Disentangling the response of species diversity, forest structure, and environmental drivers to aboveground biomass in the tropical forests of Western Ghats, India.

Tropical forests are crucial to the global carbon cycle, but a significant knowledge gap in the precise distribution patterns of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) hinders our ability to formulate effective conservation efforts. A key unresolved issue is the lack of understanding of how forest AGB interacts with biotic and abiotic factors on large spatial scale. To address this, we used Structural Equation Modeling to disentangle the direct and indirect effects of environmental, anthropogenic, structural diversity species diversity and edaphic factors on AGB of trees, lianas and regenerating communities using the data from 96 1-ha plots in the central Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India.

The Impact of Household Dysfunction on Dating Violence Perpetration Among Adolescents in the United States: A Scoping Review.

Adverse childhood experiences, such as household dysfunction (HD), play a central role in how adolescents establish, experience, and navigate the challenges of relationship formation, maintenance, and dissolution. HD exposures have been independently associated with dating violence (DV) perpetration in both adolescents and adults. However, research examining the association between the concurrent effect of HD on DV perpetration, especially among adolescents remains scarce.

Layerwise complexity-matched learning yields an improved model of cortical area V2.

Human ability to recognize complex visual patterns arises through transformations performed by successive areas in the ventral visual cortex. Deep neural networks trained end-to-end for object recognition approach human capabilities, and offer the best descriptions to date of neural responses in the late stages of the hierarchy. But these networks provide a poor account of the early stages, compared to traditional hand-engineered models, or models optimized for coding efficiency or prediction.

A qualitative study on psycho-social needs of the family caregivers of persons with spinal cord injury.

Background: Spinal cord injury is a high-cost long-lasting disability and a life-changing experience for family caregivers (FCGs). The current study aimed to explore the psycho-social needs of the FCGs of persons with spinal cord injury (PwSCI).

Materials And Methods: An exploratory qualitative approach was used, and sixteen FCGs of PwSCI participated in the face-to-face interviews.

Addressing differences in cancer: a framework for synergistic programming in cancer prevention and control.

Background: Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide and continues to disproportionately impact certain populations. Several frameworks have been developed that illustrate the multiple determinants of cancer. Expanding upon the work of others, we present an applied framework for cancer prevention and control designed to help clinicians, as well as public health practitioners and researchers, better address differences in cancer outcomes.

University students' perception of their dietary behavior through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic: a phenomenological approach.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic mandates that were imposed to curb the spread of disease may have triggered unhealthy dietary behaviors among university students. The current study aims at exploring university students' perception of their dietary behaviors through the course of the pandemic.

Methods: The qualitative study is designed using a phenomenological framework.

Integrated global assessment of the natural forest carbon potential.

Forests are a substantial terrestrial carbon sink, but anthropogenic changes in land use and climate have considerably reduced the scale of this system. Remote-sensing estimates to quantify carbon losses from global forests are characterized by considerable uncertainty and we lack a comprehensive ground-sourced evaluation to benchmark these estimates. Here we combine several ground-sourced and satellite-derived approaches to evaluate the scale of the global forest carbon potential outside agricultural and urban lands.

The global biogeography of tree leaf form and habit.

Understanding what controls global leaf type variation in trees is crucial for comprehending their role in terrestrial ecosystems, including carbon, water and nutrient dynamics. Yet our understanding of the factors influencing forest leaf types remains incomplete, leaving us uncertain about the global proportions of needle-leaved, broadleaved, evergreen and deciduous trees. To address these gaps, we conducted a global, ground-sourced assessment of forest leaf-type variation by integrating forest inventory data with comprehensive leaf form (broadleaf vs needle-leaf) and habit (evergreen vs deciduous) records.

Native diversity buffers against severity of non-native tree invasions.

Determining the drivers of non-native plant invasions is critical for managing native ecosystems and limiting the spread of invasive species. Tree invasions in particular have been relatively overlooked, even though they have the potential to transform ecosystems and economies. Here, leveraging global tree databases, we explore how the phylogenetic and functional diversity of native tree communities, human pressure and the environment influence the establishment of non-native tree species and the subsequent invasion severity.

Assessment of Prevalent Gingival Shades in the South Indian Population: An Observational Study.

