Search

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of variety and plant environment on nutritional composition, phenolic contents and antioxidant activities from commercial wheat cultivars grown in Pakistan. Chemical composition, total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities were measured in twenty-seven spring wheat varieties grown for two cropping years. Preliminary assessment of antioxidant strength of the extracts was carried out by the evaluation of total phenolic contents (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA) and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA). The grain length, width and a thousand kernel weight of different wheat varieties ranged from 6.75-6.77 mm, 3.44-3.45 mm and 42.95-45.16 g respectively. Similarly, the moisture, ash, crude fat, crude fiber, crude protein, wet gluten, dry gluten, flour gliadins, flour glutenins contents and SDS-sedimentation value varied from 10.23-10.61%, 1.47-1.48%, 1.16-1.21%, 1.37-1.40%, 11.86-12.02%, 25.39-25.46%, 8.85-8.87%, 0.46-0.52%, 0.46-0.49% and 24.99-25.85 ml respectively among different wheat varieties. In the same way, the results for total phenolic contents, free radical scavenging activity (DPPH assay) and antioxidant activity via beta carotene bleaching assay varied from 12.40-11.73 mg GE/g, 18.48-18.99% and 14.23-15.97% respectively. Our research clearly indicated that wheat variety, input conditions, environmental and genotypic variations gave effects on the phenolic antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioural and blood-based physiological responses of Nguni (NG) and Boran (BR) steers, following relocation to a new environment and herd regrouping were examined. Ten steers of each genotype aged 9 months and reared under similar conditions were studied over 16 weeks: 1 for acclimatization and baseline measurements in original groups, 15 for post regrouping measurements. Each sampling week, direct visual observations and durations of aggressive and affiliative interactions were recorded between 0500-1900h for 3 conservative days. Blood samples were drawn fortnightly by jugular venipuncture for plasma cortisol, glucose, creatine kinase (CK) and haematological analysis. In weeks 1-5, BR had higher instances of head-butting (P=0.0311), mounts (P=0.0142) and threats (P=0.0241) compared to NG (P<0.0001, P=0.0412 and P=0.0241, respectively). However, these significantly declined from weeks 7-15 in both genotypes. Grooming increased consistently over the weeks in both genotypes (P=0.0214). Head-butting correlated with cortisol (r=-0.116), CK (r=-0.295) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (r=-0.144). Grooming correlated (r=0.137) with white-blood-cell-count. Herd regrouping temporarily disrupted social behaviour, with BR showing more aggression towards NG steers. Nevertheless, the two genotypes established some stability within five weeks of social mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal and diurnal changes in cell sap titratable acidity, the content of organic acids, and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase activity in leaves of orpine (purple stonecrop) Hylotelephium triphyllum (Haw.) Holub were examined. During reproductive plant development, the cell sap acidity increased in morning hours in parallel with an increase in malate content and the activity of PEP-carboxylase increased in evenings on the background of the decreased malate concentration. These changes provide evidence for the transition from C3 photosynthesis to the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM photosynthesis). The β-carboxylation of PEP was most pronounced at the phase of abundant flowering when the monthly average air temperature rose along with the decrease in water availability. The contribution of CAM photosynthesis to carbon balance and plant productivity was insignificant, as evidenced from discrimination of 13C isotope in the organic matter of leaves (δ13C of approximately –27‰) and other organs. These δ13C values are typical for the isotopic signature of C3 species. The functioning of CAM photosynthesis during flowering and fruiting periods protects the photosynthetic apparatus and promotes the reproductive potential of H. triphyllum plants inhabiting sandy loamy soils that easily lose moisture in the humid climate of the taiga zone of northeastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of second home tourism on improving the environmental conditions of villages in the central part of Taleghan city (Iran) has been investigated. The research method in this research is descriptive-analytical and the required information has been collected in the field and non-field. The research tool is a questionnaire that validity and reliability have been confirmed through Delphi technique and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. After collecting and processing the data, descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used. SPSS software has been used to answer the research hypotheses and to perform calculations. The findings show that second home tourism has been able to have positive effects in improving the environmental conditions in the lives of villagers. tourism of second homes in the village leads to the development of villages and development of green spaces and collection of sewage and garbage of villagers and stabilization and improvement of rural housing, improving the condition of roads and beautification with rural landscapes, improving the environment and physical development of villages and creating educational and communication facilities, improving health services in the village, improving the quality of rural roads, improving worn-out rural structures and establishing the facilities and services required by the village. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoldering-to-flaming (StF) transition is an abrupt initiation of homogeneous gas-phase burning (i.e., flaming) preceded by heterogeneous solid-phase burning (i.e., smoldering), which can lead to fast spreading fires both in residential and wildland fires. Despite its hazard, StF transition remains difficult to predict because of its sensitive nature to external conditions, the inherent variability of porous biomass fuels, and a limited understanding of its dominating mechanisms. In this work, we apply a new experimental apparatus to investigate the limiting conditions of StF transition of uniform cellulose powders, at different oxidizer flow velocities (1.5–10.5 cm/s), oxygen concentrations (21, 19, 15, and 10%), and external heat fluxes (0–60 kW/m2). We find that the external heat flux required for StF transition increases as the O 2 concentration decreases from 21% to 10% at fixed flow velocities, agreeing with both phenomenological arguments and a simplified energy balance. However, for a fixed O 2 concentration, as the flow velocity increases, the required heat flux increases, due to the increased importance of convective heat losses. Furthermore, tests performed at 8% and 5% O 2 do not undergo transition even at higher heat fluxes up to a threshold oxygen concentration of 10%. Under low-velocity conditions (airflow <5 cm/s), smoldering may still co-exist with a discrete weak blue flame because oxygen can diffuse into reacting (smoldering) cellulose powder. An oxidizer flow velocity of 5 cm/s appears to be a limiting value for the StF transition, at least for the present experimental conditions. It was also found that increasing the density of cellulose powder required a lower external heat flux for StF transition. This work advances the fundamental understanding of the StF transition, and thus helps guide the prevention of extreme fire events. • A new experimental apparatus is used to study the smoldering-to-flaming (StF) transition. • A higher heat flux is needed for StF transition as flow velocity increases at fixed O 2 %. • A higher heat flux is needed for StF transition as O 2 % decreases at fixed flow velocities. • Limiting oxygen concentration of 10% and flow velocity of 5 cm/s have been found for StF transition. • As the fuel density decreases, higher heat flux is required for transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Seafloor observations indicate that the new seep site is now inactive and is a relic. • Anomalously negative δ13C values and positive δ18O values of seep carbonates suggest dissociation of gas hydrate. • The seep carbonates were formed in an anoxic environment with low methane flux. The cold seep activity creates a unique environment on the deep sea floor, and gave birth to a unique authigenic mineral- seep carbonate. In 2018, a new paleo-seep was discovered in the vicinity of the Ganquan Plateau using the manned submersible "Shenhaiyongshi" and seep carbonate samples were recovered. Here, we performed geochemical and mineralogical analyses on the seep carbonates. The results show that the seep carbonates (SY069) are mainly low-magnesium calcites with negative excursion in δ13C values (-43.46 to –33.83 VPDB) and positive excursion in δ18O values (2.10 to 3.80 VPDB), indicating that the carbonate formation is mainly affected by methane from gas hydrate dissociation. Meanwhile, the rare earth elements (REE) in the seep carbonates are enriched in middle REEs and there is no Ce anomaly (0.93 to 1.08) after the Post Archean Australian Shale standardization, indicating that the seep carbonates were formed in an anoxic environment. In