bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Apples to advocacy: Evaluating consumer preferences for hard cider policies
Authors: Staples Aaron J. , Howard Philip H. , Conner David S. , Sirrine J. Robert , Ostrom Marcia R. , Miller Michelle
Published: November 2023

Hard cider is a sector of a maturing craft beverage industry that continues to experience growth in the United States. Cider is also experiencing challenges, however, such as competition from other alcohol markets, changing consumer preferences, the supply chain, and inflationary pressures. National policy changes may help promote more optimal outcomes for this sector, but public support is important to policy formation. This study uses survey data from a best-worst scaling experiment of consumers in four leading cider-producing states (Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin, and Vermont) to understand preferences toward ten broad cider policy initiatives. The results of multinomial logistic modeling reveal that consumers prefer policies mandating ingredients, nutrition facts, and allergen labeling across all ciders. The least preferred policy initiatives include allowing producers to use vintage on labeling and funding regional cider development. These results have important implications for stakeholders across the industry, including the benefits of labeling disclosures in marketing and the need to improve public awareness of barriers to cider industry development.
How to Save Pascal (and Ourselves) From the Mugger
Authors: Hiller Avram , Hasan Ali
Published: November 2023

In this article, we re-examine Pascal's Mugging, and argue that it is a deeper problem than the St. Petersburg paradox. We offer a way out that is consistent with classical decision theory. Specifically, we propose a “many muggers” response analogous to the “many gods” objection to Pascal's Wager. When a very tiny probability of a great reward becomes a salient outcome of a choice, such as in the offer of the mugger, it can be discounted on the condition that there are many other symmetric, non-salient rewards that one may receive if one chooses otherwise.
Online gait learning with Assist-As-Needed control strategy for post-stroke rehabilitation exoskeletons
Authors: Zou Chaobin , Zeng Chao , Huang Rui , Peng Zhinan , Zhang Jianwei , Cheng Hong
Published: November 2023

Lower limb exoskeletons (LLEs) have demonstrated their potential in delivering quantified repetitive gait training for individuals afflicted with gait impairments. A critical concern in robotic gait training pertains to fostering active patient engagement, and a viable solution entails harnessing the patient’s intrinsic effort to govern the control of LLEs. To address these challenges, this study presents an innovative online gait learning approach with an appropriate control strategy for rehabilitation exoskeletons based on dynamic movement primitives (DMP) and an Assist-As-Needed (AAN) control strategy, denoted as DMP-AAN. Specifically tailored for post-stroke patients, this approach aims to acquire the gait trajectory from the unaffected leg and subsequently generate the reference gait trajectory for the affected leg, leveraging the acquired model and the patient’s personal exertion. Compared to conventional AAN methodologies, the proposed DMP-AAN approach exhibits adaptability to diverse scenarios encompassing varying gait patterns. Experimental validation has been performed using the lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton HemiGo. The findings highlight the ability to generate suitable control efforts for LLEs with reduced human-robot interactive force, thereby enabling highly patient-controlled gait training sessions to be achieved.
Introduction: the material culture of public space in early modern Europe
Authors: Nevola Fabrizio
Published: November 2023

This special issue draws on new research conducted by the PUblic REnaissance: Urban Cultures of Public Space between Early Modern Europe and the Present project, funded by the Humanities in the European Research Area (see: www.hiddencities.eu). The project considers how public spaces, from street corners to major city squares, were shaped by the everyday activities of ordinary city dwellers between 1450 and 1700. We have focused on the urban fabric, and the ways in which meanings are attached to specific sites in the city (and objects in museum collections) that are often overlooked – the material culture of public space. Our themes are familiar to urban historians – sociability, the circulation of knowledge, information or gossip, authority and its contestation – although by moving between textual sources, maps, the built fabric and museum artefacts, our interdisciplinary and cross-Europe approach is structured around material objects in the early modern period.
Data-to-text generation using conditional generative adversarial with enhanced transformer
Authors: Seifossadat Elham , Sameti Hossein
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we propose an enhanced version of the vanilla transformer for data-to-text generation and then use it as the generator of a conditional generative adversarial model to improve the semantic quality and diversity of output sentences. Specifically, by adding a diagonal mask matrix to the attention scores of the encoder and using the history of the attention weights in the decoder, this enhanced version of the vanilla transformer prevents semantic defects in the output text. Also, using this enhanced transformer along with a triplet network, respectively, as the generator and discriminator of conditional generative adversarial network, diversity and semantic quality of sentences are guaranteed. To prove the effectiveness of the proposed model, called conditional generative adversarial with enhanced transformer (CGA-ET), we performed experiments on three different datasets and observed that our proposed model is able to achieve better results than the baselines models in terms of BLEU, METEOR, NIST, ROUGE-L, CIDEr, BERTScore, and SER automatic evaluation metrics as well as human evaluation.
Legislative Civility, Gridlock, Polarization, and Productivity
Authors: Schreckhise William D. , Pierce John C. , Benjamin Francis A. , Lovrich Nicholas P. , Button Eric
Published: November 2023

