R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing
... 128 , and considered signi cantly enriched terms based on the criteria p-value < 0.05 (supplementary Table S4). We visualized the results with ggplot2 package in R. 129,130 We queried the CellMarker database (http://biocc.hrbmu.edu.cn/CellMarker/index.jsp) and searched literatures to identify immune cell markers (supplementary Table S5). ...
... LC patients without tobacco smoking history data were removed from the analysis. DEGs and DEMs were identi ed using Deseq2 package in R. 129,134 We considered genes and miRNAs with |FC| > 2, FDR corrected p-value < 0.05 as signi cantly regulated. To identify genes and miRNAs linked to tumor size, we included 266 female and 224 male LC patients with tumor size data. ...
Background
Tobacco smoke (TS) is the leading cause for lung cancer (LC), and female smokers are at a greater risk for LC. Yet, the underlying causes are unknown.
Methods
We performed whole genome scans in TS exposed wild type and histologically characterized tumor lesions of cRaf transgenic mice. We constructed miRNA-gene and transcription factor-miRNA/gene regulatory networks and determined sex-specific gene regulations by evaluating hormone receptor activities. We validated the findings from TS exposed cRaf mice in a large cohort of smoking and never-smoking LC patients
Results
When compared to males, TS prompted a 7-fold increase in tumor multiplicity in cRaf females. Genome-wide scans of tumor lesions identified 161 and 53 genes and miRNAs, which code for EGFR/MAPK signaling, cell proliferation, oncomirs and oncogenes, and 50% of DEGs coded for immune response and tumor evasion. Outstandingly, in transgenic males, TS elicited upregulation of 20 tumor suppressors, some of which are the targets of the androgen and estrogen receptor. Conversely, in females, 18 tumor suppressors were down-regulated, and five were specifically repressed by the estrogen receptor. We found TS to perturb the circadian clock in a sex-specific manner and identified a female-specific regulatory loop that consisted of the estrogen receptor, miR-22-3p and circadian genes to support LC growth. Finally, we confirmed sex dependent tumor promoting effects of TS in a large cohort of LC patients.
Conclusions
Our study highlights the sex-dependent genomic responses to TS and the interplay of circadian clock genes and hormone receptors in the regulation of oncogenes and oncomirs in LC growth.
... Statistical analysis was performed and graphs were plotted using R version 4.0.2 [40]. The tidyverse package was used to transform, clear, and visualize data [41]. ...
... We employed the principal component analysis to visualize and reduce data dimensionality using two packages: FactorMineR and factorextra [42,43]. Most statistical tests, namely, the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, analysis of variance, Tukey post hoc test, and Kruskal-Wallis test, were performed using the R stats package [40]. The graphs were generated using the ggplot2 package of the tidyverse collection; the multcompView package [44] was used to generate captions for the results of the post hoc analysis in the graphs. ...
The Yakutian cattle is an indigenous Siberian cattle breed living in an extremely cold climate in some parts of Yakutia. There are only a few thousand animals of this breed, and the conservation of the Yakutian cattle is embedded in the international agenda. We studied the fatty acid profiles in the meat, liver, and fat of the Yakutian cattle (five individuals) of different ages and their main food resource–pasture plants. The fatty acid profile of the tissues of the Yakutian cattle differed from that of pasture plants: 16:0, 18:2n–6, and 18:3n–3 dominated in the pasture plants; 16:0, 18:0, 18:1n–9, 18:2n–6, 20:4n–6, 20:5n–3, and 22:5n–3 dominated in the meat and liver; and 16:0, 18:0, and 18:1n–9 dominated in the fat. The fatty acid composition of food products is related to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). The meat and liver of the Yakutian cattle are health food products that contribute to decreasing the risk of developing CVD because of their rather high content of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic fatty acids, optimal n–6/n–3 and polyunsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids ratios, low values of indexes of atherogenicity and thrombogenicity, and high values of hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic and health-promoting indexes. The results of the present study support the importance of preserving this valuable cattle breed. Actions should be taken to increase their population while retaining their contemporary housing and feeding conditions.
... The least squares regression was performed using the nls function from the stats package of the open-source R programming language [34]. By using the port algorithm, the solver utilized an implementation of the nl2sol algorithm [35]. ...
... In case the fitting did not converge, it was restarted and initialized using the parameter values obtained in the non-converging fit. The least squares regression was performed using the nls function from the stats package of the open-source R programming language [34]. By using the port algorithm, the solver utilized an implementation of the nl2sol algorithm [35]. ...
Site index and stand age are important variables in forestry. Site index describes the growing potential at a given location, expressed as the height that trees can attain at a given age under favorable growing conditions. It is traditionally used to classify forests in terms of future timber yield potential. Stand age is used for the planning of management activities such as thinning and harvest. SI has previously been predicted using remote sensing, but usually relying on either very short time series or repeated ALS acquisitions. In this study, site index and forest stand age were predicted from time series of interferometric TanDEM-X data spanning seven growth seasons in a hemi-boreal forest in Remningstorp, a test site located in southern Sweden. The goal of the study was to see how satellite-based radar time series could be used to estimate site index and stand age. Compared to previous studies, we used a longer time series and applied a penetration depth correction to the phase heights, thereby avoiding the need for calibration using ancillary field or ALS data. The time series consisted of 30 TanDEM-X strip map scenes acquired between 2011 and 2018. Established height development curves were fitted to the time series of TanDEM-X-based top heights. This enabled simultaneous estimation of both age and site index on 91 field plots with a 10 m radius. The RMSE of predicted SI and age were 6.9 m and 38 years for untreated plots when both SI and age were predicted. When predicting SI and the age was known, the RMSE of the predicted SI was 4.0 m. No significant prediction bias was observed for untreated plots, while underestimation of SI and overestimation of age increased with the intensity of treatment.
... The soundtrack was extracted and segmented using Montreal Forced Aligner [26]. The acoustic measures (mean F0, duration, and intensity) of the two critical items were extracted using ProsodyPro [27] in Praat [28] and analyzed in separate linear mixed-effects models using lme4 [29] in R [30], showing that prosodic prominence was produced as intended. A total of 768 test stimuli (48 items * 16 versions) were constructed using a Latin square design, rendering 16 lists of 48 stimuli with three discourses appearing in the same condition in each list. ...
Both auditory (e.g., prosody) and visual cues (e.g., beat gesture) available in communication are important for listeners to comprehend discourse, given that speech is multimodal. While a vast amount of research has been devoted to investigating the role of prosody in discourse comprehension, it is surprising that relatively little research has been conducted to uncover how visual cues interact with auditory cues given the importance of visual cues in speech processing. This paper examines the roles of prosodic prominence and beat gesture in the memory for discourse information in Mandarin. A dominant role of prosody but not beat gesture was found in facilitating the memory for discourse information. This study contributes significantly to our limited knowledge of multimodal comprehension of focus, and how cues from multilevel sources are integrated.
... The interaction of the tree-ring-width increment with meteorological and modeled hydrological parameters was assessed using Pearson's product moment correlation. The uncertainty of the correlation was calculated for a 95% confidence level in R (function cor.test, [85]). To assess the importance of the soil water regime variations throughout the growing season, we considered mean parameter values for a sliding-window period from May to August (May, May-June, May-July, May-August, June-August, July-August, August). ...
The soil water regime often controls whether an ecosystem is a source of greenhouse gases such as CO2 or CH4 or is, instead, a carbon sink. The soil water regime of wetland forests is complicated by ecosystem feedback and landscape scale interactions. An in-depth understanding of these processes is needed to optimize the management of such ecosystems to balance timber production, carbon sequestration and biodiversity preservation. To investigate the soil water regime of non-riparian wetland forests, we set up a physically based Hydrus-1D soil water model for two hydric black alder Alnus glutinosa sites in a lowland hemiboreal setting informed by field observations of the soil water. Further, to gain ecohydrological insights, we explored the correlations between modeled long-term soil water parameters and local dendrochronology. We found that, at the clay soil site, the simulated root water uptake had a significant correlation (up to 0.55) with the residual tree-ring chronology. However, in the sandy soil site, the meteorological conditions—air temperature and precipitation—were better predictors for tree radial growth (correlation up to 0.42). In addition, we observed a trend towards dryer conditions during the modeling period, which might enhance the growing conditions for the considered forest stands due to a reduction in soil waterlogging.
