Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COVID-19, smoking, and inequalities: a cross-sectional survey of adults in the UK

Objectives: To examine associations between smoking and COVID-19 relevant outcomes, taking into account the influence of inequalities and adjusting for potential confounding variables. Design: Online cross-sectional survey. Setting: UK. Participants: 53,002 men and women aged [≥]18y. Main outcome measures: Confirmed and suspected COVID-19, worry about catching and becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, and adherence to protective behaviours. Socioeconomic position was defined according to highest level of education (post-16 qualifications: yes/no). Results: Compared with never smokers (0.3% [95%CI 0.2-0.3%]), prevalence of confirmed COVID-19 was higher among current (0.6% [0.4-0.8%]) but not ex-smokers (0.2% [0.2-0.3%]). The associations were similar before (current: OR 2.14 [1.49-3.08]; ex-smokers: OR 0.73 [0.47-1.14]) and after (current: OR 1.79 [1.22-2.62]; ex-smokers: OR 0.85 [0.54-1.33]) adjustment for potential confounders. For current smokers, this was moderated by socioeconomic position, with higher rates relative to never smokers only seen in those without post-16 qualifications (OR 3.53 [2.04-6.10]). After including suspected cases, prevalence was higher among current smokers (11.2% [10.6-11.9%], OR 1.11 [1.03-1.20]) and ex-smokers (10.9% [10.4-11.5%], OR 1.07 [1.01-1.15]) than never smokers (10.2% [9.9-10.6%]), but remained higher only among ex-smokers after adjustment (OR 1.21 [1.13-1.29]). Current and ex-smokers had higher odds than never smokers of reporting significant stress about catching (current: OR 1.43 [1.35-1.52]; ex-smokers: OR 1.15 [1.09-1.22]) or becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 (current: OR 1.34 [1.27-1.43]; ex-smokers: OR 1.22 [1.16-1.28]). Adherence to recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was generally high (96.3% [96.1-96.4%]), but lower among current than never smokers (OR 0.70 [0.62-0.78]). Conclusions: When assessed by self-report in a population sample, current smoking was independently associated with confirmed COVID-19 infection. There were socioeconomic disparities, with the association only apparent among those without post-16 qualifications. Smokers reported lower adherence to guidelines despite being more worried than non-smokers about catching or becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.
Pathogenicity of theAedes albopictusParvovirus (AaPV), a Denso-like Virus, forAedes aegyptiMosquitoes

Abstract Aa PV, a denso-like virus isolated from a C6/36 clone of the Aedes albopictus cell line, proved to be very pathogenic for Aedes aegypti first and third instar larvae following per os infection. The mortality reached 90% in 10 days for larvae infected at the first instar. Several factors, such as temperature, larval density and stage, and duration of contact with infectious particles, influenced infection. The virus titer in females surviving infection at the third larval instar reached 10 8 TCID 50 . Adult mosquitoes were sensitive to virus inoculation and to cytotransfection by viral DNA. Histological and ultrastructural studies revealed the presence of dense nuclei in almost all of the larval tissues with the exception of the midgut.
Public knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19: A cross-sectional study in Malaysia

In an effort to mitigate the outbreak of COVID-19, many countries have imposed drastic lockdown, movement control or shelter in place orders on their residents. The effectiveness of these mitigation measures is highly dependent on cooperation and compliance of all members of society. The knowledge, attitudes and practices people hold toward the disease play an integral role in determining a society's readiness to accept behavioural change measures from health authorities. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge levels, attitudes and practices toward COVID-19 among the Malaysian public. A cross-sectional online survey of 4,850 Malaysian residents was conducted between 27th March and 3rd April 2020. The survey instrument consisted of demographic characteristics, 13 items on knowledge, 3 items on attitudes and 3 items on practices, modified from a previously published questionnaire on COVID-19. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests and oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted. The overall correct rate of the knowledge questionnaire was 80.5%. Most participants held positive attitudes toward the successful control of COVID-19 (83.1%), the ability of Malaysia to conquer the disease (95.9%) and the way the Malaysian government was handling the crisis (89.9%). Most participants were also taking recautions such as avoiding crowds (83.4%) and practising proper hand hygiene (87.8%) in the week before the movement control order started. However, the wearing of face masks was less common (51.2%). This survey is among the first to assess knowledge, attitudes and practice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. The results highlight the importance of consistent messaging from health authorities and the government as well as the need for tailored health education programs to improve levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices.
EEG Correlates of Affective Processing in Major Depressive Disorder

