Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Short-Term Responses of Southern African Semi-Arid Rangelands to Fire: A Review of Impact on Soils

Knowledge of the impact of fire in arid and semi-arid sweet rangeland areas and the role it can play in sustainable utilization of the rangeland ecosystem is limited. This review uses a South African case study (experimental plot data) to elevate the research (soil quality and seed bank dynamics) on short-term fire responses in a semi-arid climate. The impact of a decrease in basal cover and plant density due to fire, especially on the hydrological characteristics of the ecosystem was clearly shown. Fire increase soil temperatures and soil compaction, and decrease organic matter, which lowers soil-water content and infiltration ability. Much of the influence of these variables had not been completely reduced two growing seasons after the fire. Reduction of organic matter after only one fire is a cause of concern due to maintenance of soil fertility. Fire caused a flush of seedlings from the soil seed bank over the first season following the fire. Low seedling survival with burning can be ascribed to poor basal cover and resultant change in microclimate. Fire also negatively influenced species richness. The enormous impact of fire on soil characteristics and seed bank dynamics, over the short-term, underscores the importance of purposeful burning in semi-arid rangelands. It is clear that over the short term, fire could strongly influence the sustainability of the ecosystem in the drier areas.
TIME SERIES ANALYSIS IN ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY: CHALLENGES AND CONSIDERATIONS

In environmental epidemiology, time series analyses represent a widely used statistical tool. However, though being commonly used, there is soften confusion regarding the specific requirements, such as which link function might be most appropriate, when or how to control for seasonality or how to account for lags. The present overview draws from experiences in other disciplines and discusses the proper execution of time series analyses based on considerations that are relevant in environmental epidemiology. Time series analysis in environmental epidemiology focuses on acute events caused by short-term changes in exposure. These exposures should be fairly wide-spread affecting a large number of persons, usually all inhabitants of a political entity. Pollutants in air or drinking water as well as meteorological factors serve as typical examples. Despite the many time series analyses performed world-wide, some health effects that would lend themselves to that approach are still under-explored. This would include also some neurological and psychiatric endpoints.
Network meta-analyses comparing the efficacy of biologic treatments for achieving complete resolution of nail psoriasis at 24–28 and 48–52 weeks

Abstract Background Available network meta-analyses (NMAs) comparing the efficacy of biologics in nail psoriasis (NP) have not included recently approved biologics such as bimekizumab nor have they provided comparisons up to 1 year. Objective We conducted two NMAs that update and extend results from a previous NMA comparing biologics for achieving complete resolution of NP. Methods Bayesian NMAs were performed using a generalized linear model with a logit link to model the binary outcome of nail clearance at weeks 24–28 and 48–52. Results For the NMA at weeks 24–28, which included seven biologics and placebo, the absolute probability of achieving complete resolution of NP was highest for ixekizumab (46.4%; 95% credibility interval [CrI] 35.2–58.0), followed by brodalumab (37.1%; 95% CrI 17.1–62.2) and bimekizumab (30.3%; 95% CrI 12.7–53.9). For the NMA at weeks 48–52, which included six biologics, the absolute probability was highest for ixekizumab (77.2%; 95% CrI 51.1–93.4), followed by adalimumab (75.6%; 95% CrI 61.5–87.3) and brodalumab (71.9%; 95% CrI 38.4–93.2). Conclusion Among biologics included in these two NMAs, ixekizumab has the highest absolute probability of achieving complete resolution of NP. Results may help to inform treatment decisions for patients with NP.
Role of canagliflozin in ameliorating isoprenaline induced cardiomyocyte oxidative stress via the heme oxygenase-1 mediated pathway

ABSTRACT Canagliflozin (CZ) is commonly prescribed for management of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); it also can reduce the risk of myocardial infarction. We used 80 albino Wistar rats to investigate the cardioprotective potential of CZ against oxidative stress caused by administration of isoprenaline (ISO). We found that ISO stimulates production of reactive oxygen species and that CZ administration caused up-regulation of antioxidants and down-regulation of oxidants due to nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor-2, as well as by enhancement of the heme oxygenase-1 mediated cascade. CZ monotherapy may play a cardioprotective role in diabetic patients. CZ possesses strong antioxidant potential that ameliorates cardiac damage induced by ISO administration.
Circadian preference and physical and cognitive performance in adolescence: A scoping review

