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Salinity is a major environmental factor that influences the population dynamics of fish and shellfish along coasts and estuaries, yet empirical methods for hindcasting salinity at specific sampling stations are not widely available. The specific aim of this research was to predict the salinity experienced by juvenile and adult oysters (Crassostrea virginica) collected at sampling stations in Delaware Bay. To do so, empirical relationships were created to predict salinity at five oyster bed stations using observing systems data. These relationships were then applied to construct indices of salinity exposure over an oyster's lifetime. Three independent salinity data sources were used in conjunction with observing systems data to construct and validate the predictive relationships. The root mean square error (RMSE) of the models ranged from 0.5 to 1.6 psu when model predictions were compared with the three independent data sets. Results demonstrated that data from an observing system near the head of Delaware Bay could be used to predict salinity within ± 2 psu at oyster bed stations as far down-estuary as 39 km. When these models were applied to estimate low salinity exposure of 2-year-old oysters via the metric of consecutive days below 5 psu, the indices suggested that there could be as much as a 42-day difference in low salinity exposure for oysters at stations just 31 km apart. The approach of using observing systems data to hindcast salinity could be applied to advance understanding of salt distribution and the effect of low salinity exposure on organisms in other estuaries, especially bottom-associated species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian bael (Aegle marmelos L. Correa) is an underutilized fruit tree native to India. India harbors a diverse array of genetic variations related to desirable horticultural traits. Assessing genetic variability for varietal improvement necessitates the use of descriptors that comprehensively capture both quantitative and qualitative morphological characteristics. In the present study, variability in 213 accessions of bael were assessed and precisely characterized for various qualitative and quantitative morphological traits. The predominant traits observed in most commercial bael cultivars, which are developed through selection, include a semi-spreading or spreading nature with thorns. The bael germplasm displayed considerable qualitative and quantitative differences in morphological traits, encompassing the leaf, thorn, flower, and fruit, highlighting the diversity present within different parts of the bael tree. Aspect ratio of leaf, which relates the diameter to length, is an important identifying feature. The higher aspect ratio indicates towards round or oblate shape, while lower ratio points towards oblong or oval/ovate fruit shape. However, the final shape depends upon the nature of their either ends (apex or base). Likewise, the contents of total soluble solids (pulp), total soluble solids (mucilage) ascorbic acids and TSS: acidity ratio in the studied genotypes varied from < 34 to > 38 °Brix, < 45 to > 50 °Brix, < 0.30 to > 0.48 per cent and < 110 to > 0.125, respectively. In response to the observed variability in various traits, a comprehensive set of 55 morphological descriptors has been proposed. These descriptors are intended for the characterization, evaluation, and identification of bael germplasm. They are anticipated to be valuable not only for aiding researchers in data interpretation but also for contributing to crop improvement efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and aim: There is a need for studies assessing the efficacy of different therapeutic approaches in the reconstructive surgical treatment of peri-implantitis. The aim of this case series is to evaluate the clinical outcomes and radiographic bone fill of reconstructive surgical treatment using the oscilating chitosan brush for implant surface decontamination. Materials and methods: Nine patients with 11 Class I and III peri-implantitis defects were included. Following implant surface decontamination performed with a chitosan brush, guided bone regeneration (GBR) was performed by means of a bovine derived cancellous bone graft and collagen membrane. Clinical parameters such as full mouth plaque score (FMPS), probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BoP), recession, and radiographic bone level (RBL) were recorded at baseline and 1 year following treatment. Results: All evaluated parameters, including PD, BoP, recession, RBL, and full mouth plaque scores, revealed significant improvements at 1 year follow-up compared to baseline (p < 0.05). The mean PD values reduced from 7.30 ± 1.29 to 3.78 ± 0.65 (p = 0.000). RBL was detected 5.50 ± 1.31 and 1.38 ± 0.74 at baseline and 1-year, respectively (p = 0.010). Conclusion: Reconstructive surgical treatment of Class I and III peri-implantitis defects with GBR may be an effective treatment protocol when an oscilitating chitosan brush is used for surface decontamination. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dogs' comprehension of human gestures has been characterized as more human-like than that of our closest primate relatives, due to a level of flexibility and spontaneous performance on par with that of human infants. However, many of the critical experiments that have been the core evidence for an understanding of human communicative intentions in dogs have yet to be replicated. Here we test the ability of dogs to comprehend a pointing gesture while varying the salience of the gesture and the context in which it is made. We find that subjects' (N = 70) choices across two experiments are consistent with an understanding of communicative intentions. Results largely replicate previous critical controls that rule out a number of egocentric hypotheses including an attraction to human hands and novelty. We also find that dogs spontaneously follow a human gesture in a new context: choosing which direction to navigate around a barrier. The flexible and spontaneous problem solving observed in dogs' gesture comprehension is discussed in relation to its similarity to that of human infants. We conclude with important avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) must be used in the agricultural sector if sustainable agricultural output is to be achieved. One of the most convenient strategies for resolving current and future issues is data-driven agriculture. For this, disease prediction is a major task for precise farming. For predictive analysis and precise agriculture monitoring systems, with the application of AI, Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) play vital roles in building a more robust system. In this work, we will design a DL-integrated rice disease prediction system to be implemented for precise farming. Improvisation of the developed model to detect rice plant diseases & pest attacks with a high level of precision. In this work, the Progressive Loss-Aware Fine-Tuning Stepwise Learning (PLAFTSL) model is proposed for disease detection. For step-wise learning fine-tuned ResNet50 model is used with the introduction of freezing and unfreezing layers. This reduces the training parameters and thus computational complexity. The introduction of the step-wise and progressive loss-aware layer will result in fast convergence and improved training efficiency during information exchange among layers respectively. Our proposed work uses a dataset from two sources. The result analysis is presented with an ablation study. Additionally, the baseline model, ResNet50, is used to display the outcomes of the ablation. The results demonstrate that the fine-tuned model results in better performance as compared to the transfer learning model. The Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (cGAN) augmentation is also added to the designed model which will improve detection effectiveness and can also manage the imbalance in input data. The model has achieved approx. 