Quality Index Research Articles

Lacticaseibacillus paracasei 207-27 alters the microbiota-gut-brain axis to improve wearable device-measured sleep duration in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Objective: Probiotics have been reported to exert beneficial effects on sleep through the gut-brain axis. Therefore, this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessed the effects of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei 207-27 supplementation on sleep quality and its safety and potential mechanisms. Method and study design: Healthy adults under mild stress aged 18-35 years consumed low or high doses of L. paracasei 207-27 or a placebo for 28 days. Fecal samples, blood samples, and questionnaires were collected at the baseline and the end of the intervention. Sleep quality was measured using wearable devices and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) questionnaire. Serum inflammatory markers, corticotropin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol (COR), γ-aminobutyric acid, and 5-hydroxytryptamine levels were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing and bioinformatics. Short-chain fatty acids levels were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: Both the low-dose and high-dose groups exhibited significant improvements in wearable device- measured sleep duration compared to the placebo group. The global scores of PSQI in three groups significantly decreased after intervention without statistical difference between groups. At the phylum level, the low-dose group exhibited a higher relative abundance of Bacteroidota and a lower Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio. At the genus level, two treatment groups had higher relative abundance of Bacteroides and Megamonas, alongside lower levels of Escherichia-Shigella. Furthermore, the low-dose group exhibited significant increases in acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid levels, while two treatment groups exhibited a significant decrease in COR levels. Correlation analysis revealed that the increased levels of acetic acid and butyric acid in the low-dose group may be associated with decreased ACTH. Conclusion: L. paracasei 207-27 administration in healthy adults resulted in improvements in gut microbiota community and sleep duration. The mechanisms might involve modulation of the gut microbiota structure to regulate the function of the gut-brain axis, including increases in SCFA levels and decreases in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. The Chinese clinical trial registry number is ChiCTR2300069453 (https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=191193, registered 16 May 2023 - retrospectively registered).

Spatial Pattern and Influence Mechanisms of Forest Land Quality under the Background of Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality: A Case Study in Kaizhou District, Chongqing, China

Since the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality have been established, forest carbon sinks have garnered significant attention. As a fundamental component of forest carbon sinks, the quality of forest land significantly influences the carbon sink capacity of forests. This study utilized Kaizhou District, Chongqing City, a typical forest area as a case study, and used the correction method, factor method, CASA model, landscape ecology indexes, and canonical correlation analysis to evaluate the level of forest land quality and reveal the spatial distribution pattern and influencing mechanisms of forest land quality. The results showed that: (i) The quality index of public welfare forest land was distributed in [37.89, 148.15], and each quality level was diversified in space. The quality index of commodity forest land was distributed in [40.00, 92.67], and some high-quality forest land appeared in the transition zone of each region; (ii) The forest land quality index and the amount of net primary productivity passed the correlation test. Primary net productivity was higher on forest land with a high-quality index and lower on forest area with a low-quality index; (iii) public welfare forest land was mainly positively affected by community structure, average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, and soil moisture. Commodity forest land was mainly positively affected by average annual temperature, soil moisture, and slope aspect. However, landform had a significant negative impact on the two types of forest land. Given these findings, we also proposed a series of measures aimed at promoting the sustainable development of research on regional forest land.

The Optimal Drought Hardening Intensity and Salinity Level Combination for Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Cultivation under High-Yield, High-Quality and Water-Saving Multi-Objective Demands

The extreme weather and the deteriorating water environment have exacerbated the crisis of freshwater resource insufficiency. Many studies have shown that salty water could replace freshwater to partly meet the water demand of plants. To study the effects of early-stage drought hardening and late-stage salt stress on tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), we conducted a 2-year pot experiment. Based on the multi-objective demands of high yield, high quality, and water saving, yield indicators, quality indicators, and a water-saving indicator were selected as evaluation indicators. Three irrigation levels (W1: 85% field capacity (FC), W2: 70% FC, W3: 55% FC) and three salinity levels (S2: 2 g/L, S4: 4 g/L, S6: 6 g/L) were set as nine treatments. In addition, a control treatment (CK: W1, 0 g/L) was added. Each treatment was evaluated and scored by principal component analysis. The results for 2022 and 2023 found the highest scores for CK, W2S2, W3S2 and CK, W2S4, W2S2, respectively. Based on response surface methodology, we constructed composite models of multi-objective demands, whose results indicated that 66–72% FC and 2 g/L salinity were considered the appropriate water–salt combinations for practical production. This paper will be beneficial for maintaining high yield and high quality in tomato production using salty water irrigation.