Background: Individuals with major depressive disorder present with deficits in emotional reactivity. Conflicting models have been proposed to characterise the direction of this effect. Previous studies mostly support the emotional context insensitivity model, which suggests that reactivity to positive and negatively-valenced emotional stimuli is blunted in depression. We sought to test the emotional context insensitivity hypothesis in a preregistered study. Methods: Forty-one depressed participants and 41 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were shown a series of unpleasant and neutrally-valenced pictures in a passive view paradigm while acquiring electroencephalography (EEG). The late positive potential (LPP), an EEG marker of emotional reactivity, was compared between groups using mixed-effects repeated-measures models and exploratory cluster-based permutation tests. Results: We found no difference in LPP amplitudes between MDD and healthy individuals using the preregistered analysis plan. However, exploratory permutation analysis revealed a significant reduction in the LPP for MDD participants while viewing unpleasant pictures in EEG electrodes marginally more posterior and within a narrower time interval than specified in our original analysis plan. Secondary analyses found that emotion regulation strategy use and anxiety comorbidity did not influence the LPP. Conclusions: We found significantly reduced LPP amplitudes to unpleasant pictures in MDD, in support of the emotional context insensitivity hypothesis. However, the parameters used to estimate the LPP deviated from the preregistered analysis plan, suggesting that methodological differences between studies may result in variability in the cortical response to emotional stimuli.
Reply to Zabel and Williams' comments on "Contrasting patterns of productivity and survival rates for stream-type chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations of the Snake and Columbia rivers" by Schaller et al. (1999)

In Schaller et al. (1999), we tested hypotheses about spatial and temporal patterns of productivity and survival rates for stream-type chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in relation to development and operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System. We discussed evidence that supported using these patterns to conclude that the dams had a major effect on the differential decline of upriver stocks. We found little evidence that hatchery, spawning, and rearing habitat or harvest factors could explain the spatial and temporal patterns of stock performance. The comments by Zabel and Williams (2000) do not alter our conclusions. Zabel and Williams argue that there were three shortcomings of the Schaller et al. (1999) analyses, severe enough to greatly weaken the conclusion that differences in productivity between upper and lower river stocks are primarily due to the number of dams that each must pass. Zabel and Williams first question the premise that the overriding difference between upper and lower river stocks is the number of dams that they must pass, suggesting that different genetic background may predispose the upper stocks to different behaviors and greater vulnerability to environmental conditions independent of the hydrosystem. Second, Zabel and Williams take issue with our analysis of pattern of decline for the upper Columbia River stocks, which they assert did not decline until well after hydrosystem development. Their third point is that missing age composition data might bias the analysis. We address these three alleged shortcomings, and other misstatements about our conclusions, in the following sections.
Presence and vitality of SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewaters and rivers

Wastewater-based epidemiology has been proposed to monitor the diffusion and trend of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In the present study, raw and treated samples from three wastewater treatment plants, and two river samples characterized the Milano Metropolitan Area, Italy, were surveyed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA positivity to real time PCR and infectiveness. Moreover, whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of isolated strains was performed. Raw wastewater samples resulted positive to PCR amplification, while treated water samples were always negative (four and two samples, respectively, sampled in two dates). Moreover, the rate of positivity in raw wastewater samples decreased after eight days, in congruence with the epidemiological trend estimated for the interested provinces. Virus infectiveness was always not significant, indicating the effectiveness of wastewater treatments, or the natural decay of viral vitality, which implied the absence of significant risk of infection from wastewaters. Samples from receiving rivers (two sites, sampled in the same dates as wastewaters) showed in some cases a positivity to PCR amplification, probably due to non-treated discharges, or the combined sewage overflows. Nevertheless, also for rivers vitality was negligible, indicating the absence of sanitary risks. Phylogenetic analysis of genome indicated that the isolated virus belongs to the most spread strain present in Europe and similar to another strain found in Lombardy.
Heavy Metals in Vegetables Collected from Selected Farms in Funtua and Katsina Cities, Katsina State, Nigeria

