Geographic Groups Research Articles

Studying grain color diversity in the barley collection of VIR

Background. Dark color of barley grain (Hordeum vulgare L.) can be caused by the synthesis and accumulation of two types of polyphenolic pigments – anthocyanins and melanins, which perform important functions in plant life, participating in the regulation of growth and development, and protecting plants from adverse environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of barley in the VIR collection in the context of grain color.Materials and methods. To analyze the pigment composition of the grain, 150 barley accessions with colored grains were selected from the VIR collection. Anthocyanins and melanins in grain husk were identified using qualitative reactions.Results and discussion. It was shown that in 60% of the accessions the dark color of their grain was induced by independent accumulation of melanin, while the accessions characterized by accumulation of only anthocyanins, and those with combined accumulation of anthocyanins and melanins, were 14.6% and 14%, respectively. For 11.3% of the accessions the presence of anthocyanins and melanins in grain husk was not found; their pigmentation could presumably be associated with an increased content of other polyphenolic pigments – proanthocyanidins. Accessions with melanin in grain predominated in all identified geographic groups, while other types of pigmentation were most evenly represented in the regions with the widest genetic diversity of barleys – Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East.Conclusion. Dark pigmentation of barley grain was shown to be mainly associated with the accumulation of melanin, and this type of pigmentation prevails in all geographical regions identified. The results obtained made it possible to describe the barley collection more fully and expand the possibilities of its utilization.

Guest Editorial: Yorkshire and Humber FPOP Geographical Group Sub-Committee

Guest Editorial: Yorkshire and Humber FPOP Geographical Group Sub-Committee

Изменения структуры и биоразнообразия лиственничных лесов в верхнем течении р. Хилок (бассейн оз. Байкал) под воздействием пожаров

The study results of changes in the larch forests’ structure and biodiversity in the upper Khilok River basin (right tributary of the Selenga River) affected by the climate change and forest fires in the period from 1996 to 2018 are presented. It was found that the area of closed forests decreased by an average of 51 %, the burnt forest area and burnt timber increased by 46%, dwarf birches decreased by 12 %, the natural reforestation of the sample areas is 90 % poor and unsatisfactory. It was revealed that due to fires in forest communities, the total number of plant species and lichens decreases, indices of species wealth and biodiversity concentration decrease in plant communities, and the ratio of species of latitudinal geographical groups (forest, steppe and meadow) changes. It is shown that with further climate aridization, an increase in the area of dwarf birches communities after fires can lead to the replacement of forests with shrubby, and later grassy communities. It is recommended to continue research on changes in the structure and biological diversity of plant communities in the selected model areas due to an increase in the amount of spring-summer precipitation in the region.

Use of the peroxidase enzyme to diagnose the resistance of grape varieties (Vitis vinifera L.) to low temperatures

Despite the global trend of the increase in average annual air temperatures observed in recent years, the recurrence of stressful negative temperatures in winter has increased in the southern region of the Russian Federation, and, therefore, the problems of grape frost resistance remain relevant. Low-temperature stresses lead to serious damage and a decrease in vine yields. In order to distinguish the most resistant grape varieties, it is necessary to carry out plant research on the physiological and biochemical level. The paper presents the results of research related to the study of resistance to low negative temperatures of grape varieties of different ecological and geographical groups according to the activity of peroxidase enzyme and its isoforms. The research objects were grape varieties (interspecific hybrids) of European-American origin – Dostoyny, Krasnostop AZOS, Vostorg; of Western European origin – Aligote; of Eastern European origin – Zarif; of Euro-Amur-American origin – Kristall. The study was aimed at exploring the activity of peroxidase and its isoforms and, based on the research results, identifying grape varieties most resistant to low temperatures under the conditions of the southern region of Russia. According to the obtained data on peroxidase activity and electrophoretic separation of peroxidases in polyacrylamide gel, most resistant and less resistant grape varieties to low negative temperatures were identified. The resistant varieties Kristall, Krasnostop AZOS, Vostorg were characterized by a weak increase in peroxidase activity during autumn-winter period (1.1-1.4 times), higher number of isoforms, and their qualitative composition. The less resistant grape varieties Dostoyny, Aligote, and Zarif were characterized by a greater increase in peroxidase activity (1.7- 2.4 times), a small number of isoforms, and their disappearance under conditions of artificial stress. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the study of peroxidase activity and changes in isoperoxidase spectrum in grapevine shoots can be used as diagnostic criteria for assessment of grape varieties for their resistance to low negative temperatures in winter period.