Integrating User-Generated Content (UGC) with the Normative Approach to Define Indicators of Quality for Visitor Experience at Archaeodestinations

Integrating User-Generated Content (UGC) with the Normative Approach to Define Indicators of Quality for Visitor Experience at Archaeodestinations

Assessment and Modeling of Water Quality in the Niger River: A Comprehensive Study Using Water Quality Indices and Intelligent Techniques

The Niger River is essential to the livelihoods of those in Bamako and its neighboring areas, providing vital resources for drinking water, agriculture, livestock, industry, and fishing. Given its significance across these sectors, there is a pressing need to establish an effective water resource management strategy that incorporates a thorough qualitative assessment of the river's water quality. This research seeks to characterize the water quality of the Niger River by employing Water Quality Indices (WQI) and intelligent modeling techniques. To fulfil this objective, various physicochemical parameters, including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), nitrate (NO3-), nitrite (NO2-), and iron (Fe), were collected from 40 sampling points along the river during three distinct periods: December 2017, March 2018, and July 2018. The study utilized a weighted arithmetic approach to compute the WQIs, while the predictive models were developed using two of the most famous and effective modeling techniques namely Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). In order to evaluate the predictive performance of the models, the dataset was partitioned into three distinct segments, allocating 60% for training purposes, 20% for validation, and the remaining 20% for testing, with the segments organized in a sequence from upstream to downstream. The performance of both models was evaluated using metrics such as the correlation coefficient (r²), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Error (MAE). The computed Water Quality Indices (WQIs) vary from 0.44 to 1887.40, indicating a diverse range of water quality across the samples analyzed. The classification of these samples reveals that 62.5% are considered excellent, while 15% are categorized as good, another 15% as poor, 2.5% as very poor, and 5% as unsuitable for consumption. Furthermore, the results derived from ANN with five inputs, one hidden layer (13 neurons) and one output (WQI) demonstrates superior efficiency in assessing water quality.

Clinical Measures Associated with Subsequent Injury after Adolescent Concussion: A Prospective Cohort Study

ABSTRACT Purpose To examine associations between clinical measures (self-reported and clinician-administered) and subsequent injury rates in the year after concussion return to play (RTP) among adolescent athletes. Methods We performed a prospective, longitudinal study of adolescents ages 13-18 years. Each participant was initially assessed within 21 days of concussion and again within 5 days of receiving RTP clearance from their physician. Participants completed self-report measures: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), and clinician-administered measures: single and dual-task tandem gait (TG) and reaction time (RT; simple and clinical) assessments. They then completed monthly surveys for a year after RTP which assessed exposure to injury (sport participation) and subsequent injuries (musculoskeletal or concussions) sustained. We used Poisson regression models to calculate injury rate ratios with number of subsequent injuries sustained as the outcome, adjusted for RTP clearance time and competitive exposures for each measure. Results 41 participants were included (age = 15.5±1.3 years, 56% female, 9.6±4.6 days post-concussion; 38.0±31.5 days to RTP). A higher injury rate per athletic exposure was observed for simple RT≥505 ms vs <505 ms (injury rate ratio = 3.22; 95% confidence interval = 1.56, 7.12; p = 0.002). Injury rates did not significantly differ by PSQI or TSK scores, single/dual-task TG time, or clinical RT. Conclusions Simple reaction time may be one risk factor that is associated with higher rates of subsequent injury after adolescent concussion. A simple reaction time measure incorporated into a comprehensive concussion RTP assessment may identify some individuals at higher risk of subsequent injury in the year following concussion, though further research is needed to better understand this relationship.

Appraisal of contamination, hydrogeochemistry, and Monte Carlo simulation of health risks of groundwater in a lithium-rich ore area.

