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Even though the importance of technical and vocational education is acknowledged in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the university sector has dominated the discourse on the role of postsecondary educational institutions in sustainability. This comparative study widens the scope by highlighting contributions that community colleges (CCs) and technical and vocational education and training institutions (TVETs) are making to sustainability in several developed and fast-developing countries. It examines five independent case studies -- conducted in Canada, Chile, China, Taiwan, and the United States -- and demonstrates that CCs and TVETs are uniquely positioned to make substantial contributions and should be an important part of the sustainability discussion. It also explores special features that allow these institutions to play a vital role in addressing the SDGs. The findings show that the SDGs related to economic development and social justice were a priority in all five case studies, while the environmental SDGs were foremost in the two North American studies. The main barriers to sustainable development include the high cost of education, low completion rates, graduates' inability to secure employment commensurate with their education, inadequate funding and the reputation of CCs and TVETs as second-tier institutions.

Climate change misinformation refers to inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading climate change-related information created and spread in the public domain. Despite substantial consensus among the scientific community on the reality of anthropogenic climate change, public opinion still remains divided. Combating the climate crisis requires immediate and meaningful actions; however, various actors generate and propagate climate change misinformation, with vested interests in sowing doubts in the public sphere about the reality and urgency of climate impacts. The United States of America, where public opinion holds a strong sway in many social and political spheres, acts as a pertinent case in point, where the prevalence of climate denial fueled by persistent climate change misinformation contributes to this divided public perspective. For this reason, it is imperative to enhance the understanding of the subtle ways climate change misinformation exists and functions. This article employs actor–network theory and the concept of black-boxing to explore a case of climate change misinformation in the United States, with the aim of comprehending the workings of climate change misinformation within its network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of bacterial vaginosis on women's health is an increasing concern; however, the effect of the obesity index on bacterial vaginosis is controversial. We investigated the association between body mass index and bacterial vaginosis in women in the United States. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study which obtained the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2004, in which weighted multivariate regression and logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the independent relationship between body mass index and bacterial vaginosis. Subgroup analyses and smoothed curve fitting were also performed. Results: A total of 5,428 participants were enrolled, and the findings show that the participants with higher body mass index tended to have a higher incidence of bacterial vaginosis. In the fully adjusted model, a positive association between bacterial vaginosis and body mass index was observed (Odd's ratio = 1.03, 95% Confidence interval, 1.01–1.04). The subgroup analysis showed that this positive association was significant in non-Hispanic White individuals (Odd's ratio = 1.0327, 95% Confidence interval, 1.0163, 1.0493). Conclusion: Increased bacterial vaginosis positivity may be associated with an increased body mass index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female-specific reproductive factors might contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and the American Heart Association (AHA) recently proposed Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score to quantify cardiovascular health (CVH). The study aimed to examine the relationships between reproductive factors and the LE8 score among post-menopause women in the United States. We enrolled 3223 post-menopause women from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). CVH groups based on LE8 score were low (0–49), moderate (50–79), and high good CVH levels (80–100). Multivariate ordinal logistic regressions were applied to estimate the associations between reproductive factors and the LE8 score. In multivariate model, early menarche (OR: 0.69, 95 percent CI: 0.51–0.93) and early menopause (OR: 0.57, 95 percent CI: 0.43–0.77) were associated with LE8 score compared with normal menarche and menopause; Meanwhile, ages at menarche and menopause were positively correlated with LE8 score. The number of pregnancies and full-term pregnancies were negatively associated with LE8 (OR for per pregnancy increase and 95 percent CI, 0.93 (0.88, 0.98), 0.93 (0.87, 0.99), separately). Overall, natural menopausal women with early age at menarche and menopause, and a higher number of pregnancies may have a high risk of lower CVH, and need to focus on their CVH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data‐driven methods have been extensively applied to predict atmospheric compositions. Here, we explore the capability of a deep learning (DL) model to make ozone (O3) predictions across continents in China, the United States (US) and Europe. The DL model was trained and validated with surface O3 observations in China and the US in 2015–2018. The DL model was applied to predict hourly surface O3 over three continents in 2015–2022. Compared to baseline simulations using GEOS‐Chem (GC) model, our analysis exhibits mean biases of 2.6 and 4.8 μg/m3 with correlation coefficients of 0.94 and 0.93 (DL); and mean biases of 3.7 and 5.4 μg/m3 with correlation coefficients of 0.95 and 0.92 (GC) in Europe in 2015–2018 and 2019–2022, respectively. The comparable performances between DL and GC indicate the potential of DL to make reliable predictions over spatial and temporal domains where a wealth of local observations for training is not available. Plain Language Summary: Machine learning techniques have been extensively applied in the field of atmospheric science. It provides an efficient way of integrating data and predicting atmospheric compositions. Here, we explore the capability of a deep learning (DL) model to make ozone (O3) predictions across continents in China, the United States (US) and Europe. The DL model was trained and validated with surface O3 observations in China and the US in 2015–2018. We then applied the DL model to predict surface O3 concentrations in China, the US and Europe in 2015–2022. Our analysis exhibits comparable performances between DL and chemical transport models for surface O3 predictions in Europe. This indicates the potential of DL models to extend predictions across spatial and temporal domains. Key Points: Deep learning exhibits acceptable capabilities of spatial and temporal extrapolations for surface O3 predictionsComparable performances between deep learning and GEOS‐Chem models with respect to independent O3 observationsGood performance of deep learning for rapid hourly O3 predictions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban air pollution continues to pose a significant health threat, despite regulations to control emissions. Here we present a comparative analysis of urban ozone (O3) responses to nitrogen oxide (NOx) changes in China and the United States (US) over 2015–2020 by integrating various data‐ and model‐based methods. The data‐based deep learning (DL) model exhibited good performance in simulating urban air quality: the correlation coefficients (R) of O3 daily variabilities with respect to independent O3 observations are 0.88 and 0.79 over N. China, 0.87 and 0.90 over S. China, and 0.87 and 0.49 over E. United States by the DL and GEOS‐Chem chemical transport models, respectively. Furthermore, the data‐based methods suggest volatile organic compound (VOC)‐limited regimes in urban areas over northern inland China and transitional regimes over eastern US urban areas; in contrast, GEOS‐Chem model suggests strong NOx‐limited regimes. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the inconsistent O3 responses are partially caused by the inaccurate representation of O3 precursor concentrations at the locations of urban air quality stations in the simulations, while the data‐based methods are driven by the variabilities in local O3 precursor concentrations and meteorological conditions. The O3 responses to NOx changes reported here provide a better understanding of urban O3 pollution; for example, reductions in NOx emissions are suggested to have resulted in an increase in surface O3 by approximately 7 ppb in the Sichuan Basin in 2014–2020. Plain Language Summary: Ozone (O3) at the surface level is an important pollutant with complicated photochemistry. Here we analyze the responses of urban O3 concentrations to nitrogen oxide (NOx) changes in China and the United States (US) over 2015–2020. The data‐based methods suggest that NOx emission declines have resulted in increases in urban O3 concentrations over northern inland China, while urban O3 concentrations over eastern US are less sensitive to NOx changes. In contrast, GEOS‐Chem simulation suggests that NOx emission declines can result in dramatic decreases in urban O3 concentrations over both China and the US. The derived O3 responses in this work are helpful for making effective regulatory policies to control urban O3 pollution. Key Points: Data‐based methods suggest VOC‐limited regimes over northern inland China and transitional regimes over eastern United States urban areasGEOS‐Chem simulation suggests strong NOx‐limited regimesData‐based methods have the potential to provide new insights for air quality regulations as a supplement to Chemical transport models [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains why college attendance increased faster for women than for men in the United States by examining the effect of expected lifetime work hours on college attendance. Using U.S. census data 1950–2000 and the American Community Survey 2010, we show that expected lifetime work hours has a significant effect on college attendance for both men and women, with a larger effect for women than for men. A larger gender difference in expected lifetime work hours leads to a larger gender difference in college attendance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a pedagogical method increasing in popularity, students of all levels--from elementary to post graduate--are likely to be asked to engage in debate with peers. How they understand the purposes and values of argumentive discourse is likely to affect its effectiveness. The 3 studies presented here involve junior high school, senior high school, and university students in the United States and China, and are based on their responses to scenarios involving either the opportunity for or necessity of argumentive discourse in cases where a difference of viewpoints exists. The results reveal that many, and in some cases most, students do not appreciate the value of such discourse as having the potential to enhance individual or collective understanding. Comparisons of participants from different populations, however, indicate cultural, as well as developmental, differences, although evidence appeared of individual malleability in relation to cultural patterns. (Contains 6 tables.)

