R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing
... Statistical significance was set at the α = 0.05 level. The data analysis for this paper was generated using R software version 4.3.1 [21], and SAS software, Version 9.4. Copyright © 2024 SAS Institute Inc. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. ...
Literature indicates a potential association between dairy consumption and risk of Parkinson´s disease (PD), especially among men, yet the results remain inconclusive. We investigated this association in a large prospective European cohort. Dietary and non-dietary data was collected from 183,225 participants of the EPIC-for-Neurodegenerative-Diseases (EPIC4ND) cohort, a sub-cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. Crude and multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were employed to examine potential associations between baseline dietary intake of dairy, calcium and vitamin D with incident PD risk. No relationship was observed between dairy consumption (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.82–1.39), individual dairy products (milk: HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.73–1.23; yogurt: HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.82–1.29; cheese: HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.85–1.51), or vitamin D (HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.80–1.45) with PD risk. However, we observed a risk-increasing association with higher calcium intakes (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.00-1.78, p for trend = 0.031), which was more pronounced in men (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.00-2.25, p for trend = 0.044) and in ever smokers (HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.06–2.53, p for trend = 0.014). No compelling evidence was found for an association between dairy products or vitamin D intake and PD risk indicating a potentially limited relevance of dairy intake in PD risk than previously described. Our observations of a positive association between dietary calcium intake and PD risk in men and in ever smokers require further validation.
... Survival analyses were performed using the survival [39] and survminer [40] packages in R (version 4.4.1) [41]. ...
To enhance the plantation performance of Swietenia humilis Zucc., a threatened precious woody species from the dry tropics of Latin America, this study examined its morpho-physiological responses to variations in nutrient and light availability. We established a nursery trial with factorial treatments: three levels of fertilization (4, 6, and 8 g L−1 of substrate using a controlled-release fertilizer, CRF, 18-6-12) and two shade intensities (60% and 40%), alongside a full sun treatment. The field performance of nursery-raised plants was evaluated under two site conditions (with and without mechanical soil preparation) over 48 months. In the nursery, S. humilis exhibited diverse morpho-physiological characteristics influenced by the studied factors, with optimal growth observed at 6 g of the CRF and 40% shade. Mechanical soil preparation significantly improved plant survival, reducing mortality risk by 99.16% and increasing survival probability to nearly 75%. Height growth was also enhanced, being 2.5 times greater in the prepared site compared to that in the unprepared one. S. humilis showed acclimatization in the field, producing new foliage with high chlorophyll content. In conclusion, nursery management and soil site preparation influence the field performance of S. humilis. These findings have practical implications for improving the management of S. humilis in plantations across the dry tropics.
... All data were analyzed in R v4.3.1 [37] mostly with built-in functions and visualized using the ggplot2 v3.4.4 [38] and ggbeeswarm v0.7.2 packages. Coefficients of determination of the linear regression models were estimated using the lm and summary functions. ...
Solar ultraviolet (UV) is among the most important ecological factors shaping the composition of biota on the planet’s surface, including the upper layers of waterbodies. Inhabitants of dark environments recently evolving from surface organisms provide natural opportunities to study the evolutionary losses of UV adaptation mechanisms and better understand how those mechanisms function at the biochemical level. The ancient Lake Baikal is the only freshwater reservoir where deep-water fauna emerged, and its diverse endemic amphipods (Amphipoda, Crustacea) now inhabit the whole range from highly transparent littoral to dark depths of over 1600 m, which makes them a convenient model to study UV adaptation. With 10-day-long laboratory exposures, we show that adults of deep-water Baikal amphipods Ommatogammarus flavus and O. albinus indeed have high sensitivity to environmentally relevant UV levels in contrast to littoral species Eulimnogammarus cyaneus and E. verrucosus. The UV intolerance was more pronounced in deeper-dwelling O. albinus and was partially explainable by lower levels of carotenoids and carotenoid-binding proteins. Signs of oxidative stress were not found but UV-B specifically seemingly led to the accumulation of toxic compounds. Overall, the obtained results demonstrate that UV is an important factor limiting the distribution of deep-water amphipods into the littoral zone of Lake Baikal.
... All statistical analyses were performed using R software, version 3.6.2 [42]. ...
This is the first study to assess the physicochemical and biological compatibility of herbicides used in corn crops with entomopathogenic fungi used in the management of Dalbulus maidis in Brazil. The biological index was employed to ascertain the in vitro compatibility of the herbicides with pure spores (not formulated) of tested fungal isolates (Esalq-1296 of Cordyceps javanica and IBCB66 and Simbi BB15 of Beauveria bassiana). The results indicated a significant interaction between herbicides and fungal isolates when colony diameter and colony-forming units (CFU) were considered. Furthermore, changes in physicochemical characteristics were observed in some mixtures of herbicides and mycoinsecticides tested. The number of CFU was significantly reduced as the exposure time increased in the mixtures containing all the herbicides tested. In general, the Esalq-1296 isolate of C. javanica, formulated in a suspension concentrate (Octane®), proved to be more sensitive to the herbicides studied. In vivo bioassays demonstrated that, despite the synergistic effect of the binary mixtures of herbicides and mycoinsecticides on D. maidis mortality, the presence of the herbicide in the mixtures prevented the extrusion of entomopathogens from cadavers; therefore, caution is recommended when combining mycoinsecticides and post-emergent herbicides in tank mixtures aiming to manage D. maidis.
... The calculations and visualisations were executed in R-project ver. 4.2.3 [50]. ...
