Agronomic Weights of Ammonia Emission from Staple Crops in China as Response to Mitigation Strategies under Various Agronomic Conditions: A Meta-Analysis Study

Economic losses and environmental hazards are meaningful problems of emitted ammonia induced by extensive use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. The concept presented as yield scaled fertilizer productivity (YSFP) in our meta-analysis in addition to nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE), and productivity of applied nitrogen (PAN) were used to weight ammonia emission (AV)-induced reductions in wheat, maize, and rice production. The comprehensive meta-analysis was used to weight the reductions in these parameters by AV as the difference between observed means of the collected studies and their adjusted means using AV factor. There were higher reductions in agronomic production induced by AV in rice than maize and wheat. AV-induced reductions in PAN of rice, maize, and wheat were decreased by 4.99, 3.71, and 2.42 (kg grains kg−1 N), respectively. YSFP and PAN recorded the highest sensitivity to AV in wheat (R2 = 0.88 for both) and rice (R2 = 0.92 and 0.89, respectively), while NUE was the most efficient parameter in weighting AV agronomic effects (R2 = 0.81). Slow-released N fertilizers resulted in the lowest reductions in AV agronomic parameters followed by organic amendments and then urea while using other synthetic fertilizers recorded the highest reductions by 3.90, 6.40, 1.41, and 4.70 in YSFP, NUE, NAE, and PAN, respectively. Inhibitors had the highest effect on mitigating AV agronomic losses compared with biochar and mulching and affected the parameters following that order as percentages of no amendments, YSFP (52.63%) > PAN (47.18%) > NUE (40.83%) > NAE (38.75%). This study outlines the reductions in agronomic production induced by AV and weights the efficiency of various mitigation strategies under various agronomic conditions. The results proved the efficiency of YSFP with NUE parameters to weight the effect of AV on crop yield, while suggesting to find out more applicable parameters in further studies.

Download Full-text

Ammonia emission from staple crops in China as response to mitigation strategies and agronomic conditions: Meta-analytic study

Journal of Cleaner Production ◽

10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123835 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 279 ◽

pp. 123835

Author(s):

Ahmed I. Abdo ◽

Duopeng Shi ◽

Jie Li ◽

Ting Yang ◽

Xiaofei Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Analytic Study ◽

Ammonia Emission ◽

Staple Crops ◽

Agronomic Conditions

Download Full-text

Sex-bias in COVID-19: a meta-analysis and review of sex differences in disease and immunity

10.21203/rs.3.rs-23651/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Hannah Peckham ◽

Nina de Gruijter ◽

Charles Raine ◽

Anna Radziszewska ◽

Coziana Ciurtin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Adaptive Immune Response ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Treatment Unit ◽

Adaptive Immune ◽

Male Patients ◽

Males And Females ◽

The Difference ◽

Innate Antiviral Response

Abstract A striking anecdotal feature of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is the difference in morbidity and mortality between the sexes. Here, we present a meta-analysis of 206, 128 reported cases to demonstrate that whilst there is no difference in the proportion of males and females with confirmed COVID-19, male patients have more than double the odds of requiring intensive treatment unit admission (OR 2.5) and higher odds of death (OR 1.60) when compared to females. We review data revealing how previous Coronavirus outbreaks have demonstrated a similar pattern. Important differences in the immune response to infection exist between sexes, which are likely to contribute to this observation. In this review, we discuss these differences highlighting that females have a more robust innate antiviral response and a better adaptive immune response to infection. An appreciation of how sex is influencing COVID-19 outcomes will have important implications for clinical management and mitigation strategies for this disease.

Download Full-text

Meta-Analysis of Bovine Digital Dermatitis Microbiota Reveals Distinct Microbial Community Structures Associated With Lesions

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fcimb.2021.685861 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Ben Caddey ◽

Jeroen De Buck

Keyword(s):

Meta Analysis ◽

Normal Skin ◽

Hypervariable Region ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Community Structures ◽

Sample Collection ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Digital Dermatitis ◽

Associated Bacteria

Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is a significant cause of infectious lameness and economic losses in cattle production across the world. There is a lack of a consensus across different 16S metagenomic studies on DD-associated bacteria that may be potential pathogens of the disease. The goal of this meta-analysis was to identify a consistent group of DD-associated bacteria in individual DD lesions across studies, regardless of experimental design choices including sample collection and preparation, hypervariable region sequenced, and sequencing platform. A total of 6 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Raw sequences and metadata were identified on the NCBI sequence read archive and European nucleotide archive. Bacterial community structures were investigated between normal skin and DD skin samples. Random forest models were generated to classify DD status based on microbial composition, and to identify taxa that best differentiate DD status. Among all samples, members of Treponema, Mycoplasma, Porphyromonas, and Fusobacterium were consistently identified in the majority of DD lesions, and were the best genera at differentiating DD lesions from normal skin. Individual study and 16S hypervariable region sequenced had significant influence on final DD lesion microbial composition (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that members of Treponema, Mycoplasma, Porphyromonas, and/or Fusobacterium may have significant roles in DD pathogenesis, and should be studied further in respect to elucidating DD etiopathogenic mechanisms and developing more effective treatment and mitigation strategies.

