely tuned physical nano-features, heighten MSC secretion of immunosuppressive factors including transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), and interleukin-10 (IL-10), contributing to improve cartilage and osteo differentiation.

Nanostructured 3D scaffolds characterized by nano topography, roughness, high porosity, biomimetic stiffness and chemistry, offer a sophisticated means to optimize the immunosuppressive potential of MSCs by allowing the spatiotemporal control over signaling molecules at the nanoscale. Polymeric constructs, notably collagen-based ones, lead to heightened immunomodulatory response and superior cellular differentiation. This effect is because 3D constructs provide a biomimetic environment that enhances cell interaction, controls cell behavior, and modulates the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines. The integration of innovative 3D nanostructured approaches into MSC culture systems paves the way for significant strides in cell therapy, addressing current challenges in their clinical application and holding great promise for developing more effective and precise treatments for orthopedic inflammatory disorders.
Comparative study of good governance on poverty reduction in Rwanda and Burundi
Authors: Tan Yuhao
Published: June 2024

The framework of good governance, popular in the 1980s and 1990s, is considered to be one of the effective weapons of development in Africa. However, its performance has been considered uneven and itself has been widely questioned. For example, Rwanda and Burundi, two countries that have suffered from ethnic conflict, are currently experiencing significant differences in their poverty performance. This paper hopes to provide a preliminary explanation for the differences in the performance of poverty reduction in the two countries through the lens of good governance. Through developing the Three-Pillar Test Framework (TPTF), security and land systems are selected to test the institutional building process. This paper also introduces political settlement as an extra element to the TPTF to understand the good governance process better. By analysing the available evidence of these two countries using the method of the most similar case, it is concluded that the differences in poverty reduction between the two countries are mainly due to a gap in their performance in terms of institution building. Finally, this paper argues that the good governance framework still has value as a reference for institution building, but the content needs to be adapted to the development context.
Sentiment analysis of Canadian maritime case law: a sentiment case law and deep learning approach
Authors: Abimbola Bola , Tan Qing , De La Cal Marín Enrique A.
Published: June 2024

Historical information in the Canadian Maritime Judiciary increases with time because of the need to archive data to be utilized in case references and for later application when determining verdicts for similar cases. However, such data are typically stored in multiple systems, making its reachability technical. Utilizing technologies like deep learning and sentiment analysis provides chances to facilitate faster access to court records. Such practice enhances impartial verdicts, minimizing workloads for court employees, and decreases the time used in legal proceedings for claims during maritime contracts such as shipping disputes between parties. This paper seeks to develop a sentiment analysis framework that uses deep learning, distributed learning, and machine learning to improve access to statutes, laws, and cases used by maritime judges in making judgments to back their claims. The suggested approach uses deep learning models, including convolutional neural networks (CNNs), deep neural networks, long short-term memory (LSTM), and recurrent neural networks. It extracts court records having crucial sentiments or statements for maritime court verdicts. The suggested approach has been used successfully during sentiment analysis by emphasizing feature selection from a legal repository. The LSTM + CNN model has shown promising results in obtaining sentiments and records from multiple devices and sufficiently proposing practical guidance to judicial personnel regarding the regulations applicable to various situations.
Statistical Downscaling of Remote Sensing Precipitation Estimates Using MODIS Cloud Properties Data over Northeastern Greece
Authors: Stathopoulos Stavros , Gemitzi Alexandra , Kourtidis Konstantinos
Published: June 2024

The aim of this study is to spatially downscale the daily precipitation data from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, using the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG), utilizing cloud properties from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. Cloud optical thickness (COT), cloud effective radius (CER), and cloud water path (CWP) are used to statistically downscale IMERG precipitation estimates from 0.1 to 0.01° spatial resolution, using the Multivariate Linear Regression (MLR) and residual correction methods. The downscaled precipitation estimates were subsequently validated using in situ rain gauge measurements. The residual corrected IMERG downscaled precipitation estimates were found to be more accurate than the downscaled predicted precipitation without the implementation of the residual correction algorithm (up to 37%), with a respective decrease of the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) (up to 75%), Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) (up to 79%), and the Percent Bias (PB) (up to 98%). In addition, the final downscaled product after the MLR method implementation with residual correction was better correlated with the rain gauge observations than the initial IMERG product (up to 20%). Thus, the implementation of the MLR method in conjunction with the residual correction algorithm is an efficient tool for downscaling remote sensing products with a coarse spatial resolution.
Is Academia a Site of Struggle? A Critical Analysis of Resistance Scholarship in Leisure Studies
Authors: Theriault Daniel , Mowatt Rasul
Published: June 2024