... All data were analyzed using R software 4.2.2 (Innocent and Trusting) [17] for statistical computing. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. ...
Objective: Medical students frequently experience a range of stressors, such as demanding academic requirements, competition and rivalry, self-doubt, and financial distress. As a result, they are at risk for psycho- logical and behavioral symptoms (PBS) including: depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties as well as maladaptive substance use.
Methods: To determine the degree of risk for these symptoms, 13 databases, without language restriction, were searched.
Results: A total of 32 meta-analyses were included in this umbrella review. A global analysis of all self-reported PBS combined yielded a pooled prevalence rate of 30.3% [26.9%; 33.7%]; 95% PI [2.2%; 58.3%]. The highest reported prevalence was for sleep problems 42.0% [35.6%; 48.4%], followed by stress 41.7% [35.3%; 48.1%], burnout 35.8% [25.7%; 45.8%], anxiety 32.5% [27.9%; 37.1%], depression 32.5% [28.8%; 36.1%], internet addiction 26.0% [5.5%; 46.5%], substance use 25.2% [18.9%; 31.6%], eating disorders 9.8% [1.1%; 18.4%], and suicidal thoughts/gestures/acts 8.9% [4.8%; 12.9%]. The prevalence estimates were deemed acceptable for all PBS.
Conclusion: The evidence shows that fully one-third of medical students experience a range of problematic PBS, likely attributable to the demanding and intense study environment, the hierarchical structure of medical training facilities, and the vulnerability of the young adulthood time period. Appropriately targeted assessment and intervention efforts are clearly warranted to decrease the psychological burden of medical student training.
... All data were analyzed using R software 4.2.2 (Innocent and Trusting) [17] for statistical computing. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. ...
Objective: Medical students frequently experience a range of stressors, such as demanding academic requirements, competition and rivalry, self-doubt, and financial distress. As a result, they are at risk for psychological and behavioral symptoms (PBS) including: depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties as well as maladaptive substance use. Methods: To determine the degree of risk for these symptoms, 13 databases, without language restriction, were searched. Results: A total of 32 meta-analyses were included in this umbrella review. A global analysis of all self-reported PBS combined yielded a pooled prevalence rate of 30.3% [26.9%; 33.7%]; 95% PI [2.2%; 58.3%]. The highest reported prevalence was for sleep problems 42.0% [35.6%; 48.4%], followed by stress 41.7% [35.3%; 48.1%], burnout 35.8% [25.7%; 45.8%], anxiety 32.5% [27.9%; 37.1%], depression 32.5% [28.8%; 36.1%], internet addiction 26.0% [5.5%; 46.5%], substance use 25.2% [18.9%; 31.6%], eating disorders 9.8% [1.1%; 18.4%], and suicidal thoughts/gestures/acts 8.9% [4.8%; 12.9%]. The prevalence estimates were deemed acceptable for all PBS. Conclusion: The evidence shows that fully one-third of medical students experience a range of problematic PBS, likely attributable to the demanding and intense study environment, the hierarchical structure of medical training facilities, and the vulnerability of the young adulthood time period. Appropriately targeted assessment and intervention efforts are clearly warranted to decrease the psychological burden of medical student training.
... All analyses were performed using R version 4.1.1 [80]. ...
Floral scent is crucial for attracting pollinators, especially in plants that bloom at night. However, chemical profiles of flowers from nocturnal plants with varied floral morphs are poorly documented, limiting our understanding of their pollination ecology. We investigated the floral scent in Guettarda scabra (L.) Vent. (Rubiaceae), a night-blooming species with short-and long-styled floral morphs, found in the threatened pine rocklands in south Florida, US. By using dynamic headspace sampling and GC-MS analysis, we characterized the chemical profiles of the floral scent in both morphs. Neutral red staining was also employed to determine the specific floral regions responsible for scent emission in G. scabra. The results revealed that G. scabra's fragrance consists entirely of benzenoid and terpenoid compounds, with benzeneacetaldehyde and (E)-β-ocimene as dominant components. There were no differences in the chemical profiles between the long-and short-styled flowers. Staining assays indicated that the corolla lobes, anthers, and stigma were the primary sources of the scent. These findings indicate that G. scabra's floral scent is consistent with that of night-blooming plants pollinated by nocturnal hawkmoths, providing important insights into its chemical ecology and pollinator attraction. This study demonstrates how floral scent chemistry can validate predictions based on flower morphology in hawkmoth-pollinated plants.
... The analyses were conducted using the in-house Python programming language v.2.7.10 [86], and R software v.3.3.3 [87], while 3D visualization was performed using MacPyMOL software v.1.7.2.2 [88,89]. VMD was also extensively used [52]. ...
Plasmodium vivax malaria affects 14 million people each year. Its invasion requires interactions between the parasitic Duffy-binding protein (PvDBP) and the N-terminal extracellular domain (ECD1) of the host’s Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines (DARC). ECD1 is highly flexible and intrinsically disordered, therefore it can adopt different conformations. We computationally modeled the challenging ECD1 local structure. With T-REMD simulations, we sampled its dynamic behavior and collected its most representative conformations. Our results suggest that most of the DARC ECD1 domain remains in a disordered state during the simulated time. Globular local conformations are found in the analyzed local free-energy minima. These globular conformations share an α-helix spanning residues Ser18 to Ser29 and in many cases they comprise an antiparallel β-sheet, whose β-strands are formed around residues Leu10 and Ala49. The formation of a parallel β-sheet is almost negligible. So far, progress in understanding the mechanisms forming the basis of the P. vivax malaria infection of reticulocytes has been hampered by experimental difficulties, along with a lack of DARC structural information. Our collection of the most probable ECD1 structural conformations will help to advance modeling of the DARC structure and to explore DARC–ECD1 interactions with a range of physiological and pathological ligands.
... Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical programming language R, v4.1.2 [13]. ...
Background:
Ultra-high-density mapping systems allow more precise measurement of the heart chambers at corresponding conduction velocities (CVs) and voltage amplitudes (VAs). Our aim for this study was to define and compare a basic value set for unipolar CV and VA in all four heart chambers and their separate walls in healthy, juvenile porcine hearts using ultra-high-density mapping.
Methods:
We used the Rhythmia Mapping System to create electroanatomical maps of four pig hearts in sinus rhythm. CVs and VAs were calculated for chambers and wall segments with overlapping circular areas (radius of 5 mm).
Results:
We analysed 21 maps with a resolution of 1.4 points/mm2. CVs were highest in the left atrium (LA), followed by the left ventricle (LV), right ventricle (RV), and right atrium (RA). As for VA, LV was highest, followed by RV, LA, and RA. The left chambers had a higher overall CV and VA than the right. Within the chambers, CV varied more in the right than in the left chambers, and VA varied in the ventricles but not in the atria. There was a slightly positive correlation between CVs and VAs at velocity values of <1.5 m/s.
Conclusions:
In healthy porcine hearts, the left chambers showed higher VAs and CVs than the right. CV differs mainly within the right chambers and VA differs only within the ventricles. A slightly positive linear correlation was found between slow CVs and low VAs.
... All statistical analyses were carried out using the R statistical software version 4.1.2 [31]. ...
The timing of flowering and fruiting plays a critical role in the reproduction, population size, and range of fruit-eating animals. The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, China, hosts one of the world’s most endangered primate species, the Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus). Understanding the phenological patterns of the principal food sources of the Hainan gibbon is crucial for the effective management of their habitats and the conservation of this threatened population. To that end, we conducted a regression analysis to better understand how climate may impact the timing and availability of fruits known to support the Hainan gibbon. We observed significant seasonal and inter-annual variations in the reproductive phenology of these fruiting species, with most species flowering from March to June and fruiting from August to December. Importantly, we found that Hainan gibbons face severe food scarcity between January and April. We show that sunshine exerts a significant effect on the flowering time, while fruiting phenology is most sensitive to temperature. We suggest that the restoration of the Hainan gibbon habitat should include planting more tree species which that produce fruit in the time of low food availability between January-April, including the species Memecylon ligustrifolium, Wrightia pubescens, Sarcosperma laurinum, Eurya ciliata, and Pouteria annamensis.
