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Functional networks often guide our interpretation of spatial maps of brain–phenotype associations. However, methods for assessing enrichment of associations within networks of interest have varied in terms of both scientific rigor and underlying assumptions. While some approaches have relied on subjective interpretations, others have made unrealistic assumptions about spatial properties of imaging data, leading to inflated false positive rates. We seek to address this gap in existing methodology by borrowing insight from a method widely used in genetics research for testing enrichment of associations between a set of genes and a phenotype of interest. We propose network enrichment significance testing (NEST), a flexible framework for testing the specificity of brain–phenotype associations to functional networks or other sub‐regions of the brain. We apply NEST to study enrichment of associations with structural and functional brain imaging data from a large‐scale neurodevelopmental cohort study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder among humans after headaches. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 50–65 million individuals were diagnosed with epilepsy throughout the world, and around two million new cases of epilepsy are added to this figure every year. Methods: Designed as descriptive and cross‐sectional research, this study was performed on 132 elementary school teachers. Training on epilepsy and epileptic seizure was given to teachers. The pretest and posttest research data were collected with the face‐to‐face interview method. In this process, the epilepsy knowledge scale was used as well as a survey form that had questions designed to find out about teachers' personal characteristics. The Statistical Package for Social Science 25.0 was utilized in the statistical analysis of research data. In the research, the statistical significance was identified if the p‐value was below.05 (p <.05). Results: Of all teachers participating in the study, 59.1% were female, 90.2% were married, and 47.7% witnessed an epilepsy seizure before. The mean of teachers' pretest epilepsy knowledge scores was 8.43 ± 4.31 points before the training while the mean of their posttest epilepsy knowledge scores was 12.65 ± 2.48 points after the training. The difference between the means of pretest and posttest scores was statistically significant (p =.000). After the training, there was a statistically significant increase in means of scores obtained by teachers from each item of the epilepsy knowledge scale (p <.05). Conclusions: As there was a statistically significant improvement in levels of teachers' knowledge about both epilepsy and epileptic seizure after the training, it is recommended that the training about the approach to epilepsy and epileptic seizure be given to all teachers, and additionally, including these topics in the course curricula of universities is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinsonism‐dystonia‐2 PKDYS2 is an autosomal‐recessive disorder, caused by pathogenic biallelic variants in SLC18A2 which encodes the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) protein. PKDYS2 is a treatable neurotransmitter disease, and the rate of diagnosis of this disorder has increased significantly with the advance of genomic technologies. Our report highlights a novel pathologic variant in one case and a novel finding on MRI Brain, consisting of a normal symmetrical signal intensity in the dorsal brainstem and pons, and it substantiates the significance of genetic testing in the evaluation of children with developmental delays, which influences clinical decisions to enhance patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐cell Hi‐C (scHi‐C) has made it possible to analyze chromatin organization at the single‐cell level. However, scHi‐C experiments generate inherently sparse data, which poses a challenge for loop calling methods. The existing approach performs significance tests across the imputed dense contact maps, leading to substantial computational overhead and loss of information at the single‐cell level. To overcome this limitation, a lightweight framework called scGSLoop is proposed, which sets a new paradigm for scHi‐C loop calling by adapting the training and inferencing strategies of graph‐based deep learning to leverage the sequence features and 1D positional information of genomic loci. With this framework, sparsity is no longer a challenge, but rather an advantage that the model leverages to achieve unprecedented computational efficiency. Compared to existing methods, scGSLoop makes more accurate predictions and is able to identify more loops that have the potential to play regulatory roles in genome functioning. Moreover, scGSLoop preserves single‐cell information by identifying a distinct group of loops for each individual cell, which not only enables an understanding of the variability of chromatin looping states between cells, but also allows scGSLoop to be extended for the investigation of multi‐connected hubs and their underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether a compound prolongs cardiac repolarization independent of changes in beat rate is a critical question in drug research and development. Current practice is to resolve this in two steps. First, the QT interval is corrected for the influence of rate and then statistical significance is tested. There is renewed interest in improving the sensitivity of nonclinical corrected QT interval (QTc) assessment with modern studies having greater data density than previously utilized. The current analyses examine the effects of moxifloxacin or vehicle on the QT interval in nonhuman primates (NHPs) using a previously described one‐step method. The primary end point is the statistical sensitivity of the assessment. Publications suggest that for a four animal crossover (4 × 4) in NHPs the minimal detectable difference (MDD) is greater than or equal to 10 ms, whereas in an eight animal crossover the MDD is ~6.5 ms. Using the one‐step method, the MDD for the four animal NHP assessments was 3 ms. In addition, the one‐step model accounted for day‐to‐day differences in the heart rate and QT‐rate slope as well as drug‐induced changes in these parameters. This method provides an increase in the sensitivity and reduces the number of animals necessary for detecting potential QT change and represents "best practice" in nonclinical QTc assessment in safety pharmacology studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (AOGS) has updated its guidelines for authors to report methods and statistical analyses. The guidelines reflect recent advancements in research methodology and address concerns about the misuse of statistical hypothesis testing. The guidelines aim to promote transparency and best practices in scholarly publishing by encouraging consistent and standardized reporting. They also emphasize the interpretation of effect sizes and confidence intervals, rather than relying solely on statistical significance. The guidelines cover various aspects of experimental and observational studies and are aligned with the EQUATOR network's guidelines for health research. AOGS encourages authors to adhere to these guidelines to enhance the credibility and understanding of their research. [Extracted from the article]

Ship present‐weather reports from 1950 to 2019 are used to assess trends in the reporting of precipitation occurrence over the global oceans. Annual reported precipitation frequency shows statistically significant positive trends of up to ∼15% per decade throughout most ocean areas equatorward of 45°. However, latitudes poleward of 45° are dominated by negative trends, some areas of which meet the 95% confidence threshold. Nine smaller regions were subjectively selected for further investigation, revealing that the observed trends, both positive and negative, are often but not always nearly linear, with the amplitude of interannual fluctuations usually being much larger than that expected from random sampling error alone. The annual time series reveal that four comparatively dry areas are associated with the largest overall positive trends, ranging from 8.3% to 12.8% (relative) per decade. Trends were also computed separately for each season, revealing remarkable overall consistency in trends across seasons. Plain Language Summary: Starting with 70 years (1950–2019) of archived ship weather reports from around the world's oceans, we tabulated the frequencies of reports of precipitation as a fraction of the total weather reports on a 1° latitude/longitude grid for each season and year. We then composited these to coarser resolution where necessary to have an adequate sample size. Finally, we computed trends in reported precipitation frequency over the seven‐decade period and tested the trends for statistical significance at the 95% confidence level. We found that statistically significant trends in apparent precipitation frequency affect large areas of the oceans, with positive trends dominating in the warmer and especially drier areas and negative trends dominating at higher latitudes. Key Points: Significant long‐term trends are found in ship reports of precipitation occurrenceTrends are mostly positive equatorward of 45° and negative at higher latitudesReporting biases that could explain the trends cannot be ruled out but have not been identified [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abrupt alternation between hot and wet extremes can lead to more severe societal impacts than isolated extremes. However, despite an understanding of hot and wet extremes separately, their temporally compounding characteristics are not well examined yet. Our study presents a comprehensive assessment of successive heat‐pluvial and pluvial‐heat events globally. We find