bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rivers, streams and wetlands – the Chalk and its water-dependent ecosystems
Authors: Wetherell Anna 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The UK, and England in particular, is the stronghold for chalk rivers, streams and wetlands in Europe. A number of sites are recognized as being important for nature conservation and have been designated as such under UK and European legislation. However, as the chalk is also an important aquifer for southern and eastern England, there have been significant impacts on these groundwater-dependent ecosystems from abstraction. Chalk rivers and streams have been used for centuries for mills and water meadows, so impacts have not just occurred in recent times. Intensification of agriculture in the twentieth century has added to the pressure by increasing levels of pollution, especially nitrates, with significant levels now being recorded. However, moves have been made to resolve some of these issues, with investigations into the effects of abstraction and options for reducing these impacts, research into the nature of the chalk aquifer so that it can be modelled more accurately, and assessment made of pollution pathways and their timescales. Associated projects have characterized the ecosystems associated with the chalk in more detail, enabling the mechanism for impacts to be better understood. While the extent of impacts is increasingly understood, action is also being taken to reduce their effects and restore chalk ecosystems.
Spectrum Synergy for Investigating Cloud Microphysics
Authors: Cimini Domenico , Serio Carmine , Masiello Guido , Mastro Pietro , Ricciardelli Elisabetta , Di Paola Francesco , Larosa Salvatore , Gallucci Donatello , Hultberg Tim , August Thomas , Romano Filomena 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Observations from spaceborne microwave (MW) and infrared (IR) passive sensors are the backbone of current satellite meteorology, essential for data assimilation into modern numerical weather prediction and for climate benchmarking. While MW and IR observations from space offer complementary features with respect to cloud properties, their synergy for cloud investigation is currently underexplored, despite the presence of both MW and IR sensors on operational meteorological satellites such as the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) MetOp series. As such, several key cloud microphysical properties are not part of the operational products available from EPS MetOp sensors. In addition, the EPS Second Generation (EPS-SG) series, scheduled for launch starting from 2024 onward, will carry sensors such as the Microwave Sounder (MWS) and IASI Next Generation (IASI-NG), enhancing spatial and spectral resolutions and thus capacity to retrieve cloud properties. This article presents the Combined MWS and IASI-NG Soundings for Cloud Properties (ComboCloud) project, funded by EUMETSAT with the overall objective to specify, prototype, and validate algorithms for the retrieval of cloud microphysical properties (e.g., water content and drop effective radius) from the synergy of passive MW and IR observations. The article presents the synergy rationale, the algorithm design, and the results obtained exploiting simulated observations from EPS and EPS-SG sensors, quantifying the benefits to be expected from the MW–IR synergy and the new generation sensors.
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Extreme Precipitation in the Southern Great Plains Hydroclimate Region
Authors: Flanagan Paul Xavier , Mahmood Rezaul 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The southern Great Plains (SGP) is defined by hydrometeorological swings between dry and wet extremes. These swings exacerbate the climatological gradients of moisture (from east to west) and temperature (from south to north), which can impact the agricultural production of the region. Thus, it is key to understand extremes to sustainably maintain agricultural success in the region. This study investigates the wet extremes, or extreme precipitation events, that have become more prominent in the last two decades. Data from 108 U.S. Historical Climatology Network stations were analyzed for the 1950–2020 period to detect changes in the frequency and magnitude of extreme precipitation events. Results show that changes in the magnitude of extreme precipitation are isolated and scattered across the SGP, with only the winter season showing regional shifts in extreme precipitation magnitude. Changes in the frequency of extreme precipitation events were noted across the entire SGP, although the changes in frequency are more notable in the eastern SGP than in the western SGP. Analysis shows that the increased number of events detected is driven more, but not exclusively, by the increasing spatial extent of individual extreme precipitation events than by an increased number of events. Overall, these results depict the changing nature of extreme precipitation within the SGP and differences in extreme precipitation between the eastern and western SGP.
An Improved One-Dimensional Bending Angle Forward Operator for the Assimilation of Radio Occultation Profiles in the Lower Troposphere
Authors: Cucurull L. , Purser R. J. 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Under very large vertical gradients of atmospheric refractivity, which are typical at the height of the planetary boundary layer, the assimilation of radio occultation (RO) observations into numerical weather prediction (NWP) models presents several serious challenges. In such conditions, the assimilation of RO bending angle profiles is an ill-posed problem, the uncertainty associated with the RO observations is higher, and the one-dimensional forward operator used to assimilate these observations has several theoretical deficiencies. As a result, a larger percentage of these RO observations are rejected at the NWP centers by existing quality control procedures, potentially limiting the benefits of this data type to improve weather forecasting in the lower troposphere. To address these problems, a new methodology that enables the assimilation of RO data to be extended to the lower moist troposphere has been developed. Challenges associated with larger atmospheric gradients of refractivity are partially overcome by a reformulation that has minimal effect at higher altitudes. As a first step toward this effort, this study presents both the theoretical development of this new methodology and a forecast impact assessment of it using the NCEP NWP system. Though using a conservative approach, benefits in the lower tropical troposphere are already noticeable. The encouraging results of this work open the potential for further exploitation and optimization of RO assimilation.
Does Health-related Aid Really Matter? Evidence from South Asia
Authors: Ahmed Salma , Chakrabarty Debajyoti , Sharma Kishor 
Published: January 2023

