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The accurate detection of clouds is an important first step in the processing of remotely sensed satellite data analyses and subsequent cloud model predictions. While initial cloud retrieval technology began with the exploitation of one or two bands of satellite imagery, it has accelerated rapidly in recent years as sensor and retrieval technology, creating a new era in space observation exploration. Additionally, the initial emphasis in satellite retrieval technology focused on cloud detection for cloud forecast models, but more recently, cloud screening in satellite-acquired data is playing an increasingly critical role in the investigation of cloud-free data for the retrieval of soil moisture, vegetation cover, ocean color concentration and sea surface temperatures, as well as the environmental monitoring of a host of products, e.g., atmospheric aerosol data, to study the Earth’s atmospheric and climatic systems. With about 60% of the Earth covered by clouds, on average, it is necessary to accurately detect clouds in remote sensing data to screen cloud contaminate data in remote sensing analyses. In this review, the evolution of cloud-detection methodologies is highlighted with advancement in sensor hardware technology and machine learning algorithmic advances. The review takes into consideration the meteorological sensors usually used for atmospheric parameters estimation (thermodynamic profiles, aerosols, cloud microphysical parameters). Moreover, a discussion is presented on methods for obtaining the cloud-truth data needed to determine the accuracy of these cloud-detection approaches.

Brain asymmetry reflects left-right hemispheric differentiation, which is a quantitative brain phenotype that develops with age and can vary with psychiatric diagnoses. Previous studies have shown that substance dependence is associated with altered brain structure and function. However, it is unknown whether structural brain asymmetries are different in individuals with substance dependence compared with nondependent participants. Here, a mega-analysis was performed using a collection of 22 structural brain MRI datasets from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group. Structural asymmetries of cortical and subcortical regions were compared between individuals who were dependent on alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, methamphetamine, or cannabis (n = 1,796) and nondependent participants (n = 996). Substance-general and substance-specific effects on structural asymmetry were examined using separate models. We found that substance dependence was significantly associated with differences in volume asymmetry of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc; less rightward; Cohen's d = 0.15). This effect was driven by differences from controls in individuals with alcohol dependence (less rightward; Cohen's d = 0.10) and nicotine dependence (less rightward; Cohen's d = 0.11). These findings suggest that disrupted structural asymmetry in the NAcc may be a characteristic of substance dependence.

The introduction of the Literature strand within the Australian Curriculum requires all teachers to engage students in print and digital literature that embrace the cross-curriculum priorities and support students to examine, evaluate, and discuss literary texts. However, such curriculum change assumes that primary school teachers who have often not studied literature as a specific method, have the confidence and content and pedagogical knowledge to plan and implement programs. This paper investigates teachers' views of their level of confidence and preparedness to teach literature, and to explore teachers' practices, challenges and enablers in teaching literature in both print and digital environments. Results show that this group of 321 primary school teachers reported varying levels of confidence, knowledge and practices, and offers new insights into complex challenges they've experienced when interpreting and enacting the literature curriculum. Findings suggest the critical need for professional learning and discuss the implications for initial-teacher education programs.

