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Pierced antlers, traditionally known as bâtons de commandement, are commonly found in many Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites in Europe. Despite their original association to symbolic uses, their function is in constant debate, having as many hypotheses as contexts of finding. Predominance of symbolic use was replaced by the emphasis of antler mechanical properties chosen to perform this type of artefact. In America, pierced antlers are practically absent, however, a large number of antlers with short branches and a central perforation were found in the Low Paraná wetland. They were recovered from hunter-gatherer sites dated in the Late Holocene. In this paper, we analyse their chronological and spatial distribution, the material association and the morphometrical and physical properties of the assemblages to discuss the functional significance of these items in the local contexts. Antlers with and without perforation are considered. As a result, we note that the assemblage under analysis is morphologically different from the European's ones with symmetrical branches, despite the same material properties being maintained in the selection of deer antler as raw material. In our case, antlers without perforation are interpreted as discarded from the manufacturing processes that involve other types of tools besides there is a different proposal for a near area as the República Oriental del Uruguay. Pierced antlers show fractures and use-wear patterns like those described in the international literature. Even if no functional identification can be confirmed, high stress and domestic activity can be proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several technological approaches to mitigate methane dairy emissions are available; however, assuming that technological change alone generates the necessary incentives to accelerate emissions reduction is risky. Without adequate market signals, producers might choose not to use the technologies available or to the desired extent. Addressing this economic problem requires altering producers' and consumers' behaviour by introducing incentives or constraints. Employing the livestock policy simulation model, we examine the effects of reducing methane emissions in the dairy sector under different market-based policy instruments. We used the primary dairy sector in Uruguay as a case study. The results show that a policy mix combining a set of market-based instruments can be more effective than a single policy instrument alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Telemetry is being used to generate an unprecedented level of knowledge on the underwater environment, much of which is relevant to marine policy and management. Yet, examples of telemetry directly informing management practices are still rare or undocumented. Here we describe a case in which fish telemetry data were rapidly incorporated into recreational fisheries policy for Permit (Trachinotus falcatus) in Florida. The reproductive strategy of Permit involves forming large aggregations, during which time they are often targeted by recreational anglers. To protect Permit from overfishing, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission established regulations in 2011 to prohibit Permit harvest during May through July, based on knowledge of seasonal Permit reproductive status. However, an acoustic telemetry study initiated in 2016 revealed that spawning aggregations were forming prior to this period, during the month of April. This information had a rapid and definitive impact on fisheries management policy. Given the well-documented difficulties of incorporating new science and information into environmental decision-making, this case provides valuable insights into how the knowledge-action gap may be bridged. Many factors contributed to the rapid uptake of this telemetry-derived knowledge into management, including applied research funding and objectives, integrating managers and stakeholders into the research, rapid dissemination of preliminary data, plus well-established relationships amongst scientists, managers, and stakeholders mediated by a non-government organization, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. These factors may serve as a basis for researchers and managers seeking to translate new research into management practice, improving research impact and achievement of conservation goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Applying methodologies of load balancing of heterogeneous clusters to multiGPU systems. [•] New version of the ULL_Calibrate_lib for multiGPU in shared memory systems. [•] Implementation of four parallelizations for Dynamic Programming optimization problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cu -edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) on La2CuO4.1 has been used to study the radial Cu–O distribution function across the superconducting transition. Fits to the isolated Cu–O XAFS signal show the presence of a non-Gaussian distribution function for temperatures away from the superconducting transition temperature. However, this distribution becomes more harmonic in the vicinity of the superconducting transition temperature . The results provide evidence for the coupling between the local atomic dynamics and the particles involved in the superconductivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Monthly visual surveys of