bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nematode parasite control practices of sheep and goat farmers in the region of Trikala, Greece
Authors: Theodoropoulos G. , Theodoropoulos H. , Zervas G. , Bartziokas E.
Published: April 2024

Information concerning worm control practices of sheep and goat farmers in the region of Trikala (central Greece) was collected through a questionnaire survey by visiting farms and interviewing farmers. Questionnaires from 57 farmers residing in 23 rural communities were collected. Anthelmintics were used by 89% of the farmers. On average, lambs, kids and goats were treated once annually, while sheep were treated either once or twice annually. Only 2% of farmers reported treatment of animals with anthelmintics when moving to new pastures. The most common broad-spectrum anthelmintics used were those belonging to the benzimidazoles and probenzimidazoles. Fifty nine percent of the farmers used the same anthelmintic group for 3 or more years and 34% used two or more anthelmintic groups in the same year. Almost all farmers reported estimating live weights for calculating anthelmintic doses through visual perception on the basis of an average weight (96%). Tablets and boluses were the most preferred anthelmintic formulation used by 96% of farmers. The selection of an anthelmintic was based for 58% of farmers on recommendation by a veterinarian and for 39% of farmers on the cost of the drug. The most common occasions for deworming the animals were at turn out (86%) and after parturition (31%). Only 6% of farmers reported deworming new animals before introducing them onto the farm. Farmers preferred to seek information about the use of anthelmintics and worm control strategies from veterinarians (63%) and other farmers (37%).
The life cycle and transmission dynamics of the larval stages of Hypoderaeum conoideum
Authors: Muñoz-Antolí C. , Toledo R. , Esteban J.G.
Published: April 2024

The morphology of the different larval stages and life cycle of Hypoderaeum conoideum (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) are described. The freshwater snail species Lymnaea peregra (Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae) serves as the natural first intermediate host and this and L. corvus serve as experimental first intermediate hosts. These and other freshwater snails, such as Physella acuta and Gyraulus chinensis, in turn serve as second intermediate hosts. Adult worms were obtained from chicks and ducks, but not from rats, mice and golden hamsters. The morphology of the larval stages is compared with previous work on H. conoideum. Several aspects of the biology of the life history stages are described with emphasis on the transmission dynamics of the free-living stages. Differential suitability of the snail species that may act as first and/or second intermediate hosts is studied and discussed.
In vitro interactions between epithelial cells and Gyrodactylus derjavini
Authors: Buchmann K. , Nielsen C.V. , Bresciani J.
Published: April 2024

Skin responses of fish to various parasites have been shown to involve various immunologically competent cells producing factors which guide the reactions of epithelial cells. However, the present study has demonstrated that a monoculture of epithelial cells has the ability to encapsulate and partially degrade ectoparasites without involvement of leukocytes. The ectoparasitic monogeneanGyrodactylus derjavini was kept on a monolayer of Epithelioma Papulosum Cyprini (EPC) cells in 24-well multidishes supplied with tissue culture medium. Gyrodactylus derjavini did not reproduce but survived an incubation period of up to139 h in the system. Due to sterile conditions, dead gyrodactylids were not subjected to microbial degradation and remained intact for several weeks. However, at 40 days G. derjavini was overgrown by EPC-cells and became partly degraded during the following 15 days. Analysis of enzyme reactivity in EPC-cells showed reactions for ten enzymes including esterases, amidases, phosphatases and phosphohydrolases. No marked differences for the ten enzymes between cell cultures with and without the ectoparasites were found but it cannot be excluded that some of these enzymes took part in parasite degradation. The study showed the in vitro capability of epithelial cells to interact, encapsulate and degrade G. derjavini without the involvement of leukocytes. This response probably is non-specific and will not exclude that various immunocompetent cells and their products normally optimize and accelerate elimination of invading parasites in vivo.
Comparison of IgG3 responses to carbohydrates following mouse infection or immunization with six species of Trichinella
Authors: Dea-Ayuela M.A. , Martinez-Fernandez A.R. , Bolas-Fernandez F.
Published: April 2024

The IgG3 antibody responses to carbohydrate epitopes were compared in BALB/c mice infected or immunized with six species of Trichinella: T. spiralis (T1), T. nativa (T2), T. britovi (T3), T6, T. nelsoni (T7), and T8. The dynamics of IgG3 responses and antigen recognition following infection or immunization were measured by ELISA and Western blot respectively, using glycosylated and deglycosylated larval crude extracts (LCE) prepared from homologous isolates. A high degree of protein glycosylation was found in all species and with similar profiles. Deglycosylation was completely achieved only in LCE from T1 and T6 isolates. The dynamics of IgG3 responses following infection or immunization significantly differed whereas the antigen recognition profiles appeared similar. Variations in the levels and antigen recognition patterns of IgG3 among the different species were apparent. The highest IgG3 levels were recorded in infections by the T8 isolate and the lowest in infections by the T6 isolate, whereas for immunization the highest IgG3 response was induced by T7 and the lowest by T8. Following antigen deglycosylation, the IgG3 responses were significantly reduced or abrogated and the recognition patterns markedly modified or suppressed in the different species of Trichinella.
The intensity and duration of primary Heligmosomoides polygyrus infection in TO mice modify acquired immunity to secondary challenge
Authors: Fakae B.B. , Harrison L.J.S. , Sewell M.M.H.
Published: April 2024

