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The risk of pandemics is increasing, driven by changes in human behavior and climate, both of which are difficult for policymakers to control. There are two main strategies available for reacting to these changes. This paper considers the decision to invest in either adaptation (domestic) capital or prevention (foreign) capital before a pandemic in an interval of time when pandemic risk is increasing. This paper demonstrates how relatively small investments in the two strategies can provide large savings through smaller expected future damages. The technical relationships between adaptation, prevention and risk also determine the optimal mixture of investment over time. As risk increases, the technical relationships between these three stocks causes the optimal mixture of strategies to change over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a review article focussing on the research on past environments of Zimbabwe. The paper synthesises the current knowledge on palaeo-climates and other environmental parameters that inform debates and discussions on climate change and human adaptation. The study of palaeoenvironments provides environmental knowledge that chronologically goes beyond the range of written climatic records that are available in the country. The palaeoenvironmental data now available shows that our human ancestors in Zimbabwe have survived numerous climatic upheavals since the beginning of the Stone Age. However, limited research in the Stone Age and the variety of proxy data available creates a less coherent record. Extrapolation of evidence from the region makes the data less reliable for archaeological interpretations. The paper shows conflicting signals across the region at some specific periods. There are numerous gaps in the record. The paper concludes by calling for multidisciplinary research on the past environments of Zimbabwe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract This work was supported by the Woolf Fisher Trust and the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust, in the form of a Woolf Fisher Scholarship (2014). Highlights • Few studies explore the processes and possible impacts of adaptation constraints. • A lack of empirical depth means that they are often ignored in policy formulation. • This paper proposes a method for exploring the empirics of adaptation constraints. • Numerical preference functions are estimated for 15 salient constraints. • These constraints could be modelled quantitatively and should no longer be ignored. Abstract The concept of adaptation constraints has become well known in the climate change literature. It describes impediments to the process of adaptation that could in principle be overcome but often are not. Many adaptation constraints have been identified and described in the literature across a wide range of contexts, and the importance of their influence on climate change adaptation is clear. However most studies have focussed on describing constraints rather than exploring their origins, processes, and possible impacts. As a consequence, it has been difficult to operationalise the concept to provide information meaningful to decision makers. This study demonstrates an approach to estimating empirically the processes and the impacts of adaptation constraints, based on a case-study of farmers in New Zealand. It combines established social scientific methods to explore the processes underlying a range of adaptation constraints and estimate the impacts that these constraints may have. The approach can be used to explore further the social and economic impacts of adaptation constraints. This information can then be used to consider sub-optimal adaptation to climate change more fully, and paves the way for policy responses that are more conscious of the human elements of climate change adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Categorising is arguably one of the first steps in cognition, because it enables high-level cognitive processing. For a similar reason, categorising is a first step—a preprocessing step—in artificial intelligence, specifically in decision-making, reasoning, and natural language processing. In this paper we categorise the motion of entities. Such categorisations, also known as qualitative representations, represent the preprocessing step for navigation problems with dynamical obstacles. As a central result, we present a general method to generate categorisations of motion based on categorisations of space. We assess its general validity by generating two categorisations of motion from two different spatial categorisations. We show examples of how the categorisations of motion describe and control trajectories. We also establish its soundness in cognitive and mathematical principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Adaptation to water scarcity induced by future climate change will be crucial for the viability of agricultural economies in many areas of the world. In this paper, we study the acquisition of supplemental irrigation water rights as an adaptation strategy undertaken by irrigation-dependent farmers in response to historical climate change. By exploiting the panel structure of a unique dataset of farm-level supplemental right adoption decisions in the state of Oregon, we establish a relationship between climate conditions, competition for local water resources, and the acquisition of supplemental rights. Our results indicate that a warmer, drier climate increases the likelihood that irrigated farms acquire supplemental rights, suggesting that farmers in Oregon have used supplemental rights to adapt to historical climate change. We also find evidence of heterogeneous effects suggesting that junior irrigators, groundwater-dependent irrigators, and farmers with access to a relatively lower volume of water have been most affected by historical climate change with respect to their supplemental water right acquisition decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract MicroRNA (miRNA) are endogenous small noncoding RNA gene products, on average 22 nt long, that play important regulatory roles in mediating gene expression by binding to and targeting mRNAs for degradation or translational repression. In this paper we identify both novel and conserved miRNA sequences present in the genome of the gray mouse lemur, Microcebus marinus. In total, 122 conserved and 44 novel miRNA were identified with high confidence from the lemur genome (Mmur_2.0) and were used for expression analysis. All conserved and novel miRNA were subjected to relative quantification by RT-qPCR in liver samples from control and torpid lemurs. A total of 26 miRNA (16 conserved and 10 novel) showed increased levels during primate torpor, whereas 31 (30 conserved and 1 novel) decreased. Additional in silico mapping of the predicted mRNA targets of torpor-responsive mature miRNA suggested that miRNA that increased during torpor were collectively involved in cell development and survival pathways, while miRNA that decreased were enriched in targeting immune function. Overall, the study suggests new regulatory mechanisms of primate torpor via miRNA action. Highlights • Characterization of torpor-responsive miRNA expression from the Gray mouse lemur • Identification of novel torpor-responsive lemur miRNA • In silico prediction of torpor-responsive miRNA targets and cellular function in coordinating primate torpor [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Current methods for aligning neurophysiology and video data are either prepackaged, requiring the additional purchase of a software suite, or use a blinking LED with a stationary pulse-width and frequency. These methods lack significant user interface for adaptation, are expensive, or risk a misalignment of the two data streams. New method A cost-effective means to obtain high-precision alignment of behavioral and neurophysiological data is obtained by generating an audio-pulse embedded with two domains of information, a low-frequency binary-counting signal and a high, randomly changing frequency. This enabled the derivation of temporal information while maintaining enough entropy in the system for algorithmic alignment. Results The sample to frame index constructed using the audio input correlation method described in this paper enables video and data acquisition to be aligned at a sub-frame level of precision. Comparisons with existing method Traditionally, a synchrony pulse is recorded on-screen via a flashing diode. The higher sampling rate of the audio input of the camcorder enables the timing of an event to be detected with greater precision. Conclusions While on-line analysis and synchronization using specialized equipment may be the ideal situation in some cases, the method presented in the current paper presents a viable, low cost alternative, and gives the flexibility to interface with custom off-line analysis tools. Moreover, the ease of constructing and implements this set-up presented in the current paper makes it applicable to a wide variety of applications that require video recording. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The aim of this paper is to fully exploit the medical potential of α‑Fe 2 O 3 as a promising material for anticancer agent. Herein, Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized using thermal decomposition method for the iron(III) Schiff base (N , N ′‑disalicylidene‑l,2‑phenylenediamine (H 2 dsp), N , N ′‑disalicylidene‑3,4‑diaminotoluene (H 2 dst), 4‑nitro‑ N , N ′‑disalicylidene‑1,2‑phenylenediamine (H 2 ndsp) and N , N ′‑disalicylidene ethylenediamine (H 2 salen)) complexes as precursors. The calcined of Fe 2 O 3 NPs were comprehensively characterized based on UV–Vis, FT-IR, SEM, TEM and XRD. The band gap energy of the synthesized α‑Fe 2 O 3 NPs particles are 1.75–1.92 eV range. Evaluation of cytotoxicity against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) for the synthesized α‑Fe 2 O 3 hematite nanoparticles was performed. Highlights • Fe 2 O 3 NPs have been synthesized using iron(III) Schiff bases precursors. • Fe 2 O 3 NPs were discussed using UV–Vis, FT-IR, SEM, TEM and XRD. • Band gap energy of the Fe 2 O 3 NPs particle located within 1.75–1.92 eV range • Cytotoxicity of synthesized Fe 2 O 3 against MCF-7 cell line was assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of climate adaptation planning there are relationships between adaptation drivers and adaptation measures, which makes the selection and implementation of the adaptation measures a challenging task. This challenge may be addressed by: structuring the adaptation problem using a multiple perspective adaptation framework; and applying a context specific precedence grammar logic for selecting and evaluating adaptation measures. Precedence grammar logic is a set of rule based algorithms (grammar) that are based on the relationships in a local adaptation context. This paper demonstrates the application of a context specific precedence grammar logic in an adaptation context in Can Tho, Vietnam. Adaptation pathways comprising flood adaptation measures (i.e. dike heightening) for this case were generated using rule based algorithms based on the relationships between the drivers and the adaptation measures. The results show that complex adaptation issues that are structured, can be resolved using a context specific adaptation grammar approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooling effect of greenspaces is an important ecosystem service, essential for mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect and thus increasing urban resilience to climate change. Techniques based on landscape planning to alleviate the increasing frequency of extreme climate are becoming more of a focus in urban ecology studies. In this paper, we proposed and defined the urban cooling island (UCI) extent, intensity, and efficiency, as well as the threshold value of efficiency (TVoE) introduced from the “law of diminishing marginal utility” for the first time. The radiative transfer equation has been compared with other algorithms and used to retrieve accurate land surface temperature (LST) in a subtropical city of China − Fuzhou. Two important and arguable factor − size and shape of greenspaces also been expressed and explored. The results indicate that: (1) larger-sized greenspaces produce a higher cooling effect. However, there exist a TVoE, which is in line with our hypothesis. The TVoE in Fuzhou is 4.55 ha. (2) The circles and squares greenspaces have a significant correlation with LST and also show the highest UCI intensity and efficiency. (3) 92% of the maximum extent of greenspaces are within the 30–180 m limit, and the mean UCI extent and intensity are 104 m and 1.78 °C. (4) The greenspaces connected with waterbodies intensified the UCI effects, whereas the grassland-based greenspace shows the weakest UCI effects. The methodology and results of this study could help urban planners to mitigate the UHI effects efficiently, and to employ the climate adaptive planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper focuses on community engagement, and particularly the inclusion of women, in water management as a response to climate change. Addressing water-related problems is central to climate change adaptation, and civil society, marginalized populations and women, in particular, must be involved. This is for both moral and pragmatic reasons: not only are the marginalized the first and worst affected by extreme weather events, but they also possess local ecological, social and political knowledge which can inform and contribute significantly to climate change adaptation strategies. Because of their social roles and position worldwide, women are greatly affected by water scarcity and flooding, and tend to be gravely impacted by poor water management, yet they face great difficulties in participating effectively in governance bodies. Sustainable long-term management of water resources in the face of climate change requires the participation of women, who possess knowledge of effective social technologies for coping with and adapting to climate change. Community-based environmental education is therefore required in order to expand the equitable involvement of women in water-related climate change adaptation activities and policy development. Environmental non-governmental organizations worldwide, working on shoestring budgets at the local level, are developing a range of methods to organize, raise consciousness and confidence, and help local activists create successful climate defense programs. This paper discusses South–North initiatives and models for community-based environmental and climate change education which are using the democratic opening provided by watershed-based governance structures to broaden grassroots participation, especially of women, in political processes. We outline the activities and results of two international projects: the Sister Watersheds project, with Brazilian and Canadian partners (2002–2008); and a Climate Change Adaptation in Africa project with partners in Canada, Kenya, Mozambique, and South Africa (2010–2012). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Unhealthy people adapt to their poor state of health and are usually happier than expected by healthy people. In this paper, we investigate how adapting to a deteriorating state of health affects health spending, life expectancy, and the value of life. We set up a life-cycle model in which individuals are subject to physiological aging, calibrate it with data from gerontology, and compare behavior and outcomes of adapting and non-adapting individuals. While adaptation generally increases lifetime utility (by about 2 percent), its impact on health behavior and longevity depends crucially on whether individuals are aware of their adaptive behavior, i.e. whether they adapt in a naive or sophisticated way. We also compute the QALY change implied by health shocks and discuss whether and how adaptation influences results and the desirability of positive health innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper summarizes the available paleoenvironmental information for the Mid-Holocene in Northwestern Argentina, in order to systematize a multi-scale scenario for human adaptation in the area. The main results of the studies carried out by several research teams that have studied the conditions during this period in the tropical Andean region are described and compared, taking into account their geographical setting, the proxies