Shifts In Patterns Research Articles

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY: CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEFORESTATION IN THE OVERSTORY BY RICHARD POWERS

Eco literature deals with the study of nature, ecology, environmental issues etc. Climate change and deforestation are some of the environmental issues. Climate change is a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns. It is caused by human activities on earth. The cutting down of trees leads to deforestation. It involves conversion of forest land to build farm, ranches or urban use. Both deforestation and climate change have to be eradicated. Environmental activism is the practice of taking action to protect the environment. The Mother Earth has to be protected. The future generation should not suffer in the future. There are many environmental activists who work to protect the planet. They advocate policy changes and ensure the businesses adopt sustainable practices. This research paper focuses on the environmental activists who create awareness on climate change and deforestation. The novel taken into study is Overstory by the American author Richard Powers. The characters in the novel are environmental activists. They work with dedication to save Mother Earth. The steps and practices taken by them to protect the environment is dealt with in this paper.

Geographically driven shifts in land use influence phytoplankton community patterns in the Inner Mongolian Plateau lakes

Abstract Phytoplankton play an irreplaceable role as producers in maintaining lake ecosystems. Nevertheless, scant attention has been given to investigating the dispersion of phytoplankton communities and the factors influencing them across expansive areas. In this study, we present the results of a survey on the distribution of phytoplankton community and the effects of different driving factors in 11 lakes along Inner Mongolia in July–August 2020. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis and variance decomposition (VPA) were used to elucidate the distribution of phytoplankton communities and the response of drivers. A total of 169 species of phytoplankton from 8 phyla were detected. Both the abundance and diversity of phytoplankton in the Inner Mongolia lakes showed a trend of high in the east and low in the west (with Daihai Lake as the boundary). The Margalef index of phytoplankton significantly negatively correlated with salinity (r = −0.707, P < 0.05) and total dissolved solids (r = −0.720, P < 0.05), and both density and biomass highly significantly positively correlated with the suspended solids, Chlorophyll a and trophic level index. The VPA explained 38.9% of the changes in the phytoplankton community with the highest rate of explanation of land use. Therefore, preventing anthropogenic impacts, as well as reducing nutrient loads, can effectively ensure the ecological diversity of lake phytoplankton in lake populations with large geographical spans and varying levels of nutrients.

Is anxiety a public health problem among older adults in India: Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis.

For medical fraternity, health system and policymakers to undertake effective countermeasures, a comprehensive assessment of the prevalence of anxiety among older adults is required; hence, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using data pooled from surveys across the country. The search strategy was developed using medical subject headings (MeSH) terms and free-text keywords. We searched PubMed and Scopus for articles to report the prevalence of anxiety among older adults. The appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies was used for quality assessment. Prevalence from different studies was pooled together using the inverse variance heterogeneity method. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the impact of included studies' methodological quality on pooled results and to investigate potential causes of heterogeneity. Twenty-three studies were included in this systematic review. The overall pooled estimate of the prevalence of anxiety in older adults was 18.7% (95% CI: 2.4, 38.8). The studies had a high degree of heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using a Doi plot which showed an luis furuya-kanamori (LFK) index of 1.21 indicating minor asymmetry. Like other parts of the world, India has witnessed a rise in the number of elderly due to lower fertility rates, higher life expectancies and a shift in illness patterns from communicable to non-communicable. The number of elderly people suffering from diseases of mental health is expected to rise dramatically. This review consolidates the existing evidence to showcase anxiety as an upcoming public health problem requiring due focus from policymakers and health systems.

Enhancing human resilience against climate change: Assessment of hydroclimatic extremes and sea level rise impacts on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, United States

Coastal regions face climate-induced threats that have likely increased over the past four decades. In this work, we quantify the future climate impacts on hydroclimatic extremes in the risk-prone, 15-m-above-sea-level Eastern Shore of Virginia (ESVA) region, utilizing the Sixth International Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) Assessment Report 6 (AR6) and General Circulation Models (GCMs). We incorporate historical data on demographics and disasters, land use land cover (LULC), Landsat imagery, and sea level rise (SLR) to better understand and highlight the correlation between hydroclimatic extremes and societal components in this region. The hydrological model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), and Interquartile Range (IQR) method have been used to evaluate the intensity and frequency of projected climate extremes, in which SLR projections under different greenhouse gas emission pathways are temporally and spatially quantified. Our findings include (1) a trend towards wetter conditions is found with an increase in the number of flood events and up to an 8.9 % rise in the severity of flood peaks compared to the 2003–2020 period; (2) current coastal high-risk regions, identified using historical data of natural disasters, demographics, and LULC, are projected to be more susceptible to future climate impacts; and (3) low-lying coastal towns and regions are identified as currently vulnerable to coastal and SLR-induced flooding and are projected to become even more susceptible by 2100. This is the first effort that provides a valuable scientific basis for anticipated shifts in future climate patterns, essential for natural hazard prevention in ESVA. It highlights the need for authorities and decision-makers to plan and implement adaptive strategies and sustainable policies for the ESVA region and other coastal areas across the United States.