addition, the Y/Ho ratio is low (29.39 to 42.03), indicating a low methane flux. Therefore, it is suggested that SY069 carbonate rocks were formed in anaerobic environment with low methane flux. The above results are helpful for us to better understand the formation process of seep carbonates. Moreover, the Ganquan Plateau also be one of the hydrate occurrence areas, which is of great significance for us to explore the hydrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-velocity impact (LVI) can provoke catastrophic failure depending on the impact energy, lay-up configuration, and the operating temperature in fiber-reinforced composite structures via damage accumulation during the service. Additionally, extreme operating temperature is an important factor affecting the damage initiation and growth mechanism and understanding the compression-after-impact (CAI) response is a promising way to predict the damage-growth dynamics. For this purpose, this study investigates the LVI response and CAI strength of composite laminates under the −55 °C temperature considering the low-temperature (LT) service conditions of aerospace applications. The experiments are performed on cross-ply ([0/90°] 4s) and angle-ply ([±45°] 4s) lay-up composites for impact energy levels of 1.4 J and 10 J. After LVI tests, the occurred damages are examined by infrared thermography (IRT). Furthermore, the effect of the impact damage on the failure mechanism under compression loading is elaborated using acoustic emission (AE) inspection. The CAI test results reveal that the LT increases the compressive residual strength. However, this change is directly related to the load and lay-up configuration. The alternation in the damage growth mechanism of angle-ply laminates under LT operating temperature is more significant compared to the cross-ply laminates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is a core element of the biosphere, and the soil cover is exposed to major processes that take place within this system. Therefore, it is very important to understand the results of soil research from the perspective of current global and local environmental problems. With the advent of new methods of spatial analysis and techniques for obtaining remote sensing data, geoinformation technologies offer great opportunities for analyzing the natural and ecological state of the region. Therefore, geoinformation analysis of the state of natural and anthropogenic transformed soils is an essential tool for their studying, forecasting the development of the natural environment, and working out the ways of rational farming. As forest territories have a beneficial effect on the natural and climatic situation in general, and vice versa, environmental degradation on agricultural lands will result in worsening the situation on forest lands, it is necessary to consider forest and agricultural areas in close integration with GIS technologies. It should be done to improve the overall natural environmental conditions. The study used soil survey data conducted in 2017-2019. Field and office studies were conducted: samples were taken in the field to determine the agrochemical parameters of the soil, and the data obtained were analyzed using mathematical and statistical methods. Digital cartographic materials were created using geoinformation technologies. The basis for a comprehensive natural and environmental assessment of forest and agricultural areas using geoinformation systems was laid. The studies conducted to identify changes in natural and anthropogenic transformed soils have shown that the contours of soil varieties have changed. In many cases, there is a deterioration in soil properties. The number of fertile chernozem has decreased. In areas with low crop cultivation, there are signs of a decrease in the humus horizon and the development of erosion processes. As a result of the conducted research, a single digital soil and geographical database for forest and agricultural territories were created. The developed methodology and algorithm for creating a database and digital cartographic basis using geoinformation technologies in environmental studies can be recommended as a base for similar studies both in the Republic of Bashkortostan and in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increases in total suspended solids (TSS) reduce feeding and reproductive success of unionid mussels, but mussels in turbid rivers are less affected than those in clear rivers, probably due to differences in gill and palp morphology. This study was designed to determine whether the differences observed between adult mussels in populations from turbid versus clear rivers are due to phenotypic plasticity.Parasitic larvae (glochidia) of Lampsilis siliquoidea (Fatmucket) obtained from a low turbidity river (TSS < 5 mg/L) were transformed on Ambloplites rupestris (Rock Bass) in the laboratory to obtain juvenile mussels for rearing under clear and turbid conditions in the laboratory (i.e. nominally 0 versus 50 mg/L suspended river sediment). Juveniles obtained were reared under these contrasting conditions until age 3–4 weeks, when they were examined in a feeding experiment under a range of TSS concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 mg/L).The clearance rate (volume cleared of particles per unit time) of algae by juveniles from both rearing conditions was similar for the no‐TSS control and declined with increased TSS. The rate of decline was, however, lower in the group reared under turbid conditions, which is consistent with reports for adult mussels.Our results indicate that differences in the clearance rate response to high TSS observed in mussels in clear and turbid rivers are probably driven in part by phenotypic plasticity. This finding provides a mechanism to explain how freshwater mussels thrive under turbid conditions as well as informs conservation efforts involving reintroduction of mussels in this highly imperilled taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims While nuclear DNA content variation and its phenotypic consequences have been well described for animals, vascular plants and macroalgae, much less about this topic is known regarding unicellular algae and protists in general. The dearth of data is especially pronounced when it comes to intraspecific genome size variation. This study attempts to investigate the extent of intraspecific variability in genome size and its adaptive consequences in a microalgal species. Methods Propidium iodide flow cytometry was used to estimate the absolute genome size of 131 strains (isolates) of the golden-brown alga Synura petersenii (Chrysophyceae, Stramenopiles), identified by identical internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA barcodes. Cell size, growth rate and genomic GC content were further assessed on a sub-set of strains. Geographic location of 67 sampling sites across the Northern hemisphere was used to extract climatic database data and to evaluate the ecogeographical distribution of genome size diversity. Key Results Genome size ranged continuously from 0.97 to 2.02 pg of DNA across the investigated strains. The genome size was positively associated with cell size and negatively associated with growth rate. Bioclim variables were not correlated with genome size variation. No clear trends in the geographical distribution of strains of a particular genome size were detected, and strains of different genome size occasionally coexisted at the same locality. Genomic GC content was significantly associated only with genome size via a quadratic relationship. Conclusions Genome size variability in S. petersenii was probably triggered by an evolutionary mechanism operating via gradual changes in genome size accompanied by changes in genomic GC content, such as, for example, proliferation of transposable elements. The variation was reflected in cell size and relative growth rate, possibly with adaptive consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic properties of the structure are related to many factors, such as mass distribution, component stiffness, material properties. In addition, environmental conditions may also affect the dynamic characteristics. In this paper, the modal identification of 133 strong earthquakes recorded in a 32-story SRC building structure in Tokyo from 2013 to 2018 is performed first, and then the dynamic characteristics (natural frequency, damping ratio) are obtained. The statistical regression analysis is used to analyze the influence of environmental conditions (temperature, humidity) on the dynamic characteristics of the high-rise SRC building structure, and the change trend of its dynamic characteristics. Finally, the results of the analysis are given to provide experience and basis for the design of similar building structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue fever is a serious public health threat and becomes an economic burden throughout the tropics. The indicator of success in eradicating dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is related to the presence of mosquito larvae, namely the density of larvae. Climate change from the rainy season to the dry season has led to the proliferation of disease vectors such as the Aedes mosquito. Environmental factors play a very big role in addition to behavior, health services, and heredity. Other factors that are also at risk of infection and the growing development of dengue fever are population