bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plague and the Mongol conquest of Baghdad (1258)? A reevaluation of the sources
Authors: Brack Jonathan , Biran Michal , Amitai Reuven
Published: April 2024

This paper reexamines the sources used by N. Fancy and M.H. Green in “Plague and the Fall of Baghdad (1258)” (Medical History, 65/2 (2021), 157–177). Fancy and Green argued that the Arabic and Persian descriptions of the Mongol sieges in Iran and Iraq, and in particular, in the conquest of Baghdad in 1258, indicate that the besieged fortresses and cities were struck by Plague after the Mongol sieges were lifted. This, they suggested, is part of a recurrent pattern of the outbreak of Plague transmitted by the Mongol expansion across Eurasia. Fancy and Green concluded that the primary sources substantiate the theory driven by recent paleogenetic studies indicating that the Mongol conquests of the thirteenth century set the stage for the massive pandemic of the mid-fourteenth century. The link between the Plague outbreak and the Mongol siege of Baghdad relies on three near-contemporaneous historical accounts. However, our re-examination of the sources shows that the main text (in Persian) has been significantly misunderstood, and that the two other texts (in Syriac and Arabic) have been mis-contextualized, and thus not understood properly. They do not support the authors’ claim regarding Plague epidemic in Baghdad in 1258, nor do other contemporary and later Arabic texts from Syria and Egypt adduced by them, which we re-examine in detail here. We conclude that there is no evidence for the appearance of Plague during or immediately after the Mongol conquests in the Middle East, certainly not for its transmission by the Mongols.
Generating preferential attachment graphs via a Pólya urn with expanding colors
Authors: Singh Somya , Alajaji Fady , Gharesifard Bahman
Published: April 2024

We introduce a novel preferential attachment model using the draw variables of a modified Pólya urn with an expanding number of colors, notably capable of modeling influential opinions (in terms of vertices of high degree) as the graph evolves. Similar to the Barabási-Albert model, the generated graph grows in size by one vertex at each time instance; in contrast however, each vertex of the graph is uniquely characterized by a color, which is represented by a ball color in the Pólya urn. More specifically at each time step, we draw a ball from the urn and return it to the urn along with a number of reinforcing balls of the same color; we also add another ball of a new color to the urn. We then construct an edge between the new vertex (corresponding to the new color) and the existing vertex whose color ball is drawn. Using color-coded vertices in conjunction with the time-varying reinforcing parameter allows for vertices added (born) later in the process to potentially attain a high degree in a way that is not captured in the Barabási-Albert model. We study the degree count of the vertices by analyzing the draw vectors of the underlying stochastic process. In particular, we establish the probability distribution of the random variable counting the number of draws of a given color which determines the degree of the vertex corresponding to that color in the graph. We further provide simulation results presenting a comparison between our model and the Barabási-Albert network.
Structural Microaggressions for Explaining Outcome Gaps
Authors: Akagi Mikio
Published: April 2024

Microaggressions are hypothesized to play a causal role in undesirable population effects such as racial health gaps, but the mechanisms through which this occurs are not yet well understood. I call inquiry about these mechanisms the “explanatory project.” I suggest that the explanatory project has been hindered by microaggression concepts tailored to be applicable under conditions of lived uncertainty, rather than to facilitate understanding of structural causes. I defend a pluralist, structural account of microaggressions from objections by Regina Rini that, while appropriate for ethical projects, do not apply to the explanatory project.
Relationship among thermal environment, stage of lactation, body characteristics, yield and milk constituents of dairy Gyr cows managed on pasture
Authors: De-Sousa Karolini Tenffen , Ligori Viviane Andrade , Gonçalves Caroline Martins , Negrão João Alberto , Deniz Matheus , Fernandes André Rabelo , Barbosa Glayk Humberto Vilela , El Faro Lenira
Published: April 2024

Our aims were to evaluate changes in body characteristics, milk yield and milk constituents as well as to determine the relationship between the thermal environment and production characteristics during the first lactation of dairy Gyr cows managed on pasture. Between 2013 and 2015, forty-five primiparous dairy Gyr cows were evaluated from prepartum to 10 months of lactation in Southeast of Brazil. Body weight, body condition score (BCS), subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), milk yield (305 d), and milk constituents were collected monthly and progesterone was collected weekly. Additionally, we determined the temperature humidity index (THI) based on microclimate data. Overall, the cows lost body weight until six months of lactation and there was a progressive decrease in BCS, SFT, milk yield and milk lactose as the months in lactation progressed. In contrast, there was an increase in milk fat, milk protein and milk solids. The thermal environment did not pose a consistent heat challenge, nevertheless, we found a positive correlation between the average THI two days before milk collection with milk yield, fat and lactose contents, but in contrast a negative correlation was found with total solids and protein. In conclusion, the THI and months of lactation affected the yield and constituents of milk. However, more studies are necessary to understand the impacts of body characteristics and thermal environment on yield and milk constituents throughout the productive life of Gyr dairy cows.
The white grunt, Haemulon plumierii (Lacepède, 1801) as paratenic and definitive host of two acanthocephalan species, with the description of a new species of Dollfusentis (Palaeacanthocephala: Leptohynchoididae) from the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Authors: García-Varela Martín , Sereno-Uribe Ana L. , Solórzano-García Brenda , Pérez-Ponce de León Gerardo
Published: April 2024