... The results of hatchability were evaluated using the Fisher exact test of the R Statistic programme [19]. The production traits and microbiota composition data were evaluated using the two-way analysis of variance of the SPSS software (version 23.0-IBM Corp. Released., 2015), using the hatching time and the age of the parent flocks as the main factors. ...
This trial was carried out to find out the effects of the parent flock and hatching time of broiler chickens on the production traits and bacteriota development of animals. Two sets of 730 hatching eggs were collected from two different parent flocks with ages of 25 and 50 weeks. In the hatchery, both groups were divided into two subgroups: those hatched during the first 10 and the subsequent 10 h of the hatching window. A feeding trial was carried out afterwards, using the four treatments in six replicate floor pens and feeding commercial starter, grower, and finisher diets that contained all the nutrients according to the breeder’s recommendations. The day-old chickens of the older parent flock and those hatched later were heavier, and this advantage remained until the end of the production period. The different ages and origins of the parent flocks failed to modify the microbiological parameters of the chicken’s ceca; however, the hatching time significantly influenced the different bacteriota diversity indices: the late-hatched chickens showed higher Bacteroidetes and lower Firmicutes and Actinobacteria abundances at day 11. These treatments resulted in differences in the main families, Ruminococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Bacteroidaceae. These differences could not be found at day 39.
... The percentage of patients showing limitations/restrictions within each ICF category was visualized using barplots. All statistical analyses were performed in the R environment for statistical computing [24]. Package ggplot2 [25] was used for visualizing the results. ...
Background:
In the primary and secondary medical health sector, patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are widely used to assess a patient's disease-related functional health state. However, the World Health Organization (WHO), in its recently adopted resolution on "strengthening rehabilitation in all health systems", encourages that all health sectors, not only the rehabilitation sector, classify a patient's functioning and health state according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).
Aim:
This research sought to optimize machine learning (ML) methods that fully and automatically link information collected from PROMs in persons with unspecific chronic low back pain (cLBP) to limitations in activities and restrictions in participation that are listed in the WHO core set categories for LBP. The study also aimed to identify the minimal set of PROMs necessary for linking without compromising performance.
Methods:
A total of 806 patients with cLBP completed a comprehensive set of validated PROMs and were interviewed by clinical psychologists who assessed patients' performance in activity limitations and restrictions in participation according to the ICF brief core set for low back pain (LBP). The information collected was then utilized to further develop random forest (RF) methods that classified the presence or absence of a problem within each of the activity participation ICF categories of the ICF core set for LBP. Further analyses identified those PROM items relevant to the linking process and validated the respective linking performance that utilized a minimal subset of items.
Results:
Compared to a recently developed ML linking method, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) values for the novel RF methods showed overall improved performance, with AUC values ranging from 0.73 for the ICF category d850 to 0.81 for the ICF category d540. Variable importance measurements revealed that minimal subsets of either 24 or 15 important PROM variables (out of 80 items included in full set of PROMs) would show similar linking performance.
Conclusions:
Findings suggest that our optimized ML based methods more accurately predict the presence or absence of limitations and restrictions listed in ICF core categories for cLBP. In addition, this accurate performance would not suffer if the list of PROM items was reduced to a minimum of 15 out of 80 items assessed.
... The analysis was undertaken in R version 4.2.1 [28] using the 'lmtest' [29], 'MASS' [30] and 'tsModel' [31] packages. Analysis code of this study is available on request from the corresponding author. ...
Background and Aims
The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic was associated with a surge in opioid overdose deaths in Massachusetts, particularly affecting racial and ethnic minority communities. We aimed to compare the impact of the pandemic on opioid overdose fatalities and naloxone distribution from community‐based programs across racial and ethnic groups in Massachusetts.
Design
Interrupted time‐series.
Setting and Cases
Opioid overdose deaths (OODs) among non‐Hispanic White, non‐Hispanic Black, Hispanic and non‐Hispanic other race people in Massachusetts, USA (January 2016 to June 2021).
Measurements
Rate of OODs per 100 000 people, rate of naloxone kits distributed per 100 000 people and ratio of naloxone kits per opioid overdose death as a measure of naloxone availability. We applied five imputation strategies using complete data in different periods to account for missingness of race and ethnicity for naloxone data.
Findings
Before COVID‐19 (January 2016 to February 2020), the rate of OODs declined among non‐Hispanic White people [0.2% monthly reduction (95% confidence interval = 0.0–0.4%)], yet was relatively constant among all other population groups. The rate of naloxone kits increased across all groups (0.8–1.2% monthly increase) and the ratio of naloxone kits per OOD death among non‐Hispanic White was 1.1% (0.8–1.4%) and among Hispanic people was 1.0% (0.2–1.8%). After the onset of the pandemic (March 2020+), non‐Hispanic Black people experienced an immediate increase in the rate of OODs [63.6% (16.4–130%)], whereas rates among other groups remained similar. Trends in naloxone rescue kit distribution did not substantively change among any groups, and the ratio of naloxone kits per OOD death for non‐Hispanic Black people did not compensate for the surge in OODs deaths in this group.
Conclusions
With the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic, there was a surge in opioid overdose deaths among non‐Hispanic Black people in Massachusetts, USA with no compensatory increase in naloxone rescue kit distribution. For non‐Hispanic White and Hispanic people, opioid overdose deaths remained stable and naloxone kit distribution continued to increase.
Los modelos alométricos son de vital importancia ya que
permiten estimar la biomasa aérea en cada uno de sus componentes (hojas,
ramas, fuste y total) del árbol. El objetivo del estudio fue ajustar modelos
alométricos para estimar biomasa aérea por componentes en árboles
individuales de Tectona grandis L. f. en Tizimín, Yucatán. La biomasa aérea
se estimó mediante el método directo, se derribó en campo un total de 32
individuos, cada árbol se separó por componente; hojas, ramas y fuste y se
determinó el peso verde, se extrajeron submuestras de los componentes
para determinar la relación peso seco-peso verde. Para obtener la biomasa
se multiplicó el peso verde total de cada componente por su relación
correspondiente. Para cada componente se ajustaron ecuaciones lineales y
no lineales, mediante el método de mínimos cuadrados ordinarios. El modelo
no lineal (potencial) mostró mejor ajuste, presentando el componente fuste y
total registraron un R2 de 0.96 en T. grandis L. f. La proporción de biomasa
en cada uno de sus componentes fue diferente, siendo el fuste el de mayor
porcentaje con un 48%, seguido de ramas con 35 y 17% en hojas
Many vertebrates, both homeo-and poikilothermic, show a significant relationship between body size and environmental temperature. Whether such an association may exist in microscopic invertebrates has been less explored. Therefore, we decided to analyse terrestrial Tardigrada from various habitats worldwide to examine whether these animals reveal any relationship pattern between body size and environmental temperature. Data on minimum, maximum, and mean body sizes were extracted from original descriptions or sometimes from later re-descriptions of the species. Minimum, maximum, and mean temperature data from the type localities of the species were retrieved from WorldClim 2. In general, accounting for geographic and phylogenetic confounding factors, the body size of terrestrial tardigrades decreased as the environmental temperature increased. The same tendency was observed for most of the genera when additional analyses were carried out separately for each genus. This is the first biogeographical analysis demonstrating that terrestrial tardigrades generally conform to the temperature-size rule.
