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Background: The study aimed to comprehensively analyze and establish a framework for evaluating the efficacy of microbiome–targeted treatment (MTT) for depression. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on MTT in treating depression until October 19, 2023. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MTT. Comprehensive subgroup analyses were undertaken to explore factors influencing MTT's efficacy in treating depression. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023483649). Results: The study selection process identified 51,570 studies, of which 34 met the inclusion criteria. The overall pooled estimates showed that MTT significantly improved depression symptoms (SMD −0.26, 95% CI [−0.32, −0.19], I2 = 54%) with acceptable safety. Subgroup analyses by geography showed that effectiveness was demonstrated in Asia (SMD −0.46, 95% CI [−0.56, −0.36], I2 = 36%), while no evidence of effectiveness was found in Europe (SMD −0.07, 95% CI [−0.19, 0.05], I2 = 55%), America (SMD −0.33, 95% CI [−0.67, 0.02], I2 = 60%), and Oceania (SMD 0.00, 95% CI [−0.18, 0.18], I2 = 0%). Besides, the efficacy was shown in depressed patients without comorbidities (SMD −0.31, 95% CI [−0.40, −0.22], I2 = 0%), whereas effectiveness was poor in those with digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (SMD −0.37, 95% CI [−0.89, 0.16], I2 = 74%), chronic diarrhea (SMD −0.34, 95% CI [−0.73, 0.05]), and chronic constipation (SMD −0.23, 95% CI [−0.57, 0.11], I2 = 0%). In perinatal depressed patients, MTT was not effective (SMD 0.16, 95% CI [0.01, 0.31], I2 = 0%). It was found that < 8 weeks (SMD −0.33, 95% CI [−0.45, −0.22], I2 = 0%) and 8–12 weeks (SMD −0.34, 95% CI [−0.44, −0.23], I2 = 57%) MTT were effective, while > 12 weeks (SMD 0.02, 95% CI [−0.12, 0.17], I2 = 68%) MTT was ineffective. Conclusions: Despite the overall effectiveness of MTT in treating depression and its acceptable safety profile, caution is warranted in drawing this conclusion due to limitations posed by the small sample size of included studies and heterogeneity. The efficacy of MTT for depression exhibits variation influenced by geography, patient comorbidities, and duration of administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Interleukin (IL)-35 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that regulates autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the association between the cytokine and disease may vary by geographical region. This study performed a meta-analysis to quantitatively assess the correlation between the serum IL-35 levels in SLE patients and sub-group analyses were conducted. Four main electronic databases—Scopus, Embase, Science Direct, PubMed—were searched for relevant studies. After a database search, Endnote software was used to find and remove duplicate studies. Random-effects models were used to estimate standard mean differences in serum/plasma IL-35 levels by Hedges’ g with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Publication bias was assessed with funnel plots, and risk of bias was assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Sixteen studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in a qualitative review; data from 15 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Total IL-35 levels (pg/mL) did not differ among patients with active SLE and healthy controls (Hedges’s g: 0.22, 95% CI − 0.51, 0.95, p = 0.55). Sub-group analysis revealed that IL-35 levels in patients with active SLE were lower than in healthy controls in Chinese studies (Hedges’s g: − 3.11, 95% CI − 5.72, − 0.51), but not in non-Chinese studies (Hedges’s g: 1.63, 95% CI − 0.31, 3.57). This regional difference was statistically significant (p

In this study, genetic differences among 24 populations of Gynura procumbens from different geographical regions were studied using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and trnL-trnF sequences. The ITS sequence had an aligned length of 718 bp and a G+ C content of 49.8%, with five variable sites and three parsimonious informative sites. The trnL-trnF sequence had an aligned length of 835 bp and a G+ C content of 35.0%, with six variable sites and three parsimonious informative sites. The phylogenetic tree based on trnL-trnF sequences showed that all populations of G. procumbens clustered into one branch, indicating that this sequence has strong identification abilities in genetic difference research. Phylogenetic analysis using both ITS and trnL-trnF sequences showed similar results. Populations collected from Taiwan and Indonesia were grouped into one clade, whereas those collected from Guizhou, Guangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong shared close relationships corresponding to their geographical distribution patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical regions profoundly influence the flavor characteristics of Congou black tea (CBT). In this study, 35 CBT samples from 7 geographical regions were comprehensively characterized by integrated multiple intelligent sensory technologies and untargeted metabolomics analysis. A satisfactory discrimination was achieved through the fusion of multiple intelligent sensory technologies (R2Y = 0.918, Q2 = 0.859). A total of 104 non-volatile and 169 volatile metabolites were identified by UHPLC-HRMS and GC–MS, respectively. Of these, 45 critical differential non-volatile metabolites and 76 pivotal differential volatile metabolites were pinpointed based on variable importance in projection >1 and p

Aim: Many studies have found that high altitudes are associated with suicide. Despite numerous studies in the literature, the mechanism by which high altitude increases suicide rates is not known. In this study, we investigated whether divorce affects the suicide rate at high altitudes. Material and Method: Using publicly available data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), the average altitude above sea level, suicide rate, and divorce rate of each province over the last 14 years were calculated. Divorce rates, suicide rates, and altitudes were statistically compared at the end of the study. Results: The mean suicide rate did not differ according to altitude (r=0.112; p=0.322). The mean divorce rate differed according to altitude. The highest mean divorce rate was observed in the group with an altitude of less than 500 m (p<0.001). In the correlation analysis, it was found that altitude was negatively correlated with the divorce rate, divorce, and suicide rates were positively correlated, and in the regression analysis, high altitude and divorce rate increased the suicide rate (<0.05). Conclusion: Our study suggests that divorced people in high-altitude areas are in the high-risk group for suicide and that mental health protective interventions, especially for this group, may be appropriate for prevention. In conclusion, this study is important, as it is the first to investigate the relationship between altitude, divorce, and suicide. Largerscale studies in which individual factors were excluded are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When encountering an approaching predator, prey often must decide on an optimal distance for escape, measured as flight initiation distance (FID). As a fundamental behavioural indicator, FID has been widely measured in many species, and many biological or environmental factors have been found to be associated with FID. However, the effect of flock size on FID remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a phylogenetic meta-analysis using 142 effect sizes (based on 7666 measurements) from 99 avian species to explore the global trend of the effect of flock size on FID in birds, as well as the role of several biological and environmental factors in shaping the flock size effect. Generally, the overall effect size (weighted average) did not significantly differ from zero, with significant heterogeneity existing among effect sizes. Birds of larger body size, with a larger maximum flock size or living in nontropical regions tended to exhibit a more positive relationship between flock size and FID. Compared to passerines, waders exhibited a more positive relationship between flock size and FID. We detected significant between-taxon differences in ecological correlates of the flock size effect. For waders, body size, maximum flock size and hand–wing index were positively associated with the flock size effect on FID. For passerines, however, none of the explanatory factors played a significant role in shaping the relationship between flock size and FID. Our results suggest that the effect of flock size on FID is largely context dependent and may be influenced or even overridden by effects of other confounding factors. We also detected a publication bias, with studies reporting nonsignificant effects and those having smaller sample sizes less likely to be published. • Overall flock size–FID relationship did not differ significantly from zero. • Birds of larger body size had a more positive flock size–FID relationship. • Birds with