Search Results (521)

Almost one in three firefighters develop mental health disorders at some point during their careers, a rate double that in the general population. Frequent exposures to potentially traumatic situations can contribute to symptoms of these disorders, two of the most common being depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While various psychological interventions have been implemented among this group, reports of their effectiveness include mixed results. To this end, the current study endeavored to test the effectiveness of a 12-week intervention combining occupationally-tailored high-intensity functional training (HIFT) and psychological resilience training (RES) in reducing depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs), as well as increasing psychological resilience and mental wellbeing, in career firefighters. Thirty career firefighters completed four mental health measurements over 17 weeks while anthropometrics and physical performance (i.e., number of stations completed in 20 min during an eight-station simulated job-task circuit workout [T-CAC]) were measured pre- and post-intervention. Pre to post comparisons were made via repeated-measures t-tests. Significant mean differences were observed for T-CAC stations completed, PTSSs, and psychological resilience between pre- and post-intervention. In future interventions, researchers should actively engage firefighters, maximize integration with daily operations, and employ culturally-relevant practices to explore the links between physical and mental health. Full article

In Ukraine, SARS-CoV-2 detection and national genomic surveillance have been complicated by full-scale war, limited resources, and varying levels of public health infrastructure impacted across the country. Following the Spring of 2022, only a paucity of data have been reported describing the prevalence and variant dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in the country. Comparative whole genome analysis has overtaken diagnostics as the new gold standard for detecting and tracing emerging variants while showing utility to rapidly inform diagnostics, vaccine strategies, and health policy. Herein, we provide an updated report characterizing the dynamics and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Ukraine from 1 May 2022 to 31 March 2024. The present study extends previous reports for disease incidence Waves 1–4 in Ukraine with the addition herein of Waves 5, 6, and 7, occurring from August to November 2022 (Wave 5), February to May 2023 (Wave 6), and October 2023 to January 2024 (Wave 7). During the study period, the national Case Fatality Rate (CFR) fluctuated between 0.46% and 1.74%, indicating a consistent yet modest rate when compared to the global average. The epidemiological dynamics of Variants of Concern (VOCs) in Ukraine reflected global patterns over this period, punctuated by the rise of the BA.5 lineage and its subsequent replacement by the Omicron subvariants XBB and JN.1. Our analysis of variant dispersal patterns revealed multiple potential spatiotemporal introductions into Ukraine from Europe, Asia, and North America. Our results highlight the importance of ongoing genomic surveillance to monitor variant dynamics and support global efforts to control and mitigate COVID-19 disease risks as new variants arise. Full article

Underground cast-in-place pipes (CIPP, Diameter of 2’–5’) are used to transport water for the Phoenix, AZ area. These pipes have developed leaks due to their age and changes in the environment, resulting in a significant waste of water. Currently, leaks can only be identified when water pools above ground occur and are then manually confirmed through the inside of the pipe, requiring the shutdown of the water system. However, many leaks may not develop a puddle of water, making them even harder to identify. The primary objective of this research was to develop an inspection method utilizing drone-based infrared imagery to remotely and non-invasively sense thermal signatures of abnormal soil moisture underneath urban surface treatments caused by the leakage of water pipelines during the regular operation of water transportation. During the field tests, five known leak sites were evaluated using an intensive experimental procedure that involved conducting multiple flights at each test site and a stringent filtration process for the measured temperature data. A detectable thermal signal was observed at four of the five known leak sites, and these abnormal thermal signals directly overlapped with the location of the known leaks provided by the utility company. A strong correlation between ground temperature and shading before sunset was observed in the temperature data collected at night. Thus, a shadow and solar energy model was implemented to estimate the position of shadows and energy flux at given times based on the elevation of the surrounding structures. Data fusion between the metrics of shadow time, solar energy, and the temperature profile was utilized to filter the existing points of interest further. When shadows and solar energy were considered, the final detection rate of drone-based infrared imaging was determined to be 60%. Full article

