Uppermost global tree elevations are primarily limited by low temperature or insufficient moisture.

The impact of anthropogenic global warming has induced significant upward dispersal of trees to higher elevations at alpine treelines. Assessing vertical deviation from current uppermost tree distributions to potential treeline positions is crucial for understanding ecosystem responses to evolving global climate. However, due to data resolution constraints and research scale limitation, comprehending the global pattern of alpine treeline elevations and driving factors remains challenging. This study constructed a comprehensive quasi-observational dataset of uppermost tree distribution across global mountains using Google Earth imagery. Validating the isotherm of mean growing-season air temperature at 6.6 ± 0.3°C as the global indicator of thermal treeline, we found that around two-thirds of uppermost tree distribution records significantly deviated from it. Drought conditions constitute the primary driver in 51% of cases, followed by mountain elevation effect which indicates surface heat (27%). Our analyses underscore the multifaceted determinants of global patterns of alpine treeline, explaining divergent treeline responses to climate warming. Moisture, along with temperature and disturbance, plays the most fundamental roles in understanding global variation of alpine treeline elevation and forecasting alpine treeline response to ongoing global warming.

Activity budget of Bengal Monitor Varanus bengalensis: Effect of daytime, season, age and temperature.

The Bengal Monitor (Varanus bengalensis) is a large, ecologically flexible species and commonly found in many ecological settings including human-modified habitats. We conducted a study on the activity budget of this species employing the focal sampling method in the Chandpur district of Bangladesh. The Bengal Monitor spent the highest proportion of time in resting (33.09%) and the least proportion (3.75%) of time in anti-predatory behavior. The proportion of time spent on each activity by Bengal Monitor varied significantly between age classes and seasons except anti-predatory behavior. The highest proportion of basking activity was recorded for adult and sub-adult individuals in the dry season. Meanwhile, resting and foraging behavior was higher during the wet season. Locomotion activities were higher in sub-adults than in adult individuals. The duration of the activities did not differ significantly for daytime and season. However, an increase of air temperature significantly impacted lowering basking and rising locomotion activities among all behaviors of adult Bengal Monitor. The present findings suggest that the activities of the Bengal Monitor varied according to temporal and seasonal changes in the habitat's temperature, and age may crucially affect the allocation time for different activities.

Analysis of human health effects under ozone exposure in the oasis area of Hetao Plain.

This article, based on OMI data products, utilizes spatial distribution, ozone-sensitive control areas, Pearson correlation methods, and the Ben-MAP model to study the changes in ozone column concentration from 2018 to 2022, along with the influencing factors and the health of populations exposed to ozone. The findings suggest a spatial variation in the ozone column concentration within the study area, with an increasing trend observed from west to east and from south to north. Over time, the ozone column concentration exhibits an initial increase followed by a subsequent decrease, with the peak concentration observed in 2019 at 37.45 DU and the nadir recorded in 2022 at 33.10 DU. The monthly mean distribution exhibits an inverted V-shaped pattern during the warm season from April to September, with a peak in July (46.71 DU) and a trough in April (35.29 DU). The Hetao Plain Oasis area is primarily a NOx control area in sensitive control areas. The concentrations of O3 and precursor HCHO exhibited significant positive correlations with vegetation index and air temperature, while showing significant negative correlations with wind speed and air pressure. The precursor NO2, in contrast, exhibited a significant negative correlation with both the vegetation index and relative humidity. Based on the ground-based monitoring sites and analysis of human health benefits, the study area witnessed 1944.45 deaths attributed to warm season O3 exposure in 2018, with a subsequent reduction in premature deaths by 149.7, 588.2, and 231.75 for the years 2019 to 2021 respectively when compared to the baseline year. In 2021, the observed decrease in warm-season O3 concentration within that region compared to 2018 resulted in a significant reduction, leading to the prevention of 126 premature deaths.

Cocirculation and coinfection of multiple respiratory viruses during autumn and winter seasons of 2023 in Beijing, China: A retrospective study.