that these successive extremes within a week occur every 6–7 years on average within warm seasons during 1956–2015, about 15% more often than would be expected by chance, and that they have a significant increase in frequency of about 22% per decade due to warming. We further investigate the role of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and find that heat‐pluvial (pluvial‐heat) events are linked to negative (positive) VPD anomalies. Our results are statistically significant based on moving‐blocks bootstrap resampling and field significance tests, highlighting these methods' importance in robustly identifying compound events under autocorrelation and multiple‐testing conditions. Plain Language Summary: In recent years, the world has experienced various clustered weather and climate extremes, which are highly disruptive to humans and society. However, current knowledge on the risk of successive occurrence of hot (humid heat, including the effects of both temperature and humidity) and wet (pluvial flooding, usually caused by extreme rainfall) extremes remains unclear. In this study, we present a comprehensive assessment of the two types of interacting hot and wet extremes: humid heat extremes followed by pluvial flooding (heat‐pluvial) and extreme pluvials followed by humid heat (pluvial‐heat). We find that these events have increased significantly in most regions of the world for the last three decades, which can be associated with the warming effect. Importantly, we identify that the vapor pressure deficit plays an important but varying role in the abrupt alternation between heat and pluvial events. We emphasize the importance of using reliable statistical tests to ensure the validity of the results for complex compound events. Our analysis highlights the need for policymakers and stakeholders to develop adaptation strategies to cope with overlapping vulnerabilities due to compound hot and wet extremes, especially in areas prone to both such as West Australia, South America and Sub‐Saharan Africa. Key Points: Temporally compounding heat and pluvial events occur about 15% more often than would be expected by chanceIncreases in hot‐wet compound events have largely been linked to warmingVapor‐pressure‐deficit anomalies are a signature of heat‐pluvial versus pluvial‐heat sequences, a conclusion drawn from field significance tests [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social housing tenants are at greater risk of engaging in unhealthy behaviours than the general population. Housing association employees are in an ideal position to contribute positively to their tenants' health. 'New Home, New You' (NHNY) is a joint venture between a social housing association, a city council and a community healthcare provider in the South West of England. It was designed with the aim of improving the health and well‐being of social housing tenants. Objectives: The aim of this retrospective evaluation was to establish whether social housing tenants were benefiting from this health‐related behavioural intervention in terms of their mental well‐being and health‐related behaviours. Methods: This was a mixed‐methods evaluation. The outcome evaluation was a secondary analysis of quantitative data collected during the NHNY project. The process of delivering and receiving the intervention was evaluated using qualitative, semi‐structured interviews with housing officers and tenants who had participated in the programme. The development of the intervention was evaluated through a focus group and additional semistructured interviews with key stakeholders. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Qualitative interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Six key stakeholders and a total of seven housing officers from several teams and seven tenants were interviewed. Of the 1016 tenants who were invited to participate in NHNY, 226 enroled in the programme. For participating tenants, the scope for health‐related behaviour change was greatest in relation to eating and smoking. Small positive statistically significant changes in mental health were found between the 6‐ and 12‐month mean score and between the baseline and the 12‐month score. Conclusions: The findings indicate that NHNY may have been beneficial for some participating tenants. Housing officers can have a significant role in promoting health messages and embedding behaviour change among their tenants. Although the programme was implemented as a service improvement rather than a controlled trial and focused on a particular intervention and geographical area, other housing associations may find this evaluation useful for considering whether to adopt some of the principles applied in NHNY in other settings. Patient or Public Contribution: A social housing tenant representative provided input on the methodology and methods used to evaluate NHNY, as well as the information sheet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of unhealthy commercial foods and beverages (UCFB) is common among infants and young children living in low- and middle-income countries. Such foods can displace other nutritious foods, however, there is limited evidence on how this consumption tracks across time. This study assessed and tracked UCFB consumption of children living in rural/peri-urban Cambodia during the complementary feeding period, identified UCFB consumption patterns of these children, and explored the association between UCFB consumption and growth. A 6-month longitudinal cohort study was implemented among 567 caregivers of children aged 10-14 months at recruitment. UCFB consumption was estimated each month via a telephone-administered 7-day food frequency questionnaire, and UCFB consumption patterns were identified based on changes in this frequency of consumption over time. The majority of children either maintained (45.7%, n = 246) or developed (43.5%, n = 234) an unhealthy consumption pattern and only 10.8% (n = 58) of children maintained/transitioned into a healthy consumption pattern. High consumers of UCFB at 10-14 months had a 4.7 (CI: 4.7 [3.1-7.2]) times odds of being high consumers of UCFB at 15-19 months (p < 0.001). There was a trend of lower length- for-age z-scores (LAZ) among children maintaining or developing an unhealthy consumption pattern (~-0. SD LAZ) compared to children maintaining/transitioning into a healthy consumption pattern, however, this association was not statistically significant. Findings indicate that high UCFB consumption begins during infancy and tracks into early childhood. National policies and programmes centred on early interventions addressing the use of UCFB for infant and young child feeding are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 46 physical parameters are first calculated by using the hourly ground observational data of Liaocheng Airport station and the daily sounding data of Xingtai station and Zhangqiu station in the winters of 2016–2020. After the significance test of the correlation coefficients between the physical parameters and the precipitation types, six physical parameters that could be used in the operational weather forecast at Zhangqiu station and Xingtai station are selected by the methods of box‐plot and skill score based on the distribution characteristics of physical parameters under different precipitation types. Moreover, the judgment criteria for the winter precipitation forecast in Liaocheng are obtained by analyzing the indication effect and thresholds of each physical parameter in different precipitation types. In addition, a forecast model of winter precipitation type in Liaocheng is established by using the extended membership function transformation method with the sounding data from the nearest upstream and downstream stations. The verification with observations shows that the forecast accuracy is above 85% and the model performs quite well. We hope this study can provide a good reference for related operational forecasts in the areas without local sounding data or numerical forecast product receiving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) is considered for high‐risk patients in stage IB lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, these risk factors are recognized as negative prognostic factors, not as predictors of ACT efficacy. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of ACT in stage IB patients by retrospectively examining patients who had recurrence. Methods: We reviewed 1399 patients with stage IB (American Joint Committee on Cancer 7th edition) LUAD from 2012 to 2017 in our institution and found 147 patients with recurrence. The last follow‐up date was December 30, 2021. One‐to‐one propensity‐score matching (PSM) was used to reduce the potential selection bias. Results: Fifty‐five (37.4%) patients had received ACT and 92 (62.6%) had not (non‐ACT). Patients with ACT were younger (p < 0.001), had larger tumors (p < 0.001) and more lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.02), and seemed to have less distant recurrence (p = 0.001). After PSM, 110 patients were matched and baseline characteristics were balanced. ACT was not associated with improved disease‐free survival (DFS) after matching (mDFS = 23.5 m for ACT vs. 29.5 m for non‐ACT, p = 0.13). ACT failed to prolong DFS of patients in the extracranial recurrence subgroup and EGFR mutation subgroups, and was even associated with shorter DFS in intracranial relapsed patients (mDFS = 30.3 m vs. 33.5 m, p = 0.083) and patients with tumor ≤30 mm (mDFS = 21.9 m vs. 30.8 m, p = 0.076). Conclusion: In patients who were destined to develop recurrence after completely resected stage IB LUAD, ACT might not be associated with improved DFS. Further large multicenter studies are warranted to validate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an automated method for mapping the b values. The