Biomechanics as a discipline is ideally placed to increase awareness and participation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A nationwide Biomechanics and Research Innovation Challenge (BRInC) centered on mentoring and role modeling was developed to engage high school girls (mentees) and early-mid-career women (mentors) in the field of biomechanics through the completion of a 100-day research and/or innovation project. This manuscript describes the development, implementation, and uptake of the inaugural BRInC program and synthesizes the research and innovation projects undertaken, providing a framework for adoption of this program within the global biomechanics community. Eighty-seven high school girls in years 9 and 10 (age range: 14–16 y) were mentored in teams (n = 17) by women in biomechanics (n = 24). Using a design thinking approach, teams generated solutions to biomechanics-based problem(s)/research question(s). Eight key reflections on program strengths, as well as areas for improvement and planned changes for future iterations of the BRInC program, are outlined. These key reflections highlight the innovation, impact, and scalability of the program; the importance of a program framework and effective communication tools; and implementation of strategies to sustain the program as well as the importance of diversity and building a sense of community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Prognostication is very important to clinicians and families during the early management of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI), however, there are no gold standard biomarkers to determine prognosis in sTBI. As has been demonstrated in several diseases, early measurement of serum metabolomic profiles can be used as sensitive and specific biomarkers to predict outcomes. Methods We prospectively enrolled 59 adults with sTBI (Glasgow coma scale, GCS ≤ 8) in a multicenter Canadian TBI (CanTBI) study. Serum samples were drawn for metabolomic profiling on the 1st and 4th days following injury. The Glasgow outcome scale extended (GOSE) was collected at 3- and 12-months post-injury. Targeted direct infusion liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (DI/LC–MS/MS) and untargeted proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) were used to profile serum metabolites. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the association between serum metabolomics and GOSE, dichotomized into favorable (GOSE 5–8) and unfavorable (GOSE 1–4), outcomes. Results Serum metabolic profiles on days 1 and 4 post-injury were highly predictive (Q2 > 0.4–0.5) and highly accurate (AUC > 0.99) to predict GOSE outcome at 3- and 12-months post-injury and mortality at 3 months. The metabolic profiles on day 4 were more predictive (Q2 > 0.55) than those measured on day 1 post-injury. Unfavorable outcomes were associated with considerable metabolite changes from day 1 to day 4 compared to favorable outcomes. Increased lysophosphatidylcholines, acylcarnitines, energy-related metabolites (glucose, lactate), aromatic amino acids, and glutamate were associated with poor outcomes and mortality. Discussion Metabolomic profiles were strongly associated with the prognosis of GOSE outcome at 3 and 12 months and mortality following sTBI in adults. The metabolic phenotypes on day 4 post-injury were more predictive and significant for predicting the sTBI outcome compared to the day 1 sample. This may reflect the larger contribution of secondary brain injury (day 4) to sTBI outcome. Patients with unfavorable outcomes demonstrated more metabolite changes from day 1 to day 4 post-injury. These findings highlighted increased concentration of neurobiomarkers such as N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and tyrosine, decreased concentrations of ketone bodies, and decreased urea cycle metabolites on day 4 presenting potential metabolites to predict the outcome. The current findings strongly support the use of serum metabolomics, that are shown to be better than clinical data, in determining prognosis in adults with sTBI in the early days post-injury. Our findings, however, require validation in a larger cohort of adults with sTBI to be used for clinical practice.

ABSTRACT: Dairy producers have improved fertility of their herds by selecting bulls with higher conception rate evaluations. This research was motivated by the rapid increase in embryo transfer (ET) use to 11% of recent births and >1 million total births, with >5 times as many ET calves born in the United States in 2021 compared with just 5 yr earlier. Historical data used in genetic evaluations are stored in the National Cooperator Database. Recent records in the national pedigree database revealed that only 1% of ET calves have corresponding ET records in the breeding event database, 2% are incorrectly reported as artificial inseminations, and 97% have no associated breeding event. Embryo donation events are also rarely reported. Herd years reporting >10% of calves born by ET but less than half of the expected number of ET breeding events were removed to avoid potential biases. Heifer, cow, and sire conception rate evaluations were recalculated with this new data set according to the methods used for the official national evaluations. The edits removed about 1% of fertility records in the most recent 4 yr. Subsequent analysis showed that censoring herd years with inconsistent ET reporting had little effect on most bulls except for the highest ranking, younger bulls popular for ET use, and with largest effects on genomic selection. Improved ET reporting will be critical for providing accurate fertility evaluations, especially as the popularity of these advanced reproductive technologies continues to rise.

Racialisation and colonialism are central to sustaining (dis)embodied inequalities. We bring together our distinct ethnographic projects to explore this. The first project accompanied a microbiome expedition involving Amazonian Indigenous non/human communities, whereas the second project focussed on medical professional’ encounters with Mbya Guarani communities in the Atlantic Forest region. Both projects explore racialised assumptions of human difference and colonial extractive practices. In the case of medical intervention with the Mbya, and their forms of life, this is perpetuated through the imposition of anthropometric growth standards. With the human microbiome initiatives, identifying Indigenous Peoples as potential reservoirs for novel probiotics also ultimately amplifies racialised (dis)embodied inequalities. Rather than these interventions addressing such disembodied equalities, we draw parallels between the two, to show that they perpetuate them. Finally, we propose that part of ceasing to reproduce these (dis)embodied inequalities requires ‘us’ to challenge the racialised and colonial histories of the life and geological sciences, to recognise their embodied consequences in the present, as well as how they are implicated in emergent proposals for new geological ‘-cenes’.

