Shift In Dominance Research Articles

Two Pandemics and Workplace Shifts: Generational Considerations: A Multi-Factor Comparison of How Pandemics Impact Young Workers: Insights for Management and Employees©

This paper will compare several business-related factors. There has been relatively little academic research conducted to compare and contrast a breadth of workplace issues and dimensions during the early twentieth century’s Spanish Flu epidemic and the early twenty-first century’s COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. This manuscript analyzes several variables and adds to the literature by examining significant factors that impacted workers and their workplaces during these two significant healthcare incidents. The major factors discussed include the labor force members during both of these pandemics, the demographics of those workforces, the workplace safety, the labor economic data during these two pandemics, the wages & how they fluctuated, the labor unions & evolving perspectives towards unionization, and the dominant industry shifts. Several of the findings regarding Millennials and Generation Z workers are supported by this author’s current research of university students who were employed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The insights provided in this manuscript are instrumental for business managers and human resource management professionals, higher education, and for those who provide corporate training.

Organic matter accumulation encouraged K-strategy bacteria increase and metabolism variation in karst vegetation restoration

Vegetation restoration plays a critical role in terrestrial carbon sink increase, especially in subtropic Southwest China which has been the hotspot of vegetation restoration areas in recent decades. However, the variations in microbial community diversity resulting from this intervention remain unclear, and further research is needed to elucidate the complex interactions between microorganisms and soil nutrient elements. Soil samples were collected from three vegetation restoration stages in a karst rocky desertification (KRD) valley of Southwest China, which were named dry cropland (CL), 3–8 years grassland (WL), and afforestation land that recovered more than 20 years (AL), to investigate the soil nutrient and bacterial diversity variation during vegetation restoration course. The soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents are significantly higher in the afforestation land soil compared to the cropland and grassland soils, while the available nutrient contents decrease during the vegetation restoration course. The soil dominant bacteria genus shifts from R-strategy bacteria in cropland to K-strategy bacteria in afforestation land, and the relative abundances of R-strategy genera remain similar in the grassland and cropland soil. The dual-relative bacteria network evaluates from simple correlation net to very complex ones during the vegetation restoration, of which the core influenced factor alters from available nutrients to organic matter. The results of this study suggest that it will take a relatively longer period for the soil nutrient conditions and bacterial community to recover fully, although vegetation restoration could reduce the impacts of agricultural activities. This study refers to the ecological preservation and restoration strategies under the global climate change background, elucidating the nutrient metabolism variation induced by the accordance variation of organic matter accumulation and soil bacterial life strategy during the ecosystem restoration course.

Bacterial synergy and relay for thermophilic hydrogen production through dark fermentation using food waste

BackgroundFood waste is a significant global issue, with 1.3 billion tons generated annually, a figure expected to rise to 2.1 billion tons by 2030. Conventional disposal methods, such as landfilling and incineration, present environmental challenges, including methane emissions and pollution. Hydrogen production through dark fermentation presents a sustainable alternative, offering both waste management and renewable energy generation. This study investigates the bacterial synergy and relay mechanisms involved in thermophilic H2 production using food waste as a substrate. PurposeThe primary aim of this research was to analyze the metabolic pathways and dynamics of functional genes prediction during thermophilic H2 production from food waste, focusing on the role of bacterial consortia in enhancing H2 yields. MethodsA continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) was operated using food waste as the substrate and a thermophilic bacterial consortium as the inoculum. The study utilized genomic analysis to monitor changes in bacteriobiome composition over time and to correlate these changes with H2 production. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and H2 production rates were analyzed using gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database was employed to identify functional genes involved in the fermentation process. ResultsThe study identified key bacterial species, including Caproiciproducens and Caproicibacter, that dominated during the later stages of H2 production, replacing earlier dominant species such as Clostridium. These shifts in bacterial dominance were strongly correlated with sustained H2 production rates ranging from 353 to 403 mL·L−1·h−1, with H2 concentrations between 55 % and 62 % (v/v). Functional gene analysis revealed significant pathways related to polysaccharide degradation, glycolysis, and dark fermentation. ConclusionsThis study highlights the importance of bacterial synergy and relay in maintaining continuous H2 production from food waste under thermophilic conditions. The findings provide insights into optimizing biohydrogen production processes, emphasizing the role of specific bacterial species in enhancing efficiency. These results contribute to the development of sustainable waste management strategies and renewable energy production.

