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The article discusses the acquisition of papers related to the fur trade in the Rocky Mountains by the Sublette County Historical Society in Sublette, Wyoming. The documents include letters and business papers written by trappers and other men involved in the fur trade. The author provides a list of documents in the collection especially relevant to research on the Rocky Mountain fur trade.

Natural gas extraction is a critical driver of the economy in western North America. Ecological reclamation is important to ensure surface disturbance impacts associated with natural gas development are not permanent and to assist native biota. Previous studies in semi-arid natural gas fields within Sublette County, Wyoming, USA have shown insects respond favorably to 1–3-year-old well pads undergoing reclamation compared to older successional reference vegetation communities dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata spp. Wyomingensis). Here, we examined well pads which were initially seed 5, 8, 10, 11, and 12 years prior to our study. We used a free, image-based software called SamplePointv. 1.60 to quantify vegetation on these well pads and adjacent reference areas from cell phone camera photographs. Insects were collected with a sweep net and identified to the family and morphospecies level. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare both vegetation and insect communities between reclamation sites and their paired reference area. We found little statistical difference between vegetation communities across our study but found significantly more insect abundance on reclaimed well pads than reference areas in 3 of 5 years and significantly higher family and morphospecies richness on reclaimed well pads in 4 of 5 years. A total of 2036 individual insects representing 270 species from 71 families across 11 orders were identified across this study. A total of 1557 individuals (76.5%) were found on reclamation sites, whereas 479 (23.5%) were found in reference areas across the entire study. A total of 233 species (86.3% of total) were found on reclamation sites, whereas 121 species (44.8% of total) were found in reference areas across the entire study. A total of 67 families (94.4% of total) were found on reclamation sites, whereas 45 families (63.4% of total) were found in reference areas across the entire study. All 11 orders found in the study were found on reclamation sites, whereas 9 orders were found in reference areas across the entire study. Our results suggest reclamation of natural gas well pads within an old successional stand of sagebrush continues to support higher levels of insect biodiversity and abundance for at least 12 years. As insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth and because they provide a wide array of ecosystem services, our findings suggest ecological reclamation plays an important role in returning biodiversity and ecosystem functionality to a semi-arid and old successional sagebrush–steppe ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a spatiotemporal land use map for a rural county in the western United States. Sublette County, Wyoming has undergone recent land use change in the form of heightened rural residential development on private land and increased energy development on both public and private land. In this study we integrate energy production data, population census data, ownership parcel data, and a series of Landsat Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper scenes (over a 25-year period) to create a map that illustrates the changing landscape. Spatial change on the landscape is mapped at 30 square meters, congruent with a Landsat pixel. Sublette County has a wealth of wildlife and associated habitat which is affected by both types of growth. While we do not attempt to quantify the effect of disturbance on wildlife species, we believe our results can provide important baseline data that can be incorporated into land use planning and ecological-wildlife research at the landscape scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Land reclamation and ecological restoration are required to mitigate land surface disturbances associated with natural gas extraction in the western United States. Traditional focus on these lands has been to stabilize soil to prevent erosion, though more recently, there has been an emphasis on restoring ecosystem services. Insects provide numerous ecosystem services and can be considered indicators of success for ecological restoration projects. It has been suggested that creating spatial and temporal mosaics of flowering plants will be necessary for pollinator conservation. In this study, we found insect abundance to be significantly higher on sites undergoing restoration than in adjacent reference areas during early and late growing season within the Jonah Infill natural gas field in Sublette County, Wyoming, USA. Family richness was significantly higher on well pads in the late season compared to reference sites. While our study only looked at sites within the Jonah Infill and had limited scope in terms of seed mixes, our results are promising and suggest that further work be done to investigate the efficacy of flowering plants on increasing insect abundance and richness in future restoration projects associated with oil and natural gas development. Insects are critical components of terrestrial ecosystems and are often considered ecosystem engineers. Due to the vast amount of ecosystem services they provide, because