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The COVID-19 pandemic affected the world through its ability to cause widespread infection. The Middle East including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has also been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic like the rest of the world. This study aims to examine the relationships between meteorological factors and COVID-19 case counts in three cities of the KSA. The distribution of the COVID-19 case counts was observed for all three cities followed by cross-correlation analysis which was carried out to estimate the lag effects of meteorological factors on COVID-19 case counts. Moreover, the Poisson model and negative binomial (NB) model with their zero-inflated versions (i.e., ZIP and ZINB) were fitted to estimate city-specific impacts of weather variables on confirmed case counts, and the best model is evaluated by comparative analysis for each city. We found significant associations between meteorological factors and COVID-19 case counts in three cities of KSA. We also perceived that the ZINB model was the best fitted for COVID-19 case counts. In this case study, temperature, humidity, and wind speed were the factors that affected COVID-19 case counts. The results can be used to make policies to overcome this pandemic situation in the future such as deploying more resources through testing and tracking in such areas where we observe significantly higher wind speed or higher humidity. Moreover, the selected models can be used for predicting the probability of COVID-19 incidence across various regions.

A better understanding of the spatial coordination relationship between tourism urbanisation and resources environment carrying capacity (RECC) is vital for the regional selection of key eco-liveable tourist cities in the Yellow River Basin. This study addressed this research issue by evaluating and partitioning tourism urbanisation level and RECC of the Yellow River Basin in 2005, 2011, and 2018 using a geographic information system (GIS) technology, spatial autocorrelation model, and partition method. Empirical results suggest that the tourism urbanisation level of Shaanxi Province maintains its leading position, while Shanxi Province has great development potential. The high-value areas of RECC are concentrated in Gansu, Inner Mongolia, and Shandong provinces. The degree of spatial agglomeration of the tourism urbanisation level and RECC has been improved. The RECC exhibits a greater restrictive effect on the current high-level areas of tourism urbanisation, and the spatial correspondence between them is weak. Based on the findings of this study, a series of optimisation strategies have been proposed to promote the sustainable development of tourism urbanisation in the Yellow River Basin.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has left a major impact on daily lifestyle and human activities. Many recent studies confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic has human-to-human transmissibility. Additional studies claimed that other factors affect the viability, transmissibility, and propagation range of COVID-19. The effect of weather factors on the spread of COVID-19 has gained much attention among researchers. The current study investigates the relationship between climate indicators and daily detected COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the top five cities with confirmed cases. The examined climate indicators were temperature (°F), dew point (°F), humidity (%), wind speed (mph), and pressure (Hg). Using data from Spring 2020 and 2021, we conducted spatio-temporal correlation, regression, and time series analyses. The results provide preliminary evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic spread in most of the considered cities is significantly correlated with temperature (positive correlation) and pressure (negative correlation). The discrepancies in the results from different cites addressed in this study suggest that non-meteorological factors need to be explored in conjunction with weather attributes in a sufficiently long-term analysis to provide meaningful policy measures for the future.

Using two novel online surveys collected in May and November 2020, we study the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on Spanish households. We document a large and negative effect on household income. By May 2020, the average individual lived in a household that had lost 16% of their pre-pandemic monthly income. Furthermore, this drop was highly unequal: while households in the richest quintile lost 6.8% of their income, those in the poorest quintile lost 27%. We also document that the pandemic deepened the gender-income gap: on average, women experienced a three-percentage point larger income loss than men. While this is consistent with previous findings in the literature, in this paper we document that this effect is driven by women from middle-income households with kids. Finally, we provide evidence that Spanish individuals experienced moderate declines in their levels of psychological well-being. This effect is not different for individuals living in rich or poor households, but the reasons behind well-being losses do differ: richer individuals are more concerned about loss of contact with dear ones, while low-income individuals are more likely to mention loss of income and employment as a key source of emotional distress.

What is the impact of COVID-19 on South Africa? This paper envisages to assist researchers in battling of the COVID-19 pandemic focusing on South Africa. This paper focuses on the spread of the disease by applying heatmap retrieval of hotspot areas, and spatial analysis is carried out using the Moran index. For capturing spatial autocorrelation between the provinces of South Africa, the adjacent as well as the geographical distance measures are used as weight matrix for both absolute and relative counts. Furthermore, generalized logistic growth curve modelling is used for prediction of the COVID-19 spread. We expect this data-driven modelling to provide some insights into hotspot identification and timeous action controlling the spread of the virus.

