Time Period Research Articles

Excremental mobilities and minimal technopolitics: Toilets, race, and expulsion in Tanzania

ABSTRACT Centreing an everyday form of human expulsion – defecation – this article demonstrates that toilets produced colonial racial orders in colonial Tanzania through the different excremental mobilities their materialities allowed, including both movement and immobility. It specifically argues that colonial pit toilets affixed excrement to African spaces and helped create a form of minimal technopolitics that expelled infrastructural possibilities from subsequent time periods.

Six years of continuous carbon isotope composition measurements of methane in Heidelberg (Germany) – a study of source contributions and comparison to emission inventories

Abstract. Mitigation of greenhouse gases requires a precise knowledge of their sources at both global and regional scales. With improving measurement techniques, in situ δ(13C,CH4) records are analysed in a growing number of studies to characterise methane emissions and to evaluate inventories at regional and local scales. However, most of these studies cover short time periods of a few months, and the results show a large regional variability. In this study, a 6-year time record of in situ δ(13C,CH4), measured with a cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) analyser in Heidelberg, Germany, is analysed to obtain information about seasonal variations and trends of CH4 emissions. The Keeling plot method is applied to atmospheric measurements on different timescales, and the resulting source contributions are used to evaluate the CH4 emissions reported by two emission inventories: the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR v6.0) and the inventory of the State Institute for the Environment Baden-Württemberg (LUBW). The mean isotopic carbon source signature for the Heidelberg catchment area derived from atmospheric measurements is (-52.3±0.4) ‰ and shows an annual cycle with 5.8 ‰ more depleted values in summer than in winter. This annual cycle can only be partly explained by seasonal variations in the 13C-enriched emissions from heating and reveals strong seasonal variations in biogenic CH4 emissions in the Heidelberg catchment area, which are not included in EDGAR v6.0. The comparison with emission inventories also shows that EDGAR v6.0 overestimates the CH4 emissions from less depleted sources. In situ CH4 isotope analysers at continental and urban monitoring stations can make an important contribution to the verification and improvement of emission inventories.

The evolution of regional triple helix food sector SME interventions: a longitudinal study, Wales, UK

ABSTRACT This paper explores the effectiveness of regional intervention strategies aimed at enhancing ‘low-tech’ SMEs’ sustainable competitive advantage and innovation activities, employing the food sector in Wales (UK) as a case study. It utilizes the triple helix model to analyse these interventions, emphasising collaboration between government, academia, and industry to stimulate knowledge-based economic development. The food sector represents an ideal subject for innovation-focused regional development policies because of its global importance, sustainability concerns, health impact and economic outcomes. A mixed-methods longitudinal case study approach was taken, evaluating a series of intervention programmes over an extended period (12 years in total), all funded by the European Union via the Welsh Government. Data sources included program reports, management committee reports, interviews, and case study testimonials. Frequent intervention activities included quality systems development, technical support, and skills training. They notably improved product and processing innovation for SMEs, key performance indicators revealing over 1,800 new products, safeguarding around 2,300 food sector jobs, and supporting 64 new business start-ups. Findings emphasized the value of consistent policies over an extended time period, albeit with the potential for lock-in effects. Future programme goals should be adapted for broader sustainable development outcomes – these are not uniquely Welsh challenges.

Weight calibration in the joint modelling of medical cost and mortality.

Joint modelling of longitudinal and time-to-event data is a method that recognizes the dependency between the two data types, and combines the two outcomes into a single model, which leads to more precise estimates. These models are applicable when individuals are followed over a period of time, generally to monitor the progression of a disease or a medical condition, and also when longitudinal covariates are available. Medical cost datasets are often also available in longitudinal scenarios, but these datasets usually arise from a complex sampling design rather than simple random sampling and such complex sampling design needs to be accounted for in the statistical analysis. Ignoring the sampling mechanism can lead to misleading conclusions. This article proposes a novel approach to the joint modelling of complex data by combining survey calibration with standard joint modelling. This is achieved by incorporating a new set of equations to calibrate the sampling weights for the survival model in a joint model setting. The proposed method is applied to data on anti-dementia medication costs and mortality in people with diagnosed dementia in New Zealand.

