Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Intensive conditions experienced by aquaculture animals increase their susceptibility to bacterial diseases, which promotes antibiotic use and contributes to the emergence of more resilient and virulent strains. Therefore, finding complementary effective alternatives to antibiotic therapy is a priority in animal health. Among them, one promising approach is the use of functional diets. Previous results of our group have demonstrated the benefits of phytobiotics (formulated as microencapsulated essential oils) in improving the resistance of shrimp against Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection. Thus, the aim of this proof-of-concept study was to evaluate the effect of a phytobiotic-enriched diet on survival of eels against Vibrio vulnificus pathovar piscis . This pathogen is responsible for warm-water vibriosis, a major concern in eel farming, causing significant economic losses and posing a threat for public health. First, phytobiotics were screened for in vitro bactericidal activity against multiple V. vulnificus strains, and the most effective candidates were incorporated into diets (0.9 g/kg feed). After four or five weeks of feeding, innate immune parameters were assessed, and the UV-1 supplemented diet contributed to the increase of plasma lysozyme activity in eels fed for five weeks. Second, two concentrations of the UV-1 (0.9 or 1.8 g/kg) were evaluated in terms of disease resistance after immersion challenge with the pathogen. After a controlled feeding trial, UV-1-enriched diets reduced mortality and significantly delayed disease progression, increasing survival by 1.9 days compared to the control group. These findings reinforce the potential of the UV-1 phytobiotic for developing functional diets that improve fish health (protection against bacterial diseases) and reduce antibiotic dependence in relevant cultured aquatic species.

Faced with the challenge of increasing energy consumption and the need for sustainability in 6th generation (6G) wireless communication networks, this paper investigates the secrecy energy efficiency (SEE) and user fairness performance in an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-assisted non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system in the presence of a friendly jammer and a passive eavesdropper over THz-Rician channels. We formulate both optimization objectives: maximizing the system's total SEE and maximizing the maximum-min SEE to guarantee fairness for the worst-case user. Additionally, Jain's fairness index is used to quantitatively evaluate the SEE balance among users. To solve these problems, we apply a Double Deep Q-Network (Double DQN)-based SEE of our proposed system model to jointly optimize power allocation and IRS phase shifts. This proposed approach enables efficient learning of optimal policies in dynamic environments without requiring explicit knowledge of the channel distribution. Furthermore, conventional Deep Q-Netowrk (DQN) and random allocation strategies are also implemented for comparison with Double DQN. Simulation results are presented for both IRS-assisted NOMA and OMA (orthogonal multiple access) systems to highlight the advantages of NOMA in terms of the secrecy-energy trade-off and spectral efficiency. Finally, the effects of system essential parameters, such as transmitted power, the number of IRS elements, atmospheric absorption coefficients, and the passive eavesdropper's position, are examined. These simulation results show that the proposed Double DQN-based scheme significantly outperforms DQN and random methods in both SEE maximization and fairness enhancement, and that the NOMA system outperforms the OMA system. These findings confirm that the proposed model provides a basis for deploying a secure, energy-efficient, and sustainable wireless communication for future 6G networks.

Abstract Rubble‐pile asteroids, characterized by loose aggregates of debris held together by gravity, represent both a significant planetary hazard and a key to understanding planetesimal formation. Geologic mapping of these bodies provides essential insights into their origins, evolution, and surface processes. This knowledge is crucial for advancing space mission capabilities, from precise navigation and safe sampling to assessing the feasibility of future asteroid mining. Here, we present the most comprehensive geologic map of Ryugu in comparison to previous early‐stage and single‐feature maps, integrating Optical Navigation Camera (ONC) mosaics, LIDAR‐derived topography, Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT) descent images, and spectral slope data. The analysis includes reclassification of previously identified features and newly identified features from global to local scales. The geologic mapping technique followed United States Geological Survey (USGS) planetary cartography standards using the ArcGIS Pro platform. This global framework provides an essential geologic context for interpreting returned samples and constraining rubble‐pile evolution. We identified geomorphological, structural, and surface texture units on Ryugu's unconsolidated rubble‐pile surface using 0.2–0.7 m/pixel image mosaics. Elongated troughs at the poles and mirrored, oblique lineaments near the equatorial ridge are consistent with rotational strain. Compared with another rubble‐pile asteroid Bennu, Ryugu shows a more uniform boulder distribution, and its immensely prominent equatorial ridge indicates a more intense period of rotational deformation. However, the western bulge deviates from this trend; its fewer boulders, underdeveloped ridges, and older degraded craters suggest selective resurfacing. These features show evidence of catastrophic disruption, rotational reshaping, and ongoing surface movement.

