States In USA Research Articles

Nature’s Wit in Motion: Eco-Consciousness in Bryson’s ‘The Lost Continent’

Travelling is an art form – a fascinating one, indeed. The human history and civilisation can be perceived as a collection of travel narratives to different places. Since antiquity, man has travelled to explore places, culture, life and his own self. This paper aims to assess Bill Bryson’s travelogue, ‘The Lost Continent’ from the ecocritical point of view. The objectives are to examine the various ways through which ecological concerns are expressed by the author in his journey through the 38 states of USA. The author’s writing style including the frequent use of wit and humour to highlight the astronomically-increasing ecological crisis makes the narrative engaging and his concerns valid. To study these objectives, this paper uses the research methodology of eco-consciousness which not only aims at creating environmental awareness among people but also considers the socio- political implications of human activities on nature and mankind.

One Classroom, Different Perspectives: Promoting Mutual Understanding between “Secular” and “Religious” Students of Islamic Studies in Russia and the United States

Abstract The article discusses the results from several co-taught courses in Islamic studies shared as a virtual exchange between the University of Michigan (U-M), USA, and Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU), Russian Federation. These courses were designed and taught to expand the range of perspectives to which students were exposed and allow them to learn how their study subject is conceptualized and studied by their peers in the partner country. The SPbU student cohort included graduates of Islamic religious colleges from different regions of the Russian Federation who shared the classroom with “secular” university students specializing in Islamic studies. The U-M cohort included students of various religious, ethnic, and academic backgrounds. In addition to weekly online meetings, the international teams met virtually outside class to prepare questions for weekly synchronous discussions and to work on a group presentation to be delivered at the end of the semester.

Widespread establishment of adventive populations of Leptopilina japonica (Hymenoptera, Figitidae) in North America and development of a multiplex PCR assay to identify key parasitoids of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera, Drosophilidae)

In recent years, there has been an increase in the adventive establishment and spread of parasitoid wasps outside of their native range. However, lack of taxonomic tools can hinder the efficient screening of field-collected samples to document the establishment and range expansion of parasitoids on continent-wide geographic scales. Here we report that Leptopilina japonica (Hymenoptera, Figitidae), a parasitoid of the globally invasive fruit pest Drosophila suzukii (Diptera, Drosophilidae), is now widespread in much of North America despite not having been intentionally introduced. Surveys in 2022 using a variety of methods detected L. japonica in 10 of 11 surveyed USA States and one Canadian Province where it was not previously known to occur. In most surveys, L. japonica was the most common species of D. suzukii parasitoid found. The surveys also resulted in the detection of Ganaspis cf. brasiliensis (Hymenoptera, Figitidae), the recently-released biological control agent of D. suzukii, in six USA States where it had not previously been found. These new detections are likely a result of intentional biological control introductions rather than spread of adventive populations. A species-specific multiplex PCR assay was developed as a rapid, accurate and cost-effective method to distinguish L. japonica, G. cf. brasiliensis, the closely-related cosmopolitan parasitoid Leptopilina heterotoma (Hymenoptera, Figitidae) and other native parasitoid species. This dataset and the associated molecular tools will facilitate future studies of the spread and ecological impacts of these introduced parasitoids on multiple continents.

Environmental impact assessments should include rigorous scientific peer review

Twenty USA states or jurisdictions and 125 nations have modeled national environmental policies after the National Environmental Policy Act. That act mandates that federal agencies initiate environmental impact statements (EISs) when substantive environmental or human health consequences are likely because of an agency action related to proposed development projects. The science used to inform the EIS process, however, does not require independent scientific peer review (ISPR) in the USA or most other nations. But ISPR is needed for governments to accurately inform the EIS decision-making and public reporting processes. Instead, science is routinely manipulated during EIS reviews to generate expedient project outcomes with substantially negative ecological, political, and long-term economic consequences. We provide four examples of EISs that lack ISPR, as well as four examples where reviews by independent scientists were helpful to improve agency decisions. We also recommend that independent scientists (no affiliation with the project proponents or agencies overseeing projects) be used to help assess potential environmental and socio-economic impacts, as well as offer appropriate risk assessments, study designs, and monitoring timeframes. We conclude that nations should convene formal reviews using independent scientists as a form of peer review in the EIS process.