98% accuracy and outperforms better with comparative state-of-art models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model-based derivative-free optimization (DFO) methods are an important class of DFO methods that are known to struggle with solving high-dimensional optimization problems. Recent research has shown that incorporating random subspaces into model-based DFO methods has the potential to improve their performance on high-dimensional problems. However, most of the current theoretical and practical results are based on linear approximation models due to the complexity of quadratic approximation models. This paper proposes a random subspace trust-region algorithm based on quadratic approximations. Unlike most of its precursors, this algorithm does not require any special form of objective function. We study the geometry of sample sets, the error bounds for approximations, and the quality of subspaces. In particular, we provide a technique to construct Q-fully quadratic models, which is easy to analyze and implement. We present an almost-sure global convergence result of our algorithm and give an upper bound on the expected number of iterations to find a sufficiently small gradient. We also develop numerical experiments to compare the performance of our algorithm using both linear and quadratic approximation models. The numerical results demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of using quadratic approximations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study utilized mediation analyses to examine how parental symptoms of depression and anxiety impact child emotion regulation (ER) and emotion stability (ES) through parent emotion functioning, parenting, and the coparent relationship. 564 parents of children between 3 and 17 years (Mage = 9.47; 54.4% male) were recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk across three time points: baseline (Wave 1), 4 months (Wave 2), 8 months (Wave 3). Mediation results demonstrated that symptoms of parent depression at Wave 1 predicted worse coparent relationships and decreases in parents' ability to identify their own emotions at Wave 2. Symptoms of parental anxiety at Wave 1 predicted decreases in positive parenting and an increased tendency to have negative secondary emotional responses, impulse-control difficulties, and difficulty accessing emotion-regulation strategies at Wave 2. Additionally, symptoms of parental anxiety at Wave 1 directly predicted lower child ER and ES at Wave 3. However, no significant indirect pathways were identified between parent symptoms and child ER and ES. Sensitivity analyses examined the effects of three youth developmental stages (i.e., early and middle childhood and adolescence), as well as parent gender (i.e., mother and father), and found no significant differences across groups. Thus, even at non-clinical levels, parental symptoms of anxiety and depression may negatively impact parenting, parent regulation, and the coparent relationship, while parental anxiety symptoms may contribute to lower child ER and ES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Joint replacement surgery is common in older adults, leading to increasing periprosthetic fracture (PPFx) occurrence. We reviewed all PPFx seen over a 4-year period at an academic hospital. Clinical osteoporosis could be diagnosed based on existing data in 104 (67%) at the time of PPFx. Periprosthetic fractures are generally osteoporosis-related. Purpose: Periprosthetic fractures (PPFx) cause morbidity, mortality, and cost. This study's purpose was to describe osteoporosis-related data available at the time of PPFx. Methods: The electronic medical record (EMR) of PPFx patients seen over 4 years in a university orthopedic practice were reviewed. Demographic data and osteoporosis relevant parameters were collected. Prior DXA studies were reviewed, and L1 Hounsfield unit (HU) measurements were performed on CT scans obtained within 2 years before PPFx. Clinical osteoporosis was defined as prior diagnosis, prescribed osteoporosis treatment, T-score ≤ − 2.5, HU ≤ 100, or prior fracture. Results: Records of 156 PPFx patients (115 F/41 M), mean (SD) age 75.4 (11.9), were reviewed. Almost all 153/156 (98%) of these fractures were femoral. Falls caused 139 (89%); 12 (8%) were spontaneous. Mean time post-arthroplasty was 7.9 (6.3) years. Prior fragility fracture(s) occurred in 72 (46%); 14 were PPFx. Osteoporosis was previously diagnosed in 45 (29%) and medications prescribed in 41 (26%). Prior to PPFx, DXA data were available in 62, mean (SD) lowest T-score was − 1.9 (0.9) and was ≤ − 2.5 in 19. CT data were available in 46; mean (SD) L1 HU was 79.0 (29.4) and was ≤ 100 in 35. Based on existing data, clinical osteoporosis could have been diagnosed in 104 (67%) at the time of PPFx. Conclusion: Periprosthetic fractures are osteoporosis-related. They occur in older adults, often female, and result from falls; BMD, when assessed, is low. Data available at the time of PPFx often allows osteoporosis diagnosis; this should prompt evaluation and pharmacologic treatment consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we studied the relationship between celestial holography and chiral strings. Chiral strings differ from the usual string theory by a change of boundary conditions on the string propagators. It is shown that chiral strings would reproduce graviton amplitudes and could serve as an alternative description of Einstein’s gravity. Celestial holography is a proposed duality between gravity in asymptotically flat space-time and a CFT living on its conformal boundary. Since both are CFT descriptions of gravity, we investigate the potential connection between these two formalisms. In this paper, we find that both the energetic as well as conformal soft theorems could be derived from the OPEs of vertex operators of chiral strings. All operators in the CCFT can be described by Mellin transforming the vertex operators in the chiral string theories, and the OPE coefficients of CCFT can also be obtained from the world-sheet description. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the absence of a true gold standard for non-invasive baroreflex sensitivity estimation, it is difficult to quantify the accuracy of the variety of techniques used. A popular family of methods, usually entitled 'sequence methods' involves the extraction of (apparently) correlated sequences from blood pressure and RR-interval data and the subsequent fitting of a regression line to the data. This paper discusses the accuracy of sequence methods from a system identification perspective, using both data generated from a known mathematical model and spontaneous baroreflex data. It is shown that sequence methods can introduce significant bias in the baroreflex sensitivity estimate, even when great care is taken in sequence selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to save experimental cost and to accelerate the execution time in lifetime experiments, the progressive censoring scheme has become very popular in the last few years. In the statistical literature, hundreds of research articles for the progressive type-II censoring scheme can be found. However, it is quite common for some units to be