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The purpose of this work is to establish the optimal intensity of interventions in young beech stands. The study was carried out in the north-western part of Romania, in Zalău Forest District, Răstolţ Production Unit. Statistical-mathematical inventories were carried out on circular sample plots of 300 m2, adopting a coverage probability of p = 90% and a tolerance of t = 10%. The number of sample plots was established according to the area of the stand S(ha), volume variation coefficient sv(%), p(%) and t(%). The optimal intensity of interventions is determined by using the average diameter of crowns on each stand. The average diameter of crown was determined for the stands under study based on a spline regression mathematical model which represents the main objective of the current study. The stands, wherein no forest interventions have been applied, have a relatively high stocking and a relatively small spacing. Consequently, the intensity of selective combined thinning must be weak to moderate, and the periodicity shorter of 4-5 years. Another objective of the present paper is the determination of the allometric relationships between the diameter of the crowns and the heights of trees, in three young beech stands with or without any forest interventions, specific to the stage of development. From the analysis of experimental data, it turned out that the most suitable law of dependence is the linear regression, with a positive slope, representing the allometric relationship between the diameter of the crowns and the height of trees.

Abstract Free-roaming dogs can present significant challenges to public health, wildlife conservation, and livestock production. Free-roaming dogs may also experience poor health and welfare. Dog population management is widely conducted to mitigate these issues. To ensure efficient use of resources, it is critical that effective, cost-efficient, and high-welfare strategies are identified. The dog population comprises distinct subpopulations characterised by their restriction status and level of ownership, but the assessment of dog population management often fails to consider the impact of the interaction between subpopulations on management success. We present a system dynamics model that incorporates an interactive and dynamic system of dog subpopulations. Methods incorporating both fertility control and responsible ownership interventions (leading to a reduction in abandonment and roaming of owned dogs, and an increase in shelter adoptions) have the greatest potential to reduce free-roaming dog population sizes over longer periods of time, whilst being cost-effective and improving overall welfare. We suggest that future management should be applied at high levels of coverage and should target all sources of population increase, such as abandonment, births, and owners of free-roaming dogs, to ensure effective and cost-efficient reduction in free-roaming dog numbers.

Abstract Fossils constitute the principal repository of data that allow for independent tests of hypotheses of biological evolution derived from observations of the extant biota. Traditionally, transformational series of structure, consisting of sequences of fossils of the same lineage through time, have been employed to reconstruct and interpret morphological evolution. More recently, a move toward an updated paradigm was fueled by the deliberate integration of developmental thinking in the inclusion of fossils in reconstruction of morphological evolution. The vehicle for this is provided by structural fingerprints—recognizable morphological and anatomical structures generated by (and reflective of) the deployment of specific genes and regulatory pathways during development. Furthermore, because the regulation of plant development is both modular and hierarchical in nature, combining structural fingerprints recognized in the fossil record with our understanding of the developmental regulation of those structures produces a powerful tool for understanding plant evolution. This is particularly true when the systematic distribution of specific developmental regulatory mechanisms and modules is viewed within an evolutionary (paleo-evo-devo) framework. Here, we discuss several advances in understanding the processes and patterns of evolution, achieved by tracking structural fingerprints with their underlying regulatory modules across lineages, living and fossil: the role of polar auxin regulation in the cellular patterning of secondary xylem and the parallel evolution of arborescence in lycophytes and seed plants; the morphology and life history of early polysporangiophytes and tracheophytes; the role of modularity in the parallel evolution of leaves in euphyllophytes; leaf meristematic activity and the parallel evolution of venation patterns among euphyllophytes; mosaic deployment of regulatory modules and the diverse modes of secondary growth of euphyllophytes; modularity and hierarchy in developmental regulation and the evolution of equisetalean reproductive morphology. More generally, inclusion of plant fossils in the evo-devo paradigm has informed discussions on the evolution of growth patterns and growth responses, sporophyte body plans and their homology, sequences of character evolution, and the evolution of reproductive systems.