Using data from South Asia for the period 1990–2017, this paper examines the effectiveness of the health sector aid on infant mortality, neonatal mortality, child mortality and a new composite index of child mortality. The investigation of South Asia is interesting not only because it accounts for roughly one quarter of the world population and has attracted significant aid over the years but also because of the significant variations in health outcomes between countries in the region. Applying the instrumental variables method to account for the endogeneity of aid, we find that health-focused aid assists in improving child health outcomes in South Asian countries. The effect operates mainly through female literacy and is robust to a variety of specifications. Our findings have significant policy implications for achieving the post-MDG target and point to the importance of the health sector aid to improve child health for countries swamped with poorer health status. JEL Codes: F35, I15, O53
Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Tuberculosis Among People Experiencing Homelessness in the United States: Current Recommendations
Authors: Marks Suzanne M. , Self Julie L. , Venkatappa Thara , Wolff Marilyn B. , Hopkins Peri B. , Augustine Ryan J. , Khan Awal , Schwartz Noah G. , Schmit Kristine M. , Morris Sapna Bamrah 
Published: January 2023

Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health problem, especially among people experiencing homelessness (PEH). The Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis issued recommendations in 1992 for TB prevention and control among PEH. Our goal was to provide current guidelines and information in one place to inform medical and public health providers and TB programs on TB incidence, diagnosis, and treatment among PEH. Methods: We reviewed and synthesized diagnostic and treatment recommendations for TB disease and latent TB infection (LTBI) as of 2022 and information after 1992 on the magnitude of homelessness in the United States, the incidence of TB among PEH, the role of public health departments in TB case management among PEH, and recently published evidence. Results: In 2018, there were 1.45 million estimated PEH in the United States. During the past 2 decades, the incidence of TB was >10 times higher and the prevalence of LTBI was 7 to 20 times higher among PEH than among people not experiencing homelessness. TB outbreaks were common in overnight shelters. Permanent housing for PEH and the use of rapid TB diagnostic tests, along with isolation and treatment, reduced TB exposure among PEH. The use of direct observation enhanced treatment adherence among PEH, as did involvement of social workers to help secure shelter, food, safety, and treatment for comorbidities, especially HIV and substance use disorders. Testing and treatment for LTBI prevented progression to TB disease, and shorter LTBI regimens helped improve adherence. Federal agencies and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council have helpful resources. Conclusion: Improvements in TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention among PEH are possible by following existing recommendations and using client-centered approaches.
The Utility of Risk Scores in Postcardiotomy Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
Authors: Erdoğan Sevinç B , Bastopcu Murat , Usca Mehmet Kağan , Çakmak Arif Yasin , Sargın Murat , Aka Serap 
Published: January 2023

Background The use of a venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the postcardiotomy shock setting (PC-ECMO) can be life-saving. Risk stratification for patients under PC-ECMO is currently challenging. The aim of this study was to assess the discriminatory ability of the different available risk scores for mortality in PC-ECMO patients. Methods Patients aged >18 years undergoing coronary artery bypass, valve surgery, or a combination of these procedures and implanted an ECMO for postcardiotomy shock between January 2017 and June 2022 in a single ELSO registered center were retrospectively included. The STS, Euroscore II, SAVE, modified SAVE, APACHE II, and VIS scores were compared for their discriminatory ability concerning weaning and 30-day survival. Results During the study period, 7342 patients underwent coronary bypass or valve surgery, of whom 109 patients with PC-ECMO were included in the analysis. The Euroscore II and STS scores were not associated significantly with 30-day mortality, whereas the SAVE, the modified SAVE, APACHE II, and VIS scores significantly predicted 30-day mortality. The SAVE and the modified SAVE scores showed moderate discrimination ability with AUCs of 0.672 and 0.695, while the APACHE and VIS scores had a satisfactory discriminatory ability with AUCs of 0.727 and 0.844, respectively. Conclusion Currently used risk scores for PC-ECMO patients do not provide satisfactory predictions for weaning and survival. VIS at the 24th hour can be a valuable parameter for risk analysis and prospective studies can investigate novel PC-ECMO risk scoring systems.
Combined 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine regimens for adults with systemic lupus erythematosus: Does the sequence of pneumococcal vaccination affect immunogenicity responses? A single-center cohort study in Brazil
Authors: Rezende Rodrigo Poubel Vieira de , Oliveira-Santos Marise , Andrade Luís Eduardo Coelho , Klumb Evandro Mendes 
Published: January 2023

