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To investigate the community structure and diversity of gut microflora and their function in body mass regulation, as well as the effects of various locations on gut microbiota and Cricetulus longicaudatus body mass regulation at various elevations. We examined the diversity, abundance, and community structure of the gut microbiota of long-tailed dwarf hamsters from eight regions in Shanxi province during summer using 16S rDNA sequencing technology and analyzed the relationships between these microbiota and environmental variables as well as morphological indicators. The results revealed Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as the dominant phyla at the phylum level, with Lactobacillus emerging as the predominant genus. We observed differences of gut microflora between different areas, and this diversity is affected by altitude. The high-altitude areas individuals had lower β diversity of gut microbiota than the low-altitude area. Moreover, the body and skull indexes of long-tailed dwarf hamsters also changed with altitude. The result presented in this study indicated that the body size of long-tailed dwarf hamsters conforms to Bergmann's law. And Providencia had significant correlation with body size. Finally, functional analysis of the gut microbiota showed changes in metabolic function that depended on elevation, and collinear network analysis showed how the gut microbiota interacts with each other. All of these results suggest that long-tailed hamsters are different depending on their altitude, with altitude being the main factor affecting both the structure of microbes and the way their metabolism works. This study shows that altitude has a big effect on the gut microbiota and phenotypic traits of long-tailed hamsters. It also shows how well this species can adapt to changes in altitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change vulnerability is the biggest threat to ecosystems and economies of the world. Hence, this study aims to assess the vulnerability to climate variability adaptation strategies of rural households in Begemdir District, Northwest Ethiopia. In this study, the cross-sectional research design was used to gain a wider and better understanding of vulnerability to climate variability. Both primary and secondary data were used to triangulate the study to maintain validity. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 120 sample households from the study area. Moreover, climatic data, such as rainfall and temperature data were collected from meteorological stations. The data gathered from primary data sources analyzed by using descriptive statistics. Finally, a logistic regression model was employed to identify the factors that affecting households' decisions to climate adaptation strategies in the study area. The results of the study reveal that the overall IPCC-LVI score is 0.49, and the perceived rainfall has decreased over the last decade. This implies livelihoods of the households are vulnerable to climate variability and low adaptive capacity. The age, sex, education level, extension services, land size, credit access, access to climatic information, access to credit, and extension services affected significantly (p < 0.05) households' vulnerability to climate variability in the study area. Thus, the local governments, policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and farming communities need to consider these variables to realize climate change adaptation strategies in the study area. Moreover, higher focus should be given to enhancing education, expanding access to credit, increasing land management support, as well as strengthening extension services to build long-term sustainable climate-resilient practices and mitigate the impacts of climate change vulnerability to households in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an old find of a grave good from Turza Wielka. It is a ceramic object that imitates a Roman oil lamp. The find has so far gone unnoticed by researchers, but is analyzed in more detail here. The burial context, cultural position, dating and possible Roman parallels will be worked out. The use of oil lamps in the Roman Empire and theoretical concepts are used to interpret the imitated oil lamp and their conclusiveness with regard to the find is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: With the rapid optimization and evolution of various neural networks, the control problem of robotic arms in the area of automation control has gradually received more attention. Methods: To improve the control performance of robotic arms under complex dynamic models, this study proposes an adaptive affective radial basis function network control strategy. Firstly, the kinematic and dynamic mathematical models of the tendon driven robotic arm are constructed. Then, by integrating the affective computing model and the radial basis function network, an adaptive affective radial basis function network control algorithm is constructed. Results and Discussion: The research results indicate that the designed algorithm significantly outperforms the other two compared algorithms in terms of control accuracy and stability. In benchmark performance testing, the designed algorithm has a error accuracy of up to 0.97 and a steady state of up to 0.95. In the simulation results, the maximum torque change of the designed algorithm is only 3.8 Nm, which is much lower than other algorithms. In addition, the control error fluctuation range of this algorithm is between −0.001 and 0.001, almost close to zero error. This study provides a new optimization strategy for precise control of tendon driven robotic arms, and also opens up new avenues for the application of artificial intelligence technology in complex nonlinear system control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pangolin is one of the most endangered mammals with many peculiar characteristics, yet the understanding of its sensory systems is still superficial. Studying the genomic basis of adaptation and evolution of pangolin's sensory system is expected to provide further potential assistance for their conservation in the future. Results: In this study, we performed a comprehensive comparative genomic analysis to explore the signature of sensory adaptation and evolution in pangolins. By