Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The declines of heterogeneity and stability in diatom communities are associated with human activity

Abstract Anthropogenic forcing caused the biodiversity loss and stability decline of communities. There is still controversy over whether the decline in biodiversity will lead to a decrease in community stability. The stability of biological communities is related to both biodiversity and structure, and this paper aims to reveal the human impacts on diatom communities' biodiversity and structure. We studied the richness, β‐diversity and network distance of diatom communities in Qinghai‐Xizang, Yunnan‐Sichuan and Lower Yangtze River Basin, China through empirical dataset and simulation method. The results showed that the diatoms richness in the Qinghai‐Xizang and the Yunnan‐Sichuan region was lower and the network distance was higher than that of the Lower Yangtze River Basin. β‐diversity in the Lower Yangtze River Basin was the lowest and the diatom network distance responds negatively to human population densities in China. The simulation showed that the network distance kept constant during random species loss, and declined while specialist species were lost or replaced by generalist species. The results suggested diatom communities' homogeneity and stability decline were associated with human activities. Human impacts may cause biodiversity loss targeted to specialist species or no biodiversity loss while generalist species replace those specialist species. This study showed that how diversity changes determined ecological stability depends on the type of species changes.
The attractiveness of Birminghan and the West Midlands region for the 'Creative Class'. The views of high-skilled employess, managers and transnational migrants

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The effects of hydrological drought on water quality

Management and conservation of water resources are critical to human welfare. The high demands for water of an increasing world population have focused our attention on water resources quality and quantity management. Climate change is likely to have significant effects on hydrological regimes (i.e. low flows and high flows), affecting both water quantity and water quality. Although climate change impacts on water quantity are widely recognized, little is known about the impacts during low flow periods (i.e. hydrological drought). The objective of this study was to assess the effects of hydrological droughts on the water quality in Mazandaran Province, Iran, based on analysis of the low flow index and existing water quality data. In view of this, 1-day low flows, as a measure of hydrological drought, were calculated for 15 water years (1991-2006) at six monitoring stations. Eleven water quality parameters were extracted during the low flows from the water quality data. Water quality during these droughts was investigated and compared to water quality during high flows. The pattern and magnitude of the statistically significant responses (t-test, p < 0.05) varied among sites, i.e. Cl - and HCO3 - at Sefidchah, Ca 2+ at Gelvard, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Na + and SO4 2- at the Abloo station, Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , HCO3 - and total dissolved solids (TDS) at Darabkola, and SAR, Cl - , Na + , electrical conductivity (EC) and TDS at Rig Cheshmeh. We can conclude that data regarding other environmental changes, such as land use, will be needed to further elucidate the response of water quality to droughts.
Characteristics of Winter Precipitation Variation over Northern Central Eurasia and Their Connections to Sea Surface Temperatures over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Abstract This study reveals spatial and temporal characteristics of precipitation variability and their teleconnections to sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by analyzing 68 yr of recent precipitation records over the former Soviet Union. In addition to a general increasing trend of about 0.4 mm yr−1 or 6% decade−1 over much of the study region, three major modes of precipitation variation are identified. A quasi-biennial variation of 2–3 yr is found over the region surrounding the Caspian and Aral Seas. An El Nino timescale precipitation variation of 4–5 yr is present over southern central Siberia and is associated with eastern tropical Pacific SSTs. A quasi-decadal timescale variation of about 11–12 yr is evident over central European Russia. This quasi-decadal precipitation variation is closely linked to a major SST anomaly pattern of alternating latitudinal belts over the Atlantic and SST variations over the equatorial Pacific Ocean. These associations to SSTs are str.
Duct-to-Duct Anastomosis Versus Bilioenteric Anastomosis for Pediatrics Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

With an incidence exceeding 30%, biliary complications after pediatric liver transplantation remain a great challenge. In addition, the database includes numerous controversial papers about the safety of duct-to-duct anastomosis compared to Reux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy for pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We aim to compare the two techniques in pediatric LDLT by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. PUBMED, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched for eligible studies from 1989 to October 2022. According to our eligibility criteria, seven articles (561 pediatric LDLT) were included in our study. On one hand, DD anastomosis is associated with a higher rate of biliary stricture in comparison to RYHJ (OR: 2.47, 95% CI = 1.20-5.09, P = 0.01; I2 = 12%). On the other hand, the incidence of cholangitis was higher in RYHJ (OR: 0.10 95% CI = 0.01- 0.84, P = 0.03; I2 = 0%). However, there was no significant difference in the overall incidence of complications, leakage and mortality between the two groups (overall incidence of complication OR: 1.12, 95% CI = 0.34-3.68, P = 0.86; I2 = 62%), (Leakage OR: 2.22, 95% CI = 0.79-6.23, P = 0.13; I2 = 18%) and (Mortality OR: 2.53, 95% CI = 0.61-10.57, P = 0.30; I2 = 0%). In conclusion, with a lower incidence of cholangitis, an equal overall incidence of biliary complication, and the possibility of RY conversion in case of stricture, DD anastomosis offers a feasible, safe, and more physiological alternative to RYHJ for pediatric LDLT.
Colonial legacy, linguistic disenfranchisement and the civil conflict in Sri Lanka

