Indicator Of Aggressiveness Research Articles

Model for Predicting Lateral Shifts and Driving Style of Motorized Two-Wheelers

The compact sizes, lack of available physical protection, and complex maneuvering patterns of motorized two-wheeler (MTW) riders make them more vulnerable to crash risks and accidents. Considering the increased vulnerability of MTWs in dense urban mixed traffic environments, a proper evaluation and modeling of their lateral movement decisions and driving style can enhance safety associated with the riders and augment the reliability of the existing microsimulation models. Utilizing trajectory data of a six-lane divided urban arterial, the current study attempts to investigate the lateral movement (lateral shift) tendency of MTWs, addressing different influential variables that may affect riders’ decisions and describing how this choice is affected by prevailing traffic conditions. Based on several driving style parameters, such as change in speed, change in angular position, and longitudinal gap maintained with rear vehicles, this study further contributes to the existing literature by proposing a new index for identifying the driving style of riders during the lateral shifting process. Modeling results of a multinomial logit model indicated the importance of considering longitudinal and lateral gaps, vehicle speeds, and lateral fluctuations made by the subject MTW in the past trajectories in modeling the lateral shift decisions of riders. Considering the number of lateral fluctuations as an indicator of MTWs’ driving style, a new “aggressiveness index” is defined and, accordingly, a modeling approach is proposed to classify aggressive and non-aggressive driving styles of the riders. The results suggest that the history of past trajectories of the subject MTW during lateral shifting should be considered, and consideration of a non-linear relationship among the parameters can result in a better classification of driving style of MTW riders.

Association between steroid use and concussions among high school athletes: a cross-sectional analysis of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

In 2017, there were almost 2.5 million high school students who experienced a concussion while playing a sport, raising concern for the neurologic problems that theycould face. Some of these athletes may seek to gain a competitive advantage in their sport by utilizing substances like steroids. However, steroid use can cause increased aggression and body mass index (BMI), which might lead to heightened risk for concussions. Despite extensive research, we found no previous evidence linking these two factors. This analysis aims to investigate steroid use trends in high school athletes and to determine whether there is an association between steroid use and concussions in these athletes. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the cumulative Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Respondents were added if they participated in sports and answered the steroid and concussion prompts. Demographic variables were assessed including age, grade, BMI, gender, and race/ethnicity. We found that 3.7 % (n=2991) of high school athletes reported previous steroid use and that 20.7 % (n=2273) reported having sustained a concussion. There was a statistically significant difference in steroid use by race/ethnicity (p<0.001), with the highest rate of use (7.2 %) among American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN). A significantly higher prevalence of steroid use occurred in athletes who were males (4.7 %) than females (2.5 %) and inathletes with a BMI>95 % (5.2 %) compared with those with a BMI between 85 and 95 % (3.9 %) and <85 % (3.5 %) (χ2=135.1, p<0.001 and χ2=16.3, p<0.001, respectively). Further, our results showed that the prevalence of steroid use among high school athletes decreased from 3.4 % in 1999 to 1.9 % in 2019, with the most drastic drop occurring between 2015 and 2019-declining 1.9 %. Whereas 19.6 % of athletes reported a concussion without steroid use, 54.6 % of steroid-utilizing athletes reported having experienced a concussion-a statistically significant finding (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=4.3; 95 % CI: 3.2-5.9). Finally, compared with White athletes, we found that AI/AN athletes were significantly more likely to have sustained a concussion (AOR=2.3; 95 % CI=1.2-4.3). Although our study found decreasing rates of steroid use among high school athletes from 1999 through 2019, our results also show that steroid use is significantly associated with sustaining a concussion. Additionally, the data from YRBSS also demonstrates that AI/AN high school athletes are more likely to utilize steroids and sustain a concussion. Given the long-term consequences of traumatic brain injuries, we recommend that coaches should be aware of potential steroid use among players, and that coaches, athletic trainers, and physicians should all be aware of concussion protocols and remove players from games for evaluation when a concussion is suspected.

