Tracking Data Research Articles

Motion analysis comparing surface imaging and diaphragm tracking on kV projections for deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH)

BackgroundSurface-guided imaging (SGI) is increasingly utilized to monitor patient motion during deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) in radiotherapy. Understanding the association between surface and internal motion is crucial for effective monitoring. PurposeTo investigate the relation between motion detected by SGI using surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) and internal motion measured through diaphragm tracking on kV projections acquired with DIBH for online CBCT. MethodsBoth SGI and kV were simultaneously acquired for ten patients over a total of 200 breath holds (BH). Diaphragm tracking was performed using second-degree polynomial curve fitting on the derivative images for each kV projection and high-pass filtering at 1/30 Hz to remove rotational effects. The superior-inferior (SI) and anterior-posterior (AP) motions of SGI were then compared to kV tracking using various statistical measures. ResultsThe correlation (individuals’ median: −0.07 to 0.73) was a suboptimal metric for the BH data. The median and 95th percentile absolute differences between SGI-SI and kV were 0.73 mm and 3.46 mm, respectively, during DIBH. For SGI-AP, the corresponding values were 0.55 mm and 2.80 mm. For inter-BH measurements, the contingency table based on a 3 mm threshold indicated surface/diaphragm motion agreement for SGI-SI/kV and SGI-AP/kV was 61 % and 56 %, respectively. ConclusionBoth intra- and inter-BH measurements indicated a limited association between surface and diaphragm motion, with certain constraints noted due to kV tracking and DIBH data. These findings warrant further investigation into the association between surface and internal motion.

Assessing bias in personal exposure estimates when indoor air quality is ignored: A comparison between GPS-enabled mobile air sensor data and stationary outdoor sensor data

Neglecting indoor air quality in exposure assessments may lead to biased exposure estimates and erroneous conclusions about the health impacts of exposure and environmental health disparities. This study assessed these biases by comparing two types of personal exposure estimates for 100 individuals: one derived from real-time particulate matter (PM2.5) measurements collected both indoors and outdoors using a low-cost portable air monitor (GeoAir2.0) and the other from PurpleAir sensor network data collected exclusively outdoors. The PurpleAir measurement data were used to create smooth air pollution surfaces using geostatistical methods. To obtain mobility-based exposure estimates, both sets of air pollution data were combined with the individuals' GPS tracking data. Paired-sample t-tests were then performed to examine the differences between these two estimates. This study also investigated whether GeoAir2.0- and PurpleAir-based estimates yielded consistent conclusions about gender and economic disparities in exposure by performing Welch's t-tests and ANOVAs and comparing their t-values and F-values. The study revealed significant discrepancies between GeoAir2.0- and PurpleAir-based estimates, with PurpleAir data consistently overestimating exposure (t = 5.94; p < 0.001). It also found that females displayed a higher average exposure than males (15.65 versus. 8.55 μg/m3) according to GeoAir2.0 data (t = 4.654; p = 0.055), potentially due to greater time spent indoors engaging in pollution-generating activities traditionally associated with females, such as cooking. This contrasted with the PurpleAir data, which indicated higher exposure for males (43.78 versus. 46.26 μg/m3) (t = 3.793; p = 0.821). Additionally, GeoAir2.0 data revealed significant economic disparities (F = 7.512; p < 0.002), with lower-income groups experiencing higher exposure—a disparity not captured by PurpleAir data (F = 0.756; p < 0.474). These findings highlight the importance of considering both indoor and outdoor air quality to reduce bias in exposure estimates and more accurately represent environmental disparities.

