bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementation of Direct-to-Patient Mobile Teledermatology in VA
Authors: Peracca Sara B. , Lachica Olevie , Lamkin Rebecca P. , Jackson George L. , Mohr David C. , King Heather A. , Whited John D. , Fonseca Allene S. , Morris Isis J. , Gifford Allen L. , Weinstock Martin A. , Oh Dennis H.
Published: January 2024

Background

Innovative technology can enhance patient access to healthcare but must be successfully implemented to be effective.

Objective

We evaluated Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA’s) implementation of My VA Images, a direct-to-patient asynchronous teledermatology mobile application enabling established dermatology patients to receive follow-up care remotely instead of in-person.

Design /Participants/Approach

Following pilot testing at 3 facilities, the app was introduced to 28 facilities (4 groups of 7) every 3 months using a stepped-wedge cluster-randomized design. Using the Organizational Theory of Implementation Effectiveness, we examined the app’s implementation using qualitative and quantitative data consisting of encounter data from VA’s corporate data warehouse; app usage from VA’s Mobile Health database; bi-monthly reports from facility representatives; phone interviews with clinicians; and documented communications between the operational partner and facility staff.

Key Results

Implementation policies and practices included VA’s vision to expand home telehealth and marketing/communication strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic dominated the implementation climate by stressing staffing, introducing competing demands, and influencing stakeholder attitudes to the app, including its fit to their values. These factors were associated with mixed implementation effectiveness, defined as high quality consistent use. Nineteen of 31 exposed facilities prepared to use the app; 10 facilities used it for actual patient care, 7 as originally intended. Residents, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants were more likely than attendings to use the app. Facilities exposed to the app pre-pandemic were more likely to use and sustain the new process.

Conclusions

Considerable heterogeneity existed in implementing mobile teledermatology, despite VA’s common mission, integrated healthcare system, and stakeholders’ broad interest. Identifying opportunities to target favorable facilities and user groups (such as teaching facilities and physician extenders, respectively) while addressing internal implementation barriers including incomplete integration with the electronic health record as well as inadequate staffing may help optimize the initial impact of direct-to-patient telehealth. The COVID pandemic was a notable extrinsic barrier.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT03241589
Mechanical Characterization of Polylactic Acid, Polycarbonate, and Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polyamide Specimens Fabricated by Fused Deposition Modeling
Authors: Dimitrellou Sotiria , Iakovidis Isidoros , Psarianos Dimitrios-Rafail
Published: January 2024

This paper investigates the mechanical behavior of polylactic acid (PLA), polycarbonate (PC) and carbon fiber-reinforced high-temperature polyamide (PAHT-CF) specimens fabricated by fused deposition modeling (FDM). PC and PAHT-CF are considered engineering grade materials that exhibit good mechanical properties, suitable for rapid prototypes and functional parts fabrication. PLA, a popular, commonly used FDM material, has been included in this work for comparison purposes. The purpose of the present study is to provide comprehensive experimental data on the materials’ critical properties since limited data is available in the existing literature and there is a lack of comparative analysis regarding the three materials. Mechanical characterization has been carried out on the basis of tensile, three-point bending, impact and creep tests. Measurements of hardness, density and porosity were conducted, and the specimens’ morphology was examined through microscopy. The results showed that the highest strength and flexural modulus of elasticity were observed for the PAHT-CF specimens followed by PC and PLA. PC specimens exhibited the highest impact resistance followed by PAHT-CF and PLA. The highest stage II creep resistance was achieved by PAHT-CF followed by PC and PLA. The optical and scanning electron microscopy images revealed that specimens’ quality depends on the printing parameters.
Lipoprotein(a): from Causality to Treatment
Authors: Kronenberg Florian
Published: January 2024

Purpose of Review

This paper reviews the evidence why lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease and how high Lp(a) concentrations should be managed now and with an outlook to the future.

Review Findings

No optimal and widely available animal models exist to study the causality of the association between Lp(a) and cardiovascular disease. This has been a major handicap for the entire field. However, genetic studies turned the page. Already in the early 1990s, the principle of Mendelian randomization studies was applied for the first time ever (even if they were not named so at that time). Genetic variants of the LPA gene such as the apolipoprotein(a) isoform size, the number and sum of kringle IV repeats and later single nucleotide polymorphisms are strongly associated with life-long exposure to high Lp(a) concentrations as well as cardiovascular outcomes. This evidence provided a basis for the development of specific Lp(a)-lowering drugs that are currently in clinical testing phase.