The application of high hydrostatic pressure and mild heat treatment represents preservation processes for extending the shelf life of food products without compromising their quality. The combination of these physical methods at lower applied levels represents a promising approach to preserving the quality of treated products. This study aims to investigate the impact of combined treatments on the quality and storage stability of strawberry, banana, almond milk and avocado smoothies. The total colony count, electronic nose and tongue signals, colour, viscosity and sensory properties were examined over a 14-day storage period at 6 °C. The combined treatments were found to be effective in reducing the total colony count. During the sensory analysis, the impact of storage was the most prominent factor. Both the treatments and storage conditions significantly affected the colour characteristics of the samples. The smoothie samples exhibited pseudoplastic flow behaviour. Both applied treatments resulted in enhanced texture stability of the samples during the storage period. The electronic tongue and nose could differentiate between groups of fresh and stored samples, as well as between control and treated samples.
... Data were visualized as a scatter plot with a regression line ("lm" model) superimposed onto the plot using ggplot2 package [71] (v. 3.5.1) in R [72] (v. 4.4.0). ...
Background/Objectives: Acinetobacter baumannii is a globally emerging pathogen with widespread antimicrobial resistance driven by multiple mechanisms, such as altered expression of efflux pumps like AdeABC, placing it as a priority for research. Driven by the lack of new treatments, alternative approaches are being explored to combat its infections, among which efficacy-enhancing adjuvants can be found. This study presents and characterizes MV6, a synthetic cyclic peptide that boosts aminoglycoside efficacy. Methods: MV6’s activity was assessed through antimicrobial susceptibility testing in combination with different antibiotic classes against A. baumannii strains characterized by PCR and RT-qPCR. PAβN served as a reference efflux pump inhibitor. Synergy was evaluated using checkerboard assays, and spontaneous mutants were generated with netilmicin with/without MV6 (100 mg/L). Whole-genome sequencing and variant calling analysis were then performed. Results: MV6 presented low antimicrobial activity in A. baumannii with MICs higher than 2048 mg/L. MV6 showed a better boosting effect for aminoglycosides, especially netilmicin, exceeding that of PAβN. Checkerboard assays confirmed a strong synergy between netilmicin and MV6, and a significant correlation was found between netilmicin MIC and adeB overexpression, which was mitigated by the presence of MV6. MV6 reduced, by 16-fold, the mutant prevention concentration of netilmicin. Mutations in a TetR-family regulator and ABC-binding proteins were found in both groups, suggesting a direct or indirect implication of these proteins in the resistance acquisition process. Conclusions: MV6 lacks intrinsic antimicrobial activity, minimizing selective pressure, yet enhances netilmicin’s effectiveness except for strain 210, which lacks the AdeABC efflux pump. Resistant mutants indicate specific aminoglycoside resistance mechanisms involving efflux pump mutations, suggesting synergistic interactions. Further research, including transcriptomic analysis, is essential to elucidate MV6’s role in enhancing netilmicin efficacy and its resistance mechanisms.
... Analysis, data processing and plotting were performed in the statistical computing system R version 4.4.0 [21]. Using the kohonen package [22], Kohonen's self-organizing map was trained and plotted, using the functions of the tidymodels library [23], supervised models were trained, and other graphs developed using the tidyverse package [24]. ...
... We used the package bnlearn [27], [37] of R language [34] to learn the structure. A single best model (as a possible model) was learnt with hill-climbing (hc), an scorebased algorithm which explores the search space starting from a network structure (usually the empty graph) and adding, deleting, or reversing one arc at a time until the score can no longer be improved (this process is also known as greedy search) (see Figure 1). ...
Over the last three decades, cellular network planning has evolved as a discipline in response to the ever-increasing complexity of mobile telephony. One of the key inputs to coverage planning, a central stage of the cellular network planning process, is the channel propagation model. This encompasses the main sources of degradation experienced by a signal in its way from transmitter to receiver. Currently, various well-known empirical models are used to estimate propagation losses in different environments. However, these mathematical models have been obtained by inference from measurements taken at specific locations, and generally their predictions do not match actual measurements obtained in other locations. Even worse, typically such predictions are not mutually consistent. To manage this uncertainty in terms of probability estimates rather than predictions, in this paper we propose a machine learning approach that is based on training a Bayesian network model from virtual data generated by sampling several empirical models. As a first step towards this initiative, we start by developing a Bayesian network driven by three well-known empirical propagation models, in their versions for urban environments: Okumura-Hata, COST 231 Walfish-Ikegami and Lee, which allow us to compare them in terms of probability estimations.
... A model with a perfect fitting has an r 2 = ±1. The entire statistical analysis has been done using the programming language R [30] following the statistical strategy described in previous works. [24,26,31] Weight ratio ...
Engineering human tissue microenvironments that recapitulate the composition and biomechanics of extracellular matrix (ECM) in vitro is challenging. New mechanically tunable alginate‐based hydrogels are presented, enabling to precise model multiple ECM features in the context of breast cancer. Combining alginate, oxidized alginate (OA), and gelatin with different crosslinking strategies a library of mechanically controlled hydrogels supporting human cell growth (MDA‐MB‐231) is obtained. The compressive moduli and stability of alginate‐based hydrogels are characterized and modeled using a response surface methodology (RSM); this enables to selection of precision‐hydrogels decoupling their biochemical composition with mechanical properties (1–30 kPa). Specific alginate‐based hydrogels are selected as enhanced technologies to model breast‐specific microenvironments in vitro to study the impact of biomechanical and biochemical properties on cell behavior. Doxorubicin is selected as a model drug and as first‐line treatment for breast cancer to investigate the correlation between drug efficacy and breast tumor ECM stiffness. Results demonstrate that doxorubicin is less effective (EC50 0.495 µm vs EC50 0.189 µm) in cells cultured in softer hydrogels (6.9 kPa) than in stiffer (21.0 kPa). In the context of breast cancer, engineered hydrogels prove valuable technologies to model tissue‐specific ECM in vitro for biological studies, advancing understanding of therapeutic response and resistance.
