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The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has been significantly driven by developments in machine learning and neural networks. As AI becomes increasingly pervasive, its applications are diversifying, with notable penetration in sectors such as health, education, social media, robotics, and entertainment. One area in which AI is being deployed is science education. The objective of this study is to examine the research that incorporates AI within the field of science education. By analyzing trends in the reviewed studies, this research identifies the countries, institutions, journals and scholars that are the most prominent contributors to this field of enquiry. The findings suggest that the incorporation of artificial intelligence into science education is still in its infancy, with a paucity of widespread implementation. However, there is a discernible increase in the quantity of published works, with an emerging emphasis on the assessment of learning outcomes and the enhancement of academic performance. The findings indicate that the United States is the leading country in terms of publications related to AI in science education, accounting for 38% of the total contributions. Additionally, Türkiye has emerged as a notable contributor in this field, demonstrating a growing presence. The Journal of Science Education and Technology was identified as the preeminent journal publishing research on AI. Furthermore, the findings revealed that GPT was the most frequently utilized tool in this context. In light of these findings, it is recommended that future investigations into the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in science education employ a range of AI tools and explore the development of higher-order thinking skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Social Work / Sosyal Çalışma Dergisi is the property of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, School of Social Work 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.)

Coronary atherosclerosis (or coronary heart disease [CHD]) is a common cardiovascular disease that seriously damages human health. Percutaneous coronary stent implantation represents the primary treatment option for severe CHD in clinical practice; meanwhile, dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is widely used to reduce the risk of postoperative thrombosis. Although the mechanisms of action of the two most commonly used antiplatelet drugs, aspirin and clopidogrel, remain unclear, clinical studies have shown that some patients are susceptible to stent thrombosis—antiplatelet resistance (high on-treatment platelet reactivity [HTPR])—despite using these drugs. Therefore, screening for HTPR and formulating personalized antiplatelet therapies is necessary. Ticagrelor, indobufen, and rivaroxaban are the most common and safe antiplatelet drugs used in clinical practice, with broad application prospects. This review summarizes the mechanisms of action of existing antiplatelet drugs, reasons for personalized treatment, screening of antiplatelet reactions, and development of novel antiplatelet drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Der Schmerz is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Academic centers play a vital role in advancing knowledge, driving innovation, and fostering collaboration. The University of Texas at Austin Center for Health Communication was established in 2014 with the mission to improve public health through evidence-based communication research and practice. In this article, we reflect on the center history, explain our practice-oriented funding structure, and showcase examples of public health campaigns informed by theory and data, as well as professional-oriented educational programs. We also discuss the academic and community impact of our research, education, and practice and the benefits and challenges associated with this practice-led funding model. Although there are other approaches to operating academic centers, we hope the lessons we have learned can be of help to other centers dedicated to health communication research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 20th century, authoritarian regimes willingly embraced sport as a vivid arena for demonstrating their superiority. Prior research on postage stamps issued by such regimes revealed certain patterns associated with periods of aggressive internal and external rhetoric, whereby postage stamps served as a channel for government propaganda. In the current study, we looked at sports, military, and national identity stamps. Applying the social-semiotic method, we first examined the messages sports stamps have conveyed in Soviet Union and Russia. Then, the quantitative paradigm was employed to evaluate the trends in the issuance of propagandistic stamps by post-WW2 USSR and Russia. Finally, we expanded the scope by looking at stamp issuance in Germany, Italy, and USSR in pre-WW2 and WW2 years. This heavily militaristic "landscape" was used mainly as a basis for comparison with the issuance policy of Putin's Russia. The results shed light on some striking similarities across the different countries and periods. These findings are discussed in the context of the recent geopolitical situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing attention to the concept of nature-based solutions (NBS) requests a reflection on the role of young people for just urban development. This study explores how upper secondary school students (age from 16 to 19) relationally learn about environmental justice issues through role-play. Ten workshops were conducted in May 2022, involving 197 students from two upper secondary schools in Helsinki, Finland. We used role-play as a learning activity to actively involve students in working with justice perceptions which emerged from discussions about the implementation of NBS in their school district. The findings are based on both participant observation and two surveys conducted before and after the activity. The study shows how the role-play positively impacted the students' understanding of environmental justice issues related to NBS, complementing it with a higher recognition of different values for green spaces and trade-offs concerning their management. Finally, the role-play enabled students to explore new perceptions of recognition justice, expanding their sense of community to new cultures and non-human entities. Key policy highlights: Integrate