comparing with the aardvark, Cape golden mole, and short-beaked echidna, 124 and 152 expanded gene families were detected in the genome of the Chinese and Malayan pangolins, respectively. The enrichment analyses showed olfactory-related genomic convergence among five concerned mammals. We found 769 and 733 intact OR genes, and 704 and 475 OR pseudogenes in the Chinese and Malayan pangolin species, respectively. Compared to other mammals, far more intact members of OR6 and OR14 were identified in pangolins, particularly for four genes with large copy numbers (OR6C2, OR14A2, OR14C36, and OR14L1). On the genome-wide scale, 1,523, 1,887, 1,110, and 2,732 genes were detected under positive selection (PSGs), intensified selection (ISGs), rapid evolution (REGs), and relaxed selection (RSGs) in pangolins. GO terms associated with visual perception were enriched in PSGs, ISGs, and REGs. Those related to rhythm and sound perception were enriched in both ISGs and REGs, ear development and morphogenesis were enriched in ISGs, and mechanical stimulus and temperature adaptation were enriched in RSGs. The convergence of two vision-related PSGs (OPN4 and ATXN7), with more than one parallel substituted site, was detected among five concerned mammals. Additionally, the absence of intact genes of PKD1L3, PKD2L1, and TAS1R2 and just six single-copy TAS2Rs (TAS2R1, TAS2R4, TAS2R7, TAS2R38, TAS2R40, and TAS2R46) were found in pangolins. Interestingly, we found two large insertions in TAS1R3, distributed in the N-terminal ectodomain, just in pangolins. Conclusions: We found new features related to the adaptation and evolution of pangolin-specific sensory characteristics across the genome. These are expected to provide valuable and useful genome-wide genetic information for the future breeding and conservation of pangolins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid population growth and the industrial revolution have led to an increase in the demand for olive oil. On the other hand, the cost of olive oil imports and the less production of olive has forced the government to develop olive production through an olive localization project. Some economic, environmental, public, and private factors influence the localization of olive cultivation. Therefore, these criteria were evaluated using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. For this purpose, the TOPSIS model was applied to evaluate these criteria. Seventy-three percent of the sample (372) indicated that adaptation was successful. The results showed that land allocation, increase in income and improvement in employment were the most important factors, at the same time transforming industries and credit opportunities were less important factors for the adaptation of the olive production. In addition, the results of the model can be used by policy makers as a prerequisite tool for the development of olive production in new regions to reduce policy opportunity costs and reduce dependence on olive oil imports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses explicitly on transformation and analyzes how it can be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively in a case study region in western Germany. It addresses blue, critical, and green infrastructures in a region that was affected by the 2021 floods in Europe. Together with regional actors, co-creative solutions for developing adaptation strategies and infrastructure planning will be developed. Using and combining different conceptual models and applying them to the project region as well as to human infrastructure highlights the different types of change and transformation. This also shows the complexity of such an overall assessment, which needs to include a lot of diverse actors and disciplines. The project's first results are overviews of national and cross-regional changes to infrastructures and administrative structures after the 2021 floods in Germany and at the district level. The interim results reveal that more needs and plans exist than real, measurable transformations and that certain transformations stem from planning long before the floods in 2021. Maps and land use potentials are presented that provide overviews of regional differences in flood, drought, and wildfire exposure and capacities for nature-based solutions. Both the conceptual models developed in this study as well as the application examples could be useful for other researchers and administrative bodies to measure transformation to climate change and other stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Desertification is the most severe environmental problem in arid and semi-arid regions and has caused great economic loss every year. However, artificial sand fixation barriers function on sand fixation for only 10–20 years. Searching for a native species with long-term sand fixation effect and strong environmental adaptive capacity, and low water consumption is needed. In this study, we investigated the environmental adaption and sand fixation effect of a grass from Poaceae family (Psammochloa villosa) that is indigenous to the desert of Northwest China. Results The results showed that P. villosa has a streamlined leaf form, strong mechanical strength, and flexibility to adapt to wind. Leaf curling of P. villosa under drought decreased water loss rate through decreased evaporation area to adapt to drought. Significant negative relationship between adventitious root length and horizontal root burial depth indicates that adventitious roots help P. villosa absorb water and nutrients from soil under shallow sand burial condition, which enables P. villosa to adapt to different sand burial conditions. P. villosa fixed sand dunes through the distribution of the population at the top of the dune and the vertical relationship between the direction of windblown sand and the direction of growth of P. villosa, which stopped the expansion of the dune. Conclusions Growth characteristics of wind and drought tolerant leaf traits and adventitious roots under sand burial indicate that P. villosa is well adapted to dry sandy desert conditions and burial by sand. The distribution of the P. villosa population on the sand dune is a “brake” on its expansion. These findings provide new insight for active sand dune fixation and desertification control using native grass in the desertified regions.

