Seasonal Effects Research Articles

Effects of forest age and season on soil microbial communities in Chinese fir plantations.

Understanding changes in the distribution patterns and diversity of soil microbial communities from the perspectives of age-related changes, seasonal variations, and the interaction between the two factors can facilitate the management of plantations. In Chinese fir plantations, we collected soils from different depths in over-mature forests, mature forests, near-mature forests, middle-aged forests, and young forests in summer, autumn, and winter in China's subtropical regions. As the forests developed, bacterial and fungal communities' diversity changed, reached a minimum value at near-mature forests, and then increased in mature forests or over-mature forests. Near-mature forests had the lowest topological properties. The Shannon index of microbial communities varied with seasonal changes (P < 0.05). Bacterial and fungal community composition at genus level was more closely related to temperature indicators (including daily average temperature, daily maximum temperature, and daily minimum temperature) (P < 0.01, 0.5554 < R2 <0.8185) than daily average precipitation (P > 0.05, 0.0321 < R2 <0.6773). Bacteria were clustered by season and fungi were clustered by forest age. We suggested that extending the tree cultivation time of plantations could promote microbial community recovery. In addition, we found some species worthy of attention, including Bacteroidetes in autumn in over-mature forests, and Firmicutes in summer in young forests.IMPORTANCEChinese fir [Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook] is an important fast-growing species with the largest artificial forest area in China, with the outstanding problems of low quality in soil. Soil microorganisms play a crucial role in soil fertility by decomposing organic matter, optimizing soil structure, and releasing essential nutrients for plant growth. In order to maintain healthy soil quality and prevent nutrient depletion and land degradation, it is crucial to understand the changes of soil microbial composition and diversity. Our study determined to reveal the change of soil microbial community from stand age, season, and the interaction between the two aspects, which is helpful to understand how interannual changes in different years and seasonal changes in one year affect soil fertility restoration and sustainable forest plantation management. It is a meaningful exploration of soil microbial communities and provides new information for further research.

Unpacking Conflict Process on the Korean Peninsula with Political and Seasonal Distribution

Under what conditions does a North Korean threat escalate to the actual use of force? To address this question, we delve into the underlying causal mechanism that shapes the entire conflict process on the Korean Peninsula. Dismissing the presumption that repeated disputes are independent of one another and that factors exhibit a monotonic effect across conflict stages, we direct our focus towards the comprehensive conflict process encompassing North Korea's provocation onset and escalation. Our approach involves the systematic collection of monthly data, which we analyze using appropriate statistical models to account for the selection effect. The empirical investigation not only corroborates our theoretical proposition but also uncovers several key factors that exhibit a non‐monotonic effect across various stages of conflict. The results indicate that North Korea's domestic factors and those within South Korea influence the onset of conflict, while the escalation stage is shaped by factors within the United States. Furthermore, our findings highlight the effect of seasonality, indicating an increased frequency of conflict onset and escalation during the summer season.

Effect of season, age and period on semen quality traits in buffalo bulls

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of season, age and period on semen traits in buffalo bulls. Data collected during the year 2010–2021 for seven semen traits viz. ejaculate volume (VOL), sperm concentration (SPC), mass activity (MA), initial motility (BFM), post-thaw motility (PTM), number of sperms per ejaculate (NSP) and number of motile sperm (NMSP) from Murrah buffalo bulls (n = 45; aged: 24–75 months). A general mixed model was applied to obtain the R2 value which was the proportion of variation in semen variable. With study period, the highest SPC was obtained during 2012; with the season, the highest VOL (ml) in hot humid and the highest SPC during the hot-dry season and with age, higher VOL, SPC, NSP and NMSP was obtained in older bulls. This study showed that factors i.e. period, season and age had a significant effect on semen traits viz. VOL, MA, SPC, BFM, PTM, NSP and NMSP in buffalo bulls.