Acanthocephalans are a group of obligate endoparasites that alternate between vertebrates and invertebrates to complete their life cycles. Occasionally, the same individual host acts as a definitive or paratenic host for different acanthocephalan species. In this study, acanthocephalans were sampled in marine fish in three localities of the Yucatán Peninsula; adults and cystacanths were recovered from the intestine and body cavity, respectively, of Haemulon plumierii from off the coast of Sisal, Yucatán. Ribosomal DNA sequences (small and large subunits) were used to test the phylogenetic position of the species of the genus Dollfusentis, whereas the mtDNA gene cox 1 was used for assessing species delimitation. The cox 1 analysis revealed an independent genetic lineage, which is recognized herein as a new species, Dollfusentis mayae n. sp. The new species is morphologically distinguished from the other six congeners by having a cylindrical proboscis armed with 22–25 longitudinal rows bearing 12 hooks each. The cystacanths were morphologically identified as Gorgorhynchus medius by having a cylindrical trunk covered with tiny irregular spines on the anterior region, and a cylindrical proboscis armed with 17–18 longitudinal rows of 21 hooks each; small and large subunit phylogenetic analyses yielded G. medius within the family Isthomosacanthidae, suggesting that Gorgorhynchus should be transferred to this family from Rhadinorhynchidae where it is currently allocated.
Evolution of tick vaccinology
Authors: de la Fuente José , Ghosh Srikant
Published: April 2024

Ticks represent a major concern for society worldwide. Ticks are also difficult to control, and vaccines represent the most efficacious, safe, economically feasible and environmentally sustainable intervention. The evolution of tick vaccinology has been driven by multiple challenges such as (1) Ticks are difficult to control, (2) Vaccines control tick infestations by reducing ectoparasite fitness and reproduction, (3) Vaccine efficacy against multiple tick species, (4) Impact of tick strain genetic diversity on vaccine efficacy, (5) Antigen combination to improve vaccine efficacy, (6) Vaccine formulations and delivery platforms and (7) Combination of vaccines with transgenesis and paratransgenesis. Tick vaccine antigens evolved from organ protein extracts to recombinant proteins to chimera designed by vaccinomics and quantum vaccinomics. Future directions will advance in these areas together with other novel technologies such as multiomics, AI and Big Data, mRNA vaccines, microbiota-driven probiotics and vaccines, and combination of vaccines with other interventions in collaboration with regions with high incidence of tick infestations and tick-borne diseases for a personalized medicine approach.
1930: first modern crisis
Authors: Gorton Gary , Laarits Toomas , Muir Tyler
Published: April 2024

Modern financial crises are difficult to explain because they do not always involve bank runs, or the bank runs occur late. For this reason, the first year of the Great Depression, 1930, has remained a puzzle. Industrial production dropped by 20.8 percent despite no nationwide bank run. Using cross-sectional variation in external finance dependence, we demonstrate that banks’ decision to not use the discount window and instead cut back lending and invest in safe assets can account for the majority of this decline. In effect, the banks ran on themselves before the crisis became evident.
How do enrollees feel about support in Big Hospices? – The caregiver experience of emotional, spiritual, and bereavement support by profit status among large US providers
Authors: Hotchkiss Jason T. , Ridderman Emily , Hotchkiss Brendan T.
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Recent findings narrate profiteering detrimentally impacting hospice care quality. However, no study has examined the caregiver experience of emotional and spiritual support expressed online. The purpose was to evaluate the hospice caregiver’s experience of emotional, spiritual, and bereavement support and whether the care was respectful and compassionate to the care unit.

Methods

Retrospective mixed methods of sentiment and quantitative analysis. Sources were online caregiver reviews (n = 4,279), Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) data on the 50 largest US hospices.

Results

Caring and compassionate professionals were lauded in nonprofit (+.57) and for-profit settings (+.46). The nonprofit experience was in the excellent range (+42) for emotional, spiritual, and bereavement support but fell to dissatisfying (–.15) among for-profits. A respectful experience (16%) was much less commonly expressed than a compassionate one (38%). Distribution of CAHPS “Treating patient with respect” (M = 89.62, SD = 2.63) and “Emotional and spiritual support” (M = 89.80, SD = 2.04) limited inter-hospice comparisons.

Significance of results

Compassionate professionals were thanked and praised regardless of profit status. Sadly, anger was expressed toward large, for-profits more fixated on census than emotional, spiritual, and bereavement support; thankfully nonprofits were more supportive. CAHPS items for “Treating patient with respect” and “Emotional, spiritual support” offer limited discriminating value since low CAHPS performers always had relatively high scores on these 2, yet otherwise low scores on the remaining 6. Online reviews on the same topics provide a more substantive and realistic appraisal – distinguishing high from low performers. A higher bar than mere respect is needed for the tender experience of death, dying, and grieving. Compassion is an especially relevant addition to CAHPS since caregivers named compassionate staff as a distinguishing factor. Parity for mental health at end of life is a vital research topic. Future research should also explore the caregiver expectations set on admission.
Exploring unmet concerns in home hospice cancer care: Perspectives of patients, informal caregivers, palliative care providers, and family physicians
Authors: Ben-Arye Eran , Samuels Noah , Keshet Yael , Golan Miri , Baruch Erez , Dagash Jamal
Published: April 2024

Objectives

The study examines perspectives of patients in home hospice care; their informal caregivers; palliative health-care providers (HCPs); and family physicians, all regarding patients’ unmet needs and quality of life (QoL)-related concerns.