Towards environmentally sustainable healthcare: using quality improvement to deliver a net zero NHS

The healthcare industry is a major contributor to climate change globally. There is growing interest in using quality improvement methods to improve the sustainability of healthcare. East London NHS Foundation Trust uses quality improvement as its approach to solving complex problems. This article uses a case study methodology to describe how the trust's programme of sustainability used quality improvement at both systemic and local levels to support the organisation to reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2025 and indirect emissions by 40% by 2036. Using quality improvement in a structured way enabled staff and service users to consider their contribution to sustainability and develop, test and measure ideas that were within their control. This led to an organisational reduction in gas emissions of 37% and CO2 emissions by 14% in winter months. At a local level, three case studies showcase the accomplishments of teams who successfully reduced medication waste by 66.2kg CO2e per year, reduced spending on single-use plastics by 54% and lowered CO2 emissions by 10798kg per year through the return of walking aids. Supporting structures for the programme included active and visible participation from senior stakeholders, with service users and carers involved at both strategic and operational levels, and tracking data over time. Future work should focus on creating a change package of ideas to serve as a blueprint to scale up these initiatives across the organisation.

The influence of biophysical characteristics on elephant space use in an African savanna

Understanding the influence of biophysical variables on spatial distribution and seasonal locations of elephants is valuable inter alia in understanding their movement patterns, and the carrying capacity to optimise the conservation of their habitats. Furthermore, understanding elephant distribution in time and space is beneficial for predicting locations for tourist viewing and determining potential areas of human–wildlife conflicts. In this study, we examined the environmental drivers of seasonal variations in elephant ranges and movement using telemetry data. Using the elephant tracking data and biophysical characteristics, the Adaptive-Local Convex Hull (a-LoCoH) and the Maximum Entropy Modelling (MaxEnt) algorithm were adopted to determine their potential locations and distribution in a protected area. The jackknife approach was used to assess the environmental factors influencing seasonal elephant movements based on collar data from ten individual elephants tracked between December 2015 and April 2018. The performance of the elephant distribution models for the two seasons was assessed using the area under the curve from the receiver operating characteristic based on a 30% test holdout data. Results showed that the core a-LoCoH home of elephants was larger in the dry than wet season (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; W = 3, Z = 2.4973, p < 0.012). However, no noticeable differences were observed (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; W = 10, Z = 1.7838, p < 0.07) between the dry and wet season for the total (90%) a-LoCoH ranges. The MaxEnt modelling results showed that distance to the artificial water holes was the most influential variable in predicting the potential elephant spatial distribution in both wet and dry seasons, while the normalised difference vegetation index, a proxy for forage availability, was more influential in the dry season in predicting elephant distribution. The study concludes that seasonal elephant space use is mostly influenced by water availability in both seasons, while forage availability and variability influence elephant distribution more strongly in the dry than wet season. The study provides valuable insight into the biophysical characteristics of elephant home ranges. This is useful for the sustainable management of elephants and their habitats.

An application of clustering to classify movement patterns in men’s professional grand slam hard court tennis

ABSTRACT The movement cycles from Australian Open player tracking data were analysed using the Lloyd k-means clustering algorithm to classify movement patterns that exist in men’s grand-slam tennis. The elbow criterion method identified six movement patterns, and the k-means model allocated each movement cycle into one of these discrete groups. A description of each movement pattern is presented, outlining three inner range and three end range movement patterns, which are distinguishable by distance, direction, time pressure, and starting location. These findings provide objective details for coaches and athletes to understand tennis movement, overcoming vague descriptions of the inner range and end range in tennis vernacular. The amalgam of distance, direction, and time pressure demands that categorise the six movement patterns can enhance the specificity of training drill design and movement evaluation. Furthermore, evaluating the movement patterns a player typically elicits during match-play can inform typical load exposure and be useful in load monitoring practices. Additionally, understanding the prevalence of movement patterns in a typical match may help understand the strategic approaches players use during match-play.

From spatial prioritization to conservation management in the Southern Ocean using the marine IBAs approach