P-391 Association between meteorological season at the time of embryo transfer and pregnancy outcomes in freeze-all cycles: lessons from seasonal reproductive mammals

Abstract Study question Is there any effect of meteorological season at the time of embryo transfer on clinical outcomes of freeze-all cycles? Summary answer Optimal conditions for implantation appear to be associated with spring and summer. Embryo transfers performed in autumn or winter are associated with reduced ongoing pregnancy. What is known already Extensive research has consistently shown that most mammals are seasonal breeders, and as day length increases, gonadotropin secretion increases, to anticipate reproduction in the spring and summer months. There is intriguing evidence that there is a seasonal variance in human reproduction, but the data are inconclusive. Therefore, the goal for the present study was to evaluate the effect the meteorological season at the time of embryo transfer on clinical outcomes of freeze-all cycles. Study design, size, duration This historical cohort study was performed in a private university-affiliated IVF center between February 2018 and December 2022. A total of 4952 frozen-thawed embryos transferred to 3725 cycles in a single clinic were analyzed. Participants/materials, setting, methods Both vitrification and the warming procedures were performed using the Cryotop method. Embryos survival and clinical outcomes were analyzed by the season, at the time of embryo transfer, using generalized linear models adjusted for potential confounders. Main results and the role of chance The mean maternal age was 37.0 ± 4.7 years. Embryos were cryopreserved for a mean of 8.1 ± 17.3 months. Autumn was designated as the reference season for all analyses. No significant differences were observed in embryo survival rates when the seasons were compared, however, lowest implantation and pregnancy rates were observed when embryo transfers occurred in autumn (44.6%), followed by winter (45.8%, OR: 1.049, CI: 0.876 – 1.257, p = 0.603) and summer (49.0%, OR: 1.196, CI: 1.010 – 1.415, p = 0.038), while spring embryo transfers had a 30% increased odds of pregnancy (51.2%, OR: 1.302, CI: 1.100 – 1.541, p = 0.002). An increased miscarriage rate was observed when embryo transfers occurred in autumn (13.9%), followed by winter (11.4%, OR: 0.510, CI: 0.323 – 0.805, p = 0.004) and summer (10.4%, OR: 0.461, CI: 0.292 – 0.727, p = 0.001), while spring embryo transfers had a 63% decreased odds of miscarriage (5.6%, OR: 0.369, CI: 0.230 – 0.592, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Limitations, reasons for caution The use of historical cohort groups is a drawback. Despite the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the analysis, potential differences in the baseline characteristics cannot be ruled out. Wider implications of the findings In seasonal breeding mammals, melatonin increases the gonadotropins’ release during the transition period. Melatonin rise favors embryo implantation and protects offspring by increasing progesterone levels. Our evidence suggests that human reproductive potential may be influenced by climatic variations. Trial registration number N/A

Disentangling the seasonality effects of malaria transmission in the Brazilian Amazon basin

The evidence of seasonal patterns in malaria epidemiology in the Brazilian Amazon basin indicates the need for a thorough investigation of seasonality in this last and heterogeneous region. Additionally, since these patterns are linked to climate variables, malaria models should also incorporate them. This study applies wavelet analysis to incidence data from 2003 to 2020 in the Epidemiological Surveillance System for Malaria (SIVEP-Malaria) database. A mathematical model with climate-dependent parametrization is proposed to study counts of malaria cases over time based on notification data, temperature and rainfall. The wavelet analysis reveals marked seasonality in states Amazonas and Amapá throughout the study period, and from 2003 to 2012 in Pará. However, these patterns are not as marked in other states such as Acre and Pará in more recent years. The wavelet coherency analysis indicates a strong association between incidence and temperature, especially for the municipalities of Macapá and Manaus, and a similar association for rainfall. The mathematical model fits well with the observed temporal trends in both municipalities. Studies on climate-dependent mathematical models provide a good assessment of the baseline epidemiology of malaria. Additionally, the understanding of seasonality effects and the application of models have great potential as tools for studying interventions for malaria control.

Trade-off and chaotic dynamics in a two-prey one-predator model with refuge, environmental noise and seasonal effects

In nature, poisonous prey species have developed toxins as an attack against predators. However, predator’s decisions to consume aposematic toxic prey are not solely determined by their toxicity. Predators often weigh the costs of ingesting toxins against the benefits of obtaining nutrients, with body size acting as a significant cue. In terms of avoiding predation, prey commonly respond by seeking refuge, a behavior that fluctuates considerably due to seasonality and environmental variability. In this study, we integrate these factors into the dynamics of two prey and one predator model. We explore the cost of fear to illustrate the trade-off dynamics of prey, and we adjust the predator’s death rate by integrating a function that serves predator loss resulting from encounters with toxic prey. Our model demonstrates bistability as a consequence of hysteresis effect and undergoes various bifurcations, including saddle node, Hopf, Bautin, and cusp bifurcations. We observe that increasing prey refuge and reducing the level of fear contribute to system stabilization, yet chaotic behavior persists with respect to both parameters. While seasonality can introduce stability and periodicity, it may also give rise to complex and unpredictable dynamics. We comprehend that the system might undergo transitions through multiple periodic cycles as a result of changes in the degree of seasonality, yet it eventually settles into a periodic solution. Furthermore, our analysis using the stochastic model reveals that low noise levels maintain species densities close to deterministic equilibrium, whereas high noise levels result in broader dispersion or even extinction of species. The information presented in this article may help readers understand the biological knowledge gained by investigating interactions between predators and prey.