The importance of reference osteological collections is unquestionable. However, the development of methodologies is more reliable the closer the collection is socioeconomically, demographically, and genetically to the population under study. The purpose of this study is to characterize and contextualize a new Portuguese reference collection. The collection of identified skeletons from the University of Evora comprises 201 adults of both sexes and seven non-adults, deceased between 1870 and 1993 and born between 1790 and 1969. It consists almost exclusively of individuals who were born and died in inland Alentejo, being the only Portuguese collection with this characteristic. The collection was built following all current legal and ethical obligations. Due to its characteristics, the collection constitutes a fundamental tool for forensic and bioarchaeological research in the inland regions of Portugal. In addition to the possibility offered to develop and validate methodologies in both sciences, the available complete hospital archives for research make this collection unique for health studies before, during, and after the epidemiological transition.

A hydrogeological conceptual model of the source, circulation pathways and temporal variation of a low-enthalpy thermal spring in a fractured limestone setting is derived from a multidisciplinary approach. St. Gorman's Well is a thermal spring in east-central Ireland with a complex and variable temperature profile (maximum of 21.8 °C). Geophysical data from a three-dimensional(3D)audio-magnetotelluric(AMT) survey are combined with time-lapse hydrogeological data and information from a previously published hydrochemical analysis to investigate the operation of this intriguing hydrothermal system. Hydrochemical analysis and time-lapse measurements suggest that the thermal waters flow within the fractured limestones of the Carboniferous Dublin Basin at all times but display variability in discharge and temperature. The 3D electrical resistivity model of the subsurface revealed two prominent structures: (1) a NW-aligned faulted contact between two limestone lithologies; and (2) a dissolutionally enhanced, N-aligned, fault of probable Cenozoic age. The intersection of these two structures, which has allowed for karstification of the limestone bedrock, has created conduits facilitating the operation of relatively deep hydrothermal circulation (likely estimated depths between 240 and 1,000 m) within the limestone succession of the Dublin Basin. The results of this study support a hypothesis that the maximum temperature and simultaneous increased discharge observed at St. Gorman's Well each winter is the result of rapid infiltration, heating and recirculation of meteoric waters within a structurally controlled hydrothermal circulation system.The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10040-021-02393-1.Un modèle conceptuel hydrogéologique de la source, des voies de circulation et de la variation temporelle d’une source thermale à faible enthalpie dans un contexte de calcaire fracturé est dérivé d’une approche multidisciplinaire. St. Gorman’s Well est une source thermale du centre-est de l’Irlande avec un profil de température complexe et variable (maximum de 21.8 °C). Les données géophysiques d’un levé audio-magnétotellurique (AMT) en trois dimensions (3D) sont combinées avec des données hydrogéologiques à intervalles de temps et des informations provenant d’une analyse hydrochimique publiée précédemment pour étudier le fonctionnement de cet intrigant système hydrothermal. L’analyse hydrochimique et les mesures à différentes périodes suggèrent que les eaux thermales s’écoulent à tout moment dans les calcaires fracturés du bassin carbonifère de Dublin, mais présentent une variabilité de débit et de température. Le modèle de résistivité électrique 3D du sous-sol a révélé deux structures importantes: (1) un contact faillé orienté NW entre deux lithologies calcaires; et (2) une faille alignée au Nord, améliorée par dissolution, d’âge cénozoïque probable. L’intersection de ces deux structures, qui a permis la karstification du socle calcaire, a créé des conduits facilitant le fonctionnement d’une circulation hydrothermale relativement profonde (profondeurs estimées vraisemblablement entre 240 et 1,000 m) au sein