statistically valid samples can be captured in short durations, and because they respond rapidly to environmental change, insects have been used as indicators of restoration success and ecosystem functionality. In Wyoming (USA), ecological restoration required on thousands of acres of land surface have been disturbed to extract natural gas. In this study, we compared early seral reclamation sites to reference areas at two points within a growing season. We compared insect abundance and family richness on 6 natural gas well pads with early season perennial forbs and 6 well pads with the late season to insect communities on adjacent reference areas. A total of 237 individual insects were found on early season reclaimed sites compared to 84 on reference sites, while 858 insects were found on late season reclaimed sites compared to 38 on reference sites. Insect abundance was significantly higher on reclaimed well pads compared to reference areas at both points in the growing season, while reclaimed sites had significantly higher Shannon Diversity Index in early season and significantly higher family richness in late season compared to their paired reference sites. We also found interesting differences in abundance at family levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural lands provide open space, which is valuable as wildlife habitat, as a visual resource, and as access to public lands. Sublette County, WY, is the basis for a case study relevant to rural land use planning. A mail survey provided responses from landowners and other residents. Agricultural land uses and public involvement in land use planning were approved. Land use controls including zoning were accepted. Differences existed between residents and nonresidents regarding personal income, local employment, the future importance of extractive industries, and the reasons for living in the county. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We focus on optimizing oil displacement in brownfields using alkali polymers (AP) flooding. The goal is to enhance rock–fluid and fluid–fluid interactions to improve oil recovery. The evaluation includes detailed screening of AP mixtures to ensure cost-effectiveness and maximize chemical slug efficiency, using an AP pilot project in Austria as a case study. Key aspects of the study involve assessing fluid properties to select appropriate chemical concentrations. Important parameters include the stability of produced emulsions, interfacial tension (IFT) measurements, and rheological analyses. Rock–fluid interactions were examined through core flooding experiments on both low- and high-permeability core plugs to understand fluid dynamics in heterogeneous reservoirs. A novel part of the research involved simulating the in situ aging of the AP slug, which increases its anionicity over time. Two-phase core flooding with aged chemicals provided insights into the evolution of chemical effectiveness and interactions. We found that an alkali concentration of 7500 ppm was optimal for the AP slug, particularly in its interaction with dead oil with a high total acid number (TAN), leading to emulsions with microscopic instability. Single-phase core flooding showed that the AP slug from Vendor B outperformed that from Vendor A despite mechanical stability issues. However, the additional recovery factor (RF) for polymer A-based slugs was higher in both high- and low-permeability core plugs. The findings suggest that in situ aging of the AP slug could reduce costs and enhance injection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution represents a critical global health challenge, especially in densely populated urban areas of developing countries such as Pakistan, where it ranks among the top five most affected Asian nations. Despite its significance, data on the health impacts of gaseous pollutants (O₃, NO, NO₂, HNO₃, and SO₂) are scant due to economic constraints and inadequate measurement infrastructure. This pioneering study is the first to quantitatively assess the morbidity risks associated with exposure to these pollutants in Karachi, a megacity in Pakistan, utilizing a robust cross-sectional design. We collected 400 air quality samples over four distinct seasons, correlating these with health data from over 12,000 hospital admissions for respiratory issues. Our results reveal significant associations between ozone exposure and a range of pulmonary diseases—including asthma, tuberculosis, and shortness of breath—across both genders. Specifically, sulfur dioxide (SO2) exposure was linked to increased shortness of breath in males, while exposure to nitric acid was more likely to cause COPD in males than in females. Additionally, nitrogen oxides (HNO3) were primarily associated with asthma in males. These associations were particularly pronounced in the 0–50 age group, suggesting a demographic at greater risk. These findings not only corroborate the global body of research on the health implications of urban air pollution but also provide critical new insights into the severe impacts within Karachi. The evidence presented underscores the urgent need for enhanced air pollution control policies and public health strategies tailored to the needs of rapidly urbanizing areas in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological heterogeneity and intraspecific variation can impact energy flow from the base of the food web to top predators. We evaluated the effect of intraspecific variation on estimates of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) consumption of stocked