Cumulative Impact Research Articles

Three Ways of Consenting in Sixteenth-Century Goa

In this essay, I explore three instances of political consent by the local elites of Goa towards Portuguese governance in the sixteenth century. I delve into how these forms of consent evolved into an increasingly subconscious and ingrained acceptance. I argue that this progression stemmed from the broader effects of the local elites' micro decisions at three pivotal junctures: the formulation of the Foral de Mexia in 1526, the enactment of the 1541 document formalizing the redirection of local temple revenues towards Christian worship, and the establishment of the Foral/Tombo in 1554, which recorded the properties and assets associated with these temples and their officials. Initially motivated by pragmatism to maintain the social order and the elites’ status, these decisions had short-term objectives. Nevertheless, their cumulative impact bound these elites to imperial authority, leading to the transformation of their identity and solidifying Portuguese dominion. This article is part of the special theme section on Consenting to Early Modern Empires, guest-edited by Sonia Tycko.

The mechanism of polystyrene nanoplastics hepatotoxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The mass production of plastics and improper disposal of plastic waste has led to their widespread presence in the ecosystem. Plastics entering the natural environment degrade into irregularly shaped and differently sized nanoplastics (NPs), exacerbating global pollution. The research object to study toxic mechanisms of the liver polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs) of zebrafish, providing key scientific insights for the environmental risk assessment of NPs. The zebrafish were exposed to different concentrations with a particle size of 100 nm PS NPs containing Eu, and the accumulation of nanoplastics in each tissue/organ was quantified. The mechanism of liver toxicity of nanoplastics to zebrafish was explored. Where the mass of PS NPs was linearly related to the mass of Eu with R2 = 0.999. PS NPs were accumulated in gills, ovaries, liver, spleen, intestine, kidney, skin, muscle and brain. The top three accumulations were: intestine > gills > liver. The histopathological analysis of liver indicated that 0.1 mg/L and 1 mg/L PS NPs caused increased liver inflammation. 0.1 mg/L PS NPs significantly increased the activity of SOD and the content of ROS and MDA in liver. 1 mg/L PS NPs significantly increased the activity of SOD, CAT and GSH and the content of MDA in liver, while significantly decreased the content of ROS. These results will improve the appreciation of the cumulative impact of PS NPs and the mechanism of toxicity on target organs in organisms.

Global Warming Threats to Coral Bleaching Events and Their Impacts on Coastal Ecosystem Sustainability

The phenomenon of massive coral bleaching around the world is a black storm in coastal ecosystems this century. The annual increase in sea temperature by more than 1⁰C is a terrible fact that occurs due to global warming. There are many concerns raised especially on the cumulative impact of stress that corals experience when sea water temperature rise occurs. For this reason, this article is an intervention to reveal the high- level threat caused by global warming and the connection to coral bleaching events that disrupt coastal ecosystems. The literature study method in this article is useful to review and critically evaluate a number of articles that are closely related to support the fact of the urgency of coral bleaching in various countries. The great biological concern of coral bleaching that damages coastal ecosystems requires immediate mitigation and conservation, if it continues to degrade the number of coral populations significantly affects the decline in fish populations and biodiversity which affects the catch of fishermen and communities that have a major impact on coastal ecosystems. A good conservation strategy is expected to minimize the risk of damage so that it does not backfire on the chaos of coastal ecosystems in the future.

Work-Related Health Conditions Among American Nurses: A Scoping Review.

Working in the nursing profession is hazardous, and nurses report poor health. Risk factors associated with poor health outcomes have been documented. However, the extent of literature exploring the prevalence of health conditions among American nurses that may be attributable to their work has not been examined. A scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute recommendations was conducted of peer-reviewed quantitative studies to answer the question: What are health conditions experienced by American nurses that may be attributable to their work as nurses? Thirty articles met the inclusion criteria. Due to the methods used in many articles, studies of the prevalence of health conditions among the nursing population were lacking. Health conditions studied broke into six categories: (a) work-related injuries and hazards; (b) unhealthy lifestyles; (c) mental health conditions; (d) burnout; (e) fatigue, sleep, and migraines; and (f) reproductive health. The role of work in the health conditions studied varied from an immediate impact on health (e.g., a needlestick or injury) to a cumulative impact (e.g., scheduling or workplace demands). Within the work demands, the physical environment; physical, emotional, and cognitive demands of work; and shiftwork were all frequently identified as antecedents that could be further explored and addressed to improve nurse health. Healthcare systems should seek to address the hazards and exposures that may be linked to health conditions in the nursing workforce. Understanding and mitigating the impact of the pandemic and nursing work on the workforce's health is crucial to the solvency of the workforce. Occupational health practitioners should assess for workplace hazards and exposures.