Objective A combination of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) is currently recommended for adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, data on the immunogenicity elicited by sequential pneumococcal vaccination in this patient population are scarce. In this study, we compared short-term antibody responses to both PCV13/PPSV23 (≥8-week interval) and PPSV23/PCV13 (≥12-month interval) vaccination strategies in pneumococcal vaccine-naive adults with SLE. Methods This longitudinal, open-label, quasi-randomized study was performed in a single-center cohort of adults (18 years or older) with SLE. In both vaccination groups, blood samples were collected immediately before administering the first dose of the pneumococcal vaccine (timepoint T0), 4–6 weeks after the priming dose (T1), and 4–6 weeks after the booster dose (T2). We focused on the 12 shared serotypes between PCV13 and PPSV23, and compared the following immunogenicity outcomes between the groups at T2: anti-pneumococcal antibody geometric mean concentration (ApAb GMC), fold increase in ApAb levels (FI-ApAb), overall seroprotection rate, and overall seroconversion rate. The protective level for each pneumococcal serotype was set at 1.3 μg/mL. We used the multi-analyte immunodetection method to determine serum levels of ApAbs. Results Thirty-four patients with SLE were screened between April 2019 and January 2020, and 16 of them (mean age: 39.4 years, 87.5% female, and 100% on immunosuppressants) had evaluable immunogenicity results at T2. The median time elapsed between the pneumococcal vaccinations was 56 days in the PCV13/PPSV23 group (n = 11 patients) and 16 months in the PPSV23/PCV13 group (n = 5 patients). Priming with PCV13 (PCV13/PPSV23 group), as opposed to PPSV23 (PPSV23/PCV13 group), yielded significantly better results regarding FI-ApAb, overall seroconversion rate, and overall seroprotection rate 4–6 weeks after each pneumococcal vaccination. A trend toward augmented ApAb GMC in the patients who received the PCV13/PPSV23 sequence was also observed. No relevant safety issues were identified with sequential pneumococcal vaccination. Conclusion The PCV13-priming PPSV23-boost strategy in adults with SLE induced greater antibody responses for most immunogenicity outcomes than those elicited by the PPSV23/PCV13 strategy.
Leaf-based species classification of hybrid cherry tomato plants by using hyperspectral imaging
Authors: Li Songhao , Wu Huilin , Zhao Jing , Liu Yu , Li Yunpeng , Liu Houcheng , Zhang Yiting , Lan Yubin , Zhang Xinglong , Liu Yutao , Long Yongbing 
Published: January 2023

Approaches based on near infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) technology combined with machine learning have been developed to classify the leaves of hybrid cherry tomatoes and then identify the species of hybrid cherry tomato plants. The near infrared (NIR) hyperspectral images of 400 cherry tomato leaves (100 per species) were collected in the wavelength range of 900–1700 nm. Machine learning algorithms such as linear discriminant analysis (LDA), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) were employed to construct leaf classification models with the hyperspectral data preprocessed by Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing filter, first derivative (first Der) and standard normal variate (SNV). Principle of Component Analysis (PCA) was also used to reduce the data dimension and extract spectral features. It is revealed that the LDA model reaches the highest classification accuracy among the three machine learning algorithms and SNV can lead to higher improvement in model accuracy than other preprocessing methods of SG smoothing and first Der. Analysis based on PCA spectral feature extraction demonstrates that differences occur in internal material content in the leaves of cherry tomato plants with different species, which renders the models being able to distinguish between the species. Another important work was performed to reveal the different effects of the mesophyll and vein regions (VR) on the accuracy of the leaf classification model. It is demonstrated that the classification accuracy is improved by a value of 0.033 or 0.042 when mesophyll substitutes vein or whole leaf as regions of interest (ROI) to extract reflectance spectra for modeling. As a result, the accuracy of the training and test set respectively reached a high value of 0.998 and 0.973 for the LDA classification model combined with the SNV preprocessing method. The results propose that the use of mesophyll region (MR) as ROI can improve the performance of the leaf classification model, which provides a new strategy for efficient and non-destructive classification of different hybrid cherry tomato plants.
Fabrication of chitosan/polycaprolactone/Myrtus communis L. extract nanofibrous mats with enhanced antibacterial activities
Authors: Modiri-Delshad Tayebeh , Ramazani Ali , Khoobi Mehdi , Akbari Javar Hamid , Akbari Tayebeh , Amin Mohsen 
Published: January 2023

