environmental variables

Macroinvertebrate data, and environmental variables including water quality, and land use data were collected at Three Mile Creek, Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia. The samples were collected seasonally in 2013 (December), 2014 (April, August, and November), and 2015 (May). This data was collected to develop a protocol for dealing with spatial and temporal confounding

Data from: Development of a protocol for environmental impact studies using causal modelling

1- The global issue of water scarcity caused by climate change and human utilisation highlights the importance of an efficient assessment of water quality in freshwater systems. One of the challenges facing water management in environmental impact studies is the difficulty of inferring causality in complex systems. Traditional water assessment methods are inadequate because they are challenged to separate natural variation from the effect of human activities. 2- Knowing the causal structure of a complex ecosystem will enable managers to identify key anthropogenic, climate and flow drivers of water quality, and make informed decisions about interventions that improve water and environmental quality. In this study, I show how causal modelling can facilitate decision making for water treatment plant managers to improve their environmental management of this valuable resource. 3- Models built using causal modelling techniques, including structural equation modelling and the principles of Bayesian Networks, were utilised for management decision making purposes. The discharge load values were manipulated in the models to predict the effect of a potential intervention, e.g. treatment plant upgrade, on the values of the water quality variables in the creek. That is, water quality variables were predicted when an imaginary or counterfactual situation was imposed on the models. 4- This study showed that there would not be any observable effect of effluent on macroinvertebrate communities if the discharge loads of chlorophyll a, total organic carbon, total phosphorus, nitrate, and conductivity were reduced to 0.1 of observed values. The concentrations of environmental variables in the creek would return to their baseline levels when their corresponding discharge loads in the effluent were halved or divided by 10. 5- Based on the findings of this study, managers in the field of environmental impact studies can predict the response of a system in the presence of potential interventions under complex and uncertain conditions. The implementation of such techniques offers great promise in the wider field of environmental management where accounting for multiple factors structuring ecosystems in necessary to adequately represent causality

Impact of acceptance and commitment–based psychoeducation on the adjustment of expressed emotion in families of patients with bipolar disorder

Background: Expressed emotion is one of the key factors resulting in relapse of psychiatric disorders. Expressed emotion is a critical, hostile and emotionally over-involved attitude that relatives have toward a family member with such disorder. Since stress from the expressed emotion leads to relapse in person with a disorder, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of mental training based on the acceptance and commitment on the regulation of expressed emotion in families of patients with bipolar disorder. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out on families of patients with bipolar disorder referring to Kargarnejad hospital (Kashan, Iran). The purposive sampling method was used to select the participants. As an intervention acceptance and commitment-based psychoeducation of the families was held in 10 sessions. Expressed emotion questionnaire was completed by relatives pre- and post-intervention. Results: The results showed that the level of expressed emotion reduced after the intervention in families of patients with bipolar disorder (P<0.001). A significant reduction was observed in the level of expressed emotion in all four subscales (negative attitudes, tolerance/expectations, harassment and intervention and emotional response) (P<0.001). Conclusion: Family psychoeducation based on the acceptance and commitment can be effective in the regulation of expressed emotion in families of patients suffering from bipolar disorder

Association of LncRNAHULC Gene rs17144343 G>APolymorphism with Susceptibility to Recurrent Spontaneous Miscarriage in Women of Eastern Azerbaijan, Iran

Introduction: Women who experience more than two miscarriages suffer from recurrent pregnancy loss(RPL) which involves about 0.8% to 1.4% of couples. The lncRNA HULC gene was first discovered for its significant regulatory function in Hepatocellular carcinoma and then was considered in other diseases including RPL. The present study was performed with aim to investigate the association of G>A single nucleotide polymorphism of rs17144343 in HULC gene with susceptibility to recurrent miscarriages in women population of Eastern Azerbaijan of Iran.Methods: In this case-control study which was performed in 2019-2020, genomic DNAs of 150 patients and 150 healthy individuals were extracted from the peripheral blood samples by salting-out method. Then, genotyping of rs17144343 locus was determined by TETRA-ARMS-PCR assay. Finally, the genotyping data were statistically analyzed using the software package javastat online statistics and SPSS (version 23).Results: The genotypic distribution of rs17144343 for GA and GG genotypes were respectively 24.7% and 75.3% for cases and 2% and 98% for the control group. The frequency of allele A in controls was 1% and in case individuals was 12.4%. There was a significant relationship between the risk of recurrent pregnancy loss and rs17144343 polymorphism of HULC gene (PA polymorphism of rs17144343 in HULC gene has a significant role in susceptibility to recurrent pregnancy loss, but larger sample studies are required to further verify this finding

Modelling the likelihood of entry of marine non-indigenous species from internationally arriving vessels to maritime ports: a case study using New Zealand data

The establishment of marine non-indigenous species (NIS) in new locations can degrade environmental, socio-cultural, and economic values. Vessels arriving from international waters are the main pathway for the entry of marine NIS, via exposure due to ballast water discharge (hereafter, ballast discharge) and biofouling. We developed a systematic statistical likelihood-based methodology to investigate port-level marine NIS propagule pressure from ballast discharge and biofouling exposure using a combination of techniques, namely k-Nearest-Neighbour and random forest algorithms. Vessel characteristics and travel patterns were assessed as candidate predictors. For the ballast discharge analysis, the predictors used for model building were vessel type, dead weight tonnage, and the port of first arrival; the predictors used for the biofouling analysis were days since last antifouling paint, mean vessel speed, dead weight tonnage, and hull niche area. Propagule pressure for both pathways was calculated at a voyage, port and annual level, which were used to establish the relative entry score for each port. The model was applied to a case study for New Zealand. Biosecurity New Zealand has commissioned targeted marine surveillance at selected ports since 2002 to enable early detection of newly arrived marine NIS (Marine High-Risk Site Surveillance, MHRSS). The reported methodology was used to compare contemporary entry likelihoods between New Zealand ports. The results suggested that Tauranga now receives the highest volume of discharged ballast water and has the second most biofouling exposure compared to all other New Zealand ports. Auckland was predicted to receive the highest biofouling mass and was ranked tenth for ballast discharge exposure. Lyttelton, Napier, and New Plymouth also had a high relative ranking for these two pathways. The outputs from this study will inform the refinement of the MHRSS programme, facilitating continued early detection and cost-effective management to support New Zealand’s wider marine biosecurity system. More generally, this paper develops an approach for using statistical models to estimate relative likelihoods of entry of marine NIS