For the purpose of heavy metals’ spatial-temporal trends and source allocation in arable soil with the rapid urbanization in Western China, samples were collected in two stages (2008 and 2017) in Chengdu city which was chosen for the case study. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor models and Multivariate statistical analysis were used to understand the heavy metals’ spatial-temporal variability. The results showed that Cd, Cr, and As in arable soil were presented with an increasing trend during the 10-year period. Semi-variation analysis showed that the block basis ratios of the five heavy metals (Pb, As, Cr, Hg, and Cd) showed an increasing trend, which suggests that the spatial distribution of heavy metals in arable soil is more influenced by human disturbances. The source analysis shows that the enrichment of As is closely related to agricultural activities in both phases (2008 and 2017). Further source analysis showed that source of As did not change, but the contribution increased significantly. The main sources of Hg pollution changed from agricultural activities to medical equipment manufacturing, Cd changed from soil parent material sources to chemical industry waste emissions, and the sources of Pb and Cr expanded from single transportation sources to multiple sources such as road traffic and human construction. In this study, the examining of the temporal and spatial patterns of heavy metal contamination in farmland of typical rapidly developing cities in China can also provide a basis for the conservation and management of arable soil in similar areas in the context of rapid urbanization in China.

Reptiles and amphibians have been recognised as being some of the world’s most at-risk species from the impacts of human development. In particular, roads have been identified as having a significant impact on herpetofauna due to roadkill and fragmentation. Despite road mortality affecting herpetofauna greater than other species, the topic of wildlife vehicle collision (WVC) studies, which influence mitigation, is biased towards larger species due to higher human costs from WVCs. In addition to mitigation research, government funding for species protection and recovery has also been found to be highly disproportionate among species groups. This bias has resulted in a lack of research on effectiveness and clear and consistent guidance on mitigation for smaller animals such as reptiles and amphibians. Wildlife fencing is one method of mitigation that has proven to help reduce WVCs and can help maintain connectivity when combined with wildlife crossings. There have been more studies in recent years that have focused on herpetofauna mitigation and these have helped inform best practice guidance. In this article we review current freely available best practice guidance for fencing designed to manage conflict of herpetofauna around transport networks from across the world. We have summarised findings that compare and highlight key factors that include the following: Material type, Fence height, and Fence features. Combining factors from existing guidance, recent research and our practical observations on mitigation projects, we provide a summary of recommendations along with diagrams and descriptions that reflect the analysed guidance. We also identify and highlight any areas that may need further research and investigation to help build upon the status quo and enable us to better utilise fencing as a conflict management tool for herpetofauna.

A document by Kelly Gomez-Campo. Click on the document to view its contents.

Runoff erosion response associated with sediment transport as influenced by erosive energy variability is a highly scale-dependent process. It is of great significance to effectively identify the spatial scale effect on erosive runoff energy for understanding the spatial pattern of sediment flow behavior across various sites. To address this issue, thresholds for erosive runoff were established based on frequency analysis and four selected threshold parameters including runoff duration ( T), stream power ( ω), stream energy factor ( SE) and area-specific sediment yield ( SSY). Based on these thresholds, 77 erosive events were identified and separated from non-erosive events for further analysis. The threshold for T was roughly constant at hillslope but rapidly increased at entire slope. Thresholds for ω and SE was linearly and positively related to the plot area. A general increasing trend was observed in the threshold for SSY from the upper hillslope to the entire slope. The sediment delivery capacity of erosive runoff varied from 0.075 to 0.115 kg·m·J -1, while the sediment increments capacity of erosive runoff ranged from 0.43 to 4.47 kg·m -2·W -1. The sediment reduction benefit by regulation unit stream energy factor varied from 5% to 65%. Overall, erosive runoff events were characterized by longer runoff duration and larger erosive energy, as well as greater sediment delivery capacity compared to non-erosive events. Therefore, the runoff regulation on slopes should be mainly orientated at the erosive energy control and the conversion of slope runoff from erosivity to non-erosivity.

