Recent ucm_postprints items

Investigating Effects of Dynamic Debris Cover Variations on Glacio-Hydrology under Projected Climate Change in High Mountain Asia

Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Debris cover on glaciers in High Mountain Asia (HMA) plays a critical role in shaping glacier evolution and downstream freshwater availability. In Karakoram, glacier melt significantly influences river discharge, yet the interplay of climate change and supraglacial debris cover remains insufficiently quantified. We developed a dynamic debris cover framework using the Spatial Processes in HYdrology (SPHY) model to investigate debris-glacier interactions in the Shigar Basin, Karakoram, Pakistan. Three scenarios (no debris, static debris, process-based dynamic debris) were assessed under four CMIP6 climate projections and emission pathways (SSP-1.26 to SSP-5.85) until 2100. Debris-covered ice accounted for 11% of total glaciated area by 2020 and will expand dramatically to 39% by 2100. Neglecting debris dynamics leads to significant overestimation of glacier retreat (18–25%) and meltwater contributions (40–52%). By 2091–2100, glacier area retains 94% of its 2020 extent under dynamic...

Wireless Bioelectronic Modulation of Membrane Potential in Glioblastoma Using Carbon Nanotube Porins

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Disruption of membrane potential (V_mem) can activate pathways associated with cancer proliferation. Manipulating ion channels may therefore present an effective strategy for treating cancers that fail to respond to conventional therapies. One approach to target these channels is to manipulate the membrane charge, which involves the use of wireless bipolar electrodes such as carbon nanotube porins (CNTPs) inserted into cell membranes to modulate membrane charge and ionic flux. By utilizing membrane dyes, we observed alterations in V_mem induced by CNTPs and externally applied voltages. Analyses of cellular behaviors and processes indicated that V_mem is more receptive to stimuli in invasive cancers, while it leads to increased metabolism in less invasive cancers, with notable changes in the cell cycle occurring at approximately 48 h post-treatment in Glioblastoma (GB) cell lines. This work shows that CNTPs, in combination and with externally...

Highly Anisotropic Quasi‐Direct Organic Metal Halide Hybrids: A Platform for Polarization‐Sensitive Optoelectronics

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ABSTRACT Low‐dimensional organic–inorganic metal halide hybrids (OMHHs) exhibit remarkable optical properties and enhanced environmental stability. We investigate a 1D OMHH with formula C 4 N 2 H 14 PbBr 4 , consisting of Pb–Br chains separated by organic cations, which shows a large Stokes shift (0.83 eV) and broadband emission. Through first‐principles calculations and polarized Raman spectroscopy, we characterize the material's vibrational properties and identify the specific phonon modes that drive exciton self‐trapping. Our novel GW/Bethe‐Salpeter equation force formalism reveals that low‐frequency phonons (100100 cm − 1 , primarily involving Pb–Br motions) couple strongly with excitons, with a remarkably high Huang‐Rhys factor of 137 ± 4, and gives a pathway for ultrafast structural analysis during the absorption process. This phonon‐exciton coupling mechanism explains the material's broadband emission and provides a pathway for controlling optical properties through...

Deriving effective electrode–ion interactions from free-energy profiles at electrochemical interfaces

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Understanding ion adsorption at electrified metal-electrolyte interfaces is essential for accurate modeling of electrochemical systems. Here, we systematically investigate the free energy profiles of Na+, Cl-, and F- ions at the Au(111)-water interface using enhanced sampling molecular dynamics with both classical force fields and machine-learned interatomic potentials (MLIPs). Our classical metadynamics results reveal a strong dependence of predicted ion adsorption on the Lennard-Jones parameters, highlighting that-without due care-standard mixing rules can lead to qualitatively incorrect descriptions of ion-metal interactions. We present a systematic methodology for tuning the cross term LJ parameters to control adsorption energetics in agreement with more accurate models. As a surrogate for an ab initio model, we employed the recently released Universal Models for Atoms MLIP, which validates classical trends and displays strong specific adsorption for chloride, weak adsorption...

Trends and Disparities in Mental Health and Suicidality by Sexual Orientation Among East Asian Adolescents in Canada, 1998-2023.