growth that does not have a specific pattern, unplanned urbanization factors. Materials and Methods: The sample in this study was a housewife selected in twelve endemic villages in Banjarbaru city. This study examined the larva density model with a partial least square approach, so that by knowing the influential factors in the decrease in the density of flicks is expected to be used as a reference for prevention and control of DHF events cases. Results: The results showed that the prediction model of flick density in the rainy season and dry season with Partial Least Square (PLS) approach is a fit and highly accurate model based on criteria R2 and Q2. The density model of flicks in the rainy season can be explained by behavioral health services, environmental conditions, and Breeding Place by 87.7%, while in the dry season it is 80.8%. The decrease in larva density in the rainy season is heavily influenced by environmental conditions, behavior and health services, while in the dry season is influenced by breeding place / site. The rainy season prefers fogging (0.714) and counseling (0.795) indicators on the health service factor, while in the dry season the dominant indicators are larvasidation (0.847) and Periodic Larva Check (PLC) (0.729). Furthermore, behavioral factors in the rainy season prioritize knowledge indicators (0.716), while during the dry season the dominant indicators are attitude (0.899) and action (0.890). Environmental conditions in the rainy season pay more attention to water pH (0.588), while in the dry season the indicators considered are water temperature (0.991) and water type (0.774). In the rainy season, the breeding place factor pays more attention to the type of container (0.950), while in the dry season the dominant indicators are container material (0.970), container color (0.959), and container cover (0.924). Conclusion: The breateau index and house index indicators are dominant in forming larva density. The breeding place is a dominant factor in directly affecting the density of larvae in the dry season. Container material affects the growth of microorganisms that feed larvae, especially in containers that are rarely drained. The magnitude of the influence of breeding places in the dry season is more due to the infrequent draining of water for supply, so that larvae reproduction is more frequent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the scarcity of gauge observations and inaccuracy of satellite estimation, obtaining reliable daily precipitation estimates over the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP) remains challenging. In this article, an integrated scheme is developed based on the assumption that in a specific climatic region, the similarity of environmental conditions related to precipitation (SEP) in two locations is positively correlated to the similarities of occurrence and magnitude of precipitation between them. First, the QTP was divided into the northwestern arid, middle semi‐arid/semi‐humid, and southeastern humid climatic sub‐regions by grouping analysis. Second, based on modified weighted k‐nearest neighbour model, daily precipitation of target locations in these climatic sub‐regions were predicted by weighted regression of a group of gauge observations that have the largest SEP with the target locations. SEP was calculated by the following auxiliary environmental factors: longitude, latitude, elevation, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, relative humidity, and CMORPH (Climate Prediction Center's morphing technique) daily precipitation estimates (original CMORPH). The validation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Compared with the original CMORPH and PDF‐calibrated CMORPH (CMORPH calibrated by probability density function matching plus optimal interpolation method) at daily, monthly, and yearly scales, the scheme improves the rain/no rain detection capacity and the accuracy of daily precipitation estimates. In addition, the daily precipitation estimates obtained from this scheme can present significant discrimination over specific geographic units, particularly the Qaidam Basin, the great bend of the Brahmaputra River, and Hengduan Mountain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of thermal stress indices and minimum temperature on the semen quality of dairy Gyr bulls and to determine whether the minimum night temperature is able to balance the thermal stress that occurred during the day. A total of 922 semen samples were collected from 391 bulls aged between 15 and 49 months, which participated in progeny pretest trials, from December 2011 to April 2017. Semen characteristics (ejaculate volume, gross motility, sperm motility, sperm vigor, sperm concentration, and percentage of total defects) and scrotal circumference were analyzed. Meteorological data were recorded daily by the National Institute of Meteorology. The analyses were carried out using mixed models. The following fixed effects were included in the model: test, month of sample collection, scrotal circumference, the age of the bull at sampling as covariate (linear regression), and the climatic variables (equivalent temperature index [ETI], temperature and humidity index [THI], or minimum temperature). The effect of the bull nested within the test was included in the model as a random effect. Two periods were considered to evaluate the effect of the climatic variables on sperm quality: 7 days before collection (period 1) and the day of collection (period 2). There was an effect of ETI on sperm vigor and concentration in both periods and on volume and percentage of total defects only in the second period. The THI exerted a significant effect on volume in both periods and on sperm motility and concentration only in the second period. There was an effect of the minimum temperature on ejaculate volume, sperm motility, sperm concentration, and percentage of total defects only in the second period, which corresponds to the day of semen collection. Taken together, the results show that there was sufficient thermal stress to negatively affect semen quality. However, the minimum temperature during the night was a significant factor that balanced these negative effects of THI and ETI on semen traits of Gyr bulls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecuador is the main exporter of passion fruit concentrate. Passion fruit production is located in the subtropical areas of the Ecuadorian coast and, due to the geographical location of the country, it is possible to harvest fruit throughout the year. However, the production yield in Ecuador is low compared to other countries because there is little genetic improvement and there is little information about its behavior in sites at different altitudes. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine the effect of the genotype x environment interaction on yield and fruit quality of seven passion fruit populations in different productive locations. The experiment was carried out in five production areas (Jama, Rocafuerte, San Isidro, Quevedo and Santo Domingo) with different environmental conditions. The highest yield (29167 kg ha−1) was obtained in the locality of Santo Domingo (479 m), while the smallest shell thickness (6.48 mm) was observed in San Isidro (243 m), and the highest solids content soluble (14.87 ° Brix) was shown in Quevedo (73 m). Based on the results, it was concluded that there was a highly significant genotype x environment effect; therefore, the variation observed in the behavior of the evaluated populations was due to the adaptation of the genotypes to the conditions of the different locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of detection dogs to effectively monitor bird and bat fatalities at wind farms is becoming increasingly popular. All studies to date agree that dogs outperform human searchers at finding bird and bat carcasses around wind turbines; however, it remains unclear how characteristics of the carcass and environmental conditions during the search may influence detection.We investigate the effect of carcass size, vegetation characteristics and weather conditions on the probability of detecting a carcass, for both dogs and humans, using data from the monitoring program of a wind farm in Spain.A generalized linear mixed model reveals a high performance of dogs (~80% detection rate), with no clear influence of any of the variables analysed. Humans, on the contrary, were markedly affected by the size of the carcass and to some extent, by the vegetation structure. Humans performed poorly at detecting small carcasses (~20% detection rate), more so in closed vegetation.Synthesis and applications. Our results provide evidence that dogs perform with high success rates at detecting bird and bat carcasses of different sizes under a wide range of environmental conditions. Humans, by contrast, were very poor at detecting all but the largest carcasses in open areas. We find the use of detection dogs at wind farms to be a robust and cost‐effective alternative to using human searchers, most notably, when the focus is on the monitoring of fatalities of small, rare or inconspicuous species in closed vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato blackleg is a seedborne disease that can cause significant economic losses for growers. Disease development depends mainly on two drivers, namely seed inoculum and local climatic conditions. To better establish the relationship