bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An assessment of the contribution of corporate social responsibility practices on sustainable community development in the Zimbabwe mining sector : a case study of Zimplats
Authors:   , Muhwava Christopher
Published: March 2024

The goal of this study was to determine how Zimplats' corporate social responsibility (CSR)
practices contribute to sustainable development (SD) in the Mhondoro Ngezi district. The study
further aimed to assess Zimplats’ CSR policies with regards to sustainable development. This
study used a sample of 384 people from the Mhondoro Ngezi district, and a qualitative and
quantitative data collection approach was used to attain these goals. The study sample included
members of the Mhondoro Ngezi community with CSR knowledge and employees of Zimplats.
The study reviewed literature and theories within Zimbabwe, South Africa and internationally that
were essential to CSR and sustainable development (SD). The research assessed the impact of CSR
practices on sustainable development of communities within the Zimplats’ operational
environment. The study therefore sought to establish the sustainability of CSR as an instrument of
addressing the challenges being faced by communities adjacent to the company operations. A
correlation test aided in the analysis of the data findings so that relevant conclusions could be
drawn. The results revealed that Zimplats’ CSR initiatives improved livelihood of the Mhondoro
Ngezi community in a sustainable way. Community participation and ownership in development
initiatives was discovered to be critical to their long-term viability and there is a link between
sustainability and community involvement in development projects. The study also found that
Zimplats’ CSR practices contribute to job creation, capacity building and improved standards of
living. The study recommended that Zimplats should prioritize stakeholder engagement and
participation and ownership of developmental projects as a way of ensuring that their CSR projects
are sustainable.
An Approach to Improving Compliance of Treatment in Asymptomatic Bacteriuria
Authors: Lewis Johnathan , Dye Angelic , Koehler Tracy , Grill Justin , Baribeau Sarah , Bryant Caleb
Published: March 2024

INTRODUCTION

Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is the presence of bacteria in the urine without attributable signs or symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI). This condition is often inappropriately treated per the 2019 Infectious Disease Society of America guidelines. This quality improvement project aimed to reduce improper treatment of ASB via a three-phase spaced repetition approach over a 12-month 2021-2022 period within a Michigan emergency department (ED), targeting 43 ED clinicians.

METHODS

During Phase I, a 20-minute teleconference educational intervention was delivered by an Infectious Disease physician and pharmacist. During Phase II, a “hard stop” was implemented within the electronic health record preventing reflex urinalysis culture without indication. During Phase III, a latent period of no intervention took place. The authors’ goal was to achieve > 80% compliance to ASB treatment guidelines.

RESULTS

Overall compliance after the project initiative was 66.7%, an absolute increase of 16.7% from baseline compliance. Using data from 54 patients, this represented a statistically significant (p = 0.01) increase from baseline but fell short of the target of > 80%.

DISCUSSION

Although the authors fell short of their goal of a 30% increase, data from the project suggests a spaced repetition approach to education and workflow changes could be an effective method to increasing medical provider compliance with treatment of ASB.

CONCLUSION

Identifying the ideal strategy to change treatment patterns of ED clinicians for ASB to align with guidelines remains key. There is still a need for ongoing efforts in this realm for progress to be made. Keywords: asymptomatic bacteriuria, urinary tract infection, compliance, spaced repetition, antibiotics.
Secondary Postoperative Hemorrhage in the Pediatric Tonsillectomy Patient- is there a correlation between hemorrhage and tonsilloliths?
Authors: Ross Andrew , Mnatsakanian Ani , Markovicz Jacob , Desai Sruti , Anderson Brian , Shifman Holly , Engebretsen Steven , Wentland Carissa , Thottam Prasad , Haupert Michael
Published: March 2024

INTRODUCTION

Tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy is one of the most common ambulatory procedures performed in children under 15. One rare yet serious complication of tonsillectomy is postoperative hemorrhage. Chronic tonsillitis, which is an indication for tonsillectomy, has been shown to have an increased risk for postoperative hemorrhage. Tonsilloliths or tonsil stones have been associated with cryptic tonsillitis. This 2020-2021 study examined whether tonsilloliths were a risk factor for post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage in a convenience sample of 187 pediatric patients.

METHODS

This was a cross-institutional 12-month retrospective cohort study investigating pediatric patients who had undergone tonsillectomy. Exclusion criteria included patients who had received prior airway surgeries (e.g., supraglottoplasty), patients with significant comorbidities such as chromosomal abnormalities or congenital disorders, and patients with pre-existing bleeding disorders. Demographic, clinical, and operative data was extracted from each chart. Postoperative adverse events and bleeding were also recorded. These factors were then compared between the tonsillolith and no tonsillolith patient groups.