Due to its high hardness and easy processing in certain tempers, the 2014 aluminum alloy is often used in the aerospace industry. Therefore, heat treatment for the aging of the 2014 aluminum alloy plates is an important quality concern, and its prediction using numerical simulations may contribute to the optimization of the process. The simulation of the aging treatment covers steps from the introduction of the plates in the furnace, at room temperature until their removal, respectively after 9 hours at 177°C ± 3°C. The simulation results are compared with the industrial tests on an indirectly heated, fuel-fired batch furnace. The study is aimed to determine the airflow inside the furnace and the minimum time to reach the set temperature. The simulation results help to better understand the healing process and to predict the minimum time required for a batch to reach the set temperature according to its weight.

Abstract The Cormack–Jolly–Seber (CJS) model and its extensions have been widely applied to the study of animal survival rates in open populations. The model assumes that individuals within the population of interest have independent fates. It is, however, highly unlikely that a pair of animals which have formed a long‐term pairing have dissociated fates. We examine a model extension which allows animals who have formed a pair‐bond to have correlated survival and recapture fates. Using the proposed extension to generate data, we conduct a simulation study exploring the impact that correlated fate data has on inference from the CJS model. We compute Monte Carlo estimates for the bias, range, and standard errors of the parameters of the CJS model for data with varying degrees of survival correlation between mates. Furthermore, we study the likelihood ratio test of sex effects within the CJS model by simulating densities of the deviance. Finally, we estimate the variance inflation factor c^ for CJS models that incorporate sex‐specific heterogeneity. Our study shows that correlated fates between mated animals may result in underestimated standard errors for parsimonious models, significantly deflated likelihood ratio test statistics, and underestimated values of c^ for models taking sex‐specific effects into account. Underestimated standard errors can result in lowered coverage of confidence intervals. Moreover, deflated test statistics will provide overly conservative test results. Finally, underestimated variance inflation factors can lead researchers to make incorrect conclusions about the level of extra‐binomial variation present in their data.

Pranam Chatterjee et al. present a novel computational platform for engineering peptide fusions that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and tag it for proteasomal degradation. They experimentally validate an optimal variant in human cells, showing that it inhibits production of infection-competent virus.

Abstract Background Irrational prescribing has received increasing attention among policy-makers to improve drug safety and effectiveness while avoiding economic waste. The policies intended to rationalise prescribing have been grouped by WHO under a taxonomy, classifying them into two types of strategies – (1) targeted approaches (micro level) and (2) system-oriented approaches (macro level). The extent to which countries implement strategies and the existing types is currently unknown. This paper explores the following research question via expert opinions: to what extent have European countries implemented strategies to support rational prescribing (targeted and system oriented) and what are the types implemented? Methods We assessed the available information on policies intended to promote rational prescribing. We used the WHO taxonomy to explore our research question as the basis for a standardised questionnaire. The data were collected between August 2018 and April 2019. The questionnaire consisted of questions that solicited the opinion of experts on the implementation of prescribing control mechanisms in primary care in their respective countries. Experts were identified through the literature and relevant networks. The questionnaire was sent to 17 identified country experts from 17 different countries; 15 responded and 13 were used in our analysis. Answers were validated through follow-up correspondence, interviews and presentation at an OECD meeting. Results Expert-reported data shows that all 13 countries included in our study have several mechanisms in place for enhancing rational prescribing in primary care. All approaches were reported to have been implemented in at least two countries. We identified two groups of countries, namely a small group of countries (n = 3) with fewer mechanisms in place and a larger group of countries (n = 10) with a large number of strategies with accompanying instruments at both the micro and macro levels. Conclusions The data reported by the experts suggests that all 13 countries included in our study have several mechanisms in place for enhancing rational prescribing in primary care on both the micro and macro levels. With respect to the extent of mechanisms being in place, two groups of countries were identified. This initial mapping of strategies forms a basis for more in-depth research to be able to assess the impact of bundles of strategies on system and targeted level on rational drug prescribing in primary care in Europe.