reef fish populations in the Florida Keys were conducted from May to September of 1999 and April to December of 2000 using both strip transect and stationary point count sampling methods. Each month divers using SCUBA conducted three 10m×30m transect surveys and three 5m radius stationary point counts at 26 sites selected using a habitat based, stratified random design procedure. During both sampling procedures divers enumerated and assigned to 5cm size increments all groupers (Serranidae), snappers (Lutjanidae), hogfish (Labridae), angelfish (Pomacanthidae), butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae), triggerfish (Balistidae), and a few other species of recreational or commercial importance. The rationale behind this sampling design was to assess the differential vulnerability of the various species and size classes to the lower behavioral disturbance/smaller area point count technique as compared to the higher disturbance/larger area transect method, and to assess which method would produce the highest density estimates and census the largest number of individuals per unit of sampling effort for size structure determinations. Although both types of samples required about the same amount of diver effort to complete, approximately 1.5 times more individuals were recorded during transect surveys. However, since transect surveys encompassed 4.3 times as much area as point counts, observed densities averaged about three times higher for point count samples. There was considerable variation among species with respect to this pattern, with total numbers of individuals for the 10 most abundant species ranging from about equal to 4.5 times higher during transect surveys, while densities ranged from nearly equal to about 6 times higher during point counts. Length frequencies within species were generally very similar between the two methods, though a higher proportion of larger individuals was recorded for a few species during transect surveys. Since previous studies have strongly indicated that visual census techniques produce underestimates of true reef fish densities, the higher and presumably more accurate density estimates provided by the point count method, along with other factors such as presumed increases in accuracy of counts and size estimates associated with increased observation time of individual fishes, led us to select this method for our future surveys. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Livestock portfolios play a significant role, as an income and consumption buffering strategy during severe droughts. • The buffering potential of livestock varies by income quintile, length of the climate shock, animal species, and region. • Households face trade-offs between using livestock assets to smooth the effect of the shock or protect future income generation. • Livestock oriented resilience interventions should carefully consider the relationships among species, droughts, and socioeconomic groups. • This study employs a unique dataset combining socioeconomic and livestock asset data from 150 000 households with a multi-scalar drought index. The effects of climate change are alarming, with projections suggesting that weather events will become more extreme and frequent, affecting households in regions that are already highly vulnerable. This study explores the role of livestock as a household coping strategy against climate shocks. Using quantile regression analysis, we examine the potential of different animal species to buffer the effects of drought on income and consumption. We assemble a unique global dataset that combines household-level socioeconomic information with a multi-scalar climatic drought index. Our study confirms the significant, yet context-dependent, role of livestock portfolios as a buffering mechanism against the effects of drought on household income and consumption. The effect is driven by the specific type of animal species, length of the shock, and socioeconomic features. These findings could assist the design of livestock-oriented policy interventions. The novel contributions of this study include the first cross-country analysis of the buffering effect of livestock against drought; use of the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index as a multi-scalar drought indicator -; and a uniquely extensive dataset allowing for the analysis of interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence and rapid spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has posed an unprecedented threat to both societies and economies. The dairy sector is an example of the challenges that food supply chains have faced due to the pandemic. This study aims to provide primary evidence of the immediate effects of COVID-19 on the global dairy sector, particularly focusing on the outcome of the implemented response mechanisms, and the potential medium and long-term implications of the pandemic on the sector. We employed a longitudinal qualitative analysis framework that combines the use of questionnaires, media-search, focus-group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and secondary evidence reviews. Information was gathered at two points in time: three months after the beginning of the outbreak and one year later. We applied this framework in five different geographical regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. Our study indicates that the pandemic has been perceived as a series of episodes affecting the sector from both