Wed, 8 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose

Sexual minority East Asian adolescents face distinct stressors that negatively impact mental health and increase suicidality risk. This study examines trends in mental health and suicidality among East Asian adolescents in Canada, focusing on changes in sexual orientation-based disparities over time.

Methods

We analyzed data from East Asian adolescents in the British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey (1998-2023) including 13,086 boys and 13,812 girls. Age-adjusted logistic regression analyses, stratified by gender, were used to examine 25-year trends in extreme stress, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts by sexual orientation (heterosexual, mostly heterosexual, and lesbian, gay, or bisexual [LGB]).

Results

Positive trends among East Asian adolescents included decreased extreme stress among heterosexual boys and girls, hopelessness among heterosexual boys and mostly heterosexual girls, and suicide attempts among heterosexual and LGB...

Calling Mogadishu: How Reminders of Anarchy Bias Survey Participation

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract How does the fear of anarchy affect telephone survey behaviors? A survey experiment administered to a sample of Mogadishu residents—validated with a natural experiment—is used to assess this question. Randomly assigned reminders of anarchic violence conditioned differential effects on survey participation depending on subjects’ background level of security and welfare. Vulnerable subjects were more likely than non-vulnerable subjects to refuse to provide sensitive survey information after reminders of anarchy.

The development of essentialist beliefs about social status categories in China

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

China has undergone rapid economic changes in recent years, yet little is known about how children in China understand the social status hierarchies around them. The present study addressed this gap by examining whether Chinese children held essentialist beliefs about two social status categories: residency, an important but understudied status-related category in China, and socioeconomic status (SES). We also examined whether children's beliefs about these categories varied with their age or their own social status background (residency, subjective SES). Chinese 5- to 9-year-old children (47 female) who held residency in a prestigious megacity (N = 50) or less prestigious non-megacities (N = 50) completed two tasks that measured whether they viewed residency and SES as biologically based or causally informative, two dimensions of essentialism. Results suggested that children viewed residency but not SES as biologically based, though this decreased with age. Children from megacities...

Reactive MD Screening of Antioxidants for Substituent-Dependent Phenoxyl Radical Stability

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Oxidation limits the performance and lifetime of lubricants, and phenolic antioxidants are commonly used to slow this process by scavenging hydrocarbon peroxyl radicals. The performance of phenolic antioxidants is largely determined by the stability of the antioxidant radical that remains after hydrogen donation. To explore the relationship between antioxidant chemical structure and radical stability, we used REACTER-based reactive molecular dynamics simulations to model the reverse hydrogen transfer reaction from polyalphaolefin hydroperoxides to phenoxyl radicals. Simulations were run for 718 distinct single-ring phenoxyl radicals with varied substituent types and positions in a polyalphaolefin hydroperoxide environment. Reaction rates were obtained from the time evolution of hydrogen transfer events, where lower reaction rates correspond to higher radical stability and better antioxidant performance. Analysis of diffusivity, hydrogen bonding, and steric hindrance showed that...

Mechanochemistry Activated by Confinement- and Shear-Induced Molecular Distortion

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mechanochemical activation occurs through the direct coupling of mechanical force with a chemical reaction coordinate, distorting reactant molecules from their equilibrium geometries. Understanding how this distortion reshapes the potential energy surface and, more importantly, connecting that understanding to experimentally measured mechanochemical reaction rates is a significant and inherently multiscale challenge. In this review, we first introduce the theoretical framework for defining the reaction coordinate and how it changes due to applied force. We then summarize previous studies that used experiments, molecular dynamics simulations, and quantum chemical calculations to explore mechanochemical activation in the context of confinement- and shear-induced molecular distortion. Experiments yield macroscopic activation parameters, molecular dynamics simulations capture bulk deformation and the local distortion of molecules, and quantum methods resolve electronic-structure and...