RESULTS

A total of 187 pediatric patients met the inclusion criteria. Seventy-three (39%) of the patients had tonsilloliths and 114 (61%) did not have tonsilloliths at the time of surgery. The tonsillolith subgroup had a higher median age (10 vs 3, P < 0.001) when compared to the no tonsillolith subgroup. The most common indication for tonsillectomy was obstructive sleep apnea/sleep disordered breathing (N= 148, 79.1%). There was no statistical difference found between presence of tonsillolith and indication for surgery (P = 0.06). Only five (2.7%) of sample patients experienced postoperative bleeding and there was no association found between postoperative bleeding and presence of tonsilloliths (P = 0.38).

CONCLUSION

In the current study there was no association found between the presence of tonsilloliths (indicating low grade chronic inflammation) and hemorrhage after tonsillectomy. Continued larger sample evaluations of possible risk factors for post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage patterns are encouraged.
Fire–precipitation interactions amplify the quasi-biennial variability in fires over southern Mexico and Central America
Authors: Liu Yawen , Qian Yun , Rasch Philip J. , Zhang Kai , Leung Lai-yung Ruby , Wang Yuhang , Wang Minghuai , Wang Hailong , Huang Xin , Yang Xiu-Qun
Published: March 2024

Abstract. Fires have great ecological, social, and economic impact. However, fire prediction and management remain challenges due to a limited understanding of their roles in the Earth system. Fires over southern Mexico and Central America (SMCA) are a good example of this, greatly impacting local air quality and regional climate. Here we report that the spring peak (April–May) of fire activities in this region has a distinct quasi-biennial signal based on multiple satellite datasets measuring different fire characteristics. The variability is initially driven by quasi-biennial variations in precipitation. Composite analysis indicates that strong fire years correspond to suppressed ascending motion and weakened precipitation over the SMCA. The anomalous precipitation over the SMCA is further found to be mostly related to the East Pacific–North Pacific (EP-NP) pattern 2 months prior to the fire season. The positive phase of the EP-NP leads to enhanced precipitation over the eastern US but suppressed precipitation over the SMCA, similar to the spatial pattern of precipitation differences between strong and weak fire years. Meanwhile, the quasi-biennial signals in precipitation and fires appear to be amplified by their interactions through a positive feedback loop at short timescales. Model simulations show that in strong fire years, more aerosol particles are released and transported downstream over the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern US, where suspended light-absorbing aerosols warm the atmosphere and cause the ascending motion of the air aloft. Subsequently, a compensating downward motion is formed over the region of the fire source and ultimately suppresses precipitation and intensifies fires. Statistical analysis shows the different durations of the two-way interaction, where the fire suppression effect of precipitation lasts for more than 20 d, while fire leads to a decrease in precipitation at shorter timescales (3–5 d). This study demonstrates the importance of fire–climate interactions in shaping the fire activities on an interannual scale and highlights how precipitation–fire interactions at short timescales contribute to the interannual variability in both fire and precipitation.
High-resolution LGM climate of Europe and the Alpine region using the regional climate model WRF
Authors: Russo Emmanuele , Buzan Jonathan , Lienert Sebastian , Jouvet Guillaume , Velasquez Alvarez Patricio , Davis Basil , Ludwig Patrick , Joos Fortunat , Raible Christoph C.
Published: March 2024

Abstract. In this study we present a series of sensitivity experiments conducted for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ∼21 ka) over Europe using the regional climate Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF). Using a four-step two-way nesting approach, we are able to reach a convection-permitting horizontal resolution over the inner part of the study area, covering central Europe and the Alpine region. The main objective of the paper is to evaluate a model version including a series of new developments better suitable for the simulation of paleo-glacial time slices with respect to the ones employed in former studies. The evaluation of the model is conducted against newly available pollen-based reconstructions of the LGM European climate and takes into account the effect of two main sources of model uncertainty: a different height of continental glaciers at higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere and different land cover. Model results are in good agreement with evidence from the proxies, in particular for temperatures. Importantly, the consideration of different ensemble members for characterizing model uncertainty allows for increasing the agreement of the model against the proxy reconstructions that would be obtained when considering a single model realization. The spread of the produced ensemble is relatively small for temperature, besides areas surrounding glaciers in summer. On the other hand, differences between the different ensemble members are very pronounced for precipitation, in particular in winter over areas highly affected by moisture advection from the Atlantic. This highlights the importance of the considered sources of uncertainty for the study of European LGM climate and allows for determining where the results of a regional climate model (RCM) are more likely to be uncertain for the considered case study. Finally, the results are also used to assess the effect of convection-permitting resolutions, at both local and regional scales, under glacial conditions.
WRF-SBM Numerical Simulation of Aerosol Effects on Stratiform Warm Clouds in Jiangxi, China
Authors: Li Yi , Liu Xiaoli , Cai Hengjia
Published: March 2024