Revolutionaries, coercive institutions and the crisis of collaboration in interwar India

Earlier generations of historians interpreted revolutionary politics of the interwar period within a paradigm of failure, on the basis that it did not bring about an immediate shift in the colonial dominance in South Asia. Following the ‘revolutionary turn’ in South Asian history, scholars have suggested that revolutionary politics needs to be read for the ways in which it shifted mainstream nationalist strategies and influenced other outcomes, both intended and unintended. This article deepens this analysis, by considering an unexplored outcome of the revolutionary politics of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA): its impact on Indians employed in British institutions, especially coercive institutions such as the police and prisons. These employees may not have resigned from their posts, and ultimately these coercive institutions remained coercive and violent at a macro level. However, based on the evidence presented here, it is clear there was a faintly discernible but important micropolitics emerging from within these institutions, which indicates that some exhibited admiration and sympathy for revolutionary prisoners, quietly and surreptitiously working to ameliorate systems of coercion and punishment, in the process undermining coercive institutions from within. Such a reading prompts a rethinking of paradigms of collaborators as colonial enablers, allowing us to see the withdrawal of cooperation with the colonial regime as a process, which becomes perceptible in the context of anticolonial movements in the late interwar period.

Lessons from long‐term research: Diptera species turnover and dominance shifts with respect to climate‐driven changes

Abstract The diverse pressures of climate change have influenced many habitats, especially freshwater ones, due to their greater sensitivity to stressors. Aquatic Diptera make up more than 50% off all aquatic insect species described, which makes them an ideal group to monitor changing climate as their diverse assemblages can reflect functions within the entire community. The aim of this research was to identify variations in the aquatic dipteran community during a 15‐year period at a tufa barrier in a karst barrage lake system and to determine the environmental factors that have the highest influence on this community. We analysed monthly data collected between 2007 and 2021, when we collected adult specimens using 6 pyramid‐type emergence traps. In total, 167 taxa from 13 different families were gathered. NMDS based on Bray–Curtis similarity analysis amongst assemblages revealed the segregation of samples based on different current velocities and substrates, indicating the importance of microhabitats in dipteran community structuring. Dipteran taxa indicative of specific 5‐year time periods within the research were identified and were associated with changes in environmental conditions especially discharge. The threshold indicator taxa analysis revealed specific species' responses to changing discharge rates. The study shows that discharge rate, not water temperature, is the critical factor shaping dipteran composition, whether by removing or adding taxa to the community. Species turnover showed an overall decrease in species numbers, that is, species richness, throughout the research period. We conclude that changes in the dipteran community, because of the vast functional traits, niches, adaptations and species diversity of the group, are not visible when analysing just the diversity indices. When determining environmental influence on the community in long‐term research, they should be combined with other data such as the overall abundance, the total number of species, as well as the species turnover.

Investigating the Behavior and Spatiotemporal Variations of Green-line Emission in the Solar Corona

Understanding coronal structure and dynamics can be facilitated by analyzing green-line emission, which enables the investigation of diverse coronal structures such as coronal loops, streamers, coronal holes, and various eruptions in the solar atmosphere. In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal behaviors of green-line emissions in both low and high latitudes across nine solar cycles, ranging from Solar Cycle 17 to the current Solar Cycle 25, using the modified homogeneous data set. We employed methodologies such as cross correlation, power spectral density, and wavelet transform techniques for this analysis. We found distinct behaviors in green-line energy across various latitudinal distributions in the solar atmosphere. The trends observed at higher latitudes differ from those at lower latitudes. The emission behaviors show a close association with other solar phenomena like solar flares, sunspots, and coronal mass ejections throughout the solar cycles. The observed variations exhibit harmonic periods. The emission activity is significantly higher in the low latitudes, accounting for over 70% of the emissions, while the higher latitudes contribute less than 30%. The emissions exhibit asymmetric behavior between the northern and southern hemispheres, leading to a 44 yr cycle of solar hemispheric dominance shifts. Various factors, such as Alfvén waves, solar magnetic fields, sunspots, differential rotation, and reconnection events, influence the observed differences in behavior between lower and higher latitudes, suggesting the existence of potential underlying phenomena contributing to deviations in properties, intensity, temporal dynamics, and spatiotemporal lifetime.