kokanee (lacustrine sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka) in a 390 ha oligotrophic lake with two distinct basins. Lake trout stomach content analyses, stable isotope niche space, and catch rates indicated high intraspecific variation in resource use across habitats and basins. Intraspecific variation and ecological heterogeneity were incorporated into two bioenergetics modeling approaches: one lake-wide model, and one partitioned model that accounted for differences in lake trout diet composition and population size across habitats. The ecologically partitioned model highlighted that lake trout consumption was primarily in the epilimnion of one basin, while the lake-wide, unpartitioned model performed similarly but failed to provide ecological context for where that consumption occurred. Incorporating ecological heterogeneity and intraspecific variation into bioenergetic models can more accurately represent top predators foraging patterns across habitats and inform management actions to mitigate impacts to stocked fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document explores the topic of arthropod biodiversity, emphasizing the ecological and functional aspects of invertebrate animals belonging to the phylum Arthropoda. It highlights the importance of arthropods in maintaining ecosystem services, such as pollination, pest control, and decomposition. The text reviews various research studies on arthropods, including their adaptations, interactions with the environment, and conservation efforts. Additionally, it discusses the impact of human activities, such as urbanization and gas extraction, on insect communities and biodiversity. The document also covers taxonomic studies, genetic diversity, and the potential applications of arthropods in various fields. [Extracted from the article]

Peradectidae are Paleogene ‘opossum-like’ stem-metatherians, largely Laurasian, whose evolutionary history remains unclear. Based on new remains (mainly dental) discovered in several French localities, we carry out a comprehensive systematic revision of all early Eocene peradectids from Europe (~MP7 reference level to MP10-11 interval). We describe well-preserved specimens from Palette (Southern France, MP7-MP8 + 9 interval) documenting the earliest European peradectid, Peradectes crocheti sp. nov. This new species exhibits an interesting mosaic of characters, including plesiomorphic traits found in the North American type species, Peradectes elegans Matthew and Granger, 1921. Molars allocated to the strikingly ubiquitous Peradectes crocheti sp. nov. are found in eight additional localities from northwestern and southwestern Europe, all limited to the time interval MP7-MP8 + 9. Moreover, the study of unpublished material of the MP8 + 9 and ~MP8 + 9 peradectids allows us to recognize two younger coeval species (Peradectes louisi Crochet, 1979, and Peradectes russelli Crochet, 1979). Our taxonomic conclusions are supported a posteriori by the first quantitative assessment of the variation in height of metatherian stylar cusps. The holotype of Peradectes louisi is reinterpreted, and Peradectes ‘mutigniensis’ Crochet, 1979 appears to be a junior synonym of Peradectes russelli. In addition to size, the otherwise similar Peradectes louisi and Peradectes russelli can be distinguished based on subtle yet consistent differences, such as lower molar proportions. Phylogenetic analyses using a novel matrix of dental characters shed new light on the relationships among Eocene peradectids, confirming the paraphyly of Peradectes with respect to Armintodelphys and Mimoperadectes. Our results suggest a single dispersal from North America to Europe in the evolutionary history of peradectids, which likely occurred immediately after the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, Peradectes crocheti sp. nov. being recovered as the earliest offshoot of the European clade. Scarce lower molars from the MP10 reference locality and ~MP10 localities analyzed within this constrained phylogenetic framework reveal a trend towards shrinking of the entoconid in the European lineage throughout the early Eocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is projected to alter the structure of plant communities due to increasing temperatures and changes to precipitation patterns, particularly in midlatitude dryland ecosystems. Modifications to climatic suitability may lead to major community changes such as altered dominant plant functional types. Previous studies have indicated that climatic suitability is likely to increase for C4 grasses and decrease for C3 grasses in the Western United States. However, if no C4 grass species currently exist to serve as a propagule source, expansion into areas of increased suitability will be limited. We conducted a field and modeling study in the Upper Green River Basin (UGRB) of Western Wyoming to determine if (1) C4 grasses are present to provide a propagule source and (2) C4 grasses are likely to increase in importance relative to C3 grasses due to climatic changes. We searched 44 sites for C4 grasses to establish presence, and modeled suitability at 35 sites using 17 Global Climate Models, two greenhouse gas Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs; 4.5 and 8.5), and two time periods (mid‐ and late century; 2030–2060 and 2070–2099, respectively). We found C4 grasses at 10 of the 44 sites, indicating that there is a present propagule source. Our model projected increases in suitability for both C3 and C4 grasses across sites for all RCPs and time