The effect of dose and duration of immunizing infections of Heligmosomoides polygyrus on protection against homologous challenge was studied in female TO mice. Primary infections were terminated at various levels with pyrantel embonate (adult infections) or ivermectin (larval infections) and mice were then challenged with 500 infective larvae (L3). The level of protection to secondary challenge positively correlated with the intensity of the primary immunizing infection but truncation of larval infection produced significantly better protection than termination of the adult nematode infection. The duration of the primary larval infection (1–6 days) positively correlated with the level of protection to secondary challenge, antibody responses and the proportion of circulating eosinophils. Histological changes in the gastrointestinal tract, peripheral leucocytic changes and antibody responses of the mice to H. polygyrus adult somatic antigens indicate both a cellular and humoral basis of host immunity to secondary challenge. Although the TO mice are slow responders in that they harbour chronic infections, immunization by intramucosal killing of the larval stage produced strong protection against secondary challenge infection. The presence of dead immunogenic larval stages within the intestinal wall may well be an important factor, since it exposes the host to stage specific antigens at an appropriate location. The implications of the findings for the control of gastrointestinal nematode infections are also discussed.
Allometric growth of the proglottids and strobila of the tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta
Authors: Pappas P.W.
Published: April 2024

Hymenolepis diminuta adults were killed and fixed in fully extended positions, and the total lengths of the strobilae, numbers of proglottids, and distances of proglottids along the strobilae were determined. The relationship of proglottid number to distance along the strobila was exponential. Beginning at proglottid 100 (P100), the lengths and widths of proglottids at 100 proglottid intervals were determined, and the surfaces areas were calculated. The relationships of proglottid length and width to proglottid number were linear, but the relationship of proglottid number to surface area (SA) was exponential. The volumes of proglottids were calculated, and the relationship of volume (V) to proglottid number was exponential. The relationship of surface area to volume ratio (SAVR) to proglottid number was exponential; at the anterior end of the worm (P100), the SAVR was 14.6, while at the posterior end of the worm (P1300) the ratio was 4.2. A single exponential equation describing the relationships among proglottid number, SA, and V was derived.
Congenital transmission of Schistosoma japonicum in the rabbit
Authors: Qian B.-Z. , Bøgh H.O. , Johansen M.V. , Wang P.P.
Published: April 2024

Fourteen pregnant rabbits were each infected with 300 cercariae of Schistosoma japonicum and divided into two groups. Group M (n = 8) was infected during mid-gestation (the organogenetic stage) and group L (n = 6) was infected during late-gestation (the post-organogenetic stage). Mother rabbits and rabbit kittens were killed 45–60 days after infection and perfused in order to obtain worm counts. Furthermore, faecal egg counts and tissue egg counts from livers were obtained from the mother rabbits as well as the rabbit kittens. All mother rabbits became infected harbouring 207.6 ± 20.2 and 220.0 ± 27.5 adult worms in group M and L, respectively. In groups M and L, 13.5% and 46.7% of the kittens were infected, respectively. In 12 of 14 litters at least one kitten was infected. The infected kittens harboured between one and three adult S. japonicum. The livers of the kittens infected with a worm pair displaced lesions as a result of egg deposition. The results, therefore, show that congenital transmission of S. japonicumcan occur in rabbits. The close anatomical resemblance between the rabbit and human placenta may be indicative of the presence of congenital transmission of S. japonicum infection in humans.
Setaria digitata infections in cattle: parasite load, microfilaraemia status and relationship to immune response
Authors: Mohanty M.C. , Sahoo P.K. , Satapathy A.K. , Ravindran B.
Published: April 2024

A total of 110 cattle were examined in an area endemic for Bancroftian filariasis for the prevalence of infection of the bovine filarial parasite Setaria digitata. About 12.5% of cattle were found to harbour both adult worms in the peritoneum and microfilariae (mf) in circulation; 70% of the cattle were amicrofilaraemic but with an adult worm infection. A third group of cattle (16.5%) was free of detectable mf and adult worms. The presence of adult worms and/or mf did not influence the antibody levels to any of the four antigen preparations of S. digitata. However, there was a significant inverse relationship between the presence of antibodies to microfilarial sheaths and the absence of circulating mf as shown by the immunoperoxidase assay. Cattle immunoglobulin containing high titres of anti-sheath antibodies cleared circulating microfilariae very effectively in Mastomys coucha thus demonstrating the protective nature of anti-sheath antibodies in eliminating circulating microfilariae in vivo.
Effects of anthelmintics on the development of eggs of Angiostrongylus costaricensis in vitro
Authors: Ishih A. , Yanoh M. , Ikeya C. , Ban A. , Terada M.
Published: April 2024

