Background: This study was planned and carried out to determine the influence of nutrition situations and physical activity levels of individuals working as academicians at the university on their anthropometric measurements, blood glucose, and blood lipid. Materials and Methods: 47 volunteers participated in the research, and their height, waist circumference (WC), and weight was measured. The blood samples of the volunteers was taken after 12 hours of fasting, their preprandial blood glucose (PrBG), postprandial blood glucose (PoBG), total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels were measured. Nutritional consumption measurements were taken with 24-hour recall method, and, after having the volunteer subjects make nutritional changes, daily consumption quantities were determined. Results: The body mass index (BMI) was 24.34±4.73kg/m2 in the women and 27.90±3.97 kg/m2 in men. The mean WC was 84.15±15.89 cm for women and 98.18±10.89 for men. A statistically significant difference was found between the BMI of the women and their WC, total cholesterol level, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride averages. According to the BMI of the men, a statistically significant difference was found with their WC, PoBG, and triglyceride averages. In both women and men, it was observed that as their physical activity increased, their levels of BMI, WC, PoBG level, and triglyceride level were reduced. Conclusions: We conclude from this study that academicians who are overweight and who suffer from impaired glucose intolerance and dyslipidemia have balanced nutrition and to do physical activities to become healthy.

Climate impacts are not always easily discerned in wild populations as climate change occurs in the context of natural variability. Furthermore, species responses to climate change and variability differ among life histories. The time of emergence (ToE) identifies when the signal of anthropogenic climate change can be quantitatively distinguished from noise associated with natural variability. This concept has been applied extensively in the climate sciences, but has not yet formally been explored in the context of population dynamics. Here, we present a theoretical assessment of the ToE of climate-driven signals in population dynamics (ToEpop) to detect climate signals in populations. We identify the dependence of ToEpop on the magnitude of climate trends and variability and explore the demographic controls on ToEpop. We demonstrate that different life histories (fast species vs. slow species), demographic processes (survival, reproduction) and functional relationships between climate and demographic rates, yield population dynamics that filter trends and variability in climate differently. We illustrate empirically how to detect the point in time when anthropogenic signals in populations emerge from the envelope of natural variability for a species threatened by climate change: the emperor penguin. Finally, we propose six testable hypotheses and a road map for future research.

    Overview: The World has great shortage of energy. The main sources of producing energy are oil, gas, coal etc. However, these sources are too much expensive and needs great efforts, resources to be utilized for industrial as well as domestic purposes. Sun is the main source of energy. it releases energy at a mass-The rate of conversion of energy is 4.26 million metric tons per second, which produce 3.846x10 26 W. In Pakistan shortage of energy is the main problem. Industries and household requirements are several times greater than energy production by Hydroelectric mechanism. Pakistan is seeking alternatives for production of energy. Solar Panels are one of the cheap sources of production of energy. Solar Photovaltaic was discovered back in 1839 by French scientist Edmond Becquerel. Over the course of the next 100 years, many discoveries and inventions were made and by 1954, Daryle Chapin, Gerald Pearson and Calvin Fuller were the first to design the first silicon photovoltaic cell which was the precursor of all silicon cells today. Over the next few decades, solar power technology continued to develop. Photovoltaic research and development discovered new material, cell designs and novel approaches to solar material and product development. Now a days, solar panels are available all over world for converting solar energy to electricity. In Pakistan, they are widely used in areas Where the hydroelectric power has not reached, or to cope with the effects of load shedding in urban areas. Today we are going to design assemble and demonstrate a model of a fan run by a solar panel. Objectives of the lesson:  To Develop curiosity in students about Scientific approach.  To shift the students from rote memorization towards inquiry-based learning.  To enable them to create ideas, think critically and logically and solve problems themselves.  To develop and inculcate the zeal of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells are Gln-metabolism dependence, which can preferentially utilize glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase 1 (GOT1) to maintain the redox homeostasis of cancer cells. Therefore, small molecule inhibitors targeting GOT1 can be used as a new strategy for developing cancer therapies. Here, we identified a cyclobutyrolactone lignan, Aspulvinone H (AH), showing significant GOT1 inhibitory activity in vitro. The complex crystal structure of GOT1-AH elucidated the molecular mechanism, which AH and the cofactor pyrido-aldehyde 5-phosphate (PLP) competitively bound to the active sites of GOT1. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis exhibited that the π-π stacking and isopentenyl side chain of aspulvinone were related to the inhibition of GOT1 activity. Further biological study indicated that AH could suppress glutamine metabolism, which made PDAC cells sensitive to oxidative stress and inhibited cell proliferation. Besides, AH exhibited potent in vivo antitumor activity in the SW1990 cell-induced xenograft model. These findings suggest that AH could be considered as a promising lead molecule for the development of PDAC anticancer agents.