Changes in free-roaming dog population size are important indicators of the effectiveness of dog population management. Assessing the effectiveness of different management methods also requires estimating the processes that change population size, such as the rates of recruitment into and removal from a population. This is one of the first studies to quantify the size, rates of recruitment and removal, and health and welfare status of free-roaming dog populations in Europe. We determined the size, dynamics, and health status of free-roaming dog populations in Pescara, Italy, and Lviv, Ukraine, over a 15-month study period. Both study populations had ongoing dog population management through catch-neuter-release and sheltering programmes. Average monthly apparent survival probability was 0.93 (95% CI 0.81–1.00) in Pescara and 0.93 (95% CI 0.84–0.99) in Lviv. An average of 7 dogs km-2 were observed in Pescara and 40 dogs km-2 in Lviv. Per capita entry probabilities varied between 0.09 and 0.20 in Pescara, and 0.12 and 0.42 in Lviv. In Lviv, detection probability was lower on weekdays (odds ratio: 0.74, 95% CI 0.53–0.96) and higher on market days (odds ratio: 2.58, 95% CI 1.28–4.14), and apparent survival probability was lower in males (odds ratio: 0.25, 95% CI 0.03–0.59). Few juveniles were observed in the study populations, indicating that recruitment may be occurring by movement between dog subpopulations (e.g. from local owned or neighbouring free-roaming dog populations), with important consequences for population control. This study provides important data for planning effective dog population management and for informing population and infectious disease modelling.

Summary: Gateway cloning employs the use of the ccdb toxin and has low colony numbers, making it difficult to apply at scale to clone libraries of cDNA vectors. In this protocol, we describe MegaGate, a toxin-less Gateway technology capable of robust cDNA library cloning that is efficient, cheap, and scalable. MegaGate eliminates the ccdb toxin used in Gateway recombinase cloning and instead utilizes meganuclease-mediated digestion to eliminate background vectors during cloning and is 99.8% efficient with high colony numbers.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kramme et al. (2021).

Objective. To explore the explanatory factors for ambulance response time. Methods. Four area quarters were delimited in the city geographical territory, based on natural barriers and large crossover roads. These zones were further considered for analysis of the call data over the year 2018, in a cross-sectional study design. The data collected by the Ambulance Service of Timis County on all solved cases comprised the city streets with: (a) the total number of calls and the four-level emergency number of calls for each; (b) minimum, maximum, and average response time. Additionally, for each street, the geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) were approximated and the distance to the corresponding dispatch center was calculated based on the equirectangular approximation. Descriptive statistics and a multi-variable GLM model were applied for data analysis, with further Bonferroni adjustments for post-hoc comparisons. Results. Although the number of calls and the patterns of priority were indistinctive within the four zones, we found significant differences between the response times in the northern and southern zones, with differences of up to 3 minutes in the estimated arrival time. Statistically significant area-related differences were observed in the predictive factors for the response time: distance to the dispatch center and emergency code. Conclusions. A supplementary dispatch center in the northern area would help improving the ambulance time to arrival and compensating the differences between North and South of Timisoara.

Smartphone accelerometers and low-cost Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) equipment have faced rapid and important advancement, opening a new door to deformation monitoring applications such as landslide, plate tectonics and structural health monitoring (SHM). The precision potential and operational feasibility of the equipment play an important role in the decision making of campaigning for affordable solutions. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the empirical precision, including (auto)time correlation, of a common smartphone accelerometer (Bosch BMI160) and a low-cost dual frequency GNSS reference-rover pair (u-blox ZED-F9P) set to operate at high rates (50 and 5 Hz, respectively). Additionally, a high-rate (5 Hz) GPS-only baseline-based multipath (MP) correction is proposed for effectively removing a large part of this error and allowing to correctly determine the instrumental noise of the GNSS sensor. Furthermore, the benefit of smartphone-based validation for the tracking of dynamic displacements is addressed. The estimated East-North-Up (ENU) precision values (σ^) of ±7.7, 8.1 and 9.6 mms2 are comparable with the declared precision potential (σ) of the smartphone accelerometer of ±8.8mms2. Furthermore, the acceleration noise shows only mild traces of (auto)correlation. The MP-corrected 3D (ENU) empirical precision values of ±2.6, 3.6 and 6.7 mm were found to be better by 30–40% than the straight-out-of box precision of the GNSS sensor, attesting the usefulness of the MP correction. The GNSS sensors output position information with time correlation of typically tens of seconds. The results indicate exceptional precision potential of these low-power-consuming, small-scale, affordable sensors set to operate at a high-rate over small regions. The smartphone-based dynamic displacement validation shows that GNSS data of a low-cost sensor at a 5 Hz sampling rate can be successfully used for tracking dynamic processes.