Lp(a) is one of the most important genetically determined risk factors for cardiovascular disease. With the specific Lp(a)-lowering therapies, we might get tools to fight this common risk factor in case the outcome trials will be positive.
Evaluation of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum P. Mill.) By-product Extracts Obtained by Different Extraction Methods as Exploitation Strategy of High-Value Polyphenols
Authors: López-Téllez Jared Mauricio , del Pilar Cañizares-Macías María
Published: January 2024

Tomato has antioxidant properties from polyphenols, but tomato by-products have been little studied, which can have significant added value for the pharmaceutical or food industry. Several polyphenol extraction processes cause variability in detected compounds and their concentrations, making it necessary to characterize each method for a suitable exploitation strategy. In this research, tomato by-products were first dried using an oven or a dehydrator, resulting in oven-dried extracts with higher polyphenols than dehydrator-dried ones. Four solid–liquid methods by Soxhlet extraction (SOX), stirring extraction (SE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were developed and employed for obtaining oven-dried extracts. Suitable and green extraction processes were carried out using different ethanol/water extractants, sample–extractant ratios, extraction times, and exposing conditions to physical energies, depending on optimal conditions calculated by multivariate optimization. Total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity indices and gallic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol concentrations were determined in extracts. Principal component analysis found an excellent relationship between caffeic acid and total polyphenol index and gallic acid and antioxidant capacity. SE and UAE extracted more amounts of all polyphenols, but UAE was exhaustive at only 5 min. MAE was also fast, completing extraction at 20 min, but reducing phenol concentration by around 30% than SE and UAE. SOX showed the lowest indices and phenol concentrations after a long extraction time. To sum up, the present study evidences the importance of the extraction method on the quality and quantity of polyphenols in tomato by-product extracts.

Graphical Abstract
Reliability generalization meta-analysis: comparing different statistical methods
Authors: López-Ibáñez Carmen , López-Nicolás Rubén , Blázquez-Rincón Desirée M. , Sánchez-Meca Julio
Published: January 2024

Reliability generalization (RG) is a kind of meta-analysis that aims to characterize how reliability varies from one test application to the next. A wide variety of statistical methods have typically been applied in RG meta-analyses, regarding statistical model (ordinary least squares, fixed-effect, random effects, varying-coefficient models), weighting scheme (inverse variance, sample size, not weighting), and transformation method (raw, Fisher’s Z, Hakstian and Whalen’s and Bonett’s transformation) of reliability coefficients. This variety of methods compromise the comparability of RG meta-analyses results and their reproducibility. With the purpose of examining the influence of the different statistical methods applied, a methodological review was conducted on 138 published RG meta-analyses of psychological tests, amounting to a total of 4,350 internal consistency coefficients. Among all combinations of procedures that made theoretical sense, we compared thirteen strategies for calculating the average coefficient, eighteen for calculating the confidence intervals of the average coefficient and calculated the heterogeneity indices for the different transformations of the coefficients. Our findings showed that transformation methods of the reliability coefficients improved the normality adjustment of the coefficient distribution. Regarding the average reliability coefficient and the width of confidence intervals, clear differences among methods were found. The largest discrepancies were found between the different strategies for calculating confidence intervals. Our findings point towards the need for the meta-analyst to justify the statistical model assumed, as well as the transformation method of the reliability coefficients and the weighting scheme.
260 fs, 403 W coherently combined fiber laser with precise high-order dispersion management
Authors: Peng Shuangxi , Wang Zhihao , Hu Feilong , Li Zhengyan , Zhang Qingbin , Lu Peixiang
Published: January 2024

An ultrafast fiber laser system comprising two coherently combined amplifier channels is reported. Within this system, each channel incorporates a rod-type fiber power amplifier, with individual operations reaching approximately 233 W. The active-locking of these coherently combined channels, followed by compression using gratings, yields an output with a pulse energy of 504 μJ and an average power of 403 W. Exceptional stability is maintained, with a 0.3% root mean square (RMS) deviation and a beam quality factor M2 < 1.2. Notably, precise dispersion management of the front-end seed light effectively compensates for the accumulated high-order dispersion in subsequent amplification stages. This strategic approach results in a significant reduction in the final output pulse duration for the coherently combined laser beam, reducing it from 488 to 260 fs after the gratings compressor, while concurrently enhancing the energy of the primary peak from 65% to 92%.

Graphical Abstract
Accelerating Elevation Gain Indicates Land Loss Associated with Erosion in Mississippi River Deltaic Plain Tidal Wetlands
Authors: Stagg Camille LaFosse , Sharp Leigh Anne , Fromenthal Emily , Couvillion Brady , Woltz Victoria , Piazza Sarai
Published: January 2024

In recent years, the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain (MRDP) has experienced the highest rates of wetland loss in the USA. Although the process of vertical drowning has been heavily studied in coastal wetlands, less is known about the relationship between elevation change and land loss in wetlands that are experiencing lateral erosion and the contribution of erosion to land loss in the MRDP. We quantified relationships of elevation change and land change in ten submerging tidal wetlands and found that, despite significant land loss, elevation trajectories in seven of the land loss study sites were positive. Furthermore, we observed an acceleration in elevation gain preceding the conversion from vegetated marsh to open water.