Abstract. An econometric analysis of consumer research data which hit newspaper headlines in the Netherlands illustrates almost everything that can go wrong when standard statistical models are fit to the superficial characteristics of a data-set with no attention paid to the data generation mechanism.Author: Richard D. Gill, Mathematical Institute, Leiden University, The Netherlands; email address: gill@math.leidenuniv.nl.

In this work, the advantage of two-dimensional population balance modeling (2D PBM) for a needle-shaped API is highlighted by comparing the one-dimensional population balance model (1D PBM) developed for an antisolvent crystallization with the 2D PBM. The API utilized for this work had extremely slow desupersaturation, and was not able to achieve solubility concentration despite a ~50 h seed bed age. While the 1D PBM is useful in optimizing the crystallization process to enhance desupersaturation, it is unable to match the particle size quantiles well. 2D PBM was necessary to probe the impact of crystallization process parameters on particle aspect ratio (AR). Simulations utilizing the 2D PBM indicated that regardless of antisolvent addition rate or seed morphology, the final material would still be high aspect ratio. This knowledge saved the investment of much time and efforts in trying to minimize particle AR with changes in crystallization processing parameters alone.

A bio-ceramic coating was prepared on the surface of ZK60 magnesium alloys by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) method. The substrate (BM) and coated (MAO) specimens were pre-corroded in a simulated body fluid (SBF) for 12 h. Strain-controlled and stress-controlled loading modes were used to conduct fatigue tests for the two specimens, respectively. The cyclic deformation behavior of the two specimens with non-corroded and pre-corroded was studied. The mechanism of cyclic deformation under different loading conditions is related to twinning and slip. At the same test conditions, the fatigue life of the non-corroded BM specimen is higher than that of the non-corroded MAO specimen, while the fatigue life of the pre-corroded MAO specimen is higher than that of the pre-corroded BM specimen. A modified total strain energy model is proposed and the precision of life prediction is higher than that of traditional fatigue model.

An increased basal cholinergic tone, induced by psychological health impairment, could be a likely link between psychological/psychiatric disorders and severe bronchial asthma in children, as well as in adolescents and adults. This link can explain the high rate of anxiety in asthmatics in comparison to non-asthmatics of all ages.

Methods The study included 59 patients with normal fetal heart structure, blood flow, and heart rhythm (fetal abnormality-negative group) and 50 patients with abnormal fetal heart structure, blood flow, and/or heart rhythm (fetal abnormality-positive group). aCMQ was performed in both groups to obtain left and right ventricular endocardial global longitudinal strain (GLSendo), mid-myocardial global longitudinal strain (GLSmid), and epicardial global longitudinal strain (GLSepi). Parameters between the two groups were compared and correlation analyses performed. A deformation analysis was performed by two trained observers, and reproducibility was assessed. Results The fetal left ventricular and right ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS and RV-GLS, respectively) decreased in a gradient from the endocardium to the epicardium. LV-GLS and RV-GLS of all myocardial layers were lower in the fetal abnormality-positive than -negative group (all P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that neither LV-GLS nor RV-GLS was significantly correlated with gestational age in the fetal abnormality-negative group (all P>0.05), whereas left ventricular GLSendo, GLSmid, and GLSepi were negatively correlated with gestational age in the fetal abnormality-positive group (r=−0.39 to −0.44, all P<0.05). Repeatability testing showed that the inter-observer and intra-observer intraclass correlation coefficients for LV-GLS and RV-GLS in each myocardial layer were >0.75 (all P<0.001). Conclusions As a new speckle tracking echocardiography tool, aCMQ has feasibility and repeatability in evaluating myocardial deformation of the fetal ventricle. This technique might provide helpful information on ventricular myocardial deformation in fetal hearts with abnormal structure or rhythm for clinical guidance in pregnancy.