Development of novel antimicrobial phytochemical-bearing nanofibrous mats could be considered as a promising strategy to overcome against antibiotic resistance in wound healing. In this work, the electrospinning process was used to successfully create novel antimicrobial nanofiber mats made of a blend of electrospun chitosan/polycaprolactone (CS/PCL) loaded with M. communis leaf extract (MCLE) (15 and 30 wt.%). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, water contact angle (WCA) testing, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and mechanical properties testing were applied to evaluate physicochemical properties of the nanofiber mats. The FESEM images showed uniform, bead-free, and smooth nanofiber mats with good compatibility between MCLE and polymers. Image J software was used to calculate the average diameters of nanofibrous mats, and the average diameter increased significantly as the extract concentration increased. The existence of MCLE in the nanofibrous mats was verified by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and XRD analysis. The tensile strength of the nanofiber mats was satisfactory (6.31–12.47 MPa). The incorporation of MCLE in CS/PCL nanofibers enhanced the scaffold’s hydrophilicity, as evidenced by a reduction in contact angle. Significant reduction up to 0.5 log of both Escherichia ( E.) coli and Staphylococcus aureus count was observed upon exposure to CS/PCL nanofibers. The MCLE (15 and 30 wt.%)-incorporated CS/PCL nanofibers demonstrated a significant reduction of bacterial count up to 0.8 log for both bacteria. The results demonstrated that manufactured nanofibers could be considered as a promising dressing in wound dressing.
Does Hope Reverberate Between Generations?
Authors: Redlich-Amirav Dorit , Larsen Denise , Taylor Elizabeth 
Published: January 2023

Intergenerational transmission refers to the transmission of stories, traits, abilities, ideas, behaviors, and various outcomes from parents to their children. To date, there has been little research on the intergenerational transmission of positive behavior, traits, and actions. To determine whether hope may be transmitted from one generation to the next, a qualitative study was performed, using narrative inquiry and thematic analysis. Over 4 months, four mothers of children with mental illness were engaged in repeated conversations about stories of hope related to their past and how they envisioned hope in their children. Findings indicated that hope could be transmitted to the next generation, either explicitly (verbally) or implicitly (i.e., expressed through actions involving one’s children). We conclude that also positive patterns may be transmitted both explicitly and implicitly from one generation to the next. Transmitting hope between generations played a significant role in the mothers’ experiences of hope.
Lymphoscintigraphy Using Tilmanocept Detects Multiple Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Melanoma Patients
Authors: Balkin Daniel M. , Tranah Gregory J. , Wang Frederick , O’Donoghue Cristina , Morell Emily A. , Porubsky Caitlin , Nosrati Mehdi , Vaquero Edith M. , Kim HanKyul , Carr Michael J. , Montilla-Soler Jaime L. , Wu Max C. , Torre Donald M. , Kashani-Sabet Mohammed , Zager Jonathan S. , Leong Stanley P. 
Published: January 2023

Background Technetium-99m-labeled Tilmanocept, a multivalent mannose, is readily internalized by the CD206 surface receptor on macrophages and dendritic cells which are abundantly present in lymph nodes. We want to examine the drainage patterns of Technetium-99m-labeled Tilmanocept to sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in melanoma patients following the 10% rule. Methods Multi-center retrospective review of patients with cutaneous melanoma undergoing SLN biopsy using Technetium-99m-labeled Tilmanocept between 2008 and 2014 was conducted. Statistical methods were used for data analyses. Results Of the 564 patients (mean age of 60.3 and 62% male) with preoperative lymphoscintigraphy showing at least one SLN, several primary tumor sites were included: 27% head/neck, 33% trunk, 21% upper extremity and 19% lower extremity. For the head/neck primary site, 36.5% of patients had multiple draining basins; for the trunk site, 36.4% of patients; for the upper extremity site, 13% of patients; and for the lower extremity, 27.4% of patients. A median of 3 (range 1-18) SLNs were identified and resected. Overall, 78% of patients had >1 SLN identified by Technetium-99m-labeled Tilmanocept. In a multivariate model, patients with >1 SLN were significantly associated with age, Breslow depth, tumor location and higher AJCC tumor stage. A total of 17.7% of patients (100/564) had a positive SLN identified. A total of 145 positive SLNs were identified out of 1,812 SLNs with a positive SLN rate of 8%. Positive SLN status was significantly associated with younger age, greater Breslow depth, mitosis rate, higher AJCC tumor stage, presence of ulceration and angiolymphatic invasion. Conclusions Using the 10% rule, Technetium-99m-labeled Tilmanocept detects multiple SLNs in most melanoma patients.