involved and their particular space–time resolution. The paleoenvironmental situation prior to the onset of Mid-Holocene conditions (i.e. starting at the Late Glacial Maximum) is summarized to estimate the nature and extent of the changes occurred during this period. Paleoenvironmental results, their characteristics and interpretation, are also considered. A general trend towards an aridization process that fostered a hydrologic stress process is traceable along the Mid-Holocene in Northwestern Argentina and the Tropical Andes. However, several localities seem to have retained wetter conditions, increasing the contrast between highly productive environments and the generally dry landscape. This paper is only a first step towards a full understanding of the diversity and complexity of the Mid-Holocene in different space–time scales, but a necessary one in order to start to model the resources structure available for human groups in the past in the Andes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ecological models that model species’ adaptation to changing environments may become increasingly important tools for ecologists and environmental scientists faced with the challenges of our changing world. Individual-based models (IBMs) facilitate the modeling of individual diversity and adaptive behaviors. When organisms are modeled with structures that provide inheritable parametric diversity, intergenerational adaptation may also be simulated. These adaptive IBMs may be difficult to calibrate so as to be consistent with field data patterns. The pattern-oriented modeling (POM) calibration approach, whereby model outputs are compared to field data patterns at the end of each simulation, may be limited and computationally expensive under many circumstances. This research further explores an approach, denoted pattern-guided evolution (PGE), that uses field data patterns obtained from published research, to guide the evolution of model organisms within each model simulation. Our preliminary research showed that when demonstrated with an adaptive IBM of an old-field ecosystem, the approach yielded populations of virtual organisms with inheritable parametric diversity, which if well calibrated could potentially be used in future models for simulating adaptive change. However, the model produced in the preliminary studies only partially matched field data patterns, and thus did not confirm the utility of the PGE approach for model calibration. This paper presents three main contributions. Firstly, the paper describes several important improvements to the original approach, which resulted in a model that matched the expected patterns well. Secondly, additional testing was performed to analyze the reusability of the model entities yielded by the approach. Combined, these two contributions confirm the utility of the PGE method for calibrating IBMs for simulating adaptive change. Finally, we estimate that the PGE approach is likely to be ten or more times less computationally costly than that of the conventional POM approach to IBM calibration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents the results of economic experiments run among fishermen from the Mexican and Colombian Pacific. The experimental design aims at studying behavior under uncertainty concerning the possible effects of climate change on fisheries. We find that subjects’ risk-aversion diminishes the level of catches and changes fishing practices (e.g. adopting marine reserves), provided that fishermen have ex ante information on possible climatic consequences. Furthermore, social preferences (e.g. for cooperation and reciprocity) also play an important role regarding extraction from common-pool resources. Other factors, such as income, gender and religion are also found to have some influence. These results have important implications for adaptation actions and the management of coastal fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Geographers have a long history of contributing to basic, use-inspired, and applied research on one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced: global climate change. Their contributions cut across all the major traditions and subfields within geography, have aimed at a variety of scales, and have connected to the scholarship of other disciplines. Building on these past accomplishments, this paper argues that geographers must continue their interdisciplinary endeavors and engage now–even more so than before–in practice-relevant research, particularly in the area of the human dimensions of climate change. The paper points to a range of critical research needs in the area of vulnerability and adaptation, particularly focused on the US, and argues for rapid capacity building and far-reaching changes in the incentive structure for geographers to engage in practice-relevant research and in interaction with policy-makers and resource managers at the science-practice interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper analyzes the remarkable popularity of William Paley’s argument from design among contemporary naturalists in biology and the philosophy of science. In philosophy of science Elliott Sober has argued that creationism should be excluded from the schools not because it is not science but because it is ‘less likely’ than evolution according to fairly standard confirmation theory. Creationism is said to have been a plausible scientific option as presented by Paley but no longer to be acceptable according to the same standards that once approved it. In biology C. G. Williams and Richard Dawkins have seen in Paley a proto-adaptationist. This paper shows that the historical assumptions of Sober’s arguments are wrong and that the philosophical arguments themselves take alternatives to science to be alternatives in science and conflate the null hypothesis, chance, with a competing explanatory hypothesis. It is also shown that the similarity of Paley’s adaptationism to that of contemporary biology is not what it is made out to be. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Larval development in brachyuran crabs includes a number of zoeal stages followed by a single megalopal stage. Zoeae and megalopae are relatively strong swimmers, and movement up or down in the water column takes advantage of vertical shear in ambient currents with consequent transport in the horizontal dimension. For some species, this process is important in controlling the dispersal of early-stage larvae away from spawning sites and in maintaining the supply of late-stage larvae to juvenile nursery habitat. For other species it enables retention near spawning sites throughout the larval period. Vertical position in the water column also modulates predator-prey interactions, which impact growth and survival of larvae. Swimming behavior in larval crabs is regulated by both external cues detected in the water column and endogenous rhythms entrained by external oscillators. Gravity, hydrostatic pressure, and light are the primary external cues because of their predictability in the environment. Light is also the most common external oscillator entraining swimming rhythms. Secondary cues include salinity, temperature, turbulent kinetic energy, and feeding state. Crab larvae also respond to chemical and tactile cues that facilitate settlement in juvenile habitat. This paper presents a review of the physical and chemical characteristics of these cues, the behavioral responses of crab larvae to the cues, and the patterns of larval transport that emanate from these responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleoenvironmental reconstructions provide the context for human evolution and behavior. However, it is difficult to resolve relative proportions of specific habitats at a given place and time, how these may have changed over time, and the explicit nature of particular habitats for human adaptation. This paper examines the paleoenvironmental context of Early Pleistocene archaeological occurrences at Madigou (Hebei Province, North China), but with particular emphasis on the setting for early stone tool makers. Madigou (MDG) is one of several Early Pleistocene Paleolithic sites in the east part of the Nihewan Basin, North China. Sedimentological features of the excavated section indicate that