Since the start of the novel coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 pandemic, a disease that has become one of the world’s greatest global health challenges, the role of the immune system has been at the forefront of scientific studies. The pathophysiology of COVID-19 is complex, which is evident by those at higher risk for poor outcome. Multiple systems contribute to thrombosis and inflammation seen in COVID-19 patients, including neutrophil dysfunction, platelet activation, endothelial cell activation. Understanding how the immune system functions in different patient cohorts (particularly given recent emerging events with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine) is vital to understanding the pathophysiology of this devastating disease and for subsequent development of novel therapeutic targets and expedite possible drug repurposing strategies that could benefit society on a global scale.

Pyroptosis, is a specialized form of inflammatory cell death which aids the defensive response against invading pathogens. Its tight regulation is lost during infection by the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and thus uncontrolled pyroptosis disrupts the immune system and the integrity of organs defining the critical conditions in patients with high viral load. Molecular pathways engaged downstream to the formation and stabilization of the inflammasome -required to execute the process- have been uncovered and drugs are available for their regulation. On the contrary, pharmacological inferring of the upstream events -which are critical to sense and interpret the initial damage by the pathogen- is far from being elucidated. This limits our capacity to identify early markers and targets to ameliorate SARS-CoV-2 linked pyroptosis. Here we aim to raise attention on mitochondria and pathways leading to its dysfunction with the goal to inform early steps of inflammasome and devise tools to interpret and counteract diseases by the SARS-CoV-2.

Autoimmune diseases including systemic sclerosis (SSc) increase risk of developing TB. Pericostal tuberculosis (TB) is a rare presentation of skeletal TB. This case report describes pericostal TB in a SSc patient, and emphasizes significance of suspecting pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB when patients with autoimmune disease follow atypical clinical courses.

The compound 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) serves as a sulfate group donor in the production of valuable sulfated compounds, such as glycosaminoglycan and oxamniquine. However, elevated costs and low conversion efficiency limit the industrial applicability of PAPS. Here, we designed and constructed an efficient and controllable catalytic system for the conversion of ATP (disodium salt) into PAPS without inhibition from by-products. In vitro and in vivo testing in Escherichia coli identified adenosine-5′-phosphosulfate kinase from Penicillium chrysogenum (PcAPSK) as the rate-limiting enzyme. Based on analysis of the catalytic steps and molecular dynamics simulations, a mechanism-guided “ADP expulsion” strategy was developed to generate an improved PcAPSK variant (L7), with a specific activity of 48.94 U·mg-1 and 73.27-fold higher catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) that of the wild-type enzyme. The improvement was attained chiefly by reducing the ADP-binding affinity of PcAPSK, as well as by changing the enzyme’s flexibility and lid structure to a more open conformation. By introducing PcAPSK L7 in an in vivo catalytic system, 73.59 mM (37.32 g·L-1) PAPS was produced from 150 mM ATP in 18.5 h using a 3-L bioreactor. The achieved titer is the highest reported to date and corresponds to a 98.13% conversion rate. The proposed strategy will facilitate industrial production of PAPS as well as the engineering of similar enzymes.

Uncertain fractional-order differential equations driven by Liu process are of significance to depict the heredity and memory features of uncertain dynamical systems. This paper primarily investigates the reliability analysis of the uncertain fractional-order dynamic system with a state constraint. On the basis of the first-hitting time (FHT), a novel uncertain fractional-order dynamic system considering a state constraint is proposed. Secondly, in view of the relation between the initial state and the required standard, such uncertain fractional-order dynamic systems are subdivided into four types. The concept of reliability of proposed uncertain system with a state constraint is presented innovatively. Corresponding reliability indexes are ulteriorly formulated via FHT theorems. Lastly, the uncertain fractional-order dynamic system with a state constraint is applied to different physical and financial dynamical models. The analytic expression of the reliability index is derived to demonstrate the reasonableness of our model. Meanwhile, expected time response and American barrier option prices are calculated by using the predictor-corrector scheme. A sensitivity analysis is also illustrated with respect to various conditions.