To identify regional contributions of lateral erosion to land loss, we quantified the relationship of elevation change and land change in 159 tidal marsh sites in the MRDP. Approximately half the sites were persistently losing land, and 82% of these sites were vulnerable to erosion, identifying erosion as a dominant mechanism of coastal wetland loss in this region. Notably, the sites that were vulnerable to erosion were experiencing land loss while also gaining elevation, and sites with the highest land loss exhibited accelerating elevation gain. Together, these data illustrate that (1) erosion is a dominant mechanism of wetland loss in the MRDP, (2) accelerated elevation gain is an indicator of erosion, and (3) consideration of elevation change trajectories within the context of land change is critical for providing accurate coastal wetland vulnerability assessments.
Robot-Locust Social Information Transfer Occurs in Predator Avoidance Contexts
Authors: Romano Donato , Stefanini Cesare
Published: January 2024

Social learning is an evolutionarily important ability increasingly attributed also to invertebrate species. Interfacing robots with animals represents a promising strategy to investigate social learning. Herein, we studied if the gregarious form of Locusta migratoria, a particularly suited model to examine social learning, can use social information provided by robotic demonstrators to optimize their predator avoidance. Robotic demonstrators with different silhouettes and colours (biomimetic or neutral) were used to investigate if their rotation on a rod (e.g. hiding behaviour) elicited the same behaviour in neighbouring locusts. Locusts’ responses were affected by different robotic demonstrators, observing a significant impact of the biomimetic silhouette in reducing the latency duration, and in promoting social learning (e.g. locusts displaying hiding behaviour after observing it in robotic demonstrators). A significant impact of colour patterns in triggering socially induced hiding behaviour was also recorded, especially when the biomimetic silhouette was coloured with the gregarious-like pattern. This research indicates gregarious locusts exploit social information in specific ecological contexts, providing basic knowledge on the complex behavioural ecology and social biology in invertebrates. The proposed animal-robot interaction paradigm shows the role of robots as carrier of social information to living organisms, suggesting social biorobotics as advanced and sustainable approach for socio-biology investigation, and environmental management.
Production of a Bacteriocin Like Protein PEG 446 from Clostridium tyrobutyricum NRRL B-67062
Authors: Liu Siqing , Lu Shao-Yeh , Patel Maulik , Qureshi Nasib , Dunlap Christopher , Hoecker Eric , Skory Christopher D.
Published: January 2024

Clostridium tyrobutyricum strain NRRL B-67062 was previously isolated from an ethanol production facility and shown to produce high yields of butyric acid. In addition, the cell-free supernatant of the fermentation broth from NRRL B-67062 contained antibacterial activity against certain Gram-positive bacteria. To determine the source of this antibacterial activity, we report the genome and genome mining of this strain. The complete genome of NRRL B-67062 showed one circular chromosome of 3,242,608 nucleotides, 3114 predicted coding sequences, 79 RNA genes, and a G+C content of 31.0%. Analyses of the genome data for genes potentially associated with antimicrobial features were sought after by using BAGEL-4 and anti-SMASH databases. Among the leads, a polypeptide of 66 amino acids (PEG 446) contains the DUF4177 domain, which is an uncharacterized highly conserved domain (pfam13783). The cloning and expression of the peg446 gene in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis confirmed the antibacterial property against Lactococcus lactis LM 0230, Limosilactobacillus fermentum 0315-25, and Listeria innocua NRRL B-33088 by gel overlay and well diffusion assays. Molecular modeling suggested that PEG 446 contains one alpha-helix and three anti-parallel short beta-sheets. These results will aid further functional studies and facilitate simultaneously fermentative production of both butyric acid and a putative bacteriocin from agricultural waste and lignocellulosic biomass materials.
Development and physicochemical characteristics of multicomponent freeze-dried snacks obtained with blackcurrant pomace powder and calcium ions as structuring agents
Authors: Karwacka Magdalena , Galus Sabina , Janowicz Monika
Published: January 2024

Consumers seek healthy and sustainable products, whereas the food industry faces the challenge of processing by-products management. The application of fruit pomace as an additive could be a solution addressing the needs of both consumers and producers. The research objective has been to assess the effect of dried blackcurrant pomace powder (BP) and calcium ions in varied concentration on the physicochemical properties of multicomponent freeze-dried snacks as compared to the influence of low-methoxyl pectin (LMP). The snacks were prepared using varied content of BP (1, 3, 5%) and calcium lactate (0, 0.01, 0.05%). Water content and activity, hygroscopic properties, structure, texture, colour, polyphenols content (TPC), and antioxidant activity were analysed. The addition of BP resulted in lowering water activity and porosity. The microstructure of the snacks consisted of a large number of small and unevenly distributed pores. Consequently, the reduction of hygroscopic properties with the growing amount of BP was observed. Applied additives strengthened the structure and caused changes in compression curves indicating enhanced hardness and crispiness. The effect given by 5% of BP was comparable to that obtained with 0.5% of LMP. Additionally, blackcurrant pomace infusion increased TPC and enhanced antioxidant activity but it also caused significant changes in the colour of the snacks. Overall, obtained results have shown that dried blackcurrant pomace powder (BP) can be successfully applied as a food additive supporting stability, texture, and bioactive compounds content, thus fortifying the physicochemical properties of freeze-dried fruit and vegetable snacks.
Monocropping and Intercropping of Maize with Six Food Legumes at Malkerns in Eswatini: Their Effects on Plant Growth, Grain Yield and N2 Fixation, Measured using the 15N Natural Abundance and Ureide Techniques
Authors: Ngwenya Zanele D. , Mohammed Mustapha , Dakora Felix D.
Published: January 2024