Evaluation of introduced blackcurrant varieties for production and breeding

Thus far, the world’s blackcurrant range comprises about 1,200 varieties and is constantly being improved. The most successful breeding programs for black currant have been implemented in Poland, England, Belarus, Ukraine, Sweden, Lithuania, Finland, Romania, China and Russia. However, the climatic conditions of several regions of the Russian Federation make it difficult to fully realize the biological potential of foreign varieties and they often do not correspond to the characteristics declared by the breeder. The study is aimed at making comprehensive assessment of the introducers to establish their selection potential and the possibility of industrial cultivation. The study was conducted in 2018-2021 in the black currant collection site of the Kokino station of Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery (Bryansk region). 20 varieties of black currant of foreign breeding from different ecological and geographical groups were explored. A new local variety Kudesnik with average maturation time was taken for comparison. It was included in the State Register for Selection Achievements in 2022. An assessment of introduced black currant varieties by morphological character of plants revealed the features of their growth in the south-western conditions of the central Non-Black Earth region. Varieties that do not meet the requirements of modern intensive mechanized technologies have been established. In terms of plant height, the varieties Mriya, Nympha, Kupalinka, Cheryshneva, Amethyst, Sofiyivska and Triton do not meet the parameters appropriate for mechanical harvesting. It will be difficult to use berry harvesting equipment with the varieties Sofievskaya, Amethyst and Klussonovskaya due to the wide base of their bushes (>0.3 m). The varieties Sofievskaya and Klussonovskaya, with the highest yield (10 t/ha) do not meet the requirements of modern production in terms of bush mien and berries tearaway force. The best introducers (Sofievskaya, Klussonovskaya, Nympha, Mriya, Cheryshneva, Triton, Belorusochka, Kupalinka) with a yield of 8.3-10.0 tonnes/ha can be recommended for home gardening. A number of foreign varieties as genetic sources in breeding for berry strength (Cheryshneva, Ben Hope, Black Magic, Tiben); fruit size (Nympha); number of fruits in the claster (Triton, Cheryshneva); taste qualities (Mriya); high content of soluble solids (Ben Tirran, Sofievskaya, Mriya) and other characteristics of interest have been identified.

Poverty mapping in Latin America: ECLAC experiences on small area estimation

Poverty mapping is a valuable tool for governments and international organizations to identify the geographical areas and population groups that are most deprived or vulnerable. This approach can lead to designing and monitoring development policies more effectively. This article presents the recent experience of the Statistics Division of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in using Small Area Estimation (SAE) methods to combine information from household surveys, censuses and satellite imagery to deliver poverty estimates at the provincial and municipal levels, which could not be attained using the household surveys alone.

Age-Class Difference in Wintering Distribution of Broad-Winged Hawks

Abstract The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is one of the most easily observed North American raptors during migration, yet little is known about its distribution during the nonbreeding season. To better understand the winter distribution of Broad-winged Hawks by age, we compiled 2164 Broad-winged Hawk sightings with age data and 25,797 sightings without age data reported to eBird during the nonbreeding period from 2000–2020. The mean latitude of adult birds was significantly farther south than the mean latitude of immatures, with broad overlap in the distribution of both age classes from the United States through South America. The distribution of birds that were not aged overlapped the distribution of both age classes. A higher proportion of immatures was observed in the United States through Central America, with a mean latitude of 15.69°N, whereas adults were concentrated in Central and South America (with a mean latitude of 9.93°N). When only birds wintering south of the United States were analyzed, immatures were still found farther north than adults, although the latitude difference was less. The winter age class distribution for Broad-winged Hawks could result from short-stopping behavior occurring more often in immatures than adults. Further research is needed to understand how geographic, sex, and age class groups may differ in winter distributions and the implications of these patterns. Citizen science data from eBird proved useful in examining broad-scale patterns in Broad-winged Hawk winter distribution and is a valuable resource to scientists evaluating avian distributions.

