Emotion regulation is pivotal in human interactions and well-being. Modulating one’s emotional state is intricately linked with psychological, behavioral, and physiological responses. Extensive research has explored how individuals with varying attachment orientations manage emotions, predominantly through self-report measures and behavioral assessments. However, the influence of attachment orientations on temporal electrophysiological dynamics during emotion regulation tasks remains underexplored. Here, 90 adults’ EEG brain activity was recorded while they engaged in tasks of attending to, reappraising, or suppressing emotions elicited by unpleasant images. Their attachment orientations were assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationships-12 (ECR-12) questionnaire to explore the association between Late Positive Potential (LPP) and attachment anxiety and avoidance amidst the deployment of emotion regulation strategies. Using Linear Mixed-Effects Model analysis our results revealed a lower amplitude of the LPP during cognitive reappraisal, suggesting the efficacy of this strategy in diminishing emotional intensity. Moreover, higher attachment anxiety exhibited increased LPP amplitude during both Reappraisal and Suppression, as well as during the negative natural condition, indicating heightened emotional responses. This study provides novel insights into the relationship between attachment orientations and emotion regulation, as evidenced by EEG-based measurements of the LPP. The findings indicate that individuals with higher attachment anxiety display distinct electrophysiological responses, particularly in emotional scenarios.

Runoff generation and concentration are essential processes of the hydrological cycle. Understanding runoff generation patterns is crucial for improving the accuracy of hydrological forecasting and regional water resource assessment. This research aims to explore runoff generation mechanisms in the plains’ farmlands of North China and analyze the impact of wheat growth on runoff generation in typical slope farmland. Seven scenarios of experiments were designed on two soil tanks as the farm-sample of different slopes, which are 2° and 4° separated. These scenarios took into account local climate types, cropping structures, and slope by setting a uniform rainfall intensity of 60 mm/h through an artificial rainfall device located in Yongnian County, Hebei Province, China. These experiments were conducted, and the runoff generation process in different scenarios were observed from October 2019 to June 2021. Through the comparison of the observed runoff processes, the results indicate that surface runoff varies significantly, while interflow remains relatively stable. Vegetation cover has a greater impact than slope on runoff process. As winter wheat grew, the initial time of surface runoff was delayed, and runoff yield decreased, whereas the runoff generation of interflow exhibited the opposite trend. Under the same vegetation cover conditions, the increase in slope led to an advance in the T Rs and an increase in runoff volume and peak value, while the interflow findings were inverse. The bare land in the winter wheat scenario has a significantly greater runoff volume, likely benefiting from the impact of the crop rotation system on soil characteristics in North China. The findings of this research provide insight into understanding runoff patterns in North China, reducing the uncertainty between runoff model parameters and watershed characteristics, and offering beneficial references for research and practice in related fields.

Body ownership—the perception that one’s body belongs to oneself—has been explored using a rubber hand illusion, in which individuals misperceive a fake hand as their own (i.e., embodiment of the fake hand) when an unseen real hand and a visible fake hand are stroked synchronously. Thus, the movement of an embodied fake body may be represented in one’s own sensorimotor system. Using a combination of the rubber hand illusion and a motor task, we investigated whether simple movement of the embodied fake hand influenced the subsequent movement of the participants’ hand. The participants lifted their own index finger immediately upon observing the index finger lifting on the embodied (rubber hand illusion) or non-embodied (non-rubber hand illusion) fake hand (Experiment 1), and a light-emitting diode turning on near the fake hand (Experiment 2). The reaction times, peak velocities, and peak acceleration were extracted from the participants’ finger-lifting movements. In Experiment 1, the reaction time was significantly shorter in the rubber hand illusion condition than in the non-rubber hand illusion condition, suggesting the rapid facilitation effect of embodied fake hand movement on actual movement. However, no such motor facilitation was observed in Experiment 2, confirming that the improved reaction time in Experiment 1 resulted from the visual movement of the fake hand rather than attention to the fake hand itself. In contrast to the reaction time, the peak velocity and acceleration did not differ significantly in either experiment. These findings reflect the shared sensorimotor representations of illusory and actual self-movement.