Attention enhances short-term monocular deprivation effect.

Patching one eye of an adult human for a few hours has been found to promote the dominance of the patched eye, which is called short-term monocular deprivation effect. Interestingly, recent work has reported that prolonged eye-specific attention can also cause a shift of ocular dominance toward the unattended eye though visual inputs during adaptation are balanced across the eyes. Considering that patching blocks all input information from one eye, attention is presumably deployed to the opposite eye. Therefore, the short-term monocular deprivation effect might be, in part, mediated by eye-specific attentional modulation. Yet this question remains largely unanswered. To address this issue, here we asked participants to perform an attentive tracking task with one eye patched. During the tracking, participants were presented with both target gratings (attended stimuli) and distractor gratings (unattended stimuli) that were distinct from each other in fundamental visual features. Before and after one hour of tracking, they completed a binocular rivalry task to measure perceptual ocular dominance. A larger shift of ocular dominance toward the deprived eye was observed when the binocular rivalry testing gratings shared features with the target gratings during the tracking compared to when they shared features with the distractor gratings. This result, for the first time, suggests that attention can boost the strength of the short-term monocular deprivation effect. Therefore, the present study sheds new light on the role of attention in ocular dominance plasticity.

Language endangerment and the linguistic vitality of Miao in China: cultural shifts and revitalisation strategies

ABSTRACT This study applies ethnolinguistic vitality (EV) theory to analyse the diminishing proficiency and usage of the Miao language among its speakers in Guizhou, China. Forty-five Miao participated in the semi-structured interviews for this project. The study identified the language’s endangered status characterised by low vitality, Mandarin dominance, declining proficiency, and economic-cultural shifts. Media influence exacerbated these threats, while negative perceptions of Miao linguistic capital and inadequate educational resources further endanger the language. Integrating EV theory, this study informs targeted revitalisation efforts crucial for ensuring the sustainability of the Miao language amidst socio-economic pressures favouring Mandarin dominance in China.

A Latitudinal Cline in the Taxonomic Structure of Eelgrass Epifaunal Communities is Associated With Plant Genetic Diversity

ABSTRACTAimBiogenic structural complexity increases mobile animal richness and abundance at local, regional and global scales, yet animal taxa vary in their response to complexity. When these taxa also vary functionally, habitat structures favouring certain taxa may have consequences for ecosystem function. We characterised global patterns of epifaunal invertebrates in eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds that varied in structural and genetic composition.LocationNorth America, Europe and Asia.Time Period2014.Major Taxa StudiedPeracarid crustaceans and gastropod molluscs.MethodsWe sampled epifaunal invertebrate communities in 49 eelgrass beds across 37° latitude in two ocean basins concurrently with measurements of eelgrass genetic diversity, structural complexity and other abiotic and biotic environmental variables. We examined how species richness, abundance and community composition varied with latitude and environmental predictors using a random forest approach. We also examined how functional trait composition varied along with community structure.ResultsTotal species richness decreased with latitude, but this was accompanied by a taxonomic shift in dominance from peracarid crustaceans to gastropods, which exhibited different sets of functional traits. Greater eelgrass genetic diversity was strongly correlated with both richness and abundance of peracarids, but less so for gastropods.Main ConclusionsOur results add to a growing body of literature that suggests genetic variation in plant traits influences their associated faunal assemblages via habitat structure. Because peracarids and gastropods exhibited distinct functional traits, our results suggest a tentative indirect link between broad‐scale variation in plant genetic diversity and ecosystem function.