This article examines the relationship between legislative civility and legislative productivity in US state legislatures. The research employs data from the National Survey of State Legislative Lobbyists and from the State Policy Innovation and Diffusion (SPID) database. The former dataset is used to generate an overall civility index for each state as developed by Kettler et al. The SPID database allows one to measure the legislative productivity of a state legislature. Employing these data, negative binomial and Poisson regression models reveal that state legislatures rated as more civil by their own lobbyists produced significantly more pieces of noteworthy legislation than those legislative bodies rated as less civil. These results suggest that the quality of internal legislative dynamics matters for legislative productivity.
Probabilistic Intraday Wastewater Treatment Plant Inflow Forecast Utilizing Rain Forecast Data and Sewer Network Sensor Data
Authors: Sonnenschein Björn , Ziel Florian
Published: November 2023

Forecasting of wastewater treatment plant inflow dynamics constitutes an enabler technology for wastewater treatment process optimization using model predictive control. However, accurate inflow prediction is still challenging, especially for strong rainfall events, where complex system dynamics and missing information on future rainfall represent limiting factors. We propose a seasonal probabilistic time series model for modeling the short‐term wastewater inflow accurately while providing quantification of forecast uncertainty. To ensure suitability for practical implementation, the unconstrained parameters of the predictive distribution are modeled as linear functions of the input variables in the framework of Generalized Additive Models for Location Scale and Shape. Non‐linear effects are approximated by Rectified Linear Units, accounting for buffering within the sewer network and flow‐dependent catchment response time. In addition to water level measurements from within the sewer network and rain rate measurements, rain forecasts are incorporated as exogenous regressors, where historical rain forecasts are used for model calibration. The model performance is evaluated on historical data from a German wastewater treatment plant using deterministic and probabilistic scoring rules. We benchmark against an autoregressive time series model and a long short‐term memory artificial neural network. Our results show that the proposed model unites the benefits of high prediction accuracy of the neural network and enhanced intelligibility of the autoregressive model, but accurate real‐time rain forecasts are mandatory for successful real‐world implementation.
Exploring Cohesive Sediment Flocculation With Surface Heterogeneity: A Theoretical Lagrangian‐Type Flocculation Model
Authors: Cui Zhenghui , Huang Lei , Fang Hongwei , Han Dong , Bombardelli Fabian
Published: November 2023

The flocculation of cohesive sediments significantly influences the particle size, concentration, and settling velocity and further influences sediment transport and pollutant transformation in the natural environment. The population balance equation (PBE) was used to model flocculation processes, including aggregation and floc breakup. This paper presents a theoretical Lagrangian‐type flocculation dynamic model established by solving the PBE using moment methodology and similarity transformation. The influence of surface heterogeneities (F2a) of the particles was incorporated. Sensitivity tests revealed that the model performance was significantly related to the aggregation and breakup parameters, which varied with ambient conditions. Furthermore, the effects of the shear rate, sediment concentration, particle size, and surface heterogeneity were analyzed theoretically. A critical shear rate distinguishes two cases: an increasing shear rate tends to increase the equilibrium floc size (Dfe) under low‐shear conditions, whereas a negative correlation exists at high‐shear levels. The dependence of Dfe on sediment concentration is complex, and increasing the initial concentration can enhance or limit the propensity to flocculate at different shear levels. Additionally, the enlargement of the primary particle size and surface heterogeneity reduces the propensity for flocculation. This study proposes a preliminary theoretical analysis method of flocculation processes considering factors such as surface heterogeneity, showing the possibility of further enhancing the knowledge of cohesive sediment transport.
Depth Variance of Organic Matter Respiration Stoichiometry in the Subtropical North Atlantic and the Implications for the Global Oxygen Cycle
Authors: Gerace Skylar D. , Fagan Adam J. , Primeau François W. , Moreno Allison R. , Lethaby Paul , Johnson Rodney J. , Martiny Adam C.
Published: November 2023

Climate warming likely drives ocean deoxygenation, but models still cannot fully explain observed declines in oxygen. One unconstrained parameter is the oxygen demand per carbon respired for complete remineralization of organic matter (i.e., the total respiration quotient, rΣ‐O2:C). Here, we tested if rΣ‐O2:C declined with depth by quantifying suspended concentrations of particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate organic nitrogen (PON), particulate organic phosphorus (POP), particulate chemical oxygen demand (PCOD), and total oxygen demand (Σ‐O2 = PCOD + 2PON) down to a depth of 1,000 m in the Sargasso Sea. The respiration quotient (r‐O2:C = PCOD:POC) and total respiration quotient (rΣ‐O2:C = Σ‐O2:POC) declined with depth in the euphotic zone, but increased vertically in the disphotic zone. C:N and rΣ‐O2:N changed with depth, but surface values were similar to values at 1,000 m. C:P, N:P, and rΣ‐O2:P mostly decreased with depth. We hypothesize that rΣ‐O2:C is linked to multiple environmental factors that change with depth, such as phytoplankton community structure and the preferential production/removal of biomolecules. Using a global model, we show that the global distribution of dissolved oxygen is equally sensitive to r‐O2:C varying between surface biomes versus vertically during remineralization. Additionally, adjusting the model's r‐O2:C with depth to match our observations resulted in less dissolved oxygen throughout the upper ocean. Most of this loss occurred in the tropical Pacific thermocline, where oxygen models underestimate deoxygenation the most. This study aims to improve our understanding of biological oxygen demand as warming‐induced deoxygenation continues.
Amplified Subsurface Signals of Ocean Acidification
Authors: Fassbender Andrea J. , Carter Brendan R. , Sharp Jonathan D. , Huang Yibin , Arroyo Mar C. , Frenzel Hartmut
Published: November 2023