Tobacco products are widely recognized as a major contributor to death. Cigarette smoke contains several toxic chemicals including heavy metals particulate causing high health risks. However, limited information has been available on the health risks associated with the heavy metals in cigarettes commonly sold in the Bangladeshi market. This study evaluated the concentrations and potential health risks posed by ten concerned heavy metals in ten widely consumed cigarette brands in Bangladesh using an atomic absorption spectrometer. The concentration (mg/kg) ranges of heavy metals Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Co, Ni, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn vary between 0.46–1.05, 0.55–1.03, 0.80–1.2, 0.22–0.40, 0.46–0.78, 2.59–3.03, 436.8–762.7, 115.8–184.4, 146.6–217.7, and 34.0–42.7, respectively. We assume that the heavy metals content among cigarette brands is varied due to the differences in the source of tobacco they use for cigarette preparation. The carcinogenic risks posed by heavy metals follow the order of Cr > Co > Cd > As > Ni > Pb, while the non-carcinogenic risks for Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn were greater than unity (HQ > 1), except for Fe. The existence of toxic heavy metals in cigarette tobacco may thus introduce noticeable non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health impacts accompanying inhalation exposure. This study provides the first comprehensive report so far on heavy metal concentration and associated health risks in branded cigarettes commonly sold in Bangladesh. Hence, this data and the information provided can serve as a baseline as well as a reference for future research and have potential implications for policy and legislation in Bangladesh.
Graphical Abstract
چکیده
پاسخگویی ادراکشده همسر (PPR) سازهای است که میتواند به ارزیابی صمیمیت در زوجدرمانی کمک کند. بااینوجود، پژوهش در مورد PPR بهواسطه فقدان وجود مقیاس اندازهگیری استاندارد در این زمینه با مشکل مواجه شده است. هدف پژوهش حاضر ترجمه و بررسی ساختار عاملی، تغییرناپذیری، روایی و همسانی درونی مقیاس پاسخگویی و عدم¬حساسیت ادراکشده (PRI) در بین نمونههای ایرانی بود. جامعه آماری پژوهش حاضر، معلمان متأهل استان زنجان در سال 1401-1400 بود که در کل 429 معلم از طریق نمونهگیری در دسترس در این پژوهش مشارکت کردند. برای تحلیل دادهها از شاخصهای آمار توصیفی و آزمون MAP، تحلیل موازی، تحلیل شبکه اکتشافی، تحلیل بوت¬استرپ، مدل پاسخ مدرج و تحلیل عاملی تأییدی استفاده شد. یافتهها نشان داد که ساختار عاملی PRI در جامعه ایران با مطالعه کراستا و همکاران (2021) یکسان است؛ یعنی PRI یک ساختار دوبُعدی داشت. شاخصهای برازش مقیاس و بار عاملی گویه¬ها هم به تفکیک جنسیت و هم در کل نمونه مطلوب بودند. یافتههای مربوط به تغییرناپذیری جنسیتی مقیاس در مدلهای مختلف نیز گویای این بود که مفهوم گویه¬ها برای زنان و مردان یکسان است. تحلیلهای مبتنی بر نظریه سؤال-پاسخ نشان داد که گویه¬های مستخرج برای نسخه کوتاه PRI در این پژوهش با نسخه کوتاه مستخرج از مطالعه کراستا و همکاران (2021) یکسان بود. آماره¬های آلفا، پایایی ترکیبی، شاخص AVE و روایی تشخیصی مقیاس PRI نیز مطلوب بودند. یافتههای مربوط به روایی همگرا و واگرا نیز حاکی از روابط معنادار PRI با دیگر متغیرهای موردمطالعه در این پژوهش بود. درکل، مقیاس PRI ویژگیهای روانسنجی مطلوبی نشان داد که گویایی قابلیت کاربست¬پذیری آن در جامعه ایران و هماهنگی آن با هنجارهای فرهنگی کشور بود. بااینحال، در مطالعه حاضر احتمال ضعیف بودن روایی تشخیصی دو سازه موجود در این مقیاس بهخصوص برای گروه زنان وجود داشت که پیشنهاد می¬شود در مطالعات آتی با حجم نمونه بیشتر مورد بررسی قرار گیرد.
کلیدواژهها: پاسخگویی، صمیمیت، اعتباریابی، نظریه سؤال-پاسخ، تحلیل شبکه اکتشافی، تغییرناپذیری.
چکیده
هدف پژوهش حاضر مطالعه ساختار عاملی مقیاس فابینگ شریک (Partner phubbing)، قابلیت انطباق¬پذیری و تغییرناپذیری آن در جامعه ایران بود. روش پژوهش حاضر از نظر هدف کاربردی، از لحاظ گردآوری داده توصیفی-پیمایشی و بر اساس تحلیل داده، همبستگی بود. جامعه آماری این مطالعه تمام معلمان متأهل استان زنجان در سال 1401 بود. تعداد نمونه به 841 نفر رسید که از این تعداد 481 نفر خانم و 238 نفر آقا بودند و 122 نفر هم جنسیت¬شان را تعیین نکرده بودند. ابزار اصلی این پژوهش مقیاس فابینگ شریک بود. برای تحلیل دادهها از شاخصهای آمار توصیفی، ضریب همبستگی پیرسون و تحلیل عاملی اکتشافی و تأییدی استفاده شد. تحلیل داده¬ها با استفاده از نرمافزارهای SPSS26، بسته لاوان و بسته EGAnet در نرمافزار R انجام شد. یافتهها نشان داد که مقیاس فابینگ شریک ساختار تک¬عاملی داشت. تمامی گویه¬ها بهغیراز گویه 7 با مدل پاسخ مدرج برازش قابل¬قبول داشتند. شاخصهای برازش مطلوب و قابلقبول بودند. برون¬دادها حکایت از پایایی مناسب این مقیاس داشتند. با وجود اینکه روایی تشخیصی ابزار پایین بود، اما در سطح سازه برقرار بود. تغییرناپذیری جنسیتی برای این ابزار تأیید شد. بار عاملی تمام گویه¬ها به جزگویه 7 معنادار بودند. همچنین مقیاس فابینگ شریک روایی همگرا و واگرای مطلوبی نشان داد. نتایج گویای این بود که مقیاس فابینگ شریک از ویژگیهای روانسنجی مطلوب جهت کاربرد در پژوهشهای آتی برخوردار است. البته پژوهشهای آتی باید روایی تشخیصی ابزار و شاخص¬های روان¬سنجی گویه 7 این مقیاس را در بین نمونههای مختلف با خصایص جمعیت شناختی و فرهنگی متفاوت مورد بازبینی قرار دهند.
واژه¬های¬ کلیدی: فابینگ، رابطه زوجی، نظریه سؤال-پاسخ، تحلیل شبکه اکتشافی، تغییرناپذیری.
چکیده
پژوهشهای زیادی رضایت زوجی را مورد مطالعه قرار دادهاند، اما به ماهیت و سنجش روابط زوجی شکوفا توجه کمی اختصاص یافته است. از طرف دیگر، مقیاسهای فعلی اندازهگیری کیفیت رابطه در قسمت بالایی پیوستار سنجش، فاقد حساسیت هستند؛ چیزی که مانع پیشروی به سمت درک و سنجش شکوفایی زوجی میشود. از این رو، هدف پژوهش حاضر ترجمه و مطالعه قابلیت انطباق¬پذیری ساختار عاملی مقیاس شکوفایی زوجی (CFM) در بین نمونههای ایرانی بود. جامعه آماری مطالعه حاضر معلمان متأهل استان زنجان در سال 1401-1400 بود که با روش نمونه گیری در دسترس انتخاب شدند و حجم نمونه به 429 نفر رسید. یافتههای حاصل از تحلیل موازی، آزمون MAP و تحلیل شبکه اکتشافی مطالعه حاضر حاکی از ساختار تک¬عاملی CFM بود. همچنین بروندادهای تحلیل بوت¬استرپ جهت بررسی میزان ثبات ساختار عاملی، تکبُعدی بودن CFM را مورد تأیید قرار دادند. تحلیلهای مبتنی بر نظریه سؤال-پاسخ، برازش گویهها با مدل پاسخ مدرج را تأیید کرد و شیب گویهها حاکی از قدرت تمیز همه سؤالات بود که نشان میدهد همه گویه¬ها دارای آگاهی بودند. علاوه¬براین، تحلیلهای مبتنی بر نظریه سؤال- پاسخ تصدیق کرد که هر سه نسخه CFM به ترتیب از نسخه بلند تا نسخه کوتاه، بیشترین میزان آگاهی را ارائه میکنند که نشاندهنده مطلوب بودن نسخههای کوتاه در بین نمونههای موردمطالعه نیز بود. شاخصهای برازش، آماره¬های آلفا، پایایی ترکیبی و شاخص AVE در هر سه نسخه CFM هم در کل نمونه و هم به تفکیک جنسیت، مطلوب بودند. ریشه دوم AVE در کل نمونه برابر 826. بود که حاکی از برقرار بودن روایی تشخیصی در سطح سازه بود. نتایج مربوط به تغییرناپذیری ساختار عاملی بر اساس جنسیت در نسخه بلند در چهار مدل شکلی، متریک، اسکالر و دقیق نشان داد که تغییرناپذیری در تمامی مدلها برقرار بود. متغیر شکوفایی زوجی روابط معناداری با دیگر متغیرهای بهکار رفته در این مطالعه داشت که حاکی از روایی همگرا و واگرای مطلوب CFM بود. یافتههای مطالعه حاضر گواه بر این بود که CFM از پایایی و روایی مطلوبی برخوردار است و با هنجارهای فرهنگی جامعه ایران سازگاری داشت.
