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Ammonium and carboxylic moieties play a central role in proton-mediated processes of molecular recognition, charge transfer or chemical change in (bio)materials. Whereas both chemical groups constitute acid–base pairs in organic salt-bridge structures, they may as well host excess protons in acidic environments. The binding of excess protons often precedes proton transfer reactions and it is therefore of fundamental interest, though challenging from a quantum chemical perspective. As a benchmark for this process, we investigate proton storage in the amphoteric compound 5-aminovaleric acid (AV), within an intramolecular proton bond shared by its primary amine and carboxylic acid terminal groups. Infrared ion spectroscopy is combined with ab initio Molecular Dynamics (AIMD) calculations to expose and rationalize the spectral signatures of protonated AV and its deuterated isotopologues. The dynamic character of the proton bond confers a fluxional structure to the molecular framework, leading to wide-ranging bands in the vibrational spectrum. These features are reproduced with remarkable accuracy by AIMD computations, which serves to lay out microscopic insights into the excess proton binding scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread fuel accumulation in various strata is increasing the risk of high‐severity, crown‐fires. Knowing the vertical forest structure is a crucial factor for fire management planning.Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors have successfully retrieved the main characteristics of the vertical structure of forests. However, detecting and vertically mapping the various fuel strata that can act as ladder fuels (i.e. fuel arrangements that will bring the fire from the surface to the canopy) is challenging and limits our ability to manage the most hazardous forests.Here we show how using LiDAR data and the LadderFuelsR package, developed in the R platform, can provide an automated tool for analysing the vertical fuel structure of a forest and to calculate crown base height (CBH) at tree‐level, among other parameters. We include a suite of tools integrated into a sequential workflow for: (1) calculating the leaf area density (LAD) profiles of each segmented tree; (2) identifying gaps and the non‐continuous fuel layers present; (3) estimating the vertical distance between fuel layers; and (4) retrieving their base height and depth. Additionally, other functions recalculate previous metrics after considering vertical distances greater than certain threshold and calculates the LAD percentage comprised in each fuel layer removing fuel layers below a specified value. Moreover, it calculates tree's CBH based on three criteria: maximum LAD, and both the largest and the last vertical distance between fuel layers. Additionally, when the LAD profiles showed only one fuel layer with CBH at the minimum base height, it identifies the tree's CBH by performing a segmented linear regression. Finally, a collection of plotting functions is developed to represent all previous metrics.This tool has been tested with different LiDAR sensors and thousands of trees in several Pinus pinaster forest areas in Central Spain, and its accuracy has been evaluated using field‐based tree CBH in Pinus palustris Mills dominated forests in Florida (USA). This tool provides accurate information about the vertical structure of a forest, which can be used for prioritizing treatment areas to reduce fire hazard or identify high crown‐fire risk areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present water vapor vertical profiles observed with the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter/Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery instrument during the perihelion and Southern summer solstice season (LS = 240°–300°) in three consecutive Martian Years 34, 35, and 36. We show the detailed latitudinal distribution of H2O at tangent altitudes from 10 to 120 km, revealing a vertical plume at 60°S–50°S injecting H2O upward, reaching abundance of about 50 ppmv at 100 km. We have observed this event repeatedly in the three Martian years analyzed, appearing at LS = 260°–280° and showing inter‐annual variations in the magnitude and timing due to long term effects of the Martian Year 34 Global Dust Storm. We provide a rough estimate of projected hydrogen escape of 3.2 × 109 cm−2 s−1 associated to these plumes, adding further evidence of the key role played by the perihelion season in the long term evolution of the planet's climate. Plain Language Summary: Studying the vertical distribution of the Martian atmosphere is crucial to understand what happened to the water presumably present in larger abundance on ancient Mars. We have analyzed the vertical profiles of three Martian Years during the Southern summer, revealing a strong vertical transport of water vapor to the upper atmosphere. This seasonal phenomenon seems to be repeated annually, although with variations in the location and time of the year. Our estimation of the associated upward hydrogen flux represents an important loss which could have contributed to the escape of water to space for at least the period in which Mars had its present orbital inclination. Key Points: Latitudinal distributions of water vapor up to 120 km are analyzed in detail using Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) observations with an improved retrieval schemeWater vapor injection during the perihelion localized around 50°–60°S in three consecutive Martian yearsMartian year 34 Global Dust Storm may have affected the driving mechanisms of the plume, delaying its appearance and reducing its magnitude [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fibromyalgia is a chronic rheumatic disease of unknown aetiology, highly disabling and mainly affecting women. The aim of our work is to estimate, on a national scale, the economic impact of this disease on the employment of patients and non-professional (informal) care dimension. Methods: Survey on Disabilities, Autonomy and Dependency carried out in Spain in 2020/21 was used to obtain information on disabled individuals with AD and their informal caregivers. Six estimation scenarios were defined as base case, depending on whether the maximum daily informal caregiving time was censored or not, and on the approach chosen for the valuation of informal caregiving time (contingent valuation and replacement time). Another six conservative scenarios were developed using the minimum wage for the estimation of labour losses. Results: Our estimates range from 2,443.6 (willingness to pay, censored informal care time) to 7,164.8 million euros (replacement cost, uncensored informal care time) (base year 2021). Multivariate analyses identified that the degree of dependency of the person suffering from fibromyalgia is the main explanatory variable for both the probability of being employed and the time spent in informal care. Conservative scenarios estimates range from 1,807 to 6,528 million euros. Conclusions: The high economic impact revealed should help to position a health problem that is relatively unknown in society and for which there are significant research and care gaps to be filled. Key Points: We estimate at national level (Spain) the economic impact of fibromyalgia on two dimensions: labour losses of patients and the value of informal care. Our estimates range from 2,443.6 (more conservative scenario in the base case) to 7,164.8 million euros (less conservative scenario in the base case) (base year 2021). The degree of dependency of the person suffering from fibromyalgia is the main explanatory variable for both the probability of being employed and the time spent in informal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fibromyalgia is a chronic rheumatic disease of unknown aetiology, highly disabling and mainly affecting women. The aim of our work is to estimate, on a national scale, the economic impact of this disease on the employment of patients and non-professional (informal) care dimension. Methods: Survey on Disabilities, Autonomy and Dependency carried out in Spain in 2020/21 was used to obtain information on disabled individuals with AD and their informal caregivers. Six estimation scenarios were defined as base case, depending on whether the maximum daily informal caregiving time was censored or not, and on the approach chosen for the valuation of informal caregiving time (contingent valuation and replacement time). Another six conservative scenarios were developed using the minimum wage for the estimation of labour losses. Results: Our estimates range from 2,443.6 (willingness to pay, censored informal care time) to 7,164.8 million euros (replacement cost, uncensored informal care time) (base year 2021). Multivariate analyses identified that the degree of dependency of the person suffering from fibromyalgia is the main explanatory variable for both the probability of being employed and the time spent in informal care. Conservative scenarios estimates range from 1,807 to 6,528 million euros. Conclusions: The high economic impact revealed should help to position a health problem that is relatively unknown in society and for which there are significant research and care gaps to be filled. Key Points: We estimate at national level (Spain) the economic impact of fibromyalgia on two dimensions: labour losses of patients and the value of informal care. Our estimates range from 2,443.6 (more conservative scenario in the base case) to 7,164.8 million euros (less conservative scenario in the base case) (base year 2021). The degree of dependency of the person suffering from fibromyalgia is the main explanatory variable for both the probability of being employed and the time spent in informal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kidney undergoes structural and physiological changes with age, predominantly studied in glomeruli