Complexities of urban impacts on long-term seasonal trends in a mid-sized arid city

The variability of surface air temperature is of great importance for both society and the environment, is impacted by global warming and local-scale changes. In the arid eastern part of Washington state of USA, substantial urbanization has transformed the Tri-cities into the state’s third-largest urban cluster. This study utilizes a combination of in situ observations and reanalysis datasets to investigate the influence of land use changes on the region’s 2-meter temperature, revealing local effects that compensate for the background global warming. Within the urban fabric, distinct microclimates have emerged due to varying land use, establishing unique relationships between greenness and temperature alterations caused by land use transitions. Notably, our findings demonstrate that the observed compensating signal in the temperature of farmland locations is primarily attributed to local vegetation increases. Through these observations, this research highlights the urban impacts on local climate, offering valuable insights into the complexities surrounding land use and its consequences on the environment.

Relationships among intimate partner violence, unfair treatment, depressive symptoms, and family support: A community-based study of Gujarati women in the Midwestern USA.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and unfair treatment can negatively affect the health and well-being of many women, especially women of color. Few studies have investigated the mental health impact of both forms of victimization together. Unlike most research on Asian Indian women, which has used aggregated samples of women of various Asian Indian or South Asian descent, this study focused on a specific group of Asian Indians. Data were collected from a probability sample of Gujarati residents, aged 18-65 years, in a midwestern state of USA via computer-assisted telephone interviews. One third of married women reported having experienced IPV and two thirds received unfair treatment during the previous 6 months. Respondents overall reported a low level of depressive symptoms. Analyses using negative binomial regression models found that while both IPV and unfair treatment were positively associated with depressive symptoms, their interaction effect was not statistically significant. When IPV victimization and support from family were included in the model, the incidence rate ratio for unfair treatment became nonsignificant, but the significant effect of IPV remained. Findings suggest that practitioners not only in mental health and IPV programs but also in alternative settings frequented by Gujarati women should inquire about these types of interpersonal victimization and assist women in connecting with and cultivating supportive networks. More research on the mental health impact of IPV and other types of interpersonal victimization is needed for underresearched yet growing population groups to inform socioculturally responsive assistance programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

RUSSIA BETWEEN THE WEST AND THE EAST: A STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BY SOCIOLOGICAL METHODS

The article analyzes the international relations of the Russian Federation with the countries of the West and the East on the basis of a systematic approach using sociological methods, namely: expert surveys and express surveys in the form of interviews, participant observation, content analysis of scientific literature and publications in the media. A historical approach was also used, which made it possible to perform a comparative analysis of data presented not statically, but dynamically. The author shows the transition from cooperation between countries (Russia and the USA, European and Asian states), strengthening and interdependence between states and groups of countries, overcoming the consequences of the Cold War and strengthening the openness of the world to the growth of a new confrontation, which the collective West has gone to. Under pressure from the United States, the European Union and a number of Asian countries have undertaken a series of package sanctions against the Russian Federation in order to destroy our country's economy, undermine its security, create obstacles to obtaining new technologies and destroy production chains with foreign partners. All this became a manifestation of unfair competition on the part of the United States and was most clearly highlighted in the energy sector (oil and gas), in which America wanted to prevent Russia's hydrocarbon exports to Europe, oust our country from the energy market and seize its positions in the fuel and energy sector. By its actions against the Russian Federation, the collective West violated trade and economic relations at the global level, undermined monetary and financial interactions based on the Bretton Woods system and facilitated the transition of a number of countries to settlements in national currencies. We investigated all these diverse problems using sociological methods, and the expert assessments obtained during the interview helped to trace the dynamics of the changing situation in Russia's relations with Western and East-Asian partners in order to find optimal ways and directions of cooperation.