Patterns of variation in canal and root number in human post-canine teeth.

Descriptive morphology of tooth roots traditionally focuses on number of canals and roots. However, how or if canal and root number are related is poorly understood. While it is often assumed that canal number is concomitant with root number and morphology, in practice canal number and morphology do not always covary with external root features. To investigate the relationship between canal and root number, fully developed, adult post‐canine teeth were examined and quantified from computerized tomography scans from a global sample of 945 modern humans. We tested the hypotheses that root and canal number do not follow a 1:1 ratio, that canal to root ratios differ between teeth, and that canal to root ratios differ across major human geographical groups. Results indicate that not only is root number dependent on canal number, but that this relationship becomes more variable as canal number increases, varies between individual teeth and by major geographical group, and changes as these groups increase in geographical distance from Sub‐Saharan Africa. These results show that the ratio of canal number to root number is an important indicator of variation in dental phenotypes.

Parameters of the Infrastructure of the Residential Area and Their Relationship with Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Aim. This study determined the level of public satisfaction with neighborhood design features in Kemerovo Oblast and their connection to cardiovascular disease risk factors.Subjects and methods. The study population included 1,598 respondents aged between 35 and 70, with 491 living in rural areas and others living in Kemerovo (1,221 women and 477 men). The assessment of neighborhood environment was done according to residents' subjective opinions about infrastructural features (the Neighborhood Environmental Walkability Scale). Depending on how participants responded to the questionnaire, some of these parameters were identified as adverse.Results. The residents of Kemerovo and rural areas of Kemerovo Oblast identified the following neighborhood design features as adverse: the lack of interesting places in neighborhood environment, the remote location of parks and restaurants, the absence of pavement, busy traffic, and a long distance between home and workplace. In the city, arterial hypertension prevalence was high among men, when grocery, fruit and clothing stores were distant, and among women, when banks, public transport stops were distant and the traffic was heavy. Lipid metabolism disorders were more common among women in urban areas, when there were no interesting places around. Obesity prevalence was high among urban female population, when the following adverse factors were present: the remote location of grocery stores, fruit stores, bank, pharmacy and public transport stops and the absence of pavement. Among rural male population, this risk factor was common when there were no pavements. The highest rate of carbohydrate metabolism disorders was found among women living in villages where the traffic is heavy and public transport stops are far away.Conclusion. The impact of infrastructure on the health status of the living population is a new direction of scientific research. Epidemiological studies in different geographic areas and population groups show significant differences in health status, morbidity and mortality from chronic noncommunicable diseases. To reduce the risks of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system, the formation of a socially comfortable health-saving environment is of great importance.

Ecological Quality Assessment of Greek Lowland Rivers with Aquatic Macrophytes in Compliance with the EU Water Framework Directive

