Browse Articles
Discover research articles across all indexed journals
2022 McKinney rain-on-wildfire event, dissolved oxygen sags, and a fish kill on the Klamath River, California
Abstract The longitudinal propagation of water-quality and ecological impairments in rivers during and after wildfires remain poorly understood. In Northern California, the 2022 McKinney Fire burned 243 km2 of the Klamath National Forest, with 83% of the burned area classified as moderate to high severity. During the active wildfire, a high-intensity monsoonal rain event triggered sediment-laden flooding and runoff-initiated debris flows, causing extreme water-quality impairments and a 95 km fish kill zone along the main-stem Klamath River. This rain-on-wildfire event produced a flood wave that outpaced a sediment pulse, diminishing the dilution effect of the floodwaters. A network of high-frequency water-quality sensors recorded water-quality impairments that propagated 296 km downstream. Impairments at the nearest monitoring station, situated 71 km downstream from the fire perimeter, included dissolved oxygen sags to zero (anoxia) for 5.25 h, turbidity spikes exceeding 1000 FNU, a doubling of specific conductance from 175 to 415 µS/cm (at 25 °C), and pH anomalies of 0.5 units from 7.8 to 7.3. This novel rain-on-wildfire event triggered the first flush of fire-scar material during an active wildfire, resulting in water-quality impairments unprecedented in the historical monitoring data for the river spanning 2012 to 2022. This study provides new insights into the potential role of rain-on-wildfire events in generating extreme downstream water-quality and ecological impairments in a more fire-prone future.
Unlocking a Nano-Aluminum Oxide Lewis Acid Layer as the Electrocatalyst for Hydrogenation of Thiophene and Other Arenes
Creating a Japanese version of the attitudes toward dreams scale: Attitude toward dreams may predict sleep disorders
Previous studies have identified two factors that influence people’s attitudes toward dreams: positive and negative. However, cultural differences may influence these attitudes. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of a scale to assess attitudes toward dreams and to examine factors related to Japanese participants’ attitudes toward dreams. These factors included dream attitudes, dream-recall frequency, and various sleep-related variables (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, insomnia, and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder), personality traits, and quality of life. Additionally, we aimed to develop a new scale to measure dream attitudes. Nationwide data were collected from eight regions in Japan. We included 1,478 participants (728 men and 750 women) and assessed their dream attitudes, dream-recall frequency, several sleep variables, personality, and quality of life. We confirmed a two-factor structure similar to that previously described: Factor 1, named “meaning of dreams,” reflects individuals’ attitude to interpreting dreams, while Factor 2, named “no meaning of dreams,” represents the attitude that dreams have no meaning. Both factors were significantly correlated with several variables. Factor 1 was more strongly correlated with rapid eye movement sleep-related variables. Scores for both factors declined with age, especially among individuals in their 60s and 70s. Factor 1 and dream-recall frequency showed significant sex differences among individuals in their 20s and 30s. Overall, we identified a two-factor structure of attitudes toward dreams, aligning with the Schredl scale. Factor 1 (meaning of dreams) was positively correlated with several dream- and rapid eye movement-related variables. Notably, a higher Factor 1 score in older individuals may indicate an increased risk of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. The observed sex differences in dream-recall frequency may be based on differing attitudes toward dreams, particularly the tendency to find meaning in them, especially among younger individuals.
Application of supervised machine learning and unsupervised data compression models for pore pressure prediction employing drilling, petrophysical, and well log data
Toward Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Branched-Selective α-Alkylation of Aldehydes with Unactivated Alkenes Enabled by a Pyrazole Mediator
The swine market movement and structure in Mexico: Implications for animal welfare and environmental impact
The aim of this study was to analyze the evolution of Mexico’s swine movement network over a five-year period (2017–2021), using a network approach to examine the significant implications of pig movement on animal welfare and environmental impact. Swine-movement records used were obtained from the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA). In the period 2017–2021, 33.3 million pigs were transported each year, 87.29% of them for slaughter, 12.20% for fattening, 0.50% for breeding and 0.01% for fairs. The low density and centrality of the network resulted in high market concentration. Key states in the network were Jalisco for supply and the State of Mexico for demand, with high levels of market-information loss. The main animal welfare concern identified was associated with transport duration and conditions. Although the findings comply with current legislation on pig transport duration, future measures should target improvements in transport conditions, such as implementing resting periods and enhancing traceability.