and proximal tubules. However, limited knowledge is available about the impact of aging and anti‐aging interventions on distal tubules. In this study, we investigated the effects of cytochrome b5 reductase 3 (CYB5R3) overexpression and/or dietary nicotinamide riboside (NR) supplementation on distal tubule mitochondria. Initially, transcriptomic data were analyzed to evaluate key genes related with distal tubules, CYB5R3, and NAD+ metabolism, showing significant differences between males and females in adult and old mice. Subsequently, our emphasis focused on assessing how these interventions, that have demonstrated the anti‐aging potential, influenced structural parameters of distal tubule mitochondria, such as morphology and mass, as well as abundance, distance, and length of mitochondria‐endoplasmic reticulum contact sites, employing an electron microscopy approach. Our findings indicate that both interventions have differential effects depending on the age and sex of the mice. Aging resulted in an increase in mitochondrial size and a decrease in mitochondrial abundance in males, while a reduction in abundance, size, and mitochondrial mass was observed in old females when compared with their adult counterparts. Combining both the interventions, CYB5R3 overexpression and dietary NR supplementation mitigated age‐related changes; however, these effects were mainly accounted by NR in males and by transgenesis in females. In conclusion, the influence of CYB5R3 overexpression and dietary NR supplementation on distal tubule mitochondria depends on sex, genotype, and diet. This underscores the importance of incorporating these variables in subsequent studies to comprehensively address the multifaceted aspects of aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study has a twofold objective. On the one hand, the comparative analysis of the efficiency of Spanish prisons structured based on three groups of conflict and size, by non-parametric radial and non-radial DEA methods, for 2015–2020. On the other hand, to determine to what extent exogenous factors such as Covid-19, the change of government or economic growth, have influenced the levels of efficiency, controlling for the prison size within each group. The comparative analyses carried out by the Radial and non-radial DEA estimations show important differences in the results. With the non-radial method, there is a clearly decreasing trend in efficiency over time and a greater dispersion of values in the inter-annual distribution. Therefore, the efficiency values of the Penitentiary Centers according to the group to which they belong in relation to their respective efficient frontiers show greater distances or possibilities for improvement in the case of this method compared to the Radial DEA. As for the results of the second stage, the influence of Covid on the management of the centers has had a negative impact on all groups. The implications derived from mandatory confinement have been reflected in greater organizational complexities, regardless of the type of center, in terms of size and criminal complexity. In this sense, there is a positive relationship between efficiency and the size of the centers. In the case of groups 1 (larger size and conflictive) and 2 (both average size and conflictive), a curvilinear shape (U-shape) is captured where a representative part of centers is in the increasing zone of the trend. In the case of group #3, the behavior is linear. Likewise, the influence of the political party in government has been captured. In the first case, differences in efficiency are found, depending on the legislative period, although the effects of the pandemic and its temporal coincidence, and the delay between political decisions and their subsequent implementation and return of results could have had an influence. Finally, the relationship between efficiency and economic growth is positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycoside hydrolases catalyze the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in diverse substrates. Oral bacteria can metabolize glycosidic precursors present in foods into aroma compounds. This metabolism has an impact on food sensory perception and presumably involves specific glycosidases belonging the glycoside hydrolases. Comprehensive elucidation of the structural and functional characteristics of glycoside hydrolases in oral bacteria is needed for advancing our understanding of aroma compound metabolism within the oral cavity. In this context, we have identified a glycoside hydrolase coded in the Prevotella sp. genome, exhibiting homology to β-glycosidases of the GH1 family. This enzyme, designated as PsBG1, was successfully expressed and purified for crystallographic investigation. PsBG1 crystals belong to the monoclinic space group P21 with unit cell parameters a = 134.2, b = 139.5, c = 172.7 Å and β = 99.8°. The crystal structure of PsBG1 was elucidated using molecular replacement techniques, utilizing a predictive model constructed with AlphaFold2. Analysis revealed that the asymmetric unit comprises three copies of homotetramer, while the predominant oligomeric state in solution is also a homotetramer. Ongoing efforts are focused on the refinement and detailed examination of the PsBG1 structure to clarify its functional significance in the metabolism of aromatic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally. In recent years, follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL1) has been proposed as an emerging potential clinical biomarker of CVD, since its concentration is upregulated in heart failure. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of FSTL1 levels and classic biomarkers with the risk of CVD in Mexican population. A case–control study was carried out in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), arterial hypertension, but not CVD (cardiovascular risk factor—CRF), and healthy controls (control group) from the Mexican Institute of Social Security. Lipid profile, homocysteine (Hcys), serum amyloid A (SAA), FSTL1 concentration, PON1 concentration and activities [Arylesterase (ARE), and Lactonase (LAC)] were evaluated. High levels of FSTL1 were found in the CRF group and a positive association of FSTL1 (OR = 4.55; 95% CI 1.29–16.04, p = 0.02) with the presence of arterial hypertension, as well as Hcys (OR, 3.09; 95% CI 1.23–7.76, p = 0.02) and SAA (OR, 1.03; 95% CI 1.01–1.05, p < 0.01) with the presence of CVD. LAC activity (OR, 0.26; 95% CI 0.07–0.94, p = 0.04) and PON1 concentration (OR, 0.17; 95% CI 0.05–0.62, p = 0.01) were associated with a decrease in OR belonging to the group with CVD. Our results suggest that FSTL1 may be a useful biomarker for monitoring cardiovascular risk in clinical settings. However, longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate how FSTL1 could influence the association of PON1 activity and Hcys with CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FlowDenoising is a new approach to noise reduction in biological volumes obtained with three-dimensional electron microscopy (3DEM). Its abilities to enhance the structural features stem from the fact that an anisotropic Gaussian filtering is steered according to the local structures. To this end, the Optical Flow (OF) among consecutive slices is estimated, which is the most computationally expensive step in this approach. In this article, a hybrid CPU/GPU implementation of FlowDenoising is introduced and evaluated. It exploits parallel computing by distributing the workload among multiple cores and takes advantage of the massive processing in GPUs to accelerate the OF estimation. The hybrid implementation provides remarkable speed-up factors and an important reduction of the processing time, which is particularly relevant for the denoising of huge volumes typically found in 3DEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To record the mycological lore related to wild edible mushrooms (WEM) in Santa Ana Jilotzingo, a mestizo rural community greatly influenced by the urban area of Mexico City. Design/Methodology/Approach: Unstructured and semi-structured interviews were conducted over the course of three years. Results: Sixty-six WEM species were recorded. Ninety-one traditional names were documented: 65 Spanish names, 3 Nahuatl names, 4 mixed names, and 19 indeterminate names. Local gatherers have a precise knowledge of the biology, ecology, and distribution of the used species; the knowledge preserved by older people is more diverse and accurate. Nowadays, gathering WEM in the rainy season has lost its relevance as an economic activity. However, WEM foraging as a livelihood food supplement remains important for the community. Study Limitations/Implications: The 2020 pandemic hindered the field work. Findings/Conclusions: In the study area, relevant mycological lore still survives despite complex adverse conditions, such as acculturation, migration, and deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a system of N bi-linearly coupled damped harmonic quantum oscillators with time-evolution governed by a Lindblad equation. We show that the corresponding stochastic quantum state diffusion equation can be transformed into a set of N independent damped harmonic oscillators. This offers a great reduction in the basis size. We investigate the numerical performance of the method and find, in particular, scaling laws for the number of stochastic trajectories needed to find a certain accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of Mars ozone (O3) is well established; however, our knowledge on the dayside diurnal variation of O3 is limited. We present measurements of Mars O3 column abundances, spanning Mars Year (MY) 34 to the end of MY 36, by the Ultraviolet and VIsible Spectrometer (UVIS), part of the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) instrument, aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. UVIS provides the