larger flock sizes had a more positive flock size–FID relationship. • Birds living in nontropical regions had a more positive flock size–FID relationship. • Waders exhibited a more positive flock size–FID relationship than passerines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of crops is closely associated with their geographical location and yield, which is reflected in the composition of their metabolites. Hence, we employed GC–MS pseudotargeted metabolomics to investigate the metabolic characteristics of high-, medium-, and low-yield Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) leaves from the Bozhou (sweet honey flavour) and Shuicheng (light flavour) regions of Guizhou Province. A total of 124 metabolites were identified and classified into 22 chemical categories. Principal component analysis revealed that the geographical location exerted a greater influence on the metabolic profiling than the yield. Light-flavoured tobacco exhibited increased levels of sugar metabolism- and glycolysis-related intermediate products (trehalose, glucose-6-phosphate, and fructose-6-phosphate) and a few amino acids (proline and leucine), while sweet honey-flavoured tobacco exhibited increases in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) and the phenylpropane metabolic pathway (p-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, and maleic acid). Additionally, metabolite pathway enrichment analysis conducted at different yields and showed that both Shuicheng and Bozhou exhibited changes in six pathways and four of them were the same, mainly C/N metabolism. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed higher levels of intermediates related to glycolysis and sugar, amino acid, and alkaloid metabolism in the high-yield samples, while higher levels of phenylpropane in the low-yield samples. This study demonstrated that GC–MS pseudotargeted metabolomics-based metabolic profiling can be used to effectively discriminate tobacco leaves from different geographical locations and yields, thus facilitating a better understanding of the relationship between metabolites, yield, and geographical location. Consequently, metabolic profiles can serve as valuable indicators for characterizing tobacco yield and geographical location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ripening and growing location are important factors that can impact fruit quality characteristics. In this study, the influence of these factors on physicochemical characteristics, carbohydrates, aliphatic organic acids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity of red guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) was evaluated. Fruit ripening increased fructose and glucose (up to 22.83 and 16.42 g 100 g− 1 dry matter (DM), respectively), and decreased citric acid, the major organic acid (up to 135.35 mg g− 1 DM). Ripening and growing location also influenced the concentration of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of red guava, in which a dependency between both factors was observed in most cases. Apigenin, galangin, isoquercitrin, among other phenolic compounds were quantified for the first time in red guava, in which isoquercitrin was the major (up to 13409.81 mg kg− 1 DM). The antioxidant potential of red guava was also confirmed by ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (up to 82.63 µmol Fe+ 2 g− 1 DM), Folin-Ciocalteu reducing capacity assay (up to 17.79 mg gallic acid equivalent g− 1 DM), and DPPH free radical scavenging assay (up to 25.36 mg ascorbic acid equivalent g− 1 DM). These results especially demonstrated the bioactive potential of red guava and provided knowledge regarding the influence of ripening and growing location on chemical and bioactive components encouraging its industrial exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent depression, as a common problem, has always been the focus of attention and research. However, no consistent conclusion has been drawn on its relationship with parental education level. Therefore, this study used meta-analysis and dose-response analysis techniques to explore the overall relationship between the two, and further explore the moderating factors affecting the relationship between the two through subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis. After a literature search and screening, a total of 22 literatures were included, including 634,821 adolescents aged 9–25, distributed in 10 countries. The results showed that: (1) Overall parental education level was negatively correlated with adolescent depressive symptoms (RR = 0.88. p < 0.001), and there was a dose-response relationship between the two. (2) Geographical location (p = 0.002 < 0.05) and national economic development (p = 0.03 < 0.05) significantly moderated and affected the association between parental education level and adolescent depression, thus presenting a global inconsistency. The results of this study provide a more accurate conclusion on the relationship between parental education and adolescent depression to some extent, highlight the importance and necessity of considering family, economic and cultural factors when studying and solving adolescent depression problems, and guide us to pay more attention to the cross-regional and cross-cultural differences in adolescent depression problems. • Overall, higher levels of parental education may reduce the risk of depression in adolescents. • Regional and economic differences influence the relationship between parental education level and adolescent depression. • There is a need to realize the importance of a parents' education level, which affects children in various ways. • The problem of adolescent depression requires attention to cultural and background differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a multi-channel next Point of Interest (POI) recommendation framework with multi-granularity (MCMG) check-in signals. Topics include multi-channel POI recommendation, multi-granularity check-in signals and user behavior patterns, and the MCMG framework for enhanced POI recommendations.

The most well-known traditional Greek grape marc distillate made from winemaking pomace is called "Tsipouro". Its production involves various grape pomace cultivars, preparation protocols, and anise-flavoring or not, and it should be a colorless liquid with intense organoleptic properties due to the raw materials used in its production and have a minimum alcoholic strength of 37.5% by volume. This study aimed to characterize the volatilome of tsipouro products by covering as many geographical areas and production styles as possible, as there is a lack of characterization of the aromatic composition of this Greek traditional alcoholic beverage. A Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) method was applied in 60 samples, resulting in the identification and semi-quantification of over 90 volatile compounds. The statistical analysis pointed out the metabolites that characterized each traditional product group and underlined the influence of the geographical origin and the production protocol. Aniseed spirits from Northern Greece, Macedonia, Limnos Island, and Thessaly, produced from Muscat pomaces, were found to be richer in terpenes, terpenoids, and flavored compounds, attributing to product aroma and quality; different terpenoids were found to be dominant in Muscat distillates from different regions, showing the importance of geographical origin and production process. In conclusion, the results demonstrated the high aroma variability of the Greek Tsipouro, explained that this diversity is caused mainly by the raw material, and could be helpful in the better protection of the origin of this traditional product and the improvement of its quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalized recommender systems have been widely deployed in various scenarios to enhance user experience in response to the challenge of information explosion. Especially, personalized recommendation models based on graph structure have advanced greatly in predicting user preferences. However, geographical region entities that reflect the geographical context of the items is not being utilized in previous works, leaving room for the improvement of personalized recommendation. This study proposes a region-aware neural graph collaborative filtering (RA-NGCF) model, which introduces the geographical regions for improving the prediction of user preference. The approach first characterizes the relationships between items and users with a user-item-region graph. And, a neural network model for the region-aware graph is derived to capture the higher-order interaction among users, items, and regions. Finally, the model fuses region and item vectors to infer user preferences. Experiments on real-world dataset results show that introducing region entities improves the accuracy of personalized recommendations. This study provides a new approach for optimizing personalized recommendation as well as a methodological reference for facilitating geographical regions for optimizing spatial applications.