Experimental investigation into thermal characteristics of subcooled flow boiling in horizontal concentric annuli for cooling ultra-fast electric vehicle charging cables

In an effort to reduce the charging time of electric vehicles (EVs), the thermal management of the charging system has emerged as one of the most urgent issues. The charging rate has been restricted to avoid thermal failure especially in charging cable. Recently, a direct contact cooling technique that utilizes subcooled flow boiling for charging cables has been proposed and has shown promising thermal management performance. However, there has been a lack of clear explanation regarding its thermal characteristics due to its intrinsically complicated flow features. This study investigates the thermal characteristics of subcooled flow boiling in a horizontally aligned concentric annular tube intended to simulate the direct contact cooling technique employed for charging cables. For the experimental investigation, the wall temperature measurements and high-speed flow visualization images acquired from the transparent test module annulus, with inner and outer diameters of 6.35 mm and 22.0 mm, were utilized. Three key axial thermal characteristics of subcooled flow boiling in annulus have been analyzed, and they are flow regime transition, variation of heat transfer mechanisms, and occurrence of critical heat flux (CHF). The transition of flow regimes and the variation of dominant heat transfer mechanisms in the axial direction are mutually influencing due to the coupled effects between the hydrodynamic and thermal characteristics of simultaneously developing flows. The flow regime changes from partially developed boiling (PDB) to fully developed boiling (FDB) as the intensities of nucleate boiling and bubble recondensation vary in the axial direction, while the dominant heat transfer mechanism shifts from single-phase convection to nucleate boiling, corresponding to the flow regime transition from PDB to FDB. The departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) type CHF is observed, manifested by the wavy interface propagating from the far downstream to the upstream region, and the intensities of nucleate boiling and bubble recondensation are also identified as the dominant parameters in determining the occurrence of CHF. Charging time estimation reveals that the proposed method can achieve an 80 % charge for 100-kWh EV batteries in 98 s, while maintaining the cable wire temperature below the safety limit of 80 °C. This strongly supports its potential as a promising thermal management technique for future ultra-fast charging systems.

Identifying individual brain development using multimodality brain network

The cortical development of our brains is in a hierarchical manner and promotes the emergence of large-scale functional hierarchy. However, under interindividual heterogenicity, how the spatiotemporal features of brain networks reflect brain development and mental health remains unclear. Here we collect both resting-state electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the Child Mind Institute Biobank to demonstrate that during brain growth, the global dynamic patterns of brain states become more active and the dominant networks shift from sensory to higher-level networks; the individual functional network patterns become more similar to that of adults and their spatial coupling tends to be invariable. Furthermore, the properties of multimodality brain networks are sufficiently robust to identify healthy brain age and mental disorders at specific ages. Therefore, multimodality brain networks provide new insights into the functional development of the brain and a more reliable and reasonable approach for age prediction and individual diagnosis.

Dominant strain shift in the invasive fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) populations in Thailand as inferred from mitochondrial COI and nuclear Tpi genes.

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a significant global pest, that exhibits 2 discernible strains, corn strain (CS) and rice strain (RS). After initial detection in the eastern hemisphere in 2016, the dominant strain was identified as RS based only on cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene from limited samples from various countries, including Thailand. This study aimed to assess strain and haplotype variation in the S. frugiperda populations in Thailand using both mitochondrial COI and nuclear triosephosphate isomerase (Tpi) genes. Analyses of COI sequences (n = 105) revealed 2 predominant haplotypes, COICSh4 (82.86%) and COIRSh1 (17.14%), and the analyses of Tpi sequences (n = 99) revealed 6 haplotypes, with TpiCa1a (53.53%) being the most prevalent. Of the 98 caterpillar samples, the majority exhibited true CS (83.67%) for both genes. Meanwhile, interstrain hybrids, indicated by gene discordance, accounted for the minority (16.33%). Interestingly, despite the initial dominance of RS during the 2018 outbreak, the current study identified CS as the prevalent strain across all localities in Thailand. These findings suggested a shift in S. frugiperda dynamics in Thailand that was possibly influenced by factors, such as competitive exclusion principle, pesticide usage in rice cultivation, and preferences for corn over rice. Our study suggests a need to reexamine the previous reports of rice-strain dominance in various countries in the eastern hemisphere after the initial invasion.