Arceuthobium—the dwarf mistletoes—is a clearly defined genus of hemi-parasitic plants in the family Viscaceae. The genus occurs throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere; however, the greatest concentration of species and subspecies occurs within coniferous forests of western North America, where considerable research was executed in the mid-to-late 20th century to determine their geographic distributions, host specializations, and taxonomic boundaries. However, the last monograph of Arceuthobium presenting morphological, phenological, phylogenetic, and physiological information for N. American dwarf mistletoes was published in 1996, and since that time, no subsequent publications have presented taxonomic information for the present classification of N. American Arceuthobium. Thus, herein, we provide updated phylogenetic and taxonomic data for 44 taxa of Arceuthobium indigenous to N. America while simultaneously addressing knowledge gaps and suggesting future research to improve our understanding of these ecologically and economically important forest tree parasites. The present classification systems for and recent treatments of N. American Arceuthobium are also discussed. Full article

Accurate short-term wave forecasting is critical for the safe and efficient operation of marine structures that rely on real-time, phase-resolved ocean wave information for control and monitoring purposes (e.g., digital twins). These systems often depend on environmental sensors (e.g., waverider buoys, wave-sensing LIDAR). Challenges arise when upstream sensor data are missing, sparse, or phase-shifted due to drift. This study investigates the performance of two machine learning models, time-series dense encoder (TiDE) and long short-term memory (LSTM), for forecasting phase-resolved ocean surface elevations under varying degrees of data degradation. We introduce the $\tau$-trimming algorithm, which adapts the prediction horizon based on uncertainty thresholds derived from historical forecasts. Numerical wave tank (NWT) and wave basin experiments are used to benchmark model performance under short- and long-term data masking, spatially coarse sensor grids, and upstream phase shifts. Results show under a 50% probability of upstream data loss, the $\tau$-trimmed TiDE model achieves a 46% reduction in error at the most upstream target, compared to 22% for LSTM. Furthermore, phase misalignment in upstream data introduces a near-linear increase in forecast error. Under moderate model settings, a ±3 s misalignment increases the mean absolute error by approximately 0.5 m, while the same error is accumulated at ±4 s using the more conservative approach. These findings inform the design of resilient, uncertainty-aware wave forecasting systems suited for realistic offshore sensing environments. Full article

Background and Objectives: Vision uses about half of the pathways within the brain, and these anatomical structures are susceptible to injury in concussion. Authors have suggested that subconcussive head impacts, common in soccer, may disrupt visual function. The following study aimed to explore and compare quantitative pupillometry and Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) in female soccer athletes. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six Division 1 female soccer athletes (20.46 ± 2.36 years) received baseline quantitative pupillometry and VOMS measurements. Results: Of the 26 tested athletes, 3 (11.5%) had clinically significant pupillometry findings at baseline. The mean Neurological Pupil Index or NPi, a composite generated from pupillometry, did not vary: 3.9 ± 0.4 (right eye) and 4.0 ± 0.4 (left eye). No difference in NPi was observed compared to the VOMS score (p > 0.05). Kruskal–Wallis H tests were significant in the right eye for constriction percentage (χ²(2) = 17.843, p < 0.001, E² = 0.69) and minimum pupil size (χ²(2) = 7.976, p = 0.019, E² = 0.31). A post hoc Dunn test showed significant differences in constriction percentage and minimum pupil size between low NPi and high NPi groups (p < 0.05). One athlete sustained a concussion. NPi was measured within 24 h and was normal, but VOMS was not (total score = 4). Conclusions: The components of pupillometry need more investigation, and there is a need for agreement on concussion-specific cutoffs for quantitative pupillometry for concussion assessment. The lack of a relationship between quantitative pupillometry and VOMS suggests that these tools evaluate different constructs. Athletes with an NPi < 3.8 had significantly less constriction percentage and larger minimum pupil size than athletes with higher NPi scores. More research should be carried out to determine the usefulness of the NPi score, and perhaps researchers should consider individual pupillometry components. Full article