Effect of Contact Geometry on MoS2-Based Dry Film Lubricants

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Effect of Contact Geometry on MoS2-Based Dry Film Lubricants

FADED: FAult DEtection and Diagnostic System for HVAC Sensors in Commercial Buildings

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

FADED: FAult DEtection and Diagnostic System for HVAC Sensors in Commercial Buildings

Machine Learning Interatomic Potentials Enable Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Doped MoS2

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Dopants can tune the performance of MoS₂ in various applications, but the use of molecular dynamics simulations for doped MoS₂ materials discovery is limited by the lack of multidopant interatomic potentials. Universal machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) could be a solution, but the accuracy of these potentials must first be evaluated. Here, we evaluate the accuracy of a recently developed MLIP, META's Universal Model for Atoms, for 25 different MoS₂ dopants spanning metals, nonmetals, and transition metals in Mo-substitution, S-substitution, and intercalated positions by benchmarking the MLIP-predicted formation energy and the dopant-induced structural change against density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The computational framework for MLIP validation and simulations is described in detail, and the source code is made available online. The MLIP is then demonstrated by performing heating-cooling simulations of MoS₂...

Wear of Lubricated Point and Line Contacts at Matched Hertzian Contact Stress

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Wear, a critical factor governing the performance and durability of mechanical systems, is typically characterized using point-contact and line-contact test configurations. However, it remains unclear whether the wear trends observed in one test configuration would be observed in the other configuration under the same nominal conditions. In this study, ball-on-disk (ASTM G99) and block-on-ring (ASTM G77) tests were conducted under an identical maximum Hertzian contact stress and sliding speed, using the same material pair and lubricating oil, to clarify which contact configuration exhibits more wear and why. The results show that, under the same Hertzian contact stress, the line-contact configuration exhibits a specific wear rate two orders of magnitude higher than the point-contact configuration, despite exhibiting a lower and more stable coefficient of friction. The disk wear is negligible and the ball shows only mild material loss, whereas the line-contact system displays wear...

An expanded registry of candidate cis-regulatory elements

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mammalian genomes contain millions of regulatory elements that control the complex patterns of gene expression1. Previously, the ENCODE consortium mapped biochemical signals across hundreds of cell types and tissues and integrated these data to develop a registry containing 0.9 million human and 300,000 mouse candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs) annotated with potential functions2. Here we have expanded the registry to include 2.37 million human and 967,000 mouse cCREs, leveraging new ENCODE datasets and enhanced computational methods. This expanded registry covers hundreds of unique cell and tissue types, providing a comprehensive understanding of gene regulation. Functional characterization data from assays such as STARR-seq3, massively parallel reporter assay4, CRISPR perturbation5,6 and transgenic mouse assays7 have profiled more than 90% of human cCREs, revealing complex regulatory functions. We identified thousands of novel silencer cCREs and demonstrated their...

An expanded registry of candidate cis-regulatory elements

Wed, 4 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

An expanded registry of candidate cis-regulatory elements

Wed, 4 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Community Health Worker Perspectives on Building Patient-Provider Trust in Rural Communities of the San Joaquin Valley, California: A Qualitative Study.

Mon, 2 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

Patient-provider trust is essential for effective healthcare delivery, influencing care engagement, disclosure, and adherence. Mistrust can delay diagnoses, reduce care utilization, and worsen outcomes. While cultural competence trainings aim to improve provider awareness, few studies examine how community health workers (CHWs) perceive and support trust-building in clinical care.

Purpose

To explore strategies for building and maintaining patient-provider trust from the perspectives of CHWs.

Methods

Using a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, 39 CHWs from 3 rural-serving health centers in California participated in semi-structured focus groups. English and Spanish sessions were co-led by University researchers and trained CHW partners. Deductive thematic analysis was conducted in Dedoose, and descriptive statistics were generated using Stata 17.

Results

CHWs identified 3 factors that shape patient-provider trust: (1) Power...

Increasing digital media visibility and tourism messaging promote US National Park system integration.

Mon, 2 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The National Park Service (NPS) faces a paradoxical dual mandate-to preserve invaluable environmental and cultural resources for future generations and to ensure their public accessibility for recreational enjoyment. Yet with >124 million visitors in 2019, the US national parks (NPs) are at risk of being loved to death a challenge faced by protected areas the world over. This growing demand for ecosystem services calls for new strategies to enhance public appreciation and commitment to protecting natural capital. Against this backdrop, we analyzed the structure and dynamics of the NP system through a public-facing lens constructed from >426,000 digital media articles mentioning at least one park by its official name. Our analysis reveals that from 2010 to 2019, NP media visibility grew by over 3,900%, outpacing 29% growth in visitation, and a 15% decline in federal budget support for NPs. We find that this disproportionate media growth is driven by tourism-oriented articles...