Decoding the Baltic Sea’s past and present: A simple molecular index for ecosystem assessment

Marginal sea ecosystems, such as the Baltic Sea, are severely affected by anthropogenic pressures, such as climate warming, pollution, and eutrophication, which increased in the course of the past century. Biodiversity monitoring data and assessment of environmental status in such systems have typically been carried out only for the past few decades, if at all, and knowledge on pre-impact stability and good ecological status is limited. An extension of monitoring time series can potentially be achieved through analyses of paleoecological records, e.g. for phytoplankton, which form the base of the food web and are highly susceptible to environmental changes. Within the phytoplankton community, dinoflagellates and diatoms play a significant role as primary producers, and their relative dominance in the spring bloom, calculated as Dia/Dino index, is used as an indicator for the environmental status of the Baltic Sea. To extend time series on the dominance patterns and include non-fossilized dinoflagellates, we here establish a simple droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) reaction on ancient DNA from sediment cores that decodes phytoplankton dynamics. We focus on two common spring bloom species, the diatom Skeletonema marinoi and the dinoflagellate Apocalathium malmogiense, for which we evaluate a DNA based dominance index. It performs very well in comparison to DNA metabarcoding and modern monitoring and can elucidate past species dominance across the past century and across millennia in different basins of the Baltic. For the past century, we see a dominance shift already starting before the mid-20th century in two of the Baltic Sea basins, thus substantially predating current monitoring programs. Shifts are only partly coeval among the cores and the index shows different degrees of stability. This pattern is confirmed across millennia, where a long-term stable relationship between the diatom and the dinoflagellate is observed in the Eastern Gotland Basin, while data from the Gulf of Finland bear testimony to a much more unstable relationship. This confirms that good ecological status based on the dominance pattern of diatoms and dinoflagellates must be established locally and exemplifies how sediment core DNA can be employed to extend monitoring data.

Exploring Bemisia tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor I and Mediterranean Cryptic Species Relationship with Cowpea Mild Mottle Virus and Their Dynamics in Soybean Fields.

Cowpea mild mottle virus (CPMMV, genus Carlavirus, family Betaflexividae) is an economically important virus infecting soybeans in Brazil, where it was initially identified in 1983. CPMMV is transmitted by the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, and occasionally by seeds. Over the last three decades, the most invasive B. tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), and lately the Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species, have replaced the indigenous species in Brazil, with MEAM1 being predominant. In this study, we investigated the transmission properties of CPMMV by MEAM1 and MED, and their distribution in major soybean-growing areas in São Paulo State. Our results from transmission assays with a single insect revealed that MED is a more efficient vector compared to MEAM1, transmitting the virus within a two-minute inoculation access period. B. tabaci MEAM1 is still the predominant whitefly species in São Paulo State, but MED was also identified in different places, mainly in mixed infestations with MEAM1. Some areas transitioned to a predominance of MED over the three years, while others, where MED had previously been detected, showed a reduction in the insects during the same period. Understanding the transmission dynamics of CPMMV and the distribution of its vectors is crucial for implementing effective management strategies to control the virus spread and protect soybean crops. Further research into the mechanisms driving the shifts in whitefly species dominance and CPMMV distribution will be essential for sustaining soybean production in Brazil.

Long-term impact of rotavirus vaccination on all-cause and rotavirus-specific gastroenteritis and strain distribution in Central Kenya: An 11-year interrupted time-series analysis