A principal strategic goal of the RCMI Coordinating Center (RCMI-CC) is to improve the health of minority populations and to reduce ethnic and geographic disparities in health by coordinating the development and facilitating the implementation of clinical research across the RCMI Consortium. To more effectively spur inter-institutional collaborative research, the RCMI-CC supports a Clinical Research Pilot Projects Program for hypothesis-driven clinical research projects proposed by postdoctoral fellows, early-career faculty and/or early-stage investigators from two or more RCMI U54 Centers. The purpose of this brief report is to summarize the Science Speed Dating sessions to facilitate cross-site collaboration at the RCMI Investigator Development Core (IDC) Workshop, held in conjunction with the 2024 RCMI Consortium National Conference. RCMI investigators and IDC Directors from 20 RCMI U54 Centers participated in two rounds of highly interactive small-group presentations of research ideas and resource needs in search of new collaborative and mentoring partnerships. Workshop participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with the speed-networking format and strongly agreed that the workshop was beneficial to their professional-development goals. Full article

The roughness of the Earth’s surface dictates the nature of air flow across it. Detailed meteorological data that are necessary to access the aerodynamic roughness ($z_0$) are not widely collected and, as such, the geometry of a surface can be used to estimate $z_0$. Here, we present a novel formulation, and the corresponding computer code, to compute $z_0$ based on the Lettau (1969) geometric approach. The new code produces a mean $z_0$, as well as a histogram of all $z_0$ values for each individual roughness element (e.g., 10 s of thousand for the 1000 × 1000 grids) discretized using watersheds, as well as directional $z_0$ diagrams, which can be matches with the wind rose for the location. The formulation includes two parameters that may optionally be applied to smooth the surface before calculating $z_0$. By calculating $z_0$ as a function of these two parameters, we demonstrate the sensitivity of the $z_0$ value to these parameter choices. Since a large portion of the Earth’s surface is snow covered during some parts of the year, and the roughness of the snow surface varies over the snow season and over space, we apply the code to three snow surface datasets. Each surface is during a different phases of the snowpack. Each surface is evaluated at two resolutions). These surfaces are: fresh snow accumulation (1 m² at 1 and 10 mm), peak accumulation (1 km² at 1 and 10 m) and ablation sun cups (25 m² at 5 and 50 mm). Full article

(1) Stand-replacing fires may threaten the continued stability of mixed conifer forests in the U.S. Southwest. Increasing fire frequency and severity have made post-fire forest recovery trajectories uncertain for many coniferous species, potentially leading to long-term shifts in forest structure and composition. (2) The purpose of this study was to examine post-fire stand dynamics over a 10-year period, using a network of permanent plots established prior to wildfire events across Arizona and New Mexico. We assessed changes in overstory composition, regeneration, and fuel loading across different fire severities. (3) High severity fire caused near-total overstory mortality, with little to no conifer regeneration and abundant sprouting hardwood regeneration. Lower severity fire was more favorable to fire-tolerant conifer species; however, mortality among mature trees was high, and fire-intolerant conifers were either diminished or extirpated completely. (4) In high severity fires, changes in overstory and understory structure and composition may be long-lasting. Additionally, increased fuel loads following high severity fire suggests a heightened risk of reburns, potentially perpetuating ecotype conversion. Our findings highlight the need for active management strategies, including reforestation and fuel reduction treatments, to support forest resilience for mixed conifer ecosystems in the US Southwest and similar forest types in other regions in the face of ongoing climate and fire regime changes. Full article