... Here, a Monte Carlo simulation was presented to evaluate the empirical performance of all estimates in finite sample sizes in terms of the bias and MSE criteria. Moreover, the R 4.2.3 software (R Core Team, [38]) was used to conduct all programs. ...
One main challenge in the application of the lifetime distribution models, such as inverse Weibull (IW) distribution is the need for an appropriate estimation method based on experimental conditions. When prior information and certain guessed values are available for model parameters the Bayesian shrinkage (BS) method becomes a valuable approach in this situation. This study considered the BS estimation method in the two-parameter IW distribution under the squared error loss function (SELF) and the type-II censored data. The maximum likelihood (ML), the least squares (LS), and Bayes estimation methods were also examined for a comparative study. Due to the complexity of calculations, the Lindley approach was utilized to approximate the Bayes estimates. The BS estimates were derived and a score test for the guessed value was presented. Additionally, a Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of all estimation methods. Furthermore, a real data set was implemented to illustrate and compare the BS estimates with the other estimates. The simulation study indicated the consistency of the estimators. The numerical studies also demonstrated that the BS estimators outperform the others.
The family Turridae, once considered to encompass the entire diversity of Conoidea, excluding only the cone shells (family Conidae) and the auger shells (family Terebridae), has undergone significant redefinition based on both morphological and molecular data. Prior to this study, it included 15 Recent genera, comprising 209 species. However, a recent comprehensive analysis of an extensive dataset featuring 3,159 cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences has unveiled numerous species complexes, new species and previously undiscovered deep lineages. The newly proposed classification of Turridae based on an exon-capture phylogeny recognizes 24 clades, each worthy of genus rank, though only 13 of them had available names.
Various terms have been used to highlight the ecological and conservation importance of tapirs. Some of them are more research-oriented, while others focus more on raising awareness of the importance of tapir conservation. Despite their primary use, it is highly desirable to know the extent to which these terms are supported by scientific evidence. We assess the suitability of the terms: umbrella species, forest gardeners, and landscape architects to be applied to tapirs, based on the analysis of empirical and published data focusing on Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii). We found that the distribution of tapirs in Mexico overlapped with that of 43 mammal species, while 28 mammal species overlapped with a set of random habitat patches of the same size as the tapir distribution. We also found that the Baird’s tapir is one of the most critical mammalian frugivores of three large-seeded tree species in the Lacandon forest of southern Mexico. We discuss the possible use of the term landscape gardener to highlight the spatial extent of the effects of tapir seed dispersal. Our results support the use of the terms umbrella species and forest gardener to refer to tapirs, but also highlight the need for a more coordinated research effort on tapir ecology.
El rápido avance de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) representa un desafío y una oportunidad crucial para la sociedad contemporánea. Estas herramientas no solo han transformado la manera en que las personas se comunican y trabajan, sino que también han redefinido los paradigmas pedagógicos, planteando nuevas exigencias y posibilidades para los sistemas de enseñanza. La incorporación de estos recursos en las aulas promueve la equidad y calidad educativa, preparando a los estudiantes con diversidad funcional para un mundo cada vez más digitalizado y favoreciendo procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje accesibles, innovadores e inclusivos. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar una escala para medir el conocimiento de los futuros docentes sobre las TIC aplicadas a la inclusión educativa mediante el Modelo de Respuesta Graduada (MRG). Se ha llevado a cabo un estudio psicométrico sobre una muestra no probabilística de 684 estudiantes universitarios del Grado en Educación Primaria de diferentes universidades públicas andaluzas, utilizando una versión reducida de la Escala de Conocimiento de las TIC aplicadas a las personas con diversidad funcional de Cabero-Almenara et al. (2016). Los datos reflejan una diversidad significativa en el conocimiento de los participantes sobre las TIC aplicadas a personas con diversidad funcional. Además, la precisión en la estimación de las puntuaciones latentes respalda la validez del instrumento de medición. Los resultados indican que la escala empleada no solo es efectiva para medir el conocimiento promedio de los participantes, sino que también es capaz de detectar variaciones significativas entre individuos. Por tanto, se concluye que esta escala es una herramienta predictiva útil para identificar deficiencias formativas y diseñar planes de estudios que respondan a estas necesidades.
Introduction
Elevated blood pressure (BP) is the major contributor to mortality and disease burden worldwide. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global BP screening campaign, which aims to raise awareness of BP measurement and provide evidence to inform and influence related health policy.
Methods
This cross-sectional survey included individuals aged≥18 years recruited through opportunistic sampling at sites in 60 countries during MMM 2022. Each participant had three sitting BP measurements and a questionnaire was completed including demographics, comorbidities and lifestyle factors. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP≥140 mm Hg and/or a diastolic BP≥90 mm Hg (average of the second and third readings) or taking antihypertensive medication. Multiple imputation was used to estimate BP readings where any participant’s BP readings were missing. Linear mixed effects models were used to identify associations between participant characteristics and systolic or diastolic BP.
Results
Of the 715 518 participants surveyed (excluding 50 200 self-measured home BP screenees recruited via the ZOE Health Study app), 257 421 (36.0%) were identified as hypertensive, of whom 57.6% were aware and 49.3% were on antihypertensive medication. Of all participants with hypertension, 26.1% were controlled to <140/90 mm Hg and 12.0% to <130/80 mm Hg. Of those taking antihypertensive medication, 52.7% were taking only one drug class, 52.9% were controlled to <140/90 mm Hg and 24.4% to 130/80 mm Hg. In total, 190 314 (26.6% of total surveyed, 73.9% of hypertensives) participants screened were found to have untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. Only 27.6% of treated hypertensive participants were taking a statin. Substantial coexistence of diabetes, overweight and hypertension was apparent among participants.
Conclusions
MMM confirms a high global burden of hypertension with low rates of awareness, treatment and control. In the absence of systematic BP screening in many countries, the results from MMM underscore the continued need for BP screening to detect and thereby control raised BP.