ABSTRACT Adolescence is a crucial period of development which coincides with changes in circadian rhythmicity. This may augment the impact of circadian preference on performance in this group. We aimed to scope the literature available on chronotypes and their effect on physical and mental aspects of performance in adolescents. Studies were identified by systematically searching bibliographical databases and grey literature. The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire was the most frequently reported tool for circadian preference assessment. Academic achievement was the most prevailing outcome, with evidence suggesting that morning type adolescents tend to outperform evening types, yet the results vary depending on multiple factors. Performance in tests of intelligence and executive functions was generally better at optimal times of the day (synchrony effect). Physical performance was examined in 8 studies, with very heterogeneous outcomes. Although the associations between circadian preference and performance in adolescents are evident in some areas, there are many factors that may be involved in the relationship and require further investigation. This review highlights the assessment of physical performance in relation to chronotypes, the multidimensional assessment of circadian preference, and the need for longitudinal studies as priorities for further research. Protocol: OSF Registration – Public registration, DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/UCA3Z
Associating night-shift work with lifetime use of sleep medication and sleep quality in a cohort of female nurses

Abstract Night-shift workers often sleep at moments, not in sync with their circadian rhythm. Though the acute effects of night-shift work on sleep quality directly after a night shift are well described, less is known about the chronic effects of night-shift work on sleep. We associated ever-working night shifts and recently working night shifts (<4 wk) with lifetime use of sleep medication and melatonin, self-reported average sleep duration and sleep quality over the 4 wk preceding inclusion (measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep scale). We explored trends in sleep outcomes with average frequency of night shifts per week, tenure of night-shift works in years, and time since last performed night work. This research was conducted within the Nightingale study which is a Dutch cohort study of 59,947 female registered nurses aged 18 to 65. Working night shifts was not associated with self-reported nonoptimal sleep length and sleep quality. However, we observed higher odds of lifetime use of sleep medication for nurses who ever-worked night shifts (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.13, 1.35) and who recently worked night shifts (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.05, 1.22); with night-shift work frequency and tenure being associated with lifetime use of sleep medication (P-value for trend < 0.001 for both). Odds for melatonin use were elevated for nurses who ever worked night shifts (OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.40, 1.71) and recently worked night shifts (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.59, 1,86). The findings of this study have practical implications for healthcare organizations that employ nurses working night shifts. The observed associations between night-shift work and increased lifetime use of prescribed sleep medication and melatonin highlight the need for targeted support and interventions to address the potential long-term sleep problems faced by these nurses.
Homocysteine as a predictor and prognostic marker of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE Hyperhomocysteinemia is a well-known marker that is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis due to its toxic effect on endothelial cells. This, in turn, leads to cardiovascular injury and increases morbidity. Different studies have shown alterations in the levels of homocysteine with respect to multiple disease states. Whether this non-traditional marker is associated with cardiovascular injury or not is subject to conflicting results. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the role of homocysteine in the formation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in young adults and children. MATERIALS AND METHODS This systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines (PRISMA). A search was done using specific keywords, including "homocysteine", "coronary artery disease", and "atherosclerosis", amongst several others, from the databases of PubMed, COCHRANE, and EBSCO. The data items included the diseased sample population along with the intervention used, or investigations carried out and the findings of the studies. Finally, 35 eligible studies were included. RESULTS Young patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were more likely to have elevated levels of homocysteine compared to elderly patients. Elevated levels of homocysteine have been observed with several genetic, nutritional deficiencies, and autoimmune states such as rheumatoid arthritis. On the other hand, decreased levels of homocysteine have been observed after certain intervention treatments, such as oral contraceptive pills, L-thyroxine, and even the adoption of certain diets. In the majority of studies, whenever homocysteine levels were higher than normal, this was reflected by an increased carotid intima-media thickness. CONCLUSIONS Homocysteine has a high correlation with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in young and overweight patients. In addition, the relationship of homocysteine with smoking, genetic polymorphism, specific hormonal and renal disorders, nutritional deficiencies (vitamin B12 and folic acid), and the use of specific medicines are among the other recurring findings. Given that many of these studies focus only on women, the relationship between homocysteine and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in males is still unclear. Whether males are more prone to hyperhomocysteinemia needs to be assessed. Still, precise processes underlying variations in homocysteine in relation to all influencing factors are unclear and need further studies.
Pseudovertical Temperature Profiles and the Urban Heat Island Measured by a Temperature Datalogger Network in Phoenix, Arizona.

Abstract As part of an air-quality field campaign conducted in Phoenix, Arizona, during the summer of 2001, a network of temperature dataloggers and surface meteorological stations was deployed across the metropolitan area for a 61-day period. The majority of the dataloggers were deployed along two intersecting lines across the city to quantify characteristics of the urban heat island (UHI). To obtain pseudovertical temperature profiles, some of the instrumentation was also deployed along a mountain slope that rose to 480 m above the valley floor. The instrumentation along the mountain slope provided a reasonable approximation of the vertical temperature profile of the free atmosphere over the valley center during the night and a few hours after sunrise. Mean differences of 0.63 and 0.92 K and standard deviations of 1.33 and 1.45 K were obtained when compared with the in situ radiosonde and remote radio acoustic sounding system measurements, respectively. The vertical temperature gradients associated with.
First record of immigrant Phoberogale (Mammalia, Ursidae, Carnivora) from Southern California