Parental education disparities in childhood vaccination in Denmark: A test of two explanations for the role of misinformation

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How does misinformation contribute to socioeconomic disparities in childhood vaccine uptake? While prior research has extensively examined the determinants of vaccination at the population-level, less attention has been paid to the mechanisms generating disparities across socioeconomic status (SES) groups. A fundamental cause theory perspective suggests that vaccination disparities driven by misinformation are due to unequal access to resources that enable higher-SES parents to avoid the influence of such misinformation. By contrast, a neoliberal cultural frames of parenting perspective suggests that higher-SES parents, in trying to avoid risks for their child, would be more receptive to inaccurate claims that arise outside the mainstream medical and scientific community. We test hypotheses from these two perspectives using 22 birth cohorts of Danish national health registry data (1990-2011) analyzing uptake of children's first dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR1)...

Mechanism and reconstitution of circadian transcription in cyanobacteria

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Circadian biological clocks evolved across kingdoms of life as an adaptation to predictable cycles of sunrise and sunset. In the cyanobacterium Synechococcuselongatus, a protein-based clock precisely controls when different genes are turned on and off during the 24-h day but the phasing mechanism remains unclear. Here we show the molecular basis of this regulation and reconstitute clock-controlled transcription in vitro using purified components. Biochemical and structural analyses revealed that the clock-regulated transcription factor RpaA can function as either an activator or a repressor of cyanobacterial RNA polymerase, depending on its binding position relative to core promoter elements. Leveraging the repressor mechanism, we developed a heterologous in vitro system driven by bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase that sustains circadian transcription for multiple days. These findings explain how a single clock output generates opposite phases of gene expression and define the minimal...

Unmasking survey fraud: investigating data quality issues in an MTurk sample

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Social scientists increasingly rely on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) for survey participant recruitment, but emerging research suggests a decline in data quality, raising concerns about its reliability. In November 2023, a sample of 221 U.S. MTurk workers was recruited for a survey experiment examining the impact of affordable housing rhetoric on self-esteem. Despite implementing several best practices for recruitment on MTurk – such as system qualifications, screening questions, and virtual private server/network detection – we found that an estimated 65–84% of the workers seeking compensation submitted fraudulent survey responses. This study details five strategies we used to identify fraudulent data: survey re-entry, duplicate demographic data, similar open-ended responses, nonsensical open-ended responses, and repeated geographic coordinates. Our findings reveal critical shortcomings in current MTurk best practices and suggest that, without additional third-party fraud prevention...

An expanded registry of candidate cis-regulatory elements

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Seabirds shaped the expansion of pre-Inca society in Peru.

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This research investigates the influence of seabird guano on agriculture in the Chincha Valley of southern Peru through multi-isotopic, archaeological, and historical data. We conduct stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur analyses of 35 late pre-Hispanic maize (Zea mays) cobs and 11 seabirds from archaeological contexts spanning the late Formative period (c. 200 BCE - 150 CE) to the Colonial period (1532-1825 CE). We report the strongest evidence yet for pre-Inca use of marine fertilizers in Chincha. Isotopic and radiocarbon data corroborate colonial-era records and regional avifauna iconography and assemblages, indicating that Indigenous communities fertilized maize with guano by at least 1250 CE. Maize δ15N values are consistent with archaeological studies on guano manuring in Chile, expanding the known geographical extent of this agricultural practice. Maize δ34S values overlap with experimental field data but are not enriched in 34S, possibly reflecting various environmental...

Coupling of Rhythms in Prefrontal Cortex and Autonomic Nervous System in School‐Age Children

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Self-regulation is a neuroregulatory process driven by function in both the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Although many investigations have explored the role of these systems in self-regulation independently, little work has examined how they cooperate across contexts, limiting the understanding of neurophysiological substrates of self-regulation. In a sample of 55 children (M_age = 5.85, SD = 0.80), the present study examined the coordination of cardiac and neural signals during rest and a mildly stressful task. Paired-samples t-tests confirmed that the stressor elicited increases in heart rate (HR) and decreases in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), while correlations indicated stability in individual differences across phases. Wavelet transform coherence assessed coupling of dlPFC signals with HR and RSA. HR- and RSA-dlPFC coupling was observed in both contexts, but timescales of significant coupling varied across contexts,...