China experienced severe epidemics of multiple respiratory pathogens in 2023 after lifting "Zero-COVID" policy. The present study aims to investigate the changing circulation and infection patterns of respiratory pathogens in 2023. The 160 436 laboratory results of influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) from February 2020 to December 2023, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from June 2020 to December 2023, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, adenovirus, and human rhinovirus from January 2023 to December 2023 were analyzed. We observed the alternating epidemics of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus (IAV), as well as the out-of-season epidemic of RSV during the spring and summer of 2023. Cocirculation of multiple respiratory pathogens was observed during the autumn and winter of 2023. The susceptible age range of RSV in this winter epidemic (10.5, interquartile range [IQR]: 5-30) was significantly higher than previously (4, IQR: 3-34). The coinfection rate of IAV and RSV in this winter epidemic (0.695%) was significantly higher than that of the last cocirculation period (0.027%) (p < 0.001). Similar trend was also found in the coinfection of IAV and SARS-CoV-2. The present study observed the cocirculation of multiple respiratory pathogens, changing age range of susceptible population, and increasing coinfection rates during the autumn and winter of 2023, in Beijing, China.

Winter Dust Storms Impact the Physical and Biogeochemical Functioning of a Large High Arctic Lake.

We found that a winter of abnormally low snowfall and numerous dust storms from eolian processes acting on exposed landscapes (including a major 4-day dust storm while onsite in May 2014) caused a cascade of impacts on the physical, chemical, and ecological functioning of the largest lake by volume in the High Arctic (Lake Hazen; Nunavut, Canada). MODIS imagery revealed that dust deposited in snowpacks on the lake's ice acted as light-absorbing impurities (LAIs), reducing surface reflectance and increasing surface temperatures relative to normal snowpack years, causing early snowmelt and drainage of meltwaters into the lake. LAIs remaining on the ice surface melted into the ice, causing premature candling and one of the earliest ice-offs and longest ice-free seasons on record for Lake Hazen. Meltwater inputs from snowpacks resulted in dilution of dissolved, and increased concentration of particulate bound, chemical species in Lake Hazen's upper water column. Spring inputs of nutrients increased both heterotrophy and algal productivity under the surface ice following snowmelt, with a net consumption of dissolved oxygen. As climate change continues to alter High Arctic temperatures and precipitation patterns, we can expect further changes in dust storm frequency and severity with corresponding impacts for freshwater ecosystems.

MelastomaTRAITs 1.0: A database of functional traits in Melastomataceae, a large pantropical angiosperm family.

The recent availability of open-access repositories of functional traits has revolutionized trait-based approaches in ecology and evolution. Nevertheless, the underrepresentation of tropical regions and lineages remains a pervasive bias in plant functional trait databases, which constrains large-scale assessments of plant ecology, evolution, and biogeography. Here, we present MelastomaTRAITs 1.0, a comprehensive and updatable database of functional traits for the pantropical Melastomataceae, the ninth-largest angiosperm family with 177 genera and more than 5800 species. Melastomataceae encompass species with a wide diversity of growth forms (herbs, shrubs, trees, epiphytes, and woody climbers), habitats (including tropical forests, savannas, grasslands, and wetlands from sea level to montane areas above the treeline), ecological strategies (from pioneer, edge-adapted and invasive species to shade-tolerant understory species), geographic distribution (from microendemic to continental-wide distribution), reproductive, pollination, and seed dispersal systems. MelastomaTRAITs builds on 581 references, such as taxonomic monographs, ecological research, and unpublished data, and includes four whole-plant traits, six leaf traits, 11 flower traits, 18 fruit traits, and 27 seed traits for 2520 species distributed in 144 genera across all 21 tribes. Most data come from the Neotropics where the family is most species-rich. Miconieae (the largest tribe) contains the highest number of trait records (49.6%) and species (41.1%) records. The trait types with the most information in the database were whole-plant traits, flowers, and leaf traits. With the breadth of functional traits recorded, our database helps to fill a gap in information for tropical plants and will significantly improve our capacity for large-scale trait-based syntheses across levels of organization, plant-animal interactions, regeneration ecology, and thereby support conservation and restoration programs. There are no copyright restrictions on the dataset; please cite this data paper when reusing the data.

Perinatal photoperiod associations with bipolar disorder and depression: A systematic literature review and cross-sectional analysis of the UK Biobank database.

