Atlantic Ocean Observing Networks: Cost and feasibility study

Results of a cost and feasibility study of the present and planned integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System, including assessing the readiness and feasibility of implementation of different observing technologie

Process flow for classification and clustering of fruit fly gene expression patterns

The rapidly growing collection of fruit fly embryo images makes automated Image Segmentation and classification an indispensable requirement for a large-scale analysis of in situ hybridization (ISH) - gene expression patterns (GEP). We present here such an automated process flow for Segmenting, Classification, and Clustering large-scale sets of Drosophila melanogaster GEP that is capable of dealing with most of the complications implicated in the images

Reasons for Discontinuing Active Participation on the Internet Forum Tinnitus Talk : Mixed Methods Citizen Science Study

Background: Tinnitus Talk is a nonprofit online self-help forum. Asking inactive users about their reasons for discontinued usage of health-related online platforms such as Tinnitus Talk is important for quality assurance. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore reasons for discontinued use of Tinnitus Talk, and their associations to the perceptions of Tinnitus Talk and the age of users who ceased logging on to the platform. Methods: Initially, 13,745 users that did not use Tinnitus Talk within the previous 2 months were contacted and the response rate was 20.47% (n=2814). After dataset filtering, a total of 2172 past members of Tinnitus Talk were included in the analyses. Nine predefined reasons for discontinued usage of Tinnitus Talk were included in the survey as well as one open question. Moreover, there were 14 predefined questions focusing on perception of Tinnitus Talk (usefulness, content, community, and quality of members' posts). Mixed methods analyses were performed. Frequencies and correlation coefficients were calculated for quantitative data, and grounded theory methodology was utilized for exploration of the qualitative data. Results: Quantitative analysis revealed reasons for discontinued use of Tinnitus Talk as well as associations of these reasons with perceptions of Tinnitus Talk and age. Among the eight predefined reasons for discontinued use of Tinnitus Talk, the most frequently reported was not finding the information they were looking for (451/2695, 16.7%). Overall, the highest rated perception of Tinnitus Talk was content-related ease of understanding (mean 3.9, SD 0.64). A high number (nearly 40%) of participants provided additional free text explaining why they discontinued use. Qualitative analyses identified a total of 1654 specific reasons, more than 93% of which (n=1544) could be inductively coded. The coding system consisted of 33 thematically labeled codes clustered into 10 categories. The most frequent additional reason for discontinuing use was thinking that there is no cure or help for tinnitus symptoms (375/1544, 24.3%). Significant correlations (P<.001) were observed between reasons for discontinued usage and perception of Tinnitus Talk. Several reasons for discontinued usage were associated with the examined dimensions of perception of Tinnitus Talk (usefulness, content, community, as well as quality of members' posts). Moreover, significant correlations (P<.001) between age and reasons for discontinued use were found. Older age was associated with no longer using Tinnitus Talk because of not finding what they were looking for. In addition, older participants had a generally less positive perception of Tinnitus Talk than younger participants (P<.001). Conclusions: This study contributes to understanding the reasons for discontinued usage of online self-help platforms, which are typically only reported according to the dropout rates. Furthermore, specific groups of users who did not benefit from Tinnitus Talk were identified, and several practical implications for improvement of the structure, content, and goals of Tinnitus Talk were suggested.

Uncrewed Ocean Gliders and Saildrones Support Hurricane Forecasting and Research

Miles et al focus on uncrewed ocean gliders and saildrones support hurricane forecasting and research. Components of the sustained ocean observing system are useful for understanding the role of the ocean in hurricane intensity changes. Here, the authors provide a broad overview of the ongoing US hurricane glider project and details of a new effort with the Saildrone USV during the 2021 hurricane season. While this article focuses on the US East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea, similar efforts are underway in Korea, the Philippines, Japan, and China, among other countries

Recent human-induced atmospheric drying across Europe unprecedented in the last 400 years

International audienc

Atmospheric drying across Europe is unprecedented in a pre-industrial context

Vapour pressure deficit (VPD) represents the desiccation strength of the atmosphere, fundamentally impacting evapotranspiration, ecosystem functioning and vegetation productivity. Its spatial patterns and long-term changes under natural versus human-induced climate change are poorly understood but are essential for predicting its future ecological and socio-economic effects, e.g., on crop yield, bioclimatic comfort or wildfires. We combine regional reconstructions of pre-industrial summer VPD variability from a European tree-ring oxygen-isotope network with excellent climate sensitivity with observations and Earth System Model simulations. We demonstrate a recent human-induced intensification of atmospheric drying across Europe that exceeds natural variability specifically in the Alps and Pyrenees, but also in western, central and southern Europe. A less distinct increase occurs in Fennoscandia. This VPD increase may cause an enhanced risk of tree mortality, forest decline and yield reductionsevenin the temperate lowland regions of Europe, particularly when considering the extreme drought events in the recent years