We evaluate the impact of anthropogenic carbon (Cant) accumulation on multiple ocean acidification (OA) metrics throughout the water column and across the major ocean basins using the GLODAPv2.2016b mapped product. OA is largely considered a surface‐intensified process caused by the air‐to‐sea transfer of Cant; however, we find that the partial pressure of carbon dioxide gas (pCO2), Revelle sensitivity Factor (RF), and hydrogen ion concentration ([H+]) exhibit their largest responses to Cant well below the surface (>100 m). This is because subsurface seawater is usually less well‐buffered than surface seawater due to the accumulation of natural carbon from organic matter remineralization. pH and aragonite saturation state (ΩAr) do not exhibit spatially coherent amplified subsurface responses to Cant accumulation in the GLODAPv2.2016b mapped product, though nonlinear characteristics of the carbonate system work to amplify subsurface changes in each OA metric evaluated except ΩAr. Regional variability in the vertical gradients of natural and anthropogenic carbon create regional hot spots of subsurface intensified OA metric changes, with implications for vertical shifts in biologically relevant chemical thresholds. Cant accumulation has resulted in subsurface pCO2, RF, and [H+] changes that significantly exceed their respective surface change magnitudes, sometimes by >100%, throughout large expanses of the ocean. Such interior ocean pCO2 changes are outpacing the atmospheric pCO2 change that drives OA itself. Re‐emergence of these waters at the sea surface could lead to elevated CO2 evasion rates and reduced ocean carbon storage efficiency in high‐latitude regions where waters do not have time to fully equilibrate with the atmosphere before subduction.
Eleven‐Year Survey of the Magmatic‐Hydrothermal Fluids From Peteroa Volcano: Identifying Precursory Signals of the 2018–2019 Eruption
Authors: Agusto Mariano , Lamberti María Clara , Tassi Franco , Carbajal Fabricio , Llano Joaquín , Nogués Victoria , Núñez Nicolás , Sánchez Hernán , Rizzo Andrea , García Sebastián , Yiries Jazmín , Vélez María Laura , Massenzio Antonella , Velasquez Gabriela , Bucarey Claudia , Gómez Martín , Euillades Pablo , Ramos Víctor
Published: November 2023

Over the past decade, we have conducted geochemical and isotopic monitoring of the fumarolic gases of the Peteroa volcano (Argentina‐Chile). Using the resulting data set, we constructed a conceptual model that describes the evolution of the magmatic‐hydrothermal system and identifies precursory geochemical signals of the last eruption. Our data set includes new chemical and isotopic analyses of fumarolic gas samples collected from 2016 to 2021, as well as previously published data from the 2010–2015 period. After an eruptive period in 2010–2011, the activity was characterized by low degassing rates and seismic activity. However, an increase in seismic activity and fumarolic gas emissions was observed from 2016 to 2018–2019 eruptive episode, leading to a major phreato‐magmatic eruption. Fumarole gases show different compositions during quiescent versus unrest/eruptive degassing related to the interaction of deep (magmatic) and shallow (hydrothermal) fluid contributions. During quiescent periods, fumaroles exhibited low SO2/H2S, HF/CO2, and HCl/CO2 ratios (<0.1), revealing a dominant hydrothermal contribution. In contrast, during pre‐and syn‐eruptive periods, fumaroles showed ratios up to 100 times higher indicative of an enhanced magmatic input. When compared to the evolution of the seismic activity, the increment of magmatic‐related strong acidic gases suggests repeated inputs of hot magmatic fluids, which are only partially dissolved into the hydrothermal system feeding the fumaroles. Interestingly, the 3He/4He and δ13C‐CO2 values remained relatively constant during the magmatic and hydrothermal degassing in 2016–2021, suggesting that the deep magmatic gas source did not significantly change throughout variations in Peteroa's activity.
The Short‐Term Effects and Burden of Ambient Air Pollution on Hospitalization for Type 2 Diabetes: Time‐Stratified Case‐Crossover Evidence From Sichuan, China
Authors: Jiang Wanyanhan , Chen Han , Li Hongwei , Zhou Yuelin , Xie Mengxue , Zhou Chengchao , Yang Lian
Published: November 2023