between these two drivers, blackleg development was monitored in Swiss field trials at multiple locations from 2010 to 2013 involving three sets of naturally infected seed lots planted in each of three locations. The seed lot itself was thereby the most important factor explaining differences in disease development, rather than environmental factors. In a further on‐farm project conducted at various locations in Switzerland and southern Germany from 2013 to 2015, the implementation of a seed‐testing procedure was investigated. A total of 177 seed lots were tested for natural latent infection with soft rot Pectobacteriaceae and the corresponding blackleg incidence was tracked in 242 fields. The reliability of the relationship between latent infection and field incidence was found to be strongly linked to the bacterial species. Dickeya spp. field infection could be predicted with an acceptable reliability, whereas Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. brasiliense, even when detected as latent tuber infection, was not consistently expressed as visual blackleg. Moreover, commonly found mixed latent infections with several bacterial species made it even harder to predict which bacteria would cause blackleg symptoms. Finally, variability in the reliability of seed testing may also be explained by differences in local farming practices. These trials over several years with naturally infected potato seed highlight the usefulness and limits of seed testing to manage blackleg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most damage detection methods developed in the literature cannot give the locations and extent of damages under the presence of varying temperature condition. This is because temperature condition changes the vibration properties of a structure, which are commonly analyzed for damage detection, and temperature gradient throughout the structure makes it difficult to create a baseline for the undamaged structure, as the baseline is generally constructed using features obtained under a wide range of temperature conditions. In this paper, a new insight on how to approach damage detection using only a single temperature condition to create the baseline is proposed. This approach solves the damage detection under changing temperature problem in two stages by first quantifying the change of stiffness of all the elements in a structure due to temperature and damage effects, followed by removing the temperature effect, a global effect, to give the actual damage locations and extent. Using single temperature condition allows new measurements to be compared to a benchmark so that local deviation can be obtained, thus making the damaged elements identifiable. The proposed approach is tested using a beam structure model and a shear building under different gradient temperature conditions, and the results demonstrate that the method successfully eliminates the change in elemental stiffness due to temperature effect and gives correct damage locations and extent. The approach can be implemented with other existing damage detection methods that did not consider the effect of temperature so that structures under varying temperature condition can be analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Artificial ageing from archaeological maritime silk offers deterioration insights. • Museums' deterioration agents tested: temperature, relative humidity, light, oxygen. • Structural/compositional changes assessed by colour measurements, FTIR, UHPLC-FLD. • Limiting light and oxygen reduces damage and increases silk's life expectancy. • A long-term preservation strategy for archaeological maritime silk is outlined. An exceptional group of silk fragments was unearthed in 2014 from a shipwreck, which sank in the mid-17th century, in the Wadden Sea, The Netherlands. A unique example of 17th-century fashion, it comprises about 300 textile fragments from garments, parts of garments and furnishing fabrics, almost entirely made of silk and embroidered or woven with metal thread. These are in remarkably good condition, which may be related to the archaeological environment, the quality of the silk yarns in the fragments, and the presence of metal threads and other metallic objects from the shipwreck. Surviving archaeological maritime silk textiles are extremely rare, which makes this a distinctive find posing challenges for selecting the most suitable conditions for exhibition and storage. Scientific research was carried out with the aim to evaluate the response of modern and archaeological silks to temperature, relative humidity, light and oxygen, in order to define the most suitable parameters for the long-term storage and exhibition of the collection. Artificially aged samples taken from one of the archaeological fragments were analysed at the visual, structural and molecular level by means of colour measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a fluorescence detector (UHPLC-FLD). The results showed that light exposure, in combination with high temperatures, oxygen and moisture strongly affected the silk's structure and molecular composition. Limiting exposure to light and removing oxygen reduced this effect and increased life expectancy significantly. Therefore, the analytical results obtained were essential to defining a preliminary preservation strategy for the collection: while on display, anoxic conditions slow down degradation of the silk by a factor of 4–5, whereas in a in dark storage, a low RH is the most important factor, with anoxic conditions providing additional reduction of decay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colletotrichum species are the most important postharvest spoilage fungi of papaya fruit. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of temperature and relative humidity on growth rate and time for growth to become visible of five strains of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides isolated from papaya fruit in a complex medium. As a primary model, the radial growth rates were estimated using the Baranyi and Roberts model in papaya agar. The Solver MS Excel function was used to obtain the time to visible mycelium (tv). Secondary models obtained with the Rosso et al. cardinal model of inflection were applied to describe the effect of temperature on the growth rate (μ). The Arrhenius-Davey model was used to model tv. The obtained models seem to be satisfactory for describing both μ and tv. The relative humidity had an effect on μ and tv for all tested C. gloeosporioides isolates, but no model accurately described the behavior of the fungus. External validation of models was performed with papaya fruit. Growth models were developed with the same models used in vitro. The bias and the accuracy factors as indices for performance evaluation of predictive models in food microbiology as a function of temperature and RH were 1.22 and 1.33, respectively, for μ and 1.18 and 1.62, respectively, for tv, indicating accurate predictions. The supply chain of papaya is complex and requires constant conditions, and poor conditions can result in damage to the fruit. Knowledge of the behavior of C. gloeosporioides on papaya fruit and application of the developed models in the supply chain will help to establish transport control strategies to combat these fungi. This research has contributed to development of the first models of growth for C. gloeosporioides in Mexico. Temperature greatly affected fungal rot of papaya at the postharvest stage. Fungal growth occurred when water was available, regardless of the relative humidity. Predictive models may help food processors make decisions for suboptimal supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree diversity has been shown to promote a broad range of ecosystem functions in forests. However, how important these effects are in driving ecosystem multifunctionality in natural forests, relative to other drivers, such as below‐ground biodiversity (e.g. soil microbial diversity), community‐level functional traits and environmental conditions, remains poorly understood. Here, we hypothesize that tree species or phylogenetic diversity (PD), stand structure, functional traits and soil microbial diversity jointly regulate temperate forest multifunctionality (FM) along a local‐scale environmental gradient.Using repeated census data from a 25‐ha old‐growth temperate forest, we first quantified eight ecosystem functions and properties related to above‐ and below‐ground nutrient cycling. We then used these to estimate ecosystem multifunctionality using both averaging and multiple threshold (50%, 75% and 95%) approaches. Finally, we used structural equation models to explore how different facets of tree (tree species, functional and PD) and soil (bacteria, fungi and nematode diversity) biodiversity influence ecosystem multifunctionality, as well as how these relationships are modulated by stand structural attributes and environmental conditions (topography and soil nutrients).Forest multifunctionality was positively related to stand structural complexity but negatively related to acquisitive traits (i.e. community‐weighted mean of specific leaf area). Plant PD had no significant direct effect on FM, but it had a significant indirect effect via increased stand structural complexity. The effect of soil microbial diversity on FM increased with increasing threshold levels of FM and outperformed tree diversity and environmental conditions at the highest