Cryopreservation alters buffalo sperm kinematics and mitochondrial parameters, acrosome and intra-cellular calcium status

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effects of different seasons on the cryopreservation success of buffalo sperm in terms of kinematics and sperm functional parameters. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of three seasons (winter, comfort and summer) and cryopreservation on sperm kinematics and functional properties in buffalo bulls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semen ejaculates (n = 90) collected during three seasons i.e. winter (n = 30), comfort (n = 30), summer (n = 30) were evaluated for sperm kinematics and functional properties. RESULTS: Sperm kinematics with respect to total (TM), progressive (PM) and rapid motility (RM) was higher (P&lt;0.05) in fresh sperm compared to sperm that had been frozen-thawed. Similarly, all kinematic parameters [viz. average path velocity (VAP), straight linear velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL), beats cross frequency (BCF), lateral head displacement (ALH), linearity (LIN) and straightness (STR)] were higher (P&lt;0.01) at the fresh stage. With respect to season, frozen-thawed semen TM (57.67 ± 115%), PM (50.2 ± 1.15%) and RM (51.6 ± 1.19%) were higher (P&lt;0.01) when using sperm collected during winter. The stage of cryopreservation (i.e., equilibration and freeze-thawing) also showed significant effects (P&lt;0.01) on mitochondrial superoxide positive status (MSPS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), acrosome status and intra-cellular calcium status. CONCLUSION: The season of sperm collection and cryopreservation have significant effects on buffalo bull sperm kinematics and functional properties.

The Impact of Birth Season and Sex on Motor Skills in 2-Year-Old Children: A Study in Jinhua, Eastern China

Background: This study investigates the effects of birth season and sex on the development of gross and fine motor skills in 2-year-old children in Jinhua, Eastern China. Methods: Conducted in Jinhua, a city in central Zhejiang Province, Eastern China, this research involved 225 children, assessing their gross and fine motor skills using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition. Scores were adjusted for age in months to avoid the relative age effect. Statistical analyses included MANOVA to evaluate the impacts of season and sex. Results: Sex had no significant impact on overall motor development scores (p &gt; 0.05). However, the season of birth significantly affected fine motor quotient (FMQ) and total motor quotient (TMQ) (p &lt; 0.05). Boys’ motor skills were generally unaffected by season, whereas girls born in winter exhibited superior fine motor skills compared to those born in summer. Conclusions: Seasonal environmental factors significantly influence early motor development, particularly fine motor skills in girls. These findings highlight the importance of considering seasonal variations in early childhood interventions aimed at enhancing exercise physiology and sports performance.

Effect of non-genetic factors on reproductive efficiency of Mehsana buffaloes maintained at organized farm

The present investigation included the data pertaining to lactation records of 301 Mehsana buffaloes, spread over a period of 30 years (1991 to 2020), collected from the records maintained at Livestock Research Station, SDAU, Sardarkrushinagar, District Banaskantha, Gujarat; to evaluate the reproduction performance of Mehsana buffaloes. The data pertaining to different performance traits was collected from the records of the farm and analysed to know the effects of non-genetic factors like- period of calving, season of calving, parity and age at first calving group on these performance traits. The LSM of AFC have been observed 1295.54±11.80 days (N=301), but it was significantly (P≤0.01) affected by the period of birth. Similarly, LSM for SP was calculated 145.72±4.98 days (N=1038) and it was significantly (P≤0.01) affected by period of calving, season of calving and parity, but AFC group did not have any effect on this trait. The LSM of DP was estimated as 213.69±9.17 days (N=869), while it was significantly (P≤0.05) affected by period of calving, but effect of season of calving and parity on this trait was highly significant (P≤0.01). Similarly, LSM of CI was observed 451.97±4.97 days (N=1054), which was significantly (P≤0.01) affected by the period of calving, season of calving and parity. Therefore, based on these observations it was concluded that significant effect of non-genetic factors play an important role to improve the reproduction performance of the Mehsana buffalo herd, therefore emphasis must be given on nutrition, management and health cover practices to improve the performance of the indigenous breed on the farm.