Behavioral and neurocognitive factors distinguishing post-traumatic stress comorbidity in substance use disorders

Significant trauma histories and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common in persons with substance use disorders (SUD) and often associate with increased SUD severity and poorer response to SUD treatment. As such, this sub-population has been associated with unique risk factors and treatment needs. Understanding the distinct etiological profile of persons with co-occurring SUD and PTSD is therefore crucial for advancing our knowledge of underlying mechanisms and the development of precision treatments. To this end, we employed supervised machine learning algorithms to interrogate the responses of 160 participants with SUD on the multidimensional NIDA Phenotyping Assessment Battery. Significant PTSD symptomatology was correctly predicted in 75% of participants (sensitivity: 80%; specificity: 72.22%) using a classification-based model based on anxiety and depressive symptoms, perseverative thinking styles, and interoceptive awareness. A regression-based machine learning model also utilized similar predictors, but failed to accurately predict severity of PTSD symptoms. These data indicate that even in a population already characterized by elevated negative affect (individuals with SUD), especially severe negative affect was predictive of PTSD symptomatology. In a follow-up analysis of a subset of 102 participants who also completed neurocognitive tasks, comorbidity status was correctly predicted in 86.67% of participants (sensitivity: 91.67%; specificity: 66.67%) based on depressive symptoms and fear-related attentional bias. However, a regression-based analysis did not identify fear-related attentional bias as a splitting factor, but instead split and categorized the sample based on indices of aggression, metacognition, distress tolerance, and interoceptive awareness. These data indicate that within a population of individuals with SUD, aberrations in tolerating and regulating aversive internal experiences may also characterize those with significant trauma histories, akin to findings in persons with anxiety without SUD. The results also highlight the need for further research on PTSD-SUD comorbidity that includes additional comparison groups (i.e., persons with only PTSD), captures additional comorbid diagnoses that may influence the PTSD-SUD relationship, examines additional types of SUDs (e.g., alcohol use disorder), and differentiates between subtypes of PTSD.

Reoperative total arch replacement after previous cardiovascular surgery: Outcomes in 426 consecutive patients

ObjectiveTotal aortic arch replacement (TAR) after previous cardiovascular surgery is technically challenging and is becoming more frequent as outcomes for primary arch repair have improved. primary. We analyzed outcomes of reoperative compared with first-time TAR. MethodsThe institutional aortic database was queried to identify consecutive patients undergoing TAR between 1997 and 2022. In total, 426 patients underwent TAR, of whom 150 (35%) had previous cardiovascular surgery (reop TAR) and 276 (65%) underwent their first cardiovascular operation. ResultsThe reop TAR group was younger (61 ± 13 vs 71 ± 11, P < .001) with more comorbidities such as ischemic heart disease (12% vs 4.3%, P = .006), previous stroke (36% vs 14.5%, P < .001), and renal impairment (24% vs 12.7%, P = .004). Reop TAR had longer cardiac ischemic times (119.3 ± 45.5 minutes vs 98 ± 31.9 minutes, P < .001), a greater operative mortality (3.3% vs 0.4%, P = .040), and incurred a 4-fold increased risk of major adverse event (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-11.49, P = .009). Ten-year survival was also lower in the reop TAR cohort (76% vs 82.2%; hazard ratio, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.12-2.86, P = .015) and there was greater need for late reinterventions, mainly on the downstream aorta (hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.03-1.62, P = .024). ConclusionsReop TAR is a technically challenging operation and is associated with increased operative mortality and adverse events. Gratifying results can be obtained with meticulous surgical planning and focused attention on end-organ protection. Late reinterventions occur in a significantly greater percentage of patients undergoing reop TAR, and future studies should focus attention on identifying those at-risk groups who may benefit from a more aggressive index procedure.