Abstract. Aerosols, as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), impact cloud droplet spectrum and dispersion (ε), affecting precipitation and climate change. However, the influence of various aerosol modes on cloud physics remains controversial, and this effect varies with location and cloud type. This study uses a bin microphysics scheme (WRF-SBM) to simulate a warm stratiform cloud in Jiangxi, China. The numerical simulations reproduce the macro and microstructure of warm clouds compared with aircraft observations. Further experiments modifying the aerosol spectrum and number concentration indicate: increased aerosol concentration promotes cloud formation, raises cloud height, and broadens the cloud droplet spectrum. In contrast, a decrease in aerosol concentration suppresses cloud formation and development. Different aerosols have varying effects on the cloud droplet spectrum. Higher accumulation mode aerosol concentration increases small droplet concentration, while increased nucleation and coarse mode aerosol concentration favors larger droplet formation. Generally, the correlation between ε and volume-weighted particle size (rv) changes from positive to negative as rv increases. The transition in correlation is influenced by the relative strengths of cloud droplet collision, condensation, and activation processes. The increase in accumulation mode aerosol concentration strengthens the positive correlation between ε and rv in the rv range of 4.5–8 μm, while the decrease in concentration strengthens the negative correlation in the same range. Regardless of different coalescence intensity, ε converges with the increase in Nc. Changes in aerosol concentration for different modes do not alter the convergence trend of ε-Nc but only affect the dispersion of ε at low Nc levels.
TAMS: A Tracking, Classifying, and Variable-Assigning Algorithm for Mesoscale Convective Systems in Simulated and Satellite-Derived Datasets
Authors: Núñez Ocasio Kelly M. , Moon Zachary L.
Published: March 2024

Abstract. The Tracking Algorithm for Mesoscale Convective Systems (TAMS) is a tracking, classifying, and variable-assigning algorithm for mesoscale convective systems (MCSs). TAMS was initially developed to analyze MCSs over Africa and their relation to African easterly waves using satellite-derived datasets. This paper describes TAMS v2.0, an open-source MCS tracking and classifying Python-based package that can be used to study both observed and simulated MCSs. Each step of the algorithm is described with examples showing how to make use of visualization and post-processing tools within the package. A unique and valuable feature of this MCS tracker is its support for unstructured grids in the MCS identification stage and grid-independent tracking of MCSs, enabling application across various native modeling grids and satellite-derived products. A description of the available settings and helper functions is also provided. Finally, we share some of the current development goals for TAMS.
Regional and sectoral contributions of NOx and reactive carbon emission sources to global trends in tropospheric ozone during the 2000–2018 period
Authors: Nalam Aditya , Lupascu Aura , Ansari Tabish , Butler Timothy
Published: March 2024

Abstract. Over the past few decades, the tropospheric ozone precursor anthropogenic emissions: nitrogen oxides (NOx) and reactive carbon (RC) from mid-latitude regions have been decreasing, and those from Asia and tropical regions have been increasing, leading to an equatorward emission redistribution. In this study, we quantify the contributions of various sources of NOx and RC emissions to tropospheric ozone using a source attribution technique during the 2000–2018 period in a global chemistry transport model: CAM4-Chem. We tag the ozone molecules with the source of their NOx or RC precursor emission in two separate simulations, one for each of NOx and RC. These tags include various natural (biogenic, biomass burning, lightning and methane), and regional anthropogenic (North American, European, East Asian, South Asian etc.) precursor emission sources. We simulate ~336 Tg O3 with an increasing trend of 0.91 Tg O3/yr (0.28 %/yr), largely contributed (and trend driven) by anthropogenic NOx emissions and methane. The ozone production efficiency of regional anthropogenic NOx emissions increases significantly when emissions decrease (Europe, North American and Russia-Belarus-Ukraine region’s emissions) and decreases significantly when emissions increase (South Asian, Middle Eastern, International Shipping etc.). Tropical regions, despite smaller emissions, contribute more to tropospheric ozone burden compared to emissions from higher latitudes, consistent with previous work, due to large convection at the tropics thereby lifting O3 and its precursor NOx molecules into the free troposphere where ozone’s lifetime is longer. We contrast the contribution to tropospheric ozone burden with that of the contribution to the global surface ozone. We simulate a smaller relative contribution from tropical regions to the global mean surface ozone compared to their contribution to the tropospheric ozone burden. The global population-weighted mean ozone (related to ozone exposure) is much larger compared to surface mean, mainly due to large anthropogenic emissions from densely populated regions: East Asia, South Asia, and other tropical regions, and a substantial contribution from international ship NOx emissions. The increasing trends in anthropogenic emissions from these regions are the main drivers of increasing global population-weighted mean ozone.
Effects of grain size and seawater salinity on magnesium hydroxide dissolution and secondary calcium carbonate precipitation kinetics: implications for ocean alkalinity enhancement
Authors: Moras Charly Andre , Cyronak Tyler , Bach Lennart Thomas , Joannes-Boyau Renaud , Schulz Kai Georg
Published: March 2024