capability to measure dayside diurnal variations of O3 and for the first time, a characterization of the dayside diurnal variations of O3 is attempted. The observed O3 climatology for Mars Years (MY) 34–36 follows the established seasonal trends observed through previous O3 measurements. At aphelion, the equatorial O3 distribution is observed to be strongly correlated with the water ice distribution. We show that the early dust storm in MY 35 resulted in a near‐global reduction in O3 during northern spring and the O3 abundances remained 14% lower in northern summer compared to MY36. Strong latitudinal and longitudinal variation was observed in the diurnal behavior of O3 around the northern summer solstice. In areas with a weak O3 upper layer, O3 column abundance peaks in the mid‐morning, driven by changes in the near‐surface O3 layer. In regions with greater O3 column abundances, O3 is observed to gradually increase throughout the day. This is consistent with the expected diurnal trend of O3 above the hygropause and suggests that in these areas an upper O3 layer persists throughout the Martian day. Plain Language Summary: Ozone, a highly reactive gas, plays an important role in the chemical cycles of both carbon and hydrogen on Mars. As ozone is tightly correlated to the presence of the difficult to detect odd hydrogen species, measurement of the ozone distribution can provide vital insight into the Martian photochemistry. We present the ozone abundances measured by the UVIS spectrometer aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, spanning Mars years (MYs) 34–36 and attempt to characterize the daily variations in ozone. The ozone follows the expected seasonal trends, with the highest ozone abundances observed at polar regions in the spring, autumn and winter seasons of both hemispheres and very little ozone during southern summer, outside the northern polar latitudes. An enhancement in equatorial ozone during northern summer is observed, with MY 35 showing lower ozone abundances compared to MY 36, likely the effect of an early dust storm in MY 35 or the long‐term impact of the MY 34 global dust storm. In both years, the O3 distribution in northern summer appears to closely follow the water ice distribution and the observed daily cycle in ozone is shown to be highly sensitive to the presence of a high altitude ozone layer. Key Points: Dayside O3 column abundances on Mars between MY 34 (LS = 150°) and MY 36 have been obtained using the NOMAD‐UVIS instrumentOzone is strongly correlated with the presence of water ice clouds in the aphelion seasonDifferences between observed and modeled ozone diurnal variations points toward an under/overestimation of water ice condensation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the impact of a recent quasar datasample in the constraint of the free parameters of an extension of general relativity. As a ruler to test, we use Rastall gravity in the context of background cosmology being a simple extension to general relativity. We compare the results from quasars dataset with other known samples such as cosmic chronometers, supernovae of the Ia type, baryon acoustic oscillations, HII galaxies, and also a joint analysis. Results are consistent with the standard cosmological model emphasizing that Rastall gravity is equivalent to general relativity. According to the constraints provided from the joint sample, the age of the Universe is τ U = 12.601 − 0.066 + 0.067 Gyrs and the transition to an accelerated phase occurs at z T = 0.620 ± 0.025 in the redshift scale, being only the phase transition consistent with the standard paradigm and having a younger Universe. With the quasars sample, the Universe age differs with that expected in ΛCDM having a result of τ U = 11.958 − 0.109 + 0.139 Gyrs with a transition at z T = 0.652 ± 0.032 this last consistent with standard cosmology. A remarkable result is that quasars constraints has the capability to differentiate among general relativity and Rastall gravity due to the result for the parameter λ = − 2.231 − 0.546 + 0.785 . Moreover, the parameter j under quasars constraints suggests that the cause of the late Universe's acceleration is a dark energy fluid different from a cosmological constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snowmelt drives a large portion of streamflow in many mountain areas of the world. However, the water paths from snowmelt to the arrival of the water in the streams are still largely unknown. This work analyzes for first time the influence of snowmelt on spring streamflow with different snow accumulation and duration, in an alpine catchment of the central Spanish Pyrenees. This study presents the water balance of the main melting months (May and June). Piezometric values, water temperature, electrical conductivity and isotope data (δ18O) allow a better understanding of the hydrological functioning of the basin during these months. Results of the water balance calculations showed that snow represented on average 73% of the water available for streamflow in May and June while precipitation during these months accounted for only 27%. However, rainfall during the melting period was important to determine the shape of the spring hydrographs. On average, 78% of the sum of both the snow water equivalent (SWE) accumulated at the beginning of May and the precipitation in May and June converted into runoff during the May–June melting period. The average evaporation‐sublimation during the 2 months corresponded to 8.4% of the accumulated SWE and rainfall, so that only a small part of the water input was ultimately available for soil and groundwater storage. When snow cover disappeared from the catchment, soil water storage and streamflow showed a sharp decline. Consequently, streamflow electrical conductivity, temperature and δ18O showed a marked tipping point towards higher values. The fast hydrological response of the catchment to snow and meteorological fluctuations, as well as the marked diel fluctuations of streamflow δ18O during the melting period, strongly suggests short meltwater transit times. As a consequence of this hydrological behaviour, independently of the amount of snow accumulated and of melting date, summer streamflow remained always low, with only small runoff peaks driven by rainfall events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water vapor in the Martian atmosphere plays a significant role in the planet's climate, being crucial in most of the chemical and radiative transfer processes. Despite its importance, the vertical distribution of H2O in the atmosphere has not still been characterized precisely enough. The recent ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission, with its Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery instrument, has allowed us to measure the H2O vertical distribution with unprecedented resolution. Recent studies of vertical profiles have shown that high dust concentration in the atmosphere, in particular during dust storms, induces an efficient transport of the H2O to higher altitudes, from 40 km up to 80 km. We study the H2O vertical distribution in a subset of solar occultations during the perihelion of two Martian years (MYs), including the 2018 Global Dust Storm (GDS), in order to compare the same Martian season under GDS and non‐GDS conditions. We present our state‐of‐the‐art retrieval scheme, and we apply it to a combination of two diffraction orders, which permits sounding up to about 100 km. We confirm recent findings of H2O increasing at high altitudes during Ls = 190°–205° in MY 34, reaching abundances of about 150 ppmv at 80 km in both hemispheres not found during the same period of MY 35. We found a hygropause's steep rising during the GDS from 30 up to 80 km. Furthermore, strong supersaturation events have been identified at mesospheric altitudes even in presence of water ice layers retrieved by the IAA team. Plain Language Summary: The characterization of water vapor in the atmosphere is important for understanding the cycle of water on Mars and it is crucial in most of the atmospheric processes taking place in its current climate. The observation technique of the Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery onboard ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter using solar occultations allows a high resolution vertical sampling of the atmosphere, permitting characterization of the H2O vertical distribution. In this work, we analyze the H2O distribution in the Martian atmosphere during the southern spring in Martian years 34 and 35. A Global Dust Storm event during the first one allowed us to study the atmospheric H2O and its response in the same season under intense and regular dusty conditions. We found that during intense dust storms, water vapor is present at higher altitudes rather than in regular atmospheric dust activity. This shows high concentrations of about 150 ppmv up to 80 km. As a consequence of the dust intensification, we observed an increase in the altitude of the 50 ppmv water vapor layer. Here, we report observations of atmospheric layers where H2O abundances exceed the theoretical needed saturation limit even when small particles are present. Key Points: Water vapor vertical distributions during the first half of the Martian perihelion season are presented from two consecutive Martian yearsStrong impact of the 2018 Global Dust Storm in the H2O abundances during MY 34, showing an increase on the hygropause's altitude compared to MY 35Atmospheric supersaturation events with presence of water ice at mesospheric altitudes are reported [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ants are considered as ecosystem engineers due to their ability to modify nutrient availability for other organisms, promote microbial activity, and enhance energy flow. In this study, we conducted a chemical characterization and estimated the microbial activity of the fungal garden residues of Atta