The Impacts of Public Transportation Policy on Bus Rapid Transit Operational in the Metropolitan Jakarta

The public transportation planning has an essential role in traffic accessibility management. As the urban population grows, the traffic issues also significantly rise and more complex. The problems are traffic casualties, traffic jams, air pollution, and other severe issues. Meanwhile, the DKI Jakarta managed a regulation number 10 in 2014 regarding the bus rapid transit operation in the metropolitan area. Unfortunately, the private vehicle is still favorable since public buses have many drawbacks, particularly in transportation integration and service. The research aims to analyse the impact of public transport policy on Bus Rapid Transit operation in Metropolitan Jakarta. The methodology applies a qualitative approach, where it analyses the current condition of transportation problems. Besides, a deep review of the Master Transportation Plan is conducted to evaluate the potential problems in Bus Rapid Transit Operation. Following that, the impact of transport policy consists of direct impact, indirect impact, and cumulative impact. The PESTEL analysis applies to study the social, economic, environmental, infrastructure, and regulation in BRT management. The result indicated that the social, economic, and environmental aspect has a direct impact on BRT operation. Meanwhile, only the infrastructure aspect is classified as indirect impact since the integration modes only related to the transport demand. Finally, the mitigation strategy is formulated to overcome the BRT problems in Metropolitan Jakarta.

Transformative Technological Initiatives for Amrit Kaal: A Review of Skill India Digita, India Stack, and the National Logistics Policy

his paper undertakes a comprehensive examination of transformative technological initiatives to realize the vision of Amrit Kaal - a vision in the pursuit of fostering a dynamic and inclusive economy. These technologies include the Skill India Digital initiatives, The India Fintech Stack, and the various technology initiatives under the National Logistics Policy. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amrit Kaal envisions an empowered and inclusive economy achieved through the strategic integration of good governance and Digital technologies. A focal point of this vision, the Skill India Digital platform, stands as a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing accessible digital skills training and fostering employment opportunities. In parallel, the India Stack, a pioneering digital infrastructure, has reshaped financial inclusion by providing secure digital identity and streamlined access to financial services. Integrating into the broader National Logistics Policy, the Gati Shakti program seeks to optimize the logistics sector through the strategic implementation of digital technologies. This paper employs an academic lens to dissect the intricate details of these initiatives, shedding light on their individual and collective impact on India’s economic and technological landscape. Through a meticulous analysis of these transformative technological initiatives, this paper aims to contribute to the understanding of their individual and collective impact on India’s economic landscape, shedding light on the opportunities and challenges presented by the intersection of technology and governance. The paper concludes that the total of these parallel technology initiatives collectively contributes to Total factor productivity growth. As India continues to invest in these initiatives, the cumulative impact on TFP is expected to be significant, driving sustained economic growth and development.

The Cumulative Impacts of Emissions from Thermal Power Plants on the Air Quality of Karachi through AERMOD Modeling.

The quality of air emissions in Pakistani mega cities is one of the worst in the world. Urban air contamination is assessed to be responsible of 0.865 M unexpected losses consistently and about 60% of these passing’s happen in Asia, continuous increase in urbanization, industrialization and motorization caused a substantial rise in various air pollutants, which has notable impacts on human health and environment. Environmental Impact Assessment is mandatory for future projects in Pakistan, but Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) process is not available in the country, the mega city like Karachi needs strict criteria to overcome the air quality issue on priority basis therefore, AERMOD Model along with ArcGIS have been used to provide a practical CIA tool to Sindh Environmental Protection Agency. In this study five proposed thermal power plants of total 3440-50 MW were selected where two types of cumulative impacts were modeled. The short-term cumulative impacts of Nitrous Oxides (NOx) and Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) were considered as 1-h and 24- h, whereas long term were considered as annual. The results of NOx emissions were 170 μg/m3 for 1st percentile 1-h, 33 μg/m3 for 1st percentile 24-h and 1st percentile annual was 14.5 μg/m3. While the SO2 emissions were 199 μg/m3 for 1st percentile 1-h, 29.8 μg/m3 for 1st percentile 24-h and long-term 1st percentile annual was 7.5 μg/m3 respectively. All the limits are complying with national and international standards because, the wind speed (5-8 m/s) and wind direction has a substantial impact on flow field which results in lowering the ground level concentrations of the pollutants in the study area. This is further caused by the strong sea breeze from the Arabian Sea which is termed as blessing for the residents of the study area.