کلیدواژهها: شکوفایی، رابطه زوجی، اعتباریابی، نظریه سؤال-پاسخ، تحلیل شبکه اکتشافی، تغییرناپذیری.
Today, the interplay between economic inequality, international migration, and urban transformation has raised awareness about segregation and its social implications on a global and European scale. As cities become home to diverse populations with various backgrounds including social, racial, ethnic, and cultural, the proximity of these groups becomes more pronounced. This article explores the residential segregation of four Asian immigrant groups in three major Italian cities: Milan, Rome, and Naples. Using data from the 2011 Italian General Population Census and employing an areal weighted interpolation procedure, the study measures segregation using both traditional two-group indices and multi-group indices that account for the complexities of contemporary societies. The results indicate a north-south disparity, with Naples exhibiting the highest levels of residential segregation. Among the analysed immigrant groups, Bangladeshis and Chinese tended to be more self-segregated, while Filipinos and Sri Lankans were relatively more dispersed. This research underscores the necessity for a nuanced understanding of segregation dynamics and the adoption of appropriate approaches to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the coexistence of diverse groups in urban areas. By contributing to the existing literature on residential segregation in Southern Europe, this study sheds light on the spatial patterns and social dynamics of different ethnic groups in Italian cities.
Molecular research based on gene sequence analysis and performed for decades, in general, supported morphology-based groupings of the species within the family Culicidae, but phylogenetic relationships between some genera and tribes remained uncertain for a long time. Interspecific differences in catalase, an antioxidant enzyme important for maintaining prolonged lifespan and reproduction, have not been studied extensively by estimating enzymatic activity levels. Here, catalase enzymatic activity was assayed in extracts of male mosquitoes belonging to 10 species of the subfamily Culicinae, including species from tribes of disputable phylogeny. Three species of Chaoboridae (nearest outgroup taxon) and mosquitoes from the subfamily Anophelinae (one species complex) were also added to the study. At least in Culicinae, immature adult males (less than one day after emergence) have distinctly elevated specific activity of catalase; therefore, only mature males of all species were used for the comparative study. As a result, significant differences in catalase activity were revealed between tribes, genera and particular species. Among culicids, the genera Coquillettidia and Culiseta were found to include the species with the highest and relatively high catalase activity, which is consistent with the affinity of the tribes Mansoniini and Culisetini to each other. Within Ochlerotatus, extremely low catalase activity in Oc. hexodontus suggests the more distant position of this species from Oc. cantans (Meigen) and Oc. communis (de Geer) than the positions of the latter two species from each other. Additional study of catalase activity in overwintering females of the genus Culex revealed significantly higher enzyme activity in Cx. torrentium in comparison with Cx. pipiens, which supports their quite distant positions from each other within the genus. Considering the distribution of catalase activity within the tree obtained, the preliminary outcome is that Culiseta retains the elevated level of catalase activity that was lost during the early separation of Anopheles and subsequent separation of Culex and Aedes/Ochlerotatus after Anopheles from their common branch with Culiseta/Coquillettidia. Overall, the use of taxonomic distribution of catalase activity levels appears to be effective for resolving disputed events of mosquito phylogeny.
Purpose
Studies predicting the impacts of climate change on erosion have considered numerous variables, such as rainfall erosivity and vegetation cover, but have not considered potential changes in soil erodibility. Erodibility is an intrinsic property of the soil, strongly correlated with the stability of soil aggregates. It is influenced by soil physico-chemical attributes, including the microbiological community. The study aim was to determine how shifts in temperature and moisture conditions, which other studies have shown affect microbiological communities, might affect aggregate stability.
Methods
Using an experimental approach with laboratory microcosms, aggregates from a sandy loam soil and a clay soil were incubated at three temperatures and three moisture conditions in a factorial experimental design. Aggregate stability was quantified using rainfall simulation. Microbiological indicator metrics were measured to evaluate treatment microbiological impacts, including community composition (PLFA), biomass carbon, and respiration.
Results
Temperature and moisture content affected aggregate stability significantly, but differently for the two soil types tested. For the sandy loam soil, aggregate stability decreased significantly with increasing moisture content. For the clay soil, aggregate stability increased significantly with increasing temperature. For both soil textures, temperature and moisture content affected microbiological community composition and respiration. Regression analysis indicated that microbiological properties were significant predictors of aggregate stability.
Conclusion
Our results emphasise the dynamic nature of soil aggregate stability. Changes in microbiological metrics suggest possible biological mechanisms for aggregate stability changes, which should be investigated further to better understand the potential impacts of climate change on soil erodibility and erosion.
Catch and effort data performed by the Brazilian tuna longline fleet in a wide area of the South Atlantic Ocean from 1994 to 2020 were analyzed. The fishing effort was distributed over a wide area of the Atlantic Ocean. The CPUE of sailfish was standardized by a GLM using a Delta Lognormal approach. The factors used in the models were: year, quarter, vessels, clusters, hooks per float, hooks, and the lat-long reference for each 5 by 5 spatial square. The standardized CPUE series increases between 1996 and 2003, followed by a decreasing trend until the end of the time series.
In the present study, a generalized linear model (GLM), assuming a Tweedie distribution, was used to generate a standardized CPUE series for sailfish caught by sport fishing boats based in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo and Bahia States, from 2001 to 2020. The response variable was the number of sailfish caught per number of boats registered in the tournament per day. The following factors were tested in the analyses: "year", "target", and "local", representing the main effects of the explanatory variables. The target species was estimated by a cluster analysis, based on the proportion of each species or group of species in relation to the total catch, using the "K Means" method. The standardized catch rate's general pattern shows a trend of reduction from 2000 to 2012, followed by a trend of relative stability in more recent years up to 2020. Our estimates could be taken to accurately reflect the stock's local relative abundance and might be applied to assessment models.
Changing climatic conditions in north-western Europe require adaptations in management of ley grassland, requiring new grass-legume mixture designs in response to increased variability in precipitation and warmer summers. Evaluation of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)-grass swards with the grasses cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), which are potentially more tolerant to summer water shortage, have yet to be evaluated under the agro-climatic conditions of north-western Europe. We tested these grasses in three-species swards and binary lucerne grass swards and compared them against pure stands and a standard lucerne-grass mixture. The study was conducted in eight environments resulting from the combination of four soil sites during the two full main production years 2020 and 2021 with an annual precipitation range of 416–839 mm. Swards were harvested three to five times annually and the accumulated herbage dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) yields, as well as species proportions were recorded. We found an average yield of 11.1 t DM ha- 1 and no significant differences in herbage DM yields between lucerne pure stands and the different mixture swards. This pattern was stable irrespective of environmental conditions, but in general herbage yield and aboveground N yield were affected by precipitation amount. Swards with cocksfoot had a greater grass pro- portion than those with tall fescue. The N yield of lucerne-grass swards was lower and declined as the grass proportion increased, and reached on average 353 kg N ha-1. The maximum N yield of lucerne pure stands was 547 kg N ha-1. Species mixtures yielded higher than expected from the pure stands (net mixture effect, NE) pointing at overyielding. Consequently, synergistic interspecific interactions occurred but did not lead to transgressive overyielding. The results indicate that the inclusion of grass species with tolerance to water shortage into lucerne-based swards offers the potential to diversify grasslands without losses of agronomic po- tential, at least during the first two main production years.