We study a discrete-time life cycle retirement planning problem for individual workers with four distinct investment options: self-management with dynamic investment (S), self-management with benchmark investment (B), hire-management with flexible allocation ( ), and hire-management with alpha focus ( ). We examine the investment strategies and consumption patterns during the defined contribution fund accumulation period, ending with a life annuity purchase at retirement to finance post-retirement consumption. Based on the calibrated model using US data, we employ numerical dynamic programming technique to optimize worker’s financial decisions. Our analysis reveals that, despite the agency risk, delegated investments can add value to a worker’s lifetime utility, with the option yielding the best lifetime utility outcome. However, after taking the fund management fee into consideration, we find that both the and options may not offer additional value compared to the S option, yet they still surpass the B option in performance.
The present paper investigates whether school-aged French-English bilingual children’s implicit and explicit knowledge of article use is affected by cross-linguistic influence (CLI) during online and offline sentence comprehension. The studies focus on the encoding of plural and mass nouns in specific and generic contexts. We also explore whether individual measures of oral proficiency, language exposure and age play a role in the children’s performance. Forty-three 8-to-10-year-old French-English bilingual children took part in a Self-Paced Reading task, a Grammaticality Judgement task and a Cloze test in their two languages. Overall, CLI was observed across tasks in English and French. These findings suggest that CLI can be bi-directional and tap into school-aged bilinguals’ implicit and explicit representations during sentence comprehension and production. The data also makes a new contribution to our understanding of the relative amount of language exposure, oral proficiency and age on CLI.
The analysis of insurance and annuity products issued on multiple lives requires the use of statistical models which account for lifetime dependence. This paper presents a Dirichlet process mixture-based approach that allows to model dependent lifetimes within a group, such as married couples, accounting for individual as well as group-specific covariates. The model is analyzed in a fully Bayesian setting and illustrated to jointly model the lifetime of male–female couples in a portfolio of joint and last survivor annuities of a Canadian life insurer. The inferential approach allows to account for right censoring and left truncation, which are common features of data in survival analysis. The model shows improved in-sample and out-of-sample performance compared to traditional approaches assuming independent lifetimes and offers additional insights into the determinants of the dependence between lifetimes and their impact on joint and last survivor annuity prices.
Esta investigación describe la comunidad de aves que habita en los palmares de Butiá (Butia odorata), en Rocha, Uruguay, un ecosistema singular de destacado valor paisajístico, ecológico y cultural. Durante el período de estudio, entre octubre de 2018 y mayo de 2023, se utilizaron diferentes técnicas de muestreo como puntos de conteo, transectos y colocación de cámaras trampa, con el fin de recabar información sobre las especies de aves que habitan este ambiente. Estas metodologías permitieron identificar 86 especies de aves, clasificadas en 19 órdenes y 36 familias. Entre las especies más abundantes registradas mediante puntos de conteo y transectos se encuentran Furnarius rufus, Myiopsitta monachus, Pygochelidon cyanoleuca y Sicalis flaveola, mientras que las que realizaron más interacciones con el Butiá en las cámaras trampa fueron Rhea americana, F. rufus, y S. flaveola. Los datos se encuentran accesibles en el repositorio GBIF (https://doi.org/10.15468/qpmyd8), y permiten analizar, durante el tiempo muestreado, la composición taxonómica, variabilidad temporal en la riqueza, y tendencias poblacionales de las especies de aves que utilizan los palmares de B. odorata. La disponibilidad de esta información, derivada de investigaciones científicas es fundamental ya que constituye una fuente valiosa y confiable para diseñar estrategias de conservación y gestión ambiental efectivas, especialmente para un ecosistema con serios problemas de conservación.
The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the thermoregulatory mechanisms of juvenile yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, with increasing body size by using archival tag data from 28 fish released in Japanese waters (fork length [FL] 35–92 cm). Fish with a body size of 35 cm FL remaining within the surface waters had lower thermal excess (0.4 °C), and fish with a body size of 40–60 cm FL undertaking brief diving at depths > 100 m had higher thermal excess (0.5–1.0 °C). However, the thermal excess did not consistently increase with body size, as has been reported for bigeye tuna. Heat budget models indicated inconsistent trends of decreased or increased heat production with body size. Yellowfin tuna regulate body temperatures by controlling the whole-body heat-transfer coefficient (λ) by 1.2–2.0 fold during descents and ascents, independent of body size, restricting λ for thermo-conservation during descent and increasing λ to absorb ambient heat during ascent. Compared with bigeye tuna, the vertical distributions of juvenile yellowfin tuna were limited to surface waters because of less efficient physiological thermoregulatory mechanisms. However, deep dives exceeding 1000 m, probably for predator avoidance, accompanied by rest in surface waters to recover from unusually higher behavioral activity, and vertical behavior similar to bigeye tuna “characteristic behavior” were observed. Compared to the thermoregulatory mechanisms of other tunas, those of juvenile yellowfin tuna are considered to be adaptive to tropical and subtropical shallower waters.
Coloured patches of skin are seen across the animal kingdom and serve multiple functions. For many species, carotenoid pigments are often incorporated into the skin, hair or feathers and feature prominently in colourful signals used as sexual signals. Most animals cannot synthesise carotenoids de novo and, as a result, carotenoid-based signals have long been considered indicators of individual quality. We identified and quantified the carotenoids within the eye combs of black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. We found that black grouses incorporate two ketocarotenoids, astaxanthin and canthaxanthin, into their eye combs in different proportions depending on total eye comb size, with individuals with smaller combs incorporating significantly more canthaxanthin than astaxanthin. Additionally, a higher ratio of astaxanthin to canthaxanthin significantly decreased brightness, but was positively associated with both the λUV peak and the λR peak. The results found here highlight the need to also consider the additional effects of tissue structure on carotenoid, and overall colouration.