role-play in climate change education: Relational activities like role-playenhance students' understanding of complex interdisciplinary issues, such as nature-based solutions and environmental justice, promoting collaboration and a deeper comprehension of diverse values associated with green spaces. Guiding principles for an NBS role-play: The role-play incorporates perspectives from different disciplines, justice elements, human and non-human actors, and it is tailored to a specific context. This ensures relevance and effectiveness of thelearning experience, sparking new perspectives on justice. Multispecies and multicultural perspectives: The role-play highlights theimportance of multispecies settings and cultural diversity for a just urban development, broadening the students' sense of community to include both human and non-human entities. Support longitudinal research: We advocate for comprehensive longitudinal studies to assess the long-term impact of integrating relational learning and diverse environmental justice perspectives in climate change education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This review article aimed to obtain an understanding of the positive outcomes and challenges associated with the use of simulation-based approaches for teaching communication and counseling skills in clinical education in audiology as described in the literature. Method: A scoping review was conducted during October 2023 to identify published journal articles that described how simulation-based approaches were used for teaching or assessing communication and/or counseling skills among audiology students. Database searches yielded 208 articles initially. Following abstract screening and full-text review, 17 articles were included for analysis. Results: Most studies focused on using simulation-based approaches for teaching, and there was a stronger focus on pediatric audiology. Most studies involved the use of standardized patients, with data collected via quantitative approaches using rating scales and surveys. Simulation-based approaches can offer positive learning experiences and practice opportunities for students acquiring communication and counseling skills. However, the benefits of simulation over traditional methods are unclear. Students may struggle to integrate technical and communication skills in simulated learning experiences. Conclusions: Engaging with simulation-based approaches may provide important practice opportunities, but these methods are not sufficient to ensure acquisition of communication and counseling skills. More qualitative studies are needed to understand the nuances of if and how students might acquire such skills via simulated learning experiences. We offer some suggestions for improvement of future studies on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of time-domain, multi-messenger astronomy, the detection of transient events on the high-energy electromagnetic sky has become more important than ever. The gravitational wave high-energy electromagnetic counterpart all-sky monitor (GECAM) is a dedicated mission to monitor gamma-ray transients, launched in December, 2020. A real-time on-board trigger and location software, using the traditional signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) method for blind search, is constrained to relatively bright signals due to the limitations in on-board computing resources and the need for real-time search. In this work, we developed a ground-based pipeline for GECAM to search for various transients, especially for weak bursts missed by on-board software. This pipeline includes both automatic and manual mode, offering options for blind search and targeted search. The targeted search is specifically designed to search for interesting weak bursts, such as gravitational wave-associated gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). From the ground search of the data in the first year, GECAM has been triggered by 54 GRBs and other transients, including soft gamma-ray repeaters, X-ray binaries, solar flares, terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. We report the properties of each type of triggers, such as trigger time and light curves. With this search pipeline and assuming a soft Band spectrum, the GRB detection sensitivity of GECAM is increased to about 1.1 × 10−8 erg cm−2 s−1 (10–1000 keV, burst duration of 20 s). These results demonstrate that the GECAM ground search system (both blind search and targeted search) is a versatile pipeline to recover true astrophysical signals which were too weak to be found in the on-board search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic publishing has faced numerous ethical challenges, but reviewer conflict of interest (COI) and potential associated coercive citation requests present an under-explored area of concern. Although we expect most reviewers to act ethically, the drive for academics to increase their citation counts creates a potential incentive for reviewers to seek citations of their own work, presenting a potential reviewer COI. With citation counts serving as an important part of most university and journal rankings, the integrity of the research review process has far-reaching implications. This study analyzes journals' communication to reviewers regarding coercive citation requests and COIs in general, with 205 survey responses from editors of major management or marketing journals, and an assessment of a randomly selected subset of 30 leading journal websites. The majority of journals did not discuss reviewer coercive citation requests or COIs, nor have any obvious processes to screen for it. We discuss the factors that foster an environment conducive to coercive citation requests and identify easily adoptable changes to review formats to address the problem. We also discuss the need to examine the triad of relationships among authors, reviewers, and editors, taking a systems approach. We encourage attention to balance of power and cocreation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