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The increasing salinization of coastal areas of Bangladesh reduces options for rice intensification but offers a suitable environment for shrimp and salt farming. Under these contested land use settings, adaptation decisions to address salinity require an understanding of the salinity perspectives of all farmer types. Primary data was collected from randomly selected rice, shrimp and salt farmers in two coastal sub-districts through semi-structured interviews at household level. Also, key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with personnel from research and extension organisations from different levels (e.g. national and local). Salinity perceptions among the various types of farmer differed. While the majority of rice farmers (87%) perceived increased salinity, just over half of the salt and shrimp farmers perceived that salinity has decreased over the past 20 years. Most rice farmers (62%) perceived anthropogenic factors as the main cause of increased salinity, while the majority of shrimp and salt farmers focused more on natural factors. Rice farmers perceived under saline conditions a yield loss (42%), followed by less income (30%). In contrast, shrimp farmers (70%) and salt farmers (55%) perceived production gains when high salinity prevailed. Rice farmers’ adaptation preferences to cope with salinity is development of salinity-tolerant rice varieties that have greater tolerance at the reproductive stages, while shrimp and salt farmers’ preferences are engineering-based solutions. Thus, research and extension services on integrated coastal resources management need to consider all livelihood perspectives, as this approach could accelerate the pace of achieving the SDGs (i.e.. SDG-1, SDG-2 and SGD-3).

The March/April issue of CiSE's inaugural year (1999) carried an essay by eminent computer science professor John R. Rice (who at the time was area editor for Software, together with Matlab inventor Cleve Moler) titled A Perspective on Computational Science in the 21st Century \cite{Rice_1999}. In it, he looked at the development directions for the future of computational science and engineering, and threaded across these was what he called "problem-solving environments." This routine-sounding term hides an ambitious vision, for the time. Rice imagined a software system for tackling problems within a science domain without all the agonizing toil of programming by hand every solution method. He and Ronald Boisvert had a previous article (1996) explaining the idea in more detail \cite{Rice_1996}. A problem-solving environment would include a collection of mathematical and domain-specific software libraries, offer (semi-)automatic selection of solution method for a given problem, help check the problem formulation, display or assess the correctness of solutions, allow extensibility to add new methods, and even manage the overall computational process. They envisaged an environment that could be "all things to all people," meaning: it is effective when solving simple or complex problems, it supports rapid prototyping and detailed analysis, and it can be used both in introductory teaching and in productive research at the edges of knowledge. An ideal problem-solving environment would even make decisions for the user by means of an integrated knowledge base. What fabulous ambition!Prof. Rice led a research group at Purdue University that worked to develop early problem-solving environments. The Ellpack system for solving elliptic boundary value problems, developed in the early 1980s, included dozens of software modules implementing solution methods and a descriptive language to formulate problems (today, we might call it a domain-specific language, DSL). For example, the line: equation. uxx + uyy + 3 * ux - 4 * u = exp(x+y) * sin(pi * x) would be used in an Ellpack program for defining the differential equation to be solved. Similarly expressive statements would define the boundary conditions, and the grid parameters to discretize the domain (a full example at https://www.cs.purdue.edu/ellpack/example.html). Later versions of the system offered parallel solvers and a graphical user interface (screenshots of the Ellpack system from Prof. John R. Rice's website at Purdue can be found in the Internet Archive https://web.archive.org/web/19990506040312/https://www.cs.purdue.edu/research/cse/index.html).While Ellpack was licensed by Purdue University for a modest yearly fee, this project did not branch off commercially or otherwise. Perhaps a few hundred copies were distributed, mostly for use in university settings, and the project wound down by the early 2000s. By contrast, three commercial software packages for high-productivity scientific and engineering computation—Maple, Mathematica, and Matlab—had by then become very popular \cite{Chonacky_2005}. These systems continue to be widely used in education, industry, and government settings. Their purchase price and proprietary implementations, however, led many champions of open-source software to conceive alternatives, oftentimes closely imitating their functionality.In March/April 2011, twelve years after Prof. Rice's Perspective essay, CiSE ran a special issue on Python for Scientific Computing, showcasing a maturing stack of tools and a highly productive environment for researchers. The issue included one of the most-widely cited articles in the history of the magazine, discussing the high-level multidimensional array structure at the core of NumPy \cite{van_der_Walt_2011}. By this time, the scientific community had expanded Python for its purposes, and the four keystone libraries had been put in place in the first half of the decade: SciPy was consolidated as a standard collection of modules for common mathematical and statistical functions.The first version of IPython, an enhanced interactive shell for Python, was created by Fernando Pérez.Matplotlib, the rich 2D visualization and now standard Python plotting library, was released by John Hunter.Travis Oliphant created NumPy from a rewrite of the early Python array library Numeric, adding functionality from the competing array package called numarray.CiSE had previously featured the developing Python support for scientific workflows in an issue organized by Paul F. Dubois, who was the project lead for Numeric from 1997 to 2002. Paul was an editor for Computer in Physics (which got merged into CiSE) since 1993, and joined CiSE with its founding. He wrote and edited for the Scientific Programming department until 2006, and continued with the column "Café Dubois" until 2008. The issue he led included the Hunter piece on Matplotlib \cite{Hunter_2007}, the Pérez and Granger article about IPython \cite{Perez_2007}, and Travis Oliphant's general overview of the Python language and its extensions with NumPy and SciPy \cite{Oliphant_2007}. Other articles in the issue highlight applications in various science contexts: space observation, systems biology, robotics, nanophotonics, and more. An author team from the Simula Research Laboratory in Norway discussed new Python tooling for solving partial differential equations with finite element methods in what was the early development of the Fenics project (http://www.fenics.org/) \cite{Mardal_2007}. This work heralded the compelling combination of symbolic mathematics and code generation, which Ellpack anticipated.