Background
The 'CPPopt-Guided Therapy: Assessment of Target Effectiveness' (COGiTATE) randomised controlled trial demonstrated the feasibility and safety of targeting an automated cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) tailored to optimize cerebrovascular autoregulation (CPPopt) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) requiring intracranial pressure management. The average values of the autoregulation index known as the pressure reactivity index (PRx) were not different between the intervention (CPP target = CPPopt) and control (CPP target = 60–70 mmHg) groups of the trial. This secondary analysis was performed to investigate whether: (1) in the intervention group, PRx was closer to PRxopt (PRx at CPPopt) values, indicating a more preserved reactivity, as opposed to in the control group; (2) in the intervention group, patients experienced lower hourly PRx when CPP was close to the CPPopt-based target.
Methods
We analyzed data from the 28 and 32 patients randomized to the control and intervention groups of the COGiTATE study, respectively. We compared hourly averaged ΔPRx (PRx minus PRxopt, where PRxopt is PRx at CPPopt) between the two groups, focusing on periods of globally preserved/homogeneous autoregulation (negative PRxopt). For each patient in the intervention group, PRx values in periods when ΔCPP (CPP minus CPPopt target) was between −5 and + 5 mm Hg were compared to values in periods when ΔCPP was outside this range.
Results
The median ΔPRx was significantly lower in the intervention group for negative PRxopt (Mann–Whitney U -test, p < 0.001). For each patient in this group, the median PRx was lower in periods when CPP was close to the CPPopt-based target (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.001).
Conclusions
Despite no statistically significant difference in the grand mean PRx, our results suggest that targeting CPPopt does provide a way of improving cerebrovascular reactivity in patients with TBI, offering a rational intervention for trials that address this issue. We also bring insight into aspects of the PRx/CPP relationship that should be considered for autoregulation-guided management for future clinical protocols and trials design.
Demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides are a mainstay of modern agriculture due to their widespread use for crop protection against plant-pathogenic fungi. However, DMI residues can disperse and persist in the environment, potentially affecting non-target fungi. Previous research has demonstrated that DMIs and other fungicides inhibit yeast growth in floral nectar microbial communities and decrease fungal richness and diversity of exposed flowers with no apparent effect on bacteria. Nevertheless, the effect of DMIs on the population growth of different species of nectar inhabitants and the dynamics of these microbial communities remains understudied. To address these issues, in this study we created synthetic microbial communities including nectar specialist and habitat generalist yeasts and bacteria and propagated them in artificial nectars containing different DMIs (imazalil, propiconazole, and prothioconazole) at different doses or no fungicide. Our results showed that DMIs have a significant impact on nectar microbial populations and favor the growth of bacteria over yeasts. Furthermore, habitat generalists are more impacted by these fungicides than nectar specialists, and the detrimental effect of fungicides on yeast population growth and community composition seems to be amplified upon dispersal across habitat patches. Future research should explore the interaction between growth limitation due to fungicide presence, dispersal limitation, and other mechanisms involved in community assembly in floral nectar.
Whether speaking two or more languages (multilingualism) or dialects of one language (bidialectalism) affect executive function (EF) is controversial. Theoretically, these effects may depend on at least two conditions. First, the multilingual and bidialectal characteristics; particularly, (second) language proficiency and the sociolinguistic context of language use (e.g., Green & Abutalebi, 2013). Second, the EF aspects examined; specifically, recent accounts of the locus of the multilingual effect propose a general EF effect rather than an impact on specific processes (Bialystok, 2017). We compared 52 “monolingual” (with limited additional-language/dialect experience), 79 bidialectal and 50 multilingual young adults in the diglossic context of Cyprus, where bidialectalism is widespread and Cypriot and Standard Greek are used in different everyday situations. Three EF processes were examined via seven tasks: inhibition, switching and working memory (Miyake et al., 2000). We found better multilingual and bidialectal performance in overall EF, an effect moderated by high (second) language proficiency.
En la actualidad, el videoclip musical no solo se considera una forma de expresión artística, sino también una herramienta para abordar diversas problemáticas ambientales a nivel global. Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo analizar la percepción de estudiantes universitarios sobre el uso del videoclip musical como recurso educativo para fomentar la empatía y conciencia ambiental en el aula. Participaron 51 estudiantes de dos cursos de una institución universitaria en Ecuador. Los estudiantes observaron y analizaron en clase 16 videos musicales en la plataforma YouTube y respondieron una encuesta diseñada ad hoc. Los resultados indican una percepción positiva por parte de los estudiantes sobre el uso de los videos musicales para abordar problemáticas ambientales de una manera creativa, permitiendo fomentar la empatía, conciencia y preocupación ambiental, independientemente del curso y sexo de los participantes. Nuestros resultados respaldan el uso del videoclip musical como una herramienta alternativa para apoyar los sistemas tradicionales de educación ambiental en el aula. En conclusión, este estudio sugiere que la integración de videoclips musicales en el entorno educativo puede ser una estrategia enriquecedora para cultivar la conciencia ambiental entre los estudiantes universitarios.
Biorąc pod uwagę dynamicznie rozwijające się obszary nauk społecznych uwarunkowanych technologiami sieciowymi oraz humanistyki cyfrowej (ang. Digital Humanities), warto przeanalizować adekwatność socjologicznych metodologii analizy danych w tych nowych warunkach. Dostępność dużych zbiorów zdigitalizowanych danych stanowi nie tylko wyzwanie dla „klasycznych” metod analizy, które opracowane zostały w innych warunkach i do innych celów. Jeszcze ważniejsza kwestia dotyczy tego, czy podział na metody ilościowe i jakościowe, między którymi istnieje wyraźna linia demarkacyjna, ma sens w obliczu Big Data. W niniejszym artykule, na podstawie modelowania tematycznego (ang. topic modeling), opartego na LDA (ang. Latent Dirichlet Allocation), autorzy stawiają tezę, że ilościowe metody (probabilistyczne modele statystyczne) nie stanowią uzupełnienia lub punktu wyjścia do analiz jakościowych (standardowe podejście), lecz ich integralną część. Teza ta zostanie zilustrowana przykładem wyznaczenia tematów w obrębie zbioru 17 278 artykułów na temat dobrobytu społecznego, opublikowanych w czasopismach indeksowanych w bazie Web of Science w latach 1992–2020. To empiryczne studium przypadku posłuży także do sformułowania uwag metateoretycznych na temat „kohezji” metod ilościowych i jakościowych w perspektywie uczenia maszynowego (ang. machine learning) i przetwarzania języka naturalnego (ang. natural language processing – NLP).