de la succession calcaire du bassin de Dublin. Les résultats de cette étude appuient l’hypothèse selon laquelle la température maximale et l’augmentation simultanée du débit observés à St. Gorman’s Well chaque hiver sont le résultat d’une infiltration, d’un réchauffement et d’une recirculation rapides des eaux météoriques dans un système de circulation hydrothermale structurellement contrôlé.Se deriva un modelo conceptual hidrogeológico de la fuente, las vías de circulación y la variación temporal de un manantial termal de baja entalpía en un entorno de caliza fracturada a partir de un enfoque multidisciplinar. Gorman’s Well es un manantial termal en el centro-este de Irlanda con un perfil de temperatura complejo y variable (máximo de 21.8 °C). Los datos geofísicos de un estudio audio-magnetotelúrico (AMT) tridimensional (3D) se combinan con los datos hidrogeológicos de un lapso de tiempo y la información de un análisis hidroquímico previamente publicado para investigar el funcionamiento de este intrigante sistema hidrotermal. El análisis hidroquímico y las mediciones a intervalos de tiempo sugieren que las aguas termales fluyen dentro de las calizas fracturadas de la cuenca carbonífera de Dublín en todo momento, pero muestran variabilidad en la descarga y la temperatura. El modelo de resistividad eléctrica tridimensional del subsuelo reveló dos estructuras prominentes: (1) un contacto de falla alineado al NW entre dos litologías calcáreas; y (2) una falla de disolución incrementada, alineada al N, de probable edad cenozoica. La intersección de estas dos estructuras, que ha permitido la karstificación del lecho rocoso calcáreo, ha creado conductos que facilitan el funcionamiento de una circulación hidrotermal relativamente profunda (probablemente a profundidades estimadas entre 240 y 1,000 m) dentro de la sucesión calcárea de la cuenca de Dublín. Los resultados de este estudio apoyan la hipótesis de que la temperatura máxima y el aumento simultáneo de la descarga observados en St. Gorman’s Well cada invierno son el resultado de una rápida infiltración, calentamiento y recirculación de aguas meteóricas dentro de un sistema de circulación hidrotermal estructuralmente controlado.通过多学科方法, 建立了裂缝型石灰岩环境中低焓温泉的来源、循环路径和时间变化的水文地质概念模型。圣戈尔曼井是爱尔兰中东部的温泉, 温度分布复杂多变 (最高21.8 °C)。将三维 (3D) 音频-大地电磁 (AMT) 调查的地球物理数据与延时水文地质数据和先前发布的水化学分析信息相结合, 调查了有趣的热液系统运行情况。水化学分析和延时测量表明, 热水一直在石炭系都柏林盆地的裂缝型石灰岩内流动, 但流量和温度有变异性。地下的 3D 电阻率模型揭示了两个突出的结构:(1) 两个石灰岩岩性之间的 NW 向断层接触; 和 (2) 可能新生代的溶蚀增强的和N向的断层。两个结构的交叉点使石灰岩基岩发生岩溶作用, 形成了通道, 促进了都柏林盆地石灰岩序列内相对较深的热液循环 (估计深度可能在 240 至 1,000 m 之间)作用。通过这项研究发现每年冬天在圣戈尔曼井观察到的最高温度和同时增加的排泄量是结构控制的热液循环系统中大气水快速入渗、加热和再循环的结果。.Um modelo hidrogeológico conceitual da fonte, vias de circulação e variação temporal de uma fonte termal de baixa entalpia em um ambiente de calcário fraturado é derivado de uma abordagem multidisciplinar. O poço de St. Gorman é uma fonte termal no centro-leste da Irlanda com um perfil de temperatura complexo e variável (máximo de 21.8°C). Os dados geofísicos de uma pesquisa áudio-magnetotelúrica (AMT) tridimensional (3D) são combinados com dados hidrogeológicos em intervalos de tempo e informações de uma análise hidroquimica publicada anteriormente, para investigar a operação deste intrigante sistema hidrotérmico. A análise hidroquimica e as medições em intervalos de tempo sugerem que as águas termais fluem de dentro dos calcários fraturados da Bacia Carbonifera de Dublin o tempo todo, mas exibem variabilidade na descarga e na temperatura. O modelo de resistividade elétrica 3D da subsuperfície revelou duas estruturas proeminentes: (1) um contato defeituoso alinhado a NO entre duas litologias de calcário; e (2) uma falha dissolucionalmente aumentada, alinhada a N, de provável idade Cenozóica. A intersecção dessas duas estruturas, que permitiu a carstificação da rocha calcária, criou condutos que facilitam a operação de circulação hidrotérmica relativamente profunda (profundidade estimada entre 240 e 1,000 m) dentro da sucessão de calcário da Bacia Dublin. Os resultados desse estudo suportam a hipótese de que a temperatura máxima e o aumento simultâneo da descarga observada no poço de St. Gorman a cada inverno é o resultado da rápida infiltração, aquecimento e recirculação de águas meteóricas dentro de um sistema de circulação hidrotérmica estruturalmente controlado.