Indicators of cerebral venous drainage with non-thrombotic disorders in extracranial veins

The growing number of studies on cerebral venous circulation disorders associated with extrinsic stenosis of the internal jugular veins, as well as attempts to surgically influence the restoration of blood flow, are an indicator of the importance of this problem. Studies show that extracranial outflow disorders are associated with a wide range of neurological clinical manifestations and may contribute to the development of congestive intracranial hypertension. Anatomical variants of the development of the extracranial venous system, constitutional insufficiency and stenosis often play similar roles in the development of disorders of the cerebral venous outflow, but differ parametrically. There are no standard diagnostic criteria for differential diagnosis, normal and pathological parameters are contradictory, and the diagnosis largely depends on the combined use of imaging techniques. The history of attempts to study disorders of the cerebral venous circulation is quite long, associated with the technical innovations in every period of time. The most non-invasive, accessible and safe tools for diagnosing non-thrombotic lesions and anomalies of the internal jugular veins are currently recognized as ultrasound scanning and MR venography in tandem. Researchers note both local hemodynamic disturbances at the level of stenosis and changes in the overall picture of the venous vascular network of the neck with certain patterns of its remodeling. The pathological significance of the compensatory expansion of nonjugular outflow tracts (vertebral, paraspinal collateral, spinal epidural veins, etc.) is still a controversial issue. MRI and ultrasound combined show a high degree of agreement between the results, which should stimulate further research into the pathophysiology and differentiation of various causes and severity of non-thrombotic lesions of the jugular veins.

A Novel Molecularly Imprinted Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensor Based on Erbium Molybdate Incorporating Sulfur-Doped Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Dimethoate Determination in Apple Juice Samples.

Dimethoate (DIM) as an organophosphorus pesticide is widely utilized especially in the cultivation of vegetables and fruits due to its killing effect on harmful insects. However, unconscious use of DIM in large amounts can also cause serious health problems. For these reasons, rapid and reliable detection of DIM from food samples is significant. In this study, a novel quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor based on erbium molybdate incorporating sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride (EM/S-g-C3N4) and a molecularly imprinting polymer (MIP) was designed for DIM detection in apple juice samples. Firstly, an EM/S-g-C3N4 nanocomposite with high purity was prepared under hydrothermal conditions at high temperatures over a long period of time. After the modification of the EM/S-g-C3N4 nanocomposite on a QCM chip, the polymerization solution including N,N'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a cross-linker, methacryloylamidoglutamic acid (MAGA) as a monomer, and DIM as an analyte was prepared. Then, the polymerization solution was dropped on an EM/S-g-C3N4 nanocomposite modified QCM chip and an ultraviolet polymerization process was applied for the formation of the DIM-imprinted polymers on the EM/S-g-C3N4 nanocomposite modified QCM chip. After the polymerization treatment, some characterization studies, including electrochemical, microscopic, and spectroscopic methods, were performed to illuminate the surface properties of the nanocomposite and the prepared QCM sensor. The values of the limit of quantification (LOQ) and the detection limit (LOD) of the prepared QCM sensor were as 1.0 × 10-9 M and 3.3 × 10-10 M, respectively. In addition, high selectivity, stability, reproducibility, and repeatability of the developed sensor was observed, providing highly reliable analysis results. Finally, thanks to the prepared sensor, it may be possible to detect pesticides from different food and environmental samples in the future.

Real-world experience of using stereotactic radiotherapy combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor to treat neovascular AMD.

Adjunctive treatment or longer-acting drugs are required to treat nAMD to help ease burdens for patients and hospital clinics alike. Stereotactic therapy is one such option, providing a reduction in the number of injections over time. To determine the clinical outcomes in a cohort of patients with nAMD receiving a combination therapy of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) with intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (IVI). A retrospective analysis of 74 patients with nAMD, who had received IVI and SRT (16 Gray maximum dose to the macula) at a large tertiary university eye hospital, between March 2018 and September 2019 was performed. The number of IVIs, visual acuity (VA), and central retinal thickness (CRT) were evaluated at 12, 24, and 36months after patients received SRT and compared to the same time interval prior to SRT. Follow-up data at 12, 24, and 36months following and prior to SRT was available for 74, 48, and 22 patients respectively. Overall there was a significant reduction in the number of injections post-SRT. Twelve months following SRT, the median number of IVI was reduced by 1 (p < 0.05). The reduction in the median number of IVI was significantly reduced by 3 and 6 injections at 24- and 36-month follow-up respectively (p < 0.05). The CRT was significantly reduced post-SRT compared to the baseline values at all time periods. There was no statistically significant difference in VA at 12-month follow-up compared to baseline. The VA, however, significantly decreased at 24- and 36-month follow-up (p < 0.05). A therapy combining SRT with IVI has shown an overall reduction in the number of injections required in nAMD patients at 12, 24, and 36months following SRT compared to IVI treatment alone. These real-world outcomes are comparable to other studies while also confirming the maintenance of the reduced frequency of required IVI for patients with nAMD.