Abstract. Understanding the impact that mineral grain size and seawater salinity have on magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) dissolution and secondary calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation is critical for the success of ocean alkalinity enhancement. We tested the Mg(OH)2 dissolution kinetics in seawater using three Mg(OH)2 grain sizes (<63, 63–180 and >180 µm) and at three salinities (~36, ~28 and ~20). While Mg(OH)2 dissolution occurred quicker the smaller the grain size, salinity did not significantly impact measured rates. Our results also demonstrate that grain size can impact secondary CaCO3 precipitation, suggesting that an optimum grain size exists for ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) using solid Mg(OH)2. Of the three grain sizes tested, the medium grain size (63–180 µm) was optimal in terms of delaying secondary CaCO3 precipitation. We hypothesize that in the lowest grain size experiments, the higher surface area provided numerous CaCO3 precipitation nuclei, while the slower dissolution of bigger grain size maintained a higher alkalinity/pH at the surface of particles, increasing CaCO3 precipitation rates and making it observable much quicker than for the intermediate grain size. Salinity also played a role in CaCO3 precipitation where the decrease in magnesium (Mg) allowed for secondary precipitation to occur more quickly, similar in effect size to another known inhibitor, i.e., dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In summary, our results suggest that OAE efficiency as influenced by CaCO3 precipitation not only depends on seawater composition but also on the physical properties of the alkaline feedstock used.
Features of the introduction of magmatic melts in permeable zones of the platform cover
Authors: Perepechko Yury , Sorokin Konstantin , Imomnazarov Sherzad
Published: March 2024

The problem of the introduction of heterophase magmatic melts into the conducting channels of the lithospheric mantle under the cratons of the Siberian platform has been studied numerically. The analysis of the features of the introduction of melts was carried out on the basis of a hydrodynamic model of the evolution of magmatic and fluid-magmatic systems. The mathematical model describes the two-speed dynamics of the redistribution of hot heterophase melts and magmatogenic fluids in the flow during their movement from the generation zones to the platform cover, as well as the processes of heat and mass transfer between melts and rocks in permeable zones of the lithosphere. The nature of the flow of mixtures of liquid fractions of aluminosilicate, sulfide, native and oxide liquids, in which a sub-liquid solid phase appears during movement and decompression boiling occurs, the features of heat and mass transfer processes determine the type of magmatic and magmatogenic deposits of the trap formation of the Siberian platform. The flow of magmatic melts in a wide temperature range of 300-1200 °C, the viscosity of the melt phases of 101-106 N, as well as the rate of penetration and the degree of stratification of the heterophase magmatic flow were studied.The figure shows an example of the randomization of an intrusive flow. (a) (b) An example of the development of heterogeneity in the distribution of the concentration of particles of the dispersed phase (a, m-3) and temperature (b, °C) in an initially stratified magmatic flow embedded in the host rocks. The temperature of the introduced flow is 500 °C, in the channel at the initial moment standard thermodynamic conditions; the dynamic viscosity of the melt is 102 P. The work was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation, grant No. 24-27-00411.
Global atmospheric CO2 inversions in RECCAP2 and GCP
Authors: Luijkx Ingrid ,   GCB2023 inverse modelling team
Published: March 2024

The annual updates of the Global Carbon Project’s Carbon Budget present the community effort on estimating global carbon emissions and carbon sinks and their long-term trends. The budget analysis includes a set of global atmospheric CO2 inversions that are used to estimate latitudinal sinks of CO2, split into land and ocean sinks. In the GCB2023 there were 14 inversions included of which 6 used satellite XCO2 data, and 8 used in-situ observations. Global CO2 inversions are also used in the Regional Carbon Cycle and Processes study (RECCAP2) project to estimate carbon sink on regional level. The aims of RECCAP2 are to develop robust observation-based estimates of regional greenhouse gas emissions and sinks by oceans and terrestrial ecosystems. Results for this new set of global GCP and RECCAP2 CO2 inversions will be shown and discussed at the conference, as a follow up of the work in the first RECCAP project by Peylin et al. (2013). The analysis will include the regional distribution of the carbon sinks for land and ocean, its spatial and interannual variability and a comparison to independent CO2 mole fraction observations from the global observational network. We will also focus on the comparison between bottom-up and top-down estimates, discussing the adjustments made to facilitate the comparisons. Special emphasis will be on the differences between flux estimates from the satellite and surface inversions.
References:

Peylin, R.M. Law, K.R. Gurney, F. Chevallier, A.R. Jacobson, T. Maki, Y. Niwa, P.K. Patra, W. Peters, P.J. Rayner, C. Rödenbeck, I.T. van der Laan-Luijkx, X. Zhang, Global atmospheric carbon budget: Results from an ensemble of atmospheric CO2 inversions, Biogeosciences. 10 (2013) 6699–6720. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6699-2013.

