Browse Articles

An ensemble Kalman filter with rescaling disaggregation for assimilating terrestrial water storage into hydrological models

Abstract Assimilating satellite-based Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) observations can improve the vertical summation of water storage states in hydrological models. However, it can degrade individual storage compartments or hydrological fluxes, limiting the applicability of TWS Data Assimilation (DA) for water management and flood monitoring. This issue arises from the ensemble-based TWS update disaggregation approach used by DA techniques like the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF). Thus, this study makes two key contributions. First, we introduce a novel analysis method that provides quantitative and qualitative insights into how individual storage compartments are affected during TWS DA, by examining the sign and magnitude of the individual storage updates and their responses. Second, we propose a new disaggregation approach, EnKF-R, which “rescales” the individual storage of model compartments to match the updated TWS, avoiding the use of ensemble statistics within the disaggregation process. The EnKF-R approach was tested in two climatologically different river basins and validated against both synthetic and real independent data. Our results show that EnKF-R produces similar TWS estimates to the classical EnKF while reducing degradations in individual water storage compartments and with lower computational cost, making it a promising alternative. Limitations regarding spatial continuity and uncertainty estimation require further developments.

Progressive chronic tissue loss disease in Siderastrea siderea on Florida’s coral reef

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has devastated numerous species of corals across the Western Atlantic but one reef coral, Siderastrea siderea, displays unusual tissue loss lesions. We examined the dynamics of lesions in S. siderea from the cellular to the ecological level and compared the disease with SCTLD in other coral species. We tagged and monitored six S. siderea colonies with bleached lesions in Fort Lauderdale and 17 S. siderea colonies with purple lesions in the Florida Keys for 18 months. Lesions on most colonies showed progressive tissue loss with an average change in healthy tissue of +5.5% in Fort Lauderdale (some bleached lesions resolved) and −51.1% in the Florida Keys. Case fatality rate was zero for colonies within Fort Lauderdale and 5.9% for colonies in the Florida Keys. The disease remained on S. siderea throughout the study in the Florida Keys but fluctuated through time in Fort Lauderdale. Lesion morphologies and disease pathogenesis differed between regions which could be due to different disease agents, environmental co-factors, intrinsic differences among colonies or different stages of the same disease. S. siderea is known to be a species complex which might also explain differences in lesion morphologies and disease pathogenesis. Aquaria studies found S. siderea with lesions transmitted disease to S. siderea and Orbicella faveolata and that S. siderea was also susceptible to SCTLD. Unlike SCTLD in other species, treatment with antibiotics did not stop lesion progression in S. siderea. Histology on lesions indicated a disease process regardless of lesion morphology and was consistent with SCTLD. We cannot completely rule out SCTLD but based on the other components of disease pathogenesis (rate of tissue loss, lesion morphology, colony mortality, response to antibiotics) we conclude this could be a different disease, which we term Siderastrea sidera chronic tissue loss disease, consistent with accepted disease nomenclature.

Predicting the occurrence of probable sarcopenia in middle-aged and elderly patients with coronary artery disease: development and validation of a clinical model

Can digital village construction promote sustainable agricultural development in China?

Agriculture is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, studying the sustainable development of agricultural activities is crucial for achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Utilizing panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2022, this study measured the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainable agricultural development (SAD) at the provincial level in China. Employing two-way fixed-effects and mediated effects models, the study empirically examined the driving effect of digital village construction (DVC) on SAD, along with the underlying mechanisms. The results reveal that the overall level of SAD in China has shown a gradual upward trend, although a pattern of higher SAD levels in the eastern regions compared to the west remains evident. DVC was found to exert a significant positive effect on SAD. Crucially, the market-based allocation of factors and agricultural product circulation were identified as significant mediating variables in this relationship. Heterogeneity analysis showed that the promoting effect of DVC is more significant in major grain-producing areas and in regions exhibiting higher SAD levels. Based on these findings, the study proposes targeted policy recommendations to provide practical strategies for different regions to advance DVC, narrow regional disparities, and enhance SAD levels.