Aquatic macrophytes are one of the four biological quality elements (BQE) used for assessing the ecological status of inland waters according to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60). With this article, we present the methodological approach for the implementation of a WFD compliant macrophyte index to the riverine systems of Greece. In addition to the definition and harmonization of the ecological quality class boundaries, the results from the pilot application of the index and the ecological classification of the monitored river reaches are also presented. Aquatic plants and environmental parameters were sampled from 93 river reaches between 2012 and 2015. A multivariate analysis with optimal scaling (MVAOS) was conducted to define the main stressor gradient and to identify the least disturbed sites and the reference conditions that are required for the derivation of the ecological quality classes. The Macrophyte Biological Index IBMR for Greek rivers (IBMRGR) was calculated for all the sites and the boundaries for the five quality classes were derived according to the methodology proposed by the Mediterranean Geographic Intercalibration Group (MedGIG). The main findings showed that the hydromorphological modifications were the main environmental stressors that correlated strongly with the IBMRGR, whereas physicochemical stressors were of lesser importance. More specifically, the first principal component explained 51% of the total variance of the data, representing a moderately strong gradient of hydromorphological stress, whereas the second component explained 22.5%, representing a weaker gradient of physicochemical stress. In addition, the ecological assessment showed that almost 60% of the sites failed the WFD target of the “Good” ecological quality class, which agrees with classification assessments based on other BQEs for Greece and many Mediterranean countries. Overall, this work provides a first assessment of the ecological classification of Greek rivers with the BQE of aquatic macrophytes with significant implications for ecological monitoring and decision making within the frame of the WFD implementation.

Drivers of intraspecific differentiation of an alpine cold‐tolerant herb, Notopterygium oviforme: Roles of isolation by distance and ecological factors

AbstractDetermining the mechanisms that drive phenotypic and genetic divergence by species has been a central topic in evolutionary biology for many years. However, the relative contributions of isolation by distance (IBD) and environment factors to species divergence are largely unknown in perennial herbs in East Asia. In this study, we collected population genetic samples of the cold‐tolerant perennial herb Notopterygium oviforme R. H. Shan in central China. We integrated the population transcriptomes, whole chloroplast genomes, genotyping‐by‐sequencing, microsatellite markers, and ecological factors to determine the relative contributions of geography, climate, and soil factors to genetic, chemical, and phenotypic divergence. A clear genetic distinction was identified between the West Qinling and East Qinling Mountains geographical groups of N. oviforme based on various molecular datasets. Interestingly, obvious niche conservation might have been responsible for the similarity of most of the leaf functional traits in the two groups. Multiple matrix regression with randomization analysis showed that the spatial intraspecific divergence pattern was mainly due to IBD rather than isolation by environment. In addition, transcriptomic expression divergence and some ecological factors have played key roles in intraspecific lineage differentiation. Approximate Bayesian Computation showed that both lineages have experienced historical population expansion and recent range contraction. Molecular dating suggested that intraspecific divergence was closely associated with dramatic uplifts of the Qinling Mountains in East Asia. These results demonstrate that geographical, geological, and environmental factors together shaped cryptic intraspecific diversification and shifts in the population dynamics of the perennial cold‐tolerant herb N. oviforme.

The complete chloroplast genomes of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum (Vitaceae) from different regions of China: molecular structure, comparative analysis and development of DNA barcodes for its geographical origin discrimination

BackgroundTetrastigma hemsleyanum is a valuable traditional Chinese medicinal plant widely distributed in the subtropical areas of China. It belongs to the Cayratieae tribe, family Vitaceae, and exhibited significant anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory activities. However, obvious differences were observed on the quality of T. hemsleyanum root from different regions, requiring the discrimination strategy for the geographical origins.ResultThis study characterized five complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of T. hemsleynum samples from different regions, and conducted a comparative analysis with other representing species from family Vitaceae to reveal the structural variations, informative markers and phylogenetic relationships. The sequenced cp genomes of T. hemsleyanum exhibited a conserved quadripartite structure with full length ranging from 160,124 bp of Jiangxi Province to 160,618 bp of Zhejiang Province. We identified 112 unique genes (80 protein-coding, 28 tRNA and 4 rRNA genes) in the cp genomes of T. hemsleyanum with highly similar gene order, content and structure. The IR contraction/expansion events occurred on the junctions of ycf1, rps19 and rpl2 genes with different degrees, causing the differences of genome sizes in T. hemsleyanum and Vitaceae plants. The number of SSR markers discovered in T. hemsleyanum was 56–57, exhibiting multiple differences among the five geographic groups. Phylogenetic analysis based on conserved cp genome proteins strongly grouped the five T. hemsleyanum species into one clade, showing a sister relationship with T. planicaule. Comparative analysis of the cp genomes from T. hemsleyanum and Vitaceae revealed five highly variable spacers, including 4 intergenic regions and one protein-coding gene (ycf1). Furthermore, five mutational hotspots were observed among T. hemsleyanum cp genomes from different regions, providing data for designing DNA barcodes trnL and trnN. The combination of molecular markers of trnL and trnN clustered the T. hemsleyanum samples from different regions into four groups, thus successfully separating specimens of Sichuan and Zhejiang from other areas.ConclusionOur study obtained the chloroplast genomes of T. hemsleyanum from different regions, and provided a potential molecular tracing tool for determining the geographical origins of T. hemsleyanum, as well as important insights into the molecular identification approach and and phylogeny in Tetrastigma genus and Vitaceae family.