Scholars have long recognized that injustice pervades recreation and leisure. Some scholars have framed leisure activities or research as a meaningful response to injustice, a body of research we term resistance studies. However, this body of research has grown without a corresponding rise in analyses of unjust social structures. Given that injustice is rooted in the social structure, critical analysis of the resistance studies literature is needed to determine. if the field is tackling the oppression and domination of people. We address this gap through a systematic review of the resistance studies literature in leisure journals. The review was guided by the following questions: (a) what theoretical or conceptual frameworks have authors used to guide their investigations of resistance, (b) what are the targets of resistance (i.e., that which is being resisted), and (c) what acts are presented as resistance. We argue that many of the articles reviewed did not ground resistance historically or conceptually. Without such conceptual grounding, it was difficult for us to see how leisure activities or research could be an effective counter to injustice. We encourage future scholars to ground their work in non-Western thinkers who mapped social structures and worked for material change. The relevance of leisure activities to material change remains to be seen.
Fast meta-analytic approximations for relational event models: applications to data streams and multilevel data
Authors: Vieira Fabio , Leenders Roger , Mulder Joris
Published: June 2024

Large relational-event history data stemming from large networks are becoming increasingly available due to recent technological developments (e.g. digital communication, online databases, etc). This opens many new doors to learn about complex interaction behavior between actors in temporal social networks. The relational event model has become the gold standard for relational event history analysis. Currently, however, the main bottleneck to fit relational events models is of computational nature in the form of memory storage limitations and computational complexity. Relational event models are therefore mainly used for relatively small data sets while larger, more interesting datasets, including multilevel data structures and relational event data streams, cannot be analyzed on standard desktop computers. This paper addresses this problem by developing approximation algorithms based on meta-analysis methods that can fit relational event models significantly faster while avoiding the computational issues. In particular, meta-analytic approximations are proposed for analyzing streams of relational event data, multilevel relational event data and potentially combinations thereof. The accuracy and the statistical properties of the methods are assessed using numerical simulations. Furthermore, real-world data are used to illustrate the potential of the methodology to study social interaction behavior in an organizational network and interaction behavior among political actors. The algorithms are implemented in the publicly available R package ’remx’.
A phytochemical and pharmacological review of Ricinus communis L.
Authors: Abomughaid Mosleh Mohammad , Teibo John Oluwafemi , Akinfe Opeyemi Abigail , Adewolu Abiodun Mohammed , Teibo Titilade Kehinde Ayandeyi , Afifi Mohammed , Al-Farga Ammar Mohammed Hamood , Al-kuraishy Hayder M. , Al-Gareeb Ali I. , Alexiou Athanasios , Papadakis Marios , Batiha Gaber El-Saber
Published: June 2024

Background

The Ricinus genus consists of herbs with one known species, Ricinus communis Linn is commonly referred to as a castor oil plant. This plant is a rapidly developing perennial herb with moderate height, it is also a member of the castor bean family that possesses spiky green fruits. The flowers lack petals and are also monoecious. The fruit has lots of oil with three hard brown shiny seeds. Castor beans (R. communis seeds) produce castor oil, widely used as a purgative, lubricant, varnish, and pain killers.

Main body

Appropriate literature was accessed from Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science for articles about Ricinus communis. Many pharmacological properties of Ricinus communis reported are analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, mosquitocidal, anti-nociceptive, and anti-fertility properties. These properties are due to its phytochemicals like; Ricinine, gallic acid, quercetin, Kaempferol-3-O-β-d-xylopyranoside, Quercetin-3-O-βrutinoside, etc.

Conclusion

The pharmacological applications of Ricinus communis show promising prospects for wound healing, diabetes control, antioxidant therapy, cancer treatment animal feed composition. Nevertheless, its usage requires caution, especially in therapeutic conditions where its purgative effects are unnecessary.
Genome editing in plants using the TnpB transposase system
Authors: Li Qi , Wang Yongqiang , Hou Zhuoting , Zong Hang , Wang Xuping , Zhang Yong E. , Wang Haoyi , Chen Haitao , Wang Wen , Duan Kang
Published: June 2024