Effects of the anthelmintics, pyrantel and levamisole, on egg development of Angiostrongylus costaricensis were studied in vitro. After 7 days, about 80% of eggs developed to first-stage larvae in Ham's F-12 medium with 10% foetal calf serum under 5% CO2. Significant inhibition of development was caused by pyrantel (10-9–10-8 g ml-1) and levamisole (10-9–10-8 g ml-1) (Mann-Whitney U-test; P<0.05), and none of the eggs developed to first-stage larvae in higher concentrations of these anthelmintics (10-7 g ml-1). Furthermore, incubation with these drugs at 10-8 g ml-1 for at least 3 h or at 10-4 g ml-1 for 1 h caused irreversible effects on egg development.
Utility of maximum phonation time in the diagnosis of spasmodic dysphonia (laryngeal dystonia)
Authors: Kapoor Nerurkar Nupur , Goyal Sakshi
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Maximum phonation time is a simple test used to assess glottic competency. Our objective was to evaluate any correlation between maximum phonation time and spasmodic dysphonia as adductor spasmodic dysphonia and abductor spasmodic dysphonia have an adductor and abductor overdrive, respectively.

Methods

A 3-year data-review was performed for patients diagnosed with adductor spasmodic dysphonia, abductor spasmodic dysphonia and mixed spasmodic dysphonia. Maximum phonation time was noted on the first visit and compared with a control group.

Results

Average maximum phonation time in adductor spasmodic dysphonia, abductor spasmodic dysphonia and control group was 25 seconds, 9 seconds and 16 seconds. A significant difference was found for adductor spasmodic dysphonia and abductor spasmodic dysphonia. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis between adductor spasmodic dysphonia and control groups showed a positive predictive value of 81.3 per cent, negative predictive value of 83.9 per cent, sensitivity of 79.6 per cent and specificity of 85.2 per cent. Level of evidence = 4.

Conclusion

We recommend that maximum phonation time be added to the diagnostic armamentarium of spasmodic dysphonia. This correlation between maximum phonation time and spasmodic dysphonia has not been previously published.
Statistics versus semantics: retreating from the dative overgeneralization errors by Chinese EFL learners
Authors: Xiang Keshu , Wei Jianhui , Chen Yuanyan
Published: April 2024

This study investigated the effects of entrenchment, preemption, verb semantics, and morphophonological constraints in Chinese EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners’ retreat from the overgeneralization errors of English dative alternations. Two groups of Chinese EFL learners rated the acceptability of 66 dative verbs in their well and ill forms. The results demonstrated that Chinese EFL learners were simultaneously sensitive to the multiple cues from entrenchment, preemption, semantic, and morphophonological constraints, indicating that Chinese EFL learners restricted the generalization of the dative alternation by utilizing both the statistical verb-bias information and semantic properties of the dative verbs. Moreover, the sensitivity of Chinese EFL learners to these constraints increases with the improvement of their English proficiency. These results validated the usage-based approaches to second language acquisition and provided an answer to the “Baker’s Paradox.”
Anti-Muslim policy preferences and boundaries of American identity across partisanship
Authors: Lajevardi Nazita , Oskooii Kassra A. R.
Published: April 2024

Does American identity predict preferences for anti-democratic policies that aim to marginalize Muslim Americans? Absent significant priming of inclusive elements of American identity, we argue that individuals with stronger attachments to American identity will be less likely than their counterparts to reject a range of anti-Muslim policies that are antithetical to principles of religious liberty and equality. Across three surveys and multiple measures, American identity powerfully predicts preferences for curbing the civil liberties of Muslim citizens. Particularly striking is the finding that the effect of American identity spans the partisan divide; it consistently explains the endorsement of exclusionary policies among self-identified Democrats, who typically hold more progressive policy positions toward minority groups than Republicans. Overall, our study highlights the contradictory and exclusionary nature of American identity, which has important implications for minority groups constructed as outside the boundaries of Americanness.
Transformative justice as a method in applied linguistics
Authors: Cushing Ian
Published: April 2024

Transformative justice is a vision, a framework, and a theory of change which pushes for radical abolition and reimagining of entire systems. It is a community-led strategy which centers on and seeks to uproot structural determinants of oppression. In this article, I outline how applied linguistics can and should draw on transformative justice principles as a methodology for doing applied linguistics and as an underpinning theory of change for the discipline itself. I explore how transformative justice in applied linguistics involves addressing the colonial roots of the discipline and its complicity in perpetuating raciolinguistic ideologies and co-constituted discourses of linguistic deficiency. I argue for new conceptualizations of impact which prioritize community solidarity. I argue for applied linguists to end collaborations with the police, the military, and the prison industrial complex, showing how these collaborations rely on systems of punitive accountability and modest reforms. I argue that transformative justice is a life-affirming theory of change for the discipline of applied linguistics and for the marginalized communities we work with.
Study quality as an intellectual and ethical imperative: A proposed framework
Authors: Plonsky Luke
Published: April 2024