This study incorporated hydrogeochemical facies, the entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), multivariate statistics, and probabilistic human exposure assessment to investigate hydrogeochemistry, analyze groundwater quality, and estimate potential risks to human health in a lithium-rich ore area (Jadar River basin, Serbia). The findings designated the Ca·Mg-HCO3 hydrogeochemical type as the predominant type of groundwater, in which rock weathering and evaporation control the major ion chemistry. Due to the weathering of a lithium-rich mineral (Jadarite), the lithium content in the groundwater was very high, up to 567mg/L, with a median value of 4.3mg/L. According to the calculated EWQI, 86.4% of the samples belong to poor and extremely poor quality water for drinking. Geospatial mapping of the studied area uncovered several hotspots of severely contaminated groundwater. The risk assessment results show that groundwater contaminants pose significant non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic human health risks to residents, with most samples exceeding the allowable limits for the hazard index (HI) and the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). The ingestion exposure pathway has been identified as a critical contaminant route. Monte Carlo risk simulation made apparent that the likelihood of developing cancerous diseases is very high for both age groups. Sensitivity analysis highlighted ingestion rate and human body weight as the two most influential exposure factors on the variability of health risk assessment outcomes.

Psychometric properties of the revised internalized skin bias questionnaire.

The psychological impacts of skin disease are well documented, with patients reporting increased anxiety, depression and poorer quality of life. More recent studies suggest that adverse psychopathology is associated with re-direction of skin-disease-related social stigma towards oneself or internalized skin bias (ISB). To refine the Internalized Skin Bias Questionnaire (ISBQ) to reflect the construct of ISB with additional skin-specific biases as well as to evaluate its psychometric properties in a diverse sample of individuals with various skin conditions. Two-part observational design including consensus-building surveys among a dermatology expert group and a cross-sectional survey among participants with self-reported dermatological conditions to assess instrument psychometric properties. Eligible participants completed an online survey comprised of the revised ISBQ (ISBQ-R), the Questionnaire on Experiences with Skin Diseases-Short Form (QES-SF), the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Burns Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Overall, 33 experts participated including 22 (66.7%) dermatologists or dermatology researchers and 11 (33.3%) patients. Except for three items in the first round, all items received high agreement for inclusion from the expert group. The revised survey was completed by 214 participants who identified mostly as female (n = 185; 86.9%), White (n = 182; 85.5%) and non-Hispanic/Latino (n = 200; 93.4%). Adding and modifying new items resulted in an instrument with stronger internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) and a stronger correlation with other existing stigma measures (QES-SF; ρ = 0.72). The ISBQ-R is a modified instrument with stronger internal consistency and a stronger correlation with other existing stigma measures. Additionally, the study further expanded upon previous research by exploring a two-factor structure, suggesting that the ISBQ-R could be used as a single- or a dual-factor instrument depending on investigator goals.

Evaluating the Prediction Performance of the WRF-CUACE Model in Xinjiang, China

Dust and air pollution events are increasingly occurring around the Taklimakan Desert in southern Xinjiang and in the urban areas of northern Xinjiang. Predicting such events is crucial for the advancement, growth, and prosperity of communities. This study evaluated a dust and air pollution forecasting system based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with the China Meteorological Administration Chemistry Environment (WRF-CUACE) model using ground and satellite observations. The results showed that the forecasting system accurately predicted the formation, development, and termination of dust events. It demonstrated good capability for predicting the evolution and spatial distribution of dust storms, although it overestimated dust intensity. Specifically, the correlation coefficient (R) between simulated and observed PM10 was up to 0.85 with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 721.36 µg·m−3 during dust storm periods. During air pollution events, the forecasting system displayed notable variations in predictive accuracy across various urban areas. The simulated trends of PM2.5 and the Air Quality Index (AQI) closely aligned with the actual observations in Ürümqi. The R for simulated and observed PM2.5 concentrations at 24 and 48 h intervals were 0.60 and 0.54, respectively, with MAEs of 28.92 µg·m−3 and 29.10 µg·m−3, respectively. The correlation coefficients for simulated and observed AQIs at 24 and 48 h intervals were 0.79 and 0.70, respectively, with MAEs of 24.21 and 27.56, respectively. The evolution of the simulated PM10 was consistent with observations despite relatively high concentrations. The simulated PM2.5 concentrations in Changji and Shihezi were notably lower than those observed, resulting in a lower AQI. For PM10, the simulation–observation error was relatively small; however, the trends were inconsistent. Future research should focus on optimizing model parameterization schemes and emission source data.

Association of Cannabis Use Reduction With Improved Functional Outcomes: An Exploratory Aggregated Analysis From Seven Cannabis Use Disorder Treatment Trials to Extract Data-Driven Cannabis Reduction Metrics.

