A document by Zhendong Dong. Click on the document to view its contents.

Objectives: A recent paper [Moore, B.C.J., Lowe, D.A., Cox, G. (2022). Guidelines for diagnosing and quantifying noise-induced hearing loss. Trends in Hearing, 26, 1-21] has proposed guidelines for diagnosing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). It is referred to here as the MLC guidelines. Our aim was to evaluate the specificity of those guidelines (i.e., freedom from false positive outcomes). Design: We applied the MLC guidelines to three data sets composed of adults who do not have a history of material noise exposure and therefore cannot have NIHL. Setting: National Health Service (NHS) ENT clinic. Participants: 536 patients with hearing difficulty and/or tinnitus who denied material noise exposure. Two large archival population studies of hearing were also assessed, which included 3250 participants without material noise exposure. Main outcome measure: False positive outcome from guidelines. Results: The MLC guidelines demonstrated high false positive rates overall, the magnitude depending on the noise exposure scenario and whether clinical or population samples were considered. For the procedure applicable to steady broadband noise exposure, the false positive rate averaged 56% in the population samples, compared to 31% for previous guidelines. For exposure to intense impulse sounds, the MLC guidelines take a different approach and the false positive rate was 70% in the population samples and even higher in the clinic sample. For exposure to intense tones, the MLC guidelines take yet another approach and the false positive rate reached 80%. Conclusions: The MLC guidelines demonstrate poorer specificity than previous guidelines. Medical experts should be aware of their poor specificity and consequential likelihood of false positive diagnoses of NIHL.

Radiated electromagnetic emissions of photovoltaic systems causing interference, for example with radiocommunication, can pose a major barrier to further increase photovoltaic penetration. This is particularly critical in the vicinity of sensitive infrastructures and activities such as hospitals, airports, military, search, and rescue. To understand the impact of each component and installation detail, we performed systematic radiated electromagnetic emission measurements on comparable commercial photovoltaic systems in the frequency range 150 kHz to 30 MHz. Our measurements indicate that module optimizers are the main cause of increased radiated emissions. However, replacing aluminum framed, half-cut modules with frameless, bifacial, glass-glass modules increase radiated emissions from string inverter and module optimizer systems, while changes in cable management and earthing do not substantially affect radiated emissions. The right choice of inverter concept and module type decreases the likelihood that installed photovoltaic systems interfere with nearby radiocommunication. The results are relevant for photovoltaic system designers and installers, enabling them to build photovoltaic systems with an acceptable level of radiated electromagnetic emissions.

Virus host shifts from managed honey bees, Apis mellifera, are thought to contribute to the decline of wild pollinators. However, data on the impact of such viruses on wild pollinators remain scarce, and how landscape structure may affect virus transmission is poorly understood. We experimentally deployed bumble bee colonies in an agricultural landscape to study changes in the bumble bee virome under varying habitat composition and configuration. The results show a decline in prevalence and viral loads of honey bee associated viruses, while viruses common in Bombus spp. increased during field exposure. Honey bee associated viruses had no effect on colony development, suggesting that immediate impacts are unlikely in the field. Notably, we further demonstrate that increased habitat diversity results in fewer viruses in Bombus colonies. To mitigate the decline of bumble bees and other wild pollinators, we suggest focusing conservation efforts on habitat diversification and restoration.

The recent year has seen the creation of large-scale generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems like GPT-4 and LaMDA, which are generating increasingly plausible outputs ranging from reasonable answers to questions, images of well-known people or situations, and convincing conversational exchanges. The most well-known language model, ChatGPT, is raising concerns across all scientific fields, leading to calls for its regulation (Hacker 2023). In this viewpoint, we explore how generative language models interact with the specificities of ecology’s epistemologies.