Season-of-birth associations with psychiatric disorders point to environmental (co-)aetiological factors such as natural photoperiod that, if clarified, may allow interventions toward prevention. We systematically reviewed the literature concerning season-of-birth and bipolar disorder and depression and explored associations between the perinatal natural photoperiod and these outcomes in a cross-sectional analysis of the UK Biobank database. We used mean daily photoperiod and relative photoperiod range (relative to the mean) in the 3rd trimester and, separately, in the first 3 months post birth as metrics. From review, increased risk of depression with late spring birth is compatible with increased odds of probable single episode-, probable recurrent-, and diagnosed depression (OR 2.85 95 %CI 1.6-5.08, OR 2.20 95 %CI 1.57-3.1, and OR 1.48 95 %CI 1.11-1.97, respectively) with increasing 3rd trimester relative photoperiod range for participants who experienced relatively non-extreme daily photoperiods. Risk of bipolar disorder with winter-spring birth contrasted with no consistent patterns of perinatal photoperiod metric associations with bipolar disorder in the UK Biobank. As natural photoperiod varies by both time-of-year and latitude, perinatal natural photoperiods (and a hypothesized mechanism of action via the circadian timing system and/or serotonergic circuitry associated with the dorsal raphe nucleus) may reconcile inconsistencies in season-of-birth associations. Further studies are warranted.

It's about Her: Male Within-Season Movements Are Related to Mate Searching in a Songbird.

AbstractIn species with resource-defense mating systems (such as most temperate-breeding songbirds), male dispersal is often considered to be limited in both frequency and spatial extent. When dispersal occurs within a breeding season, the favored explanation is ecological resource tracking. In contrast, movements of male birds associated with temporary emigration, such as polyterritoriality (i.e., defense of an additional location after attracting a female in the initial territory), are usually attributed to mate searching. We suggest that male dispersal and polyterritoriality are functionally related and that mate searching may be a unifying hypothesis for predicting the within-season movements of male songbirds. Here, we test three key predictions derived from this hypothesis in Wood Warblers (Phylloscopus sibilatrix). We collected data on the spatial behavior of 107 males between 2017 and 2019 and related male movements to a new territory (in both a dispersal and a polyterritorial context) to mating potential in the current territory. Most males dispersed from their territories within days or weeks after failing to attract a female, despite occupying territories in apparently suitable habitat. Probability of polyterritoriality by paired males increased after the peak fertile period of their mate. Males never dispersed following nest predation if the female remained to renest. Thus, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that both movement types are functionally related to mate searching.

Seasonal fluctuations of litter and soil Collembola and their drivers in rainforest and plantation systems.

Rainforest conversion and expansion of plantations in tropical regions change local microclimate and are associated with biodiversity decline. Tropical soils are a hotspot of animal biodiversity and may sensitively respond to microclimate changes, but these responses remain unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, here we investigated seasonal fluctuations in density and community composition of Collembola, a dominant group of soil invertebrates, in rainforest, and in rubber and oil palm plantations in Jambi province (Sumatra, Indonesia). Across land-use systems, the density of Collembola in the litter was at a maximum at the beginning of the wet season, whereas in soil it generally varied little. The community composition of Collembola changed with season and the differences between land-use systems were most pronounced at the beginning of the dry season. Water content, pH, fungal and bacterial biomarkers, C/N ratio and root biomass were identified as factors related to seasonal variations in species composition of Collembola across different land-use systems. We conclude that (1) conversion of rainforest into plantation systems aggravates detrimental effects of low moisture during the dry season on soil invertebrate communities; (2) Collembola communities are driven by common environmental factors across land-use systems, with water content, pH and food availability being most important; (3) Collembola in litter are more sensitive to climatic variations than those in soil. Overall, the results document the sensitivity of tropical soil invertebrate communities to seasonal climatic variations, which intensifies the effects of the conversion of rainforest into plantation systems on soil biodiversity.

Using the dead to infer about the living: Amphibian roadkill spatiotemporal dynamics suggest local populations' reduction.