Resolving emergent transient oscillations in gene circuits with a growth-coupled model

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Synthetic gene circuits often behave unpredictably in batch cultures, where shifting physiological states are rarely accounted for in conventional models. Here, we find that degradation-tagged protein reporters could exhibit transient oscillatory expression, which standard single-scale models do not capture. We resolve this discrepancy by developing Gene Expression Across Growth Stages (GEAGS), a dual-scale modeling framework that explicitly couples intracellular gene expression to logistic population growth. Using a chemical reaction network model with growth phase–dependent rate-modifying functions, GEAGS accurately reproduces the observed transient oscillations and identifies amino acid recycling and growth-phase transition as key drivers. We reduce the model to an effective form for practical use and demonstrate its adaptability by applying it to layered feedback circuits, resolving long-standing mismatches between model predictions and measured dynamics. These results establish...

Low Frequency Vibrational Modes of Two-Dimensional Lead-Free Metal Halide Double Perovskites

Sat, 7 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

2D layered double perovskites of (S-MPA)4AgBiI8 (MPA-AgBiI8) and (S-MPA)4CuBiI8 (MPA-CuBiI8) (S-MPA, S-β-methylphenethylammonium) were synthesized with a hydrothermal method. The crystal structure of MPA-AgBiI8 was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction (scXRD). Powder XRD (pXRD) data suggest that the crystal structure of MPA-CuBiI8 is more complex than that of MPA-AgBiI8. UV–vis electronic absorption spectra of these perovskites reveal a bandgap of 2.03 eV for both. Short exciton lifetime from time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) results and low PL intensity of the Cu-based perovskite suggest a high density of trap states within the bandgap. Low frequency Raman spectra of both materials show distinct peaks and a slightly higher frequency for the Cu-based perovskite than the Ag-based perovskite. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were conducted to simulate the low frequency Raman spectra and help explain the different phonon modes, which are collective vibrations...

The Role of Capacity-Building Organizations and Environmental Threat in Addressing Air Quality in Highly Polluted Regions

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Involving residents in meaningful participation in heavily polluted regions faces many obstacles. This study focuses on the conditions that enhance individual involvement in civic initiatives against environmental hazards in one of the largest cities in the United States, facing chronic and heightened air pollution exposure. The work is based on a large-scale representative survey of 1950 residents in Fresno, California. The survey was carried out by a multiracial coalition of community-based organizations. The findings suggest that those individuals with ties to capacity-building organizations and with civic engagement experience were the most willing to attend local meetings about air pollution. In addition, days with higher levels of air pollution also acted as an environmental threat, motivating civic action. The study suggests that increasing public participation in pollution mitigation begins with investing in the types of civic organizations that specialize in capacity...

Assessing Preparedness of Primary Care Physicians to Discuss the Breast Biopsy Process and Results after Abnormal Mammograms: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Objective: Abnormal mammography results can contribute to anxiety for women, and primary care physicians (PCPs) are responsible for discussing these results with women. We sought to examine PCPs’ preparedness to discuss the breast biopsy process and biopsy results with women who have received an abnormal mammogram result and the physician, practice, panel, and communication factors associated with that preparedness. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of internal medicine and family medicine PCPs in San Francisco, CA. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the associations. Results: Of the 588 PCPs invited, 300 (51%) completed the survey. Seventy-three percent of respondents ( n = 219) felt equipped to explain a core biopsy, but only 40% of PCPs ( n = 120) felt that they had the expertise to answer questions from women about breast biopsy results. Family medicine training, private practice setting, greater percentage of panel of older patients, and viewing the...