Background and Objectives: The aging population and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a rise in severe conditions, including musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders. Although MSK conditions are often managed in primary care, they may sometimes mask serious illnesses requiring urgent diagnosis. The red flag (RF) concept is essential for identifying signs and symptoms of potentially severe disease. However, RF criteria vary across clinical guidelines and lack consistency. With the growing role of direct access to physiotherapy—bypassing physician referral—physiotherapists must develop strong differential diagnostic skills to identify serious pathologies that mimic MSK disorders. This review aims to systematically map how RFs are defined in MSK clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), supporting the move toward a standardized definition for clinical and research use. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. Included studies were CPGs and systematic reviews (SRs) of CPGs addressing MSK disorders and incorporating the RF concept. Data extraction followed a rigorous process, and RF definitions were synthesized and compared in table format. Results: Out of thirteen-thousand three-hundred and ninety-three articles identified, fourteen met inclusion criteria (seven CPGs and seven SRs of CPGs), spanning both physiotherapy and medical fields. All definitions described RFs as signs or symptoms indicating possible serious pathology requiring further investigation or referral. Some definitions referred broadly to “patterns of signs or symptoms”, while others offered more precise criteria. Conclusions: This review highlights the lack of a standardized RF definition in MSK care, leading to inconsistencies in clinical decision-making and diagnosis. To improve patient safety and guide clinicians—especially in direct-access contexts—a unified, internationally recognized definition of RFs is needed in future guidelines. Full article

Objective: Understanding unique ways that strength and power contribute to on-field performance in collegiate-based American football might aid coaches in recruiting and determining starters. Using retrospective analysis of existing data, including starting status (STR) and number of defensive tackles or contributing plays (CP), we sought a viable strategy to observe on-field play. Our purpose was to determine what role baseline and in-season strength, and power metrics contributed to on-field football performance (e.g., using STR and CP) from one Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) university. We hypothesized greater pre-season (baseline) and in-season (repeated variables) strength and power outcomes would lead to an increased number of STR among players (n = 53) as well as CP among defensive players (n = 30). Method: Power, determined through countermovement jump (CMJ) was observed weekly using a VALD Performance force deck (i.e., jump height) over a 9-week, in-season period (excluding weeks 6 and 8, a bye week, and erroneous data, respectively). Baseline measures of strength and power were also collected at the beginning of the season for each player using four specific measurements, namely the following: (a) peak vertical jump; (b) pull-ups to failure; (c) a one rep max for bench press; (d) power clean. Pearson’s correlation was used to correlate baseline measures and weekly power, along with baseline measures and the total number of STR and CP each week. Additionally, linear regressions were used to examine the effects of baseline measures (vertical jump, bench press) on STR and CP. Results: Moderate correlations (r > 0.5) were observed between baseline variables and weekly CMJ measures. Baseline measures of power clean were correlated with CP only in week 4. All other analyses were not significant. Conclusions: Since our on-field performance variables were not significant, future research should focus on more potent variables, as reported in the literature, such as football IQ, initial recruiting status, and psychological resilience, in addition to accounting for strength and power metrics. Full article