Hybridization Model for Air Pollution Prediction Using Time Series Data

In recent years, data science analysis, particularly time series predictions, has been widely employed across various industrial sectors. However, time series data presents high complexity, especially in seasonal patterns such as monthly, daily, or hourly fluctuations. Irregular fluctuations and external factors increasingly challenge accurate predictions. Therefore, this research proposes a hybrid approach combining SVR-SARIMA, SVR-Prophet, LSTM-SARIMA, and LSTM-Prophet to enhance time series prediction accuracy. This study followed the OSEMN methodology approach: gathering data, cleaning data, exploring data, developing models, and interpreting crucial aspects of problem-solving. Seasonal effect predictions indicated a rise in SO2 and NO2 during dry and rainy seasons until the next two years (average daily increments of 0.0831 μg/m3 for SO2 and 0.0516 μg/m3 for NO2). Estimates suggest a decrease in the order of three particles. The evaluation showed that the SVR model performed better compared to the other three models (RMSE 7.765, MAE 5.477, and MAPE 0.261). The best-performing hybrid model was LSTM-Prophet (99.74% accuracy) with RMSE 12.319, MAE 12.057, and MAPE 0.259 values.

Effects of Different Seasons on Milk Quality: A Study on Two Cattle Breeds in Rainy and Drought Contexts

Effects of Different Seasons on Milk Quality: A Study on Two Cattle Breeds in Rainy and Drought Contexts

Results from the ENJOY MAP for HEALTH: a quasi experiment evaluating the impact of age-friendly outdoor exercise equipment to increase older people’s park visitations and physical activity

BackgroundRecreational parks can play a significant role in older people’s health, with emerging evidence suggesting that changes in the physical environment, such as refurbishments of local parks, can increase park visitations and physical activity engagement. The ENJOY MAP for HEALTH aimed to evaluate the impact of Seniors Exercise Park installations and associated capacity building activities on older people’s park visitation, and park-based physical activity.MethodThe ENJOY MAP for HEALTH was a quasi-experiment study design that involved the installation of specialised Seniors Exercise Park equipment as part of park refurbishment, supported by promotion and community capacity building activities in six municipalities in Victoria, Australia. Direct observations of park users took place prior to park upgrades, one-month post upgrade and 12-months from baseline. The overall number and characteristics of park visitors, and the type and level of physical activity undertaken, were summarised descriptively. Generalised linear models were used to examine the impact of park refurbishment (equipment installation and site activation) on the total number of older people observed in the park, and their engagement in physical activity, accounting for site and seasonal effects.ResultsOverall number of visits increased following park upgrades, with the largest number of visitors observed one-month post upgrade (n = 12,501). The proportion of older people observed at the parks remained relatively low prior to and one-month post upgrade compared to other age groups. However, after adjusting for site and seasonal effects, the number of older people observed in the parks increased significantly post upgrade and site activation compared to prior to the refurbishment (incidence rate ratios (IRR) 3.55; 95% CI 2.68, 4.70). The number of older people observed to be exercising at the Seniors Exercise Park also increased by 100% at 12-months post-installation relative to one-month post upgrade (IRR 2.00; 95% CI 1.26, 3.17).ConclusionInstallation of the Seniors Exercise Parks and the supportive programs and activities following six park upgrades resulted in an increase in older people’s park visitation and engagement in physical activity. Community engagement and training of volunteers with the support of local governments are likely to contribute to the increased park usage by older people.Trial registrationThis trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Trial registration number ACTRN12621000965808. https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=380745&isReview=true.

Do global extreme hazards and related attention lead to financial risks in the shipping market?

