bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Contractile Response to Oxytocin in Non-pregnant Rat Uteri Is Modified After the First Pregnancy
Authors: Porta Maura , Boening Amber , Tiemann Jonathan , Zack Adam , Patel Arjun , Sondgeroth Korie
Published: January 2023

During pregnancy, the uterus undergoes several modifications under the influence of hormonal and mechanical stimuli. We hypothesize that while most of these modifications are reverted during involution, some of the physiological properties of the uterus are permanently altered. To investigate this hypothesis, we conducted motility experiments to evaluate the contractility response of uterine tissue samples from non-pregnant virgin and proven breeder female rats to oxytocin (10−10 to 10−5 M). We found that the virgin tissue contracts more robustly than proven breeder tissue in the absence of oxytocin, yet with oxytocin, proven breeder samples displayed a significantly higher increase in activity. These results could depend on a more elevated expression of oxytocin receptor and/or on an alteration in the intracellular pathways affected by the activation of the oxytocin receptors. Here, we explored the impact of some structures involved in the management of intracellular calcium on the dose response to oxytocin recorded from virgin and proven breeder uterine strips. Specifically, we replicated the dose response experiments in low extracellular calcium (10 μM), in the presence of the intracellular calcium channel blocker ruthenium red (10 μM), and in the presence of the sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATP-ase pump inhibitor, cyclopiazonic acid (10 μM). The results of these experiments suggest that also the expression of proteins that control intracellular calcium availability is affected by the experience of pregnancy. Molecular biology experiments will give us more detail on the magnitude of these expression changes.
Impact of face masks and sunglasses on attractiveness, trustworthiness, and familiarity, and limited time effect: a Japanese sample
Authors: Takehara Takuma , Kaigawa Mahiro , Kobayashi Aika , Yamaguchi Yuuka
Published: January 2023

Many studies conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic have examined the relationship between changes in social traits, such as attractiveness and wearing face masks. However, most studies examine the effect of wearing face masks at a single time point, and the time effect is not known. Additionally, few studies address wearing sunglasses, another facial occluding item. This study examined the effects of facial occluding (unoccluded face, face masks, sunglasses, or both) on perceived attractiveness, trustworthiness, and familiarity at two time points, September 2020, six months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and April 2022, almost two years later, using Japanese higher and lower attractive faces. Results showed that only lower attractive faces wearing face masks had a time effect on attractiveness and familiarity and no time effect on social traits in higher attractive faces. Perceived all social traits were the highest for unoccluded faces, and faces wearing face masks had the same level of attractiveness and familiarity as unoccluded faces. Perceived trustworthiness was higher for unoccluded faces, faces wearing face masks, sunglasses, and both sunglasses and face masks, respectively. Additionally, faces wearing both sunglasses and face masks had the lowest perceived all social traits. These findings suggest that the positive and time effects of wearing face masks are limited in Japan, suggesting a greater positive impact of unoccluded faces. They also suggest that the negative impact of wearing sunglasses is significant.
Antimicrobial physician and pharmacist experience and perception of an antimicrobial Self-Stewardship Time-Out Program (SSTOP) intervention at eight Veterans’ Affairs medical centers
Authors: Goedken Cassie Cunningham , Butler Jorie M. , Judd Joshua , Brown Nui , Rubin Michael , Goetz Matthew Bidwell
Published: January 2023

We explored experiences and perceptions surrounding the Self-Stewardship Time-Out Program (SSTOP) intervention across implementation sites to improve antimicrobial use. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with Antibiotic Stewardship physicians and pharmacists, from which 5 key themes emerged. SSTOP may serve to achieve sustainable promotion of antibiotic use improvements.
Thermodynamically consistent phase-field modelling of activated solute transport in binary solvent fluids
Authors: Kou Jisheng , Salama Amgad , Wang Xiuhua
Published: January 2023

Active diffusion of substances in binary immiscible and incompressible fluids with different densities occurs universally in nature and industry, but relevant mathematical models and numerical simulation have been studied scarcely so far. In this paper, a thermodynamically consistent phase-field model is established to describe the activated solute transport in binary fluids with different densities. A mixed free-energy function for multiple solutes is proposed, which leads to different solute chemical potentials in binary solvent fluids, thus it has the ability to characterize the solubility difference of the solutes in two solvents. The two-phase flow is governed by a general hydrodynamic phase-field model that can account for general average velocity and different densities. The proposed model is derived rigorously using the second law of thermodynamics. Moreover, a general multi-component solute diffusion model is established using the Maxwell–Stefan approach, which involves the crossing influences between different solutes. To solve the model effectively, an efficient, linearized and decoupled numerical method is proposed for the model as well. The proposed numerical method can preserve the thermodynamical consistency, i.e. obeying an energy dissipation law at the discrete level, as well as guarantee the mass conservation law for the solutes and solvent fluids. Numerical experiments are carried out to show that the proposed model and numerical method can simulate various processes of the solute active diffusion in two-phase solvent fluids.
Up-glacier propagation of surface lowering of Yala Glacier, Langtang Valley, Nepal Himalaya
Authors: Sunako Sojiro , Fujita Koji , Izumi Takeki , Yamaguchi Satoru , Sakai Akiko , Kayastha Rijan Bhakta
Published: January 2023