What is quality in the context of applied linguistic research? Addressing this question is both an intellectual and ethical imperative for the field. Toward that end, I propose a four-part framework for understanding and evaluating study quality: Quality research is (a) methodologically rigorous, (b) transparent, (c) ethical, and (d) of value to society. The bulk of the paper is devoted to describing each of these four elements, first conceptually and then as observed in the field. I also articulate some of the many connections among the four elements within the framework. In addition, I suggest next steps for further addressing the notion of quality in terms of the framework itself as well as the ways it might be used to advance our field’s research, training, and legitimacy as an academic discipline that is still in some ways coming of age.
Complex adaptive interventions: The challenge ahead for instructed second language acquisition research
Authors: Hiver Phil , Nagle Charlie
Published: April 2024

The effects of deliberately and selectively manipulating instructional conditions are at the heart of instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) research and, ideally, are designed to inform practice. Knowing how an intervention works, by what mechanisms and processes the treatment is beneficial—and for whom—are complex questions. In this piece, we problematize intervention-based research paradigms that do not account for context, individuals and their proactivity, or temporal variation. We highlight several key challenges that remain for ISLA research and propose a more reflexive approach to intervention that attends to these central considerations in implementing study designs.
Estimating the Impact of Rural Hukou Status on Earnings for College Graduates in China
Authors: Wang Huan , Cousineau Claire , Boswell Matthew , Li Hongbin
Published: April 2024

A growing body of literature explores the effect of higher education on the urban–rural divide in China. Despite an increasing number of rural students gaining access to college, little is known about their performance in college or their job prospects after graduation. Using nationally representative data from over 40,000 urban and rural college students, we examine rural students’ college performance and estimate the impact of rural status on students’ first job wages in comparison to their urban peers. Our results indicate that once accepted into college, rural students perform equally as well, if not better, than their urban counterparts. Additionally, we discovered that rural students earn a 6.2 per cent wage premium compared to their urban counterparts in their first job after graduation. Our findings suggest the importance of expanding access to higher education for rural students, as it appears to serve as an equalizer between urban and rural students despite their significantly different backgrounds.
Exposure dynamics of Ross River virus in horses – Horses as potential sentinels (a One Health approach)
Authors: Yuen Nicholas K. Y. , Bielefeldt-Ohmann Helle , Coyle Mitchell P. , Henning Joerg
Published: April 2024

Ross River virus (RRV), the most medically and economically important arbovirus in Australia, has been the most prevalent arbovirus infections in humans for many years. Infected humans and horses often suffer similar clinical symptoms. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study over a 3.5-year period to investigate the exposure dynamics of RRV in three foal cohorts (n = 32) born in a subtropical region of South East Queensland, Australia, between 2020 and 2022. RRV-specific seroconversion was detected in 56% (n = 18) of foals with a median time to seroconversion, after waning of maternal antibodies, of 429 days (95% CI: 294–582). The median age at seroconversion was 69 weeks (95% CI: 53–57). Seroconversion events were only detected between December and March (Southern Hemisphere summer) over the entire study period. Cox proportion hazards regression analyses revealed that seroconversions were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with air temperature in the month of seroconversion. Time-lags in meteorological variables were not significantly (p > 0.05) associated with seroconversion, except for relative humidity (p = 0.036 at 2-month time-lag). This is in contrast to research results of RRV infection in humans, which peaked between March and May (Autumn) and with a 0–3 month time-lag for various meteorological risk factors. Therefore, horses may be suitable sentinels for monitoring active arbovirus circulation and could be used for early arbovirus outbreak detection in human populations.
Genetic dilated cardiomyopathy with inflammation in an infant that responded to immunosuppressive therapy evaluated using cardiovascular magnetic resonance
Authors: Shirozu Hiromitsu , Ishikawa Yuichi , Kan Nobuhiko
Published: April 2024

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance T1 and T2 mapping reflects inflammation, fibrosis, and myocardial oedema. However, its application in infants remains uncertain. Herein, we report a three-month-old boy with dilated cardiomyopathy successfully treated with steroids. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance was useful for diagnosis based on the elevated native T1, T2, and extracellular volume and evaluation of response to immunosuppressive therapy in infantile inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy.
Cardiac MRI evaluation of aortic biophysical properties in paediatric Turner syndrome
Authors: Suntratonpipat Somjate , Pajunen Kiera , Rosolowsky Elizabeth , Escudero Carolina A. , Girgis Rose , Thompson Richard B. , Pagano Joseph J. , Tham Edythe B.
Published: April 2024

Background:

Aortopathy in Turner syndrome is associated with aortic dilation, and the risk of dissection is increased when the aortic size index is ≥ 2–2.5 cm/m2. We evaluated the aortic biophysical properties in paediatric Turner syndrome using cardiac MRI to determine their relationship to aortic size index.

Methods:

Turner syndrome patients underwent cardiac MRI to evaluate ventricular function, aortic dimensions, and biophysical properties (aortic stiffness index, compliance, distensibility, pulse wave velocity, and aortic and left ventricular elastance). Spearman correlation examined correlations between these properties and aortic size index. Data was compared to 10 controls.