ABSTRACT Phoberogale Ginsburg & Morales, 1995, is a primitive ursid named to separate hypercarnivorous species from a rather heterogeneous group formerly included in the genus Cephalogale Jourdan, 1862. The presence of Cephalogale (s.l.) in the Great Plains of the United States has been documented since the late 1980s, often in the context of immigrant taxa and Neogene biochronology. However, no formal description or illustration of the respective specimens was published. Recently, an associated skull and left dentary were recovered from an early Miocene terrestrial deposit in southern California. We take this opportunity to describe the California specimen, which represents a new species, Phoberogale shareri n. sp. This new species belongs to the Phoberogale-Phoberocyon lineage and is distinguished from species of Cephalogale (s.s.) by its larger size, less-reduced pre-carnassial premolars, and less-elongated M2. Within the genus Phoberogale, P. shareri n. sp. is more derived than Europeans species (P. bonali, P. depereti, P. ginesticus) as indicated by its larger size and more differentially enlarged p4 compared to the p3. It differs from Pakistani P. bugtiensis in having a less prominent notch between the anterior base of the P4 paracone and protocone, a more distinct anterior ridge on the P4 paracone, and more mediolaterally shortened M1–2. Phoberogale shareri n. sp. represents the first known Pacific Coast occurrence of this lineage and has important Zoogeographic and biochronologic implications.
A comparative examination of morphine and fentanyl: unravelling the differential impacts on breathing and airway stability

This study provides an in‐depth analysis of the distinct consequences of the opioid drugs morphine and fentanyl during opioid‐induced respiratory depression (OIRD). We explored the physiological implications of both drugs on ventilation and airway patency in anaesthetized mice. Our results revealed a similar reduction in respiratory frequency with equivalent scaled dosages of fentanyl and morphine, though the onset of suppression was more rapid with fentanyl. Additionally, fentanyl resulted in transient airflow obstructions during the inspiratory cycle, which were absent following morphine administration. Notably, these fentanyl‐specific obstructions were eliminated with tracheostomy, implicating the upper airways as a major factor contributing to fentanyl‐induced respiratory depression. We further demonstrate that bronchodilators salbutamol and adrenaline effectively reversed these obstructions, highlighting the bronchi's contribution to fentanyl‐induced airflow obstruction. Our study also uncovered a significant reduction in sighs during OIRD, which were eliminated by fentanyl and markedly reduced by morphine. Finally, we found that fentanyl‐exposed mice had reduced survival under hypoxic conditions compared to mice given morphine, demonstrating that fentanyl becomes more lethal in the context of hypoxaemia. Our findings shed light on the distinct and profound impacts of these opioids on respiration and airway stability and lay the foundation for improved opioid use guidelines and more effective OIRD prevention strategies.
Modelling the potential public health impact of different vaccination strategies with an omicron-adapted bivalent vaccine in Thailand

ABSTRACT Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19 has continuously evolved, requiring the development of adapted vaccines. This study estimated the impact of the introduction and increased coverage of an Omicron-adapted bivalent booster vaccine in Thailand. Research Design and Methods The outcomes of booster vaccination with an Omicron-adapted bivalent vaccine versus no booster vaccination were estimated using a combined cohort Markov decision tree model. The population was stratified into high- and standard-risk subpopulations. Using age-specific inputs informed by published sources, the model estimated health (case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths) and economic (medical costs and productivity losses) outcomes in different age and risk subpopulations. Results Booster vaccination in only the elderly and high-risk subpopulation was estimated to avert 97,596 cases 36,578 hospitalizations, 903 deaths, THB 3,119 million in direct medical costs, and THB 10,589 million in indirect medical costs. These benefits increased as vaccination was expanded to other subpopulations. Increasing the booster vaccination coverage to 75% of the standard-risk population averted more deaths (95%), hospitalizations (512%), infections (782%), direct costs (550%), and indirect costs (687%) compared to the base case. Conclusions Broader vaccination with an Omicron-adapted bivalent booster vaccine could have significant public health and economic benefits in Thailand.
Cooler sea surface west of the Sahara Desert correlated to dust events

Atmospheric particles scatter incoming solar radiation and cause regional cooling for areas in which they increase the net backscattering. Stratospheric aerosols have been widely observed to have this cooling effect on the Earth's surface following major volcanic eruptions. A smaller effect is expected to result from the regular entrainment of aerosols in the troposphere from natural and anthropogenic surface sources. Over long time scales, even a small cooling by tropospheric aerosols could be significant in offsetting warming caused by greenhouse gases. We looked for indications of this effect at the ocean's surface, when the albedo is raised in the presence of tropospheric aerosols. To test whether a correlation exists between tropospheric aerosol outbreaks and a cooler ocean surface, we compared satellite‐derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements to in situ sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over a four year period. We selected a subtropical North Atlantic region where the upwind mobilization of desert dust results in an aerosol signal large enough to outweigh other factors which cause cooling of the sea surface. In this location, the differing seasonal variations of aerosol amount, mixed layer depth, and cloudiness permit a glimpse of the causal relationship between aerosols and temperature changes at the sea surface. Although we were limited by in situ SST coverage, we found temperature perturbations correlated to large aerosol outbreaks from the Sahara Desert.
Tropopause fold structure determined from airborne lidar and in situ measurements