Abstract Dietary fiber consumption has been linked with improved cardiometabolic health, however, human studies have reported large interindividual variations in the observed benefits. We tested whether the effects of dietary fiber on atherosclerosis are influenced by the gut microbiome. We colonized germ-free ApoE −/− mice with fecal samples from three human donors (DonA, DonB, and DonC) and fed them diets supplemented with either a mix of 5 fermentable fibers (FF) or non-fermentable cellulose control (CC) diet. We found that DonA-colonized mice had reduced atherosclerosis burden with FF feeding compared to their CC-fed counterparts, whereas the type of fiber did not affect atherosclerosis in mice colonized with microbiota from the other donors. Microbial shifts associated with FF feeding in DonA mice were characterized by higher relative abundances of butyrate-producing taxa, higher butyrate levels, and enrichment of genes involved in synthesis of B vitamins. Our results suggest that atheroprotection in response to FF is not universal and is influenced by the gut microbiome.

BackgroundAs cannabis legalization continues to spread across the United States, average Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations in recreational products have significantly increased, and no prior study has evaluated effective treatments to reduce cannabis use among high potency cannabis users. Some research has found that the non-intoxicating cannabinoid cannabidiol reduces cannabis use and cannabis use disorder-related symptoms, such as affective disturbance and withdrawal. Results of these studies are promising but limited to synthetic or isolated forms of cannabidiol.ObjectiveConduct a placebo-controlled randomized control trial comparing the effects of hemp-derived cannabidiol on reducing Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol use in concentrate users with cannabis use disorder.MethodsDesign. Double-blind, three-arm randomized placebo-controlled trial. Setting. University in the Denver-Boulder, CO, USA area. Study population. Community members who are heavy, stable cannabis concentrate users that meet criteria for at least moderate cannabis use disorder and are seeking to decrease or stop cannabis use. Data. Self-report demographics, substance use, and mental health characteristics, blood and urine based biomarkers and anthropometrics. Outcomes. Affective, physiological, and physical withdrawal symptoms, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol use. Analysis. Three-group ANOVAs and χ2 tests will be used to compare baseline variables between groups. Characteristics that differ between groups will be evaluated as potential covariates in subsequent analyses. A multilevel modeling framework will be used for primary outcome analysis to account for the repeated observations nested within participants over time. Pairwise post-hoc simple effects tests will be conducted to confirm patterns of differences.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06107062.

Abstract Introduction Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is frequently used in pulmonary medicine though it requires further optimization. Practical obstacles such as patient safety and procedural limitation have to date precluded large, controlled trials aimed at standardization of BAL procedure. Indeed, BAL guidelines are based on observational data. Innovative research methods are necessary to advance the clinical practice of BAL. Methods In our study, we evaluated the effect of injecting a gelatinized barium solution into different lobes and segments of cadaveric lungs. As the technique requires an irreversible injection into lung airspaces, it is not suitable for in vivo purposes. We measured the volume returned from BAL as well as the distribution of BAL injection via dissection. Segmental anatomic orientation was compared to a radiologist's impression of plain film radiographs taken of injected lungs. Results Mean injected volume distributions were greatest in the upper lobes and lowest in the lower lobes; mean ratios of injected volume distribution to lung lobe volume also followed this trend. Cannulated bronchi orders favored lower branches in the upper lobe and higher branches in the lower lobes. Segmental anatomy varied by the lung lobe injected and was most varied in the lower lobes. Conclusion This novel gelatinized‐barium injection technique provides a minimally complex method to yield clinically meaningful feedback on the performance of BAL. The technique is also adaptable to study of procedural parameters in the context of variable lung anatomies and pathologies.