Objectives: The ever-growing demands on care systems have increased the reliance on Home Care Support Worker’s (HCSW’s) which has seen a shift to provision of care to community based and close to home care provision. Currently there is no clear outline of a career pathway nor career development for HCSW’s, and this lack of associated framework which recognises CPD for career progression is impacting on recruiting and retaining HCSW’s within the care sector. The aim of this scoping review is to explore the international evidence to identify the potential costs/outcomes of the development of a career pathway for HCSW, and the economic benefits connected with continual professional development (CPD). The rational for taking this approach is that the evidence to date is limited, regarding the effectiveness of systems or frameworks for a career pathway for HCSW’s and value for money. Methods: A scoping review was conducted of peer-reviewed international literature using structured searches of electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Social Care Online, and Social Sciences Citation Index) and grey literature (Sept-Nov 2023) using key economic terms and methodologies to capture economic evidence and connected costs with HCSW career development and CPD activities. Results: Article screening of titles, abstracts and full texts was conducted by two independent reviewers (EM, ML) to minimise bias and ensure rigour along with applying a GRADE approach for literature quality. The search strategy identified peer reviewed literature which included economic issues associated with CPD and HCSW career development. Following, 17 papers were critically appraised and during the process of data extraction four key themes emerged: (1) Cost-benefits of employment and training (2) Organisational economic perspectives (3) Service economic perspectives and (4) Sector economic perspectives. Discussion: The inclusion of economic evidence within this scoping review identified that there is very limited evidence associated with economic evaluation approaches to estimate the costs and benefits of CPD and development of a career pathway for HCSW. The scoping review did identify the gaps in the evidence on the assessments of systems or frameworks for HCSW’s career pathways development and CPD opportunities. Recommendations are that future research examining this topic should include Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) to build evidence to support CPD activity and a career pathway development for HCSWs.

The airfoil DU91-W2-150 was investigated in the Low Speed Low Turbulence Tunnel at the Delft University of Technology to study unsteady aerodynamics. This experimental study tested the airfoil under a wide range of angles of attack (AoA) from 0 ◦ to 3 1 0 ◦ at three Reynolds numbers ( Re) from 2 × 1 0 5 to 8 × 1 0 5 . Pressure on the airfoil surface was measured and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements were conducted to capture the flow field in the wake. By examining the force coefficient and comparing the wake contours, it shows that an upwind concave surface provides a higher load compared to a convex surface upwind case, highlighting the critical role of surface shape in aerodynamics. When comparing separation at specific locations along the chord for all three Res, it is observed that as Re increases, separation tends to occur at lower angles of attack, both for positive stall and negative stall. The examination of the aerodynamic force variation indicates that, during reverse flow, fluctuations are more pronounced compared to forward flow. This is owing to separation occurring at the aerodynamic leading edge (geometric trailing edge) in reverse flow. In terms of vortex shedding frequency, the study found a nearly constant normalized Strouhal number ( St) of 0.16 across various Res and AoAs in fully separated regions, indicating a consistent pattern under these conditions. However, a slight increase in St, between 0.16 and 0.20, was observed for AoAs exceeding 180 degrees, possibly due to the convex curvature of the airfoil in the upwind direction. In conclusion, this research not only corroborates previous findings for small AoAs, but also adds new data on the aerodynamic behavior of the DU91-W2-150 airfoil under large AoAs, offering various perspectives on the effects of surface curvature, Re, and flow conditions on key aerodynamic parameters.

A document by Nishchal Soti. Click on the document to view its contents.

Tumor treatment has entered a new phase because to cancer immunotherapy in recent years. For a variety of human diseases, researchers have been looking for ways to alter the immune system at different phases of treatment. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) therapy is a quickly developing cancer treatment that is a subset of adoptive cell treatments (ACT). By injecting CAR molecules into immune cells, this method genetically alters them, giving them new skills to identify cancer cells and reroute malignant tumor cells through specific actions. As a result, refractory cancers have shown significant responses. As the first line of defense against infections and malignant cells, CAR Natural Killer (NK) cells are a combination of CAR molecules and innate immune cells, more especially NK cells, which are an essential part of the innate immune system. The potential for using CAR-NK cells to treat a variety of malignant tumors has been greatly increased by their ability to target a wide range of tumor antigens via particular signaling pathways on the surface of NK cells. The targeting accuracy and cytolytic activity of NK cells against tumor cells have significantly increased due to the integration of CAR molecules that target tumor-specific antigens, increased immune cell activity, and the innate anti-tumor capabilities of NK cells. Compared to CAR-T cells, CAR-engineered NK cells have a wider choice of sources during production, may produce a variety of inflammatory cytokines, facilitate cytotoxic effects, and have less side effects after treatment. Many researchers are interested in studying and exploring NK cells through various clinical studies because of these benefits, which position them as a prospective platform for CAR-based therapy. The possibilities and difficulties of using CAR NK cells to treat cancer are clarified by this review.