Objective: The main goal of this paper is to present a multi-level model for analyzing the scores of the national entrance exam to universities and higher education institutions. Method: Based on its objective, this research is an applied and a descriptive research for analyzing and explaining the factors influencing the total score of the candidates participating in the university entrance exam. We used data of the 2019 year exam which include information on socio-economic status of the candidates' including educational, health, cultural and economic variables at individual level as well as at the level of counties and provinces of the country and We used the HLM software to stimate the multilevel models. Results: The intragroup correlation values and the reliability of the variance component model confirmed the hierarchical structure of the data experimentally. The estimation of the threelevel model showed that 94.6% of the changes in the total test score were due to the differences in the individual and family characteristics of the candidates. 3.6% of the changes in the total score were related to the educational, health and cultural factors of the city and 1.8% to the economic participation rate of the province. The decreasing effect of the gender variable for male and the increasing effect of the total years of education of the parents in this model were acceptable. Conclusion: Cosidering that 5.4% of the changes in the total score are related to the geographical location, it can be acknowledged that the difference in the total score of the candidates is not only rooted in their socio-economic status, but the simultaneous effect of this situation with the level of prosperity of the provinces and cities also contributes to the intensification of the difference in the total score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of crops is closely associated with their geographical location and yield, which is reflected in the composition of their metabolites. Hence, we employed GC–MS pseudotargeted metabolomics to investigate the metabolic characteristics of high-, medium-, and low-yield Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) leaves from the Bozhou (sweet honey flavour) and Shuicheng (light flavour) regions of Guizhou Province. A total of 124 metabolites were identified and classified into 22 chemical categories. Principal component analysis revealed that the geographical location exerted a greater influence on the metabolic profiling than the yield. Light-flavoured tobacco exhibited increased levels of sugar metabolism- and glycolysis-related intermediate products (trehalose, glucose-6-phosphate, and fructose-6-phosphate) and a few amino acids (proline and leucine), while sweet honey-flavoured tobacco exhibited increases in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) and the phenylpropane metabolic pathway (p-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, and maleic acid). Additionally, metabolite pathway enrichment analysis conducted at different yields and showed that both Shuicheng and Bozhou exhibited changes in six pathways and four of them were the same, mainly C/N metabolism. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed higher levels of intermediates related to glycolysis and sugar, amino acid, and alkaloid metabolism in the high-yield samples, while higher levels of phenylpropane in the low-yield samples. This study demonstrated that GC–MS pseudotargeted metabolomics-based metabolic profiling can be used to effectively discriminate tobacco leaves from different geographical locations and yields, thus facilitating a better understanding of the relationship between metabolites, yield, and geographical location. Consequently, metabolic profiles can serve as valuable indicators for characterizing tobacco yield and geographical location.

Royal jelly is one of the most important bee products. The biological activities of royal jelly can be influenced by various factors such as geographic origin, climatic conditions, vegetation. This study was carried out to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of royal jelly samples collected from beehives from different geographical regions including mountain, coastal and plain regions in northern Iran. Antibacterial activity of royal jelly samples against ten bacteria was determined using agar well diffusion method. The MIC and MBC of royal jelly samples were determined by the broth microdilution method. Folin-Ciocâlteu reagent and reaction with DPPH were used to determine the total phenolic content and antioxidant potential of royal jelly samples, respectively. The MIC of samples ranged from 0.78 to 12.5% and MBC  from 3.12 to 50%. Samples collected from mountain regions showed the highest antibacterial activity with MIC for Gram-positive bacteria from 0.78 to 1.56% and for Gram-negative bacteria: from 1.56 to 3.12%. The total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity in royal jelly samples of the mountain region was significantly higher than those from the two regions with other climates. The results of this study indicated that the climate of the geographic region of sampling location had an effect on the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of royal jelly which may be due to differences in plant vegetation and the origin of the flowers of bees.

Background Adults over 50 have high health care needs but also face high coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related vulnerability. This may result in a reluctance to enter public spaces, including health care settings. Here, we examined factors associated with health care delays among adults over 50 early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Using data from the 2020 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (N  = 7 615), we evaluated how race/ethnicity, age, geographic region, and pandemic-related factors were associated with health care delays. Results In our sample, 3 in 10 participants who were interviewed from March 2020 to June 2021 reported delays in medical or dental care in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-Hispanic Whites (odds ratio [OR]: 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19–1.58) and those of other racial/ethnic backgrounds (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.02–1.67) delayed care more than Non-Hispanic Blacks. Other factors associated with delayed care included younger age, living in the Midwest or West, knowing someone diagnosed with or who died from COVID-19, and having high COVID-19-related concerns. There were no differences in care delays among adults aged > 70; however, among those ≤ 70, those who knew someone diagnosed with COVID-19 were more likely to delay care than those who did not. Additionally, among those ≤ 70, Non-Hispanic Whites and those of other racial/ethnic backgrounds delayed care more than Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics. Conclusions There is considerable heterogeneity in care delays among older adults based on age, race/ethnicity, and pandemic-related factors. As the pandemic continues, future studies should examine whether these patterns persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a comparative analysis was carried out to characterize the content of phenolics and biological activities of the whole plant of Papaver rhoeas L. (P. rhoeas) from different geographical regions of Morocco, as well as to determine the synergistic antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of all parts of P. rhoeas. The determination of total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total anthocyanin content (TA) in extracts of whole plants of P. rhoeas from three different geographical regions: Taounate (P1E), Fez (P2E), and Sefrou (P3E) were estimated by the Folin–Ciocalteu reaction, the aluminum trichloride method and the differential pH absorption technique, respectively. Two tests were used to evaluate the antioxidant power of our samples: the DPPH test and the TAC test. Using two methods, disk diffusion and microdilution, antimicrobial activity was studied against four pathogenic bacteria and one yeast. The results of TPC, TFC, and TA show that the P3E sample is the richest in polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, with values 37.33 ± 1.307 mg GAE/g, 4.72 ± 0.346 QE/g, and 1.77 ± 0.026 CGE/g, respectively. In addition, P3E showed the best antioxidant activity with an IC50 = 0.27 ± 0.001 mg/mL and TAC = 9.99 ± 0.768 mg AAE/g, respectively. The results of antimicrobial activity showed significant activity on almost all the tested strains. The lowest MIC was recorded for P3E against E. coli ATCC 25922 and E. coli CIP 53126 strains at 0.78 and 0.78 mg/mL, respectively. These results show that the geographical region can influence the