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a complicated metabolic disease, might be developed or exacerbated by air pollution, resulting in economic and health burden to patients. So far, limited studies have estimated associations between short‐term exposure to air pollution and disease burden of T2DM in China. Hence, we aimed to estimate the associations and burden of ambient air pollutants (NO2, PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and CO) on hospital admissions (HAs) for T2DM using a time‐stratified case‐crossover design. Data on HAs for T2DM during 2017–2019 were collected from hospital electronic health records in nine cities in Sichuan Province using conditional poisson regression. Totally, 92,381 T2DM hospitalizations were recorded. There were significant short‐term effects of NO2, PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and CO on HAs for T2DM. A 10 μg/m3 increment of NO2, PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and CO as linked with a 3.39% (95% CI: 2.26%, 4.54%), 0.33% (95% CI: 0.04%, 0.62%), 0.76% (95% CI: 0.35%, 1.16%), 12.68% (95% CI: 8.14%, 17.42%) and 79.00% (95% CI: 39.81%, 129.18%) increase in HAs for T2DM at lag 6. Stratified analyses modified by age, sex, and season showed old (≥65 years) and female patients linked with higher impacts. Using WHO's air quality guidelines of NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and CO as the reference, the attributable number of T2DM HAs exceeding these pollutants exposures were 786, 323, 793, and 2,127 during 2017–2019. Besides, the total medical costs of 25.83, 10.54, 30.74, and 67.78 million China Yuan were attributed to NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and CO. In conclusion, short‐term exposures to air pollutants were associated with higher risks of HAs for T2DM.
Enhanced Denudation of the Emeishan Large Igneous Province and Precipitation Forcing in the Late Permian
Authors: Yang Jianghai , Cawood Peter A. , Yuan Xiaoping , Yuan Dongxun , Zhou Yinsheng , Liu Ao , Liu Jianzhong , Du Yuansheng
Published: November 2023

Hydroclimate is an important factor controlling landscape evolution. But establishing the impact of hydroclimate is complicated by the influences of other processes and is especially hard to prove for those in deep time from geological record. During the late Permian, voluminous basaltic sediments were derived from the erosion of the Emeishan large igneous province in western South China. They provide a unique record critical in understanding the responses of tropical basaltic erosion to hydroclimate change without impacts of orogenic uplift, lithologic variation, vegetational difference and glacial‐interglacial change. Sampled successions define a negative carbon isotope excursion capable of making regional and global stratigraphic correlations in the middle Wuchiapingian interval corresponding to the final phase of the late Paleozoic ice age. This interval is associated with a petrofacies shift and a decreasing source weathering intensity, a downward shift of erosion loci, and a reduced coastal water paleosalinity. Applying present‐day temperature dependence pattern of basaltic weathering and using land surface temperatures approximated from nearby paleo‐seawaters, denudation rates were calculated for the Emeishan basaltic province and shows an increase from ∼71 to ∼107 m/Ma. This erosional acceleration is temporally correlated with a decrease in paleosalinity and likely linked to enhanced freshwater discharge in the middle Wuchiapingian. Scaling and landscape erosion modeling suggest ∼80%–130% increase in catchment precipitation could have driven this acceleration in denudation. Our work provides a positive test for the hydroclimate forcing on landscape erosion in deep time and underlines the mechanistic linkage of sediments with erosion and climate change.
Sensitivity of Tropical Cyclone Development to the Vortex Size Under Vertical Wind Shear
Authors: Huang Qijun , Ge Xuyang
Published: November 2023

The sensitivity of tropical cyclone (TC) intensification to its inner size in a sheared environment is investigated in this study. Previous research indicated that TCs with smaller sizes spin up more quickly in a quiescent environment. In contrast, our idealized numerical simulations show that TCs with larger inner‐core sizes experience faster growth within a certain size range under the vertical wind shear (VWS) because stronger upper‐level outflows are established quickly for larger TCs. The presence of strong outflow diminishes the impact of VWS, causing the TC re‐alignment. In more detail, the stronger outflow locally reduces the shear, allowing the convective asymmetry to propagate to the upshear side and migrate inward toward the TC center more rapidly. The upshear convection leads to a stronger outflow and thus a greater blocking effect on the upper‐level wind, effectively reducing the VWS and thus allowing subsequent faster TC growth. Our analysis reveals that the TC re‐alignment at an earlier stage allows for significant differences in surface heat flux (surface latent heat flux [SLHF]) distribution based on size. Larger TCs exhibit larger areas of high SLHF, which create favorable thermodynamic conditions for TC developments. Conversely, smaller vortices have limited SLHF underneath, resulting in a prolonged intensification process. Furthermore, the boundary layer recovery mechanism effectively counteracts the low‐level ventilation pathway imposed by the shear. This mechanism supports the downstream deep convection development on the upshear side. This study presents a new perspective, highlighting that the impact of shear on TCs is contingent upon their sizes upon entering a sheared environment.
A New CCN Number Concentration Prediction Method Based on Multiple Linear Regression and Non‐Negative Matrix Factorization: 2. Application to Obtain CCN Spectra in and Around the Korean Peninsula
Authors: Park Minsu , Yum Seong Soo , Seo Pyosuk , Ahn Chanwoo , Kim Najin , Anderson Bruce E. , Thornhill Kenneth L.
Published: November 2023