Evaluation of an online modular eating disorders training (PreparED) to prepare healthcare trainees: a survey study

BackgroundEating disorders (EDs) are serious, complex disorders for which broad-based clinical training is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a free, brief, web-based curriculum, PreparED, in increasing comfort and confidence with, and knowledge about EDs in healthcare trainees, and to obtain program feedback from key stakeholders (i.e., learners).MethodsThis programmatic evaluation study was designed as a quantitative, repeated measures (i.e., pre- and post-test intervention) investigation. A convenience sample of two groups of healthcare trainees across geographically diverse training sites completed an anonymous survey pre- and post- engagement with PreparED. The survey included items to assess prior exposure to EDs, as well as program feasibility. The main educational outcomes included (1) Confidence and Comfort with EDs and (2) Knowledge of EDs. User experience variables of interest were likeability, usability, and engagement with the training modules. Mixed effects linear regression was used to assess the association between PreparED and educational outcome variables.ResultsParticipants (N = 67) included 41 nutrition graduate students and 26 nurse practitioner students recruited from Teacher’s College/Columbia University in New York, NY, USA, Columbia University School of Nursing in New York, NY, USA and North Dakota State University School of Nursing in Fargo, ND, USA. Confidence/Comfort scores and Knowledge scores significantly improved following engagement with PreparED (β = for effect of intervention = 1.23, p < 0.001, and 1.69, p < 0.001, respectively). Neither training group nor prior exposure to EDs moderated the effect on outcomes. All learners agreed the program was easy to follow; the overwhelming majority (89.4%) felt the length of the modules was “just right.” All participants perceived that PreparED had increased their knowledge of EDs, and the majority (94.0%) reported greater confidence in and comfort with caring for people with these disorders, including assessment of symptoms, awareness of associated medical complications, and likelihood of future screening.ConclusionsFindings suggest that brief, user-friendly, online courses can improve knowledge and attitudes about EDs, filling a critical gap in healthcare training.

USA states’ COVID policy impacts upon tourism: “Let no good deed go unpunished”

The 50 USA states each approached the challenges of COVID-19 as they felt best for their people and their economy. This research evaluates the impacts of the decisions made by the individual states as this relates to their hospitality and tourism industry. As the title of this paper suggests, those states making the hard decision to impose strict restrictions often found their tourism industry to have suffered most during the pandemic.

Tree-Regeneration Decline and Type-Conversion after High-Severity Fires Will Likely Cause Little Western USA Forest Loss from Climate Change

Temperate conifer forests stressed by climate change could be lost through tree regeneration decline in the interior of high-severity fires, resulting in type conversion to non-forest vegetation from seed-dispersal limitation, competition, drought stress, and reburns. However, is fire triggering this global change syndrome at a high rate? To find out, I analyzed a worst-case scenario. I calculated fire rotations (FRs, expected period to burn once across an area) across ~56 million ha of forests (~80% of total forest area) in 11 western USA states from 2000 to 2020 for total high-severity fire area, interior area (&gt;90 m inward), and reburned area. Unexpectedly, there was no trend in area burned at high severity from 2000 to 2020 across the four forest types studied. The vulnerable interior area averaged only 21.9% of total high-severity fire area, as 78.1% of burned area was within 90 m of live seed sources where successful tree regeneration is likely. FRs averaged 453 years overall, 2089 years in interiors, and 19,514 years in reburns. Creation of vulnerable interior area in a particular location is thus, on average, a 2000+ year event, like a very rare natural disaster, and reburns that may favor type conversion to non-forest have almost no effect. This means that, from 2021 to 2050 at most, only 3.0–4.2% of total forest area may become a vulnerable interior area, based on a likely high aridity-based climate projection of future fire and a higher scenario, where rates in the exceptional 2020 fire year have become the norm. These findings show that increased management to reduce high-severity fires is not currently needed, as the risk to forests from this global change syndrome is likely quite low up to 2050. Faster and larger disturbances (e.g., severe droughts) are more likely to cause most tree mortality or forest loss that occurs by 2050.