Detailed information spanning the full annual cycle is lacking for most songbird populations. We examined breeding, migration, and non-breeding sites for the Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens, chat). We deployed archival GPS tags and light-level geolocators on breeding chats in British Columbia and light-level geolocators in California from 2013 to 2017 to determine migration routes and non-breeding sites. We examined whether chats overwintered in protected areas and characterized the percent of land cover within 1 km. We used a combination of genetics and stable hydrogen isotopes from feathers collected on non-breeding chats in Nayarit, Mexico (2017–2019) and migrating chats in Chiapas, Mexico (2018) and Veracruz, Mexico (2014–2015) to determine subspecies and infer breeding location. Endangered chats in British Columbia followed the Pacific Flyway and spent the non-breeding period in Sinaloa and Nayarit, Mexico. Two out of five chats spent the non-breeding period in protected areas, and the most common landcover type used was tropical or subtropical broadleaf deciduous forest. We found no mixing of eastern and western chats in our Mexico sites, suggesting strong migratory connectivity at the subspecies level. Western chats likely originating from multiple breeding latitudes spent the non-breeding period in Nayarit. Eastern Yellow-breasted Chats likely breeding across various latitudes migrated through Veracruz and Chiapas. Our results provide precise migration routes and non-breeding locations, and describe habitat cover types for chats, notably an endangered population in British Columbia, which may be valuable for habitat protection and conservation efforts. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10336-021-01931-8.

Aims/hypothesis Type 2 diabetes is characterised by islet amyloid and toxic oligomers of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). We posed the questions, (1) does IAPP toxicity induce an islet response comparable to that in humans with type 2 diabetes, and if so, (2) what are the key transcriptional drivers of this response? Methods The islet transcriptome was evaluated in five groups of mice: beta cell specific transgenic for (1) human IAPP, (2) rodent IAPP, (3) human calpastatin, (4) human calpastatin and human IAPP, and (5) wild-type mice. RNA sequencing data was analysed by differential expression analysis and gene co-expression network analysis to establish the islet response to adaptation to an increased beta cell workload of soluble rodent IAPP, the islet response to increased expression of oligomeric human IAPP, and the extent to which the latter was rescued by suppression of calpain hyperactivation by calpastatin. Rank-rank hypergeometric overlap analysis was used to compare the transcriptome of islets from human or rodent IAPP transgenic mice vs humans with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Results The islet transcriptomes in humans with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are remarkably similar. Beta cell overexpression of soluble rodent or oligomer-prone human IAPP induced changes in islet transcriptome present in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, including decreased expression of genes that confer beta cell identity. Increased expression of human IAPP, but not rodent IAPP, induced islet inflammation present in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in humans. Key mediators of the injury responses in islets transgenic for human IAPP or those from individuals with type 2 diabetes include STAT3, NF-κB, ESR1 and CTNNB1 by transcription factor analysis and COL3A1, NID1 and ZNF800 by gene regulatory network analysis. Conclusions/interpretation Beta cell injury mediated by IAPP is a plausible mechanism to contribute to islet inflammation and dedifferentiation in type 2 diabetes. Inhibition of IAPP toxicity is a potential therapeutic target in type 2 diabetes. Graphical abstract

This article aims at analysing the role of international tourism attractiveness as a potential factor for the outbreak and the early spread of the recent COVID-19 disease across the world (also called the first wave) with a special focus on small Island economies. Econometric testing is implemented over a cross-country sample including 205 countries/territories (with 59 small islands) after controlling for several usual suspects. The results state a positive and significant relationship between COVID-19 prevalence and inbound tourism arrivals per capita. Thus in the early stages of the spread (before travel restrictions), international tourism could be seen as one of the main responsible factors for the recent pandemic, validating the “tourism-led vulnerability hypothesis”. Accordingly, considering that such health shocks should be more frequent in the near future, this finding suggests that the tourism specialization model in the context of small islands is too vulnerable to be considered as sustainable in the medium and long-run. Policymakers must opt for economic diversification when possible. Otherwise, building up a strong public-health system alongside a specialized tourism sector is required.