Assessing of drinking water quality in Al-karak province in central Jordan; based on water saturation indices

Jordan is renowned for having limited water resources. The demand for water will increasing rapidly as the country's population grows and the number of refugees increases. In order to maintain the highest water quality for consumers, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and other governmental agencies are striving to manage Jordan's water resources through continuous monitoring. The main objective was to evaluate the drinking water quality at storage mixing tanks at Al-Karak province, besides, assessing its suitability for safe consumption. The investigation scheme was to monitor Al-Karak's drinking water system for three successive months. The fourteen principal storage tanks for the water distribution system in the area of investigation were sampled. The pH, electrical conductivity (EC), major cations, major anions, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), turbidity, total alkalinity (TA), and heavy metals were measured. The scaling and originality of the dissolved salt elements in the collected water samples and geochemical processes were examined using Piper and Durov diagrams. The indices used in all samples over the period of investigation, are Langelier Saturation Index (LSI), Ryznar Stability Index (RSI), Aggressive Index (AI), Puckorius Scaling Index (PSI), and Water Quality Index (WQI). The results showed that scale development is high in all storage tanks, as the water is calcium carbonate supersaturated, evident from LSI values that ranges 0.5–2. According to the range of RSI values (5.91–6.6), all water tanks are resistant to corrosion. Throughout the period of study (October–December), the estimated WQIs of all samples upon average were found to be less than 50, indicating excellent water quality. Finally, the collected water samples are analyzed and found to be within the acceptable levels of Jordan's drinking water standards.

A Critical Review on Corrosion and Fouling of Water in Water Distribution Networks and Their Control

Corrosion and scaling are among the problems that may arise when storing water in tanks. Several factors affect the corrosion and scaling of water, which include pH, temperature, alkalinity, Ca2+ hardness, TDS, concentrations of Cl–, SO42–, CO32–, and HCO3–. Also, several indices can be measured using these properties such as the Langelier saturation index, Ryznar index, Aggressive index, Larson, Scold index, water quality index, and Puckorius index. These indicators determine the degree of corrosiveness and sedimentation of water. The purpose of this review article was to study the impact of various factors on the corrosiveness and sedimentation of water. To this end, different sources of water in different countries were studied and the impact of physical and chemical parameters on their corrosiveness was investigated. Also, the reaction mechanism of water corrosion inside the pipe was studied. Finally, practical and constructive suggestions were presented to solve the problems of corrosion and sedimentation of desalination water.

Characterization of the Hydrochemistry, Scaling and Corrosivity Tendencies, and Irrigation Suitability of the Water of the Rivers Karawa and Iyiaji

Assessing water quality is necessary to ascertain its viability for domestic, industrial, and agricultural purposes. A total of 48 water samples were, respectively, drawn from the Rivers Karawa and Iyiaji located in Ezeagu and Uzo-uwani which are typical rural areas in Enugu State, Nigeria. These samples were taken in two seasons (early rainy season and late dry season). Physicochemical properties were determined using standard methods. The scaling and corrosivity potentials of the water were evaluated using the Larson-Skold index, aggressive index, Puckorius scaling index, and Ryznar stability index models. Additionally, seven irrigation evaluation criteria, as well as spatial distribution maps, were used to determine the suitability of the river waters for irrigation purposes and to interpolate the spatial distribution of the river water quality parameters. Major ion chemistry was used in the assessments. The physicochemical properties of river waters fell within the recommended standard values. However, NO3− greatly exceeded the recommended range in both rivers. The cations and anions from River Karawa were Ca2+ &gt; Mg2+ &gt; K+ &gt; Na+ and NO3− &gt; Cl− &gt; SO42− &gt; HCO3− &gt; CO3− &gt; PO4−, while those from River Iyiaji were Ca2+ &gt; Mg2+ &gt; Na+ &gt; K+ and Cl− &gt; SO42− &gt;NO3− &gt; PO4− &gt; HCO3− &gt; CO3−. A piper plot showed the predominance of Ca2+ and Mg+, as well as SO42− and Cl−, in both rivers. The seven irrigation assessment indices indicated that the water of the Rivers Karawa and Iyiaji is suitable for irrigation purposes. In addition, the scaling and corrosivity models predicted that the river waters have high scaling and corrosivity potentials. Specifically, while the aggressive index suggested that it is severely corrosive, the Langelier saturation index suggested that the water from both rivers is supersaturated and, thus, has potential to scale.