FRI147 A Direct-To-Patient Primary Aldosteronism Screening Program In The United States: Implementing Guidelines Nationwide

Abstract Disclosure: J.M. Brown: Consulting Fee; Self; Bayer, Inc. B. Bacare: None. Y.M. Niebuhr: None. L.C. Tsai: None. E.E. Abel: None. B. Honzel: None. A. Vaidya: Consulting Fee; Self; Corcept Therapeutics, HRA Pharmaceuticals, Mineralys. Context: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a prevalent but grossly underrecognized contributor to the global burden of hypertension, excess cardiovascular and renal disease, and death. Though Endocrine Society guidelines recommend high risk populations who should be screened for PA, fewer than 2% of these at-risk patients are ever tested. Given the poor rates of routine screening within guideline-eligible populations, we designed and implemented a direct-to-patient virtual-based PA screening intervention. Methods: Participants with one or more guideline indications for PA screening were recruited using social media, online recruitment platforms, and online patient portals to participate in a video visit to review medical history and to arrange a local reference lab draw for plasma renin activity (PRA), aldosterone (via LC-MS/MS), and a basic metabolic panel, without adjustment of medications. Screening results were categorized as “Likely Confirmed PA”, “Possible PA”, or “Unlikely PA” based on established diagnostic frameworks. Test results, their interpretations, and possible next clinical steps (i.e., further testing, referral, empiric treatment) were communicated directly to patients and their primary care providers, with annual reminders and follow-up. Results: To date, 3220 participants from 12 states in the eastern USA had been contacted, with 2504 eligible. At the time of submission, 212 participants had completed laboratory assessment, with the remainder pending. 79 (37.3%) participants had resistant hypertension, 95 (44.8%) had hypertension with hypokalemia, 75 (35.4%) had hypertension with sleep apnea, 11 (5.2%) had hypertension with adrenal mass, and 90 (42.5%) had hypertension with a family history of early hypertension and/or stroke. Indicated PA screening had not previously been performed despite access to specialist care: 55% had an endocrinologist, cardiologist, and/or nephrologist. 27.4% of the participants had screening results consistent with either “likely confirmed PA” (7.1%) or “possible PA” (20.3%). Of those with both resistant hypertension and hypokalemia, 35.0% met criteria for “likely confirmed” or “possible” PA. A “likely confirmed” diagnosis of PA was associated with a median aldosterone-to-renin ratio of 33 ng/dL per ng/mL/h [IQR: 24, 76] and prevalent cardiometabolic comorbidities (33.3% had diabetes, 20.0% coronary artery disease, 13.3% heart failure). Conclusions: This ongoing, prospective, virtual-based, direct-to-patient PA screening program identified confirmed or possible PA in up to 27.4% of guideline-eligible participants. By reaching patients directly, rather than relying on routine clinical screening that is known to be dramatically underutilized, this study highlights the unrecognized prevalence of PA and demonstrates a novel approach to identifying this common, morbid, and treatable condition across the USA. Presentation: Friday, June 16, 2023

Sustainable Engineering Design in Education: A Pilot Study of Teaching Right-to-Repair Principles through Project-Based Learning.