Non-native species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide, due to their direct and indirect effects on native communities. There are two opposing hypotheses to explain how non-native species successfully establish outside their native range. The first posits that non-native species are closely related to local native species through environmental filtering which selects species with similar traits; the second, that non-native species are distantly related to native species in the area in which they establish due to limiting similarity which minimizes competition. We assessed support for these two hypotheses by characterising the functional trait space of bird communities in Italian cities. We surveyed 220 points in breeding and winter periods along an urbanisation gradient in six cities. We assessed the two opposing hypotheses by calculating functional diversity metrics (Functional Dispersion i.e. quantification of the distribution of functional elements in the niche space, and Contribution i.e. contribution of each species to the niche space) for each community. We then modelled these metrics in relation to the presence/absence of non-native parakeet species along the urbanisation gradient. We found that non-native parakeet species were more likely to establish in the vacant functional niche space of urban bird communities, showing marked dissimilarity to native species in terms of niche space. Our results suggest that limiting similarity is the main mechanism promoting invasions at the local scale. Urban environments offer novel opportunities that are exploited by non-native birds, minimising competition with native species. This insight into niche space processes in urban areas, which can act as centres for expansion of non-native birds into other environments, can be used when implementing management strategies to enhance environmental filtering in these areas, thus reducing the chances of further establishment of non-native species.

Montane ecosystems contribute significantly to global diversity, serving as refuges for numerous species, many of which are entirely restricted to mountainous areas. These species are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors, which are expected to result in heterogeneous shifts in elevational distributions and potential range restrictions. Here, we resurveyed the elevational ranges of birds in Tianmu Mountain, eastern China, in 2021, 60 years after the original survey in the 1960s. We aimed to determine whether the elevational shifting trends of birds in the lowland and highland regions are asynchronous and whether these trends can be predicted by species traits. Over the past 60 years, we observed the upward shifts of the upper limit of lowland birds, exhibiting range expansion. However, highland birds have generally contracted their upper limits downward, resulting in decreased range. Upslope shifts and range expansions were more pronounced in species with smaller range sizes, while widely distributed species were more likely to move downward and lose occupancy of elevational areas. Our results illustrate the heterogeneous elevational range shifts between two lowland and highland bird assemblages, highlighting the complexity of avian responses to environmental changes and the need for caution when applying conventional patterns of elevational upslope shifts to species redistribution in montane ecosystems.

The microbiome – the community of microorganisms that is associated with an individual animal – has been an important driver of insect biodiversity globally, enabling insects to specialize on narrow, nutrient deficient diets. The importance of maternally inherited, obligate bacterial endosymbionts to provisioning nutrients missing from these narrow dietary niches has been well studied in insects. However, we know comparatively little about the processes that dictate the composition of non-maternally inherited bacteria in insect microbiomes, despite the importance of these bacteria in insect health, fitness, and vector competence. Here, we used two species of obligate insect ectoparasites of bats, the bat flies (Streblidae) Trichobius sphaeronotus and Nycterophilia coxata, to examine whether the microbiome, beyond obligate bacterial endosymbionts, is conserved or variable across geographic space, between ectoparasite species, or covaries with the external microbiome of their bat hosts or the cave environment. Our results indicate that ectoparasite microbiomes are highly conserved and specific to ectoparasite species, despite these species feeding on the blood of the same bat individuals in some cases. In contrast, we found high geographic variation in the fur microbiome of host bats and that the bat fur microbiome mimics the cave microbiomes. This research suggests that there is constraint on blood-feeding insect ectoparasites to maintain a specific microbiome distinct from their host and the environment, potentially to meet their nutritional needs. Given many of these bacteria are not known to be maternally inherited, this research lays the foundation for future examinations of how blood-feeding arthropods acquire and maintain bacteria in their microbiomes.