the site was formed near the margin of a lake. Paleomagnetic results suggest that hominins occupied the site ca. 1.2 Ma. Based on well-constructed pollen, sediment grain size, magnetic susceptibility, isotopic ( 13 C and 18 O), and iron oxide analysis of the section excavated in 2011 and 2012, five stages of environmental change in the Nihewan Beds are identified. In the earliest phase, the environment and climate changed from 1) cool and semi-humid with open grassland to 2) cold and dry with open sparse steppe (usually temperate herbaceous, not just grass) and then 3) warm and humid climate with lightly wooded grassland, followed by 4) cold and dry climate with sparse steppe and finally 5) temperate and semi-humid with open grassland. This evidence suggests that hominins occupied the site from stages 2–4 in an open habitat varying from lightly-wooded grassland to an ecosystem dominated by sparse steppe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comments on the report by a committee of La Société Française de Médecine Physique et de Réadaptation (SOFMER) in response to the Haute Autorité de santé in France concerning the classification and clinical management of disorders of comportment following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). In view of the large number of patients and families affected by these disorders, there is a strong rationale for these guidelines to ensure that clinical assessment and treatment is evidence-based. The report is viewed from the perspective of current research on disorders of comportment and in relation to recent reviews and meta-analyses on this topic. Comments on the classification draw on pathophysiology and brain imaging in addition to the clinical literature. The SOFMER report and recent projects in North America are compared for trends in the development of recommended assessment scales and standard, evidence-based treatment protocols for pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. Collaborative, multinational investigations of TBI are also noted, which are advancing progress toward guidelines for clinical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important agricultural production region in China, the North China Plain (NCP) is an ecologically vulnerable region that frequently is hit by drought. Faced with drought and other extreme climate events, policy makers have given top priority to the formulation and implementation of adaptation policies. This paper assessed the effectiveness of adaptation policies, including the provision of early warning information and policy supports, on farmers’ adaptive decisions regarding the planting of the wheat crop in the NCP. Based on a unique dataset from a large-scale village and farm survey in five provinces in the NCP, an econometric model of farmers’ adaptation practices is estimated. Results show that when faced with a more severe drought, farmers change their management practices to mitigate its effects by adjusting seeding or harvesting dates and enhancing irrigation intensity. The provisions of early warning and prevention information and policy supports against drought facilitate farmers to make farm management adaptations. However, the effectiveness of early warning and prevention information or policy supports differs by their provision channels or types. The findings of this study have policy implications in coping with the rising frequency and seriousness of extreme weather events in China as a whole and in ecologically more vulnerable NCP in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper was to determine whether Escherichia coli ATCC 12806 can adapt to growth in increasing concentrations of three biocides commonly used in food processing facilities (trisodium phosphate [TSP], sodium nitrite [SNI] or sodium hypochlorite [SHY]), and whether cross-adaptation occurs. Adaptability over time was estimated by the growth kinetic parameters (modified Gompertz equation): lag phase, maximum growth rate and cell density in the stationary phase. Attempts were made to determine whether efflux pumps (in the presence of the efflux inhibitor carbonyl cyanide m-chorophenyl hydrazone [CCCP]) and cell surface hydrophobicity changes (microbial adhesion to solvents [MATS] assay) are associated with this adaptation. After repeated sub-culturing in static broth cultures containing increasing sub-inhibitory concentrations of TSP, SNI or SHY, E. coli exhibited an adaptive tolerance, especially to SNI and SHY. The increased tolerance was stable and remained after 7 successive passages in biocide-free growth media. Cross-adaptation between dissimilar biocides (SNI and SHY) was observed. Both efflux pumps and changes in cell surface hydrophobicity appear to be associated with adaptation to SNI and SHY. It is suggested that sub-lethal exposure to food-grade biocides represents a risk for the development of adaptation and cross-adaptation to such compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence accumulated in recent years suggests that the systemic treatment with neuroactive steroids, or the pharmacological modulation of its production by brain cells, represent therapeutic options to promote neuroprotection. However, new findings, which are reviewed in this paper, suggest that the factors to be considered for the design of possible therapies based on neuroactive steroids are more complex than previously thought. Thus, although as recently reported, the nervous system regulates neuroactive steroid synthesis and metabolism in adaptation to modifications in peripheral steroidogenesis, the neuroactive steroid levels in the brain do not fully reflect its levels in plasma. Even, in some cases, neuroactive steroid level modifications occurring in the nervous tissues, under physiological and pathological conditions, are in the opposite direction than in the periphery. This suggests that the systemic treatment with these molecules may have unexpected outcomes on neural steroid levels. In addition, the multiple metabolic pathways and signaling mechanisms of neuroactive steroids, which may change from one brain region to another, together with the existence of regional and sex differences in its neural levels are additional sources of complexity that should be clarified. This complexity in the levels and actions of these molecules may explain why in some cases these molecules have detrimental rather than beneficial actions for the nervous system. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ‘Steroid Perspectives’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paper/pencil instrument, adapted from Miller and colleagues’ (1991) Helpful Responses Questionnaire (HRQ), was developed to assess clinician skill with core communicative aspects involved in delivering contingency management (CM). The instrument presents a single vignette consisting of six points of client dialogue to which respondents write ‘what they would say next.’ In the context of an implementation/effectiveness hybrid trial, 19 staff clinicians at an opiate treatment program completed serial training outcome assessments before, following, and three months after CM training. Assessments included this adaptation of the HRQ, a multiple-choice CM knowledge test, and a recorded standardized patient encounter scored for CM skillfulness. Study results reveal promising psychometric properties for the instrument, including strong scoring reliability, internal consistency, concurrent and predictive validity, test–retest reliability and sensitivity to training effects. These preliminary findings suggest the instrument is a viable, practical method to assess clinician skill in communicative aspects of CM delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertain drivers of pollution hinder long-term planning of management of aquatic ecosystems. This paper presents a framework for adjusting optimal water protection in the long term when the true trend in nutrient loading is unknown to the decision maker but can be gradually learned by monitoring stochastic nutrient loads. The economic impacts of an unknown trend consist of (i) the damage caused by the worsened state of the sea, (ii) the cost of nutrient abatement to counter the development and (iii) the adjustment costs caused by uncertainty and imperfect learning. An