algorithm is very simple and presents three advantages: (a) it does not requires any tuning of the parameters like, for instance, a fixed cell size or a maximum radius of the cell; (b) it implies a more appropriate use of the catalog, by using almost all the events in the catalog used (with a tolerance of 1%) with no overlap; (c) it implies the full independence of the b values, thus allowing the statistical comparison of the results using standard tests. Although the resulting b values are comparable with those obtained by applying the other methods of common use in seismology, these latter (a) leave out many earthquakes from the analysis, with loose of useful information, (b) produce diffuse cells overlapping aiming at reaching many cells of the grid in order to get the correct number of events in each cell, and (c) results in correlated b values, which do not allow the test of significance for the differences in the b values. Finally, due to the independence from any ad hoc a‐priori choice, our method is suitable for automatic and operator‐free procedures. Plain Language Summary: The methods usually used in seismology for mapping the b value require the tuning of some parameters depending on the analyzed catalog. Here we propose a method that only implies the choice of the minimum number of earthquakes needed to obtain reliable b value estimates, which does not depend on the specific cases. Due to the mutual complete independence of the resulting b values, the proposed method allows the use of standard statistical tests to compare the results. Key Points: b maps are evaluated for four different cataloguesThe used method is an automated one not requiring any parameter tuningThe used method provides independent b value for each cell of the grid [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial covariance between genotypic and environmental influences on phenotypes (CovGE) can result in the nonrandom distribution of genotypes across environmental gradients and is a potentially important factor driving local adaptation. However, a framework to quantify the magnitude and significance of CovGE has been lacking. We develop a novel quantitative/analytical approach to estimate and test the significance of CovGE from reciprocal transplant or common garden experiments, which we validate using simulated data. We demonstrate how power to detect CovGE changes over a range of experimental designs. We confirm an inverse relationship between gene‐by‐environment interactions (GxE) and CovGE, as predicted by first principles, but show how phenotypes can be influenced by both. The metric provides a way to measure how phenotypic plasticity covaries with genetic differentiation and highlights the importance of understanding the dual influences of CovGE and GxE on phenotypes in studies of local adaptation and species' responses to environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: The phenomenon called "diminishing returns" refers to a scaling relationship between lamina mass (M) vs. lamina area (A) in many species, i.e., M ∝ Aα>1, where α is the scaling exponent exceeding unity. Prior studies have focused on the scaling relationships between lamina dry mass (DM) and A, or between fresh mass (FM) and A. However, the scaling between petiole mass and M and A has seldom been investigated. Here, we examine the scaling relationships among FM, DM, A, and petiole fresh mass (PFM). Methods: For each of 3268 leaves from nine Lauraceae species, FM, DM, A, and PFM were measured, and their scaling relationships were fitted using reduced major axis regression protocols. The bootstrap percentile method was used to test the significance of the difference in α‐values between any two species. Results: The phenomenon of diminishing returns was verified between FM vs. A and DM vs. A. The FM vs. A scaling relationship was statistically more robust than the DM vs. A scaling relationship based on bivariate regression r2‐values. Diminishing returns were also observed for the PFM vs. FM and PFM vs. A scaling relationships. The PFM vs. FM scaling relationship was statistically more robust than the PFM vs. A scaling relationship. Conclusions: "Diminishing returns" was confirmed among the FM, DM, A, and PFM scaling relationships. The data collectively indicate that the petiole scales mechanically more strongly with lamina mass than with area, suggesting that static (self) loading takes precedence over dynamic (wind) loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Null hypothesis significance testing is the major statistical procedure in fMRI, but provides only a rather limited picture of the effects in a data set. When sample size and power is low relying only on strict significance testing may lead to a host of false negative findings. In contrast, with very large data sets virtually every voxel might become significant. It is thus desirable to complement significance testing with procedures like inferiority and equivalence tests that allow to formally compare effect sizes within and between data sets and offer novel approaches to obtain insight into fMRI data. The major component of these tests are estimates of standardized effect sizes and their confidence intervals. Here, we show how Hedges' g, the bias corrected version of Cohen's d, and its confidence interval can be obtained from SPM t maps. We then demonstrate how these values can be used to evaluate whether nonsignificant effects are really statistically smaller than significant effects to obtain "regions of undecidability" within a data set, and to test for the replicability and lateralization of effects. This method allows the analysis of fMRI data beyond point estimates enabling researchers to take measurement uncertainty into account when interpreting their findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy PointsIn 2012, Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize recreational marijuana through voter‐initiated ballots. In these states, counties could restrict or ban local marijuana facilities through a variety of regulatory methods such as ordinances and zoning.County‐level recreational marijuana policies in Washington and Colorado vary substantially, with 69.2% of Washington counties and 23.4% of Colorado counties allowing all types of recreational marijuana facilities as of April 1, 2019.After Colorado and Washington legalized recreational marijuana, many counties modified their marijuana policies over time, with shifts in county policy often preceded by advocacy and information‐seeking activities. Context: In 2012, Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize recreational marijuana. Both allowed local governments to further regulate the availability of marijuana facilities in their jurisdictions. As early adopters, these states are important quasi‐natural experiments to examine local marijuana policy and policy change processes, including key stakeholders and arguments. Methods: We conducted a policy scan of county‐level recreational marijuana ordinances and regulations in Colorado and Washington. Data collected included policy documents from counties in both states and newspaper articles. We used a mixed‐methods approach to describe the types of county‐level recreational marijuana policies enacted by April 1, 2019; identify key policy stakeholders involved in local policy debates; and explore arguments used in support or opposition of county policies. We also selected four counties that represent three county policy environments (all marijuana facility types allowed, some marijuana facility types allowed, all marijuana facility types prohibited) and described the policy changes within these counties since recreational marijuana was legalized. Findings: By April 1, 2019, Colorado counties were less likely than Washington counties to allow marijuana facilities—48.4% of Colorado counties prohibited recreational marijuana facilities in their jurisdiction compared to 23.1% of Washington counties. Since state legalization, several counties in both states have made substantial marijuana facility policy modifications, often preceded by information‐seeking activities. Primary stakeholders involved in policy debates included elected officials, law enforcement, individual growers/farmers, marijuana business license applicants, parents, and residents. Proponents referenced local economic gain, reduced crime, and potential health benefits of marijuana as arguments in favor of permitting local facilities, whereas opponents pointed to economic loss, negative health and public health issues, public safety concerns, and existing federal law. Both sides referenced local public opinion data to support their position. Conclusions: By early 2019, a patchwork of local marijuana policies was in place in Colorado and Washington. We identify key areas of policy and public health research needed to inform future local marijuana policy decisions, including the impact of legalization on public health outcomes (particularly for youth) and public safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If statisticians see themselves as flag bearers of the acknowledgment and communication of uncertainty (and I think we should define ourselves in this way), this task puts statisticians in a difficult position with a public that expects certainty and quick results. Keywords: Bayesian statistics; frequentist statistics; statistical testing EN Bayesian statistics frequentist statistics statistical testing 1 3 3 10/04/22 20221001 NES 221001 INTRODUCTION In her editorial "The Statistics Wars and Intellectual Conflicts of Interest" in I Conservation Biology i , D. Mayo discusses and ultimately rejects demands to abandon claims of statistical significance. Not all data analyses can be done by highly qualified statisticians, and society cannot wait for data analyses while statisticians attempt to achieve perfect understanding and agreement. [Extracted from the article]