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the impacts of extreme hazards on the shipping market in terms of freight rates. We develop a unique measure of abnormal freight rate occurred in the period of extreme hazard by introducing the concept of abnormal return in the finance field and find that such impacts of extreme hazards tend to be positive. The impacts are attributed to systematic risks in the shipping market due to increasing costs and decreasing supply. We observe similar associations between individuals’ attention to hazards and freight rates, which are related to stakeholders’ expectations and thus cause non-systematic risks in the shipping market. Unlike the systematic risk, which has short-term effects on the freight rates and starts to fade in three months, the non-systematic risks caused by attention is long-lived. Stakeholders require higher premium for higher systematic and non-systematic risks in the shipping market. The impacts of extreme hazards and attention remain positive when the hazards are associated with the shipping market, non-Asia market, environmental pollution, and seasonal effects. Our results are robust when considering alternative measures of freight rates, potential endogeneity of COVID-19 and macroeconomic conditions. We provide stakeholders with suggestions on pricing, environmental protection, decision-making and market-forecasting.

The impacts of inter- and intra-seasonal burns on the terrestrial orchid Pterostylis curta

AbstractPrescribed burning is a management tool used for both management of fuel loads and for ecological purposes across fire prone areas. While in temperate areas wildfires usually occur during the hottest summer months, prescribed burns are generally conducted in autumn and spring, when conditions are more suitable for controlling fire. Orchids maintain avoidance mechanisms, such as persisting as dormant tubers during the predominant fire season, and therefore may be at risk from prescribed burns occurring during their active life cycle period. Using a glasshouse experiment, we investigated the impacts of fire season on the Australian orchid species Pterostylis curta. This approach allowed us to i) implement seasonal burns and relate impacts to quantifiable above and belowground life cycle stages of the study species, ii) isolate and assess the role of smoke, and iii) control for fire intensity and life stage of the study species at each of the treatment levels to enable robust comparison focused on fire season effects. We found that late autumn burns caused complete failure of a cohort in our glasshouse study. Heat alone was not the driver of tuber mortality, because soil heating was similar across all burn seasons, and plants burnt in the three other seasons were able to re-emerge strongly in the growing season after fire. Furthermore, a lack of post-fire emergence was due to tuber mortality, not dormancy. Our results highlight that there is likely an interaction between fire-related heat and the life cycle stage at which burning occurs, especially replacement tuber initiation, that drives post-fire demography. We show that orchids like P. curta had the lowest risk of negative impacts when burnt in the later stages of their growing season, and that an understanding of finer-scale phenological cycles can inform more robust fire management of orchid species.

A Study on Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Chinese National Park Network Attention

Due to advancements in information technology and growing eco-tourism demand, National Park Network Attention (NPNA) has emerged as a novel indicator of tourism appeal and ecological value recognition. Utilizing Baidu search index (accessed in 2023) data from 2013 to 2022, this study employs time series analysis, index analysis, and spatial statistics to measure and differentiate the spatial and temporal aspects of NPNA across 31 provinces, regions, and municipalities in mainland China, while systematically assessing the impact of various factors from both source and destination perspectives. Over the period of 2013 to 2022, NPNA has increased annually, peaking around holidays and during spring and autumn, demonstrating pronounced seasonality and precursor effects, while exhibiting volatility due to external events. Influenced by factors from both source and destination perspectives, the spatial distribution of NPNA displays a trend of being “high in the east and low in the west” and “high in the south and low in the north,” though regional disparities are diminishing. The population size in the source areas remains the dominant factor influencing NPNA, while the concept of national parks is not yet widely recognized. The destination’s tourism resource endowment, media publicity, accessibility, and level of informatization are significant influences. An effective integration of resources and marketing is essential for boosting NPNA. The findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the spatial layout of national parks, enhancing the tourism service system, innovating communication and promotional strategies, and improving national park governance effectiveness.

ARIMA Model-Based Research on Stock Price Prediction

Securities trading has always been a high-risk, high-return domain. Investors seek high returns while endeavoring to minimize risks as much as possible. Therefore, stock price prediction has become a popular and immensely valuable research topic. This paper will use the ARMA model to forecast stock prices. Firstly, an analysis was conducted on selected stock, determining that the price sequence exhibits no seasonal effects but does display volatility effects. The trend is essentially linear, and the relationship between volatility effects and trends fits an additive model. Based on this, preprocessing was conducted by taking the three-day moving average sequence of the series to eliminate the volatility effects, yielding a clean sequence trend. Then, the trend was differenced once to obtain a stationary sequence. Subsequently, the appropriate ARIMA model order was determined by the (partial) autocorrelation plot of this stationary sequence, and the model was fitted to the stock for prediction, yielding satisfactory results. This indicates that the model can accurately forecast long-term trends, but the filtering of volatility effects prevents the prediction results from sensitively reflecting short-term fluctuations.