Analysis Of Antioxidant Activity Of A Combination Of Turmeric Rhyme Extract (Curcuma Domestica Val.) And Katu Leaves (Sauropus Androgynus) As Additional Therapy For Type 2 Dm

The importance of reform in the health sector will be ammunition in realizing the Society 5.0 era. In Indonesia, there is currently an epidemiological transition which is causing a shift in disease patterns, namely an increase in degenerative diseases, one of which is diabetes mellitus. It is hoped that the creation of an innovative herbal drink combining turmeric rhizome and katuk leaves will be an additional therapy for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this research is to analyze antioxidant activity using the DPPH method. The research was carried out by analyzing antioxidant activity based on the IC50 value. The samples in this study were turmeric rhizome extract (Curcuma domestica Val.) and katuk leaf extract (Sauropus androgynus). There were 3 test samples, namely turmeric rhizome extract (sample 1), katuk leaf extract (sample 2) and a combination extract of turmeric rhizome and katuk leaves (sample 3). Based on the research, IC50 values were obtained from three formulations, namely sample 1 of 40 ppm, sample 2 of 40 ppm and sample 3 of 30 ppm. These results were also compared with the standard antioxidant activity of vitamin C used at 20 ppm. Based on the three samples with antioxidant activity results, sample 3 has the best antioxidant activity compared to samples 1 and 2 so that it can inhibit free radical

Income gap between male and female psychiatric nurses in China: A national survey.

To investigate gender differences in the actual and expected income among psychiatric nurses in China. Although studies have shown that male nurses earn more than female nurses in other countries, there are no published data regarding gender income differences among psychiatric nurses in China. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 41 representative psychiatric hospitals in China. Demographic, income, and job-related data were analyzed using the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) based on the propensity score. The sample included 9256 psychiatric nurses, and nearly four-fifths (79.3%) were female. Males earned slightly higher average monthly incomes than female nurses, while initial analysis showed no significant overall gender income difference (p>0.05). Notably, most participants (92.5%) desired an income increase of at least 10%, with over half (56.2%) expressing significant dissatisfaction with their current income. After adjustment using propensity score combined with IPTW, females in the junior and mid-level groups had significantly lower income than their male counterparts (all p<0.01), despite having different night shift patterns. However, there were no significant gender differences in actual or expected income among senior-level psychiatric nurses (p>0.05). A majority of psychiatric nurses in China express dissatisfaction with their current incomes and expect higher incomes. Male nurses earned significantly more than female nurses in the junior and mid-level professional groups, potentially due to their differences in night shifts. Policymakers and hospital administrators should optimize the income structures of nurses and develop targeted policies to address the gender income gap. Improving nurse income has the potential to enhance motivation and satisfaction within the profession.

Forecasting habitat suitability and niche shifts of two global maize pests: Ostrinia furnacalis and Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

Ostrinia furnacalis (ACB) and Ostrinia nubilalis (ECB) are devastating pests of the agricultural crop maize worldwide. However, little is known about their potential distribution and niche shifts during their global invasion. Since long-term selection to past climate variability has shaped their historical niche breadth, such niche shifts may provide an alternative basis for understanding their responses to present and future climate change. By integrating the niche unfilling, stability, and expansion situations into a single framework, our study quantifies the patterns of niche shift in the spatial distribution of these two pests during the different periods. Our results show that the overall suitable habitats of ACB and ECB in the future decrease but highly and extremely suitable habitat will become more widespread, suggesting these two insects may occur more frequently in specific regions. Compared with Southeast Asia and Australia, the ACB niche in China exhibited expansion rather than unfilling. For ECB, initial niches have a tendency to be retained in Eurasia despite there also being potential for expansion in North America. The niche equivalency and similarity test results further indicate that niche shifts were common for both ACB and ECB in different survival regions during their colonization of new habitat and their suitable habitat changes during the paleoclimate were associated with climatic changes. These findings improve our understanding of the ecological characteristics of ACB and ECB worldwide, and will be useful in the development of prevention and control strategies for two insect pests worldwide. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Association of Medicaid coverage with emergency department utilization after self-harm in Korea: A nationwide registry-based study.