Global climate change has caused rapid temperature changes in marine environments. Understanding how marine organisms respond to temperature changes can help predict their richness of future biodiversity. In this study, we examined the gene expression levels and the difference in the pathways that are responsive to acute temperature stress in low- and high-latitude populations of the shore swimming crab, Charybdis japonica. The two populations of C. japonica were exposed to low- and high-temperature stresses (15°C and 28°C) and used for transcriptome sequencing. Genetic regulatory ability changes were compared to determine the diverse response of the two crab populations to temperature change. The gene expression levels and functional enrichment analysis showed that the low-latitude crab regulated more genes (938) that were mainly enriched in DNA replication and metabolic pathways, whereas the high-latitude crab regulated less genes (309) that were mainly enriched in genetic information processing at low-temperature stress. Furthermore, the low-latitude crab regulated less genes (33) that were mainly enriched in genetic information processing, whereas the high-latitude crab regulated more genes (280) that were mainly enriched in signal transduction and cellular process at high-temperature stress. These results implied that the low-latitude population was more resilient to high-temperature stress, while the high-latitude population was more resilient to low-temperature stress. This study enhances our understanding of how different geographic C. japonica populations respond to varying temperature environments in their living zone, which could be helpful for predicting future biodiversity trends of intertidal crustaceans under global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Defense Sciences / Savunma Bilmleri Dergisi is the property of Turkish Military Academy Defense Sciences Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Desertification is the most severe environmental problem in arid and semi-arid regions and has caused great economic loss every year. However, artificial sand fixation barriers function on sand fixation for only 10–20 years. Searching for a native species with long-term sand fixation effect and strong environmental adaptive capacity, and low water consumption is needed. In this study, we investigated the environmental adaption and sand fixation effect of a grass from Poaceae family (Psammochloa villosa) that is indigenous to the desert of Northwest China. Results: The results showed that P. villosa has a streamlined leaf form, strong mechanical strength, and flexibility to adapt to wind. Leaf curling of P. villosa under drought decreased water loss rate through decreased evaporation area to adapt to drought. Significant negative relationship between adventitious root length and horizontal root burial depth indicates that adventitious roots help P. villosa absorb water and nutrients from soil under shallow sand burial condition, which enables P. villosa to adapt to different sand burial conditions. P. villosa fixed sand dunes through the distribution of the population at the top of the dune and the vertical relationship between the direction of windblown sand and the direction of growth of P. villosa, which stopped the expansion of the dune. Conclusions: Growth characteristics of wind and drought tolerant leaf traits and adventitious roots under sand burial indicate that P. villosa is well adapted to dry sandy desert conditions and burial by sand. The distribution of the P. villosa population on the sand dune is a "brake" on its expansion. These findings provide new insight for active sand dune fixation and desertification control using native grass in the desertified regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbiome of animals is affected by external environmental factors and can assist them in adapting to changing environments effectively. Consequently, elucidating the gut microbes of animals under different environmental conditions can provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of their adaptations to environmental change, with a particular focus on animals in extreme environments. In this study, we compared the structural and functional differences of the gut microbiome of grazing yaks between the summer and winter seasons through metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. The results indicated that the composition and function of microbes changed significantly. The study demonstrated an increase in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and a higher ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) in winter, this process facilitated the adaptation of yaks to the consumption of low‐nutrient forages in the winter. Furthermore, the network structure exhibited greater complexity in the winter. Forage nutrition exhibited a significant seasonal variation, with a notable impact on the gut microbiota. The metagenomic analysis revealed an increase in the abundance of enzymes related to amino acid metabolism, axillary activity, and mucin degradation in the winter. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the gut microbiome of grazing yaks exhibits several adaptive characteristics that facilitate better nutrient accessibility and acid the host in acclimating to the harsh winter conditions. Furthermore, our study offers novel insights into the mechanisms of highland animal adaptation to external environments from the perspective of the gut microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates effective onboarding practices in the cruise industry, examining the interplay between onboarding, hospitality and seafaring occupations due to limited existing research. Using an exploratory mixed-method approach, the researchers employed insider and outsider perspectives to critically analyse employee challenges and company onboarding practices. The research, conducted through qualitative surveys and semi-structured interviews with purposive sampling, reveals that while companies generally provide a welcoming environment, there is a need for improvement in meeting expectations and providing detailed, structured information. The findings emphasise the importance of enhancing these areas to boost new crew members' preparedness, confidence and satisfaction. Additionally, data highlights the critical role of managing expectations and satisfaction during preboarding, underlining the significant impact of effective communication on employee retention in this unique industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canola (Brassica napus L.) is a profitable grain crop for Australian growers. However, weeds remain a major constraint for its production. Chemical herbicides are used for weed control, but this tactic also leads to the evolution of herbicide resistance in different weed species. The suppression of weeds by crop interference (competition and allelopathic) mechanisms has been receiving significant attention. Here, the weed suppressive ability and associated functional traits and stability of four selected canola genotypes (PAK85388-502, AV-OPAL, AV-GARNET, and BAROSSA) were examined at different locations in NSW, Australia. The results showed that there were significant effects of canola genotypes and of genotypes by crop density interaction on weed growth. Among the tested genotypes, PAK85388-502 and AV-OPAL were the most weed suppressive and, at a plant density of 10 plants/m2, they reduced the weed biomass of wild radish, shepherd's purse, and annual ryegrass by more than 80%. No significant differences were found in the primary root lengths among canola varieties; however, plants of the most weed-suppressive genotype PAK8538-502 exhibited a 35% increase in lateral root number relative to plants of the less weed-suppressive genotype BAROSSA. The analysis of variance revealed a significant influence of genotypes with PAK85388-502 and AV-OPAL performing the best across all the research sites. Results showed that canola genotypes PAK85388-502 and AV-OPAL were more weed suppressive than AV-GARNET and BAROSSA and may release specific bioactive compounds in their surroundings to suppress neighboring weeds. This