Polarization measures, that are used in examining the empirical relationship between ethnic divisions and violent conflict, heavily rely on mechanisms of group identification and often use somewhat arbitrary divisions of a society into ethnic groups. In this paper we construct two new measures of polarization, one that accounts for differences in linguistic policies across localities during the colonial era and one that accounts for the differences over time and across localities in the experience of violence throughout the conflict episode. By examining the protracted war in Sri Lanka and applying these indices (and their combination) to a data set describing victims of the civil conflict by district and year, we are able to better identify the effect of ethnolinguistic polarization on the civil conflict in the country. We find that, for each of our polarization indices, there is a positive effect on the conflict. The historical underpinnings of our indices allow us to demonstrate in a quantitative and concrete way the relevance of historical processes for understanding episodes of civil conflict.
LIFE HISTORY OF COHO SALMON, ONCORHYNCHUSKlSUTCH, IN SASHIN CREEK, SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA

The freshwater life of coho salmon, Oncorhynchuskisutch, in Sashin Creek, southeastern Alaska, was studied from the fall of 1963 through the summer of 1968. Additional information on age composition and fecundity of adults returning to Sashin Creek and a nearby stream was collected through the fall of 1972. Some pre-1963 data on coho salmon entering and leaving Sashin Creek were used. Weir counts and estimates of numbers of adult salmon determined from spawning ground counts and mean redd life were poor measures of the total escapement of coho salmon in Sashin Creek; an estimate made from tagging a portion of the escapement and subsequently determining tagged-to-untagged ratios of spawners on the ritlles proved to be a more reliable measure. The number of spawning coho salmon varied for the years 1963 through 1967 from 162 to 916; the dominant age group was 43 , The salinity of the surface water of the estuary of Sashin Creek usually is less than 10-15°/00; bioassays of salinity tolerance indicated that coho salmon fry can survive in these salinities. In 1964,44,000 coho salmon fry migrated to the estuary soon after emergence, although none of the.scales collected from returning spawners in subsequent years showed less than 1 yr of freshwater residence. Survival curves constructed from periodic estimates of the stream populations of juvenile coho salmon for the years 1964-67 showed that mortality was highest in midsummer of the first year of life, when 62% to 78% of the juveniles were lost in a I-mo period. Most coho salmon smolts migrated from Sashin Creek in late Mayor early June. In the spring of 1968, 1,440 smolts left Sashin Creek-37% were yearlings, 59% were 2-yr-olds, and 4% were 3-yr-olds. The average fork lengths were 83 mm for yearlings, 105 mm for 2-yr-olds, and 104 mm for 3-yr-olds. Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum), occur over a broad geographic range in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. They spawn in coastal streams from northern California to northwestern Alaska and from northern Hok­ kaido, Japan, to the Anadyr River, USSR (Figure 1). The young usually remain in fresh water for 1 to 3 yr before migrating to sea as smolts; they are sexually mature after about 14 to 18 mo in the sea. In some systems some fry emigrate to salt water in their first spring or summer of life, but they apparently do not contribute significantly to the adult return (Chamberlain 1907; Gilbert 1913; Pritchard 1940; Wickett 1951; Foerster 1955). Among the numerous populations of coho salm­ on, there are differences in freshwater life history that appear to be related to latitude. In the southern one-third of their range, coho salmon typically remain in fresh water about 1 yr before
The state of biodiversity and fisheries in Regional Seas

The approach is presented, which was used to extract the mean, maximum and minimum values of various features in areas of the global ocean, and aggregate these to yield indicators relevant to the status of Regional Seas, with emphasis on their biodiversity and fisheries. This work, facilitated by the availability of several databases previously spatialized (in a 1⁄2° latitude by 1⁄2° longitude grid system) by the Sea Around Us project, also required a rigorous spatial definition of UNEP’s Regional Seas, which had been lacking so far.
Temperature and predators as interactive drivers of community properties