Self-harm presents an important public health challenge. It imposes a notable burden on the utilization of emergency department (ED) services and medical expenses from patients and family. The Medicaid system is vital in providing financial support for individuals who struggle with medical expenses. This study explored the association of Medicaid coverage with ED visits following incidents of self-harm, utilizing nationwide ED surveillance data in Korea. Data of all patients older than 14 years who presented to EDs following incidents of self-harm irrespective of intention to end their life, including cases of self-poisoning, were gathered from the National ED Information System (NEDIS). The annual self-harm visit rate (SHVR) per 100,000 people was calculated for each province and a generalized linear model analysis was conducted, with SHVR as a dependent variable and factors related to Medicaid coverage as independent variables. A 1% increase in Medicaid enrollment rate was linked to a significant decrease of 14% in SHVR. Each additional 1,000 Korean Won of Medicaid spending per enrollee was correlated with a 1% reduction in SHVR. However, an increase in Medicaid visits per enrollee and an extension of Medicaid coverage days were associated with an increase in SHVR. SHVR exhibited a stronger associated with parameters of Medicaid coverage in adolescents and young adults than in older adult population. Expansion of Medicaid coverage coupled with careful monitoring of shifts in Medicaid utilization patterns can mitigate ED overloading by reducing visits related to self-harm.

Fine-scale maps of malaria incidence to inform risk stratification in Laos

BackgroundMalaria risk maps are crucial for controlling and eliminating malaria by identifying areas of varying transmission risk. In the Greater Mekong Subregion, these maps guide interventions and resource allocation. This article focuses on analysing changes in malaria transmission and developing fine-scale risk maps using five years of routine surveillance data in Laos (2017–2021). The study employed data from 1160 geolocated health facilities in Laos, along with high-resolution environmental data.MethodsA Bayesian geostatistical framework incorporating population data and treatment-seeking propensity was developed. The models incorporated static and dynamic factors and accounted for spatial heterogeneity.ResultsResults showed a significant decline in malaria cases in Laos over the five-year period and a shift in transmission patterns. While the north became malaria-free, the south experienced ongoing transmission with sporadic outbreaks.ConclusionThe risk maps provided insights into changing transmission patterns and supported risk stratification. These risk maps are valuable tools for malaria control in Laos, aiding resource allocation, identifying intervention gaps, and raising public awareness. The study enhances understanding of malaria transmission dynamics and facilitates evidence-based decision-making for targeted interventions in high-risk areas.

A Dwindling Matter: An Analysis of Medicare Reimbursement for Endocrine Surgery Procedures from 2000-23.

To evaluate Medicare reimbursement trends for endocrine surgeries from 2000-23. As the population ages, demand for endocrine surgeries is expected to increase. Understanding reimbursement trends is essential to ensure the financial sustainability of endocrine surgery. Data were extracted from Medicare Inpatient and Outpatient Hospital datasets, National Summary, and Physician Fee Look-up Files for nine common thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal surgeries. Data were adjusted for inflation. Descriptive statistics, compound annual growth rate (CAGR), and linear regression models were built to evaluate practice and reimbursement trends. From 2000-23, there was a 63.8% increase in endocrine surgery volume. However, inflation-adjusted average procedure reimbursements decreased by 43.2% from $1709 to $972 (CAGR -2.4%), which is the largest decrease for any surgical subspecialty reported in the published literature. At the current CAGR, the average estimated reimbursement is projected to decrease to $868 by 2030 (P<0.001). Average facility reimbursements for inpatient and outpatient hospitalizations increased. However, substantial practice pattern shifts in the study period led to decreased overall facility reimbursements, with a $17.9 million decrease in total inpatient reimbursements between 2016-21 that was only partially offset by a $3.2 million increase in outpatient hospital reimbursements. Medicare procedure reimbursements for endocrine surgeries have been outpaced by inflation, with large decreases since 2000. Concurrent changes in practice patterns have also resulted in markedly fewer inpatient stays leading to lower total facility reimbursements. Our data raise concern over the financial sustainability of the endocrine surgery field as the demand for endocrine surgery procedures increases.

