Your search

This paper presents a study on 80 countries that evaluates the socioeconomic factors in containing the spread and mortality of COVID-19. Our results show that the long-term social factors such as lower personal freedom, better education in science, and past coronavirus outbreak experience are more effective than the economic factors such as higher healthcare-associated factors per 1000 population and larger GDP. However, using GDP per capita as the instrumental variable, we also find that the richer countries with a high degree of personal freedom have a higher number of infection or death cases per million population because they would be less likely to adhere to and implement the policy of the movement restrictions to restrict their access to goods and services.

Objective Florida manatee feeding ecology is critical to species survival, but the role of dental pads in feeding has received limited attention. This study characterized the gross and microscopic anatomy of the manatee’s dorsal and ventral dental pad in relation to these structures’ importance in mastication, which furthers our understanding of manatee feeding and health. Design Whole heads from 6 animals (4 male and 2 female) of varying sizes were examined grossly. Sections (5 µm) from throughout the dorsal and ventral dental pads were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin to document microanatomy. The thickness of the epithelium and stratum corneum were measured. Results The ventral dental pad epidermal (1129–3391 µm) and stratum corneum (331–1848 µm) thickness increased with increased body size. The dorsal dental pad epidermal (690–1988 µm) and stratum corneum (121–974 µm) thickness varied relative to size. The dental pad anatomy, including the thickened stratum corneum, indicates an importance similar to molars in grinding and physically breaking up plant material. Extensive appendages including filiform-like papillae and well-developed rete were observed and likely provide physical support for mastication. Conclusion While the sample size limits specific conclusions based on sex or age, it provides a good overview of the anatomy of the dental pads. The manatee is the only mammal known to have a ventral dental pad and the well-developed grinding surfaces demonstrates a crucial role in mastication for these structures. These dental pads should be evaluated during health checks and necropsies and considered in future research on manatee’s feeding mechanisms.

Manganese dioxide-multiwall carbon nanotube (MnO2-MWCNT) nanocomposites were synthesized via one-pot synthesis method with varying concentrations of 1 mg/ml, 4 mg/ml, and 10 mg/ml MWCNT. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electrochemical measurements. The intent of studying different concentrations is, ultimately, to correlate the effect of the concentration of multiwall carbon nanotube on the electrochemical performance of the MnO2-MWCNT nanocomposites. Two primary phenomena were observed as CNT concentration increased. First, less crystalline MnO2 adsorption onto individual CNTs occurred. Subsequently, CNT agglomeration became the primary feature of the nanostructures of high CNT concentration. The electrochemical studies reveal that the specific capacitance of MnO2 increases from 124 F/g to 145 F/g by the addition of 1 mg/ml MWCNTs and decreases to 102 F/g for MnO2-10 mg/ml MWCNT nanocomposite. © 2023

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are multipotent progenitor cells with the potential to differentiate into various cell types, including osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. These cells have been extensively employed in the field of cell-based therapies and regenerative medicine due to their inherent attributes of self-renewal and multipotency. Traditional approaches for assessing hMSCs differentiation capacity have relied heavily on labor-intensive techniques, such as RT-PCR, immunostaining, and Western blot, to identify specific biomarkers. However, these methods are not only time-consuming and economically demanding, but also require the fixation of cells, resulting in the loss of temporal data. Consequently, there is an emerging need for a more efficient and precise approach to predict hMSCs differentiation in live cells, particularly for osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. In response to this need, we developed innovative approaches that combine live-cell imaging with cutting-edge deep learning techniques, specifically employing a convolutional neural network (CNN) to meticulously classify osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. Specifically, four notable pre-trained CNN models, VGG 19, Inception V3, ResNet 18, and ResNet 50, were developed and tested for identifying adipogenic and osteogenic differentiated cells based on cell morphology changes. We rigorously evaluated the performance of these four models concerning binary and multi-class classification of differentiated cells at various time intervals, focusing on pivotal metrics such as accuracy, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, precision, and F1-score. Among these four different models, ResNet 50 has proven to be the most effective choice with the highest accuracy (0.9572 for binary, 0.9474 for multi-class) and AUC (0.9958 for binary, 0.9836 for multi-class) in both multi-class and binary classification tasks. Although VGG 19 matched the accuracy of ResNet 50 in both tasks, ResNet 50 consistently outperformed it in terms of AUC, underscoring its superior effectiveness in identifying differentiated cells. Overall, our study demonstrated the capability to use a CNN approach to predict stem cell fate based on morphology changes, which will potentially provide insights for the application of cell-based therapy and advance our understanding of regenerative medicine.