Methods

Participants from all 4 groups were approached within 2 months after the patient’s admission to the home hospice care unit. Participants completed Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCAW) questionnaires, for patient’s QoL-related concerns. Qualitative analysis of short narratives was conducted using ATLAS.ti software for systematic coding.

Results

In total, 78 participants completed the study questionnaires: 24 patients, 22 informal caregivers, 22 palliative HCPs, and 11 family physicians. Informal caregivers gave higher scores (i.e., greater severity) than patients for fatigue on ESAS (p = 0.009); and family physicians lower scores than patients for ESAS drowsiness (p = 0.046). Compared with patients, palliative HCPs gave higher scores for patient emotional-spiritual concerns (77.2% vs. 41.7%, p = 0.02); lower scores for gastrointestinal concerns (p = 0.048); and higher scores for overall function (p = 0.049). Qualitative assessment identified a gap between how patients/informal caregivers vs. palliative HCPs/family physicians regard emotional-spiritual themes, including discussing issues related to death and dying.

Significance of results

The findings of the present study suggest that exploring a multifaceted cohort of home hospice patients, informal caregivers, palliative HCPs, and family physicians may provide insight on how to reduce communication gaps and address unmet needs of patients, particularly regarding emotional and spiritual concerns.

Conclusions

While the 4 groups were similar in their scoring of patient QoL-related concerns, there were discrepancies for some concerns (e.g., patient fatigue) and expectations regarding the need to discuss emotional and spiritual concerns, including on death and dying. Educational initiatives with programs providing training to all 4 groups may help bridge this gap, creating a more open and collaborative hospice care environment.
A 4 × 4 Butler matrix with switching/steering beams based on new tunable phase difference couplers
Authors: Benaouf Taleb Mohamed , Hamdoun Abdelaziz , Himdi Mohamed , Lafond Olivier , Ammor Hassan
Published: April 2024

Basically, a 4 × 4 Butler matrix (BM) connected to an antenna array allows to have four beams, each oriented in a specific direction depending on the excitation port. In this paper, an almost continuously steerable beam system based on a conventional 4 × 4 BM with adjustable phase shift is presented and demonstrated. Here, varicap diodes are used instead of an additional phase shifter. Under different bias levels applied to the couplers throughout these varicap diodes, an output variable phase difference was obtained. A prototype of the proposed tunable BM integrated with an antenna array operating at 3.5 GHz was fabricated and tested. The experimental results show a good agreement with those simulated. A reflection and isolation coefficient better than −15 dB over the entire desired frequency band and an amplitude imbalance lower than ±1.5 dB were achieved. The measured radiating beam under different DC biasing can be oriented from ±6° to ±18° when port 1 or 4 is excited and oriented from ±32° to ±43° for ports 2 and 3.
The Effects of Fear and Shame in Health Testimonial Videos on Identification and Health Beliefs
Authors: Cohen Jonathan , Atad Erga , Mevorach Tomer
Published: April 2024

Abstract: Two online experiments (Study 1  N = 310; Study 2  N = 967) using video testimonials manipulated the degree of fear and shame experienced by viewers by varying the degree of risk and stigma associated with the illnesses endured by the protagonists. Results showed that increasing risk and stigma intensified identification, which in turn affected story-consistent beliefs. Trait empathy, expected to increase identification did not predict higher identification. Both studies, using different videos depicting different illnesses, found similar results suggesting a general pattern. Results are discussed in the context of persuasion theory and implications for message design are suggested.
Subsurface Warming of the West Antarctic Continental Shelf Linked to El Niño‐Southern Oscillation
Authors: Huguenin Maurice F. , Holmes Ryan M. , Spence Paul , England Matthew H.
Published: April 2024

Recent observations suggest that El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) impacts basal melting of West Antarctic ice shelves, yet sparse ocean observations limit our understanding of the associated processes. Here we investigate how ENSO events modulate subsurface West Antarctic shelf temperatures using high‐resolution global ocean‐sea ice model simulations. During El Niño, the subsurface shelf warming between 150 m and the shelf bottom can be up to 0.5°C in front of ice shelves. This warming arises from a weaker Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) and weaker coastal easterlies that reduce on‐shelf Ekman transport of cold surface waters, enabling enhanced transport of warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) onto the shelf. A largely opposite response occurs during La Niña, with a stronger ASL and stronger Ekman transport that results in less cross‐shelf CDW transport and cooling in the subsurface. These findings have implications for interpreting basal melting on interannual to decadal time‐scales in West Antarctica.
Low Viscosity of Peridotite Liquid: Implications for Magma Ocean Dynamics
Authors: Huang D. , Li Y. , Murakami M.
Published: April 2024