threshold level (i.e. 95%). Forests on steep slopes had lower levels of ecosystem multifunctionality due to decreased stand structural complexity. Soil nutrients were responsible for regulating FM via plant trait composition and, to a lesser extent, via tree diversity, stand structure and soil microbial diversity.Synthesis. Plant PD, stand structure and soil microbial diversity jointly regulated FM, and these effects were influenced by local‐scale changes in environmental conditions. Soil microbial diversity was a key driver of highly multifunctional forests, whereas conservation of complex stand structure and conservative trait dominance could enhance mean values of multiple functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of intra-monthly variability of some physiological and blood parameters in pigs under different environmental conditions. For this purpose, 10 pigs (five males and five females) coming from a Sicilian farm were used. On all animals, rectal temperature, respiratory rate and blood sampling were carried out every five days, at six-time points under different environmental conditions, for the whole month of July 2017. For each period, ambient temperature, the relative humidity and the temperature-humidity index (THI) were recorded. Blood samples were tested for haematological (RBC, WBC, Hb, Hct) and haematochemical (GLU, TRIG, CHOL, TP, ALB and CREA) analyses. Our results showed a statistically significant effect of time (P < 0.05) on rectal temperature, haematological and haematochimical parameters. CREA and respiratory rate have not shown statistically significant effect of time. Our data indicate that the majority of parameters evaluated in the present study showed variations related to changes in environmental conditions and to high ambient temperature. These results provide information into the physiological responses of pigs to different environmental conditions and could be useful to optimize the husbandry practices and provide useful information for monitoring changes in the health status of pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metacommunity structure depends on environmental and spatial factors. Stream fishes are constrained to disperse within dendritic networks and waterfalls and other barriers add resistance to species dispersal. We evaluated the importance of environmental and spatial effects on fish metacommunity composition, adopting different models of spatial distance: overland, watercourse, resistance (physical barriers), cost distance (watercourse resistance), and asymmetrical dispersal (considering flow direction). Fishes were sampled in 31 riffle sites of a small subtropical basin of southern Brazil (~ 250 km2 effective study area). Using redundancy analysis (RDA) and variance partitioning, we found the best model was the one including flow direction weighted by watercourse distance plus environmental variables (overall adj-R2 = 0.42). However, the explanation of fish composition was greatly improved by weighting spatial distance by stream channel sinuosity or height of barriers. Reach slope and width were the two significant environmental variables. Our study supports that dispersal, in addition to environmental factors, affects stream fish metacommunity even in a watershed of small spatial extent. Detecting spatial effects in a small watershed depends on considering realistic watershed features that affect fish dispersal in drainage networks such as waterfalls and other physical barriers, and distance along the watercourse and flow direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Litter humification is vital for carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. Probing the litter humification of treeline ecotone will be helpful to understand soil carbon afflux in alpine regions under climate change. Methods: Foliar litter of six plant functional groups was chosen in an alpine treeline ecotone of the eastern Tibetan Plateau, and a field litterbag decomposition experiment (669 days) was conducted in an alpine shrubland (AS) and a coniferous forest (CF). Environmental factors, litter quality, humus concentrations (total humus, Huc; humic acid, HAc; and fulvic acid, FAc) and hue coefficient (ΔlogK and E4/E6) were measured to explore litter humification processes. Results: Litter humification was controlled by both litter stoichiometric traits and local-environment conditions, while stoichiometric traits played a more obvious regulatory role. Significant discrepancies in litter humus were detected among six plant functional groups; more precisely, litter of evergreen conifer and shrubs showed a net accumulation of Huc and FAc during winter, whereas others experienced more mineralization than accumulation. Huc, HAc, and hue coefficient were mainly controlled by cellulose/N, cellulose/P, C/N, lignin/P, lignin/N, etc., yet FAc was more susceptible to local-environment conditions. Meanwhile, Huc, HAc and FAc, as well as humification degree and E4/E6 differed between AS and CF, with faster humification in AS. Conclusion: We suggest that litter stoichiometric traits are more responsible for regulating litter humification than environmental conditions in elevational gradients. Furthermore, potential upward shifts by plants may accelerate litter humification in alpine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal environmental conditions shape the behavior and life history of virtually all organisms. Climate change is modifying these seasonal environmental conditions, which threatens to disrupt population dynamics. It is conceivable that climatic changes may be beneficial in one season but result in detrimental conditions in another because life-history strategies vary between these time periods. We analyzed the temporal trends in seasonal survival of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) and explored the environmental drivers using a 40-y dataset from the Colorado Rocky Mountains (USA). Trends in survival revealed divergent seasonal patterns, which were similar across age-classes. Marmot survival declined during winter but generally increased during summer. Interestingly, different environmental factors appeared to drive survival trends across age-classes. Winter survival was largely driven by conditions during the preceding summer and the effect of continued climate change was likely to be mainly negative, whereas the likely outcome of continued climate change on summer survival was generally positive. This study illustrates that seasonal demographic responses need disentangling to accurately forecast the impacts of climate change on animal population dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the standard problems of using environment conditions of seaport anchorage, a comprehensive study was carried out through the research and analysis on the domestic and abroad seaport anchorage, the comparative analysis of domestic and foreign codes, and the mathematical model test. Fast-time model is used in the mathematical model test to study the anchor drag of anchored ships under the action of wind, wave and current. The environmental conditions from the research and analysis results and the relevant provisions of domestic and foreign codes are used as input parameters in the test. The use environmental conditions standard for different types of anchorage and different chain length and water depth ratio are obtained. The relevant research methods and conclusions can be used as reference for the anchorage design project of seaport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to investigate changes in root development of grasslands in differently eroded ecotopes and impact on slope stability. The experiment was carried out at the Vėžaičiai Branch of Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry. The soil of the northern exposition slope was Bathygleyic Dystric Glossic Retisol (slightly eroded); the soil of the southern exposition slope, due to very severe erosion in the upper part, was Orthieutric Regosol (severely eroded). The impact of hill expositions (southern exposition, slope of 12-14° and northern exposition, slope of 11-13°), parts of the hill (summit, midslope and footslope) and type of the grassland: temporary, established in 2014 (alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) 50% + timothy (Phleum pratense L.) 35% + meadow grass (Poa pratensis L.) 15%) and permanent, established in 1983 (timothy (Phleum pratense L.) 20%, red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) 20%, meadow grass (Poa pratensis L.) 20%, white clover (Trifolium repens L.) 20%, common bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) 20%) on root development was very unequal. The root mass was significantly influenced by the age of the grasslands: in the 1st experimental year the root mass of the permanent grassland was 13.4 times greater compared to that of the temporary grassland. Root mass differences gradually decreased, while temporary grassland developed and in the 3rd year it levelled off. The highest proportion (80- 90%) of the investigated grassland root mass was found in 0-10 cm soil layer. Total root length of the temporary grassland was significantly greater on the footslope of the hill, and the average root diameter did not depend on the exposition and part of the hill. Hill slopes were not affected by water erosion, when sustainable agro-systems were based on growing perennial grassland and grass-cereal crop rotations with temporary grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of benthic foraminifera from surficial stations in the southern Corniche of Jeddah were investigated to infer their nearshore distribution and responses to important environmental factors (e.g., grain size, temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen). Genera that found to dominate the studied stations are: Clavulina, Coscinospira, Cycloforina, Elphidium, Peneroplis, Quinqueloculina, Sorites, Spiroloculina, Varidentella, and Triloculina. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) multivariate technique suggests a clear segregation in the stations. Stations from the northern part (SC4, 5,6,10) were found to be positively correlated with dissolved oxygen and temperature, while most of the stations (SC11-20) were found positively correlated with CaCO3 and salinity and to a lesser extent TOC (wt.%). Ammonia convexa, Quinqueloculina costata, Q. leavigata, Q. neostriatula, Triculoculina schreiberiana and Elpheduim advenum have shown to favor thriving in stations characterized by higher carbonate contents, salinity and TOC (wt.%). Neorotalia calcar and Q. seminula have been dominated in stations characterized by positive correlation with dissolved oxygen and temperature. Stations characterized by coarse grain size (gravely substrate) and populations of marine green algae show less diversity and dominance of S. orbiculus one of the largest foraminifera that prefer symbiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single sub-adult specimen of yellowtail snapper, Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch, 1791) of 76.08 mm total long (TL) and weighing 4.38 g, was caught on June 7, 2013 over a sandy habitat in the coastal lagoon of La Mancha, Veracruz, Mexico. The capture of O. chrysurus represents a first record for the lagoon and one of the few records for the estuarine systems of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, even though this species is typical of habitats associated with coral reefs. Similarly, the reported sequence of the mitochondrial COI gene is also the first record of the species for coastal lagoons of this region. Other sequences of the same species were used to evaluate the haplotypic diversity in the western Atlantic Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 30 sudden warm-sector rainstorms are analyzed over Sichuan basin during 2012-2018. According to the main trigger systems, they are divided into 3 types:easterly wind, southerly wind, and low vortex. By using the ground automatic stations and the live telecast sounding data, the time-space distribution characteristics and related physical quantities of the warm-sector rainstorms are analyzed, and all kinds of average rainstorm circulation field is analyzed by using ERA-Interim analysis data, the main conclusion is:(1) Both easterly and southerly rainstorms occur in the western part of Sichuan basin. The easterly wind storm belt is closer to the Longmen Mountains, and the low-vortex storm occurs mainly in the southern part of the basin. The short-time heavy precipitation in the process of the three types of rainstorms has obvious diurnal variation characteristics, which increases at night and decreases in the next morning. (2) When warm-sector rainstorm is approaching, Sichuan basin is located on south flow or weak fluctuation at 500hPa, which is the periphery of the western Pacific subtropical high. And there are the southwest flow from Yunnan-Guizhou to Sichuan Basin at 700 hPa, the east or south flow from Guizhou to Sichuan Basin at 850 hPa, easterly or southerly winds will increase to 2~4m·s-1 at 850hPa. The rainstorm mainly appeared in the convergence of wind speed at 850hPa and shallow low-eddy circulation area, among which the easterly type rainstorm also had the forced lifting effect of the landform of Longmen Mountain.(3)The warm-sector rainstorms occur under the condition of abnormal high energy and humidity. The 850hPa average specific humidity is 16.8 g·kg-1, CAPE average value is 1956 J·kg-1,K index average value is 40.1℃.The energy condition in the warm area is significantly higher than the average climatic value and the general rainstorm process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important property and distinct characteristic of different lithium‐ion batteries, open‐circuit‐voltage (OCV) online estimation can provide useful information for battery monitoring and fault diagnosis. However, studies dedicated to battery OCV estimation are not as much as the research efforts on state‐of‐charge determination and parameter identification such as capacity and resistance. Hence, a general discussion for selecting the battery OCV estimation algorithm is proposed in this study. To this end, modelling process of extended state‐space model and autoregressive exogenous model is presented in detail. Four estimation algorithms, namely, Luenberger observer, Kalman filter, recursive least‐square with forgetting factor and recursive least‐square with variable forgetting factor are selected and compared in terms of estimation accuracy, computational cost, parameter tuning and robustness to parameter variations. Based on real battery cell parameters and environmental conditions, simulation results have shown that even if they are less robust to model uncertainty, observer‐based methods exhibit better estimation performances than regression‐based ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To find out duration of adipocere formation in hot and humid area. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Mohi-Ud-Din Islamic Medical College Mirpur Azad Kashmir and HITEC-IMS Taxila, from Jan 2017 to Jan 2019. Methodology: Total 25 cases with adipocere formation were included in this study. The cause of death, time since death, death circumstances, surrounding environment from where the body was recovered and demographic profile of the deceased were considered, while cases of septicemic deaths were excluded from the study. The adipocere was confirmed by forensic medicine consultants by its soft, moist and greasy consistency, grayish white appearance and ammoniacal smell. Results: Most of the cases recovered during months of March to June from open and closed areas, while 3 cases were recovered from water source or river banks. The time duration of recovery from time of death was from 5 days to 15 days 3h. The adipocere formation showed a high odds ratio 2.0-(95%-CI-0.115-3.482) and OR-1.5-(95%-CI-.098-2.306) for bodies recovered from water and open areas respectively. The adipocere formation in hot and rainy season showed OR-3.3-(95%-CI .190-4.199) and OR-2.4-(95%-CI .122-3.642) respectively. The adipocere formation occurred more during days 1-5 with an OR-1.9-(95%-CI .221-1.625). Conclusion: The adipocere formation can be seen as early as 2 days in a hot humid environment in closed areas, while the extent of adipocere is larger in bodies recover from water source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work aimed to analyze the causes of the deviation of the fuel consumption index of the Hyundai 1.7 MW generators. The methods used were expert consultation, the hypothetical deductive method for the preparation of the Ishikawa diagram as well as the statistical method of principal component analysis for determining the influence of the percentage of sludge production against fuel consumption on consumption. The main result is the demonstration of the contribution of the sludge production percentage against fuel fuel consumption, the variability of the deviation of the consumption index, the influence of the environmental conditions and the efficiency of the radiator, as well as the pressure of fuel in engine power. With the control of the sludge production, the fuel pressure and the efficiency of the radiators, the fuel consumption rate can be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many animals, parental care behavior is an important aspect of their life history that affects both parents and offspring. In birds, one of the most important parental care behaviors is incubation, which is costly to the parent but directly influences embryonic development and fitness of offspring. Some birds exhibit the intriguing behavior of partially incubating their eggs prior to clutch completion for only a portion of each day. This partial incubation is characterized by lower incubation temperatures and constancy than during full‐time incubation, which typically begins at clutch completion. Partial incubation may preserve the viability of eggs laid early in the laying sequence, shorten the length of the full incubation period, and/or provide a favorable microclimate to the incubating parent. It might also reduce the probability of nest predation, nest site takeover by another bird, brood parasitism, and/or predation of the adult. Although there is evidence that partial incubation is an adaptive behavior and that time invested in this behavior varies among individuals of the same species, nothing is known about what may drive this inter‐individual variation. To investigate how environmental and parental characteristics may be related to partial incubation behavior, we studied the partial incubation behavior of wood ducks Aix sponsa using artificial egg temperature loggers within nest boxes. Our results suggest that females with greater mass relative to their structural size invest more time in partial incubation. Additionally, the