Abstract: Background: This meta-analysis assessed the relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and echocardiographic parameters of diastolic dysfunction (DD), which are used in the assessment of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF). Methods: We searched the databases including Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and EBSCO CINAHL from inception up to December 26th, 2020. The search was not restricted to time, publication status or language. Comparisons were made between patients with OSA, diagnosed in-laboratory polysomnography (PSG) or home sleep apnea testing (HSAT), and patients without OSA in relation to established markers of diastolic dysfunction. Results: Primary search identified 2512 studies. A total of 18 studies including 2509 participants were included. The two groups were free of conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Significant structural changes were observed between the two groups. Patients with OSA exhibited greater LAVI (3.94 CI [0.8, 7.07]; p=0.000) and left ventricular mass index (11.10 CI [2.56,19.65]; p=0.000) as compared to control group. The presence of OSA was also associated with more prolonged DT (10.44 ms CI [0.71,20.16]; p=0.04), IVRT (7.85 ms CI[4.48, 11.22]; p=0.000), and lower E/A ratio (-0.62 CI [-1,-0.24]; p=0.001) suggestive of early DD. The E/e’ ratio (0.94 CI[0.44, 1.45]; p=0.000) was increased. Conclusion: An association between OSA and echocardiographic parameters of DD was detected that was independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors. OSA may be independently associated with DD perhaps due to higher LV mass. Investigating the role of CPAP therapy in reversing or ameliorating diastolic dysfunction is recommended.

Seneca Valley Virus (SVV) infection has recently spread to pig farms in Canada, America, and China. Humans, mice, and houseflies have been identified as hosts and reservoirs. Although such cross-species transmission events are often limited, sustained outbreaks in a new mammalian host can occur. To determine if mink are a new mammalian host of SSV, we studied the molecular characteristics of isolated SVV genomes and analyzed challenge, pathology, and immune response data. The study was the first systemic analysis of a newly isolated strain of SVV from pigs. The strain caused an intestinal infection with associated pathologic changes in mink. SVV stimulated the production of a specific neutralizing antibody. The findings highlight the importance of identifying SVV infection in mink and the host to detect mutated SSV that could threaten livestock and pose public health and economic risks.