Transport properties of silicate melts control magma ocean dynamics on the early terrestrial planets and rocky exoplanets. Here we calculate the viscosity (transport of momentum) of peridotite liquid at potential magma ocean conditions (0–159 GPa, 2,200–6,000 K) using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. We find that, unlike MgSiO3 or basaltic melts, the viscosity of the highly depolymerized peridotite liquid (a) increases monotonically with pressure without an anomalous drop and (b) is lower than those of other melts over the entire mantle pressure range. Low viscosity would promote fractional crystallization in a less polymerized magma ocean and thus contribute to mantle heterogeneity from its earliest stage. Given the compositional dependence of magma ocean properties, emphasis on multicomponent bulk silicate Earth‐like composition, instead of simple end‐members, are rendered necessary, in order to better understand high‐energy planetary accretion processes and their aftermaths.
Marine Phosphate Level During the Archean Constrained by the Global Redox Budget
Authors: Watanabe Yasuto , Ozaki Kazumi , Tajika Eiichi
Published: April 2024

Understanding the oceanic phosphate concentration is critical for understanding marine productivity and oxygen evolution throughout Earth history. During the Archean, estimates of marine phosphate levels range from scarce to enriched conditions. However, biogeochemical conditions required for sustaining high phosphate concentrations while retaining an anoxic atmosphere during the Archean remain ambiguous. Here, we employ a biogeochemical model of the marine phosphate cycle to determine the conditions under which oceanic phosphate levels could have been higher than present‐day values during the Archean after the emergence of oxygenic photoautotrophs (OP). We show that, under the presence of OP, phosphate‐rich oceans require the limitation by factors other than phosphate, or a high outgassing rate of reducing gases. If these conditions were not met, the occurrence of oceanic phosphate levels higher than present‐day values during the Archean would require the absence of OP.
Dynamical Modeling of Fault Slip Rates at the New Zealand Plate Boundary Indicates Fault Weakness
Authors: Hirschberg H. , Sutherland R.
Published: April 2024

We construct a thin‐sheet dynamical model of the New Zealand plate boundary that includes faults. Our model fits fault slip rates, style of distributed deformation, and is constrained by relative plate boundary motion. We assume a pseudo‐plastic rheology and achieve a best fit to slip rate observations with a deviatoric stress magnitude of 20 MPa. Modeled local forces are significant at Puysegur and Hikurangi subduction zones, and smaller forces are related to mantle downwelling beneath South Island and Havre Trough mantle upwelling. Modeled tractions on faults are mostly 5–20 MPa, similar to or slightly smaller than stress magnitudes adjacent to faults. Modeled shear tractions are generally 2–10 MPa, comparable to stress drops during earthquakes. Modeled stress orientations and fault dips suggest that many faults are not optimally oriented for their style of faulting. Notably small traction magnitudes of <5 MPa and shear tractions of <0.5 MPa are modeled for faults in the central North Island Dextral Fault Belt (NIDFB), which we infer to be very poorly oriented. Friction coefficients on faults (ratio of shear stress to effective normal stress) are in the range 0.1–0.3 for major crustal faults such as the Alpine Fault and Marlborough faults, but subduction zones and the NIDFB have values <0.1. We propose that low values of long‐term fault strength, shear stress resolved onto the fault, and overall magnitudes of deviatoric stress in the crust are a consequence of dynamic weakening of faults during fault slip.
High‐Resolution Paleomagnetic Secular Variation Since ∼13 ka From a Loess Section in Northwest China and a Regional Geomagnetic Directional Model for East Asia
Authors: Fan Yunchang , Cai Shuhui , Pavón‐Carrasco Francisco Javier , Xiong Jianguo , Deng Chenglong , Pan Yongxin
Published: April 2024

Paleomagnetic secular variation (PSV) records provide important information for the dynamic processes of the Earth's geomagnetic field, and also can be used for regional stratigraphic correlation. We conducted a paleomagnetic study on a high sedimentation rate Holocene loess section (the Minle section) with precise 14C age constraints in Northwest China. Rock magnetic results indicate that single domain and pseudo‐single‐domain magnetites are the main magnetic carriers of the natural remanent magnetization. Combining the alternating field demagnetization and thermal demagnetization results, we obtained a high‐resolution PSV record with both absolute declination and inclination since ∼13 ka. Combining with previously published sedimentary records in East Asia, we developed an East Asian PSV reference curve over the past 14 ka (EASed14k) by relocating all the data to a common location (30ºN, 108ºE) and averaging them through Fisher statistics. We further generated a regional geomagnetic directional model spanning the past 14 ka for East Asia (SCHA.EAS14k), using the in situ PSV records and applying the revised spherical cap harmonic analysis in space and cubic B‐spline in time. The predicted directional curves from this model at the common location are consistent with the EASed14k curves, which represent the first‐order variation of the geomagnetic field in this area. The established reference curve and regional model for East Asia in this study will be used for regional and global comparison of the geomagnetic field.
Quantifying the Interactions of Noah‐MP Land Surface Processes on the Simulated Runoff Over the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Li Jianduo , Gan Yanjun , Zhang Guo , Gou Jiaojiao , Lu Xingjie , Miao Chiyuan
Published: April 2024