The new cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentration (NCCN) prediction method that combines multiple linear regression and non‐negative matrix factorization, hereafter the MLRNMF method, to the aerosol number size distribution data is evaluated and applied to the Korea‐United States air quality (KORUS‐AQ) airborne measurement data. The mean fractional bias (MFB) and the mean fractional error (MFE) were used as performance metrics. The performance metrics of the MLRNMF method for the test data set at several supersaturations (S) (0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%) met the performance goal values (MFB and MFE being less than or equal to ±30% and +50%, respectively), and thus, it implies that the MLRNMF method is appropriate at various S. Applying the MLRNMF method to KORUS‐AQ airborne measurement data, it was demonstrated that aerosols in Seoul, Korean Peninsula, East Sea, and South Sea had similar hygroscopicity to each other, and aerosols over the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea showed similar hygroscopicity values during the KORUS‐AQ field campaign. Based on the MLRNMF method, two parameterizations of CCN spectra for a full S range representing various regions in and around the Korean Peninsula in springtime were formulated (Twomey relationship and logarithmic fitting curve). Additionally, it was found that NCCN decreased exponentially with altitude, and the scale height was approximately 1,700 m in the Seoul metropolitan area. The MLRNMF method can be used to create a global distribution map of NCCN or CCN spectra in many regions around the world.
Mechanisms Controlling the 4D Distribution of Rainfall and Latent Heating Over the Rainiest Region on Earth
Authors: Poveda Germán
Published: November 2023

Global Precipitation Measurement satellite and ERA5 reanalysis data are used to study the 4D (latitude, longitude, altitude, time) distribution of rainfall intensity and latent heating fields over the rainiest region on Earth, located over western Colombia and the far eastern equatorial Pacific. The annual and interannual variability and the location of both variables' maxima are identified, and their spatiotemporal correlations are quantified. Static analyses of the winds show that the colder Choco low‐level jet (LLJ) and the warmer Caribbean‐Panama jet form a tropical frontal system. Dynamic analyses of 3D streamlines reveal that the Choco LLJ is at the core of a quasi‐permanent mini‐Hadley cell over the Pacific, with sinking motion between 6°S‐Equator and rising motion at 5°N–8°N, comprised between 1,000 and 700 hPa. Such vortex dynamics enhances the convergence of the northerly winds and the Panama jet, and exacerbates deep convection in association with the orographic lifting over the Colombian Andes. The large‐scale branches of that flow illuminate the shape and dynamics of the Walker cell over tropical South America. Correlation analyses illustrate the connections between rainfall and 3D winds as moisture transport mechanisms. Correlation and singular value decomposition analyses suggest that oceanic (continental) evaporation is associated with rainfall during the drier (wetter) season, and the importance of high‐levels temperatures and vertical integrals of diverse thermal and energy variables on rainfall bolster the view that the condensational heating is strongly coupled with the moisture transport flow and the convective ascent required to explain such extraordinary amounts of rainfall.
Defining Arctic Stratospheric Polar Vortex Intensification Events
Authors: Huang Jinlong , Hitchcock Peter
Published: November 2023

Using the ERA5 reanalysis data, we identify seven easily calculable indices of the strength of the Arctic stratospheric vortex: zonal winds at 10 hPa and temperature or height anomalies at 10 , 50, and 100 hPa. We then compare the climatological statistics and meteorological properties of strong and weak events based on these indices. We particularly consider the sensitivity of the event statistics to the choice of thresholds, the use of these indices in capturing stratosphere–troposphere coupling, and meteorological conditions relevant to chemical ozone depletion. The frequency, seasonal distribution, and interdecadal variability of strong events is more sensitive to threshold or index choice compared to weak events. Composites of polar‐cap geopotential height anomalies are found to differ significantly based on the choice of index. In particular, height‐based events reveal a strong and immediate barotropic response near the central date due to surface pressure fluctuations, making it more difficult to regard central dates of height‐based events as purely stratospheric in origin. We further characterize the relationship of all indices to conditions relevant to chemical ozone depletion, finding that temperature‐based indices in the lower stratosphere perform best. Finally, we present four dynamical benchmarks used to assess and compare the representation of strong events in climate models. Our results highlight the challenges in determining the optimal definition for strong events and emphasize the implications of different choices, providing valuable insights for guiding future studies in defining strong events.
High‐Resolution Mapping of Regional NMVOCs Using the Fast Space‐Time Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM)
Authors: Lu Bingqing , Liu Chao , Meng Xue , Zhang Zekun , Herrmann Hartmut , Li Xiang
Published: November 2023

Accurate spatiotemporal estimation of non‐methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) plays a pivotal role in establishing sophisticated early warning systems and formulating strategies to combat air pollution. Despite these critical applications, robust estimation of high spatiotemporal resolution NMVOCs concentrations remains a challenge. In this study, we develop a space‐time Light Gradient Boosting Machine (STLGB) model, which successfully renders hourly maps of NMVOCs concentrations across Shanghai from 2019 to 2022 by integrating spatiotemporal information. After extensive training, the STLGB model demonstrates remarkable estimation performance for NMVOCs, accounting for multiple spatiotemporal variables (R2 = 0.92, RMSE = 34.52 ppb). With the developed model, we provide first high‐resolution (1 km) hourly NMVOCs concentration maps, uncovering previously overlooked spatiotemporal variations. Further, SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) regression values reveal significant local interpretation capabilities of the STLGB model, emphasizing the strong influence of emissions on NMVOCs estimation, whilst acknowledging the important contribution of space and time term. Our study of the pandemic lockdown further showcases the model's adaptability to unique events influenced by policy changes. The superior performance of the STLGB model, with its minimal computational memory requirements and faster speed, makes it an ideal tool for air pollutant estimation, adaptable to any region with NMVOCs monitoring capabilities.
Background Topography Affects the Degree of Three‐Dimensionality of Tidal Sand Waves
Authors: Krabbendam Janneke , Nnafie Abdel , Borsje Bas , de Swart Huib
Published: November 2023