This exploratory analysis sought to determine whether decreases in cannabis use are associated with improvements in cannabis-related problems and functional outcomes, and if so, what percentage decrease is associated with improvement. Data were aggregated from seven cannabis use disorder treatment trials conducted in the United States (N=920; ages 13 years and older; mean age, 25 years; 30% female, 7% Black, 11% Hispanic/Latinx). Outcome measures included the patient-reported Marijuana Problems Scale (MPS), Health-Related Quality of Life scale (HRQOL), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the clinician-rated Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) severity and improvement scales (CGI-S and CGI-I). Generalized estimating equations tested the association between changes in 4-week cannabis use and improvements in functional outcomes. Classification and regression tree (CART) models were developed to determine what reductions in cannabis use could be used as classifiers of improvement. Decreases in the amount and frequency of cannabis use were significantly associated with improvements in MPS severity and total scores as well as improvements on the CGI-I and in sleep quality, but not improvements on the HRQOL. CART models performed best for CGI-I scores (72%-75% correct classification), while other outcome measures did not perform as well (40%-62% correct classification). CART models showed improvements on the CGI at 74% reduction in use amounts and 47% reduction in use days. Reductions in cannabis use (∼50% reduction in use days and ∼75% reduction in use amounts) were associated with clinician-assessed improvement, which suggests that cannabis use reduction may yield benefit among individuals with cannabis use disorder. These exploratory results extract a data-driven metric to inform future studies, clinicians, patients, and policy recommendations.

Comparative Approach to Performance Estimation of Pulsed Wave Doppler Equipment Based on Kiviat Diagram

Quality assessment of ultrasound medical systems is a demanding task due to the high number of parameters to quantify their performance: in the present study, a Kiviat diagram-based integrated approach was proposed to effectively combine the contribution of some experimental parameters and quantify the overall performance of pulsed wave Doppler (PWD) systems for clinical applications. Four test parameters were defined and assessed through custom-written measurement methods based on image analysis, implemented in the MATLAB environment, and applied to spectral images of a flow phantom, i.e., average maximum velocity sensitivity (AMVS), velocity measurements accuracy (VeMeA), lowest detectable signal (LDS), and the velocity profile discrepancy index (VPDI). The parameters above were scaled in a standard range to represent the four vertices of a Kiviat plot, whose area was considered the overall quality index of the ultrasound system in PWD mode. Five brand-new ultrasound diagnostic systems, equipped with linear array probes, were tested in two different working conditions using a commercial flow phantom as a reference. The promising results confirm the robustness of AMVS, VeMeA, and LDS parameters while suggesting further investigations on the VPDI.

Bruxism and Sleep Disorders in Patients Diagnosed With Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorder UsingAntidepressants.

To investigate the frequency of bruxism, factors associated with bruxism and sleep disorders in patients diagnosed with depressive disorder and anxiety disorder who use antidepressants. A total of 273 patients diagnosed with anxiety disorder or depression who had been using antidepressants for at least 1 month were included, along with 273 healthy control groups. The patient and control groups completed a sociodemographic data form, Epworth Daytime Sleepiness Scale (EDSS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and a bruxism questionnaire. Additionally, the clinician confirmed the diagnosis of bruxism through a clinical interview. Bruxism was detected in 73.3% of the patient group and 28.2% of the control group (p < 0.001). The most commonly used antidepressants among patients were selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as escitalopram and sertraline. Within the patient group, individuals with bruxism had higher family history rates of teeth grinding (p = 0.034), PSQI scores (p < 0.001) and EDSS scores (p < 0.001) compared to those without bruxism. Positive correlations were found between the presence of bruxism and PSQI (p < 0.001) scores as well as EDSS scores (p < 0.001) in both the patient group and all participants. Regression analysis conducted on the entire sample revealed that family history rates of teeth grinding (p < 0.001), antidepressant use (p < 0.001) and PSQI score (p = 0.004) were associated with bruxism. The findings from this study suggest that a majority of patients diagnosed with depressive or anxiety disorders may experience bruxism, particularly those using SSRI-type antidepressants. Furthermore, individuals with bruxism may have poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness tendencies.