Implementing effective conservation action requires spatial prioritization exercises to be functionally integrated with a process for developing an implementation strategy. There is great potential for animal tracking data to inform marine management in the Southern Ocean. Using information on penguin distribution, a set of marine Important Bird Areas (mIBAs) has recently been identified around Antarctica. Large-scale spatial analyses like this are key to guide resources and the attention of decision-makers towards areas of significant value. Yet, protecting marine resources requires translating prioritization exercises into legally-binding conservation measures. Here we use one of the largest gentoo colonies in Antarctica as a case study to explore pathways for the utilization of the mIBAs approach in the design and implementation of conservation measures in the Southern Ocean. For scientists and organizations willing to have a policy impact, there are two main routes to contribute to Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) decision-making: through Parties' National Delegations, or through Experts and Observers. We provide three main recommendations for incorporating the results of spatial prioritization analyses into the agenda of ATS governance bodies using the mIBAs approach: 1. Differentiate the potential contribution of mIBAs to spatial prioritization from the potential contribution to conservation planning, two different stages in the conservation process; 2. Use methods, criteria and data for delineating boundaries of potential conservation areas according to the stage of the conservation process that the outputs are expected to contribute to; 3. Understand how Antarctic mIBAs might fit into the ATS conservation measures framework and ongoing deliberations.

The effect of soil parameters and earthworm abundance on the fine-scale nocturnal habitat use of the Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola).

The Eurasian woodcock prefers habitats where its main prey, earthworms, can be found in higher densities. Although they are forest-dwelling birds, they regularly visit pastures and natural grasslands at night, where earthworm abundance is generally higher. However, there is little information on fine-scale habitat use in relation to variation in habitat characteristics and prey availability, particularly beyond the breeding season. In our study, we investigated if the nocturnal occurrence of woodcocks during migratory stopover periods differed between two neighbouring fields, or management units, with similar vegetation structure, and if within-field variation in the spatial patterns of woodcock sightings were associated with fine-scale earthworm densities and soil parameters. Specifically, we used GPS tracking data of two tagged woodcocks and direct observation data to study patterns of occurrence of birds in a mixed forest-pasture landscape in Hungary during pre- and post-breeding periods. We compared these patterns with fine-scale soil characteristics and earthworm abundance, acquired by field sampling. We found that the field with higher earthworm abundance was visited by woodcocks more frequently, and this correlation was similarly observed at the intra-field level. Our results demonstrate that woodcocks select foraging sites with higher earthworm densities at multiple spatial scales, both between fields (coarse scale), and within fields (fine-scale). Considering that woodcocks tended to return to the same field to forage at night, the strong associations between occupancy and resources provide a basis for developing habitat management strategies at the field level for conservation. As earthworm densities and soil parameters are good indicators of woodcock foraging habitat, measuring those variables, at least at a coarse scale, could aid in predicting important habitats for the species across the landscape.

RANCANG BANGUN SISTEM INFORMASI PENGOLAHAN DATA CUSTOMER DIGITAL MARKETING PADA MB STORE

The purpose of this research is to design and build a data processing information system at the MB Store which is engaged in digital marketing services. The current problems Processing customer data while still using static data so that it still makes it difficult for admins to find and collect customer data information both those that are being processed, currently running and also those who have ordered before. This static data collection also often causes confusion or misunderstanding between customers and service officers in controlling different customer needs, besides that it also often causes confusion between one customer order package and another, who have and have not paid. , still in the process of ordering as well as the customer data information itself. This is caused because the data is entered separately in each document in Microsoft Excel so that the checking process must be carried out manually. So that this also causes the admin officer to have difficulties in re-data, tracking and matching customer data that has been stored. To overcome the problems that occur, research is carried out which aims to provide solutions to the Miss Bolin Store (MB Store), namely by building a Customer Data Processing Information System using Microsoft Visual Studio and MySQL. The model used in the development of this research uses the Waterfall Model with 5 stages, namely software requirements analysis, design, program code generation, testing and maintenance. Collecting data using interview techniques, observation and literature study. This information system is expected to make it easier for admins to find data, collect customer information, help the service process to customers be faster and can reduce the occurrence of mistakes or misunderstandings in the customer order data itself.