Machine learning supported ground beef freshness monitoring based on near‐infrared and paper chromogenic array

AbstractMaintaining freshness and quality is crucial in the meat industry, as lipid oxidation can lead to undesirable odors, flavors, and potential health risks. Traditional methods for assessing meat freshness often involve time‐consuming and destructive techniques, highlighting the need for rapid, noninvasive approaches. Recent advancements in spectroscopic and chromogenic sensor array technologies have opened up new avenues for monitoring meat quality parameters, offering the potential for real‐time, accurate, and cost‐effective solutions. As thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value is a classic indicator of meat lipid oxidation, this study investigated the data fusion of near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and paper chromogenic array (PCA) for monitoring ground beef TBARS. A standardized PCA was fabricated by photolithography with nine chemoresponsive dyes. Changes in ground beef volatile organic compounds during storage were captured in the shifts of PCA color patterns. Nippy, an open‐source Python module, was used for automated NIR spectra preprocessing. The optimal preprocessing pipeline was found by 10‐fold cross‐validation in machine learning model development. Among optimized models, partial least square regression showed the best performance in coefficient of determination (R2) of .9477, root mean squared error of prediction of 0.0545 mg malondialdehyde/kg meat, and residual prediction deviation of 4.3717. The promising result of this study indicated the potential for NIR and PCA combinations to monitor TBARS values for ground beef freshness assessment.

Change in precipitation pattern over South Asia in response to the trends in regional warming and free-tropospheric aerosol loading

Spatial and temporal shifts in rainfall patterns over South Asia and the adjoining Seas during the pre-monsoon season have been observed over the past 2 decades from 2000 to 2019. Aerosol particles suspended above the boundary layer are a contributing factor to these changes. These particles not only alter cloud characteristics, but also diminish the lapse rate, thereby suppressing convective activity, leading to precipitation anomalies. Over the past 2 decades, high-rainfall regions have experienced declining rainfall, while low-rainfall regions have received increased rainfall. Coinciding with notable anomalies in precipitation, contrasting trends in aerosol optical depth, particularly due to absorbing aerosols in the elevated regions of the atmosphere, are seen. Apart from aerosols, several factors are considered that are critical in modifying precipitation patterns over the study region, such as water vapor content, convective processes, and lower-level relative humidity. We observed a potential transport of excess water vapor by ambient circulation from the oceanic regions having reduced rain, such as Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, to higher latitudes enabling precipitation anomaly at distant locations.

Understanding perceptions about the health effects of night working and the barriers and enablers to taking part in nutritional research: A qualitative study among night workers in England.

Working at night is associated with adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes. However, there are a lack of nutritional intervention studies conducted amongst night workers, subsequently contributing to a lack of evidence-based guidelines for night workers. The aim of The Eating on the Night Shift study was to understand how night shift workers view working at night in relation to nutritional health and wellbeing, the barriers and enablers to participate in research and what kind of guidance would be useful to them. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a convenience sample (n = 18) of night workers based in England. The interview covered experiences of working night shifts, perceptions about night work and their health, and perceptions of and likely engagement with nutritional research. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Of the final sample 13 were female (72%), 39% worked a rotating shift pattern and 78% had worked night shifts for 1 year or more. Four overarching themes were identified: (1) the consequences of night work on health and wellbeing, (2) eating at night means a less healthy diet, (3) working at night has wider knock-on effects on aspects of lifestyle and wellbeing and (4) nutritional research is perceived as important, but there are barriers to participation. Night workers are aware that working at night can negatively impact their diet as well as their health. Nutritional researchers need to engage with night workers when considering intervention design and implementation as well as in the development of any resultant evidence-based guidance to ensure its relevance.

Diet and trophic structure of fishes in the Barents Sea: Effects of size within (ontogenetic) and between species