We quantify the surface elevation changes along Yala Glacier in Langtang Valley, Nepal Himalaya, since 1981 using geodetic methods to understand the recent evolution and current state of small debris-free glaciers across the region. We analyse differential global positioning system measurements and aerial stereo imagery that were acquired along Yala Glacier in 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2015 to generate digital elevation models for each calculation period. Continuous surface lowering has mainly been observed across the down-glacier area during the calculation periods, although a large degree of variability exists, with this lowering trend propagating up-glacier in recent years. The area-weighted glacier mass balances range from −0.98 ± 0.27 to −0.26 ± 0.30 m w.e. a−1 for the five calculation periods (1981–2007, 2007–2009, 2009–2012, 2012–2015 and 2007–2015). These calculated mass-balance data reveal that Yala Glacier has undergone accelerated mass loss since the late 2000s, which is consistent with the results of previous in situ measurement and remote-sensing studies.
Characteristics of ipsilateral, contralateral and bilateral masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential in healthy adults
Authors: Thirusangu V P , Sinha S K
Published: January 2023

Objective

This study aimed to characterise the ipsilateral, contralateral and bilateral masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential using clicks and 500 Hz tone burst stimuli in healthy adults.

Method

Masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential was recorded from 20 healthy participants aged 19–28 years (11 males and 9 females). Masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential was recorded using 500 Hz tone burst and click stimuli in ipsilateral, contralateral and bilateral modes.

Results

A statistically significant difference was observed between ipsilateral and contralateral stimulation for p11 latency, n21 latency and p11-n21 amplitude for both click and 500 Hz tone burst stimuli. The amplitude of the p11-n21 complex was higher for ipsilateral, contralateral and bilateral stimulations for 500 Hz tone burst than for click stimulus.

Conclusion

This study showed a significant difference for p11-n21 amplitude between click and 500 Hz tone burst evoked masseter vestibular-evoked myogenic potential. In addition, bilateral stimulation elicited a larger response than ipsilateral and contralateral stimulation.
Alebion carchariae (Copepod: Caligidae) host plasticity and distribution: a new host and locality record from Ascension Island
Authors: Orrell Danielle L. , Questel Jennifer M. , Smoot Caitlin A. , Simpson Tiffany , Hussey Nigel E.
Published: January 2023

The first record of the parasite Alebion carchariae in the waters of Ascension Island collected from Galapagos sharks, Carcharhinus galapagensis (Carcharhinidae), is described. No previous record of this parasite exists for Ascension Island, nor have Galapagos sharks previously been listed as a host. Specimens of A. carchariae were identified using morphological techniques and DNA barcoding of the cytochrome c oxidase I subunit (COI) gene. This study provides the first COI barcodes for this species and a brief review of known hosts. We recommend further research to understand the life cycle of this parasite, its plasticity in terms of host/habitat selection, and to determine the implications of its presence on the hosts it inhabits.
Escape from troubled shores: finding of a shallow-water boreal gastropod Onoba aculeus on the high Arctic shelf
Authors: Nekhaev Ivan O. , Rumyantseva Zinaida Y.
Published: January 2023

The species composition and distribution of marine invertebrates varies greatly in different bathymetric regions. Nevertheless, the process of exchange between faunas of different depths has occurred repeatedly throughout the evolution of marine biodiversity. In high latitudes, this process should occur most actively due to absence of strong temperature stratification. The presence of physiological adaptations that allow northern shallow-water organisms to live at greater depth has been demonstrated in a series of experiments. However, known cases of recent colonization by species confined to a highly productive shallow-water zone in unusually deeper Arctic habitats are almost absent. The present study describes finding of population of the gastropod Onoba aculeus (Gould, 1841) in two samples from the lower continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean. Onoba aculeus is a shallow-water amphiatlantic species widely distributed in the temperate regions. The finding reported here is at the same time, the northernmost, easternmost, and most remote from the coast location. We assume that the detection of molluscs indicates the presence of an abundant isolated population in the region.
Low status, humiliation, dopamine and risk of schizophrenia
Authors: Selten Jean Paul , Ormel Johan
Published: January 2023