The first remote measurements of O3 and aerosols across a tropopause fold are presented in this paper. An airborne differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system was used to obtain profiles of O3 and aerosols along a cross section of a fold on April 20, 1984, over southern Nevada and California. The DIAL measurements across the tropopause fold show a 2.0-km-deep layer, with high O3 concentrations and enhanced aerosol backscattering, that slopes downward from north of Las Vegas, Nevada, to the top of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) over Yuma, Arizona. This is the first continuous mapping of a tropopause fold from the upper troposphere to the PBL. Mixing ratios of O3 in excess of 200 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) were measured remotely in the fold, and these values were corroborated by in situ measurements of O3 through the fold at an aircraft altitude of 6.7 km. Enhanced aerosol back-scattering was observed in the tropopause fold and attributed to stratospheric aerosols from the El Chichon eruption. An analysis of the potential vorticity distribution along the DIAL flight track was performed using radiosonde data. A high positive correlation was found between the DIAL O3 mixing ratios and the potential vorticity values in the fold. The average ratio between O3 and potential vorticity was found to be 50.2 ppbv/10−5 cm2 deg g−1 s−1 in the fold. The decrease in layer thickness, potential vorticity, ozone mixing ratio, and aerosol backscatter down the axis of the fold is consistent with a convergent entrainment of tropospheric air across both boundaries of the fold and subsequent irreversible mixing by small-scale turbulent motions.
The trajectory of maternal perinatal depressive symptoms predicts executive function in early childhood

Abstract Background Perinatal maternal depression may affect fetal neurodevelopment directly or indirectly via exposures such as smoking, alcohol, or antidepressant use. The relative contribution of these risk factors on child executive function (EF) has not been explored systematically. Methods A prospective pregnancy cohort of 197 women and their children was studied to determine whether maternal depression diagnosis and the trajectory of maternal depressive symptoms (MDSs) from early pregnancy to 12 months postpartum predicts child EF at age 4 (measured using the preschool age psychiatric assessment, NEPSY-II, and Shape School task) using latent growth curve modeling. Indirect effects of smoking, alcohol, and antidepressant use were also formally tested. Results Increasing maternal perinatal depressive symptoms over time predicted more inattentive symptoms, poorer switching, and motor inhibition, but not cognitive inhibition. When adjusted for multiple comparison, and after accounting for maternal cognition and education, the association with child inattentive symptoms remained significant. However, diagnosed depression did not predict child EF outcomes. Prenatal exposure to smoking, alcohol, and antidepressants also did not mediate pathways from depressive symptoms to EF outcomes. Our findings were limited by sample size and statistical power to detect outcome effects of smaller effect size. Conclusions This study suggests that increasing MDSs over the perinatal period is associated with poorer EF outcomes in children at age 4 – independent of prenatal smoking, drinking, or antidepressant use. Depressive chronicity, severity, and postpartum influences may play crucial roles in determining childhood outcomes of EF.
The mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus encodes irradiance via a diverse population of neurons monotonically tuned to different ranges of intensity

Many neurons of the mammalian master circadian oscillator in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) respond to light pulses with irradiance‐dependent changes in firing. Here, we set out to better understand this irradiance coding ability by considering how the SCN tracks more continuous changes in irradiance at both population and single unit level. To this end, we recorded extracellular activity in the SCN of anaesthetised mice presented with up + down irradiance staircase stimuli covering moonlight to daylight conditions and incorporating epochs with steady light or superimposed higher frequency modulations (temporal white noise (WN) and frequency/contrast chirps). Single unit activity was extracted by spike sorting. The population response of SCN units to this stimulus was a progressive increase in firing rate at higher irradiances. This relationship was symmetrical for up vs. down phases of the ramp in the presence of white noise or chirps but exhibited hysteresis for steady light, with firing systematically higher during increasing irradiance. Single units also showed a monotonic relationship between firing and irradiance but exhibited diversity not only in response polarity (increases vs. decreases in firing), but also in the sensitivity (EC50) and slope of fitted functions. These data show that individual SCN neurons exhibit monotonic relationships between irradiance and firing rate but differ in the irradiance range over which they respond. This property may help the SCN to encode the large differences in irradiance found in nature using neurons with a constrained range of firing rates.