Intercropping of legumes and cereals has many benefits to both plant partners. In this study, the effect of legume-maize intercropping on plant growth, grain yield and N2 fixation of six legumes was assessed using the 15N natural abundance and ureide techniques. For this, a field experiment involving six legume species and two cropping systems was established at the Malkerns Research Station, Eswatini during the 2017/2018 cropping season. Based on the 15N isotopic and ureide analysis, the six test legumes respectively obtained 39.06 – 70.19% and 16.46 – 55.79% of their N nutrition from symbiosis. The amounts of N-fixed ranged from 12.66 to 66.57 kg ha−1. In general, high amount of N-fixed by legumes correlated strongly with greater shoot dry matter accumulation (r = 0.7981; p < 0.001) and high grain yield (r = 0.5905; p < 0.001), indicating the importance of N2 fixation in plant growth and reproduction. Legumes grown under monocropping recorded higher plant growth, symbiotic performance and grain yield when compared to those grown in mixed culture with maize. However, shoot %Ndfa was much higher under intercropping than sole cropping due to competition by cereal and legume for soil N. Components of maize yield were similar for the two cropping systems. The %N derived from fixation and %relative ureide-N abundance were significantly correlated (r = 0.4005; p < 0.001), indicating that the 15N natural abundance technique and the ureide method were complementary in measuring N2 fixation in the test legumes. These results have provided some insights on the impact of cropping system on plant growth, symbiotic performance and grain yield of six selected legumes.
Mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of two dissimilar layers of rock-like specimens with prefabricated parallel fissures
Authors: Hu Jun , Wang Hukun , Xia Zhiguo , Chen Bing , Gu Qingheng , Wang Xinrong , Cao Jinpeng , Liu Xu
Published: January 2024

Through the uniaxial compression test of double parallel fissured layered rock mass, the mechanical properties of layered rock mass with different fissure dip angle, and the characteristics of acoustic emission (AE) parameters in the process of fracture are studied. The influence of fissure dip angle on the progressive damage, and macroscopic fracture of layered rock mass is explored. The fracture mode, local stress variation characteristics, and stress field evolution law of fissured layered rock mass are analyzed from a mesoscopic point of view. The results show that with the increase of the fissure dip angle α, the peak strength and the elastic modulus of the layered rock mass decrease first and then increase. The low frequency-high amplitude (LF-HA) signals of AE all appear in the crack propagation stage. With the increase of fissure dip angle α, the LF-HA signal ratio increases first, then decreases and then increases, and shows significant stage characteristics. The cracks are mainly generated around the relatively low strength A rock and prefabricated fissures, and all pass through the interface between A rock and B rock. Eight types mesoscopic displacement field models are found, and the final failure mode of the model is tensile-shear mixed failure. The upper and lower regions of the fissure are tensile stress areas, while the left and right regions are compressive shear stress areas, which are distributed in a “butterfly” type. The stress difference at the fissure tip is negatively correlated with the mechanical parameters of the layered rock mass.
Sprachförderliches Unterrichten im Sachunterricht der Grundschule
Authors: Gabler Katrin , Henschel Sofie , Hardy Ilonca , Sontag Christine , Heppt Birgit
Published: January 2024

Die enge Verknüpfung sprachlicher und fachlicher Lernprozesse erfordert in allen Unterrichtsfächern ein sprachsensibles Unterrichten, das durch sprachliches Scaffolding erreicht werden kann. Studien zeigen, dass Lehrkräfteprofessionalisierungen zur fachintegrierten Sprachbildung zu einem sprachförderlichen Handeln beitragen können, zu dem unter anderem ein sprachanregendes Frageverhalten zählt. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird untersucht, welches Frageverhalten entsprechend professionalisierte Grundschullehrkräfte in einem handlungsorientierten naturwissenschaftlichen Sachunterricht im Vergleich zu einer Kontrollgruppe ohne diese Professionalisierung umsetzen, inwieweit es mit dem Partizipationsverhalten der Schüler:innen verknüpft ist und zur Vorhersage ihrer fachsprachlichen und fachlichen Kompetenzen am Ende einer Unterrichtseinheit zum Thema „Schwimmen und Sinken“ beiträgt. Die Video- und Transkriptanalysen zu Unterrichtsgesprächen zeigen, dass die zusätzlich professionalisierten Lehrkräfte der Experimentalgruppe (EG, N = 8) insgesamt mehr Fragen stellen als die Lehrkräfte der Kontrollgruppe (KG, N = 17). Sie verwenden insbesondere mehr offene Fragen, die explizit fach- und bildungssprachliche Antworten einfordern, sowie solche, die längere und kognitiv herausfordernde Äußerungen anregen. Zwar werden die Unterschiede im Frageverhalten unterschiedlich professionalisierter Lehrkräfte nicht in der unmittelbar beobachteten Unterrichtspartizipation der Schüler:innen sichtbar, zusätzlich durchgeführte Mehrebenenanalysen deuten aber darauf hin, dass Schüler:innen der EG am Ende der Unterrichtseinheit bessere Leistungen im Fachwortschatz und Fachwissen aufweisen, wenn deren Lehrkräfte häufiger sprachförderliche Fragen in ihrem Unterricht einsetzen. Somit stützen die Ergebnisse die Wirksamkeit der Professionalisierung bezogen auf das Frageverhalten der Lehrkräfte und geben Hinweise auf dessen positiven Einfluss auf die fachsprachliche und fachliche Leistungsentwicklung der Schüler:innen. Anhand der in dieser Arbeit vorgeschlagenen Fragenkategorisierung kann die Lehrkräfteprofessionalisierung gezielter auf dieses sprachförderliche Frageverhalten ausgerichtet werden.
Novel Associations Between Mid-Pregnancy Cardiovascular Biomarkers and Preeclampsia: An Explorative Nested Case-Control Study
Authors: Callbo Paliz Nordlöf , Junus Katja , Gabrysch Katja , Bergman Lina , Poromaa Inger Sundström , Lager Susanne , Wikström Anna-Karin
Published: January 2024