Abstract This study investigates the petrogenesis of glassy agglutinates in a polished section of the Chang'e‐5 lunar regolith sample CE5C0800YJYX018GP through integrated petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses of four representative particles (18GP‐01 to 18GP‐04). The agglutinates contain diverse lithic clasts, including basaltic fragments, anorthositic fragments, and a barred olivine‐rich fragment, together with glass fragments. Mineral clasts are dominated by plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine, and ilmenite, with minor apatite, troilite, and silica phases. The glassy matrix formed primarily through impact melting of basaltic materials and shows compositions comparable to those of low‐Ti mare basalts from Oceanus Procellarum. In contrast, some glass domains exhibit strong enrichment in K (K 2 O up to 1.37 wt.%), P (P 2 O 5 up to 4.84 wt.%), and rare earth elements (ΣREE up to 3,196.1 ppm). These enriched domains display pronounced LREE enrichment, relatively flat HREEs, and negative Eu anomalies, similar to the KREEP‐rich lunar regolith from Oceanus Procellarum. Given the KREEP‐poor geochemical background of the Chang'e‐5 landing site, these features are most consistent with an exotic origin rather than in situ evolution of local basalts, and are best explained as material derived from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane and transported by large impact events. The micrometer‐scale, heterogeneous distribution of KREEP‐rich domains, together with agglutinated melt glass, and cristobalite, provides clear evidence for impact‐driven transport and mixing. These observations place new constraints on lunar material redistribution, the preservation of late‐stage magmatic residues, and the thermal evolution of the Moon.

To investigate the effects of loading rate on the strength evolution, failure mechanism and energy properties of rock-like materials, rock-like specimens were prepared using similar materials, and tests under variable loading rate were conducted through uniaxial compression. Standard cylindrical specimens were fabricated with a fixed sand-binder ratio of 1:9 and three cement-gypsum ratios (1:9, 5:5 and 9:1), using river sand as aggregate and ordinary Portland cement and building gypsum as cementitious materials. The tests were conducted under two loading modes: displacement loading and force loading. The results show that the density of rock-like specimens increases linearly with the rise of cement-gypsum ratio; the stress-strain curves of specimens with different mix ratios all exhibit four stages, namely compaction, elasticity, yield and failure. The uniaxial compressive strength, elastic modulus and deformation modulus increase in the form of logarithmic function with the increase of loading rate, while the peak strain decreases logarithmically; all specimens present columnar splitting failure, and the stress concentration effect induced by force loading is more significant, resulting in a higher degree of failure compared with displacement loading. Moreover, the higher the loading rate, the more fully developed the fractures and the poorer the integrity of specimens. In terms of energy conversion, the lower the loading rate, the smaller the percentage of releasable elastic energy in the absorbed energy (the value of Ue/U is greater than 70%), and the larger the percentage of dissipated energy in the absorbed energy (the value of Ud/U is less than 30%). As the loading rate increases, Ue/U increases as a logarithmic function, while Ud/U exhibits an opposite trend. The findings of this study can provide a reference for support design and stability control in deep soft rock engineering.

Mineral–melt Li partition coefficients exert first-order control on predicted Li enrichment during crustal anatexis Geological observations favor Li enrichment during high-temperature biotite-dehydration melting rather than low-temperature melting scenarios

BACKGROUND: The pandemic highlighted geographic inequities in COVID-19 mortality worldwide, reflecting structural and social vulnerabilities that exacerbated respiratory disease outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to examine the spatial relationship between COVID-19 mortality and communities characterized by greater social disadvantage in North Carolina. This application highlights the value of spatial analytic approaches when considering inequities in respiratory mortality. METHODS: This study analyzed 25,051 COVID-19 deaths occurring in North Carolina from March 2020 through April 2022 using state vital statistics data and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Social Vulnerability Index data. SaTScan™ was used to identify mortality hot spots, and Moran's I in ArcGIS Pro was used to assess spatial autocorrelation at the ZIP-Code Tabulation Area level. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess differences in social vulnerability index scores in mortality hot spots areas and non-hot spots areas. RESULTS: Local bivariate analysis identified moderate spatial clustering characterized by high-high (mortality-vulnerability) hot spots and spatial outliers. In non-parametric testing, COVID-19 mortality hot spot areas had significantly higher, but modestly elevated, median overall social vulnerability index scores compared with non-hot spot areas (0.58 vs. 0.45; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Social vulnerability partially explains the observed spatial heterogeneity in COVID-19 mortality (2020-2022), with statistically significant spatial clustering consistently concentrated in areas of higher social vulnerability. This study highlights how pre-existing inequities in healthcare access and social conditions intensified mortality disparities during the pandemic.