The widely used clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease (Cas) system is thought to have evolved from IS200/IS605 transposons. TnpB proteins, encoded by one type of IS200/IS605 transposon, are considered to be the evolutionary ancestors of Cas12 nucleases, which have been engineered to function as RNA-guided DNA endonucleases for genome editing in bacteria and human cells. TnpB nucleases, which are smaller than Cas nucleases, have been engineered for use in genome editing in animal systems, but the feasibility of this approach in plants remained unknown. Here, we obtained stably transformed genome-edited mutants in rice (Oryza sativa) by adapting three recently identified TnpB genome editing vectors, encoding distinct TnpB nucleases (ISAam1, ISDra2, and ISYmu1), for use in plants, demonstrating that the hypercompact TnpB proteins can effectively edit plant genomes. ISDra2 and ISYmu1 precisely edited their target sequences, with no off-target mutations detected, showing that TnpB transposon nucleases are suitable for development into a new genome editing tool for plants. Future modifications improving the genome-editing efficiency of the TnpB system will facilitate plant functional studies and breeding programs.
Proposing a Computational Modeling Framework for Generating Masonry Wall Units, Enhancing the Information Within a BIM
Authors: McClymonds Austin D. , Asadi Somayeh , Leicht Robert M.
Published: June 2024

In recent decades, the construction industry has undergone a technological shift incorporating innovative technologies, such as robotics. However, information requirements must be met to integrate robotics further. Currently, building information models (BIM) contain substantial project information that can be leveraged for robots to create construction tasks, but for some building systems, the level of development (LOD) is inadequate to support these new requirements. Therefore, this study proposes a framework to increase the LOD of building systems by considering location information (X, Y, Z), orientation, material type, and component I.D. The computational modeler, Dynamo, is leveraged to increase the model’s LOD, extract information, and facilitate robotic task execution in the future. A case study is presented for multiple masonry room configurations developed in Autodesk Revit, where masonry units are generated and placed into design locations based on the geometry of the wall system. The case study used concrete masonry units (CMU) and standard brick. The number of partial-sized and full-sized blocks for each configuration was recorded, along with the computational time required to generate the units. It was observed that room configurations with more openings had longer computational times when compared to rooms constructed from the same material. After running the script, the model is reviewed to ensure accuracy and prevent overlaps or gaps in the model. The workflow provides insight into the methods used to interpret model geometry and extract information.
Satellite Geodesy Unveils a Decade of Summit Subsidence at Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano, Tanzania
Authors: Wauthier Christelle , Ho Cristy
Published: June 2024

The processing of hundreds of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images acquired by two satellite systems: Sentinel‐1 and COSMO‐SkyMed reveals a decade of ground deformation for a ∼0.5 km diameter area around the summit crater of the only active carbonatitic volcano on Earth: Ol Doinyo Lengai in Tanzania. Further decomposing ascending and descending orbits when the appropriate SAR data sets overlap allow us to interpret the imaged deformation as ground subsidence with a significant rate of ∼3.6 cm/yr for the pixels located just north of the summit crater. Using geodetic modeling and inverting the highest spatial resolution COSMO‐SkyMed data set, we show that the mechanism explaining this subsidence is most likely a deflating very shallow (≤1 km depth below the summit crater at the 95% confidence level) magma reservoir, consistent with geochemical‐petrological and seismo‐acoustic studies.
Boreal Winter Extratropical Weather Regime Changes During 1979–2019 and Their Weather Impacts and Possible Linkages to Sea‐Ice in the Nordic Seas
Authors: Fan Songmiao , Chen Xiaodan , Cohen Judah
Published: June 2024

Previous studies have suggested possible connections between the decreasing Arctic sea‐ice and long‐duration (>5 days, LD) cold weather events in Eurasia and North America. Here we document the occurrences of weather regimes in winter by their durations, based on the empirical orthogonal function analyses of the daily geopotential height fields at 500 hPa (z500) for the months of November–March 1979–2019. Significant changes in the occurrence frequency and persistence of Ural ridge (UR) and weak stratospheric polar vortex (PV) were found between winters following high and low autumn sea‐ice covers (SIC) in the Barents and Kara seas. It is shown that a strengthening of the UR is accompanied with a weakening of the PV, and a weak PV favors Greenland ridge (GR). Cold spells in East Asia persist for 5 more days after an LDUR. Cold spells from Canada to the U.S. occur 2–5 days after an LD Ural trough (UT) and are associated with a z500 anomaly dipole centered over Alaska (+) and Hudson Bay (−). Cold spells in the eastern U.S. occur 1–4 days after an LDGR due to circulations resembling the Pacific‐North America pattern. Increased occurrences of UR in winter are associated with a decreased eastward propagation of synoptic waves from the North Atlantic to Japan and the North Pacific.
Generative Convective Parametrization of a Dry Atmospheric Boundary Layer
Authors: Heyder Florian , Mellado Juan Pedro , Schumacher Jörg
Published: June 2024