This paper examines three of the COVID-19 pandemic’s “known” impacts to date: its widespread and fundamental altering of government policy priorities; record low oil prices and its role in further escalating already heightened levels of strategic competition in East Asia and weakening of the existing multilateral order. The paper then uses some of the observed outcomes of these changes under the pandemic so far, in addition to additional evidence and causal linkages drawn from past research, to assess COVID-19’s potential, but still unknown, longer term influence on marine plastic pollution and overfishing in the South China Sea, two of East Asia’s most pressing marine environmental problems. In addition to flagging potential COVID-19 linked issues of concern in these two important policy areas, this approach also may assist further inquiry into the pandemic’s still unknown potential to undermine environmental protection and regulatory efforts in other environmental issue areas.

A prominent characteristic of the COVID-19 pandemic is the marked geographic variation in COVID-19 prevalence. The objective of the current study is to assess the influence of population density and socio-economic measures (socio-economic ranking and the Gini Index) across cities on coronavirus infection rates. Israel provides an interesting case study based on the highly non-uniform distribution of urban populations, the existence of one of the most densely populated cities in the world and diversified populations. Moreover, COVID19 challenges the consensus regarding compact planning design. Consequently, it is important to analyze the relationship between COVID19 spread and population density. The outcomes of our study show that ceteris paribus projected probabilities to be infected from coronavirus rise with population density from 1.6 to 2.72% up to a maximum of 5.17-5.238% for a population density of 20,282-20,542 persons per square kilometer (sq. km.). Above this benchmark, the anticipated infection rate drops up to 4.06-4.50%. Projected infection rates of 4.06-4.50% are equal in cities, towns and regional councils (Local Authorities) with the maximal population density of 26,510 and 11,979-13,343 persons per sq. km. A possible interpretation is that while denser cities facilitate human interactions, they also enable and promote improved health infrastructure. This, in turn, contributes to medical literacy, namely, elevated awareness to the benefits associated with compliance with hygienic practices (washing hands), social distancing rules and wearing masks. Findings may support compact planning design principles, namely, development of dense, mixed use, walkable and transit accessible community design in compact and polycentric regions. Indeed, city planners should weigh the costs and benefits of many risk factors, including the COVID19 pandemic.

Green periurban residential areas in Mediterranean countries have flourished in the last decades and become foci for leishmaniasis. To remedy the absence of information on vector ecology in these environments, we examined phlebotomine sand fly distribution in 29 sites in Murcia City over a 3-year period, including the plots of 20 detached houses and nine non-urbanized sites nearby. We collected 5,066 specimens from five species using “sticky” interception and light attraction traps. The relative frequency of the main Leishmania infantum vector Phlebotomus perniciosus in these traps was 32% and 63%, respectively. Sand fly density was widely variable spatially and temporally and greatest in non-urbanized sites, particularly in caves and abandoned buildings close to domestic animal holdings. Phlebotomus perniciosus density in house plots was positively correlated with those in non-urbanized sites, greatest in larger properties with extensive vegetation and non-permanently lived, but not associated to dog presence or a history of canine leishmaniasis. Within house plots, sand fly density was highest in traps closest to walls. Furthermore, the study provides a guideline for insect density assessment and reporting and is envisioned as a building block towards the development of a pan-European database for robust investigation of environmental determinants of sand fly distribution.

Spatial variations in grain-size parameters can reflect river sediment transport patterns and depositional dynamics. Therefore, 22 surficial sediment samples taken from the Heihe River and its cascade reservoirs were analyzed to better understand the impact of cascade reservoir construction on sediment transport patterns in inland rivers in China. The results showed that the longitudinal distribution of sediment grain size in the Heihe River was significantly affected by the influence of the cascade reservoirs. The grain size of the reservoir sediments within the cascade reservoir system was much lower than that of sediments in the natural river section, and the sediments in the natural river were well sorted, exhibiting leptokurtosis and positive or very positive skew. The lower reaches of the dammed river experienced strong erosion, and the grains of the bed sediments were coarse and poorly sorted; the grain-size distributions were more positively skewed and exhibited leptokurtosis. The backwater zone of the reservoir was influenced by both backwater and released water, and the sediment grain size was between the grain size of the natural river and that of the lower reaches of the dam; these sediments were moderately well sorted and had a positively skewed, leptokurtic grain-size distribution. Sedimentary environmental analysis revealed that the characteristics of the sediment grain size in an upstream tributary of the Heihe River were more influenced by source material than by hydrodynamic conditions, while the grain-size characteristics of the mainstream sediments were controlled mainly by hydrodynamic conditions.