High temperature negatively impacts the yield and quality of fruit crops. Exogenous melatonin (MT) application has shown the capability to enhance heat tolerance, but the response of endogenous MT to heat stress, particularly in perennial fruit trees, remains elusive. This study investigated the effects of high temperatures on transgenic apple plants overexpressing the MT biosynthetic gene N-acetylserotonin methyltransferase 9 ( MdASMT9). Endogenous MT protected transgenic plants from heat stress, scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increasing soluble carbohydrates and amino acids levels. MdASMT9-overexpressing plants also maintained higher photosynthetic activity by protecting the chloroplasts from damage. Transcriptome sequencing indicates that MdASMT9 overexpression promoting the expression of HSFA1d, HSFA2-like, and HSFA9b, and inhibiting the transcription of HSFB1 and HSFB2b. Application of MT and overexpression of MdASMT9 reduced abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation through promoting MdWRKY33-mediated transcriptional inhibition of MdNCED1 and MdNCED3, thus promoting stomatal opening for better heat dissipation. Furthermore, melatonin enhanced autophagic activity through promoting MdWRKY33-mediated transcriptional enhancement of MdATG18a under heat stress . These findings provide new sight into the regulation of endogenous MT and its role in improving heat tolerance in perennial fruit trees.

Background Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can be curative for children with difficult to treat leukemia. The conditioning regimen utilised is known to influence outcomes. We report outcomes of the conditioning regimen used at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, consisting of busulfan (with pharmacokinetic target of 3750μmol*min/day +/-10%) for 4 days, higher dose (250 mg/m2) fludarabine and 400 centigray of total body irradiation. Procedure This retrospective study involved children receiving transplant for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It compared children who fell within the target range for busulfan with those who were either not measured or were measured and fell outside this range. All other treatment factors were identical. Results Twenty-nine children (17 within target) were evaluated. All subjects engrafted neutrophils with a median (IQR) time of 14 days (8-30 days). The cumulative incidence of acute graft versus host disease was 44.8% (95% CI 35.6 – 54.0%), while chronic graft versus host disease was noted in 16.0% (95% CI 8.7% - 23.3%). At two years, the overall survival was 78.1% (95% CI 70.8% - 86.4%) and event free survival was 74.7% (95% CI 66.4% - 83.0%). Cumulative incidence of relapse was 11.3% (95% CI 5.1% - 17.5%). There were no statistically significant differences in between the group that received targeted busulfan compared with the untargeted group. Conclusion The current regimen used in children with ALL results in outcomes comparable to standard treatment with acceptable toxicities and significant reduction in radiation dose. Targeting Busulfan dose in this cohort did not result in improved outcomes.

The ecological and genetic changes that underlie evolution of host-microbe interactions remain elusive, primarily due to challenges in disentangling the variables that alter microbiome composition. To understand the impact of host habitat, host genetics and evolutionary history on microbial community structure, we examined gut microbiomes of river- and three cave-adapted morphotypes of the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, in their natural environments and under controlled laboratory conditions. We found that lab-reared fish exhibited increased microbiome richness and distinct composition compared to their wild counterparts, underscoring the significant influence of habitat. Most notably, however, we found that morphotypes reared on the same diet throughout life developed distinct microbiomes suggesting that genetic loci resulting from cavefish adaptation shape microbiome composition. We observed stable differences in Fusobacteriota abundance between morphotypes and demonstrate that this could be used as a trait for quantitative trait loci mapping to uncover the genetic basis of microbial community structure.

Photosynthesis is the foundation of all life on Earth, providing oxygen and energy. However, if not well regulated, it can also generate toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause photodamage. Regulation of photosynthesis is highly dynamic, responding to both environmental and metabolic cues, and occurs at many levels, from light capture to energy storage and metabolic processes. One general mechanism of regulation involves the reversible oxidation and reduction of protein thiol groups, which can affect the activity of enzymes and the stability of proteins. Such redox regulation has been well studied in stromal enzymes, but more recently evidence has emerged of redox control of thylakoid lumenal enzymes. This review/hypothesis paper summarizes the latest research and discusses several open questions and challenges to achieving effective redox control in the lumen, focusing on the distinct environments and regulatory components of the thylakoid lumen, including the need to transport electrons across the thylakoid membrane, the effects of pH changes in the stromal and lumenal compartments, and the observed differences in redox states. These constraints suggest that activated oxygen species are likely to be major regulatory contributors to lumenal thiol redox regulation, with key components and processes yet to be discovered.