Results:

Of 25 Turner syndrome patients, median age 14.7 years (interquartile range: 11.0–16.8), height z score −2.7 (interquartile range: −2.92 – −1.54), 24% had a bicuspid aortic valve. Turner syndrome had increased diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001) and decreased left ventricular end-diastolic (p < 0.001) and end-systolic (p = 0.002) volumes compared to controls. Median aortic size index was 1.81 cm/m2 (interquartile range: 1.45–2.1) and 7 had an aortic size index > 2 cm/m2. Aortic and left ventricular elastance were greater in Turner syndrome compared to controls (both p < 0.001). Increased aortic size index correlated with increased aortic elastance (r = 0.5, p = 0.01) and left ventricular elastance (r = 0.59, p = 0.002) but not aortic compliance. Higher ascending aortic areas were associated with increased aortic compliance (r = 0.44, p = 0.03) and left ventricular elastance (r = 0.49, p = 0.01).

Conclusion:

Paediatric Turner syndrome with similar aortic size index to controls showed MRI evidence of abnormal aortic biophysical properties. These findings point to an underlying aortopathy and provide additional parameters that may aid in determining risk factors for aortic dissection.
Food insecurity and perinatal depression among pregnant women in BUNMAP cohort in Ethiopia: a structural equation modelling
Authors: Biratu Abera , Alem Atalay , Medhin Girmay , Gebreyesus Seifu Hagos
Published: April 2024

Objective:

To assess the effect of food insecurity on perinatal depression in rural Ethiopia.

Design:

We used a prospective cohort in which food insecurity was considered as primary exposure and perinatal depression as an outcome. Food insecurity at baseline (in the period of 8–24 weeks of pregnancy) was measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), and perinatal depression at follow-up (in 32–36 weeks of pregnancy) was measured using a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). We used multivariable regression to assess the effect of food insecurity on the prevalence of perinatal depression. We explored food insecurity’s direct and indirect impacts on perinatal depression using structural equation modelling (SEM).

Setting:

This paper used data from the Butajira Nutrition, Mental Health and Pregnancy (BUNMAP) cohort established under the Butajira Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (BHDSS).

Participants:

Seven hundred and fifty-five pregnant women.

Results:

Among the study participants, 50 % were food-insecure, and about one-third were depressed at 32–36 follow-up. In SEM, higher values of baseline food insecurity, depressive symptoms and state–trait anxiety (STA) were positively and significantly associated with perinatal depression. The direct impact of food insecurity on perinatal depression accounts for 42 % of the total effect, and the rest accounted for the indirect effect through baseline depression (42 %) and STA (16 %).

Conclusion:

The significant effect of food insecurity at baseline on perinatal depression and the indirect effect of baseline food insecurity through baseline anxiety and depression in the current study implies the importance of tailored interventions for pregnant women that consider food insecurity and psychosocial problems.
Fractionation Mechanism and Flux Estimation of Strontium Isotopes During Basalt Weathering
Authors: Luo Kai , Ma Jinlong , Wang Zhibing , Zhu Guanhong , Zeng Ti , Wei Gangjian
Published: April 2024

The fluxes of metal cations and isotopes released by weathering of silicate rocks are crucial and a prerequisite for constraining geochemical fluxes to rivers and oceans. This study presents mineral and elemental compositions along with 87Sr/86Sr and δ88Sr data from a basaltic weathering regolith on Hainan Island, South China to elucidate Sr isotope fractionation and weathering fluxes. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios vary from 0.703936 to 0.706338 as a result of differential weathering of the minerals. δ88Sr values in the weathering regolith range from −0.29 to 0.37‰, with the majority of the weathering regolith having lower δ88Sr values than the parent rock. Sr is leached into the soil solution during plagioclase decomposition, while 86Sr is preferentially adsorbed on the surface of secondary minerals. As weathering progresses, smectite decomposes and kaolinite desorbs under weakly acidic conditions, releasing the previously adsorbed 86Sr into the soil solution. The differential weathering of kaolinite and smectite controls the δ88Sr values of the weathering regolith, with pH being an important determinant of isotope fractionation. Furthermore, Sr elemental fluxes (SrFlux) and Sr isotopic fluxes (δ88SrFlux) of this weathering regolith were calculated using a mass balance model, yielding mean values of 0.20 (mg cm−3 Myr−1) and 0.052 (‰ (mg cm−3 Myr−1)), respectively. The δ88SrFlux exhibits a nonlinear positive correlation with the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), indicating that enhanced weathering leads to significant stable Sr isotope fractionation at CIA values below 95%. Our research promotes the understanding of Sr recycling and the fractionation behavior of stable Sr isotopes during consecutive weathering.
Lawsonite and Garnet Oxygen Isotope Record of Fluid‐Rock Interaction During Subduction
Authors: Kang Patricia , Martin Laure A. J. , Vitale Brovarone Alberto , Whitney Donna L.
Published: April 2024

