Search

The THINICE field campaign, based in Svalbard in August 2022, provided unique observations of summertime Arctic cyclones, their coupling with cloud cover, and their interactions with tropopause polar vortices and sea ice conditions. THINICE was motivated by the need to advance our understanding of these processes and to improve coupled models used to forecast weather and sea ice, as well as long-term projections of climate change in the Arctic. Two research aircraft were deployed with complementary instrumentation. The Service des Avions Frangais Instruments pour la Recherche en Environnement (Safire) Aerei da Trasporto Regionale 42 (ATR42) aircraft, equipped with the radar-lidar (RALI) remote sensing instrumentation and in situ cloud microphysics probes, flew in the midtroposphere to observe the wind and multiphase cloud structure of Arctic cyclones. The British Antarctic Survey Meteorological Airborne Science Instrumentation (MASIN) aircraft flew at low levels measuring sea ice properties, including surface brightness temperature, albedo and roughness, and the turbulent fluxes that mediate exchange of heat and momentum between the atmosphere and the surface. Long-duration instrumented balloons, operated by WindBorne Systems, sampled meteorological conditions within both cyclones and tropospheric polar vortices across the Arctic. Several novel findings are highlighted. Intense, shallow low-level jets along warm fronts were observed within three Arctic cyclones using the Doppler radar and turbulence probes. A detailed depiction of the interweaving layers of ice crystals and supercooled liquid water in mixed-phase clouds is revealed through the synergistic combination of the Doppler radar, the lidar, and in situ microphysical probes. Measurements of near-surface turbulent fluxes combined with remote sensing measurements of sea ice properties are being used to characterize atmosphere-sea ice interactions in the marginal ice zone. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Arctic cyclones can span several thousand kilometers and last several weeks, bringing strong winds, clouds, and precipitation across the remote Arctic and affecting the sea ice through wind stress, surface energy budget, and snow cover. Therefore, they play a key role in Arctic weather and climate. Motivated by the need to improve the coupled environmental prediction, the representation of cyclones, and their influence on the rapidly changing Arctic climate, the THINICE field campaign intensively observed several Arctic cyclones in August 2022 by operating two aircraft and launching steerable balloons. Key measurements of fine-scale features within Arctic cyclones are highlighted including low-level jets along fronts, mixed-phase clouds containing multiple layers of supercooled water, boundary layer turbulent fluxes, and sea ice properties beneath the cyclones. The ability of state-of-the-art numerical models, with and without coupling to dynamic sea ice models, in representing these cases and coupled processes is the focus of the ongoing work with an aim to improve prediction capabilities. KEYWORDS: Atmosphere; Arctic; Sea ice; Clouds; Jets; Aircraft observations, 1. Introduction The rapidly changing Arctic climate is one of the most alarming signals of global warming as it is having stark impacts on vulnerable ecological systems and indigenous people, [...]

Analysis of thermal infrared satellite measurements of umbrella clouds generated by volcanic eruptions suggests that asymptotic gravity current models of the temporal (t) radial (r) spreading (r ~tf, f < 1) of the umbrella-shaped intrusion do not adequately explain the observations. Umbrella clouds from 13 volcanic eruptions are studied using satellite data that have spatial resolutions of ~4–25 km2 and temporal resolutions of 1–60 minutes. The umbrella cloud morphology is evaluated using digital image processing tools in a Lagrangian frame of reference. At the onset of neutral buoyancy, the radial spreading is better explained by a stronger dependence on time of r ~ t, rather than t2/3, t3/4, or t2/9. This flow regime exists on the order of minutes and has not been observed previously in satellite data. This may be of significance as it provides a means to rapidly (within the first 2–3 observations) determine the volumetric eruption rate. A hyperbolic tangent model, r ~ tanh(t) is presented that matches the entire radial spreading time history and has a conserved torus-shaped volume in which the intrusion depth is proportional to sech(t). This model also predicts the observed radial velocities. The data and the model estimates of the volumetric flow rate for the 15 January 2022 Hunga eruption are found to be 3.6–5 × 1011 m3s−1, the largest ever measured.