The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Rehmanniae Radix (RR) refers to the fresh or dried root tuber of the plant Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch of the family Scrophulariaceae. As a traditional Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), it possesses multiple effects, including analgesia, sedation, anti-inflammation, antioxidation, anti-tumor, immunomodulation, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular regulation, and nerve damage repair, and it has been widely used in clinical practice. In recent years, scientists have extensively studied the active components and pharmacological effects of RR. Active ingredients mainly include iridoid glycosides (such as catalpol and aucuboside), phenylpropanoid glycosides (such as acteoside), other saccharides, and unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, the Chinese patent medicine (CPM) and Chinese decoction related to RR have also become major research subjects for TCM practitioners; one example is the Bolus of Six Drugs, which includes Rehmannia, Lily Bulb and Rehmannia Decoction, and Siwu Decoction. This article reviews recent literature on RR; summarizes the studies on its chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, and clinical applications; and analyzes the progress and limitations of current investigations to provide reference for further exploration and development of RR.

Aim Large-scale banana production in Zimbabwe is confined to agro-ecological zone 1, although other regions have managed to produce to a limited extent. This is mainly because of the favourable climatic conditions for banana growth found in this region. Across Zimbabwe, there are zones that can be modified to mimic climatic conditions in agro-ecological zone one. Therefore the aim of the research was to find suitable area that supports banana optimal growth. Location Zimbabwe Time period 36 months Major taxa studied Plantae, Magnoliophyta, Liliopsida, Zingiberales, Musaceae, Musa Methods In this study, new potential production areas were prospected using Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt). The data output was mapped in ArcGIS. An average of training and test Area Under Curve of 0.9380 and 0.976 respectively with a standard deviation of 0.03 was achieved after 10 replication trials. Results The Area Under Curve was represented by showing sensitivity on the y-axis and 1-specificity on the x-axis for all potential thresholds. Based on the bioclimatic data, the outputted model showed Area Under Curve values greater than 0.9 indicating a good prediction ability. Distinction of suitable areas from unsuitable areas was established using an automatic generated threshold. Low suitable areas ranged from 0-0.46, medium suitable areas ranged from 0.46-0.77 and high suitable areas ranged from 0.77-1. Potential production areas lied in the medium range due to a number of factors. An approximate total of 4757.112 km2 was found to be suitable for banana expansion in Zimbabwe and this equates to over USD $ 1,813,715.9844 billion dollars annually in net profit. Main conclusion The major environmental factors affecting banana distribution in Zimbabw were found to be precipitation and temperature therefore irrigation schemes in suitable areas that has water bodies could be of great help towards banana production expansion. Keywords: banana production ,Maxent, GIS, species distribution models

In this paper, we consider the global solvability and energy conservation for initial value problem of nonlinear semi-discrete wave equation of Kirchhoff type, which is a discretized model of Kirchhoff equation.

This paper provides an overview of the history and evolution of matte painting, from traditional painting techniques to the modern digital era. It also explores the various software tools and techniques used by matte painters in the entertainment industry to create complex and highly-detailed digital environments. The paper delves into the technical aspects of digital matte painting, including the use of 3D modeling, compositing, and texturing to create realistic environments. It also covers the importance of lighting and color grading to achieve a consistent look across different shots and sequences. Furthermore, the paper discusses the challenges and limitations of digital matte painting, including the need for extensive collaboration between artists, the importance of maintaining consistency across shots, and the need for flexibility in adapting to changes in the creative vision. Overall, this paper highlights the critical role that digital matte painting plays in the entertainment industry, and how it continues to evolve and improve as new technology and techniques are developed.