General practitioners (GPs) face complex decisions when choosing between prescribing medication or referring patients to social prescriptions. Increasing awareness of overprescribing and the risks of polypharmacy are a key driver of patient‐centred preventative approaches to healthcare. One such approach, increasingly common in the United Kingdom, is social prescribing (SP). GPs have a central role in prescribing medication or referring to a social prescription. Following a thematic analysis of data from interviews with 12 GPs, this study used the concept of mindlines to frame a consideration of their reasoning about the appropriateness of social prescriptions as adjuncts to or alternatives for medical prescriptions. We identified seven considerations that shaped their decision‐making process. These factors spanned the patient's socioeconomic circumstances, the severity of their symptoms and their expectations. Additionally, GPs factored in their time constraints, the extent to which medical options had been exhausted, and finally issues related to the SP system itself—specifically, the integration of SP workflows in GP practices and resource constraints. SP is, in theory at least, a part of the healthcare system that offers the possibility of improved health both for people and the environment. Our consideration of the role of the GP in this suggests that the challenges for design and evaluation of SP interventions that result in a reduction in medical prescriptions are considerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces Karen Barad's philosophical framework of agential realism as an alternative philosophy of science perspective for quantitative psychology and measurement. Agential realism offers a rethinking of the research object, measurement process and outcome, causality, and the researcher's responsibility by proposing an ethico-epistem-ontological understanding of material-discursive practices that co-construct our world. The contemporary, canonical underlying philosophy of science perspective of quantitative psychology entails entity realism, a difference between ontic existence and epistemic approaches, complete causality, and determinism. Consequently, the researcher has no responsibility for the characteristics of a research object. The paper introduces agential realism and its assumptions about rejecting entity realism but a particular understanding of phenomena, the entanglement of ontic existence and epistemic approaches, and the researcher's role in co-creating an outcome. A reworking of the concept of causality implies newly emerging possibilities for realizations. Subsequently, the paper addresses four consequences of applying agential realism in quantitative psychology. (1) If there is indeterminacy in every phenomenon, researchers do not search for one true score but assume a realization potential, which has implications for comparisons and replications. (2) If configurations are part of things-in-phenomena, then context does not work as a third variable; instead, all 'parts' are co-creators. This entanglement must be considered in replications instead of trying to eliminate its impact. (3) Agential realism encompasses the researchers' responsibility to justify decisions made in a research project and to clarify ethics. (4) Overall, agential realism alters the research endeavor by asking new questions and interpreting research outcomes differently. Further directions point towards concrete tasks like methodological questions and the necessity within psychology to elaborate further on the conceptualizations initiated by Barad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Time-to-event analysis is associated with methodological complexities. Previous research identified flaws in the reporting of time-to-event analyses in randomized trial publications. These hardships impose challenges for meta-analyses of time-to-event outcomes based on aggregate data. We examined the characteristics, reporting and methods of systematic reviews including such analyses. Methods: Through a systematic search (02/2017-08/2020), we identified 50 Cochrane Reviews with ≥ 1 meta-analysis based on the hazard ratio (HR) and a corresponding random sample (n = 50) from core clinical journals (Medline; 08/02/2021). Data was extracted in duplicate and included outcome definitions, general and time-to-event specific methods and handling of time-to-event relevant trial characteristics. Results: The included reviews analyzed 217 time-to-event outcomes (Median: 2; IQR 1–2), most frequently overall survival (41%). Outcome definitions were provided for less than half of time-to-event outcomes (48%). Few reviews specified general methods, e.g., included analysis types (intention-to-treat, per protocol) (35%) and adjustment of effect estimates (12%). Sources that review authors used for retrieval of time-to-event summary data from publications varied substantially. Most frequently reported were direct inclusion of HRs (64%) and reference to established guidance without further specification (46%). Study characteristics important to time-to-event analysis, such as variable follow-up, informative censoring or proportional hazards, were rarely reported. If presented, complementary absolute effect estimates calculated based on the pooled HR were incorrectly calculated (14%) or correct but falsely labeled (11%) in several reviews. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that limitations in reporting of trial time-to-event analyses translate to the review level as well. Inconsistent reporting of meta-analyses of time-to-event outcomes necessitates additional reporting standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The near-surface boundary layer over patchy snow is highly heterogeneous and dynamic. Layers of opposing stability coexist within only a few horizontal meters. Conventional experimental methods to investigate this layer suffer from limitations related to the fixed positions of eddy covariance sensors. To overcome these difficulties, we set up a centimeter-resolution large eddy simulation of flow across an idealised transition from bare ground to snow. We force the simulation with high-frequency eddy covariance data recorded during a field campaign. We show that the model can represent the real flow by comparing it to independent eddy covariance data. However, the simulation underestimates vertical wind speed fluctuations, especially at high frequencies. Sensitivity analyses show that this is influenced by grid resolution and surface roughness representation but not much by subgrid-scale parameterization. Nevertheless, the model can reproduce the experimentally observed plumes of warm air intermittently detaching from bare ground and being advected over snow. This process is highly dynamic, with time scales of only a few seconds. We can show that the growth of a stable internal boundary layer adjacent to the snow surface can be approximated by a power law. With low wind