periods. In the mid‐century RCP 4.5 scenario, the C3 functional type increased in projected biomass in 29 of 35 sites, and the C4 type increased in 31 sites. In this scenario, C3 grasses increased in projected biomass by a median 4 g m−2 (5% change), and C4 grass biomass increased by a median 8 g m−2 (21% change). Our study suggests that climate change will increase climatic suitability for grasses across the UGRB, and that all requirements are in place for C4 grasses to increase in abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid expansion of natural gas drilling in Sublette County, WY (1999-present), has raised concerns about the potential ecological effects of enhanced atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition to the Wind River Range (WRR) including the Class I Bridger Wilderness. We sampled annual throughfall (TF) N deposition and lichen thalli N concentrations under forest canopies in four different drainages of the WRR. Measurements of TF N deposition and N concentrations in lichen thalli were highest at plots closest to drilling operations (<30 km). N concentrations in lichens decreased exponentially with distance from drilling activity. Highest TF N deposition, 4.1 kg ha year, coincided with clear evidence of damage to lichen thalli. This deposition value is above estimated preindustrial deposition conditions (0.9 kg N ha year) and regional critical loads (a deposition value below which ecosystem harm is prevented) of N deposition for sensitive ecosystem components. N concentrations in Usnea lapponica were strongly correlated ( r = 0.96) with TF N deposition, demonstrating that elemental analysis of lichen material can be used to estimate TF N deposition. N concentrations below 1.35 % in U. lapponica and 1.12 % in Letharia vulpina were associated with estimated background conditions of 0.9 kg N ha year. Additional lichen sampling in the Bridger Wilderness is recommended to further quantify and monitor spatial patterns of N deposition and to define areas of elevated N deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores preferences for use and sale of three types of agricultural land in Sublette County, Wyoming. Most respondents agreed that productive (irrigated) landscapes should remain in agriculture. Well-established residents, large landowners, and those pursuing low taxes preferred agricultural and recreation/ wildlife uses of more remote landscapes. Wealthier and part-time respondents were more likely to prefer residential use. Respondents expecting improved quality of life with population growth supported land sales. Those who would leave the county if population increased were not likely to sell. Results are applicable to other growing Western counties and are important for land use planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rocky Mountain states have experienced unprecedented growth as agricultural land is converted to residences. Preservation efforts meet with protest from private landholders claiming public efforts undermine private property rights. This paper explores the degree to which respondents think management of agricultural lands is a public versus a private matter. Data are from a Sublette County, Wyoming, mail survey. Results are relevant to many western counties having public lands and high growth rates. They suggest that landowners, wage earners, college graduates, and those who value the county’s rural community lifestyle support public management strategies. Well-established residents and those with economic reasons for living in the county support private management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water use efficiency measures are generally recommended to reduce water use. Yet, flood irrigation practices in high-elevation mountain valleys of the Colorado River Basin headwaters generate return flows, which support late-season streamflow and groundwater recharge. Return flows support the ecosystem and provide recreational benefits. This study provides a framework for quantifying how land-use changes and associated return flow patterns affect the economic value of water across uses in a hydrologically connected, shallow alluvial aquifer system. This study first investigates how return flow patterns could change under three alternatives to flood irrigation: an increased use of center pivots, increased residential development, and conversion to pasture. The brown trout was used as an indicator species to track eco-hydrology, return flow, and capacity for recreational activities under each alternative. Estimates from the non-market valuation literature coupled with predicted changes in brown trout productivity approximate associated changes to recreational angler value. Recreational angler values are highest under the flood irrigation alternative. The inclusion of recreational angler values with agricultural values alters the magnitude of returns but not the rankings. These results highlight the potential heterogeneity of conclusions to be drawn regarding water use efficiency, depending on the economic value of water in different uses and the degree of hydrologic connectivity. This study also highlights data gaps and modeling needs for conducting similar future analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of water trusts in the American West has followed a similar concept to the land trust model of conservation. Climate change has raised concerns among Colorado River Basin states about their water rights being curtailed. A key avoidance measure taken by states has been to focus on demand