Abstract Background Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome (BOS), a fibrotic airway disease that may develop after lung transplantation, conventionally relies on pulmonary function tests (PFTs) for diagnosis due to limitations of CT imaging. Deep neural networks (DNNs) have not previously been used for BOS detection. This study aims to train a DNN to detect BOS in CT scans using an approach tailored for low-data scenarios. Methods We trained a DNN to detect BOS in CT scans using a co-training method designed to enhance performance in low-data environments. Our method employs an auxiliary task that makes the DNN more sensitive to disease manifestations and less sensitive to the patient’s anatomical features. The DNN was tasked with predicting the sequence of two CT scans taken from the same BOS patient at least six months apart. We evaluated this approach on CT scans from 75 post-transplant patients, including 26 with BOS, and used a ROC-AUC metric to assess performance. Results We show that our DNN method achieves a ROC-AUC of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.840–0.953) in distinguishing BOS from non-BOS in CT scans. Performance correlates with BOS progression, with ROC-AUC values of 0.88 for stage I, 0.91 for stage II, and 0.94 for stage III BOS. Notably, the DNN shows comparable performance on standard- and high-resolution CT scans. It also demonstrates the ability to predict BOS in at-risk patients (FEV1 between 80% and 90% of best FEV1) with a ROC-AUC of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.735–0.974). Using visual interpretation techniques for DNNs, we reveal sensitivity to hyperlucent/hypoattenuated areas indicative of air-trapping or bronchiectasis. Conclusions Our approach shows potential for improving BOS diagnosis by enabling early detection and management. The ability to detect BOS from standard-resolution scans at any stage of respiration makes this method more accessible than previous approaches. Additionally, our findings highlight that techniques to limit overfitting are crucial for unlocking the potential of DNNs in low-data settings, which could assist clinicians in BOS studies with limited patient data.

The Global Space-based Stratospheric Aerosol Climatology (GloSSAC) is essential for understanding and modeling the climatic impacts of stratospheric aerosols. It relies primarily on data from the Stratospheric Aerosol Gas Experiment (SAGE) satellite series, supplemented by the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS) and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO). GloSSAC currently provides stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficients and aerosol optical depths at 525 and 1020 nm. With CALIPSO decommissioned and OSIRIS nearing the end of its operational life, SAGE III/ISS (International Space Station) will soon become the sole data source for GloSSAC, but it will only be available as long as the ISS is operational, until around 2030. Therefore, incorporating other measurements, such as those from the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS-LP), is critical. OMPS-LP has provided continuous aerosol extinction coefficient measurements since 2012 with a retrieval algorithm developed by NASA, i.e., OMPS(NASA). However, OMPS(NASA) has been shown to overestimate aerosol extinction coefficients, particularly after the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption, compared to the tomographic retrieval of OMPS developed by the University of Saskatchewan (OMPS(SASK)) and SAGE III/ISS. Our analysis shows that OMPS(NASA) indeed exhibits a consistently high bias (>50 %) following large volcanic eruptions and pyrocumulonimbus plumes from intense wildfires, while OMPS(SASK) shows reasonable agreement with SAGE III/ISS between 40° S and 40° N. This overestimation by OMPS(NASA) leads to an overestimation of the aerosol effective radiative forcing (ERF) and the associated model-simulated global surface temperature response by a factor of about 2.

Abstract Pigment particles used in tattooing may exert long terms effect by releasing diffusible degradation products. In the present work, aqueous suspensions of the organic orange diazo pigment PO13 were aged by exposure to simulated sunlight at 40 °C. The morphology and the surface charge of PO13 particles were barely modified upon aging, but primary particles were released by de-agglomeration. Soluble photoproducts were detected in the liquid fractions. One of this photoproduct (DCBP) was produced in large amount in suspension in isopropanol and purified. The toxicological profiles of aged suspensions, their soluble fractions and DCBP were then determined on the keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. Impact of suspensions of PO13 on viability was hardly affected by aging. In contrast, the soluble fractions were more toxic after photo-aging. Suspensions and filtrates induced neither release of reactive oxygen species nor formation of DNA strand breaks. The samples exhibited only limited effects on the proteome of HaCaT cells. Conversely, DCBP was cytotoxic and induced the production of ROS, but was not genotoxic. DCBP was found to activate CYP450 monooxygenases known to be involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics. Altogether, our results show that aging of PO13 leads to the release of toxic soluble compounds.