Light-averse behaviour of attic-dwelling bats when commuting through urban areas

Light pollution is spreading around the world, causing a variety of problems, particularly for nocturnal animals such as bats. As urban areas expand, attic-dwelling bats face the problem of being exposed to more and more artificial light as they move to their dark foraging areas. Avoiding street lights could force bats to make energetically costly detours, which could eventually lead to the collapse of urban colonies. We therefore investigated the response of attic-dwelling bats to street lighting, using the brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) as an example. Using radio-tracking, we followed 17 bats during their commutes through two urban areas: a small town and a village in rural Germany. After a conservative filtering process to ensure a high spatial accuracy of the tracking data, we analysed the data of nine bats in detail, using a use-versus-availability approach for the small town and a descriptive approach for the smaller dataset obtained from the village. The best-fitting model confirmed that the bats responded to artificial light at night. Close to the roost (∼10 m), bats preferred areas with low light intensities, but seemed to tolerate some light levels. We speculate that this pattern was caused by bats being forced to leave the roost into an illuminated area. At medium distances from roosts (∼400 m), most bats avoided street lights. In fact, all bats avoided being in close proximity to street lights, even when the lanterns produced only low levels of light. We conclude that brown long-eared bats avoid street lights when moving through urban areas. We recommend the establishment of dark corridors in urban areas to support high bat diversity, including all species along the continuum of light-opportunistic and light-sensitive species.

Methods to Track Effective Doses from Airborne Radioactive Emissions for Compliance with 40 CFR 61, SUBPART H.

US Department of Energy national laboratories can play an integral role in not only the advancement of science but also in the treatment of various medical conditions through research and development activities conducted at radioisotope production facilities. A project has been underway at Oak Ridge National Laboratory since 2016 whose mission is to produce and supply the radioisotope 227Ac, which is used in a radiopharmaceutical developed to treat certain types of prostate cancer and bone metastases. Production activities result in the environmental release of airborne radioactive emissions, which are governed by Clean Air Act regulations described in 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart H. Stack 3039, the source that emits radioactive effluents from 227Ac production, is subject to additional requirements outlined in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N13.1-1969 due to its grandfathered status. Radioactive emissions are limited to levels below those that would cause annual compliance dose standards for members of the public to be exceeded and stack 3039 to lose its grandfathered status. To allow for maximum production of 227Ac without exceeding relevant dose limits, monthly tracking of project emissions and resulting CAP88-PC modeled effective doses to a maximally exposed individual have been implemented. Four years of tracking data were compiled and analyzed to identify additional methods that could be used to estimate project doses more frequently, potentially further optimizing 227Ac production while maintaining compliance with applicable regulations.

Unraveling the tectonic evolution of the Andean hinterland (Argentina and Chile, 30°S) using multi-sample thermal history models

The Andean hinterland of Chile and Argentina defines a region of voluminous magmatism, polyphase deformation, and high topography above a long-lived subduction zone. Construction of this high-elevation domain has been variably attributed to isostatic uplift during crustal thickening induced by internal hinterland shortening, underthrusting during growth of the external thrust belt, or lower crustal flow. Alternatively, uplift may be related to dynamic processes associated with lithospheric foundering or flat-slab subduction. This study integrates geo/thermochronological, structural, magmatic, and sedimentological datasets to reconstruct hinterland evolution and evaluate potential drivers of exhumation. Our thermal history modeling approach implements a new time-depth extension to HeFTy 2 software, which enables simultaneous inversion of multiple samples along a structural or topographic profile. This extension addresses transient effects such as isotherm deflection and the transition from geothermal to atmospheric gradients and permits changes in the relative position among samples (folding, tilting) within user-defined constraints. Single- and multi-sample modeling results based on published apatite (U-Th)/He and fission track data (AHe, AFT) along the western Andean hinterland confirm late Eocene (∼30–40 Ma) cooling below at least ∼120°C, whereas thermal histories derived from new AHe, AFT, and zircon He analyses from the eastern hinterland resolve Mesozoic cooling below ∼80–160°C, followed by protracted residence at ∼60–80°C and rapid exhumational cooling in the early Miocene. Multi-sample models further require ∼10° eastward tilting of eastern sample locations, compatible with hinterland uplift via underthrusting and development of a crustal-scale fault-bend fold that was geometrically and kinematically linked to shortening in the external (eastern) thrust belt. Results underscore the enhanced resolution of multi-sample thermal history models in testing structural hypotheses and deciphering the timing, magnitude, and mechanisms of exhumational cooling during changing geodynamic conditions.