Introduction: The demand for efficient and effective emergency health care is increasingly challenging and guaranteeing a prompt response in the ambulance services is an important factor for favorable outcomes in time-critical situations. This paper aims at exploring explanatory factors for ambulance response time as a performance metric, in the context of the two dispatch centers in Timişoara at present. Material and methods: Four area quarters were delimited in the city geographical territory, based on natural barriers and large crossover roads. These zones were further considered for analysis of the call data over the year 2018, in a crosssectional study design. The data collected by the Ambulance Service of Timis County on all solved cases comprised the city streets with: (a) the total number of calls and the four-level emergency number of calls for each; (b) minimum, maximum, and average response time. Additionally, for each street, the geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) were approximated and the distance to the corresponding dispatch center was calculated based on the equirectangular approximation. Descriptive statistics and a multi-variable GLM model were applied for data analysis, with further Bonferroni adjustments for post-hoc comparisons. Results: Although the number of calls and the patterns of priority were indistinctive within the four zones, we found significant differences between the response times in the northern and southern zones, with differences of up to 3 minutes in the estimated arrival time. Statistically significant area-related differences were observed in the predictive factors for the response time: distance to the dispatch center and emergency code. Conclusion: A supplementary dispatch center in the northern area would help improving the ambulance time to arrival and compensating the differences between North and South of Timişoara.

Primary care faces challenging times in many countries, mainly caused by an ageing population. The GPs' role to match patients' demand with medical need becomes increasingly complex with the growing multiple conditions population. Shared decision-making (SDM) is recognized as ideal to the treatment decision making process. Understanding GPs' perception on SDM about patient referrals and whether patients' preferences are considered, becomes increasingly important for improving health outcomes and patient satisfaction. This study aims to 1) understand whether countries vary in how GPs perceive SDM, in patients' referral, 2) describe to what extent SDM in GPs' referrals differ between gatekeeping and non-gatekeeping systems, and 3) identify what factors GPs consider when referring to specialists and describing how this differs between gatekeeping and non-gatekeeping systems. Data were collected between October 2011 and December 2013 in 32 countries through the QUALICOPC study (Quality and Costs of Primary Care in Europe). The first question was answered by assessing GPs' perception on who takes the referral decision. For the second question, a multilevel logistic model was applied. For the third question we analysed the GPs' responses on what patient logistics and need arguments they consider in the referral process. We found: 1) variation in GPs reported SDM- 90% to 35%, 2) a negative correlation between gatekeeper systems and SDM-however, some countries strongly deviate and 3) GPs in gatekeeper systems more often consider patient interests, whereas in non-gatekeeping countries the GP's value more own experience with specialists and benchmarking information. Our findings imply that GPs in gatekeeper systems seem to be less inclined to SDM than GPs in a non-gatekeeping system. The relation between gatekeeping/non-gatekeeping and SDM is not straightforward. A more contextualized approach is needed to understand the relation between gatekeeping as a system design feature and its relation with and/or impact on SDM.

The worldwide population of domestic dogs is estimated at approximately 700 million, with around 75% classified as “free-roaming”. Where free-roaming dogs exist in high densities, there are significant implications for public health, animal welfare, and wildlife. Approaches to manage dog populations include culling, fertility control, and sheltering. Understanding the effectiveness of each of these interventions is important in guiding future dog population management. We present the results of a systematic review of published studies investigating dog population management, to assess: (1) where and when studies were carried out; (2) what population management methods were used; and (3) what was the effect of the method. We evaluated the reporting quality of the published studies for strength of evidence assessment. The systematic review resulted in a corpus of 39 papers from 15 countries, reporting a wide disparity of approaches and measures of effect. We synthesised the management methods and reported effects. Fertility control was most investigated and had the greatest reported effect on dog population size. Reporting quality was low for power calculations (11%), sample size calculations (11%), and the use of control populations (17%). We provide recommendations for future studies to use common metrics and improve reporting quality, study design, and modelling approaches in order to allow better assessment of the true impact of dog population management.