integrated assessment model is designed and calibrated for quantitative results pertaining to the uncertain impacts of climate change on nutrient input to the Baltic Sea. Under certainty, the net economic impacts from the currently anticipated climate change are 15.0 billion euros, of which 23% comes from welfare losses caused by aggravated eutrophication and 77% from increased abatement costs. The expected adjustment costs due to uncertain future development range from 90 million euros in the case of adaptive management based on Bayesian learning to as much as 7960 million euros in the case of an extreme variant of inadaptive management based on constant abatement levels. If adaptive management is adopted, there is no need to account for future climate change when planning the current abatement targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds on the technique of feature extraction from the spectrogram image of sound signals for automatic sound recognition. The spectrogram image is divided into blocks and statistical distributions are extracted from each block as features. However, when compared to related work, we reduce the dimensionality of the feature vector using mean and standard deviation values along the row and column of the blocks without compromising the classification accuracy. We demonstrate the technique in an audio surveillance application and evaluate the performance using four common multiclass support vector machine (SVM) classification techniques, one-against-all, one-against-one, decision directed acyclic graph, and adaptive directed acyclic graph. Experimentation was carried out using an audio database with 10 sound classes, each containing multiple subclasses with intraclass diversity and interclass similarity in terms of signal properties. Under noisy conditions, the proposed reduced spectrogram image feature (RSIF) produced significantly better classification accuracy than the conventional log compressed mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) and marginally better classification accuracy than linear MFCCs, which does not utilize any compression. The linear spectrogram image representations for feature extraction and the one-against-all multiclass SVM classification method were found to be the most noise robust. In addition, significantly improved results were obtained under noisy conditions when the RSIF is combined with linear MFCCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how the requirement for annual catch limits (ACLs) has been implemented for data-limited stocks in all federally-managed fisheries in the United States. The legal mandate to establish ACLs in the U.S. has spurred substantial scientific advances, including the development and adoption of at least 16 methods for establishing catch limits for data-limited fisheries. This study analyzed the assessment methods that form the basis of ACLs, those which determine the overfishing limits (OFLs) and the acceptable biological catches (ABCs). Nationally, 30% (150) of OFLs/ABCs are currently calculated using conventional data-rich assessment methods, 11% (59) using data-moderate methods, and 59% (295) using data-poor approaches. There is substantial variation in the proportion of stocks that are currently managed with data-rich versus data-limited methods across regions, and there are clear geographical patterns in the types and diversity of methods being utilized to calculate OFLs/ABCs. Data-poor methods are the most commonly used OFL/ABC-setting methods in the U.S., particularly in the Southeast, Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS), Pacific, and Western Pacific regions. The Southeast and Atlantic HMS regions use some form of catch scalar or an ABC of zero landings for each data-limited stock. The Pacific and North Pacific regions currently employ a higher diversity of data-limited methods than any other region; these include both data-moderate methods and data-poor methods. Regional disparities in data-limited method development and implementation are attributed to regional differences in the number of stocks being managed, the data types and lengths of the time series available, and the resources dedicated to data processing and stock assessment. Recommendations for improving management of data-limited stocks include establishing a complete inventory of all available data for each managed stock, dedicating resources and expertise to data-limited method development and evaluation, and developing a more streamlined assessment process to handle the expanded volume of stocks requiring ACLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consensus is growing that agriculture is vulnerable to climate change and adaptation responses are necessary to minimize impacts. Nonetheless, the diversity of potential impacts, agro-ecological contexts and regional capacity for change make understanding adaptation behaviors challenging and ensure that climate change adaptation will not be the same across all contexts. Considering this heterogeneity, this paper aims to develop a theoretical approach to connect agro-ecosystem diversity with farmer decision-making in the context of agricultural adaptation to climate change. We combine the ecological principle of Liebig’s Law of the Minimum with the Psychological Distance Theory to suggest how adaptation behaviors vary across regional contexts. We argue with our limiting factors hypothesis that limiting factors within a farm system (water or temperature impacts) influence the adoption of adaptation practices differently across regions and farm systems. Limiting factors varied across farm systems and regions, based on historical climate changes, agro-ecological contexts, infrastructure and adaptation capacity. Using farmer survey data from New Zealand we show that limiting factors mediate the effect of past climate experiences on the adoption of adaptation strategies differently in two regions with water acting as a limiting factor in Hawke’s Bay and water and temperature as a limiting factor in Marlborough. This suggests that farmers perceive and respond to climate change in part due to their personal experiences with climate change and the limiting factors within their system. Such results are relevant for the development of regional adaptation strategies, effective policies and targeted climate change communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the utility of a likelihood ratio test (LRT) combined with an efficient adaptation procedure for the purpose of detecting the heart sound (HS) with lung sound and the lung sound only (non-HS) segments in a respiratory signal. The proposed detection method has four main stages: feature extraction, training of the models, detection, and adaptation of the model parameter. In the first stage, the logarithmic energy features are extracted for each frame of respiratory sound. In the second stage, the probabilistic models for HS and non-HS segments are constructed by training Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) with an expectation maximization algorithm in a subject-independent manner, and then the HS and non-HS segments are detected by the results of the LRT based on the GMMs. In the adaptation stage, the subject-independent trained model parameter is modified online using the observed test data to fit the model parameter of the target subject. Experiments were performed on the database from 24 healthy subjects. The experimental results indicate that the proposed heart sound detection algorithm outperforms two well-known heart sound detection methods in terms of the values of the normalized area under the detection error trade-off curve (NAUC), the false negative rate (FNR), and the false positive rate (FPR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the effect of goal-oriented external perturbations created by elastic tubes attached to the hip and ankles on lower limb joint variability and hip-knee and knee-ankle coordination variability during running. Kinematics of ten healthy male runners were analysed prior to and following a 7-week tube running intervention while running with and one without this constraint. The training intervention was based on variable training aspects to increase within-movement variability and adaptability of the running pattern. To