Abstract The effects of warming on ecological communities emerge from a range of potentially asymmetric impacts on individual physiology and development. Understanding these responses, however, is limited by our ability to connect mechanisms or emergent patterns across the many processes that drive variation in demography. Further complicating this understanding is the gain or loss of predators to many communities, which may interact with changes in temperature to drive community change. Here we conducted a factorial warming and predation experiment to test generalized predictions about responses to warming. We used microcosms with a range of protists, rotifers, and a gastrotrich, with and without the predator Actinosphaerium, to assess changes in diversity, body size, function, and composition in response to warming. We find that community respiration and predator:prey biovolume ratios peak at intermediate temperatures, while species richness declined with temperature. We also found that overall biomass increased with species richness, driven by the effect of temperature on richness. There was little evidence of an interaction between predation and temperature change, likely because the predator was mostly limited to the intermediate temperatures. Overall, our results suggest that general predictions about community change are still challenging to make but may benefit by considering multiple dimensions of community patterns in an integrated way.
Interaction between Lugged Wheel of Lunar Rover and Lunar Soil by DEM with a New Contact Model

Since lunar soil is a typical granular material and the microgravity environment can not be simulated easily in experiments on earth, the distinct element method (DEM) appears to be a very efficient method to analyze such problems. In this paper, first, a new contact model between particles for lunar soil is proposed, which takes into account particle rolling resistance and van der Waals forces between lunar soil particles, and then is implemented into DEM. By adjusting values of the parameters of the contact model, the basic mechanical characteristics of the DEM sample (e.g. the angle of internal friction, cohesion) can be numerically obtained which match the typical values of lunar regolith on the lunar surface. Second, the numerical simulation of tire-soil bin test was carried out and the interaction between the driving wheel of lunar rover and lunar soil was analyzed under lunar microgravity environment and terrestrial environment by DEM. The force and movement characteristics of the lugged rigid driving wheel, the stress and deformation of soil were analyzed. The results indicate that in lunar environment, the resistance of the wheels and the energy consumption will be less than that on earth but the slip ratio and settlement will be greater. So it will be more risky for lunar rover to travel on lunar surface than on earth.
A Comprehensive Study on the Correlation of Treatment, Diagnosis and Epidemiology of Tuberculosis and Lung Cancer

The correlation between tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer (LC) in diagnosis, epidemiology, and treatment is still unclear. Based on different cohort and retrospective studies, this correlation could be justified by immune weakness because of exposure to TB which may increase the risk of LC. In this study, we tried to exhibit a prominent connection between TB and LC. The diagnosis and treatment of patients with concomitant TB and LC differ from patients with only one of the diseases. In this review, it was well clarified that the most practical diagnostic method for LC is chest tomography, biopsy, and histopathology, and for pulmonary TB sputum microscopic examination, Autofluorescence bronchoscopy (AFB), culture, and PCR. Also, immunological methods can be a good alternative for differential diagnosis. Most epidemiological studies were about concomitant TB and LC in TB-endemic areas, especially in the Middle East. The most suggested methods for definite treatment of LC are chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery while for TB, a long course of anti-TB therapy can be used. Moreover, immunotherapy is considered a good treatment for lung cancer if the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) is negative.
DEPLETION OF OZONE LAYER: AN INVESTIGATION OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE

The present study is an attempt to investigate the awareness and attitude of senior secondary school students with regards to the causes, consequences and cures of the depletion of ozone layer. The perceptions of 640 senior secondary school students were investigated using a closed form of questionnaire. Results reveal that there is a degree of uncertainty in students’ mind as to what exactly is damaging the ozone layer, though students generally seemed to be well informed about its position and function. More than three-fifth of students believe that it helps to protect the earth from acid rain. Many of the students were unaware of the potential effect of ozone layer depletion on the population of amphibians, skin cancer, immune system and crop productivity. Misconceptions that ozone holes are holes in the ozone layer and that depletion of ozone layer is caused by increased global warming or greenhouse effect were also observed despite the Government efforts, media publicity and inclusion of environmental education in the National Curriculum.
Measuring interception loss and canopy storage in dryland vegetation: a brief review and evaluation of available research strategies

The interception storage capacity has been measured for a range of dryland plants. Interception losses over time, however, arise in rain events that deliver either less or more than the canopy capacity. The fate of water in these cases depends on the efficiency with which the intercepted water is returned to the atmosphere by evaporation from the plant canopies. Two primary methods to estimate interception losses are (i) calibrated process-based models of interception and evaporative loss and (ii) direct measurement. Models have been applied only rarely to dryland plant communities, and direct measurement techniques are in need of additional testing and refinement. Most published estimates of interception loss in dryland plant communities therefore appear to be based upon inadequate data and methods. Research needs in this area are highlighted. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Connectivity patterns of the core resting-state networks associated with apathy in late-life depression