accidentally broken during the experiment. But no work is available so far in the literature of progressive type-II censoring scheme which deals with such accidental breakages. In view of the above, in the present research article, unintentional and random occurrence of accidents or dropouts is considered in the progressive type-II censoring scenario. The lifetime of units is taken as Weibull distribution, which is the most prevalent failure time model. Since the accidents occur in a random manner, the occurrence time of dropouts (or accidents) is assumed to follow the exponential distribution. After developing a model for this situation, we derive maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) for the model parameters along with their confidence intervals. The parameters are estimated in the Bayesian framework to evaluate the impact of prior information, with gamma priors under the generalized entropy loss functions. A numerical study and a real data set are given to exemplify all the methods of estimation developed in this article. At last, the methods for determining an optimum censoring scheme are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a promising therapeutic strategy for aberrant ALK-expressing malignancies including neuroblastoma, but resistance to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK TKI) is a distinct possibility necessitating drug combination therapeutic approaches. Using high-throughput, genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens, we identify miR-1304-5p loss as a desensitizer to ALK TKIs in aberrant ALK-expressing neuroblastoma; inhibition of miR-1304-5p decreases, while mimics of this miRNA increase the sensitivity of neuroblastoma cells to ALK TKIs. We show that miR-1304-5p targets NRAS, decreasing cell viability via induction of apoptosis. It follows that the farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI) lonafarnib in addition to ALK TKIs act synergistically in neuroblastoma, inducing apoptosis in vitro. In particular, on combined treatment of neuroblastoma patient derived xenografts with an FTI and an ALK TKI complete regression of tumour growth is observed although tumours rapidly regrow on cessation of therapy. Overall, our data suggests that combined use of ALK TKIs and FTIs, constitutes a therapeutic approach to treat high risk neuroblastoma although prolonged therapy is likely required to prevent relapse. Targeting oncogenic ALK activity in neuroblastoma is an attractive therapeutic strategy but success has been limited by resistance to ALK inhibitors. Here, the authors identify loss of miR-1304-5p as a driver of ALK inhibitor resistance via regulation of NRAS, and therapeutically target this axis with the addition of a farnesyltransferase inhibitor in preclinical models of neuroblastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of 30°-angled Er:YAG laser tip and different periodontal instruments on root surface roughness and morphology in vitro. Methods: Eighteen bovine teeth root without carious lesion were decoronated from the cementoenamel junction and seperated longitidunally. A total of 36 obtained blocks were mounted in resin blocks and polished with silicon carbide papers under water irrigation. These blocks were randomly assigned into 3 treatment groups. In Group 1, 30°-angled Er:YAG laser (2.94 μm) tip was applied onto the blocks with a 20 Hz, 120 mJ energy output under water irrigation for 20 s. In Groups 2 and 3, the same treatment was applied to the blocks with new generation ultrasonic tip and conventional curette apico-coronally for 20 s with a sweeping motion. Surface roughness and morphology were evaluated before and after instrumentation with a profilometer and SEM, respectively. Results: After instrumentation, profilometric analysis revealed significantly higher roughness values compared to baseline in all treatment groups(p < 0.05). Laser group revealed the roughest surface morphology followed by conventional curette and new generation ultrasonic tip treatment groups (p < 0.05). In SEM analysis, irregular surfaces and crater defects were seen more frequently in the laser group. Conclusion: Results of the study showed that the use of new generation ultrasonic tip was associated with smoother surface morphology compared to 30°-angled Er-YAG laser tip and conventional curette. Further in vitro and in vivo studies with an increased sample size are necessary to support the present study findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inequities in urban greenspace have been identified, though patterns by race and socioeconomic status vary across US settings. We estimated the magnitude of the relationship between a broad mixture of neighborhood-level factors and residential greenspace using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, and compared predictive models of greenspace using only neighborhood-level, only individual-level, or multi-level predictors. Greenspace measures included the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), tree canopy, and proximity of the nearest park, for residential locations in Shelby County, Tennessee of children in the CANDLE cohort. Neighborhood measures include socioeconomic and education resources, as well as racial composition and racial residential segregation. In this sample of 1012 mother–child dyads, neighborhood factors were associated with higher NDVI and tree canopy (0.021 unit higher NDVI [95% CI: 0.014, 0.028] per quintile increase in WQS index); homeownership rate, proximity of and enrollment at early childhood education centers, and racial composition, were highly weighted in the WQS index. In models constrained in the opposite direction (0.028 unit lower NDVI [95% CI: − 0.036, − 0.020]), high school graduation rate and teacher experience were highly weighted. In prediction models, adding individual-level predictors to the suite of neighborhood characteristics did not meaningfully improve prediction accuracy for greenspace measures. Our findings highlight disparities in greenspace for families by neighborhood socioeconomic and early education factors, and by race, suggesting several neighborhood indicators for consideration both as potential confounders in studies of greenspace and pediatric health as well as in the development of policies and programs to improve equity in greenspace access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The copper compound CuII(atsm) has progressed to phase 2/3 testing for treatment of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). CuII(atsm) is neuroprotective in mutant SOD1 mouse models of ALS where its activity is ascribed in part to improving availability of essential copper. However, SOD1 mutations cause only ~ 2% of ALS cases and therapeutic relevance of copper availability in sporadic ALS is unresolved. Herein we assessed spinal cord tissue from human cases of sporadic ALS for copper-related changes. We found that when compared to control cases the natural distribution of spinal cord copper was disrupted in sporadic ALS. A standout feature was decreased copper levels in the ventral grey matter, the primary anatomical site of neuronal loss in ALS. Altered expression of genes involved in copper handling indicated disrupted copper availability, and this was evident in decreased copper-dependent ferroxidase activity despite increased abundance of the ferroxidases ceruloplasmin and hephaestin. Mice expressing mutant SOD1 recapitulate salient features of ALS and the unsatiated requirement for copper in these mice is a biochemical target for CuII(atsm). Our results from human spinal cord indicate a therapeutic mechanism of