Future Assessment Research Articles

Limitations and future perspectives for satellite-based soil carbon monitoring

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a crucial role in terrestrial C storage and ecosystem services. Agricultural management practices have the potential to increase C inputs and reduce its losses. However, uniform standard protocols for measuring, monitoring, and assessing changes using remote sensing is lacking for SOC in the scientific literature. In this discussion paper, we present techniques for collecting and analyzing ground samples and employing remote sensing to quantify SOC, along with its limitations and future perspectives. Our analysis identified a number of key limitations to advancing the science for remotely sensed terrestrial C in croplands including i) lack of consensus in sampling depth and density, ii) the absence of a standard (or universally accepted) laboratory procedure and statistical methodology, and iii) lack of details on imagery pre-processing or information on the spectral properties of the targeted soils. Establishing standard protocols for ground-truth data collection and remote sensing approaches, as well as a knowledge of the impacts of diverse soil types, land uses, and landscapes on C assessment, are all required to enhance the accuracy and reliability of future SOC assessments.

Development of the Breastfeeding Myths Scale.

Introduction: Breastfeeding myths are culturally ingrained misconceptions related to breastfeeding and adversely affect the breastfeeding process. The objective of this study is to develop the Breastfeeding Myths Scale. Methods: This methodological study was conducted with a total of 413 participants. In the first phase, exploratory factor analysis was employed, followed by confirmatory factor analysis in the second phase. Furthermore, a test-retest was conducted to assess the reliability of the scale scores. Results: As a result of psychometric analyses, the single-dimensional 30-item Breastfeeding Myths Scale was deemed a valid and reliable instrument. The Cronbach's alpha value of the scale was established at 0.91, and the test-retest reliability at 0.90. According to the results of the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal cutoff point was determined to be 119.50, with a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 53%. Conclusions: Breastfeeding Myths Scale was deemed significant for identifying the prevalence of breastfeeding myths. Utilization of the Breastfeeding Myths Scale is recommended for future research endeavors and individual clinical assessments.

Analysis of global nutrient gaps and their potential to be closed through redistribution and increased supply.

Global food systems are crucial for sustaining life on Earth. Although estimates suggest that the current production system can provide enough food and nutrients for everyone, equitable distribution remains challenging. Understanding global nutrient distribution is vital for addressing disparities and creating effective solutions for the present and future. This study analyzes global nutrient supply changes to address inadequacies in certain populations using the existing DELTA Model®, which uses aggregates of global food production to estimate nutrient adequacy. By examining the 2020 global food commodity and nutrient distribution, we project future food production in 2050 needs to ensure global adequate nutrition. Our findings reveal that while some nutrients appear to be adequately supplied on a global scale, many countries face national insufficiencies (% supply below the population reference intake) in essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, B12, B2, potassium, and iron. Closing these gaps will require significant increases in nutrient supply. For example, despite global protein supply surpassing basic needs for the 2050 population, significant shortages persist in many countries due to distribution variations. A 1% increase in global protein supply, specifically targeting countries with insufficiencies, could address the observed 2020 gaps. However, without consumption pattern changes, a 26% increase in global protein production is required by 2050 due to population growth. In this study, a methodology was developed, applying multi-decade linear convergence to sufficiency values at the country level. This approach facilitates a more realistic assessment of future needs within global food system models, such as the DELTA Model®, transitioning from idealized production scenarios to realistic projections. In summary, our study emphasizes understanding global nutrient distribution and adjusting minimum global nutrient supply targets to tackle country-level inequality. Incorporating these insights into global food balance models can improve projections and guide policy decisions for sustainable, healthy diets worldwide.