Turbulence parametrizations will remain a necessary building block in kilometer‐scale Earth system models. In convective boundary layers, where the mean vertical gradients of conserved properties such as potential temperature and moisture are approximately zero, the standard ansatz which relates turbulent fluxes to mean vertical gradients via an eddy diffusivity has to be extended by mass‐flux parametrizations for the typically asymmetric up‐ and downdrafts in the atmospheric boundary layer. We present a parametrization for a dry and transiently growing convective boundary layer based on a generative adversarial network. The training and test data are obtained from three‐dimensional high‐resolution direct numerical simulations. The model incorporates the physics of self‐similar layer growth following from the classical mixed layer theory of Deardorff by a renormalization. This enhances the training data base of the generative machine learning algorithm and thus significantly improves the predicted statistics of the synthetically generated turbulence fields at different heights inside the boundary layer, above the surface layer. Differently to stochastic parametrizations, our model is able to predict the highly non‐Gaussian and transient statistics of buoyancy fluctuations, vertical velocity, and buoyancy flux at different heights thus also capturing the fastest thermals penetrating into the stabilized top region. The results of our generative algorithm agree with standard two‐equation mass‐flux schemes. The present parametrization provides additionally the granule‐type horizontal organization of the turbulent convection which cannot be obtained in any of the other model closures. Our proof of concept‐study also paves the way to efficient data‐driven convective parametrizations in other natural flows.
Stepwise Calibration of Age‐Dependent Biomass in the Integrated Biosphere Simulator (IBIS) Model
Authors: Ma Rui , Zhang Yuan , Ciais Philippe , Xiao Jingfeng , Xu Yidi , Goll Daniel , Liang Shunlin
Published: June 2024

Many land surface models (LSMs) assume a steady‐state assumption (SS) for forest growth, leading to an overestimation of biomass in young forests. Parameters inversion under SS will potentially result in biased carbon fluxes and stocks in a transient simulation. Incorporating age‐dependent biomass into LSMs can simulate real disequilibrium states, enabling the model to simulate forest growth from planting to its current age, and improving the biased post‐calibration parameters. In this study, we developed a stepwise optimization framework that first calibrates “fast” light‐controlled CO2 fluxes (gross primary productivity, GPP), then leaf area index (LAI), and finally “slow” growth‐controlled biomass using the Global LAnd Surface Satellite (GLASS) GPP and LAI products, and age‐dependent biomass curves for the 25 forests. To reduce the computation time, we used a machine learning‐based model to surrogate the complex integrated biosphere simulator LSM during calibration. Our calibrated model led to an error reduction in GPP, LAI, and biomass by 28.5%, 35.3% and 74.6%, respectively. When compared with net biome productivity (NBP) using no‐age‐calibrated parameters, our age‐calibrated parameters increased NBP by an average of 50 gC m−2 yr−1 across all forests, especially in the boreal needleleaf evergreen forests, the NBP increased by 118 gC m−2 yr−1 on average, increasing the estimate of the carbon sink in young forests. Our work highlights the importance of including forest age in LSMs, and provides a novel framework for better calibrating LSMs using constraints from multiple satellite products at a global scale.
Structures and Backscattering Characteristics of CUSAT 205 MHz Stratosphere‐Troposphere Radar at Cochin (10.04°N, 76.3°E)—First Results
Authors: Poddar Nabarun , Das Siddarth Shankar , Venugopal Veenus , Abhilash S. , Rakesh V.
Published: June 2024