Pregnancy episodes in All of Us: harnessing multi-source data for pregnancy-related research.

The National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program addresses gaps in biomedical research by collecting health data from diverse populations. Pregnant individuals have historically been underrepresented in biomedical research, and pregnancy-related research is often limited by data availability, sample size, and inadequate representation of the diversity of pregnant people. All of Us integrates a wealth of health-related data, providing a unique opportunity to conduct comprehensive pregnancy-related research. We aimed to identify pregnancy episodes with high-quality electronic health record (EHR) data in All of Us Research Program data and evaluate the program's utility for pregnancy-related research. We used a previously published algorithm to identify pregnancy episodes in All of Us EHR data. We described these pregnancies, validated them with All of Us survey data, and compared them to national statistics. Our study identified 18970 pregnancy episodes from 14234 participants; other possible pregnancy episodes had low-quality or insufficient data. Validation against people who reported a current pregnancy on an All of Us survey found low false positive and negative rates. Demographics were similar in some respects to national data; however, Asian-Americans were underrepresented, and older, highly educated pregnant people were overrepresented. Our approach demonstrates the capacity of All of Us to support pregnancy research and reveals the diversity of the pregnancy cohort. However, we noted an underrepresentation among some demographics. Other limitations include measurement error in gestational age and limited data on non-live births. The wide variety of data in the All of Us program, encompassing EHR, survey, genomic, and fitness tracker data, offers a valuable resource for studying pregnancy, yet care must be taken to avoid biases.

Winter Tracking Data Suggest that Migratory Seabirds Transport Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to Their Arctic Nesting Site.

Seabirds are often considered sentinel species of marine ecosystems, and their blood and eggs utilized to monitor local environmental contaminations. Most seabirds breeding in the Arctic are migratory and thus are exposed to geographically distinct sources of contamination throughout the year, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Despite the abundance and high toxicity of PFAS, little is known about whether blood concentrations at breeding sites reliably reflect local contamination or exposure in distant wintering areas. We tested this by combining movement tracking data and PFAS analysis (nine compounds) from the blood of prelaying black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) nesting in Arctic Norway (Svalbard). PFAS burden before egg laying varied with the latitude of the wintering area and was negatively associated with time upon return of individuals at the Arctic nesting site. Kittiwakes (n = 64) wintering farther south carried lighter burdens of shorter-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs, C9-C12) and heavier burdens of longer chain PFCAs (C13-C14) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid compared to those wintering farther north. Thus, blood concentrations prior to egg laying still reflected the uptake during the previous wintering stage, suggesting that migratory seabirds can act as biovectors of PFAS to Arctic nesting sites.

Effective mechanical potential of cell-cell interaction in tissues harboring cavity and in cell sheet toward morphogenesis.

Measuring mechanical forces of cell-cell interactions is important for studying morphogenesis in multicellular organisms. We previously reported an image-based statistical method for inferring effective mechanical potentials of pairwise cell-cell interactions by fitting cell tracking data with a theoretical model. However, whether this method is applicable to tissues with non-cellular components such as cavities remains elusive. Here we evaluated the applicability of the method to cavity-harboring tissues. Using synthetic data generated by simulations, we found that the effect of expanding cavities was added to the pregiven potentials used in the simulations, resulting in the inferred effective potentials having an additional repulsive component derived from the expanding cavities. Interestingly, simulations by using the effective potentials reproduced the cavity-harboring structures. Then, we applied our method to the mouse blastocysts, and found that the inferred effective potentials can reproduce the cavity-harboring structures. Pairwise potentials with additional repulsive components were also detected in two-dimensional cell sheets, by which curved sheets including tubes and cups were simulated. We conclude that our inference method is applicable to tissues harboring cavities and cell sheets, and the resultant effective potentials are useful to simulate the morphologies.