Epidemiology of Clefts in Kwazulu Natal: Comparison With Systematic Review Analysis, Similarities, and Differences.

The incidence and accuracy of cleft epidemiology is variable depending on geographical region, population group, and country being assessed. Confounding factors are rendered more accurate if consecutive patients seen in a unit over a prolonged period are reported. Plastic surgery charts at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH) were reviewed from 2003 to 2019. Appropriate International Classification of Diseases (ICD) cleft codes were used to obtain a cleft database of all cleft patients. The review revealed 1487 cleft patients. Data extracted included sex, race, extent of cleft lip or palate, laterality, and birth month. Overall, there was an almost equivalent sex distribution with 745 females and 742 males. There were 390 cleft lip only (26%), 505 cleft lip with palate (CLP) (34%), and 592 cleft palate only (40%). In the cleft lip only group, Black females were affected in 54% and males in 46%, whereas in the Asian group, females were affected in 33% and males in 67% ( P =0.022). In the CLP group, Asian and Colored females were affected more (56% and 60%, respectively), while in the Black and White groups, females were less affected (40% and 26%, respectively). Cleft palate only was the most common category in Black (44%) and Colored (55%), while the CLP category was most common in Asian (49%) and White (42%). Demographics of cleft lip and palate in KwaZulu Natal is different from other series in certain aspects. In addition, there are differences in the race groups when analyzing certain aspects. The differences may be based on genetic or environmental factors and warrants further investigation.

Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing in the National Veterans Health Administration Patient Cohort During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

ObjectivesWe performed a retrospective study of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV testing in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) during 2019-2021.MethodsWe determined the annual number of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV tests from 2019-2021 using electronic health record data. We calculated rates by age, birth sex, race, census region, rurality, HIV status, and use of PrEP.ResultsThe VHA system experienced a 24% drop in chlamydia/gonorrhea testing, a 25% drop in syphilis testing, and a 29% drop in HIV testing in 2020 versus 2019. By the conclusion of 2021, testing rates had recovered to 90% of baseline for chlamydia/gonorrhea, 91% for syphilis, and 88% for HIV.Declines and subsequent improvements in STI testing occurred unequally across age, sex, race, and geographic groups. Testing for all four STIs in 2021 remained below baseline in rural Veterans. Excluding those <25, women experienced a steeper decline and slower recovery in chlamydia/gonorrhea testing relative to men, but quicker recovery in HIV testing. Asian Americans and Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders had a steeper decline and a slower recovery in testing for chlamydia/gonorrhea. Black and White Veterans had slower recovery in HIV testing compared with other race groups. People living with HIV experienced a smaller drop in testing for syphilis compared with people without HIV, followed by a near-total recovery of testing by 2021.ConclusionAfter dramatic reductions from 2019-2020, STI testing rates returned to near-baseline in 2021. Testing recovery lagged in rural, women, Asian American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Black Veterans.