Eco-friendly fabrication of ZnO quantum dots using Brassica rapa (L.): metabolomic profiling and antimicrobial efficacy against foodborne pathogens supported by in-silico insights

Lane-keeping ability evaluation for driving skill tests: A multi-indicator fusion approach

Traditional driver’s skill tests primarily assess whether candidates meet specific standards in prescribed tasks, which often fails to fully reflect their overall driving performance in real-world scenarios. This can lead to suboptimal driving outcomes. Lane-keeping ability is a key indicator for evaluating a driver’s overall competence, as it reflects their proficiency in vehicle control, road environment perception, and emergency handling. However, due to the complex and varied factors influencing lane-keeping ability, there is currently a lack of effective methods for assessing this skill during drive skill tests. To address this gap, this paper proposes a multi-indicator fusion (MIF) method for evaluating lane-keeping ability in driver skill tests. First, to accommodate real-world lane-keeping scenarios in drive skill tests, multidimensional indicators representing lane-keeping ability are extracted from real low-speed naturalistic driving data, considering both lateral and longitudinal safety and stability. Next, by analyzing the distribution characteristics of these indicators using the K-means clustering method, groups of indicators with similar characteristics are identified. Furthermore, the Youden index, Boxplot, and statistical measures are then employed to determine the threshold values for each indicator, enhancing the accuracy of the evaluation. Finally, a comprehensive evaluation model for lane-keeping ability is constructed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on a combination of subjective and objective weightings. The proposed MIF-based lane-keeping assessment method for drive skill tests was effectively validated in terms of its rationality and feasibility using naturalistic driving data. This study provides valuable reference points for assessing lane-keeping ability in the context of future autonomous driving environments.

Assessing the implications of habitat transformations on human-large carnivore interactions outside protected areas

Abstract Humans and wildlife have coexisted spatially and temporally for many years. However, this is disturbed when human-induced changes constrain limited and shared resources, leading to increased competition for resources and negative human-wildlife interactions. This study aims to examine the implications of habitat changes on human–large carnivore interaction (HLCI) and identify priority areas for negative interaction. The study was conducted in the Terai Arc landscape in two study blocks constituting three wildlife corridors in the Corbett and Indo-Nepal transboundary landscapes. This study assessed the decadal changes in habitats and identified priority sites of negative interaction based on reported wildlife attacks due to Panthera tigris and Panthera pardus. The study mapped five spatial risk zones, from very low to very high, and determined the effects of habitat changes on HLCI. Changes in land-use patterns, vegetation health, and anthropogenic activity have significant effects on hotspots of negative HLCI. Our results will support decision-makers and park managers in streamlining, managing, and prioritizing local and regional mitigation efforts at the identified sites. This approach will help improve the co-existence scenario in the landscape.

Protocol to develop and pilot a primary mental healthcare intervention model to address the medium- to long-term Ebola associated psychological distress and psychosocial problems in Mubende District in Central Uganda (the Ebola+D project)

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) presents significant global health challenges, including high mortality and substantial physical morbidity among patients and survivors. Beyond immediate health impacts, EVD survivors, frontline healthcare workers, and community members face profound mental health and psychosocial issues. Over 35 EVD outbreaks have occurred in Africa since 1976, often in the context of fragile health systems and chronic conflict, complicating the response to mental health needs. Uganda has experienced seven outbreaks, the latest from September 20, 2022, to January 11, 2023, affecting nine districts, with Mubende as the epicenter. The Mental Health Focus Area of the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Research Unit, in collaboration with Uganda’s Ministry of Health, has initiated the development and piloting of the Ebola+D mental health intervention to address the medium- and long-term mental health consequences of Ebola in the Mubende district. This intervention will be a collaborative stepped care model based on the successful HIV + D intervention in Uganda and the MANAS intervention in India. Participatory, theory-informed approaches will be employed in Mubende district to develop the Ebola+D mental health intervention. This will involve five phases: i) adaptation of the HIV + D collaborative stepped care mental health intervention into primary health care in Mubende district to produce the Ebola+D mental health intervention; ii) adaptation and translation of the Problem Solving Therapy for Primary Care (PST-PC) treatment manual to the local rural situation in Mubende district; iii) a pilot study to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and impact of the Ebola+D mental health intervention on mental health outcomes; iv) a health economics component to examine the costs of the Ebola + D mental health intervention; and v) a qualitative component to explore the Ebola virus disease (EVD) associated negative beliefs and lived out experiences of affected members of the community. The findings from this study will inform future mental health and psychosocial interventions secondary to outbreaks of Emerging Viral Diseases (such as EVD) in low resourced settings such those in sub-Saharan Africa. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06093646

Mild hypothermia attenuates hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating FoxO1/PPARα pathway