Large, overlapping home ranges reveal male mating strategies in polygynandrous Eclectus parrots

ABSTRACT The distribution of the resources needed by females for reproduction affects their dispersion in space and time, which in turn influences the number of females a male can defend. When males provide parental care they in turn become a resource for females, and influence where females choose to breed. Combined, these factors explain a preponderance of monogamous and (to a lesser extent) polygynous mating systems in birds. However, less frequently observed mating systems in birds remain harder to explain. Here, we analyse the home ranges of male Eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus) to investigate how their use of space facilitates an unusual polygynandrous mating system (where multiple males mate with multiple females). Female Eclectus parrots in the rainforests of northern Queensland, Australia, have limited movements. They remain at their nest trees for most of the year and rely on multiple wide-ranging males to bring them their food. We used light aircraft and VHF transmitters to track the movements of four male Eclectus parrots during the breeding season. We combined data on home range size with molecular analyses of a larger sample of breeding birds. Our analyses demonstrate that male home ranges overlap with each other and encompass multiple (3–14) trees with nesting females. We show that some males divide their time between, and gain reproductive success with, females up to 7 km apart. Our tracking and molecular data offer insights into how polygynandrous mating systems relate to space use among males and females.

Proposal of a method to analyze children’s flood risk exposure and risk perception using GPS tracking data and questionnaire survey

BackgroundClimate change has made the relationship between disaster and sustainable development more critical. Especially in developing countries, disasters frequently devastate local communities and hinder progress. Children are at a higher risk during catastrophes; however, their knowledge of disaster risk is limited. Education for disaster risk reduction can bring the necessary changes for a safe society. School disaster prevention education can raise awareness through lectures and games, but interactive dialogues between students and teachers can be more effective. Also, GPS tracking can be a valuable tool for understanding people’s behavior during disasters.MethodologyThis study proposes a method to analyze the relationship between students’ daily behavior and their experiences of flood damage and preparedness for disaster risk. It is a simple method using questionnaires and GPS loggers and can be applied in mountainous areas in developing countries where equipment is inadequate. The proposed method will be used to understand the current state of disaster risk among children and identify disaster risk reduction issues. The study area lies in Paluntar Municipality, Gorkha district, Nepal. Forty-five students from two schools in the region participated in the study.ResultsThe results showed that students who commute to school in areas inundated by heavy rainfall in recent years were not adequately prepared for disasters, even though they had experienced flood damage in the past and were significantly more concerned about future harm. Our field observations and interviews of teacher-student relationships showed that students were very attentive to their teachers’ instruction. Teachers understand the dangers of heavy rainfall and how to prepare for it, but students need to learn how to deal with it. In other words, the school staff’s disaster education to the students effectively reduces disasters. Early warning is needed when severe floods are expected during the rainy season.

Let’s measure it: An approach of high-resolution estimates of bottom fixed net fishing effort at national level

Fisheries are one of the most important food sources for human consumption whilst being amongst the most impacting and extractive activities happening within the marine environment, which makes it imperative to properly manage this activity. To improve fisheries management, the precise quantification of fishing effort is of the outmost importance. Yet, present methods for effort estimation, especially at broad scales, are hampered by difficulties in data access and usually rely on coarse effort metrics or on costly data collection for quantifying fishing effort with higher resolution. In the present work, we propose an approach of high-resolution fishing effort estimates of net fishing, as length of nets operated by a given fleet, at the national level. It relies on sampling of effort, derived from classified and easy to access vessel tracking data – AIS, and fishery dependent data – logbook and landings data. The proposed methodology combines trip-based effort estimates, derived from AIS data, as a foundation to extrapolate the total fishing effort, through the number of fishing trips linked to official landings and logbook data. It is estimated that in the years from 2014 to 2020 an average of 180 200 km of static nets (gillnets and trammel nets), which corresponds to approximately 4.5 and 210 times the lengths of the equator and the Portuguese Atlantic coastline respectively, are used in Portuguese mainland waters each year, by a fleet of slightly more than 100 vessels. The presented methodology allows to quantify and study the variation of the nominal fishing effort, at country level, with a higher resolution than what is usually used and at very low cost. We argue that such methodologies need to be developed and explored in order to have better and more comprehensive estimates of fishing effort which will contribute and improve the sustainable management of fisheries and the marine environment.