Reliable vessel identification is fundamental to maritime traffic safety and effective supervision. However, the Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) embedded in Automatic Identification System (AIS) messages can be deliberately altered, which compromises the integrity of situational awareness and poses risks to traffic management. To address this limitation, this study investigates vessel identity verification based on physical features inherent in AIS signals, shifting the focus from message-level identifiers to signal-level characteristics. A verification framework is developed by extracting stable physical features associated with onboard transmission hardware and the surrounding electromagnetic environment. To enhance discriminability, a feature fusion scheme is introduced to integrate complementary signal characteristics under varying channel conditions. In addition, a metric-constrained representation strategy is adopted to improve intra-class compactness and inter-class separability in the feature space. For decision-making, a hybrid criterion combining distance-based scoring with confidence control is employed, enabling both the reliable identification of known vessels and the effective rejection of previously unseen targets. The proposed approach is validated using AIS data collected in a port environment. The experimental results show that the method achieves an identification accuracy of 97.5% for known vessels while maintaining a rejection rate exceeding 90% for unknown vessels. The performance remains stable under complex and variable operating conditions. These findings demonstrate that AIS physical features provide a robust and reliable basis for vessel identity verification. The proposed framework offers a practical pathway to enhance the credibility of maritime traffic data and supports safer and more effective maritime governance.

Wrong content There was a mistake in Table 1 as published. An incorrect unit of heat capacity values was given in the table heading. Instead of "Specific heat capacity c [J/kg•K]", the referenced values correspond to "Volumetric heat capacity C [kJ/m 3 •K]". The corrected There was a mistake in Figures 5 and7 The original version of this article has been updated.Adding/removing text Accordingly, a correction has been made to the sentences in the Section 3.1, in which modeled ranges of Darcy flux were quoted.

BACKGROUND: Obesity caused by a high-fat diet (HFD) is known to disrupt metabolic homeostasis and circadian rhythms. Pachymic acid (PA), a bioactive triterpenoid, exhibits anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, and sedative-hypnotic properties, though its role in circadian regulation remains unexplored. METHODS: We assessed PA's impact on metabolic dysfunction (glucose/lipid profiles), systemic inflammation using biochemical assays, ELISA, Oil Red O staining. Circadian parameters were evaluated via 24-h serum melatonin and core body temperature. Hepatic circadian gene oscillations and mechanistic pathways were analyzed through time-series RNA sequencing, bioinformatics, qPCR, and Western blotting. RESULTS: PA intervention attenuated obesity-related phenotypes, including reduced body weight, improved glucose/lipid metabolism, and restored physiological rhythms of melatonin and body temperature. And hepatic gene oscillation patterns were realigned to circadian synchrony. Mechanistically, PA ameliorated liver inflammation by modulating the sphingolipid pathway, specifically via S1PR4/TRAF2 signaling. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings illustrate PA's role in mitigating metabolic and circadian disruptions in obesity, highlighting the sphingolipid pathway as a tissue-specific target for circadian modulation. This study provides novel insights into therapeutic strategies for obesity-associated circadian disorders.

BACKGROUND: Melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer due to its high metastatic potential and mortality rate. Although understanding of metabolic reprogramming in melanoma has advanced, the connection between metabolic alterations and metastatic capacity remains incomplete. AIM: This study aimed to characterize the metabolic profiles of human melanoma cell lines with high (HT168-M1) and low (WM983B) metastatic potential, and to compare them with each other and also with the metabolic profile of normal human fibroblasts (MRC-5), in order to identify key metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with metastatic behavior. METHODS: Non-targeted metabolomic profiling using ¹H-NMR spectroscopy was applied to hydrophilic extracts of the three cell lines. Multivariate statistical analyses (PCA and PLS-DA) were used to identify discriminating metabolites, and pathway analysis was performed to determine altered metabolic networks. RESULTS: Several metabolic pathways were significantly altered in melanoma cells compared to fibroblasts, including starch and sucrose metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and glutathione metabolism. Metabolites showing more than two-fold differences included elevated UDP-glucose, ATP, glycerophosphocholine, GTP, creatine and glutathione in the melanoma cells, and reduced glucose, glutamine and 1-methylnicotinamide in fibroblasts. Comparison of the metabolites of melanoma cell lines with differing metastatic potential revealed changes in taurine and hypotaurine, β-alanine-, glutathione-, and amino acid metabolism. Metabolites showing the largest concentration changes were UDP-glucose, glutathione, NAD+, alanine and β-alanine. CONCLUSION: Metabolomic profiling revealed distinct metabolic reprogramming between melanoma and normal fibroblasts, characterized by enhanced glycolysis and glutathione-dependent antioxidant defense. Highly metastatic melanoma cells demonstrated stronger redox adaptation and altered amino acid utilization, with elevated glutathione and glutamate and reduced NAD⁺ and pyruvate, indicating a metabolic shift toward oxidative stress resistance.