The Eurasian grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most extensively cultivated horticultural crop worldwide, with significant economic relevance, particularly in wine production. Accurate grapevine variety identification is essential for ensuring product authenticity, quality control, and regulatory compliance. Traditional identification methods have inherent limitations limitations; ampelography is subjective and dependent on skilled experts, while molecular analysis is costly and time-consuming. To address these challenges, recent research has focused on applying deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML) techniques for grapevine variety identification. This study systematically analyses 37 recent studies that employed DL and ML models for this purpose. The objective is to provide a detailed analysis of classification pipelines, highlighting the strengths and limitations of each approach. Most studies use DL models trained on leaf images captured in controlled environments at distances of up to 1.2 m. However, these studies often fail to address practical challenges, such as the inclusion of a broader range of grapevine varieties, using data directly acquired in the vineyards, and the evaluation of models under adverse conditions. This review also suggests potential directions for advancing research in this field.

The Caste War in the Yucatan Peninsula, although of intermittent attacks, has been one of the longest social revolutions in Mexican history (1847-1901), whose conflict was the relationship of domination of the Creoles and mestizos over the Mayan population. Peninsula, Peninsula, by Hernán Lara Zavala offers, in the key of historiographical metafiction, the imaginary representation of the Caste War without any purpose of historical revisionism; on the contrary, the author distorts history and corrects, in a certain way, the mistreatment cruelty and humiliation of the native of the Yucatecan Peninsula under the subjugation of the whites. In this context, the novel of the Mexican author ‒as is the case with this type of novels that lo ok at themselves and also look to the past‒ seems to be a triumph of fiction over history. We approach Lara Zavala work from its metafictional and historical composition and propose a reading of the conflagration, based on some decolonizing theories, with all the decolonial intention: the rebellion of the Maya against the hegemony of the whites; however, in historical reality, such an intention was left with a failed effect.

* Context.--Respiratory infections complicate lung transplantation and increase the risk of allograft dysfunction. Allograft lungs may have different susceptibilities to infection than native lungs, potentially leading to different disease severity in lungs of single lung transplant recipients (SLTRs). Objective.--To study whether infections affect allograft and native lungs differently in SLTRs but similarly in double LTRs (DLTRs). Design.--Using an institutional database of LTRs, medical records were searched, chest computed tomography studies were systematically reviewed, and histopathologic features were recorded per lung lobe and graded semiquantitatively. A multilobar-histopathology score (MLHS) including histopathologic data from each lung and a bilateral ratio ([MLHS.sub.ratio]) comparing histopathologies between both lungs were calculated in SLTRs and compared to DLTRs. Results.--Six SLTRs died of infection involving the lungs. All allografts showed multifocal histopathologic evidence of infection, but at least 1 lobe of the native lung was uninvolved. In 4 of 5 DLTRs, histopathologic evidence of infection was seen in all lung lobes. On computed tomography, multifocal ground-glass and/or nodular opacities were found in a bilateral distribution in all DLTRs but in only 2 of 6 SLTRs. In SLTRs, the [MLHS.sub.Allograft] was higher than [MLHS.sub.Native] (P = .02). The [MLHS.sub.ratio] values of SLTR and DLTR were significantly different (P < .001). Conclusions.--Allograft and native lungs appear to harbor different susceptibilities to infections. The results are important for the management of LTRs. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2023-0227-OA), The median overall survival of lung transplant recipients (LTRs) is only 6.7 years, which is shorter than for other solid organ transplantations. (1) Noncytomegalovirus (nonCMV) infections play a major role [...]

This study describes the relationships between different physiological measurements and combinations of critical velocity and performance in elite open-water swimmers. A total of 15 international male open-water swimmers performed a 5 × 200 m front crawl incremental test to estimate maximal aerobic speed (MAS), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), the first lactate threshold (VLT1), the second lactate threshold (VLT2), the speed corresponding to 2 mmol/L (V2mmol/L) and to 4 mmol/L (V4mmol/L), and the lactate threshold (VDmax). A 10 km pool trial was also performed to assess swimming performance. Official competition performances in 200, 400, 800, and 1500 m events were collected and were also used to calculate critical velocity (CV) with various combinations of distances. Personal best performances in 1500 m events were 941.76 ± 20.28 s. For the 10 km trial, performance was strongly correlated to VLT1 and moderately to V2mmol/L (r = 0.73 and 0.67, respectively). For the 400, 800, and 1500 m events, strong correlations were observed for V2mmol/L and V4mmol/L. Moderate correlations with these events were also observed for VLT1 and for VDmax (400 and 800 m only). For long-distance swimmers, assessment with a fixed blood lactate value seems to be a good option to estimate swimming performance in distance events. In addition, 10 km performance seems to be more related to the aerobic threshold than the anaerobic threshold.