The social defeat hypothesis of schizophrenia, which proposes that the chronic experience of outsider status or subordinate position leads to increased striatal dopamine activity and thereby to increased risk, has been criticized. The aims of this paper are to improve the definition of defeat and to integrate the social defeat hypothesis with the neurodevelopmental hypothesis. Marmot advanced the idea that low status is pathogenic in that it is associated with a lack of social participation and a lack of autonomy. Given the similarity with outsider status and subordinate position, we re-define social defeat as low status. From this new perspective it is also likely that pre-schizophrenic impairments (of neurodevelopmental origin or not) are pathogenic in that they contribute to low status. The effect of low status may be enhanced by repeated exposure to humiliation, but few studies have measured this variable. Since most individuals exposed to low status do not develop schizophrenia, we propose that this risk factor increases the risk of disorder in the presence of a poor homeostatic control of dopamine neurons in midbrain and dorsal striatum. This is consistent with studies of healthy subjects which report a negative association between low socio-economic status and dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability in the dorsal striatum. In this new version of the social defeat hypothesis we propose that the combination of low status, repeated humiliation and poor homeostatic control of dopamine neurons in midbrain and dorsal striatum leads to increased striatal dopamine activity and thereby to an increased risk of schizophrenia.
The effects of overhearing on vocabulary learning in ethnic majority and minority preschool children
Authors: BODERÉ Anneleen , ZENNER Eline , VANBUEL Marieke , CLYCQ Noel , VAN DEN BRANDEN Kris
Published: January 2023

Research shows that infants and preschoolers can learn novel words equally well through addressed speech as through overhearing two adults. However, most of this research draws from samples of ethnic majority children. The current study compares word learning in preschoolers (M age = 5;6) with an ethnic minority and an ethnic majority background (N = 132). An experimenter of the majority group (representative for most teachers in Flemish education) told a story in three different interaction situations: Addressed Speech, Overhearing Classroom and Overhearing Two Adults. Results show that children of both ethnic groups learn novel words in Addressed Speech and in Overhearing Classroom equally well. However, minority children learned significantly fewer words in Overhearing Two Adults. This study suggests important differences in how ethnic majority and minority children learn through indirect speech in educational (monolingual) settings. In addition, the study scrutinizes the potential role of social identification in overhearing mechanisms.
Is sized typing for Coq practical?
Authors: CHAN JONATHAN , LI YUFENG , BOWMAN WILLIAM J.
Published: January 2023

Contemporary proof assistants such as Coq require that recursive functions be terminating and corecursive functions be productive to maintain logical consistency of their type theories, and some ensure these properties using syntactic checks. However, being syntactic, they are inherently delicate and restrictive, preventing users from easily writing obviously terminating or productive functions at their whim.

Meanwhile, there exist many sized type theories that perform type-based termination and productivity checking, including theories based on the Calculus of (Co)Inductive Constructions (CIC), the core calculus underlying Coq. These theories are more robust and compositional in comparison. So why haven’t they been adapted to Coq?

In this paper, we venture to answer this question with CIC

$\widehat{\ast}$

, a sized type theory based on CIC. It extends past work on sized types in CIC with additional Coq features such as global and local definitions. We also present a corresponding size inference algorithm and implement it within Coq’s kernel; for maximal backward compatibility with existing Coq developments, it requires no additional annotations from the user.

In our evaluation of the implementation, we find a severe performance degradation when compiling parts of the Coq standard library, inherent to the algorithm itself. We conclude that if we wish to maintain backward compatibility, using size inference as a replacement for syntactic checking is impractical in terms of performance.
Paediatric cardiology training: burnout, fulfilment, and fears
Authors: McCormick Amanda D. , Lim Heang M. , Strohacker Courtney M. , Yu Sunkyung , Lowery Ray , Vitale Carolyn , Ligsay Andrew , Aiyagari Ranjit , Schumacher Kurt R. , Fifer Carlen G. , Owens Sonal T. , Cousino Melissa K.
Published: January 2023

Background:

Burnout is well characterised in physicians and residents but not in paediatric cardiology fellows, and few studies follow burnout longitudinally. Training-specific fears have been described in paediatric cardiology fellows but also have not been studied at multiple time points. This study aimed to measure burnout, training-specific fears, and professional fulfilment in paediatric cardiology fellows with the attention to time of year and year-of-training.

Methods:

This survey-based study included the Professional Fulfillment Index and the Impact of Events Scale as well as an investigator-designed Fellow Fears Questionnaire. Surveys were distributed at three-time points during the academic year to paediatric cardiology fellows at a large Midwestern training programme. Fellow self-reported gender and year-of-training were collected. Descriptive analyses were performed.

Results:

10/17 (59%) of fellows completed all surveys; 60% were female, 40% in the first-year class, 40% in the second-year class, and 20% in the third-year class. At least half of the fellows reported burnout at each survey time point, with lower mean professional fulfilment scores. The second-year class, who rotate primarily in the cardiac ICU, had higher proportions of burnout than the other two classes. At least half of fellows reported that they “often” or “always” worried about not having enough clinical knowledge or skills and about work–life balance.

Conclusions:

Paediatric cardiology fellows exhibit high proportions of burnout and training-specific fears. Interventions to mitigate burnout should be targeted specifically to training needs, including during high-acuity rotations.
IL-6, homocysteine, and autism spectrum phenotypes: an investigation among adults with autism spectrum disorder and their first-degree relatives
Authors: Carpita Barbara , Massoni Leonardo , Battaglini Simone , Palego Lionella , Cremone Ivan M. , Massimetti Gabriele , Betti Laura , Giannaccini Gino , Dell’Osso Liliana
Published: January 2023

Background

The importance of recognizing different kinds of autism spectrum presentations among adults, including subthreshold forms and the broad autism phenotype (BAP), has been increasingly highlighted in recent studies. Meanwhile, the possible involvement of immune system deregulation and altered methylation/trans-sulfuration processes in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is gaining growing attention, but studies in this field are mainly focused on children. In this framework, the aim of this study was to compare plasmatic concentrations of IL-6 and homocysteine (HCY) among adults with ASD, their first-degree relatives, and healthy controls (CTLs), investigating also possible correlations with specific autism symptoms.