MSMCE: A novel representation module for classification of raw mass spectrometry data

Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis plays a crucial role in the biomedical field; however, the high dimensionality and complexity of MS data pose significant challenges for feature extraction and classification. Deep learning has become a dominant approach in data analysis, and while some deep learning methods have achieved progress in MS classification, their feature representation capabilities remain limited. Most existing methods rely on single-channel representations, which struggle to effectively capture structural information within MS data. To address these limitations, we propose a Multi-Channel Embedding Representation Module (MSMCE), which focuses on modeling inter-channel dependencies to generate multi-channel representations of raw MS data. Additionally, we implement a feature fusion mechanism by concatenating the initial encoded representation with the multi-channel embeddings along the channel dimension, significantly enhancing the classification performance of subsequent models. Experimental results on four public datasets demonstrate that the proposed MSMCE module not only achieves substantial improvements in classification performance but also enhances computational efficiency and training stability, highlighting its effectiveness in raw MS data classification and its potential for robust application across diverse datasets.

Identification of flood vulnerability areas using analytical hierarchy process techniques in the Wuseta watershed, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

Personalized goal setting and predictors of functional gains following constraint-induced movement therapy in preschool-aged children with unilateral cerebral palsy

Objective This study aimed to identify caregiver-selected goal characteristics that predict functional improvements following constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), offering novel insights into personalized rehabilitation for younger children with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP). Methods This study included 19 children with UCP aged 4–6 years who participated in a three-week CIMT program comprising 15 sessions (30 hours total), during which the unaffected hand was constrained to encourage intensive use of the affected limb. Caregivers identified five meaningful rehabilitation goals per child using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, categorizing them into self-care, productivity, or leisure domains and ranking them by importance. Upper-limb function was objectively evaluated using the Assisting Hand Assessment before and immediately after CIMT. Linear regression analyses identified the factors influencing goal selection, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression determined whether prioritized goal types predicted improvements in upper limb function. Results Self-care goals were most frequently selected (72.6%), followed by leisure (26.3%) and rarely productivity (1.1%). Leisure goal selection was significantly associated with greater baseline upper limb range of motion and lower baseline occupational performance scores. The higher prioritization of goals involving quiet leisure activities (e.g., arts, crafts, computer play) and dressing tasks (e.g., buttoning, zipping) significantly predicted greater functional improvements post-intervention. Conclusion This study provides important new evidence indicating that caregiver-selected rehabilitation goals that are closely aligned with a child’s latent motor capacities positively affect functional outcomes. These findings underscore the clinical importance of individualized, family-driven goal setting for optimizing therapeutic effectiveness in preschool-aged children with UCP.

Silanes for conservation of archaeological woods using modeled birch wood: antifungal, physical-chemical and TGA studies

Risk of dementia in Nepal: A cross-sectional survey in mountainous, hilly, and lowland regions

Introduction Globally dementia is a growing public health problem, with over 135,000 people in Nepal living with dementia. Nepal lacks national and community-based data on dementia prevalence. This study aims to determine the dementia risk in Nepal and assess the effects of age, sex, and geographical location on disease prevalence. It also intends to inform policy makers about the burden of dementia, prompting them to plan and prepare appropriate health and social care services for individuals affected by dementia. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 933 older people (aged 60 years and over) was conducted to determine the prevalence of suspected cognitive impairment or dementia risk in three geographical regions of Nepal. The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) was used to measure cognitive impairment. The study evaluated the overall prevalence of suspected cognitive impairment or risk of dementia and subgroups by region, age group, and sex. Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the effects. Results 53.7% (501) participants had cognitive impairment or risk of dementia, with slightly higher rates in women (56.5%) than men (51.7%). Cognitive impairment prevalence increases with age and region, with hilly and mountainous areas and low-lying regions having a greater geographic effect. Conclusions There is high risk of dementia in Nepal. The risk is influenced by age and geographical regions, necessitating early diagnosis and tailored interventions for older people and who are residing in higher altitude areas. Policies implemented to address this issue should prioritise community awareness and early screening and diagnosis to reduce complications from dementia. National-level studies and exploration of factors affecting early dementia diagnosis are needed.