We present the Next Generation Deep Extragalactic Exploratory Public (NGDEEP) Survey, a deep slitless spectroscopic and imaging Cycle 1 JWST treasury survey designed to constrain feedback mechanisms in low-mass galaxies across cosmic time. NGDEEP targets the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) with NIRISS slitless spectroscopy ( ${f}_{\mathrm{lim},\mathrm{line},5\sigma }\approx 1.2\,\times \,$ 10 ^−18 erg s ^−1 cm ^−2 ) to measure metallicities and star formation rates (SFRs) for low-mass galaxies through the peak of the cosmic SFR density (0.5 < z < 4). In parallel, NGDEEP targets the HUDF-Par2 parallel field with NIRCam ( ${m}_{\mathrm{lim},5\sigma }=30.6-30.9$ ) to discover galaxies to z > 12, constraining the slope of the faint end of the rest-ultraviolet luminosity function. NGDEEP overlaps with the deepest HST Advanced Camera for Surveys optical imaging in the sky, F435W in the HUDF ( ${m}_{\mathrm{lim},{\rm{F}}435{\rm{W}}}=29.6$ ) and F814W in HUDF-Par2 ( ${m}_{\mathrm{lim},{\rm{F}}814{\rm{W}}}=30$ ), making this a premier HST+JWST deep field. As a treasury survey, NGDEEP data are public immediately, and we will rapidly release data products and catalogs in the spirit of previous deep-field initiatives. In this paper we present the NGDEEP survey design, summarize the science goals, and detail plans for the public release of NGDEEP reduced data products.

External sensory cues can reduce freezing of gait in people with Parkinson's disease (PD), yet the role of the basal ganglia in these movements is unclear. We used microelectrode recordings to examine modulations in single unit (SU) and oscillatory local field potentials (LFP) during auditory-cued rhythmic pedaling movements of the feet. We tested five blocks of increasing cue frequencies (1 Hz, 1.5 Hz, 2 Hz, 2.5 Hz, and 3 Hz) in 24 people with PD undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or globus pallidus internus (GPi). Single unit firing and beta band LFPs (13–30 Hz) in response to movement onsets or cue onsets were examined. We found that the timing accuracy of foot pedaling decreased with faster cue frequencies. Increasing cue frequencies also attenuated firing rates in both STN and GPi neurons. Peak beta power in the GPi and STN showed different responses to the task. GPi beta power showed persistent suppression with fast cues and phasic modulation with slow cues. STN beta power showed enhanced beta synchronization following movement. STN beta power also correlated with rate of pedaling. Overall, we showed task-related responses in the GPi and STN during auditory-cued movements with differential roles in sensory and motor control. The results suggest a role for both input and output basal ganglia nuclei in auditory rhythmic pacing of gait-like movements in PD.

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), the most common human prion disease, is thought to occur when the cellular prion protein (PrPC) spontaneously misfolds and assembles into prion fibrils, culminating in fatal neurodegeneration. In a genome-wide association study of sCJD, we recently identified risk variants in and around the gene STX6, with evidence to suggest a causal increase of STX6 expression in disease-relevant brain regions. STX6 encodes syntaxin-6, a SNARE protein primarily involved in early endosome to trans-Golgi network retrograde transport. Here we developed and characterised a mouse model with genetic depletion of Stx6 and investigated a causal role of Stx6 expression in mouse prion disease through a classical prion transmission study, assessing the impact of homozygous and heterozygous syntaxin-6 knockout on disease incubation periods and prion-related neuropathology. Following inoculation with RML prions, incubation periods in Stx6−/− and Stx6+/− mice differed by 12 days relative to wildtype. Similarly, in Stx6−/− mice, disease incubation periods following inoculation with ME7 prions also differed by 12 days. Histopathological analysis revealed a modest increase in astrogliosis in ME7-inoculated Stx6−/− animals and a variable effect of Stx6 expression on microglia activation, however no differences in neuronal loss, spongiform change or PrP deposition were observed at endpoint. Importantly, Stx6−/− mice are viable and fertile with no gross impairments on a range of neurological, biochemical, histological and skeletal structure tests. Our results provide some support for a pathological role of Stx6 expression in prion disease, which warrants further investigation in the context of prion disease but also other neurodegenerative diseases considering syntaxin-6 appears to have pleiotropic risk effects in progressive supranuclear palsy and Alzheimer's disease.