action for CuII(atsm) involving copper availability may also be pertinent to sporadic cases of ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the loop corrections to celestial OPE for gluons and gravitons. Even at the loop level, the soft gluons and gravitons have conformal dimensions ∆ = 1 − . The only novelty is the presence of higher poles. At one loop level, there are two types of conformal soft gluons with a single pole and a double pole in the ∆ plane. The celestial OPEs are obtained using the collinear splitting functions. In the case of gluons, the splitting functions receive loop corrections. After taking the holomorphic soft limit, we find the OPE of conformal soft gluons. We find a novel mixing of simple and double poles soft gluon operators in the OPE. In the case of gravitons, where splitting functions are known to be all loop exact, we still find a wedge algebra of w∞ which is in addition to the wedge algebra of w1+∞ already found by Strominger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental factors, including negative parenting practices (e.g., family conflict, low monitoring), parental depression, and parental substance use, are associated with externalizing behaviors among youth. However, the ways in which these parental factors are associated with youth brain function and consequent externalizing behavior has been less studied. Both the dimensional and stress acceleration models provide frameworks for understanding how parental factors may be associated with frontolimbic and frontoparietal networks implicated in emotional attention and regulation processes. The current review builds upon this work by examining how deprivation- and threat-based parental factors are associated with youth neurocircuitry involved in emotional functioning and externalizing behaviors. A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines was completed and included five studies assessing parenting behaviors, six studies assessing parental depressive symptoms and/or diagnosis, and 12 studies assessing parental history of substance use. Synthesis of reviewed studies discusses support for the dimensional and stress acceleration models within the context of deprivation and threat. Further, a limited number of studies tested (i.e., six studies) and supported (i.e., three studies) youth neural structure and function as a mediator of the association between parental factors and youth externalizing behavior. Specific recommendations for future work include more deliberate planning related to sample composition, improved clarity related to parental constructs, consistency in methodology, and longitudinal study design in order to better understand associations between contextual parental influences and youth neural and behavioral functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD; Salekin in Pers Disord: Theory Res Treat 7:180–191, 2016) scale was designed to assess interrelated psychopathic trait domains in conjunction with symptoms of Conduct Disorder (CD) in children and adolescents (i.e., grandiose-manipulative, callous-unemotional, daring-impulsive). Variable-centered studies have provided support for a four-factor PSCD structure (Salekin et al. in Psychol Assess 34(10):985–992, 2022) in line with other adolescent and adult studies. The current person-centered study used latent profile analysis of the PSCD domains to examine whether theoretically meaningful and empirically robust PSCD subtypes emerged from a diverse sample (70.9% White, 20.1% Black, 3.6% Hispanic, and 5.4% other) of adolescents (modal age = 17) in a military style residential facility (N = 409; Males = 80.6%). As hypothesized, a four-class solution was best, consistent with adult psychopathy subtyping research (Hare et al. in Handbook of Psychopathy 39–79, 2018; Roy et al. in Pers Disord: Theory Res Treat, in press). The PSCD subtype profiles were uniform across sex and race/ethnicity. Adolescents evincing a psychopathic trait propensity profile (elevated on all four PSCD domains) displayed the greatest number of arrests and higher overall externalizing psychopathology, compared to the other three latent classes, as well as higher internalizing psychopathology compared to adolescents with general delinquency. The PSCD provides a sound measure of psychopathic trait propensities in youth and our results offer investigators and clinicians a means for understanding person-centered psychopathic traits versus antisocial profiles among at-risk adolescents. Taken together, the current results may offer a viable approach for examining specific treatment targets based on PSCD subtype profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mus musculus enters a torpid state in response to caloric restriction in sub-thermoneutral ambient temperatures. This torpid state is characterized by an adaptive and controlled decrease in metabolic rate, heart rate, body temperature, and activity. Previous research has identified the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) within the hypothalamus, a region containing oxytocin neurons, as a location that is active during torpor onset. We hypothesized that oxytocin neurons within the PVN are part of this neural circuit and that activation of oxytocin neurons would deepen and lengthen torpor bouts. We report that activation of oxytocin neurons alone is not sufficient to induce a torpor-like state in the fed mouse, with no significant difference in body temperature or heart rate upon activation of oxytocin neurons. However, we found that activation of oxytocin neurons prior to the onset of daily torpor both deepens and lengthens the subsequent bout, with a 1.7 ± 0.4 °C lower body temperature and a 135 ± 32 min increase in length. We therefore conclude that oxytocin neurons are involved in the neural circuitry controlling daily torpor in the mouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suggestions about hunger can generate placebo effects on hunger experiences. But, the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms are unknown. Here, we show in 255 women that hunger expectancies, induced by suggestion-based placebo interventions, determine hunger sensations and economic food choices. Functional magnetic resonance imaging in a subgroup (n = 57/255) provides evidence that the strength of expecting the placebo to decrease hunger moderates medial prefrontal cortex activation at the time of food choice and attenuates ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) responses to food value. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation linked to interference resolution formally mediates the suggestion-based placebo effects on hunger. A drift-diffusion model characterizes this effect by showing that the hunger suggestions bias participants' food choices and how much they weigh tastiness against the healthiness of food, which further moderates vmPFC–dlPFC psychophysiological interactions when participants expect decreased hunger. Thus, suggestion-induced beliefs about hunger shape hunger addressing economic choices through cognitive regulation of value computation within the prefrontal cortex. The neurocognitive mechanisms underlying placebo effects of hunger suggestion are not well understood. Here, the authors show that activation and interaction of different areas of the prefrontal cortex are related to the effects of hunger suggestions on food choice and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to early life adversity (ELA) is associated with increased externalizing symptoms (e.g., aggression and oppositionality), internalizing symptoms (e.g., withdrawal and anxiety), and biological indicators of accelerated aging (e.g., telomere length) in childhood. However, little is known about how distinct dimensions of ELA, such as threat and deprivation, impact youth psychobiological outcomes. The present study includes data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a large population-based, birth cohort study of majority (approximately 75%) racial and ethnic minority youth born between 1998 and 2000 across 20 large cities in the United States. The present study includes a subset of the original sample (N = 2,483, 51.6% male) who provided genetic data at age 9. First, confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, which revealed four distinct dimensions of ELA (home threat, community threat, neglect, and lack of stimulation) when children were age 3. Second, latent profile analyses identified an eight-profile solution based on unique patterns of the four ELA dimensions. Lastly, latent profiles were used to predict associations with child psychological and biological outcomes at age 9. Results suggest that exposure to specific combinations of ELA is differentially associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors in childhood, but not with telomere length. Findings have implications for personalized early intervention and prevention efforts aimed at reducing ELA exposure to protect against downstream negative mental health outcomes for diverse youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic neutrinos interacting with the Moon's regolith generate particle showers that emit Askaryan radiation. This radiation can be observed from the Earth using ground-based radio telescopes like LOFAR. We simulate the effective detection aperture for UHE neutrinos hitting the Moon. Under the same assumptions, results from this work are in good agreement with previous analytic parameterizations and Monte Carlo codes. The dependence of the effective detection aperture on the observing parameters, such as observing frequency and minimum detection threshold, and lunar characteristics like surface topography have been studied. Using a Monte Carlo simulation, we find that the detectable neutrino energy threshold is lowered when we include a realistic treatment of the inelasticity, transmission coefficient, and surface roughness. Lunar surface roughness at large scales enhances the total aperture for higher observation frequencies ( ν ≥ 1 GHz ) but has no significant effect on the LOFAR aperture. However, roughness at scales small compared to the wavelength reduces the aperture at all frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In [1], logarithmic correction to subleading soft photon and soft graviton theorems have been derived in four spacetime dimensions from the ratio of IR-finite S-matrices. This has been achieved after factoring out IR-divergent components from the traditional electromagnetic and gravitational S-matrices using Grammer-Yennie prescription. Although the loop corrected subleading soft theorems are derived from one-loop scattering amplitudes involving scalar particles in a minimally coupled theory with scalar contact interaction, it has been conjectured that the soft factors are universal (theory independent) and one-loop exact (don't receive corrections from higher loops). This paper extends the analysis conducted in [1] to encompass general spinning particle scattering with non-minimal couplings permitted by gauge invariance and general coordinate invariance. By re-deriving the ln ω soft factors in this generic setup, we establish their universal nature. Furthermore, we summarize the results of loop corrected soft photon and graviton theorems up to sub-subleading order, which follows from the analysis of one and two loop QED and quantum gravity S-matrices. While the classical versions of these soft factors have already been derived in the literature, we put forth conjectures regarding the quantum soft factors and outline potential strategies for their derivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Obesity is a known risk factor for urinary incontinence (UI). As bariatric surgery can result in significant and sustainable weight loss, many chronic diseases closely linked to obesity have likewise shown improvement after surgical weight loss. We propose that bariatric surgery may significantly improve obesity-related UI symptoms as well as improve quality of life. Methods and procedures: This is an interim analysis of an ongoing, prospective, single-institution observational study looking at UI in women enrolled in a bariatric surgery program. Participants completed the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20), International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire—Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF), King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ), and Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I). Questionnaires were administered upon enrollment, pre-operatively, and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-operatively. Demographic data were collected at each interval and analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results: At analysis, 108 patients had enrolled in the study and 60% had progressed to surgery. We analyzed the following surveys: enrollment (n = 108), pre-operative (n = 43), 3-month (n = 29), 6-month (n = 26), and 1-year (n = 27). Mean BMI decreased from 49.8 to 31.1 at 1-year. All surveys showed significant improvement in UI symptoms over time. Overall, UI symptoms (PDFI-20) are correlated with BMI at time of survey and %TBWL (p = 0.03, p = 0.019). Additionally, perception of symptom improvement with surgery (PGI-I) improved over time (3-month p = 0.0289, 6-month p = 0.0024, 12-month p = 0.0035). Quality of life related to UI symptoms (KHQ) significantly improved after surgery (p = 0.0047 3-month, p = 0.0042 6-month, p = 0.0165 1-year). Conclusions: Although the relationship is complex and likely depends on many factors, weight loss after bariatric surgery is associated with improvement in UI symptoms and UI-related quality of life. Bariatric surgery can play a role in the long-term treatment of UI in women with obesity that may negate the need for further invasive UI procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonconvex minimization algorithms often benefit from the use of second-order information as represented by the Hessian matrix. When the Hessian at a critical point possesses negative eigenvalues, the corresponding eigenvectors can be used to search for further improvement in the objective function value. Computing such eigenpairs can be computationally challenging, particularly if the Hessian matrix itself cannot be built directly but must rather be sampled or approximated. In blackbox optimization, such derivative approximations are built at a significant cost in terms of function values. In this paper, we investigate practical approaches to detect negative eigenvalues in Hessian matrices without accessing the full matrix. We propose a general framework that begins with the diagonal and gradually builds submatrices to detect negative curvature. Crucially, our approach works both when exact Hessian coordinate values are available and when Hessian coordinate values are approximated. We compare several instances of our framework on a test set of Hessian matrices from a popular optimization library, and finite-differences approximations thereof. Our experiments highlight the importance of the variable order in the problem description, and show that forming submatrices is often an efficient approach to detect negative curvature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have