plant's phytochemistry and then these biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Rhopalosiphum padi and Rhopalosiphum maidis are two common phloem-sucking pests on maize which can even transmit viruses (i.e., maize dwarf mosaic virus, MDMV) leading to severe yield losses of maize. Population genetic studies provide information about how much ecological and genetic divergence has occurred among many near and distant populations. We investigated the genetic diversity of both Rhopalosiphum aphids collected from maize in China and Europe, and we found that different populations of R. maidis showed low genetic variation, indicating a high level of gene flow of both nuclear and mitochondrial genes in this aphid. However, the mitochondrial gene of R. padi exhibited obvious genetic differentiation between Chinese samples and European samples. In conclusion, the domestic populations of both R. padi and R. maidis showed low genetic diversity, and the long distance between China and Europe may interrupt the gene exchange of aphids. Population genetic studies can reveal clues about the evolution of adaptive strategies of aphid species in agroecosystems and demonstrate the influence of environmental factors on the genetic diversity and gene flow among aphid populations. To investigate the genetic diversity of two Rhopalosiphum aphid species from different geographical regions, 32 populations (n = 535) of the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi Linnaeus) and 38 populations (n = 808) of the corn leaf aphid (Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch) from China and Europe were analyzed using one nuclear (elongation factor-1 alpha) and two mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I and II) genes. Based on the COI-COII sequencing, two obvious clades between Chinese and European populations and a low level of gene flow (Nm = 0.15) were detected in R. padi, while no geographical-associated genetic variation was found for EF-1α in this species. All genes in R. maidis had low genetic variation, indicating a high level of gene flow (Nm = 5.31 of COI-COII and Nm = 2.89 of EF-1α). Based on the mitochondrial result of R. padi, we concluded that the long distance between China and Europe may be interrupting the gene flow. The discordant results of nuclear gene analyses in R. padi may be due to the slower evolution of nuclear genes compared to mitochondrial genes. The gene exchange may occur gradually with the potential for continuous migration of the aphid. This study facilitates the design of control strategies for these pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this study, it was aimed to determine the regional priorities of renewable energy sources in Turkey. Unlike the literature, renewable energy sources were selected on a regional basis. While criteria weights were obtained by the AHP method, the alternative ranking was found for each region by the MARCOS method. While investment cost was determined as the most important criterion, it was determined as a result of the application of the MARCOS method that the energy sources that should be preferred firstly were hydro energy sources in Eastern Anatolia, Mediterranean, Southeastern Anatolia and Black Sea Region, wind energy sources in Marmara and Aegean Region, and solar energy sources in Central Anatolia Region.

The most well-known traditional Greek grape marc distillate made from winemaking pomace is called “Tsipouro”. Its production involves various grape pomace cultivars, preparation protocols, and anise-flavoring or not, and it should be a colorless liquid with intense organoleptic properties due to the raw materials used in its production and have a minimum alcoholic strength of 37.5% by volume. This study aimed to characterize the volatilome of tsipouro products by covering as many geographical areas and production styles as possible, as there is a lack of characterization of the aromatic composition of this Greek traditional alcoholic beverage. A Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) method was applied in 60 samples, resulting in the identification and semi-quantification of over 90 volatile compounds. The statistical analysis pointed out the metabolites that characterized each traditional product group and underlined the influence of the geographical origin and the production protocol. Aniseed spirits from Northern Greece, Macedonia, Limnos Island, and Thessaly, produced from Muscat pomaces, were found to be richer in terpenes, terpenoids, and flavored compounds, attributing to product aroma and quality; different terpenoids were found to be dominant in Muscat distillates from different regions, showing the importance of geographical origin and production process. In conclusion, the results demonstrated the high aroma variability of the Greek Tsipouro, explained that this diversity is caused mainly by the raw material, and could be helpful in the better protection of the origin of this traditional product and the improvement of its quality.

Truffle is ectomycorrhizal ascomycota and produces hypogeous edible ascocarps, which was globally acknowledged as one of the most expensive food in the gastronomy market due to its unique flavor and texture, good culinary properties as well as health value. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the important contributor for truffle unique flavor. In this study, the VOCs of the Chinese black truffle T. indicum ascocarps from seven different geographical regions and five harvest time in China were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Total 589 compounds were analyzed and 1-octen-3-ol had the highest content in all analyzed samples. Discriminant analysis was carried out on the VOCs to build the models which can determine T. indicum collection region and time authenticity. This study clearly illustrated the characteristics of the VOCs profile of Chinese black truffle in relation to geographical regions and harvest time and provide profitable information for the scientific collection, conservation and utilization of the precious truffle resources in China in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with schizophrenia (SCZs) demonstrate social cognitive (SC) deficits across a variety of social cognitive tasks: affect recognition, social perception, Theory-of-Mind (ToM), and attributional style. These tasks all use socially-relevant words, social scenarios, clothing, faces and voices that may make their application to different cultural contexts problematic. However a paucity of research has investigated the cross-cultural validity of SC measures. We meta-analyzed the literature investigating differences in social cognitive skills SCZs and matched healthy controls (NCs) across different regions of the world using a group of expert-selected, standardized measures of social cognition. Studies of SC in SCZ using these measures published between January 1980 and August 2020 were evaluated. Data were extracted independently by 3 reviewers with excellent reliability; 156 unique studies of 10,235 SCZs and 9924 NCs across 34 countries were identified. Random effects models revealed SCZs demonstrated poorer performance in all domains of SC including emotion processing (g = -0.770), social perception (g = -0.880), ToM (g = -1.090), attributional style (hostility: g = -0.715, aggression: g = -0.209, blame: g = -0.322), as well as a measure of emotion regulation (g = -0.867). Hostile attributional style was more pronounced in European and North American samples (g = 1.054 and g = -0.605, respectively) compared to Asian samples (g = -0.284). Our results revealed that SCZs performed mildly-severely worse than HCs in all domains of SC. With the exception of hostile attributional style, the magnitude of deficits in social cognition was consistent across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistant host crop genotypes often, express dissimilar susceptibility reactions against geographically distinct populations of herbivorous insects. Such response variability complicates the identification of potential stable sources of plant resistance against pest insects. Here, we collected populations of the spotted stem borer Chilo partellus from eight different geographical regions in India, reared them on six different maize genotypes (i.e., CPM 2, CPM 8, CPM 18, CPM 19, CML 345: resistant check and Basi Local: susceptible check) and mapped variations in their biological performance and amino acid profiles. A laboratory-maintained C. partellus culture was used as comparison population. The feeding of different geographical C. partellus populations on diverse maize genotypes resulted in significant differences in total developmental period, larval weight and survival, and the amounts of 17 amino acids. The amounts of certain amino acids were higher in larvae feeding on CML 345 and CPM 2, lower in CPM 8, CPM 18 and Basi Local genotypes, and placed the C. partellus populations in five distinguished groups. The Jhansi and Delhi populations had higher and Raichur lower amount of all the test amino acids when fed across maize genotypes, except Aspartic acid which was higher in Hisar and lower in Coimbatore and Hyderabad geographical populations. Maximum changes were found in aliphatic and hydroxyl group of amino acids across ecological C. partellus populations. Furthermore, the amino acid profile of the C. partellus populations fed across maize genotypes placed them in seven distinguished groups. These findings suggest that the differential uptake and assimilation capacity for various amino acids from the host plants result in diversity in the ecological populations, thus indicate presence of different ecotypes of C. partellus in India, which have implications for management of this pest using plant resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:  Extensive research exists on the increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the "Stroke Belt" states, compared to the remaining United States (U.S.). Social, environmental, and systemic factors and individual behaviors have been investigated, including Black race.  