Mental and Physical Symptoms and Perceived Health Risks of Pregnant and Postpartum Women following the Significant Shift in COVID-19 Management in China: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background. There was a remarkable downgrade in China’s COVID-19 response strategies in January 2023. The COVID-19 infection rate grew rapidly in the early stages following the management policy shift. This study attempted to explore the associations between SARS-CoV-2 infection and mental or physical health status in pregnant and postpartum women and the role of perceived health risks and family members’ SARS-CoV-2 infection status on these associations by capturing the impact of policy shifts in a short period of time. Methods. This cross-sectional study with a random sample from a convenience sample of hospitals was conducted in pregnant and postpartum women in January 2023. Standardized assessment tools were employed to assess anxiety, depressive and physical symptoms, and feelings of hopelessness. Hierarchical multiple logistic regressions were conducted to examine the mechanisms of associations of interests by including a range of sociodemographic factors, self-perceived health, SARS-CoV-2 infection status, and perceived health risks as covariates. Results. Of the 1,013 pregnant and postpartum women aged 32.0 ± 0.3 years, 58.2% (n = 590) were diagnosed with COVID-19, and 49.4% (n = 500) had family members who were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Nearly 98% of the included participants took measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. A COVID-19 diagnosis was positively associated with feelings of hopelessness (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.20–2.35), probable anxiety (OR = 6.42, 95% CI: 2.18–24.61), possible depression (OR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.07–6.70), and physical symptoms (OR = 6.28, 95% CI: 1.63–42.03) after adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics, while the associations presented no statistical significance when family members’ SARS-CoV-2 infection status and perceived health risks were introduced into the models. Conclusions. Our results suggested that pregnant and postpartum women may experience physical and mental health challenges when they or their family members contracted COVID-19 in the context of a considerable shift in COVID-19 management. Early detection of poor health status and its risk factors for vulnerable groups during shifts in health policy and administrative practice is very necessary, and health services, including easy access to psychosocial support and obstetric counselling, should be prioritized.

Determinants of organic soil fertilization methods use over time and in the face of climate vulnerability

Implementation of environment-friendly soil organic matter (SOM) enhancing technologies (SOMET) is crucial for addressing soil degradation. This study aims to examine the usage status of SOMET (i.e., organic fertilizer, manure, and compost) from the dimension of long-term non-usage, dis-usage, late-usage and long-term usage and identify the drivers of these four behaviors of usage. We utilized national representative datasets of 1659 Bangladeshi rice-farmers for the periods of 2013, 2016 and 2020 with climate hazards data. Households were categorized into long-term non-user (48%) who does not practice SOMET in any of three survey years, dis-user (29%) as the households who abandon SOMET after practicing a period of time, late-user (20%) for the households who apply SOMET a few years later than their peer, long-term user (3%) as the households who practice SOMET for three survey years. Ordered logit model was used to quantify drivers of likelihood of being the four above defined categories. SOMET use has been found to be highly constrained by climate hazards. Flood depth, salinity, heavy rainfall, storm and cyclone vulnerability decrease likelihood of long-term use and late-use while increase the probability of long-term non-use and dis-use (p≤0.01). Alternatively, the likelihood of long-term non-use and dis-use are 12% and 4% lower in drought-prone areas. Increasing drought experiences increase the probability of long-term use and late-use (p≤0.01). Higher SOM level decreases long-term non-use but induces dis-use. Other major drivers of SOMET long-term use are older household head, more educated women in households, larger farm-size, and higher livestock values. Considering these factors in developing and implementing policies could be instrumental in promoting SOMET application at farm-level. Long-term use is context-specific with various climate and socio-economic factors, thus, designing policies and strategies should emphasize contextual variations to promote usage continuities.