Introduction/Purpose  Athletic administrators (AA) in U.S. high schools are uniquely positioned to provide guidance and endorsement for the prevention and management of common sport-related catastrophic injuries, such as the development of a spinal cord injury management (SCIM) policy. The purpose of this project was to evaluate AA’s knowledge of comprehensive SCIM policies in U.S. high schools. Secondarily, we aimed to investigate the factors, facilitators, and barriers to the development and adoption of comprehensive policies. Methods  An online questionnaire was distributed to 6423 AA working in U.S.-based high school athletics, with 366 included in the final data analysis. The questionnaire evaluated AA’s knowledge of comprehensive SCIM policies addressing components of adoption, documentation, and communication. The questionnaire was developed based on the 2002 “National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Acute Management of the Cervical Spine-Injured Athlete.” The questionnaire also inquired about facilitators and barriers to developing and adopting comprehensive policies. Proportions were calculated for policy adoption, and independent-samples t-tests evaluated the influence of athletic training services on comprehensive SCIM policies. Results  About half of AA (49.2%, n = 180/366) reported having all recommended components of a written SCIM policy. AA who had access to an athletic trainer (yes = 62.9%, no = 18.1%, unknown = 19%) were more likely to have a comprehensive SCIM policy compared with those without access (80.6% vs 19.4%, χ21 = 7.091, P = 0.008, prevalence ratio = 1.24, 95% confidence interval = 1.03–1.50). The most commonly reported facilitator (49.9%) was “having a medical professional at the school,” and the main barrier (30.2%) was “my school would need more information, resources, assistance, etc.” Conclusions  The findings identify areas for improvement in supporting the health and safety of children in high school participating in interscholastic athletics. Future dissemination and implementation research should develop strategies tailored to individual school community and need to improve SCIM policy adoption and implementation.

Detecting deception is challenging; there exists no universal cue that gives away deceit and people vary greatly in how they communicate. One way to potentially improve deception detection is by comparing multiple responses of the same individual to identify verbal deviations – a method known as baselining. This study examined the impact of baselining embedded in a specific interview protocol to improve lie detection. Participants (N = 179) viewed mock crimes and were instructed to lie or tell the truth about what they witnessed. Next, they were interviewed including a truthful baseline (Reality Interview Modified: RIM), or no baseline (Reality Interview: RI; Structured Interview: SI). Results showed that truth tellers in the SI and RI conditions provided more details than liars during free recall, while no detail differences emerged for the RIM condition. Follow-up questions in all conditions showed truth tellers offered more details than liars. Surprisingly, we found no evidence that verbal deviations from a baseline can be used as effective indicators of deception. In sum, further research is needed to explore the best application of baselining for lie detection purposes.

Traditional crisis management approaches have often overlooked the role of community and nonprofit organizations. In this study, we investigated how nonprofits and communities contributed to problem-solving during crises through self-organization on social media. We applied social network analysis to 17,732 interactions using #TwitterFoodBank, a self-organized network emerged during the early stage of COVID-19 to address food insecurity. Our results highlighted the significant role of nonprofits in coordinating the community’s self-organized network. However, they also revealed a lack of coordination among these organizations in maintaining a viable network. These findings have valuable implications for nonprofits seeking to leverage the potential of online self-organized communities in crisis management.

The paper estimates the determinants of the growing volume of bilateral environmental aid for the mitigation of climate change using an empirically testable multilateral framework in which both donors and recipient countries compete in world export markets. As the potential donors weigh environmental benefits against the economic costs of providing aid, strategic interactions between the donors and the recipient countries as well as among the donors, influence the evolution of environmental aid. The paper shows that while the volume of bilateral environmental aid increases with the recipient country’s credible environmental commitment and bilateral trade volume, the competitive pressure in the export market reduces bilateral environmental aid. Free-riding incentives prevail among the individual donors, whereas the multilateral environmental aids that aim to restore the loss of global environmental resources without altering individual trade competitiveness can increase bilateral environmental aids.