study provides valuable information that could be utilised in breeding programs to select weed-suppressive varieties of canola in Australia. Thus, lateral root number could be a potential target trait for weed-suppressive varieties. Additionally, other root architecture traits may contribute to the underground allelopathic interaction to provide a competitive advantage to the crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Dry eye disease includes a large variety of different ocular surface diseases. What all have in common is the resulting lubrication deficiency. Although the pathophysiology is multicausal, the common nominator is the threat of normal ocular surface balance and homeostasis. In homeostasis, the close link and interconnection of cellular basic mechanisms is essential for the functionality of the ocular surface. Any challenge threatening homeostasis implies cell stress. The ability of the ocular surfaces (conjunctiva and cornea) to cope and adapt to the resulting stress load decides over the ability to regain homeostasis or to drift to an altered stage of balance, recently identified as allostasis. This review outlines the importance of cellular stress as a key hub of the vicious circle and the importance of the integrated stress response system. Basic considerations for cellular recovery and the potential re-establishment of homeostasis are discussed. Disturbance or insufficiency of the tear film challenges the regulatory systems of the ocular surfaces. The reaction of the surfaces includes temporary mechanisms engaged in the preservation of homeostasis. However, strong or persisting challenges can lead to the potential exhaustion of the coping capacity. This again activates the vicious circle with chronic inflammation and autocatalytic deterioration. Hence, the factors challenging the homeostasis should be addressed in time. Amongst them are a varying osmolarity, constant presence of small lesions at the epithelium, acidification, attrition with mechanical irritation, and onset of pain and discomfort. Each of them and, especially when occurring simultaneously, impose stress on the coping mechanisms and lead to a stress response. Many stressors can culminate, leading to an exhaustion of the coping capacity, outrunning normal resilience. Reaching the limits of stress tolerance leads to the manifestation of a lubrication deficiency as the disease we refer to as dry eye disease (DED). To postpone its manifestation, the avoidance or amelioration of stress factors is one key option. In DED, this is the target of lubrication therapy, substituting the missing tear film or its components. The latter options include the management of secondary sequelae such as the inflammation and activation of reparative cascades. Preventive measures include the enhancement in resilience, recovery velocity, and recovery potential. The capacity to handle the external load factors is the key issue. The aim is to guard homeostasis and to prevent intercellular stress responses from being launched, triggering and invigorating the vicious circle. Considering the dilemma of the surface to have to cope with increased time of exposure to stress, with simultaneously decreasing time for cellular recovery, it illustrates the importance of the vicious circle as a hub for ocular surface stress. The resulting imbalance triggers a continuous deterioration of the ocular surface condition. After an initial phase of the reaction and adaption of the ocular surface to the surrounding challenges, the normal coping capacity will be exhausted. This is the time when the integrated stress response (ISR), a protector for cellular survival, will inevitably be activated, and cellular changes such as altered translation and ribosome pausing are initiated. Once activated, this will slow down any recovery, in a phase where apoptosis is imminent. Premature senescence of cells may also occur. The process of prematurization due to permanent stress exposures contributes to the risk for constant deterioration. The illustrated flow of events in the development of DED outlines that the ability to cope, and to recover, has limited resources in the cells at the ocular surface. The reduction in and amelioration of stress hence should be one of the key targets of therapy and begin early. Here, lubrication optimization as well as causal treatment such as the correction of anatomical anomalies (leading to anatomical dry eye) should be a prime intent of any therapy. The features of cellular stress as a key hub for the vicious circle will be outlined and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the community structure and diversity of gut microflora and their function in body mass regulation, as well as the effects of various locations on gut microbiota and Cricetulus longicaudatus body mass regulation at various elevations. We examined the diversity, abundance, and community structure of the gut microbiota of long-tailed dwarf hamsters from eight regions in Shanxi province during summer using 16S rDNA sequencing technology and analyzed the relationships between these microbiota and environmental variables as well as morphological indicators. The results revealed Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as the dominant phyla at the phylum level, with Lactobacillus emerging as the predominant genus. We observed differences of gut microflora between different areas, and this diversity is affected by altitude. The high-altitude areas individuals had lower β diversity of gut microbiota than the low-altitude area. Moreover, the body and skull indexes of long-tailed dwarf hamsters also changed with altitude. The result presented in this study indicated that the body size of long-tailed dwarf hamsters conforms to Bergmann's law. And Providencia had significant correlation with body size. Finally, functional analysis of the gut microbiota showed changes in metabolic function that depended on elevation, and collinear network analysis showed how the gut microbiota interacts with each other. All of these results suggest that long-tailed hamsters are different depending on their altitude, with altitude being the main factor affecting both the structure of microbes and the way their metabolism works. This study shows that altitude has a big effect on the gut microbiota and phenotypic traits of long-tailed hamsters. It also shows how well this species can adapt to changes in altitude.

When working with older children (ages 9-12) in a drama studio environment (extracurricular theatre and drama education with performative outcomes), keeping everyone present is both an exciting and challenging task. The process towards a performance can encompass several techniques and methods during the creative process, as well as on stage, in three core areas: 1. Impro and Process Drama; 2. Mentoring; 3. Language and Literature. Presence and co-presence occur as a result of focus, accepting, and building which are characteristic of improvisational theatre and process drama techniques that are used to keep students engaged and on task. Students address issues from an autobiographical and collaborative perspective, allowing them to play a part through improvised personal responses. The mentoring is present both outside and inside the play as mentors guide their students, assume some of the roles, and provide a meaningful framework and direction of the play. Fairy tales and well-known literary texts can be used as starting points; they are adapted and transformed on the spot. This results in a creative, spontaneous, and natural use of language that keeps the players present and alert throughout. This paper presents the examples from the Zagreb Youth Theatre (ZKM) Drama Studio's final production "A Bunch of Forest Fairies" (June 2023) which contains elements of Impro, process drama (uncharacteristically performed on stage), inside and outside mentoring (super mentoring), and fairy tale elements that are transformed in a new socio-cultural context. Such an approach enables the players to perform the same play repetitively with the same intensity and presence as the first time, allowing them to re-explore relationships, expressions, and texts in a new and meaningful way.

