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Background: Self-harm is a major public health challenge, and repeated self-harm is common in those attending hospital following an episode. Evidence suggests psychological interventions could help people who self-harm, but few definitive studies have assessed their clinical and cost-effectiveness. Repeated self-harm is associated with poor quality of life, depression, suicide and increased health service costs which justify the development of psychotherapeutic interventions tailored for people with repeated self-harm. Methods: FReSH START is a multicentre individually 1:1 randomised controlled trial evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of standard care plus psychological therapy or standard care alone for adults (≥ 18 years) presenting at an emergency department (ED) with repeated self-harm. Recruiting 630 participants, it includes an internal pilot, economic evaluation and process evaluation. The intervention will be delivered by mental health staff working in acute settings, with experience of assessing and managing risk in people presenting to emergency services with self-harm. Staff will be trained and supervised to deliver one of three specially adapted therapies: psychodynamic interpersonal therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy or acceptance and commitment therapy. Participants allocated to the intervention will receive one of the adapted therapies according to therapist allocation for up to 6 months via 12 weekly, one to one, 45–50-min sessions. The primary outcome is quality of life measured by the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure at 12 months post-randomisation. Secondary outcomes include suicidal intent, depression and cost-effectiveness. Data are collected using hospital attendance records and online/postal/telephone questionnaires at 6 and 12 months post-randomisation, with resource use additionally collected at 3 and 9 months. Discussion: This protocol outlines a randomised controlled trial to investigate whether modified therapies are cost-effective and improve quality of life for people who repeatedly self-harm. Few interventions are proven to be deliverable in the NHS for this population. This study is strengthened by the involvement of qualified mental health workers experienced in managing risk as therapists. Trial registration: Registered on August 03, 2021. IRAS number: 297939. ISRCTN: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN73357210. REC reference: 21/EE/0145. Sponsor: University of Leeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the habitat selection of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) during seasonal migration; an important period in an animal's annual cycle associated with broad-scale movements. We further decompose our understanding of migration habitat itself as the product of both broad- and fine-scale behavioral decisions and take a multi-scale approach to assess pronghorn spring and fall migration across the transboundary Northern Sagebrush Steppe region. We used a hierarchical habitat selection framework to assess a suite of natural and anthropogenic features that have been shown to influence selection patterns of pronghorn at both broad (migratory neighborhood) and fine (migratory pathway) scales. We then combined single-scale predictions into a scale-integrated step selection function (ISSF) map to assess its effectiveness in predicting migration route habitat. During spring, pronghorn selected for native grasslands, areas of high forage productivity (NDVI), and avoided human activity (i.e., roads and oil and natural gas wells). During fall, pronghorn selected for native grasslands, larger streams and rivers, and avoided roads. We detected avoidance of paved roads, unpaved roads, and wells at broad spatial scales, but no response to these features at fine scales. In other words, migratory pronghorn responded more strongly to anthropogenic features when selecting a broad neighborhood through which to migrate than when selecting individual steps along their migratory pathway. Our results demonstrate that scales of migratory route selection are hierarchically nested within each other from broader (second-order) to finer scales (third-order). In addition, we found other variables during particular migratory periods (i.e., native grasslands in spring) were selected for across scales indicating their importance for pronghorn. The mapping of ungulate migration habitat is a topic of high conservation relevance. In some applications, corridors are mapped according to telemetry location data from a sample of animals, with the assumption that the sample adequately represents habitat for the entire population. Our use of multi-scale modelling to predict resource selection during migration shows promise and may offer another relevant alternative for use in future conservation planning and land management decisions where telemetry-based sampling is unavailable or incomplete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effiecient landslide displacement prediction is important for early warning system of landslides. Based on time series method, the cumulative deformation of a landslide is decomposed into periodic and trend ones. A cubic polynomial is employed to forecast the trend deformation. Considering the periodic changes in rainwater and reservoir levels, the proposed model combines a convolutional neural network (CNN) with a gated recurrent unit (GRU) neural network to forecast periodic deformations. CNN effectively identifies the characteristics of the raw data, and GRU automatically controls the impact of historical information by adjusting the weights of the reset and update gates. C-GRU performance in predicting the periodic displacement is