This study aims to assess whether residing in the U.S. territories, Stroke Belt, or non-Stroke Belt states is associated with differences in CVD prevalence among non-Hispanic Black adults., Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). All non-Hispanic Black adults (18+) with complete information on key variables, including demographics, CVD outcomes, and relevant risk factors, were included. The prevalence of CVD was defined as self-reported coronary artery disease, stroke, or myocardial infarction. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to calculate crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).  Results: Of the 31,246 individuals included in our study, 87 (8.7%) residing in the U.S. territories reported experiencing a cardiovascular event, compared to 1487 (10.1%) in the Stroke Belt and 1872 (8.2%) in the non-Stroke Belt regions. Compared to non-Hispanic Black adults residing outside the Stroke Belt, those living in the Stroke Belt had 23% higher odds of reporting CVD (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10-1.44) after adjusting for age and gender. In the fully adjusted model, which accounted for additional factors such as comorbidities and socioeconomic status, the odds were slightly attenuated but remained elevated (OR 1.14, 95% CI 0.97-1.35). For Black adults living in the U.S. territories, the odds of reporting CVD were not significantly different from those outside the Stroke Belt in both the age- and gender-adjusted model (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.66-1.73) and the fully adjusted model (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.49-1.74). Independent of residence, individuals with high blood pressure (OR 2.85, 95% CI 2.05-3.96), diabetes (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.20-1.75), and high cholesterol (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.27-1.89) had significantly higher odds of CVD. In contrast, smoking and income were associated with prevalent CVD, while self-reported diet, physical activity, and education level were not., Conclusion: Contrary to our expectation, we found that non-Hispanic Black adults residing in the U.S. territories had similar self-reported CVD with those living in the non-Stroke Belt regions.  Further research is needed to investigate the socio-behavioral factors influencing cultural and historical disparities among non-Hispanic Black individuals in the U.S. and its territories., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Shah et al.)

Ethiopia is the center of origin for sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], where the distinct agro-ecological zones significantly contributed to the genetic diversity of the crops. A large number of sorghum landrace accessions have been conserved ex situ. Molecular characterization of this diverse germplasm can contribute to its efficient conservation and utilization in the breeding programs. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of Ethiopian sorghum using gene-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. In total, 359 individuals representing 24 landrace accessions were genotyped using 3,001 SNP markers. The SNP markers had moderately high polymorphism information content (PIC = 0.24) and gene diversity (H = 0.29), on average. This study revealed 48 SNP loci that were significantly deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium with excess heterozygosity and 13 loci presumed to be under selection (P < 0.01). The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) determined that 35.5% of the total variation occurred within and 64.5% among the accessions. Similarly, significant differentiations were observed among geographic regions and peduncle shape-based groups. In the latter case, accessions with bent peduncles had higher genetic variation than those with erect peduncles. More alleles that are private were found in the eastern region than in the other regions of the country, suggesting a good in situ conservation status in the east. Cluster, principal coordinates (PCoA), and STRUCTURE analyses revealed distinct accession clusters. Hence, crossbreeding genotypes from different clusters and evaluating their progenies for desirable traits is advantageous. The exceptionally high heterozygosity observed in accession SB4 and SB21 from the western geographic region is an intriguing finding of this study, which merits further investigation.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the regional priorities of renewable energy sources in Turkey. Unlike the literature, renewable energy sources were selected on a regional basis. While criteria weights were obtained by the AHP method, the alternative ranking was found for each region by the MARCOS method. While investment cost was determined as the most important criterion, it was determined as a result of the application of the MARCOS method that the energy sources that should be preferred firstly were hydro energy sources in Eastern Anatolia, Mediterranean, Southeastern Anatolia and Black Sea Region, wind energy sources in Marmara and Aegean Region, and solar energy sources in Central Anatolia Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia is the center of origin for sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], where the distinct agro-ecological zones significantly contributed to the genetic diversity of the crops. A large number of sorghum landrace accessions have been conserved ex situ. Molecular characterization of this diverse germplasm can contribute to its efficient conservation and utilization in the breeding programs. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of Ethiopian sorghum using gene-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. In total, 359 individuals representing 24 landrace accessions were genotyped using 3,001 SNP markers. The SNP markers had moderately high polymorphism information content (PIC = 0.24) and gene diversity (H = 0.29), on average. This study revealed 48 SNP loci that were significantly deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium with excess heterozygosity and 13 loci presumed to be under selection (P < 0.01). The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) determined that 35.5% of the total variation occurred within and 64.5% among the accessions. Similarly, significant differentiations were observed among geographic regions and peduncle shape-based groups. In the latter case, accessions with bent peduncles had higher genetic variation than those with erect peduncles. More alleles that are private were found in the eastern region than in the other regions of the country, suggesting a good in situ conservation status in the east. Cluster, principal coordinates (PCoA), and STRUCTURE analyses revealed distinct accession clusters. Hence, crossbreeding genotypes from different clusters and evaluating their progenies for desirable traits is advantageous. The exceptionally high heterozygosity observed in accession SB4 and SB21 from the western geographic region is an intriguing finding of this study, which merits further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Lower parental education has been linked to adverse youth mental health outcomes. However, the relationship between parental education and youth suicidal behaviours remains unclear. We explored the association between parental education and youth suicidal ideation and attempts, and examined whether sociocultural contexts moderate such associations. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis with a systematic literature search in PubMed, PsycINFO, Medline and Embase from 1900 to December 2020 for studies with participants aged 0–18, and provided quantitative data on the association between parental education and youth suicidal ideation and attempts (death included). Only articles published in English in peer-reviewed journals were considered. Two authors independently assessed eligibility of the articles. One author extracted data [e.g. number of cases and non-cases in each parental education level, effect sizes in forms of odds ratios (ORs) or beta coefficients]. We then calculated pooled ORs using a random-effects model and used moderator analysis to investigate heterogeneity. Results: We included a total of 59 articles (63 study samples, totalling 2 738 374 subjects) in the meta-analysis. Lower parental education was associated with youth suicidal attempts [OR = 1.12, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.04–1.21] but not with suicidal ideation (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.98–1.12). Geographical region and country income level moderated the associations. Lower parental education was associated with an increased risk of youth suicidal attempts in Northern America (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.10–1.45), but with a decreased risk in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.54–0.96). An association of lower parental education and increased risk of youth suicidal ideation was present in high- income countries (HICs) (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.05–1.25), and absent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.77–1.08). Conclusions: The association between youth suicidal behaviours and parental education seems to differ across geographical and economical contexts, suggesting that cultural, psychosocial or biological factors may play a role in explaining this association. Although there was high heterogeneity in the studies reviewed, this evidence suggests that the role of familial sociodemographic characteristics in youth suicidality may not be universal. This highlights the need to consider cultural, as well as familial factors in the clinical assessment and management of youth's suicidal behaviours in our increasingly multicultural societies, as well as in developing prevention and intervention strategies for youth suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalized recommender systems have been widely deployed in various scenarios to enhance user experience in response to the challenge of information explosion. Especially, personalized recommendation models based on graph structure have advanced greatly in predicting user preferences. However, geographical region entities that reflect the geographical context of the items is not being utilized in previous works, leaving room for the improvement of personalized recommendation. This study proposes a region-aware neural graph collaborative filtering (RA-NGCF) model, which introduces the geographical regions for improving the prediction of user preference. The approach first characterizes the relationships between items and users with a user-item-region graph. And, a neural network model for the region-aware graph is derived to capture the higher-order interaction among users, items, and regions. Finally, the model fuses region and item vectors to infer user preferences. Experiments on real-world dataset results show that introducing region entities improves the accuracy of personalized recommendations. This study provides a new approach for optimizing personalized recommendation as well as a methodological reference for facilitating geographical regions for optimizing spatial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a comparative analysis was carried out to characterize the content of phenolics and biological activities of the whole plant of Papaver rhoeas L. (P. rhoeas) from different geographical regions of Morocco, as well as to determine the synergistic antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of all parts of P. rhoeas. The determination of total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total anthocyanin content (TA) in extracts of whole plants of P. rhoeas from three different geographical regions: Taounate (P1E), Fez (P2E), and Sefrou (P3E) were estimated by the Folin–Ciocalteu reaction, the aluminum trichloride method and the differential pH absorption technique, respectively. Two tests were used to evaluate the antioxidant power of our samples: the DPPH test and the TAC test. Using two methods, disk diffusion and microdilution, antimicrobial activity was studied against four pathogenic bacteria and one yeast. The results of TPC, TFC, and TA show that the P3E sample is the richest in polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, with values 37.33 ± 1.307 mg GAE/g, 4.72 ± 0.346 QE/g, and 1.77 ± 0.026 CGE/g, respectively. In addition, P3E showed the best antioxidant activity with an IC50 = 0.27 ± 0.001 mg/mL and TAC = 9.99 ± 0.768 mg AAE/g, respectively. The results of antimicrobial activity showed significant activity on almost all the tested strains. The lowest MIC was recorded for P3E against E. coli ATCC 25922 and E. coli CIP 53126 strains at 0.78 and 0.78 mg/mL, respectively. These results show that the geographical region can influence the plant’s phytochemistry and then these biological activities.

Olive growing in Palestine plays an important role at social and economic levels. Nevertheless, the quality of olive oil produced in the country has not been fully addressed. This study examined oil content, peroxide values, acid values, fatty acid profile, and total phenolic content for old olive trees located in different climatic regions in Palestine during the years 2008-2010. Oil content was determined using both Soxhlet and Abencor systems. Acid and peroxide values were determined using standard methods. Total phenolic content was determined using the Folin-spectrophotometric method. Gas chromatography was used to analyze the main fatty acids found in olive oil e.g., palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic. Different ratios indicating olive oil quality were also determined e.g., sum ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to the sum of saturated fatty acids; ratio between the sum of monounsaturated fatty acids to the sum of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the ratio between the oleic to linoleic fatty acids. Significant differences were found between geographic regions for the overall studied oil parameters. Wide variation ranges were obtained for fatty acids in the different West Bank locations in the three years. The major fatty acids in the olive oil samples were found to be oleic, palmitic, stearic, linoleic, and palmitoleic acids. The oil samples were found to contain more oleic acid and less linoleic and linolenic acids that is, more monounsaturated than polyunsaturated fatty acids. Total phenolic content was found to range from 125.0-978.0, 207.4-763.8, and 103.0-747.6 mg/kg in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively. The acidity percentage was in the range of 0.10%-1.05%, 0.11%-1.29%, and 0.10%-1.91% in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively. Peroxide values ranged from 2.26-13.1, 2.94-14.95, and 2.49-17.21 in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphids and their diverse symbionts have become a good model to study bacteria-arthropod symbiosis. The feeding habits of aphids are usually influenced by a variety of symbionts. Most studies on symbiont diversity have focused on polyphagous aphids, while symbiont community patterns for oligophagous aphids remain unclear. Here, we surveyed the bacterial communities in natural populations of two oligophagous aphids, Melanaphis sacchari and Neophyllaphis podocarpi , in natural populations. Seven common symbionts were detected, among which Buchnera aphidicola and Wolbachia were the most prevalent. In addition, an uncommon Sodalis -like symbiont was also detected in these two aphids, and Gilliamella was found in some samples of M. sacchari. We further assessed the significant variation in symbiont communities within the two aphid species, geographical regions and host specialization using statistical and ordination analyses. Geography was an important factor in shaping the symbiont community structure in these oligophagous aphids. Furthermore, the strong geographical influence may be related to specific environmental factors, especially temperature, among different regions. These findings extend our knowledge of the significance of geography and its associated environmental conditions in the symbiont community structure associated with oligophagous