Roads represent one of the main sources of wildlife mortality, population decline, and isolation, especially for low-vagility animal groups. It is still not clearly understood how wildlife populations respond to these negative effects over space and time. Most studies on wildlife road mortality do not consider the spatial and temporal components simultaneously, or the imperfect roadkill detection, both of which could lead to inaccurate assumptions and unreliable mitigation actions. In this study, we applied a multi-season occupancy model to a 14-year amphibian mortality dataset collected along 120 km of roads, combined with freely available landscape and remote sensing metrics, to identify the spatiotemporal patterns of amphibian roadkill in a Mediterranean landscape in Southern Portugal. Our models showed an explicit general decrease in amphibian roadkill. The Iberian painted frog (Discoglossus galganoi) experienced roadkill declines over time of ∼70 %, while the spiny common toad (Bufo spinosus) and the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) had a loss of nearly 50 %, and the Southern marbled newt (Triturus pygmaeus) had 40 %. Despite the decreasing trend in roadkill, spatial patterns seem to be rather stable from year to year. Multi-season occupancy models, when combined with relevant landscape and remote sensing predictors, as well as long-term monitoring data, can describe dynamic changes in roadkill over space and time. These patterns are valuable tools for understanding roadkill patterns and drivers in Mediterranean landscapes, enabling the differentiation of road sections with varying roadkill over time. Ultimately, this information may contribute to the development of effective conservation measures.

Seasonal investigation of the macroscopic and microscopic structure of the sinus interdigitalis in Hamdani crossbred sheep (Ovis aries).

BACKGROUND: The odours of different body parts and structures, such as external genitalia, female urine, ventral tail radix, infraorbital sinus and interdigital sinus, have a strong attractiveness for rams. The sinus interdigitalis is considered an important trail gland for sexual behaviour, as its odour is included in the list of strongly attractive structures for male animals during the breeding season, being important in pheromone production. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, the effects of sex and breeding season on the morphological and histological structure of the interdigital gland were investigated in Hamdani crossbred sheep (Ovis aries). METHODS: Sinus interdigitalis glands located on the forelimbs and hind limbs were collected from 10 male and 10 female sheep during both breeding and non-breeding seasons. The gland's position in the forelimbs and hind limbs was determined radiographically. The glands were examined macroscopically, histologically and immunohistochemically in both seasons. RESULTS: In all animals, the topographic location of the gland between the digits was determined to be distal to the phalanx proximalis and at the level of the phalanx media. The mean weight of the gland in male and female animals was 1.07 ± 0.03 and 1.4 ± 0.11 g, respectively. In general, the results of morphometric measurements were higher during the breeding season, and the increase was more pronounced in female animals. In histological examinations, it was determined that both neck and body parts of the tissues consisted of a structure consisting of a connective tissue capsule at the outermost, dermis, epidermis and lumen underneath. Immunohistochemically staining revealed that oestrogen receptors showed positive immunoreactions only in the intracytoplasmic localization of apocrine sweat glands. In terms of morphological, histological and oestrogen receptors, it was thought that the gland may play a role in sexual communication.

Does seasonal variation affect the neuroimmune system? A retrospective [11C]PBR28 PET study in healthy individuals.

INTRODUCTION: The neuroimmune system performs a wide range of functions in the brain and the central nervous system. The microglial translocator protein (TSPO) has an established role as a cell marker in identification of the neuroimmune system. Previously, human studies have shown TSPO differences in neuropsychiatric disorders. Seasonal variability has also been demonstrated in multiple systems of healthy individuals. Therefore, in this study, we attempt to understand whether seasonal changes affect brain TSPO levels using [11C]PBR28 positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. METHODS: 46 healthy subjects (mean age ± SD = 32.5 ± 10); sex (M/F) = 32/14)) underwent PET imaging with [11C]PBR28 in a retrospectively conducted analysis. All PET scans were performed on the HRRT scanner. Volume of distribution (VT) values were generated for cortical and subcortical regions and the cerebellum. Spring/summer months were defined as March to August while fall/winter months were defined as September to February and were compared through 2-tailed t-tests (SciPy library v.1.10.1 and Pinguoin library on Python v.3.8.8). Average daylight hours and temperature in New Haven, CT were obtained online (www.wunderground.com) and compared to VT with Spearman's correlations. RESULTS: There were no significant differences observed between the TSPO levels of spring/summer and fall/winter months in the brain (t = 0.52, p = 0.61). Additional analysis on all individual brain regions also indicated non-significance. Likewise, no significant correlations were found between TSPO levels in the whole brain and brain regions against daylight hours (ρ= 0.05, p = 0.74), temperature (ρ = 0.04, p = 0.81), or month (ρ = 0.08, p = 0.60). Controlling TSPO gene polymorphisms and other variables had no significant effect on the outcome. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first human study to investigate seasonal changes in TSPO expression. Our results can be interpreted as the lack of seasonal variability in the neuroimmune system, but important limitations include high interindividual variability, test-retest variability, specificity of the tracer, and a limited sample size. Limitations notwithstanding, our results conclude that TSPO levels in the brain are not impacted by light and temperature changes in different seasons.