Groundwater quality assessment for drinking and irrigation purposes in arid to semiarid region of Indus Basin of South Punjab, Pakistan

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a name="_Hlk173243332"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:white;color:black;font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,serif;font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;"&gt;As the groundwater pollution is increasing, it is crucial to assess groundwater quality and characterize hydrogeochemistry accurately for long term water supply.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="background-color:white;color:black;font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,serif;font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;"&gt;In this study groundwater samples were collected from 120 locations from Bahawalpur district and analyzed for electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium (Na&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt;), potassium (K&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt;), calcium (Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt;), magnesium (Mg&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt;), carbonate (CO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;), bicarbonate (HCO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;), sulfate (SO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2-&lt;/sup&gt;), chloride (Cl&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;), nitrate (NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;), fluoride (F&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;) and heavy metals. The results obtained from the analysis of samples showed that the SAR of nearly 65% of samples collected from Bahawalpur district were in acceptable limit (&amp;lt;6 meq L&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;), while 12% found to be unfit for irrigation (&amp;gt;10 meq L&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;). Similarly, the RSC values depicted that 8% samples were unfit while 64% samples were falling in the category of fit irrigation water. Most of the water samples were predominantly Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt;-HCO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt; and Na&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt;-HCO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt; type, that were controlled by various processes of cation exchange, water-rock interaction, dissolution and evaporation. Some samples fall in the&amp;nbsp;middle of diamond and lower triangles of Piper diagram are showing no dominant type of water (mixed water type) due to the complex influence of rock-water interactions as well as anthropogenic activities. The Water Quality Index (WQI) showed that&amp;nbsp;out of total 120 sampling sites in Bahawalpur the number of excellent water samples were only 2% while 18% water samples were characterized as hazardous. Moreover, the number of samples falling in the categories of good, poor and very poor quality water were 36%, 29% and 13% respectively.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Active packaging coating based on Lepidium sativum seed mucilage and propolis extract: Preparation, characterization, application and modeling the preservation of buffalo meat.

Buffalo meat is naturally perishable, making it susceptible to spoilage due to its high moisture content and vulnerability to microbial contamination. Edible coatings have attracted attention as a packaging method that can prolong the shelf life of meat. The study aimed to examine the impact of a combination of Lepidium sativum mucilage (LS) coating and propolis extract (PE) on prolonging the shelf life of buffalo meat. The chemical characteristics (chemical compounds, total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity, and cytotoxicity) and antimicrobial activity of the PE (disk diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration) were investigated. The effect of the PE on the cell wall of pathogenic bacteria was examined using a scanning electron microscope. Biological properties of LS (TPC, TFC, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effect (pour plate method)) was investigated. Different concentrations of PE (0, 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5%) were added to the coating mixture containing LS, and their effects on extending the shelf life of buffalo meat samples stored at 4°C for 9 days were assessed. The PE included gallic acid, benzoic acid, syringic acid, 4-3 dimethoxy cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, myricetin, caffeic acid, luteolin, chlorogenic acid, and apigenin. The PE was determined to have a TPC of 36.67 ± 0.57 mg GAE/g and a TFC of 48.02 ± 0.65 mg QE/g. The extract's radical scavenging activity ranged from 0 to 76.22% for DPPH radicals and from 0 to 50.31% for ABTS radicals. The viability of C115 HeLa cell was observed to be 94.14 μg/mL. The PE and LS, exhibited strong antimicrobial properties against pathogenic bacteria. The LS was determined to have a TPC of 15.23 ± 0.43 mg GAE/g and a TFC of 11.51± 0.61 mg QE/g. The LS was determined to have a DPPH of 429.65 ± 1.28 μg/mL and a ABTS of 403.59 ± 1.46 μg/mL. The microbiological analysis revealed that the LS+2.5%PE treatment was the most effective in inhibiting the growth of total viable count (6.23 vs. 8.00 log CFU/g), psychrotrophic bacteria count (3.71 vs. 4.73 log CFU/g), coliforms count (2.78 vs. 3.70 log CFU/g), and fungi count (2.39 vs. 3.93 log CFU/g) compared to the control sample. The addition of PE to the edible coating also demonstrated a concentration-dependent effect on preserving the moisture, pH, color, and hardness of the buffalo meat. Sensory evaluation results suggested that incorporating PE into the edible coating extended the shelf life of buffalo meat by three days. In the second stage of this paper, this investigation employed two distinct forecasting methodologies: the Radial Basis Function (RBF) and the Support Vector Machine (SVM), to predict a range of quality indicators for coated meat products. Upon comparison, the RBF model exhibited a higher level of accuracy, showcasing its exceptional capacity to closely match the experimental outcomes. Therefore, this type of food coating, renowned for its strong antimicrobial properties, has the potential to effectively package and preserve perishable and delicate food items, such as meat.