LATE-ONSET GENERALIZED ERUPTIVE SYRINGOMA: A RARE CASE REPORTSandesh Shah MDa, Ejaz Khan MDb , Ujwal Rautc, Garima Shresthad, Radhika Maharjanc,Author details:a Department of Dermatology and Venerology, KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Lalitpur, Postal Address:44700, Nepal.b Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Mahakali Provincial Hospital, Mahendranagar, Postal Address: 10400, Nepal.c B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Postal Address: 56700, Nepal.d KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Lalitpur, Postal Address:44700, Nepal.Corresponding AuthorSandesh Shah MDDepartment of Dermatology and Venerology, KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Lalitpur, Postal Address:44700, Nepal.Email: [email protected]: +977-9849552682

In the Central Himalayas, where environmental conditions vary greatly, understanding the biophysical limitations on forest carbon is crucial for accurately determining the region’s forest carbon stocks. This study investigates the role of climate and disturbance on the spatial variation of two key forest carbon pools: aboveground carbon (AGC) and soil organic carbon (SOC). Using field-observed plot-level carbon pool estimates from Nepal’s national forest inventory and structural equation modeling, we explore the relationship between forest carbon stocks and proxies of environmental constraints. The forest AGC and SOC models explained 25 % and 59 % of the observed spatial variation in forest AGC and SOC, respectively. The climatic availability of water and energy in broad-scale gradients combined with the fine-scale gradients of terrain and disturbance intensity were found to influence forest carbon stocks, but the sign and strength of the statistical relationships differ for forest AGC and SOC. While AGC showed a negative relationship to disturbance, SOC was impacted by the availability of climatic energy. Disturbances such as selective logging and firewood collection result in immediate forest carbon loss, while soil carbon changes take longer to respond. The lower decomposition rates in the high-elevation region, due to lower temperatures, preserve organic matter and contribute to the high SOC stocks observed there. These results have important implications for forest carbon management and conservation in the Central Himalayas.

This work develops a method for solving nonlinear evolution equations. The method, termed a bivariate spectral linear partition method, BSLPM, combines the Chebyshev spectral collocation method, bivariate Lagrange interpolation, and a linear partition technique as an underlying linearization method. It is developed for an n th order nonlinear differential equation and then used to solve three known evolution problems. The results are compared with known exact solutions from literature. The method’s applicability, reliability, and accuracy are confirmed by the congruence between the numerical and exact solutions. Tables, error graphs, and convergence graphs were generated using MATLAB (R2015a), to confirm the order of accuracy of the method and verify its convergence. The performance of the method is also observed against other methods performing well in these types of differential equations and is found to be comparable in terms of accuracy. The proposed method is also efficient as it uses minimal computation time.

While a variety of solar concentrators have been studied for decades, the study of the spherical glass concentrator has never been reported, to the best of our knowledge. For that, this paper examines the optical characteristics of the novel solar spherical glass concentrator and identifies its performance and features. In addition, the thermal and exergetic performance of the concentrator are studied with three cavity receiver designs under various operating temperatures and different mass flow rates. More specifically, the examined receiver shapes: spiral, conical, and cylindrical. All the cavities are analyzed in order to determine the best design which maximizes the thermal efficiency of the solar collector. According to the results, the spherical collector can concentrate the heat flux up to 25 times the incident flux value. Also, the study is defined the best receiver dimensions that achieve optimum optical performance. Then, the optical analysis is conducted with an optical simulation in COMSOL Ray Optics to validate this work’s findings. Moreover, the best design is found to be the one with a spiral shape, while the conical is the next choice. The cylindrical is the third design in the performance sequence.

The genome of Halobacterium strain 63-R2 was recently reported and provides the opportunity to resolve long-standing issues regarding the source of two widely used model strains of Hbt. salinarum, NRC-1 and R1. Strain 63-R2 was isolated in 1934 from a salted buffalo hide (epithet ‘cutirubra’), along with another strain from a salted cowhide (91-R6T, epithet ‘salinaria’, the type strain of Halobacterium salinarum). Both strains belong to the same species according to genome-based taxonomy analysis (TYGS), with chromosome sequences showing 99.64% identity over 1.85 Mb. The chromosome of strain 63-R2 is 99.99% identical to the two laboratory strains NRC-1 and R1, with only 5 indels, excluding the mobilome. The two reported plasmids of strain 63-R2 share their architecture with plasmids of strain R1 (pHcu43/pHS4, 99.89% identity; pHcu235/pHS3, 100.0% identity). We detected and assembled additional plasmids, using PacBio reads deposited at the SRA database, further corroborating that strain differences are minimal. One plasmid, pHcu190 (190,816 bp) corresponds to pHS1 (strain R1) but is even more similar in architecture to pNRC100 (strain NRC-1). Another plasmid, pHcu229, assembled partially and completed in silico (229,124 bp), shares most of its architecture with pHS2 (strain R1). In deviating regions, it corresponds to pNRC200 (strain NRC-1). Further architectural differences between the laboratory strain plasmids are not unique but are present in strain 63-R2, which contains characteristics from both of them. Based on these observations, it is proposed that the early 20th-century isolate 63-R2 is the immediate ancestor of the twin laboratory strains NRC-1 and R1.