speeds, deeper stable layers develop, while strong wind speeds limit the growth. Even close to the surface, the buoyancy fluxes are heterogeneous and driven by terrain variations, which also induce the frequent decoupling of a thin layer adjacent to the snow surface. Our simulations point the path towards generalizing point-based and aerial measurements to three dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The authors aim to evaluate the perception, strengths, and challenges in the implementation of "Clinical Laboratory Shadowing" as an elective module for third-year professional medical students. Methods: Clinical Laboratory shadowing is an elective module designed by the faculty of Biochemistry for Phase III part-2 medical students. The elective comprises modules explaining the functioning of the Biochemistry Laboratory in a hospital. The students are provided insights into the different processes involved in laboratory testing. They are taught about total quality management of the Biochemistry Laboratory. Thirteen students from Batch 2019 and eight students from Batch 2020 volunteered to attend the elective. Students' feedback regarding the learning was analyzed with the help of a questionnaire. Pre-test and post-test questions were evaluated to test the knowledge gained during the elective. Two focus group discussions were conducted regarding the benefits and areas for improvement for the elective. Results: Following the elective module there was a significant improvement in the test score compared to baseline. A majority (84–95%) of students perceived that the shadowing elective was well planned, and materials were well prepared, there was appropriate engagement with the facilitators, gained knowledge on the principles of total quality management, good laboratory practices, disease process, and diagnosis. Most (53–74%) of the students felt that this elective was not monotonous and not difficult. Around 84–95% of students felt that this elective module enhanced the importance of interprofessional communication and teamwork. Moreover, through focused group discussions, several recurring themes emerged. Among these, the scope for improvement within the module is profound. The faculties were of the opinion that the shift from conventional training to competency-based learning was effectively embraced by the students, underscoring the importance of consistent small group activities in the module to enhance the skills of Good laboratory practices. The students expressed a desire for additional clinical correlation and interpretation classes in the elective module, showing their preference for student-centred clinically oriented learning. Conclusion: The current study concludes that including an elective module on Clinical laboratory shadowing is an overall positive experience for medical students in enhancing their knowledge of basic sciences and application of the concepts in diagnosing cases. This elective may be desirable to adopt in other medical colleges in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European agricultural sector faces considerable exposure to price risk, which poses a threat to farmers' income and long-term resilience. Marketing contracts have emerged as a potential risk mitigation strategy by enabling farmers to fix the selling price of their output. Despite their benefits, the adoption of marketing contracts among European farmers remains limited. To investigate the factors influencing farmers' participation in MCs, this study applies the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, marking its first application in this field of research. By analyzing data from an online survey of 84 Italian arable crop producers using a partial least squares structural equation model, this study investigates the factors influencing farmers' participation in marketing contracts. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the TOE model in examining farmers' intentions to adopt marketing contracts. Specifically, the perceived usefulness of marketing contracts, their compatibility with farm characteristics, the positive attitude of farm owners towards these tools, and normative pressure from buyers all exhibit positive associations with farmers' intention to adopt marketing contracts. These findings offer valuable insights for the development of targeted strategies aimed at promoting the widespread use of marketing contracts among European farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medical educators in Nigeria are beginning to incorporate the use of simulated patients (SPs) in clinical examinations. This study was designed to investigate and compare the knowledge and perception of physiotherapy students and lecturers about the involvement of SPs in clinical examinations at physiotherapy training institutions in South-West, Nigeria. Methods: This study used a mixed-method approach, combining cross-sectional analysis and focus group discussions. A validated questionnaire assessed the knowledge and perception of physiotherapy students and lecturers regarding SP involvement in clinical exams. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square, and Mann–Whitney U tests (p < 0.05). Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Two hundred and seven clinical students (83 males, 124 females, average age 22.02 ± 1.65 years) and 37 physiotherapy lecturers (25 males, 12 females, average age 48.27 ± 7.49 years) participated in this study. Among the students, 151 were aware of SP involvement in clinical exams: 35.1% had poor knowledge, 53.0% had fair knowledge, and 11.9% had good knowledge. The majority of lecturers (70.3%) demonstrated good knowledge. Most students (147, 71.0%) and lecturers (32, 86.5%) had positive perceptions of SP involvement in exams. Qualitative analysis indicated insufficient training for SPs in clinical examinations at physiotherapy training institutions in South-West Nigeria. Reported drawbacks included a preference for using models, familiarity with SPs, and limitations in the conditions that SPs can simulate. Conclusion: Physiotherapy students at physiotherapy training institutions in South-West Nigeria had fair knowledge about the involvement of SPs in clinical examinations while lecturers had good knowledge about the involvement of SPs in clinical examinations. However, both students and lecturers had a positive perception about the involvement of SPs in clinical examinations though the concept of SPs should be differentiated from the use of