Copyright of Bearing is the property of Bearing Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Extreme climatic events such as droughts, floods, cyclones, and landslides have adversely affected a homegarden that consists of its inherited characteristics as a secondary forest along with alterations made by human. Households, as the major beneficiary of homegardens, have the responsibility to maintain the homegarden incorporating its structure and composition with functions of the household to make the homegarden resilient to adverse effects. To assess the current climate resilience level of a homegarden, data were collected through an in-depth survey from 435 homegardens in Hambantota, Jaffna, Matale, and Ratnapura districts in Sri Lanka. Climate Resilience Index (CRI) of homegarden was constructed based on absorptive and adaptive capacities using the 13 variables. The mean value of the CRI was 0.375 (± 0.005) which ranged from 0.019 to 0.616. As per the multiple regression analysis performed taking the CRI as the dependent variable, the constructed models were complex, and all the variables were required to determine the level of resilience of a homegarden. Based on the CRI values five categories of homegardens were identified as very low, low, moderate, high and very high resilient. Accordingly, key variables affecting the level of resilience of a homegarden were; application of soil and water conservation methods, requirement of soil conservation, presence of woody trees, above-ground biomass, number of canopy strata, experience in farming and technical knowledge on farming, species richness of tree were selected as resilient variables that indicate absorptive and adaptive capacities. The resilience level of a homegarden can be changed, by altering these variables together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Olfactory habituation is a transient decrease in olfactory sensitivity caused by prolonged odor exposure, aiding in the discernment of new olfactory stimuli against the background. We explored the impact of subclinical olfactory impairment on odor habituation using age as a proxy. Methods: Before the actual experiment, the individual olfactory threshold for the rose‐like odorant phenylethyl alcohol (PEA) was assessed separately for the left and right nostril using the "Sniffin' Sticks" test, and ratings for odor intensity and pleasantness were collected. After applying a nasal clip continuously delivering PEA odor to one nostril for 10 min and 2 h, respectively, threshold, intensity, and pleasantness were reassessed immediately after clip removal. Results: In the group of 80 participants (younger adults‐mean age 27.7 ± 4.5 years; older adults‐mean age 61.5 ± 4.7 years), olfactory thresholds were already significantly elevated after just 10 min, and this habituation was even more pronounced after 2 h. This effect could be observed bilaterally even though significantly more distinct on the exposed side. Older participants generally exhibited a more pronounced habituation on the exposed side after 2 h compared to the younger participants. Conclusion: The results indicate that older people experience more notable habituation after extended exposure to odors. This is most likely due to the compromised olfactory function in age. Although older and younger subjects scored in the normosmic range when tested with standardized olfactory tests, the stress on the system after exposure to an odor clearly revealed the lower functionality of the aging sense of smell. Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 134:3765–3768, 2024 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of the family Mantispidae (Neuroptera) from Vietnam is described. Euclimacia radioquaesentis sp. nov. shows a unique colour pattern, which is distinctive within the genus. The colouration and morphology of both sexes of the new species are described in detail and illustrated. The naming of the new species is linked to a popular citizen-science event in choosing the name for this species (and three other species from different undescribed species by taxonomists of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fairness-aware online learning framework has emerged as a potent tool within the context of continuous lifelong learning. In this scenario, the learner's objective is to progressively acquire new tasks as they arrive over time, while also guaranteeing statistical parity among various protected sub-populations, such as race and gender when it comes to the newly introduced tasks. A significant limitation of current approaches lies in their heavy reliance on the i.i.d (independent and identically distributed) assumption concerning data, leading to a static regret analysis of the framework. Nevertheless, it's crucial to note that achieving low static regret does not necessarily translate to strong performance in dynamic environments characterized by tasks sampled from diverse distributions. In this article, to tackle the fairness-aware online learning challenge in evolving settings, we introduce a unique regret measure, FairSAR, by incorporating long-term fairness constraints into a strongly adapted loss regret framework. Moreover, to determine an optimal model parameter at each time step, we introduce an innovative adaptive fairness-aware online meta-learning algorithm, referred to as FairSAOML. This algorithm possesses the ability to adjust to dynamic environments by effectively managing bias control and model accuracy. The problem is framed as a bi-level convex-concave optimization, considering both the model's primal and dual parameters, which pertain to its accuracy and fairness attributes, respectively. Theoretical analysis yields sub-linear upper bounds for both loss regret and the cumulative violation of fairness constraints. Our experimental evaluation of various real-world datasets in dynamic environments demonstrates that our proposed FairSAOML algorithm consistently outperforms alternative approaches rooted in the most advanced prior online learning methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expected negative effects of global warming on crop production can be mitigated by changing the planting dates, which is both low-cost and easy to implement. The parameter set of the localized spring wheat model in the Qingtongxia irrigation region (QTXIR) was calibrated using a two-year field experiment. The changes of spring wheat yield and irrigation water requirement (IWR) under two future climate scenarios (SSP2-45 and SSP5-85) were analyzed based on 7 bias-corrected global circulation models (GCMs) and the well-tested SWAP model. Simultaneously, the yield and IWR of spring wheat in QTXIR in response to changing the sowing date were also quantitatively analyzed. The results indicate that the spring wheat growth in the QTXIR can be effectively simulated by the parameter-adjusted SWAP model. Under the SSP2-45 scenario, the multi-model average maximum temperature in the QTXIR in the next two periods (2021−2050 and 2051−2080) will increase by 1.6℃ and 2.6℃ respectively relative to the historical baseline period (1991−2020), while under the SSP5-85 scenario, the maximum temperature will increase by 1.8℃ and 3.6℃ respectively in the next two stages. The length of spring wheat growth duration will continue to shorten with the increasing temperatures in the future under current sowing date and variety, with a maximum shortening of 14.2 days occurring between 2051 and 2080 under the SSP5-85 scenario. The multi-model average yield for spring wheat will decrease by 9.6% and 12.9% for the next two periods under the SSP2-45 scenario and by 12.1% and 17.2% for the corresponding periods under the SSP5-85 scenario. At the same time, the changes in irrigation water requirements for different scenarios and periods are relatively small, not exceeding 3.5%. Sowing in advance can effectively reduce the yield loss of spring wheat in the QTXIR, but it cannot fully offset the negative effects of climate change. Under the SSP2-45 scenario, in the next two periods, sowing 23 days and 33 days in advance respectively can control the yield loss to 1.5% and 5.3 %. Under the SSP5-85 scenario, when sowing 30 days and 42 days ahead, the yield losses can be controlled to 2.9% and 5.4% respectively. Under the SSP5-85 scenario, the yield loss can be controlled to 2.9% and 5.4% when sowing 30 and 42 days ahead, respectively. Under the optimized sowing date, the harvest date for spring wheat in the QTXIR will be forward by an average of 5 days. At the same time, IWR for spring wheat will increase significantly in all future scenarios and periods, with rates ranging from 4.0% to 8.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractal evolution is apparently effective in selectively preserving environmentally resilient traits for more than 80 million years in Streptotrichaceae (Bryophyta). An analysis simulated maximum destruction of ancestral traits in that large lineage. The constraints enforced were the preservation of newest ancestral traits, and all immediate descendant species obtained different new traits. Maximum character state changes in ancestral traits were 16 percent of all possible traits in any one sub-lineage, or 73 percent total of the entire lineage. Results showed, however, that only four ancestral traits were permanently eliminated in any one lineage or sub-lineage. A lineage maintains maximum biodiversity of temporally and regionally survival-effective traits at minimum expense to resilience across a geologic time of 88 million years for the group studied. Similar processes generating an extant punctuated equilibrium as bursts of about four descendants per genus and one genus per 1–2 epochs are possible in other living groups given similar emergent processes. The mechanism is considered complexity-related, the lineage being a self-organized emergent phenomenon strongly maintained in the ecosphere by natural selection on fractal genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: Authentic leadership (AL) is a well-defined construct and measured by instruments mostly developed and validated in the United States and Europe. Research purpose: To validate an adapted version of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) within the South African context. Motivation for the study: Instruments are often used without the necessary research on validity, thus disregarding the context in which it is utilised. It is emphasised by many scholars that inferences derived from the scores obtained from instruments need to be validated and instruments be adapted accordingly for a specific context, in this case, South Africa. Research approach/design and method: This article is based on the results of three separate studies conducted over 3 years. The research was approached from a quantitative positivist paradigm, utilising a cross-sectional design and survey method. The sample consisted of 5515 participants, with 60 respondents from 93 organisations across both the private and public sectors. The analysis includes item screening, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, determination of convergent validity and invariance analysis across the two sectors. Main findings: The results yielded a one-factor solution (compared to the original four-factor model), with all 16 items loading on the unidimensional factor. This one-factor model was reliable, valid and invariant regarding the private and public sectors used in this study. Practical/managerial implications: The practical value is an AL questionnaire adapted and validated for the South African context. Contribution/value-add: The validated ALQ can be used with confidence by organisations regardless of sector, researchers and academics.

IntroductionWith the rapid optimization and evolution of various neural networks, the control problem of robotic arms in the area of automation control has gradually received more attention.MethodsTo improve the control performance of robotic arms under complex dynamic models, this study proposes an adaptive affective radial basis function network control strategy. Firstly, the kinematic and dynamic mathematical models of the tendon driven robotic arm are constructed. Then, by integrating the affective computing model and the radial basis function network, an adaptive affective radial basis function network control algorithm is constructed.Results and DiscussionThe research results indicate that the designed algorithm significantly outperforms the other two compared algorithms in terms of control accuracy and stability. In benchmark performance testing, the designed algorithm has a error accuracy of up to 0.97 and a steady state of up to 0.95. In the simulation results, the maximum torque change of the designed algorithm is only 3.8 Nm, which is much lower than other algorithms. In addition, the control error fluctuation range of this algorithm is between −0.001 and 0.001, almost close to zero error. This study provides a new optimization strategy for precise control of tendon driven robotic arms, and also opens up new avenues for the application of artificial intelligence technology in complex nonlinear system control.

