Month: August 2024

Bartonella quintana detection among arthropods and their hosts: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

Background

Bartonella quintana is a body louse-borne bacterium causing bacteremia and infective endocarditis. We aimed to describe B. quintana detection among arthropods and their hosts.

Methods

We searched databases in PubMed Central/MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science from January 1, 1915 (the year of B. quintana discovery) to January 1, 2024, to identify publications containing specific search terms relating to B. quintana detection among arthropods. Descriptive statistics and meta-analysis of pooled prevalence using random-effects models were performed for all arthropods and body and head lice.

Results

Of 1265 records, 62 articles were included, describing 8839 body lice, 4962 head lice, and 1692 other arthropods, such as different species of fleas, bedbugs, mites, and ticks. Arthropods were collected from 37 countries, of which 28 had arthropods with B. quintana DNA. Among articles that reported B. quintana detection among individual arthropods, 1445 of 14,088 (0.1026, 95% CI [0.0976; 0.1077]) arthropods tested positive for B. quintana DNA, generating a random-effects model global prevalence of 0.0666 (95% CI [0.0426; 0.1026]). Fifty-six studies tested 8839 body lice, of which 1679 had B. quintana DNA (0.1899, 95% CI [0.1818; 0.1983]), generating a random-effects model pooled prevalence of 0.2312 (95% CI [0.1784; 0.2843]). Forty-two studies tested 4962 head lice, of which 390 head lice from 20 studies originating from 11 different countries had B. quintana DNA (0.0786, 95% CI [0.0713; 0.0864]). Eight studies detected B. quintana DNA exclusively on head lice. Five studies reported greater B. quintana detection on head lice than body lice; all originated from low-resource environments.

Conclusions

Bartonella quintana is a vector-borne bacterium with a global distribution, disproportionately affecting marginalized populations. Bartonella quintana DNA has been detected in many different arthropod species, though not all of these arthropods meet criteria to be considered vectors for B. quintana transmission. Body lice have long been known to transmit B. quintana. A limited number of studies suggest that head lice may also act as possible vectors for B. quintana in specific low-resource contexts.

Graphical Abstract

Decomposing impact of climate change and land surface alterations on catchment hydrology in Eastern Himalaya

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Abstract

Climate change is intensifying water challenges in the Eastern Himalayas. Bridging climate change and water demand is vital, especially in India’s ungauged Himalayan catchments. The proposed novel method aims to differentiate climate change and anthropogenic activity impacts on catchment hydrology. In this study, evaporative demand was assessed by coupling SWAT and Budyko framework at the micro-watershed scale for understanding climate and surface changes in local hydrology. The coupled model considers climate parameters through SWAT to decompose the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities on watershed hydrology. The Budyko framework depicted the relationship between precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and potential evapotranspiration (PET) resulting in partitioning evaporative demand into green and blue ET. Parameters like d-statistics, responsivity, and elasticity assessed the buffer capacity of catchments against climate change. The study unveiled catchment characteristic (ω) values within the range of 1.70–1.56 from 2005 to 2030, indicative of a discernible shift in hydrological patterns attributed to changes in land use land cover (LULC) and climate variables. The investigation underscored the significant impact of LULC changes, manifesting as a reduction in snow and glacier cover alongside an augmentation in blue ET. The variation in precipitation, LULC, PET, and temperature were identified as primary influencers on hydrological regimes, rendering watersheds increasingly susceptible to climatic variations. Six catchments are unable to cope with or buffer against climate change and have low coping capacity. The study emphasizes the exigency to water resource management in ecologically delicate Eastern Himalayan ecosystem.

Advances in remote sensing based soil moisture retrieval: applications, techniques, scales and challenges for combining machine learning and physical models

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Abstract

Soil Moisture (SM) monitoring is crucial for various applications in agriculture, hydrology, and climate science. Remote Sensing (RS) offers a powerful tool for large-scale SM retrieval. This paper explores the advancements in RS techniques for SM estimation. We discuss the applications of these techniques, along with the advantages and limitations of traditional physical models and data-driven Machine Learning (ML) based approaches. The paper emphasizes the potential of combining ML and physical models to leverage the strengths of both approaches. We explore the challenges associated with this integration and future research directions to improve the accuracy, scalability, and robustness of RS-based SM retrieval. Finally, the paper also discusses a few issues such as input data selection, data availability, ML complexity, the need for public datasets for benchmarking, and analysis.