Offshore tidal sand waves on the sandy bed of shallow continental shelf seas are more three‐dimensional (3D) in some places than others, where 3D refers to a pattern that shows variations in three spatial directions. Such sand waves have crestlines that meander, split or merge. The degree of three‐dimensionality seems to vary especially when large‐scale bedforms, such as tidal sand banks, are present underneath the sand waves. Understanding this behavior is important for offshore activities, such as offshore windfarm construction or the maintenance of navigation channels. In this study, the degree of three‐dimensionality of sand waves at five sites in the North Sea is quantified with a new measure. Results show that tidal sand waves on top of tidal sand banks are more two‐dimensional (2D) than those on bank slopes or in open areas. These differences in sand wave pattern are supported by numerical simulations performed with a new long‐term sand wave model. The primary cause of these differences is attributed to the deflection of tidal flow over a sand bank, which causes sand wave crests to be more aligned with the bank at its top than at its slopes. It is subsequently made plausible that the different patterns result from the competition between two known mechanisms. These mechanisms are nonlinear interactions between sand waves themselves (SW‐SW interactions) and nonlinear interactions between sand banks and sand waves (SB‐SW interactions). On bank tops, SB‐SW interactions favor a 2D pattern, while SW‐SW interactions, which elsewhere produce a 3D pattern, are less effective.
Comparing Agriculture‐Related Characteristics of Flash and Normal Drought Reveals Heterogeneous Crop Response
Authors: Ho Sarah , Buras Allan , Tuo Ye
Published: November 2023

Despite rapid progress in the burgeoning field of flash drought research, few studies directly compare the differences in characteristics between flash drought (commonly understood as quick, rapid‐onset drought) and drought traditionally defined as slow‐moving (henceforth normal drought), particularly over agricultural regions where drought effects may be economically the most disastrous. In this study, flash and normal drought events are identified using reanalysis of soil moisture in the data‐rich agricultural region of the California Central Valley for investigation of characteristics related to agriculture. In particular, we investigate the relative duration of pixels in drought events, the correlation of drought intensity with vegetation condition, the impact of aridity on vegetation response and drought, and the differences in the different characteristics between rainfed and irrigated agriculture. Overall, we found considerable differences between flash and normal drought, particularly in their spatial distributions and behavior in relation to aridity. Flash droughts even indicate a counterintuitive improvement in vegetation condition in the northern, more humid regions, likely due to the release of growth limiting factors (e.g., below‐optimum temperature and radiation) associated with drought. Results also indicate improvements in vegetation conditions during normal drought for irrigated land over rainfed, highlighting the importance of irrigation as a drought protection strategy in agriculture.
Effective Permeability in Fractured Reservoirs: Discrete Fracture Matrix Simulations and Percolation‐Based Effective‐Medium Approximation
Authors: Agbaje Tolulope Q. , Ghanbarian Behzad , Hyman Jeffrey D.
Published: November 2023

Fractured reservoirs are complex and multi‐scale systems composed of matrix and fractures. Accordingly, modeling flow in such geological media has been a great challenge. In this study, we investigated the effect of scale as well as matrix and fracture network characteristics on the effective permeability (keff) in matrix‐fracture systems under fully saturated conditions. We generated fracture networks, embedded within a matrix of permeability of 10−18 m2, with fracture lengths followed a truncated power‐law distribution with exponent α = 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5. We set fracture permeability equal to 10−16, 10−14, and 10−12 m2 and numerically simulated fluid flow to determine the keff at six fracture densities for 36 fractured reservoirs. Results showed that the effect of α and scale on the keff became more significant as the contrast between matrix and fracture permeabilities increased. We also fit the percolation‐based effective‐medium approximation (P‐EMA) to the simulations and optimized its two parameters critical fracture density and scaling exponent. Results exhibited that both P‐EMA model parameters were scale‐dependent. Through linear regression analysis, we found that the critical fracture density and scaling exponent were highly correlated to other matrix‐fracture system properties and proposed two regression‐based models evaluated using a new six sets of simulations. Comparing the estimated keff values with the simulated ones demonstrated the reliability and predictability of the P‐EMA. The matrix‐fracture systems studied here were finite in size. We also showed that one may extend results to infinitely large reservoirs using the P‐EMA framework.
Efficacy of an app-based multimodal lifestyle intervention on body weight in persons with obesity: results from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Gemesi Kathrin , Winkler Stefanie , Schmidt-Tesch Susanne , Schederecker Florian , Hauner Hans , Holzapfel Christina
Published: November 2023

Background

Despite an increasing number of smartphone applications (apps) addressing weight management, data on the effect of app-based multimodal obesity treatment approaches on weight loss is limited. This study aimed to examine the effect of a digital multimodal weight loss intervention program delivered by an app on body weight in persons with obesity.

Methods

For this single-centre randomized controlled study, 168 adults with a body mass index (BMI) between 30.0 and 40.0 kg/m2 without severe comorbidities were recruited in the region of Munich and randomized into two intervention groups. The ADHOC group received an app-based multimodal weight loss program from baseline on for 12 weeks plus 12 weeks of follow-up. The EXPECT group received the app-based intervention for 12 weeks after 12 weeks of “waiting” (no intervention). Anthropometric data, data on quality of life (EuroQol, EQ-5D-5L), and app usage data were collected.