This paper presents the first ever observations on aspect‐sensitive characteristics of 205 MHz stratosphere–troposphere (ST) radar located at a tropical station Cochin (10.04°N, 76.3°E) using volume scanning. The most significant and new observation is that the signal‐to‐noise ratio in zenith and off‐zenith beams are nearly equal in some height region, indicating the presence of isotropic turbulence. Signal strength decreases by 0.75 dB per degree from 0 to 10 degree off‐zenith, 0.9 dB per degree from 10 to 20 degree off‐zenith and 0.3 dB per degree beyond 20 degree off‐zenith. Different causative mechanisms are discussed on the basis of various estimated parameters associated with aspect sensitivity. Maximum aspect sensitivity is observed between 12 and 17 km, indicating the presence of dynamic instability arising due to strong wind shear and atmospheric stability. When both the square of wind shear and stability parameters are above 0.25 × 10−3 s−2, the scatterers become mostly isotropic. The study also shows a power difference in the symmetric beams as well as azimuth angle dependency. Analysis suggests that this asymmetry is due to the tilting of layers by the action of atmospheric gravity waves generated through Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability. The present configuration of radar can provide a better understanding of three‐dimensional structures of turbulence and instabilities.
Transition From Late‐Miocene Syn‐Orogenic Extension to Plio‐Pleistocene Corinth Rifting in the Southern Hellenides, Northern Peloponnese, Greece
Authors: Wicker Vincent , Ford Mary , Gawthorpe Rob L. , Skourtsos Emmanuel , Kranis Haralambos D. , Kerouédan Léa , Muravchik Martin
Published: June 2024

This study investigates the Late Miocene to Pliocene transition from contractional to extensional tectonics in the upper plate of the Western Aegean retreating subduction system focusing on the Northern Peloponnese area, Greece. A new 3D tectonic model based on field data and cross‐sections clarifies the relationship between Corinth Rift (CR) normal faulting and inherited structures of the Hellenides belt. The tectonic history is divided into five stages: (a) Late Oligocene to Early Miocene ductile high‐pressure, low‐temperature metamorphism of the Phyllite‐Quartzite (PQ) Unit in the Hellenic subduction channel, synchronous with emplacement of overlying Hellenides nappes, (b) syn‐orogenic ductile exhumation of the PQ Unit at the subduction interface below the Cretan detachment (24–14 Ma), (c) Late Miocene underplating and vertical exhumation of the PQ Unit accommodated by thinning of the Hellenides nappe stack on low‐angle normal faults (LANFs) rooting into the Cretan detachment, followed by (d) NW‐SE‐trending high‐angle normal faulting, and (e) initiation of Corinth rifting by N‐S extension at 4–3.5 Ma. New results show that the LANFs all pre‐date Corinth rifting, forming above and around the NNW‐SSE‐trending, N‐plunging PQ dome, so that their strike varies from E‐W in the north to NE‐SW further south. Alluvial sediments deposited above E‐W‐striking LANFs are crosscut by early high‐angle CR faults. The northern termination of the PQ dome partially controls the location and segmentation of the CR. The transition from regional contraction to extension is attributed to changes in subduction dynamics at 8–5 Ma and to the SW propagation of the North Anatolian fault.
Reservoir Mud Releasing May Suboptimize Fluvial Sand Supply to Coastal Sediment Budget: Modeling the Impact of Shihmen Reservoir Case on Tamsui River Estuary
Authors: Hsueh Yu‐Ta , Wu Fu‐Chun , Ye Qinghua , Lai Steven Y. J. , Tsang Yinphan
Published: June 2024

Regular release of sediment from reservoir has been increasingly adopted as a strategy for sustainable management. Here, we use a process‐based morphodynamic model to simulate the estuarine sediment dynamics impacted by turbidity current venting implemented by the Shihmen Reservoir during three typhoon events in 2008. Upon validation with the post‐event bathymetries, the model hindcasts reveal that mud releasing can be effective in mitigating reservoir siltation, yet may be a suboptimal strategy for alleviating coastal sediment deficit. A vast majority of the released muds were delivered through the estuary and exported to offshore by flood advection, wave dispersion, and tidal flushing. The flood‐driven sands, sourced mainly from downstream tributaries, were instead the major contributor to coastal sediment budget. However, mud mantling (covering and immobilizing sand deposits by the reservoir‐released muds) reduced sand availability and thus sand delivery to the coast. For the present case, 25% of the released muds were deposited along the way, presence of these mud covers reduced sand delivery by 15%, compared to a hypothetical scenario of clear‐water flood releases. The relative sand transport deficit is found to increase linearly with the degree of bed mud saturation, 1–D/R, with D/R the ratio of single‐event mud deposit to release. Given broad relevance to global reservoirs encountering the problems of siltation and coastal sediment deficit, our findings highlight that sustainable management needs to look beyond just a bulk amount of sediment, but it is critical to consider how different sediment fractions are interacting and impacted by human activities.
Fifteen Years of Integrated Terrestrial Environmental Observatories (TERENO) in Germany: Functions, Services, and Lessons Learned
Authors: Zacharias Steffen , Loescher Henry W. , Bogena Heye , Kiese Ralf , Schrön Martin , Attinger Sabine , Blume Theresa , Borchardt Dietrich , Borg Erik , Bumberger Jan , Chwala Christian , Dietrich Peter , Fersch Benjamin , Frenzel Mark , Gaillardet Jérôme , Groh Jannis , Hajnsek Irena , Itzerott Sibylle , Kunkel Ralf , Kunstmann Harald , Kunz Matthias , Liebner Susanne , Mirtl Michael , Montzka Carsten , Musolff Andreas , Pütz Thomas , Rebmann Corinna , Rinke Karsten , Rode Michael , Sachs Torsten , Samaniego Luis , Schmid Hans Peter , Vogel Hans‐Jörg , Weber Ute , Wollschläger Ute , Vereecken Harry
Published: June 2024