Cataracts are one of the leading causes of blindness, with estimated 95 million people affected worldwide. A hallmark of cataract development is lens opacification, typically associated not only with aging, but also radiation exposure as encountered by interventional radiologists and astronauts during the long-term space mission. To better understand radiation-induced cataracts, the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework was used to structure and evaluate knowledge across biological levels of organization. AOPs identify a sequence of key events (KEs) connected by key event relationships (KERs) beginning with a molecular initiating event (MIE) to an adverse outcome (AO) of relevance to regulatory decision-making. To construct the cataract AOP, a scoping review methodology was used to filter, screen, and review studies based on the modified Bradford Hill criteria. Eight KEs were moderately supported by empirical evidence across the adjacent (directly-linked) relationships using well-established endpoints. Over half of the evidence collected was informed by biological plausibility. Early KEs of oxidative stress and protein modifications could be the focus of countermeasures. Several identified knowledge gaps and inconsistencies in the AOP can be the basis of future research, most notably directed to experiments at low or moderate doses and dose-rates, relevant to radiation workers and other occupational exposures.

Objective: To analyze the spatial patterns of distribution of Specialized Rehabilitation Centers(CERs). Methods: An ecological-level study design, descriptive and Bayesian spatial regression analyses was carried out using the 438 Brazilian Health Regions. Main outcome is the “presence or absence of CER” and as covariates the rate of PWD, health funding and socioeconomic indicators. Modeling considered a binomial probability distribution and spatial randomness in the Besag-York-Mollié model. Neighborhood relationships between Health Regions were constructed using Queen-type contiguity matrix. Results:Considering four types of disability(hearing, intellectual, physical and visual) alone, the rate of PWD and transfers of financial resources increase the chances of implementing an CER. In joint analysis of disabilities, implementation of CERs doesn’t correspond to regions with higher rates of PWD. Conclusions:Prioritize the CER implementation according to territorial distribution of needs is essential to improve equitable access. Use of qualified data to identify PWD is essential for the creation of public policies.

Software organizations are increasingly embracing the advantages of Global Software Development (GSD), such as access to highly skilled developers and reduced development costs. However, the implementation of Requirement Change Management (RCM) activities in GSD is often hindered by a lack of communication and coordination among project stakeholders, as well as an insufficient focus on traceability and monitoring of RCM activities. To overcome these issues, we have enhanced and improved an existing RCM framework to mitigate the identified challenges and to develop a quality product while achieving customer satisfaction and business objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed Enhanced AZ-Model, we sought feedback from the industrial experts and performed a statistical analysis of the collected data. The Enhanced AZ-Model was further validated by performing simulations of the model. The empirical and simulation results indicate that the Enhanced AZ-model efficiently and effectively manage the demanded changes according to the budget and time constraints.

Membrane-Associated Ring-CH (MARCH) family proteins were recently reported to inhibit viral replication through multiple modes of action. Previous work proved that human MARCH8 blocked Ebola virus (EBOV) glycoprotein (GP) maturation. Our study here demonstrates that human MARCH1 and MARCH2 share a similar pattern to MARCH8 in restricting EBOV GP-mediated viral replication. Human MARCH1 and MARCH2 retain EBOV GP in the trans-Golgi network (TGN), reduce its surface display, and impair EBOV GP-pseudotyped virions infectivity. Furthermore, we uncover that the host proprotein convertase (PC) furin could interact with human MARCH1/2 and EBOV GP intracellularly. Importantly, the furin P domain is confirmed to be recognized by MARCH1/2/8, which is critical for their blocking activities. Besides, bovine MARCH2 and murine MARCH1 also impair EBOV GP proteolytic processing. Altogether, our findings confirm that MARCH1/2 proteins of different species showed a relatively conserved feature in blocking EBOV GP proteolytic processing, which could provide a reference for subsequent antiviral studies and may facilitate the development of novel strategies to antagonize enveloped virus infection.