Methods

Plasma concentrations of IL-6 and HCY were measured in a group of adult subjects with ASD, their first-degree relatives (BAP group), and healthy controls (CTL). All participants were also evaluated with psychometric instruments.

Results

IL-6 and HCY concentrations were significantly higher in the ASD group than in CTLs, while BAP subjects reported intermediate results. Significant correlations were reported between biochemical parameters and psychometric scales, particularly for the dimension of ruminative thinking.

Conclusions

These findings support the hypothesis of a key involvement of HCY-related metabolism and immune system alteration in autism spectrum pathophysiology. HCY and IL-6 seem to show different associations with specific autism dimensions.
The Scholar Priest in the Church of England in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Jasper David
Published: January 2023

The Oxford Movement in the 1830s prompted some formidable theological scholarship which profoundly affected the lives and personalities of many Oxford-educated Church of England clergymen, not a few of whom combined deeply scholarly lives with successful parish ministries. This essay examines the lives of two such men, Canon T.F. Simmons, a parish priest in Yorkshire for some thirty years, and Bishop Mandell Creighton, much of whose scholarly writing was produced in a remote Northumberland parish before his return to Cambridge and London. By the end of the century such learned clergymen were becoming a rarity in the Church of England.
Positionality, Critical Methodologies, and Pedagogy: Teaching Gender and Politics in Morocco
Authors: Žvan Elliott Katja
Published: January 2023

Scholarship on critical pedagogy is mostly written from within the democratic and neoliberal North American and British contexts (Giroux 2003, 2004, 2010; McCusker 2017; Mehta 2019). Geraldine McCusker (2017, 447) eloquently sums up the aim of this scholarship as “to establish a schooling system that emancipated those oppressed and disempowered. Critical pedagogues aim to provide space for critical engagement with divergent perspectives in order to support students from disenfranchised populations to understand the impact of capitalism, gender, race and homophobia on their lives.”
Atmospheric River Variability Over the Last Millennium Driven by Annular Modes
Authors: Baek Seung H. , Battalio J. Michael , Lora Juan M.
Published: January 2023

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are filamentary conduits of intense moisture transport crucial for water delivery to mid‐latitude coastal regions. How ARs have responded to extratropical climate variability remains poorly understood despite ARs being features of the extratropical atmosphere. Here, using “Last Millennium” simulations, we characterize the role of annular modes of extratropical variability on ARs and moisture transport. We find that positive (negative) phases of the annular modes intensify (weaken) and weaken (intensify) ARs over the subpolar and subtropical latitudes, respectively, with up to ∼20–25 mm/month associated changes in precipitation. Importantly, the annular modes comprise the primary mode of AR variability over the last ∼1,000 years. We also separately examine the annular modes' influence on storm track activity and find it distinct from that on ARs and moisture transport, despite the storm tracks being associated with ARs and overlapping with strong moisture transport. Lastly, our results provide a robust paleoclimate baseline from which to contextualize projected 21st century AR intensification.
Spectral Signatures of Flow Regime Alteration by Dams Across the United States
Authors: Chalise Dol Raj , Sankarasubramanian A. , Olden Julian D. , Ruhi Albert
Published: January 2023

River scientists strive to understand how streamflow regimes vary across space and time because it is fundamental to predicting the impacts of climate change and human activities on riverine ecosystems. Here we tested whether flow periodicity differs between rivers that are regulated or unregulated by large dams, and whether dominant periodicities change over time in response to dam regulation. These questions were addressed by calculating wavelet power at different timescales, ranging from 6 hr to 10 years, across 175 pairs of dam‐regulated and unregulated USGS gages with long‐term discharge data, spanning the conterminous United States. We then focused on eight focal reservoirs with high‐quality and high‐frequency data to examine the spectral signatures of dam‐induced flow alteration and their time‐varying nature. We found that regulation by dams induces changes not only in flow magnitude and variability, but also in the dominant periodicities of a river's flow regime. Our analysis also revealed that dams generally alter multi‐annual and annual periodicity to a higher extent than seasonal or daily periodicity. Based on the focal reservoirs, we illustrate that alteration of flow periodicity is time varying, with dam operations (e.g., daily peaking vs. baseload operation), changes in dam capacity, and environmental policies shifting the relative importance of periodicities over time. Our analysis demonstrates the pervasiveness of human signatures now characterizing the U.S. rivers' flow regimes, and may inform the restoration of environmental periodicity downstream of reservoirs via controlled flow releases—a critical need in light of new damming and dam retrofitting for hydropower globally.
Enhanced Transport of Dissolved Methane From the Chukchi Sea to the Central Arctic
Authors: Ye Wangwang , Li Yuhong , Wen Jianwen , Zhang Jiexia , Shakhova Natalia , Liu Jian , Wu Man , Semiletov Igor , Zhan Liyang
Published: January 2023