Background: Kenya introduced a monovalent rotavirus vaccine administered orally at 6 and 10 weeks of age into her National Immunization Program in July 2014. The study evaluated the long-term impact of the vaccine on hospitalization for all-cause and rotavirus-specific acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and strain epidemiology in Kenya. Methods: Data on all-cause and rotavirus-specific AGE and strain distribution were derived from an eleven-year hospital-based surveillance of AGE among children aged <5 years at Kiambu County Teaching and Referral Hospital (KCTRH) in Central Kenya between 2009 and 2020. Fecal samples were screened for group A rotavirus using ELISA and genotyped using multiplex semi-nested RT-PCR. Trends in all-cause and rotavirus-related AGE and strain distribution were compared between the pre-vaccine (July 2009–June 2014), early post-vaccine (July 2014–June 2016) and late post-vaccine (February 2019–October 2020) periods. Results: Rotavirus-specific AGE was detected at 27.5% (429/1546, 95% CI: 25.5–30.1%) in the pre-vaccine period; 13.8% (91/658, 95% CI: 11.3–16.6%) in the early post-vaccine period (July 2014–June 2016); and 12.0% (229/1916, 95% CI: 10.6–13.5%) in the late post-vaccine period (February 2019–October 2020). This amounted to a decline of 49.8% (95% CI: 34.6%–63.7%) in rotavirus-specific AGE in the early post-vaccine period and 53.4% (95% CI: 41.5–70.3%) in the late post-vaccine period when compared to the pre-vaccine period. All-cause AGE hospitalizations declined by 40.2% (95% CI: 30.8%–50.2%) and 75.3% (95% CI: 65.9–83.1%) in the early post-vaccine and late post-vaccine periods, respectively, when compared to the pre-vaccine period. G3P [8] was the predominant strain in the late post-vaccine period, replacing G1P[8] which had predominated in the pre-vaccine and early post-vaccine periods. Additionally, we detected considerable proportions of uncommon strains G3P[6] (4.8%) and G12P[6] (3.5%) in the post-vaccine era. Conclusion: Rotavirus vaccination has resulted in a significant decline in all-cause and rotavirus-specific AGE, and thus, provides strong evidence for public health policy makers in Kenya to support the sustained use of the rotavirus vaccine in routine immunization. However, the shift in strain dominance and age distribution of rotavirus AGE in the post-vaccine era underscores the need for continued surveillance to assess any possible vaccine-induced selective pressure that could diminish the vaccine effectiveness over time.

Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) affects the dominant position of three gramineous species by altering defense traits and interspecific competition.

Rodents can cause considerable changes in plant community composition. However, relationships between shifts in species dominance and plant functional traits caused by rodents have seldom been investigated, especially for belowground functional traits. In this study, a set of enclosures was constructed to analyze the effects of 10 years of Brandt's voles' activities on the defense strategies and dominant position changes of three gramineous plants (Leymus chinensis, Stipa krylovii, and Cleistogenes squarrosa) in Inner Mongolia. Here, we measured the dominance, biomass, and fourteen functional traits of three plants. The effects of Brandt's voles on dominance, biomass, and functional traits were analyzed, and then we explored the effect of functional traits on plant dominance by using the structural equation model. Results showed that long-term feeding by Brandt's voles resulted in a significant decrease in the dominance of L. chinensis and S. krylovii, whereas C. squarrosa was positively affected. The belowground biomass of L. chinensis and S. krylovii was higher in the vole treatment, which showed that they were increasing their escape characteristics. The leaf thickness of L. chinensis and the leaf C:N ratio of S. krylovii significantly increased, while the specific leaf area of C. squarrosa significantly decreased. All three gramineous showed increased resistance traits in response to Brandt's voles, which positively affected their dominance. Tolerance-related traits of S. krylovii significantly increased, with the increasing growth rate of root length contributing to enhancing its dominance. We highlight that selective feeding by rodents led to the selection of different defense strategies by three gramineous plants, and that changes in biomass allocation and functional traits in the different species affected plant dominance, driving changes in the plant communities.

Ocular dominance shift in refractive cataract surgery: prospective, observational study.

To explore the features of the dominant and nondominant eyes in patients with cataracts and predict ocular dominance shift (ODS) based on preoperative indicators. Changsha Aier Eye Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China. Prospective, observational study. Patients with age-related cataracts who underwent unilateral cataract surgery were enrolled in this study. Before the procedure, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was assessed and noncycloplegic subjective refraction evaluations were conducted to determine corrected distance visual acuity. Total astigmatism, corneal astigmatism, and intraocular astigmatism were measured using OPD-Scan III. Cataract type was assessed using slitlamp biomicroscopy based on the Lens Opacities Classification System III. Ocular dominance (OD) was determined under corrected conditions using the hole-in-card test. Follow-up visits occurred at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively. After 1 month, OD was re-evaluated, and participants completed the 9-item Short-Form Cataract Questionnaire. 94 patients (188 eyes) were enrolled in the study. The analysis showed that the ODS rate of unilateral cataract surgery was 40.4%. In addition, age, UDVA of the nondominant eye, posterior subcapsular cataract, and total astigmatism were risk factors for ODS. No difference in vision-related quality of life was detected between patients who had ODS and those who did not. Several preoperative parameters as potential risk factors of ODS after cataract surgery were identified. These findings provide guidance for predicting changes in the dominant eye and may improve the precise selection of intraocular lenses and implementation of monovision strategies.