 
Novel approach to quantifying long-term rainfall distribution variation: the region of Europe
Authors: Barnes Andrew , Stamataki Ioanna
Published: March 2024

Climate change is changing rainfall and flood regimes across the world with severe and widespread impacts on society. Rainfall extremes are intensifying in frequency and magnitude due to the effects of climate change, and thus in this research, we introduce a new, novel framework for understanding how rainfall distributions are changing through time, enabling more accurate flood risk analysis. The framework offers two approaches to comparing rainfall distributions, the first of these utilises a stagnant benchmark distribution and the second highlights a moving benchmark approach. When combined the framework enables the identification of significant sudden and gradual changes in the distributions without the need to fit statistical distributions to the data. The region of Europe is selected as the case study and analysed in the four UN regions of Europe: Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe. Using daily precipitation data generated using the ERA5 Reanalysis hourly data from the ECMWF’s Copernicus data store, the case study is used to highlight the capability of both frameworks to capture different forms of rainfall distribution shift. Comparing the frameworks presented revealed similar long term changes in the rainfall variation. The stagnant comparison showed that rainfall distributions have intensified since 1940 with a clear increase across all four regions of Europe regarding the percentage of days with rainfall, averaging at 2.75% across Europe. The largest changes seen are in the last comparison period for Eastern Europe (1960-1975) at 3.07% and in the latest comparison period (2005-2020) for Northern Europe (2.64%). The moving comparison method unveiled the strongest changes between the periods 1940-1960 and 1960-1980 with an average of 2.09% of rainfall days being intensified across all Europe. The most considerable shifts in rainfall variability occurred in Eastern (2.39%) and Western Europe (2.72%) during the 1960-1980 period. By applying it over the European region, this paper demonstrated how this novel approach can be used to identify long-term rainfall variation in the 20th century. The suggested frameworks do not rely on fitting statistical distributions and thus enable both long and short term change identification, providing flood risk managers a new solution to understanding local, regional and global rainfall variability and quantification. The analysis of the changing dynamics of precipitation patterns and the increase of the intensity of precipitation events, offers considerable potential for further investigations in the mitigation strategies of a resilient future.
Interaction between soil type and cropping system on albedo dynamics leads to contrasted impact on climate mitigation
Authors: Diop Souleymane , Cardinael Rémi , Lauerwald Ronny , Ferlicoq Morgan , Thierfelder Christian , Chikowo Regis , Corbeels Marc , Ceschia Eric
Published: March 2024

The biogeochemical effects of conservation agriculture (CA), such as soil organic carbon storage and greenhouse gas emissions, have been extensively studied. However, recent research has shown that management practices also have biogeophysical effects on both local and global climates by altering surface albedo and energy partitioning. We assessed the biogeophysical impacts of CA in maize fields during two successive seasons (2021/22-2022/23) at two long-term experimental sites in Zimbabwe with contrasting soil properties: Domboshawa Training Center (DTC) with a light abruptic Lixisol (sandy soil) and the University of Zimbabwe Farm (UZF) with a dark xanthic Ferralsol (clayey soil). We monitored surface albedo, longwave radiation, leaf area index (LAI), and soil moisture/temperature under three treatments: conventional tillage (CT), no-tillage (NT), and no-tillage with mulch (NTM).  Our findings reveal that, across all treatments during the two monitored seasons, the average surface albedo of the xanthic Ferralsol at UZF was consistently lower than that of the abruptic Lixisol at DTC. It results a cooling effect in both NT and NTM treatments compared to CT in the clayey soil at UZF. During the 2021/22 season, the mean annual radiative forcing (RF) of NT and NTM were -0.83 W.m-² and -0.43 W.m-2 respectively, while during the second season (2022/23) the annual mean RF was -1.43 W.m-2  for NT and -1.03 W.m-2 for NTM.On the sandy soil at DTC, a warming effect was observed due to soil darkening induced by mulching. The mean annual RF of NT in this site was -3.34 W.m-2 during the first season and -2.78 W.m-2 during the second. In contrast, NTM showed a warming effect with an RF of 1.2 W.m-2 in 2021/22, and 2.77 W.m-2 during the 2022/23 season. The RF induced by albedo change were converted into CO2-equivalents in order to compare it with biogeochemical effects of CA through changes in soil N2O emissions and SOC storage. The results demonstrated an opposite effect on RF and of the same magnitude between albedo and soil organic carbon (SOC) in the NT and NTM treatments at DTC, suggesting that CA might not bring any mitigation benefit if mulch is applied on light coloured soils.
Sea ice cover in the Copernicus Arctic Regional Reanalysis
Authors: Batrak Yurii , Cheng Bin , Kallio-Myers Viivi
Published: March 2024