compared with GRU, and a backpropagation neural network optimised using particle swarm optimisation (PSO-BP). Monitoring points of Baishuihe landslide are employed to compare the performance of the various models. The findings show that the proposed model has strong data mining performance and deals with time series data efficiently. The new model can incorporate historical information more effectively than PSO-BP. Compared with GRU, the proposed model better captures the input data characteristics and improves the prediction accuracy. C-GRU achieves a low mean square error, representing a significant improvement in the accuracy of landslide predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arthrospira maxima is unique among cyanobacteria, growing at alkaline pH (<11) in concentrated (bi)carbonate (1.2 M saturated) and lacking carbonic anhydrases. We investigated dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) roles within PSII of A. maxima cells oximetrically and fluorometrically, monitoring the light reactions on the donor and acceptor sides of PSII. We developed new methods for removing DIC based on a (bi)carbonate chelator and magnesium for (bi)carbonate ionpairing. We established relative affinities of three sites: the water-oxidizing complex (WOC), non-heme iron/QA-, and solvent-accessible arginines throughout PSII. Full reversibility is achieved but (bi)carbonate uptake requires light. DIC depletion at the non-heme iron site and solvent-accessible arginines greatly reduces the yield of O2 due to O2 uptake, but accelerates the PSII-WOC cycle, specifically the S2→S3 and S3→S0 transitions. DIC removal from the WOC site abolishes water oxidation and appears to influence free energy stabilization of the WOC from a site between CP43-R357 and Ca2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous imbibition (SI) is a capillary-driven flow process, in which a wetting fluid moves into a porous medium displacing an existing non-wetting fluid. This process likely contributes to the loss of fracking fluids during hydraulic fracturing operations. It has also been proposed as a method for an enhanced recovery of hydrocarbons from fractured unconventional reservoirs. Numerous analytical and numerical approaches have been employed to model SI. Invariably, these idealize a fracture as the gap formed between parallel flat surfaces. In reality, rock fracture surfaces are rough over multiple scales, and this roughness will influence the contact angle and rate of fluid uptake. We derived an analytical model for the early-time SI behavior within a fracture bounded by parallel impermeable surfaces with fractal roughness assuming laminar flow. The model was tested by fitting it to experimental data for the SI of deionized water into air-filled rock fractures. Twenty cores from two rock types were investigated: a tight sandstone (Crossville) and a gas shale (Mancos). A simple Mode I longitudinal fracture was produced in each core by compressive loading between parallel flat plates using the Brazilian method. Half of the Mancos cores were fractured perpendicular to bedding, while the other half were fractured parallel to bedding. The two main parameters in the SI model are the mean separation distance between the fracture surfaces, x ̄ , and the fracture surface fractal dimension 2 ≤ D < 3. The x ̄ was estimated for each core by measuring the geometric mean fracture aperture width through image analysis of the top and bottom faces, while D was estimated inversely by fitting the SI model to measurements of water uptake obtained using dynamic neutron radiography. The x ̄ values ranged from 45 μ m to 190 μ m, with a median of 93 μ m. The SI model fitted the height of uptake versus time data very well for all of the rock cores investigated; medians of the resulting root mean squared errors and coefficients of determination were 0.99 mm and 0.963, respectively. Estimates of D ranged from 2.04 to 2.45, with a median of 2.24. Statistically, all of the D values were significantly greater than two, confirming the fractal nature of the fracture surfaces. Future research should focus on forward prediction through independent measurements of D and extension of the existing SI model to late times (through the inclusion of gravity) and fractures with permeable surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration functions as an adaptive strategy to improve fitness by allowing individuals to exploit spatiotemporal gradients of resources. Yet migration, especially among large ungulates, is increasingly threatened by human activities, making it necessary to understand variation in migratory behavior. We identified different movement strategies for pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) at the northern limit of the species' range, and tested hypotheses for variation between migratory behaviors. From 2003-2010, we captured 185 female pronghorn across Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, and Montana, USA. We identified discrete migratory behaviors, including seasonal migration, facultative winter migration, potential post-fawning migration, and the use of stopover sites. Fifty-five percent of individuals undertook seasonal migrations, and we recorded the longest reported round-trip migration for the species at 888 km. Some (22%) seasonal migrations included ≥1 stopover sites, with significantly greater use of stopovers during spring than fall. Migrants (34%) and residents (20%) undertook facultative winter migrations, with the majority (68%) undertaken by migrants. Additionally, 12% of individuals exhibited potential post-fawning migrations. For each season, we estimated a suite of movement metrics and used multivariate statistics to compare movement similarities across migration behaviors. Correspondence