Prediction of women at high risk of preeclampsia is important for prevention and increased surveillance of the disease. Current prediction models need improvement, particularly with regard to late-onset preeclampsia. Preeclampsia shares pathophysiological entities with cardiovascular disease; thus, cardiovascular biomarkers may contribute to improving prediction models. In this nested case-control study, we explored the predictive importance of mid-pregnancy cardiovascular biomarkers for subsequent preeclampsia. We included healthy women with singleton pregnancies who had donated blood in mid-pregnancy (~ 18 weeks’ gestation). Cases were women with subsequent preeclampsia (n = 296, 10% of whom had early-onset preeclampsia [< 34 weeks]). Controls were women who had healthy pregnancies (n = 333). We collected data on maternal, pregnancy, and infant characteristics from medical records. We used the Olink cardiovascular II panel immunoassay to measure 92 biomarkers in the mid-pregnancy plasma samples. The Boruta algorithm was used to determine the predictive importance of the investigated biomarkers and first-trimester pregnancy characteristics for the development of preeclampsia. The following biomarkers had confirmed associations with early-onset preeclampsia (in descending order of importance): placental growth factor (PlGF), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-12), lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor 1, carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 8, serine protease 27, pro-interleukin-16, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1. The biomarkers that were associated with late-onset preeclampsia were BNP, MMP-12, alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA), PlGF, low-affinity immunoglobulin gamma Fc region receptor II-b, and T cell surface glycoprotein. Our results suggest that MMP-12 is a promising novel preeclampsia biomarker. Moreover, BNP and IDUA may be of value in enhancing prediction of late-onset preeclampsia.
Transformative Breast Cancer Diagnosis using CNNs with Optimized ReduceLROnPlateau and Early Stopping Enhancements
Authors: R Mahesh T , Thakur Arastu , Gupta Muskan , Sinha Deepak Kumar , Mishra Kritika Kumari , Venkatesan Vinoth Kumar , Guluwadi Suresh
Published: January 2024

Breast cancer stands as a paramount public health concern worldwide, underscoring an imperative necessity within the research sphere for precision-driven and efficacious methodologies facilitating accurate detection. The existing diagnostic approaches in breast cancer often suffer from limitations in accuracy and efficiency, leading to delayed detection and subsequent challenges in personalized treatment planning. The primary focus of this research is to overcome these shortcomings by harnessing the power of advanced deep learning techniques, thereby revolutionizing the precision and reliability of breast cancer classification. This research addresses the critical need for improved breast cancer diagnostics by introducing a novel Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model integrated with an Early Stopping callback and ReduceLROnPlateau callback. By enhancing the precision and reliability of breast cancer classification, the study aims to overcome the limitations of existing diagnostic methods, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and reduced mortality rates. The comprehensive methodology includes diverse datasets, meticulous image preprocessing, robust model training, and validation strategies, emphasizing the model's adaptability and reliability in varied clinical contexts. The findings showcase the CNN model's exceptional performance, achieving a 95.2% accuracy rate in distinguishing cancerous and non-cancerous breast tissue in the integrated dataset, thereby demonstrating its potential for enhancing clinical decision-making and fostering the development of AI-driven diagnostic solutions.
Why Culture and Philosophy Matter for the Studies of Algorithmic Recommender Systems. An Example from the Time Prior to the Outbreak of the Russian–Ukrainian War in 2022
Authors: Hamidy Elena
Published: January 2024

This study, conducted through 2020–2022, was an attempt to model a situation in which Russian-speaking users wanted to use YouTube to inform themselves about Crimea’s annexation, and who would then progress by watching videos relevant to the question, picking only relevant recommendations from the list of recommendations made by YouTube throughout the three stages of the experiment. The aim of the data collection was to explore filter bubbles, maintained by YouTube’s recommender algorithm, concerning this polarising issue. As a result, a network was detected which showed recommendations relevant to the topic and which was dominated by videos with positive evaluations of the Crimean annexation. A characteristic performance feature of this network is strong mutual relations, as they frequently related back to each other. As there are dependencies between the research design and the outcome, a conceptual discussion of methods in the field was included as well as the claim to broaden the perspective and to integrate the concepts of philosophy, sociology, and culture studies. In this regard, I follow Andreas Reckwitz’s understanding of the Web as ‘culture machine’ and adapt his notion of personalisation as singularisation as well as Elena Esposito's understanding of artificial communication between humans and algorithms.
Candle soot colloids enhance tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seed germination and seedling quality
Authors: Sembada Anca Awal , Harada Ryuta , Maki Shinya , Fukuhara Toshiyuki , Suzuki Takeshi , Lenggoro I. Wuled
Published: January 2024