Time to evaluate service quality indicators for delivering service excellence at airports: Case of India

Time to evaluate service quality indicators for delivering service excellence at airports: Case of India

Strengthening crisis resilience in German primary care by using quality indicators: findings of a process evaluation in the RESILARE project

BackgroundIn recent years, health systems worldwide have been confronted with several crises such as natural disasters or the COVID-19 pandemic, that affected lives and health of many people. In light of waves of infections and heat, climate change is considered to be the biggest health threat of the 21st century. Strengthening individual and organizational crisis resilience in healthcare settings thus becomes a crucial factor in maintaining care quality and protecting vulnerable patients during such crises. The RESILARE project therefore aimed to develop and evaluate quality indicators that support primary care practices in preparing for and adapting to crisis-related challenges.MethodsIn a three-phased process, indicator development was based on systematic literature research and qualitative data, a two-stage expert panel process, and pilot testing in a maximum of n = 35 ambulatory practices during an outreach visit. Practice-individual indicator-related status and benchmarking information were provided via feedback reports to complete the audit and feedback program. A mixed-methods process evaluation used semistructured interviews with participating General practitioners and nonphysician health professionals to explore support and challenges for the implementation of the derived set of quality indicators. Two online surveys were conducted to evaluate all indicators and the two-part feedback report. Qualitative data were analyzed inductively using a thematic analysis approach. Survey data were analyzed descriptively.ResultsA total of n = 32 indicators covered four domains: (1) individual resilience, (2) crisis prevention, (3) organizational resilience, and (4) climate resilience. N = 34 practices participated in the piloting and the process evaluation. Participants generally attributed a high relevance to the domains, and considered the indicator set suitable for implementation into existing quality management systems. Planning and implementation of measures that strengthen crisis resilience in practices were triggered or intensified by piloting the indicators and by the two-part feedback report. The identified challenges involved the volume of indicators and practice-individual implementation of renewable energy sources on rented premises. Participants expressed their desire for peer exchange regarding proven concepts for crisis resilience.

Successive monoculture of Eucalyptus spp. alters the structure and network connectivity, rather than the assembly pattern of rhizosphere and bulk soil bacteria

Eucalyptus as a fast-growing timber tree plays a crucial role in maintaining wood supplication and ecosystem balance worldwide. Nonetheless, the management practices of Eucalyptus plantation in southern China have resulted in productivity decline and soil degradation due to high-intensity successive cultivation. Soil bacteria is a sensitive indicator of soil quality, how does the successive planting of Eucalyptus regulate the soil bacterial community structure for instance the abundance of oligotrophic bacteria, network complexity, and soil bacteria assembly remain ambiguity. To explicate the underlying influencing mechanisms of successive cultivation of Eucalyptus plantations on soil bacterial community structure. Four harvests of Eucalyptus plantations that underwent 0, 1, 2, and 3 times of harvesting were conducted to examine variations in the bacterial community between rhizosphere and bulk soils after successive planting of Eucalyptus. An adjacent evergreen broadleaf forest was employed as control. The present study revealed that successive planting of Eucalyptus increased and reduced the relative abundance of Chloroflexi (oligotrophic bacteria) and Proteobacteria (copiotrophic bacteria), respectively. Continuous planting of Eucalyptus did not modify the assembly pattern of soil bacterial communities, which was governed by stochastic processes. Successive planting of Eucalyptus decreased co-occurrence network complexity, and elevated the proportion of rare microorganisms in the keystone bacterial taxa. Soil particle size composition (clay, silt, sand) indirectly influenced the structure of soil bacterial communities by directly affecting pH, carbon, nutrients, and their stoichiometric ratios. Improving soil physical structure, increasing the input of soil carbon, nitrogen, and other nutrient resources, and maintaining a balanced resource allocation may be effective strategies for ensuring enhanced productivity and sustainable utilization of soil in successive Eucalyptus plantations.