Primary liver carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, while hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most dominant cancer type. Chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections and aflatoxin exposure are the main risk factors, while nonalcoholic fatty liver disease caused by obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome are the more common risk factors for HCC. Metabolic disorders caused by these high-risk factors are closely related to the tumor microenvironment of HCC, revealing a possible cause-and-effect relationship between the two. These metabolic disorders involve many complex metabolic pathways, such as carbohydrate, lipid, lipid derivative, amino acid, and amino acid derivative metabolic processes. The resulting metabolites with significant abnormal changes in the concentration level in circulating blood may be used as biomarkers to guide the diagnosis, treatment, or prognosis of HCC. At present, there are high-throughput technologies that can quickly detect small molecular metabolites in many samples. Compared to tissue biopsy, blood samples are easier to obtain, and patients' willingness to participate is higher, which makes it possible to study blood HCC biomarkers. Over the past few years, a substantial body of research has been performed worldwide, and other potential biomarkers have been identified. Unfortunately, due to the limitations of each study, only a few markers have been widely verified and are suitable for clinical use. This review briefly summarizes the potential blood metabolic markers related to the diagnosis of HCC, mainly focusing on amino acids and their derivative metabolism, lipids and their derivative metabolism, and other possible related metabolisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Experts hypothesized increased weight gain in children associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Our objective was to evaluate whether the rate of change of child body mass index (BMI) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with prepandemic years. METHODS: The study population of 1996 children ages 2 to 19 years with at least 1 BMI measure before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was drawn from 38 pediatric cohorts across the United States participating in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes-wide cohort study. We modeled change in BMI using linear mixed models, adjusting for age, sex, race, ethnicity, maternal education, income, baseline BMI category, and type of BMI measure. Data collection and analysis were approved by the local institutional review board of each institution or by the central Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes institutional review board. RESULTS: BMI increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with previous years (0.24 higher annual gain in BMI during the pandemic compared with previous years, 95% confidence interval 0.02 to 0.45). Children with BMI in the obese range compared with the healthy weight range were at higher risk for excess BMI gain during the pandemic, whereas children in higher-income households were at decreased risk of BMI gain. CONCLUSIONS: One effect of the COVID-19pandemic is an increase in annual BMI gain during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the 3 previous years among children in our national cohort. This increased risk among US children may worsen a critical threat to public health and health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping the corn dynamics at a large scale and multiple years is essential for global food security. Traditional mapping approaches by collecting training samples from field surveys are labor-intensive, challenging large-scale mapping of corn dynamics over the long term. This study developed an efficient approach to map large-scale corn dynamics in the main corn districts of the United States (US) using adaptive strategies for collecting high-quality training samples. First, this study proposed an automatic approach to collect stable and representative corn samples from the crop data layers (CDL) product. Then, this study improved the mapping performance of corn at a large scale and in earlier years by using adaptive strategies to collect limited (less than 500) but high-quality training samples. Finally, this study assessed and discussed the model performance across spaces and years using multi-source datasets from 2001 to 2020. Our results indicate the proposed approach with adaptive strategies can generate robust classification models with good performance in mapping large-scale corn dynamics. In our study area, the mean overall accuracy (OA) of corn is about 88% if using the CDL data as a reference. Besides, the R2 of corn areas at the county scale between our result and the surveyed acreage statistics is above 0.9, suggesting the proposed strategy is helpful for mapping corn dynamics across different