A large data set on stomach content (over 27,000 individual fish) – collected in the Barents Sea in 2015 – was used to examine ontogenetic and interspecific changes in diet with size for 35 fish species. The analysis combined the use of hierarchical clustering and random forest. Two different diet metrics were used (% weight of prey types per weight of stomach content or per weight of fish, the latter reflecting also feeding intensity), and data were analysed based on average diet of predator groups (species and size groups) across the entire sample series (from the whole Barents Sea in different seasons), or for data broken down by geographical areas and seasons. Similar trophic groups (clusters) were identified for the various data sets suggesting that the results on trophic structure were robust. The trophic groups including size information were broadly similar to groups found earlier with data averaged at species level. Hierarchical clustering produces a hierarchy of trophic groups (or trophic guilds) at various levels of diet dissimilarity. With 12 clusters identified, one cluster had fish as dominant prey, and 5–6 others had either plankton or benthos as dominant prey. The clusters tended to be distinct and homogenous with one dominant prey category in average diet (often > 60 %). This was especially the case for the plankton clusters, with copepods, euphausiids, hyperiid amphipods, or gelatinous zooplankton as dominant prey in each of 4 trophic groups. The benthos clusters tended to be less dissimilar with more overlap in diet composition, with predominance of either hard-shelled forms (echinoderms and molluscs) or softer prey (polychaetes and crustaceans) for groups of clusters. There were clear patterns of ontogenetic shifts in fish diet. Fish that clustered as piscivores at larger size tended to grow from being planktivores when smaller. Smaller species of planktivores or benthivores shifted position among trophic groups but remained within the categories of planktivores or benthivores, respectively. Taxonomy (species) tended to be more important than size for explaining the diet composition of the different clusters of fish predators.

The Impact of Urban Construction Land Expansion on Carbon Emissions from the Perspective of the Yangtze River Delta Integration, China

Regional integration plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic advancement of various global regions and is closely linked with the expansion of construction land. This expansion is a major contributor to urban carbon emissions. Utilizing a geographical regression discontinuity design (GRDD), this paper estimates the impact of urban construction land expansion on carbon emissions and explores the underlying mechanisms within the regional integration process of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China. The findings reveal that urban construction land expansion significantly influences carbon emissions, displaying an inverted “U”-shaped pattern. Furthermore, this expansion affects carbon emissions through the transformation of industrial structures, shifts in consumption patterns, and enhancements in scientific and technological investments. Our findings span the performance of the Yangtze River Delta from its early development stages to a relatively mature phase. This paper also partially reveals how the Yangtze River Delta, with both megacities and large- to medium-sized cities, manages urban construction land expansion during the integration process and strives for low-carbon emissions reduction. These results can provide green growth recommendations that balance socio-economic development, low-carbon emissions, and social equity not only for other urban agglomerations in China but also for similar regions in other developing countries by altering construction land utilization patterns.

Microscale is key to model current and future Maritime Antarctic vegetation

Despite being one of the most pristine regions in the world, Antarctica is currently also one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Antarctic vegetation comprises mostly lichens and bryophytes, complemented in some milder regions of Maritime Antarctica by two vascular plant species. Shifts in the spatial patterns of these three main vegetation groups have already been observed in response to climate change, highlighting the urgent need for the development of comprehensive large-scale ecological models of the effects of climate change.Besides climate, Antarctic terrestrial vegetation is also strongly influenced by non-climatic microscale conditions related to abiotic and biotic factors. Nevertheless, the quantification of their importance in determining vegetation patterns remains unclear. The objective of this work was to quantify the importance of abiotic and biotic microscale conditions in determining the spatial cover patterns of the major functional types, lichens, vascular plants and bryophytes, explicitly determining the likely confinement of each functional type to the microscale conditions, i.e., their ecological niche.Microscale explained >60 % of the spatial variation of lichens and bryophytes and 30 % of vascular plants, with the niche analysis suggesting that each of the three functional types may be likely confined to specific microscale conditions in the studied gradient. Models indicate that the main microscale ecological filters are abiotic but show the potential benefits of including biotic variables and point to the need for further clarification of vegetation biotic interactions' role in these ecosystems. Altogether, these results point to the need for the inclusion of microscale drivers in ecological models to track and forecast climate change effects, as they are crucial to explain present vegetation patterns in response to climate, and for the interpretation of ecological model results under a climate change perspective.

A double sampling ridge penalized likelihood ratio control charting method with variable sample size for Phase II monitoring of high-dimensional covariance matrix

Today, manufacturers face two challenges: the financial limitation of sampling and the large number of study quality characteristics. In such situations, the problem dimension is usually larger than the sample size, which is known in the literature of statistical quality control as a high dimensional process. The use of conventional multivariate charts to monitor the covariance matrix of such processes is not possible for two reasons: (1) the non-reversibility of the sample covariance matrix, (2) the possibility of the occurrence of sparse shifts in which only a few elements of the covariance matrix are affected. This paper focuses on Phase II monitoring of the covariance matrix of high-dimensional processes based on integrating the ridge penalized likelihood ratio (RPLR) statistic and the combined DS-VSS sampling method, in which DS and VSS features are used concurrently. The performance of the proposed DS-VSS RPLR control chart is compared with the RPLR one in terms of three metrics of the average run length, standard deviation of the run length, and expected value of sample size under three types of joint diagonal/off-diagonal, diagonal and off-diagonal shift patterns. The results show that the DS-VSS scheme is more sensitive than the RPLR in detecting both sparse and non- sparse changes.