CO2 abatement costs in China and BRI countries: From the perspective of technological heterogeneity

As China cannot achieve its emission reduction target without cooperating with other countries, the international carbon trading market has become a part of China’s carbon trading market system. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has brought many development opportunities to countries participating, but critics have also voiced concerns about the environmental and climate degradation it might bring. Thus China is making a great effort towards building a green and low-carbon BRI, part of which is a joint effort with other countries to cut greenhouse gas emission and achieve the 2,030 sustainable development goals. The estimation of abatement costs is the basis of regional carbon emission reduction cooperation and a prerequisite for establishing a regional carbon trading market. Taking into account the technological heterogeneity, this paper uses linear programming to estimate inefficiency level for China and BRI countries, and further calculates the marginal abatement cost (MAC) of carbon dioxide for each country. The results show that after considering technological heterogeneity, the average inefficiency level for China and BRI countries is 2.410%, which is about 26.526% lower than the traditional geographic grouping approach, indicating that the technological heterogeneity among BRI countries is significant and cannot be ignored. Most countries have a low inefficiency level, some countries show a clear trend. China has an average marginal abatement cost of 1440.183 USD/ton. As the marginal abatement cost varies greatly among countries, a large amount of abatement cost could be saved for China and BRI countries if the cost difference is exploited.

Trends and determinants of late antenatal care initiation in three East African countries, 2007-2016: A population based cross-sectional analysis.

Early antenatal care is critical for the mother and newborn's health. Antenatal care is often delayed in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study aims to examine the trends and determinants of late antenatal care initiation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Tanzania from 2007-2016. The study employed Demographic Health Surveys data of reproductive-age women seeking antenatal care in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2007-2013/14), Kenya (2008-2014), and Tanzania (2010-2015/16). Bivariate and multivariate analysis was conducted per survey, taking sampling weights into account. The determinants of late antenatal care initiation were measured using multivariate logistic regression models and the trends were assessed using prediction scores. Late antenatal care initiation declined in Tanzania (60.9%-49.8%) and Kenya (67.8%-60.5%) but increased in the Democratic Republic of Congo (56.8%-61.0%) between surveys. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, higher birth order was associated with antenatal care initiation delays from 2007-2014, whilst rural residency (AOR:1.28;95%CI:1.09-1.52), lower maternal education (AOR:1.29;95%CI:1.13-1.47) and lower-income households (AOR:1.30;95%CI:1.08-1.55) were linked to antenatal care initiation delays in 2014. In Kenya, lower maternal education and lower-income households were associated with antenatal care initiation delays from 2008-2014, whilst rural residency (AOR:1.24;95%CI:1.11-1.38) and increased birth order (AOR:1.12; 95%CI:1.01-1.28) were linked to antenatal care initiation delays in 2014. In Tanzania, higher birth order and larger households were linked to antenatal care initiation delays from 2010-2016, whilst antenatal care initiation delays were associated with lower maternal education (OR:1.51;95%CI:1.16-1.97) in 2010 and lower-income households (OR:1.45;95%CI:1.20-1.72) in 2016. Except for the Democratic Republic of Congo, the sub-region is making progress in reducing antenatal care delays. Women from various geographic, educational, parity, and economic groups exhibited varying levels of delayed antenatal care uptake. Increasing women's access to information platforms and strengthening initiatives that enhance female education, household incomes, and localise services may enhance early antenatal care utilisation.

Using machine learning to model technological heterogeneity in carbon emission efficiency evaluation: The case of China's cities

Improving carbon emission efficiency is essential to address climate change. The widely used methods of modelling heterogeneity in efficiency evaluation tend to artificially classify groups based on a single variable and thus result in biased estimation. To fill this knowledge gap, this paper proposes a new method that combines machine learning and radial directional distance function (DDF) to estimate carbon emission efficiency and reduction potential, in which heterogeneity could be grouped endogenously. Furthermore, index decomposition analysis (IDA) is incorporated to explore the dynamic determinants of carbon emission reduction potential. Using China's data at city level from 2010 to 2018, we found that carbon emission efficiency considering technology heterogeneity is between 0.569–0.822. This implies an excellent emission reduction potential of around 5.9 million tons in 2018. The reduction potential is attributable to managerial failure and technology gap—the latter accounts for 46–55% of the total reduction potential. We arguably conclude that the method in this paper can capture each city's economic and environmental information more accurately than previous methods based on geographic grouping, which may underestimate the reduction potential. We anticipate the machine learning method in this paper could provide insights on clustering the technological heterogeneity and efficiency evaluation.