analyses revealed 3 groupings of migration behavior. Spring migration was its own grouping, characterized by more sinuous and slower movements, consistent with the forage maturation hypothesis. Fall migration, facultative winter migration, and potential postfawning migration clustered in a single group that displayed linear, fast movements, consistent with being influenced by ecologically limited resources such as severe winters or predation avoidance. Lastly, spring and fall stopover sites were grouped together as a means to use high-quality forage during migration, also consistent with the forage maturation hypothesis. At the northern periphery of pronghorn range, differences between migratory behaviors are influenced by various ecological factors, merit increased attention, and contribute to overall persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a genome-wide association scan in 1461 patients with bipolar (BP) 1 disorder, 2008 controls drawn from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder and the University College London sample collections with successful genotyping for 372 193 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Our strongest single SNP results are found in myosin5B (MYO5B; P=1.66 × 10−7) and tetraspanin-8 (TSPAN8; P=6.11 × 10−7). Haplotype analysis further supported single SNP results highlighting MYO5B, TSPAN8 and the epidermal growth factor receptor (MYO5B; P=2.04 × 10−8, TSPAN8; P=7.57 × 10−7 and EGFR; P=8.36 × 10−8). For replication, we genotyped 304 SNPs in family-based NIMH samples (n=409 trios) and University of Edinburgh case–control samples (n=365 cases, 351 controls) that did not provide independent replication after correction for multiple testing. A comparison of our strongest associations with the genome-wide scan of 1868 patients with BP disorder and 2938 controls who completed the scan as part of the Wellcome Trust Case–Control Consortium indicates concordant signals for SNPs within the voltage-dependent calcium channel, L-type, alpha 1C subunit (CACNA1C) gene. Given the heritability of BP disorder, the lack of agreement between studies emphasizes that susceptibility alleles are likely to be modest in effect size and require even larger samples for detection.Molecular Psychiatry (2008) 13, 558–569; doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4002151; published online 4 March 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Zoology is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary1. Many classical models of ungulate foraging are premised on energy maximization, yet limited empirical evidence and untested currency assumptions make the choice of currency a non-trivial issue. The primary constraints on forage intake of ungulates are forage quality and availability. Using a model that incorporates these two constraints, we predicted the optimal biomass of forage patches for ungulate grazers using an energy maximizing vs. a time minimizing strategy. 2. We tested these predictions on wood bison (Bison bison athabascae Rhoads) grazing naturally occurring sedge (Carex atherodes Spreng). The digestive constraint was determined by a series of ad libitum feeding trials using sedge at different stages of growth. Sedge digestibility declined with biomass. Ad libitum intake of sedge by bison declined with sedge digestibility and thus decreased with sedge biomass. On the other hand, short-term sedge intake rates of wood bison increased with biomass. 3. Incorporation of these constraints resulted in the prediction that daily energy gain of bison should be maximized by grazing patches with a biomass of 10 g m-2, whereas a bison could minimize daily foraging time needed to fulfil its energy requirement by cropping patches with a biomass of 279 g m-2. 4. To test these quantitative predictions, we used a staggered mowing regime to convert even-aged stands of sedge to a mosaic of patches varying in quality and quantity. Observations of bison grazing these mosaics indicated that patches of biomass below 120 g m-2 were avoided, while patches of biomass 156 and 219 g m-2 were highly preferred, with the greatest preference for the latter. 5. These results indicate that bison were behaving as time minimizers rather than energy maximizers. Daily cropping times of free-ranging bison from the literature corroborate our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demographic rates are critical pieces of information for understanding ungulate population dynamics and effectively managing populations. In harvested elk Cervus elaphus canadensis populations, human harvest is often the greatest source of adult male mortality. In the Cypress Hills of southeast Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan, Canada, hunting is a tool to mitigate conflicts between elk and agricultural producers in the area. We estimated survival ( S) and animal recovery ( f) rates based on individually marked male elk (n = 47) using hunter-returned ear tags from 1998-2001. Recovery rate differed between jurisdictions and was substantially lower in Saskatchewan ( f = 0.16, SE = 0.05) compared to Alberta ( f = 0.31, SE = 0.08). A constant survival rate ( S = 0.61, SE = 0.15) was most supported. The average longevity for male elk in the Cypress Hills was 2.02 (SE = 0.51) years after surviving their first year of life. This research highlights the importance of considering regulatory regimes and requirements when investigating and interpreting demographic and population dynamics of populations managed across jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoration specialists are increasingly interested in re-establishing silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana) communities due to the large number of wildlife species that are partial sagebrush obligates. Energy