Rising temperatures in the Arctic Ocean can cause considerable changes, such as decreased ice cover and increased water inflow from the Pacific/Atlantic sector, which may alter dissolved methane (CH4) cycles over the Arctic Ocean. However, the fate of dissolved CH4 in the Arctic remains uncertain. Here, we show that CH4 in the Chukchi Sea is enhanced in the shelf/slope areas, stored in the Upper Halocline (UHC), and transported to the central Arctic, contributing to the CH4 excess (ΔCH4) in the basins. The concentration of ΔCH4 in the UHC was increasing (0.1 nM per year) and the ΔCH4 has been distributed deeper and farther in the last decade than in the 1990s because of the intensification of Pacific water inflow due to oceanographic (currents) and atmospheric forcings (winds). We found heterogeneous CH4 (208.4% ± 131.7%) in the Polar Mixed Layer and CH4 supersaturation (1,100.9%–1,245.4%) in the below‐ice seawater in the basins, which may indicate the effect of sea ice cycles with the support of sediment‐origin CH4. We estimate the sea‐to‐air flux to be 1.1–2.4 μmol CH4 m−2 day−1 during the ice‐free period in the Chukchi Sea, which suggests that the Chukchi Sea is currently a minor source (0.003 Tg in summer) of atmospheric CH4. Taken together, we propose a bottom‐up mechanism for CH4 transport and emission and are concerned that the increases in the concentration of ΔCH4 and the transport distance/rate of ΔCH4 plume are occurring, with the potential to affect CH4 emissions in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean.
Constraining CaCO3 Export and Dissolution With an Ocean Alkalinity Inverse Model
Authors: Liang Hengdi , Lunstrum Abby M. , Dong Sijia , Berelson William M. , John Seth G.
Published: January 2023

Ocean alkalinity plays a fundamental role in the apportionment of CO2 between the atmosphere and the ocean. The primary driver of the ocean's vertical alkalinity distribution is the formation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) by organisms at the ocean surface and its dissolution at depth. This so‐called “CaCO3 counterpump” is poorly constrained, however, both in terms of how much CaCO3 is exported from the surface ocean, and at what depth it dissolves. Here, we created a steady‐state model of global ocean alkalinity using Ocean Circulation Inverse Model transport, biogeochemical cycling, and field‐tested calcite and aragonite dissolution kinetics. We find that limiting CaCO3 dissolution to below the aragonite and calcite saturation horizons cannot explain excess alkalinity in the upper ocean, and that models allowing dissolution above the saturation horizons best match observations. Linking dissolution to organic matter respiration, or imposing a constant dissolution rate both produce good model fits. Our best performing models require export between 1.1 and 1.8 Gt PIC y−1 (from 73 m), but all converge to 1.0 Gt PIC y−1 export at 279 m, indicating that both high‐ and low‐export scenarios can match observations, as long as high export is coupled to high dissolution in the upper ocean. These results demonstrate that dissolution is not a simple function of seawater CaCO3 saturation (Ω) and calcite or aragonite solubility, and that other mechanisms, likely related to the biology and ecology of calcifiers, must drive significant dissolution throughout the water column.
A Global Synthesis of Multi‐Factors Affecting Water Storage Capacity in Forest Canopy, Litter and Soil Layers
Authors: Liu Yexuan , Shi Wenjiao , Tao Fulu , Shi Xiaoli , Fu Bojie
Published: January 2023

Water storage capacity in the layers of canopy, litter, and soil of forest ecosystems has not yet been thoroughly investigated on a global scale. We estimated the global pattern of water storage capacity of forest ecosystems related to water regulation services (WSCFE) in the above three layers based on 1,288 observations and analyzed their 22 controlling environmental factors. The results show that the global mean WSCFE per unit area is 456.7 mm, and the total volume of WSCFE is 22,662.5 km3. Climatic variables are the leading factors contributing to the variations of WSCFE, followed by forest attributes, terrain factors, soil properties, and litter characteristics. This study advances the understanding of the large‐scale variation mechanisms of WSCFE in different forest types and climate zones and provides scientific evidence for ecological protection according to local conditions.
The Impact of Inherited Morphology on Sandbar Migration During Mild Wave Seasons
Authors: Anderson Dylan , Bak A. Spicer , Cohn Nicholas , Brodie Katherine L. , Johnson Bradley , Dickhudt Patrick
Published: January 2023