Background: Apathy is associated with reduced antidepressant response and dementia in late-life depression (LLD). However, the functional cerebral basis of apathy is understudied in LLD. We investigated the functional connectivity of 5 resting-state networks (RSN) hypothesized to underlie apathy in LLD. Methods: Resting-state functional MRI data were collected from individuals with LLD who did not have dementia as well as healthy older adults between October 2019 and April 2022. Apathy was evaluated using the diagnostic criteria for apathy (DCA), the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) and the Apathy Motivation Index (AMI). Subnetworks whose connectivity was significantly associated with each apathy measure were identified via the threshold-free network-based statistics. Regions that were consistently associated with apathy across the measures were reported as robust findings. Results: Our sample included 39 individuals with LLD who did not have dementia and 26 healthy older adults. Compared with healthy controls, individuals with LLD had an altered intra-RSN and inter-RNS connectivity in the default mode, the cingulo-opercular and the frontoparietal networks. All 3 apathy measurements showed associations with modified intra-RSN connectivity in these networks, except for the DCA in the cingulo-opercular network. The AMI scores showed stronger associations with the cingulo-opercular and frontoparietal networks, whereas the AES had stronger associations with the default mode network and the goal-oriented behaviour network. Limitations: The study was limited by the small number of participants without apathy according to the DCA, which may have reduced the statistical power of between-group comparisons. Additionally, the reliance on specific apathy measures may have influenced the observed overlap in brain regions. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that apathy in LLD is consistently associated with changes in both intra-RSN and inter-RSN connectivity of brain regions implicated in goal-oriented behaviours. These results corroborate previous findings of altered functional RSN connectivity in severe LLD.
Prevalence of Anemia and its Relation with Shwachman Score in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

Background: Cystic fibrosis is a chronic and progressive genetic disease with a worldwide prevalence. As the disease progresses, symptoms develop, and make its management more challenging. Accumulating evidence suggests that early diagnosis of CF can significantly contribute to preventing reported nutritional problems including anemia, vitamin deficiencies, and hypoalbuminemia. This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess disease severity in cystic fibrosis patients using the Shwachman-Kulczycki score, as well as to determine its relation with anemia and vitamin D deficiency. Materials and Methods: Clinical and CF-related laboratory data were collected from the medical records of 57 CF patients with a definitive diagnosis. At the time of diagnosis, physicians performed simultaneous, blood sampling and scoring of patients using the Shwachman scoring system. Results: The mean age of patients was 16.12±6.48 years. Total scores of 86–100, 71–85, 56–70, 41–55, and <40, were reported in 5.4%, 7.1%, 14.3%, 14.3%, and 58.9% of CF patients, respectively. A significant correlation was found between disease severity and patients' age (P=0.02). The analysis also showed that the disease severity was significantly higher in anemic patients when compared to non-anemics (p =0.006). Based on the results, 33 patients with normochromic, 11 patients with microcytic, and 6 patients with macrocytic anemia were diagnosed in this study. We did not find a significant difference between disease severity and vitamin D levels (P=0.150). Conclusion: The scoring system used in the current study could reflect properly the clinical status of CF patients. However, simultaneous use of various methods using a larger sample size for comparison of results is suggested to improve the accuracy of findings.
Big boned: How fat storage and other adaptations influenced large theropod foraging ecology

Dinosaur foraging ecology has been the subject of scientific interest for decades, yet much of what we understand about it remains hypothetical. We wrote an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate meat energy sources present in dinosaur environments, including carcasses of giant sauropods, along with living, huntable prey. Theropod dinosaurs modeled in this environment (specifically allosauroids, and more particularly, Allosaurus Marsh, 1877) were instantiated with heritable traits favorable to either hunting success or scavenging success. If hunter phenotypes were more reproductively successful, their traits were propagated into the population through their offspring, resulting in predator specialists. If selective pressure favored scavenger phenotypes, the population would evolve to acquire most of their calories from carrion. Data generated from this model strongly suggest that theropods in sauropod-dominated systems evolved to detect carcasses, consume and store large quantities of fat, and dominate carcass sites. Broadly speaking, selective forces did not favor predatory adaptations, because sauropod carrion resource pools, as we modeled them, were too profitable for prey-based resource pools to be significant. This is the first research to test selective pressure patterns in dinosaurs, and the first to estimate theropod mass based on metabolic constraints.