Abstract. The Copernicus Arctic Regional Reanalysis (CARRA) is a novel regional high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis product that covers a considerable part of the European Arctic including substantial amounts of ice-covered areas. Sea ice in CARRA is modelled by means of a one-dimensional thermodynamic sea ice parameterisation scheme, which also explicitly resolves the evolution of the snow layer over sea ice. In the present study, we assess the representation of sea ice cover in CARRA and validate it against a wide set of satellite products and observations from ice mass balance buoys. We show that CARRA adequately represents general interannual trends towards thinner and warmer ice in the Arctic. Compared to ERA5, sea ice in CARRA shows a reduced warm bias in the ice surface temperature. The strongest improvement was observed for winter months over the central Arctic and the Greenland and Barents seas where a 4.91 °C median ice surface temperature error in ERA5 is reduced to 1.88 °C in CARRA on average. Over Baffin Bay, intercomparisons suggest the presence of a cold winter-time ice surface temperature bias in CARRA. No improvement over ERA5 was found in the ice surface albedo with spring-time errors in CARRA being up to 0.08 higher on average than those in ERA5 when computed against the CLARA-A2 satellite retrieval product. Summer-time ice surface albedos are comparable in CARRA and ERA5. Sea ice thickness and snow depth in CARRA adequately resolve the annual cycle of sea ice cover in the Arctic and bring added value compared to ERA5. However, limitations of CARRA indicate potential benefits of utilising more advanced approaches for representing sea ice cover in next-generation reanalyses.
Observations and modeling of areal surface albedo and surface types in the Arctic
Authors: Jäkel Evelyn , Becker Sebastian , Sperzel Tim R. , Niehaus Hannah , Spreen Gunnar , Tao Ran , Nicolaus Marcel , Dorn Wolfgang , Rinke Annette , Brauchle Jörg , Wendisch Manfred
Published: March 2024

Abstract. An accurate representation of the annual evolution of surface albedo of the Arctic Ocean, especially during the melting period, is crucial to obtain reliable climate model predictions in the Arctic. Therefore, the output of the surface albedo scheme of a coupled regional climate model (HIRHAM–NAOSIM) was evaluated against airborne and ground-based measurements. The observations were conducted during five aircraft campaigns in the European Arctic at different times of the year between 2017 and 2022; one of them was part of the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition in 2020. We applied two approaches for the evaluation: (a) relying on measured input parameters of surface type fraction and surface skin temperature (offline) and (b) using HIRHAM–NAOSIM simulations independently of observational data (online). From the offline method we found a seasonally dependent bias between measured and modeled surface albedo. In spring, the cloud effect on surface broadband albedo was overestimated by the surface albedo parametrization (mean albedo bias of 0.06), while the surface albedo scheme for cloudless cases reproduced the measured surface albedo distributions for all seasons. The online evaluation revealed an overestimation of the modeled surface albedo resulting from an overestimation of the modeled cloud cover. Furthermore, it was shown that the surface type parametrization contributes significantly to the bias in albedo, especially in summer (after the drainage of melt ponds) and autumn (onset of refreezing). The lack of an adequate model representation of the surface scattering layer, which usually forms on bare ice in summer, contributed to the underestimation of surface albedo during that period. The difference between modeled and measured net irradiances for selected flights during the five airborne campaigns was derived to estimate the impact of the model bias for the solar radiative energy budget at the surface. We revealed a negative bias between modeled and measured net irradiances (median: −6.4 W m−2) for optically thin clouds, while the median value of only 0.1 W m−2 was determined for optically thicker clouds.
Brief communication: Significant biases in ERA5 output for the McMurdo Dry Valleys region, Antarctica
Authors: Garza-Girón Ricardo , Tulaczyk Slawek M.
Published: March 2024

Abstract. The ERA5 climate reanalysis dataset plays an important role in applications such as monitoring and modeling climate system changes in polar regions, so the calibration of the reanalysis to ground observations is of great relevance. Here, we compare the 2 m air temperature time series of the ERA5 reanalysis and the near-surface bias-corrected reanalysis to the near-ground air temperature measured at 17 automatic weather stations (AWSs) in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. We find that the reanalysis data have biases that change with the season of the year and do not clearly correlate with elevation. Our results show that future work should rely on secondary observations to calibrate when using the ERA5 reanalysis in polar regions.
Multiscale Modeling of Heart Disease and Musculoskeletal Performance
Authors: McCulloch Andrew
Published: March 2024

Computational modeling in physiology can be integrative in several different ways. In this seminar I will use examples from our research at UC San Diego on heart disease and musculoskeletal performance to illustrate these approaches and how they can be used together. Biophysically based multiscale models integrate structurally across scales of biological organization from molecular to organism. I will show how we have combined atomistic molecular modeling, subcellular scale Markov state models, whole cell systems models with organ and system scale continuum and lumped parameter models to predict therapeutic mechanisms of 2-deoxyATP as a myosin activator in heart failure. Systems modeling of biological networks integrate the functions of biochemical modules into the emergent properties of signaling pathways that regulate genome-scale transcription. I will show how we have applied this approach to elucidate the signaling interactions that control mechanoregulated gene expression in cardiac myocytes. And statistical models and machine learning enabling the development of clinical data integration tools for better diagnosis and management of congenital heart disease and arrhythmias.