Impact of copper sulphate treatment on cyanobacterial blooms and subsequent water quality risks

Control of algal blooms and associated biologically-induced water quality risks in drinking reservoirs is problematic. Copper sulphate (CuSO4) treatment is one intervention that has been utilised for >100 years. Evidence indicates a favourable short-term reduction in Cyanobacterial biomass (e.g. bloom termination), but here we indicate that it may also increase longer-term water quality risk. In 2022, we investigated the impacts of CuSO4 spraying on Cyanobacterial communities and nutrient levels within a drinking water supply reservoir using environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess community shifts, alongside monitoring nutrient fractions, orthophosphate (OP) and total phosphate (TP), post-treatment. CuSO4 application successfully reduced Cyanobacterial abundance, however elimination of Cyanobacteria resulted in a shift in bacterial dominance favouring Planctomycetota throughout the summer and a combination of Actinobacteriota and Verrucomicrobiota, throughout autumn. As Cyanobacterial abundance recovered post-treatment, Cyanobacterial genera demonstrated greater diversity compared to only three Cyanobacterial genera present across samples pre-treatment, and included taxa associated with water quality risk (e.g. taste and odour (T&O) metabolite and toxin producers). The increase in Cyanobacteria post-treatment was attributed to an increase in biologically available nutrients, primarily a significant increase in OP. Overall, findings suggest that the significant shift in biodiversity likely induces a less stable ecosystem with greater plasticity of response to changing environmental and biogeochemical variables. Legacy implications of CuSO4 spraying, in terms of shifts in ecosystem and nutrient balance over time, may have implications for drinking water quality, but importantly also for reservoir management options. As such, the effects of CuSO4 spraying should be considered carefully before consideration as a contender for in-reservoir biological control.

Temperature Effect on Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Fe–28Mn–8Al–1C Lightweight Steel via Supersonic Fine Particle Bombardment

The influence of room temperature (RT) and cryogenic temperature (CR) supersonic fine particle bombardment (SFPB) on the surface, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Fe–28Mn–8Al–1C lightweight steel is investigated in this work. The results indicate that both RT‐SFPB and CR‐SFPB successfully induce gradient nanostructures on the surface of steel, refining the grains to the nanoscale. Furthermore, CR‐SFPB results in a finer grain size and higher dislocation density compared to RT‐SFPB. Additionally, the dominant deformation mechanism shifts from dislocation slip for RT‐SFPB to a combination of dislocation slip and twinning for CR‐SFPB. CR‐SFPB is seen to be superior to RT‐SFPB in terms of surface integrity and strength due to low‐temperature lubrication effect, suppression of dynamic recovery and reduced stacking fault energy of the material. Interestingly, while CR‐SFPB enhances strength, elongation remains comparable to that of untreated material. However, excessive impact times during SFPB treatment promote microcrack formation on the surface, compromising plasticity.

Heterogeneity in lung macrophage control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is modulated by T cells

Following Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, alveolar macrophages are initially infected but ineffectively restrict bacterial replication. The distribution of M. tuberculosis among different cell types in the lung changes with the onset of T cell immunity when the dominant infected cellular niche shifts from alveolar to monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). We hypothesize that changes in bacterial distribution among different cell types is driven by differences in T cell recognition of infected cells and their subsequent activation of antimicrobial effector mechanisms. We show that CD4 and CD8 T cells efficiently eliminate M. tuberculosis infection in alveolar macrophages, but they have less impact on suppressing infection in MDM, which may be a bacterial niche. Importantly, CD4 T cell responses enhance MDM recruitment to the lung. Thus, the outcome of infection depends on the interaction between the T cell subset and the infected cell; both contribute to the resolution and persistence of the infection.