Global warming is amplified in the Arctic. However, numerical models struggle to represent key processes that determine Arctic weather and climate. To collect data that help to constrain the models, the HALO–(𝒜𝒞)3 aircraft campaign was conducted over the Norwegian and Greenland seas, the Fram Strait, and the central Arctic Ocean in March and April 2022. The campaign focused on one specific challenge posed by the models, namely the reasonable representation of transformations of air masses during their meridional transport into and out of the Arctic via northward moist- and warm-air intrusions (WAIs) and southward marine cold-air outbreaks (CAOs). Observations were made over areas of open ocean, the marginal sea ice zone, and the central Arctic sea ice. Two low-flying and one long-range, high-altitude research aircraft were flown in colocated formation whenever possible. To follow the air mass transformations, a quasi-Lagrangian flight strategy using trajectory calculations was realized, enabling us to sample the same moving-air parcels twice along their trajectories. Seven distinct WAI and 12 CAO cases were probed. From the quasi-Lagrangian measurements, we have quantified the diabatic heating/cooling and moistening/drying of the transported air masses. During CAOs, maximum values of 3 K h−1 warming and 0.3 g kg−1 h−1 moistening were obtained below 1 km altitude. From the observations of WAIs, diabatic cooling rates of up to 0.4 K h−1 and a moisture loss of up to 0.1 g kg−1 h−1 from the ground to about 5.5 km altitude were derived. Furthermore, the development of cloud macrophysical (cloud-top height and horizontal cloud cover) and microphysical (liquid water path, precipitation, and ice index) properties along the southward pathways of the air masses were documented during CAOs, and the moisture budget during a specific WAI event was estimated. In addition, we discuss the statistical frequency of occurrence of the different thermodynamic phases of Arctic low-level clouds, the interaction of Arctic cirrus clouds with sea ice and water vapor, and the characteristics of microphysical and chemical properties of Arctic aerosol particles. Finally, we provide a proof of concept to measure mesoscale divergence and subsidence in the Arctic using data from dropsondes released during the flights.

This article reviews the experimental research on the level of anxiety or depression in gifted individuals. Twenty-seven studies compared gifted and typically developing individuals for the anxiety level and 15 studies for the depression level comparison. This current meta-analysis was performed on the anxiety and depression levels distinctly. We found a non-significant negative effect size for both anxiety, g = -0.14, k = 27, and depression, g = -0.14, k = 15. These values should be taken cautiously given that a high heterogeneity was also found, which remained largely unexplained by the moderators tested. Only age and type of anxiety assessment emerged as significant moderators for the anxiety domain. The observed effect size for depression was not significantly affected by the subgroups analyzed.

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a deeply personal and often debilitating experience, causing talented musicians to dread the very stages upon which they showcase their art. An increasing number of studies have addressed this anxiety phenomenon, however, definitions vary and the underlying causes remain unclear. According to the DSM-5, MPA is categorized as a specific subtype of social anxiety disorder, with a shared understanding that its development is shaped by predisposing vulnerabilities as well as external stressors and circumstances. This mini-review provides an overview of relevant literature on the multi-dimensional causes of MPA, with a particular focus on early life experiences and personality traits. It aims to address three key challenges in the field by emphasizing the importance of an enhanced investigation of formative life events, recognizing the (potentially) mediating effects of personalities, and highlighting the necessity to explore protective factors. Investigating early life experiences and personality traits in the context of MPA can deepen our understanding of its origin and development, offering valuable perspectives to tailor interventions, prevent the escalation of anxiety, and foster supportive environments conducive to the well-being and professional growth of musicians.