mexicana, as well as the soils directly in contact with the waste and reference soils that do not interact with the residues. The objective was to evaluate the effect generated by the residues on the soils where the waste dumps are located. The chemical variables evaluated included pH, electrical conductivity (EC), concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and organic carbon (OC), and microbial activity was estimated based on CO2 emissions. Our results demonstrated that fungal garden residues increased the nutrient content of the underlying soils in the waste dumps, particularly the organic carbon content (291.86 ± 58.6) and the concentrations of N (8.27 ± 6.92), P (5.21 ± 5.4), and K (15.19 ± 5.5). Additionally, microbial respiration in the interacting soils increased by 7.03 ± 2.35 times. The evidence gathered suggests that the waste dumps of Atta mexicana fungal garden residues provide ecosystem services that enhance nutrient availability and microbial activity in the soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes a substantial economic burden, not only in terms of healthcare costs, but also in labour productivity losses. The main objective of this study is to provide objective and comparable information about the trend in labour productivity losses caused by premature HCV-associated deaths in Spain in recent years (2009–2018). We used nationwide data from several official sources to create a simulation model based on the human capital approach and to estimate the flows in labour productivity losses due to deaths identified in the period considered. Based on a pessimistic scenario, the annual number of deaths due to HCV infections decreased by 19.7% between 2009 and 2018. The years of potential labour productive life lost (YPLPLL) decreased by 38.1%. That reduction led to a decrease in annual labour productivity losses from €236 million in 2009 to €156 million in 2018 (–33.8%). The aggregate HCV-related labour productivity losses between 2009 and 2018 ranged from €1742 million (optimistic scenario) to €1949 million (pessimistic scenario), with an intermediate estimation of €1846 million (moderately optimistic scenario). These results show a substantial reduction in annual deaths, working-age deaths, YPLPLL, and labour productivity losses associated with HCV infection over this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Primary aim of this study is to compare the postoperative outcomes of the laparoscopic intracorporeal rectus aponeuroplasty (LIRA) technique to the intraperitoneal onlay mesh closing the defect (IPOM plus), in terms of recurrence and bulging rates at one-year follow-up; secondary aim is to compare the postoperative complications, seroma and pain at 30 days and one-year after surgery. Methods: Patients with midline ventral hernia of 4–10 cm in width were included. Computed tomography scan was performed before, 1 and 12 months after surgery. Pain was evaluated using the visual analogue scale. Results: Forty-five and forty-seven consecutive patients underwent LIRA and IPOM plus, respectively. Preoperatively, smoke habits and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rates were statistically significantly higher in the LIRA group (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.012, respectively). Two bulgings (4.4%) occurred in the LIRA group, while in the IPOM plus group occurred 10 bulgings (21.3%) and three recurrences (6.4%) (p = 0.017 and p = 0.085, respectively). Postoperatively, seven (15.6%, Clavien-Dindo I) and four complications (8.5%, two Clavien-Dindo I, two Clavien-Dindo III-b) occurred in the LIRA and in the IPOM plus group, respectively (p = 0.298). One month after surgery, clinical seroma, occurred in five (11.1%) and eight patients (17%) in the LIRA and in the IPOM plus group, respectively (p = 0.416). During follow-up, pain reduction occurred, without statistically significant differences. Conclusions: In this study, even if we analysed a small series, LIRA showed lower bulging and recurrence rates in comparison to IPOM plus at one-year follow-up. Further prospective studies, with a large sample of patients and longer follow-up are required to draw definitive conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer feedback on online platforms is an unstructured database of growing importance for organizations, which, together with the rise of Natural Language Processing algorithms, is increasingly present when making decisions. In this paper, a bibliometric analysis is carried out with the intention of understanding the prevailing state of research about the adoption of sentiment analysis methods in organizations when making decisions. It is also a goal to comprehend which business sectors, and areas within the company, they are most applied, and to identify what future challenges that in this area may arise, as well as the main topics, authors, articles, countries, and universities most influential in the scientific literature. To this end, a total of 101 articles have been gathered from the Scopus and Clarivate Analytics Web of Science (WoS) databases, of which 85 were selected for analysis using the Bibliometrix tool. This study highlights the growing popularity of sentiment analysis methods combined with Multicriteria Decision Making and predictive algorithms. Twitter and Amazon are commonly used data sources, with applications across multiple sectors (supply chain, financial, etc.). Sentiment analysis enhances decision-making and promotes customer-centric approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum entanglement and quantum entropy are crucial concepts in the study of multipartite quantum systems. In this work, we show how the notion of concurrence vector, re-expressed in a particularly useful form, provides new insights and computational tools for the analysis of both. In particular, using this approach for a general multipartite pure state, one can easily prove known relations in an easy way and to build up new relations between the concurrences associated with the different bipartitions. The approach is also useful to derive sufficient conditions for genuine entanglement in generic multipartite systems that are computable in polynomial time. From an entropy-of-entanglement perspective, the approach is powerful to prove properties of the Tsallis-2 entropy, such as the subadditivity, and to derive new ones, e.g., a modified version of the strong subadditivity which is always fulfilled; thanks to the purification theorem these results hold for any multipartite state, whether pure or mixed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectroscopic measurements are a powerful tool to investigate the surface composition of airless bodies and provide clues of their origin. The composition and origin of Phobos and Deimos are still unknown and are currently widely debated. We present spectroscopic measurements of Phobos and Deimos at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths (250–650 nm) made by the NOMAD‐Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVIS) on the ExoMars TGO mission. These new spectra cover multiple areas on Phobos and Deimos, and are of generally higher spectral resolution and signal‐to‐noise than previous spectra, and extend to lower wavelengths than most previous measurements. The UVIS spectra confirm a red‐sloped spectrum lacking any strong absorption features; however, we confirm the presence of a previously identified absorption feature near 0.65 μm and tentative absorption near 0.45 μm. The observed Phobos and Deimos spectra are similar to D‐ and T‐type asteroids, adding weight to the captured asteroid hypothesis for the moons' origins. We also find, however, that the UVIS Phobos reflectance spectra of Phobos' red unit is a relatively close match to the olivine‐rich, highly shocked Mars meteorite NWA 2737, with a low overall reflectance, a red‐sloped spectrum, and lack of olivine‐associated absorption bands in the UVIS spectral range. This meteorite, however, exhibits spectral features at longer wavelengths that not observed in the Martian moon spectra, indicating a need for further investigation at longer wavelengths to interpret whether this material could inform our understanding of Phobos' origin. Plain Language Summary: Whether the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos are captured asteroids that originated outside the Mars system or formed from a debris disk around Mars during its formation or following a large impact on Mars is widely debated. Measurements of reflected sunlight from the surfaces of Phobos and Deimos can provide pivotal information on their composition as well as clues to their origins. In this study, we present a comparison between observations of Phobos and Deimos made with the NOMAD Ultraviolet and VIsible Spectrometer (UVIS) on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and previous spectral measurements from other missions. The UVIS spectra show a good agreement with previous observations, with the Phobos and Deimos spectra showing a red‐sloped spectrum similar to primitive carbonaceous chondrite asteroids. A change in the spectral slope at wavelengths longer than 0.53 μm is shown to be consistent with the previously identified 0.65 μm absorption feature. The similarity between the measured Phobos ultraviolet and visible spectrum and highly‐shocked olivine from the Mars meteorite NWA 2737 entices the question of whether Phobos and Deimos surfaces could be composed of a similar dark olivine matrix and formed within the accretion disk created from a giant impact on Mars. Key Points: Phobos and Deimos reflectance spectra have been obtained from the ExoMars NOMAD spectrometer covering 250–650 nmUVIS measurements confirm the spectral similarity of Phobos and Deimos to primitive carbonaceous chondrite asteroidsThe spectrum of Phobos is analogous to some features of shock‐produced dark olivine which could support an alternative