The effect of candle soot colloids, a novel nanomaterial from candle combustion that we developed previously, on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seed germination and seedling vigor was investigated. Candle soot colloids were applied at different concentrations and hydrophobicities to tomato seeds and germination parameters and seedling vigor characteristics, such as length, fresh weight, dry weight, chlorophyll, and carotenoids, were measured. It was found that candle soot colloids significantly improved germination speed, seedling length, and seedling fresh weight compared to the control. The adherence of soot particles to the trichomes on the seed surface, which may help seeds retain moisture and stay hydrated, was observed. The chemical composition of the soot samples was analyzed using gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry and two different chemical constituents in hydrophilic and hydrophobic soot samples that may affect seed germination were identified. A new potential use of candle soot colloids as plant growth-promoting agents and insights into the effects of nanomaterials on plant physiology and biochemistry were revealed by this study.
An Improved Copula‐Based Framework for Efficient Global Sensitivity Analysis
Authors: Liu Hongli , Clark Martyn P. , Gharari Shervan , Sheikholeslami Razi , Freer Jim , Knoben Wouter J. M. , Marsh Christopher B. , Papalexiou Simon Michael
Published: January 2024

Global sensitivity analysis (GSA) enhances our understanding of computational models and simplifies model parameter estimation. VarIance‐based Sensitivity analysis using COpUlaS (VISCOUS) is a variance‐based GSA framework. The advantage of VISCOUS is that it can use existing model input‐output data (e.g., water model parameters‐responses) to estimate the first‐ and total‐order Sobol’ sensitivity indices. This study improves VISCOUS by refining its handling of marginal densities of the Gaussian mixture copula model (GMCM). We then evaluate VISCOUS using three types of generic functions relevant to water system models. We observe that its performance depends on function dimension, input‐output data size, and non‐identifiability. Function dimension refers to the number of uncertain input factors analyzed in GSA, and non‐identifiability refers to the inability to estimate GMCM parameters. VISCOUS proves powerful in estimating first‐order sensitivity with a small amount of input‐output data (e.g., 200 in this study), regardless of function dimension. It always ranks input factors correctly in both first‐ and total‐order terms. For estimating total‐order sensitivity, it is recommended to use VISCOUS when the function dimension is not very high (e.g., less than 20) due to the challenge of producing sufficient input‐output data for accurate GMCM inferences (e.g., more than 10,000 data). In cases where all input factors are equally important (a rarity in practice), VISCOUS faces non‐identifiability issues that impact its performance. We provide a didactic example and an open‐source Python code, pyVISCOUS, for broader user adoption.
On the Origins of Randomness
Authors: Tsonis Anastasios A.
Published: January 2024

This paper is a concept paper, which discusses the definition of randomness, and the sources of randomness in the physical system (the Universe) as well as in the formal mathematical system. I discuss how randomness, through chaos, the second law, the quantum mechanical character of small scales, and stochasticity is an intrinsic property of nature. I then move to our formal mathematical system and show that even in this formal system we cannot do away with randomness and that the randomness in the physical world is consistent with the origins of randomness suggested from the study of mathematical systems. Rules and randomness are blended together and their interaction is shaping all observed forms and structures.
Re‐Assessing the Need for Apatite‐ and Dolomite‐Specific Calibrations of the Carbonate Clumped Isotope Thermometer
Authors: Anderson N. T. , Bonifacie M. , Jost A. B. , Siebert J. , Bontognali T. , Horita J. , Müller I. A. , Bernasconi S. M. , Bergmann K. D.
Published: January 2024

A few key methodological uncertainties remain for the carbonate clumped isotope community. One is how to compare data among published data sets that are not anchored to the InterCarb Carbon Dioxide Equilibrium Scale (I‐CDES). A second is how temperature calibrations of calcite compare to those of other carbonate minerals in the I‐CDES—particularly dolomite and apatite—which can elucidate several Earth system dynamics. Previous calibrations of the clumped isotope thermometer for dolomite are discrepant from one another and variably (dis)agree with calibrations developed for calcite; apatite calibrations have not yet been compared between laboratories using carbonate‐based standardization. Here we report I‐CDES standardized values for a suite of 11 carbonates that are commonly measured by the clumped isotope community to aid future comparisons of non‐I‐CDES data sets. In addition, 17 dolomite samples (25–1,200°C) and five apatite samples (1–38°C) of known precipitation temperature were measured using carbonate‐based standardization. Excellent agreement between calcites and dolomites heated to similar temperatures (1,100–1,200°C) suggests no mineral‐specific differences in absolute acid fractionation factor. We show that calcite and dolomite regressions largely agree but are sensitive to sample characteristics, regression method, and how equations are statistically compared. We suggest that there is no need for a dolomite‐specific clumped isotope calibration, although our results suggest that further work is necessary to determine the influence of sample characteristics on this relationship. The apatite calibration equation defined in this study is statistically indistinguishable from calcite‐based calibrations; we corroborate previous findings that an apatite‐specific calibration is unnecessary.
Syn‐Drift Plate Tectonics
Authors: Gün Erkan , Pysklywec Russell N. , Topuz Gültekin , Göğüş Oğuz H. , Heron Philip J.
Published: January 2024