analyse the effects of the tubes on the running pattern, the phase plot vector length deviation (i.e., the standard deviation of the phase plot vector length) for the within-joint variability and the continuous relative phase variability for the joint coupling variability were calculated. Results revealed acute increases of variability in both parameters. However, after the intervention, variability of the tube running situation returned to normal for all couplings and joints except the knee. No transfer effects to normal running were observed. This suggests very rapid adaptations to such perturbations. In the long-term, it may ask for more or different variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper describes the spatangoid echinoids belonging to Macraster, which could be found in the Albian deposits (Kazhdumi Formation) at the Anneh anticline situated in Zagros Mountains, Southwest of Iran. The aim is to re-examine, and redefine three species: M. douvillei, M. longesulcatus and M. obtritus. Douvillaster and Macraster genera are synonymized and then the assignment of nominal Tethyan species belonging to the same genera is reviewed. The substantial reduction of species does not strongly impact the biodiversity patterns. Neither the bio-geographical provinciality nor the temporal trends of taxonomic richness are affected. Among the Cretaceous spatangoids, Macraster is a highly specialized taxon that displays outstanding adaptations of the ambulacra to improve in the gaseous exchanges. This, in return, triggers the higher frequency of the taxon in the warm shallow waters of the Tethyan margins, and in oxygen-depleted environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Biological adaptations depend on natural selection sorting out those individuals that exhibit characters fit to their environment. Selection, in turn, depends on the phenotypic variation present in a population. Thus, evolutionary outcomes depend, to a certain extent, on the kind of variation that organisms can produce through random genetic perturbation, that is, their phenotypic variability. Moreover, the properties of developmental mechanisms that produce the organisms affect their phenotypic variability. Two of these properties are modularity and robustness. Modularity is the degree to which interactions occur mostly within groups of the system's elements and scarcely between elements in different groups. Robustness is the propensity of a system to endure perturbations while preserving its phenotype. In this paper, we used a model of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) to study the relationship between modularity and robustness in developmental processes and how modularity affects the variation that random genetic mutations produce in the expression patterns of GRNs. Our results show that modularity and robustness are correlated in multifunctional GRNs and that selection for one of these properties affects the other as well. We contend that these observations may help to understand why modularity and robustness are widespread in biological systems. Additionally, we found that modular networks tend to produce new expression patterns with subtle changes localized in the expression of a few groups of genes. This effect in the phenotypic variability of modular GRNs may bear important consequences for adaptive evolution: it may help to adjust the expression of one group of genes at a time, with few alterations on other previously evolved expression patterns. [Display omitted] • Modularity and robustness are associated in multifunctional gene regulatory networks. • Mutation tends to produce new phenotypes similar to ancestral ones in modular networks. • The effects of mutation tend to concentrate in small groups of genes in modular networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The northwestern corner of South America, represented by the current territory of Colombia, is a key region to assess some relevant issues linked with the initial human peopling of the area, including population dispersals, cultural diversity, and early adaptations to the changing environmental conditions experienced by lowland and highland north-Andean Neotropical ecosystems at the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. The aim of this paper is to present a synthesis of the archaeological research about early peopling carried out in Northwest South America during the last four decades. Specifically, it will focus on the adaptive strategies and the cultural diversity patterns exhibited by the early hunter-gatherer groups that entered the region since late Pleistocene times. The classic ideas about the time of arrival of the first settlers, the dispersal routes, the incidence of the climate change in on the rate of dispersal and colonization of different habitats, and the role of the megafauna in the subsistence will be reviewed, prior to the formulation of new hypotheses about the meaning of the apparent intraregional diversity of the archaeological record and the evolution of economic strategies over time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we investigate the influence of geography on ethnic division by drawing evidence from Tibetan ethnic regions in China. Using a novel township name index that identifies the ethnolinguistic origin of each township name, our empirical findings first show that regions with Han Chinese settlement in the past also witness higher concentration of Han population today. We also show that townships located at higher altitudes have less Han concentration. This altitude effect can be both indirect and direct; we find that the indirect effect through historical settlement is small compared to the direct physiological effect through altitude illness. The challenging environment of the plateau region acts as a physiological hindrance only for Han Chinese, and the natural separation continues to persist between the two groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dental adhesive systems should provide a variety of capabilities, such as bonding of artificial materials to dentin and enamel, sealing of dentinal tubules, reduction of post-operative sensitivity and marginal sealing to reduce marginal staining and caries. In the laboratory, numerous surrogate parameters that should predict the performance of different materials, material combinations and operative techniques are assessed. These surrogate parameters include bond strength tests of various kinds, evaluation of microleakage with tracer penetration between restorative and tooth, two-dimensional analysis of marginal quality with microscopes and mapping of the micromorphology of the bonding interface. Many of these tests are not systematically validated and show therefore different results between different research institutes. The correlation with clinical phenomena has only partly been established to date. There is some evidence, that macrotensile and microtensile bond strength tests correlate better with clinical retention of cervical restorations than macroshear and microshear bond tests but only if data from different test institutes are pooled. Also there is some evidence that marginal adaptation has a moderate correlation in cervical restorations with clinical retention and in Class II restorations (proximal enamel) with clinical marginal staining. There is moderate evidence that microleakage tests with dye penetration does not correlate with any of the clinical parameters (post-operative hypersensitivity, retention, marginal staining). A rationale which helps the researcher to select and apply clinically relevant test methods in the laboratory is presented in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is predicted to experience considerable negative impacts of climate change. The IPCC Fourth Assessment emphasizes that adaptation strategies are essential. Addressing adaptation in the context of small-scale, semi-subsistence agriculture raises special challenges. High data demands including site-specific bio-physical and economic data are an important constraint. This paper applies a new approach to impact assessment, the Tradeoff Analysis model for Multi-Dimensional Impact Assessment (TOA-MD), which simulates technology adoption and associated economic, environmental and social outcomes in a heterogeneous farm population for a regional impact assessment. The methodology uses the kinds of survey, experimental and modeled data that are typically available in countries where semi-subsistence systems are important, combined with future socio-economic scenarios based on new scenario pathway concepts being developed by the climate change and impact assessment modeling communities. Characteristics of current and future agricultural systems, including land use, output, output price, cost of production, and farm and household size are analyzed and compared for both current and projected future climate (2030), with and without adaptation, and for different socio-economic scenarios. The methodology is applied to two study areas in Kenya. These case studies show the potential of this approach to provide a flexible, generic framework that can use available and modeled data to evaluate climate impact and adaptation strategies under a range of socio-economic scenarios. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Self-organization processes leading to pattern formation phenomena are ubiquitous in nature. Intensive theoretical and experimental research efforts during the past few decades have resulted in a mathematical theory of pattern formation whose predictions are well confirmed by controlled laboratory experiments. There is an increasing observational evidence that pattern formation plays a significant role in shaping dryland landscapes. Supporting these observations are studies of continuum vegetation models that have reproduced many of the observed patterns. Such continuum models consist of partial differential equations and lend themselves to the powerful methods of pattern formation theory. Indeed, vegetation pattern formation has been identified with mathematical instabilities of uniform vegetation states, occurring at threshold degrees of aridity. This paper describes applications of this modelling approach to problems in landscape, community, ecosystem and restoration ecology, highlighting new open questions and research directions that are motivated by pattern formation theory. Three added values of this approach are emphasized: (i) the approach reveals universal nonlinear elements for which a great deal of knowledge is already available, (ii) it captures important aspects of ecosystem complexity, and (iii) it provides an integrative framework for studying problems in spatial ecology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To learn the historical response of cropping system to climate change will benefit the strategy decision of future cropping adaptation. In this paper, we conducted an integrated analysis of the climate records of seventy-two meteorological stations and the records of crop yields over the period 1970–2009 in Northeast China. It was found that over these forty years, the daily mean, maximum and minimum temperatures during crop growing season increased on average by 0.34°C, 0.28°C, 0.43°C every ten years, respectively. No significant change in the precipitation was found, although the differences between years were large. After de-trending the agronomic technique contributions to the increments of crop yields, the historical warming had led to great annually increments of 16.6kgha−1, 15.5kgha−1 and 3.2kgha−1 in rice, corn and soybean yields, respectively. According to the historical warming level, present cropping boundaries can be theoretically extended northward about 80km with a prolonged growing period by 10 days compared to the 1970s. Actually, the growth durations of newly approved varieties of rice, corn and soybean have really prolonged by 14.0 days, 7.0 days and 2.7 days since the 1950s, respectively. The actual growing periods of rice and corn have also respectively prolonged by 6 days and 4 days due to the adjustment of sown and harvest dates by the farmer since 1990s. The existing rice cropping region has been extended northward 80km in the 2006 compared to the 1970. These actual responses were consistent with the theoretical calculation according to the historical warming trends. Our results demonstrate that cropping system owns the potential to progressively and actively adapt to the global warming for high yield through a comprehensive strategy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Esquilleu cave (Cantabria, northern Spain) presents 30 Mousterian archaeological layers covering virtually the complete MIS 3 both in chronology and environmental. A number of environmental analyses (faunal, pollen, charcoal) allow the study of the different strategies for the procurement and management of resources available near the site and indicate the Neanderthals’ wide adaptability to the changing environment typical of this period. This paper also discusses the possibility of using bones as fuel either as a palliative for a presumed lack of wood resources in the environment or as a mere pattern of human behaviour. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Relations between humans and the rain forest in Java Island began during the Lower Pleistocene, but clear evidence for anthropic impact and clearance of the forest does not occur until late in the Holocene, after the rise of the ancient kingdoms on Java at the end of 1st millennium A.D. The history of landscape change in Java over the last 2.5 million years appears highly complex and linked to the repetitive expansion and fragmentation of the rain forest over this time. These processes are now much better understood, thanks to the range of palaeoenvironmental studies undertaken at various altitudes and in locations that show the dynamics of rain forest in response to variations in climatic and regional environmental change. The extent of rain forest throughout the Holocene appears to have been quite sensitive to small perturbations, making it somewhat difficult to discriminate (especially for relatively ancient Holocene forest recessions) between a climatic cause and one of anthropic origin. Clear evidence of intensive human impact on rain forest is observed late, c. 1500 years ago, a pattern that is repeated in other parts of Island Southeast Asia. This paper will focus on the history of the landscape changes in Java during the Quaternary, with special reference to the dynamics of rain forest structure and composition, largely drawn from available pollen analyses. Subsequently, the paleoenvironmental, palaeoanthropological, and archaeological records are considered to investigate the adaptive relationships between human groups and the forest through time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: On the Pacific Coast of the United States and Baja California, the Younger Dryas was one component of dynamic Late Pleistocene and Holocene environmental changes. Changing climate, sea level rise, and shifting shorelines created ecological challenges for ancient coastal peoples and daunting challenges for archaeologists searching for early coastal sites. This paper reviews the evidence for ecological change in this ‘West Coast’ region, including shoreline changes that may have submerged or destroyed archaeological sites from this time period. Examining the regional record of human occupation dating to the Younger Dryas, well-dated coastal sites are limited to California’s Northern Channel Islands and Isla Cedros off Baja California. A small number of fluted points found in coastal areas may also date to the Younger Dryas, but their context and chronology is not well defined. Review of the implications of these two data sets considers whether the early but discontinuous Younger Dryas archaeological record from the West Coast might result from a migration of maritime peoples from Northeast Asia into the Americas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Following a thorough review of high-resolution environmental archives, this paper aims at discriminating the factors determining the heterogeneous repercussion of the Lateglacial Younger Dryas in Central Europe. When examining the archaeological implications of human adaptation to the subsequent changes in the natural environment two divergent biotic regions are of special interest: the North European Plain and adjacent areas; and the Alpine foothills and surrounding mountain ranges. In these regions, two