Frontal alpha asymmetries and behavioral immune system: moderating role of behavioral inhibition system

Background and purpose: Behavioral immune system is a cluster of psychological mechanisms enabling detection and avoidance of pathogens in one’s immediate environment. Its presumed activation has been implicated in myriads of psychological phenomena, stemming from pathogen related disgust to more complex behaviors, such as mate choice and xenophobic cognitions. However, little is known about its biological underpinnings. The aim of this preliminary study was twofold: 1) to explore the role of another neuropsychological system governing avoidant motivations, the behavioral inhibition system, in pathogen-induced disgust and 2) to determine if frontal hemispheric asymmetries (a neural correlate of avoidant motivations) might serve as indicators of behavioral immune system activation. Materials and methods: 62 participants completed the Behavioral inhibition scale. Based on their z-scores, two extreme groups were formed: high (n=9) and low behavioral inhibition (n=9) group. After the baseline EEG recordings, participants were exposed to a set of neutral stimuli, followed by a set of pathogen disgust inducing stimuli. The frontal asymmetry (FAA) indexes (lnR-LnL) were calculated within both low (8-10 Hz) and high (11-13 Hz) alpha frequency bands on analogue pairs of frontal electrodes. Results: There were no baseline FAA differences between groups. However, compared to low behavioral inhibition group, high behavioral inhibition group showed larger shifts in FAA on frontopolar locations while watching the pathogen related disgust-inducing stimuli, as compared to neutral photographs. Conclusions: This pattern of FAA shifts suggests that high behavioral inhibition individuals attend to pathogen threat related cues more readily, i.e., have a more reactive behavioral immune system. With this preliminary study we are proposing a new line of research in order to determine if there is evidence of a calibrated response in terms of interplay between one’s immune status and pathogen treat related neural reactivity.

Temporal turnover of viral biodiversity and functional potential in intertidal wetlands

As the central members of the microbiome networks, viruses regulate the composition of microbial communities and drive the nutrient cycles of ecosystems by lysing host cells. Therefore, uncovering the dynamic patterns and the underlying ecological mechanisms mediating the tiniest viral communities across space and through time in natural ecosystems is of crucial importance for better understanding the complex microbial world. Here, the temporal dynamics of intertidal viral communities were investigated via a time-series sampling effort. A total of 1911 viral operational taxonomic units were recovered from 36 bimonthly collected shotgun metagenomes. Functionally important auxiliary metabolic genes involved in carbohydrate, sulfur, and phosphorus metabolism were detected, some of which (e.g., cysH gene) were stably present within viral genomes over time. Over the sampling period, strong and comparable temporal turnovers were observed for intertidal viromes and their host microbes. Winter was determined as the pivotal point for the shifts in viral diversity patterns. Notably, the viral micro-diversity covaried with the macro-diversity, following similar temporal patterns. The relative abundances of viral taxa also covaried with their host prokaryotes. Meanwhile, the virus–host relationships at the whole community level were relatively stable. Further statistical analyses demonstrated that the dynamic patterns of viral communities were highly deterministic, for which temperature was the major driver. This study provided valuable mechanistic insights into the temporal turnover of viral communities in complex ecosystems such as intertidal wetlands.

Rebalancing agri-food trade flows due to Russian import ban: the case of direct neighbors

In recent years, research on trade rebalancing in agri-food supply chains has gained prominence due to trade sanctions, supply chain disruptions, and vulnerabilities exposed by pandemics and conflicts. This study focuses on the recalibration of agri-food trade dynamics, using the 2014 Russian import ban as a case study. The ban significantly altered the structure of agri-food export destinations for affected countries, particularly those sharing a border with Russia (e.g., Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). Employing a cross-section regression model and structural break tests, we assess the trade rebalancing process. Our findings reveal short-term trade rebalancing effects, primarily observed in product groups not traditionally considered main trade specializations. There is evidence that significant part of the lost trade was redirected to EU28 or EAEU countries and end up in the common trade areas of these countries. Furthermore, we argue that the Russian import ban initiated a long-term structural shift in export patterns for non-traditionally traded banned products, while rebalancing for traditionally traded products was significantly quicker.