The paradigm of plate tectonics holds that ocean plates are rigid during drift and only experience tectonic deformation at subduction zones, but new findings from the Pacific challenge this idea. Geological and geophysical evidence from the Ontong Java, Shatsky, Hess, and Manihiki oceanic plateaux indicates that extensional deformation during plate drift is a widespread phenomenon across the Pacific plate. These anomalously thick oceanic plateaux are weaker regions of the ocean lithosphere and more prone to tectonic deformation. Numerical geodynamic models demonstrate that a slab pull force from distant subduction plate boundaries can be effectively transmitted to oceanic plateaux through strong ocean lithosphere and cause substantial extension during plate drift. Our findings reveal that a wide expanse of the Pacific has experienced syn‐drift plate tectonics linked to pull from the western Pacific subduction factory.
Intermittent Lobe Reconnection Under Prolonged Northward Interplanetary Magnetic Field Condition: Insights From Cusp Spot Event Observations
Authors: Xiong Ya‐Ting , Han De‐Sheng , Wang Zhi‐wei , Shi Run , Feng Hui‐Ting
Published: January 2024

Previous studies have suggested that lobe reconnection under stable northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions should be continuous. However, to what extent it can be considered as continuous is unknown. Auroral cusp spots have been considered a signature of lobe reconnection. Here, we show that during a cusp spot event continuously observed by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program for approximately 4 hr under stable IMF conditions, the ground radars recorded multiple intermittent equatorward‐moving radar forms (EMRFs) near local noon and multiple intermittent poleward‐moving radar forms (PMRFs) at post‐noon, each lasting ∼20–30 min. These intermittent EMRFs and PMRFs are suggested to correspond to intermittent lobe reconnections occurring at the cusp's poleward boundary near local noon and the duskside boundary at post‐noon, respectively. These findings challenge the previously held notion of continuous lobe reconnection under stable IMF conditions.
Modeling Atmospheric Transport of Cosmogenic Radionuclide 10Be Using GEOS‐Chem 14.1.1 and ECHAM6.3‐HAM2.3: Implications for Solar and Geomagnetic Reconstructions
Authors: Zheng Minjie , Adolphi Florian , Ferrachat Sylvaine , Mekhaldi Florian , Lu Zhengyao , Nilsson Andreas , Lohmann Ulrike
Published: January 2024

A prerequisite to applying 10Be in natural archives for solar and geomagnetic reconstructions is to know how 10Be deposition reflects atmospheric production changes. However, this relationship remains debated. To address this, we use two state‐of‐the‐art global models GEOS‐Chem and ECHAM6.3‐HAM2.3 with the latest beryllium production model. During solar modulation, both models suggest that 10Be deposition reacts proportionally to global production changes, with minor latitudinal deposition biases (<5%). During geomagnetic modulation, however, 10Be deposition changes are enhanced by ∼15% in the tropics and attenuated by 20%–35% in subtropical and polar regions compared to global production changes. Such changes are also hemispherically asymmetric, attributed to asymmetric production between hemispheres. For the solar proton event in 774/5 CE, 10Be shows a 15% higher deposition increase in polar regions than in tropics. This study highlights the importance of atmospheric mixing when comparing 10Be from different locations or to independent geomagnetic field records.
Arctic Heatwaves Could Significantly Influence the Isoprene Emissions From Shrubs
Authors: Wang Hui , Welch Allison , Nagalingam Sanjeevi , Leong Christopher , Kittitananuvong Pitchayawee , Barsanti Kelley C. , Sheesley Rebecca J. , Czimczik Claudia I. , Guenther Alex B.
Published: January 2024

Warming climate in the Arctic is leading to an increase in isoprene emission from ecosystems. We assessed the influence of temperature on isoprene emission from Arctic willows with laboratory and field measurements. Our findings indicate that the hourly temperature response curve of Salix spp., the dominant isoprene emitting shrub in the Arctic, aligns with that of temperate plants. In contrast, the isoprene capacity of willows exhibited a more substantial than expected response to the mean ambient temperature of the previous day, which is much stronger than the daily temperature response predicted by the current version of the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN). With a modified algorithm from this study, MEGAN predicts 66% higher isoprene emissions for Arctic willows during an Arctic heatwave. However, despite these findings, we are still unable to fully explain the high temperature sensitivity of isoprene emissions from high latitude ecosystems.
Periodic Mesoscale Density Structures Comprise a Significant Fraction of the Solar Wind and Are Formed at the Sun
Authors: Kepko L. , Viall N. M. , DiMatteo S.
Published: January 2024