During the outbreak of the COVID-19, China implemented an urban lockdown in the first period. These measures not only effectively curbed the spread of the virus but also brought a positive impact on the ecological environment. The water quality of urban inland river has a significant impact on urban ecology and public health. This study uses Sentinel-2 visible and near-infrared band reflectance and the Normalized Difference Turbidity Index (NDTI) to analyze the water quality of the Haihe River Basin during the control period of COVID-19. It is found that during the lockdown period, the river water quality was significantly improved compared to the same period in 2019. The average NDTI of the Haihe River Basin in March decreased by 0.27, a decrease of 219.06%; in April, it increased by 0.07, that is 38.38%. Further exploration using VIIRS lights found that the brightness of the lights in the main urban area was significantly lower in February, the beginning of the lockdown. However, as the city was unblocked, the lights rose sharply in March and then recovered to normal. There is obvious asynchrony in changes between river turbidity and light. The results can help understand the impact of human activities on the natural environment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-021-15928-6.

Following the 1st International Workshop on Waves, Storm Surges and Coastal Hazards, which incorporated the 15th session of the long-standing the International Workshop on Wave Hindcasting and Forecasting, in September 2017 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, a topical collection has appeared in recent issues of Ocean Dynamics. Here, we give a brief overview of the 15 papers published in this topical collection as well as an overview of the widening scope of the conference in recent years. The continuing trend towards closer integration between the wave and ocean modeling communities is reflected in this workshop, culminating in the renaming of the workshop, while maintaining the connection with the three-decade long history of the wave workshop. This is also seen in this topical collection, with several papers exploring wave-generated storm surge, wave-tide contributions to coastal flooding, forcing a global ocean model with fluxes from a wave model and interaction between surface waves and sea ice.

There is a rising concern that air pollution plays an important role in the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the results were not consistent on the association between air pollution and the spread of COVID-19. In the study, air pollution data and the confirmed cases of COVID-19 were both gathered from five severe cities across three countries in South America. Daily real-time population regeneration (Rt) was calculated to assess the spread of COVID-19. Two frequently used models, generalized additive models (GAM) and multiple linear regression, were both used to explore the impact of environmental pollutants on the epidemic. Wide ranges of all six air pollutants were detected across the five cities. Spearman’s correlation analysis confirmed the positive correlation within six pollutants. Rt value showed a gradual decline in all the five cities. Further analysis showed that the association between air pollution and COVID-19 varied across five cities. According to our research results, even for the same region, varied models gave inconsistent results. For example, in Sao Paulo, both models show SO2 and O3 are significant independent variables, however, the GAM model shows that PM10 has a nonlinear negative correlation with Rt, while PM10 has no significant correlation in the multiple linear model. Moreover, in the case of multiple regions, currently used models should be selected according to local conditions. Our results indicate that there is a significant relationship between air pollution and COVID-19 infection, which will help states, health practitioners, and policy makers in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in South America. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-021-15508-8.

This paper is concerned with the assessment of future applications of CASE (Co-operative, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric) mobility—a term that is also taken to include the more traditionally known applications of ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems). It sets the objective of making such assessments more holistic and horizontal in nature because future CASE mobility applications will include many technologies and service concepts as an integrated whole serving specific mobility objective. Traditional evaluation methodologies will therefore have to be modified to account for this situation, and to this end, the paper focuses on assessing and adapting such “traditional” methodologies. It draws from the experience gained in Greece in the last decade when a substantial number of ITS applications were implemented and assessed, especially in the second largest urban area of the country, the city of Thessaloniki (part of the EU’s European Network of Living Labs). Four basic methodologies are selected: the use of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), focused interviews, the CMME (CASE Mobility Matrix Evaluation), and the use of safety audits before and after the CASE mobility application. For the first three, the paper suggests specific indicators and/or content. It also gives an example of the use of CMME based on a use case from Thessaloniki. The contents and recommendations of this paper provide a better understanding of the emerging situation as regards CASE mobility applications and point to the need for establishing a timely and comprehensive CASE mobility evaluation framework at both national and European levels, for future implementations.