Over 60 million tons of E-waste is expected to be generated in 2023, with associated significant impacts on health and the environment. To reduce the number of products sent to landfills, "Right to Repair" (RtR) movements are gaining momentum in many countries, including the UK, USA, and EU member states. While Universities are seen as important stakeholders to drive forward sustainable design practices, there is currently little work looking at training undergraduate design engineers in the principles of designing household products in support of RtR. In particular, the project-based learning (PBL) pedagogy shows promise in engaging and training students with the skills and knowledge required to successfully design products for RtR. In this paper, a pilot-study of teaching engineers is presented to design products compatible with RtR principles, alongside many technical skills, in a first-year PBL course. The key outputs of this paper are the design of the module, which can be used to help inform first-year engineering education, the high engagement of students, with 100% of respondents agreeing that they intend to try to implement sustainable design practices in future, and some of the innovative features that students implement in their projects.

The contribution of wildfire to PM2.5 trends in the USA.

Steady improvements in ambient air quality in the USA over the past several decades, in part a result of public policy1,2, have led to public health benefits1-4. However, recent trends in ambientconcentrations ofparticulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), a pollutant regulated under the Clean Air Act1, have stagnated or begun to reverse throughout much of the USA5. Here we use a combination of ground- and satellite-based air pollution data from 2000 to 2022 to quantify the contribution of wildfire smoke to these PM2.5 trends. We find that since at least 2016, wildfire smoke has influenced trends in average annual PM2.5 concentrations in nearly three-quarters of states in the contiguous USA, eroding about 25% of previous multi-decadal progress in reducing PM2.5 concentrations on average in those states, equivalent to 4 years of air quality progress, and more than 50% in many western states. Smoke influence on trends in the number of days with extreme PM2.5 concentrations is detectable by 2011, but the influence can be detected primarily in western and mid-western states. Wildfire-driven increases in ambient PM2.5 concentrations are unregulated under current air pollution law6 and, in the absence of further interventions, we show that the contributionof wildfire to regional and national air quality trends is likely to grow as the climate continues to warm.

Warning symptoms associated with imminent sudden cardiac arrest: a population-based case-control study with external validation

Sudden cardiac arrest is a global public health problem with a mortality rate of more than 90%. Prearrest warning symptoms could be harnessed using digital technology to potentially improve survival outcomes. We aimed to estimate the strength of association between symptoms and imminent sudden cardiac arrest. We conducted a case-control study of individuals with sudden cardiac arrest and participants without sudden cardiac arrest who had similar symptoms identified from two US community-based studies of patients with sudden cardiac arrest in California state, USA (discovery population; the Ventura Prediction of Sudden Death in Multi-Ethnic Communities [PRESTO] study), and Oregon state, USA (replication population; the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study [SUDS]). Participant data were obtained from emergency medical services reports for people aged 18-85 years with witnessed sudden cardiac arrest (between Feb 1, 2015, and Jan 31, 2021) and an inclusion symptom. Data were also obtained from corresponding control populations without sudden cardiac arrest who were attended by emergency medical services for similar symptoms (between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2019). We evaluated the association of symptoms with sudden cardiac arrest in the discovery population and validated our results in the replication population by use of logistic regression models. We identified 1672 individuals with sudden cardiac arrest from the PRESTO study, of whom 411 patients (mean age 65·7 [SD 12·4] years; 125 women and 286 men) were included in the analysis for the discovery population. From a total of 76 734 calls to emergency medical services, 1171 patients (mean age 61·8 [SD 17·3] years; 643 women, 514 men, and 14 participants without data for sex) were included in the control group. Patients with sudden cardiac arrest were more likely to have dyspnoea (168 [41%] of 411 vs 262 [22%] of 1171; p<0·0001), chest pain (136 [33%] vs 296 [25%]; p=0·0022), diaphoresis (50 [12%] vs 90 [8%]; p=0·0059), and seizure-like activity (43 [11%] vs 77 [7%], p=0·011). Symptom frequencies and patterns differed significantly by sex. Among men, chest pain (odds ratio [OR] 2·2, 95% CI 1·6-3·0), dyspnoea (2·2, 1·6-3·0), and diaphoresis (1·7, 1·1-2·7) were significantly associated with sudden cardiac arrest, whereas among women, only dyspnoea was significantly associated with sudden cardiac arrest (2·9, 1·9-4·3). 427 patients with sudden cardiac arrest (mean age 62·2 [SD 13·5]; 122 women and 305 men) were included in the analysis for the replication population and 1238 patients (mean age 59·3 [16·5] years; 689 women, 548 men, and one participant missing data for sex) were included in the control group. Findings were mostly consistent in the replication population; however, notable differences included that, among men, diaphoresis was not associated with sudden cardiac arrest and chest pain was associated with sudden cardiac arrest only in the sex-stratified multivariable analysis. The prevalence of warning symptoms was sex-specific and differed significantly between patients with sudden cardiac arrest and controls. Warning symptoms hold promise for prediction of imminent sudden cardiac arrest but might need to be augmented with additional features to maximise predictive power. US National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