The decision of premature culling cows directly impacts the profitability of dairy farms. A comprehensive characterization of the primary causes of culling reasons would greatly improve both management and selection objectives in dairy cattle breeding programs. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the temporal frequencies of 34 culling reasons in Canadian Holstein cows. After data editing and quality control, records from 3,096,872 cows culled from 9,683 herds spread across Canada were used for the analyses covering the periods from 1996 to 2020. Reproductive issues were the main culling reason accounting for 23.02%, followed by milk production (20.82%), health (20.39%), conformation problems (13.69%), economic factors (13.10%), accidents (5.67%), age-related causes (1.67%), and workability (1.63%). Nearly fifty-eight percent of cows were culled after 47 months of age. The observed frequencies of culling due to economic factors were lower than expected from 1996 to 2014 and higher than expected between 2015 and 2020. Reproduction issues had the highest culling frequencies during fall (24.54%), winter (24.02%), and spring (22.51%), while health issues were the most frequent (22.51%) culling reason in the summer season. Health issues (25.50%) and milk production (27.71%) were the most frequent culling reasons in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, respectively. Reproductive issues showed the highest frequency across climates based on the Köppen climate classification, except for Csb (Dry-summer subtropical or Mediterranean climate) and Bsk (Middle latitude steppe climate), which correspond to small regions in Canada, where production was the most frequent culling reason (29.42% and 21.56%, respectively). Reproductive and milk performance issues were the two main culling reasons in most ecozones, except in Boreal Shield and Atlantic Marine, where health issues had the highest frequencies (25.12 and 23.75%, respectively). These results will contribute to improving management practices and selective decisions to reduce involuntary culling of Holstein cows.
Multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) tests are increasing in popularity but their construction is complex. The Thurstonian item response model (Thurstonian IRT model) is most often used to score MFC tests that contain dominance items. Currently, in a frequentist framework, information about the latent traits in the Thurstonian IRT model is computed for binary outcomes of pairwise comparisons, but this approach neglects stochastic dependencies. In this manuscript, it is shown how to estimate Fisher information on the block level. A simulation study showed that the observed and expected standard errors based on the block information were similarly accurate. When local dependencies for block sizes > 2 were neglected, the standard errors were underestimated, except with the maximum a posteriori estimator. It is shown how the multidimensional block information can be summarized for test construction. A simulation study and an empirical application showed small differences between the block information summaries depending on the outcome considered. Thus, block information can aid the construction of reliable MFC tests.
Microbial evolution is driven by rapid changes in gene content mediated by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). While mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are important drivers of gene flux, the nanobiome—the zoo of Darwinian replicators that depend on microbial hosts—remains poorly characterised. New approaches are necessary to increase our understanding beyond MGEs shaping individual populations, towards their impacts on complex microbial communities. A bioinformatic pipeline (xenoseq) was developed to cross-compare metagenomic samples from microbial consortia evolving in parallel, aimed at identifying MGE dissemination, which was applied to compost communities which underwent periodic mixing of MGEs. We show that xenoseq can distinguish movement of MGEs from demographic changes in community composition that otherwise confounds identification, and furthermore demonstrate the discovery of various unexpected entities. Of particular interest was a nanobacterium of the candidate phylum radiation (CPR) which is closely related to a species identified in groundwater ecosystems (Candidatus Saccharibacterium), and appears to have a parasitic lifestyle. We also highlight another prolific mobile element, a 313 kb plasmid hosted by a Cellvibrio lineage. The host was predicted to be capable of nitrogen fixation, and acquisition of the plasmid coincides with increased ammonia production. Taken together, our data show that new experimental strategies combined with bioinformatic analyses of metagenomic data stand to provide insight into the nanobiome as a driver of microbial community evolution.
The objective of this work was to verify the correlations between carbon isotopic composition and traits of superior rice genotypes. Twenty genotypes were analyzed for morphology, micromorphology, anatomy, physiological performance, and carbon fingerprint. The plots consisted of 500 L plastic boxes sowed with rice, to allow of a plant density of 300 plants per square meter. Plant anatomy and physiological performance were evaluated using a microscope and an infrared gas analyzer, respectively. There is a correlation between rice water use efficiency (r = 0.45) and carboxylation efficiency (r = 0.39).
Coral nurseries and associated techniques are the most common and widespread reef restoration methods worldwide. Due to the rapid decline of coral reefs, coral nurseries need to be eco-friendlier and adapted for effective upscaling to support large restoration projects. We suggest new design and fabrication processes associated with coral gardening and transplantation with 3D printing technology to offer a beneficial solution for growing coral fragments in on-land and underwater nurseries. We describe multiple combinations of building nurseries through the integration of biomimetic substrates and novel solutions for attaching coral fragments. Our methods are supported with supplemental testing of two hybrid substrate designs and coral mounting structures, building upon previous studies in the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba (GoE/A), Red Sea. We identified and quantified marine invertebrates colonizing the surfaces of our substrates with environmental DNA (eDNA) by targeting the mitochondrial COI gene. We evaluated our coral fragments with and without our mounting structures to obtain an indication of total protein as a proxy for tissue health. We demonstrate the ability to design hybrid nurseries with custom mounting structures using biomimetic substrates, such as large ceramic artificial reefs, or with an interlocking mesh for holding numerous fragments to maximize out-planting efforts. We propose several methods for both land and underwater nurseries catered to various restoration initiatives for cost-effective up-scaling to meet the demands of global reef restoration.
Background
Sustained environmental enrichment (EE) through a variety of leisure activities may decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This cross-sectional cohort study investigated the association between long-term EE in young adulthood through middle life and microstructure of fiber tracts associated with the memory system in older adults.
Methods
N = 201 cognitively unimpaired participants (≥ 60 years of age) from the DZNE-Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE) baseline cohort were included. Two groups of participants with higher ( n = 104) or lower ( n = 97) long-term EE were identified, using the self-reported frequency of diverse physical, intellectual, and social leisure activities between the ages 13 to 65. White matter (WM) microstructure was measured by fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in the fornix, uncinate fasciculus, and parahippocampal cingulum using diffusion tensor imaging. Long-term EE groups (lower/higher) were compared with adjustment for potential confounders, such as education, crystallized intelligence, and socio-economic status.
Results
Reported participation in higher long-term EE was associated with greater fornix microstructure, as indicated by higher FA (standardized β = 0.117, p = 0.033) and lower MD (β = −0.147, p = 0.015). Greater fornix microstructure was indirectly associated (FA: unstandardized B = 0.619, p = 0.038; MD: B = −0.035, p = 0.026) with better memory function through higher long-term EE. No significant effects were found for the other WM tracts.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that sustained participation in a greater variety of leisure activities relates to preserved WM microstructure in the memory system in older adults. This could be facilitated by the multimodal stimulation associated with the engagement in a physically, intellectually, and socially enriched lifestyle. Longitudinal studies will be needed to support this assumption.