Research on the duplication and death probability of the DNA of Escherichia coli within different generational time periods

Since the discovery of Escherichia coli during the 17th century, scientists have made substantial efforts to investigate the trends in the advanced combination probability of the Escherichia coli culture. This paper puts forward a combination method for models, via Escherichia coli. Here this paper develops a Markov-chain model for its population in different generational time periods and predicts the chance for duplication and loss from their stationary phase. Understanding the Duplication rate of Escherichia coli is crucial for various fields, including microbiology, medicine, and biotechnology. Our hypothesis believes that there is a correlation between the generational time intervals and the probability of Escherichia coli l duplication. This research contributes to our understanding of its Duplication dynamics and provides valuable information for various applications including the development of antimicrobial strategies, optimization of Escherichia coli l growth in biotechnological process, and the study of its evolution.

Spillover effects, lead and lag relationships, and stable coins time series

This research explores plausible spillover effects among S&P 500 Index, stable coins, and selected cryptocurrency time series by examining observable lead and lag interrelationships among the series. Considering the heteroscedastic and “fat-tailed” nature of the data distributions underlying the empirical analyses, we employ quantile Granger Causality tests to improve the validity of our statistical findings. Our test results suggest that stable coins, USDT, and USDC offer diversification benefits by decreasing portfolio risk. The log returns of the S&P 500 Index, stable coins, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Binance coins demonstrate clear bidirectional causality and spillover effects in low and high quantiles. Interestingly, however, stable coin and USDT returns strongly lead S&P 500 Index returns in nearly all quantiles for post COVID-19 time periods. These findings indirectly support intuition based upon market co-movement or integration assertions and suggest that investors can obtain added diversification benefits deriving from causality or spillover effects of holding stable coins when forming investment portfolios.

ON THE PERFECTION OF THE APPROACH TO THE FORMATION OF A PROGRAM FOR INCREASING THE RELIABILITY OF FIELD PIPELINES IN OC ROSNEFT

The article describes an approach for ranking and selecting field pipelines based on the total cost of ownership of the facility for the purpose of timely repairs and minimization of accidents, as well as its software implementation. The principle of the proposed approach is to apply a technical and economic model of the total cost of ownership of a pipeline, which takes into account the costs of maintaining the pipeline over a long period of time, which include the costs of pipeline maintenance activities, pipeline failures and replacement of pipeline sections. This model allows determining which replacement year corresponds to the minimum accumulated maintenance costs, by varying the year of pipeline replacement from the start of operations to the planning horizon. The model also allows to take into account the impact of operational technological measures on the cost of pipeline ownership and the selection of the optimal year of repair.In order to take into account the level of pipeline accidents in the process of operation on the basis of operational data, a mathematical probabilistic model based on the Weibull distribution was developed. The mathematical model allows to take into account for each pipeline the influence of technical characteristics (diameter, length, wall thickness, material, coating, design features), operating conditions (type of pumped medium, technological mode of pipeline operation) and information on inspection and diagnostics. The accuracy of failure prediction using this model is at least 90 %.The approach to the formation of programs to improve the reliability of field pipelines with regard to optimal repair periods based on the total cost of ownership model is described, taking into account various objectives and constraints, among which the main ones are:- required achievable level of accidents;- acceptable amounts of financing for re-pairs;- permissible physical volumes of repairs along the length.The approach to forming reliability improvement programs described in this article has been implemented in Rosneft's corporate software system RN-SM. The implementation of this software package in production activities is being implemented in 2023–2024.