Wild vertebrates usually avoid ground disturbed by humans but consequences for their distribution and density are uncertain. The local distribution of capercaillie shifted after an increase in disturbance along woodland tracks adjacent to an expanding Scottish village. We surveyed the birds’ droppings before and after the building of 30 new houses, and model the probability of finding droppings (Pf) in relation to period plus two disturbance gradients – distance to a much disturbed ‘entry zone’ by the village (dE) and ‘distance to nearest track’ (dT). Estimates of Pf are benchmarked to average Pf (Pfav) – a notional scenario in which the birds’ distribution is unaffected by tracks. Change between periods occurred mainly on a strip of ground centred on tracks and averaging 80 m wide, where Pf fell from about 0.5 Pfav before the development to 0.2 Pfav after it. By contrast, Pf on ground 120–260 m from tracks, under a third of the 273 ha main study area, remained at about 3 Pfav throughout the study – indicating a net influx of capercaillie displaced from ground beside tracks in both periods. No capercaillie droppings were found in the entry zone. Beyond this zone, throughout the study, Pf increased as tracks sparsened until dE approached 400 m – whereupon track density and Pf steadied together. Beyond 400 m, Pf remained depressed on ground near tracks (dT ⪅ 100 m). New desire paths after the development caused the proportion of ground where dT < 100 m to increase slightly, from 56% to 60%. Birds on roughly half of a 50 ha refuge should be undisturbed by direct effects of track-based activities – but, if increases in density caused by displaced birds are also deemed disturbance, a refuge would need to be over 3 km2 to keep half of it undisturbed.

This paper presents the design and development of a funnel-shaped Sparus Docking Station (SDS) intended for the non-holonomic torpedo-shaped Sparus II Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). The SDS is equipped with sensors and batteries, allowing for a stand-alone long-term deployment of the AUV. An inverted Ultra Short BaseLine (USBL) system is used to locate the Docking Station (DS) as well as to provide long-term drift-less AUV navigation. The SDS is able to observe the ocean currents using a Doppler Velocity Log (DVL), being motorized to allow its self-alignment with the current. Moreover, a docking algorithm accounting for the current is used to guide the robot during the docking maneuver. The paper reports experimental results of the docking maneuver in sea trials.

A document by SK Lamichhane. Click on the document to view its contents.

The consequences of biological invasions and habitat degradation for native biodiversity depend on how species cope with the individual and synergetic challenges these processes present. To assess the impact of anthropogenic land-use on the food web architecture of an invaded community, we examine the diets of nine native and two highly invasive mammal species at different trophic levels, inhabiting different land-uses across six biogeographic regions in Tasmania, Australia. We use two complementary methods, environmental DNA metabarcoding analysis (eDNA) of faeces and stable isotope analysis (SIA) of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in whole blood, to account for the high inter-individual and temporal variability in animal diets. eDNA showed regionalisation in the diet of smaller species, with land-use further defining dietary taxa within each region. SIA revealed that bioregion and land-use influence the δ13C values of all carnivore species and omnivores, whereas the δ15N values of these species are influenced only by land-use and not bioregion. Including multiple species showed that native rats are changing their diet in response to the presence of invasive rats, an impact that would have been otherwise attributed to land-use. Our findings demonstrate that human activities and invasive species are molding the diets of invaded communities raising questions about the potential impacts that dietary modifications will have on the life-history traits and the evolutionary consequences these modifications might have on the survival of native species. This highlights the urgency to include human activities in ecological studies and the importance of targeting multispecies assemblages to gain a better understanding of synergetic impacts on native biodiversity.

While the autoxidation of linseed oil has been extensively studied, the role of metal driers in catalyzing this process remains poorly understood. Previous studies have demonstrated that Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) can be used to monitor the progress of autoxidation during linseed oil drying. Typically, studies have focused on a single absorption at 3010 cm-1 to determine the rate of autoxidation. In this study, FT-IR spectra of linseed oil during autoxidation were measured between 3800 and 700 cm-1 and fit to kinetic models using global analysis, which provides more robust fitting than prior methods. This study revealed that the drier catalyzed autoxidation process can be best modeled as an A → B → C type reaction, with B corresponding to a cis-trans conjugated intermediate previously identified in model complex studies. These kinetic models further revealed that for three Co driers the rate constants for the A → B and B → C reactions are identical within experimental error, suggesting both reactions share a rate limiting step.