Results

64.3% of study participants were women, mean age was 46.8 ± 11.0 years, and mean BMI was 34.2 ± 2.8 kg/m2. The completers analysis resulted in a weight loss of 3.2 ± 3.2 kg (3.2 ± 3.0%) in the ADHOC group and 0.4 ± 2.6 kg (0.3 ± 2.6%) in the EXPECT group after 12 weeks, with a significant difference between the groups (β [95% CI] = −2.9 [−3.8; −1.9], p < 0.001). Completers in the ADHOC group showed weight maintenance after 24 weeks. The time spent on the app was associated with weight reduction (β [95% CI] = −0.10 [−0.18; −0.01], p = 0.03).

Conclusions

Application of a multimodal app-based weight loss program results in moderate weight loss in persons with obesity.

Trial registration

This study was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (Registration number: DRKS00025291).
Comparison of 18F-based PSMA radiotracers with [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 in PET/CT imaging of prostate cancer—a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Siyu , Ong Sean , McKenzie Dean , Mirabelli Adam , Chen David C. , Chengodu Thilakavathi , Murphy Declan G. , Hofman Michael S. , Lawrentschuk Nathan , Perera Marlon
Published: November 2023

Background

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has become an increasingly established imaging modality in the staging of prostate cancer (PCa). Numerous PSMA-based tracers are currently available, however, there is a lack of consensus on the optimal radiotracer(s) for PSMA PET/CT. This study aims to investigate whether Fluorine-18 (18F)-labelled PSMA PET/CT is significantly different from Gallium-68 (68Ga) in primary diagnosis and/or secondary staging of prostate cancer following biochemical recurrence.

Methods

A critical review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and Web of Science databases was performed in May 2023 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. Studies that directly compared 18F-based PSMA radiotracers and [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 in terms of the normal organ SUV or the lesion SUV or the detection rate were assessed. Quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2).

Results

Twenty-four studies were analysed. [18F]DCFPyL and [18F]PSMA-1007 were the two most commonly studied 18F based PSMA tracers. [18F]JK-PSMA-7, [18F]rhPSMA-7, [18F]AlF-PSMA-11 were the new tracers evaluated in a limited number of studies. Overall, [18F]DCFPyL was observed to have a similar lesion detection rate to [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 with no increase in false positive rates. [18F]PSMA-1007 was found to have a greater local lesion detection rate because of its predominant hepatobiliary excretory route. However, [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 was observed to have a similar local lesion detection rate in studies that administer patients with furosemide prior to the scan. In addition, [18F]PSMA-1007 was found to have a significant number of benign bone uptakes.

Conclusions

[18F]DCFPyL was observed to be similar to [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11. [18F]PSMA-1007 was observed to be less preferrable to [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 due to its high benign bone uptakes. Overall, there was not enough evidence in differentiating the radiotracers based on their clinical impacts.
TRAF6 triggers Mycobacterium-infected host autophagy through Rab7 ubiquitination
Authors: Ma Qinmei , Yu Jialin , Liu Li , Ma Xiaoyan , Zhang Jiaxue , Zhang Jiamei , Wang Xiaoping , Deng Guangcun , Wu Xiaoling
Published: November 2023

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is extensively involved in the autophagy process by interacting with diverse autophagy initiation and autophagosome maturation molecules. However, whether TRAF6 interacts with lysosomal proteins to regulate Mycobacterium-induced autophagy has not been completely characterized. Herein, the present study showed that TRAF6 interacted with lysosomal key proteins Rab7 through RING domain which caused Rab7 ubiquitination and subsequently ubiquitinated Rab7 binds to STX17 (syntaxin 17, a SNARE protein that is essential for mature autophagosome), and thus promoted the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. Furthermore, TRAF6 enhanced the initiation and formation of autophagosomes in Mycobacterium-induced autophagy in both BMDMs and RAW264.7 cells, as evidenced by autophagic flux, colocalization of LC3 and BCG, autophagy rates, and autophagy-associated protein expression. Noteworthy to mention, TRAF6 deficiency exacerbated lung injury and promoted BCG survival. Taken together, these results identify novel molecular and cellular mechanisms by which TRAF6 positively regulates Mycobacterium-induced autophagy.
Structural insights into ligand recognition and selectivity of the human hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor HCAR2
Authors: Pan Xin , Ye Fang , Ning Peiruo , Zhang Zhiyi , Li Xinyu , Zhang Binghao , Wang Qian , Chen Geng , Gao Wei , Qiu Chen , Wu Zhangsong , Li Jiancheng , Zhu Lizhe , Xia Jiang , Gong Kaizheng , Du Yang
Published: November 2023

Hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 2 (HCAR2) belongs to the family of class A G protein-coupled receptors with key roles in regulating lipolysis and free fatty acid formation in humans. It is deeply involved in many pathophysiological processes and serves as an attractive target for the treatment of cardiovascular, neoplastic, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases. Here, we report four cryo-EM structures of human HCAR2–Gi1 complexes with or without agonists, including the drugs niacin (2.69 Å) and acipimox (3.23 Å), the highly subtype-specific agonist MK-6892 (3.25 Å), and apo form (3.28 Å). Combined with molecular dynamics simulation and functional analysis, we have revealed the recognition mechanism of HCAR2 for different agonists and summarized the general pharmacophore features of HCAR2 agonists, which are based on three key residues R1113.36, S17945.52, and Y2847.43. Notably, the MK-6892–HCAR2 structure shows an extended binding pocket relative to other agonist-bound HCAR2 complexes. In addition, the key residues that determine the ligand selectivity between the HCAR2 and HCAR3 are also illuminated. Our findings provide structural insights into the ligand recognition, selectivity, activation, and G protein coupling mechanism of HCAR2, which shed light on the design of new HCAR2-targeting drugs for greater efficacy, higher selectivity, and fewer or no side effects.
Does diet quality matter? A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Kahleova Hana , Brennan Haley , Znayenko-Miller Tatiana , Holubkov Richard , Barnard Neal D.
Published: November 2023

This secondary analysis assessed the association of a plant-based index (PDI), healthful (hPDI), and unhealthful (uPDI), with weight loss in overweight adults. Participants (n = 244) were randomly assigned to a vegan (n = 122) or control group (n = 122) for 16 weeks. Three-day dietary records were analyzed and PDI indices were calculated. A repeated measure ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. All three scores increased in the vegan group; the effect sizes were: PDI +10.6 (95% CI +8.6 to +12.6; p < 0.001); hPDI +10.9 (95% CI +8.4 to +13.4; p < 0.001); and uPDI +5.4 (95% CI +3.4 to +7.4; p < 0.001). The change in all three scores significantly correlated with change in body weight: PDI (r = −0.40; p < 0.001); hPDI (r = −0.37; p < 0.001); and uPDI (r = −0.21; p = 0.002). These findings suggest that minimizing the consumption of animal products and oil may be an effective weight loss strategy in overweight adults. ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02939638.
Aneuploidy during development in facultative parthenogenetic Drosophila
Authors: Sperling A. L. , Glover D. M.
Published: November 2023

From concatenated chromosomes to polyploidization, large-scale genome changes are known to occur in parthenogenetic animals. Here, we report mosaic aneuploidy in larval brains of facultatively parthenogenetic Drosophila. We identified a background of aneuploidy in D. mercatorum strains and found increased levels of aneuploidy in the larval brain tissue of animals arising parthenogenetically versus those arising from sexual reproduction. There is also intra-individual variation in germline-derived aneuploidy within the same strain. To determine if this is a general feature of facultative parthenogenesis in drosophilids, we compared sexually reproduced and parthenogenetic offspring from an engineered facultative parthenogenetic strain of D. melanogaster. In addition to germline-derived aneuploidy, this revealed somatic aneuploidy that increased by up to fourfold in parthenogens compared to sexually reproduced offspring. Therefore, the genetic combination identified in D. mercatorum that causes facultative parthenogenesis in D. melanogaster results in aneuploidy, which indicates that the loss of mitotic control resulting in parthenogenesis causes subsequent genome variation within the parthenogenetic offspring. Our findings challenge the assumption that parthenogenetic offspring are near genetic replicas of their mothers.
Electrophysiological population dynamics reveal context dependencies during decision making in human frontal cortex
Authors: Shih Wan-Yu , Yu Hsiang-Yu , Lee Cheng-Chia , Chou Chien-Chen , Chen Chien , Glimcher Paul W. , Wu Shih-Wei
Published: November 2023

Evidence from monkeys and humans suggests that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encodes the subjective value of options under consideration during choice. Data from non-human primates suggests that these value signals are context-dependent, representing subjective value in a way influenced by the decision makers’ recent experience. Using electrodes distributed throughout cortical and subcortical structures, human epilepsy patients performed an auction task where they repeatedly reported the subjective values they placed on snack food items. High-gamma activity in many cortical and subcortical sites including the OFC positively correlated with subjective value. Other OFC sites showed signals contextually modulated by the subjective value of previously offered goods—a context dependency predicted by theory but not previously observed in humans. These results suggest that value and value-context signals are simultaneously present but separately represented in human frontal cortical activity.
The two-qubit singlet/triplet measurement is universal for quantum computing given only maximally-mixed initial states
Authors: Rudolph Terry , Virmani Shashank Soyuz
Published: November 2023

In order to delineate which minimalistic physical primitives can enable the full power of universal quantum computing, it has been fruitful to consider various measurement based architectures which reduce or eliminate the use of coherent unitary evolution, and also involve operations that are physically natural. In this context previous works had shown that the triplet-singlet measurement of two qubit angular momentum (or equivalently two qubit exchange symmetry) yields the power of quantum computation given access to a few additional different single qubit states or gates. However, Freedman, Hastings and Shokrian-Zini1 recently proposed a remarkable conjecture, called the ‘STP=BQP’ conjecture, which states that the two-qubit singlet/triplet measurement is quantum computationally universal given only an initial ensemble of maximally mixed single qubits. In this work we prove this conjecture. This provides a method for quantum computing that is fully rotationally symmetric (i.e. reference frame independent), using primitives that are physically very-accessible, naturally resilient to certain forms of error, and provably the simplest possible.