Reduced self-harm on acute mental health wards following the implementation of a vision-based patient monitoring system: Evidence from five NHS trusts.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Inpatient mental health settings pose unique challenges for patient safety, in part because psychiatric disorders are well-known risk factors for self-harm and suicide. Ward staff follow protocols to try and keep patients safe including carrying out in-person safety checks, usually every 15 min, but patients unfortunately still find opportunities to harm themselves. A vision-based patient monitoring system (VBPMS) is a contact-free technology that can help mental health nurses to monitor patients in hospital more effectively. For example, the tool alerts staff to situations where a patient might need assistance, like when they spend a long period of time in their ensuite bathroom. Research has shown that the VBPMS can support staff to prevent safety incidents from occurring and a recent study found a decrease in self-harm after the tool was implemented at one NHS mental health trust. WHAT DOES THE PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This paper presents data from five NHS mental health trusts and suggests that the VBPMS can consistently help staff to prevent self-harm on acute mental health wards. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Managing self-harm behaviours is a challenge for mental health nursing staff. Standard safety protocols are not effective enough - staff need new ways to monitor patients. In general hospitals, technology is used every day to support care. This research shows that the VBPMS can be used to improve patient safety in mental health hospitals. ABSTRACT: Introduction Self-harm is sadly relatively common in mental health inpatient settings, and the effectiveness and appropriateness of strategies used to prevent it have long been disputed. The use of vision-based patient monitoring systems (VBPMS) has been shown to improve various safety outcomes. Their potential to support staff in preventing inpatient self-harm warrants further exploration. Aim This research investigated whether implementing a VBPMS-as an adjunct to existing clinical practice-within acute inpatient services at five NHS England mental health trusts led to reductions in self-harm. Method Five quasi-experimental studies assessed the number of bedroom self-harm incidents, across 12 adult wards, before and 5-12 months after a VBPMS was deployed. Percentage changes were calculated. Four studies used control groups and were included in a fixed-effect meta-analysis. Results In the meta-analysis, a significant inverse-weighted average relative risk percentage change of -38.9% was recorded. For the study with no control groups, reductions in self-harm were seen across all wards (range: -9.1% to -29.8%). Discussion This research demonstrates that VBPMS can support clinicians to create safer ward environments by preventing incidents of self-harm from occurring. Implications for Practice The results provide preliminary support for wider rollout of the technology on acute mental health wards.

A pilot protection based on low frequency component model for HVDC transmission lines

AbstractReliable and fast identification of high‐voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line faults is important to the safety of power system. In traditional DC transmission line protection, differential protection is invulnerable to high fault resistance, but it needs long time delay for the influence of distributed capacitance current. In order to solve this problem, a novel pilot protection is proposed. The characteristics of the voltage and current processed by low‐pass filter under different fault conditions are analysed, and based on it the protection criteria is proposed. When external fault occurs, it reflects the line capacitance where the first forward fault traveling wave passes, which is increasing until equal to the whole line capacitance, then remains constant. However, when internal fault occurs, its value is negative in the initial stage, and after that its value is very different from the whole line capacitance. The analysis proves that this pilot protection method has fast operation speed, and can be applied for a relatively long period of time. What is more, the applicable time of superposition principle is considered in the analysis, which is not considered in many literatures. An UHVDC system is modelled for simulation in PSCAD/EMTDC, and the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed scheme is verified.

A 30 YEAR (1991-2020) RETROSPECTIVE MORTALITY REVIEW OF GIRAFFIDS (GIRAFFA SPP. AND OKAPIA JOHNSTONI) IN MANAGED CARE.

Identifying common causes of mortality in zoo giraffe (Giraffa spp.) and okapi (Okapia johnstoni) provides an opportunity to help improve welfare and population management for these endangered species. Mortality reports from 1,024 giraffe and 95 okapi in zoos were compiled from the Species 360 Zoological Information Management Software (ZIMS) utilizing the Morbidity & Mortality Analysis tool. Thirty years of mortality reports (1991-2020) were evaluated to help identify trends and evaluate the impacts, if any, of changes over time in husbandry and management practices. The most common causes of death for giraffe from 1991 to 2015 were neonatal issues (234/845, 27.7%), trauma (213/845, 25.2%), noninfectious disease (190/845, 22.5%), and infectious disease (188/845, 22.2%). In comparison, the most common causes of mortality for giraffe from 2016 to 2020, were noninfectious disease (78/179, 43.6%), trauma (39/179, 21.8%), neonatal issues (39/179, 21.8%), and infectious disease (17/179, 9.5%). The most common cause of death for okapi from 1991 to 2015 were neonatal issues (29/64, 45.3%), infectious disease (13/64, 20.3%), noninfectious disease (11/64, 17.2%), and trauma (10/64, 15.6%). In comparison, the most common cause of death for okapi from 2016 to 2020 was noninfectious disease (15/31, 48.4%), neonatal issues (8/31, 25.8%), and infectious disease (5/31, 16.1%). The results suggest that zoo giraffids have had a relative decrease in mortality from infectious diseases in recent years, whereas death from noninfectious causes has increased significantly. Trauma-related giraffe mortalities and neonatal mortality in both giraffe and okapi, although decreasing in prevalence between time periods, continue to be important causes of death in zoos. This is the first descriptive mortality review for the Giraffidae family and provides data on potential giraffe and okapi health issues that zoos could proactively address.