Gender differences in the association between community care and quality of life among older adults in China
Design and Semisynthesis of Ubiquitin Extension Probes for Structural Analysis of Cullin1-Mediated Substrate Polyubiquitination
The effect of vitamin supplementation on neurodevelopmental and clinical outcomes in very low birth weight and very preterm infants: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Background Nutrition is vital for preterm infant development. Vitamins play key roles as cofactors and gene regulators for metabolic and immune functions and are common added components of preterm infant nutrition. However, information on how vitamins impact in-hospital and neurodevelopmental outcomes is sparse. We aimed to determine the effect of fat- and water-soluble vitamin supplementation on clinical outcomes during neonatal care and later neurodevelopment of very preterm (≤32 weeks’ gestation) and very low birth weight (≤1500 g) infants. Methods and findings 4 databases and 3 clinical trial registries were systematically searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effect model for each vitamin subgroup. Data are presented as risk ratios [95% confidence intervals]. Of 4074 references identified, 43 studies were included in the review. Only 2 reported neurodevelopment at 2 years, and only 4 were studies of water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C, 3 studies; B12 and folate, 1 study). Survival free from neurodisability was not affected by supplementation of vitamin A (0.89 [0.74–1.08], n = 538, very low certainty of evidence) or vitamin D (0.76 [0.46–1.27], n = 78, very low certainty of evidence). The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia was decreased by vitamins D (0.58 [0.41–0.83]) and C (0.59 [0.37–0.93]), very low certainty of evidence), retinopathy of prematurity was decreased by vitamins A (0.77 [0.61–0.98]) and E (0.10 [0.01–0.80]), very low to low certainty of evidence) and intraventricular haemorrhage was decreased by vitamin E (0.70 [0.52–0.92], moderate certainty of evidence). Culture-proven sepsis was decreased by vitamin A (0.88 [0.77–0.99], moderate certainty of evidence). Conclusions There are few and inconclusive data on the effect of vitamin supplementation in preterm infants on later neurodevelopment. Evidence for shorter-term outcomes is mostly of low certainty. Together with substantial heterogeneity in trial design, it therefore is difficult to recommend a specific supplementation regimen. Registry and Registry Number: This systematic review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO, ID CRD42023418552, available from https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023418552
Experimental study on nonlinear hygroscopic and strength behavior of mudstone under coupled temperature and humidity conditions for underground engineering
A molecular tango between chromatin and metabolites orchestrates a feedback switch for alcohol consumption
Mechanical and environmental performance of sugarcane Bagasse Ash from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in sustainable concrete
Abstract In recent decades, the partial substitution of cement with sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) has received attention for construction applications because of its pozzolanic characteristics. However, regional-scale studies are encouraged to increase the use of SCBA at the industrial level. Limited literature is available on the effect of SCBA on concrete Alkali-silica reactivity (ASR), CO2 emissions and economic feasibility. In the current study, the influence of adding 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% locally available SCBA from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the consistency, mechanical strength, ASR, N2 adsorption, mineralogy, microstructure, and elemental compositions of concrete was investigated. In addition, CO2 emissions and cost analysis were conducted for all the concrete mixes. Experimental findings revealed that consistency increased with the addition of SCBA percentages, whereas a delay in the setting time was recorded. The Compressive strength (CS) and split tensile strength for all SCBA-based mixtures increased with ageing, due to the finer particles and higher surface area of SCBA. Additionally, SCBA effectively reduces the expansion resulting from the alkali-silica reaction. The incorporation of SCBA significantly improved the microstructure with no sign of cracks, resulting in higher reactivity and the formation of additional CSH gel than the control mix. The findings confirmed that incorporating 10% of SCBA resulted in eco-friendly construction material with enhanced strength and cost savings. Furthermore, this study is beneficial to promote the use of locally available SCBA in concrete instead of disposal in landfills.
An agenda for science communication research and practice
Science should not unilaterally dictate individuals’ decisions or public policies. Yet, it provides a vital source of information for societies and individuals that can often improve outcomes and well-being. This requires, however, the effective communication of scientific information. We identify two paradigms for science communication. One focuses on dissemination, often seeking to inform, reframe, or correct beliefs. Another emphasizes participation and engagement with the goal of improving public understanding of science and scientists’ understanding of the public’s concerns, needs, and values. We argue that participatory approaches better address contemporary challenges concerning scientific uncertainty, politicized science, artificial value neutrality, and a reactive science communication infrastructure. These approaches though need to move away from transactional partnerships toward more cocreation and coproduction of knowledge. They also need to focus more on less motivated and/or engaged populations. Investment in a participatory infrastructure is crucial given that even the most path-breaking science only matters if it can be adequately communicated to relevant stakeholders.