A Conceptual Framework on Imaginative Education-Based Engineering Curriculum

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Abstract

Traditional engineering education (Eng. Ed) has received criticism for restricting student learning and experiences to practical skills development while ignoring the significance of fostering cognitive skills that encourage higher order thinking, criticality, and self-reflexivity. Imaginative education (IE) has emerged as a consideration for replacing such skills focused engineering curricula with interactive, engaging, and student-centered pedagogical approaches. However, existing literature on the topic as well as Egan’s (1997) own explanation of the five stages of understanding (somatic, mythic, romantic, philosophic, and ironic) are mainly focused on K-12 contexts, leaving limited resources and insights for higher education contexts. This calls for theoretical and practical expansion of the topic where development and implementation of IE-informed Eng. Ed for adult engineering students remain the focus. To respond to this call, this conceptual paper focuses on two main points. First, it attempts to unpack the theoretical underpinnings of the five stages of IE to understand what each stage means for educators and learners in higher education engineering contexts. Second, after outlining the challenges that traditional Eng. Ed is facing in a globalized world today and the initiatives from the field to address them, it discusses the promises IE can bring to make Eng. Ed more effective, inclusive, and relevant. Overall, the intention in this paper is to turn to the theoretical tensions that may emerge when considering IE as an approach to re-imagine and expand Eng. Ed.

The impact of ATP-sensitive potassium channel modulation on mitochondria in a Parkinson’s disease model using SH-SY5Y cells depends on their differentiation state

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Abstract

Inward rectifying potassium channels sensitive to ATP levels (KATP) have been the subject of investigation for several decades. Modulators of KATP channels are well-established treatments for metabolic as well as cardiovascular diseases. Experimental studies have also shown the potential of KATP modulation in neurodegenerative disorders. However, to date, data regarding the effects of KATP antagonists/agonists in experiments related to neurodegeneration remain inconsistent. The main source of confusion in evaluating available data seems to be the choice of experimental models. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the effects of both opening and blocking KATP channels in two forms of SH-SY5Y cells. Our results offer valuable insights into the significance of metabolic differences between differentiated and non-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, particularly in the context of glibenclamide and diazoxide effects under normal conditions and during the initiation of pathological events simulating Parkinson’s disease in vitro. We emphasize the analysis of mitochondrial functions and changes in mitochondrial network morphology. The heightened protein expression of KATP channels identified in non-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells seems to be a platform for a more significant impact of KATP modulators in this cell type. The efficiency of rotenone treatment in inducing morphological changes in the mitochondrial network depends on the differentiation status of SH-SY5Y cells.

DSTVis: toward better interactive visual analysis of Drones’ spatio-temporal data

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Abstract

Maintaining the normal flight of drones is crucial for drone operators. Analyzing the operation status of drones and adjusting flight parameters are essential to achieve this goal. However, as drone technology continues to evolve, the volume and complexity of spatio-temporal data related to drone flight status have grown exponentially. The complexity of this data poses a challenge to effective visualization, which can impact operators’ analysis and decision-making. Currently, there is limited research on identifying flight attributes from a large collection of drone time series data. Two challenges were identified: (1) visual clutter from spatio-temporal data; (2) effective integration of time and space properties. By collaborating with domain experts, we addressed two challenges with DSTVis, a novel interactive system for operators to visually analyze spatio-temporal data of drones. For Challenge 1, we designed dynamic interactive views by abstracting and stratifying spatio-temporal data, enabling effective exploration of large amounts of data. For Challenge 2, a two-dimensional map is utilized to integrate time information and assist users in comprehending the spatio-temporal properties. The effectiveness of the system is evaluated with a usage scenario on a real-world historical dataset and received positive feedback from experts.

Graphic abstract

Selective laser melting of H13 tool steel powder: effect of process parameter on complex part production

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Abstract

This research work presents the investigation of H13 tool steel powder in the production of parts characterized by complex features via selective laser melting. The authors proposed a benchmark geometry with 40 mm nominal height, self-supported overhanging structure and internal channels. To investigate powder printability and process capabilities, an experimental campaign was designed as a function of laser power, scan speed and hatching distance. Full dense parts exhibiting 99.92% internal density have been achieved by imposing a laser power equal to 150 W, a scan speed equal to 500 mm/s and a hatching distance equal to 120 µm, while high geometrical accuracy in terms of no material drops along sample edges and low-dimensional deviations of the realized sloping surfaces (i.e., + 0.23° and − 0.90° for nominal 35° and 40° overhang, respectively) has been achieved for 150 W, 1000 mm/s, and 100 µm. Findings open the way to use SLM technology in the design of advanced cutting tool solutions.