development within native grasslands can contribute to habitat loss through introduction of invasive species. In this study, pipeline and reclaimed well site footprints were assessed relative to undisturbed sample units to identify management practices that achieve effective restoration of silver sagebrush communities on disturbed sites. Our objectives were to compare silver sagebrush communities on energy disturbances with undisturbed areas in two ecological range sites in dry mixed-grass prairie: blowouts (hard-packed bare ground) and overflows (mesic sedimentation). Our hypothesis was that moisture, greater nutrient values, and potential seed banks found in overflows may benefit silver sagebrush growth. We were also interested in plant communities resulting from of various seeding treatments, hypothesizing that silver sagebrush may be negatively impacted by some seeding treatments. We used a paired transect design to measure variations in plant species cover in each ecological range type. We found similar silver sagebrush cover values to adjacent undisturbed areas following disturbances on both overflow and blowout ecological range types; however, silver sagebrush was significantly reduced in disturbed areas that were seeded with grass species compared to sites that were allowed to recover naturally. We recommend minimum disturbance practices with natural recovery, avoidance of seeding agronomic cultivars, and in particular preventing introduction of invasive species such as crested wheatgrass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A. Singhal, C. Gates, N. Malhotra, D.A. Irwin, D.H. Chansolme, V. Kohli. Successful management of primary nontuberculous mycobacterial infection of hepatic allograft following orthotopic liver transplantation for hepatitis C Transpl Infect Dis 2011: 47-51. All rights reserved Nontuberculous mycobacteria are a rare cause of disease in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. The impact of mycobacterial infections in transplant recipients necessitates prompt diagnosis and early initiation of therapy. However, diagnosis remains difficult and there is a lack of specific recommendations for the choice of anti-mycobacterial drugs, duration of therapy, and monitoring of graft function as well as immunosuppression in these patients. Issues involved in the management are illustrated by an index case of hepatic allograft infection due to Mycobacterium avium complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 96-yr climate record (1908-2004), historical descriptions, multiyear (1950, 1964, 1978, 1994) lake-surface area measurements, and 1950 and 2004 physiognomically based vegetation maps were compiled to assess vegetation change in the Fox Lake area (4248 ha) within the lower Peace River district of northern Alberta. A climatic warming trend (r = 0.615, P < 0.001; 0.35°C/decade) was evident during the twentieth century, with peak precipitation occurring from 1970 to 1990. Five major wet-dry cycles, based on net water balance values (precipitation minus potential evaporation), were evident with peaks occurring at about 17(±3) year intervals. Each cycle became slightly less arid than the previous until the mid-1990s. Deciduous forests dominated upland sites in 2004, whereas deciduous shrub and juvenile tree stands comprised 78% in 1950. Total wetland area remained relatively constant between 1950 and 2004, but less meadow and more standing water were present in 2004. Lake-surface area changes suggested that wetlands were recharged by precipitation rather than floodwaters from the nearby Peace River. Low water availability and historical descriptions suggest grassland-dominated parkland-like vegetation occurred in the study area during the early part of the twentieth century, with upland shrubs replacing grasslands by 1950. Increased atmospheric water availability rather than cessation of aboriginal burning or natural fires was considered responsible for increased forest abundance after 1945. Greater aridity in response to future global warming could reduce the abundance of forests in the lower Peace River district, and shift the regional climate from a boreal to a grassland-dominated parkland climatic regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grey wolf has one of the largest historic distributions of any terrestrial mammal and can disperse over great distances across imposing topographic barriers. As a result, geographical distance and physical obstacles to dispersal may not be consequential factors in the evolutionary divergence of wolf populations. However, recent studies suggest ecological features can constrain gene flow. We tested whether wolf–prey associations in uninterrupted tundra and forested regions of Canada explained differences in migratory behaviour, genetics, and coat colour of wolves. Satellite-telemetry data demonstrated that tundra wolves ( n = 19) migrate annually with caribou ( n = 19) from denning areas in the tundra to wintering areas south of the treeline. In contrast, nearby boreal coniferous forest wolves are territorial and associated year round with resident prey. Spatially explicit analysis of 14 autosomal microsatellite loci ( n = 404 individuals) found two genetic clusters corresponding to tundra vs. boreal coniferous forest wolves. A sex bias in gene flow was inferred based on higher levels of mtDNA divergence ( FST = 0.282, 0.028 and 0.033; P<0.0001 for mitochondrial, nuclear autosomal and Y-chromosome markers, respectively). Phenotypic differentiation was substantial as 93% of wolves from tundra populations exhibited light colouration whereas only 38% of boreal coniferous forest wolves did (χ2 = 64.52, P<0.0001). The sharp boundary representing this discontinuity was the southern limit of the caribou migration. These findings show