models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snowfall/cover and snowmelt are essential determinants of winter soil processes/events that may force the biogeochemical dynamics of soils in temperate regions. Increasing variability of the European hydroclimate is expected to lead to more frequent intermittent warm periods, which cause snowmelt during winter and rapidly mobilize large amounts of dissolved organic matter (DOM). This study, conducted at the Hainich Critical Zone Exploratory in Germany, seeks to address a significant gap in understanding the molecular impacts of snowmelt-induced DOM flows and their ability to alter soil ecosystems rapidly. During two snowmelt events between January and March 2021, we observed that DOM concentration and composition varied more in forest soil seepage than in grassland soil seepage. Forest seepage showed a pronounced DOM flux peak and synchronous increases in the relative abundances of aromatic DOM components, indicating surface-derived transport of plant litter carbon. In the grassland, however, peak DOM fluxes were characterized by a marked increase in nitrogen-containing (N-containing) DOM components, indicating a predominance of microbial carbon. Notably, the unique DOM components specific to each ecosystem increased during peak fluxes in the forest but decreased in the grassland. We suggest that an overall higher molecular richness and the broader functional metabolic potentials in grassland may account for its relatively greater DOM stability compared to the forest during peak snowmelt events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews a series of studies contributing to a framework for preventing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in sport. As the majority of these injuries are non-contact in nature, theoretically, these injuries are preventable. The studies presented in this paper focus on understanding biomechanical countermeasures of ACL injury and how this knowledge can inform both screening and training intervention research and practice in sport. These countermeasures include: 1) modifying an athlete's technique to reduce externally applied loads to the knee; 2) increasing the muscle support around the knee and hip to counter elevated loads applied to the knee and; 3) improving an athlete's perception during dynamic sports tasks to increase planning time to coordinate desirable movement patterns. By furthering the empirical evidence of modifiable biomechanical countermeasures of ACL injury risk, we can better understand best practices for developing interventions on a mass scale to prevent ACL injuries in the sporting community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation in the soil microbial community composition over time was assessed at monthly time steps for 1 year in three neighboring Mollisols spanning a drainage gradient. This was done to distinguish between natural oscillations in the community composition versus lasting adaptations to environmental factors such as soil water availability. To isolate soil water availability as a controlling factor, we selected three soils sharing the same soil order (fine‐silty, superactive Argixerolls/Argialbolls); slope (0%–1%); temperature regime (mesic); moisture regime (xeric); and land use history (continuous grassland for the past 10 years) but differing in drainage class (well‐drained vs. moderately well‐drained vs. poorly drained). Changes in microbial diversity were quantified by monitoring the bacterial community at monthly intervals for 1 year. Within individual soils, α‐diversity varied little with season and drainage classes. Despite the three soils experiencing the same climate regime and vegetation/land use, they exhibited distinct community composition and turnover, which we attribute to differences in moisture availability across drainage and seasons. We posit that a seasonal recurring drop in soil redox potential induced by seasonal water saturation in the poorly drained soil is the most probable cause setting the microbial community of that soil apart from those in the better drained soils. Our investigation suggests that not all indicators of microbial diversity share the same sensitivity to seasonal and drainage‐related soil moisture variations. Core Ideas: Seasonal moisture fluctuations have a small effect on bacterial phylogenetic diversity.Phylogenetic diversity may increase with improved drainage.Impacts of seasonal saturation on the microbial community persist year‐round.Responsiveness to seasonal moisture fluctuations can influence the viability of microbial abundance as a bioindicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective teacher innovativeness has emerged as a recent topic of interest in both international policy documents and scholarly research. However, only a few studies have focused on the factors that enable collective teacher innovativeness, particularly in terms of revealing whether and to what extent school leadership might influence this construct. Existing literature suggests that distributed leadership can influence teachers' instructional practices, emotions, and daily activities, all of which could be important to teacher innovativeness. The present study, therefore, aimed to explore the effect of distributed leadership in fostering collective teacher innovativeness, as well as the mediating roles played by job satisfaction and professional collaboration, by using the Teaching and Learning International Survey 2018 dataset. The findings of the partial mediation structural equation model analysis revealed that distributed leadership has both direct and indirect effects on collective teacher innovativeness, as mediated by job satisfaction and professional collaboration. The results provide evidence of how principal leadership practices impact teachers' changes in behaviors through professional attitudes and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coloniality is strongly shaped by aspects of social foraging behaviour. For example, colonies may be important sources of information, while food competition may increase foraging efforts and limit colony size. Understanding foraging ecology considering these apparent trade‐offs is required to develop a better understanding of colonial living. We combined animal‐borne GPS, cameras and dive recorders to study social foraging in breeding adult northern gannets Morus bassanus—a wide‐ranging colonial seabird. We first tested for indirect evidence of prey depletion around the colony by estimating