Index of rain aggressiveness and erosivity in different climate types in Brazil

Heavy rains are responsible for triggering erosion processes and landslides. Knowledge of the spatial variation of rainfall aggressiveness makes it possible to plan land use and propose prevention and mitigation measures. This work aims to evaluate the rainfall aggressiveness indices and relate them to the climatic types in Brazil. Estimated monthly precipitation data were used for each Brazilian municipality and the Fournier (IF), Modified Fournier (IFM) and Total Erosivity Index (TEI) indexes were calculated. The data were geoprocessed and correlated with the climate types in Brazil, according to the Köppen classification. The IF ranged from 7.3 to 110.5 with 47.5% of the territory classified as “Moderate erosivity”. The IFM ranged from 48 to 388 with 76% in the “Very High” erosivity class and 16.0% “High”. The climate types Af, Am Cfb, Cwa and Cwb are classified as “Moderate erosivity” or higher. The TSI ranged from 444 to 4977 and 54.3% had “High” erosivity and 31.5% “Moderate”. The climate type Am presented the highest mean TSI followed by Aw, Af, As, CWa and Cwb, with TSI above 2000. The lowest TSI values ​​were observed in the Cfa and Cfb climates, followed by the BSh climate.

Genome Organization of Four Brazilian Xanthomonas albilineans Strains Does Not Correlate with Aggressiveness.

An integrative approach combining genomics, transcriptomics, and cell biology is presented to address leaf scald disease, a major problem for the sugarcane industry. To gain insight into the biology of the causal agent, the complete genome sequences of four Brazilian Xanthomonas albilineans strains with differing virulence capabilities are presented and compared to the GPEPC73 reference strain and FJ1. Based on the aggressiveness index, different strains were compared: Xa04 and Xa11 are highly aggressive, Xa26 is intermediate, and Xa21 is the least, while, based on genome structure, Xa04 shares most of its genomic features with Xa26, and Xa11 share most of its genomic features with Xa21. In addition to presenting more clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) clusters, four more novel prophage insertions are present than the previously sequenced GPEPC73 and FJ1 strains. Incorporating the aggressiveness index and in vitro cell biology into these genome features indicates that disease establishment is not a result of a single determinant factor, as in most other Xanthomonas species. The Brazilian strains lack the previously described plasmids but present more prophage regions. In pairs, the most virulent and the least virulent share unique prophages. In vitro transcriptomics shed light on the 54 most highly expressed genes among the 4 strains compared to ribosomal proteins (RPs), of these, 3 outer membrane proteins. Finally, comparative albicidin inhibition rings and in vitro growth curves of the four strains also do not correlate with pathogenicity. In conclusion, the results disclose that leaf scald disease is not associated with a single shared characteristic between the most or the least pathogenic strains. IMPORTANCE An integrative approach is presented which combines genomics, transcriptomics, and cell biology to address leaf scald disease. The results presented here disclose that the disease is not associated with a single shared characteristic between the most pathogenic strains or a unique genomic pattern. Sequence data from four Brazilian strains are presented that differ in pathogenicity index: Xa04 and Xa11 are highly virulent, Xa26 is intermediate, and Xa21 is the least pathogenic strain, while, based on genome structure, Xa04 shares with Xa26, and Xa11 shares with X21 most of the genome features. Other than presenting more CRISPR clusters and prophages than the previously sequenced strains, the integration of aggressiveness and cell biology points out that disease establishment is not a result of a single determinant factor as in other xanthomonads.