Introduction: Gingival shade matching, often overlooked, plays an integral role in designing prostheses for patients with high smile lines, gingival defects, and cases where the acrylic flange of removable dentures extends into the aesthetic zone. The purpose of this study was to find the most prevalent gingival shade in a sample of the South Indian population.

Materials And Methods:  A total of 110 participants were included in the study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Rehabilitation Professionals' Perspectives on Psychosocial Needs of Family Caregivers of Persons with Spinal Cord Injury: A Qualitative Study from India.

Background: This study explored the psychosocial needs of family caregivers of persons with spinal cord injuries from the perspective of rehabilitation professionals.

Methods: An exploratory qualitative approach was used, and a total of 14 rehabilitation professionals from various backgrounds participated in face-to-face interviews. All interviews were audio recorded, and session notes were added to the existing data and later transcribed.

Ecological drivers of soil carbon in Kashmir Himalayan forests: Application of machine learning combined with structural equation modelling.

Soil carbon (SC) heterogeneity in mountain ecosystems is ascertained by a complex interdependency of topography, climate, edaphic features, and biotic elements, which may incite uncertainties in regional SC estimation. However, quantitative evaluations of the interplay between SC and these determinants as well as underlying possible link networks, are uncommon. Using the data set of SC along with soil properties at 0-10 and 10-20 cm depths from 135 plots under three coniferous forests, we aimed to ascertain SC heterogeneity and to elucidate how these interactions affect the SC storage, operating data-driven models (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator [LASSO] regression and structural equation modeling [SEM]) to identify the dominant explanatory factors affecting the distribution of SC in Kashmir Himalayan forests.

Maxillary Defect Rehabilitation Using a Hollow Bulb Obturator.

Rehabilitation of maxillofacial defects is an arduous task that involves restoring the form and function of the resected part of the defect. Obturators are the preferred choice of treatment for patients after resection involving the maxilla. Rehabilitation aims to separate the oral and nasal cavity and maintain anatomy while also assisting the patient with mastication, maintaining occlusion, supporting the mandible and facial tissues, and reestablishing speech and esthetics.

Decadal forest dynamics in logged and unlogged sites at Uppangala, Western Ghats, India.

Selective logging disrupts forests, changing their structure and species composition. Long-term monitoring helps in identifying the factors influencing it and aids in designing management plans. We conducted a quantitative re-assessment of trees ≥ 30 cm girth at breast height in four 1 ha plots in logged and two 1 ha plots in adjacent unlogged compartments of Uppangala forest continuum in the Western Ghats, India to compare the structural and compositional changes after a decade (2010-2021).

Proactive Metabolite Testing in Patients on Thiopurine May Yield Long-Term Clinical Benefits in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: The thiopurine medications are well established in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There is significant variation in levels of toxic and therapeutic metabolites. Current data from small or short-term studies support therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in assessing azathioprine (AZA) and 6-mercaptopurine (6MP).

Food Insecurity and Health-Related Concerns Among Elementary Schoolteachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: US school systems underwent major upheaval, including closures, implementation of virtual and/or hybrid learning, and stringent infection mitigation protocols, during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to examine the association between food insecurity and perceived health, perceived stress, and social determinants of health concerns among elementary schoolteachers serving predominantly low-income children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization that weekly distributes fresh fruits and vegetables and nutrition education materials to more than 300 schools serving racial and ethnic minority populations with low income, conducts annual surveys of participating teachers to help determine subsequent efforts to support schools and families during the school year.

A Cross-Sectional Study Analyzing Predictors of Perceived Stress Among Elementary School Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: Teaching is a stressful occupation due to high-stake job demands and limited resources, which were exacerbated during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study assessed the prevalence of perceived stress and explored its predictors among elementary school teachers employed at schools serving predominantly low-income populations in five cities in the United States.

Method: Our study analyzed the data among selected schools that were collected through the Brighter Bites teacher survey which comprised items measuring sociodemographic characteristics, perceived stress, perceived general health, food insecurity, and concerns regarding social determinants of health needs.

The number of tree species on Earth.

One of the most fundamental questions in ecology is how many species inhabit the Earth. However, due to massive logistical and financial challenges and taxonomic difficulties connected to the species concept definition, the global numbers of species, including those of important and well-studied life forms such as trees, still remain largely unknown. Here, based on global ground-sourced data, we estimate the total tree species richness at global, continental, and biome levels.