dive location, depth and duration. Next, we tested for sociality during different behaviours (commuting, foraging and resting) and distance from the colony. Finally, we quantified flocks of inbound and outbound birds to compare social foraging between outbound and inbound legs of the commute. Dive probability and depth (n = 46 individuals; n = 1590 dives) increased with distance from the colony, creating dive clusters at ~100 and 180 km consistent with conspecific prey depletion. Camera stills (n = 8 individuals; n = 7495 images) show gannets are highly social, but this varied among behaviours. Sociality was highest during foraging and commuting; especially inbound and social foraging was more likely far from the colony. Gannets were equally likely to be solitary or social when leaving the colony but returning birds were more likely in larger flocks. In summary, despite experiencing intraspecific competition for food, gannets engage in dynamic, context‐dependent social foraging associations. Conspecifics aggregated far from the colony possibly because of a prey depletion halo closer to home, but this provided potential benefits via local enhancement and by returning to the colony in flocks. Our results therefore illustrate how competition may, paradoxically, facilitate some aspects of group foraging in colonial animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most tracheostomy scars are depressive and adherent to the underlying trachea, which causes up and down movement when swallowing. This tracheocutaneous tethering causes discomfort, pain, dysphagia, and bad appearance. A tracheocutaneous fistula may be accompanied. Here, we present a new method for reconstructing a tracheostomy scar deformity with tracheocutaneous tethering: layer-by-layer restoration of the anatomical structure with a subcutaneous fat tissue blanket. The scar tissue was fully excised, with the associated skin and subcutaneous tissue. The bilateral strap muscles around the scar were dissected proximally and distally and approximated to the midline, secured without tension. Bilateral platysma muscle flaps cover them firmly. The subcutaneous tissue around the incision margin, which included the superficial cervical fascia was elevated to form a fat blanket, closed transversely. The skin was closed after confirming the absence of retraction upon swallowing. From 2010 to 2018, 10 patients with tracheocutaneous tethering and one patient with tracheocutaneous fistula underwent surgery. All patients were functionally and aesthetically satisfied with the results. The only complication was a hypertrophic scar in one patient, which was managed with a triamcinolone injection. An anatomical layer-by-layer restoration with a fat blanket provided consistent, satisfying results for correcting tracheostomy scar deformities without using additional tissue. This simple method was effective for reconstructing tracheocutaneous tethering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gamma-ray Transient Monitor (GTM) is an all-sky monitor onboard the Distant Retrograde Orbit-A (DRO-A) satellite with the scientific objective of detecting gamma-ray transients ranging from 20 keV to 1 MeV. The GTM was equipped with five Gamma-ray Transient Probe (GTP) detector modules utilizing a NaI(Tl) scintillator coupled with a SiPM array. To reduce the SiPM noise, GTP uses a dedicated dual-channel coincident readout design. In this work, we first studied the impact of different coincidence times on the detection efficiency and ultimately selected a 0.5 µs time coincidence window for offline data processing. To test the performance of the GTPs and validate the Monte-Carlo-simulated energy response, we conducted comprehensive ground calibration tests using the Hard X-ray Calibration Facility (HXCF) and radioactive sources, including the energy response, detection efficiency, spatial response, bias-voltage response, and temperature dependence. We extensively present the ground calibration results and validate the design and mass model of the GTP detector, thus providing the foundation for in-flight observations and scientific data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current COVID-19 vaccines provide robust protection against severe disease but minimal protection against acquisition of infection. Intramuscularly administered COVID-19 vaccines induce robust serum neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), but their ability to boost mucosal immune responses remains to be determined. In this study, we show that the XBB.1.5 messenger RNA (mRNA) boosters result in increased serum neutralization to multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants in humans, including the dominant circulating variant JN.1. In contrast, we found that the XBB.1.5 mRNA booster did not augment mucosal NAbs or mucosal IgA responses, although acute SARS-CoV-2 XBB infection substantially increased mucosal antibody responses. These data demonstrate that current XBB.1.5 mRNA boosters substantially enhance peripheral antibody responses but do not robustly increase mucosal antibody responses. Our data highlight a separation between the peripheral and mucosal immune systems in humans and emphasize the importance of developing next-generation vaccines to augment mucosal immunity to protect against respiratory virus infections. Editor's summary: mRNA vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 elicit robust antibody responses in the circulation, which aid in protection from severe disease. However, the extent to which mRNA vaccines, which are delivered intramuscularly, can elicit mucosal immune responses is unclear. In a pair of papers, Declercq et al. and Lasrado et al. come to distinct conclusions. Using human nasal swab samples in both studies, Declercq et al. show that repeated vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 promotes neutralizing antibodies in the nose, whereas Lasrado et al. observed no obvious increase in neutralizing antibody titers after booster vaccination. These differing results may be due to the number of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations or exposures, time since last exposure, and experimental approaches, but this pair of papers underscores the need to better understand the mucosal immune response in humans. —Courtney Malo [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNC) is a heterogeneous group of malignancies that originate in the upper aerodigestive tract. Sarcopenia, which is a condition characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is a prevalent condition among cancer patients, significantly impacting their overall health and treatment outcomes. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the relationship between HNC and sarcopenia, focusing on the underlying mechanisms, clinical implications, assessment methods, and potential interventions. The aim is to enhance our understanding of the complex interplay between these two conditions and guide the development of personalized therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes. Sarcopenia is recognized as a crucial factor impacting the prognosis, treatment responses, and quality of life of HNC patients. This review discusses various mechanisms, including common etiological factors, such as aging, chronic inflammation, and metabolic dysregulation. Cancer-related factors, including tumor locations and treatment modalities, contribute to the development of sarcopenia. The clinical implications of sarcopenia in HNC patients extend beyond reduced muscle strength; it affects overall mobility, reduces quality of life, and increases the risk of falls and fractures. Sarcopenia serves as an independent predictor of postoperative complications, chemotherapy dose-limiting toxicity, and treatment outcomes, which affect therapy planning and perioperative management decisions. Methods to assess sarcopenia in HNC patients encompass various techniques. A sarcopenia assessment offers a potentially efficient and readily available tool for clinical practice. Interventions and management strategies for sarcopenia involve exercise interventions as a cornerstone; however, challenges arise due to patient-specific limitations during cancer treatment. A routine body composition analysis is proposed as a valuable addition to HNC patient management, with ongoing research required to refine preoperative exercise and nutrition programs for improved treatment outcomes and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International organizations' lives often extend far beyond the moment of their initial contracting. How IOs do adapt to shifting circumstances in their member states global geopolitical changes, and even internal dynamics within the IO itself? This special issue on the life cycle of international cooperation explores the ebbs and flows of the IOs that underpin the international system. Firm theory, organizational sociology, and agency theory all have incorporated life cycles perspectives into the study of organizations, but IR has yet to fully harness these frameworks. A life cycles approach centers on, first, incorporating the IO itself as the core unit of analysis and, second, the dynamic processes within IOs — including life stages such as false starts, consolidation, inertia, growth, revitalization, death, and succession. Incorporating these dynamic processes into our understanding of IOs reminds us that historically, IOs have always experienced periods of both flourishing and faltering. Grasping the mechanisms that drive these changes is indispensable for a thorough understanding of the international system's vitality and resilience. Articles in this issue explore the durability of IOs in the face of crises; the measures that IOs deploy to legitimize their existence; the role of individual leaders' rhetoric in IO vitality; the tradeoffs that member states face between pulling the plug on an IO versus creating a new institution; the effect of member-state IO withdrawal on the international system overall; and the mass public's perceptions of such withdrawals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do leaders address the world in service of international cooperation, and do their messages enhance or detract from the global agenda? Leaders increasingly appear at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a deliberative forum meant for diplomacy, not politics. At the same time, the UNGA has long undergone revitalization efforts, and leaders' contributions could potentially ensure more meaningful cooperation. Building on theories of leader communication, we argue that, in contrast to other country representatives, heads of state have more leeway to deviate from the assembly's priorities; as politicians, they have incentives to discuss their own, more particularistic, topics. Drawing from novel data on leaders' speeches in the UNGA, we use text analytics to show that leaders tend to depart from the policy agenda of the session. Furthermore, national political leaders speak more plainly, centering speech on themselves and departing from the general conventions of diplomatic debate. This suggests that, while leaders' attendance potentially generates more publicity and visibility for the UNGA, their contributions may also undermine the general debate. Our findings shed light on the ways in which leaders can politicize mulitlateral cooperation, and we give evidence for the role of individuals in the vitality of international organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent decades have seen an intensification of international organizations' (IOs) attempts to justify their authority. The existing research suggests that IO representatives have scaled up self-legitimation to defend their organizations' legitimacy in light of public criticism. In contrast, this article demonstrates that IOs intensify self-legitimation to mobilize additional support from relevant audiences when their authority increases. We argue that self-legitimation aims primarily to achieve proactive legitimacy expansion instead of reactive legitimacy protection. We develop this argument in three steps. First, we draw on organizational sociology and management studies to theorize the connection between self-legitimation and an organization's life stages. Second, we introduce a novel dataset on the self-legitimation of 28 regional IOs between 1980 and 2019 and show that the intensity of self-legitimation evolves in phases. Third, we provide a multivariate statistical analysis and a brief vignette on the African Union, both of which indicate that IOs that shift from unanimity or consensus to majority voting tend to intensify self-legitimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prefabricated vertical drains combined with heating is a new approach to improving the mechanical properties of soft clay foundations. Rising temperatures cause the formation of concentric and radially aligned soil regions with distinct heterogeneous characteristics. This results in incomplete