While our research on the heart has focused on disease mechanisms and pathogenesis, studying trained athletes is giving us new insights into the biological principles underlying elite human performance especially in the musculoskeletal system. I will end with an overview of how we are now applying the modeling and experimental strategies we have used for studying heart disease to understand the effects of exercise training especially on skeletal muscle biology and human movement competency.
TERM NESTS AS A REFLECTION OF THE SYSTEM AND CONCEPTUAL DYNAMICS
OF THE FIELD OF KNOWLEDGE (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE EU LANGUAGE POLICY TERMINOLOGY)
Authors: ADAMCHUK Y.
Published: March 2024

The article presents the systematic nature of the terminology of the EU language policy through the construction of term nests. Terminological management techniques (inventory and ordering of terminology); derivational analysis;
terminological nesting; structural analysis in identifying terminological elements typical for the target subject area are
used to achieve the goal of the research. The methodology of the research is based on the works of leading scientiststerminologists. Nominations received as a result of processing by the terminological extractors Sketch Engine and AntConc of the research corpus based on the texts of 340 English-language official documents reflecting various aspects of the EU language policy, as well as the terms presented in the glossaries accompanying these documents make up the
material of the research. 29 nests of all types, namely 4 potential nests, 75 elementary nests, 66 chain nests, 35 fan nests,
and 110 complex nests, have been constructed. It has been found out that the term nests are an important means to systematize terminology, as they can be used to identify micro-sections of the target subject area and establish links
between them. It has been deduced that the consistency within the nest is ensured by formal and semantic connections between the terms, and the presence of common terminological elements in different nests reflects the systematic nature
of the target terminology.
NEOLOGISMS OF THE ERA OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: LINGUOCULTURAL ASPECT
Authors: SAVITSKAYA V.
Published: March 2024

In the last century scientists have noted unprecedented growth of neologisms. The cause of neological boom in 2020 was precisely due to spreading coronavirus pandemic, which left a mark in many languages around the world.
Language, in turn, is the reflection of all relevant phenomena and events in society. This article is devoted to the study of
neologisms that arose during the coronavirus pandemic and are considered in the linguocultural aspect. We analyze
words appearing in the Russian language that reflect the mentality of the creatoras well as being the result of the influence
of other cultures on their emergence.The article is based on the materials of investigations of lexical units which reflect
a new reality and are widely used in mass media, have already recorded in the National Corpus of Russian Language and in the dictionary of the Russian language of the coronavirus era. The analyses showed that the neologisms of the
pandemic era deserve the attention not only because of their formal-semantic features, but also are one of the manifestations of elements of the culture of different peoples and perception of the surrounding reality by speakers of the language.
Automated Wi-Fi intrusion detection tool on 802.11 networks
Authors: Koutras Dimitris , Dimitrellos Panos , Kotzanikolaou Panayiotis , Douligeris Christos
Published: March 2024

Wi-Fi networks enable user-friendly network connectivity in various environments, ranging from home to enterprise networks. However, vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi implementations may allow nearby adversaries to gain an initial foothold into a network, e.g., in order to attempt further network penetration. In this paper we propose a methodology for the detection of attacks originating from Wi-Fi networks, along with a Wi-Fi Network Intrusion Detection (Wi-Fi-NID) tool, developed to automate the detection of such attacks at 802.11 networks. In particular, Wi-Fi-NID has the ability to detect and trace possible illegal network scanning attacks, which originate from attacks at the Wi-Fi access layer. We extend our initial implementation to increase the efficiency of detection, based on mathematical and statistical function techniques. A penetration testing methodology is defined, in order to discover the environmental security characteristics, related with the current configuration of the devices connected to the 802.11 network. The methodology covers known Wi-Fi attacks such as de-authentication attacks, capturing and cracking WPA-WPA/2 handshake, captive portal and WPA attacks, mostly based on various open source software tools, custom tools, as well as on specialized hardware.
The effect of adding wheat and corn gluten to the diet of rats on the autoimmune and histopathological parameters in the intestine and liver
Authors: Gümüş Recep , Terim Kapakin Kübra Asena , Kirman Esra Manavoğlu , Bolat İsmail , İmik Aybuke , Ercan Nazlı
Published: March 2024

This study investigated the histopathological and immunohistochemical effect on the intestine and liver tissues with addition of the soybean meal (SBM), wheat Gluten meal (WGM) and Corn gluten meal (CGM) to rat diet. A total of 24 average twenty–day–old male rats (Wistar albino) were used in the study. The rats were randomly divided into 3 groups with 8 animals in each group (Control, Wheat and Corn groups). The diet provided to all three groups contained proteins, which were SBM, WGM and CGM in the Control, Wheat and Corn groups, respectively. In the study, the group fed with SBM was used as the Control group. Rats were fed a diet containing 22% crude protein and 2,598 kcal·kg-1 metabolic energy throughout the experimental period. The feeding trial was continued for a period of 50 days. Degenerative changes of varying severity in intestinal epithelial cells and atrophy in villi were observed. Similarly, the degenerative changes, especially vacuolar or hydropic degeneration were determined in hepatocytes. It was determined that the CD4 level were statistically significantly increased in the Wheat and Corn groups compared to the Control group (P<0.01) on intestine tissue. Also, it was determined that the IgA level was statistically significantly increased of the Wheat and Corn groups in liver tissue. (P<0.05). As a result, it was observed that the histopathological and immunohistochemical parameters of the intestine and liver tissues of the rats fed with diets containing highly WGM and CGM were limitedly affected.
Post-partum cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: A case report
Authors: Jain Shruti , Bhushan Mehak , Talwar Vandana
Published: March 2024

Introduction: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare and life-threatening condition that may be encountered during pregnancy and puerperium. The diagnosis of CVST is a challenge because of its varied presentation.