During the subduction of an oceanic plate, fluids are released from metabasaltic crust, metasediment, and serpentinite under high‐pressure/low‐temperature conditions. Although some fluids may eventually leave the slab, some participate in metamorphic reactions within the slab during subduction and exhumation. To identify fluid sources and other controls influencing mineral composition, we report the in situ‐measured δ18O of lawsonite and garnet in blueschist‐ to eclogite‐facies rocks from 10 subduction zones that represent various field settings, including mélanges, structurally coherent terranes, and an eclogite xenolith derived from a subducted plate. Lawsonite records distinct δ18O depending on the host rock type and other rock types that were fluid sources during lawsonite growth. In general, lawsonite in metabasalt (7.6 ± 0.2–14.8 ± 1.1‰) is isotopically lighter than in metasediment (20.6 ± 1.4–24.1 ± 1.3‰) but heavier than in metagabbro (4.0 ± 0.4–7.9 ± 0.3‰). The extent of δ18O fractionation was evaluated for lawsonite–fluid and lawsonite–garnet pairs as a function of temperature (T). Results demonstrate that variations of >1.7‰ in lawsonite and >0.9‰ in garnet are not related to changing T. More likely, the relative contributions of fluids derived from isotopically heavier lithologies (e.g., sediments) versus lighter lithologies (e.g., ultramafic rocks) are the major control. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to investigate the sources of metasomatic fluids and the water/rock ratio that formed lawsonite‐bearing metasomatite. Results indicate that δ18OLws and δ18OGrt record interactions with fluids sourced from diverse lithologies (sediment, serpentinite), further supporting that δ18OLws is a useful indicator of subduction fluid‐rock interactions.
Why Moist Dynamic Processes Matter for the Sub‐Seasonal Prediction of Atmospheric Blocking Over Europe
Authors: Wandel Jan , Büeler Dominik , Knippertz Peter , Quinting Julian F. , Grams Christian M.
Published: April 2024

In recent years, there has been growing evidence that latent heat release in midlatitude weather systems such as warm conveyor belts (WCBs) contributes significantly to the onset and maintenance of blocking anticyclones (blocked weather regimes). Still, numerical weather prediction (NWP) and climate models struggle to correctly predict and represent atmospheric blocking in particular over Europe. Here, we elucidate the representation of WCB activity in 20 years of extended winter (1997–2017) of European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecast's IFS reforecasts around the onset of blocking over Europe (EuBL) employing different perspectives. First, we show that the model struggles to predict EuBL onsets already at 10–14 days lead time in line with a misrepresentation of WCB activity in the ensemble mean. However, we also find cases with accurate EuBL forecasts even in pentad 4 (15–19 days). This subset of successful forecasts at extended‐range lead times goes in line with accurate WCB forecasts over the North Atlantic several days prior to the blocking onset. Second, investigating the time‐lagged relationship of blocking onset and WCB activity, we find that WCB activity over the North Atlantic emerges well prior to the onset of the block and that different pathways into EuBL exist in the reforecasts compared to reanalysis. Finally, we find indication of predictability associated with a Rossby wave train emerging from the North Pacific. Although our study can not disentangle the roles of intrinsic predictability limits and model deficiencies, we show that correct predictions of EuBL go along with distinct patterns of WCB activity.
Turbulence Closure With Small, Local Neural Networks: Forced Two‐Dimensional and β‐Plane Flows
Authors: Srinivasan Kaushik , Chekroun Mickaël D. , McWilliams James C.
Published: April 2024

We parameterize sub‐grid scale (SGS) fluxes in sinusoidally forced two‐dimensional turbulence on the β‐plane at high Reynolds numbers (Re ∼25,000) using simple 2‐layer convolutional neural networks (CNN) having only O(1000) parameters, two orders of magnitude smaller than recent studies employing deeper CNNs with 8–10 layers; we obtain stable, accurate, and long‐term online or a posteriori solutions at 16× downscaling factors. Our methodology significantly improves training efficiency and speed of online large eddy simulations runs, while offering insights into the physics of closure in such turbulent flows. Our approach benefits from extensive hyperparameter searching in learning rate and weight decay coefficient space, as well as the use of cyclical learning rate annealing, which leads to more robust and accurate online solutions compared to fixed learning rates. Our CNNs use either the coarse velocity or the vorticity and strain fields as inputs, and output the two components of the deviatoric stress tensor, Sd. We minimize a loss between the SGS vorticity flux divergence (computed from the high‐resolution solver) and that obtained from the CNN‐modeled Sd, without requiring energy or enstrophy preserving constraints. The success of shallow CNNs in accurately parameterizing this class of turbulent flows implies that the SGS stresses have a weak non‐local dependence on coarse fields; it also aligns with our physical conception that small‐scales are locally controlled by larger scales such as vortices and their strained filaments. Furthermore, 2‐layer CNN‐parameterizations are more likely to be interpretable.
Spatial Dispersion and Statistical Description of Organized Cumulus Cloud Ensembles in Radiative Convective Equilibrium
Authors: Savre J.
Published: April 2024