Global climate change has caused rapid temperature changes in marine environments. Understanding how marine organisms respond to temperature changes can help predict their richness of future biodiversity. In this study, we examined the gene expression levels and the difference in the pathways that are responsive to acute temperature stress in low- and high-latitude populations of the shore swimming crab, Charybdis japonica. The two populations of C. japonica were exposed to low- and high-temperature stresses (15°C and 28°C) and used for transcriptome sequencing. Genetic regulatory ability changes were compared to determine the diverse response of the two crab populations to temperature change. The gene expression levels and functional enrichment analysis showed that the low-latitude crab regulated more genes (938) that were mainly enriched in DNA replication and metabolic pathways, whereas the high-latitude crab regulated less genes (309) that were mainly enriched in genetic information processing at low-temperature stress. Furthermore, the low-latitude crab regulated less genes (33) that were mainly enriched in genetic information processing, whereas the high-latitude crab regulated more genes (280) that were mainly enriched in signal transduction and cellular process at high-temperature stress. These results implied that the low-latitude population was more resilient to high-temperature stress, while the high-latitude population was more resilient to low-temperature stress. This study enhances our understanding of how different geographic C. japonica populations respond to varying temperature environments in their living zone, which could be helpful for predicting future biodiversity trends of intertidal crustaceans under global climate change.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic control strategies disrupted the smooth delivery of essential health services (EHS) globally. Limited evidence exists on the health systems lens approach to analyzing the challenges encountered in maintaining EHS during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify the health system challenges encountered and document the mitigation strategies and adaptations made across geopolitical zones (GPZs) in Nigeria. Methods The national qualitative survey of key actors across the six GPZs in Nigeria involved ten states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which were selected based on resilience, COVID-19 burden and security considerations. A pre-tested key informant guide was used to collect data on service utilization, changes in service utilization, reasons for changes in primary health centres’ (PHCs) service volumes, challenges experienced by health facilities in maintaining EHS, mitigation strategies implemented and adaptations to service delivery. Emerging sub-themes were categorized under the appropriate pillars of the health system. Results A total of 22 respondents were interviewed. The challenges experienced in maintaining EHS cut across the pillars of the health systems including: Human resources shortage, shortages in the supply of personal protective equipments, fear of contracting COVID-19 among health workers misconception, ignorance, socio-cultural issues, lockdown/transportation and lack of equipment/waiting area (. The mitigation strategies included improved political will to fund health service projects, leading to improved accessibility, affordability, and supply of consumables. The health workforce was motivated by employing, redeploying, training, and incentivizing. Service delivery was reorganized by rescheduling appointments and prioritizing some EHS such as maternal and childcare. Sustainable systems adaptations included IPC and telehealth infrastructure, training and capacity building, virtual meetings and community groups set up for sensitization and engagement. Conclusion The mitigation strategies and adaptations implemented were important contributors to EHS recovery especially in the high resilience LGAs and have implications for future epidemic preparedness plans.

This study investigates effective onboarding practices in the cruise industry, examining the interplay between onboarding, hospitality and seafaring occupations due to limited existing research. Using an exploratory mixed-method approach, the researchers employed insider and outsider perspectives to critically analyse employee challenges and company onboarding practices. The research, conducted through qualitative surveys and semi-structured interviews with purposive sampling, reveals that while companies generally provide a welcoming environment, there is a need for improvement in meeting expectations and providing detailed, structured information. The findings emphasise the importance of enhancing these areas to boost new crew members’ preparedness, confidence and satisfaction. Additionally, data highlights the critical role of managing expectations and satisfaction during preboarding, underlining the significant impact of effective communication on employee retention in this unique industry.

Copyright of Journal of Zhengzhou University: Engineering Science is the property of Editorial Office of Journal of Zhengzhou University: Engineering Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Artificial intelligence has been involved in several domains. Despite the advantages of using artificial intelligence techniques, some crucial limitations prevent them from being implemented in specific domains and locations. The accuracy, poor quality of gathered data, and processing time are considered major concerns in implementing machine learning techniques, certainly in low-end smart devices. This paper aims to introduce a novel pre-treatment technique dedicated to image text detection that uses the images' pixel divergence and similarity to reduce the image size. Mitigating the image size while keeping its features improves the model training time with an acceptable accuracy rate. The mitigation is reached by gathering similar image pixels in one pixel based on calculated values of the standard deviation σ, where we consider that two pixels are similar if they have approximately the same σ values. The work proposes a new pipeline approach that reduces the size of the image in the input and intermediate layers of a deep learning model based on merged pixels using standard deviation values instead of the whole image. The experimental results prove that this technique significantly improves the performance of existing text detection methods, particularly in challenging scenarios such as using low-end IoT devices that offer low contrast or noisy backgrounds. Compared with other techniques, the proposed technique can potentially be exploited for text detection in IoT-gathered multimedia data with reasonable accuracy in a short computation time. Evaluation of the MSRA-TD500 dataset demonstrates the remarkable performance of our approach, Standard Deviation Network (σNet), with precision and recall values of 93.8% and 85.6%, respectively, that outperform recent research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As wildlife protection continue to strengthen, research on the gut microbiota of wildlife is increasing. Carrying out conservation and research on endangered