In the context of the near-global eradication of wild poliovirus, the significance of non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) in causing acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and their impact on public health has gained increased attention. This research, conducted from 2001 to 2021, examined stool samples from 1597 children under 15 years in São Paulo, Brazil, through the AFP/Poliomyelitis Surveillance Program, detecting NPEVs in 6.9% of cases. Among the 100 NPEV-positive strains analyzed, 90 were genotyped through genomic sequencing of the partial VP1 region, revealing a predominance of EV-B species (58.9%), followed by EV-A (27.8%) and EV-C (13.3%). This study identified 31 unique NPEV types, including EV-A71, CVB2, and E11, as the most prevalent, along with the first documented occurrence of CVA19 in Brazil. These findings emphasize the importance of NPEV genotyping in distinguishing AFP from poliomyelitis, enhancing understanding of these viruses’ epidemiology. Moreover, it ensures that AFP cases are correctly classified, contributing to the effective surveillance and eradication efforts for poliomyelitis.
Mycorrhizal fungi contribute to crop growth, yields, and stress tolerance. In forests, common mycorrhizal networks are suggested to function as carbon storage and to transfer substances and signals between trees, thus likely contributing to their resilience. Such properties are crucial under increasing environmental stresses, particularly for clonal forestry. However, mycorrhizal communities in relation to tree field performances have been scarcely studied. In this study, mycorrhizal communities on the roots of clones of silver birch and hybrid aspen growing in distinct trials in deep automorphous mineral soils (podzolic and fluvic) under hemiboreal conditions were assessed using internal transcribed spacer sequencing, bioinformatics, and community analysis. The mycorrhizal communities were moderately rich/diverse and were mostly formed by generalist taxa (prevailingly ectomycorrhizal) common for the region. The differences in communities among the tree clones were estimated for silver birch, while for hybrid aspen, the productivity of clones was inversely related to the richness and diversity of the communities, suggesting a top-down effect of the host. Accordingly, some mycorrhizal taxa (e.g., Hyaloscypha sp.) showed clone-specific abundances indicating a preference for a specific host. These findings prompt further functional studies and highlight the need to consider genetic differences of forest regenerative material for maximizing mycorrhizal diversity, as well as for more effective inoculation.
Social animals often face a trade-off between the costs of foraging competition among group members and the benefits of protection from predators offered by group living. The spatial position of an individual in relation to the other group members during foraging can mediate the effects of this trade-off as individuals at the front or edge may have better access to food resources, but also higher predation risk than individuals near the centre of the group. Using meerkats (Suricata suricatta) as a model species, we investigated the effect of individual spatial position within a group on foraging success. We determined the spatial position of individuals in a meerkat group by fitting the animals with high-resolution GPS loggers. As a proxy of foraging success, we used meerkats' individual body weight differences between the start and the end of daily data collection over foraging periods (3 hours). We found significant individual differences in meerkats' spatial positions within the group. In addition, age-dependent differences in spatial position became obvious, with younger individuals spending more time in the centre of the group and less time in the front. However, younger individuals who spent more time on the side of the group relative to older individuals had higher daily weight gain, indicating more successful foraging. In older individuals, we found that the dominant females tended to spend more time towards the front of the group, but gained less weight in this location, contrary to the predicted association between front edge of the group and better access to food resources. Our results suggest that the relationship between weight gain and spatial position is highly nuanced and likely dependent on more than just trade-offs between foraging success and predation risk.
Non-lethal injury in animals is both common and costly. The cost of regenerating autotomized limbs may leave less energy available for processes such as reproduction and growth, leading to trade-offs. Such trade-offs are context-dependent, and an individual’s energy allocation strategies may vary widely based on its condition and the environment. However, many traditional bioenergetics models have relied on fixed energy allocation rules, such as the -rule of dynamic energy budget theory, which assumes a fixed proportion (κ) of assimilated energy is always allocated to growth and maintenance. To determine whether incorporating optimality approaches into bioenergetics models improves the ability to predict energy allocation, we developed a dynamic state variable model that identifies optimal limb regeneration strategies in a model system, the Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus. Our model predictions align with known patterns for this species, including increased regeneration effort with injury severity, a shift from reproduction to growth as consumption amount increases, and an increase in regeneration effort as regeneration progresses. Lastly, Monte Carlo simulations of individuals from a previous experiment demonstrate that flexible energy allocation successfully predicts reproductive effort, suggesting that this approach may improve the accuracy of bioenergetics modeling.