Download Full-text

Sex-bias in COVID-19: a meta-analysis and review of sex differences in disease and immunity

10.21203/rs.3.rs-23651/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hannah Peckham ◽

Nina de Gruijter ◽

Charles Raine ◽

Anna Radziszewska ◽

Coziana Ciurtin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Adaptive Immune Response ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Treatment Unit ◽

Adaptive Immune ◽

Male Patients ◽

Males And Females ◽

The Difference ◽

Innate Antiviral Response

Download Full-text

Relationship between total plasma homocysteine and the risk of aneurysms – a meta-analysis

VASA ◽

10.1024/0301-1526/a000891 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Hanji Zhang ◽

Dexin Yin ◽

Yue Zhao ◽

Yezhou Li ◽

Dejiang Yao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Single Species ◽

Total Plasma ◽

Control Groups ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Randomized Controlled Studies ◽

The Difference ◽

The Relationship ◽

Healthy Participants

Summary: Our meta-analysis focused on the relationship between homocysteine (Hcy) level and the incidence of aneurysms and looked at the relationship between smoking, hypertension and aneurysms. A systematic literature search of Pubmed, Web of Science, and Embase databases (up to March 31, 2020) resulted in the identification of 19 studies, including 2,629 aneurysm patients and 6,497 healthy participants. Combined analysis of the included studies showed that number of smoking, hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in aneurysm patients was higher than that in the control groups, and the total plasma Hcy level in aneurysm patients was also higher. These findings suggest that smoking, hypertension and HHcy may be risk factors for the development and progression of aneurysms. Although the heterogeneity of meta-analysis was significant, it was found that the heterogeneity might come from the difference between race and disease species through subgroup analysis. Large-scale randomized controlled studies of single species and single disease species are needed in the future to supplement the accuracy of the results.

Download Full-text

Age Differences in Eye Movements During Reading: Degenerative Problems or Compensatory Strategy?

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000344 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 297-311

Author(s):

José David Moreno ◽

José A. León ◽

Lorena A. M. Arnal ◽

Juan Botella

Keyword(s):

Eye Movements ◽

Eye Movement ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Age Groups ◽

Behavioral Changes ◽

Aging Effects ◽

Movement Data ◽

Sentence Reading ◽

The Difference ◽

Eye Movements During Reading

Abstract. We report the results of a meta-analysis of 22 experiments comparing the eye movement data obtained from young ( Mage = 21 years) and old ( Mage = 73 years) readers. The data included six eye movement measures (mean gaze duration, mean fixation duration, total sentence reading time, mean number of fixations, mean number of regressions, and mean length of progressive saccade eye movements). Estimates were obtained of the typified mean difference, d, between the age groups in all six measures. The results showed positive combined effect size estimates in favor of the young adult group (between 0.54 and 3.66 in all measures), although the difference for the mean number of fixations was not significant. Young adults make in a systematic way, shorter gazes, fewer regressions, and shorter saccadic movements during reading than older adults, and they also read faster. The meta-analysis results confirm statistically the most common patterns observed in previous research; therefore, eye movements seem to be a useful tool to measure behavioral changes due to the aging process. Moreover, these results do not allow us to discard either of the two main hypotheses assessed for explaining the observed aging effects, namely neural degenerative problems and the adoption of compensatory strategies.

Download Full-text

SEISMIC RISK AND RESILIENCE ASSESSMENT OF INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES: CASE STUDY ON A BLACK CARBON PLANT

10.31219/osf.io/5aswh ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

George Karagiannakis

Keyword(s):

Seismic Risk ◽

Numerical Models ◽

Fragility Curves ◽

Human Life ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Risk And Resilience ◽

Industrial Plants ◽

Plant Equipment

This paper deals with state of the art risk and resilience calculations for industrial plants. Resilience is a top priority issue on the agenda of societies due to climate change and the all-time demand for human life safety and financial robustness. Industrial plants are highly complex systems containing a considerable number of equipment such as steel storage tanks, pipe rack-piping systems, and other installations. Loss Of Containment (LOC) scenarios triggered by past earthquakes due to failure on critical components were followed by severe repercussions on the community, long recovery times and great economic losses. Hence, facility planners and emergency managers should be aware of possible seismic damages and should have already established recovery plans to maximize the resilience and minimize the losses. Seismic risk assessment is the first step of resilience calculations, as it establishes possible damage scenarios. In order to have an accurate risk analysis, the plant equipment vulnerability must be assessed; this is made feasible either from fragility databases in the literature that refer to customized equipment or through numerical calculations. Two different approaches to fragility assessment will be discussed in this paper: (i) code-based Fragility Curves (FCs); and (ii) fragility curves based on numerical models. A carbon black process plant is used as a case study in order to display the influence of various fragility curve realizations taking their effects on risk and resilience calculations into account. Additionally, a new way of representing the total resilience of industrial installations is proposed. More precisely, all possible scenarios will be endowed with their weighted recovery curves (according to their probability of occurrence) and summed together. The result is a concise graph that can help stakeholders to identify critical plant equipment and make decisions on seismic mitigation strategies for plant safety and efficiency. Finally, possible mitigation strategies, like structural health monitoring and metamaterial-based seismic shields are addressed, in order to show how future developments may enhance plant resilience. The work presented hereafter represents a highly condensed application of the research done during the XP-RESILIENCE project, while more detailed information is available on the project website https://r.unitn.it/en/dicam/xp-resilience.