Contextual modifiers of healthspan, lifespan, and epigenome in mice under chronic social stress

Sustained life stress and low socioeconomic status are among the major causes of aging-related diseases and decreased life expectancy. Experimental rodent models can help to identify the underlying mechanisms, yet very few studies address the long-term consequences of social stress on aging. We conducted a randomized study involving more than 300 male mice of commonly used laboratory strains (C57BL/6J, CD1, and Sv129Ev) chosen for the spontaneous aggression gradient and stress-vulnerability. Mice were exposed to a lifelong chronic psychosocial stress protocol to model social gradients in aging and disease vulnerability. Low social rank, inferred based on a discretized aggression index, was found to negatively impact lifespan in our study population. However, social rank interacted with genetic background in that low-ranking C57BL/6J, high-ranking Sv129Ev, and middle-ranking CD1 mice had lower survival, respectively, implying a cost of maintaining a given social rank that varies across strains. Machine learning linear discriminant analysis identified baseline fat-free mass as the most important predictor of mouse genetic background and social rank in the present dataset. Finally, strain and social rank differences were significantly associated with epigenetic changes, most significantly in Sv129Ev mice and in high-ranking compared to lower ranking subjects. Overall, we identified genetic background and social rank as critical contextual modifiers of aging and lifespan in an ethologically relevant rodent model of social stress, thereby providing a preclinical experimental paradigm to study the impact of social determinants of health disparities and accelerated aging.

Forage mixture productivity and silage quality from a grass/legume intercrop in a semiarid Mediterranean environment

AbstractIn semiarid environments of the Mediterranean region, intercropping is a sustainable agricultural system of long standing. In this area, the pea (Pisum sativum L.) is one of the most commonly grown legume crops. Little information is available on the quality of silages to be obtained from forage mixtures of pea intercropped with cereals or annual grasses. In this study, two experiments were conducted over the course of two growing seasons in Sicily (Italy) with the aim to determine the biomass production of forage crop mixtures and assess, only in the second experiment, the silage quality of grass and legumes. Four cereals and one annual grass species were grown in pure stand and in mixture with pea, and their main agronomic traits were determined. The land equivalent ratio (LER), competitive ratio, and aggressivity index were also calculated. A number of parameters were considered to assess the quality of silage obtained from fermented biomasses derived from pea–ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. var. Westerwoldicum) intercropping. In the first experiment, the best performance between the intercrops was recorded for the pea–wheat mixture. The total LER calculated for fodder yields was always greater than 1, indicating crop yield advantages ranging from 2.0% to 47.0%. In the second experiment, the pea–ryegrass mixture appeared to respond well, depending on plant arrangement and seeding ratio factors: the ratios 50:50 and 100:50 showed the greatest crop yield advantages, of 12.0% and 11.0%, respectively. All silages revealed a very good suitability of a pea–ryegrass intercropping system with high‐quality silage production in the Southern Mediterranean region.

Momentary assessment of the relations between narcissistic traits, interpersonal behaviors, and aggression.

This study explores the associations among narcissistic traits, interpersonal behaviors, and aggression using repeated, situation-based measurement. We examine narcissism's relations with aggression across three levels of its theorized hierarchy (level 1: narcissism; level 2: grandiose vs. vulnerable narcissism; level 3: antagonism, agentic extraversion, and narcissistic neuroticism). Using an experience-sampling approach, the current study examined the effects of narcissism and its finer-grained components on daily affective experiences and aggressive behaviors in the context of interpersonal interactions. Data were collected from 477 undergraduate students who were instructed to complete four prompts a day for ten consecutive days. Narcissism at the global construct level positively predicted multiple indices of episodic aggression (i.e., aggressive temper, aggressive urge, verbal aggression). At the dual-dimension level, grandiose narcissism specifically predicted aggression, and then at the trifurcated level, interpersonal antagonism predicted aggression by itself and in interaction with event-level negative affect. Negative affect consistently exhibited both within- and between-person effects on aggression. In real-life social interactions, narcissism dimensions differentially affect the way individuals experience social interactions and process negative affect, and thus in both research and clinical practice, narcissism is best assessed as a heterogeneous, multidimensional construct.

Competitive interactions in two different plant species: Do grassland mycorrhizal communities and nitrogen addition play the same game?