Article title: MRW-YOLO: a lightweight and high-precision network for small object detection in remote sensing imagesAuthors: Yubin Qiu and Zufang LinJournal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REMOTE SENSIN...

Correction on: Maschette D, Wotherspoon S, Murase H, Kelly N, Ziegler P, Swadling KM and Kawaguchi S (2025) Resource potential and maturity estimates of Euphausia superba in East Antarctica. Front. Mar. Sci. 12:1448250. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1448250Wrong content There was a mistake in table 1 as published. The values for 'Max length, 50% selected' and 'Range over which selection occurs' were incorrectly reported as 39mm and 9mm respectively. These values should have been 35mm and 11mm respectively. The corrected table 1 appears below.

Patterns of parent-child interactions are commonly cited as being predictive of later psychiatric disorders but precisely which elements of these interactions are important is rarely clear, potentially affecting the effective targeting of interventions in young children. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between timely vocal response during parent-child interactions (i.e., the probability of mothers responding to their child within a specified time period and vice versa), and later psychiatric diagnosis. Drawing on data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort, a case control study was conducted based on infant-mother video observations of children assessed for neuropsychiatric disorders using the parent-reported Development and Wellbeing Assessment (DAWBA) at seven years of age (103 controls and 55 cases). Empirical examination suggested that 1 second represented the optimal threshold for maternal responses and 8 seconds for child responses. Only the maternal measure was found to predict later psychiatric disorders, with evidence of associations limited to hyperactivity and conduct disorders. These associations were not sensitive to either maternal education or child sex. The results are discussed in terms of the value of precise interpretation of early mother/child interaction and for the potential for providing targeted intervention to the population concerned.

AIMS: This study evaluated L. plantarum GUANKE's protective effects on ZEN-induced intestinal dysfunction and explored its molecular mechanisms. METHODS: In vitro, IPEC-J2 cells were divided into control, ZEN (40 μM), GUANKE (20 MOI), and ZEN+GUANKE groups (24 h treatment). Cell viability (CCK-8), oxidative stress indicators (LDH, ROS, T-SOD, GSH, MDA), and inflammatory cytokine mRNAs (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10) were detected. In vivo, Balb/c mice were randomized into five groups (control, ZEN, GUANKE, ZEN + LG, ZEN + HG) for 28 days of intervention. Jejunum histology (H&E staining), oxidative stress/inflammatory factors (kits/ELISA), serum intestinal function indices (D-xylose, D-lactate, DAO), and transcriptomic analysis were performed. RESULTS: L. plantarum GUANKE significantly improved IPEC-J2 cell viability, reduced LDH release (P < 0.01) and ROS accumulation (P < 0.001), restored T-SOD/GSH activities (P < 0.05), decreased MDA (P < 0.05), suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α; P < 0.05), and upregulated IL-10 (P < 0.05). In mice, L. plantarum GUANKE increased villus height/crypt depth ratio (P < 0.01), restored antioxidant status (P < 0.05), and rebalanced cytokine expression (P < 0.05 for pro-inflammatory; P < 0.01 for IL-10). Transcriptomic analysis suggested that ZEN activated the NF-κB pathway, while L. plantarum GUANKE treatment was associated with reduced pathway activity.

BACKGROUND: The gut microbiota is closely related to exercise, but the interrelationship between the two remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to explore differences in the gut microbiota between young adults with exercise and sedentary lifestyles. In addition, we evaluated the effects of gut microbiota from these different lifestyle populations on endurance exercise capacity. METHODS: The exercise status and nutritional characteristics of young adults were evaluated by PARS-3 and food frequency questionnaires. The gut microbiota of young adults from exercise and sedentary lifestyle groups was analyzed by 16S rRNA analysis. Subsequently, we performed fecal bacteria transplantation (FMT) from the human donors into mice and evaluated the effects on their endurance exercise capacity. RESULTS: The exercise group exhibited significantly higher gut microbiota diversity compared to the sedentary group. Several beneficial bacteria, including Veillonella, Faecalibacterium, and Bacteroides, were enriched in the exercise group. The FMT experiment confirmed that mice receiving microbiota from the exercise group showed significantly improved endurance exercise capacity. CONCLUSION: Young people who exercise regularly possess a more diverse gut microbiota enriched with beneficial bacteria. This exercise-associated microbiota has the potential to directly improve exercise capacity.