1. In the evolutionary arms race between plants and herbivores, sophisticated mechanisms of indirect defense play a pivotal role. This study investigated the intricate ecological dynamics between Aristolochia contorta, Sericinus montela, and Ooencyrtus spp., with a special focus on the role of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in plant. 2. This study utilized field surveys, olfactometer experiments, and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis to investigate the role of volatile organic compounds. 3. Field surveys showed a 54.6% egg parasitism rate, with quadrats containing A. contorta and larvae attracting more Ooencyrtus spp. than those with the plant alone. In olfactometer bioassays, Ooencyrtus spp. demonstrated a notable preference for leaves damaged by a pattern wheel, attracting 46.8% of Ooencyrtus spp. compared to undamaged controls. Moreover, leaves treated with larval saliva were found to be similarly attractive, drawing in 48.7% of Ooencyrtus spp.. In addition, the difference in attraction between leaves with and without larval saliva did not reach statistical significance. GC-MS analysis identified essential VOCs in the damaged leaves, including hexyl acetate, cyclohexene, δ-cadinene, α-pinene, and β-caryophyllene. Additionally, leaves treated with larval saliva revealed the presence of exo-isocitral (0.61%), and β-pinene (0.14%), though in minimal amounts. Despite these complex responses, our analysis suggests that the compounds introduced or increased in concentration by larval saliva do not significantly boost the attraction of Ooencyrtus spp. 4. This finding implies that while the VOCs response to damage and saliva application is multifaceted, serving multiple defensive functions, the quantities of these saliva-induced compounds could be insufficient to substantially influence the behavior of Ooencyrtus spp. towards the damaged leaves. This research furthers our understanding of the indirect defense strategies of plants, particularly highlighting the vital roles of VOCs in A. contorta. Moreover, our findings suggest new avenues for exploring the ecological and evolutionary roles of chemical signals, shedding light on the complex interactions facilitated by these chemical cues in plant defense mechanisms.

Behavioral variation within a population is generally maintained by frequency dependent selection allowing various personalities to coexist. Bolder individuals usually engage in more risky behaviors that can gain fitness benefits such as growth under certain conditions. Therefore, it has been suggested that there should be a link between personality and dietary niches, but the results so far are inconsistent. In addition, the equilibrium of the distribution of behavioral traits and the trophic niche of native populations may shift following the introduction of an invasive species. Here, using the invasive brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and native brown trout (Salmo trutta) as model species in two different natural streams in Sweden, we aimed to test whether 1) the trophic niche of native brown trout living in allopatry and brown trout living in sympatry with brook trout differ and 2) bolder brown trout individuals utilize a different foraging niche. Our results suggest that there is a dietary niche convergence between brown trout and brook trout, which likely is a result of brook trout invasion, but that the trophic niche of native brown trout varies across streams, possibly due to difference invasion impact (varying ratio of brook trout to brown trout). We also found a strong positive correlation between trophic position and personality of brown trout irrespective of the presence of brook trout.

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown This article presents an algebraic method for designing an initial bed profile to ensure minimal sediment deposition in open channels. We address the hyperbolic system of partial differential equations, known as the Saint-Venant-Exner system, which describes the behavior of water flow and sediment transport. By applying a priori estimation techniques and reformulating the problem as an optimal control problem, we construct a minimizing control law, via the adjoint method. This control law ensures the stability of the system and minimizes sediment deposition. In addition, a finite volume scheme is implemented to numerically solve both the direct system (SVE) and its adjoint system. Numerical simulations are provided for illustration.

Title: From Resistance to Relief: IV Levothyroxine in Refractory Hypothyroidism ManagementMohammad Amro1Elias Edward Lahham2Ahmed Jalal Sawafta1Motaz Saifi1Nooreddin Saifi1Fadi Atrash2Salem Billan3Affiliations1: Faculty of Medicine, An Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.2: Department of Radiation Oncology, Augusta Victoria Hospital, East Jerusalem, Palestine territories.3: Head and Neck Unit, Joseph Fishman Oncology Center, Rambam Health Care Campus*Corresponding Author:Elias Edward Lahham, Augusta Victoria Hospital, East Jerusalem, Palestine territories, [email protected], ORCID:0000-0002-6514-5206Funding sources: No specific grant from funding agencies was received for this work.Acknowledgment: We express our deep gratitude to the medical ward staff for their invaluable support in completing this report.Conflict of Interest: The authors state that they have no conflict of interest to be mentioned.Ethics approval: Our institution does not require ethical approval for reporting individual cases or case series.Informed consent: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient herself for her anonymized information to be published in this article.Title: From Resistance to Relief: IV Levothyroxine in Refractory Hypothyroidism Management