Crude Protein as an Indicator of Pasture Availability and Quality: A Validation of Two Complementary Sensors

This study evaluated the possibility of using two complementary electronic sensors (rising plate meter (RPM) and active optical sensor (AOS)) to obtain a global indicator, pasture crude protein (CP) in kg ha−1. This parameter simultaneously integrates two essential dimensions: pasture dry matter availability (dry matter (DM) in kg ha−1) measured by RPM, and pasture quality (measured by AOS), and supports management decisions, particularly those related to the stocking rates, supplementation, or rotation of animals between grazing parks. The experimental work was carried out on a dryland biodiverse and representative pasture, and consisted of sensor measurements, followed by the collection of a total of 144 pasture samples, distributed between three dates of the pasture vegetative cycle of 2023/2024 (Autumn—December 2023; Winter—February 2024; and Spring—May 2024). These samples were subjected to laboratory reference analysis to determine DM and CP. Sensor measurements (compressed height (HRPM) in the case of RPM, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the case of AOS) and the results of reference laboratory analysis were used to develop prediction models. The best correlations between CP (kg ha−1) and “HRPM × NDVI” were obtained in the initial and intermediate phases of the cycle (autumn: R2 = 0.86 and LCC = 0.80; and Winter; R2 = 0.74 and LCC = 0.81). In the later phase of the cycle (spring), the accuracy of the forecasting model decreased dramatically (R2 = 0.28 and LCC = 0.42), a trend that accompanies the decrease in the pasture moisture content (PMC) and CP. The results of this study show not only the importance of extending the database to other pasture types in order to enhance the process of feed supplement determination, but also the potential for the research and development of proximal and remote sensing tools to support pasture monitoring and animal production management.

Association of macronutrient intake, physical activity, anxiety, and depression with sleep quality among Iranian male adolescents

BackgroundAdolescence is a unique stage of life accompanied by physiological and psychological modifications, along with stress, confusion, and depression.Materials and methodsThe present descriptive-analytical cross-sectional research was done on 267 male adolescents who studied at high schools in Zanjan, Iran. Demographic characteristics questionnaires, a 48-item food frequency questionnaire, a short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to collect data.ResultsThe mean ± standard deviation (SD) of age, weight, height, and sitting time was 15.94 ± 0.91 years, 68.53 ± 15.28 kg, 1.75 ± 0.06 m, and 449.25 ± 322.06 min, respectively. The study results showed that students with poor sleep quality showed a higher rate of depression than those with good sleep quality in the high and low physical activity groups (p < 0.05). The stress, depression, and anxiety scores significantly correlated with sleep quality in the physical activity groups (p < 0.05). The structural equation model analysis results showed that mental health directly affected sleep quality; this association was significant in the low physical activity group.ConclusionWe found that sleep quality was independently related to mental health in young Iranian men. However, dietary intake was not a significant predictor of mental health or sleep quality. More studies are required to evaluate the association between dietary intake and sleep quality in adults.

Evaluating Water Quality through Macroinvertebrate Diversity and Physicochemical Parameters in the Thamirabarani River Basin

&lt;p style="margin-top:13px; text-align:justify"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:11pt"&gt;&lt;span style="line-height:115%"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;"&gt;&lt;span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt"&gt;&lt;span style="line-height:115%"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;"&gt;Aquatic ecosystems in the Thamirabarani River Basin, Tamil Nadu, India, are facing increasingly complex challenges due to climate change, particularly concerning water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels. This study delves into the intricate relationship between these variables and their profound implications for freshwater biodiversity. The rising temperatures and declining dissolved oxygen levels pose escalating threats to the health of aquatic organisms and the stability of ecosystems. To tackle this issue, a hybrid methodology that integrates remote sensing and field data is proposed to calculate the Water Quality Index (WQI) and comprehensively assess ecosystem health. Remote sensing data offer valuable spatial insights, while field measurements ensure accuracy, resulting in robust findings. The study uncovers a significant negative correlation between water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels, highlighting the adverse effects of warming waters on aquatic habitats. Moreover, habitat fragmentation exacerbates climate stressors, adding further challenges to freshwater biodiversity conservation. The findings underscore the urgent need for conservation and adaptive management strategies, including temperature regulation, riparian vegetation enhancement, nutrient pollution management, and habitat connectivity preservation. By implementing these measures, biodiversity loss in freshwater ecosystems can be minimized, ensuring their resilience in the face of ongoing climate change. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;