species in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau plays an important role in global biodiversity conservation. This study utilized 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal samples to investigate the composition, function, and changes of the gut microbiota of bharal in different environments, seasons, and genders. The results showed that Firmicutes and Bacteroidota were the dominant phyla and UCG-005, Bacteroides, UCG-010 were the dominant genera of bharal. In the wild, the abundance of Firmicutes increased which was conducive to the decomposition and utilization of cellulose, hemicellulose, and carbohydrate. Due to the variety of food types and nutrition in different seasons, the composition and function of gut microbiota were obviously different between genders. Compared with zoo, higher alpha diversity, a more complex gut microbiota network structure, and stronger metabolic function were conducive bharal to adapting to the wild environment. In the zoo, captive bharals were fed foods rich in high fat and protein, which increased the abundance of Bacteroidota and reduced the alpha diversity of gut microbiota. A fixed diet unified the gut microbiota between genders of bharal. It is very important to pay attention to the impact of captive environments and maintain the native gut microbiota of wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Languages for Specific Purposes is the property of University of Oradea, Faculty of Economic Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

English abstract: In this article, I will demonstrate how feasts and festivals serve as effective analytical tools to comprehend the diversity within the Hindu tradition. I will use the two festivals: Holī and Dīvalī as examples. Additionally, I aim to explore whether the historical anchors of a festival, or multiple anchors, have significance for the interpretative potential associated with the festival today. I will particularly focus on whether the festival is strongly or weakly tied to one or more myths and whether it has a tribal/early archaic or archaic origin. I will also investigate if certain festivals within the Hindu tradition seem more adaptable to new contexts outside of India than other. Dansk resume: I denne artikel vil jeg demonstrere, hvordan fester og festivaler er et godt analyseredskab til at forstå den hinduistiske tradition i sin mangfoldighed, men også til at undersøge, om festens historiske forankringspunkt eller forankringspunkter har betydning for det fortolkningspotentiale, man kan knytte til festen i dag. Her vil jeg særligt tage udgangspunkt i de to fester Holī og Dīvalī. Et analytisk omdrejningspunkt er, om festen knytter sig stærkt eller svagt til en eller flere myter, og om den har et tribalt/tidlig arkaisk eller et arkaisk ophav. Jeg vil også undersøge om visse fester inden for den hinduistiske er mere adaptiv til nye sammenhænge uden for Indien end andre. Keywords: Holī; Divāli; adaption; mythological strong, mythological weak

The current project based on the hypothesis that environmental challenges contribute to genetic characteristics of west-African cattle breeds being associated with adaptation, robustness and heat tolerance. Furthermore, social-ecological transformations in the African context may initiate breeding processes towards improved productivity and product quality. For inferring the respective genomic mechanisms, 449 cattle of the local breeds Borgou, Pabli-Kerou, Lagune and Somba were genotyped using the 50K SNP chip. Based on the first two principal components, breeds could be clearly allocated to different clusters, displaying further sub-clusters for the respective historical populations. Obvious was the large genetic distance with high-yielding German cattle breeds such as HF. A particularity of the genomic studies addressing selection signatures was the possible contrasting with the respective historical populations to infer genetic processes of transformation by time. The annotated potential candidate genes contributed to physiological pathways and mechanisms inducing immunity and adaptation. The detected gene RNF220 has well-known effects on calving ease in HF. Genome-wide associations for measurements of morphological traits could be associated with heat tolerance and disease resistance. The quite large heritabilities for continuous body measurements in cm indicate potential for further optimizations of genetic evaluations for conformation traits. Whole-genome sequencing of the west-African breeds contributed to the detection of four novel milk protein variants, illustrating the importance of west-African genetic resources to improve product quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past fifteen years, the concept of resilience has gained prominence in academia and practical management. Some even consider it the organizing principle of contemporary political life. Resilience is hailed as a solution to diverse issues, from international governance to climate change. Its popularity is intertwined with complexity epistemologies. However, within social sciences, concerns have arisen. Resilience's application to social systems requires a stronger theoretical underpinning, free from functionalist paradigms. There are reservations about its handling of conflicts, knowledge, and power dynamics. The concept implies adaptation to external events, potentially sidelining proactive interventions. Critics argue that resilience reinforces a neoliberal rationality, accentuating individual and community responsibility, and potentially diminishing social protection. It can function instrumentally, normalizing vulnerability and encouraging self-surveillance. This paper engages with these critiques, aiming to move beyond ideological criticism and embrace a pragmatic approach to advance resilience in social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Mandarin (simplified) Chinese version of the Voice Fatigue Handicap Questionnaire (MC-VFHQ). A total of 358 participants were included from June 2020 to April 2021: 243 patients with voice disorders (patient group) and 115 vocally healthy individuals (control group). The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, content validity, clinical, sensitivity and specificity were analyzed, and the cutoff point was determined. The internal consistency of the MC-VFHQ was high, and the internal consistency assessed with Cronbach α coefficients for the subscale scores ranged from 0.821 to 0.983; the values for the total score were 0.952 and 0.943 in the patient and control group, respectively. Test-retest reliability was high for the total score (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.924) and the subscales (ICCs = 0.969, 0.939, 0.922). The patient group had significantly higher total score, subscale scores, and item scores than the control group (P < 0.001). The cutoff point for screening between the two groups was 63.5, with a sensitivity of 84.8% and a specificity of 84.30%. The MC-VFHQ is a valid and reliable tool for identifying individuals with probable vocal fatigue. It has good reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity in the Mandarin Chinese-speaking population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]