High Occurrence Rate Research Articles

Dental Erosion-An Occupational Hazard among Battery Manufacturing Industry Workers in Hyderabad, India.

Dental erosion is a condition that results from exposure of the enamel and dentin to non-bacterial acids of extrinsic and intrinsic origin, causing mineral loss on the surface of the tooth. Occupational exposure to sulfuric acid fumes has been described in association with dental erosion in battery manufacturing industry workers. Hence, this study aimed to assess the dental erosion among battery factory workers in HBL Power Systems Ltd, Hyderabad. The sample consisted of 90 battery factory workers (62 males and 28 females). Demographic data with regard to age, gender, and length of exposure were recorded. Clinical examination was done to assess dental erosion using the tooth wear index given by Smith and Knight. Data were statistically analyzed by using Fisher exact test. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Among 90 workers examined, 43.3% showed prevalence of erosion with higher occurrence rate in females (54%) than males (38.7%). 66.6% of affected workers had erosion score of 1, and 33.4% showed erosion score of 2 and 3. We also observed statistically significant highest prevalence and increased severity of dental erosion in workers with prolonged duration of employment (>11 years). The present study revealed increased prevalence of dental erosion among battery factory workers. Hence, it highlights the importance of protective measures with efficient surveillance and monitoring in the workplace environment.

Real-world analysis of afatinib as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced stage non-small-cell lung cancer with uncommon EGFR mutations: a multicenter study in Vietnam.

Afatinib is indicated for advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and uncommon mutations. However, real-world studies on this topic are limited. This study aimed to evaluate afatinib as first-line therapy for locally advanced and metastatic NSCLC with uncommon EGFR mutations. A retrospective study included 92 patients with advanced NSCLC with uncommon and compound EGFR mutations, treated with afatinib as first-line therapy. Patients were followed up and evaluated every 3 months or when symptoms of progressive disease arose. The endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), time-to-treatment failure (TTF), and adverse events. The G719X EGFR mutation had the highest occurrence rate (53.3% for both monotherapy and the compound). By contrast, the compound mutation G719X-S768I was observed at a rate of 22.8%. The ORR was 75%, with 15.2% of patients achieving complete response. The overall median TTF was 13.8 months. Patients with the G719X EGFR mutation (single and compound) had a median TTF of 19.3 months, longer than that of patients with other mutations, who had a median TTF of 11.2 months. Patients with compound EGFR mutations (G719X and S768I) demonstrated a median TTF of 23.2 months compared to that of 12.3 months for other mutations. Tolerated doses of 20 or 30 mg achieved a longer median TTF of 17.1 months compared to 11.2 months with 40 mg. Median TTF differed between patients with and without brain metastasis, at 11.2 and 16.9 months, respectively. Rash (55.4%) and diarrhea (53.3%) were the most common adverse events, primarily grades 1 and 2. Other side effects occurred at a low rate. Afatinib is effective for locally advanced metastatic NSCLC with uncommon EGFR mutations. Patients with G719X, compound G719X-S768I mutations, and tolerated doses of 20 or 30 mg had a longer median TTF than those with other mutations.

The efficacy and safety of third-party umbilical blood/umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell assisted related haploid hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in pediatric patients with acute leukemia: an observational study.

There is limited data on third-party umbilical cord blood (UCB) or mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation-assisted haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) in pediatric patients. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of UCB and MSC transplantation-assisted haplo-HSCT in pediatric patients with acute leukemia (AL). Observational study. Clinical data of 152 children with AL undergoing haplo-HSCT at the Children's Hospital of Soochow University between January 2020 and June 2022 were collected. The patients were divided into the haplo-HSCT + UCB group (n = 76), haplo-HSCT + MSC group (n = 31), and haplo-HSCT group (n = 45). Hematopoietic reconstruction time, complications within 30 days after transplantation, and survival and recurrence at 3 years after transplantation were compared among the groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that haplo-HSCT with MSC and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching ⩾6/10 were independent factors reducing engraftment syndrome (ES) incidence. There were no significant differences among the groups in the hematopoietic reconstruction time or incidence of complications within 30 days after transplantation (p > 0.05). Overall survival, relapse-free survival, cumulative incidence of relapse, cumulative incidence of hematological relapse, and 3-year transplant-related mortality were not significantly different (p > 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the haplo-HSCT + UCB group was 97.3% within 4 h after UCB infusion, with a particularly high occurrence rate of 94.7% for hypertension. No transfusion-related adverse reactions occurred after the transfusion of umbilical cord MSC in the haplo-HSCT + MSC group. MSC-assisted haplo-HSCT can reduce ES incidence after transplantation in pediatric patients with AL. UCB infusion is associated with a high incidence of reversible hypertension. However, no adverse reactions were observed in umbilical cord MSC transfusion.

Investigation of the Occurrence Characteristics and Possible Origins of Daytime Spread F Irregularities in Low Latitude Region

AbstractA study of occurrence characteristics and morphology of daytime spread F (DSF) irregularities was conducted using ionosonde from 2013 to 2020 over low‐latitude Puer station in the China sector. In this study, a day with two or more consecutive F‐region diffuse echo ionograms within one hour from local sunrise to sunset at an altitude of 250 km is considered a DSF day. The results show that the DSF irregularities observed in different solar activity years have a similar seasonal distribution, manifesting as frequent occurrences in June solstice with a maximum occurrence near sunrise. Furthermore, the morphology of most DSFs on the ionograms is predominantly frequency spread F, with a few observed near sunrise as MSF and RSF. In contrast to in high solar activity years (HSAY, 2013–2015), an interesting phenomenon of DSF irregularities in low solar activity years (LSAY, 2016–2020) is presented. That is, in the late afternoon hours (15–18 LT), DSFs have an unexpectedly high occurrence rate during the December solstice. By analyzing the virtual height variations for iso‐frequency plots of the DSF event occurring in the afternoon, these DSF irregularities were found to be likely associated with daytime medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). Compared with the observed characteristics of the nighttime spread F, the fossils of nighttime plasma bubbles irregularities might play a key role in the development of DSF occurring in the early morning. At the same time, the influence of daytime MSTIDs on DSF irregularities occurring in the late afternoon hours cannot be ignored.

Molecular characterization of Helicobacter pylori isolated from Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and fish handlers

BackgroundHelicobacter pylori is a worldwide pathogen that affects both animals and humans with a wide environmental distribution, causing serious health problems in humans. This research has timely addressed the topic of new sources of H. pylori infection, which is currently a global issue, especially in developing countries. For this purpose, 115 Tilapia fish, 50 freshwater samples, and 88 fish-handlers’ stool samples were investigated for the presence of H. pylori in Qena Governorate, Egypt. The applied techniques were antigen screening tests, culturing, and molecular methods through ureC gene amplification, and 16 S rRNA characterization.ResultsHelicobacter pylori was detected in 7.83%, 14%, 4.35%, and 12% of the investigated fish and water samples by culture and PCR methods, respectively. Out of the total studied participants, 40 tested positive for H. pylori when screened by stool antigen test, of which 35 (39.77%), and 31 (35.23%) were confirmed by conventional and molecular techniques, respectively. The Fisher’s exact test has shown a statistically significant correlation between H. pylori infection, sex, and age as risk factors, while the association was insignificant concerning the residence. Males contracted the infection at a higher rate than females (48.08% and 16.67%, respectively). Also, H. pylori infection rate was the highest among fish-handlers aged 36–45 years old (46.67%), followed by the 26–35 years old age group (39.53%). With regard to the residence, a higher occurrence rate was recorded in the rural (36.07%) than the urban population (33.33%). Helicobacter pylori isolates harbored the highest antimicrobial resistance against ampicillin (100%), metronidazole (95.24%), while the least antimicrobial resistance was recorded against levofloxacin (21.43%), and clarithromycin (26.20%). The phylogenetic analysis revealed a high degree of homology between the isolates selected from Tilapia fish, freshwater, and fish-handlers.ConclusionsOur data emphasized the role that fish and freshwater play in disseminating H. pylori infection as one of the diseases that has a significant public health issue.

SEXUAL ASSAULT, FORENSIC INVESTIGATION, AND LEGAL SYSTEM IN PAKISTAN: A REVIEW

Sexual assaults are horrific crimes and major human rights violations everywhere, particularly against women and children. According to statistical surveys around the globe, the occurrences of sexual assaults are more common in developed countries. According to different survey reports published in The Nation, almost 11 cases are reported every 24 hours in Pakistan. Besides this high occurrence rate of rape cases, many cases go unreported. Conviction rates are surprisingly as low as 0.5% due to multiple factors like the unfamiliarity of victims with the legal procedures and basic human rights, the social pressure created by the families of victims, time-consuming and challenging legal processes, worry about retaliation from the attacker etc. With the prevalence of modern scientific technologies and trends in the World, modern and improved technologies and techniques like DNA testing and DNA profiling are being used in Pakistan also, even with the limited availability of full-fledged forensic labs. The need of the hour is to spread awareness and to enhance the literacy rate because more than 60 million people lack knowledge about basic human rights and the legal procedures regarding assault cases that they must follow in case of any unfortunate happenings.

Scaling K2. VII. Evidence For a High Occurrence Rate of Hot Sub-Neptunes at Intermediate Ages

The NASA K2 mission obtained high-precision time-series photometry for four young clusters, including the near-twin 600–800 Myr old Praesepe and Hyades clusters. Hot sub-Neptunes are highly prone to mass-loss mechanisms, given their proximity to the host star and the weakly bound gaseous envelopes, and analyzing this population at young ages can provide strong constraints on planetary evolution models. Using our automated transit detection pipeline, we recover 15 planet candidates across the two clusters, including 10 previously confirmed planets. We find a hot sub-Neptune occurrence rate of 79%–107% for GKM stars in the Praesepe cluster. This is 2.5–3.5σ higher than the occurrence rate of % for the same planets orbiting the ∼3–9 Gyr old GKM field stars observed by K2, even after accounting for the slightly supersolar metallicity ([Fe/H] ∼ 0.2 dex) of the Praesepe cluster. We examine the effect of adding ∼100 targets from the Hyades cluster and extending the planet parameter space under examination, and we find similarly high occurrence rates in both cases. The high occurrence rate of young, hot sub-Neptunes could indicate either that these planets are undergoing atmospheric evolution as they age, or that planetary systems that formed when the Galaxy was much younger are substantially different than from today. Under the assumption of the atmospheric mass-loss scenario, a significantly higher occurrence rate of these planets at the intermediate ages of Praesepe and Hyades appears more consistent with the core-powered mass-loss scenario for the origin of the planet radius valley, compared to the photoevaporation scenario.

Safety assessment of Brexpiprazole: Real-world adverse event analysis from the FAERS database

ObjectiveThis study aims to analysis adverse drug events (ADE) related to Brexpiprazole from the third quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2023 from FAERS database. MethodsThe ADE data related to Brexpiprazole from 2015 Q3 to 2023 Q1 were collected. After standardizing the data, a variety of signal quantification techniques, including ROR, PRR, BCPNN, and MGPS were used for analysis. ResultsAmong the 8559 ADE reports with Brexpiprazole as the primary suspected drug, 178 preferred terms (PT) of adverse reactions spanning 27 different system organ classes (SOC) were identified. Specifically, Metabolism and nutrition disorders and Reproductive system and breast disorders were unique adverse reactions to Brexpiprazole, with the latter not mentioned in the official drug label. Moreover, uncommon but significantly strong ADE signals, such as Egocentrism, Pharmacophobia, and Compulsions were observed. Notably, Tardive dyskinesia (n = 317, ROR 103.87, PRR 102.21, IC 6.21, EBGM 96.17) and Extrapyramidal disorder (n = 104, ROR 31.17, PRR 31.00, IC 4.57, EBGM 30.44) exhibited relatively high occurrence rates and signal strengths. Additionally, Lactation disorder (n = 6, ROR 48.09, PRR 48.07, IC 2.63, EBGM 46.71) and Breast discharge (n = 10, ROR 23.18, PRR 23.17, IC 2.94, EBGM 22.86) were observed, both presenting strong ADE signals. ConclusionBrexpiprazole poses risks of various adverse reactions while providing therapeutic effects. In clinical applications, practitioners should closely monitor occurrences of Psychiatric disorders, Metabolism and nutrition disorders, Reproductive system and breast disorders, and other events.

Statistical modeling for identifying chikungunya high-risk areas of two large-scale outbreaks in Thailand's southernmost provinces

Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) has re-emerged in the southernmost Thailand and presents a significant threat to public health. The problem areas can be identified using appropriate statistical models. This study aimed to determine the geographic epidemic patterns and high-risk locations. Data on CHIKF’s case characteristics, including age, gender, and residence sub-district, were obtained from the Office of Disease Prevention and Control of Thailand from 2008 to 2020. A logistic model was applied to detect illness occurrences. After removing records with no cases, a log-linear regression model was used to determine the incidence rate. The results revealed that two large-scale infections occurred in the southernmost provinces of Thailand between 2008 and 2010, and again between 2018 and 2020, indicating a 10-year epidemic cycle. The CHIKF occurrence in the first and second outbreaks was 28.4% and 15.5%, respectively. In both outbreaks of occurrence CHIKF, adolescents and working-age groups were the most infected groups but the high incidence rate of CHIKF was elderly groups. The first outbreak had a high occurrence and incidence rate in 39 sub-districts, the majority of which were in Narathiwat province, whilst the second outbreak was identified in 15 sub-districts, the majority of which were in Pattani province. In conclusion, the CHIKF outbreak areas can be identified and addressed by combining logistic and log-linear models in a two-step process. The findings of this study can serve as a guide for developing a surveillance strategy or an earlier plan to manage or prevent the CHIKF outbreak.

PREVALENCE OF PRE-ECLAMPSIA AND ECLAMPSIA AND MATERNO-FETAL OUTCOMES AT A HEALTH FACILTY IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

BACKGROUND: Globally, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia complicate up to 4.6% and 1.4% of pregnancies respectively but disproportionally account for nearly 18% of all maternal death worldwide, with an estimated 62,000 to 77,000 deaths per year. OBJECTIVE: This study determined the prevalence of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, and compared outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study utilizing the case files of women admitted to the maternity ward of the obstetrics and gynaecology unit in Central Hospital, Ughelli from 1st August 2020 to 30th July 2022. Socio-demographic characteristics, maternal and fetal complications and outcomes, prevalence rate of preeclampsia and eclampsia, were presented as frequencies and percentages. RESULTS: Of the 6291 mothers which were delivered of their babies in the maternity ward of the obstetrics and gynaecology department, 120(1.9%) were diagnosed of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia; only 108 which had complete documentation were used for the study. Age range of the participants was 16-45years, the majority, 88(81.5%) were married, had secondary education, 70(64.8%) and higher; 42(38.9%) were nulliparous at admission and 67(62%) were unbooked at the antenatal clinic. Fifty –three (49.1%) had preeclampsia while 55(50.9%) had eclampsia. Majority, 107(99.1%) were discharged home alive and 75(69.4%) had no maternal complications. Number of fetuses delivered were 114, 95 (83.3%) were born alive, 68(59.6%) weighed less than 2500g, and 91( 95.8%) neonates had a good APGAR score at the 5th minute. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia was low, however there was high rates of perinatal deaths and occurrence of unfavourable materno-fetal complications.

Protocol for correlation of histological risk assessment/scoring system with a depth of invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Introduction: The commonest type of cancer in the head and neck region is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) due to its high rates of occurrence and mortality. The early diagnosis of oral cancer gives better prognosis. Brandwein-Gensler criteria predict the early stage of OSCC cases with a high risk of locoregional recurrence. Objectives: To correlate Brandwein-Gensler criteria and depth of invasion of OSCC with three-year survival. Methodology: In the study, hematoxylin-eosin (HE)-stained section slides will be used to evaluate Brandwein and Gensler criteria and depth of invasion in resected tissue specimens of OSCC cases. Expected results: The present study will find the correlation between Brandwein-Gensler criteria and depth of invasion in OSCC in order to evaluate the locoregional recurrence in OSCC cases. In high-risk OSCC cases, there may be increased depth of invasion in resected tissues. Conclusions: We hypothesized that the correlation between Brandwein-Gensler criteria and depth of invasion can be used as an independent predictor for locoregional recurrence in OSCC.

Elucidation of the anti-colon cancer mechanism of Phellinus baumii polyphenol by an integrative approach of network pharmacology and experimental verification

Colon cancer, a prevalent malignant tumor affecting the digestive system, presents a substantial risk to human health due to its high occurrence and mortality rates. Phellinus baumii polyphenol (PBP), a natural product derived from traditional Chinese medicine, has gained widespread popularity due to its low toxicity and minimal side effects, compared to radiation and chemotherapy. This study used an integrated approach of network pharmacology and experimental verification to elucidate the anti-colon cancer effects of PBP and its potential mechanisms. In network pharmacology, the identification of relevant targets involved a comprehensive search across multiple databases using keywords such as “active components of PBP” and “colon cancer”. Venn diagram analysis was subsequently performed to ascertain the shared targets. To identify the key active components and core targets, we constructed a network of “Disease-Drug-Pathways-Targets” and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network among the targets using Cytoscape 3.9.1. Furthermore, molecular docking was carried out to predict the binding affinity and conformation between the main active compounds (davallialactone and citrinin) of PBP and the core targets (TP53, STAT3, CASP3, CTNNB1, PARP1, MYC). To validate our findings, in vitro experiments were conducted. We verified that PBP exerted an anti-colon cancer effect on human colon cancer HCT116 cells by significantly inhibiting cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis and arresting the cell cycle in S phase by using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry. Finally, we determined the key regulatory proteins related to apoptosis and the cell cycle by western blot analysis, and proposed the potential mechanism by which PBP exerts an anti-colon cancer effect by inducing the caspase-dependent mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway and arresting the cell cycle in S phase in HCT116 cells. These results suggest that PBP possesses substantial potential for the treatment of colon cancer and may serve as a viable alternative therapeutic strategy in colon cancer treatment.

Dependence of Electron Flux Dropouts in the Earth's Outer Radiation Belt on Energy and Driving Parameters During Geomagnetic Storms

AbstractUsing 5‐year of measurements from Van Allen Probes, we present a survey of the statistical dependence of the Earth's outer radiation belt electron flux dropouts during geomagnetic storms on electron energy and various driving parameters including interplanetary magnetic field Bz, PSW, SYM‐H, and AE. By systematically investigating the dropouts over energies of 1 keV–10 MeV at L‐shells spanning 4.0–6.5, we find that the dropouts are naturally divided into three regions. The dropouts show much higher occurrence rates at energies below ∼100 keV and above ∼1 MeV compared to much smaller occurrence rate at intermediate energies around hundreds of keV. The flux decays more dramatically at energies above ∼1 MeV compared to the energies below ∼100 keV. The flux dropouts of electrons below ∼100 keV strongly depend on magnetic local time (MLT), which demonstrate high occurrence rates on the nightside (18–06 MLT), with the highest occurrence rate associated with northward Bz, strong PSW and SYM‐H, and weak AE conditions. The strongest flux decay of these dropouts is found on the nightside, which strongly depends on PSW and SYM‐H. However, there is no clear MLT dependence of the occurrence rate of relativistic electron flux dropouts above ∼1 MeV, but the flux decay of these dropouts is more significant on the dayside, with stronger decay associated with southward IMF Bz, strong PSW, SYM‐H, and AE conditions. Our statistical results are crucial for understanding of the fundamental physical mechanisms that control the outer belt electron dynamics and developing future potential radiation belt forecasting capability.

Daytime Medium Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (MSTIDS) Over the Andes Mountains at Equatorial and Low Magnetic Latitudes

AbstractWe analyze daytime quiet‐time MSTIDs between 2013 and 2015 at the geomagnetic equatorial and low latitude regions of the Chilean and Argentinian Andes using keograms of detrended total electron content (dTEC). The MSTIDs had a higher occurrence rate at geomagnetic equatorial latitudes in the June solstice (winter) and spring (SON). The propagation directions changed with the season: summer (DJF) [southeast, south, southwest, and west], winter (JJA) [north and northeast], and equinoxes [north, northeast, south, southwest, and west]. In addition, the MSTIDs at low latitudes observed between 8:00 and 12:00 UT occur more often during the December solstice and propagate northwestward and northeastward. After 12:00 UT, they are mostly observed in the equinoxes and June solstice. Their predominant propagation directions depend on the season: summer (all directions with a preference for northeastward), autumn (MAM) [north and northeast], winter (north and northeast), and spring (north, northeast, and southwest). The MSTID propagation direction at different latitudes was explained by the location of the possible sources. Besides, we calculated MSTIDs parameters at geomagnetic low latitudes over the Andes Mountains and compared them with those estimated at the geomagnetic equatorial latitudes. We found that the former is smaller on average than the latter. Also, our observations validate recent model results obtained during geomagnetically quiet‐time as well as daytime MSTIDs during winter over the south of South America. These results suggest that secondary or high‐order gravity waves (GWs) from orographic forcing are the most likely source of these MSTIDs.

Plasmasphere Control of ULF Wave Distribution at Different Geomagnetic Conditions

AbstractMagnetic storms and substorms cause global disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere. Plasma clouds injected from the magnetotail during storm or substorm drift around the Earth and generate ultra‐low frequency (ULF) waves via various mechanisms. At the same time, the inner part of the magnetosphere called plasmasphere is filled with cold particles and its characteristics are sensitive to the geomagnetic activity level. Previous theoretical and some observational studies suggested plasmasphere and its boundary, plasmapause, are special regions for ULF waves to interact with charged particles. We present a statistical analysis of ULF waves during different geomagnetic conditions. We utilized Arase satellite magnetic field and electron density measurements from March 2017 to December 2020 to investigate spatial distribution of ULF waves and its dependence on the plasmapause location. A 1–2 RE gap between the plasmapause and a region of high transverse waves occurrence rate was found. This gap keeps during quiet geomagnetic conditions when plasmasphere expands, and we concluded that the plasmapause controls the ULF wave distribution in the magnetosphere. ULF wave occurrence rate significantly decreases at quiet time, but dayside and dawnside maxima still occur for poloidal and compressional, and toroidal waves, respectively. Thus, we can distinguish internally and externally excited waves. Average wave frequency distribution revealed field‐line resonance character of toroidal waves as frequency increases toward the Earth. Poloidal and compressional waves distributions clearly distinguish low frequency externally excited waves and high frequency storm‐time pulsations.

Coherent Bimodal Events in Ensemble Forecasts of 2-m Temperature

Abstract A previous study has shown that a large portion of subseasonal-to-seasonal European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ensemble forecasts for 2-m temperature exhibit properties of univariate bimodality, in some locations occurring in over 30% of forecasts. This study introduces a novel methodology to identify “bimodal events,” meteorological events that trigger the development of spatially and temporally correlated bimodality in forecasts. Understanding such events not only provides insight into the dynamics of the meteorological phenomena causing bimodal events, but also indicates when Gaussian interpretations of forecasts are detrimental. The methodology that is developed allows one to systematically characterize the spatial and temporal scales of the derived bimodal events, and thus uncover the flow states that lead to them. Three distinct regions that exhibit high occurrence rates of bimodality are studied: one in South America, one in the Southern Ocean, and one in the North Atlantic. It is found that bimodal events in each region appear to be triggered by synoptic processes interacting with geographically specific processes: in South America, bimodality is often related to Andes blocking events; in the Southern Ocean, bimodality is often related to an atmospheric Rossby wave interacting with sea ice; and in the North Atlantic, bimodality is often connected to the displacement of a persistent subtropical high. This common pattern of large-scale circulation anomalies interacting with local boundary conditions suggests that any deeper dynamical understanding of these events should incorporate such interactions. Significance Statement Repeatedly running weather forecasts with slightly different initial conditions provides some information on the confidence of a forecast. Occasionally, these sets of forecasts spread into two distinct groups or modes, making the “typical” interpretation of confidence inappropriate. What leads to such a behavior has yet to be fully understood. This study contributes to our understanding of this process by presenting a methodology that identifies coherent bimodal events in forecasts of near-surface air temperature. Applying this methodology to a database of such forecasts reveals several key dynamical features that can lead to bimodal events. Exploring and understanding these features is crucial for saving forecasters’ resources, creating more skillful forecasts for the public, and improving our understanding of the weather.