Premise: Leaf mass (M) and lamina surface area (A) are important functional traits reported to obey a scaling relationship called "diminishing returns" (i.e., M ∝ Aα>1). Previous studies have focused primarily on eudicots and ignored whether the age of leaves affects the numerical value of the scaling exponent (i.e., α). Methods: The effect of age was examined using 1623 Phyllostachys edulis leaves from culms differing in age collected in Nanjing, China. The scaling relationships among leaf A, fresh mass (FM), and dry mass (DM) were evaluated using reduced major axis protocols. The bootstrap percentile method was used to test the significance of differences in α‐values. Results: Overall, the numerical values of α exceeded 1.0. The scaling relationship between FM and A was statistically more robust than that between DM and A. The scaling exponents of FM vs. A exhibited a "high‐low‐high‐low‐high" numerical trend from the oldest to the youngest age‐group. FM increased linearly as culm age decreased; the leaf DM per unit area (LMA) exhibited a parabolic trend across the age‐groups. Conclusions: "Diminishing returns" is confirmed for all but one age‐group of an important monocot species. The relationship between FM and A was statistically more robust than that between DM and A for each age‐group. The FM per unit A decreased with increasing age‐groups, whereas the middle age‐groups had a greater LMA than the oldest and youngest age‐groups. These data are the first to show that the age of shoots affects the scaling relationship between leaf mass and area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional traits have been examined to explain the growth rates of forest communities in different sites. However, weak or nonexistent relations are often found, especially due to the following methodological aspects: 1) lack of an environmental context (e.g., light, water, or nutrient supply), 2) use of nonfunctional traits, 3) an approach that does not contemplate phenotypic integration, and 4) neglect of intraspecific variation.Here we measured relative growth rates, crown, and leaf traits in saplings of six tropical tree species growing in two light environments (Gap and Understory) to test whether contrasting light environments modulates trait–trait and trait–growth relationships. Moreover, we tested whether models that integrate traits of different dimensions of the plant (crown and leaf) improve the strength of trait–growth relations.Light availability changed both trait–trait and trait–growth relationships. Overall, in Understory, crown traits (crown length and total leaf area) have a stronger effect on growth rates, while physiological traits related to nutrient acquisition (nitrogen concentration), photochemical efficiency (chlorophyll pigments and chlorophyll a fluorescence), and biochemical efficiency (potassium use efficiency) are strong in Gap. Models including multiple traits explained growth rates better in Gap (up to 62%) and Understory (up to 47%), but just in Gap the best model comprises traits that are representative of different dimensions of the plant.Synthesis. We advanced the knowledge behind the light effects on tree sapling by posit that trait–trait and trait–growth relationships vary across light environments. Therefore, light availability is a key environmental factor to be considered when choosing the set of traits to be measured in functional approach studies using tropical tree saplings. In compliance with the phenotype integration hypothesis, functional traits are better predictors of growth rates when grouped in a set of traits of different dimensions of the plant that represent different functional mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field significance tests have been widely used to detect climate change. In most cases, a local test is used to identify significant changes at individual locations, which is then followed by a field significance test that considers the number of locations in a region with locally significant changes. The choice of local test can affect the result, potentially leading to conflicting assessments of the impact of climate change on a region. We demonstrate that when considering changes in the annual extremes of daily precipitation, the simple Mann‐Kendall trend test is preferred as the local test over more complex likelihood ratio tests that compare the fits of stationary and nonstationary generalized extreme value distributions. This lesson allows us to report, with enhanced confidence, that the intensification of annual extremes of daily precipitation in China since 1961 became field significant much earlier than previously reported. Plain Language Summary: Changes to weather and climate extremes at individual locations can be highly uncertain due to natural variability. Much of the natural variability in precipitation extremes occurs on small spatial scales, and thus analyzing changes at different locations in a region with a field significance test can help extract information about changes in the region that is less affected by natural variability. An important component of doing so is the local test that is used to identify significant changes at individual locations and a field significance test that evaluates whether such changes are found at more locations than would be expected from natural variability in an unchanged climate. By contrasting several common local test methods with varying complexity, we find that the simple Mann‐Kendall test tends to yield a field significance test with high power of detection. Based on these lessons, we find that the intensification of extreme precipitation in China became field significant much earlier than previously reported, thereby resolving uncertainty about whether intensification is in fact discernable in China. Key Points: Field significance is generally determined by summarizing the results of individual tests conducted at different locations in a domainInconsistent field significance conclusions can be drawn when using different local test methodsFor extreme precipitation, field significance determined from the simple Mann‐Kendall test performs better than other commonly used ones [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration of species traits in direct gradient analysis generates insights into how communities are assembled and may respond to environmental changes. We investigated phytoplankton trait‐environment relationships for over 300 taxa during the open‐water season across 75 north‐temperate lakes and reservoirs in Alberta, Canada. An innovative, data‐driven approach was applied using iterative model selection for RLQ optimization to reveal key monthly associations. Fourth‐corner analysis then tested the significance of relationships using spatially and phylogenetically constrained null models derived by Moran spectral randomization. Both local‐ and regional‐scale drivers of succession were found with evidence of deterministic filtering by traits increasing in mid‐summer. Trait associations to land‐use and water quality highlighted potential anthropogenic cross‐scale interactions, such as logging and pasture development affecting phytoplankton via allochthonous nutrient inputs. Biogeographic factors (e.g., elevation and habitat size) and associated temperature and chemical gradients (e.g., pH and bicarbonate) were also linked to multiple morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits, including potential toxin production. Several correlated traits emphasized importance of trait syndromes corresponding to distinct taxonomic groups (e.g., cyanobacteria and green algae). However, rather than clustering species with shared ecological preferences or roles, our study builds on past trait‐based approaches to phytoplankton by testing for explicit trait associations with a range of environmental factors. Thus, we provide a novel, quantitative means of revealing environmental constraints on communities and translating their compositional changes under climate and other human influences into functional impacts on freshwater ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MWW test challenges the null hypothesis that two data distributions are the same (Mann & Whitney, 1947), not whether the two distributions have the same median. A bootstrap approach is a superior statistical method for the comparison of non-normal data with differing variances Keywords: bootstrap; cell-to-cell movement; heteroskedastic; Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon; null hypothesis significance testing; plasmodesmata; statistics EN bootstrap cell-to-cell movement heteroskedastic Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon null hypothesis significance testing plasmodesmata statistics 23 26 4 03/04/21 20210401 NES 210401 Phytologists have a primary interest in understanding plant growth, development and environmental responses. Bootstrap, cell-to-cell movement, heteroskedastic, plasmodesmata, statistics, Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon, null hypothesis significance testing. [Extracted from the article]