Case Report: A 28-year-old woman presented with headache, projectile vomiting, and generalized tonic–clonic seizures 10 days after delivery by cesarean section. She had an uneventful antenatal period of 38 weeks of gestation. High clinical suspicion and the availability of magnetic resonance venography helped in making a diagnosis of CVST. She was successfully managed with a low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and anti-epileptic therapy with no residual complications.

Discussion: Pregnancy induces several prothrombotic changes in the coagulation system that predispose to CVST. These changes persist for six to eight weeks after birth. Infection and cesarean section are the additional risk factors for CVST during puerperium. The symptoms of CVST depend on the sinuses and veins involved, raised intracranial pressure, and the extent of brain parenchymal injury.

Conclusion: Greater awareness of the disease and the availability of imaging modalities have contributed to the early diagnosis and favorable outcomes in these cases. LMWH is the main stay of treatment in this disease.
On-Air, Off-Balance: Detecting and Examining Media Biases in Filipino Sportscasting
Authors: Corcuera Joram Kim , Bernardo Alejandro S.
Published: March 2024

With sports gaining global acclaim and recognition, media outlets have extensively covered a myriad of sporting events with a particular emphasis on international tournaments. In the digital age, media is crucial for disseminating news and shaping audience perspectives especially in sportscasting where local sportscasters tend to show affection and allegiance to their home nation by providing more airtime and positive commentaries to athletes representing their country. Such an approach shortchanges the viewers’ right to unbiased and diverse perspectives. Hence, it is imperative for media outlets, particularly during live sports broadcasts, to adeptly navigate and manage biases, given the significant impact of nationalistic positioning on sports media. In this study, the researchers analyzed the language employed by sportscasters in the local media coverage of the games of the Philippines Men’s Basketball Team, also known as Gilas Pilipinas, during the FIBA World Cup 2023. Following a mixed-method approach, the study sought to understand how sportscasters detect and manage media biases through corpus analysis. The investigation involved identifying prevalent forms of media biases within the study corpus, focusing on lexico-semantic, discourse, and pragmatic constructions that serve as indicators of these biases. The study findings indicated that all the analyzed sports broadcasts contained evident manifestations of media biases. Moreover, it was revealed that Filipino sportscasters exhibited a range of media biases favoring Gilas Pilipinas, and that the media biases in their utterances were affected by the phenomenon of nationalistic positioning that raises concerns about fairness and impartiality. Consequently, the frequency of these biased expressions in sportscasters' utterances was found to be contingent upon the specific context, varying with the situation. Furthermore, these biases can be identified through specific linguistic cues and features. This paper underscores the importance of fostering a more equitable sportscasting environment while simultaneously fortifying language and media education initiatives.
INSIGHTS INTO SCABIES PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS
Authors: NAWAZ K , KHAN S , BIBI A
Published: March 2024

Scabies is an infectious disease of the skin caused by Sarcoptes scabiei. In the current study, investigation of scabies epidemiology was accompanied by Peshawar and Karak districts to assess the prevalence and main risk factors accountable for the transmission of scabies. A survey was reported on scabies at DHQ Karak and HMC Peshawar from January 2019 to January 2020. Data was collected every month from HMC Peshawar and DHQ Karak. The total reported cases were 571 during study time. The report showed that the frequency of scabies was high during December and January. While lower in August and October. Infestation rates were more in males than females while children and teenagers (1-20 years) were more prone to this condition. The infection was considerably more common in males (51.1%) than females (49.9%), in lower socio-economic levels (52.0%) than the upper (16%) and middle levels (32%), and in those communities living in uncemented houses (70.7%) than living in cemented houses (29.3%). Family size was of no significance. The present result showed that hands and genitalia were affected more as compared to other body parts. About 24% of patients showed scabies infection at more than two sites. During the study general information about scabies was provided to all patients to give them an idea about the severity of infection. Biopsy was also performed but distortion of mite due to itching made it impossible to study its morphology. It is concluded from the present study that scabies infestation is characterized by parasites that cause itching and scratching sensation at night. The findings scabies prevalence is influenced by seasonal variations, demographic factors, socioeconomic status, and housing conditions, and understanding these factors is essential for developing efficient prevention and control strategies to alleviate the scabies burden in affected populations.