This paper presents a mathematical mode and numerical simulation results of the blood flow-structural interaction, which occurs in a saccular aneurysm emerging out of the left subclavian artery, using computational domains made of by medical images reconstruction. A correlation between the total force per area acting upon the artery walls by the pulsatile blood flow and the rupture probability are also investigated.

Intrathoracic lipomas are rare benign tumors; their behavior is not completely clear and their surgical removal may be challenging. We report a case of a giant right intrathoracic myxoid fusocellular lipoma compressing the lung, tracheobronchial tree, and esophagus which was removed through a posterolateral thoracotomy. Complete removal resulted in resolution of the chest pain and improvement of the dyspnea, with no recurrence at 4-year follow-up.

Summary: The primary vascular system of plants (the stele) has attracted interest from paleobotanists, developmental biologists, systematists, and physiologists for nearly two centuries. Ferns, with their diverse stelar morphology, deep evolutionary history, and prominent fossil record, have been a major focus in studies of the stele. To explain the diversity of stelar morphology, past adaptive hypotheses have invoked biomechanics, hydraulics, and drought tolerance as key selection pressures in the evolution of stelar complexity; but, these hypotheses often isolate the stele from a whole‐plant developmental context, ignoring potential covariation between vascular patterning and shoot morphology. Furthermore, incongruence between expected patterns and observed data challenge adaptive hypotheses, precluding a comprehensive explanation of stelar evolution. While ontogeny has been previously recognized as a factor in stelar diversification, it has not been fully integrated into a comprehensive framework. Here we synthesize 150‐years of research on stelar morphology, incorporating developmental, physiological, and phylogenetic data to present the ontogenetic hypothesis of stelar evolution. This hypothesis posits that stelar morphology is an integrated feature of whole‐plant ontogeny, not a trait shaped by direct selection for adaptive patterns. This shift in perspective provides an updated framework for understanding the determinants of stelar morphology and focusses future efforts to ask more incisive questions about the evolution and function of primary vascular architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single crystals of two new compounds, (C5H14N2)S2O3·H2O (1) and (C5H13N2)2S2O3·3H2O (2), were isolated from the reaction products of 1‐methylpiperazine, sulfuric acid, and barium thiosulfate in aqueous media. The crystal structures have been determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. In agreement to the previous observations, the organic template may contribute to the formation of thiosulfates both as mono‐ and diprotonated species, but this is the first case where both products are reported for the same organic compound. In both structures 1 and 2, complex nets of hydrogen bonds involve all cations, anions and water molecules. Comparisons are made to the structures of other thiosulfates containing mono‐ or diprotonated diamine species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims The sessile-flowered Trillium species from western North America have been challenging to distinguish morphologically owing to overlapping characters and intraspecific variation. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, currently inconclusive for this group, have not sampled multiple populations of the different species to account for this. Here, we query the diversity of floral volatile composition to understand its bearings on the taxonomy, distribution and evolution of this group. Methods We explored taxonomic and geographical patterns in average floral volatile composition (105 different compounds) among 42 wild populations of four sessile-flowered Trillium species and the outgroup, Pseudotrillium , in California, Oregon and Washington, by means of parsimony-constrained phylogenetic analyses. To assess the influence of character construction, we coded compound abundance in three different ways for the phylogenetic analyses and compared the results with those of statistical analyses using the same dataset and previously published statistical analyses. Key Results Different codings of floral volatile composition generated different phylogenetic topologies with different levels of resolution. The different phylogenies provide similar answers to taxonomic questions but support different evolutionary histories. Monophyly of most populations of each taxon suggests that floral scent composition bears phylogenetic signal in the western sessile-flowered Trillium. Lack of correlation between the distribution of populations and their position in scent-based phylogenies does not support a geographical signal in floral scent composition. Conclusions Floral scent composition is a valuable data source for generating phylogenetic hypotheses. The way in which scent composition is coded into characters is important. The phylogenetic patterns supported by floral volatile compounds are incongruent with previously reported phylogenies of the western sessile-flowered Trillium obtained using molecular or morphological data. Combination of floral scent data with gene sequence data and detailed morphological data from multiple populations of each species in future studies is needed for understanding the evolutionary history of western sessile-flowered Trillium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]