that substantial genetic and phenotypic differentiation in highly mobile mammals can be caused by prey–habitat specialization rather than distance or topographic barriers. The presence of a distinct wolf ecotype in the tundra of North America highlights the need to preserve migratory populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due primarily to wolf (Canis lupus) predation on livestock (depredation), some livestock producers and other interest groups oppose wolf conservation, which is an important objective for large sectors of the public. Predicting depredation occurrence is difficult, yet necessary to prevent it. Better prediction of wolf depredation also would facilitate application of sound depredation management actions. In this paper we analyze temporal trends in wolf depredation occurrence and wolf control, which is employed as a depredation management action. We gathered data from wolf depredation investigations for Alberta, Canada, from 1982-1996 and for Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, USA, from 1987-2003. We showed that wolf attacks occurred with a seasonal pattern, reflecting the seasonality of livestock calving, grazing practices, and seasonal variation in energetic requirements of wolf packs. Seasonal wolf attacks were auto-correlated with lags of one year, indicating annual reoccurrence. Cross-correlation analyses indicated that limited wolf control was rapidly employed as a short-term response to depredation, and was not designed to decrease wolf depredation at a regional scale or in the long-term. We therefore discovered a reoccurring seasonal-annual pattern for wolf depredation and wolf control in western North America. Ranchers and managers could use our data for focusing investment of resources to prevent wolf depredation increases during high-depredation seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Spring burning of sedge-grass meadows in the Slave River Lowlands (SRL), Northwest Territories, Canada was applied between 1992 and 1998 to reduce shrub encroachment and enhance Bison bison (bison) habitat, although the impact of fire on preferred bison forage was unknown before management. In the summer of 1998 we conducted a study in the Hook Lake area of the SRL to test the effect of burn frequency (unburned, burned once, or burned three times since 1992) on herbaceous plant community composition and Salix spp. L. (willow) shrub vigor. Plant species abundance, litter biomass, soil pH, and depth of the organic soil horizon were measured in 300 1-m2 quadrats nested within 30 1,000-m2 plots in both burned and unburned dry meadows. To test the relationship between frequency and willow vigor, all willow shrubs within the plots were assigned a vigor score from I (dead) to IV (flourishing). The spring burns appear to have reduced willow vigor; however, shrub survival remained high (76%) on the most frequently burned meadows. Ordination plots resulting from canonical correspondence analysis suggest that multiple spring burns influenced plant community composition in dry meadow areas and that less palatable bison forage species (e.g., Carex aenea Fern. and Juncus balticus L.) were correlated with a regime of three spring burns. Our results suggest that frequent spring fires in the Hook Lake area have only a small negative effect on willow cover but may reduce the abundance of primary bison forage plants compared with less frequently burned meadows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N -(Difluoropropenyl)amides/amines are an important class of fluorinated compounds. Here, we report an efficient method for synthesizing these compounds without the use of transition metals. Under simple base-promoted conditions, 3-bromo-3,3-difluoroprop-1-ene reacts with N -methylanilines or N -arylacrylamides, with the elimination of one molecule of HBr, to give the target compound. Another efficient method for synthesizing difluoroalkenes is the reaction of 2-bromo-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-ene with indole or its analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stigma surrounding dementia is a significant issue affecting individuals and communities leading to discrimination towards those living with the condition. However, the changing paradigm in dementia support to living well with dementia can reduce this stigma and improve community attitudes. A community initiative aimed to address this evaluated the impact of a two-hour education forum involving 92 community members. Presentations from experts, including a person with dementia, addressed dementia-related human rights issues and initiatives to live well with dementia. Attendees completed the new Dementia Community Attitudes Questionnaire (DCAQ) aligned with the evolving paradigm of living well with dementia before and after the forum. Participants with prior dementia education had higher initial scores while those without education showed more significant improvements. Almost all DCAQ items showed post-forum score improvements. This community Dementia Awareness Raising Forum provided an opportunity for people to come together and initiate conversations around dementia resulting in more positive community attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-pharmacological strategies are prioritized to manage dementia-related symptoms in nursing homes (NHs). A multiple-case study design, embedded within a pragmatic trial, examined NH staff perspectives of applying a team-based (TB) or problem-based dementia training program to resident care. A purposive sample of staff was recruited from 23 NHs to participate in one-on-one interviews, which were analyzed using a rapid qualitative approach. Both approaches yielded staff who were able to apply their training to resident care. Staff described