Interactions between plants and insects have long fascinated scientists. While some plants rely on insects for pollination and seed dispersal, insects rely on plants for food or as a habitat. Despite extensive research investigating pair‐wise species interactions, few studies have characterized plant and insect communities simultaneously, making it unclear if diverse plant communities are generally associated with diverse insect communities. This work aims to better understand the historical and evolutionary relationships between plant and insect phylogenetic diversity (PD) on islands. We hypothesized that phylogenetically diverse plant communities (i.e., high PD) support diverse insect communities, with the relationship varying with island isolation, area, age, and latitude. Species lists for plants and insects were compiled from the published literature, and plant PD was calculated using ´standardized mean pairwise distance´ (SES.MPD) and ´standardized mean nearest taxon distance´ (SES.MNTD). For insects, PD was estimated using the number of genera, families, and orders. We found that plant diversity in evolutionary recent times (SES.MNTD) is associated with recent insect diversity (number of genera), but no relationship was found between plant and insect diversity across whole phylogenies (plant SES.MPD vs. number of insect families). Distant islands generally support high PD of plants (high SES.MPD and SES.MNTD) and insects (low number of genera). Plant and insect PD was generally high on small islands, except for plant SES.MPD revealing no relationship with island size. Insect PD was somewhat higher on young islands (low number of families), whereas there was no relationship between island age and plant PD. Plant SES.MPD was higher on high latitude islands, yet we did not find significant relationships between the latitude and the metrics of insect PD or plant SES.MNTD. These findings suggest that protecting high plant PD may also help conserve high insect PD, with a focus on small and distant islands as potential hotspots of phylogenetic diversity across multiple taxa.
Warming climate impacts aquatic ectotherms by changes in individual vital rates and declines in body size, a phenomenon known as the temperature‐size rule (TSR), and indirectly through altered species interactions and environmental feedbacks. The relative importance of these effects in shaping community responses to environmental change is incompletely understood. We employ a tri‐trophic food chain model with size‐ and temperature‐dependent vital rates and species interaction strengths to explore the role of direct kinetic effects of temperature and TSR on community structure along resource productivity and temperature gradients. We find that community structure, including the propensity for sudden collapse along resource productivity and temperature gradients, is primarily driven by the direct kinetic effects of temperature on vital rates and thermal mismatches between the consumer and predator species, overshadowing the TSR‐mediated effects. Overall, our study enhances the understanding of the complex interplay between temperature, species traits and community dynamics in aquatic ecosystems.
Commonly used two‐sex discrete‐time population projection models rely on mating functions developed for continuous‐time frameworks that overestimate the number of unions between reproductive individuals. This has important consequences for our understanding of the evolution and demography of two‐sex populations and consequently for management and conservation. Here, we propose a novel mating function that is robust by obeying all properties necessary to be ecologically valid and flexible by accommodating all mating systems and efficiency in mating encounters. We illustrate the usefulness of this novel function with an application to the sexually size‐dimorphic and polygynous wild boar (Sus scrofa). We show that the population growth rate depends on the harem size, the operational sex ratio, and the mating efficiency. This novel function can be applied to all mating systems and tactics and is highly relevant in the context of global changes under which mating systems and mating efficiency are expected to change.
Laboratory and screen house studies were conducted to assess the efficacy of selected twenty-six maize varieties against Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée). Hierarchical tree based on resistance parameters clearly revealed that the twenty-six maize varieties are best classified into three groups, viz. resistant, intermediate, and susceptible. In laboratory test, the varieties RCS2, RCS4, RCS5, 'IPB Var13', Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 were consistently identified as highly resistant. Further examinations in stalk feeding assay showed that the resistant varieties had sharp decline in larval survival (LS) on the 2nd to the 5th day of larval feeding in stalk tissue. On the other hand, the susceptible varieties showed high LS across the 5-day feeding duration. This research highlighted that resistant maize varieties were mainly attacked below the ear nodes and internodes, with the most frequent observation on the 8th node below the ear node but had zero attack on the crucial ear node. Meanwhile, both the intermediate and the susceptible varieties were attacked on the ear node, with the feeding attacks distributed throughout the whole plant. This research provided further evidence that ACB resistance is available in Philippine native maize varieties. These experiments corroborate with previous results that transgenic maize expressing the Cry1Ab protein is lethal to ACB larvae. High resistance observed from the non-Bt 'IPB Var13' suggests that natural resistance is present. This research have presented that Bt varieties (Bt2, Bt3, Bt4) together with RCS2, RCS4 and 'IPB Var13' were the consistently resistant varieties in both laboratory and screen house assays. The plant resistance indices used in this study can effectively screen different varieties of maize in the Philippines. Further experimentations would be needed to determine the mechanism involved in the resistance and susceptibility of maize varieties infested with ACB.
Background
Woody invasive alien species are among the world’s worst invaders, significantly affecting ecosystem services, increasing the cost of farming and reducing access to land. Prosopis juliflora (“prosopis”), a spiny shrub or tree, was introduced from its native Latin America into Eastern Africa to reduce dust and sandstorms and provide wood and fodder for livestock, but it has spread from the original areas of introduction and invaded large areas of land, thereby replacing grazing and arable land with impenetrable thickets. Stakeholders in two invaded regions of Kenya and Tanzania selected and tested, through an inclusive and participatory process guided by the Woody Weeds project, one sustainable land management (SLM) practice to manage prosopis through uprooting and subsequent use of the cleared land for continuous crop and fodder production. The practice was successful and was adopted by stakeholders in the communities where it was tested.
Methods
We assessed reasons why people adopted the practice or not, as well as whether there was an effect of the Woody Weeds project on the adoption, through in-person interviews with 154 household heads in Baringo, Kenya, and 148 in Kahe, Tanzania.
Results
About 75% of the respondents implemented the practice, 76 didn’t implement the practice and ten respondents no longer implemented the practice. We found that the likelihood of people adopting was higher for male than female respondents and was positively related to farm size. Results of a choice experiment revealed that almost all respondents prefer the SLM over a situation where their land is invaded by prosopis, even if the investment is high, which confirms that people prefer farming over prosopis, and that their perception of the SLM became more positive over time. Altogether, our results illustrate the beneficial effects of the SLM practice, despite high initial investment and risk of injury while uprooting prosopis. The results further indicate the value of communal meetings for dissemination, as many people learn about new practices through observation of their neighbours’ activities and during public barazas and village meetings.