Effect of pars plana vitrectomy on early and long-term intraocular pressure and its determinants

Correction: Quantitative trait loci analysis for molecular markers linked to agricultural traits of Pleurotus ostreatus

Comparative assessment of polyphenol stability, bioactivity, and digestive availability in purified compounds and fruit extracts from four black chokeberry cultivars

Mediating effects of mental and physical health on the association between chronic disease conditions and colorectal cancer screening utilization among breast cancer survivors

Purpose Breast cancer survivors have an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and those with chronic diseases are more likely to experience poor mental and physical health. For this study, we examined the mediating effects of mental and physical health on the association between chronic disease conditions and guideline-concordant colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among breast cancer survivors. Methods We included 1,885 breast cancer survivors aged 45–75 years who were eligible for CRC screening in 2016, 2018, and 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The exposure was chronic diseases defined as prevalent diabetes, coronary heart disease/myocardial infarction, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema/chronic bronchitis, arthritis, depressive disorders, or kidney diseases. The outcome was receipt of guideline-concordant CRC screening. Mediators were defined as self-reported frequent poor mental/physical health in the past 30 days (14–30 vs. 0–13 days). Multivariable logistic regression models were adjusted for sociodemographic and cancer-related factors. We used the methods proposed by Valeri & VanderWeele for the mediation analyses. Results Breast cancer survivors with chronic diseases were 1.7-fold more likely to have CRC screening compared to those without any chronic diseases (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.27–2.21). In mediation analysis, we found that frequent poor mental health mediated the association between chronic disease conditions and CRC screening utilization (−4.4% mediated; p-value = 0.035). We also observed a reduction through frequent poor physical health by 10.5% (p-value = 0.008). Conclusions Frequent poor mental and physical health negatively mediated the association between the presence of chronic diseases and CRC screening utilization with a higher estimate for those with poor physical health. Effective implementation of integrated follow-up care is needed among breast cancer survivors to address chronic disease management and prioritize mental and physical health so that all patients receive guideline concordant CRC screening recommendations.

Individual preferences for certain types of spirals and the possible role of creativity

Abstract This study explores the appeal of different types of spirals, commonly found in nature, architecture, and art. The first experiment investigated aesthetic appreciation of Archimedean, logarithmic, and golden spirals, considering factors such as size and the number of turns. As a result, three groups of individuals were identified: those who favored golden spirals, those who preferred Archimedean spirals, and a group that liked logarithmic spirals and similar ones. Interestingly, personality traits showed no clear relation with these preferences. In the first part of a second experiment, the participants were not only asked to choose between different types of spirals, but also to justify their choice by providing reasons. The results indicate that the preferences often stem from the spirals’ features as well as from personal associations, confirming that aesthetic judgments are influenced by both objective and subjective factors. However, results also suggested that the preference for certain types of spirals is related to creativity. This hypothesis was tested in the second part of the second experiment in which participants generated associations to the spirals. The analysis of the frequency and originality of the associations revealed that individuals who prefer the golden spiral to the Archimedean spiral tend to be more creative. Overall, the study highlights the complexity of aesthetic preferences and the potential role of both objective features and subjective associations in shaping our responses to spirals.

Factors impacting university students’ quality of life

Introduction Quality of life (QoL) is a broad multidimensional concept that incorporates a person’s physical health, psychological well-being, social relations, and environmental factors. Although previous studies have explored QoL among students in health-related disciplines, limited research has assessed QoL in students from diverse academic programs in Bangladesh. This study sought to assess the QoL of University students in Bangladesh and to identify the key factors that determine it. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 417 students were recruited from Daffodil International University. Data were obtained using the WHOQoL-BREF, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and a structured questionnaire that included information pertaining to sociodemographic and lifestyle variables. Results The highest mean score was observed in the social relationships domain (62.93%), while the environmental health domain had the lowest (58.07%). Students who were physically active and had normal self-esteem reported significantly higher scores across physical and psychological health domains. Poor sleep quality, low self-esteem, and lack of exercise were consistently associated with lower QoL scores, particularly in the physical, psychological, and social domains. Female students also reported significantly lower scores than males in three of the four domains. The most consistent and strongest predictors of quality of life across domains were self-esteem and sleep quality, followed by gender, physical activity, and screen time. Conclusion The findings highlight the significant impact of emotional, behavioral, and lifestyle factors on the quality of life of university students. These understandings reinforce the need for campus-based interventions that prioritize mental health support, encourage regular physical exercise, and promote sleep hygiene. Such efforts are essential to enhancing overall student well-being and fostering a healthier, more resilient academic community.