Background: Low birth weight in newborns is of multifactorial origin (fetal, maternal, placental, and environmental factors), and in one-third of cases, the cause is of unknown origin, with high infant morbidity and mortality. The main treatment for regaining weight and height in children with low birth weight is the application of growth hormones. However, their role as a protective factor to prevent an increase in body composition and the development of metabolic diseases is still poorly understood. Methodology: A case–control study was conducted in a cohort of patients consulted at the CES Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic, Medellín, Colombia, between 2008 and 2018. We evaluated sociodemographic and clinical variables. Additionally, the identification of differential patterns of genomic methylation between cases (treated with growth hormone) and controls (without growth hormone treatment) was performed. The groups were compared using Fisher’s exact test for qualitative variables and Student’s t-test for the difference in means in independent samples. The correlation was evaluated with the Pearson coefficient. Results: Regarding clinical manifestations, body mass index (BMI) was higher in children who did not receive growth hormone treatment, higher doses of growth hormone treatment helped reduce body mass index (R: −0.21, and p = 0.067), and the use of growth hormone was related to a decrease in triglyceride blood concentrations (p = 0.06); these results tended towards significance. Regarding genome-wide methylation patterns, the following genes were found to be hypermethylated: MDGA1, HOXA5, LINC01168, ZFYVE19, ASAH1, MYH15, DNAJC17, PAMR1, MROCKI, CNDP2, CBY2, ZADH2, HOOK2, C9orf129, NXPH2, OSCP1, ZMIZ2, RUNX1, PTPRS, TEX26, EIF2A4K, MYO1F, C2orf69, and ZSCAN1. Meanwhile, the following genes were found hypomethylated: C10orf71-AS1, ZDHHC13, RPL17, EMC4, RPRD2, OBSCN-AS1, ZNF714, MUC4, SUGT1P4, TRIM38, C3, SPON1, NGF-AS1, CCSER2, P2RX2, LOC284379, GGTA1, NLRP5, OR51A4, HLA-H, and TTLL8. Conclusions: Using growth hormone as a treatment in SGA newborns helps regain weight and height. Additionally, it could be a protective factor against the increase in adolescent body composition. Full article

Delamar Valley is a unique landscape located in southern Nevada that contains places associated with ceremony and Southern Paiute Creation. This ceremonial landscape is composed of volcanic places, a large Pleistocene Lake, and an underground hydrological system that allows for the movement of spiritual beings known as water babies between Delamar Valley and neighboring Pahranagat Valley. Paiute shamans traveled to Delamar Valley to interact with the portals along a volcanic ridge that allowed them to travel to a mirrored ceremonial landscape in another dimension of the universe. While in this mirrored landscape, shamans engaged with elements of Creation. This essay examines the ways in which Paiute shamans interacted with various components of the physical and spiritual landscapes. Full article

This review investigates interlayer hybrid fiber composites for wind turbine blades (WTBs), focusing on their potential to enhance blade damage tolerance and maintain structural integrity. The objectives of this review are: (I) to assess the effect of different hybrid lay-up configurations on the damage tolerance and failure analysis of interlayer hybrid fiber composites and (II) to identify potential fiber combinations for WTBs to supplement or replace existing glass fibers. Our method involves comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analyses of the existing literature. Qualitatively, we assess the damage tolerance—with an emphasis on impact load—and failure analysis under blades operational load of six distinct hybrid lay-up configurations. Quantitatively, we compare tensile and flexural properties—essential for WTBs structural integrity—of hybrid and glass composites. The qualitative review reveals that placing high elongation (HE)-low stiffness (LS) fibers, e.g., glass, on the impacted side reduces damage size and improves residual properties of hybrid composites. Placing low elongation (LE)-high stiffness (HS) fibers, e.g., carbon, in middle layers, protects them during impact load and equips hybrid composites with mechanisms that delay failure under various load conditions. A sandwich lay-up with HE-LS fibers on the outermost and LE-HS fibers in the innermost layers provides the best balance between structural integrity and post-impact residual properties. This lay-up benefits from synergistic effects, including fiber bridging, enhanced buckling resistance, and the mitigation of LE-HS fiber breakage. Quantitatively, hybrid synthetic/natural composites demonstrate nearly a twofold improvement in mechanical properties compared to natural fiber composites. Negligible enhancement (typically 10%) is observed for hybrid synthetic/synthetic composites relative to synthetic fiber composites. Additionally, glass/carbon, glass/flax, and carbon/flax composites are potential alternatives to present glass laminates in WTBs. This review is novel as it is the first attempt to identify suitable interlayer hybrid fiber composites for WTBs. Full article

In this essay, I utilize Robert Stepto’s “ritual ground” concept and Ray Oldenburg’s “third place” theory to analyze Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me. I posit that Ms. Laverne repurposes an old art classroom as both a “third place” and a “ritual ground” for her students, and as a result, her students are empowered to create community and find their individual and collective voices. Full article