BackgroundMunicipalities play a crucial role in population health due to their community connections and influence on health determinants. Community-campus engagement (CCE), that is, collaboration between academic institutions and communities, is a promising approach to addressing community health priorities. However, evidence of CCE’s impact on population health remains limited. Measuring the impacts of CCE is inherently complex due to factors such as diverse stakeholders, context-specific variables, and dynamic interactions within a community. ObjectiveThis study aims to develop robust evidence on the impacts of CCE on population health outcomes in Ottawa and Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, focusing on 5 shared health priorities: housing, discrimination, poverty, violence, and mental health. MethodsWe will use a proven CCE model called CityStudio, which has been implemented in both cities. We will use Mayne's mixed methods contribution analysis in three stages: (1) formulating a theory of change that outlines the expected contributions of CCE to population health outcomes; (2) gathering qualitative and quantitative data in line with the established Theory of Change; the data will be collected from various sources, including case studies of existing CityStudio projects, a web-based CCE stakeholder survey, a literature review, and population and community health data; and (3) reviewing the gathered evidence to determine the extent of CCE impacts on population health. ResultsEthical approval for this project was granted in May 2023. We have since initiated stage 1 by reviewing the literature to inform the development of the theory of change. We expect to complete this study by May 2026. ConclusionsThis study will address two critical gaps about how improving health outcomes depends on CCE: (1) how academic institutions can best engage with their communities to improve population health outcomes, and (2) how municipalities can engage with academic institutions to address their community health priorities. Conducting our work in differing contexts will allow us to consider a broader range of other influences on outcomes, thus making our work applicable to various settings and outcomes. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/58546

Background: Bereavement support is considered a core standard of care for paediatric palliative care (PPC) teams. Support for grieving siblings can present unique challenges. Developmentally appropriate care can help children navigate their grief experience. Objectives: To describe the provider perspectives (mission and development) of bereavement care for siblings, and to describe the bereavement follow-up interventions offered for siblings by hospital-based PPC teams nationwide. Design and methods: Qualitative study conducted by semidirected telephone interviews. At least one member from each PPC team was interviewed. Interviews transcribed verbatim were analysed using grounded theory. Results: Twenty-one teams participated (response rate 91%). Most teams (80%) provided individual psychotherapy to families, and a few (28%) offered group interventions. PPC teams endeavour to expand their bereavement services and create a stronger collaboration network with community services. However, limited human resources, lack of facilities and financing, and geographical distances were frequent obstacles to bereavement care program development. Conclusion: PPC teams support bereaved siblings as an integral part of palliative care. Although PPC teams cannot meet all the needs of bereaved families, they can serve as important reference points to consolidate knowledge of available local resources and offer well-informed guidance to families and community users. Greater public awareness of childhood bereavement and engaging with community structures could help overcome some of the common obstacles to service development. Further studies are warranted in evaluating bereavement services in France and in other healthcare systems.

Two-stage stratified sampling is a complex design that involves nested sampling units and stratification. This complexity increases when the strata have too few sampled units for variance estimation, necessitating the use of collapsed strata, where multiple strata are combined to ensure an adequate sample size. When collapsing strata, two cases can be distinguished depending on whether a size variable associated with the variable of interest is available at the stratum level. • We present computer-implementable formulas for total, mean, and ratio estimators, along with their corresponding sampling variance estimators, for stratified two-stage simple random sampling without replacement, and we provide ready-to-use algorithms. • We introduce two methods for grouping strata: (1) a deterministic approach that uses stratum codes to define an ordinal variable, which orders the strata, and (2) a stochastic method that aims to minimize within-group inertia, which measures the heterogeneity within the newly formed groups of strata. • We emphasize that, unlike the correlation between a size variable and the variable of interest at the stratum level, the bias of the sampling variance estimator for the collapsed strata technique is not invariant to linear transformations. It follows that a high correlation does not ensure a low-bias estimator of the sampling variance.

Critique in design education is redefining itself, but its primary aim still focuses on offering and receiving feedback on workshop projects. The global pandemic has forced teachers to adapt their methods for online workshops. The following paper questions how design critique has changed teaching and learning experiences, focusing on the distinctions between in-person and online sessions. Before winter 2020, students used to wander through the school's workshops, filled with sketches and models of ongoing projects. Since then, we were faced with the loss of a shared physical space leading to many changes that should be addressed as online workshops are going forward. As a result, the pandemic has accentuated some of the challenges of offering detailed feedback to projects and has shown the complexity to stimulate students' interactions during a critique. Gaps created through social distancing seem to have impacted not only the critique activity but the entire project and learning process. By exploring the teaching experiences of a dozen workshop tutors, this paper brings out concerns about the metamorphosis of general interactions and highlights an impact on the design activities. By referring to Lave and Wenger's situated learning, we discuss the importance of interactions while conducting projects by explaining, discussing, showing, or just looking at what others have done. This paper provides an overview of key elements to improve feedback and communication, emphasising that constant interactions with peers, teachers, and experts are especially meaningful to prepare the designer to its future community of practice.