years. The proposed approach demonstrated that limited but representative samples could map corn dynamics at a large scale with good performance, showing significant improvement compared to the traditional approach. It is feasible to map crop dynamics with multiple types by combining existing crop products with collected field samples, particularly in China, where crop products at the national scale are still lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study conducts a robust assessment of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 to capture the observed temperature trends and variability at global and regional scales. The warming rate in the second half of the twentieth century (0.19°C/decade) is twice as large as in the full analysis period (1901–2014; 0.10°C/decade). Multidecadal climate variability results in considerable uncertainties in the regional temperature trend, but the multidecadal variability does not represent a statistically significant trend. Globally, the spatial pattern of trends is most similar among ensemble members of the same model, then among climate models, and the least similar between models and observations. The structural uncertainty and internal variability of climate models provide a range of temperature trends that generally encompass the regional scale observations. Some single model large ensembles also have variability comparable to the multimodel large ensemble, encompassing the regional scale observations. Plain Language Summary: Global warming has accelerated in the second half of the twentieth century. The spatial pattern of trends is most similar among the same model's ensemble members, then among climate models, and the least similar between models and observations. Climate models also show a better pattern correlation with the observed regional trend in the second half of the 20th century than the full analysis period (1901–2014). A multimodel Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 large ensemble captures the observed temperature variations in the Southeastern United States better than the single model large ensemble experiments. Key Points: Global warming has accelerated in the second half of the twentieth centurySpatial pattern of trends is most similar among ensemble members of the same model, and least similar between models and observationsThe range of simulated temperature trends in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 climate models generally encompass the regional scale observations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level is one of the crucial indexes to evaluate disease status for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. However, whether the ALT level after nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) treatment is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development remains unclear. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the association between ALT level and HCC occurrence in NA-treated patients and investigated the predictive value of ALT flare for HCC. The associations between ALT level and HCC were analyzed by logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: There were 21,223 CHB patients at Ruijin Hospital of China and 16,737 CHB patients in the Optum electronic health records (EHR) in the United States (US) treated with NAs between 2010 and 2018. Among them, 8,152 and 4,893 patients who achieved a normal ALT value were included in the study cohorts, respectively. A significant positive dose-dependent correlation between the peak ALT level and HCC was identified in both cohorts. Within the China cohort, ALT flare was significantly associated with increased risks of HCC compared to normal ALT (HR 2.55, 95%CI 1.45–4.50). Stronger increased risks associated with ALT flare were observed in the US cohort (HR 7.62, 95%CI 4.85–11.98). Conclusions: ALT flare is a strong predictor for HCC occurrence in the CHB patients treated with NAs. Elevation of ALT, especially ALT flare warrants close monitoring for early HCC detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the potential predictability of streamflow and soil moisture in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) river basin in the southeastern United States. The study employs the state-of-the-art National Water Model (NWM) and compares the effects of initial soil moisture condition with those of seasonal climate anomalies on streamflow and soil moisture forecast skills. We have designed and implemented seasonal streamflow forecast ensemble experiments following the methodology suggested by Dirmeyer et al. The study also compares the soil moisture variability in the NWM with in situ measurements and remote sensing data fromthe SoilMoistureActive and Passive (SMAP) satellite. The NWMskillfully simulates the observed streamflow in the ACT basin. The soil moisture variability is 46% smaller in the NWM compared with the SMAP data, mainly due to a weaker amplitude of the seasonal cycle. This study finds that initial soil moisture condition is a major source of predictability for the seasonal streamflow forecast. The contribution of the initial soil moisture condition is comparable or even higher than that of seasonal climate anomaly effects in dry seasons. In the boreal summer season, the initial soil moisture condition contributes to 65% and 48% improvements in the seasonal streamflow and soil moisture forecast skills, respectively. This study attributes a greater improvement in the streamflow forecast skill to the lag effects between the soil moisture and streamflow