Linear disturbances within boreal Canada (e.g., seismic lines) have the potential to significantly alter carbon cycling in Canada’s northern peatlands, creating the potential to switch these significant carbon stocks from long term carbon sinks to carbon sources. While efforts have been made to quantify the impacts of linear disturbance on ecosystem, vegetation, soil composition and GHG emissions, little is currently known about the specific interactions between the disturbance to peat hydrophysical structure and composition and the resulting alterations to CO 2 and CH 4 dynamics. To this end, 16 poor fen peat cores representing the top 10 cm of the peat profile were collected on and adjacent to a seismic line reflecting four degrees of disturbance complete mulch covering, partial mulch covering, mechanical roughing only, and undisturbed. In controlled laboratory conditions cores were then subjected to two subsequent static water table conditions (3 and 8 cm below core surface) for a period of ~30 days each with GHG flux measurements occurring 2-3 days. Cores were then subdivided into 5 cm segments and underwent detailed hydro physical (i.e., bulk density, porosity, water retention) and compositional (i.e., C:N, vegetational assemblage) analysis. Results show that both peat composition and hydrophysical structure were strong predictors of greenhouse gas emissions. Higher CO 2 emissions were related to both peat with high bulk density, low total and effective porosity and low C:N ratios, which occurred at depth in the undisturbed cores and at the surface where mechanical mulching and mixing occurred. Increased CH 4 emissions occurred in disturbed cores characterized by a reduction in macropores and effective porosity near the surface; these emissions were episodic in nature and occurred where trapped gas was released during pore desaturation when water tables were lowered. Additional work should therefore be conducted at field scale to further assess the interrelationships between direct changes to hydrophysical structure and these other impacts, to better determine the long-term changes to carbon cycling in systems disturbed by seismic line creation.

Early in our scientific careers, we learn about the many advantages of working abroad to upskill and expand our research horizons. Born and raised in Montevideo, Uruguay, I always had a clear passion for science and foreign cultures, nurtured by my family. I had been preparing for a career in science and living abroad all my life, so when the time came, I felt ready. Looking back a decade, I realize how little I knew about the challenges ahead and how much I learned ‘on the go’. The significant personal and professional transition of continuing your career abroad is exciting but also challenging, especially for those coming from countries with limited budgets and more flexible research environments. The exposure to state-of-the-art technologies, new ways of thinking, and working within unfamiliar regulatory frameworks without your usual support network, at times can feel overwhelming. Like navigating uncharted waters, succeeding abroad requires not only planning but resilience and adaptability. Embracing uncertainty and learning to slow down when needed can be invaluable. By sharing my experiences, I hope to offer useful insights for those preparing to emigrate or establish themselves elsewhere.

An Oropharyngeal Accessory Tragus in a Young Patient with Conductive Hearing LossTiffany Husman, BS1, Tania Benjamin, MD2, Evan J. Patel, MD2, Naoki Akanuma, MD3, Anastasiya Pigal MD3, Yew Song Cheng, MD2Affiliations:University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USAUniversity of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, San Francisco, CA, USAUniversity of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Department of Pathology, San Francisco, CA, USACorresponding Author/Address:Yew Song Cheng, MDAssistant ProfessorDivision of Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base SurgeryDepartment of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck SurgeryUniversity of California, San Francisco2380 Sutter St. 3rd FloorSan Francisco, CA 94115Phone: 415-885-7494Fax: 415-885-7546Email: [email protected]: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient to publish this report in accordance with the journal’s patient consent policy.

The nonlinear control problem of quadrotor UAVs which perform cooperative transportation of payloads is treated with the use of nonlinear optimal and multi-loop flatness-based control methods. The load is suspended with a link from a cart which is turn in connected through cables with two quadrotors. The aim is to compute the flight path and the control inputs of the quadrotors that will allow to lift the load and move it to any desirable final position. First, the dynamic model of the cable-suspended load is obtained through Euler-Lagrange analysis. Despite underactuation the associated nonlinear optimal control problem is solved, thus allowing to compute the lift forces of the cables that enable the load to move on the vertical plane until it reaches the targeted position. These forces are also applied with opposite sign to the quadrotors’ side through joints at the other end of the cables. Thus, the dynamic model of the quadrotors is updated by including in it additional drag forces which are due to the tension of the cables. The flight paths for the two quadrotors that enables to bring the suspended load to its final position are also computed. Next, for each quadrotor the nonlinear control and path following problem is solved, taking into account the cable-induced drag forces effects. To this end, a flatness-based control approach which is implemented in successive loops is applied to each quadrotor. The state-space model of each quadrotor UAV is separated into subsystems, which are connected between them in cascading loops. Each one of these subsystems can be viewed independently as a differentially flat system and control about it can be performed with inversion of its dynamics as in the case of input-output linearized flat systems. The state variables of the second subsystem become virtual control inputs for the first subsystem. In turn, exogenous control inputs are applied to the second subsystem. The whole control method is implemented in two successive loops and its global stability properties are also proven through Lyapunov stability analysis. The whole procedure is repeated at each sampling instance, that is (i) solution of the nonlinear optimal control problem for the transportation of the payload (ii) computation of the drag forces which are exerted on the UAVs due to lifting the load, (iii) solution of the multi-loop flatness-based control problem for the individual UAVs. This control method allows each quadrotor to follow precisely the defined flight path and finally achieves to bring the load to the targeted position.