The introduction and colonization of invasive alien plant species (IAPS) is one of the major threats to the conservation of native flora and fauna. These species are noticed within several protected areas, including lowlands of Nepal, causing adverse effects on both the species and ecosystem services. The effects of IAPS on threatened mammalian species, especially with regards to their occurrences, remains little known. We identified the effects of IAPS on the occurrence of threatened mammalian species at Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP), Nepal from 11 November 2020 to 11 June 2021. We categorized ShNP into IAPS invaded and non-invaded habitat. We recorded the occurrence of threatened mammal species from 210 plots of 10 m X 10 m along the line transect. Altogether, we recorded 11 invasive alien plant species. Among them blue billygoat weed ( Ageratum houstonianum ) had the highest abundance in the study area. We recorded 25 mammal species in the study area, whereas 11 were threatened. Among the threatened species, 10 were found in the habitats invaded by IAPS, while all 11 were identified in non-invaded habitats. We found the higher occurrence of threatened mammal species closer to the forest where the abundance of IAPS was observed to decrease. In addition, we observed the occurrence of mammal species increased as the distance from the water source, road, human settlement, and agricultural land increased, indicating that the abundance of IAPS also decreased with increasing distance to water source, road, human settlement and agricultural land. Our findings suggest that the threatened mammal species tend to utilize the non-invaded habitat of IAPS over the invaded habitats. For developing a more suitable habitat for threatened mammal species, we recommend the removal or control of IAPS from ShNP.
Abstract Hebanthe eriantha (Martius) Kuntze and Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng) Pedersen are medicinal plants popularly known as “Brazilian Ginseng” due to their similarity to Panax ginseng. In Brazil, they are sold as the same herb, despite their different pharmacological and toxicological properties. The morphological identification is difficult, which facilitates their adulteration. We report the application of the Barcode DNA High-Resolution Melting (Bar-HRM) using matK gene to differentiate both species in samples sold in the Brazilian market. Using the proposed method, we could discriminate and identify both species. Bar-HRM analysis allowed discriminating and identifying both species. It allowed the identification of H. eriantha and P. glomerata in 43.6% and 56.4% of the amplified samples, respectively. Of these, only seven samples were authenticated and, in 71.4% of the cases, adulterated. We concluded that Bar-HRM has proven to be a fast alternative method to authenticate plants under the common name “Brazilian Ginseng”.
Vereda is a wetland ecosystem typical of the Cerrado biome characterized by diverse vegetation with dynamic and transitional areas of riparian forests, gallery forests, flooded forests, and humid grassland. In general, they are associated with controlling the flow of the water table, carbon storage, and high biodiversity and are essential to the maintenance of most rivers in the Cerrado biome. Besides that, Vereda is poorly studied, especially zooplanktonic groups. To lessen this knowledge gap, we evaluated the effects of seasonality and environmental predictors on the zooplanktonic community of Vereda. For that, we sampled zooplanktonic assemblages in the Veredas in the dry and wet seasons. We found environmental influence but not for the zooplankton community. The characteristic low conductivity seems to be an important environmental filter for zooplankton species occurrence in these systems, since the Veredas that registered major levels of richness and density were those with high electrical conductivity. Highlighting that some zooplankton species with a more restricted distribution were detected in this study: Acroperus tupinamba, which occurs in Brazil and Ecuador; Monospilus sp., for which only two species of this genus were registered in Brazil, both with restricted distribution, found thus far in only two protected areas of the Cerrado biome.
Understanding the relationships among the environment, species traits and ecosystem properties is important for developing management measures that optimize the delivery of ecosystem services (ESs). Here, we identify the most important relationships responsible for the delivery of two key ESs provided by tidal marshes: (1) nature-based shoreline protection through wave attenuation and (2) mitigation of climate change through soil carbon storage. In two tidal zones below and above the mean high water (MHW, Elbe Estuary, Germany) level, we measured environmental parameters, such as soil salinity and inundation, as well as plant traits representing adaptations to hydrodynamic stress and strongly influencing decomposition rates. Multiple linear regression results showed that wave attenuation rates were positively related to aboveground community biomass and stem bending resistance, and soil organic carbon was positively related to stem specific density (below the MHW level). In the tidal zone above the MHW level, soil carbon density was governed by inundation duration and decomposition rates. Our study highlights that (1) ES delivery is not equally spread across tidal marshes and (2) ecosystem management should stimulate the development and persistence of habitat diversity (here, low and high marsh zones) to maximize ES delivery potential. Securing the delivery of the two studied ESs under climate change will depend on providing suitable (landward) space to sustain the functioning of the two marsh zones. In the studied marshes, these services are highly dependent on a few species (i.e., wave attenuation on Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani and Bolboschoenus maritimus and carbon storage on Phragmites australis), and as such, current and future ESs strongly depend on specific species’ responses to changing environmental conditions.
The objective of this work was to determine the storability of 'SCS417 Monalisa' apple fruit in response to harvest maturity, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment, and storage atmospheres. Fruit quality was evaluated after two, four, six, and eight months plus one day or seven days in shelf life at 22°C. The controlled atmosphere (CA) and 1-MCP (1.0 μL L-1) treatments reduce fruit ethylene production and respiration, prevent rapid softening, and inhibit the incidence of scald-like symptoms, flesh browning, cracking, and fungal decay, in comparison with air storage . The combination of 1-MCP and CA provides additive benefits in firmness retention and in the reduction of the incidence of physiological disorders. CA and/or 1-MCP increase the risk of fruit developing wrinkly skin disorder. The loss of flesh firmness and acidity and the development of all physiological disorders and decay are higher in late-harvested fruit. The storage life of 'SCS417 Monalisa' apple is about two months in cold air and from six to eight months in cold CA, considering the time necessary to reach a flesh firmness of 53 N. The limiting factor for the long-term storage of 'SCS417 Monalisa' apple fruit under CA without 1-MCP is the development of physiological disorders and fungal decay.
Agricultural irrigation practices have changed through time as technology has enabled more efficient conveyance and application. In some agricultural regions, irrigation can contribute to incidental aquifer recharge important for groundwater return flows to streams. The Henrys Fork Snake River, Idaho (United States) overlies a portion of the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, where irrigated agriculture has occurred for over a century. Using irrigator interviews, aerial and satellite imagery, and statistical streamflow analysis, we document the impact of farm-scale decisions on basin-scale hydrology. Motivated to improve economic efficiency, irrigators began converting from surface to center-pivot sprinkler irrigation in the 1950s, with rapid adoption of center-pivot sprinklers through 2000. Between 1978–2000 and 2001–2022, annual surface-water diversion decreased by 311 Mm³ (23%) and annual return flow to the river decreased by 299 Mm³ over the same period. Some reaches that gained water during 1978–2000 lost water to the aquifer during the later period. We use an interdisciplinary approach to demonstrate how individual farm-scale improvements in irrigation efficiency can cumulatively affect hydrology at the landscape scale and alter groundwater-surface water relationships. Return flows are an important part of basin hydrology in irrigated landscapes and we discuss how managed and incidental aquifer recharge can be implemented to recover return flows to rivers.
Potato genetic improvement begins with crossing cultivars or breeding clones -often having complementary characteristics– for producing heritable variation in segregating offspring, in which phenotypic selection is used thereafter across various vegetative generations (T i ). Multi-environment, multi-trait, tetrasomic genomic best linear unbiased predictors (GBLUPs) have the potential to identify promising parents for further crossing, predict untested environments or genotypes, or purge deleterious alleles in inbred potato populations. Hence, the aim of this research was to determine whether GBLUPs may predict tuber yield across early T i within and across breeding sites in inbred (S 1 ) and hybrid (F 1 ) tetraploid potato offspring. This research used 858 breeding clones for a T 1 trial at Umeå in 2021, as well as 829 and 671 clones from the breeding population for T 2 trials during 2022 at Umeå (Norrland) and Helgegården (Skåne), in northern and southern Sweden respectively, along with their parents (S 0 ) and check cultivars. The S 1 and F 1 derived from selfing and crossing four S 0 . The experimental layout was an augmented design of 4-plant plots in the three breeding sites, in which breeding clones were non-replicated and the parents and cultivars were in all blocks in between the former. Genomic prediction ability (r) for tuber weight per plant were 0.5944 and 0.6776 in T 2 at Helgegården and Umeå, respectively, when T 1 at Umeå was the training population. On average, r was larger in inbred than in hybrid offspring at both breeding sites. There were significant differences for r among half-sib F 1 offspring at Helgegården, and among S 1 at both Helgegården and Umeå. The r was also estimated using multi-environment data (involving at least one S 1 and one F 1 ) for T 2 performance at both breeding sites. The r was strongly influenced by the genotype in both S 1 and F 1 offspring irrespective of the breeding site. GBLUPs are therefore useful for selecting breeding clones with different inbreeding levels in early stages.