Transforming Philippine agriculture through Agriculture 4.0

Agriculture 4.0 has paved the way for Philippine agriculture through the One Department of Agriculture (One DA) Agenda. The government is slowly paving its way to Agriculture 4.0 through the support of collaborating countries and agencies. The increasing digital integration and advanced technologies emphasizing precision farming have contributed to the industry's growth. The agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors contributed 8.9% to the Philippines' GDP (PSA, 2022). Agriculture 4.0 also contributed to the increase in farm mechanization level of the country to 2.679 horsepower per hectare (hp/ha) from 2.31 hp/ha in 2013 (Bagoso, 2023). The government has recently developed a more straightforward approach to farming problems, such as monitoring farm activity through drones, remote sensing, and satellite technologies. The farmers can now access real-time updates on infrastructure and machinery projects from proposal to turning-over through ABEMIS. Using remote sensing and data analytics has become a game changer in agriculture, especially in weather prediction, forecast of future yields, disaster assessment and access to insurance schemes are available with PRiSM and RIICE projects. Drone use in different applications was strengthened through policies set by the DA. The continuous research for development and technology transfer with local government units through province-led agriculture and fisheries extension systems helps the government promote digital transformation in agriculture. Indeed, Agriculture 4.0 is the future of global agriculture and the engine of agriculture modernization in the Philippines.

Random field failure and post-failure analyses of vertical slopes in soft clays

This research investigates the spatial heterogeneity of cohesion within soft clay and its implications for slope stability and post-failure analysis. In-situ cone penetration tests were conducted in alluvial soft clays to calibrate probabilistic strength properties. Slope stability analyses employed deterministic, semi-deterministic, and comprehensive probabilistic approaches, while post-failure analysis utilised the nodal integration-based particle finite element method. The undrained shear strength (cu) demonstrated a log-normal distribution (mean: 19 kPa, standard deviation: 3 kPa), with correlation lengths modeled through Bayesian inference. Treating correlation lengths as distributions resulted in a negligible 2% difference compared to using a single value for the probability of failure. Semi-deterministic analyses exhibited results similar to probabilistic analyses, offering computational advantages. Nevertheless, probabilistic analysis, considering spatial variability, provided more comprehensive insights for post-failure analysis. For a vertical slope of critical height in the studied soft clay, probabilistic analyses predicted a range of runout distances from 0 m to over 125 m. Specifically, 89% of these distances were less than 80 m, and 82% were less than 40 m. The findings contribute to an enhanced understanding of spatial variations in soil strength within soft clay slopes, providing valuable insights for future geotechnical assessments and design considerations.

Assessing the conservation status of mangroves in Rakhine, Myanmar

Abstract Ecosystem degradation is a key challenge that human society faces, as ecosystems provide services that are tied to human well‐being. Particularly, mangrove ecosystems provide important services to communities but are suffering heavy degradation, loss and potential collapse due to anthropogenic activities. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is a transparent and consistent framework for assessing ecosystems' risk of collapse and is increasingly used to inform legislation and ecosystem management globally. Satellite data have become increasingly common in environmental monitoring due to their extensive spatial and temporal coverage. Here, recent advances in analyses using satellite‐derived data were implemented to reassess the conservation status of the ‘Rakhine mangrove forest on mud’, an important intertidal ecosystem in Myanmar, extending a previous national Red List assessment that assessed the ecosystem as Critically Endangered. By incorporating additional data sources and analyses, the extended assessment produced more robust results and reduced the uncertainty in the previous assessment. Overall, the ecosystem was assessed as Critically Endangered (range: Vulnerable to Critically Endangered) as a result of historical mangrove extent loss. Recent losses and biotic disruptions were also observed, which would have led to the ecosystem being assessed as Vulnerable. While the final outcome of the Red List assessment remained at Critically Endangered due to the historical state of the mangroves pre‐dating the temporal coverage from satellite data, the uncertainty of the ecosystem's status was reduced, and the reassessment highlighted the recent areal changes and mangrove degradation that has occurred. The importance of conducting reassessments when new data become available is discussed, and a template for future mangrove Red List assessments that use satellite data as their primary source of information to improve the robustness of their results is presented.