The quantification of uncertainties in runoff over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), simulated by land surface models (LSMs), is of paramount importance for effective water resources management within this region. However, the interactions of land surface processes on simulated runoff, where the effectiveness of one process depends on the chosen scheme for another, have rarely been studied. To address this gap, we conducted ensemble simulations with the Noah‐MP (Noah with multiparameterization) LSM by varying the optional parameterization schemes of six land surface processes and quantified the sensitivities of the simulated runoff to these processes. Results showed that the simulated runoff over the TP was most sensitive to the RUN (runoff‐groundwater) process. The interplay of RUN and FRO (frozen soil permeability) accounted for up to 30% of the variation in the annual mean surface runoff in the TP's permafrost regions. The interactions of RUN and VEG (dynamic vegetation) on summer and autumn subsurface runoff exceeded 10% in the southeast TP. In regions where these interactions among land surface processes significantly affected simulated runoff, we observed elevated model errors and reduced model controllability. Therefore, this study underscores the imperative need to categorize land regions based on the interactions of land surface processes as a foundational step toward enhancing the performance of LSMs. Prioritizing improvements in model physics should be particularly directed toward regions marked by high interactions.
Turbulent Fluxes and Evaporation/Sublimation Rates on Earth, Mars, Titan, and Exoplanets
Authors: Khuller Aditya R. , Clow Gary D.
Published: April 2024

Turbulent fluxes of heat, momentum, and humidity in the atmospheric boundary layer are pivotal to the evolution of geology, weather and climate, and the possibility of life. Here we extend recent advances in calculating these near‐surface turbulent fluxes in the Earth's atmospheric boundary layer to any terrestrial planetary body with an atmosphere. These improvements include: (a) incorporating Monin‐Obukhov similarity functions that encompass the entire range of atmospheric stability expected on terrestrial planetary bodies, (b) accounting for the additional shear associated with buoyant plumes under unstable conditions, (c) using surface renewal theory to calculate transfer rates within the interfacial layer adjacent to the surface, and (d) explicitly accounting for key humidity effects that become especially important when a volatile is more buoyant than the ambient gas (e.g., on Mars where H2O is lighter than CO2). We tested and validated our model using in situ data collected on Earth, Mars, and Titan under a wide range of atmospheric stability, pressure, and surface roughness conditions. The model shows up to 71% better agreement with measurements compared to methods commonly used on Mars for evaporation/sublimation. Compared to previous estimates for H2O ice on Mars, our model predicts up to 1.5–190x lower latent heat fluxes under stable atmospheric conditions (depending on the wind speed) and 1.78x higher latent heat fluxes under unstable conditions. Our results provide improved constraints on the stability of ice on Mars and will help determine whether ice can melt under present‐day conditions.
Morphology and Sediment Dynamics of Blossom Shoals at Icy Cape, Alaska
Authors: Eidam E. F. , Thomson J. , Malito J. G. , Hošeková L.
Published: April 2024

Capes and cape‐associated shoals represent sites of convergent sediment transport, and can provide points of relative coastal stability, navigation hazards, and offshore sand resources. Shoal evolution is commonly impacted by the regional wave climate. In the Arctic, changing sea‐ice conditions are leading to (a) longer open‐water seasons when waves can contribute to sediment transport, and (b) an intensified wave climate (related to duration of open water and expanding fetch). At Blossom Shoals offshore of Icy Cape in the Chukchi Sea, these changes have led to a five‐fold increase in the amount of time that sand is mobile at a 31‐m water depth site between the period 1953–1989 and the period 1990–2022. Wave conditions conducive to sand transport are still limited to less than 2% of the year, however—and thus it is not surprising that the overall morphology of the shoals has changed little in 70 years, despite evidence of active sand transport in the form of 1‐m‐scale sand waves on the flanks of the shoals which heal ice keel scours formed during the winter. Suspended‐sediment transport is relatively weak due to limited sources of mud nearby, but can be observed in a net northeastward direction during the winter (driven by the Alaska Coastal Current under the ice) and in a southwestward direction during open‐water wind events. Longer open‐water seasons mean that annual net northeastward transport of fine sediment may weaken, with implications for the residence time of fine‐grained sediments and particle‐associated nutrients in the Chukchi Sea.
Characterization of Stream, Hyperconcentrated and Debris Flows from Seismic Signals: Insights into Sediment Transport Mechanisms and Flow Dynamics
Authors: Yang Yunpeng , Chen Guan , Li Yajun , Meng Xingmin , Chong Yan , Bian Shiqiang , Jin Jiacheng , Shi Wei , Wu Jie , Yue Dongxia
Published: April 2024