Impact of changes of hospital integrations spanning a decade in Hungary: Modern diagnostic services: CT care based on a Hungarian sample

Introduction, purpose of the study: In Central Europe, in Hungary, the state guarantees access to health care and basic health services partly through the Semmelweis Plan adopted in 2011. The Health Plan aims to optimize and transform the health system. The objectives of hospital integration, as set out in the Plan, started with the state ownership of municipal hospitals in 2012, continued with the launch of integration processes in 2012–2013 and culminated today. The transformation of a health system can have an impact on health services and thus on meeting the needs of the population. We aim to study the effectiveness of integration through access to CT diagnostic testing. Our hypothesis is that integration has resulted in increased access to modern diagnostic services. The specialty under study is computed tomography (CT) diagnostic care. Our research shows that the number of people receiving CT diagnostic care has increased significantly because of integration, which has also brought a number of positive benefits, such as reduced health inequalities, reduced travel time, costs and waiting lists. Test material and method: Our quantitative retrospective research was carried out in the hospital of Kalocsa through document analysis. The research material was comparing two time periods in the Kalocsa site of Bács-Kiskun County, Southern Hungary. The number of patients attending CT examinations by area of duty of care according to postal codes was collected: Pre-integration period 2014.01.01–2017.11.30. (Kalocsa did not have CT equipment, so patients who appeared in Kecskemét Hospital but were under the care of Kalocsa), post-integration period 2017.12.01–2019.12.31. (period after the installation of CT in Kalocsa). The target group of the study consisted of women and men together, aged 0–99 years, who appeared for a CT diagnostic examination. The study sample size was 6721 persons. Linear regression statistics were used to evaluate the results. Based on empirical experience, a SWOT analysis was carried out to further investigate the effectiveness of integration. Results: As a result of the integration, the CT scan machine purchased in the Kalocsa District Hospital has enabled an average of 129.7 patients per month to receive CT scans on site without travelling. The model used is significant, explaining 86% of the change in the number of patients served (F = 43.535; p &lt; 0.001, adjusted R2 = 0.860). The variable of integration in the model is significant, with an average increase in the number of patients served of 129.7 per month (t = 22.686; p &lt; 0.001) following the introduction of CT due to integration. None of the month variables representing seasonal effects were found to be significant, with no seasonal effect on care. The SWOT analysis has clearly identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the integration, the main outcome of which is the acquisition of a CT diagnostic tool. Conclusions: Although we only looked at one segment of the evidence for the effectiveness of hospital integration, integration in the study area has had a positive impact on CT availability, reducing disparities in care.

The response of epibenthic molluscan assemblages associated with Mytilus galloprovincialis beds to natural- and human-induced changes: Structure and small-scale spatiotemporal variability

Mussel beds are species-rich and diversified biogenic habitats for associated assemblages, playing important ecological roles and contributing significantly to local littoral invertebrate biodiversity. The community structure and seasonal patterns of molluscan assemblages associated with rocky-intertidal mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis beds along NW Atlantic coast of Morocco were investigated. Sampling was conducted at reference and contaminated stations in three distant coastal areas over a 4-season sampling period (between August 2018 and May 2019). We tested the hypothesis that the biogenic mussel habitats in areas experiencing different environmental conditions along the shore would support different associated molluscan assemblages under human-induced and natural changes at small spatial and temporal scales. A total of 6371 specimens comprising 28 taxa were identified and encompassing four trophic groups (carnivores, detritivores/deposivores, micrograzers and suspensivores). Micrograzers predominated, followed by carnivores, with gastropods being the numerically dominant taxa accounting for 79 % of total abundance. Steromphala pennanti emerged as the most abundant and frequent species, across almost all seasons and stations contributing to 31 % of total abundance. Significant seasonal variations were observed in species richness and Shannon-Wiener’s index (ANOVA, p<0.05), with the highest values recorded at the most polluted stations during cold/wet periods, and the lowest at the cleanest stations during hot/warm periods. Furthermore, the ANOVA analyses unveiled a significant spatiotemporal variation in abundance, emphasizing the dynamic nature of molluscan assemblages in response to environmental conditions and seasonal changes. The multivariate structure of associated molluscan assemblages (PERMANOVA analysis) differed significantly among stations and seasons, highlighting clear geographical and seasonal effects. Gastropod species, including Acanthochitona fascicularis, Lepidochitona cinerea, Nucella lapillus, Patella ulyssiponensis, P. vulgata, Phorcus lineatus, P. sauciatus, and Steromphala pennanti, were identified as the most contributive species to the dissimilarity of molluscan assemblage structure among stations throughout seasons (SIMPER analysis). Based on the canonical correspondence analysis results, salinity, water temperature, nutrient concentrations, sediment granulometry and total organic matter were identified as the key factors driving changes in the molluscan community structure. This study underscores the ecological importance of habitat-forming mussels as ecosystem engineers and biodiversity enhancers in shallow coastal waters along the Moroccan Atlantic coast.