The application of evidence-entropy weight gray incidence theory on the risk assessment of rockburst intensity in the Daxiangling tunnel

The risk assessment of rockburst intensity is significant for tunnel construction safety. First, the depth of the rockburst (X1), the uniaxial compressive strength of the rocks (X2), the brittleness coefficient of the rocks (X3), the stress coefficients of the rocks (X4), and the elastic energy index (X5) are adopted as the evidence body, and their essential certainty and reliability is determined using the entropy-gray correlation theory. Second, the synthetic certainty reliability of other samples is calculated based on the evidence theory. Relatively to the traditional gray extension model, it can improve the predictive accuracy and determine the certainty and reliability of different evidence bodies. The difference of importance between other evidence bodies can be reflected; and an interval scale can be taken into consideration in the evaluation process, so the proposed theory can reasonably predict the grade criterion which is interval form. Conclusion demonstrated that the suggested approach is entirely consistent with the actual investigation. The proposed model not only considers the unreliability or reliability of the problem but also solves some degrees of uncertainty and ambiguity of the datum; it enhances the predictive efficiency and provides a new way and thought for future risk assessment of rockburst intensity.

Benchmark thermodynamic analysis of methylammonium lead iodide decomposition from first principles

Hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) such as methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) are promising candidates for use in photovoltaic cells and other semiconductor applications, but their limited chemical stability poses obstacles to their widespread use. Ab initio modeling of finite-temperature and pressure thermodynamic equilibria of HOIPs with their decomposition products can reveal stability limits and help develop mitigation strategies. We here use a previously published experimental temperature-pressure equilibrium to benchmark and demonstrate the applicability of the harmonic and quasiharmonic approximations, combined with a simple entropy correction for the configurational freedom of methylammonium cations in solid MAPbI3 and for several density functional approximations, to the thermodynamics of MAPbI3 decomposition. We find that these approximations, together with the dispersion-corrected hybrid density functional HSE06, yield remarkably good agreement with the experimentally assessed equilibrium between T = 326 K and T = 407 K, providing a solid foundation for future broad thermodynamic assessments of HOIP stability.

First data on the consumed prey by Speleomantes italicus from the Republic of San Marino

We here present the first study on the consumed prey by an epigean population of the Italian cave salamander (Speleomantes italicus) from the Republic of San Marino. Using the harmless technique of stomach flushing, we aimed to provide the first data on the diet and on the degree of individual specialization that characterizes the studied population. We performed two-night surveys (one in autumn 2022 and one in spring 2023) in which we opportunistically searched for salamanders in forested areas and dry walls. Captured salamanders were sexed, weighed, photographed, measured and stomach flushed. Overall, we inspected the stomach contents of 67 individuals, recognizing 1,018 prey items belonging to 28 different prey categories. The examined population was mainly composed by generalist individuals, and no differences in number and diversity of prey consumed were observed among salamanders. Contrarily to what has been observed in other Speleomantes species, flying prey provided a minor contribution to the diet of the investigated population. Our study produced the first information on the diet of Speleomantes italicus from the Republic of San Marino, representing the starting point for future assessments on the dietary habits of this specific population.

Assessment of the sensitivity of model responses to urban emission changes in support of emission reduction strategies

AbstractThe sensitivity of air quality model responses to modifications in input data (e.g. emissions, meteorology and boundary conditions) or model configurations is recognized as an important issue for air quality modelling applications in support of air quality plans. In the framework of FAIRMODE (Forum of Air Quality Modelling in Europe, https://fairmode.jrc.ec.europa.eu/) a dedicated air quality modelling exercise has been designed to address this issue. The main goal was to evaluate the magnitude and variability of air quality model responses when studying emission scenarios/projections by assessing the changes of model output in response to emission changes. This work is based on several air quality models that are used to support model users and developers, and, consequently, policy makers. We present the FAIRMODE exercise and the participating models, and provide an analysis of the variability of O3 and PM concentrations due to emission reduction scenarios. The key novel feature, in comparison with other exercises, is that emission reduction strategies in the present work are applied and evaluated at urban scale over a large number of cities using new indicators such as the absolute potential, the relative potential and the absolute potency. The results show that there is a larger variability of concentration changes between models, when the emission reduction scenarios are applied, than for their respective baseline absolute concentrations. For ozone, the variability between models of absolute baseline concentrations is below 10%, while the variability of concentration changes (when emissions are similarly perturbed) exceeds, in some instances 100% or higher during episodes. Combined emission reductions are usually more efficient than the sum of single precursor emission reductions both for O3 and PM. In particular for ozone, model responses, in terms of linearity and additivity, show a clear impact of non-linear chemistry processes. This analysis gives an insight into the impact of model’ sensitivity to emission reductions that may be considered when designing air quality plans and paves the way of more in-depth analysis to disentangle the role of emissions from model formulation for present and future air quality assessments.