In the Tibetan Plateau grassland ecosystems, nitrogen (N) availability is rising dramatically; however, the influence of higher N on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) might impact on plant competitive interactions. Therefore, understanding the part played by AMF in the competition between Vicia faba and Brassica napus and its dependence on the N-addition status is necessary. To address this, a glasshouse experiment was conducted to examine whether the grassland AMF community's inocula (AMF and NAMF) and N-addition levels (N-0 and N-15) alter plant competition between V. faba and B. napus. Two harvests took day 45 (1st harvest) and day 90 (2nd harvest), respectively. The findings showed that compared to B. napus, AMF inoculation significantly improved the competitive potential of the V. faba. In the occurrence of AMF, V. faba was the strongest competitor being facilitated by B. napus in both harvests. While under N-15, AMF significantly enhanced tissue N:P ratio in B. napus mixed-culture at 1st harvest, the opposite trend was observed in 2nd harvest. The mycorrhizal growth dependency slightly negatively affected mixed-culture compared to monoculture under both N-addition treatments. The aggressivity index of AMF plants was higher than NAMF plants with both N-addition and harvests. Our observation highlights that mycorrhizal associations might facilitate host plant species in mixed-culture with non-host plant species. Additionally, interacting with N-addition, AMF could impact the competitive ability of the host plant not only directly but also indirectly, thereby changing the growth and nutrient uptake of competing plant species.

Interspecific competition predicts the potential impact of little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) invasion on resident ants in southern China.

The little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) is a major invasive species that seriously threatens the biodiversity of invaded areas. W. auropunctata was first reported in Chinese mainland in 2022 and its impact on native species is still unknown. To evaluate the impact of W. auropunctata invasion on the ant communities in southern China, a series of interspecific competition experiments were conducted in this study. The individual aggression index and group aggression experiments showed the advantage of W. auropunctata in competition with 5 resident ants under equal worker numbers. When encountering Anoplolepis gracilipes, Camponotus nicobarensis, Tetramorium bicarinatum, Polyrhachis dives, and Solenopsis invicta, W. auropunctata gradually gained a competitive advantage with an increase in its number of workers. In the group aggression experiments with equal worker numbers, there was a negative correlation between the body length and mortality rate of resident ants. The results of the foraging behavior experiments showed that W. auropunctata was able to dominate food resources under competition with Carebara diversa, which also displayed weak competition in the group aggression bioassay. In addition, the abilities to recruit workers and retrieve food were inhibited under competition with S. invicta and T. bicarinatum. The results of the nesting behavior experiments showed that in the 24-h bout of space resource competition, W. auropunctata was dominant over C. diversa, S. invicta, and T. bicarinatum. The results of this study show that W. auropunctata has certain advantages in competition for food and space resources over resident ants in southern China, and some resident ant species may be replaced in the future.

Morphology and Nottingham prognostic index in triple-negative breast carcinomas

Triple-negative breast carcinomas are defined by a lack of expression of the steroid hormone receptors i.e., Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor, and Human epidermal growth factor Receptor-2. They are characterized by distinct molecular, histological, and clinical features. With higher mortality and early relapse, management of these tumors relies on clinicopathologic prognostic factors. Nottingham's prognostic index is a widely used prognostic tool that integrates three independent prognostic factors, namely tumor size, lymph node status, and histologic grade. It is a sensitive index of clinical aggressiveness in breast carcinomas. This study aims to evaluate morphologic features of Triple negative breast carcinomas and correlate them with Nottingham prognostic index. 22 modified radical mastectomies with triple-negative status were considered for this study. Tumor size, histologic type, grade, node involvement, necrosis, lymphovascular invasion, and Nottingham prognostic index were assessed. All 22 Triple negative breast carcinomas were invasive ductal carcinomas [NOS]. One involved skin and six were larger than 5cms. 10 cases (45%) were histologic grade III, and 9 cases (41%) were grade II. 2 cases had more than 10 positive nodes. Nottingham's prognostic index ranged from 2 to 9.4. Lymphovascular invasion and necrosis in 16 cases (73%) and perineural invasion in 3 cases were noted. Prognostication of breast carcinomas using Nottingham prognostic index helps clinicians in decision-making, stratifying risks, and tailoring individual treatment plans. Including Nottingham's prognostic index routinely in breast carcinoma reporting offers a meaningful integrated indicator for clinicians to assess tumor behavior and aggressiveness.