Sediments in steep channels can be mobilized to form stream flows, hyperconcentrated flows and debris flows, which can cause damage to downstream communities. However, the understanding of the sediment‐transport mechanisms that control these processes remains incomplete due to the lack of effective monitoring methods. In this study, we utilize seismic data captured during these sediment‐laden flows through field experiments and in situ monitoring to offer insights into flow mechanics and sediment transport mechanisms. Results show that sediment transport in stream flows and hyperconcentrated flows is primarily supported by viscous shear and turbulent stresses, whereas grain collisional stresses play a significant role in debris‐flow dynamics. By characterizing impact rates, basal impulses and flow discharge, seismic monitoring can reveal the internal flow dynamics and bulk flow characteristics as well as the characteristics of sediment transport. Increasing solid concentrations can elicit positive nonlinearities in the frequency‐based scaling relationships between seismic power and hydrographs, indicating transitions in the seismic signal from turbulence‐bedload‐dominated to bedload‐dominated, and grain collisional‐dominated regimes. By introducing the ratio of the real shear stress to the critical shear stress, we refined the phase space for sediment stability. Combining this criterion with the absolute seismic power enables us to establish ground‐motion thresholds for distinguishing different flow types. Our results highlight opportunities to use seismic data for the quantitative inversion of these fluvial processes and debris flows as well as early warning strategies.
A High‐Resolution, Daily Hindcast (1990–2021) of Alaskan River Discharge and Temperature From Coupled and Optimized Physical Models
Authors: Blaskey Dylan , Gooseff Michael N. , Cheng Yifan , Newman Andrew J. , Koch Joshua C. , Musselman Keith N.
Published: April 2024

Water quality and freshwater ecosystems are affected by river discharge and temperature. Models are frequently used to estimate river temperature on large spatial and temporal scales due to limited observations of discharge and temperature. In this study, we use physically based river routing and temperature models to simulate daily discharge and river temperature for rivers in 138 basins in Alaska, including the entire Yukon River basin, from 1990–2021. The river temperature model was optimized for ice free months using a surrogate‐based model optimization method, improving model performance at uncalibrated river gages. A common statistical model relating local air and water temperature was used as a benchmark. The physically based river temperature model exhibited superior performance compared to the benchmark statistical model after optimization, suggesting river temperature model optimization could become more routine. The river temperature model demonstrated high sensitivity to air temperature and model parameterization, and lower sensitivity to discharge. Validation of the models showed a Kling‐Gupta Efficiency of 0.46 for daily river discharge and a root mean square error of 2.04°C for daily river temperature, improving on the non‐optimized physical model and the benchmark statistical model, which had root mean square errors of 3.24 and 2.97°C, respectively. The simulation shows that rivers in northern Alaska have higher maximum summer temperatures and more variability than rivers in the Central and Southern regions. Furthermore, this framework can be readily adapted for use across models and regions.
Nonlinear optical diode effect in a magnetic Weyl semimetal
Authors: Tzschaschel Christian , Qiu Jian-Xiang , Gao Xue-Jian , Li Hou-Chen , Guo Chunyu , Yang Hung-Yu , Zhang Cheng-Ping , Xie Ying-Ming , Liu Yu-Fei , Gao Anyuan , Bérubé Damien , Dinh Thao , Ho Sheng-Chin , Fang Yuqiang , Huang Fuqiang , Nordlander Johanna , Ma Qiong , Tafti Fazel , Moll Philip J. W. , Law Kam Tuen , Xu Su-Yang
Published: April 2024

Diode effects are of great interest for both fundamental physics and modern technologies. Electrical diode effects (nonreciprocal transport) have been observed in Weyl systems. Optical diode effects arising from the Weyl fermions have been theoretically considered but not probed experimentally. Here, we report the observation of a nonlinear optical diode effect (NODE) in the magnetic Weyl semimetal CeAlSi, where the magnetization introduces a pronounced directionality in the nonlinear optical second-harmonic generation (SHG). We demonstrate a six-fold change of the measured SHG intensity between opposite propagation directions over a bandwidth exceeding 250 meV. Supported by density-functional theory, we establish the linearly dispersive bands emerging from Weyl nodes as the origin of this broadband effect. We further demonstrate current-induced magnetization switching and thus electrical control of the NODE. Our results advance ongoing research to identify novel nonlinear optical/transport phenomena in magnetic topological materials and further opens new pathways for the unidirectional manipulation of light.
The impact of surgical volume on outcomes in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients receiving definitive surgeries
Authors: Yeh Chiu-Mei , Lai Tzu-Yu , Hu Yu-Wen , Teng Chung-Jen , Huang Nicole , Liu Chia-Jen
Published: April 2024

Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients who receive cancer surgeries from higher-volume providers may have better outcomes. However, the definitions of surgical volume may affect the results. We aim to analyze the effects of different definitions of surgical volume on patient outcomes. We conducted a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan that enrolled all patients who underwent definitive surgery for newly diagnosed CRC. We used three common definitions of surgical volume: total volume means the total surgical number conducted by the same provider during the study period; cumulative volume was calculated as the number of operations the surgeon performed before the index procedure; annual volume was calculated as the number of times the surgeon had been responsible for surgery during the index year. In this study, we included 100,009 newly diagnosed CRC patients, including 55.8% males, of median age 66 years at diagnosis (range 20–105 years). After adjustment for the patient and provider characteristics, we found that CRC patients receiving definitive surgery by higher-volume providers had better outcomes, especially where surgeon volume may play a more important role than hospital volume. The cumulative volume could predict the 5-year mortality of the study cohort better than the total and annual volume.
The effect of roast profiles on the dynamics of titratable acidity during coffee roasting
Authors: Anokye-Bempah Laudia , Styczynski Timothy , de Andrade Teixeira Fernandes Natalia , Gervay-Hague Jacquelyn , Ristenpart William D. , Donis-González Irwin R.
Published: April 2024