Intra‐annual periodicity of canopy photosynthetic activity and leaf development has been documented in seasonal and weakly seasonal tropical forests in the Amazon and elsewhere. However, vegetative periodicity such as leaf flush and fall in apparently 'aseasonal' equatorial tropical forests has not been well documented. Moreover, causal drivers of the vegetative periodicity in those forests have not been identified largely because of the difficulty in performing manipulative experiments targeting whole forest ecosystem dynamics.Here we show a distinct annual seasonality in canopy dynamics using a Fourier analysis with a statistical significance test on the long‐term, fortnightly monitored dataset of leaf litterfall in nine evergreen tropical rain forests on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. Statistically significant annual periodicity occurs across elevations and soil types in all years irrespective of the year‐to‐year climatic variability, suggesting that fluctuations in regional climate rather than local micro‐climatic, edaphic and/or biotic conditions cause the precise 1‐year periodicity.We examine climatic factors that have causative effects on the distinct 1‐year periodicity using the spectrum convergent cross mapping that we developed in the present study that can distinguish causal relationships from seasonality‐driven synchronization. According to the analysis, we find that mean daily air temperature is most strongly, causatively related to the 1‐year periodicity of leaf litterfall. However, knowledge on ecophysiolocial and molecular mechanisms underlying temperature‐control of tropical tree growth is limited and further studies are required to understand the detailed mechanisms.Synthesis. We suggest that intra‐annual temperature changes in association with the movement of the intertropical convergence zone cause the distinct annual vegetative periodicity. Because vegetative periodicity can be transmitted to the dynamics of higher trophic levels through a trophic cascade, interactions between vegetative periodicity and daily air temperature, not rainfall, would more strongly cause changes in the dynamics of equatorial tropical rain forests. Our results show that clear vegetative periodicity (i.e. annual seasonality) can be found in equatorial tropical rain forests under diverse local environments, and that air temperature is a more important factor than the other climate variables in the climate–forest ecosystem interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Purpose: To determine if online medical education for ophthalmologists (Ophth) could improve knowledge for GA disease impact, patient assessment and confidence in emerging therapies. Methods: Ophth participated in an online 30 min video, 3 expert roundtable discussion with accompanying slides. A repeated pairs pre−/post‐assessment study design was used, assessing three multiple choice knowledge and one confidence question. Statistical significance tests: McNemar's test for individual questions (5% significance level, p < 0.05), paired sample t‐test for overall average correct responses and confidence rating; data collected 16 December 2022 to 22 March 2023. Test completers: 230. Results: At baseline, 3% Ophth answered all three questions correctly, increasing to 37% (p < 0.01) post‐assessment. 58% Ophth reported improved confidence understanding the rationale for targeting the complement system with GA therapies. The activity significantly increased knowledge on impact of GA on time to loss of ability to drive (pre: 7%, post: 52%, p < 0.001), on recall of detrimental lesion characteristics (pre: 40%, post: 67% p < 0.01) as well as capability of automated OCT analysis algorithms to predict GA progression (pre: 51%, post: 69%, p < 0.001). Only 24% Ophth polled currently document >75% patients with advanced atrophic AMD with OCT/FAF imaging. Conclusions: Online medical education in the form of expert roundtable discussions with accompanying slides can significantly improve knowledge on assessing patients with GA using imaging, understand the rationale to treat and increase confidence in understanding the role of complement inhibition. Polling showed a lack in documenting patients for GA progression. Complementary education is warranted during the introduction of a novel therapeutic horizon in GA management in clinical practice to support evidence‐based patient selection guidance for emerging therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: With the application of 3D photography, our study aimed to quantify parameters of static nasolabial fold wrinkles and establish mathematic regression model between parameters of wrinkles and age, further to quantitatively evaluate the effect of rejuvenation treatment in terms of age. Methods: From October 2016 to May 2018, 433 Chinese female volunteers, aged 25‐60 years old, were enrolled in this study. Antera 3D camera was used to collect four parameters of static nasolabial fold wrinkles on the left and right sides of the volunteers, including overall size, average depth (mm), average width (mm), and maximum depth (mm). For those presented a linear relationship with age, univariate linear regression fitting was performed, followed by residual analysis, goodness of fit test, and significance test. Results: The results of univariate linear regression fitting showed there was a clear linear relationship between the maximum depth, average depth, overall size of nasolabial fold wrinkles and age, and the regression equations were established. The significance test of regression coefficients showed P values were less than.0001. Conclusions: With application of the regression model between parameters of nasolabial fold wrinkles and age, the effect of rejuvenation treatment can be quantitatively evaluated in terms of age, which has certain reference and promotion value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the dietary quality of women and children is essential to reduce all forms of malnutrition. In this study, we assessed seasonal child and maternal dietary diversity and consumption of animal‐source foods (ASF), using 1,236 observations from combined data collected among 167 mother–child dyads in rural Timor‐Leste. We used generalized linear and logistic mixed‐effects models to examine the dietary differentials of mothers and children in two agricultural livelihood zones and across the seasons, as well as to identify household and agroecological characteristics associated with children's dietary quality in relation to their mothers'. We found dietary quality to be marginally better in coastal than in mid‐altitude zones. However, women's diets were strikingly poor, and their intake of ASF was lower than among children. Mothers exhibited preferential allocation patterns of specific ASF, dairy products and eggs, to children. The intake of ASF was predicted by seasonality. Flesh foods and red meat were much more likely to be consumed during the dry season, when cultural ceremonies are often performed. We found a positive and strongly significant association between children's dietary indicators—dietary diversity score, minimum dietary diversity and ASF consumption, and those of their mothers'. Maternal dietary quality and educational attainment, more so than agroecological characteristics, were explanatory factors of children's diet. Our study highlights that addressing the dietary quality of children in Timor‐Leste would benefit from improving women's diets through better access to nutritious foods and to secondary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Segmentation of tissues in brain magnetic resonance (MR) images has a crucial role in computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) of various brain diseases. However, due to the complex anatomical structure and the presence of intensity non-uniformity (INU) artefact, the segmentation of brain MR images is considered as a complicated task. In this study, the authors propose a novel locally influenced fuzzy C-means (LIFCM) clustering for segmentation of tissues in MR brain images. The proposed method incorporates local information in the clustering process to achieve accurate labelling of pixels. A novel local influence factor is proposed, which estimates the influence of a neighbouring pixel on the centre pixel. Furthermore, they have introduced the kernel-induced distance in LIFCM, which deals with complex brain MR data and produces effective segmentation. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, they have used one simulated and one real MRI data set. Extensive experimental findings suggest that the authors' method not only produces effective segmentation but also retains crucial image details. The statistical significance test has been further conducted to support their experimental observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Garcinia kola (bitter kola) is locally ingested across the West African subregion. It has ocular hypotensive effects similar to some commonly used glaucoma medications when administered topically. The study assessed the effect of oral ingestion of G. kola on intraocular pressure (IOP). Method: A randomized, single‐blind, placebo‐controlled, cross‐over design was used in this study. Forty‐six healthy subjects, aged between 19 and 27 years were recruited and randomized into two groups (A and B). Subjects in group A ingested 100 mg/kg body weight bitter kola in a 200 ml solution on their first visit and group B ingested 200 ml of water. On the second visit, the order of treatment was reversed, IOP was measured at baseline and every 45 min interval for 135 min. The mean difference between the baseline and post‐treatment IOP measurements were tested for statistical significance using repeated‐measures analysis of variance (95% confidence intervals [CIs]). Results: Mean IOP measurements decreased by 7.9, 18.2 and 20.6% at 45, 90 and 135 min, respectively, after G. kola treatment. The reduction, though variable across subjects, was statistically significant (F [2.13, 95.62] = 90.35, p < 0.0001) across the respective time points. Repetition of an identical protocol without G. kola caused clinically negligible changes in IOP. There was no statistically significant influence of gender or age in G. kola effect on IOP reading. Conclusion: Oral ingestion of G. kola lowered the intraocular pressure of healthy young adults by 21%. Such an effect may be of therapeutic benefit to patients with POAG or ocular hypertension in low‐income settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urbanization