Tiny Machine Learning for Concept Drift.

Tiny machine learning (TML) is a new research area whose goal is to design machine and deep learning (DL) techniques able to operate in embedded systems and the Internet-of-Things (IoT) units, hence satisfying the severe technological constraints on memory, computation, and energy characterizing these pervasive devices. Interestingly, the related literature mainly focused on reducing the computational and memory demand of the inference phase of machine and deep learning models. At the same time, the training is typically assumed to be carried out in cloud or edge computing systems (due to the larger memory and computational requirements). This assumption results in TML solutions that might become obsolete when the process generating the data is affected by concept drift (e.g., due to periodicity or seasonality effect, faults or malfunctioning affecting sensors or actuators, or changes in the users' behavior), a common situation in real-world application scenarios. For the first time in the literature, this article introduces a TML for concept drift (TML-CD) solution based on deep learning feature extractors and a k -nearest neighbors ( k -NNs) classifier integrating a hybrid adaptation module able to deal with concept drift affecting the data-generating process. This adaptation module continuously updates (in a passive way) the knowledge base of TML-CD and, at the same time, employs a change detection test (CDT) to inspect for changes (in an active way) to quickly adapt to concept drift by removing obsolete knowledge. Experimental results on both image and audio benchmarks show the effectiveness of the proposed solution, whilst the porting of TML-CD on three off-the-shelf micro-controller units (MCUs) shows the feasibility of what is proposed in real-world pervasive systems.

Impact of wildfires on radiotherapy adherence in patients with cancer: A multi-clinic study.

e23154 Background: Recent surges in wildfire activity due to climate change pose significant threats to the delivery of consistent oncological care. Assessing the impact of such environmental disasters on the continuity of radiotherapy treatments is essential to mitigate healthcare disruptions and informing policy. Our study investigates the association between California wildfires from 2017-2021 and the adherence to scheduled radiotherapy sessions in cancer patients across multiple clinics, highlighting the interplay between environmental catastrophes and cancer care outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 539,292 visits across eight clinics, including Providence Northern California (Petaluma), Providence at St. Joseph Hospital (Eureka), UCSF, and Stanford, extracting data on completed and missed radiotherapy sessions from their Oncology Health Information systems. In conjunction with CAL FIRE wildfire data, we performed univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses with robust standard errors, adjusting for seasonal variations, clinic-specific effects, and temporal trends. Covariates in the multivariable model included seasonal effects modeled as sine/cosine functions, a linear date to capture time trends, and fixed effects for each clinic. All analyses were conducted using Stata 18.0 and R 4.2.3. Results: Univariable analysis indicated a slight increase in missed appointments when a wildfire occurred within 50km (OR = 1.06 [1.00, 1.11], p = 0.039). Specifically, the missed visit rate was 4.8% without a fire and 5.1% with a fire. Multivariable analysis, controlling for seasonality, temporal trends, and clinic-specific factors, revealed a stronger association (OR = 1.07 [1.02, 1.13], p = 0.007) with adjusted missed rates of 4.8% and 5.2%, respectively. The overall missed visit rate was 4.9%, with 8.8% of visits coinciding with active wildfires within 50 km of a clinic. Conclusions: This initial investigation suggests a potential trend towards higher non-adherence to radiotherapy sessions in the context of wildfire events. While our findings indicate a statistically significant association, they should be regarded as hypothesis-generating. There is a clear imperative for more comprehensive research to delineate which clinics, patient demographics, and disease sites are most susceptible to the deleterious effects of wildfires. Future studies should aim to incorporate a broader array of variables, including physical, psychological, and socioeconomic factors that may confer increased vulnerability to climate-related disruptions. This nuanced understanding is critical to inform targeted strategies that bolster the resilience of healthcare delivery systems and protect cancer patients from the escalating risks posed by climate change.