demand and supply sides. These waves have impacted the sector differently depending on regions and countries' trade profiles, relative resource scarcity, per capita income, and market structure. Although in one year the sector has mostly recovered from the shock, the analysis concludes that the pandemic has accelerated on-going structural changes taking place in the dairy sector. The study expands existing knowledge about the effects of the pandemic on the dairy sector and adds to the newly evolving literature about the medium and long-term effects of the COVID-19 on food systems across the globe. Despite the preliminary nature of the results, they provide important insights to inform sectorial policy discussions. [Display omitted] • The dairy sector is an example of the challenges that food supply chains have faced due to COVID-19. • The pandemic has impacted the sector depending on countries' trade profiles, per capita income, and market structure. • The study reveals that the pandemic has accelerated on-going structural changes taking place in the dairy sector. • Despite the preliminary nature of the results, they provide important insights to inform sectorial policy discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A protocol for analysing microwave pasteurization based on biological indicators is presented. • The methodology allows to evaluate intrinsic and extrinsic sources of variability. • In the cases studied, extrinsic sources of variability were more relevant than intrinsic ones. • Pasteurization by MW heating can be evaluated and optimized with the current methodology. Microwave processing can be a valid alternative to conventional heating for different types of products. It enables a more efficient heat transfer in the food matrix, resulting in higher quality products. However, for many food products a uniform temperature distribution is not possible because of heterogeneities in their physical properties and non-uniformtiy in the electric field pattern. Hence, the effectiveness of microwave inactivation treatments is influenced by both intrinsic (differences between cells) and extrinsic variability (non-uniform temperature). Interpreting the results of the process and considering its impact on microbial inactivation is essential to ensure effective and efficient processing. In this work, we quantified the variability in microbial inactivation attained in a microwave pasteurization treatment with a tunnel configuration at pilot-plant scale. The configuration of the equipment makes it impossible to measure the product temperature during treatment. For that reason, variability in microbial counts was measured using Biological Inactivation Indicators (BIIs) based on spherical particles of alginate inoculated with spores of Bacillus spp. The stability of the BIIs and the uncertainty associated to them was assessed using preliminary experiments in a thermoresistometer. Then, they were introduced in the food product to analyse the microbial inactivation in different points of the products during the microwave treatment. Experiments were made in a vegetable soup and a fish-based animal by-product (F-BP). The results show that the variation in the microbial counts was higher than expected based on the biological variability estimated in the thermoresistometer and the uncertainty of the BIIs. This is due to heterogeneities in the temperature field (measured using a thermographic camera), which were higher in the F-BP than in the vegetable soup. Therefore, for the process studied, extrinsic variability was more relevant than intrinsic variability. The methodology presented in this work can be a valid method to evaluate pasteurization treatments of foods processed by heating, providing valuable information of the microbial inactivation achieved. It can contribute to design microwave processes for different types of products and for product optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the dye/ZnO complex was prepared, using natural dyes extracted from the red tree (Haematoxylum campechianum L.) and mangrove tree (Rhizophora Mangle), with a concentration of 5 × 10−3 M, impregnation time of 2 and 6 h, using a mixture of ethanol-water and ethanol as solvents. The ZnO particles were obtained by sol gel method and deposited on Corning glass by the doctor blade technique. X-ray diffraction indicates that these particles belong to the wurtzite-type hexagonal crystalline structure. Anthraquinone and anthocyanin molecules were identified in the natural dyes used. The results of the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy of the complexes show the band associated with the functional group of the carboxyls, which represents evidence of the presence of the dyes in the semiconductor. X-ray absorption spectroscopy shows changes in the local environment around the Zn atoms. Both dyes introduce a greater quantity of electrons in the unoccupied p states of Zn. The simulation developed and the analysis of the EXAFS signals show the formation of new bonds between Zn and O with dye atoms thus reducing the Zn O and Zn–Zn bond lengths. Also, the distribution of the bonds of the neighbors closest to the Zn, in the ZnO matrix, is modified due to the generation of vacancies of O and Zn. These results imply that the obtained dyes can effectively be used as photosensitizers in ZnO-based solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A marine reserve’s effectiveness for sustaining transient