Descriptions of cloud ensembles in radiative convective equilibrium (RCE) rely mostly on the assumption that clouds are randomly distributed in space, a hypothesis that obviously fails in presence of strong organization. In this work, idealized RCE simulations at horizontal grid spacings ranging from 2 km to 125 m are analyzed, displaying a transition between complete randomness at coarse resolution to a high degree of cold pool driven organization at high resolution. The objective is then twofold: (a) characterizing the spatial cloud patterns focusing on correlation scales and association with covariates; (b) providing a statistical description of organized cloud ensembles to generalize existing theories based on complete randomness. It is demonstrated that organized cloud ensembles may be treated as heterogeneous point processes where individual clouds do not interact substantially with their neighbors. In other words, clouds may be considered as randomly distributed if we restrict the space to regions of high cloud density. In addition, it is shown that in highly organized situations local cloud counts may be modeled using negative binomial distributions, while cloud mass fluxes follow lognormal distributions. The total mass flux within regions of varying sizes can then be predicted by compounding the two aforementioned distributions. The total mass flux variability at scales ≲5 km is dominated by the heavy‐tails of the mass flux distributions, whereas at scales ≳5 km, it is entirely controlled by the spatial cloud count variability (the spatial cloud pattern). These results have important implications for the parameterization of organized convection in quasi‐equilibrium.
Enhancing Urban Climate‐Energy Modeling in the Community Earth System Model (CESM) Through Explicit Representation of Urban Air‐Conditioning Adoption
Authors: Li Xinchang “Cathy” , Zhao Lei , Oleson Keith , Zhou Yuyu , Qin Yue , Zhang Keer , Fang Bowen
Published: April 2024

Improved representation of urban processes in Earth System Models (ESMs) is a pressing need for climate modeling and climate‐driven urban energy studies. Despite recent improvements to its fully coupled Building Energy Model (BEM), the current Community Land Model Urban (CLMU) in the Community Earth System Model (CESM) lacks the infrastructure to model air‐conditioning (AC) adoption explicitly. This undermines CESM's fidelity in modeling urban climate and energy use, and limits its use in climate and energy risk assessments. Here, we establish a new parameterization scheme in CESM that represents AC adoption explicitly through an AC adoption rate parameter in the BEM of CLMU, and build a present‐day, global, survey‐based, and spatially explicit AC adoption rate data set at country and sub‐country level that is integrated within CESM. The new data set can be leveraged for other ESMs or global‐scale models and analyses. The explicit AC adoption scheme and the AC adoption rate data set significantly improve the accuracy of anthropogenic heat modeling due to AC in CESM. The new parameterization scheme makes it possible to evaluate the effects of changing AC adoption on global urban energy and climate using CESM. These developments enhance CESM in its use for climate impact assessments under future climate and socioeconomic development scenarios, and represent continued efforts in better representing urban processes and coupled human‐urban‐Earth dynamics in ESMs.
Seasonal and Species‐Level Water‐Use Strategies and Groundwater Dependence in Dryland Riparian Woodlands During Extreme Drought
Authors: Williams Jared , Stella John C. , Singer Michael Bliss , Lambert Adam M. , Voelker Steven L. , Drake John E. , Friedman Jonathan M. , Pelletier Lissa , Kui Li , Roberts Dar A.
Published: April 2024

Drought‐induced groundwater decline and warming associated with climate change are primary threats to dryland riparian woodlands. We used the extreme 2012–2019 drought in southern California as a natural experiment to assess how differences in water‐use strategies and groundwater dependence may influence the drought susceptibility of dryland riparian tree species with overlapping distributions. We analyzed tree‐ring stable carbon and oxygen isotopes collected from two cottonwood species (Populus trichocarpa and P. fremontii) along the semi‐arid Santa Clara River. We also modeled tree source water δ18O composition to compare with observed source water δ18O within the floodplain to infer patterns of groundwater reliance. Our results suggest that both species functioned as facultative phreatophytes that used shallow soil moisture when available but ultimately relied on groundwater to maintain physiological function during drought. We also observed apparent species differences in water‐use strategies and groundwater dependence related to their regional distributions. P. fremontii was constrained to more arid river segments and ostensibly used a greater proportion of groundwater to satisfy higher evaporative demand. P. fremontii maintained ∆13C at pre‐drought levels up until the peak of the drought, when trees experienced a precipitous decline in ∆13C. This response pattern suggests that trees prioritized maintaining photosynthetic processes over hydraulic safety, until a critical point. In contrast, P. trichocarpa showed a more gradual and sustained reduction in ∆13C, indicating that drought conditions induced stomatal closure and higher water use efficiency. This strategy may confer drought avoidance for P. trichocarpa while increasing its susceptibility to anticipated climate warming.
Distributed Hydrological Modeling With Physics‐Encoded Deep Learning: A General Framework and Its Application in the Amazon
Authors: Wang Chao , Jiang Shijie , Zheng Yi , Han Feng , Kumar Rohini , Rakovec Oldrich , Li Siqi
Published: April 2024