Response of the microbial community structure to the environmental factors during the extreme flood season in Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China.

Background: Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China, and there are several studies on the composition and diversity of bacteria in Poyang Lake, while few quantitative studies were carried out on the response of the bacterial community to environmental factors during the extreme flood season in Poyang Lake. Methods: The connected-lake heterogeneity of bacterial community composition (BCC) was investigated in Poyang Lake during the flood season in 2020. Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology was used in this study. Results: The bacterial community structure in the water was different from that in the sediment of Poyang Lake during extreme flood seasons. The bacterial diversity in water was much lower than that in sediment. In the water column, the dominant phyla were Actinobacteriota, while the composition of bacteria in sediment was more complex than that in water, and the dominant phyla in sediment were Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota. The bacterial diversity in the water of Poyang Lake showed seasonal dynamics, while no seasonal variation of bacterial communities in sediment was observed. The bacterial community structure in the sediment from the two bays and channel areas of Poyang Lake can be distinguished from each other. The microbial diversity in sediment gradually increased from the Sancha Bay to the Zhouxi Bay and then to the channel, but the total nitrogen (TN) concentration in sediment (STN) and the total phosphorus (TP) concentration in sediment (STP) showed opposite trends. This might be due to the anthropogenic disturbances from the extreme flood. The bacterial community structure in, water column was significantly correlated with WT, NH4-N, STP, SOM, Chl a, DO, TP, and Eh, while the bacterial community structure in sediment was significantly correlated with SOM and STP. Conclusion: The bacterial community structure in water was greatly different from that in sediment in Poyang Lake during extreme flood seasons. The bacterial community structure in the water column was not only sensitive to the geochemical characteristics of the water but also affected by some nutrient concentrations in the sediment. During the wet seasons, bacterial diversity was only affected by SOM and STP.

Combined collection systems of sewage and rainfall runoff seriously affect the spatial distributions of natural estrogens and their conjugates in river water: Insights from the Pearl River of China.

So far, little has been known about how the combined collection systems of sewage and rainfall runoff (CCSs) affect emerging contaminants in river water. To fill up the knowledge gap, this study was conducted to investigate the spatial distributions of three natural estrogens (NEs, i.e., estrone (E1), 17ß-estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3)) and their conjugates (C-NEs) in the Pearl River in the wet and dry seasons. Results showed that the respective average concentrations of NEs and C-NEs at different locations alongside the Pearl River in the wet season were 7.3 and 1.8 times those in the dry season. Based on estrogen equivalence (EEQ), the average estimated EEQ level in the Pearl River waters in the wet season was nearly 10 times that in the dry season. These seemed to imply that the CCSs in the wet season not only cause untreated sewage into the receiving water body, but greatly decrease the removal efficiency of NEs and C-NEs in wastewater treatment plant. Furthermore, the estimated annual loads of E1, E2, and E3 to the Pearl River in the wet season accounted for about 88.6 %, 100 %, and 99.3 % of the total annual loads. Consequently, this work for the first time demonstrated that the CCSs in cities with high precipitation are unfavorable for controlling of emerging contaminants.

Uterine tone influences fertility of Merino ewes following laparoscopic artificial insemination.

Artificial insemination (AI) plays a critical role in facilitating rapid genetic and production gains within the sheep industry. However, variable rates of AI success remain a concern for the industry and a barrier to adoption. Furthermore, the degree to which female factors influence the success of intrauterine laparoscopic AI rather than natural mating remains unknown. As such, this study investigates the effect of several factors collected during the time of AI, on the success of intrauterine laparoscopic AI. Data was generously donated by artificial breeding companies and stud breeders during routine commercial AI operations. AI data was collected over 3 breeding seasons during commercial AI programs (N = 24 programs) using Merino ewes (N = 24,700). Sire ID (N = 253), time of AI following progesterone removal (approx. 43-59 h post removal), uterine tone and intra-abdominal fat (both scored 1-5) as well as age of the ewe were all recorded at the time of AI. Transcutaneous ultrasound subsequently determined pregnancy rate approximately 55 days post-AI. A multivariate regression analysis was performed and revealed pregnancy success to increase when semen was inseminated into a ewe with a uterine tone score of 4 or 5 (P < 0.001). The remaining factors fell short of significance within the multivariate model. An interclass coefficient variation matrix was also used to determine the proportion of variation contributed to AI success by random factors allocated in the model; site, sire, AI date and breeding season (45.99 %, 29.94 %, 15.15 % and 8.92 %, respectively). These results highlight the influence of uterine tone on ewe fertility following laparoscopic AI, but also that program location and the sire used can further modify this influence on pregnancy rate. These factors must now be considered in combination with semen factors per individual sire used during AI to ascertain the contribution of several factors to the success of laparoscopic AI in Australia.