similarities in communication strategies, family interactions, recognizing sources of behaviors, providing comfort, and ensuring resident safety. In addition, staff demonstrated increased self-efficacy when caring for residents. Differences emerged for team collaboration, engaging residents, and managing behaviors. Among TB staff, training impacted how staff cared for residents and increased teamwork. Leaders may want to consider the benefits of each approach as they deliberate on which dementia care training to provide to their staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) to approximate the Serre–Green–Naghdi equations (SGNEs) that model steady-state weir flows. Four PINNs are proposed to solve the forward problem and three types of inverse problem. For the forward problem in which continuous and smooth beds are available, we constructed PINN 1 to predict the water depth profile over a weir. Good agreements between the PINN 1 solutions and experimental data demonstrated the capability of PINN 1 to resolve the steady-state weir flows. For the inverse problems with input discretized beds, PINN 2 was designed to output both the water depth profile and the bed profile. The free-surface profiles based on the PINN 2 solutions were in good agreement with the experimental data, and the reconstructed bed profiles of PINN 2 agreed well with the input discretized beds, demonstrating that PINN 2 can reproduce weir flows accurately when only discretized beds are available. For the inverse problems with input measured free surface, PINN 3 and PINN 4 were built to output both the free-surface profile and the bed profile. The output free-surface profiles of PINN 3 and PINN 4 showed good agreement with the experimental data. The inferred bed profiles of PINN 3 agreed generally well with the analytical weir profile or the control points of the weir profile, and the inferred bed profiles of PINN 4 were in good agreement with the analytical weir profile for the investigated test case. These indicate that the proposed PINN 3 and PINN 4 can satisfactorily infer weir profiles. Overall, PINNs are comparable to the traditional numerical models for forward problems, but they can resolve the inverse problems which cannot be solved directly using traditional numerical models. Practical Applications: There has been tremendous progress in solving governing equations using traditional numerical methods. However, when solving inverse problems, traditional numerical methods usually are time consuming and require new algorithms. Most importantly, traditional numerical methods are unable to resolve problems with missing or noisy initial and boundary conditions. Compared with traditional numerical methods, physics-informed neural networks implement a mesh-free algorithm and are effective and efficient for inverse and even ill-posed problems. Physics-informed neural networks integrate physical governing equations and relevant data, e.g., initial and boundary conditions or measured data, to infer unknown variables for forward and inverse problems, and have been applied to solve various types of governing equations. To the best of our knowledge, no PINNs have been presented to solve weir flows. This paper proposes physics-informed neural networks to solve forward and inverse weir flows. Research findings indicate that physics-informed neural networks are comparable to traditional numerical methods for the forward problem and are capable of resolving the inverse problems in which the discretized bed elevations or the measured free surface are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extremely destructive nature of malware has become a major threat to Internet security. The research on malware detection techniques has been evolving. Deep learning-based malware detection methods have achieved good results by using large-scale, pre-trained models. However, these models are complex, have large parameters, and require a large amount of hardware resources and have a high inference time cost when applied. To address this challenge, this paper proposes DistillMal, a new method for lightweight malware detection based on knowledge distillation, which improves performance by using a student network to learn valuable cueing knowledge from a teacher network to achieve a lightweight model. We conducted extensive experiments on two new datasets and showed that the student network model's performance is very close to that of the original model and the outperforms it on some metrics. Our approach helps address the resource constraints and computational challenges faced by traditional deep learning large models. Our research highlights the potential of using knowledge distillation to develop lightweight malware detection models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related thymic involution, leading to reduced T cell production, is one of the major causes of immunosenescence. This results in an increased susceptibility to cancers, infections, and autoimmunity and in reduced vaccine efficacy. Here, we identified that the receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK)–RANK ligand (RANKL) axis in the thymus is altered during aging. Using a conditional transgenic mouse model, we demonstrated that endothelial cells depend on RANK signaling for their cellularity and functional maturation. Decreased RANKL availability during aging resulted in a decline in cellularity and function of both endothelial cells and thymic epithelial cells, contributing to thymic involution. We then found that, whereas RANKL neutralization in young mice mimicked thymic involution, exogenous RANKL treatment in aged mice restored thymic architecture as well as endothelial cell and epithelial cell abundance and functional properties. Consequently, RANKL improved T