Insects perform the greatest part of pollination services (Winfree et al., 2011) and insects native to a given habitat can play an irreplaceable ecological role in food webs and plant reproduction (Travis & Kohn, 2023; Pelmyr, et al., 1996; Suarez, et al.,2000). With precipitous declines in insect species over the last decades, it is urgent to document insect assemblages in native plant communities to support conservation efforts. Identifying pollinators and their pollination activity is challenging; emerging methods involve the use of camera traps (Droissart, et al., 2021). In this study, we compare the accuracy of two different methods of monitoring to produce insect assemblage of Encinitas Baccharis (Baccharis vanessae): focal observations and video recordings from camera traps. B. vanessae is a rare, endemic species found in Coastal Sage Scrub communities in San Diego County (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2021). This federally listed species is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, which may also be affecting the availability of its insect pollinators (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2011). Preliminary results indicate that B. vanessae supports a variety of flower-visiting insect guilds and is in turn supported by diverse pollinators. While focal observations underreported insect activity by approximately half, the proportions of common diurnal visitors were similar with both methods. Camera traps were unable to provide sufficient detail to discern visually similar guilds, but were able to record nocturnal insect activity, which was dominated by moths (Lepidoptera, 82%). While collection protocol in this study did not record the time an insect spent interacting with a flower, moths spent notably longer periods in contact with flowers than most diurnal insects. This study has implications for the effective monitoring of endangered plant species and their affiliated pollinators.

Letter to the EditorFunctional decline at 1 year in hospitalized elderly pneumonia with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant:Comparison with the ancestral strain and Alpha variantNaoyuki Miyashita1, Yasushi Nakamori2, Makoto Ogata1, Naoki Fukuda1, and Akihisa Yamura11First Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Infectious Disease and Allergology, Kansai Medical University, Japan2Department of Emergency Medicine, Kansai Medical University Medical Center, Japan

Objective To evaluate the role of Shear wave elastography in characterizing adnexal masses. Design A prospective study. Setting Tertiary care hospital and research institute in India. Population Patients aged >12 years with an adnexal mass. Methods 95 adnexal masses in 85 patients were included in the analysis. The mean, minimum, and maximum elasticity values of the solid component of the mass and the ratio of the mean elasticity of the mass and myometrium were compared between benign and malignant adnexal masses and in different subgroups. In 91masses, histopathology was the gold standard, while in four of the masses, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was the gold standard. Main outcome measures Shear wave elastography parameters. Results No statistically significant difference was observed in the elasticity parameters between benign and malignant adnexal masses. In the analysis of subgroups, a statistically significant difference was observed in the mean and maximum elasticity values between benign non-neoplastic masses and neoplastic masses (p = 0.047). The rest of the subgroups had no statistically significant difference in the elasticity parameters. Conclusion Shear wave elastography did not contribute significantly to the characterization of adnexal masses.

Photocatalytic coatings have the potential to contribute to the purification of water via an advanced oxidation process (AOP) [1]. A commonly used method for analyzing the mechanism of the photocatalytic performance of a given reactor type is to document the degradation behavior in a solution containing methylene blue. However, since methylene blue is rather unstable, the degradation results should be viewed critically. In this work, the degradation behavior of a test solution with methylene blue on quartz glass surfaces coated with photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO 2) of the anatase modification was investigated through a variety of different light sources. The coating was deposited by the reactive pulsed DC magnetron sputtering (MSIP-PVD) method described in [2], while the quartz glasses were coated with a 100 nm thick TiO 2 coating. The same glasses were used for all experiments with TiO 2. In the determination of the degradation rate, additional experiments were performed using pure quartz glass without any coating, which made it possible to examine the influence of different light sources on the degradation rate of methylene blue in general. Three different light sources, namely UV-A, UV-C, and simple fluorescent lamps were used in this study. The concentration of methylene blue was recorded by photo spectrometer in 10-minute increments throughout the experiment and the experiments were performed for 24 hours in all cases.