Mesoscale density structures in the solar wind are often periodic, with f ∼ 0.1–5 mHz. They are trains of advected density structures with radial length scales of ∼100–10,000 Mm. While studies have shown that these periodic density structures (PDSs) are often formed at the Sun and released into the solar wind, it is unknown what percent of the solar wind at 1 AU is comprised of PDSs from the Sun, as opposed to periodicities formed through dynamics en route. We expand on Kepko et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ja028037) which analyzed 25 years of in situ solar wind proton data, and include here alphas to examine the compositional characteristics of PDSs. Compositional changes, such as the alpha‐to‐proton ratio (α/p), are frozen into the solar wind plasma low in the corona, and so do not evolve as the solar wind advects and fills the Heliosphere. We find a broad occurrence enhancement in both the proton and α/p distributions between 1 and 3 mHz, centered near ∼2.1 mHz, and demonstrate that this distribution can be modeled assuming ∼30% of the solar wind segments contain a PDS. We find a distinct distribution below 1 mHz, with markedly different α/p characteristics. The α/p indicates that both populations are from the Sun, with likely different generation mechanisms. We conclude by summarizing mechanisms at the Sun that could produce periodic mass release, namely, periodic magnetic reconnection. The lower frequency PDSs likely involve reconnection at S‐web arcs including the heliospheric current sheet, while the higher frequency PDSs may be driven by p‐mode‐related transverse coronal oscillations.
Evaluating Cloud Feedback Components in Observations and Their Representation in Climate Models
Authors: Chao Li‐Wei , Zelinka Mark D. , Dessler Andrew E.
Published: January 2024

This study quantifies the contribution of individual cloud feedbacks to the total short‐term cloud feedback in satellite observations over the period 2002–2014 and evaluates how they are represented in climate models. The observed positive total cloud feedback is primarily due to positive high‐cloud altitude, extratropical high‐ and low‐cloud optical depth, and land cloud amount feedbacks partially offset by negative tropical marine low‐cloud feedback. Seventeen models from the Atmosphere Model Intercomparison Project of the sixth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project are analyzed. The models generally reproduce the observed moderate positive short‐term cloud feedback. However, compared to satellite estimates, the models are systematically high‐biased in tropical marine low‐cloud and land cloud amount feedbacks and systematically low‐biased in high‐cloud altitude and extratropical high‐ and low‐cloud optical depth feedbacks. Errors in modeled short‐term cloud feedback components identified in this analysis highlight the need for improvements in model simulations of the response of high clouds and tropical marine low clouds. Our results suggest that skill in simulating interannual cloud feedback components may not indicate skill in simulating long‐term cloud feedback components.
Reduced‐Order Models Unravel the Joint Impact of Aperture Heterogeneity and Shear‐Thinning Rheology on Fracture‐Scale Flow Metrics
Authors: Lenci A. , Méheust Y. , Di Federico V. , Ciriello V.
Published: January 2024

Subsurface industrial operations often make use of complex engineered fluids. In fractured media, the hydraulic behavior of a geological fracture is affected by the shear‐thinning (ST) rheology of such fluids, depending on the imposed pressure gradient. Besides, owing to the stochastic nature of heterogeneities in the fracture's local apertures, obtaining the generic behavior of a fracture under ST flow requires large statistics of fractures whose aperture fields have the same statistical properties, namely their mean value, standard deviation, correlation length Lc, and Hurst exponent (which controls the scale invariances at scales smaller than Lc). The first such Monte Carlo study was recently proposed by Lenci, Putti, et al. (2022) using a new lubrication‐based model relying on a non‐linear Reynolds equation. This model describes the flow of an Ellis fluid, with both a low shear rate quasi‐Newtonian viscosity plateau and a large shear rate power law ST behavior, as measured for engineered fluids such as biopolymer solutions (e.g., xanthan gum). Here we aim to obtain the dependence of the fracture transmissivity and its dispersion over the statistics, as well as of the flow correlation length, on fracture closure, geometry correlation length, and applied pressure gradient, over a vast volume of the parameter space, and in a simple mathematical form. Employing reduced‐order models based on the polynomial chaos expansion theory to this aim, we discuss the properties of the obtained topographies of interest in the parameter space.
WNT7A promotes tumorigenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma via activating FZD7/JAK1/STAT3 signaling
Authors: Huang Qingling , Xiao Yi , Lan Ting , Lu Youguang , Huang Li , Zheng Dali
Published: January 2024

Wnt signaling are critical pathway involved in organ development, tumorigenesis, and cancer progression. WNT7A, a member of the Wnt family, remains poorly understood in terms of its role and the underlying molecular mechanisms it entails in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). According to the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), transcriptome sequencing data of HNSCC, the expression level of WNT7A in tumors was found to be higher than in adjacent normal tissues, which was validated using Real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Unexpectedly, overexpression of WNT7A did not activate the canonical Wnt-β-catenin pathway in HNSCC. Instead, our findings suggested that WNT7A potentially activated the FZD7/JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway, leading to enhanced cell proliferation, self-renewal, and resistance to apoptosis. Furthermore, in a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor model, high expression of WNT7A and phosphorylated STAT3 was observed, which positively correlated with tumor progression. These findings underscore the significance of WNT7A in HNSCC progression and propose the targeting of key molecules within the FZD7/JAK1/STAT3 pathway as a promising strategy for precise treatment of HNSCC.