cell progenitor homing to the thymus and boosted T cell production. This cascade of events resulted in peripheral T cell renewal and effective antitumor and vaccine responses in aged mice. Furthermore, we conducted a proof-of-concept study that showed that RANKL stimulates endothelial cells and epithelial cells in human thymic organocultures. Overall, our findings suggest that targeting the RANK-RANKL axis through exogenous RANKL administration could represent a therapeutic strategy to rejuvenate thymic function and improve T cell immunity during aging. Editor's summary: An immunologic feature of aging is thymic involution and decreased thymic output, resulting in fewer T cells able to respond to vaccines, infections, and cancer. Here, Santamaria et al. found that receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK)–RANK ligand (RANKL) signaling decreased with age in mice, resulting in impaired thymic function. Exogenous administration of RANKL to aged mice restored their thymic architecture and function to nearly the same degree as young mice, enabling T cells in these aged mice to better respond to vaccination and implanted tumors. These data, coupled with human thymic organoculture data, suggest that targeting the RANK-RANKL axis may be an approach to alleviate the effects of aging on the thymus. —Courtney Malo [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the case of Lebanon, this article seeks to conceptualize how processes of urbanization are entangled with extractive violence. It begins by situating the establishment of both the cement industry and the legal framework for construction in the historical context of French Mandate Lebanon, and discusses their evolution through the post-independence period, the early 1990s, and until today. Furthermore, the article proposes a framework for identifying the different scales at which extractive violence is deployed in both spatial and temporal terms. It traces the entanglement between processes taking place at hyperlocal, territorial, national, regional and global scales; and examines how extractive violence is enacted across different temporalities. Finally, the text highlights how extractive industries do more than render their violence unknowable and imperceptible: they employ strategic modes of appearance to control the narratives that surround them, and they use technical and scientific authority to create competing regimes of truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new parametric model is proposed in line transect sampling for perpendicular distances density functions. It is simple, compact and monotonic non increasing with distance from transect line and also satisfies the shoulder condition at the origin. Numerous interesting statistical properties like shape of the probability density function, moments, and other related measures are discussed. Method of Moments and Maximum Likelihood Estimation is carried out .Applicability of the model is demonstrated using a practical data set of perpendicular distances and compared with other models using some goodness of fit tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum computers can potentially simulate quantum-mechanical phenomena, so chemical reactions are a potential application of them. In particular, the time evolution of the wavefunctions should be simulated because chemical reactions are accompanied by structural changes. In this study, to pave the way to achieving such wavefunction simulations, we decompose chemical reactions into their main parts and comprehensively show the minimum essential circuits for simulating each part. An antisymmetrized initial state is constructed using ancillae. Chemical reactions should be simulated in two different ways, where the difference is whether the ancillae are released or not. When they are released, the whole electronic system is simulated. When they are not released, orbital information is obtained. These ways are hence complementary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grover's search algorithm (GSA) offers quadratic speedup in searching unstructured databases but suffers from exponential circuit depth complexity. Here, we present two quantum circuits called HX and Ry layers for the searching problem. Remarkably, both circuits maintain a fixed circuit depth of two and one, respectively, irrespective of the number of qubits used. When the target element's position index is known, we prove that either circuit, combined with a single multi-controlled X gate, effectively amplifies the target element's probability to over 0.99 for any qubit number greater than seven. To search unknown databases, we use the depth-1 Ry layer as the ansatz in the Variational Quantum Search (VQS), whose efficacy is validated through numerical experiments on databases with up to 26 qubits. The VQS with the Ry layer exhibits an exponential advantage, in circuit depth, over the GSA for databases of up to 26 qubits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many active systems are capable of forming intriguing patterns at scales significantly larger than the size of their individual constituents. Cyanobacteria are one of the most ancient and important phyla of organisms that has allowed the evolution of more complex life forms. Despite its importance, the role of motility on the pattern formation of their colonies is not understood. Here, we investigate the large-scale collective effects and rich dynamics of gliding filamentous cyanobacteria colonies, while still retaining information about the individual constituents' dynamics and their interactions. We investigate both the colony's transient and steady-state dynamics and find good agreement with experiments. We furthermore show that the Péclet number and aligning interaction strength govern the