A new index for detection of submerged aquatic plants under variable quality water: an extension of the soil-line concept

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Submersed aquatic plant (SAP) communities are important determinants of estuarine and lacustrine food web structure, nutrient cycling, and water quality. Variation in water quality, SAP community composition and cover present challenges when mapping SAP robustly across estuarine ecosystems. We propose three new spectral indices based on the soil-line concept that overcome the confounding influence of varying water quality and SAP cover in shallow inland waters. Spectral variability of water due to water quality differences can be modeled using a “water line” while SAP spectral differences due to cover and/or composition, can be modeled using a “SAP line.” Spectral distance of the pixel from the SAP line in a hypothetical two-band spectral space represents the inverse probability that the pixel contains SAP. This distance from the SAP line represents the Perpendicular SAP Index using an SAP line (PSIS). Correspondingly, the distance of a pixel from the water line represents the...

Iridium-cobalt oxide synthesized via surfactant-assisted Adams fusion for efficient oxygen evolution in acidic and alkaline media

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A series of iridium-cobalt (Ir-Co) oxide catalysts were synthesized using a modified surfactant-assisted Adams fusion method and evaluated for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in both acidic and alkaline media. The effect of varying the Ir/Co ratio was systematically studied and compared with commercial Ir black and pure IrO2 samples. The actual elemental ratios were quantified using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Among the synthesized samples, the Ir6Co4 catalyst exhibited the best performance in acidic media, achieving an iR-corrected overpotential of 292 mV. In alkaline conditions, it demonstrated comparable activity to Ir black, with an iR-corrected overpotential of 263 mV. XPS and electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses revealed that increasing Co content led to a higher fraction of metallic Ir (Ir0) in the catalyst. In addition, the role of Ir3+ in enhancing...

Roles of mathematics-related psychological factors in STEM sense of belonging and identity: a structural equation modeling analysis

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundThe progression and retention of students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines are influenced by their performance in calculus courses, particularly among underrepresented minoritized (URM) and first-generation college students. Research stresses the importance of addressing psychosocial factors to bolster resilience, persistence, and positive self-concepts in STEM disciplines. Despite extensive research in this area, understanding of how mathematics-related psychological factors (e.g., math interest, self-concept, and anxiety) shape STEM sense of belonging and STEM identity remains limited. Interest in STEM is recognized as necessary for engaging individuals in STEM learning and careers, while self-concept and anxiety play significant roles in shaping students’ engagement and performance in STEM fields. Taking data from a larger college calculus, reform project, this study utilizes Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the degree...

Parent Reports Versus Objective Behavioral Measures in Pediatric Sleep‐Disordered Breathing

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Objectives: To determine the association between parent-reported problem behaviors and objectively measured response inhibition in children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Understanding this concordance could facilitate better clinical decision-making, as parent reports often guide treatment decisions despite unclear relationships with objective behavioral measures. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care pediatric otolaryngology clinic from 1/1/24-12/1/2024. Children aged 5-11 years with SDB symptoms were included, while those with clinically significant psychiatric or neurologic disorders were excluded. Parent-reported problem behaviors were measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), with the inhibit T-score as the primary predictor. The primary outcome was performance on the Flanker Test of Inhibitory Control and Attention, which measures response suppression to irrelevant stimuli while maintaining...

High-resolution mountain topography can inform global snow vulnerability estimates

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Snow is changing globally. Computationally intensive snow reanalysis products and downscaled climate model projections allow for the estimation of historical and projected changes in snow over ∼4–10 km resolutions, but these resolutions are coarse relative to the scales needed for water supply and flood planning. Fine-scale digital elevation models (DEMs) are widely available but are underutilized to make first-order assessments of snow vulnerability. Here, we leverage DEMs at a 7.5 arc s (∼250 m) resolution, combining these with historical freezing level height estimates from ERA-5 to derive estimates of changes in the snow-receiving area (SRA) and its variability across global mountain ranges. Results show estimated SRA declines in 29% (1.9 million km2) of the global mountain area from 1982–2020; 66% of the mountainous areas had no change over the historical period. At +1.5 °C of warming relative to the pre-industrial control, global mountain SRA would decline by 9.5% (1.0 million...

Global advances in managed aquifer recharge: a systematic synthesis

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The rising water crisis requires effective and innovative techniques to safeguard the dwindling groundwater resources. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is a groundwater management approach to minimize groundwater depletion and ensure water security across a range of climatic regions. It is implemented globally to maximize aquifer storage, reduce saltwater intrusion, prevent land subsidence, reduce flooding hazards, and enhance agricultural production, while ensuring better water quality and quantity. This synthesis followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to systematically select relevant publications from scientific databases between 1980 and 2023. Systematic review and bibliometric synthesis indicate that river water (surface water runoff to streams and rivers), stormwater, and reclaimed wastewater were the main water sources for MAR. Tracers, water balance, and numerical modeling methods were commonly used approaches for evaluating MAR systems. Global studies on MAR reveal a significant...