Linguistic summarization of visual attention and developmental functioning of young children with autism spectrum disorder

Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children poses significant challenges due to its complex nature and impact on social communication development. While numerous data analytics techniques have been proposed for ASD evaluation, the process remains time-consuming and lacks clarity. Eye tracking (ET) data has emerged as a valuable resource for ASD risk assessment, yet existing literature predominantly focuses on predictive methods rather than descriptive techniques that offer human-friendly insights. Interpretation of ET data and Bayley scales, a widely used assessment tool, is challenging for ASD assessment of children. It should be understood clearly to perform better analytic tasks on ASD screening. Therefore, this study addresses this gap by employing linguistic summarization techniques to generate easily understandable summaries from raw ET data and Bayley scales. By integrating ET data and Bayley scores, the study aims to improve the identification of children with ASD from typically developing children (TD). Notably, this research represents one of the pioneering efforts to linguistically summarize ET data alongside Bayley scales, presenting comparative results between children with ASD and TD. Through linguistic summarization, this study facilitates the creation of simple, natural language statements, offering a first and unique approach to enhance ASD screening and contribute to our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Landform evolution of the Qilian Shan since 120 Ma revealed by apatite fission track data

The Cenozoic uplift of the Qilian Shan mountain range is intimately connected with the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, although the mechanism of deformation is still unclear due to the large distance between the Qilian Shan and the plate collision boundary. The first requirement if we are to determine this mechanism is to obtain the uplift process of the Qilian Shan range, which remains a matter of debate. We compiled apatite fission track data from previous studies of the Qilian Shan range to investigate the spatial and temporal disparities or similarities of the exhumation process. Most of the age-evolution profiles and thermo-modelling results show a low exhumation rate from 80 to 20 Ma, corresponding to shorter apatite fission track lengths, indicating a lower rate of erosion and lower relief across the whole Qilian Shan region. The results also reveal two stages of rapid exhumation: during the Cretaceous (120–80 Ma) and since the Miocene (20–0 Ma). The exhumation history of the Qilian Shan range shows no significant spatial difference and outward growth was limited at the southern and northern edges after 5 Ma. This temporal and spatial pattern for the exhumation of the Qilian Shan range suggests that there was probably no obvious uplift at the time of the initial collision of the Indian–Tibetan plates and support the proposal that the whole Qilian range has uplifted synchronously since 20 Ma.

Movement-driven modelling reveals new patterns in disease transmission networks.

Interspecific interactions are highly relevant in the potential transmission of shared pathogens in multi-host systems. In recent decades, several technologies have been developed to study pathogen transmission, such as proximity loggers, GPS tracking devices and/or camera traps. Despite the diversity of methods aimed at detecting contacts, the analysis of transmission risk is often reduced to contact rates and the probability of transmission given the contact. However, the latter process is continuous over time and unique for each contact, and is influenced by the characteristics of the contact and the pathogen's relationship with both the host and the environment. Our objective was to assess whether a more comprehensive approach, using a movement-based model which assigns a unique transmission risk to each contact by decomposing transmission into contact formation, contact duration and host characteristics, could reveal disease transmission dynamics that are not detected with more traditional approaches. The model was built from GPS-collar data from two management systems in Spain where animal tuberculosis (TB) circulates: a national park with extensively reared endemic cattle, and an area with extensive free-range pigs and cattle farms. In addition, we evaluated the effect of the GPS device fix rate on the performance of the model. Different transmission dynamics were identified between both management systems. Considering the specific conditions under which each contact occurs (i.e. whether the contact is direct or indirect, its duration, the hosts characteristics, the environmental conditions, etc.) resulted in the identification of different transmission dynamics compared to using only contact rates. We found that fix intervals greater than 30 min in the GPS tracking data resulted in missed interactions, and intervals greater than 2 h may be insufficient for epidemiological purposes. Our study shows that neglecting the conditions under which each contact occurs may result in a misidentification of the real role of each species in disease transmission. This study describes a clear and repeatable framework to study pathogen transmission from GPS data and provides further insights to understand how TB is maintained in multi-host systems in Mediterranean environments.