Animal conflicts escalate in a warmer world

The potential for climate change to affect animal behaviour is widely recognized, yet its possible consequences on aggressiveness are still unclear. If warming and drought limit the availability of food resources, climate change may elicit an increase of intraspecific conflicts stemming from resource competition. By measuring aggressivity indices in a group-living, herbivorous mammal (the Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) in two sites differing in habitat quality, and coupling them with estimates of plant productivity, we investigated whether harsh climatic conditions accumulated during the growing season influenced agonistic contests at feeding via vegetation-mediated effects, and their interaction with the site-specific habitat quality. We focused on females, which exhibit intra-group contest competition to access nutritious food patches. Accounting for confounding variables, we found that (1) the aggression rate between foraging individuals increased with the warming accumulated over previous weeks; (2) the probability to deliver more aggressive behaviour patterns toward contestants increased with decreasing rainfall recorded in previous weeks; (3) the effects of cumulative warming and drought on aggressivity indices occurred at time windows spanning 15–30 days, matching those found on vegetation productivity; (4) the effects of unfavourable climatic conditions via vegetation growth on aggressivity were independent of the site-specific habitat quality. Simulations conducted on our model species predict a ~50 % increase in aggression rate following the warming projected over the next 60 years. Where primary productivity will be impacted by warming and drought, our findings suggest that the anticipated climate change scenarios may trigger bottom-up consequences on intraspecific animal conflicts. This study opens the doors for a better understanding of the multifactorial origin of aggression in group-living foragers, emphasising how the escalation of agonistic contests could emerge as a novel response of animal societies to ongoing global warming.

Dermoscopic and Histopathologic Analysis of the Correlation between the Pigmentation of Basal Cell Carcinoma and Tumor Aggressiveness.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer. In patients with darker skin, most BCCs are pigmented. Studies suggest that increased pigmentation in BCC may be inversely associated with tumor aggressiveness. This study analyzed the dermoscopic features and histopathologic patterns of BCCs to evaluate the correlation between BCC pigmentation and tumor aggressiveness. A total of 76 BCC lesions were included in this retrospective study. The Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) stage and tumor depth were measured as indices of tumor aggressiveness. The Fontana-Masson stain was performed for the identification of melanin, and immunohistochemical analysis was performed using Melan-A and HMB-45 to identify melanocytes. In MMS stage 1, the dermoscopic pigmentation value was 34.48%±14.22% (mean±standard deviation). In MMS stages 2 and 3, dermoscopic pigmentations were 13.72%±7.54% and 15.50%±17.52%, respectively. In the logistic regression model, higher dermoscopic pigmentation (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68~0.99), melanin (95% CI, 0.63~0.89), and melanocyte-stained areas (95% CI, 0.70~0.92) were associated with a lower possibility of BCC tumor infiltration over the middle and lower layers. We found an inverse correlation between the pigmentation and aggressiveness of BCCs. Clinicians can predict the subclinical infiltration depth of BCC on the basis of the pigmentation observed on dermoscopy. Pigmentation can be considered a favorable prognostic factor for BCC.

Emotional Competencies of Students and Psycholinguistic Characteristics of Their Texts Written under Conditions of Situational Stress: Relationship Issues