Physical insights of interface traps and self-heating effect on electrical response of DMG FinFETs in overlap and underlap configurations: analog/RF perspective

This paper presents a thorough analysis on analog/RF parameters including interface trap charges (ITCs) of two different densities of states (DOS) along with self-heating on the performance of DMG FinFETs in Overlap and Underlap configurations. Initially, the independent simulations for acceptor ITCs and Self-heating in conventional device reveals that performance degradation caused by Self-heating is more prominent (25.03%) than uniform acceptor ITCs (9.46%). In consecutive step, the cumulative impact of both acceptor ITCs and Self-heating on DC and RF/analog parameters are carried out. Investigation reveals that as the impact of self-heating is larger in overlap configuration, the degradation in drain current is higher in overlap configuration (45.2%, 54.5%) as compared to conventional (30.4%, 40.96%) and underlap (37.2%, 52.8%) configurations for both Uniform and Gaussian trap distributions, respectively.

The vulnerability of World Heritage seagrass habitats to climate change.

Seagrass is an important natural attribute of 28 World Heritage (WH) properties. These WH seagrass habitats provide a wide range of services to adjacent ecosystems and human communities, and are one of the largest natural carbon sinks on the planet. Climate change is considered the greatest and fastest-growing threat to natural WH properties and evidence of climate-related impacts on seagrass habitats has been growing. The main objective of this study was to assess the vulnerability of WH seagrass habitats to location-specific key climate stressors. Quantitative surveys of seagrass experts and site managers were used to assess exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity of WH seagrass habitats to climate stressors, following the Climate Vulnerability Index approach. Over half of WH seagrass habitats have high vulnerability to climate change, mainly from the long-term increase in sea-surface temperature and short-term marine heatwaves. Potential impacts from climate change and certainty scores associated with them were higher than reported by a similar survey-based study from 10 years prior, indicating a shift in stakeholder perspectives during the past decade. Additionally, seagrass experts' opinions on the cumulative impacts of climate and direct-anthropogenic stressors revealed that high temperature in combination with high suspended sediments, eutrophication and hypoxia is likely to provoke a synergistic cumulative (negative) impact (p < .05). A key component contributing to the high vulnerability assessments was the low adaptive capacity; however, discrepancies between adaptive capacity scores and qualitative responses suggest that managers of WH seagrass habitats might not be adequately equipped to respond to climate change impacts. This thematic assessment provides valuable information to help prioritize conservation actions, monitoring activities and research in WH seagrass habitats. It also demonstrates the utility of a systematic framework to evaluate the vulnerability of thematic groups of protected areas that share a specific attribute.

Advanced strategies for optimization of primary nutrients requirement in rice-A review

The Green Revolution led to India's food independence mostly through the inclusion of supply-driven technologies, such as the introduction of high-yielding cultivars, improved access to water, agrochemicals, and mechanization. The present and future needs target agricultural sustainability without endangering the ecosystem. In this regard, the adoption of precision agriculture is required to meet this expected objective. In developed nations, precision farming has already experienced tremendous growth. However, precision farming methods have taken a while for emerging nations in Asia to comprehend, create, and embrace. Moreover, precision farming is frequently misunderstood as a sophisticated technological intervention intended for extensive agricultural fields. However, it is essentially a science that involves using the "right input" in the "right quantity," at the "right time," and in the "right place," to improve input use efficiency. In the case of primary nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, so-called recommendations for nutrient management based on soil tests have improved food grain output which increased the nutrient use efficiency up to a certain extent. Moreover, the recommendations are made for a given agroclimatic region and crops irrespective of site-specific soil fertility, cultivars, and agronomic management levels resulting in excess or scanty use to crop needs. At this juncture, assessing the nutritional requirements of plants proves to be a superior method, as it takes into account the cumulative impact of nutrient availability from various sources on plant growth at any specific stage, making it a reliable indicator of nutrient accessibility. Rice, the most important food crop, is grown in diverse agroclimatic regions at different management levels. Hence, there is an urgent need to adopt a precision nutrient management strategy to optimize the yield output. The article offers an overview of several precision instruments available for managing nutrients at specific sites and aids in choosing the most appropriate one for each circumstance.