Ocean warming induced by climate change is the greatest threat to the persistence of coral reefs globally. Given the current rate of ocean warming, there may not be sufficient time for natural acclimation or adaptation by corals. This urgency has led to the exploration of active management techniques aimed at enhancing thermal tolerance in corals. Here, we test the capacity for transgenerational acclimation in the reef-building coral Pocillopora acuta as a means of increasing offspring performance in warmer waters. We exposed coral colonies from a reef influenced by intermittent upwelling and constant warm-water effluent from a nuclear power plant to temperatures that matched (26 °C) or exceeded (29.5 °C) season-specific mean temperatures for three reproductive cycles; offspring were allowed to settle and grow at both temperatures. Heated colonies reproduced significantly earlier in the lunar cycle and produced fewer and smaller planulae. Recruitment was lower at the heated recruitment temperature regardless of parent treatment. Recruit survival did not differ based on parent or recruitment temperature. Recruits from heated parents were smaller and had lower maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm), a measurement of symbiont photochemical performance. We found no direct evidence that thermal conditioning of adult P. acuta corals improves offspring performance in warmer water; however, chronic exposure of parent colonies to warmer temperatures at the source reef site may have limited transgenerational acclimation capacity. The extent to which coral response to this active management approach might vary across species and sites remains unclear and merits further investigation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00338-021-02123-9.

A paramount challenge in coral reef ecology is to estimate the abundance and composition of the communities residing in such complex ecosystems. Traditional 2D projected surface cover estimates neglect the 3D structure of reefs and reef organisms, overlook communities residing in cryptic reef habitats (e.g., overhangs, cavities), and thus may fail to represent biomass estimates needed to assess trophic ecology and reef function. Here, we surveyed the 3D surface cover, biovolume, and biomass (i.e., ash-free dry weight) of all major benthic taxa on 12 coral reef stations on the island of Curaçao (Southern Caribbean) using structure-from-motion photogrammetry, coral point counts, in situ measurements, and elemental analysis. We then compared our 3D benthic community estimates to corresponding estimates of traditional 2D projected surface cover to explore the differences in benthic community composition using different metrics. Overall, 2D cover was dominated (52 ± 2%, mean ± SE) by non-calcifying phototrophs (macroalgae, turf algae, benthic cyanobacterial mats), but their contribution to total reef biomass was minor (3.2 ± 0.6%). In contrast, coral cover (32 ± 2%) more closely resembled coral biomass (27 ± 6%). The relative contribution of erect organisms, such as gorgonians and massive sponges, to 2D cover was twofold and 11-fold lower, respectively, than their contribution to reef biomass. Cryptic surface area (3.3 ± 0.2 m2 m−2planar reef) comprised half of the total reef substrate, rendering two thirds of coralline algae and almost all encrusting sponges (99.8%) undetected in traditional assessments. Yet, encrusting sponges dominated reef biomass (35 ± 18%). Based on our quantification of exposed and cryptic reef communities using different metrics, we suggest adjustments to current monitoring approaches and highlight ramifications for evaluating the ecological contributions of different taxa to overall reef function. To this end, our metric conversions can complement other benthic assessments to generate non-invasive estimates of the biovolume, biomass, and elemental composition (i.e., standing stocks of organic carbon and nitrogen) of Caribbean coral reef communities. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00338-021-02118-6.

The systematics of Subantarctic and Antarctic near-shore marine benthic invertebrates requires major revision and highlights the necessity to incorporate additional sources of information in the specimen identification chart in the Southern Ocean (SO). In this study, we aim to improve our understanding of the biodiversity of Kidderia (Dall 1876) through molecular and morphological comparisons of Antarctic and Subantarctic taxa. The microbivalves of the genus Kidderia are small brooding organisms that inhabit intertidal and shallow subtidal rocky ecosystems. This genus represents an interesting model to test the vicariance and dispersal hypothesis in the biogeography of the SO. However, the description of Kidderia species relies on a few morphological characters and biogeographic records that raise questions about the true diversity in the group. Here we will define the specimens collected with genetic tools, delimiting their respective boundaries across provinces of the SO, validating the presence of two species of Kidderia. Through the revision of taxonomic issues and species delimitation, it was possible to report that the Antarctic species is Kidderia subquadrata and the species recorded in the Subantarctic islands Diego Ramirez, South Georgia and the Kerguelen Archipelago is Kidderia minuta. The divergence time estimation suggests the origin and diversification of Kidderia lineages are related to historical vicariant processes probably associated with the separation of the continental landmasses close to the late Eocene. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00300-021-02885-6.