The need to develop and provide integrated observation systems to better understand and manage global and regional environmental change is one of the major challenges facing Earth system science today. In 2008, the German Helmholtz Association took up this challenge and launched the German research infrastructure TERrestrial ENvironmental Observatories (TERENO). The aim of TERENO is the establishment and maintenance of a network of observatories as a basis for an interdisciplinary and long‐term research program to investigate the effects of global environmental change on terrestrial ecosystems and their socio‐economic consequences. State‐of‐the‐art methods from the field of environmental monitoring, geophysics, remote sensing, and modeling are used to record and analyze states and fluxes in different environmental disciplines from groundwater through the vadose zone, surface water, and biosphere, up to the lower atmosphere. Over the past 15 years we have collectively gained experience in operating a long‐term observing network, thereby overcoming unexpected operational and institutional challenges, exceeding expectations, and facilitating new research. Today, the TERENO network is a key pillar for environmental modeling and forecasting in Germany, an information hub for practitioners and policy stakeholders in agriculture, forestry, and water management at regional to national levels, a nucleus for international collaboration, academic training and scientific outreach, an important anchor for large‐scale experiments, and a trigger for methodological innovation and technological progress. This article describes TERENO's key services and functions, presents the main lessons learned from this 15‐year effort, and emphasizes the need to continue long‐term integrated environmental monitoring programmes in the future.
On the Cluster Scales of Hydrometeors in Mixed‐Phase Stratiform Clouds
Authors: Yang Jing , Qin Zhizhi , Deng Yuting , Chen Meilian , Jing Xiaoqin , Yin Yan , Lu Chunsong , Chen Baojun , Zhang Bo , Bao Xinghua
Published: June 2024

Mixed‐phase stratiform clouds contain numerous liquid, mixed‐phase, and ice clusters, quantifying the cluster scales is potentially helpful to improve the parameterizations of microphysics and radiation models. However, the scales of hydrometeor clusters at different levels of stratiform clouds are not well understood. In this study, using airborne measurements and a large eddy simulation, we show that turbulence plays an important role in controlling the clusters with length of a few hundred meters, while the scales of larger clusters have stronger vertical variations from cloud base to top. The liquid clusters are the largest near the cloud top, while the lengths of ice clusters decrease from cloud base to top. The lengths of mixed‐phase clusters depend on the glaciation process, a faster glaciation results in smaller mixed‐phase clusters. The results improve our understanding on how the liquid and ice are mixed at different levels in stratiform clouds.
Mechanisms and Seismological Signatures of Rupture Complexity Induced by Fault Damage Zones in Fully‐Dynamic Earthquake Cycle Models
Authors: Flores‐Cuba J. , Oral E. , Idini B. , Liang C. , Ampuero J. P.
Published: June 2024

Damage zones are common around faults, but their effects on earthquake mechanics are still incompletely understood. Here, we investigate how damage affects rupture patterns, source time functions (STF) and ground motions in 2D fully‐dynamic cycle models. We find that back‐propagating rupture fronts emerge in large faults and can be triggered by residual stresses left by previous ruptures or by damage‐induced pulse‐to‐crack transitions. Damage‐induced back‐propagating fronts are modulated by slip rate oscillations, amplify high‐frequency radiation, and sharpen the multiple peaks in STF even in the absence of frictional heterogeneity or fault segmentation. Near‐field ground motion is predominantly controlled by stress heterogeneity left by prior seismicity, and further amplified within the damage zone by trapped waves and outside it by secondary rupture fronts. This study refines our knowledge on damage zone effects on earthquake rupture and identifies their potentially observable signatures in the near and far field.
Effects of Applied Voltage on Branching of Positive Leaders in Laboratory Long Sparks
Authors: Peng Changzhi , Li Zhijun , Pei Xuekai , Zhao Xiangen , Lu Gaopeng , Liu Feifan , Wang Yongping , Zhu Baoyou , Zheng Yu , Dong Xuzhu
Published: June 2024