incubation temperature and length of on‐bouts of partial incubation increased over the course of the partial incubation period, and ambient temperature during on‐bouts was positively related to incubation temperature. Ultimately, our study suggests that characteristics of both the environment and parent may influence the partial incubation behavior of wood ducks, and improves our understanding of an important, but understudied, aspect of avian parental care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the implementation of the WCM (World Class Manufacturing) model. By implementing the WCM, it is possible to reduce costs in manufacturing operations by removing elements that does not bring added value, or generate losses, waste or even lead to accidents and errors. WCM as a management model includes its own methods and tools that enable the company to achieve profit and a competitive advantage based on the principle of "producing the highest quality products at low prices". The WCM model is based on four concepts to achieve zero waste, zero accidents, zero failures and zero stocks. A prerequisite for the development of the WCM model is the improvement of the company's organizational system in order to achieve a global level of competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most terrestrial animals live in natural atmospheric conditions, but some are also adapted to low oxygen (hypoxic) or high‐carbon dioxide (hypercapnic) conditions, such as in social insect nests, soil, caves, wood, and decaying material. Although it is possible that individuals adapt their behaviour to the environmental condition of their habitats, mating behaviour under ecologically possible ranges of CO2 has not been well studied. We compared walking activity, duration of mating behaviour, and sperm transfer ability in the West Indian sweet potato weevil, Euscepes postfasciatus Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in high CO2 (10 000 p.p.m.) vs. normal atmospheric conditions (laboratory air, ca. 800 p.p.m.). We found that high CO2 enhanced walking activity and mounting frequency. Under such circumstances, we predicted that enhanced activities under a high‐CO2 environment would increase the risk of sperm competition, which induces an extended copulation period and an increase in sperm transfer. However, weevils shortened the mating period and did not alter their sperm transfer ability under high CO2. These findings are, as far as we are aware, the first report of the effect of ecologically relevant high CO2 on insect mating behaviour under mass‐rearing conditions. The effect of ambient conditions on mating behaviour and sperm transfer is discussed in relation to the intensity of female refusal behaviour directed against males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) exhibit patchy concentrations associated with biological process at a wide range of spatial scales, resulting in variations in their catchability by fishing gears. Here, we investigated the association of catch variation for pelagic longlines in the South Pacific Ocean with oceanographic mesoscale structures (in horizontal dimension) and ambient conditions (in vertical dimension). The distribution of albacore tuna as indicated by catch per unit effort (CPUE) of longlines was significantly related to the presence of mesoscale structures, with higher CPUE found at locations closer to thermal fronts and with greater gradient magnitudes, as well as areas marked by peripheral contour line of the anticyclone indicated by Sea Surface Height Anomalies ~0.05 m. Surface mesoscale current velocity had the negative effect on the catch, probably as a result of decreased catchability by shoaling the hook depth. Vertical distribution of albacore in the survey region of South Pacific Ocean was hardly restricted by ambient temperature and oxygen concentration, though effect of ambient temperature was relevant and showed a negatively linear correlation with CPUE at the range of 20–24°C. On the contrary, albacore distribution was evidently dominated by the water depth and showed strong preference on water depth of 200 m, which was likely a representative feeding layer. The presence of prey resources and their accessibility by albacore revealed by mesoscale structures in the biological and physical processes, and catchability determined by the location of the baited hooks comprehensively contribute to the variability of catch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contaminated gases emissions from livestock industry are becoming one of the most significant contributors to the increasingly serious environmental pollution. To find a way to reduce gases emissions, it is essential to reveal the factors that can affect the gases emissions. In this study, the concentrations of typical gases (including ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and sulfur dioxide (SO2)) generated from naturally-ventilated dairy cow barns were detected through the sample-data method in Tianjin, northern China. Indoor environmental conditions, such as temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH), were measured simultaneously. After applying the carbon dioxide mass balance method, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide emissions were determined. The correlation analysis and regression analysis between the climate condition and gas emissions were conducted to assess the data collected in dairy cow barns during the whole study period. There was a significant relationship between environmental conditions and gas emissions. NH3, H2S and SO2 emissions from the building are in the range of 0.98-2.36 g/LU⋅h, 0-0.034 g/LU⋅h, and 0-0.069 g/LU⋅h, respectively. The numerical analysis shows that the NH3 emission is highly correlated with the temperature and relative humidity. The ventilation rate shows a positive correlation with all the three gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worker bees actively forage to supply colony necessity i.e., pollens, nectar, and resin. Flight activities of the worker bees are influenced by food availability and environmental conditions. This study aimed to measure flight activities of Lepidotrigona terminata in terms of leaving and returning to the nest (including carrying of pollen and pollen type) and their relation to environmental conditions. The observation of flight activities of L. terminata were conducted from August to December 2016, at 07.00-17.00 for 1 minute with 1 hour interval. Pollen load and pollen types were analyzed by the acetolysis method. Flight activities of leaving and returning to the nest were lower at 07.00-08.00 (1 individual/min) and at 16.00-17.00 (2 individuals/min). However, the peak activities occurred at 10.00 until 13.00 (8 and 6 individuals/min for leaving and returning to the nest, respectively). Temperature and light intensity were positively correlated with flight activities of bees that carried nectar and resin, as well as leaving the nest without garbage. The returned workers averagely carried 32,696 pollen grains from four pollen types. Based on selection index values, this stingless bee species mostly preferred Araceae (ⱳi=1.522) plant family for pollen resources to others, Anacardiaceae, Aceraceae, and Acanthaceae (x2=39.32, p<0.01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental conditions affect incubation behavior, but whilst the effect of ambient temperature is studied and still controversially discussed, the role of precipitation is unknown. Here, we analyzed the effect of local ambient temperature and precipitation on incubation behavior of female Great Tits (Parus major) and accounted for diurnal patterns of weather conditions. We monitored the incubation behavior of females using temperature data loggers, thus identifying periods of staying inside nest boxes incubating, and leaving nest boxes (off-bout). In total, 685 single off-bouts were analyzed between the first 8 days of incubation directly after clutches were completed. Our study showed that whilst precipitation had no effect on incubation behavior, number and duration of off-bouts were negatively related to ambient temperature, which varied throughout the day. We showed that females took longer off-bouts during low-temperature early mornings, which may result from the need to forage after fasting during the night. Thus, foraging in the early morning seemed to outcompete energy requirements during these cold temperature periods. In addition, females spent less time off the nest as incubation progressed. Our results emphasize that patterns of incubation behavior cannot be understood without taking into account varying temperature conditions throughout the day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research work investigates the possibility to use a hygroscopic model based on Fick's law to predict the global moisture content variations an historical violin undergoes during a concert. To set up the model to work some input are required such as: the object geometries, the wood species used, the thicknesses, the moisture diffusion coefficients, the permeability of varnished surfaces, the anhydrous masses of the moisture exchanging parts, the sorption isotherms, information often far from being available or measurable. At a first extent, the model was run on the environmental conditions recorded during nine concerts played with the "Cannone" violin (1743) and the computed mass variations compared with the mass variations recorded during the same concerts. The model, set with simplifying conditions and with diffusion coefficients from literature, has shown a very little predictive capacity. On the other hand, the model was tuned on the experimental data using an inverse procedure for moisture diffusion coefficient identification. After the tuning the model has shown a very good predictive ability showing how Fick's low can be profitably used to assess the mass transfer in a complex heritage object such as a violin. This paper highlights the possibility to successfully use the Fick's law to model mass transfer in a violin but also makes evident how such models must be tuned with real measurements in order to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study numerically investigates the thermal behavior and airflow characteristics of the building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) façade. A three-dimensional model is developed based on the typical BIPV façade. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with the shear stress transport (SST) -omega turbulent model is used in the study. The effects of geometric configurations on the BIPV cell temperature in steady state are evaluated including the sizes of the bottom and top openings and the depth of the back air cavity (or so-called cavity depth). When the sizes of the inlet and outlet openings are the same, the effects on the decrease of cell temperature are limited. By enlarging the bottom (inlet) opening, the impact of ventilation in the cavity behind is more significant and the cell temperature decreases. Cavity depth is also a vital factor affecting BIPV cell temperature. The paper identifies the optimal cavity depth of approximately 100-125 mm. Flow disturbance and a vortex may be observed at the bottom and top of the air cavity, respectively, as the cavity depth increases which negatively affects the ventilation causing these flow disturbances to increase the cell temperature. Thermal effects of environmental conditions are compared with regard to two selected BIPV configurations. The wind velocity and the attack angle also have an obvious impact on cell temperature. Ambient temperature and solar irradiance exhibit a linear relationship with BIPV cell temperature as expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofilm formation on indwelling medical devices represents an exclusive evasion mechanism for many pathogenic bacteria to establish chronic infections. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major bacterial pathogens that are able to induce both animal and human infections. The continued emergence of multiple drug-resistant S. aureus, especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus, is problematic due to limited treatment options. Biofilm formation by S. aureus complicates the treatment of methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections. Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms of biofilm formation in this pathogen is important for the development of alternative therapeutic strategies. Various environmental and genetic factors contribute to biofilm formation. In this review, we address the environmental factors and discuss how they affect biofilm formation by S. aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating a smart city is a long-term process related to planning a new urban structure, whereas knowledge of the history of the city's and its area's development is not without significance. The presented article shows how environmental factors that may have their sources in the past may impact the contemporary creation of a smart city. When planning the development of a smart city, it is impossible not to take into account the history of the city's development in the past and the environment in which it was created. Changes in Kraków's environment (the terrain, land forms, and water network) that have occurred over many years have undoubtedly a significant impact on the formation of a specific city profile - not only in terms of geography and climate (humidity, poor ventilation) but also in social, communication and cultural terms. These factors mean that the creation of smart-city in the case of Kraków will have to be slightly different than in the case of other cities with an environment that has been more stable over time. Apart from the lack of financial resources, the development of a smart city in Kraków is hampered by the lack of implemented solutions that would involve the local community in the co-management of the city. In addition, the Open Data concept, which allows public data to be opened and made available to residents in various digital formats, encouraging the creation of new services based thereon, still remains an untapped resource. Some cities, such as Wrocław, Poznań or Łódź have tried to make available some of the city's data, albeit to a very small extent. Another problem is the lack of spatial planning and urban chaos. Reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions is also a substantial challenge facing the local authorities. A majority of large Polish cities, especially in winter, exceed the permissible air pollution standards, which automatically excludes them from the group of smart cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil persistence of herbicides from the triazines group is basically dependent on precipitation conditions and soil characteristics. The objective of this study was to assess the residual effect of different application times and atrazine and atrazine + simazine doses for the soybean crop. Experiments were conducted in the field and greenhouse. In the field, the design of subdivided plots with four replications was used, with factor A composed of application times 56, 49, 42, 35, 28, 21, and 14 days before soybean sowing; and factor B, by the herbicides atrazine and atrazine + simazine. For the greenhouse experiment, the design was completely randomized blocks, factor A doses 0, 570, 1140, 1715, 2285, 2860, 3430, and 4000 g i.a. ha-1, factor B herbicides atrazine and atrazine + simazine. The application of the treatments was carried out with a CO2 pressurized sprayer, after the application of the soybean. The field was assessed regarding the plant stand, phytotoxicity, stature, height of insertion of the first training, chlorophyll content, and kg ha-1 yield. In the greenhouse, phytotoxicity, plant height, leaf area, and dry mass were assessed. Then, data were submitted to analysis of variance and, when significant, the means were compared by the Tukey test at 5%. The residual simulation of the herbicides atrazine and atrazine + simazine in the soil showed similar behavior regarding the effects on soybean. In the field experiment, due to the high precipitations that occurred in the interval between herbicide applications and soybean sowing, no phytotoxic effects or reduction in crop yield were observed. In the greenhouse, increasing the residual dose of herbicides in the soil increased the toxic effects on soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of temperature and environmental moisture on the viscoelastic behavior of polyurethane foams were investigated both theoretically and experimentally. It was shown that the effect of the environmental parameters can be explained in terms of a variation of the free volume of the solid fraction of the foams, thus allowing the use of the superposition principle to predict their influence on the viscoelastic behavior of the materials. Dynamic mechanical analyses were performed to measure the dependence on frequency, temperature, and relative humidity of the complex modulus of two different polyurethane foams, differing in terms of their glass transition temperature. The time-temperature-humidity superposition principle was proved to be applicable for the tested materials. Next, the relaxation spectra and their dependence on the relative humidity were adopted to assess its effects on the large strain behavior of the foams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems in museums is to properly control important microclimate parameters; such systems, in fact, apart from ensuring the visitors' wellbeing, are requested to guarantee suitable indoor conditions for the proper conservation of the important cultural goods hosted by museums. Hence, in case of disservice, or interruption due to maintenance interventions, it is important to quantify the economic damage induced to exhibited and/or stored works of art (or even to the building museum itself). Accordingly, it is essential to guarantee the shortest possible period of disservice during which probable damages for the works of art could occur. Since curators are the most relevant subjects committed to properly run the museum, also for what concerns the indoor environmental conditions, the aim of this work is to propose two new comprehensive operative damage risk indicators to support curators in negotiating the stipulation of contracts with the external companies in charge of the management of the HVAC system, in order to preserve the works of art. Particularly, these indicators try to integrate, into the contracts, economic considerations related to the system's disservice period and/or planned interruptions. The feasibility of the proposed new indicators has been checked by means of an example application involving the "Museo Regionale" of Palermo (Italy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]