The environment is the most important reservoir for both resistance mechanisms and gene transfer in biological science studies. This study gives a bibliometric overview of studies of “antibiotic resistance” and “Escherichia coli” in the field of “Agricultural and Biological Sciences” from 2015 to 2019 to assess both research trends and scholarly networks in diverse research disciplines. The two keywords of “antibiotic resistance” and “Escherichia coli” were selected to search in the Scopus database. Each review article was categorized into materials, natural waters (i.e., seawater, freshwater) and wastewater, journal name, and quartile in category of the journal, the year of publication, and the country. Bibliometric indicators and visualization maps were utilized to analyse the retrieved data quantitatively and qualitatively. A total of 1376 publications in the field of agricultural and biological sciences over the last 5 years were obtained using the keywords of antibiotic resistance and Escherichia coli. With additional keywords of freshwater and wastewater, 4 and 24 studies were obtained, respectively. Wastewater was found to be the most common working environment for the keywords of antibiotic resistance and Escherichia coli. It is also found that the studies of antibiotic resistance are mainly conducted in wastewater environments, focusing on human and food health. Working under “One Health” consisting of human, animal and agriculture, and environmental health could be the only permanent and effective approach to solving antibiotic resistance-related issues.

Aim The outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic (SARS-CoV-2) was initiated in December 2019, and within a couple of months it became a global health emergency. Given the importance to assess the evolution and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 and to forecast the next scenario of the pandemic, mainly in countries with limited healthcare systems, we estimated the reproductive number (R0) of SARS-CoV-2 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India, and a possible scenario for this pandemic in the region. Subject and methods We estimated the reproductive number (R0) of SARS-CoV-2 in its first outbreak stage in the northwestern region of Himalaya, India, and we also predicted new daily cases for the next 90 days using different R0, testing a plausible end of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. Results Our results showed a considerable increase in the number of cases, but with a tendency to asymptote. Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Shopian, and Srinagar districts showed more than 100 cases and Kulgam and Kathua districts showed strong growth of the number of cases from the beginning of May, without a tendency to normalization. The estimated R0 for the J&K region was 1.041; but by decreasing the RO by 10, 25, and 50%, we observed a great decrease in the daily number of new cases, especially by decreasing by 50%. Conclusion In this study, we indicate positive effects of the preventive measures, such as lockdown and social distancing, taken in the J&K region, showing a stabilization of the growth curves of new cases of SARS-CoV-2, which tends to a strong decrease over time as the R0 decreases.

Graphical abstract A novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to challenge the whole world. The disease has claimed many fatalities as it has transcended from one country to another since it was first discovered in China in late 2019. To prevent further morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19, most of the countries initiated a countrywide lockdown. While physical distancing and lockdowns helped in curbing the spread of this novel coronavirus, it led to massive economic losses for the nations. Positive impacts have been observed due to lockdown in terms of improved air quality of the nations. In the current research, ten tropical and subtropical countries have been analysed from multiple angles, including air pollution, assessment and valuation of health impacts and economic loss of countries during COVID-19 lockdown. Countries include Brazil, India, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Validated Simplified Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm (SARA) binning model is used on data collated from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) for particulate matters with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) for all the countries for the month of January to May 2019 and 2020. The concentration results of PM2.5 show that air pollution has drastically reduced in 2020 post lockdown for all countries. The highest average concentration obtained by converting aerosol optical depth (AOD) for 2020 is observed for Thailand as 121.9 μg/m3 and the lowest for Mexico as 36.27 μg/m3. As air pollution is found to decrease in the April and May months of 2020 for nearly all countries, they are compared with respective previous year values for the same duration to calculate the reduced health burden due to lockdown. The present study estimates that cumulative about 100.9 Billion US$ are saved due to reduced air pollution externalities, which are about 25% of the cumulative economic loss of 435.9 Billion US$. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-021-13813-w.