The frequent use of industrial and domestic wastewaters for irrigation on vegetable gardens is a public health concern in Nigeria. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry was used to determine the concentration of heavy metals cadmium (Cd)) chromium (Cr) (copper (Cu), iron (Fe) manganese (Mn) zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and in five different vegetables viz; (Bitter-leaf), Cabbage, Cucumber, Lettuce and Spinach collected from selected farm areas of Katsina and Funtua Cities, Katsina state. The results reveal that all the heavy metals were detected in all the vegetables from the various sites. Most of the concentrations are below the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) safe limit of 0.1 mg/kg, 0.1 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg, 1.3 mg/kg, 1.5 mg/kg, 6.61 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg for cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co) (Cu), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), respectively in the vegetables. However the concentration of cobalt in spinach and lead in cabbage from Katsina are above the WHO and FAO safe limits. There is a significant differences in the concentration of Cd in the vegetables from the sampling sites (P<0.05), while there is no significant difference in the concentration of Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn in the vegetables from the sampling sites (P>0.05). If the practice of treating the soils in the irrigation gardens with contaminated waters is not controlled, it may lead to health hazard on the part of consumers of the vegetables on the long term. Continuous monitoring, control and necessary policy decisions should be taken so as to limit and ultimately prevent these avoidable problems. KeywordsGardens, Heavy Metals, Irrigation, Vegetables
Aspen plant community response to organic matter removal and soil compaction

Organic matter removal and reduced soil aeration porosity during logging are important factors influencing the sustained productivity of managed forest ecosystems. We studied the 4-year effect of these factors on diversity and composition of a trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) plant community in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, in a completely randomized experiment with three levels of organic matter removal (tree stems; stems and slash; stems, slash, and forest floor) and three levels of soil compaction (none; intermediate (2-cm impression); heavy (5-cm impression)). Tree stem removal caused the greatest change in species diversity (30% of variance; ANOVA p ≤ 0.01), increasing the dominance of aspen and Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) Beauv. over other species. Slash removal had little effect. Forest floor removal caused the greatest compositional change (37% of variance; MANOVA p = 0.001), favoring ruderal over bud-banking species. Presence or absence of forest floor better explained .
Revision of the fossil rodent Acaremys Ameghino, 1887 (Hystricognathi, Octodontoidea, Acaremyidae) from the Miocene of Patagonia (Argentina) and the description of a new acaremyid

Within South American rodents, the Acaremyidae is an independent fossil lineage of octodontoids represented in the late Oligocene–middle Miocene of Patagonia. Acaremys is represented by six species recorded in the early Miocene, which have not been re-studied since their original description. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses suggest that Acaremys is paraphyletic. Three species are valid, Acaremysmurinus, Acaremysmajor, and Acaremysmessor. Acaremyskaraikensis is a junior synonym of Acaremysmurinus. ‘Acaremys’ tricarinatus is excluded from the genus being closely related to Sciamys. The new species, Pseudoacaremys kramarzi, is closely related to ‘Acaremys’ tricarinatus and Sciamys. ‘Acaremys’ preminutus is excluded from the family being closely related to the early Miocene Protacaremys prior, or living octodontoids. The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that Acaremyidae includes Platypittamys, Galileomys, Acaremys, Pseudoacaremys and Sciamys. The new acaremyid increases the diversity of extinct octodontoids and added a new evolutionary lineage within Acaremyidae. The evolutionary history of the superfamily suggests that the hypsodonty and the consequently occlusal simplification evolved twice within Octodontoidea: in Acaremyidae and in Octodontidae. In addition, the cladistic analysis confirmed that most character ambiguities are due to missing data, and hence, it is essential to find better remains to elucidate the relationships among acaremyids.
Insect growth‐reducing and antifeedant activity in Eastern North America hardwood species and bioassay‐guided isolation of active principles from Prunus serotina