The polarization of Λ and ¯Λ hyperons along the beam direction has been measured relative to the second and third harmonic event planes in isobar Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr collisions at √sNN=200 GeV. This is the first experimental evidence of the hyperon polarization by the triangular flow originating from the initial density fluctuations. The amplitudes of the sine modulation for the second and third harmonic results are comparable in magnitude, increase from central to peripheral collisions, and show a mild pT dependence. The azimuthal angle dependence of the polarization follows the vorticity pattern expected due to elliptic and triangular anisotropic flow, and qualitatively disagrees with most hydrodynamic model calculations based on thermal vorticity and shear induced contributions. The model results based on one of existing implementations of the shear contribution lead to a correct azimuthal angle dependence, but predict centrality and pT dependence that still disagree with experimental measurements. Thus, our results provide stringent constraints on the thermal vorticity and shear-induced contributions to hyperon polarization. Comparison to previous measurements at RHIC and the LHC for the second-order harmonic results shows little dependence on the collision system size and collision energy.

A young boy remembers fond childhood memories at his grandmother's house, where he learned the small things in life that truly mattered.

Climate change is driving a shift in the distribution of global kelp forests, with the contraction of kelp habitats occurring at warm range edges. Declining kelps often have been replaced by novel algal turf assemblages, which are reinforced by ecological feedback mechanisms and provide fewer ecosystem services. Trophic interactions among marine herbivores, algal turfs, and kelps on algal turf-dominated reefs remain poorly resolved but could have important implications for the stability of algal turf reefs and the potential for kelp forest recovery. Here, we examine herbivory by the Atlantic purple sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata, in a degraded kelp forest ecosystem dominated by algal turf in southern New England, USA. In a localized field survey, we observed lower algal turf cover on reef areas containing A. punctulata (mean ± SE: 62 ± 12% turf cover) as compared to areas with no sea urchins present (92 ± 4% turf cover). Reef areas with and without sea urchins had similarly low cover of the previously dominant kelp, Saccharina latissima (6–8% kelp cover). In laboratory and field experiments, individuals or groups of A. punctulata enclosed with a diet choice of algal turf versus kelp had higher grazing rates on the algal turf. A. punctulata in the laboratory also exhibited greater attraction to algal turf over kelp, physically moving towards this food source. In combination, the results provide evidence that A. punctulata has a feeding preference for algal turf over kelp in southern New England. Future research is warranted to further examine the grazing ecology of A. punctulata, particularly in the context of ongoing kelp forest restoration efforts in this region.

Despite repeated calls for more inclusive practices, approaches used to address current challenges within the ocean-climate nexus do not sufficiently account for the complexity of the human-social-ecological system. So far, this has prevented efficient and just decision-making and policies. We propose to shift towards systems-informed decision making, which values transdisciplinary system-thinking and cumulative impact assessments, and encourages multi-system collaboration among decision-makers in order to address the recurring technicality of policies and to foster just solutions that account for the needs of varied actors across the sustainable development spectrum.

Disruptive technological changes, including carbon capture and storage, can have macroeconomic rebound effects that pose a threat to long term environmental sustainability when not accompanied by pollution taxes. The paper demonstrates that when the elasticity of intertemporal substitution is less than one, implementing a Pigouvian tax effectively stabilizes pollution emissions, regardless of technical and consumption elasticities of substitution. However, if the elasticity of intertemporal substitution exceeds one, flexibility in technical or consumption substitution could cause sustainable growth to falter. The policy implications concerning the role of subsidies for clean technology are discussed.

CuS and CuS-rGO nanocomposites were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The synthesized CuS and rGO-CuS nanocomposite materials were physically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and were evaluated electrochemically for supercapacitor applications. The specific capacitance of CuS was determined to be 207 F/g, 150 F/g, and 97 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g, 5 A/g, and 20 A/g, respectively. The rGO-CuS nanocomposite showed improved specific capacitance of 350 F/g, 251 F/g, and 149 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g, 5 A/g, and 20 A/g, respectively.

Globally, air pollution accounts for approximately one in eight deaths, and diarrheal diseases account for one in nine child deaths annually. Lead exposure contributes to concerns of heart disease, stroke, and developmental intellectual disability. Further, across the world, nearly 23 million people are displaced by extreme weather events each year, which have been exacerbated by climate change and contribute to physical and mental health implications for entire communities. These and many other environmentally related experiences and their subsequent health outcomes are not experienced equally by race, ethnicity, or income, with Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities and low-income communities repeatedly experiencing the heaviest of burdens. Due to a variety of historic and contemporary policy and planning decisions, these patterns of environmental injustice persist on local, national, and global scales. In response, environmental justice (EJ) is a social movement, as well as a belief that people of all backgrounds deserve access to clean air and water and a healthy community in which to thrive. This chapter heavily focuses on the USA and its environmental health inequities, policies, and historic EJ movement. However, in our globalized society, EJ is a global issue that must be addressed as such by the field of public health.