contact between adjacent soil layers, with the water in the interstices impeding heat transfer and manifesting as a thermal resistance effect. Based on the theory of thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling, a two-dimensional dual-zone axisymmetric marine soft soil model improved by a prefabricated vertical thermo-drain has been established. A generalized incomplete thermal contact model has been proposed to describe the thermal resistance effect at the interface of concentric soil regions. The effectiveness of the numerical solution presented in this paper is verified by comparison with semi-analytical solutions and model experiments. The thermal consolidation characteristics of concentric regions of soil at various depths under different thermal contact models were discussed by comprehensively analyzing the effects of different parameters under various thermal contact models. The outcomes indicate that the generalized incomplete thermal contact model provides a more accurate description of the radial thermal consolidation characteristics of concentric regions of soil. The influence of the thermal conductivity coefficient on the consolidation characteristics of the concentric regions soil is related to the thermal resistance effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Downscaling global climate models (GCMs) provides crucial high-resolution data needed for informed decision-making at regional scales. However, there is no uniform approach to select the most suitable GCMs. Over Southeast Asia (SEA), observations are sparse and have large uncertainties, complicating GCM selection especially for rainfall. To guide this selection, we apply a standardised benchmarking framework to select CMIP6 GCMs for dynamical downscaling over SEA, addressing current observational limitations. This framework identifies fit-for-purpose models through a two-step process: (a) selecting models that meet minimum performance requirements in simulating the fundamental characteristics of rainfall (e.g. bias, spatial pattern, annual cycle and trend) and (b) selecting models from (a) to further assess whether key precipitation drivers (monsoon) and teleconnections from modes of variability are captured, i.e. the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). GCMs generally exhibit wet biases, particularly over the complex terrain of the Maritime Continent. Evaluations from the first step identify 19 out of 32 GCMs that meet our minimum performance expectations in simulating rainfall. These models also consistently capture atmospheric circulations and teleconnections with modes of variability over the region but overestimate their strength. Ultimately, we identify eight GCMs meeting our performance expectations. There are obvious, high-performing GCMs from allied modelling groups, highlighting the dependency of the subset of models identified from the framework. Therefore, further tests of model independence, data availability and future climate change spread are conducted, resulting in a final subset of two independent models that align with our a priori expectations for downscaling over the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment –Southeast Asia (CORDEX-SEA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Historically, head impact monitoring sensors have suffered from single impact measurement errors, leading to their data described by clinical experts as 'clinically irrelevant.' The purpose of this study was to use an accurate impact monitoring mouthguard system and (1) define head impact distributions for military service members and civilians and (2) determine if there was a dose–response relationship between accurately measured head impact magnitudes versus observations of concussion signs. Methods: A laboratory-calibrated commercial impact monitoring mouthguard system, along with video and hardware to confirm the sensor was on the teeth during impacts, was used to acquire 54,602 head acceleration events (HAE) in 973 military and civilian subjects over 3,449 subject days. Results: There were 17,551 head impacts (32% of HAE) measured with peak linear acceleration (PLA) > 10 g and 37,051 low-g events (68% of HAE) in the range of activities of daily living < 10 g PLA. The median of all HAE and of all head impacts was 8 g/15 g PLA and 1 J/4 J Work, respectively. The top 1% of head impacts were above 47 g and 32 J, respectively. There were fifty-six (56) head impacts where at least one clinical indicator of a concussion sign was observed. All the clinical indicator impacts were in the top 1% by magnitude of PLA, Work, or both. The median magnitude of these 'check engine' impacts was 58 g and 48 J. This median magnitude was substantially larger than the median of all HAE as well as the median of all head impacts. Conclusion: This study shows a correlation between single head impacts in the top 1% by peak linear acceleration and/or Work and clinical indicators of concussion signs in civilians and military service members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The June 24, 2022 US Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization resulted in an expansive restriction on abortion access that had been constitutionally guaranteed for nearly half a century. Currently, 14 states have implemented complete bans on abortion with very limited exceptions, and an additional 7 states have implemented abortion bans at 6 to 18 weeks' gestation. It has been well demonstrated that restrictive policies disproportionately limit abortion access for minoritized people and people of low socioeconomic status; the financial and geographic barriers of these post- Dobbs restrictions will only exacerbate this disparity. Proponents of abortion restrictions, who identify as pro-life, assert that these policies are essential to protect children, women, and families. We examine whether the protection of these groups extends past conception by evaluating the association between state abortion legislation and state-based policies and programs designed to provide medical and social support for children, women, and families. We found that states with the most restrictive post- Dobbs abortion policies in fact have the least comprehensive and inclusive public infrastructure to support these groups. We suggest further opportunities for advocacy. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(10):1043–1050. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307792) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]