Design of a Dyadic Digital Health Module for Chronic Disease Shared Care: Development Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the spread of digital health tools to address limited clinical resources for chronic health management. It also illuminated a population of older patients requiring an informal caregiver (IC) to access this care due to accessibility, technological literacy, or English proficiency concerns. For patients with heart failure (HF), this rapid transition exacerbated the demand on ICs and pushed Canadians toward a dyadic care model where patients and ICs comanage care. Our previous work identified an opportunity to improve this dyadic HF experience through a shared model of dyadic digital health. We call this alternative model of care "Caretown for Medly," which empowers ICs to concurrently expand patients' self-care abilities while acknowledging ICs' eagerness to provide greater support. We present the systematic design and development of the Caretown for Medly dyadic management module. While HF is the outlined use case, we outline our design methodology and report on 6 core disease-invariant features applied to dyadic shared care for HF management. This work lays the foundation for future usability assessments of Caretown for Medly. We conducted a qualitative, human-centered design study based on 25 semistructured interviews with self-identified ICs of loved ones living with HF. Interviews underwent thematic content analysis by 2 coders independently for themes derived deductively (eg, based on the interview guide) and inductively refined. To build the Caretown for Medly model, we (1) leveraged the Knowledge to Action (KTA) framework to translate knowledge into action and (2) borrowed Google Sprint's ability to quickly "solve big problems and test new ideas," which has been effective in the medical and digital health spaces. Specifically, we blended these 2 concepts into a new framework called the "KTA Sprint." We identified 6 core disease-invariant features to support ICs in care dyads to provide more effective care while capitalizing on dyadic care's synergistic benefits. Features were designed for customizability to suit the patient's condition, informed by stakeholder analysis, corroborated with literature, and vetted through user needs assessments. These features include (1) live reports to enhance data sharing and facilitate appropriate IC support, (2) care cards to enhance guidance on the caregiving role, (3) direct messaging to dissolve the disconnect across the circle of care, (4) medication wallet to improve guidance on managing complex medication regimens, (5) medical events timeline to improve and consolidate management and organization, and (6) caregiver resources to provide disease-specific education and support their self-care. These disease-invariant features were designed to address ICs' needs in supporting their care partner. We anticipate that the implementation of these features will empower a shared model of care for chronic disease management through digital health and will improve outcomes for care dyads.

Abundance and Characterization of Anthropogenic Microlitter in Effluent from Three Wastewater Treatment Plants in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain)

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as significant point sources of microlitter particles (MPs) released into the environment. Simultaneously, they play a crucial role in effectively removing a substantial amount of MPs originated from domestic and industrial activities. This study evaluates the presence and chemical composition of MPs within the range of 5 mm to 25 µm in effluents from three WWTPs in the Canary Islands, each undergoing distinct treatment processes: pretreatment (PRET), activated sludge (AS), and membrane bioreactor (MBR) over an eight-month period. The concentrations of MPs exhibited substantial variations in the three effluent samples: 7461.50 ± 3843.87 MP/L in PRET, 32.71 ± 19.55 MP/L in AS, and 9.53 ± 5.21 MP/L in MBR. The predominant forms of MPs were fragments (58–66%) and fibers (27–33%), with the most prevalent size class being within the range of 150–25 µm. The mass concentrations of plastics, analyzed through pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS), were determined as 123.33 µg/L for PRET, 17 µg/L for AS, and 10 µg/L for MBR. This study revealed a diverse polymer profile, with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyolefins (PE and PP) predominantly present. This work enhances our understanding of MP dynamics and provides a valuable reference for future assessments, aiding in the selection of effective removal technologies.