Efficient wildlife management requires precise monitoring methods, e.g., to estimate population density, reproductive success, and survival. Here, we compared the efficiency of drone and ground approaches to detect and monitor GPS-collared female moose (Alces alces) and their calves. Moreover, we quantified how drone (n = 42) and ground (n = 41) approaches affected moose behavior and space use (n = 24 individuals). The average time used for drone approaches was 17 minutes compared to 97 minutes for ground approaches, with drone detection rate being higher (95% of adult female moose and 88% of moose calves) compared to ground approaches (78% of adult females and 82% of calves). Drone detection success increased at lower drone altitudes (50-70 m). Adult female moose left the site in 35% of drone approaches (with > 40% of those moose becoming disturbed once the drone hovered < 50 m above ground) compared to 56% of ground approaches. We failed to find short-term effects (3-h after approaches) of drone approaches on moose space use, but moose moved > 4-fold greater distances and used larger areas after ground approaches. Similarly, longer-term (24-h before and after approaches) space use did not differ between drone approaches compared to days without known disturbance, but moose moved comparatively greater distances during days of ground approaches. In conclusion, we could show that drone approaches were highly efficient to detect adult moose and their calves in the boreal forest, being faster and less disturbing than ground approaches, potentially making them a useful tool to monitor and study wildlife.

Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) populations have been declining in North America for decades. The precise cause of these widespread declines has not yet been identified. Over a similar timeframe, wetlands across large regions of North America have been experiencing an invasion of cattails (Typha). Non-native T. angustifolia readily hybridizes with native T. latifolia to produce T. x glauca, which tends to dominate over parental species and other wetland plants alike. T. x glauca invasions are associated with many negative consequences for wetlands, including a reduction in biodiversity, open water habitat, and interspersion of water and vegetation. Muskrats are strongly tied to wetlands, especially where there is a high degree of interspersion of water and emergent vegetation. Therefore, a widespread reduction in interspersion caused by T. x glauca invasions may be contributing to widespread muskrat population declines. We sought to understand the impact of reduced marsh interspersion on fine-scale muskrat habitat use which will shed more light on broad-scale population trends. We measured intensity of habitat use by muskrats in a large, Typha-dominated marsh in south-central Ontario using remote cameras, stratifying camera placement along a gradient of marsh interspersion. We found no correlation between interspersion and intensity of use, suggesting that factors other than interspersion may drive intensity of use. Our study site, like most marshes in the region, was highly dominated by T. x glauca. Further research is needed to determine the impact of T. x glauca invasions on muskrats, as well as the cause of widespread muskrat declines. Keywords: muskrats, intensity of use, camera traps, invasive species, Typha, wetlands

Soil microbes play a key role in shaping terrestrial ecosystems. It is therefore essential to understand what drives their distributions. While multivariate analyses have been used to characterise microbial communities and drivers of their spatial patterns, few studies focused on modelling the distribution of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). Here, we evaluate the potential of species distribution models (SDMs), to predict the presence-absence and relative abundance distribution of bacteria, archaea, fungi and protist OTUs from the Swiss Alps. Advanced automated selection of abiotic covariates was used to circumvent the lack of knowledge on the ecology of each OTU. ‘Presence-absence’ SDMs were successfully applied to most OTUs, yielding better predictions than null models. ‘Relative-abundance’ SDMs were less successful, yet, they were able to correctly rank sites according to their relative abundance values. Archaea and bacteria SDMs displayed better predictive power than fungi and protist ones, indicating a closer link of the latter with the abiotic covariates used. Microorganism distributions were mostly related to edaphic covariates. In particular, pH was the most selected covariate across models. The study shows the potential of using SDM frameworks to predict the distribution of OTUs obtained from environmental DNA (eDNA) data. It underscores the importance of edaphic covariates and the need for further development of precise edaphic mapping and scenario modelling to enhance prediction of microorganism distributions in the future.

In this paper, the cooperative consensus tracking control problem is investigated for hybrid multi-agent systems with slow interference time-varying signals and directed topology. First of all, the dynamical model of hybrid multi-agent system with slow interference time-varying signals is built up, which contains second-order continuous and first-order discrete time agents. Secondly, interference observers of first-order and second-order agents are introduced, which can effectively detect interference signals, and estimate the velocity of second-order agents to realize compensation. Meanwhile a kind of sliding mode controllers based on interference compensation are designed to come true the cooperative consensus tracking of hybrid multi-agent systems. Then, via Lyapunov method, the stability of hybrid multi-agent system is attested. And the sufficient conditions are given for the realization of cooperative consensus tracking. In the end, simulation examples ulteriorly demonstrate the validity of our results.