planetary origin [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small glaciers are one of the best indicators of climatic variations and their short‐term effects. Located in the Spanish Pyrenees, the Maladeta is one of these glaciers. Its systematic observation began in the 1980s, being one of the few Pyrenean glaciers with a tongue‐shaped front. This study presents the evolution of the Maladeta glacial tongue over a decade (2010–2020) through multiple geomatic techniques. Surveys have ranged from Total Stations and Global Navigation Satellite System devices to massive data capture techniques such as Terrestrial Laser Scanners or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles photogrammetry. The aim is to analyze in detail the loss of surface area and thickness of the glacier and its transition from being a glacier with a tongue partially determined by climate to a topoclimatically determined cirque glacier. The results reveal a tongue retreat of over 5 m/yr and area losses of over 0.2 ha/yr, along with ice thickness and volume losses of −1.7 m/yr and over −21 × 103 m3/yr, respectively. If this trend continues, the tongue, and possibly the Maladeta glacier, could disappear by the end of the 2030s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Variant transthyretin amyloidosis (A-ATTRv) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by a range of TTR gene variants which entail great phenotypical heterogeneity and penetrance. In Majorca, the A-ATTRv caused by the V30M gene variant (A-ATTRV30M) is the most common. Since asymptomatic carriers are at risk of developing the disease, estimating age of onset is vital for proper management and follow-up. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate age-related penetrance in ATTRV30M variant carriers from Majorca. Methods: The disease risk among carriers from ATTRV30M families from Majorca was estimated by Non-parametric survival estimation. Factors potentially involved in the disease expression, namely gender and parent of origin were also analysed. Results: A total of 48 heterozygous ATTRV30M families (147 affected patients and 123 were asymptomatic carriers) were included in the analysis. Penetrance progressively increased from 6% at 30 years to 75% at 90 years of age. In contrast to other European populations, we observe a similar risk for both males and females, and no difference of risk according to the parent of origin. Conclusions: In this first study assessing the age-related penetrance of ATTRV30M variant in Majorcan families, no effect of gender or parent of origin was observed. These findings will be helpful for improving management and follow-up of TTR variant carrier individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Solar Occultation (SO) channel of the Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery (NOMAD) instrument has been scanning the Martian atmosphere for almost 2 Martian years. In this work, we present a subset of the NOMAD SO data measured at the mesosphere at the terminator. From the data set, we investigated 968 vertical profiles of carbon dioxide density and temperature covering the Martian Year (MY) 35 as well as MY 36 up to a solar longitude (Ls) of 135° and altitudes around 60–100 km. While carbon dioxide density profiles are directly retrieved from the spectral signature in the spectra, temperature profiles are more challenging to retrieve as unlike density profiles, temperature profiles can present some spurious features if the regularization is not correctly managed. Comparing seven regularization methods, we found that the expected error estimation method provides the best regularization parameters. The vertical resolution of the profiles is on average 1.6 km. Numerous warm layers and cold pockets appear in this data set. The warm layers are found in the Northern hemisphere at dawn and dusk as well as in the Southern hemisphere at dawn. Strong warm layers are present in more than 13.5% of the profiles. The Southern hemisphere at dusk does not present any warm layer between Ls 50° and 150°. The height and latitudinal distribution of those warm layers were similar in MY 35 and MY 36 during the first half of the year (Ls = 0°–135°). Plain Language Summary: Martian mesosphere (the region of the atmosphere between 50 and 100 km in altitude) is the place where many large and small‐scale thermal features occur, which necessitates observations made at a fine spatial resolution. The Solar Occultation (SO) channel of the Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery (NOMAD) instrument is an infrared spectrometer sensitive in a spectral range where CO2, H2O, CO, and CH4 have spectral signatures. NOMAD‐SO probes the Martian atmosphere with a high signal‐to‐noise ratio and a fine vertical sampling using the solar occultation technique. We implemented a scheme to fine‐tune the regularization of the vertical profiles leading to the best possible resolution of the retrieved profiles. We show here almost a year and a half of the measurements of carbon dioxide density and temperature of the Mars mesosphere at the terminator, that is, the separation between the day side and the night side. On average, the mesosphere is characterized by a decrease in the temperature with height. At the high resolution achieved here, we highlight many warmer layers in the Northern hemisphere and also in the Southern hemisphere at dawn but not at dusk. Stronger warm layers are found around the perihelion. Key Points: We show global vertical distributions of CO2 and temperature with high resolution in the Mars mesosphere at the terminatorMany mesospheric temperature profiles at the terminator present an inversion layer with a warm layer around 0.1 PaThe distribution of warm layers is similar in Martian years 35 and 36. Warm layers are absent at dusk in the South hemisphere at Ls 50°–150° [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Solar Occultation (SO) channel of the Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery (NOMAD) instrument scans the Martian atmosphere since 21 April 2018. In this work, we present a subset of the NOMAD SO data measured at the mesosphere. We focused on a spectral range that started to be recorded in Martian year (MY) 35. A total of 968 vertical profiles of carbon dioxide density and temperature covering MY 35 and the beginning of MY 36 were investigated until 135° of solar longitude. We compared 47 profiles with co‐located profiles of the Mars Climate Sounder onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Most profiles show a good agreement as SO temperatures are only 1.8 K higher, but some biases lead to an average absolute difference of 7.4°K. The SO data set is also compared with simulations from the Global Environmental Multiscale‐Mars general circulation model. Both data sets are in good agreement except for the presence of a cold layer in the winter hemisphere and a warm layer at dawn in the Northern hemisphere for solar longitudes between 240° and 360°. Five profiles contain temperatures lower than the limit for CO2 condensation. Strong warm layers were found in 13.5% of the profiles. They are present mainly at dawn and in the winter hemisphere, while the Northern dusks appear featureless. The data set mainly covers high latitudes around 60° and we derived some non‐migrating tides. In the Southern winter hemisphere, we derived apparent zonal wavenumber‐1 (WN‐1) and WN‐3 tidal components with a maximum amplitude of 10% and 5% at 63 km, respectively. Plain Language Summary: The vertical profiles analyzed in this work extend over more than a Martian year (687 days) and are located in the mesosphere (50–100 km altitude) at the transition between the day and night sides. Temperature can sometimes be so low that CO2 ice clouds form. Here, we report some features in our data set that are likely due to those CO2 ice clouds. We also report some warm layers which appear in the winter hemisphere, and we analyzed the components of the apparent atmospheric tides at the terminator. We compared our results to highlight possible biases with data from another instrument (Mars Climate Sounder) and a model (Global Environmental Multiscale‐Mars). The measured temperatures are higher than those of the model in the winter hemisphere. Compared to the other instrument, we find similar profile curves but with stronger variations in our profiles, probably due to a higher vertical resolution. Key Points: We show vertical distributions of temperature with high vertical resolution in the Mars mesosphere at the terminatorThe retrieved temperatures show a good agreement with the results measured by Mars Climate Sounder/Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and a general circulation modelThe temperature has distinct features such as tidal components, warm layers, and cold layers below the CO2 condensation temperature [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple sclerosis imposes a heavy burden on the person who suffers from it and on the relatives, due to the caregiving load involved. The objective was to analyse whether the inclusion of social costs in economic evaluations of multiple sclerosis-related interventions changed results and/or conclusions. Methods: A systematic review was launched using Medline and the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry of Tufts University (2000–2019). Included studies should: (1) be an original study published in a scientific journal, (2) be an economic evaluation of any multiple sclerosis-related intervention, (3) include productivity losses and/or informal care costs (social costs), (4) be written in English, (5) use quality-adjusted life years as outcome, and (6) separate the results according to the perspective applied. Results: Twenty-nine articles were selected, resulting in 67 economic evaluation estimations. Social costs were included in 47% of the studies. Productivity losses were assessed in 90% of the