Identifying Thermal Decomposition Mechanisms of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase with in-Situ Gas Analysis of Lithium-Ion Batteries

The global shift away from fossil fuels has generated an unprecedented demand for electric vehicles and a steady increase in the prevalence of lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, increases in the energy density of storage technologies has led to a corresponding increase in safety concerns regarding thermal runaway reactions. The components of a lithium-ion battery can self-react when exposed to an external heat source, which can cause a thermal runaway reaction process and large-scale fires of the cell. The initial reactions in this process involve the decomposition of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) breakdown and conductive salt. The underlaying mechanisms behind these reactions are unclear; in-depth investigations are needed in order to develop a detailed understanding of the thermal runaway process and guide the development of strategies to mitigate the safety hazards posed by these battery systems. In the past, differential/online electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS/OEMS) was utilized to analyze the buildup of the SEI as well as decomposition due to overcharge. Our new methodology of high temperature (HT-)OEMS, with a maximum temperature of 132 °C, can simulate heating events with thermal ramps on an in-situ test cell battery. These measurements reveal information regarding reaction product gases and cell voltage drop during first formation and thermal stress tests, and provide novel insight into the electrochemical and thermodynamic phenomena during thermal abuse of lithium-ion batteries.In this study, we use (HT-)OEMS to investigate the behavior of lithium-ion cells with varied additive concentrations and formation currents. This new methodology allowed us to clearly determine that both of the testing parameters impact the formation gas evolution and thus influence the SEI-composition. Systems with high formation rates, as well as with lower concentrations of additives, exhibited an increase in the fraction of CO product gases, which can be explained with a higher presence of lithium alkoxides in the SEI. Additionally, the evolution of H2, CO2 and POF3 gases were observed at temperatures around 80 °C for cells during the thermal stress test after formation. These results allow us to establish a correlation between the thermal conductive salt decomposition and the formation of the SEI-components Li2CO3 and (CH2OLi)2.The identification of the underlying degradation mechanisms and process correlations via (HT-)OEMS provides a novel and important understanding of the phenomena that give rise to thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries. This cell chemistry-based insight can be used to guide future prevention-focused safety assessments. Figure 1

Non-Indigenous Freshwater Fishes as Indicators of Ecological Quality in Running Waters

The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a comprehensive initiative guiding river basin water management, addressing pressures such as pollution from diffuse and point sources, and hydromorphological alterations. However, pressures that can deteriorate the ecological quality of water bodies through biotic changes (i.e., by the introduction of non-indigenous species) are not rigorously addressed by the WFD. This study explores associations between conventional ecological quality indices based on physicochemical and biotic quality elements (fish and macroinvertebrates) against the presence and densities of non-indigenous freshwater fish species (NIFS) in lotic ecosystems of Greece, aiming to unravel the potential usage of NIFS in future ecological assessments. The dataset comprises 277 samplings at 115 sites, covering physicochemical and biotic (fish and macroinvertebrate) quality indices, and anthropogenic pressure variables. Based on our findings, the occurrence and densities of four NIFS (Lepomis gibbosus, Pseudorasbora parva, Gambusia holbrooki, and Carassius gibelio) were highly associated with the ecological quality assessments of the applied indices. Higher occurrences and densities of these NIFS were related to samplings of lower ecological quality. In addition, NIFS exhibited a positive association with anthropogenic pressures, likely due to their adaptability to less optimal environmental conditions or higher tolerance to pollution and other stressors. Our findings underscore the need for a paradigm shift in ecological quality assessments, emphasizing the use of NIFS either as a potential indicator of ecosystem health or as a pressure that deteriorates ecological quality.