Academic freedom and the unknown: credibility, criticism, and inquiry among the professoriate

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Abstract

In the U.S., military and intelligence personnel, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), scholars, professional organizations, legislators, journalists, and others are requesting study of UFOs, recently renamed Unidentified Aerial/Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) by the U.S. government. Yet disinformation, misidentifications, hoaxes, and entertainment cloud the subject. Combined, these factors pertain to wider debates about the parameters of academic freedom. Here, we asked faculty across 14 disciplines at 144 research universities (N = 1460) to register insights about UAP in the academy via confidential survey. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first national study to examine scholars’ evaluations of academic credibility and possible social or professional repercussions—including concerns for tenure, promotion, and academic freedom—in relation to UAP. Results suggest that faculty concern that conducting UAP-related research would jeopardize their tenure or promotion might exceed colleagues’ actual negativity toward such research on tenure or promotional votes. Only 7.4% of faculty responded that “Yes” they would vote negatively (“No” = 61.92%, “Maybe” = 27.95%), though 52.67% reported some degree of concern for tenure or promotion. Faculty more frequently reported some degree of concern for social rather than professional repercussions. Concern for ridicule totaled 69.04%. Among all faculty, 66.24% reported that their discipline was capable to some degree of evaluating the evidence or significance of UAP. The disciplines of physics (95.82%), philosophy (88.73%), anthropology (87.09%), and engineering (83.15%) most frequently reported capability. Those who most frequently responded “Not at All” capable belonged to economics (59.7%), literature/English (54.46%), nursing (53.33%), and art and design (51.52%). Notably, although physics faculty most frequently responded that their discipline was capable to some degree of evaluation, nearly three in four reported some degree of concern about ridicule. From 250 open-ended responses, we generated 14 themes pertaining to research or teaching. To promote transparency, highlight a range of perspectives, and facilitate debate, for each theme we included at least 3 example quotes. In the context of ongoing developments, we discuss results, which underscore the complexity of beleaguered subjects and render conversations about academic freedom and UAP timely, relevant, and necessary.

3Rs of Sustainable Activism on Social Media: Relatability, Reliability and Redress

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Abstract

The achievement of sustainability goals will take a joint effort and content creators could be one of the actors helping with reaching it. Reliable but relatable communication on sustainable lifestyles on social media could reach many consumers and contribute to changing their behaviour patterns. However, the content creators’ activities need to fit within certain parameters for the benefits to outweigh the costs. This article identifies three important parameters that regulation should safeguard: Relatability, reliability, and redress. A key reason why content creators have managed to establish themselves as influencers is that they are relatable. But content creators may not be able to ensure what they tell their followers is reliable. That in turn raises the question of who should be responsible for providing redress in cases of misstatements. Following the critical analysis of the European legal framework, this article considers the need for further adaptations to the current rules or even the adoption of new rules more strictly regulating sustainable activism on social media.

Toward the attainment of climate-smart PPP infrastructure projects: a critical review and recommendations

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Abstract

Extreme climate change is an existential threat to humanity and infrastructure development. At the same time, the construction and operation of carbon-intense public–private partnership (PPP) infrastructure such as road transport, water, public houses, energy supply and sanitation unleash most of the greenhouse gas emissions that impacts negatively on the climate. Increasingly, there is a heightened interests in the development and financing of climate-smart PPP solutions to promote resilient and sustainable public infrastructures. Therefore, this article aims at identifying the critical solutions to the provision of climate-smart PPP infrastructure projects together with the driving factors and challenges of its implementation in public facilities. The paper utilized a systematic literature review method where data were sourced from prominent academic databases of Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed. The outcomes of the review demonstrate that the adoption of climate finance, renewable energy, and maintaining resilient infrastructures are prominent solutions to attain low-carbon infrastructure development. Key drivers such as the global call to reduce huge emissions from construction projects and transition to sustainable green construction management account for the shift toward climate-smart PPP projects. The barriers identified include poor and unconcerted practice and policy directions to resolve emission problems in the construction industry. The outcomes of this article provide incentives for the development and management of climate-smart public projects. Researchers can harness the results to investigate and develop adaptation and mitigation strategies for low-carbon PPP projects.