aphids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linkages in geographical spaces representing a region is not just a functional system which has been formed by various settlements. It rather takes its power from social, economic and physical networks and their interactions which means it is controlled by aforementioned networks. Therefore, there are always rural area and urban area with some relations or linkages. In this regard, relation mostly refers to a communication flow from an urban area to a rural area or vice versa while linkage refers to a double-sided communication flow between these two settlements. This study focuses on linkages and the networks with the characteristic of reciprocal. It is supposed to put an emphasis on just a settlement creates lots of problems while they can improve each other. However, it is believed rural-urban linkages can improve regional resiliency. The present study uses future studies methodology in order to develop earthquake resiliency scenarios based on rural-urban linkages using scenario wizard. Because of the extent of the study area, samples were selected based on the main aspects of research; earthquake and rural-urban linkages. Thus, by examining of faults zoning maps and historical trend of earthquakes in the study area and also, the most important factors in the field of rural–urban linkages such as second home tourism, immigration with a different purpose, northern and eastern regions were selected as samples. Therefore, Firouzkoh, Damavand, and Shemiranat were studied as three provinces. These samples were selected by chance from 7 districts (Taroud, Abarshive, LavasanKouckand, LavasoalBozorg, Hableroud, Dobolouk, RodbarGhasran) and 26 villages (Mosha, Mara, HesarBala, Hesar pain, Jaban, Khosravan, Sarbandan, Arou, Niknamdeh, kalan, Afje, KandOliya, Mahmod Abad, Hasarin, Amin Abad (HablehRoud), Dehgordan, Bahan, Najafdar, Osour, Tahneh, Garmabdar, Amin Abad (RoudbarGhasran), ShemshakBala, Sefid Dastan, Ahar, AmamehBala). Afterward, indicators of social, economic, institutional and physical resiliency were evaluated to develop earthquake resiliency scenarios. It must be noted that local leaders or rural municipality answered the questions. Future studies will allow us to plan according to the probable conditions and some evidence. Since we always have different evidence and probable conditions, there are a lot of scenarios for planning. To overcome this challenge, Scenario Wizard was used as a useful tool to reduce various scenarios derived from a 49*49 matrix with 13 factors. In total, there were 2097 scenarios that 40 ones are considered as logical scenarios. The selection was based on 1 consistency. After all, the scenarios were categorized into 3 groups. However, exploring rural-urban linkages have been proof for using them for regional challenges like earthquake resiliency. Although the mentioned linkages have an effect on improving resiliency, the current state showed an inconsistent state. This may be because of the lack of resiliency plans, lack of planning, training and proper notification, and failure in developing a public and private partnership, etc. The results show the advantage of consistent scenarios over inconsistent scenarios. In consequence, these linkages are useful tools for regional planning which can be used for challenging issues. On the other hand, the present condition has a completely different state. In the current condition, the inconsistent state takes advantage of the consistent state. These results prove the importance of regional planning and avoiding separating rural and urban areas in planning.

Developing an individual tree diameter increment (ΔDBH) model is the basis of near-natural management of mixed, uneven-aged oak forests. This analysis used remeasurement data (2009–2014) comprising 6154 observations from 112 permanent plots in central China to develop and compare an indicator variable model (IVM) and a mixed-effect model (MEM) to estimate ΔDBH. First, a basic model was estimated using 12 potential explanatory variables. Geographical regions (GR), competition intensities (CI) and species compositions (SC) were introduced into the basal model as indicator variables or mixed effects, step by step, and then the prediction accuracy of IVM and MEM was compared. The results showed that (1) the independent variables significantly affecting ΔDBH included the reciprocal of DBH, basal area, altitude, and mean annual rainfall; (2) the introducing GR could not improve the accuracy of estimating ΔDBH, but the CI and SC could. (3) Compared with the basic model and IVM, the percentage mean absolute deviation of MEM decreased by 2.07% and 1.11%, while the root mean square error decreased by 0.06 and 0.04, respectively. The MEM including CI and SC as a random effect showed the best predictive performance and can be applied to improve the prediction of individual oak trees ΔDBH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sample presentation (tissue type) and maturity (ripe and unripe) on the classification of banana (Musa Cavendish) samples sourced from two different geographical regions and analysed using mid infrared (MIR) spectroscopy. The coefficient of determination (R2) and the standard error of cross‐validation (SECV) obtained using partial least squares discriminant analysis were 0.83 (0.33), 0.75 (0.25) and 0.94 (0.19) for the prediction of maturity, geographical origin and tissue type, respectively. No effect of either of type of tissue (e.g. pulp or peel) or maturity was observed. The results of this study demonstrated that MIR spectroscopy might be used to classify the origin of the banana samples at different degrees of ripeness. However, one of the limitations of this study is on the number of samples analysed and further validation must be recommended using samples from other sources, regions and harvest seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to determine whether gross motor development of 3-7 years old children differed according to their geographical regions. 131 children from the Mediterranean Region, 149 children from the Southeastern Anatolia Region, 214 children from the Marmara Region, 107 children from the Aegean Region, 114 children from the Black Sea Region, 161 children from the Central Anatolia Region, 115 from the Eastern Anatolia Region children were included in the study. Of the children participating in the study, 475 were girls and 516 were boys. In order to collect data, Test of Gross Motor Development-Second Edition (TGMD-2) was used. Kruskal Wallis H test was used to compare locomotor, object control and gross motor total test scores of the three, four, five, six and seven age groups children according to the geographic regions. The results of the analysis showed that locomotor subtest scores of children aged 5 and 7 years were differentiated according to their geographical regions. Mann Whitney U test was used to determine the difference between the two groups. As a result of the paired comparisons, locomotor subtest scores of children in five age group living in Black Sea Region were found to be significantly lower than locomotor subtest scores of children living in Southeast Anatolia, Marmara and Central Anatolia Regions. The locomotor subtest scores of the children seven age in the Black Sea Region were significantly higher than the locomotor subtest scores of children living in Southeast Anatolia and Eastern Anatolia Regions. In addition, it was determined that gross motor total test scores of the children of seven age groups differed according to the geographical region. As a result, gross motor total test scores of children in seven age group living in the Black Sea Region were found to be significantly higher than the gross motor total test scores of children living in Eastern Anatolia.

This research looks at the North Caucasus region at the south of Russia, a bridge between the Black and the Caspian Seas, its unique geographical location that determined the diversity of natural, climate and ethnographic resources. The goal is to show the modern complications concerning of the North Caucasus Region unique offer on the world tourist market. This has been done by examining different zones of nature management with their features in region. For this research we used coefficients relate with the social and economic development, and tourism attractiveness. As a result, we found the existing problems which lead to low internal demand and adverse demand on the international tourist market. Through showing that the Solving these urgent problems together with implementation of the Development Strategies will make the North Caucasus an attractive resort for different kind of tourists. This information will likely impact the design of future special tourist zones in the region.