management, reducing the amount of water diverted from the river system through voluntary water transactions. While governments have made some investments in water conservation, more money is needed to keep adapting to a changing climate; water trusts can provide such money through investment from private sources. But the legal regime in Wyoming does not support the development of a water trust. Wyoming should change its laws regarding instream flows, conservation incentives, and water markets to create a friendlier environment for a water trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Article explores how law schools can better educate students about the possibilities and opportunities presented by rural practice and prepare them with the skills to succeed. An aging population and dwindling availability of jobs increases the need for practitioners in rural areas. While new graduates may be willing to pursue rural law practice, employers and graduates frequently note graduates are not prepared for the skill-based practice of law. Many students reflect that law school remains too theoretical to be pragmatically helpful in their first jobs, particularly given the unique nuances and challenges of rural law practice. Recent graduates report practical skills training had the strongest positive impact in preparing them for the practice of law. Growing beyond the old law school model of "thinking like a lawyer" is crucial in creating learning opportunities for law students to cultivate necessary practice skills and develop professional identities. Grappling with complex and novel situations while demonstrating creative thinking is critical to success in rural practice. This Article examines the utility of more practical training in law school, specifically in preparing students who aim to become rural practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has provided contested hypotheses about the impact of income inequality on electoral participation. This study reexamines the debate between conflict and relative power theories by focusing on a largely ignored factor: social mobility. We argue that social mobility conditions the inequality-participation nexus by alleviating the frustration, class conflict, and efficacy gaps between the rich and the poor that the prevailing theories assume income inequality to create. By utilizing the Cooperative Congressional Election Survey, we test this argument focusing on US counties. Our analysis confirms that the effects of income inequality on citizens' likelihood of voting vary depending on mobility, suggesting that social mobility provides a crucial context in which income inequality can play out in substantially different ways. This article implies that more scholarly endeavors should be made to clarify the multifaceted structure of inequality for improving our understanding of the relationship between economic and political inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural gas extraction is a critical driver of the economy in western North America. Ecological reclamation is important to ensure surface disturbance impacts associated with natural gas development are not permanent and to assist native biota. Previous studies in semi-arid natural gas fields within Sublette County, Wyoming, USA have shown insects respond favorably to 1–3-year-old well pads undergoing reclamation compared to older successional reference vegetation communities dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata spp. Wyomingensis). Here, we examined well pads which were initially seed 5, 8, 10, 11, and 12 years prior to our study. We used a free, image-based software called SamplePointv. 1.60 to quantify vegetation on these well pads and adjacent reference areas from cell phone camera photographs. Insects were collected with a sweep net and identified to the family and morphospecies level. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare both vegetation and insect communities between reclamation sites and their paired reference area. We found little statistical difference between vegetation communities across our study but found significantly more insect abundance on reclaimed well pads than reference areas in 3 of 5 years and significantly higher family and morphospecies richness on reclaimed well pads in 4 of 5 years. A total of 2036 individual insects representing 270 species from 71 families across 11 orders were identified across this study. A total of 1557 individuals (76.5%) were found on reclamation sites, whereas 479 (23.5%) were found in reference areas across the entire study. A total of 233 species (86.3% of total) were found on reclamation sites, whereas 121 species (44.8% of total) were found in reference areas across the entire study. A total of 67 families (94.4% of total) were found on reclamation sites, whereas 45 families (63.4% of total) were found in reference areas across the entire study. All 11 orders found in the study were found on reclamation sites, whereas 9 orders were found in reference areas across the entire study. Our results suggest reclamation of natural gas well pads within an old successional stand of sagebrush continues to support higher levels of insect biodiversity and abundance for at least 12 years. As insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth and because they provide a wide array of ecosystem services, our findings suggest ecological reclamation plays an important role in returning biodiversity and ecosystem functionality to a semi-arid and old successional sagebrush–steppe ecosystem.