estimations (the human capital approach was the most frequently used method), whereas informal care costs were included in nearly two-thirds of the estimations (applying the opportunity and the replacement-cost methods equally). The inclusion of social costs modified the figures for incremental costs in 15 estimations, leading to a change in the conclusions in 10 estimations, 6 of them changing from not recommended from the healthcare perspective to implemented from the societal perspective. The inclusion of social costs also altered the results from cost-effective to dominant in five additional estimations. Conclusions: The inclusion of social costs affected the results/conclusions in multiple sclerosis-related interventions, helping to identify the most appropriate interventions for reducing its economic burden from a broader perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited material and human resources available in the Spanish public mental health system, combined with the high prevalence of emotional disorders nowadays, makes it necessary to search for and implement other more cost-effective formats. The versatility of the Unified Protocol (UP) for the transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders allows its application in group format, which could be a cost-effective solution for the system. The aim of the present study is to investigate the cost-effectiveness of the UP applied in group format in specialized care units compared to the Treatment as usual (TAU) in the Spanish public mental health system over a 15-month time period. The sample of this study consisted of 188 patients, diagnosed with an emotional disorder, randomized to the UP condition in group format or to the TAU condition in individual format. The findings of this study have shown the same beneficial results for the participants with symptoms of anxiety and depression in both conditions and greater improvements in quality of life in the UP condition. Regarding cost-effectiveness results, at the 15-month follow-up, participants in the UP condition received a greater number of sessions, with a lower total economic cost compared to the TAU condition. Finally, reductions in the number of participants using antidepressants and a reduction in medication burden were found in the UP condition over time. The results of this study show that UP applied in a group format can be a cost-effectiveness solution for the Spanish public mental health system. Trial registration number: NCT03064477 (March 10, 2017). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The binary alloy of titanium-tungsten (TiW) is an established diffusion barrier in high-power semiconductor devices, owing to its ability to suppress the diffusion of copper from the metallization scheme into the surrounding silicon substructure. However, little is known about the response of TiW to high-temperature events or its behavior when exposed to air. Here, a combined soft and hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization approach is used to study the influence of post-deposition annealing and titanium concentration on the oxidation behavior of a 300 nm-thick TiW film. The combination of both XPS techniques allows for the assessment of the chemical state and elemental composition across the surface and bulk of the TiW layer. The findings show that in response to high-temperature annealing, titanium segregates out of the mixed metal system and upwardly migrates, accumulating at the TiW/air interface. Titanium shows remarkably rapid diffusion under relatively short annealing timescales, and the extent of titanium surface enrichment is increased through longer annealing periods or by increasing the bulk titanium concentration. Surface titanium enrichment enhances the extent of oxidation both at the surface and in the bulk of the alloy due to the strong gettering ability of titanium. Quantification of the soft x-ray photoelectron spectra highlights the formation of three tungsten oxidation environments, attributed to WO 2 , WO 3 , and a WO 3 oxide coordinated with a titanium environment. This combinatorial characterization approach provides valuable insights into the thermal and oxidation stability of TiW alloys from two depth perspectives, aiding the development of future device technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma focus devices represent a class of hot and dense plasma sources that serve a dual role in fundamental plasma research and practical applications. These devices allow the observation of various phenomena, including the z-pinch effect, nuclear fusion reactions, plasma filaments, bursts, shocks, jets, X-rays, neutron pulses, ions, and electron beams. In recent years, considerable efforts have been directed toward miniaturizing plasma focus devices, driven by the pursuit of both basic studies and technological advancements. In this paper, we present the design and construction of a compact, portable pulsed plasma source based on plasma focus technology, operating at the ~2–4 Joule energy range for versatile applications (PF-2J: 120 nF capacitance, 6–9 kV charging voltage, 40 nH inductance, 2.16–4.86 J stored energy, and 10–15 kA maximum current at short circuit). The components of the device, including capacitors, spark gaps, discharge chambers, and power supplies, are transportable within hand luggage. The electrical characteristics of the discharge were thoroughly characterized using voltage and current derivative monitoring techniques. A peak current of 15 kiloamperes was achieved within 110 nanoseconds in a short-circuit configuration at a 9 kV charging voltage. Plasma dynamics were captured through optical refractive diagnostics employing a pulsed Nd-YAG laser with a 170-picosecond pulse duration. Clear evidence of the z-pinch effect was observed during discharges in a deuterium atmosphere at 4 millibars and 6 kilovolts. The measured pinch length and radius were approximately 0.8 mm and less than 100 μm, respectively. Additionally, we explore the potential applications of this compact pulsed plasma source. These include its use as a plasma shock irradiation device for analyzing materials intended for the first wall of nuclear fusion reactors, its capability in material film deposition, and its utility as an educational tool in experimental plasma physics. We also show its potential as a pulsed plasma thruster for nanosatellites, showcasing the advantages of miniaturized plasma focus technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NOMAD‐UVIS instrument on board the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has been investigating the Martian atmosphere with the occultation technique since April 2018. Here, we analyze almost two Mars Years of ozone vertical distributions acquired at the day‐night terminator. The ozone retrievals proved more difficult than expected due to spurious detections of ozone caused by instrumental effects, high dust content, and very low values of ozone. This led us to compare the results from three different retrieval approaches: (a) an onion peeling method, (b) a full occultation Optimal Estimation Method, and (c) a direct onion peeling method. The three methods produce consistently similar results, especially where ozone densities are higher. The main challenge was to find reliable criteria to exclude spurious detections of O3, and we finally adopted two criteria for filtering: (a) a detection limit, and (b) the Δχ2 criterion. Both criteria exclude spurious O3 values especially near the perihelion (180° < Ls < 340°), where up to 98% of ozone detections are filtered out, in agreement with general circulation models, that expect very low values of ozone in this season. Our agrees well with published analysis of the NOMAD‐UVIS data set, as we confirm the main features observed previously, that is, the high‐altitude ozone peak around 40 km at high latitudes. The filtering approaches are in good agreement with those implemented for the SPICAM/MEx observations and underline the need to evaluate carefully the quality of ozone retrievals in occultations. Key Points: We compare three different retrieval codes and different criteria to filter spurious detection of ozone on MarsThe filtering criteria demonstrate the ozone detection in perihelion season is mostly spurious in both yearsThe three retrieval methods produce consistent results with a maximum percentage difference of ∼30% for large ozone densities below 50 km [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Revista de Psicología (1669-2438) is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina 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.)