Conclusions
We recommend awareness raising about these SLM practices and their benefits and upscaling of the practices to other areas infested by prosopis.
A simplified, combined protocol treats children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), defined by mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC) of < 125 and ≥ 115 mm and no oedema, with 1 daily sachet of ready‐to‐use therapeutic food (RUTF) and those with severe acute malnutrition (SAM), defined by MUAC < 115 mm and/or oedema, with two daily sachets of RUTF. This protocol was previously shown to result in non‐inferior recovery compared to standard treatment that used higher, weight‐based RUTF dosing among children with SAM and ready‐to‐use supplementary food (RUSF) for MAM in a cluster‐based randomised controlled trial in Kenya and South Sudan. We conducted a secondary analysis of this trial to compare linear growth among children admitted with MUAC < 115 mm. Linear and ponderal growth were calculated from admission to discharge and visualised using aggregate growth curves. HAZ change adjusted for admission characteristics was negative across the course of treatment but similar across arms [−0.21 ± 0.18 SE in the standard arm, −0.24 ± 0.18 SE in simplified; difference (95% confidence interval) 0.03 (−0.12, 0.18)]. The unadjusted mean ± SE linear growth velocity from admission to discharge was 1.8 ± 0.7 mm/week in the standard arm compared to 1.7 ± 0.7 mm/week in the simplified arm [difference = 0.09 (−0.36, 0.53)] and similar in adjusted analysis. MUAC and weight gain velocities were not significantly different by treatment arm. Reducing the RUTF dose prescribed to children during SAM treatment does not appear to affect linear growth or other growth velocities during treatment.
Root exudation of N is a plant input to the soil environment and may be differentially regulated by the plant during drought. Organic N released by root systems has important implications in rhizosphere biogeochemical cycling considering the intimate coupling of C and N dynamics by microbial communities. Besides amino acids, diverse molecules exuded by root systems constitute a significant fraction of root exudate organic N but have yet to receive a metabolomic and quantitative investigation during drought. To observe root exudation of N during drought, mature cotton plants received progressive drought and recovery treatments in an aeroponic system throughout their reproductive stage and were compared to control plants receiving full irrigation. Root exudates were nondestructively sampled from the same plants at 9 timepoints over 18 days. Total organic C and N were quantified by combustion, inorganic N with spectrophotometric methods, free amino acids by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and untargeted metabolomics by Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Results indicate that organic N molecules in root exudates were by far the greatest component of root exudate total N, which accounted for 20-30% of root exudate mass. Drought increased root exudation of organic N (62%), organic C (6%), and free amino acid-N (562%), yet free amino acids were <5% of the N balance. Drought stress significantly increased root exudation of serine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, tryptophan, glutamine, phenylalanine, and lysine compared to the control. There was a total of 3,985 molecules detected across root exudate samples, of which 41% contained N in their molecular formula. There were additionally 349 N-containing molecules unique to drought treatment and 172 unique to control. Drought increased the relative abundance and redistributed the molecular weights of low molecular weight N-containing molecules. Time-series analysis revealed root exudation of organic N was stimulated by drought and was sensitive to the degree of drought stress.
Background
Hispanic/Latino (H/L) patients are often excluded from studies addressing pain management. Limited data suggests disparities in administration of perioperative opioid analgesia. We hypothesize that H/L patients are less likely to have their pain assessed and managed appropriately with opioids following routine pediatric tonsillectomy.
Aims
Our primary outcome was to compare the proportion of H/L patients who receive perioperative opioids to their non‐H/L counterparts. Secondarily, we studied the proportion of H/L patients who had their pain score assessed.
Methods
A retrospective medical record review of patients receiving routine tonsillectomy from October 2017 to March 2022 was performed. Descriptive statistics, univariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted with levels of significance at 0.05 and calculation of adjusted odds ratios (aORs).
Results
Of 6553 patients included, 582 (9%) of those self‐identified as H/L. The median age of the cohort was 5.6 years (IQR 3.4–9.1) and 53.3% identified as male. H/L patients were more likely to have a higher BMI ( p < 0.001), have an income level of < $100 000/year ( p < 0.001), and utilize public insurance ( p < 0.001) than non‐H/L patients. On multivariate analysis, non‐H/L patients were less likely to receive opioids (aOR 0.78 [0.66, 0.93], p = 0.006). They were also more likely to have their pain assessed (aOR 2.38 [1.75, 3.21], p < 0.001).
Conclusions
Disparities in perioperative pain management following routine pediatric tonsillectomy exist. In contrast with current literature and our prior hypothesis, children of non‐H/L ethnicity were less likely to receive opioids and more likely to have their pain assessed. Given H/L patients received fewer pain assessments, they are at risk for inferior pain management. Further understanding of factors driving differences in pain management may improve perioperative patient experience, quality of care, and aid in the creation of more standardized protocols.
Refreshing is assumed to reactivate the contents of working memory in an attention-based way, resulting in a boost of the attended representations and hence improving their subsequent memory. Here, we examined whether the refreshing-induced memory boost is a constant or a gradual, time-dependent phenomenon. If the beneficial effect of refreshing on memory performance is due to the information being selected for refreshing (i.e., selection hypothesis), a constant memory boost is expected to occur each time an item is selected for refreshing, with better memory performance for items that are selected more often. If, however, the beneficial effect of refreshing on memory performance is due to spending time in the focus of attention during refreshing (i.e., duration hypothesis), a gradual memory boost is expected, with the size of the memory boost being a direct function of how long the item has been the object of focused attention. To distinguish between these hypotheses, we instructed and guided the use of refreshing during retention through the presentation of cues, and varied the number of refreshing steps and their duration independently. The number of refreshing steps, but not their duration, had an effect on recall, in agreement with the selection hypothesis. However, some of the results were less robust than anticipated, indicating that the effect of instructed refreshing is limited to certain task parameters.
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