Coffee professionals have long known that the “roast profile,” i.e., the temperature versus time inside the roaster, strongly affects the flavor and quality of the coffee. A particularly important attribute of brewed coffee is the perceived sourness, which is known to be strongly correlated to the total titratable acidity (TA). Most prior work has focused on laboratory-scale roasters with little control over the roast profile, so the relationship between roast profile in a commercial-scale roaster and the corresponding development of TA to date remains unclear. Here we investigate roast profiles of the same total duration but very different dynamics inside a 5-kg commercial drum roaster, and we show that the TA invariably peaks during first crack and then decays to its original value by second crack. Although the dynamics of the TA development varied with roast profile, the peak TA surprisingly exhibited almost no statistically significant differences among roast profiles. Our results provide insight on how to manipulate and achieve desired sourness during roasting.
An efficient and accurate multi-level cascaded recurrent network for stereo matching
Authors: Zhong Ziyu , Yang Xiuze , Pan Xiubian , Guan Wei , Liang Ke , Li Jing , Liao Xiaolan , Wang Shuo
Published: April 2024

With the advent of Transformer-based convolutional neural networks, stereo matching algorithms have achieved state-of-the-art accuracy in disparity estimation. Nevertheless, this method requires much model inference time, which is the main reason limiting its application in many vision tasks and robots. Facing the trade-off problem between accuracy and efficiency, this paper proposes an efficient and accurate multi-level cascaded recurrent network, LMCR-Stereo. To recover the detailed information of stereo images more accurately, we first design a multi-level network to update the difference values in a coarse-to-fine recurrent iterative manner. Then, we propose a new pair of slow-fast multi-stage superposition inference structures to accommodate the differences between different scene data. Besides, to ensure better disparity estimation accuracy with faster model inference speed, we introduce a pair of adaptive and lightweight group correlation layers to reduce the impact of erroneous rectification and significantly improve model inference speed. The experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves a competitive disparity estimation accuracy with a faster model inference speed than the current state-of-the-art methods. Notably, the model inference speed of the proposed approach is improved by 46.0% and 50.4% in the SceneFlow test set and Middlebury benchmark, respectively.
Evaluating homologous recombination activity in tissues to predict the risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and olaparib sensitivity
Authors: Motonari Tokiwa , Yoshino Yuki , Haruta Moe , Endo Shino , Sasaki Shota , Miyashita Minoru , Tada Hiroshi , Watanabe Gou , Kaneko Toshiro , Ishida Takanori , Chiba Natsuko
Published: April 2024

Homologous recombination (HR) repairs DNA damage including DNA double-stranded breaks and alterations in HR-related genes results in HR deficiency. Germline alteration of HR-related genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, causes hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). Cancer cells with HR deficiency are sensitive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and DNA-damaging agents. Thus, accurately evaluating HR activity is useful for diagnosing HBOC and predicting the therapeutic effects of anti-cancer agents. Previously, we developed an assay for site-specific HR activity (ASHRA) that can quantitatively evaluate HR activity and detect moderate HR deficiency. HR activity in cells measured by ASHRA correlates with sensitivity to the PARP inhibitor, olaparib. In this study, we applied ASHRA to lymphoblastoid cells and xenograft tumor tissues, which simulate peripheral blood lymphocytes and tumor tissues, respectively, as clinically available samples. We showed that ASHRA could be used to detect HR deficiency in lymphoblastoid cells derived from a BRCA1 pathogenic variant carrier. Furthermore, ASHRA could quantitatively measure the HR activity in xenograft tumor tissues with HR activity that was gradually suppressed by inducible BRCA1 knockdown. The HR activity of xenograft tumor tissues quantitatively correlated with the effect of olaparib. Our data suggest that ASHRA could be a useful assay for diagnosing HBOC and predicting the efficacy of PARP inhibitors.
M1 macrophages polarized by crude polysaccharides isolated from Auricularia polytricha exhibit anti-tumor effect on human breast cancer cells
Authors: Nilkhet Sunita , Mongkolpobsin Kuljira , Sillapachaiyaporn Chanin , Wongsirojkul Nichaporn , Tencomnao Tewin , Chuchawankul Siriporn
Published: April 2024