anomalies. The results of this study can inform the development and improvement of the operational streamflow forecasting system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemiological evidence on the associations between meat intake and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was limited and inconsistent.Methods: We prospectively examined the association between consumption of meats and meat mutagens with HCC risk using data from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjusting for known liver-cancer risk factors.Results: During up to 32 years of follow-up, we documented 163 incident HCC cases. The HRs of HCC for the highest vs the lowest tertile intake levels were 1.84 (95% CI: 1.16-2.92, Ptrend = 0.04) for processed red meats and 0.61 (95% CI: 0.40-0.91, Ptrend = 0.02) for total white meats. There was a null association between unprocessed red meats and HCC risk (HR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.68-1.63, Ptrend = 0.85). We found both poultry (HR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.40-0.90, Ptrend = 0.01) and fish (HR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.47-1.05, Ptrend = 0.10) were inversely associated with HCC risk. The HR for HCC risk was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.61-1.02) when 1 standard deviation of processed red meats was substituted with an equivalent amount of poultry or fish intake. We also found a suggestive positive association of intake of meat-derived mutagenicity or heterocyclic amines with risk of HCC.Conclusions: Processed red meat intake might be associated with higher, whereas poultry or possibly fish intake might be associated with lower, risk of HCC. Replacing processed red meat with poultry or fish might be associated with reduced HCC risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how return policies from online fashion retailers from different countries (USA, China and Western European) support consumer need for uncertainty avoidance and lower negative prefactual thinking in two different markets: China and USA. Design/methodology/approach: A content analysis of eight international online fashion retailers' return policies in both the China and USA markets was conducted. Findings: US, Chinese and Western European online fashion retailers have more detailed return policies in the USA market compared to the China market. The results also indicate that US, Chinese and Western European online fashion retailers are more inclined to offer lenient return policies in the USA market which helps to lower consumer perceptions of uncertainty and negative prefactual thinking. Practical implications: Exploring online retailers' return policies and how retailers respond to consumers' level of comfort with uncertainty and tendencies to engage in negative prefactual within the context of different cultural markets offer valuable insight into standard retail practices necessary to retain profitability. Despite the perception of a "global" marketplace, nonstandardization of customer service is found. Originality/value: Although the ability of online retailers to reach global markets has increased, few scholars have studied return policies within different cultural contexts. This study focuses on return policy as a major influencer of prefactual thinking by reducing anticipated regret and increasing online purchase intention in a global cultural context. The research is not only beneficial to managers who seek to increase the profitability through globally strategic implementation of return policies but also contributes to the consumer regret and risk literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A continuous time delay-diff erence model (CTDDM) has been established that considers continuous time delays of biological processes. The southern Atlantic albacore ( Thunnus alalunga) stock is the one of the commercially important tuna population in the marine world. The age structured production model (ASPM) and the surplus production model (SPM) have already been used to assess the albacore stock. However, the ASPM requires detailed biological information and the SPM lacks the biological realism. In this study, we focus on applying a CTDDM to the southern Atlantic albacore ( T. alalunga) species, which provides an alternative method to assess this fishery. It is the first time that CTDDM has been provided for assessing the Atlantic albacore ( T. alalunga) fishery. CTDDM obtained the 80% confidence interval of MSY (maximum sustainable yield) of (21 510 t, 23 118t). The catch in 2011 (24 100 t) is higher than the MSY values and the relative fishing mortality ratio ( F/ F) is higher than 1.0. The results of CTDDM were analyzed to verify the proposed methodology and provide reference information for the sustainable management of the southern Atlantic albacore stock. The CTDDM treats the recruitment, the growth, and the mortality rates as all varying continuously over time and fills gaps between ASPM and SPM in this stock assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent history of the US commitment to NATO has been dominated by economic pressures, squabbles over NATO's military performance in Afghanistan, and the apparent American preference for ‘leading from behind’ in Libya. The case study on Libya is especially important in exploring the Obama administration's understanding of the purpose of NATO in the context of current economic pressures, domestic US debates about post-War on Terror interventions, and of increasing American preoccupation with Pacific (rather than European) security. In the case of Libya, the US apparently hesitated to unfold military operations against Libyan military targets. It seems to be the first time that the US followed rather than led its European allies to a campaign. The reason why the US was reluctant to intervene in Libya at the very beginning; why it changed its mind to join the operation later; and why it transferred the Libyan mission to NATO and adopted the strategy of ‘leading from behind’, reflected on not only the redefinition of ‘American way of war’, but also the future of NATO. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