1 Thirty extracts of wood and bark of hardwood trees from Eastern North America were examined for insect growth‐reducing activity in a bioassay with European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, and an antifeedant bioassay with the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae.
Utilização de lodo de esgoto na produção de mudas de aroeira-pimenteira

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the sewage sludge used as substrate component for seedlings production of Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi). The following proportions of sewage sludge/carbonized rice hull were tested, in tubes with 50 cm3: 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, 50/50 and 40/60, which were compared to a commercial substrate commonly used by forest nursery. Growth seedlings-related parameters were assessed: shoot height, collar diameter and accumulation of dry matter on the shoot and root, chemical analysis of shoot and root tissues. Schinus terebinthifolius seedlings developed in substrate with 40, 50 e 60% sewage sludge presented inferior growth compared to the control, however considering the parameters shoot height/collar diameter relation, production of dry matter on the shoot and root, and nutritional aspects, that attest to the quality of the seedlings, the results were satisfactory. Therefore, it was concluded that the use of this sewage sludge residue in the substrate composition for seedlings production of forest species is quite promising.
Changes to the Productivity and Trophic Structure of a Sockeye Salmon Rearing Lake in British Columbia

Abstract In the 1990s, the returns of sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka to Long Lake in Smith Inlet, British Columbia, declined substantially. In 1997 the commercial fishery was closed, and it will not be reopened until the population shows signs of sustained recovery. We examined paleolimnological and geochemical variables from a sediment core extracted from Long Lake in 2002. The nitrogen isotope concentration (δ15N), which is associated with salmon production, declined to unprecedented levels in the 20th century. Sodium and other alkali elements have also decreased at a generally accelerating pace since the mid-19th century, and there are indications that the headwater glacier has receded apace. Accompanying these trends were notable changes in proxies for lake ecology, including the size and abundance of planktonic invertebrates. The timing and behavior of these unprecedented changes in the sedimentary record point to potential impacts from both commercial fishing and climate change.
Dietary supplementation with olive stone meal in growing rabbits

Abstract Olive stone meal is a low-digested fibre source potentially useful in the prevention of digestive troubles in growing rabbit permitting a better balance of dietary fibre fractions. To evaluate its efficacy, three experimental diets containing 0, 3 or 6% olive stone meal were fed to 222 rabbits from weaning (28 d) to slaughter (73 d). Olive stone inclusion increased the proportion of large dietary particles while did not affect growth performance, digestive physiology and carcass and meat quality. Due to optimum health status observed in all experimental groups, the preventive action of olive stone meal against the occurrence of digestive troubles was not proven.
Mechanical Consequences of Size in Wave‐Swept Algae