Breeding of microbiomes conferring salt tolerance to plants

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

BackgroundMicrobiome breeding through host-mediated selection is a technique to artificially select for microbiomes conferring beneficial properties to plants. Using a systematic selection protocol that maximises the heritability of microbiome effects, transmission fidelity, and microbiome stability through multiple selection cycles, we previously developed root-associated microbial communities conferring sodium and aluminium tolerance to Brachypodium distachyon, a model for cereal crops. Here, we explore the physiological mechanisms underlying our selected microbiomes’ effect on plant fitness and analyse how our selection protocol shaped the composition and structure of these microbiomes. We analysed the effects of our selected microbiomes on plant fitness and tissue-nutrient concentration, then used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to examine microbial community composition and co-occurrence network patterns.ResultsOur sodium-selected microbiomes reduced leaf sodium concentration...

Optimal Control of Emergency Evacuations Leveraging Equivalent Circuit Models

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Emergency evacuation planning is a critical task that ensures individuals’ swift and safe movement from hazardous locations to designated safe zones. This article proposes a novel controllable equivalent circuit model (cECM) to capture the flow of traffic in a network. The model includes switches for flow routing and additional circuit elements to represent the time lost due to recharging, which is critical for (electric) vehicles with the limited driving range. We embed this cECM into a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) that determines optimal evacuation routes and recharging strategies to minimize evacuation time while considering road capacity, limited vehicle energy, and the availability of charging stations. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through simulations based on an evacuation case study using the Sioux Falls and Anaheim networks.

Fairness-Aware Management of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This letter presents an optimization framework for scheduling electric vehicle (EV) charging at public stations, with the aim of minimizing overall user dissatisfaction while taking into account arrival time, charging duration, and power demand. To promote fairness, the framework differentiates between high-priority users (those without access to home or workplace charging) and low-priority users (those with such access). In addition, it ensures contiguous charging time slots by incorporating trigger functions into the optimization model. The problem is formulated as a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP). The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through simulations using EV charger data from the UC Merced campus parking lot.

The Effects of Recent Federal Immigration Enforcement on Private Sector Employment in California and Washington, D.C.

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The UC Merced Community and Labor Center analyzed Current Population Survey data for the periods before and following escalations in federal immigration enforcement actions in California and Washington, D.C. The Center examined changes in the number of workers in California and the rest of the US, for the weeks of May 11, June 8, July 6, and August 10, 2025, and found that the greatest decrease in persons reporting private sector work coincided with peak escalations in federal immigration enforcement. In Washington, D.C., persons reporting private sector work decreased by 3.3% in August, similar to California’s decrease of 3.1% from May to June 2025. Findings indicate the effect of escalated immigration enforcement actions on work is comparable with the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. Ongoing escalated immigration enforcement actions suggest the need for policy interventions to mitigate negative economic consequences.

High-quality draft genome sequence of Thermobifida halotolerans DSM 44931

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Here, we report the genome sequence of Thermobifida halotolerans DSM 44931, a bacterium that was originally isolated from a salt mine in the Yunnan Province of China. This genome was sequenced using Pacific Biosciences sequencing technology and was assembled into 2 contigs in 2 scaffolds. It has a total length of 5,506,851 bp and a GC content of 71.16%. Functional annotation of this genome provides further metabolic insight into this species.

Meta-virus resource (MetaVR): expanding the frontiers of viral diversity with 24 million uncultivated virus genomes

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Viruses are ubiquitous in all environments and impact host metabolism, evolution, and ecology, although our knowledge of their biodiversity is still extremely limited. Viral diversity from genomic and metagenomic datasets has led to an explosion of uncultivated virus genomes (UViGs) and the development of specialized databases to catalog this viral diversity, though many lack comprehensive integration. Here, we introduce meta-virus resource (MetaVR), the successor of the IMG/VR database, designed to overcome previous limitations such as large-scale querying and programmatic access. Drawing on the increase of publicly available genomes and metagenomes, MetaVR significantly expands viral diversity, now comprising 24,435,662 UViGs, a 57.6% increase from its predecessor, organized into over 12 million viral operational taxonomic units. Key enhancements include the integration of curated eukaryotic host information, the integration of protein clusters and predicted structures for comparative...