Objectives: To examine the effects of estrogen on all-cause mortality, cancers, cardiovascular (CV) conditions, and dementia. Design: Retrospective observational study Setting: United States 2007-2018 Population: 1.5 million women aged over 65 in Medicare. Method: Cox regression with time-varying estrogen type, route, and strength as well as patient’s characteristics. Main Outcome(s): all-cause mortality; 5 cancers- breast, lung, endometrial, colorectal, ovarian cancers; 6 CV conditions- ischemic heart diseases, heart failure, venous thromboembolism, stroke, atrial fibrillation, acute myocardial infarction; and dementia. Results: Compared to counterparts, estrogen monotherapy (ET) exhibited a significant, 21% (HR=0.79; 95% CI 0.77-0.81), reduction in mortality risk. The reduction was greater with estradiol (HR=0.76; 95% CI 0.73-0.78) than conjugated estrogen (HR=0.83; 95% CI 0.80-0.86), and with topical (HR=0.69; 95% CI 0.66-0.71) than oral preparations (HR=0.86; 95% CI 0.83-0.89). ET also exhibited significant risk reductions for all study cancers, breast (HR=0.83; 95% CI 0.80-0.85), lung (HR=0.89; 95% CI 0.85-0.93), endometrial (HR=0.68; 95% CI 0.63-0.73), colorectal (HR=0.87; 95% CI 0.82-0.92) and ovarian (HR=0.86; 95% CI 0.80-0.92). Different dose levels exhibited similar risk reduction in mortality and cancers. ET slightly increased the overall CV risk, mostly risks of ischemic heart diseases and stroke. However, such risks occurred with CEE, oral, and high dose ET. Both combination therapy (HR=1.19; 95% CI 1.08-1.31) and progestogen monotherapy (HR=1.16; 95% CI 1.08-1.26) exhibited a significantly increased risk of breast cancer. No HT exhibited an increased risk of dementia. Conclusions: Among senior female Medicare beneficiaries, the effect of hormone therapy varies by type, route, and strength of estrogen.

Aims: Amidst the Campos the Altitude (Highland Grasslands) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, woody communities grow either clustered in tree islands or interspersed within the herbaceous matrix. The functional ecology, diversity and biotic processes shaping these communities are largely unstudied. We characterised the functional assembly and diversity of these tropical montane woody communities and investigated how those communities fit within the Grime’s CSR (C – competitor, S – stress-tolerant, R – ruderal) scheme, what trade-offs they exhibit and how traits and functional diversity vary in response to bamboo invasion. Methods: We sampled five leaf traits and wood density along transects covering the woody communities both inside tree islands and outside (i.e. woody plants in the grasslands community) to characterise the functional ecology of the community. We used Kruskal-Wallis test, t-test and variation partitioning to determine effects of inside vs outside the tree island and bamboo invasion on traits, woody species diversity and functional diversity. Results: We found a general SC/S strategy with drought-related functional trade-offs. Woody plants in tree islands had more acquisitive traits, whereas woody plants within the grasslands had more conservative traits. Trait variation was mostly taxonomically driven, and species composition varied between inside and outside tree islands. Leaf thickness, wood density and foliar water uptake were unrelated to CSR-strategies, suggesting independent trait dimensions and multiple drought-coping strategies within the predominant S-strategy. Bamboo-invaded islands showed lower Simpson diversity, lower functional dispersion, lower foliar water uptake and greater leaf thickness than non-invaded tree islands. Conclusions: The observed functional assembly in response to bamboo and facilitation have implications for future forest expansion and response of the communities to climate change. Further studies on eco-physiological and establishment traits and the mechanisms behind biotic interactions are needed to better understand the response of these communities to future environmental changes.