While deep learning (DL) models exhibit superior simulation accuracy over traditional distributed hydrological models (DHMs), their main limitations lie in opacity and the absence of underlying physical mechanisms. The pursuit of synergies between DL and DHMs is an engaging research domain, yet a definitive roadmap remains elusive. In this study, a novel framework that seamlessly integrates a process‐based hydrological model encoded as a neural network (NN), an additional NN for mapping spatially distributed and physically meaningful parameters from watershed attributes, and NN‐based replacement models representing inadequately understood processes is developed. Multi‐source observations are used as training data, and the framework is fully differentiable, enabling fast parameter tuning by backpropagation. A hybrid DL model of the Amazon Basin (∼6 × 106 km2) was established based on the framework, and HydroPy, a global‐scale DHM, was encoded as its physical backbone. Trained simultaneously with streamflow observations and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite data, the hybrid model yielded median Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiencies of 0.83 and 0.77 for dynamic and distributed simulations of streamflow and total water storage, respectively, 41% and 35% higher than those of the original HydroPy model. Replacing the original Penman‒Monteith formulation in HydroPy with a replacement NN produces more plausible potential evapotranspiration (PET) estimates, and unravels the spatial pattern of PET in this giant basin. The NN used for parameterization was interpreted to identify the factors controlling the spatial variability in key parameters. Overall, this study lays out a feasible technical roadmap for distributed hydrological modeling in the big data era.
Verifying the Mathematics Behind Ocean Modeling
Authors: Scharping Nathaniel
Published: April 2024

A series of test cases designed to confirm the accuracy of ocean models could help improve our understanding of large-scale climate processes.
Piloting co-developed behaviour change interventions to reduce exposure to air pollution and improve self-reported asthma-related health
Authors: McCarron Amy , Semple Sean , Swanson Vivien , Gillespie Colin , Braban Christine , Price Heather D.
Published: April 2024

Background

Exposure to air pollution can exacerbate asthma with immediate and long-term health consequences. Behaviour changes can reduce exposure to air pollution, yet its ‘invisible’ nature often leaves individuals unaware of their exposure, complicating the identification of appropriate behaviour modifications. Moreover, making health behaviour changes can be challenging, necessitating additional support from healthcare professionals.

Objective

This pilot study used personal exposure monitoring, data feedback, and co-developed behaviour change interventions with individuals with asthma, with the goal of reducing personal exposure to PM2.5 and subsequently improving asthma-related health.

Methods

Twenty-eight participants conducted baseline exposure monitoring for one-week, simultaneously keeping asthma symptom and medication diaries (previously published in McCarron et al., 2023). Participants were then randomised into control (n = 8) or intervention (n = 9) groups. Intervention participants received PM2.5 exposure feedback and worked with researchers to co-develop behaviour change interventions based on a health behaviour change programme which they implemented during the follow-up monitoring week. Control group participants received no feedback or intervention during the study.

Results

All interventions focused on the home environment. Intervention group participants reduced their at-home exposure by an average of 5.7 µg/m³ over the monitoring week (−23.0 to +3.2 µg/m³), whereas the control group had a reduction of 4.7 µg/m³ (−15.6 to +0.4 µg/m³). Furthermore, intervention group participants experienced a 4.6% decrease in participant-hours with reported asthma symptoms, while the control group saw a 0.5% increase. Similarly, the intervention group’s asthma-related quality of life improved compared to the control group.

Impact statement

This pilot study investigated a novel behaviour change intervention, utilising personal exposure monitoring, data feedback, and co-developed interventions guided by a health behaviour change programme. The study aimed to reduce personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and improve self-reported asthma-related health. Conducting a randomised controlled trial with 28 participants, co-developed intervention successfully targeted exposure peaks within participants’ home microenvironments, resulting in a reduction in at-home personal exposure to PM2.5 and improving self-reported asthma-related health. The study contributes valuable insights into the environmental exposure-health relationship and highlights the potential of the intervention for individual-level decision-making to protect human health.
Dentate gyrus is needed for memory retrieval
Authors: Carretero-Guillén Alejandro , Treviño Mario , Gómez-Climent María Ángeles , Dogbevia Godwin K. , Bertocchi Ilaria , Sprengel Rolf , Larkum Matthew E. , Vlachos Andreas , Gruart Agnès , Delgado-García José M. , Hasan Mazahir T.
Published: April 2024

The hippocampus is crucial for acquiring and retrieving episodic and contextual memories. In previous studies, the inactivation of dentate gyrus (DG) neurons by chemogenetic- and optogenetic-mediated hyperpolarization led to opposing conclusions about DG’s role in memory retrieval. One study used Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD)-mediated clozapine N-oxide (CNO)-induced hyperpolarization and reported that the previously formed memory was erased, thus concluding that denate gyrus is needed for memory maintenance. The other study used optogenetic with halorhodopsin induced hyperpolarization and reported and dentate gyrus is needed for memory retrieval. We hypothesized that this apparent discrepancy could be due to the length of hyperpolarization in previous studies; minutes by optogenetics and several hours by DREADD/CNO. Since hyperpolarization interferes with anterograde and retrograde neuronal signaling, it is possible that the memory engram in the dentate gyrus and the entorhinal to hippocampus trisynaptic circuit was erased by long-term, but not with short-term hyperpolarization. We developed and applied an advanced chemogenetic technology to selectively silence synaptic output by blocking neurotransmitter release without hyperpolarizing DG neurons to explore this apparent discrepancy. We performed in vivo electrophysiology during trace eyeblink in a rabbit model of associative learning. Our work shows that the DG output is required for memory retrieval. Based on previous and recent findings, we propose that the actively functional anterograde and retrograde neuronal signaling is necessary to preserve synaptic memory engrams along the entorhinal cortex to the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit.