Strong Control Research Articles

Disinhibition of T Cell Activation Via CD5 Knockout Is a Universal Strategy to Enhance Adoptive T Cell Immunotherapies

Introduction: Adoptive cell therapies (ACT) are currently revolutionizing cancer treatment. In particular, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have demonstrated unprecedented responses against aggressive B cell malignancies with six FDA-approved products either targeting CD19 or BCMA. Other strategies for solid cancers such as T cell receptor (TCR)-redirected or tumor infiltrating T cells will soon become commercially available for melanoma and other cancers. However, despite this exciting new wave of ACT, the majority of patients will ultimately fail treatment, even in the most potent products such as CART19. One key mechanism of failure is the inability of adoptively transferred T cells to fully activate and function in the tumor bed. Thus, there is a dire need to develop effective strategies to enhance T cell activation to improve long-term responses in patients. Most of the current strategies are focused on reducing T cells' exhaustion, but another avenue is to study early T cell activation as a key step for long-term efficacy. We sought to define a broadly applicable strategy to disinhibit T cell activation by focusing on CD5, a transmembrane protein shown to negatively regulate T cell activation and proliferation through mediators such as SHP-1, CBL, and CBL-B ( Fig. 1A). We previously presented the preliminary preclinical results of CD5 knocked out (KO) anti-CD19 CAR T cells (CART19) ( Blood (2020) 136 (Supplement 1): 51-52.) and demonstrated how CD5 KO dramatically increased T cell proliferation and enhanced tumor control. Here, we translate this effect to enhance ACT in multiple models including CAR T and TCR-redirected cells. We also compared early disinhibition of T cell activation (CD5 KO) compares with the highly studied PD1 KO to assess the translational potential of this strategy. Methods and Results: We initially tested CD5 KO CAR T cells in a model of pancreatic ductal cancer adenocarcinoma (PDAC; AsPC1 cell line). We deleted CD5 in anti-mesothelin CART cells (CARTmeso) using a clinically relevant CAR construct (M5 clone) (NCT03054298). CD5 KO CARTmeso cells demonstrated enhanced tumor control (by both tumor volume and bioluminescence) and prolonged overall survival ( Fig. 1B). As observed in the CART19 model, CD5 KO T cells showed increased expansion and persistence. Furthermore, CD5 KO CARTmeso cells established prolonged immune memory, as long-term surviving mice cleared rechallenged tumors (day 74). To study the effects of CD5 KO in TCR-redirected cells, we generated TCR α constant (TRAC) KO T cells further transduced with TCR-GP100 lentivirus and compared these to cells with a double KO of both TRAC and CD5 using the GP100+ melanoma cell line DM6. TRAC CD5 KO TCR-GP100 cells showed significantly reduced GP100+ DM6 tumor growth in vitro when compared to TRAC KO TCR-GP100 cells using a live imaging system, suggesting that CD5 KO could enhance the efficacy of adoptive T cell therapies as a whole. Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD1:PDL1 axis are routinely used in the clinic. More recently, deletion of PD1 in adoptively transferred T cells has shown feasibility in the clinic and there are currently over 30 clinical trials testing PD1 KO or inhibition in CART therapy for cancer. We, therefore, aimed to compare this established strategy to reduce T cell exhaustion with the disinhibition of early CART activation with CD5 deletion. To this goal, we used a clinically relevant sgRNA to knock out PD1 from CART19 cells and compared this to Mock and CD5 KO CART19 cells against CD19+ Nalm6 B-ALL cells in vivo. In a challenge dose model, PD1 KO CART19 were unable to enhance CART efficacy, while CD5 KO CART19 cells maintained strong tumor control that correlated with increased overall survival. We further compared CD5 versus PD1 KO CARTmeso in an in vivo solid tumor model of mesothelin+ PDAC. CD5 KO CARTmeso cells demonstrated enhanced tumor control and stronger response rates as determined by tumor volume and bioluminescence imaging. This increased tumor control allowed for enhanced survival that is likely explained by the significantly increased T cell count in CD5 KO CARTmeso-treated mice. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study demonstrates that CD5 is a negative regulator and possible novel immune checkpoint for adoptive T cell immunotherapies. We show that CD5 deletion leads to the enhancement of ACT anti-tumor function in several clinically relevant models of liquid and solid tumors.

Fiscal policy and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Do governance indicators matter?

This study investigated the linkage between fiscal policy-governance indicators interaction and economic growth in 36 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries from the periods of 2011-2021 inclusive. The study employed two-step system Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) estimation technique due to its practical relevance in panel data analysis. The data obtained from World Bank and World governance indicator was checked for unit root through the help of Im Pesaran Shin and Levin-Lin-Chu unit-root tests, and the result revealed that data was stationary and safe for further analysis. The result of the study also presented that direct economic effect of fiscal policy is negative and significant in SSA countries. However, the interaction of fiscal policy with governance indicators has positive and significant effect on economic growth. Accordingly, before interacting with governance indicators, a percentage change in fiscal policy leads to a 0.20 percent decline in economic growth of SSA countries. Contrary to this, the interactive coefficient of fiscal policy and government effectiveness (0.019) and interactive coefficient of fiscal policy and corruption control (0.0046) are found to be positive and significant. Further, the finding of the study revealed that fiscal policy-voice and accountability interaction coefficient (0.011) and interactive coefficient of fiscal policy-regulatory qualities (0.014) are positively and significantly affecting economic growth of SSA countries. The policy implication is that policy makers in SSA countries should encourage economic policies that improve government effectiveness, strong corruption control, clean public services and better regulatory qualities.

Sunnier climes in the UK

AbstractEven in the United Kingdom, with its mid‐latitude oceanic climate, solar energy is of increasing importance for maintaining energy supplies and moving towards net zero. Quantification of the solar resource therefore is critical. Measurements of sunshine duration, which are strongly correlated with insolation, indicate a continuation of a brightening trend first identified for other locations 20 years ago. Although there is likely to be some control by atmospheric pollution, decreasing cloudiness may be the main determinant. Application of Jenkinson–Collison surface synoptic indices indicates a strong synoptic control on sunshine duration but does not account for the observed trend in sunshine. This suggests that further research is warranted on circulation‐related cloud attributes.

Contemporary community composition, spatial distribution patterns, and biodiversity characteristics of zooplankton in large alpine Lake Sevan, Armenia

We studied the quantitative composition, spatial distribution, and temporal dynamics of the zooplankton community of the alpine Lake Sevan, Armenia, the largest surface water in the Caucasus region. This article is providing a long-term information and fills the research gap of multiyear data on zooplankton, as the previous research on zooplankton provided only snapshots of the community, and a consistent assessment over multiple years was missing. However, an initial mini-review of historical studies indicated that zooplankton biomass and fish abundance were undergoing large fluctuations, indicating the importance of top-down control. We analysed 239 samples from the period 2016-2019 from 32 sampling sites in Lake Sevan and recorded 37 species of meso- and macrozooplankton (Rotifers, Copepods, Cladocera). Biomass fluctuations were high with peaking biomasses in 2016 and lowest biomasses in 2018, yearly averaged biomass varied about one order of magnitude. Variability over time was hence much higher than spatial variability. The pelagic habitat at the deepest part of the lake showed the highest diversity and biomasses but contrasts between sampling sites remained smaller than changes from year to year or seasonally. Many samples were dominated by a single species, and these key species explain observed biomass dynamics to a wide extent. We applied hierarchical clustering in order to identify phenological groups that appear to show similar patterns of occurrence. This clustering resulted in 6 groups where of 5 groups just consisting of one single species and these 5 key species were the Cladocerans Daphnia magna, Daphnia hyalina, Diaphanosoma sp. as well as the calanoids Arctodiaptomus bacillifer and Acanthodiaptomus denticornis. The most important species in Lake Sevan’s zooplankton during the observation period was D. magna, which reached high biomasses in 2016 and 2017 but then suddenly almost disappeared in 2018 and 2019. When there were more D. magna present, the water became clearer, which was measured using Secchi depth. This shows that these large water fleas effectively controlled the amount of phytoplankton in the water. Daphnia magna, in turn, managed to dominate zooplankton community only during times of extremely low fish biomass indicating strong top-down control of this large Cladoceran by fish. Both observations together imply a strong trophic linkage between fish, zooplankton, and phytoplankton and provide evidence for trophic cascades in Lake Sevan. Besides the novel insights into zooplankton community dynamics of this unique lake of high socio-economical, cultural, and ecological importance, our study also points to potential management opportunities for eutrophication control by biomanipulation, as well as our investigation allows us to conclude that probably biotic factors were more important than abiotic factors in explaining the observed changes and dynamics within the plankton community.

Porites' coral calcifying fluid chemistry regulation under normal- and low-pH seawater conditions in Palau Archipelago: Impacts on growth properties

Ongoing ocean acidification is known to be a major threat to tropical coral reefs. To date, only few studies have evaluated the impacts of natural long-term exposure to low-pH seawater on the chemical regulation and growth of reef-building corals. This work investigated the different responses of the massive Porites coral living at normal (pHsw ~ 8.03) and naturally low-pH (pHsw ~ 7.85) seawater conditions at Palau over the last decades. Our results show that both Porites colonies maintained similar carbonate properties (pHcf, [CO32−]cf, DICcf, and Ωcf) within their calcifying fluid since 1972. However, the Porites skeleton of the more acidified conditions revealed a significantly lower density (~ 1.21 ± 0.09 g·cm−3) than the skeleton from the open-ocean site (~ 1.41 ± 0.07 g·cm−3). Overall, both Porites colonies exerted a strong biological control to maintain stable calcifying fluid carbonate chemistry that favored the calcification process, especially under low-pH conditions. However, the decline in skeletal density observed at low pH provides critical insights into Porites vulnerability to future global change.

From winter to late summer in the northwestern Barents Sea shelf: Impacts of seasonal progression of sea ice and upper ocean on nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics

Strong seasonality is a key feature of high-latitude systems like the Barents Sea. While the interannual variability and long-term changes of the Barents Sea are well-documented, the seasonal progression of the physical and biological systems is less known, mainly due to poor accessibility of the seasonally ice-covered area in winter and spring. Here, we use an extensive set of physical and biological in situ observations from four scientific expeditions covering the seasonal progression from late winter to late summer 2021 in the northwestern Barents Sea, from fully ice-covered to ice-free conditions. We found that sea ice meltwater and the timing of ice-free conditions in summer shape the environment, controlling heat accumulation, light and nutrient availability, and biological activity vertically, seasonally, and meridionally. In March and May, the ocean north of the Polar Front was ice-covered and featured a deep mixed layer. Chlorophyll-a concentrations increased strongly from March to May along with greater euphotic depth, indicating the beginning of the spring bloom despite the absence of surface layer stratification. By July and in September, sea ice meltwater created a shallow low-density surface layer that strengthened stratification. In open water, chlorophyll-a maxima were found at the base of this layer as surface nutrients were depleted, while in the presence of ice, maxima were closer to the surface. Solar heating and the thickness of the surface layer increased with the number of ice-free days. The summer data showed a prime example of an Arctic-like space-for-time seasonal variability in the key physical and biological patterns, with the summer situation progressing northwards following sea ice retreat. The amount of sea ice melt (local or imported) has a strong control on the conditions in the northwestern Barents Sea, and the conditions in late 2021 resembled pre-2010 Arctic-like conditions with high freshwater content and lower ocean heat content.

Research Status of High-speed Permanent Magnet Motor Control System

In this paper, for the topology optimization design problem of low rotating iron consumption and high rotor strength high-speed permanent magnet motor and the high dynamic, high force-to-energy ratio and strong robust control problem of high-speed permanent magnet motor, we briefly introduce the research status of scholars at home and abroad on the two problems in order to realize the high-speed permanent magnet motor with low rotating iron consumption, high rotor strength, and fast dynamic response and to provide the basic conditions for further research.

Non-Profit Organizations’ Online Engagement and the Limits of Charity Rhetoric: The Case of the United Arab Emirates

ABSTRACT This paper examines the use of social media, particularly Facebook, for public engagement purposes by nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the United Arab Emirates. It draws on an interpretation of engagement as a multidimensional process with cognitive and affective characteristics where power relations between an organization and its public should be addressed. This paper combines content analysis with social semiotics to examine the multimodal production and enactment of engagement as a relational process at the level of the verbal, visual, and paratext modes. The study reveals that the use of Facebook by NPOs is marked by a strong control over discourse and low affective involvement, where fundraising becomes the primary function of the platforms. This demonstrates that the philanthropic identity and mission of most NPOs obscure the relationship management objective of these organizations and undermine their ability to effectively engage stakeholders on social media.

Internal wave activity in the deep Gulf of Mexico

Internal wave activity in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is investigated using a fleet of profiling floats. The floats continuously measured temperature and salinity as they drifted at a parking depth of 1500 dbar, allowing for the reconstruction of 2615 time series of isopycnal displacements. Thanks to the dense sampling of the eastern part of the GoM (east of 90°W), the geographical distribution of the internal waves displacement variance and available potential energy (APE) is revealed. The Loop Current (LC) influence region, between the Yucatan shelf to the west and the southern West Florida shelf to the east exhibits increased displacement variance and APE both in the continuum and near-inertial bands, while the north-eastern and central GoM show reduced internal wave activity. As the LC position fluctuates between a retracted and extended mode, we assessed the impact of the presence or absence of the LC in the increased internal wave activity region. It is shown that in the LC influence region, APE is increased (decreased) when the LC is present (absent), suggesting a strong control of the LC on deep internal waves activity. The 1500 dbar flow velocity, bottom roughness, and float altitude also seem to contribute to increased internal waves APE, but their influence is more subtle. Oppositely, no correlation with wind speed or wind intermittency is found.

Combating economic cybercrime using artificial intelligence (AI)

Combating economic cybercrime using AI can be a new powerful approach. AI technologies have the potential to detect and respond to cyber threats in real-time, identify patterns and anomalies in large data sets, and automate various security processes. The basic ways of using artificial intelligence to combat economic cybercrime are Threat Detection, Behavioral Analysis, Fraud Prevention, Phishing and Malware Detection, Vulnerability Management, Incident Response and Threat Hunting, Predictive Analytics or Security Automation. However, it should be noted that while AI can significantly improve cybersecurity operations, it is not a standalone solution. It should be used in conjunction with other security measures such as regular software updates, employee training, and strong access controls to create a robust defense against economic cybercrime

IMMU-41. IMMUNOLOGICAL TARGETING OF SLOW-CYCLING CELLS TO PREVENT RECURRENCE IN GBM

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignancy of the central nervous system (CNS) and is typically fatal due to recurrence despite aggressive treatment. Targeting residual cells after surgical tumor removal is challenging due to the infiltrative nature of GBM. It is crucial to develop effective adjuvant therapies that can combat the drivers of disease recurrence. Traditional anticancer treatments tend to eliminate rapidly dividing cells while sparing dormant or infrequently dividing populations. Numerous studies have identified slow-cycling cells (SCCs) in various cancers, including high-grade glioma, which are resistant to therapies. Our laboratory has discovered SCCs in high-grade glioma, which are highly infiltrative and treatment-resistant cells responsible for driving recurrence. It is imperative to develop an effective strategy to specifically eliminate this cell population in order to reduce recurrence and improve survival rates. Importantly, these cells have a defined cellular niche that contains potentially immunogenic neoantigens, making them suitable targets for immune-based therapies. Our primary objective is to utilize SCC antigens in the form of RNA or peptides to stimulate the immune system and enable it to identify and target treatment-resistant clones. By focusing on these crucial drivers of recurrence, our aim is to achieve strong and effective tumor control. Our research findings indicate that our approach effectively primes T cells to identify and target treatment-resistant cells in glioma. Our results demonstrated that T cells specific to slow-cycling cells (SCC-T cells) showed greater activation when exposed to treatment-resistant tumor cells, as evidenced by increased differentiation of CD8 cells and enhanced development of effector and memory cells. Furthermore, SCC-T cells exhibited the highest level of anti-tumor activity, resulting in a significant reduction in tumor cell proliferation and an increase in apoptosis. Taken together, these results highlight the effectiveness and superiority of our SCC-based immunotherapy platform in targeting treatment-resistant glioblastoma cells.

RADT-43. LONG TERM OUTCOMES OF PEDIATRIC AND ADULT CENTRAL NEUROCYTOMA—THE ROLE OF SALVAGE RADIOTHERAPY AND CONSERVATIVE MANAGEMENT

Abstract INTRODUCTION Central Neurocytoma (CN) is a rare, WHO grade 2 brain tumor that predominantly affects young adults. Gross total resection (GTR) is often curative for CN, but the optimal treatment paradigm following subtotal resection (STR) and or scarcer pediatric cases has yet to be established—including the role of radiation therapy (RT). Herein, we reviewed the long-term outcomes of CN patients at our institution. METHODS Patients between the years 2001 and 2021 with a pathologic diagnosis of CN were reviewed. Demographic, treatment, and tumor characteristics (histopathological and molecular) were recorded. Recurrence free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated according to the Kaplan Meier-method. Post-RT tumor volumetric regression analysis was performed. RESULTS Seventeen adults (≥ 18 years old) and 5 children (< 18 years old) met the criteria for data analysis (n = 22). With a median follow-up of 6.9 years (range: 1.2-42.8 years), there was zero tumor-related mortality. Patients who received STR and/or had atypical tumors (criteria = Ki-67 >4%) experienced decreased RFS compared to those who received GTR and/or were without atypical tumors. RFS at 5 years was 67% for typical CNs and 22% for atypical CNs. Every pediatric tumor was atypical and 3/5 recurred within 5 years. Salvage RT following tumor recurrence led to 100% tumor control, with no further recurrences (median post-RT follow-up = 5.79 years); volumetric analysis for 3 recurrent tumors (8.59 cumulative years of serial scans) revealed an ~80% reduction in tumor (range: 76.3%-81.1%), at a mean rate of 2.49% per month. CONCLUSION We provide encouraging evidence that (1) CNs have limited long-term risk of tumor-related mortality and (2) RT after tumor recurrence conveys strong long-term tumor control, including for potentially more aggressive pediatric CNs. Our institutional experience supports the conservative management of CN, including withholding RT until signs of recurrence regardless of resection extent or Ki-67.

Influence of Birth Characteristics and Feeding Practices on Eruption of Primary Teeth in Children: A Preliminary Cross-sectional Observational Study.

The eruption process is under strong genetic control, external environmental factors also significantly contribute to this process. Therefore the present study was undertaken to identify the influence of birth characteristics and feeding practices on the eruption of the first primary tooth among healthy children in Pune, Maharashtra, India. The study was undertaken among 200 children aged 3-24 months. Children with any underlying conditions, those not accompanied by their mother and with neonatal teeth/natal teeth were excluded. The birth weight, gestational age, and type of delivery were obtained from medical records of the child. Data on feeding practices and the age of eruption of the first primary tooth was recorded after a structured interview of the mother followed by oral examination of the child. Gestational age was categorized into >37 weeks and <37 weeks, birth weight was divided into three groups-<1500, 1500-2500, and >2500 gm and four groups according to feeding practice during the first 6 months of life (exclusively breastfed, exclusively bottle fed, combination of breastfeeding and bottle feeding, and spoon-feeding). The mean age of eruption in the study population was 9.17 months. A9.05 months in males and 9.44 in females. A statistically significant correlation was noted with gestational age, birth weight, and feeding practices. Infants with a gestational age of >37 weeks, higher birth weight and those who were exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months had an earlier eruption of first primary teeth. External factors seem to influence the eruption of the primary tooth. More longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes and matching confounders are needed to clearly understand the factors affecting the primary tooth eruption. Shetty SS, Mathur A, Gopalakrishnan D, et al. Influence of Birth Characteristics and Feeding Practices on Eruption of Primary Teeth in Children: A Preliminary Cross-sectional Observational Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(5):724-727.

The Use of Management Control System in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy Implementation and CSR Activities on Sustainability Reporting

Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of the relationship between CSR activities and the strategies employed to ensure their proper management in line with company objectives. Global surveys consistently rank the mining, gas and other sectors at the bottom of all sectors in terms of social and environmental performance. Therefore, companies in these sectors have no choice but to change their approach through a comprehensive understanding of their business impacts.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methodology: The method used in this study is purposive sampling, where the sample criteria include companies featured in sustainability reports, as well as companies that have incurred environmental costs in the form of environmental development program costs.&#x0D; &#x0D; Result and Conclusion: The study found that the strength of a company's management control system (MCS) plays a significant role in moderating the relationship between CSR activities and sustainable reporting. When the t-value is greater than 2.055 and the significance level (sig) is less than 0.05, the MCS variable acts as a moderator, indicating that a strong control system reinforces the relationship between CSR activities and sustainable reporting. Conversely, when the MCS is weak, the relationship between CSR strategy and sustainability reporting is also weakened.

Design and Construction Technology of Prefabricated Reinforced Concrete Slab Culverts

Compared with traditional cast-in-situ concrete slab culverts, prefabricated reinforced concrete slab culverts can be produced more quickly and has strong quality controllability, strong earthquake resistance, and repeatability. They will be the primary production method of slab culverts in the future. This article offers a comprehensive review of the design and construction technology associated with prefabricated reinforced concrete slab culverts. The objective is to provide a valuable reference for related enterprises, enhance the quality of design and construction in precast pile configuration, and, in turn, contribute to the advancement of construction projects within our country.

Interannual precipitation controls on soil CO2 fluxes in high elevation conifer and aspen forests

Long-term soil CO2 emission measurements are necessary for detecting trends and interannual variability in the terrestrial carbon cycle. Such records are becoming increasingly valuable as ecosystems experience altered environmental conditions associated with climate change. From 2013 to 2021, we continuously measured soil CO2 concentrations in the two dominant high elevation forest types, mixed conifer and aspen, in the upper Colorado River basin. We quantified the soil CO2 flux during the summer months, and found that the mean and total CO2 flux in both forests was related to the prior winter’s snowfall and current summer’s rainfall, with greater sensitivity to rainfall. We observed a decline in surface soil CO2 production, which we attributed to warming and a decrease in amount and frequency of summer rains. Our results demonstrate strong precipitation control on the soil CO2 flux in mountainous regions, a finding which has important implications for carbon cycling under future environmental change.

Iodine-to-calcium ratios in deep-sea scleractinian and bamboo corals

The distribution of dissolved iodine in seawater is sensitive to multiple biogeochemical cycles, including those of nitrogen and oxygen. The iodine-to-calcium ratio (I/Ca) of marine carbonates, such as bulk carbonate or foraminifera, has emerged as a potential proxy for changes in past seawater oxygenation. However, the utility of the I/Ca proxy in deep-sea corals, natural archives of seawater chemistry with wide spatial coverage and radiometric dating potential, remains unexplored. Here, we present the first I/Ca data obtained from modern deep-sea corals, specifically scleractinian and bamboo corals, collected from the Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, and Southern Oceans, encompassing a wide range of seawater oxygen concentrations (10–280 μmol/kg). In contrast to thermodynamic predictions, we observe higher I/Ca ratios in aragonitic corals (scleractinian) compared to calcitic corals (bamboo). This observation suggests a strong biological control during iodate incorporation into deep-sea coral skeletons. For the majority of scleractinian corals, I/Ca exhibits a covariation with local seawater iodate concentrations, which is closely related to seawater oxygen content. Scleractinian corals also exhibit notably lower I/Ca below a seawater oxygen threshold of approximately 160 μmol/kg. In contrast, no significant differences in I/Ca are found among bamboo corals across the range of oxygen concentrations encountered (15–240 μmol/kg). In the North Atlantic, several hydrographic factors, such as temperature and/or salinity, may additionally affect coral I/Ca. Our results highlight the potential of I/Ca ratios in deep-sea scleractinian corals to serve as an indicator of past seawater iodate concentrations, providing valuable insights into historical seawater oxygen levels.

Structural analysis of the central Tunisian Atlas: Implications for salt-related structures and conjugate strike-slip faults

This scientific study aims to investigate the geological characteristics and tectonic processes of the central Tunisian Atlas region, focusing on the influence of tectonic events related to the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Tethyan rifting and the subsequent Cenozoic tectonic inversion and uplift. In particular, this research emphasizes the strong control of tectono-sedimentary events on the geology of the central Tunisian Atlas, with specific attention given to the understudied isolated salt-related structures. To gain insights into the relationship between deep-seated faults, salt tectonism, and the conjugate strikes-slip faults, this study is based on subsurface data, including 2D seismic reflection and gravity data. The analysis investigates, the location of salt extrusions in relation to fault intersections. Results derived from subsurface data indicate that diapiric intrusions primarily occur at the junctions of major fault systems likely inherited from the Triassic-Jurassic Tethyan period. Notably, salt migration was remarkably active during the early Cretaceous, as evidenced by halotectonic sequences and salt-related mini-basins. Furthermore, fault blocks display sedimentary infill above tilted blocks, where salt structures appear to occur at their peripheries. During the subsequent tertiary compressions, the structural configurations of the basin (i.e., Z-shape basin) promote the strike-slip movement along pre-existing faults. This new structural interpretation suggests a closely relationship between fault zones inherited from the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Tethyan Opening and isolated salt-related structures. The subsequent Cenozoic shortening events, including the Atlassic and Alpine events, have led to uplift of the deep-seated faults, facilitating the ascension and deformation of Triassic evaporitic sediments within subcircular isolated structures. Field observations and seismic sections indicate the presence of sedimentary gaps resulting from these processes. The findings of this study contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the deep tectonic framework and shallow salt-related structures in the central Tunisian Atlas.

Exploring the Cloud: Vulnerabilities and Cybersecurity Challenges

Defending cloud platforms against cyberattacks is a critical aspect of modern cybersecurity. With the widespread adoption of cloud computing, organizations face new challenges in protecting their data and infrastructure from evolving threats. This article provides an overview of the strategies and techniques used to defend cloud platforms against cyberattacks. The article begins by highlighting the increasing reliance on cloud platforms and the potential risks associated with their use. It emphasizes the importance of robust security measures to protect sensitive data, applications, and resources stored in the cloud. The article then introduces the key techniques for defending cloud platforms, including strong access controls, encryption, secure configurations, regular patching, network segmentation, and logging and monitoring. The article further explores the significance of proactive monitoring and incident response planning in identifying and mitigating potential security incidents. It emphasizes the role of collaboration between organizations, government agencies, and cloud service providers in developing comprehensive defense strategies. The article also mentions the need for continuous training and skills development to stay ahead of emerging threats and effectively defend against cyberattacks. The article concludes by emphasizing the relevance of the topic in today's digital landscape, where cloud platforms play a pivotal role in driving innovation and enabling digital transformation. It underscores the necessity for organizations to adopt a multi-layered defense approach and stay updated with the latest security practices to protect their cloud environments from cyber threats.

Incorporating physically-based water temperature predictions into the National water model framework

While river water temperatures are a strong control on instream processes and aquatic ecosystems, monitoring networks for river water temperatures are often sparse. Despite recent advancements in water temperature modeling strategies, current models struggle to provide real-time and reach-specific predictions across broad spatial domains. We developed a physically-based water temperature model coupled to the National Water Model (NWM) to assess the potential for water temperature prediction to be incorporated into the NWM at the continental scale. Using model forcings and outputs from the NWM v2.1 retrospective, we evaluated the ability of four model configurations of increasing complexity to simulate hourly water temperatures in the forested headwaters of H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon, USA during a six-week summer period. Our modeling framework, representing a first effort at pairing water temperature simulation with predictions from the NWM, suggests that the NWM can be leveraged to give insight into other water quality variables.