Civilian Harm, Wartime Informing, and Counterinsurgent Operations

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A rich body of theory in political economy suggests that civilian support is central to the success of counterinsurgent campaigns. Civilian collaboration can significantly improve military operations, enhance soldier efficiency, and avoid disruption of costly security infrastructure. Yet there have been few direct tests of the claim that harm to civilians, and who harms them, influences when and with whom noncombatants collaborate. We provide such a test, drawing on newly declassified military records and large-scale survey data. We demonstrate that civilians responded to harm suffered in insurgent-initiated attacks by providing intelligence to security forces in Afghanistan. Moreover, we show that these tips improved the success of subsequent counterinsurgent operations. These results clarify the conditions under which civilian casualties can shape the course of internal wars, with implications for future research on political violence.

Endodermal cells use contact inhibition of locomotion to achieve uniform cell dispersal during zebrafish gastrulation

Mon, 8 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The endoderm is one of the three primary germ layers that gives rise to the gastrointestinal and respiratory epithelia and other tissues. Prior to epithelium formation, endodermal cells are highly migratory with only transient interactions among each other. Here, we show that, in zebrafish embryos, early-stage migratory endodermal cells actively avoid each other through contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) and that this response is dependent on the Rho GTPase RhoA. Computational modeling predicted that CIL is required for the efficient and uniform dispersal characteristic of endodermal cells. Consistent with our model, we found that experimentally suppressing CIL resulted in irregular clustering of cells within the endoderm. Finally, we found that type A Eph receptors are required to mediate endodermal CIL. Together, our results suggest that endodermal cells use EphA- and RhoA-dependent CIL as a cell dispersal and spacing mechanism, demonstrating how tissue-scale patterns can...

A participatory approach for developing a geospatial toolkit for mapping the suitability of Californiaâs Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) in support of groundwater sustainability

Thu, 4 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A participatory approach for developing a geospatial toolkit for mapping the suitability of Californiaâs Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) in support of groundwater sustainability

Snow droughts, deluge, and reservation systems interact to drive recreation access at Yosemite National Park

Thu, 4 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Changes in snow extremes can have important but as yet underexplored impacts on the 1.2-trillion dollar outdoor recreation industry, impacting essential ecosystem services. These hydroclimate conditions interact with reservation systems used by park managers to manage potential impacts to park resources and visitor experiences. Climate change extremes and associated hazards limit and enable access in different ways: snowpack from extreme wet years can prolong road closures at higher elevations, while extreme snow drought enables early season access. Few studies have attempted to assess and compare the influence of snow conditions and reservation systems among a population of visitors, as we do at Yosemite National Park. Roads were still closed into the 2023 peak season from a record extreme snow deluge, yet entry was unrestricted due to lack of a parkwide day use reservation system. This combination led to higher overall visitation levels but spatially constrained visitor mobility...

Digital Smoking Cessation Preferences of Predominately Low-Income and Latino Residents of the San Joaquin Valley in California: Qualitative Study

Thu, 4 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Although rates of tobacco use in California have declined overall, adults in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), particularly Hispanic or Latinos ("Latinos"), have disproportionately high rates of tobacco use, tobacco-related illness, and mortality. Residents of the SJV also have limited access to cessation support services and need accessible, nonclinical alternatives. Given high smartphone use rates among Latinos and residents of rural communities, digital health tools may present an accessible approach to expand cessation support. Objective: This study explored tobacco use behaviors, cessation experiences, and views about digital cessation tools for tobacco cessation among SJV residents. The secondary objective was to assess the appeal, usability, and necessary adaptations of 2 existing digital smoking cessation tools-a smoking cessation app and a social media-based cessation intervention. Methods: Through an SJV-based academic-community partnership, we recruited 29 predominantly...

Spectrally Characterizing Targets With SAR