The intertidal zone of wave-swept rocky shores is characterized by high velocities and exceedingly rapid accelerations. The resulting hydrodynamic forces (drag, lift, and the accelerational force) have been hypothesized both to set an upper limit to the size to which wave-swept organisms can grow and to establish an optimal size at which reproductive output is maximized. This proposition has been applied previously to inter- tidal animals that grow isometrically, in which case the accelerational force is the primary scaling factor that constrains size. In contrast, it has been thought that the size of wave- swept algae is limited by the interaction of drag alone with these plants' allometric pattern of growth. Here we report on empirical measurements of drag and accelerational force in three common species of intertidal algae (Gigartina leptorhynchos, Pelvetiopsis limitata, and Iridaea flaccida). The drag coefficients for these species decrease with increased water velocity, as is typical for flexible organisms. For two of these species, this decline in drag coefficient is dramatic, leading to small drag forces with concomitant low drag-induced mortality at plant sizes near those observed in the field. However, all three species have surprisingly large inertia coefficients, suggesting that these plants experience large acceler- ational forces in surf-zone flows. Preliminary calculations show that these accelerational forces combine with drag to act as a size-dependent agent of mortality, constraining the size of these algae. This study further models the interplay between size-dependent survivorship and re- productive ability to predict the size at which reproductive output peaks. This "optimal size" depends on the strength distribution and morphology of the algal species and on the flow regime characteristic of a particular site. This study shows that the optimal size predicted for G. leptorhynchos, calculated using velocities and accelerations typical of the moderately protected location where this species was collected, closely matches its observed mean size. Similarly, the predicted optimal sizes of P. limitata and I. flaccida at the exposed site where these plants were sampled also match their mean observed sizes. These data, although preliminary, suggest that mechanical factors (in particular the accelerational force) may be important in limiting the size of intertidal macroalgae and that attention solely to biological constraints may be inappropriate.
EFFECTS OF HOLOCENE CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE C4 GRASSLAND/WOODLAND BOUNDARY IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS, USA

To determine how grassland, woodland, and bordering forests respond to increased aridity, we used paleoecological methods to examine past responses along a transect of three sites at the eastern boundary of the Northern Plains of North America. Our study region corresponds to the confluence of three air streams that control central North American climates and, hence, should be sensitive to climate change. Sediment cores were analyzed for evidence of Holocene vegetation and fire from tall-grass prairie in eastern North Dakota (Moon Lake), from mixed forest near the prairie border in northwestern Minnesota (Deming Lake), and from mixed forest more remote from prairie in western Wisconsin (Dark Lake). Together with pollen and charcoal analysis, we present a new method for determining δ13C of terrestrial (charred) organic matter and, thus, the relative importance of C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathways in past vegetation. Paleorecords were supplemented with surface charcoal accumulation and δ13C from 21 North American lakes that span boreal, deciduous, pine, and mixed forest to tall- and mixed-grass prairie. Surface charcoal and δ13C follow vegetation and climate gradients, with high charcoal accumulation and δ13C (−20‰) in the Plains (Dakotas, Nebraska, and southwest Minnesota) and decreases to the east, west, and north. The δ13C pattern is consistent with observed patterns of C3:C4 dominance across the region. Sediment, pollen, charcoal, and terrestrial δ13C show that vegetation response to climate change varied substantially among tall-grass prairie, bordering woodland, and forest. During maximum aridity (8000;nd4000 yr BP) prairie vegetation in eastern North Dakota showed a demise of woody vegetation followed by a fluctuating dominance of grasses (40% C4) and forbs. Meanwhile, prairie expanded eastward into northwestern Minnesota, where it produced a shifting dominance between mostly C4 grasses and woody vegetation until more humid conditions and mixed forest developed after 4000 yr BP. Mixed forest in southwestern Wisconsin showed little response to mid-Holocene aridity. Elevated δ13C values from 5000 to 3000 yr BP suggest that composition of grasses changed (to increased C4), although pollen data indicate that the total abundance of grasses remained constant. The increase in C4 grasses at this time is consistent with previous studies suggesting a delayed dry interval in eastern Iowa. Reduced aridity of the last 2000 yr brought increased fire to tall-grass prairie as higher primary productivity led to increased fuel load. Meanwhile, forest expanded in northwestern Minnesota, leading to decreased ignition and fine fuels, in turn resulting in decreased fire at the woodland margin.
Variation in fatty acid composition of palm oils from two varieties of the oil palm (Eelaeis guineensis)

A comparative study was carried out on the fatty acid content of palm oil samples from the red and yellow fruits of Dura and Tenera varieties of Elaeis guineensis in the dry (January) and wet (May) seasons. Significant differences in the fatty acid content of the oils from the two varieties were observed. The degree of total unsaturation of the oil samples varied, with oil from red fruits of Dura having the highest total unsaturated fatty acids.