Examining the Implementation and Lessons Learnt from the Annual National Assessment in a South African Education District

In the pursuit of enhancing educational practices and systems, this study delved comprehensively into examining the implementation and lessons learned from the Annual National Assessment (ANA) within an educational district in South Africa. A stratified random sampling technique was used to pick up schools from different tiers. A sample of 108 teachers from 22 schools within the UMkhanyakude education district, situated in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa participated in the study. The study examined the effects of the ANA on schools and its impact on teaching and learning. Data was collected using a questionnaire and were analyzed with SPSS software version 26. The findings indicate that teachers received sufficient training on the administration procedures of the assessment and recognized its positive influence on schools in general. However, a majority of the teachers disagreed with the notion that the assessment had positive effects on teaching and learning. They expressed a lack of confidence in the assessment, both in themselves and in their students, and also raised concerns about parental involvement. Therefore, this study suggests the inclusion of a comprehensive consultative approach and the involvement of stakeholders in future assessment administration and implementation processes. Additionally, it advocates for the importance of aligning assessments with the curriculum to prevent teachers from solely teaching to the test in most situations. This study will contribute to knowledge on test construction as well as the different approaches to assessment. Keywords: Administration, Annual National Assessment, Assessment, High Stakes, Management, Parental Involvement, Standardized Testing.

A longline survey for spurdog distribution and life history along the Norwegian coast

AbstractTo improve spatiotemporal data collection and inform future spurdog Squalus acanthias stock assessment, a new dedicated longline survey was initiated in 2021 in coastal waters of southern Norway. The survey comprised a mixture of randomly predefined stations to facilitate unbiased abundance estimates and supplementary stations including informant putative hotspots. During 25 survey days in autumn 2021, 287 stations were sampled, of which 280 were categorized as “satisfactory” in terms of gear quality deployment. Spurdog catches (n = 954) were more abundant in southeast coastal shallower waters (19–150 m). No length, sex, or maturity stratified schooling behavior was found with increasing catches. Females were more abundant and larger than males, but males were older. Growth and reproduction parameters were within ranges reported for the stock. Our results provide valuable input for spurdog survey designs with regards to optimizing boat time, location of stations, and biological sampling protocols. The survey provides important data for monitoring the spurdog stock and other data‐limited species, especially considering the newly re‐opened spurdog fishery but also to study possible future effects of climatic changes on spurdog distribution.

Effects of heavy metal and disinfectant on antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factor genes in the plastisphere from diverse soil ecosystems

Antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) are world-wide contaminants posing potential health risks. Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and heavy metals can apply selective pressure on antibiotic resistance. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding their coupled effect on changes in ARGs and virulence factor genes (VFGs) in various soil types and their plastispheres. Herein, we conducted a microcosm experiment to explore the abundances and profiles of ARGs and VFGs in soil plastispheres from three distinct types of soils amended with Cu and disinfectants. The plastispheres enriched the ARGs’ abundance compared to soils and stimulated the coupling effect of combined pollutants on promoting the abundances of ARGs and VFGs. Horizontal gene transfer inevitably accelerates the propagation of ARGs and VFGs in plastispheres under pollutant stress. In plastispheres, combined exposure to disinfectants and Cu increased some potential pathogens’ relative abundances. Moreover, the combined effect of disinfectants and Cu on ARGs and VFGs changed with soil type in plastispheres, emphasising the necessity to incorporate soil type considerations into health risk assessments for ARGs and VFGs. Overall, this study highlights the high health risks of ARGs under the selective pressure of combined pollutants in plastispheres and provides valuable insights for future risk assessments related to antibiotic resistance.