Circ_0008043 promotes the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating the miR-661/PLEKHG4B axis
The earliest domestic pigs in Neolithic China were closely managed
Mechanical properties and durability of concrete with recycled air-cooled blast furnace slag aggregates
In silico evolution of globular protein folds from random sequences
The origin and evolution of protein folds are among the most challenging, long-standing problems in biology. We developed Protein Fold Evolution Simulator (PFES), a computational approach that simulates evolution of globular folds from random amino acid sequences with atomistic details. PFES introduces random mutations in a population of protein sequences, evaluates the effect of mutations on protein structure, and selects a new set of proteins for further evolution. Iteration of this process allows tracking the evolutionary trajectory of a changing protein fold that evolves under selective pressure for protein fold stability, interaction with other proteins, or other features shaping the fitness landscape. We employed PFES to show how stable, globular protein folds could evolve from random amino acid sequences as monomers or in complexes with other proteins. The simulations reproduce the evolution of many simple folds of natural proteins as well as emergence of distinct folds not known to exist in nature. We show that evolution of small globular protein folds from random sequences, on average, takes 1.15 to 3 amino acid replacements per site, depending on the population size, with some simulations yielding stable folds after as few as 0.2 replacements per site. These values are lower than the characteristic numbers of replacements in conserved proteins during the time since the Last Universal Common Ancestor, suggesting that simple protein folds can evolve from random sequences relatively easily and quickly. PFES tracks the complete evolutionary history from simulations and can be used to test hypotheses on protein fold evolution.
The immunomodulatory p43 secreted protein of Trichuris whipworm parasites is a lipid carrier that binds signalling lipids and precursors
Abstract Trichuris whipworms cause disease and morbidity in humans and other animals. Their prolonged intestinal infections persist despite intact immune systems of their hosts and are attributed to immunomodulatory activities of their secretions. The p43 (Tm-DLP-1) protein of Trichuris muris of mice comprises 95% of the protein secreted by adult parasites, binds matrix proteoglycans, and has immune cytokine (IL-13)-neutralising activity. Using fluorescence-based methods we show that p43 binds fatty acids and retinol, including signalling lipids or precursors thereof. The orthologue of p43 from the human whipworm, Trichuris trichiura, exhibits similar lipid-binding activity. From the known molecular structure of p43, we explore the existence of extensive surface-accessible cavities with diverse surface charge characteristics which may indicate binding of diverse small molecule types, and its internally duplicated subdomains likely possess divergent characteristics. p43 represents a novel protein type (“dorylipophorin”) only known in Dorylaimia (Clade I) nematodes. We demonstrate that p43 is the dominant protein in Trichuris’s pseudocoelomic fluid, replacing the major internal lipid transporters of all other nematode clades, representing an ancient functional dichotomy. In Trichuris , and potentially other Clade I parasites of plants and animals, these proteins’ lipid-binding activities may be adapted for both internal physiological and external immunomodulatory activities.
Action-mode subnetworks for decision-making, action control, and feedback
The action-mode network (AMN) is a canonical functional brain network first identified using resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC). Based on animal and human data, we have proposed that AMN supports the brain’s action mode by controlling functions required for successful goal-directed behavior. However, task fMRI averaged across groups has associated AMN regions with a variety of behaviors, contributing to uncertainty about AMN function. Here, we investigated the AMN using an inside-out approach, in which the network architecture of the AMN is first precisely mapped within individuals and then associated with behavioral functions. Individual-specific precision functional mapping with >5 h of RSFC and task functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data revealed a replicable AMN subnetwork structure. AMN subnetworks were characterized and annotated by combining a meta-analytic network association method with RSFC, intrinsic timing, and task activation profiling. We demonstrate the existence of AMN-Decision, -Action, and -Feedback subnetworks that are distributed across lobes, forming a temporally sequential within-network processing stream by which the brain adjudicates between possible goals, sets action plans, and modifies those plans in response to feedback such as pain. A subnetwork in the pars marginalis of the cingulate was distinct from the Decision, Action, and Feedback subnetworks and may be important for the construction of the bodily self.