different archaeological technocomplexes (traditions) are found: the Tanged Point Complex and the Curve-Backed Point Groups. Considering the distribution of the archaeological sites witnessing changes in the material culture and subsistence pattern, the intensity of the environmental changes caused by the Younger Dryas is a decisive element. Settlement discontinuity during the Younger Dryas is questioned. Moreover, the potential existence of established social networks between the two regions expressed by comparable developments such as microlithization is considered. Finally, the authors assess whether the Younger Dryas acted as an accelerator or a brake in the process of regional diversification prior to the Early Mesolithic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For nearly three centuries the area around Gusum, in south-east Sweden, has been highly polluted with copper. An earlier study in this area showed that populations of the freeze-tolerant earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra were genetically adapted to copper. Apparently, no life-history costs to reproduction or growth were imposed by this adaptation. In the present paper we therefore investigated how laboratory raised F1-generations of these populations coped when exposed to increased copper concentrations in the soil and to sub-zero temperatures. We found that D. octaedra from polluted sites accumulated the same amount of copper as reference worms. Furthermore, earthworms from polluted sites survived equally to reference worms when exposed to freezing temperatures (−8 or −12°C). However, when simultaneously exposed to the lowest temperature and copper, the worms from polluted sites survived significantly better than reference worms. The overall conclusion of this study is that worms from polluted sites seem to be better at handling copper and accrue no costs in terms of reduced cold tolerance in connection to genetic adaptation in these populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ecosystems are dynamic complexes. These dynamics can be described by different ecophysiological parameters and systems theoretical concepts like succession, thermodynamics, information/network theory, resilience, adaptability and the orientor concept. In this paper, different indicators and concepts are linked to Holling's adaptive cycle metaphor in order to derive hypotheses on potential system trajectories. The hypotheses focus on an exemplary temperate forest ecosystem experiencing the adaptive cycle's four phases of exploitation, conservation, collapse and reorganization after an initializing fire event. The different properties are correlated to the number of total system connections and show varying trajectories. Additionally, the provision of selected forest ecosystem services during the different phases is hypothesized and compared to three other land use types. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The prototype DS-1 rotavirus strain, is characterised by a short electropherotype and G2P[4] serotype specificity. Following sequence-independent genome amplification and 454® pyrosequencing of genomic cDNA, differences between the newly determined consensus sequence and GenBank sequences were observed in 10 of the 11 genome segments. Only the consensus sequence of genome segment 1 was identical to sequences deposited in GenBank. A novel isoleucine at position 397 in a hydrophobic region of VP4 is described. An additional 7 N-terminal amino acids was found in NSP1. For genome segment 10 the first 34 and last 30 nucleotides of the 5′ and 3′-terminal ends, respectively, were identified. Genome segment 11 was found to be 821bp long, which is 148bp longer than the full length genome segment 11 sequence reported previously. This paper reports the first complete consensus genome sequence for the tissue culture adapted DS-1 strain free from cloning bias and the limitations of Sanger sequencing. Sequence differences in previous publications reporting on DS-1 rotavirus genome segment sequencing, were identified and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A human femur is composed of cortical and trabecular bone organized in a hierarchical way. In this paper, a multiscale procedure based on finite element simulation and neural network computation was developed to link mesoscopic and macroscopic scales to simulate trabecular bone adaptation process. The finite element calculation is performed at macroscopic level and trained neural networks are employed as numerical devices for substituting the finite element computation needed for the mesoscale prediction. Based on a set of mesoscale simulations of representative volume element of bone, a neural network is trained to approximate the responses. The input data for the artificial neural network are boundary conditions and the applied stress. The output data are some averaged bone properties. A macroscale constitutive model is obtained by homogenization of the mesoscale responses. The proposed approach is able to predict in rapid way some relevant outputs related to bone adaptation process such as trabecular bone density, elastic modulus and accumulation of apparent fatigue damage of 3D trabecular bone architecture at a given bone site. The proposed rapid multiscale method was able to predict final proximal femur trabecular bone adaption similar to the patterns observed in a human proximal femur. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We developed a microwell plate, high-throughput, screening method aimed at quantitating the tolerance of a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria to metals (Frankia sp., Escherichia coli, Cupriavidus metallidurans, Rhizobium leguminosarum, and Streptomyces scabies). Microbial viability was quantified using MTS; a tetrazolium salt converted to a water-soluble formazan through microbial reduction. In this paper, we present the stepwise development of the method, highlighting the main elements underlying its reliability, and compare results obtained with literature. We conclude the method is well suited to efficiently screen bacteria, including those that are filamentous and slow-growing, without the need for large amounts of inoculum which may not always be available. The method allows testing of compound gradients with sufficient replicates to generate statistically robust results, and is transposable to other types of cell proliferation assays such as those for antimicrobial susceptibility, and chemoresistance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper discusses an indicator-based framework – consisting of seven indicators, four parameters, and an index – to assess adaptive capacity of the water resources system in the Nepalese context and applies this framework to the Bagmati River Basin (BRB) in Nepal. With respect to the BRB, and Nepal in general, the study results show variations in adaptive capacity of the water resources system across the river basin (eight districts within the BRB), at different geographical (district, river basin and national level) as well as temporal (over decades) scale. Such variations suggest a need of differential policy interventions at different spatial scale to achieve adaptive management of the water resources. The adaptive capacity index can be used to prioritize basins, the adaptive capacity parameters can be used to identify the broader areas of intervention in the selected basin, and adaptive capacity indicators reveal the degree of attention required to strengthen adaptive capacity of the water resources system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The current paper reviews strategies employed by microorganisms from the deep biosphere, especially piezophiles (from the greek piezo = to press and philo = love), to cope with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) prevailing in these biotopes. The aim of this review is not to constitute an exhaustive report of our current knowledge on the physiology of piezophiles, as recent reviews have covered part of this subject in detail (). Rather, we illustrate here, via a few chosen examples, where we stand in our understanding of the mechanisms employed by microorganisms from the depths of our planet to cope with HHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]