Sandbars are ubiquitous morphologic features found in the nearshore environment throughout the world, yet predictive capabilities of their evolution remain limited. In order to provide new insights on the relevant processes controlling sandbar morphodynamics, this study uses a 41‐year record of 637 monthly cross‐shore profiles from Duck, North Carolina, USA, to derive complex empirical orthogonal functions representative of the two dominant modes of sandbar migrations: offshore and onshore propagation. Interference of these two modes produces commonly observed sandbar states. While mild wave energies are traditionally assumed to drive onshore sandbar migration, the offshore mode is repeatedly seen to dominate sandbar migration in mild wave seasons following anomalously high late‐winter wave energy and when the inherited morphology is composed of a single bar or terrace, as opposed to a more common two‐bar state. A data‐derived conceptual model is presented synthesizing the effect of antecedent morphology and wave climate chronology on interannual trends in net offshore sandbar migration.
Future Arctic Climate Change in CMIP6 Strikingly Intensified by NEMO‐Family Climate Models
Authors: Pan Rongrong , Shu Qi , Wang Qiang , Wang Shizhu , Song Zhenya , He Yan , Qiao Fangli
Published: January 2023

Climate change in the Arctic has substantial impacts on human life and ecosystems both within and beyond the Arctic. Our analysis of CMIP6 simulations shows that some climate models project much larger Arctic climate change than other models, including changes in sea ice, ocean mixed layer, air‐sea heat flux, and surface air temperature in wintertime. In particular, dramatic enhancement of Arctic Ocean convection down to a few hundred meters is projected in these models but not in others. Interestingly, these models employ the same ocean model family (NEMO) while the choice of models for the atmosphere and sea ice varies. The magnitude of Arctic climate change is proportional to the strength of the increase in poleward ocean heat transport, which is considerably higher in this group of models. Establishing the plausibility of this group of models with high Arctic climate sensitivity to anthropogenic forcing is imperative given the implied ramifications.
Quantification of Carbonates, Oxychlorines, and Chlorine Generated by Heterogeneous Electrochemistry Induced by Martian Dust Activity
Authors: Wang Alian , Jackson Andrew W. , Sturchio Neil C. , Houghton Jen , Yan Chuck Y. C. , Olsen Kevin S. , Qu Quincy H. K.
Published: January 2023

Heterogeneous electrochemistry induced by Martian dust activity is an important type of atmosphere‐surface interaction that affects geochemical processes at the Martian surface and in the Martian atmosphere. We have experimentally demonstrated that heterogeneous electrochemistry stimulated by mid‐strength dust events can decompose common chloride salts, which is accompanied by the release of chlorine atoms into the atmosphere and the generation of (per)chlorates (chlorates and perchlorates) and carbonates. In this study, we present quantitative analyses on the above products from 26 heterogeneous electrochemical experiments on chloride salts. Based on these quantifications, our calculation indicates that such atmosphere‐surface interaction during a portion of Amazonian period could accumulate the observed abundance of (per)chlorates, carbonates, and HCl by landed and orbital missions, and thus can be considered as a major driving force of the global chlorine‐cycle on Mars. This study emphasizes the importance of measuring the electrical properties of dust activity on Mars.
Predicting Convective Downdrafts From Updrafts and Environmental Conditions in a Global Storm Resolving Simulation
Authors: Windmiller J. M. , Bao J. , Sherwood S. C. , Schanzer T. D. , Fuchs D.
Published: January 2023

One important component of precipitating convection is the formation of convective downdrafts. They can terminate the initial updraft, affect the mean properties of the boundary layer, and cause strong winds at the surface. While the basic forcing mechanisms for downdrafts are well understood, it is difficult to formulate general relationships between updrafts, environmental conditions, and downdrafts. To better understand what controls different downdraft properties, we analyze downdrafts over tropical oceans in a global storm resolving simulation. Using a global model allows us to examine a large number of downdrafts under naturally varying environmental conditions. We analyze the various factors affecting downdrafts using three alternative methods. First, hierarchical clustering is used to examine the correlation between different downdraft, updraft, and environmental variables. Then, either random forests or multiple linear regression are used to estimate the relationships between downdraft properties and the updraft and environmental predictors. We find that these approaches yield similar results. Around 75% of the variability in downdraft mass flux and 37% of the variability in downdraft velocity are predictable. Analyzing the relative importance of our various predictors, we find that downdrafts are coupled to updrafts via the precipitation generation argument. In particular, updraft properties determine rain amount and rate, which then largely control the downdraft mass flux and, albeit to a lesser extent, the downdraft velocity. Among the environmental variables considered, only lapse rate is a valuable predictor: a more unstable environment favors a higher downdraft mass flux and a higher downdraft velocity.
Topological Relationship‐Based Flow Direction Modeling: Mesh‐Independent River Networks Representation
Authors: Liao Chang , Zhou Tian , Xu Donghui , Cooper Matthew G. , Engwirda Darren , Li Hong‐Yi , Leung L. Ruby
Published: January 2023