impacts on surface air temperature (SAT) change in the Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macau region (GHMR) from 1979 to 2018 are examined using homogeneous surface observations, reanalysis, and remote sensing. Results show that the warming due to urbanization tends to be smaller or insignificant as the spatial scale increases. The urbanization contribution to the local warming can reach as high as 50% in the center of each metropolis, remains high (~25%) in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and decreases to about 10% in the whole GHMR. The warming in GHMR is nearly uniform throughout the day, and therefore, the observed trend of the diurnal temperature range (DTR) is not statistically significant. However, the urbanization contribution exhibits distinct seasonal variations, large in summer and autumn while smaller in winter and spring. Plain Language Summary: The Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macau region (GHMR), especially the Greater Bay Area (GBA), is a region typical of China's economic development and rapid urbanization. To precisely assess how much the urbanization contributes to the regional warming, we comprehensively evaluate the urbanization warming and its uncertainties in GHMR by using more careful processed and assessed data (observations, reanalysis, and remote sensing) and different analysis methods. The results show that the warming due to urbanization tends to be smaller as the spatial scale increases: The contribution to the local warming can reach as high as 50% in the metropolis, remains high (~25%) in GBA, and decreases to about 10% in GHMR. In addition, this paper systematically discusses the uncertainty in urbanization contribution detection, which was often neglected in the past detection. Based on the significance tests, urbanization warming is nearly uniform throughout the day, while it exhibits distinct seasonal variation. Our study also has important implications for understanding the influences of human activities on regional climate change for other regions experiencing rapid urbanization processes. Key Points: The contribution of urbanization to regional warming is robust in homogenized SAT data and ERA5 reanalysis using different methodsThe spatial scale dependence of urbanization warming is investigated; the contribution of urbanization warming decreases when the scale increasesUrbanization contribution exhibits distinct seasonal variation based on the uncertainty assessment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Temporal patterns of community dynamics are drawing increasing interest due to their potential to shed light on assembly processes and anthropogenic effects. However, interpreting such patterns considerably benefits from comparing observed dynamics to the reference of a null model. For that aim, the cyclic shift permutations algorithm, which generates randomized null communities based on empirically observed time series, has recently been proposed. This algorithm, borrowed from the spatial analysis literature, shifts each species time series randomly in time, and this is claimed to preserve the temporal autocorrelation of single species. Hence it has been used to test the significance of various community patterns, in particular excessive compositional changes, biodiversity trends and community stability. Innovation: Here I critically study the properties of the cyclic shift algorithm for the first time. I show that, unlike previously suggested, this algorithm does not preserve temporal autocorrelation due to the need to 'wrap' the time series and assign the last observations to the first years. Moreover, this algorithm scrambles the initial state of the community, making any dynamics that result from deviations from equilibrium seem excessive. I exemplify that these two issues lead to a highly elevated type I error rate in tests for excessive compositional changes and richness trends. Conclusions: Caution is needed when using the cyclic shift permutation algorithm and interpreting results obtained using it. Interpretation is further complicated because the algorithm removes all correlations between species. I suggest guidelines for using this method and discuss several possible alternative approaches. The non‐preservation of autocorrelation also raises questions regarding the use of the analogous spatial null model, the torus‐translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the vitamin D status in healthy 6‐month‐old infants, as well as vitamin D supplementation and feeding patterns in Guangzhou, China, serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations of 202 infants were measured at birth (cord blood) and at 6 months of age in Guangzhou, China. Questionnaires acquiring demographic characteristics, maternal and infantile vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and first 6 months after birth, and feeding patterns during the first 6 months were completed by participating mothers. Physical examinations and blood sampling were carried out among infants at 6 months of age. The majority of infants (93.6%) were supplemented with vitamin D during the first 6 months of life on a voluntary basis. The M ± SD of cord serum 25OHD concentration was 46.2 ± 16.4 nmol/L, whereas the M ± SD of 25OHD concentration at 6 months was 82.9 ± 24.9 nmol/L. Serum 25OHD concentrations <30 nmol/L were seen in 34 (16.8%) infants at birth but only one (0.5%) at 6 months. Only 11 (5.4%) infants had concentrations >75 nmol/L at birth, whereas the majority of infants (n = 131, 64.9%) had concentrations >75 nmol/L at 6 months. The main predictors of 25OHD levels at 6 months included season, vitamin D supplementation, parental education level, and feeding patterns. To conclude, serum 25OHD concentrations were low at birth in a southern Chinese population, and infantile supplementation is an effective way to improve 25OHD status. Exclusively breastfed infants might need greater vitamin D supplementation, and individualized vitamin D supplementation plans might be needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying species interactions and detecting when ecological communities are structured by them is an important problem in ecology and biogeography. Ecologists have developed specialized statistical hypothesis tests to detect patterns indicative of community‐wide processes in their field data. In this respect, null model approaches have proved particularly popular. The freedom allowed in choosing the null model and statistic to construct a hypothesis test leads to a proliferation of possible hypothesis tests from which ecologists can choose to detect these processes. Here, we point out some serious shortcomings of a popular approach to choosing the best hypothesis for the ecological problem at hand that involves benchmarking different hypothesis tests by assessing their performance on artificially constructed data sets. Terminological errors concerning the use of Type I and Type II errors that underlie these approaches are discussed. We argue that the key benchmarking methods proposed in the literature are not a sound guide for selecting null hypothesis tests, and further, that there is no simple way to benchmark null hypothesis tests. Surprisingly, the basic problems identified here do not appear to have been addressed previously, and these methods are still being used to develop and test new null models and summary statistics, from quantifying community structure (e.g., nestedness and modularity) to analyzing ecological networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Geophytes, plants with buds on underground structures, are found throughout the plant tree of life. These below ground structures allow plants to inhabit highly seasonal and disturbance‐prone environments across ecosystems. Past researchers have hypothesised that the bulbous, cormous and tuberous habits promote diversification, but this had yet to be tested.Using a comprehensive monocot data set of almost 13 000 taxa, we investigated the effects of the geophytic habit on diversification using both state‐dependent and state‐independent models.We found that geophytes exhibit increased rates of diversification relative to nongeophytes. State‐dependent analyses recovered higher yet similar rates of diversification for bulbous, cormous and tuberous taxa compared with rhizomatous and nongeophytic taxa. However, the state‐independent model returned no difference in rates among the different traits.Geophytism shows higher rates of diversification relative to nongeophytes but we found little support for the hypothesis that the evolution of the bulb, corm or tuber appears to provide a diversification increase relative to rhizomatous and nongeophytic taxa. Our broad‐scale analysis highlights the overall evolutionary importance of the geophytic habit (i.e. belowground bud placement). However, our results also suggest that belowground morphological diversity alone cannot explain this rate increase. In order to further test the evolutionary significance of these underground structures, future studies should consider these in combination with other biotic and abiotic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecologists often use dispersion metrics and statistical hypothesis testing to infer processes of community formation such as environmental filtering, competitive exclusion, and neutral species assembly. These metrics have limited power in inferring assembly models because they rely on often‐violated assumptions. Here, we adapt a model of phenotypic similarity and repulsion to simulate the process of community assembly via environmental filtering and competitive exclusion, all while parameterizing the strength of the respective ecological processes. We then use random forests and approximate Bayesian computation to distinguish between these models