In mountain areas, the phenology and productivity of grassland are closely related to snow dynamics. However, the influence that snow melt timing has on grassland growing still needs further attention for a full understanding, particularly at high spatial resolution. Aiming to reduce this knowledge gap, this work exploits 1 m resolution snow depth and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index observations acquired with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at a sub-alpine site in the Pyrenees. During two snow seasons (2019–2020 and 2020–2021), 14 NDVI and 17 snow depth distributions were acquired over 48 ha. Despite the snow dynamics being different in the two seasons, the response of grasslands greening to snow melt-out exhibited a very similar pattern in both. The NDVI temporal evolution in areas with distinct melt-out dates reveals that sectors where the melt-out date occurs in late April or early May (optimum melt-out) reach the maximum vegetation productivity. Zones with an earlier or a later melt-out rarely reach peak NDVI values. The results obtained in this study area, suggest that knowledge about snow depth distribution is not needed to understand NDVI grassland dynamics. The analysis did not reveal a clear link between the spatial variability in snow duration and the diversity and richness of grassland communities within the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mountain areas, the phenology and productivity of grassland are closely related to snow dynamics. However, the influence that snow melt timing has on grassland growing still needs further attention for a full understanding, particularly at high spatial resolution. Aiming to reduce this knowledge gap, this work exploits 1 m resolution snow depth and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index observations acquired with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at a sub-alpine site in the Pyrenees. During two snow seasons (2019–2020 and 2020–2021), 14 NDVI and 17 snow depth distributions were acquired over 48 ha. Despite the snow dynamics being different in the two seasons, the response of grasslands greening to snow melt-out exhibited a very similar pattern in both. The NDVI temporal evolution in areas with distinct melt-out dates reveals that sectors where the melt-out date occurs in late April or early May (optimum melt-out) reach the maximum vegetation productivity. Zones with an earlier or a later melt-out rarely reach peak NDVI values. The results obtained in this study area, suggest that knowledge about snow depth distribution is not needed to understand NDVI grassland dynamics. The analysis did not reveal a clear link between the spatial variability in snow duration and the diversity and richness of grassland communities within the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Pollen is used to investigate a diverse range of ecological problems, from identifying plant-pollinator relationships to tracking flowering phenology. Pollen types are identified according to a set of distinctive morphological characters which are understood to capture taxonomic differences and phylogenetic relationships among taxa. However, categorizing morphological variation among hyperdiverse pollen samples represents a challenge even for an expert analyst. 2. We present an automated workflow for pollen analysis, from the automated scanning of pollen sample slides to the automated detection and identification of pollen taxa using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). We analysed aerial pollen samples from lowland Panama and used a microscope slide scanner to capture three-dimensional representations of 150 sample slides. These pollen sample images were annotated by an expert using a virtual microscope. Metadata were digitally recorded for ~100 pollen grains per slide, including location, identification and the analyst's confidence of the given identification. We used these annotated images to train and test our detection and classification CNN models. Our approach is two-part. We first compared three methods for training CNN models to detect pollen grains on a palynological slide. We next investigated approaches to training CNN models for pollen identification. 3. Because the diversity of pollen taxa in environmental and palaeontological samples follows a long-tailed distribution, we experimented with methods for addressing imbalanced representation using our most abundant 46 taxa. We found that properly weighting pollen taxa in our training objective functions yielded improved accuracy for individual taxa. Our average accuracy for the 46-way classification problem was 82.3%. We achieved 89.5% accuracy for our 25 most abundant taxa. 4. Pollen represents a challenging visual classification problem that can serve as a model for other areas of biology that rely on visual identification. Our results add to the body of research demonstrating the potential for a fully automated pollen classification system for environmental and palaeontological samples. Slide imaging, pollen detection and specimen identification can be automated to produce a streamlined workflow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Without active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback, simulated massive, star-forming galaxies become too compact relative to observed galaxies at z ≲ 2. In this paper, we perform high-resolution re-simulations of a massive (⁠|$M_{\star }\sim 10^{11}\, \rm {{\rm M}_{\odot }}$|⁠) galaxy at z ∼ 2.3, drawn from the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) project. In the simulation without AGN feedback, the galaxy experiences a rapid starburst and shrinking of its half-mass radius. We experiment with driving mechanical AGN winds, using a state-of-the-art hyper-Lagrangian refinement technique to increase particle resolution. These winds reduce the gas surface density in the inner regions of the galaxy, suppressing the compact starburst and maintaining an approximately constant half-mass radius. Using radiative transfer, we study the impact of AGN feedback on the magnitude and extent of the multiwavelength continuum emission. When AGN winds are included, the suppression of the compact, dusty starburst results in lowered flux at FIR wavelengths (due to decreased star formation) but increased flux at optical-to-near-IR wavelengths (due to decreased dust attenuation, in spite of the lowered star formation rate), relative to the case without AGN winds. The FIR half-light radius decreases from ∼1 to |$\sim 0.1\, \rm {kpc}$| in |$\lesssim 40\, \rm {Myr}$| when AGN winds are not included, but increases to |$\sim 2\, \rm {kpc}$| when they are. Interestingly, the half-light radius at optical-NIR wavelengths remains approximately constant over |$35\, \rm {Myr}$|⁠ , for simulations with and without AGN winds. In the case without winds, this occurs despite the rapid compaction, and is due to heavy dust obscuration in the inner regions of the galaxy. This work highlights the importance of forward-modelling when comparing simulated and observed galaxy populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of blue and green water partitioning under vegetation and climate change, as well as their different interactions during wet and dry periods, are poorly understood in the literature. We analyzed the impact of vegetation changes on blue water generation in a central Spanish Pyrenees basin undergoing intense afforestation. We found that vegetation change is a key driver of large decreases in blue water availability. The effect of vegetation increase is amplified during dry years, and mainly during the dry season, with streamflow reductions of more than 50%. This pattern can be attributed primarily to increased plant water consumption. Our findings highlight the importance of vegetation changes in reinforcing the decrease in water resource availability. With aridity expected to rise in southern Europe over the next few decades, interactions between climate and land management practices appear to be amplifying future hydrological drought risk in the region. Plain Language Summary: Forest recovery, due to human land abandonment, has been observed in several regions worldwide. To improve integrated land and water management, it is crucial to explore how these changes affect resource availability in water‐stressed areas. Forest regeneration has resulted in a large decrease in streamflow in a natural catchment in southwestern Europe, which cannot be explained by climate change. During the dry season, forest regeneration amplifies the impact of drought and water availability, with less impacts in the wet season. Therefore, the effects of vegetation recovery on water resources differ based on water availability, with the most serious implications for water resources occurring during dry periods. Key Points: Forest secondary succession is the main driver of streamflow trends in mountain Mediterranean areasThe effects of vegetation changes on water availability strongly differ between dry and humid periodsTrends in streamflow in response to vegetation changes are mostly recorded during the dry and warm season [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrenean glaciers are the largest in southern Europe. Their survival is threatened by climate change, highlighting the significance of their study. This research presents an assessment of changes in the glacierized area and thickness of Pyrenean glaciers from 2011 to 2020, using high‐resolution optical satellite, airborne lidar and UAV images. The total glacierized area has shrunk by 23.2% and thickness has decreased on average by 6.3 m. These two variables show no correlation for individual glaciers. Although climatic conditions do not vary much among glaciers, their evolution was heterogeneous during the study period. The smaller glaciers (<10 ha) show a higher variability in their area decrease and thickness loss whereas the four largest glaciers (>10 ha) have a more homogeneous response. This can be attributed to the generally larger influence of local topography on the response of the smaller Pyrenean glaciers. There is no sign of slowdown in glacier shrinkage respect to previous decades. Plain Language Summary: Pyrenean glaciers are the largest in southern Europe. Their survival is threatened by climate change, highlighting the significance and relevance of their study. This study presents an assessment of changes in the glacierized area and thickness of Pyrenean glaciers during 2011–2020 based on UAV, optical satellite imagery and lidar observations. In this period, their total area shrank by 23.2% and thickness decreased by 6.3 m on average. Although climatic conditions do not vary much among glaciers, their evolution was heterogeneous during the observed period. The smaller Pyrenean glaciers (area <10 ha) are highly controlled by local topography, whereas the largest glaciers are predominantly influenced by regional climate forcing. There is no sign of slowdown in shrinkage of Pyrenean glaciers respect to previous decades. This indicates the continuous decline of Pyrenean glaciers toward an ice‐free mountain range in the coming decades. Key Points: The glacierized area shrank