spawning reef fish populations is dependent on inclusion of fish spawning aggregations and consideration of the natural spatial boundaries of the populations themselves. Seasonal migrations of Mutton Snapper Lutjanus analis between protected nearshore areas and spawning grounds on Riley’s Hump in Dry Tortugas, Florida, were assessed from 2008 to 2012 by acoustic telemetry. Individual fish showed synchronized reproductive migrations (up to 5 trips fish −1  yr −1 ) from resident habitats to spawning grounds swimming at an estimated 63 ± 18 cm s −1 (mean ± SD) over minimum linear distances up to 35.2 km. Migrations occurred from April to August, corresponding with the lunar cycle and an increase in water temperature from 25 to 30 °C. Fish arrived on spawning grounds on the full moon and stayed for 7 ± 2 d (mean ± SD). Observations of multiple spawning events made one to five days after the full moon in the late afternoon confirm these movements as spawning migrations. Functional migration areas (109.59 ± 61.01 km 2 ; mean ± SD), which included estimates of staging/courtship/spawning area (4.51 ± 1.84 km 2 [mean ± SD]) and home site area (2.50 ± 1.31 km 2 [mean ± SD]), were combined to estimate the minimum catchment area of the population studied (291.3 km 2 ). Although this study focuses on movements and habitat use of a single fish species in the Tortugas, the results are relevant to the design of marine reserve networks intended to protect and manage fishes that undergo transient spawning migrations in other locations as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cochlear post-translational changes are presented, with an emphasis on age changes. • Comparisons between changes due to aging and other ototoxicities are contrasted. • Translational implications and pathways are discussed. • These findings highlight novel approaches to attenuate age-related hearing loss and other types of hearing loss. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) affect nearly all systems of the human body due to their role in protein synthesis and functionality. These reversible and irreversible modifications control the structure, localization, activity, and properties of proteins. For this reason, PTMs are essential in regulating cellular processes and maintaining homeostasis. Diseases such as Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and many others have been linked to dysfunctions of PTMs. Recent research has also shown that irregularities in PTMs can be linked to hearing loss, including age-related hearing loss (ARHL) – the number one communication disorder and one of the top neurodegenerative diseases in our aging population. So far, there has been no FDA approved treatment for ARHL; however, translational studies investigating PTMs involvement in ARHL show promising results. In this review, we summarize key findings for PTMs within the auditory system, the involvement of PTMs with aging and ARHL, and lastly discuss potential treatment options focusing on utilizing PTMs as biomarkers and therapeutic pathway components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO and ZnO modified with Cu nanoparticles have been prepared by a simple forced hydrolysis method. The concentration of Cu incorporated in ZnO ranged from 1% to 5% by atomic weight, and the influence of Cu concentration on the physical properties of ZnO and the relation to the photocatalytic performance has been investigated. The prepared ZnO and ZnO:Cu samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and UV–vis transmittance spectroscopy. The results show that the ZnO nanomaterial was crystalline with the hexagonal wurtzite structure, with the preferential orientation of the grains along the (101) plane. The average grain size for samples with 1–5% Cu was in the range of 11–29 nm. The ZnO nanoparticles annealed at 420 °C showed an increased photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of methylene blue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Visual attention integration into convolutional neural networks. • Attention mechanisms in classification and object detection tasks. • Visual attention as subjective saliency maps allows faster convergence and better performance. The so-called "attention mechanisms" in Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) denote an automatic adaptation of DNNs to capture representative features given a specific classification task and related data. Such attention mechanisms perform both globally by reinforcing feature channels and locally by stressing features in each feature map. Channel and feature importance are learnt in the global end-to-end DNNs training process. In this paper, we present a study and propose a method with a different approach, adding supplementary visual data next to training images. We use human visual attention maps obtained independently with psycho-visual experiments, both in task-driven or in free viewing conditions, or powerful models for prediction of visual attention maps. We add visual attention maps as new data alongside images, thus introducing human visual attention into the DNNs training and compare it with both global and local automatic attention mechanisms. Experimental results show that known attention mechanisms in DNNs work pretty much as human visual attention, but still the proposed approach allows a faster convergence and better performance in image classification tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]