given the simulated data. We find that our approach is more accurate than using dispersion metrics and accounts for uncertainty in model selection. We also demonstrate that the parameter determining the strength of the assembly processes can be accurately estimated. This approach is available in the R package CAMI; Community Assembly Model Inference. We demonstrate the effectiveness of CAMI using an example of plant communities living on lava flow islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The intranasal (IN) route for rapid drug administration in patients with brain disorders, including status epilepticus, has been investigated. Status epilepticus is an emergency, and the IN route offers a valuable alternative to other routes, especially when these fail. Objectives: To compare IN versus IV midazolam (MDZ) at the same dosage (0.2 mg/kg) for controlling status epilepticus in dogs. Animals: Client‐owned dogs (n = 44) with idiopathic epilepsy, structural epilepsy, or epilepsy of unknown origin manifesting as status epilepticus. Methods: Randomized parallel group clinical trial. Patients were randomly allocated to the IN‐MDZ (n = 21) or IV‐MDZ (n = 23) group. Number of successfully treated cases (defined as seizure cessation within 5 minutes and lasting for ≥10 minutes), seizure cessation time, and adverse effects were recorded. Comparisons were performed using the Fisher's exact and Wilcoxon rank sum tests with statistical significance set at α < .05. Results: IN‐MDZ and IV‐MDZ successfully stopped status epilepticus in 76% and 61% of cases, respectively (P =.34). The median seizure cessation time was 33 and 64 seconds for IN‐MDZ and IV‐MDZ, respectively (P =.63). When the time to place an IV catheter was taken into account, IN‐MDZ (100 seconds) was superior (P =.04) to IV‐MDZ (270 seconds). Sedation and ataxia were seen in 88% and 79% of the dogs treated with IN‐MDZ and IV‐MDZ, respectively. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Both routes are quick, safe, and effective for controlling status epilepticus. However, the IN route demonstrated superiority when the time needed to place an IV catheter was taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As citizens, patients and family members are participating in numerous and expanding roles in health system organizations, attention has turned to evaluating these efforts. The context‐specific nature of engagement requires evaluation tools to be carefully designed for optimal use. We sought to address this need by assessing the appropriateness and feasibility of a generic tool across a range of health system organizations, engagement activities and patient groups. Methods: We used a mixed‐methods implementation research design to study the implementation of an engagement evaluation tool in seven health system organizations in Ontario, Canada focusing on two key implementation outcome variables: appropriateness and feasibility. Data were collected through respondent feedback questions (binary and open‐ended) at the end of the tool's three questionnaires as well as interviews and debriefing discussions with engagement professionals and patient partners from collaborating organizations. Results: The three questionnaires comprising the evaluation tool were collectively administered 29 times to 405 respondents yielding a 52% response rate (90% and 53% of respondents respectively assessed the survey's appropriateness and feasibility [quantitatively or qualitatively]). The questionnaires' basic properties were rated highly by all respondents. Concrete suggestions were provided for improving the appropriateness and feasibility of the questionnaires (or components within) for different engagement activity and organization types, and for enhancing the timing of implementation. Discussion and Conclusions: Our study findings offer guidance for health system organizations and evaluators to support the optimal use of engagement evaluation tools across a variety of health system settings, engagement activities and respondent groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centrographic measures of spatial dispersion, such as the standard distance, provide a numerical value to summarize the radial scattering of a set of points around their centre of gravity or centroid. This paper develops a procedure to test for the statistical significance of differences in dispersion between two sets of phenomena intertwined in space. The significance test is implemented using a resampling randomization procedure based on the pooled locations from both sets to estimate the sampling distribution of their differences. Repeated thousands of times, that yields empirical frequency thresholds of the sampling distributions to assess the statistical significance of the observed differences. Case studies based on residential locations of lone‐parent families and retired couples in the Quebec City Metropolitan Area illustrate the procedure. This paper shows how randomization procedures can be used to adapt classical tests to assess the statistical significance of differences between indices of spatial dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This paper presents the statistical bases for temporal beta‐diversity analysis, a method to study changes in community composition through time from repeated surveys at several sites. Surveys of that type are presently done by ecologists around the world. A temporal beta‐diversity Index (TBI) is computed for each site, measuring the change in species composition between the first (T1) and second surveys (T2). TBI indices can be decomposed into losses and gains; they can also be tested for significance, allowing one to identify the sites that have changed in composition in exceptional ways. This method will be of value to identify exceptional sites in space–time surveys carried out to study anthropogenic impacts, including climate change. Innovation: The null hypothesis of the TBI test is that a species assemblage is not exceptionally different between T1 and T2, compared to assemblages that could have been observed at this site at T1 and T2 under conditions corresponding to H0. Tests of significance of coefficients in a dissimilarity matrix are usually not possible because the values in the matrix are interrelated. Here, however, the dissimilarity between T1 and T2 for a site is computed with different data from the dissimilarities used for the T1–T2 comparison at other sites. It is thus possible to compute a valid test of significance in that case. In addition, the paper shows how TBI dissimilarities can be decomposed into loss and gain components (of species, or abundances‐perspecies) and how a B–C plot can be produced from these components, which informs users about the processes of biodiversity losses and gains through time in space–time survey data. Main conclusion: Three applications of the method to different ecological communities are presented. This method is applicable worldwide to all types of communities, marine, and terrestrial. R software is available implementing the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spallation of environmental barrier coating (EBC) induced by thermally grown oxide (TGO) resulting from steam oxidation is a key EBC failure mode. A logical approach to improve EBC life, therefore, is to reduce TGO growth rates. A study was undertaken to investigate whether TGO growth rates can be reduced by adding modifier oxides. It was based on a hypothesis that modifier oxides dissolve in SiO2TGO and modify the SiO2 structure, making the TGO less permeable to oxidants. Using a current state‐of‐the‐art EBC (Si/Yb2Si2O7) as the baseline, the Yb2Si2O7 layer was modified by adding Al2O3 or Al2O3‐containing oxide compounds, such as mullite and YAG (Y3Al5O12), and TiO2. EBCs were processed using air plasma spraying. Steam oxidation tests and post‐oxidation test oxidation kinetics, chemistry, microstructure, and phase analysis were used to test the hypothesis. The best modified EBC reduced the TGO thickness by ~87% compared with that of the baseline EBC in 90% H2O + 10% O2 at 1316°C under thermal cycling. Correlations between oxidation kinetics, chemistry, and microstructure of EBC and TGO were used to explain the effect of modifier oxides on reducing TGO growth rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We compared the effects of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) to conventional patient‐controlled analgesia (PCA) on several postoperative parameters of recovery after elective video‐assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy. Methods: Ninety‐eight patients undergoing elective VATS lobectomy were enrolled. The primary endpoint was pain score. Recovery of bowel function, length of stay in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), duration of postoperative hospital stay, and complications were assessed. Continuous variables were expressed and compared between groups using either a two‐tailed Student's t or Mann‐Whitney U test. Recovery of bowel function was compared using the log‐rank test. Results: Baseline characteristics between the groups were similar. Dynamic pain scores on postoperative days (PODs) 0–2 were significantly lower in the TEA group, as were resting pain scores on PODs 1 and 2 (P < 0.05). The mean duration to first flatus (16 ± 0.7 vs. 26 ± 0.7 hours; P < 0.001) and the mean length of stay in the PACU (34 vs. 67 minutes; P = 0.027) were shorter in the TEA compared to the PCA group, respectively. The only difference in postoperative complications was regarding confusion (5 TEA vs. 18 PCA patients; P = 0.002). No difference in overall length of stay was noted. Conclusions: Compared to PCA, TEA provided better postoperative pain control after VATS lobectomy and facilitated postoperative recovery of bowel function without increasing the length of hospital