Scholars in the history of geography have paid close attention to the way geographical research has contributed to the development of scientific and political concepts such as 'region' and 'nation'. This paper focuses on the life and writings of Cesare Battisti (1875–1916), a native of the city of Trento who became renowned in Italy and Austria-Hungary as a socialist and a geographer at the beginning of the twentieth century. To understand his thought, this paper collects and examines Battisti's scientific outputs and published political papers, along with previously unstudied private writings from his archive (1895-1914). The result is a portrait of Battisti as someone who was outside of national geographical traditions; an entangled intellectual who used different geographical, political, and philosophic tools and methods to legitimate his political claims. In particular, the paper suggests that the idea of Trentino as a region was construed through an anticolonial discourse aimed at supporting the region's claim for autonomy within the Austro-Hungarian empire. This study of Battisti, therefore, offers valuable insights into the emergence of left-wing nationalist and regional discourses, which arose from Italian and Central European socialist networks before the First World War. • Explores geographical, historical, and political thought in late nineteenth to early twentieth century Italy. • Reveals a strong link between political thought and scientific geographical approach. • Discusses the role of geography in constructing a specific, political concept of the region. • Identifies the emergence of a left-wing nationalist political project. • Suggests the existence of a political, 'entangled geography' outside of national traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harumanis is one of the main signatures of Perlis with regards to its delightful taste, pleasant aroma and expensive price. Harumanis authenticity and productivity had become the remarks among the farmers, entrepreneurs, consumers and plant breeders due to the existence of morphological characteristics variation among the fruits and high production cost. Assessment of Harumanis morphological characteristics of natural population and different tree ages may represent a possible source of important characteristics for development and breeding purposes of Harumanis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the morphological variation of Harumanis collected from different location in Perlis and tree age. A total of 150 Harumanis fruits from 50 trees with three different stages of development (young, middle-aged and old) were characterised using 11 traits; 10 quantitative and one qualitative morphological trait. The ANOVA analyses in combination with Dunn's pairwise and Kruskal-Wallis multiple comparison test able to point out the existence of environmental factor and age influence towards the significant different of identified morphological traits except for Total Soluble Solid (TSS) and pulp percentage. Five clusters of 50 Harumanis accessions reflect a grouping pattern which not according to neither geographical region nor age. The result of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) using the first two principal components (PCs) provided a good approximation of the data explaining 84.09% of the total variance which majorly contributed by parameters of weight, fruit dimensional characteristics, peel percentage and hue angle, h. Preliminary screening of important morphological characteristics which contribute to the phenotypic diversity of Harumanis is successfully achieved. The findings can be employed by the plant breeders and farmers for the establishment of standard grading of Harumanis and advancement of breeding crop of Harumanis in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the microbes associated with truffle fruiting bodies play a very important role during the truffle lifecycle. Tuber indicum, commonly called Chinese black truffle, is a species endemic to Eastern Asia and in the genus of Tuber. Here, we reported the bacterial communities of T. indicum from different geographical regions and described the bacterial diversity from three compartments (soil, ectomycorrhizae and ascocarps) of T. indicum using high-throughput sequencing combined tissue culture. The results revealed that Bradyrhizobium was the dominant genus in fruiting bodies of T. indicum from nine geographical sites in China, and the microbes in T. indicum ascocarps were influenced by geological locations and soil characteristics. More specific bacterial taxa were enriched in the fruiting bodies than in the ectomycorrhizae and soil. In addition, 60 cultural bacteria were isolated from T. indicum fruiting bodies (4 families, 24 genera), and Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes faecalis, Microbacterium, and Arthrobacter were dominant. One of 13 strains that have potential nitrogen-fixation activities was further verified by an acetylene reduction assay (ARA). Together, this research provides new and important data for better understanding of the interaction between truffle and associated microbe and the biology of truffle itself.

As is known, to determine the meaning of the regional socio-economic analysis and policy in Turkey, as well as three different levels of statistical unit it has been established in order to have comparable data base with the Regional Statistical System of the European Union. Thus, development agencies established on NUTS 2 regions started to take part in the public opinion with the guidance of disparities between the regions on the one hand and the candidacy process to the European Union on the other. Development agencies aim to accelerate development by eliminating local and regional disparities. Development agencies in our country started to be established with Law No. 5449 dated 08.02.2006. However, geographical criteria have not been utilized in the designation and demarcation of NUTS 1 and NUTS 2 regions. When NUTS 1 regions are named, sometimes the province is named because of the provincial borders. The geographical distribution and functionalities of regional development agencies established on the basis of Level 2 sub-regions are open to discussion. Since the names and distribution of regional development agencies are not compatible with the geographical characteristics of the regions, some inaccuracies and deficiencies have emerged in this regard. Moreover, in some NUTS 2 regions, economic development, main statistical data and environmental connections are not taken into consideration in the selection of central cities, and provincial populations are accepted as the main determining criteria. In this study, the effects of development agencies on regional development are examined by considering their distribution in geographical regions and segments. In addition, geographically determined deficiencies and problems encountered are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the microbes associated with truffle fruiting bodies play a very important role during the truffle lifecycle. Tuber indicum , commonly called Chinese black truffle, is a species endemic to Eastern Asia and in the genus of Tuber. Here, we reported the bacterial communities of T. indicum from different geographical regions and described the bacterial diversity from three compartments (soil, ectomycorrhizae and ascocarps) of T. indicum using high-throughput sequencing combined tissue culture. The results revealed that Bradyrhizobium was the dominant genus in fruiting bodies of T. indicum from nine geographical sites in China, and the microbes in T. indicum ascocarps were influenced by geological locations and soil characteristics. More specific bacterial taxa were enriched in the fruiting bodies than in the ectomycorrhizae and soil. In addition, 60 cultural bacteria were isolated from T. indicum fruiting bodies (4 families, 24 genera), and Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes faecalis, Microbacterium , and Arthrobacter were dominant. One of 13 strains that have potential nitrogen-fixation activities was further verified by an acetylene reduction assay (ARA). Together, this research provides new and important data for better understanding of the interaction between truffle and associated microbe and the biology of truffle itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify the distribution of suicide rates in Turkey between 2007 and 2016 by gender, age, marital status, and geographical region. Methods: Suicide statistics obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute and population data were used to calculate suicide rates by gender, age, marital status, and geographical region. An independent two-sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. Results: In Turkey, suicide rates are low, but they have slowly risen recently. The suicide rate of men was higher than that of women (p<0.001). The highest suicide rate by age group was among people 75 years and older and the second highest was among people 15 to 24 years old (p<0.001). The suicide rate of divorced people was higher than that of other marital status groups (p<0.001). Average suicide rates in the seven geographical regions of Turkey differed from each other, and suicide rates among men and women in each region varied (p<0.001). Conclusion: The suicide rate between 2007 and 2016 was higher in men, particularly for older ages, the divorced, and those living in both socio-economically developed and underdeveloped regions in Turkey. Socio-demographic characteristics must be taken into consideration in studies focusing on the prevalence and prevention of suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]