Political budget cycle and unfunded pension liabilities in states in the USA

IMPACT Evidence shows that gubernatorial elections affect pension funding in US states. Contrary to expectations, this article shows that pension plans in election and post-election years tend to be better funded. Other political factors, such as partisanship and unionization, also play a role in funding state employees’ pension plans—the higher the level of unionization, the lower the pension funding. Institutional factors, including tax and expenditure limits (TELs), ‘rainy day funds’ (RDFs), and balanced budget requirements (BBRs), also affect pension funding. TELs positively affect pension funding, while the level of RDFs and the stringency of BBRs tend to reduce pension funding. These findings caution state fiscal administrators and state-level policy-makers as they indicate that political factors along with fiscal institutions are important to consider for their long-term impacts on the viability of pension plans. This article informs policy-makers in the USA and in other countries to exercise more caution during election years as electoral politics may affect pension funding. Political factors are critical in making fiscal decisions, and while this study focuses on the USA states, the lessons are equally important for pension administrators and policy-makers in other countries.

Illegal shooting is now a leading cause of death of birds along power lines in the western USA

Human actions, both legal and illegal, affect wildlife in many ways. Inaccurate diagnosis of cause of death undermines law enforcement, management, threat assessment, and mitigation. We found 410 dead birds collected along 196km of power lines in four western USA states during 2019-2022. We necropsied these carcasses to test conventional wisdom suggesting that electrocution is the leading cause of death of birds at electrical infrastructure. Of 175 birds with a known cause of death, 66% died from gunshot. Both raptors and corvids were more likely to die from gunshot than from other causes, along both transmission and distribution lines. Past mitigation to reduce avian deaths along power lines has focused almost exclusively on reducing electrocutions or collisions. Our work suggests that, although electrocution and collision remain important, addressing illegal shooting now may have greater relevance for avian conservation.

A multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica Typhimurium DT104 complex lineage circulating among humans and cattle in the USA lost the ability to produce pertussis-like toxin ArtAB.

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Typhimurium definitive type 104 (DT104) can infect both humans and animals and is often multidrug-resistant (MDR). Previous studies have indicated that, unlike most S. Typhimurium, the overwhelming majority of DT104 strains produce pertussis-like toxin ArtAB via prophage-encoded genes artAB. However, DT104 that lack artAB have been described on occasion. Here, we identify an MDR DT104 complex lineage circulating among humans and cattle in the USA, which lacks artAB (i.e. the ‘U.S. artAB-negative major clade’; n=42 genomes). Unlike most other bovine- and human-associated DT104 complex strains from the USA (n=230 total genomes), which harbour artAB on prophage Gifsy-1 (n=177), members of the U.S. artAB-negative major clade lack Gifsy-1, as well as anti-inflammatory effector gogB. The U.S. artAB-negative major clade encompasses human- and cattle-associated strains isolated from ≥11 USA states over a 20-year period. The clade was predicted to have lost artAB, Gifsy-1 and gogB circa 1985–1987 (95 % highest posterior density interval 1979.0–1992.1). When compared to DT104 genomes from other regions of the world (n=752 total genomes), several additional, sporadic artAB, Gifsy-1 and/or gogB loss events among clades encompassing five or fewer genomes were observed. Using phenotypic assays that simulate conditions encountered during human and/or bovine digestion, members of the U.S. artAB-negative major clade did not differ from closely related Gifsy-1/artAB/gogB-harbouring U.S. DT104 complex strains (ANOVA raw P&gt;0.05); thus, future research is needed to elucidate the roles that artAB, gogB and Gifsy-1 play in DT104 virulence in humans and animals.