stay. This beneficial effect of TEA might be attributed to the attenuation of sympathetic hyperactivation, improved analgesia, and reduced opioid use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The buzzing foraging behavior of female bees for pollen harvesting called the attention of early pollination biologists. Flower types that demand this buzzing behavior comprise about 20,000 species of different and phylogenetically unrelated plant taxa, suggesting that it had independently evolved many times among the flowering plants. Between the late 1970s and early 1980s, theoretical papers had modeled the energetics of buzz pollination, but, up to this moment, no hypothesis was experimentally tested concerning the theoretical basis of the energetics of buzz pollination. We present a cost‐effective and simple apparatus, including a digital and highly accurate frequency generator, and a device for the transference of buzz‐frequency energy to the receptive floral unity. The receptive floral unities may comprise the entire or partial androecium, or the tubular corolla, or, in some cases, the whole flower. This apparatus can be easily used in both laboratory and field conditions of research, as natural air currents are avoided, and the response of pollen liberation can be quantitatively measured by pollen grain counts that can be captured by adhesion in slide poured with an isosmotic lactate–glycerol media. The maximum displacement of the hardwire beam/claw system was 0.1170 ± 0.0006 mm @ 150 Hz; 0.021 ± 0.003 mm @ 250 Hz; 0.010 ± 0.001 mm @ 350 Hz; 0.0058 ± 0.0001 mm @ 450 Hz; and 0.0082 ± 0.0005 mm @ 550 Hz. Hypothesis contrasting frequency emission and pollen liberation measured as pollen grain counts may be tested in a species flower type by simple linear regression if pollen counts are normally distributed, or ordinal logistic regression, with non‐normal counts. The comparison among different flower‐type requirements can be tested through appropriate statistical methods for both normally and non‐normally distributed pollen grain counts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One reason a nominal I p i -value may not be a genuine I p i -value is that calculating I T i may involve many steps, including data selection, model selection, test selection, and selective reporting. Keywords: hypothesis tests; statistics EN hypothesis tests statistics 1 2 2 10/04/22 20221001 NES 221001 I enjoyed Professor Mayo's (2022) comment in I Conservation Biology i very much, and agree enthusiastically with most of it. In my opinion, the main problems with I p i -values are faulty interpretation, even of genuine I p i -values; use of nominal I p i -values that are not genuine I p i -values; and, perhaps most importantly, testing statistical hypotheses that have no connection to the scientific hypotheses. [Extracted from the article]

Accurate experimental XAFS (X‐ray absorption fine‐structure) data including uncertainties are required during analysis for valid comparison of results and conclusions of hypothesis testing on structural determinations. Here an approach is developed to investigate data without standard interpolation of experimental data and with minimal loss of information content in the raw data. Nickel coordination complexes bis(i‐n‐propylsalicylaldiminato)nickel(II) (i‐pr) and bis(N‐n‐propylsalicylaldiminato)nickel(II) (n‐pr) are investigated. The additional physical insight afforded by the correct propagation of experimental uncertainty is used to determine newly refined structures for the innermost co‐ordination shell. Two sets of data are investigated for each complex; one optimized for high point accuracy and one optimized for high point density. Clearly both are important and in this investigation the quality of the physical insight from each is directly provided by measured and propagated uncertainties to fairly represent the relevant accuracies. The results provide evidence for an approximate tetrahedral geometry for the i‐pr Ni complex that is more symmetric than previously concluded, with our high point accuracy data yielding ligand lengths of 2.017 ± 0.006 Å and 2.022 ∓ 0.006 Å for Ni—N and Ni—O bonds, respectively, and an even more skewed square‐planar (i.e. rhombohedral) arrangement for the n‐pr complex with corresponding bond lengths of 2.133 ± 0.004 Å and 1.960 ∓ 0.003 Å. The ability to distinguish using hypothesis testing between the subtle differences in XAFS spectra arising from the approximate local tetrahedral and square‐planar geometries of the complexes is also highlighted. The effect of standard interpolation on experimental XAFS spectra prior to fitting with theoretical model structures is investigated. While often performed as a necessary step for Fourier transformation into position space, this will nonetheless skew the fit away from actual data taken, and fails to preserve the information content within the data uncertainty. The artificial effects that interpolation imposes on χr2 are demonstrated. Finally, a method for interpolation is introduced which locally preserves the χr2 and thus information content, when a regular grid is required, e.g for further analysis in r‐space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To clarify the hypothesis tests associated with the full covariate modelling (FCM) approach in population pharmacokinetic analysis, investigate the potential impact of multiplicity in population pharmacokinetic analysis, and evaluate simultaneous confidence intervals (SCI) as an approach to control multiplicity. Methods: Clinical trial simulations were performed using a simple one‐compartment pharmacokinetic model. Different numbers of covariates, sample sizes, effect sizes of covariates, and correlations among covariates were explored. The false positive rate (FPR) and power were evaluated. Results: The FPR for the FCM approach dramatically increases with number of covariates. The chance of incorrectly selecting ≥1 seemingly clinically relevant covariates can be increased from 5% to a 40–70% range for 10–20 covariates. The SCI approach may provide appropriate control of the family‐wise FPR, allowing more appropriate decision making. As a result, the power detecting real effects without incorrectly identifying non‐existing effects can be greatly improved by the SCI approach compared to the approach in current practice. The performance of the SCI approach is driven by the ratio of sample size to number of covariates. The FPR can be controlled at 5% and 10% using the SCI approach when the ratio was ≥20 and 10, respectively. Conclusion: The FCM approach still lies within the framework of statistical testing, and therefore multiplicity is an issue for this approach. It is imperative to consider multiplicity reporting and adjustments in FCM modelling practice to ensure more appropriate decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pop‐Inference is an educational tool designed to help teaching of hypothesis testing using populations. The application allows for the statistical comparison of demographic parameters among populations. Input demographic data are projection matrices or raw demographic data. Randomization tests are used to compare populations. The tests evaluate the hypothesis that demographic parameters differ among groups of individuals more that should be expected from random allocation of individuals to populations. Confidence intervals for demographic parameters are obtained using the bootstrap. Tests may be global or pairwise. In addition to tests on differences, one‐way life table response experiments (LTRE) are available for random and fixed factors. Planned (a priori) comparisons are possible. Power of comparison tests is evaluated by constructing the distribution of the test statistic when the null hypothesis is true and when it is false. The relationship between power and sample size is explored by evaluating differences among populations at increasing population sizes, while keeping vital rates constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: Population prevalence studies of migraine report prevalence rates of between 2.6 and 21.7%, with an average of ~12%. However, migraine prevalence among neurologists is reported to be significantly higher, between 27.6% and 48.6%. Increasing knowledge of the protean manifestations of migraine may explain this difference. Similarly, under‐recognition of migraine in control groups may explain the lack of genetic and biomarker findings in this disorder. We therefore sought to determine the prevalence of migraine in an admixed group of individuals with varied knowledge of migraine symptomatology. Methods: Attendees at the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists Annual Scientific Meeting (ANZAN ASM) 2017 were surveyed anonymously. Those surveyed included three groups: neurologists, neurology trainees, and others including nonclinical researchers, members of lay organizations, and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. Results: In total, 313 of 606 attendees responded (51.7%). 65.9% of neurologist, 57.4% of trainee, and 52.5% of others respondents had a personal history of migraine, with the difference between neurologists and others being statistically significant (p = .03). Migraine in migraineurs and nonmigraine headache in nonmigraineurs were nearly all self‐diagnosed. Among neurologist migraineurs, 51.2% experienced migraine with aura and 43% migraine without aura. Conclusions: Migraine prevalence is significantly higher in neurologists compared to non‐neurologists and at least 2–3 times higher than reported in population prevalence studies. This may be due to significant under‐recognition of migraine in non‐neurologists. This under‐recognition of migraine may significantly influence the search for genetic predictors and biomarkers of migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]