The author deals with the relationship between the psycholinguistic characteristics of the text, as indicators of psycho-emotional states in conditions of situational stress, and the level of developed emotional competencies, i.e., the ability to understand and manage one’s own and others’ emotions. An empirical study was conducted on a student sample using the EmIn Questionnaire by D.V. Lyusin, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) by Ch.D. Spielberger and the Prognoz-2 Questionnaire by V.Yu. Rybnikov. The students who took part in the experiment wrote texts under situational stress, for which psycholinguistic indicators were calculated. The results of the study were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The data obtained confirmed the positive relationship between the emotional competencies of the students under conditions of situational stress and such psycholinguistic characteristics of their written texts as the Treiger index, the action objectification index, the use of the “subject of assistance” syntaxeme, which reflect emotional and cognitive tension, desire and determination to act and help others, as well as the negative relationship with the coefficient of aggressiveness, the first person singular pronouns, the use of the “predicate” and “causative” syntaxemes, which are markers of uncontrolled aggression, suspicion, egocentric position, search for emotional positive support from the outside, and avoidance reactions. The assumption about the relationship of emotional competences with manifestations of situational (“state”) and personal (“trait”) anxiety, as well as the likelihood of neuropsychic breakdowns in a stressful situation, was not confirmed. As a result of the study, general psycholinguistic indicators of the manifestations of situational anxiety and the formation of emotional competences were determined - these are the action objectification index and aggressiveness index. This suggests that both the ability to understand and regulate the emotions of other people, and situational anxiety, as a reactive state of the subjective experience of anxiety, tension, concern, when writing a text in a stressful situation, can be marked by an increase in number of verbs and verb forms used in the text, syntactic incompleteness of statements and a decrease in their socialization.

Assessment of Corrosion Potential Based on Water Quality Index in the Distribution Network of Urban Patna, Bihar, India

Corrosion in the distribution network pipe can lead to pipe failure and water quality problems. This study assesses the corrosion or scaling potential based on the Water Quality Index (WQI) of drinking water in the distribution networks of Patna, Bihar, India. The water samples were collected from 18 points of the distribution network. In situ parameters like temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, and TDS were measured. Other parameters such as Alkalinity, Total hardness, Calcium, Magnesium, Chloride, Residual chlorine, Sulfate, Nitrate, and Dissolved oxygen were examined in the laboratory. Corrosiveness indicators, such as the Langelier saturation index (LSI), Ryznar stability index (RSI), Puckorius scaling index (PSI), Larson-Skold index (Ls), and Aggressive index (AI) are being used for water sample corrosion prediction. Experimental Corrosion rate (CR) is analyzed to show the actual prediction of corrosion. WQI was calculated to observe the effect of water quality on Corrosiveness indices and CR. A general conclusion was reached that LSI concludes 66.67% corrosive, 22.22% scaling, and 11.11% neutral, RSI concludes 88.88% corrosive, 5.56% scaling, and 5.56% neutral, PSI indicates 38.88% corrosive, 5.56% scaling, and 55.56% neutral, Ls indicates 94.44% scaling, and 5.56% corrosive, AI indicates 77.78% corrosive, and only 22.22% scaling. The average Experimental Corrosion rate is found at 1.91 mils per year. In this study, a weak correlation (r = 0.35) between Corrosion rate and WQI has been observed. A weak correlation is also observed between corrosion rate and corrosiveness indices (r &lt; 0.5). It is concluded that the Corrosiveness Indices fail to represent the actual behavior of water.

Investigation of Wabe River water fitness for agricultural and industrial purposes

The Wabe River is bordered by 74.84% agricultural area, and farmers rely solely on rainfall. The present research made an attempt to investigate the suitability of the Wabe river water for Agricultural and Industrial purpose. The suitability of river water for agricultural use was evaluated using the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), potential salinity (PS), magnesium ratio (MR), Kelly index (KI), permeability index (PI), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), sodium percentage (%Na), and heavy metal pollution index (HPI). Additionally, the Ryznar Stability Index (RSI), Aggressive Index (AI), and Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) were used to evaluate the river water's suitability for industrial uses. Furthermore, plot the Gibb's diagrams to identify the sources of pollution and Piper diagrams to determine the hydrochemical composition of Wabe water. According to the HPI, pollution levels in the wet and dry seasons ranged from 53.34 (low) to 317.58 (medium) and 32.24 to 102.42 (low), respectively. The results showed that the Wabe River has very acceptable water quality characteristics and that the trace elements identified did not surpass thresholds that made them dangerous for agricultural usage. The findings showed that domestic wastewater and leachate contamination at sampling point W4 is the cause of the water quality deterioration in the downstream zone. The Ryznar Stability Index (RSI), Aggressive index, and Langelier saturation index readings were less than 9 at all sampling locations during both seasons, suggesting that the river water was corrosive, highly aggressive and unusable for industrial use without treatment.