Magnetic Reconnection in the Martian Magnetotail: Occurrence Rate and Impact on Ion Loss

AbstractThe current sheet is crucial in releasing magnetic free energy in cosmic plasmas via fast magnetic reconnection or wave excitation. This research investigates the characteristics of the Martian tail current sheet by analyzing data acquired from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft over 7 years. For the first time, we find that approximately 15% of the current sheet events display reconnection signatures, including Hall magnetic fields and fast proton flows. These reconnecting current sheets are detected more frequently on Mars than on Earth. The Martian tail current sheet is first demonstrated to be on the proton scale, which can explain the high reconnection occurrence rate. The research also reveals that the current sheets are thinner in regions closer to Mars and in the –E hemisphere. On average, reconnecting current sheets carry high fluxes of protons rather than oxygen ions.

Smartphone addiction and its relation to social phobia in female university students

BackgroundThe problematic smartphone use has emerged with negative mental health consequences. The current study aims to assess the rate of occurrence of smartphone addiction and the relationship between smartphone addiction and social phobia and its severity in a sample of female university students.ResultsOut of 540 female students, 28.7% have severe smartphone addiction with higher number in students of academic faculties; also, 71.86% of the whole sample have social phobia with 22.78%, 21.85%, 16.3%, and 10.93% reported mild, moderate, severe, and very severe social phobia scores respectively. The number of students reporting very severe social phobia in the academic group is higher than that in the practical group; also, the study shows a significant relation between smartphone addiction and social phobia.Conclusion and implicationsThere is a high rate of distribution of social phobia in young adult females, which is accompanied with increased in a high rate of occurrence of smartphone addiction; so, there is a need for raising the public awareness regarding hazards of problematic smartphone use in students and the importance of screening of different psychiatric disorders, as social phobia in such population.

Formation Mechanism and Control Technology of Transverse Corner Cracks During Slab Continuous Casting of Microalloyed Steels

Microalloyed steel with Nb, V, Ti, and other alloying elements is one of the important steel grades in the steel industry. During continuous casting process, high occurrence rate of transverse corner cracks in slabs restricts the quality and efficiency of the production of microalloyed steel grades, and it has not been effectively solved for a long time. Herein, the research progress on the formation mechanism, influential factors, and typical control technologies of transverse corner cracks during slab continuous casting are reviewed. Considering high‐temperature solidification process of microalloyed steel, the control of growth of microstructures and the precipitation behavior of carbonitrides in slab corners are supposed to be the key to avoid transverse corner cracks during slab continuous casting.

Statistical Properties of Alfvén Ion Cyclotron Waves and Kinetic Alfvén Waves in the Inner Heliosphere

Alfvén ion cyclotron waves (ACWs) and kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) are found to exist at <0.3 au observed by Parker Solar Probe in Alfvénic slow solar winds. To examine the statistical properties of the background parameters for ACWs and KAWs and related wave disturbances, both wave events observed by Parker Solar Probe are selected and analyzed. The results show that there are obvious differences in the background and disturbance parameters between ACWs and KAWs. ACW events have a relatively higher occurrence rate but with a total duration slightly shorter than KAW events. The median background magnetic field magnitude and the related background solar wind speed of KAW events are larger than those of ACWs. The distributions of the relative disturbances of the proton velocity, proton temperature, the proton number density, and β cover wider ranges for ACW events than for KAW events. The results may be important for the understanding of the nature and characteristics of Alfvénic slow solar wind fluctuations at ion scales near the Sun, and provide the information of the background field and plasma parameters and the wave disturbances of ACWs and KAWs for further relevant theoretical modeling or numerical simulations.