Abstract Aim: The invasion process is a complex, context-dependent phenomenon; nevertheless, it can be described using the PAB framework. This framework encompasses the joint effect of propagule pressure (P), abiotic characteristics of the environment (A), and biotic characteristics of both the invader and recipient vegetation (B). We analyzed the effectiveness of proxies of PAB factors to explain the spatial pattern of Solidago canadensis and S. gigantea invasion using invasive species distribution models. Location: Carpathian Mountains and their foreground, Central Europe. Methods: The data on species presence or absence were from an atlas of neophyte distribution based on a 2 × 2 km grid, covering approximately 31,200 km2 (7752 grid cells). Proxies of PAB factors, along with data on historical distribution of invaders were used as explanatory variables in Boosted Regression Trees models to explain the distribution of invasive Solidago. The areas with potentially lower sampling effort were excluded from analysis based on a target species approach. Results: Proxies of the PAB factors helped to explain the distribution of both S. canadensis and S. gigantea. Distributions of both species were limited climatically because a mountain climate is not conducive to their growth; however, the S. canadensis distribution pattern was correlated with proxies of human pressure, whereas S. gigantea distribution was connected with environmental characteristics. The varied responses of species with regard to distance from their historical distribution sites indicated differences in their invasion drivers. Main conclusions: Proxies of PAB are helpful in the choice of explanatory variables as well as the ecological interpretation of species distribution models. The results underline that human activity can cause variation in the invasion of ecologically similar species.

1. Plant-soil feedback (PSF) has gained attention as a mechanism promoting plant growth and coexistence. However, because most PSF research has measured monoculture growth in greenhouse conditions, field-based PSF experiments remain an important frontier for PSF research. 2. Using a four-year, factorial field experiment in Jena, Germany, we measured the growth of nine grassland species on soils conditioned by each of the target species (i.e., PSF). Plant community models were parameterized with or without these PSF effects, and model predictions were compared to plant biomass production in new and existing diversity-productivity experiments. 3. Plants created soils that changed subsequent plant biomass by 36%. However, because they were both positive and negative, the net PSF effect was 14% less growth on ‘home’ than ‘away’ soils. At the species level, seven of nine species realized non-neutral PSFs, but the two dominant species grew only 2% less on home than away soils. At the species*soil type level, 31 of 72 PSFs differed from zero. 4. In current and pre-existing diversity-productivity experiments, nine-species plant communities produced 37 to 29% more biomass than monocultures due primarily to selection effects. Null and PSF models predicted 29 to 28% more biomass for polycultures than monocultures, again due primarily to selection effects. 5. Synthesis: In field conditions, PSFs were large enough to be expected to cause roughly 14% overyielding due to complementarity, however, in plant communities overyielding was caused by selections effects, not complementarity effects. Further, large positive and large negative PSFs were associated with subdominant species, suggesting there may be selective pressure for plants to create neutral PSF. Broadly, results highlighted the importance of testing PSF effects in communities because there are several ways in which PSFs may be more or less important to plant growth in communities than suggested from simple PSF values.

Objectives: A retrospective review of adolescent and adult patients with Atrial Septal Defect (Secundum ASD) who underwent secundum ASD closure by transcatheter closure (TCC) or surgery at Jordan University Hospital (JUH). We seek to illustrate the importance of a multidisciplinary Heart Team in low-volume centres, and report the experience and outcomes of this approach. Methodology: A retrospective observational study of 42 patients who underwent secundum ASD closure by TCC or surgery at JUH. We utilised the hospital’s electronic record system to attain patients’ information, and SPSS and Microsoft Excel were used to analyse the data. Results: 42 patients with secundum ASD were treated during the period between January 2015 and December 2019. The mean age of participants was 34.1 (± 14.3). A total of 34 patients underwent TCC, seven surgical closure, and one a hybrid approach. There were no incidents of mortality, but two minor morbidities were reported. After an average follow-up period of 13.2-/+13.6 months, with a range of 1-47 months , most patients experienced an improvement in their symptoms. There was also a significant reduction of the right ventricular dimension: Conclusion: A Heart Team approach is necessary as the use of minimally invasive cardiac surgery MICS and Transcatheter closure TCC continues to advance. A Heart Team provides patients with a variety of safe and cosmetic solutions that facilitate rapid management and recovery by encouraging the merits and avoiding the complications of each modality. Ultimately, the Heart Team allows low-volume centres to achieve excellent outcomes.