Forty years of deforestation and logging have degraded and fragmented much of Borneo’s lowland forest. This poses a threat to the island’s unique biodiversity, which can be exacerbated by hunting and killing. Although orangutans sometimes persist in small forest patches, it is unclear if such highly fragmented habitats can sustain viable populations, and whether they facilitate movements across modified landscapes over the long-term. Since longitudinal population data are unavailable, inferences must be made from modelling. We applied a spatially-explicit individual-based model to predict the potential long-term viability of orangutan populations across Borneo. Specifically, we examined how population dynamics and dispersal could be affected by the loss of habitat fragments and removal of individuals through hunting, retaliatory killings and capture and translocation. Small forest fragments facilitated orangutan movement, increasing the number of individuals settling in non-natal patches. However, large rivers remained a substantial barrier, and limited the capacity of orangutan populations to recover from decline. Orangutan populations were also highly vulnerable to even small amounts of offtake, with annual removal of >2% diminishing the positive role that small fragments played in sustaining population connectivity and long-term viability. Our results imply that orangutan populations could grow and recover from recent declines across Borneo if further habitat loss within human-modified landscapes is minimized. However, this will only be achievable if efforts are made to reduce the removal of orangutans by promoting coexistence with people, limiting killings, and only engaging in translocations in rare cases where no suitable alternative exists.

Introduction: Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) includes different situations depending on the captured structure. Distinguishing among them may be difficult during daily practice as most criteria are based on intracavitary recordings or precise high-sensibility measurements. The present study aims to determinate new device-based criteria to easily establish left bundle branch and/or deep septal myocardium capture. Methods and Results: the timing of the far-field R-wave electrogram registered at the atrial channel after the onset of the ventricular pacing spike was registered and compared among the modalities of left bundle branch area pacing in consecutive patients receiving dual chamber pacemakers. 46 patients were included. Successful left bundle branch capture was achieved in 67% of the sample, with transition from non-selective to selective left bundle branch pacing (ns-LBBP to s-LBBP) being the most frequent pattern during ventricular threshold test (52%). In those patients, the right atrial appendage far-field R-wave time (RAA-FFT) abruptly prolonged by a mean of 21 ms when transitioning from ns-LBBP to s-LBBP. However, in those whose last captured structure during ventricular threshold test was the deep septal myocardium (uniquely left septal capture or ns-LBBP to left septal transition), no sudden prolongation of the RAA-FFT was observed, remaining unchanged with the shortest values (94 ms vs 115 ms; P <0.01). Conclusion: in patients receiving dual-chamber pacemaker with the ventricular lead in a LBBAP position, the presence of a RAA-FFT jump >10ms is 100% specific for s-LBBP, whereas a RAA-FFT <105ms indicates deep septal myocardium capture (alone or together with left bundle branch stimulation) with a 91% of probability.

Agricultural expansion has markedly reduced forests and reconfigured landscapes. These changes incur a well-known detrimental impact on the biodiversity of local forest patches, but the effects on species persistence at entire landscapes comprised of multiple patches are debated. We investigated how regional diversity is affected by habitat loss, fragmentation, and cattle grazing, and how species respond to deforestation both locally and regionally. We also investigated how the heterogeneity in species distribution (beta-diversity) buffers landscapes against local diversity losses. The vast majority of the 251 ant species found in our study were negatively affected by both habitat loss and cattle at local forest patches, drastically reducing diversity at these patches compared to pristine forests. Despite local declines in diversity, however, heavily fragmented landscapes could still retain most species due to the high heterogeneity in species distribution. We found that beta-diversity is the main component of regional diversity. Results from several studies suggest that this component is maximized when remnant primary habitats in a landscape are spread across vast areas. Although preserving local diversity may be important for the adequate functioning of the ecosystem locally, our results indicate that the maintenance of many small forest patches in a landscape can buffer regional biodiversity against local species losses. Our results suggest that even small forest remnants in otherwise deforested landscapes can prevent most regional-scale species extirpations, and therefore also merit conservation efforts.