system's topological transition from an isotropic distribution to a state of large-scale reticulate patterns. Although the system is topologically non-trivial, the parallel and perpendicular pair correlation functions provide structural information about the colony, and thus can be used to extract information about the early stages of biofilm formation. Finally, we find that the effects of the filaments' length cannot be reduced to a system of interacting points. Our model proves to reproduce both cyanobacteria colonies and systems of biofilaments where curvature is transported by motility. Active matter systems can spontaneously form structure. Using concepts of nonequilibrium statistical physics and experiments, this work demonstrates the existence of a topological transition in filamentous cyanobacteria colonies from an isotropic distribution to dense bundles organized in a reticulate pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical logic gates based on nonlinear optical property of material with ultrafast response speed and excellent computational processing power can break the performance bottleneck of electronic transistors. As one of the layered 2D materials, Ta2NiS5 exhibits high anisotropic mobility, exotic electrical response, and intriguing optical properties. Due to the low-symmetrical crystal structures, it possesses in-plane anisotropic physical properties. The optical absorption information of Ta2NiS5 is investigated by anisotropic linear absorption spectra, femtosecond laser intensity scanning (I-scan), and non-degenerate pump-probe technology. The I-scan results show a distinct maximum of ∼4.9 % saturable absorption (SA) and ∼4 % reverse saturable absorption (RSA) at different polarization directions of the incident laser. And, these unique nonlinear optical (NLO) properties originate from the anisotropic optical transition probability. Furthermore, the novel Ta2NiS5-based all-optical logic gates are proposed by manipulating the NLO absorption processes. And, the all-optical OR and NOR logic gates possess an ultrafast response speed approaching 1.7 THz. Meanwhile, an all-optical information transmission method with higher security and accuracy is achieved, which has promising potential to avoid the disclosure of information. This work provides a new path for designing versatile and novel optical applications based on Ta2NiS5 materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In response, this study developed a mathematical and computational method, through spatial configurations with justified plan graph (JPG), drawn from Space Syntax to extract essential information of the spatial topology of 13 valuable traditional courtyard houses located in Toon historical city of Iran. Design/methodology/approach: Historical vernacular housing has always been designed to incorporate and reflect the local lifestyle and cultural conditions. "Courtyard" is a fundamental part of traditional Iranian houses. This traditional building type includes a walled boundary and a complex of open, semi-enclosed and enclosed spaces. This study investigates the traditional houses in Toon historical town. Toon is one of the ancient towns in southeast Iran, including old courtyard houses in its heritage context. The spatial influence of the courtyard contributes to the formation of this famous architectural type. Findings: The results show the remarkable impact of this space on dominating the plan of traditional Toon houses configuration compared to other spaces in all cases. Furthermore, spatial accessibility has changed over time, and the Safavid period had a higher level of integration and lower level of accessibility (mean i = 7.03) rather than the Qajar period (mean i = 6.34); also, privacy has decreased progressively. Originality/value: The knowledge of characteristics of this historical architecture needs to be gathered for the preservation and conservation of the built heritage. Hence, the principle behind traditional Iranian courtyards was investigated to recognize the difference between the spatial influence of the courtyard and other spaces and the changes in the courtyard over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immune response to acute hypoxemia may play a critical role in high‐altitude acclimatization and adaptation. However, if not properly controlled, hypoxemia‐induced inflammation may exacerbate high‐altitude pathologies, such as acute mountain sickness (AMS), or other hypoxia‐related clinical conditions. Several studies report changes in immune cell subsets at high altitude. However, the mechanisms underlying these changes, and if these alterations are beneficial or maladaptive, remains unknown. To address this, we performed multiparameter flow cytometry on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected throughout 3 days of high‐altitude acclimatization in healthy sea‐level residents (n = 20). Additionally, we conducted in vitro stimulation assays to test if high‐altitude hypoxia exposure influences responses of immune cells to subsequent inflammatory stimuli. We found several immune populations were altered at high altitude, including monocytes, T cells, and B cells. Some changes in immune cell populations are potentially correlated with AMS incidence and severity. In vitro high‐altitude PBMC cultures stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) showed no changes in pro‐inflammatory cytokine production after 1 day at high‐altitude. However, by day three pro‐inflammatory cytokine production in response to LPS decreased significantly. These results indicate that high‐altitude exposure may initiate an inflammatory response that encompasses innate immune sensitization, with adaptive immune suppression following acclimatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]