River networks are important features in surface hydrology. However, accurately representing river networks in spatially distributed hydrologic and Earth system models is often sensitive to the model's spatial resolution. Specifically, river networks are often misrepresented because of the mismatch between the model's spatial resolution and river network details, resulting in significant uncertainty in the projected flow direction. In this study, we developed a topological relationship‐based river network representation method for spatially distributed hydrologic models. This novel method uses (a) graph theory algorithms to simplify real‐world vector‐based river networks and assist in mesh generation; and (b) a topological relationship‐based method to reconstruct conceptual river networks. The main advantages of our method are that (a) it combines the strengths of vector‐based and DEM raster‐based river network extraction methods; and (b) it is mesh‐independent and can be applied to both structured and unstructured meshes. This method paves a path for advanced terrain analysis and hydrologic modeling across different scales.
Selectively Logged Forests Are Not Broken
Authors: Martin-Jones Erin
Published: January 2023

Borneo’s logged forests are buzzing with life and have unrealized conservation potential.
Developing a design-based concept to improve hand hygiene in the neonatal intensive care unit
Authors: Jansen Sophie J. , Müller Britt J. , Cramer Sophie J. E. , te Pas Arjan B. , Lopriore Enrico , Bekker Vincent
Published: January 2023

Background

Hand hygiene (HH) is the most critical measure in the prevention of nosocomial infections in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Improving and sustaining adequate HH compliance rates, however, remains a significant challenge. Using a behavioral change framework and nudge theory, we developed a design-based concept aimed at facilitating and stimulating HH behavior.

Methods

Concept development was initiated by selecting a theoretical framework after which contextual field studies aimed at discovering causes for poor compliance were conducted. Potential solutions were brainstormed upon during focus group sessions. Low-fidelity prototypes were tested regarding feasibility, usability, and acceptability. A final concept was crafted drawing from findings from each design phase.

Results

Complying with recommended HH guidelines is unrealistic and infeasible due to frequent competing (clinical) priorities requiring HH. The concept “Island-based nursing,” where a patient room is divided into two geographical areas, namely, the island and general zone, was created. HH must be performed upon entering and exiting the island zone, and after exposure to any surface within the general zone. Reminding of HH is prompted by illuminated demarcation of the island zone, serving as the concept’s nudge.

Conclusions

Island zone demarcation facilitates and economizes HH indications in an innovative and intuitive manner.

Impact

Although hand hygiene (HH) is the single most important element in the prevention of nosocomial infections in neonates, improving and sustaining adequate HH compliance rates remains a significant challenge.

Complying with recommended HH guidelines was found to be unrealistic and infeasible due to the significant amount of time required for HH in a setting with a high workload and many competing (clinical) priorities.

The concept of “Island-based nursing,” under which the primary HH indication is upon entering and exiting the island zone, facilitates and economizes HH indications in an innovative and user-friendly manner.
Pulsed, continuous or somewhere in between? Resource dynamics matter in the optimisation of microbial communities
Authors: Letten Andrew D , Ludington William B
Published: January 2023

The optimisation of synthetic and natural microbial communities has vast potential for emerging applications in medicine, agriculture and industry. Realising this goal is contingent on a close correlation between theory, experiments, and the real world. Although the temporal pattern of resource supply can play a major role in microbial community assembly, resource dynamics are commonly treated inconsistently in theoretical and experimental research. Here we explore how the composition of communities varies under continuous resource supply, typical of theoretical approaches, versus pulsed resource supply, typical of experiments. Using simulations of classical resource competition models, we show that community composition diverges rapidly between the two regimes, with almost zero overlap in composition once the pulsing interval stretches beyond just four hours. The implication for the rapidly growing field of microbial community optimisation is that the resource supply regime must be tailored to the community being optimised. As such, we argue that resource supply dynamics should be considered both a constraint in the design of novel microbial communities and as a tuning mechanism for the optimisation of pre-existing communities like those found in the human gut.
Cyperotundone combined with adriamycin induces apoptosis in MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR cancer cells by ROS generation and NRF2/ARE signaling pathway
Authors: Shao Wenna , Wang Xinzhao , Liu Zhaoyun , Song Xiang , Wang Fukai , Liu Xiaoyu , Yu Zhiyong
Published: January 2023

Breast cancer has become the most prevalent cancer, globally. Adriamycin is a first-line chemotherapeutic agent, however, cancer cells acquire resistance to it, which is one of the most common causes of treatment failure. ROS and NRF2 are essential oxidative stress factors that play a key role in the oxidative stress process and are associated with cancer. Our goal is to create novel therapeutic drugs or chemical sensitizers that will improve chemotherapy sensitivity. The optimal concentration and duration for MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR cells in ADR and CYT were determined using the CCK-8 assay. We found that ADR + CYT inhibited the activity of MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR cells in breast cancer, as well as causing apoptosis in MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR cells and blocking the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase. ADR + CYT induces apoptosis in MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR cells through ROS generation and the P62/NRF2/HO-1 signaling pathway. In breast cancer-bearing nude mice, ADR + CYT effectively suppressed tumor development in vivo. Overall, our findings showed that CYT in combination with ADR has potent anti-breast cancer cell activity both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting CYT as the main drug used to improve chemosensitivity.
Investigating problematic uses of Facebook and other Internet activities among university students in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Sayeed Abu , Islam Md. Saiful , Christopher Enryka , Zubayer Abdullah Al , Kundu Satyajit , Tariq Mohammad Raihan , Sultana Mst. Sadia , Banna Md. Hasan Al , Rahman Md Hafizur , Khan Md Shafiqul Islam , Hasan M. Tasdik , Koly Kamrun Nahar
Published: January 2023