Аутентичность и ментальная прочность спортсмена: эмпирическая модель

&lt;p&gt;The study explores the role of personal authenticity in the psychological training of athletes, focusing on its relationship with intrinsic motivation, mental skills &amp;mdash; including stress resilience &amp;mdash; and mental toughness. Drawing on data from 355 male athletes (18-26 years) across various sports, standardized tools like the Moscow Authenticity Scale, Mental Strength Scale, Sports Motivation Scale, Ottawa Mental Skills Test, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were employed. Path regression analysis revealed an empirical model that showcases how authenticity linked directly and indirectly to mental toughness through fostering intrinsic motives like self-development, enjoyment of sports, and resilience against stress. While direct contributions of authenticity to mental toughness are modest, its cumulative impact, factoring in mediating effects, is substantial. Notably, authenticity holds more weight for less experienced athletes in developing mental skills and toughness. These findings offer valuable insights for psychologists focused on the psychological training of athletes, especially in managing mental processes crucial for sport performance.&lt;/p&gt;

Unprecedented phytoplankton blooms in autumn/winter in the southern Bohai Sea (China) due to high Yellow River discharge: Implications of extreme rainfall events

The occurrence of abnormal phytoplankton blooms is one of the significant changes in coastal ecosystems due to climate change. However, the underlying mechanism of such blooms remains poorly understood due to the complexity of the system. In this study, the data from numerous observations was used to elucidate the unprecedented phytoplankton blooms in the autumn and winter of 2021 in Laizhou Bay, a typical aquaculture bay in the southern Bohai Sea of China. The abundance of phytoplankton cells increased by more than tenfold in the southern waters compared to that in the same period from 2019 to 2020. The phytoplankton bloom was first observed in winter in the Bohai Sea, with the cell abundance in the southern bay exceeding 108 cells L−1 in December 2021. The diversity and evenness of phytoplankton communities decreased in the southern area. Cerataulina pelagica was the dominant algae, comprising 69 % of the total phytoplankton in October and 99 % in December. In autumn 2021, the largest flood of the Yellow River in recent decades occurred. This was attributed to extreme rainfall events within the river basin. The input of substantial riverine nutrients played a significant role in promoting phytoplankton blooms. Correlation analysis indicated the important cumulative impact of the Yellow River on phytoplankton blooms rather than a direct short-term effect. Numerical modeling results indicated that exceptionally high Yellow River discharge in autumn could significantly affect the entire bay from autumn to the following spring. This study may contribute to understanding the abnormal phytoplankton blooms in coastal waters and provide valuable insights for environmental management in river basins and coastal waters.

Flortaucipir tau PET findings from former professional and college American football players in the DIAGNOSE CTE research project.

Tau is a key pathology in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Here, we report our findings in tau positron emission tomography (PET) measurements from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. We compare flortaucipir PET measures from 104 former professional players (PRO), 58 former college football players (COL), and 56 same-age men without exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) or traumatic brain injury (unexposed [UE]); characterize their associations with RHI exposure; and compare players who did or did not meet diagnostic criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES). Significantly elevated flortaucipir uptake was observed in former football players (PRO+COL) in prespecified regions (p<0.05). Association between regional flortaucipir uptake and estimated cumulative head impact exposure was only observed in the superior frontal region in former players over 60 years old. Flortaucipir PET was not able to differentiate TES groups. Additional studies are needed to further understand tau pathology in CTE and other individuals with a history of RHI.

Atlas of Environmental Risks and Water Area Quality in Croatian Marinas

The lack of systematic mapping of water quality in the water areas of Croatian marinas hinders visualization and understanding of potential cumulative impact of marinas on the environment. The main goal of the research subject of this paper is forming an atlas of environmental risks and water area quality in Croatian marinas by implementing model of Marina Environmental Risk Assessment – MERA. Within the implemented model, input data are concrete and current data obtained through the questionnaire submitted to the management structures of Croatian marinas, which is an additional practical value of model and reasearch results. The implemented methodology and risk model of the impact of Croatian marinas on the environment in this paper provides an insight into the current situation and represents a significant basis for managing environmental risks and the quality of water areas in Croatian marinas.