New therapies are needed for alcohol abuse, a major public health problem in the U.S. and worldwide. There are only three FDA-approved drugs for treatment of alcohol abuse (naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfuram). On average these drugs yield only moderate success in reducing long-term alcohol consumption. Electroacupuncture has been shown to alleviate various drugs of abuse, including alcohol. Although previous studies have shown that electroacupuncture reduced alcohol consumption, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. ΔFosB and FosB are members of the Fos family of transcription factors implicated in neural plasticity in drug addiction; a connection between electroacupuncture's treatment of alcohol abuse and the Fos family has not been established. In this study, we trained rats to drink large quantities of ethanol in a modified intermittent access two-bottle choice drinking procedure. When rats achieved a stable baseline of ethanol consumption, electroacupuncture (100 Hz or 2 Hz, 30 min each day) was administered at Zusanli (ST36) for 6 consecutive days. The level of FosB/ΔFosB in reward-related brain regions was assessed by immunohistochemistry. We found that the intake of and preference for ethanol in rats under 100 Hz, but not 2 Hz electroacupuncture regiment were sharply reduced. The reduction was maintained for at least 72 hours after the termination of electroacupuncture treatment. Conversely, 100 Hz electroacupuncture did not alter the intake of and preference for the natural rewarding agent sucrose. Additionally, FosB/ΔFosB levels in the prefrontal cortex, striatal region and the posterior region of ventral tegmental area were increased following excessive ethanol consumption, but were reduced after six-day 100 Hz electroacupuncture. Thus, this study demonstrates that six-day 100 Hz electroacupuncture treatment effectively reduces ethanol consumption and preference in rats that chronically drink excessive amount of ethanol. This effect of electroacupuncture may be mediated by down-regulation of FosB/ΔFosB in reward-related brain regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the variation of coastal wetlands, Park initiated the sea level affecting marshes model (SLAMM) in 1986. One can use the model to simulate changes of land-use and land-cover types in coastal zones with ground measurement-based model inputs. Parameterization of the model is not easy because of the requirement of extensive field measurements that can be prohibitive in labor and cost for the study of a large spatial extent. Thus, an alternative approach to provide the model's inputs must be developed. Remotely sensed and geo-spatial datasets were explored to deliver the inputs. Using the datasets, we derived as many categories of the land-use and land-cover types determined and needed by the SLAMM as possible. Then, for categories required by the SLAMM and existing in the study area, but not derivable from the remote sensing and geo-spatial datasets, we simply recoded the categories into categories obtained from the remote sensing and geo-spatial datasets spatially. We compared the SLAMM outputs before and after the recoding. At the test site of the state of Washington, USA, promising results were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a pedagogical method increasing in popularity, students of all levels-from elementary to post graduate-are likely to be asked to engage in debate with peers. How they understand the purposes and values of argumentive discourse is likely to affect its effectiveness. The 3 studies presented here involve junior high school, senior high school, and university students in the United States and China, and are based on their responses to scenarios involving either the opportunity for or necessity of argumentive discourse in cases where a difference of viewpoints exists. The results reveal that many, and in some cases most, students do not appreciate the value of such discourse as having the potential to enhance individual or collective understanding. Comparisons of participants from different populations, however, indicate cultural, as well as developmental, differences, although evidence appeared of individual malleability in relation to cultural patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The NASA IceBridge flights have obtained critical observations for Earth''s polar ice since ICESat stopped collecting data in 2009. This study develops an automatic method in processing IceBridge Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) altimeter L1B data (one elevation per 3–4m horizontally) to derive a local sea level height for referencing snow freeboards and then computing sea ice thicknesses. Four 30-km L1B profiles (A, B, C and D) flown on October 21, 2009 over the Bellingshausen Sea in Antarctica are selected. The local sea level reference is first obtained by visual examination of ATM L1B heights over leads or thin ice identified