used the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) to search for the growing tip of an intra-cloud (IC) positive leader. Even with our most sensitive beamforming method, where we coherently add the signals of about 170 antenna pairs, we were not able to detect any emission from the tip. Instead, we put constraints on the emissivity of very-high frequency (VHF) radiation from the tip at 0.5 pJ/MHz at 60 MHz, integrated over 100 ns. The limit is independent on whether this emission is in the form of short pulses or continuously radiating. The non-observation of VHF radiation from intra-cloud positive leaders implies that they proceed in an extremely gradual process, which is in sharp contrast with the observations of other parts of a lightning discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: : Healthy gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with improved pregnancy and delivery outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic changed eating behaviours and physical activity, and thus may have impacted GWG. This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on GWG. Methods: Participants (N = 371, 86% of the larger study) were part of a study focused on GWG among TRICARE beneficiaries (i.e., active-duty military personnel and other beneficiaries). Participants were randomized to two treatment groups (GWG intervention (n = 149 pre-COVID and n = 98 during COVID), and usual care condition (n = 76 pre-COVID and n = 48 during COVID). GWG was calculated as the difference between screening weight and at 36 weeks gestation. Participants who delivered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (March 1, 2020, N = 225) were compared to participants whose pregnancies occurred during the pandemic (N = 146). Results: We found no significant difference in GWG between those who delivered prior to the pandemic (11.2 ± 4.3 kg) and those whose pregnancies occurred during COVID-19 (10.6 ± 5.4 kg), with no effect of intervention arm. While excessive GWG was higher pre-COVID (62.8%) than during the pandemic (53.7%), this difference was not significant overall or by intervention arm. In addition, we found lower attrition during the pandemic (8.9%) than in the pre-COVID period (18.7%). Discussion: In contrast to prior research that indicated challenges with engaging in health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that women did not have increased GWG or higher odds of excessive GWG. This research contributes to our understanding of how the pandemic impacted pregnancy weight gain and engagement in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quantitative futility is an appraisal of the risk of failure of a treatment. For those who do not survive, a laparotomy has provided negligible therapeutic benefit and may represent a missed opportunity for palliation. The aim of this study was to define a timeframe for quantitative futility in emergency laparotomy and investigate predictors of futility using the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) database. Methods: A two-stage methodology was used; stage one defined a timeframe for futility using an online survey and steering group discussion; stage two applied this definition to patients enrolled in NELA December 2013–December 2020 for analysis. Futility was defined as all-cause mortality within 3 days of emergency laparotomy. Baseline characteristics of this group were compared to all others. Multilevel logistic regression was carried out with potentially clinically important predictors defined a priori. Results: Quantitative futility occurred in 4% of patients (7442/180,987). Median age was 74 years (range 65–81 years). Median NELA risk score was 32.4% vs. 3.8% in the surviving cohort (p < 0.001). Early mortality patients more frequently presented with sepsis (p < 0.001). Significant predictors of futility included age, arterial lactate and cardiorespiratory co-morbidity. Frailty was associated with a 38% increased risk of early mortality (95% CI 1.22–1.55). Surgery for intestinal ischaemia was associated with a two times greater chance of futile surgery (OR 2.67; 95% CI 2.50–2.85). Conclusions: Quantitative futility after emergency laparotomy is associated with quantifiable risk factors available to decision-makers preoperatively. These findings should be incorporated qualitatively by the multidisciplinary team into shared decision-making discussions with extremely high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of positive bases make them a useful tool in derivative-free optimization and an interesting concept in mathematics. The notion of the cosine measure helps to quantify the quality of a positive basis. It provides information on how well the vectors in the positive basis uniformly cover the space considered. The number of vectors in a positive basis is known to be between n + 1 and 2n inclusively. When the number of vectors is strictly between n + 1 and 2n, we say that it is an intermediate positive basis. In this paper, the structure of intermediate positive bases with maximal cosine measure is investigated. The structure of an intermediate positive basis with maximal cosine measure over a certain subset of positive bases is provided. This type of positive bases has a simple structure that makes them easy to generate with a computer software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TIGIT is an inhibitory receptor expressed on lymphocytes and can inhibit T cells by preventing CD226 co-stimulation through interactions in cis or through competition of shared ligands. Whether TIGIT directly delivers cell-intrinsic inhibitory signals in T cells remains unclear. Here we show, by analysing lymphocytes from matched human tumour and peripheral blood samples, that TIGIT and CD226 co-expression is rare on tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes. Using super-resolution microscopy and other techniques, we demonstrate that ligation with CD155 causes TIGIT to reorganise into dense nanoclusters, which coalesce with T cell receptor (TCR)-rich clusters at immune synapses. Functionally, this reduces cytokine secretion in a manner dependent on TIGIT's intracellular ITT-like signalling motif. Thus, we provide evidence that TIGIT directly inhibits lymphocyte activation, acting independently of CD226, requiring intracellular signalling that is proximal to the TCR. Within the subset of tumours where TIGIT-expressing cells do not commonly co-express CD226, this will likely be the dominant mechanism of action. CD226 provides a co-stimulatory signal to the T cell receptor during activation, and TIGIT is believed to inhibit this process by competing for the CD226 ligand CD155. Here authors show that ligand binding induces dense nanocluster formation by TIGIT which initiates intrinsic, CD226 independent inhibitory signals, proximal to T cell receptor signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest in canine behavioral research specifically for working dogs. Here we take advantage of a dataset of a Transportation Safety Administration olfactory detection cohort of 628 Labrador Retrievers to perform Machine Learning (ML) prediction and classification studies of behavioral traits and environmental effects. Data were available for four time points over a 12 month foster period after which dogs were accepted into a training program or eliminated. Three supervised ML algorithms had robust performance in correctly predicting which dogs would be accepted into the training program, but poor performance in distinguishing those that were eliminated (~ 25% of the cohort). The 12 month testing time point yielded the