[Characteristics, Sources Apportionment, and Health Risks of PM2.5-bound PAHs and Their Derivatives Before and After Heating in Zibo City].

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives are a global problem that influences the environment and threatens human health. To investigate the characteristics, sources, and health risk assessment of PM2.5-bound PAHs and their derivatives, PM2.5 were collected at an urban site in Zibo from November 5 to December 26, 2020, and the concentrations of 16 conventional PAHs, nine NPAHs, and five OPAHs in PM2.5 were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Source apportionment of PAHs and their derivatives was conducted using diagnostic ratios and a PMF model, and the health risks of PAHs and their derivatives to adult men and women were evaluated using the source-dependent incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) model. The results showed that the average concentrations of ∑16pPAHs, ∑9NPAHs, and ∑5OPAHs in PM2.5 of Zibo City during the sampling period were (41.61 ± 13.40), (6.38 ± 5.70), and (53.20 ± 53.47) ng·m-3, respectively. The concentrations of the three PAHs increased significantly after heating, which were 1.31, 2.04, and 5.24 times larger than those before heating. During the sampling period, Chr, BaP, and BaA were the dominant components of pPAHs; 9N-Ant and 2N-Flt + 3N-Flt were the dominant components of NPAHs; and ATQ and BZO were the dominant components of OPAHs. Source apportionment results showed that motor vehicles were the main source of PAHs and their derivatives in PM2.5 before heating, whereas after heating, the main sources were the mixed source of coal and biomass combustion and secondary formation. The total BaP equivalent (TEQ) was 14.5 ng·m-3 during the sampling period, and the TEQ increased significantly after heating, which was approximately 1.2 times of that before heating. Assisted by the individual PAH source apportionment results, the ILCR of PM2.5-boundPAHs and NPAHs in Zibo City had a certain potential carcinogenic risk for adult males (1.06 × 10-5) and females (9.32 × 10-6). Among them, the health risks of PAHs from gasoline vehicles, diesel vehicles, and coal/biomass combustion were significantly higher than those from other emission sources.

Association between holiday and weekend admissions and mortality outcomes among patients with acute myocardial infarction receiving percutaneous coronary intervention in Taiwan.

There is a lack of studies that concurrently differentiate the effect of the holiday season from the weekend effect on mortality risk in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We evaluated the mortality risk among patients admitted with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Adult AMI patients admitted during January and February between 2013 and 2020 were enrolled and classified into the holiday season (using the Chinese New Year holiday seasons as an indicator) (n = 1729), weekend (n = 4725), and weekday (n = 14,583) groups according to the first day of admission. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the risk. With the weekday group or the weekend group as the reference, the holiday season group did not have increased risks of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.15; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.93-1.42 or aOR 1.23; 95% CI 0.96-1.56) and 7-day mortality (aOR 1.20; 95% CI 0.90-1.58 or aOR 1.24; 95% CI 0.90-1.70). Stratified and subgroup analyses showed similar trends. We conclude that holiday season-initiated admissions were not associated with higher mortality risks in AMI admission cases than weekday or weekend admissions.

Analysis of dataset on reduction of high temperature stress by green net shade alleviate oxidative stress and augments the growth and vase life of gladiolus cut flower.

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of green net shade during staggered planting times on growth, biochemical, antioxidant enzymes and vase life of gladiolus cut flowers. The green net shade effectively reduces the internal temperature, particularly during extremely hot planting times. Under the green net shade conditions, high quality morphological and biochemical observations were observed during the months of March and April planting times. These included longer plant height, spike length, a higher number of leaves plant-1, larger leaf area, maximum spike diameter, greater number of florets spike-1, heavier flower diameter, higher fresh and dry weight, elevated photosynthetic rate, and reduced time taken for flowering. Additionally, chlorophyll contents and transpiration rate showed significant increases, while antioxidant enzyme activity (POD and CAT) was recorded at higher levels. This resulted in reduced electrolyte leakage and an extended vase life of the gladiolus cut flowers. Moreover, the application of green net shade conditions during the planting in May and June significantly enhanced the quality characteristics of gladiolus cut flowers. Effectiveness of green net shade is evident in reducing temperature of growing environment, leading to improved growth, alleviate oxidative stress, enhanced quality features and vase life of the gladiolus flowers.

The Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Injuries Among Pilgrims During the 2023 Hajj Season: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage, brings together over two million pilgrims in the city of Makkah to participate in a series of rituals. Given the physically demanding nature of the Hajj, pilgrims are susceptible to musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries and exhaustion. MSK pain and injuries are frequent occurrences among pilgrims, necessitating an assessment of the scope of this issue. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of MSK injuries among pilgrims during the 2023 Hajj season. Methods This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study that was conducted in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, during the 2023 Hajj season. Results A total of 463 pilgrims were included in the analysis. The most frequently reported types of injuries were muscular injuries (169, 45.4%), primarily characterized by pain (99, 58.6%), muscle spasms (55, 32.5%), and muscle tears (eight, 4.7%). The second most commonly reported MSK injury was bony injuries (97, 26.1%), which included fractures, followed by 79 cases (21.2%) of joint injuries, predominantly featuring pain (69, 87.3%) and joint prolapse (10, 12.7%). Notably, 27 pilgrims (7.3%) suffered from ligament injuries, including tears. Regarding the mechanisms or causes of these MSK injuries, the most frequently reported factors were fatigue (206, 55.4%), falls (76, 20.4%), crowding (34, 9.1%), accidents (30, 8.1%), and the use of wheelchairs (14, 3.8%). Additionally, it is noteworthy that muscular injuries were more prevalent among all age groups, particularly among young-aged pilgrims, while joint injuries were more common among elderly pilgrims. Conclusion MSK injuries are prevalent among pilgrims, with muscular injuries being the most frequently encountered. This underscores a noteworthy public health concern that necessitates attention from the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia.

Gene expression profiles of Japanese precious coral Corallium japonicum during gametogenesis.

Background: Corallium japonicum, a prized resource in Japan, plays a vital role in traditional arts and fishing industries. Because of diminished stock due to overexploitation, ongoing efforts are focused on restoration through transplantation. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the reproductive biology of these valuable corals and find more efficient methods for sex determination, which may significantly contribute to conservation initiatives. Methods: We used 12 three-month aquarium reared C. japonicum colony fragments, conducted histological analysis for maturity and sex verification, and performed transcriptome analysis via de novo assembly and mapping using the C. rubrum transcriptome to explore gene expression differences between female and male C. japonicum. Results: Our histological observations enabled sex identification in 33% of incompletely mature samples. However, the sex of the remaining 67% of samples, classified as immature, could not be identified. RNA-seq yielded approximately 21-31 million short reads from 12 samples. De novo assembly yielded 404,439 highly expressed transcripts. Among them, 855 showed significant differential expression, with 786 differentially expressed transcripts between females and males. Heatmap analysis highlighted 283 female-specific and 525 male-specific upregulated transcripts. Transcriptome assembly mapped to C. rubrum yielded 28,092 contigs, leading to the identification of 190 highly differentially expressed genes, with 113 upregulated exclusively in females and 70 upregulated exclusively in males. Blastp analysis provided putative protein annotations for 83 female and 72 male transcripts. Annotation analysis revealed that female biological processes were related to oocyte proliferation and reproduction, whereas those in males were associated with cell adhesion. Discussion: Transcriptome analysis revealed sex-specific gene upregulation in incompletely mature C. japonicum and shared transcripts with C. rubrum, providing insight into its gene expression patterns. This study highlights the importance of using both de novo and reference-based assembly methods. Functional enrichment analysis showed that females exhibited enrichment in cell proliferation and reproduction pathways, while males exhibited enrichment in cell adhesion pathways. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the gene expressions of each sex during the spawning season. Our findings offer valuable insights into the physiological ecology of incompletely mature red Japanese precious corals and suggest a method for identifying sex using various genes expressed in female and male individuals. In the future, techniques such as transplantation, artificial fertilization, and larval rearing may involve sex determination methods based on differences in gene expression to help conserve precious coral resources and ecosystems.