on images simultaneously acquired from the Digital Mapping System camera (called manual selection). This sea level reference is then used as ground truth to validate sea level heights derived by automatic calculations using five thresholds of 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.2% and 0.1% of the lowest L1B data. The L1B_0.2% method gives a similar sea level height as from the L1B manual selection, by mean (absolute) difference of −0.01 (0.06) m. The sea level heights demonstrate a near linear gradient of 0.01m/km to 0.03m/km within each ~30-km L1B profile along the flight track from section A to D. The resulting mean snow freeboards are 0.59m, 0.67m, 0.53m, and 0.60m on sections A, B, C and D, respectively. Three empirical equations and the buoyancy equation (with zero ice freeboard assumption) all give similar statistics in ice thickness estimation with mean ice thicknesses of 1.91m for section A, 2.16m for B, 1.76m for C, and 1.94m for D. The sea level over leads cannot be accurately resolved from the ATM L2 data (~60m x 80m horizontal averaging). However, by using a sea level reference obtained from the L1B data, the ATM L2 data can achieve reasonable ice thickness estimates with mean absolute difference of only 0.10m compared to thickness derived from the L1B data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), an age-related condition, is closely associated with cardiovascular disease. We aimed to examine the age-dependent interaction between Life's Essential 8 (LE8), the updated measurement of cardiovascular health (CVH), and CKD in the United States. The cross-sectional study involved 25,529 participants from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2007–2018. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to estimate the age-dependent interaction between LE8 and CKD, and restricted cubic spline regressions were used to analyze the dose-response relationships between LE8 and CKD among adults and all age subgroups. Overall, 2934 (9.3%), 17,278 (66.2%), and 5317 (24.5%) participants had low, moderate, and high CVH, separately. After adjusting for the potential covariates, LE8 was negatively associated with CKD [odds ratio (OR) for per 1 standard deviation (SD) increase and 95%CI, 0.71 (0.67, 0.75)], with a nonlinear dose-response relationship (P for nonlinearity = 0.001). The inversed association was stronger among participants aged 65 and older (0.65 (0.59, 0.71)) compared to youngers [20–39 years, 0.63 (0.59, 0.58), 40–64 years, 0.63 (0.59, 0.58)] (P for interaction = 0.002). CVH, as measured by the LE8 score, was negatively associated with the presence of CKD in non-linear fashions, more pronounced in participants aged 65 and older compared to younger age groups. • Life's Essential 8 (LE8) was inversely correlated to chronic kidney disease (CKD). • Dose-response relationships of LE8 with CKD were found in adults and age subgroups. • The study focused on the age-dependent interaction between LE8 and CKD among adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotigotine is a dopamine receptor agonist that can improve motor function in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Rotigotine extended-release microsphere (RoMS) is an extended-release intramuscular formulation that exhibits a sustained release of rotigotine over a 14-day period. The clinical trials of RoMS has been carried out in USA and China. The purpose of this study is to observe the effects of RoMS therapy on myocardial ischemic injury in mice, to know whether RoMS alleviate or deteriorate the myocardial ischemic injury while PD patient has onset of myocardial ischemia concurrent after administered with RoMS. A mouse model of myocardial ischemia was established using isoproterenol, and mice were pretreated with rotigotine or RoMS before inducing myocardial ischemic injury. The effects of rotigotine or RoMS therapy on the degree of myocardial ischemic injury were studied by evaluating troponin I level, creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) activity, and histopathological changes in cardiomyocytes. The dopamine receptor blocker chlorpromazine was used to further investigate the effects of rotigotine or RoMS on myocardial ischemic injury. Furthermore, serum rotigotine concentrations were also assayed. When myocardial ischemia occurred during rotigotine or RoMS administration, troponin I level and CK-MB activity were decreased, and ischemia-induced histopathological changes in cardiomyocytes were alleviated. The effects of rotigotine were maintained only 12 h and after that no protective effect was observed. RoMS releases continuously into the circulation after intramuscular injection. The cardioprotective effects of RoMS were maintained 14 days after a single RoMS administration. When combined with chlorpromazine, the protective effects of rotigotine on myocardial ischemic injury were eliminated, and the protective effects of RoMS were also partially abolished. In the animal model of myocardial ischemia, pretreatment with rotigotine or RoMS does not deteriorate, but can alleviate cardiomyocyte injury. Furthermore, RoMS pretreatment show long-term and continuous protective effects on cardiomyocyte injury. RoMS therapy in PD patients at high risk for cardiovascular diseases may attenuate the degree of cardiomyocyte injury caused by ischemia. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with an increased risk of diabetes in adulthood. However, the potential mediational role of sleep duration in this association is unclear. A total of 116, 014 participants in the United States, from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey in 2020 were involved in the study. The effects of ACE status, different ACEs, and ACE scores on short sleep duration were examined using binary logistic regression analysis, and the association of ACE status, different types of ACEs, and ACE scores with diabetes and the mediating role of short sleep duration were observed. Path analysis was used to investigate short sleep duration as pathways between different types of ACEs and diabetes in adulthood. For the different types of ACEs, alcohol abuse in the household (OR = 1.13, 95%CI 1.08; 1.18), witnessing domestic violence (OR = 1.17, 95%CI 1.11; 1.23), emotional abuse (OR = 1.11, 95%CI 1.06; 1.16), physical abuse (OR = 1.22, 95%CI 1.17; 1.28), sexual abuse (OR = 1.25, 95%CI 1.18; 1.32) and short sleep duration (OR = 1.26, 95%CI 1.21; 1.32) independently increased the odds of diabetes. There was also an indirect relationship between alcohol abuse in the household, witnessing domestic violence, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and diabetes via short sleep duration. Short sleep duration plays a partial mediating role between ACEs and diabetes, including alcohol abuse in the household, witnessing domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse. • Each type of ACE was positively associated with short sleep duration. • Four types of ACEs were positively associated with diabetes. • Short sleep duration was positively associated with diabetes. • Short sleep duration plays a partial mediating role between ACEs and diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular health (CVH) is closely associated with various noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and comorbidity; however, the influence of CVH on NCD multimorbidity was not fully elucidated. We aimed to examine the association between CVH using Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and NCD multimorbidity among adults, males, and females in the United States, conducting a cross-sectional analysis using data involving 24,445 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018. LE8 was categorized into low, moderate, and high CVH groups. Multivariate logistic regressions and restricted cubic spline regressions were used to estimate the association between LE8 and NCD multimorbidity. Overall, 6162 participants had NCD multimorbidity, of which 1168 (43.5%), 4343 (25.9%), and 651 (13.4%) had low, moderate, and high CVH, separately. After multivariable adjustment, LE8 was negatively associated with NCD multimorbidity among adults (odds ratio (OR) for per 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in LE8 and 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.67 (0.64, 0.69)), and the top 3 NCDs associated with CVH were emphysema, congestive heart failure, stroke, and the dose-response relationships between LE8 and NCD multimorbidity were observed among adults (overall P < 0.001). Similar patterns were also identified among males and females. Higher CVH measured by the LE8 score was associated with lower odds of NCD multimorbidity among adults, males, and females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancement of industrialization, the health risks in occupational environments are attracting increasing attention, and growing efforts have been devoted to environmentally friendly production and sustainable development in the manufacturing industry. As an industrial area, the indoor occupational environment was of necessity to be considered when assessing health risks in the workplace. However, no such systematic analysis has been performed and make it difficult to grasp deeper insights into indoor occupational environmental health risks. Therefore, an in-depth bibliometric and visual analysis was conducted using Citespace to analyze the knowledge structure, hot topics, and trend directions of this field based on 1211 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection. The results showed that 235 institutions of 58 countries have published articles in this field. The United States was the most productive contributor, with numerous publications and active institutions. Indoor Air , Environmental Health Perspectives , and Atmospheric Environment were the three most cited journals. Additionally, collaboration between authors tends to occur in groups and becomes frequent in recent years. According to the co-occurrence article and keywords analyses, three hot topics in indoor occupation environmental health risks were recognized, including "indoor air quality", "health risks", and "occupational exposure". Moreover, the keywords burst analysis suggested that the topics of sustainable management and green production topics within the manufacturing industry are emerging trends. Besides, the identification of occupational pollutants and design of research methods will advance. To our best knowledge, this study is the first to specifically visualize the research field of indoor occupation environments, and is conducive for identifying current research hots pots and predicting potential future research directions. [Display omitted] • Industrial indoor environment may present occupational health risks. • Bibliometric analysis regarding the development, hotspots and trends was performed. • The United States played a leading role in this research field. • Three hot topics were recognized with high frequency and centrality. • Energy saving, pollutant identification, research method design are common trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]