Assessing the Cumulative Impacts of Forest Management on Forest Age Structure Development and Woodland Caribou Habitat in Boreal Landscapes: A Case Study from Two Canadian Provinces

The Canadian boreal forest biome has been subjected to a long history of management for wood production. Here, we examined the cumulative impacts of logging on older forests in terms of area, distribution and patch configuration in the managed forest zones of the Eastern Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. We also examined the consequences of these cumulative impacts on a once widely distributed and now threatened species, the woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). The cumulative area of recently logged forest (since ~1976) was 14,024,619 ha, with 8,210,617 ha in Quebec and 5,814,002 ha in Ontario. The total area of older forests was 21,249,341 ha, with 11,840,474 ha in Quebec and 9,408,867 ha in Ontario. Patch statistics revealed that there were 1,085,822 older forests with core patches &lt; 0.25 ha and an additional 603,052 &lt; 1.0 ha. There were 52 &gt; 10,00–50,000 ha and 8 &lt; 50,000 ha. Older forest patches (critical caribou habitat) in the 21 local population ranges totalled 6,103,534 ha, distributed among ~387,102 patches with 362,933 &lt; 10 ha and 14 &gt; 50,000 ha. The median percentage of local population ranges that was disturbed was 53.5%, with Charlevoix having the maximum (90.3%) and Basse Côte-Nord the least (34.9%). Woodland caribou local population ranges with disturbed suitable habitats &gt;35% are considered unable to support self-sustaining populations. We found that for the 21 caribou local population ranges examined, 3 were at very high risk (&gt;75% area disturbed), 16 at high risk (&gt;45 ≤ 75% area disturbed), and 2 at low risk (≤35% area disturbed). Major changes are needed in boreal forest management in Ontario and Quebec for it to be ecologically sustainable, including a greater emphasis on protection and restoration for older forests, and to lower the risks for caribou populations.

Characterization of intraocular pressure variability in conscious rats

Elevation of mean intraocular pressure (IOP) has long been recognized as a leading risk factor for glaucoma. Less is known about the possible contribution of moment-to-moment variations in IOP to disease development and progression due to limitations of tonometry, the prevailing method of IOP measurement. Tonometry provides good estimates of mean IOP but not IOP variance. The aim of this study was to quantitatively characterize IOP variability via round-the-clock IOP telemetry in conscious unrestrained rats. The anterior chamber of one eye was implanted with a microcannula connected to a wireless backpack telemetry system, and IOP data were collected every 4 s for one week. The cannula was then repositioned under the conjunctiva, and control data were collected for an additional week. IOP statistics were computed in 30-min intervals over a 24-h period and averaged across days. All animals exhibited a diurnal variation in mean IOP, while deviations about the mean were independent of time of day. Correlation analysis of the deviations revealed transient and sustained components, which were respectively extracted from IOP records using an event detection algorithm. The amplitude and interval distributions of transient and sustained events were characterized, and their energy content was estimated based on outflow tissue resistance of rat eyes. Transient IOP events occurred ∼231 times per day and were typically ≤5 mmHg in amplitude and 2–8 min in duration, while sustained IOP events occurred ∼16 times per day and were typically ≤5 mmHg in amplitude and 20–60 min in duration. Both persisted but were greatly reduced in control recordings, implying minor contamination of IOP data by motion-induced telemetry noise. Sustained events were also often synchronous across implanted animals, indicating that they were driven by autonomic startle and stress responses or other physiological processes activated by sensory signals in the animal housing environment. Not surprisingly, the total daily fluidic energy applied to resistive outflow pathways was determined primarily by basal IOP level. Nevertheless, transient and sustained fluctuations collectively contributed 6% and diurnal fluctuations contributed 9% to daily IOP energy. It is therefore important to consider the cumulative impact of biomechanical stress that IOP fluctuations apply over time to ocular tissues.

CHANGES IN TOURIST BEHAVIOR IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The tourism industry has been seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, both from a social and from an economic perspective. Despite showing signs of resilience, the negative repercussions on tourism-related activities have been serious, the hospitality industry proving to be the most sensitive in the face of the sanitary and economic crises which started more than a year ago. Even though the full (and cumulative) impact of the events which shaped the current global situation cannot be quantified without a high degree of uncertainty, the negative effects are visible in the economies of many countries, around the world, at microeconomic, macroeconomic, and behavioural levels (for businesses and individuals). Usually, such economic, social, sanitary crises or other extreme circumstances (terrorism, natural disasters) trigger a change in the behaviour of tourists, the differences being dependent on region, country, etc. Thus, given the current economic and social context, the current paper focuses on the behavioural change of the Romanian tourists. The practical purpose of this research is to show the agents working in the tourism industry on which aspects to focus more and how to diversify their offer based on the change in demand specific to the "new normal". The most recent research conducted by experts have shown that the pandemic has negative effects on travel intention for multiple reasons, among them being the selectivity in choosing the destination based on criteria such as the increased need for hygiene and healthcare conditions, for travel insurance, etc.