Genetic and morphological variation analyses of Glandirana rugosa with description of a new species (Anura, Ranidae).

Glandirana rugosa is known to include several geographic groups differing in sex chromosomes, and has been proven to be paraphyletic in mitochondrial phylogeny with respect to G. susurra. By analyzing genetic and morphological variation in a large number of individuals of Glandirana, we studied their taxonomic relationships. A mitochondrial DNA phylogeny, with the G. tientaiensis as outgroup, revealed two major lineages containing respectively (1) the East group of G. rugosa, G. susurra, and the Central and Southeast-Kyushu groups of G. rugosa; and (2) G. emeljanovi, and the North and West groups of G. rugosa. In contrast, in a nuclear DNA phylogeny based on SNP data, lineages of (1) G. susurra and East group, and (2) the remaining groups of G. rugosa and G. emeljanovi, were split, indicating a distinct status of the East group among G. rugosa. In adult morphology, there were only minor differences between the East group and the remaining groups of G. rugosa, but in larvae, the East group had significantly more sparse skin glands than the others. The exact type locality of G. rugosa is most probably in western Japan, not including the range of the East group. From these results, we describe the East group as a new species, G. reliquia, distinct from the remaining groups of G. rugosa. The new species with sexually homomorphic chromosomes is thought to represent a basic stock of Japanese Glandirana, which existed far before G. rugosa originated.

The Impact of Digitalization on Happiness: A European Perspective

One of the most important goals of humanity has always been happiness. In our daily life, happiness is conditioned by different variables, such as relationships with certain groups of individuals, health, security values, expectations, etc. Over the years, technology, especially digitalization, has revolutionized the world and changed our lives. In this context, empirical research on digitalization has grown enormously during the last decade; however, studies on the relationship between digitalization and happiness remain limited. As such, the objective of the present paper is to present an empirical investigation on the relationship between digitalization and happiness in the European Union (EU) during the period 2019–2021, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, the link between the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) and World Happiness Index (WHI) globally for all EU countries, at the level of each WHI variable and at the level of geographical groups in the EU was analyzed using correlations. While the DESI indicator acts as a basis for policymakers, governments, regional administrators and public officials to invest in areas of priority with an evidence-based approach, the WHI indicator can be an important tool for guiding public policy and measuring its effectiveness. The results show that there was a positive and significant relationship between the two indicators at the level of EU countries in all three years. The results also show that in the Western and Northern regions of the EU, the relationship between the two indicators was stronger compared to the other regions. Thus, our study offers supporting arguments for the digital transformation of happiness and provides alternate methodologies and perspectives on the interactions between digitalization and happiness. Moreover, it can help policymakers direct their attention to the importance of digitalization for people’s happiness.

Sequence similarity of SARS-CoV-2 and humans: Implications for SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) needs human samples, which inevitably contain trace human DNA and RNA. Sequence similarity may cause invalid detection results; however, there is still a lack of gene similarity analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and humans. All publicly reported complete genome assemblies in the Entrez genome database were collected for multiple sequence alignment, similarity and phylogenetic analysis. The complete genomes showed high similarity (>99.88% sequence identity). Phylogenetic analysis divided these viruses into three major clades with significant geographic group effects. Viruses from the United States showed considerable variability. Sequence similarity analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 has 612 similar sequences with the human genome and 100 similar sequences with the human transcriptome. The sequence characteristics and genome distribution of these similar sequences were confirmed. The sequence similarity and evolutionary mutations provide indispensable references for dynamic updates of SARS-CoV-2 detection primers and methods.