by 23.2% and thickness decreased on average by 6.3 m during the 2011–2020 periodThere is no sign of slowdown in glacier shrinkage respect to previous decadesThe smaller Pyrenean glaciers are influenced by local topography as they show highly contrasted evolution under the same climatic conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aimed to evaluate the chromatin compaction of rooster spermatozoa along the male reproductive tract, and to study the vas deferens lining cells, potentially involved in sperm maturation. Chromomycin A3 (CMA3) was used to determine the chromatin compaction of spermatozoa from testis (T), proximal (including epididymis, V1), intermediate (V2) and distal (V3) vas deferens, and ejaculate (E). Six Birchen Leonesa roosters were used. E was obtained in vivo by dorso-ventral massage. V1, V2 and V3 sperm were obtained post mortem (six pairs of vasa deferentia), by flushing. T was obtained by washing the testes, cut in halves. The fixed cells were stained with CMA3 and propidium iodide for flow cytometry assessment. Results showed higher (P < 0.01) median fluorescence intensity (lower chromatin compaction) of T (693.8 ± 30.2) than V1 (546.3 ± 17.7), V2 (515.1 ± 12.1), V3 (517.6 ± 12.3) and E (491.4 ± 16.1). Regarding the percentage of intensely stained cells, T differs (P < 0.05) from V2, V3 and E, V1 differs (P < 0.05) from V3 and E, while V2, V3 and E do not differ. The histological analysis revealed secretory capacity of the vas deferens. Our findings specified that the transit though the vas deferens results in high percentage of compacted chromatin spermatozoa in E. Unlike most mammals, rooster sperm maturation is not completed in the epididymis; it continues along the vas deferens where they obtain fertilising capabilities such as motility. However, neither study has monitored the chromatin compaction (necessary for protecting DNA) of rooster sperm along the vas deferens. We observed that the transit along the vas deferens results in a high percentage of spermatozoa with compacted chromatin; the histological analysis of vas deferens confirmed the presence of secretory cells, possibly related to sperm maturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere of Mars (70–150 km) is of high interest because it is a region affected by climatological/meteorological events in the lower atmosphere and external solar forcing. However, only a few measurements are available at this altitude range. OI 557.7 nm dayglow emission has been detected at these altitudes by the limb observations with Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery (NOMAD) aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO). We develop an inversion method to retrieve density and temperature at these altitudes from the OI 557.7 nm dayglow limb profiles. We demonstrate that the atmospheric density around 90 and 140 km and temperature around 80 km during the daytime can be retrieved from the TGO/NOMAD limb measurements. The retrieved densities show a large seasonal variation both around 90 and 140 km and reach maximum values around perihelion period. This can be explained by temperature variation in the lower atmosphere driven by the dust content and Sun‐Mars distance. Temperature around 80 km is higher than predicted by general circulation models, which is tentatively consistent with the warm atmospheric layer recently discovered in nighttime. The temperature retrieval relies on the temperature dependence of the quenching coefficient of 1S oxygen by CO2. Further validation of this coefficient in the range of the Mars upper atmosphere is needed for the verification of the retrieved high temperature. Plain Language Summary: Density and thermal structures between 70 and 150 km of Mars atmosphere have not been extensively investigated because these altitudes are too low for in situ measurements by orbiters and too high for general remote‐sensing observations. Recently, a bright oxygen dayglow emission with green color (emitted at 557.7 nm) has been found in this altitude range. We combine a detailed photochemical model and widely used inversion scheme to develop a method to obtain density and temperature from the dayglow measurements. With this method, we successfully determine the density around 90 and 140 km, and temperature around 80 km. The densities show clear seasonal variations, with larger values during the southern spring‐summer season, stemming from the warmer lower atmosphere, a consequence of the shorter Sun‐Mars distance and heating by dust. Temperatures around 80 km are higher than the theoretical predictions. A similar warm atmospheric layer was found in nighttime by previous measurements, and our result suggests that it might also present in daytime. However, further experimental studies on temperature dependence of the related photochemical reactions are needed to firmly confirm the retrieved high temperatures. Key Points: We present that density around 90 and 140 km and temperature around 80 km of Mars atmosphere can be retrieved from OI 557.7 nm dayglowDensity around 90 and 140 km increases around perihelion periods, which can be explained by temperature variation in the lower atmosphereTemperature around 80 km is higher than predicted by general circulation models [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer Ultraviolet (UVIS UV) and Visible Spectrometer channel of the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery spectrometer aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has made limb observations of the Martian dayglow during more than a Martian year. Two pointing modes have been applied: (a) In the inertial mode, the spectrometer scans the atmosphere twice down to near the surface and provides altitude profiles of the dayglow; (b) in the tracking mode, the atmosphere is scanned at varying latitudes at a nearly constant altitude through the entire observation. We present a statistical study of the vertical and seasonal distribution of the recently discovered oxygen green and red lines at 557.7 nm and 630 nm. It indicates that the brightness of the green line emission responds to changes in the Lyman‐α flux. The peak altitude of the green line emission increases seasonally when the Sun‐Mars distance decreases. The lower peak of the green line statistically drops by 15–20 km between perihelion and aphelion at mid‐to high altitude. The main lower peak intensity shows an asymmetry between the two hemispheres. It is significantly brighter and more pronounced in the southern hemisphere than in the north. This is a consequence of the stronger Lyman‐α solar flux near perihelion. The second component of the oxygen red line at 636.4 nm is also detected for the first time in the Martian atmosphere. A photochemical model is used to simulate the variations of the green dayglow observed along limb tracking orbits. Plain Language Summary: The Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVIS) instrument aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter made it possible to observe the visible emissions that occur on the dayside of the Mars atmosphere during more than a Martian year. Among them, the emissions of the oxygen called "green line" and "red line" (because of their wavelength of 557.7 nm and 630 nm, respectively), which are analyzed over time and can be used as proxies to study the changes in the upper atmosphere of Mars. We show that these emissions occur at higher altitudes and are brighter when Mars is closer to the Sun. We also show evidence of the presence of the second component of the red line at 636.4 nm, which confirms the identification of the recently discovered 630 nm emission. While the green line is composed of two peaks near 80 and 120 km, the red line limb brightness presents a broad peak near 140 km. Finally, we show that a photochemical model simulates the UVIS data very well. Key Points: Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery/Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer limb observations of the green line dayglow show large seasonal variability in both the peak altitude and brightnessWe bring evidence of the presence of the second component of the oxygen red line at 636.4 nmModel simulations confirm that the Sun‐Mars distance controls the altitude and the brightness of both oxygen emissions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2018–2019 Central European drought was probably the most extreme in Germany since the early sixteenth century. We assess the multiple consequences of the drought for natural systems, the economy and human health in the German part of the Elbe River basin, an area of 97,175 km2 including the cities of Berlin and Hamburg and contributing about 18% to the German GDP. We employ meteorological, hydrological and socio-economic data to build a comprehensive picture of the drought severity, its multiple effects and cross-sectoral consequences in the basin. Time series of different drought indices illustrate the severity of the 2018–2019 drought and how it progressed from meteorological water deficits via soil water depletion towards low groundwater levels and river runoff, and losses in vegetation productivity. The event resulted in severe production losses in agriculture (minus 20–40% for staple crops) and forestry (especially through forced logging of damaged wood: 25.1 million tons in 2018–2020 compared to only 3.4 million tons in 2015–2017), while other economic sectors remained largely unaffected. However, there is no guarantee that this socio-economic stability will be sustained in future drought events; this is discussed in the light of 2022, another dry year holding the potential for a compound crisis. Given the increased probability for more intense and long-lasting droughts in most parts of Europe, this example of actual cross-sectoral drought impacts will be relevant for drought awareness and preparation planning in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]