Positive leaders branch less frequently than negative counterpart, and the physical processes and properties of positive leader branching remain a mystery. We investigated 10 m laboratory discharges under four positive voltages using a high‐speed video camera. Positive leaders differ from negative leaders by either directly splitting or connecting with floating bidirectional leaders to form branching, and the number of leader branches shows a positive correlation with the applied voltage, that is, the branched channels increased from 1 to 4 when the voltage increased by a factor of 1.5. Grounding points are positioned beneath the electrode and are more concentrated with lower voltage. During the stable progression of the leader, there is a slight increase in its development speed as the applied voltage rises. When the voltage is increased by 70%, the average breakdown time decreases by 40%. These characteristics provide insights into the branching mechanism of positive leaders.
Peak Flow Event Durations in the Mississippi River Basin and Implications for Temporal Sampling of Rivers
Authors: Cerbelaud Arnaud , David Cédric H. , Biancamaria Sylvain , Wade Jeffrey , Tom Manu , Prata de Moraes Frasson Renato , Blumstein Denis
Published: June 2024

The impact of an episodic river flood is intimately linked to its duration. Yet it is still unclear how often should a river be observed to accurately determine the occurrence and duration of extreme events. Here we assess flow statistics along with peak flow event detection and duration as a function of the discharge sampling period for large tributaries of the Mississippi basin using hourly gages over 2010–2022. Median event durations above high quantiles spatially vary from around 2 days upstream to 30 days downstream. Discharge mean, standard deviation, and quantiles can all be estimated within 2.5% error for sampling periods up to 8 days. A minimum temporal sampling 4× (2×) finer than peak flow event median duration is required to detect 95 ± 3% (85 ± 5%) of events and to estimate their duration within 90 ± 5% (75 ± 10%) median accuracy. Our findings have direct implications for future satellite missions concerned with capturing flood events.
A Multiplex Rupture Sequence Under Complex Fault Network Due To Preceding Earthquake Swarms During the 2024 Mw 7.5 Noto Peninsula, Japan, Earthquake
Authors: Okuwaki Ryo , Yagi Yuji , Murakami Asuka , Fukahata Yukitoshi
Published: June 2024

A devastating earthquake with moment magnitude 7.5 occurred in the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on 1 January 2024. We estimate the rupture evolution of this earthquake from teleseismic P‐wave data using the potency‐density tensor inversion method, which provides information on the spatiotemporal slip distribution including fault orientations. The results show a long and quiet initial rupture phase that overlaps with regions of preceding earthquake swarms and associated aseismic deformation. The following three major rupture episodes evolve on segmented, differently oriented faults bounded by the initial rupture region. The irregular initial rupture process followed by the multi‐scale rupture growth is considered to be controlled by the preceding seismic and aseismic processes and the geometric complexity of the fault system. Such a discrete rupture scenario, including the triggering of an isolated fault rupture, adds critical inputs on the assessment of strong ground motion and associated damages for future earthquakes.
Depth Dependent Deformation and Anisotropy of Pyrolite in the Earth's Lower Mantle
Authors: Gay Jeffrey P. , Ledoux Estelle E. , Krug Matthias , Chantel Julien , Pakhomova Anna , Sanchez‐Valle Carmen , Speziale Sergio , Merkel Sébastien
Published: June 2024

Seismic anisotropy is a powerful tool to map deformation processes in the deep Earth. Below 660 km, however, observations are scarce and conflicting. In addition, the underlying crystal scale mechanisms, leading to microstructures and crystal orientations, remain poorly constrained. Here, we use multigrain X‐ray diffraction in the laser‐heated diamond anvil cell to investigate the orientations of hundreds of grains in pyrolite, a model composition of the Earth's mantle, at in situ pressure and temperature. Bridgmanite in pyrolite exhibits three regimes of microstructures, due to transformation and deformation at low and high pressure. These microstructures result in predictions of 1.5%–2% shear wave splitting between 660 and 2,000 km with reversals in fast S‐wave polarization direction at about 1,300 km depth. Anisotropy can develop in pyrolite at lower mantle conditions, but pressure has a significant impact on the plastic behavior of bridgmanite, and hence seismic observations, which may explain conflicting anisotropy observations.
Changes in Spreading of Southeast Indian Subantarctic Mode Water During Argo Period
Authors: Qiu Zishan , Lan Jian , Wei Zexun , Xu Tengfei
Published: June 2024

Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) is one of the most important water masses for the global ocean uptake and storage of heat and carbon. Based on Argo observations, this study focus on the Southeast Indian Subantarctic mode water (SEISAMW), and investigates the changes of SEISAMW spreading and associated mechanisms. SEISAMW is formed through air‐sea interaction as low potential vorticity water in late winter and subducts into permanent thermocline between outcrop lines of 26.6 σθ and 26.9 σθ in Southern Indian Ocean (SIO). After subduction, the SEISAMW spreads northwestward into subtropical gyre and southeastward into Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) separately. During Argo period, the percentage of SEISAMW volume spreading into SIO subtropics decreases at light layer (26.6–26.7 σθ) while increases at medium (26.7–26.8 σθ) and dense (26.8–26.9 σθ) layer. These changes are attributed to the meridional shifts of outcrop lines. The outcrop lines of 26.6 σθ and 26.7 σθ in the central of SIO (75°–90°E), where light SEISAMW forms, shift poleward. The poleward shifts of outcrop lines result in less light SEISAMW spreading into subtropical gyre. In contrast, outcrop lines of 26.7 σθ and 26.8 σθ south of Australia shift equatorward and favor more medium and dense SEISAMWs spreading into subtropical gyre. The shifts of outcrop lines are closely related to the enhancement of Southern Annular Mode.
Tidal Forcing in Icy‐Satellite Oceans Drives Mean Circulation and Ice‐Shell Torques
Authors: Hay Hamish C. F. C. , Hewitt Ian , Katz Richard F.
Published: June 2024

Tidal forces generate time‐varying currents in bodies with fluid layers, such as the icy ocean moons of the outer solar system. The expectation has been that tidal currents are periodic—they average to zero over a forcing period—so that they are not associated with a mean flow. This expectation arises from the assumption of linearity. Here, we relax this assumption and develop a theory that predicts the emergence of mean currents driven by any periodic forcing. The theory, derived in the context of a global, uniform, shallow ocean, constitutes a set of mean flow equations forced by non‐linear eddy fluctuations. The latter are the canonical, periodic tidal currents predicted by the Laplace Tidal equations. We show that the degree‐2 tide‐raising potential due to obliquity and/or orbital eccentricity can drive time‐averaged currents with zonal wavenumbers from 0 to 4. The most prominent of these is a retrograde zonal jet driven by the obliquity‐forcing potential. Assuming Cassini state obliquities, this jet has speeds ranging from 0.01 to 1 mm s−1, which can exert torques up to roughly 1015 N m at the ice–ocean interfaces of Europa, Callisto, Titan, and Triton. Depending on the viscosity of the ice shell, these torques could drive ice shell drift rates of tens to potentially hundreds of meters a year. Thinner or stably stratified global oceans can experience much faster mean currents.
Pathology of pain and its implications for therapeutic interventions
Authors: Cao Bo , Xu Qixuan , Shi Yajiao , Zhao Ruiyang , Li Hanghang , Zheng Jie , Liu Fengyu , Wan You , Wei Bo
Published: June 2024

Pain is estimated to affect more than 20% of the global population, imposing incalculable health and economic burdens. Effective pain management is crucial for individuals suffering from pain. However, the current methods for pain assessment and treatment fall short of clinical needs. Benefiting from advances in neuroscience and biotechnology, the neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms critically involved in pain modulation have been elucidated. These research achievements have incited progress in identifying new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. In this review, we first introduce fundamental knowledge about pain, setting the stage for the subsequent contents. The review next delves into the molecular mechanisms underlying pain disorders, including gene mutation, epigenetic modification, posttranslational modification, inflammasome, signaling pathways and microbiota. To better present a comprehensive view of pain research, two prominent issues, sexual dimorphism and pain comorbidities, are discussed in detail based on current findings. The status quo of pain evaluation and manipulation is summarized. A series of improved and innovative pain management strategies, such as gene therapy, monoclonal antibody, brain-computer interface and microbial intervention, are making strides towards clinical application. We highlight existing limitations and future directions for enhancing the quality of preclinical and clinical research. Efforts to decipher the complexities of pain pathology will be instrumental in translating scientific discoveries into clinical practice, thereby improving pain management from bench to bedside.