Long‐term differences in population structure, body size and distribution patterns of amphipods and isopods in wetlands with declining hydroperiods

Abstract In many regions, climatic drying is shortening hydroperiods and freshwater biodiversity is declining. Aquatic species that lack a desiccation‐resistant life stage are predicted to have the least ability to persist in drying climates, yet such species may occur in intermittent waterbodies. We examined the distribution of two crustacean species that lack desiccation‐resistant life stages: the isopod Paramphisopus palustris and amphipod Chiltoniidae sp.nov., before and after the commencement of severe climatic drying in Swan Coastal Plain wetlands, south‐western Australia. Historical distribution data for these species were obtained from studies of the same set of wetlands in 1989–1990. We determined whether population or body size differed between hydrological regimes (perennial, semi‐perennial, seasonal) between 1989–1990 and 2018–2019 for both species. Amphipods, isopods and environmental variables were sampled from 42 wetlands in 2018–2019. Thirty‐three wetlands (22 perennial, 11 seasonal) persisted with the same hydrological regime in both time periods and eight wetlands that were perennial in 1989–1990 had shifted to a drier hydrological regime (four became semi‐perennial, four became seasonal) by 2018–2019. Drying wetland hydrological regimes did not correspond to more limited spatial distributions for either species. Hydrological regime had no effect on amphipod counts, although abundances were lower in 2018–2019 than 1989–1990. In 2018–2019, male amphipods were larger than females in seasonal wetlands, but sexes were the same size in perennial wetlands and females were larger than males in semi‐perennial wetlands. Furthermore, amphipods of both sexes were considerably smaller in semi‐perennial than seasonal or perennial wetlands. Isopod distributions differed between the two sampling periods, with populations primarily lost from wetlands that remained perennial. This unexpected result was likely caused by prolonged periods of high summer–autumn water temperatures and stratification in shallow perennial wetlands that caused anoxia in bottom waters and made surface waters excessively hot for isopods. By contrast, drying seasonal wetlands seemingly offered suitable habitat in summer–autumn. Mean isopod head and body length did not differ between hydrological regimes or sexes, but became smaller between 1989–1990 and 2018–2019 (15 mm average body length in 1989 vs. 8.3 mm in 2018–2019; 17 mm maximum size in 1989–1990 vs. 13.2 mm in 2018–2019). The absence of population losses associated with drying hydrological regimes indicates that the current level of drying is within the tolerance range of both species. However, increased temperatures may be causing body size (and possibly fecundity) to decline for isopods. As global warming continues to shorten wetland hydroperiods in many regions, numerous species will struggle to complete their life cycles, leading to extirpation. Our findings suggest that climate change may also cause conditions in perennial wetlands to exceed the tolerances of species that lack desiccation resistance traits. This emphasises the need to better understand both environmental and habitat changes along the drying trajectory in wetlands and the fundamental life‐history and physiological traits that enable the survival of aquatic invertebrates that lack desiccation resistance. This includes not only species responses to drying, but also responses to other stressors (e.g., prolonged stratification) caused by global warming.

Kilometre-scale simulations over Fennoscandia reveal a large loss of tundra due to climate warming

Abstract. The Fennoscandian boreal and mountain regions harbour a wide range of vegetation types, from boreal forest to high alpine tundra and barren soils. The area is facing a rise in air temperature above the global average and changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. This is expected to alter the Fennoscandian vegetation composition and change the conditions for areal land use such as forestry, tourism and reindeer husbandry. In this study we used a unique high-resolution (3 km) climate scenario with considerable warming resulting from strongly increasing carbon dioxide emissions to investigate how climate change can alter the vegetation composition, biodiversity and availability of suitable reindeer forage. Using a dynamical vegetation model, including a new implementation of potential reindeer grazing, resulted in simulated vegetation maps of unprecedented high resolution for such a long time period and spatial extent. The results were evaluated at the local scale using vegetation inventories and for the whole area against satellite-based vegetation maps. A deeper analysis of vegetation shifts related to statistics of threatened species was performed in six “hotspot” areas containing records of rare and threatened species. In this high-emission scenario, the simulations show dramatic shifts in the vegetation composition, accelerating at the end of the century. Alarmingly, the results suggest the southern mountain alpine region in Sweden will be completely covered by forests at the end of the 21st century, making preservation of many rare and threatened species impossible. In the northern alpine regions, most vegetation types will persist but shift to higher elevations with reduced areal extent, endangering vulnerable species. Simulated potential for reindeer grazing indicates latitudinal differences, with higher potential in the south in the current climate. In the future these differences will diminish, as the potentials will increase in the north, especially for the summer grazing grounds. These combined results suggest significant shifts in vegetation composition over the present century for this scenario, with large implications for nature conservation, reindeer husbandry and forestry.