Breast cancer has been reported to correlate with the infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) or M2-like macrophages in tumor microenvironment (TME) that could promote breast cancer progression. In contrast, M1-like macrophages displayed anti-tumor activity toward cancer. This study was focused on Auricularia polytricha (AP), a cloud ear mushroom, which has been reported for anti-tumor activity and immunomodulation. AP extracts were screened on differentiated THP-1 macrophages (M0). Results demonstrated that water extract (APW) and crude polysaccharides (APW-CP) could upregulate M1-related genes and cytokines production (IL-6, IL-1 β and TNF-α) significantly. Moreover, APW and APW-CP showed a high expression of CD86 (M1 marker) compared to M0. The NF-κB signaling pathway is crucial for pro-inflammatory gene regulation. The APW and APW-CP treatment showed the induction of the NF-κB pathway in a dose-dependent manner, which related to the β-glucan content in the extracts. Furthermore, APW-CP polarized macrophages were investigated for anti-tumor activity on human breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). Results showed that APW-CP could inhibit the invasion of breast cancer cells and induce apoptosis. Therefore, M1 macrophages polarized by APW-CP showed anti-tumor activity against the breast cancer cells and β-glucan may be the potential M1-phenotype inducer.
Mixed effects modelling of excess mortality and COVID-19 lockdowns in Thailand
Authors: De Padua Durante Anna Christine , Lacaza Rutcher , Lapitan Pamela , Kochhar Nishtha , Tan Elaine S. , Thomas Milan
Published: April 2024

Accurate mortality data are critical for understanding the impact of COVID-19 and learning lessons from crisis responses. But published statistics risk misrepresenting deaths due to limited testing, underreporting, and lack of subnational data, especially in developing countries. Thailand experienced four COVID-19 waves between January 2020 and December 2021, and used a color-coded, province-level system for lockdowns. To account for deaths directly and indirectly caused by COVID-19, this paper uses mixed effects modelling to estimate counterfactual deaths for 2020–2021 and construct a monthly time series of provincial excess mortality. A fixed effects negative binomial and mixed effects Poisson model both substantiate other studies’ estimates of excess deaths using subnational data for the first time. Then, panel regression methods are used to characterize the correlations among restrictions, mobility, and excess mortality. The regressions show that mobility reductions modestly curbed mortality immediately upon imposition, suggesting that aversion of non-COVID deaths was a major aspect of the lockdowns’ effect in Thailand. However, the estimates are imprecise. An auto-regressive distributed lag model suggests that the effect of lockdowns was through reduced mobility, but the effectiveness appears to have varied over the course of the pandemic.
Relationship between feed efficiency and gut microbiota in laying chickens under contrasting feeding conditions
Authors: Bernard Maria , Lecoeur Alexandre , Coville Jean-Luc , Bruneau Nicolas , Jardet Deborah , Lagarrigue Sandrine , Meynadier Annabelle , Calenge Fanny , Pascal Géraldine , Zerjal Tatiana
Published: April 2024

The gut microbiota is known to play an important role in energy harvest and is likely to affect feed efficiency. In this study, we used 16S metabarcoding sequencing to analyse the caecal microbiota of laying hens from feed-efficient and non-efficient lines obtained by divergent selection for residual feed intake. The two lines were fed either a commercial wheat-soybean based diet (CTR) or a low-energy, high-fibre corn-sunflower diet (LE). The analysis revealed a significant line x diet interaction, highlighting distinct differences in microbial community composition between the two lines when hens were fed the CTR diet, and more muted differences when hens were fed the LE diet. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that a richer and more diverse microbiota may play a role in enhancing feed efficiency, albeit in a diet-dependent manner. The taxonomic differences observed in the microbial composition seem to correlate with alterations in starch and fibre digestion as well as in the production of short-chain fatty acids. As a result, we hypothesise that efficient hens are able to optimise nutrient absorption through the activity of fibrolytic bacteria such as Alistipes or Anaerosporobacter, which, via their production of propionate, influence various aspects of host metabolism.
Mechanical characteristics analysis of high dimensional vibration isolation systems based on high-static-low-dynamic stiffness technology
Authors: Li Bu-yun , Shuai Chang-geng , Ma Jian-guo
Published: April 2024

Large floating raft vibration isolation systems (FRVISs) based on high-static-low-dynamic stiffness (HSLDS) technology offer excellent low frequency vibration isolation performance with broad application prospects. However, the design process for these complex high-dimensional coupled nonlinear systems remains poorly developed, particularly when applied for ocean-going vessels that experience rolling and pitching motions. The present work addresses this issue by establishing a six-degree-of-freedom HSLDS vibration isolation model for FRVISs composed of eight isolators, and the model is applied to fully analyze the swing stability and multidimensional vibration isolation performance of these systems. The influence of nonlinearity on the mechanical properties of the vibration isolators is analyzed more clearly by assuming that each vibration isolator realizes nonlinear HSLDS characteristics in the z direction and linear characteristics in the x and y directions. The results demonstrate that the swing displacement responses of the system are greatly reduced under weak nonlinearity, which reflects the high static stiffness and high static stability characteristics of an HSLDS system. The multidimensional vibration isolation performance of the system is evaluated according to the impacts of nonlinearity, the installation height Hz of the isolators, and the relative position Dr of the two middle isolators. The results of analysis demonstrate that applying a value of Hz = 0 produces the best vibration isolation performance overall under strong nonlinearity by avoiding unnecessary secondary peaks in the force transmission rate under harmonic mechanical excitation and ensuring a maximum high-frequency vibration isolation effect. However, applying a weak nonlinearity is better than a strong nonlinearity if Hz is not zero. In contrast, Dr has little effect on the vibration isolation effect of the raft in the x, y, and z directions. Therefore, an equidistant installation with Dr = 0.5 would be considered ideal from the standpoint of installation stability.