Objectives
The functional roles of ventricular dominance and the presence of an additional ventricular chamber (AVC) after Fontan operation are still uncertain. This is a clinical study to assess and correlate such anatomical features to late clinical outcomes.
Methods
Fontan patients who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) in the previous 3 years were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical, CMRI, and CPET data from the last follow-up were analyzed to assess any correlation between AVC size and ventricular morphology.
Results
Fifty patients were analyzed: left/right dominance was 29/21, with a median age of 20 years (interquartile range:16–26). Median follow-up after the Fontan operation was 16 years (interquartile range:4–42). NYHA class III-IV was present in 3 cases (6%), 4 patients (8%) underwent Fontan conversion surgery, and 2 (4%) were listed for heart transplantation. Two patients (4%) died at follow-up. Statistical analysis showed that the AVC was larger (> 20ml/m2) in the right dominant ventricles (p = 0.01), which were also associated with a higher incidence of postoperative low-cardiac output syndrome (p = 0.043). Left ventricular dominance was associated with a better ejection fraction (p = 0.04), less extent of late gadolinium enhancement (p = 0.022), higher METs (p = 0.01), and pVO2 (p = 0.033). A larger AVC was associated with a higher need for postoperative ECMO support (p = 0.007), but it did not influence functional parameters at CMRI or CPET.
Conclusions
In Fontan patients, left ventricular dominance correlated to better functional outcomes. Conversely, a larger AVC which is more frequent with right ventricular dominance can affect negatively the early post-Fontan course.
Diffusion models have been widely used to obtain information about cognitive processes from the analysis of responses and response-time data in two-alternative forced-choice tasks. We present an implementation of the seven-parameter diffusion model, incorporating inter-trial variabilities in drift rate, non-decision time, and relative starting point, in the probabilistic programming language Stan. Stan is a free, open-source software that gives the user much flexibility in defining model properties such as the choice of priors and the model structure in a Bayesian framework. We explain the implementation of the new function and how it is used in Stan. We then evaluate its performance in a simulation study that addresses both parameter recovery and simulation-based calibration. The recovery study shows generally good recovery of the model parameters in line with previous findings. The simulation-based calibration study validates the Bayesian algorithm as implemented in Stan.
The intensity of affect refers to the strength with which individuals experience their emotions. This study aimed to adapt and seek evidence of validity for the version of the Short Affect Intensity Scale (SAIS) for the Brazilian context. After translation procedures, the translated version of the SAIS was applied, along with instruments to measure personality and subjective well-being in 1,180 Brazilians. The results revealed the adequacy of the three-factor structure for the instrument: Positive Intensity, Negative Intensity, and Serenity. Correlations with other variables were verified as theoretically expected. For example, positive correlations were found between Positive Intensity and Extraversion and Positive Affect; Negative Intensity and Neuroticism, and Negative Affect. The instrument proved to be adequate for the Brazilian context.
Effective control of helminth infections requires the application of mathematical models to inform control efforts and policy, the development of product profiles for new drugs, and the monitoring of existing drugs for resistance. Key to the success of these approaches is accurately estimating the number of worms within a host, as well as distinguishing, in drug efficacy trials and monitoring, between adults surviving treatment and adults who have reinfected a host following drug treatment. In practice, observing adult worms is often extremely challenging in a live patient, as many adult helminths are embedded deep in host tissues. Transmission stages of the lifecycle can be more accessible. Genetic approaches to infer kinship between larvae or eggs offer a solution to establish adult worm burdens, and to distinguish between treatment failure or treatment success followed by reinfection. Here, we use low-coverage whole-genome (lcWGS), and mitochondrial sequencing, of Onchocerca volvulus larvae to estimate the number of adults contributing to pools of offspring of known and unknown parentage. lcWGS reconstructs full-sibling relationships, resolving the number of unique adult worms contributing to a pool of offspring. Mitochondrial genotyping is able to reconstruct maternal sib-ship, thus estimating the minimum number of adult females within a patient. Further development of these approaches will offer a useful technique for evaluating adult worm burden and drug success in monitoring and clinical trials.
Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain is an important link in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Experimental studies show that Aβ can cause the dopaminergic dysfunction that is characteristic of this disease, and under Aβ influence not only the decrease but also the increase in phasic dopamine release is possible, depending on the structure of the brain. We aimed to investigate whether Aβ in a toxic form affects dopamine release or reuptake in the lateral dorsal striatum and, if so, whether this influence is mediated by the insulin signaling pathway. Aβ (fragment 25-35) and insulin solution were injected into the ventricular system of the anesthetized male Wistar rats. Within 10 minutes before and 30 minutes after the injection, electrically evoked dopamine elevations were registered with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry every 5 minutes. Release and reuptake were assessed separately by the kinetic analysis. The results show that Aβ acts on dopamine release and reuptake in the lateral dorsal striatum in several ways. It modulates the effect of insulin on dopamine release and reuptake, apparently acting through the insulin signaling pathway. In addition, Aβ increases dopamine release and basal levels by acting aside of the insulin signaling pathway.
The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1134/S0022093024010125
Frogs evolved terrestrial development multiple times, necessitating mechanisms to avoid ammonia toxicity at early stages. Urea synthesis from ammonia is a key adaptation that reduces water dependence after metamorphosis. We tested for early expression and plasticity of enzymatic mechanisms of ammonia detoxification in three terrestrial-breeding frogs: foam-nest-dwelling larvae of Leptodactylus fragilis (Lf) and arboreal embryos of Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni (Hf) and Agalychnis callidryas (Ac). Activity of two ornithine-urea cycle (OUC) enzymes, arginase and CPSase, and levels of their products urea and CP in tissues were high in Lf regardless of nest hydration, but reduced in experimental low- vs. high-ammonia environments. High OUC activity in wet and dry nests, comparable to that under experimental high ammonia, suggests terrestrial Lf larvae maintain high capacity for urea excretion regardless of their immediate risk of ammonia toxicity. This may aid survival through unpredictably long waiting periods before rain enables their transition to water. Moderate levels of urea and CP were present in Hf and Ac tissues and enzymatic activities were lower than in Lf. In both species, embryos in drying clutches can hatch and enter the water early, behaviorally avoiding ammonia toxicity. Moreover, glutamine synthetase was active in early stages of all three species, condensing ammonia and glutamate to glutamine as another mechanism of detoxification. Enzyme activity appeared highest in Lf, although substrate and product levels were higher in Ac and Lf. Our results reveal that multiple biochemical mechanisms of ammonia detoxification occur in early life stages of anuran lineages that evolved terrestrial development.
The Pantropical Caesalpinia group includes 225 species distributed in 27 monophyletic genera, among which Cenostigma stands out by taxonomic and phylogenetic complexity. The genus includes trees and shrubs with interspecific hybridization and high diversity in north-eastern Brazil (Caatinga domain). Detailed cytogenomic characterizations have been performed only in C. microphyllum revealing enrichment of long terminal repeats (LTR) Ty3/gypsy transposable elements (TEs) and satellite DNA (satDNA) in the heterochromatin. Here, we aimed to perform a comparative analysis of seven Northeast Brazilian species of Cenostigma using cytogenomic and genomic approaches. The comparative genomic analysis revealed repeats stability with similar TE abundance, composition, and chromosomal localization in all species. On the other hand, satDNA were highly variable in abundance, in some cases species-specific. Cytogenomic data confirmed the karyotype stability with the TE elements Athila and Tekay enriching the proximal heterochromatin. Moreover, the satDNA CemiSat163 appeared to be exclusively located on acrocentric chromosomes of the analysed species. The genomic stability in Cenostigma may be related to their relatively recent age (~13.59 Mya), long-life cycle, and/ or similarity in ecological niche among this species. We propose that the genomic stability found in Cenostigma may facilitate the natural interspecific gene flow reported in sympatric species, complicating the interpretation of its systematics and evolution.
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