Integrated assessment of global carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects

In recent decades, Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS)/Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects at commercial scale have been evaluated from economic, technical, and operational approaches. However, there is a lack of research comprising both the technical aspects and the geological properties. In this investigation, we have developed a full description of active commercial CCUS/CCS projects in terms of technical guidelines and geological properties of reservoirs and caprocks. In addition, we built letter-value plots and cross-plots for 43 pairs of reservoirs and caprocks used for CO₂ geological storage. Then, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to assess correlations among reservoir and caprock parameters and understand which parameters are more relevant. Thus, our findings suggested that peripheral foreland and post-rift sag basins may contain suitable carbon storage sites, with Carboniferous and Cretaceous as the prevalent reservoir ages. We also noted that reservoirs have mostly been deposited in transitional and marine environments, with shale representing the prevalent caprock lithology. From the multivariate analysis, caprock and reservoir ages, reservoir porosity, reservoir depth, reservoir lithology, and caprock porosity exhibited the highest parameter weight. To finish, an integrated model correlating all geological and petrophysical parameters with classifications based on reservoir depositional environment and basin tectonic sub-regime is presented. Thus, significant correlations regarding reservoir rock and caprock parameters and tectonic regimes were found, which may contribute to future assessments of carbon storage sites.

Exercise therapy as a digital therapeutic for chronic disease management: consideration for clinical product development.

Digital exercise therapies (DET) have the potential to bridge existing care gaps for people living with chronic conditions. Acting as either a standalone, embedded within multi-modal lifestyle therapy, or adjunct to pharmacotherapy or surgery, evidence-based DETs can favorably impact the health of a rapidly growing population. Given the nascent nature of digital therapeutics, the regulatory landscape has yet to mature. As such, in the absence of clear guidelines clinical digital product developers are responsible for ensuring the DET adheres to fundamental principles such as patient risk management and clinical effectiveness. The purpose of this narrative review paper is to discuss key considerations for clinical digital product developers who are striving to build novel digital therapeutic (DTx) solutions and thus contribute towards standardization of product development. We herein draw upon DET as an example, highlighting the need for adherence to existing clinical guidelines, human-centered design and an intervention approach that leverages the Chronic Care Model. Specific topics and recommendations related to the development of innovative and scalable products are discussed which ultimately allow for differentiation from a basic wellness tool and integration to clinical workflows. By embodying a code of ethics, clinical digital product developers can adequately address patients' needs and optimize their own future digital health technology assessments including appropriate evidence of safety and efficacy.

Evidence for the transportation of aggregated microplastics in the symplast pathway of oilseed rape roots and their impact on plant growth

As an emerging contaminant, microplastics are absorbed by crops, causing diverse impacts on plants. Plants may have different physiological responses to different uptake modes of microplastics various stage of growth. In this study, the distribution of polystyrene (PS) microspheres in the roots of oilseed rape and the physiological responses at different growth stages were investigated by confocal laser scanning microscope, scanning electron microscopy, and biochemical analysis. This study, conducted via scanning electron microscopy, discovered that agglomerates of microspheres, rather than individual plastic pellets, were taken up by plant roots in solution for the first time. The agglomerates subsequently migrate into the vascular bundles of the root system. Moreover, this study provided the proof for the first time that PS is transported in plants via the symplast system. On the physiological and biochemical function, the exposure of PS at the flowering and bolting stages caused oxidative stress on oilseed rape. That is, the addition of PS with different particle sizes significantly increased peroxidase (POD), malondialdehyde (MDA), photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content and inhibited superoxide dismutase (SOD) content in oilseed rape at different developmental stages. These changes regulated the chloroplast structure and chlorophyll synthesis, maintained a high photosynthetic rate, and mitigated the toxicity of PS. In addition, correlation analysis showed that MDA and citric acid contents were significantly positively correlated with chlorophyll contents (p < 0.05), which suggested that the 80 nm PS treatment stimulated organic acid secretion in oilseed rape at the bolting stage to maintain a higher chlorophyll content. This study expands the current understanding of the effects of microplastics on crop growth, and the results holding significant implications for exploring the impact of microplastics on vegetables during various developmental stages and for future risk assessment.