Download Full-text

Regional differences in mortality rates during the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2020.486 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-22

Author(s):

Danila Azzolina ◽

Giulia Lorenzoni ◽

Luciano Silvestri ◽

Ilaria Prosepe ◽

Paola Berchialla ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regional Differences ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Analysis Data ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Admission Rates ◽

Considerable Impact ◽

The Difference ◽

Disease Diffusion

Abstract Objective The COVID-19 outbreak started in Italy on February 20th, 2020, and has resulted in many deaths and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. This study aimed to illustrate the epidemic COVID-19 growth pattern in Italy by considering the regional differences in disease diffusion during the first three months of the epidemic. Study design and methods Official COVID-19 data were obtained from the Italian Civil Protection Department of the Council of Ministers Presidency. The mortality and ICU admission rates per 100 000 inhabitants were calculated at the regional level and summarized via a Bayesian multilevel meta-analysis. Data were retrieved until April 21st, 2020. Results The highest cumulative mortality rates per 100 000 inhabitants were observed in northern Italy, particularly in Lombardia (85.3, 95% credibility intervals [CI] 75.7–94.7). The difference in the mortality rates between northern and southern Italy increased over time, reaching a difference of 67.72 (95% CI = 66–67) cases on April 2nd. Conclusions Northern Italy showed higher and increasing mortality rates during the first three months of the epidemic. The uncontrolled virus circulation preceding the infection spreading in southern Italy had a considerable impact on system burnout. This experience demonstrates that preparedness against the pandemic is of crucial importance to contain its disruptive effects.

Download Full-text

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase polymorphism and venous thromboembolism: A meta-analysis of 9 studies involving 3993 subjects

Phlebology The Journal of Venous Disease ◽

10.1177/02683555211016626 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 026835552110166

Author(s):

Guangbin Huang ◽

Xuejun Deng ◽

Yanan Xu ◽

Pan Wang ◽

Tao Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

Venous Thromboembolism ◽

Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽

Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Enos Polymorphism ◽

The Difference ◽

Oxide Synthase ◽

Endothelial Nitric Oxide ◽

Intron 4

Background Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) polymorphism may influence the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, data from published studies with low statistical power are inconclusive. The present meta-analysis aimed to assess the relationship between eNOS polymorphism and the risk of VTE. Method Case-control studies evaluating the association between the eNOS polymorphism and VTE were searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Wanfang, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM). Results A total of 1588 cases and 2405 controls from 9 studies were included in the analysis. The results showed that eNOS G894T polymorphism was related to VTE susceptibility and the difference was statistically significant [T vs G: OR = 1.41, 95% CI (1.13, 1.75), P = 0.002; TT + GG vs TG: OR = 0.71, 95% CI (0.60, 0.84), P = 0.000; TT + TG vs GG: OR = 1.45, 95% CI (1.23, 1.70), P = 0.000]. Additionally, eNOS Intron 4 VNTR polymorphism was related to VTE susceptibility and the difference was statistically significant [4b4b vs 4a4a + 4a4b: OR = 2.77, 95% CI (1.01, 7.61), P = 0.048]. Conclusion ENOS G894T and eNOS Intron 4 VNTR polymorphisms were associated with VTE susceptibility, especially in Asian populations. However, multicenter studies with larger samples should be conducted to further clarify this association and verify our findings.

Download Full-text

Effects of Dexmedetomidine as an Analgesic Adjuvant for Surgery of Femur Fracture: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Pharmacology ◽

10.1159/000515788 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Shan Deng ◽

Yonghao Yu

Keyword(s):

Femur Fracture ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Sensory Block ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Rescue Analgesia ◽

Block Level ◽

Block Time ◽

Sedation Scores ◽

The Difference ◽

The Cochrane Library

Patients who undergo surgery of femur fracture suffer the excruciating pain. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a unique α2-adrenergic receptor agonist with sedative and analgesic properties, whose efficacy and safety are still unclear for surgery of femur fracture. Randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of addition of DEX to general or local anesthesia in surgery of femur fracture were searched from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library database. Patients who received DEX infusion had a significant longer time to rescue analgesia compared with those without DEX coadministration. DEX treatment seemed to reduce the visual analog score; however, the significance did not reach any statistical difference. DEX as an analgesic adjuvant did not reduce the onset of sensory block time, shorten the time to achieve maximum sensory block level, and provide a longer duration of sensory block. The difference in mean sedation scores between 2 groups was not statistically significant. As for adverse effects, DEX therapy significantly increased the rate of hypotension. In conclusion, dexmedetomidine as a local anesthetic adjuvant in femur fracture surgery had a longer duration of rescue analgesia. However, the incidence of hypotension was markedly increased in these patients. It was worth noting that the evidence was of low to moderate quality.

Download Full-text