best ability to distinguish accepted and eliminated dogs (AUC = 0.68). Classification studies using Principal Components Analysis and Recursive Feature Elimination using Cross-Validation revealed the importance of olfaction and possession-related traits for an airport terminal search and retrieve test, and possession, confidence, and initiative traits for an environmental test. Our findings suggest which tests, environments, behavioral traits, and time course are most important for olfactory detection dog selection. We discuss how this approach can guide further research that encompasses cognitive and emotional, and social and environmental effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active areas of research on chemical looping technologies for the conversion of CO2 to CO are contrasted and discussed, including current performance, methods for material design, and next steps in expanding their development. Generation of CO from CO2 is of interest in sustainable chemistry and engineering to convert anthropogenic CO2 emissions into feedstock for Fischer–Tropsch (FT), methanol to gasoline (MTG), gas-to-liquid (GTL), and other synthesis pathways for fuels and materials. Chemical looping strategies have been identified which not only produce CO, but also H2 from H2O and methane sources, supplying the other key component of syngas. Configurations of these chemical looping technologies into the materials economy potentially constitute sustainable carbon loop cycles for fuels as well as carbon sequestration into industrial and commercial materials. Major areas of research in CO2 conversion by chemical looping, collectively referred to here as CO2CL, including Solar-Thermal Chemical Looping (STCL), Reverse Water Gas Shift Chemical Looping (RWGS-CL), Chemical Looping Reforming (CLR), Super Dry Reforming (SDR), Autothermal Catalyst Assisted Chemical Looping (ACACL), and Reverse Boudouard Reforming (RBR) are discussed in terms of their process characteristics, historical development of oxygen carrier (OC) material, state of the art methods for material design, and future work needed to advance the scale-up of these technologies. This perspective centers around the non-methane utilizing processes for CO2CL, focusing on the phenomena of oxygen transfer between gas molecules and the oxygen carrier (OC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature is highly inconsistent in describing the proximal attachment of the anterolateral ligament (ALL) and its relationship with the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in human knees. This observational study aims to investigate that lacuna. The gross dissection was performed in the lower limbs (n = 83) from the donated adult-age (> 18 years) embalmed cadavers from medical institutions in the north and east India. The dissected knee specimens were first examined macroscopically. Further routine and special staining and microscopic examinations were performed. The ALL was absent in approximately 20.4% of the studied knee specimens (17/83). In remaining, the sharing of ALL and LCL proximal fibers was observed as a consistent finding (~ 97%) with rare exceptions. The mean length of the tibial and meniscal limbs of ALL was 1.57 ± 0.8 cm [Range (R) 0.5–4 cm] and 0.73 ± 0.47 cm [Range (R) 0.1–1.6 cm], respectively. In addition, multiple variations in its presentation were observed. We propose that the proximal sharing of LCL-ALL fibers is a dominant feature in the studied population. The sharing of the fibers may impact the biomechanics and injury mechanisms for both ligaments. The possibility of ethnic variations in the ALL morphology should be a concern during reconstruction surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degree of certainty that decision-makers have about their evaluations of available choice alternatives and their confidence about selecting the subjectively best alternative are important factors that affect current and future value-based choices. Assessments of the alternatives in a given choice set are rarely unidimensional; their values are usually derived from a combination of multiple distinct attributes. For example, the taste, texture, quantity, and nutritional content of a snack food may all be considered when determining whether to consume it. We examined how certainty about the levels of individual attributes of an option relates to certainty about the overall value of that option as a whole and/or to confidence in having chosen the subjectively best available option. We found that certainty and confidence are derived from unequally weighted combinations of attribute certainties rather than simple, equal combinations of all sources of uncertainty. Attributes that matter more in determining choice outcomes also are weighted more in metacognitive evaluations of certainty or confidence. Moreover, we found that the process of deciding between two alternatives leads to refinements in both attribute estimations and the degree of certainty in those estimates. Attributes that are more important in determining choice outcomes are refined more during the decision process in terms of both estimates and certainty. Although certainty and confidence are typically treated as unidimensional, our results indicate that they, like value estimates, are subjective, multidimensional constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we address Hansen Wheat et al.'s commentary in this journal in response to Salomons et al. Current Biology, 31(14), 3137–3144.E11, (2021). We conduct additional analyses in response to Hansen Wheat et al.'s two main questions. First, we examine the claim that it was the move to a human home environment which enabled the dog puppies to outperform the wolf puppies in gesture comprehension tasks. We show that the youngest dog puppies who had not yet been individually placed in raisers' homes were still highly skilled, and outperformed similar-aged wolf puppies who had higher levels of human interaction. Second, we address the claim that willingness to approach a stranger can explain the difference between dog and wolf pups' ability to succeed in gesture comprehension tasks. We explain the various controls in the original study that render this explanation insufficient, and demonstrate via model comparison that the covariance of species and temperament also make this parsing impossible. Overall, our additional analyses and considerations support the domestication hypothesis as laid out by Salomons et al. Current Biology, 31(14), 3137–3144.E11, (2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, an economically important onion pest in India, poses a severe threat to the domestic and export supply of onions. Therefore, it is important to study the distribution of this pest in order to assess the possible crop loss, which it may inflict if not managed in time. In this study, MaxEnt was used to analyze the potential distribution of T. tabaci in India and predict the changes in the suitable areas for onion thrips under two scenarios, SSP126 and SSP585. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.993 and 0.989 for training and testing demonstrated excellent model accuracy. The true skill statistic value of 0.944 and 0.921, and the continuous Boyce index of 0.964 and 0.889 for training and testing, also showed higher model accuracy. Annual Mean Temperature (bio1), Annual Precipitation (bio12) and Precipitation Seasonality (bio15) are the main variables that determined the potential distribution of T. tabaci, with the suitable range of 22–28 °C; 300–1000 mm and 70–160, respectively. T. tabaci is distributed mainly in India's central and southern states, with 1.17 × 106 km2, covering 36.4% of land area under the current scenario. Multimodal ensembles show that under a low emission scenario (SSP126), low, moderate and optimum suitable areas of T. tabaci is likely to increase, while highly suitable areas would decrease by 17.4% in 2050 20.9% in 2070. Whereas, under the high emission scenario (SSP585), the high suitability is likely to contract by 24.2% and 51.7% for 2050 and 2070, respectively. According to the prediction of the BCC-CSM2-MR, CanESM5, CNRM-CM6-1 and MIROC6 model, the highly suitable area for T. tabaci would likely contract under both SSP126 and SSP585. This study detailed the potential future habitable area for T. tabaci in India, which could help monitor and devise efficient management strategies for this destructive pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low salinity can negatively affect reproduction in estuarine bivalves. The spatial and temporal extents of these effects are important to inform models of population dynamics, environmental risk assessments, restoration efforts, and predictions of climate change effects. A hypothesis of delayed gametogenesis for oysters at low salinity sites was tested relative to their higher salinity counterparts in downstream experimental cages. In 2018, the timing of gametogenesis and spawning was observed June–August for 2-year-old oysters from three distinct ancestries (native, hatchery, aquaculture), outplanted at age 1 month along the salinity gradient (3–30 psu) of a temperate estuary. A second season of data was collected in 2019 from a 3-year-old aquaculture line and mixed-age native adult oysters dredged and transplanted 1 year prior. Dermo was tested in 2019 and prevalence was 1.3% (n = 240). Gametogenesis and spawning were retarded for all ancestries at low salinity relative to higher salinity sites during July and August. The reverse pattern was found in June, with low salinity sites having more advanced gonad index than at a high salinity site. This difference in average gonad index was 2.65 vs 1.46, respectively, for the native line and 2.62 vs 2.08 for aquaculture. Low salinity seemed to not only induce earlier gametogenesis in June, but also extended the reproductive season relative to higher salinity sites. Among oyster ancestries, the aquaculture line stood out as having 30–48% lower gametogenic synchrony within sites, but only in 2018. Because the native oysters used in this study have been restricted to low salinity conditions for many generations, demonstration of their reproductive plasticity across salinities is notable and broadens the range of potential future restoration strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outcomes of PWH with unhealthy alcohol use, such as alcohol use reduction or progression to AUD, are not well-known and may differ by baseline patterns of unhealthy alcohol use. Among 1299 PWH screening positive for NIAAA-defined unhealthy alcohol use in Kaiser Permanente Northern California, 2013–2017, we compared 2-year probabilities of reduction to low-risk/no alcohol use and rates of new AUD diagnoses by baseline use patterns, categorized as exceeding: only daily limits (72% of included PWH), only weekly limits (17%), or both (11%), based on NIAAA recommendations. Overall, 73.2% (95% CI 70.5–75.9%) of re-screened PWH reduced to low-risk/no alcohol use over 2 years, and there were 3.1 (95% CI 2.5–3.8%) new AUD diagnoses per 100 person-years. Compared with PWH only exceeding daily limits at baseline, those only exceeding weekly limits and those exceeding both limits were less likely to reduce and likelier to be diagnosed with AUD during follow-up. PWH exceeding weekly drinking limits, with or without exceeding daily limits, may have a potential need for targeted interventions to address unhealthy alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this work was to investigate the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) following a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or pre-existing diabetes among Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. Methods: We undertook a longitudinal study of linked healthcare datasets. All Aboriginal women who gave birth between 2000 and 2016 were eligible for inclusion. Diabetes status in the index pregnancy was as recorded in the NT Perinatal Data Collection. Outcomes included any stage of CKD and ESKD as defined by ICD-10 coding in the NT Hospital Inpatient Activity dataset between 2000 and 2018. Risk was compared using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Among 10,508 Aboriginal women, the mean age was 23.1 (SD 6.1) years; 731 (7.0%) had GDM and 239 (2.3%) had pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy. Median follow-up was 12.1 years. Compared with women with no diabetes during pregnancy, women with GDM had increased risk of CKD (9.2% vs 2.2%, adjusted HR 5.2 [95% CI 3.9, 7.1]) and ESKD (2.4% vs 0.4%, adjusted HR 10.8 [95% CI 5.6, 20.8]). Among women with pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy, 29.1% developed CKD (adjusted HR 10.9 [95% CI 7.7, 15.4]) and 9.9% developed ESKD (adjusted HR 28.0 [95% CI 13.4, 58.6]). Conclusions/interpretation: Aboriginal women in the NT with GDM or pre-existing diabetes during pregnancy are at high risk of developing CKD and ESKD. Pregnancy presents an important opportunity to identify kidney disease risk. Strategies to prevent kidney disease and address the social determinants of health are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few topics in wildlife conservation are as controversial, emotive, or command as much public and political attention, as trophy hunting. International discourses regarding trophy hunting are characterised by radically contradictory assertions, ranging from claims that trophy hunting is a humane and socially acceptable wildlife management tool which benefits more animals than it kills, to claims that it is cruel, socially unacceptable, and drives species to extinction. So, which is it? We argue that using a single, blanket term "trophy hunting" obscures substantial and important variation in how and why people pay to hunt and keep trophies. Consequently, polarised disagreements over whether "trophy hunting" is good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable, beneficial or harmful, conflate arguments about fundamentally different activities. We urge conservation scientists and practitioners, politicians, journalists, and advocates on all sides to communicate more clearly and carefully about which specific hunting activities they believe are right or wrong, beneficial or harmful, acceptable or unacceptable, to whom, and for what reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of the metaverse in the field of education is an area of increasing interest, with many researchers exploring the space to increase the ease and efficacy of student education while reducing time and labor requirements to deliver effective teaching. However, there has been little work into the systematic and technological aspects of delivering education through the metaverse. To fill this gap, we propose a metaverse education system that takes good advantages of virtual reality and Web3 blockchain techologies to create a social learning environment. With this added emphasis on social aspects, learners are able to socialize and engage in collaborative efforts to improve their own knowledge. Using blockchain technology, the system can also help to ensure security and transparency while also keeping progression and grading fair for all participating students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]