When and how many: Factors associated with campus sexual assault reforms

AbstractInstitutions of higher education have faced increasing pressure to comply with federal regulations and reform their response to campus sexual assault. This study explores institutions of higher education employees’ perceptions on whether decoupling, or organizational resistance to change, is associated with the number and timing of campus sexual assault reforms adopted. Early captured reforms instituted before the “Dear Colleague Letter” in 2011, mid included reforms instituted after the Dear Colleague Letter in 2011 but before the 2015–2016 academic year and during the period of heightened attention to campus sexual assault, and late which included reforms instituted during or after the 2015–2016 academic year. A web‐based survey of institutions of higher education employees familiar with sexual assault policy implementation on their campuses asked about types of reforms, timing, decoupling, and campus characteristics. Correlations and t‐tests were run to examine the types of reforms across time periods, and regression assessed the degree to which decoupling was associated with the number and timing of reforms. Higher decoupling was associated with fewer reforms in the early period and more in the late period, though not with the overall number of reforms adopted. Findings highlight the importance of understanding factors that influence change on campuses.

Chest X-ray image classification using transfer learning and hyperparameter customization for lung disease diagnosis

ABSTRACT Lung diseases often result in severe damage to the respiratory tract, and lead to a high risk of mortality within a short period of time. DL models based on ViT are considered to have promising advantages over CNN architectures in terms of computational efficiency, and accuracy when trained on large ImageNet datasets. In this study, we present a new DL approach based on the combination of CNN with ViT to improve the efficiency of pneumonia diagnosis using medical images. In the first stage, raw images are passed through a local filter to capture local relations on the inputs. The local filter block includes two convolutional layers with kernel 3 × 3. This local filtering method aims to enhance rich features before being fed into the patching layer of the ViT block. The proposed method is experimented on the benchmark chest X-ray dataset. The proposed method is evaluated and compared to some well-known models, which include ViT, VGG19, Resnet50, Densnet201. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach based on CNN and ViT reaches higher efficiency with about 1% accuracy to the standard ViT model, and about 2% higher with VGG19, Resnet50, Densnet201 and smaller in model architecture.

Comparison of the oncolytic activity of a replication-competent and a replication-deficient herpes simplex virus 1.

In 2015, the oncolytic herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) T-VEC (talimogene laherparepvec) was approved for intratumoral injection in non-resectable malignant melanoma. To determine whether viral replication is required for oncolytic activity, we compared replication-deficient HSV-1 d106S with replication-competent T-VEC. High infectious doses of HSV-1 d106S killed melanoma (n = 10), head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (n = 11), and chondrosarcoma cell lines (n = 2) significantly faster than T-VEC as measured by MTT metabolic activity, while low doses of T-VEC were more effective over time. HSV-1 d106S and, to a lesser extent T-VEC, triggered caspase-dependent early apoptosis as shown by pan-caspase inhibition and specific induction of caspases 3/7, 8, and 9. HSV-1 d106S induced a higher ratio of apoptosis-inducing infected cell protein (ICP) 0 to apoptosis-blocking ICP6 than T-VEC. T-VEC was oncolytic for an extended period of time as viral replication continued, which could be partially blocked by the antiviral drug aciclovir. High doses of T-VEC, but not HSV-1 d106S, increased interferon-β mRNA as part of the intrinsic immune response. When markers of immunogenic cell death were assessed, ATP was released more efficiently in the context of T-VEC than HSV-1 d106S infection, whereas HMGB1 was induced comparatively well. Overall, the early oncolytic effect on three different tumour entities was stronger with the non-replicative strain, while the replication-competent virus elicited a stronger innate immune response and more pronounced immunogenic cell death.