THE MAIN STAGES OF DEPLOYMENT OF HYBRID AGGRESSION BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AGAINST UKRAINE

A historical analysis of the hybrid aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which became the most dramatic event in the recent history of Ukraine, at the beginning of the third decade of independence, was conducted. The open armed actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine caused new challenges not only to the national security of Ukraine, but also to the security of the world in general. Currently, the term "hybrid war" best characterizes the actions of the Russian Federation in relation to Ukraine. It is this type of warfare that combines not only military means, but also informational, economic, political, diplomatic, and humanitarian means. At the same time, the «hybrid wars» of the Russian Federation use many tools, starting from the spread of panic rumors to the mobilization of the potential of the church, agents of influence in the economy, political bodies or the use of so-called soft power. The article analyzes the step-by-step process of the military conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, starting with the occupation of the Crimean Peninsula, the open Russian-Ukrainian armed confrontation in the east of the Ukrainian state, and ending with a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Within each of the stages, separate periods are distinguished, the evolution of which determined and changed the motives of the behavior of the Russian Federation and led to the beginning of hostilities. The Russian-Ukrainian war requires a complex scientific understanding, study and generalization of the experience of conducting military operations in the largest armed conflict in Europe since the end of the Second World War. Conclusions were made regarding the need to consolidate the efforts of the EU, the USA and other democratic states as a guarantee of preventing hybrid aggression by states that act from the position of force, rather than the force of law.

Accidental cultivation of the European truffle Tuber brumale in North American truffle orchards.

Tuber brumale is a European edible truffle species that is often viewed as a contaminant in truffle orchards, as it visually resembles more valuable black truffles such as T. melanosporum, but differs in aroma and flavor and sells for a much lower price. Although T. brumale is not native to or intentionally cultivated in North America, it was reported to have been accidently introduced into British Columbia in 2014 and North Carolina in 2020. However, in winter of 2021, various truffle orchards in eastern North America produced truffles that differed from the anticipated harvest of T. melanosporum. Molecular analysis of these specimens confirmed T. brumale truffle fruiting bodies from ten orchards distributed across six eastern USA states. Phylogenetic analysis of nuclear ribosomal ITS and 28S DNA sequences indicated that all samples belong to the T. brumale A1 haplogroup, the genetic subgroup of T. brumale that is more common in western Europe. This pattern of widespread fruiting of T. brumale in North American truffle orchards is likely the result of T. brumale being introduced in the initial inoculation of trees used as hosts in T. melanosporum truffle cultivation. We review other examples of introduced non-target truffle species and strategies for limiting their impact on truffle cultivation.

An Autoregressive Graph Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory Hybrid Neural Network for Accurate Prediction of COVID-19 Cases

Efficient prediction of COVID-19 cases could prepare the healthcare system to accommodate the COVID-19 cases in the forthcoming days and improve the overall resource management. A hybrid model comprised of an autoregressive filter, a graph convolutional neural network (GCN), and a long short-term memory neural network is proposed for COVID-19 cases prediction in USA. It captures accurately both linearities and nonlinearities present in the time series. An adjacency matrix is exploited in GCN that relies on Granger causality tests applied to historical COVID-19 cases for each state in USA. By doing so, the latent information about the spread of the virus is captured efficiently and the prediction performance of the hybrid model is improved, revealing which state truly affects the other ones. The proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art techniques.