The Gona paleoanthropological field project in the Afar region of Ethiopia has long been associated with the earliest Oldowan stone tools. However, over the last 20 years, ongoing research at Gona has expanded its contributions considerably, producing fossils of Ardipithecus kadabba, Ardipithecus ramidus, and Homo erectus, as well as additional archaeological evidence of the earliest Oldowan and early Acheulean. Moreover, in the last few years, the Gona team has turned its attention to the younger deposits exposed in its study area and discovered a surprising number of Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) archaeological sites, mostly from the Late Pleistocene to the early-middle Holocene. While any sedimentary sequence is incomplete by virtue of episodic depositional and erosional events over time, we are struck by the relative completeness of the archaeological sequence at Gona (Quade et al., 2008). The hominin fossils attract deserved attention, but the Gona project may ultimately be best known for preserving arguably the most extensive, detailed, and continuous Stone Age or Paleolithic archaeological sequence in the world, all contained within a small 25 km × 10 km area, approximately half of the total project area.

Human impacts on wild populations are numerous and extensive, degrading habitats and causing population declines across taxa. Though these impacts are often studied individually, wild populations typically face suites of stressors acting concomitantly, compromising the fitness of individuals and populations in ways poorly understood and not easily predicted by the effects of any single stressor. Developing understanding of the effects of multiple stressors and their potential interactions remains a critical challenge in environmental biology. Here, we focus on assessing the impacts of two prominent stressors affecting many organisms across the planet – elevated salinity (an increasingly common pollutant in freshwater habitats) and elevated temperature. We examined a suite of physiological traits and components of fitness across populations of wood frogs originating from ponds that differ in their proximity to roads and thus their legacy of exposure to road salt pollution. When experimentally exposed to road salt, wood frogs showed reduced survival, especially those from ponds adjacent to roads, and delayed time to metamorphosis. Family level effects mediated these outcomes, but high salinity generally eroded family level variance. When combined, exposure to both temperature and salt resulted in very low survival, and this effect was strongest in roadside populations. Taken together, these results suggest that temperature is an important stressor capable of exacerbating impacts from a prominent contaminant confronting many freshwater organisms in salinized habitats. More broadly, it appears likely that toxicity might often be underestimated in the absence of multi-stressor approaches.

Facultatively symbiotic corals provide important experimental models to explore the establishment, maintenance, and breakdown of the mutualism between corals and members of the algal family Symbiodiniaceae. The temperate coral Astrangia poculata is one such model as it is not only facultatively symbiotic, but also occurs across a broad temperature and latitudinal gradient. Here, we report the de novo chromosome-scale assembly and annotation of the A. poculata genome. Though widespread segmental/tandem duplications of genomic regions were detected, we did not find strong evidence of a whole genome duplication (WGD) event. Comparison of the gene arrangement between A. poculata and the tropical coral Acropora millepora revealed 56.38% of the orthologous genes were conserved in syntenic blocks despite ∼415 million years of divergence. Gene families related to sperm hyperactivation and innate immunity, including lectins, were found to contain more genes in A. millepora relative to A. poculata. Sperm hyperactivation in A. millepora is expected given the extreme requirements of gamete competition during mass spawning events in tropical corals, while lectins are important in the establishment of coral-algal symbiosis. By contrast, gene families involved in sleep promotion, feeding suppression, and circadian sleep/wake cycle processes were expanded in A. poculata. These expanded gene families may play a role in A. poculata’s ability to enter a dormancy-like state (“winter quiescence”) to survive freezing temperatures at the northern edges of the species’ range.

Purpose: As part of the development of a speech-in-noise screener, speech recognition was measured in quiet and in an interrupted noise for 59 children with typical development according to parent report. Method: There were 39 monolingual and 20 bilingual participants. A corpus of 107 words were presented by a male and female speaker and present in the following conditions: +3 dB signal-to- noise ratio (SNR), −3 dB SNR, and quiet. Results: The participants showed increasing difficulty with speech identification as the SNR decreased. Additionally, age-related differences in accuracy were observed at each noise level. Conclusion: Our findings provide preliminary support for the utility and efficacy of a speech-in-noise screener for use with children.