The critical role of affect regulation accounting for increased general distress, risk to self, and lower quality of life in females with EUPD and CPTSD, compared to EUPD alone

BackgroundComplex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) have shared aetiology and symptomatology, and are associated with multiple comorbidities and poor clinical outcomes. Evidence from studies with clinical populations indicates high levels of morbidity between the two diagnoses. Yet, the cumulative impact of coexisting CPTSD and EUPD diagnoses on levels of general distress, risk, quality of life and resulting treatment needs have not been explored. Accordingly, our understanding of the impact of experiencing both disorders and the relationship between coexisting trauma responses, and associated treatment needs remains limited. MethodologyUsing a convenience sample of 47 women admitted to a specialised DBT inpatient service, associations between general distress, risk, quality of life and diagnostic status were explored. ResultsWomen with comorbid EUPD and CPTSD reported significantly higher levels of general distress and risk to self, and significantly lower quality of life compared to women with EUPD alone. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, when exploring the isolated effect of each symptom cluster, only affective dysregulation remained a significant predictor of distress, risk to self, and quality of life (all p < .05). ConclusionsAlthough our results require further replication, the current study indicates that the experience of comorbid EUPD and CPTSD is impactful. Affect regulation may play a critical role in explaining comorbidity between EUPD and CPTSD. Accordingly, the current findings offer novel insights into the relationship between the two diagnoses, with clinical and theoretical consequences explored.

The Phenotypic Characterization of the Oldest Italian Man from December 28, 2020, to September 23, 2021, A.T., Strengthens the Idea That the Immune System can Play a Key Role in the Attainment of Extreme Longevity.

In this paper, we present demographic, clinical, anamnestic, cognitive, and functional data, as well as haematological, haematochemical, immunological, and genetic parameters of an exceptional individual: A.T., a semi-supercentenarian who held the title of the oldest living Italian male centenarian from 28 December 2020, to 23 September 2021. The purpose of this study is to provide fresh insights into extreme phenotypes, with a particular focus on immune-inflammatory parameters. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first phenotypic investigation of a semi-supercentenarian, illustrating both INFLA-score, a metric designed to assess the cumulative impact of inflammatory markers and indicators of age-related immune phenotype (ARIP), recognized as significant gauges of biological ageing. The aim of this study was, indeed, to advance our understanding of the role of immune-inflammatory responses in achieving extreme longevity. The results of laboratory tests, as well as clinical history and interview data, when compared to the results of our recent study on Sicilian centenarians, demonstrate an excellent state of health considering his age. Consistent with previous studies, we observed increased IL-6 inflammatory markers and INFLA score in A.T. More interestingly, the semi-supercentenarian showed values of ARIP indicators such as naïve CD4+ cells, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and CD4+TN/TM ratio in the range of young adult individuals, suggesting that his immune system's biological age was younger than the chronological one. The results support the notion that the immune system can play a role in promoting extreme longevity. However, this does not rule out the involvement of other body systems or organs in achieving extreme longevity.

Quantifying the spatial inhomogeneity of ice concentration in mixed-phase stratiform cloud using airborne observation

The distribution of ice particles strongly affects the microphysical processes in mixed-phase clouds, but the inhomogeneity of ice distribution is not well understood. In this paper, based on airborne in-situ measurements from three flights on May 31, 2021 in Hulun Buir, China, the inhomogeneity and clustering of ice distribution in a stratiform cloud is quantitatively analyzed using the pair correlation function (PCF). The results show that ice clusters on scales of a few kilometers dominate the inhomogeneity of the ice distribution. Due to the cumulative impact of ice clusters on different scales, the probability of finding relative high ice concentration within a lag of 80 m can be enhanced by 0.1 to 3.5 times. On average, the scale of ice cluster is ∼100 m for a sampling distance of 1 km, and increases to 3.2 km for a sampling distance of 20 km. It is also found that the ice growth is not fast enough to cluster the ice water content (IWC), and the inhomogeneity of IWC is strongly influenced by ice generation in addition to ice growth in the observed cloud. The results are helpful to better understand the distribution of ice in mixed-phase cloud, and provide potentially important information to improve the parameterizations of microphysics in models.