Problematic use of Internet (PUI) and problematic use of Facebook (PUF) has been linked to escalating behavioral health issues among university students and has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study estimated the prevalence of and explored associated factors for PUI and PUF among Bangladeshi university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was undertaken among 1101 Bangladeshi university students between November and December 2020. The Internet Addiction Test and Facebook Addiction Scale were used to assess PIU and PUF, respectively. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to adjust for confounders. Among the participants, PUI and PUF were found in 39.3% and 37.1%, respectively. The multiple linear regression model indicated PUI was significantly associated with participants residing in a village, arts majors, those unsatisfied with their major, having mediocre parental relationships, failure in romantic relationships, physical comorbidities, longer use of the Internet, using the Internet for purposes other than education, using social media, and downloading movies/TV series. PUF was significantly associated with village residence, lower income, arts majors, failure in romantic relationships, longer use of the Internet, using the Internet for purposes other than education, and downloading movies/TV series. Both PUI and PUF have been prevalent among Bangladeshi university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longitudinal & exploratory studies are warranted in the future to identify causal factors for PUI and PUF and appropriate interventions should be designed quickly for this population.
Reliability of non-contact tongue diagnosis for Sjögren's syndrome using machine learning method
Authors: Noguchi Keigo , Saito Ichiro , Namiki Takao , Yoshimura Yuichiro , Nakaguchi Toshiya
Published: January 2023

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by dry mouth. The cause of SS is unknown, and its diverse symptoms make diagnosis difficult. The Saxon test, an intraoral examination, is used as the primary diagnostic method for SS, however, the risk of salivary infection is problematic. Therefore, we investigate the possibility of diagnosing SS by non-contact and imaging observation of the tongue surface. In this study, we obtained tongue photographs of 60 patients at the Tsurumi University School of Dentistry outpatient clinic to clarify the relationship between the features of the tongue and SS. We divided the tongue into four regions, and the color of each region was transformed into CIE1976L*a*b* space and statistically analyzed. To clarify experimentally the possibility of SS diagnosis using tongue color, we employed three machine-learning models: logistic regression, support vector machine, and random forest. In addition, we constructed diagnostic prediction models based on the Bagging and Stacking methods combined with three machine-learning models for comparative evaluation. This analysis used dimensionality compression by principal component analysis to eliminate redundancy in tongue color information. We found a significant difference between the a* value of the rear part of the tongue and the b* value of the middle part of the tongue in SS and non-SS patients. In addition to the principal component scores of tongue color, the support vector machine was trained using age, and achieved high accuracy (71.3%) and specificity (78.1%). The results indicate that the prediction of SS diagnosis by tongue color reaches a level comparable to machine learning models trained using the Saxon test. This is the first study using machine learning to predict SS diagnosis by non-contact tongue observation. Our proposed method can potentially support early SS detection simply and conveniently, eliminating the risk of infection at diagnosis, and it should be validated and optimized in clinical practice.
Metabolomic analysis reveals key metabolites alleviating green spots under exogenous sucrose spraying in air-curing cigar tobacco leaves
Authors: Li Nanfen , Yu Jun , Yang Jinpeng , Wang Sheliang , Yu Lianying , Xu Fangsen , Yang Chunlei
Published: January 2023

Cigar variety CX-010 tobacco leaves produce localized green spots during the air-curing period, and spraying exogenous sucrose effectively alleviates the occurrence of the green spots. To investigate the alleviation effect of exogenous sucrose spraying, the total water content and the number and size of green spots on tobacco leaves were investigated during the air-curing period under four treatments; CK (pure water), T1 (0.1 M sucrose), T2 (0.2 M sucrose) and T3 (0.4 M sucrose). The results showed that the total water content of tobacco leaves showed a trend of T3 < CK < T2 < T1 in the early air-curing stage, and the number and size of green spots showed a trend of T3 < T2 < T1 < CK. All sucrose treatments alleviated the green spot phenomenon, and T3 had the fewest green spots. Thus, the tobacco leaves of the T3 and CK treatments at two air-curing stages were used to perform metabolomics analysis with nontargeted liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry to determine the physiological mechanism. A total of 259 and 178 differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) between T3- and CK-treated tobacco leaves were identified in the early air-curing and the end of air-curing stages, respectively. These DAMs mainly included lipid and lipid-like molecules, carbohydrates, and organic acids and their derivatives. Based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, the T3 treatment significantly altered carbohydrate metabolism (pentose phosphate pathway, sucrose and starch metabolism and galactose metabolism) and amino acid metabolism (tyrosine metabolism and tryptophan metabolism) in air-curing tobacco leaves. Sucrose treatment alleviated green spots by altering DAMs that affected chlorophyll degradation, such as tyrosine and citric acid, to promote the normal degradation of chlorophyll.