In the Upper Green River basin (UGRB) of Wyoming and the Uintah Basin of Utah, strong wintertime ozone (O 3) formation episodes leading to O 3 mixing ratios occasionally exceeding 70 parts per billion (ppb) have been observed over the last 2 decades. Wintertime O 3 events in the UGRB were first observed in 2005 and since then have continued to be observed intermittently when meteorological conditions are favorable, despite significant efforts to reduce emissions from oil and natural gas extraction and production. While O 3 formation has been successfully simulated using observed volatile organic compound (VOC) and nitrogen oxide (NO x) mixing ratios, successful simulation of these wintertime episodes using emission inventories in a 3-D photochemical model has remained elusive. An accurate 3-D photochemical model driven by an emission inventory is critical to understanding the spatial extent of high-O 3 events and which emission sources have the most impact on O 3 formation. In the winter of 2016/17 (December 2016–March 2017) several high-O 3 events were observed with 1 h mixing ratios exceeding 70 ppb. This study uses the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) to simulate one of the high-O 3 events observed in the UGRB during March 2017. The WRF-Chem simulations were carried out using the 2014 edition of the Environmental Protection Agency National Emissions Inventory (EPA NEI2014v2), which, unlike previous versions, includes estimates of emissions from non-point oil and gas production sources. Simulations were carried out with two different chemical mechanisms: the Model for Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers (MOZART) and the Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism (RACM), and the results were compared with data from seven weather and air quality monitoring stations in the UGRB operated by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WYDEQ). The simulated meteorology compared favorably to observations with regard to temperature inversions, surface temperature, and wind speeds. Notably, because of snow cover present in the basin, the photolysis surface albedo had to be modified to predict O 3 in excess of 70 ppb, although the models were relatively insensitive to the exact photolysis albedo if it was over 0.65. O 3 precursors, i.e., NO x and VOCs, are predicted similarly in simulations with both chemical mechanisms, but simulated VOC mixing ratios are a factor of 6 or more lower than the observations, while NO x is also underpredicted but to a lesser degree. Sensitivity simulations revealed that increasing NO x and VOC emissions to match observations produced slightly more O 3 compared to baseline simulations, but an additional sensitivity simulation with doubled NO x emissions resulted in a considerable increase in O 3 formation. These results suggest that O 3 formation in the basin is most sensitive to NO x emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic infrastructure routinely interferes with wildlife movement, habitat use, and survival. Grouse in the family Phasianidae may be particularly susceptible to collisions with fences due to their morphology and life history. Because many Phasianid species are of conservation concern, managers often deploy markers on fences to reduce collision-associated mortality. However, scarce information on the effectiveness of different marker styles or the effects of local and landscape features on collision risk exists. Our objectives were to (1) determine the effectiveness of different marker styles in reducing collisions, (2) estimate the effects of local and landscape features on collision risk, and (3) evaluate an existing greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) collision risk model. We conducted greater sage-grouse collision surveys within Sublette County, Wyoming, USA in March and April of 2014 and 2015. Data were analyzed in a multi-scale occupancy model accounting for incomplete detection of collisions. We found substantial evidence for the ability of all markers to reduce collisions (~ 57% reduction), with little difference between the tested marker types. We found strong evidence for lower collision probabilities at fences with wood posts and on fences farther from leks. Our results also indicated a negative relationship between collision probabilities and the difference between fence and vegetation heights. We observed little evidence for differences in collision risk between areas defined as “high” or “moderate” risk in a pre-existing collision risk map. We recommend integrating fence marking into conservation practices requiring fencing, and prioritizing fence marking near leks in areas with greater fence exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borehole gravity sensing can be used in a number of applications to measure features around a well, including rock-type change mapping and determination of reservoir porosity. Quantum technology gravity sensors, based on atom interferometry, have the ability to offer increased survey speeds and reduced need for calibration. While surface sensors have been demonstrated in real world environments, significant improvements in robustness and reductions to radial size, weight, and power consumption are required for such devices to be deployed in boreholes. To realise the first step towards the deployment of cold atom-based sensors down boreholes, we demonstrate a borehole-deployable magneto-optical trap, the core package of many cold atom-based systems. The enclosure containing the magneto-optical trap itself had an outer radius of (60 ± 0.1) mm at its widest point and a length of (890 ± 5) mm. This system was used to generate atom clouds at 1 m intervals in a 14 cm wide, 50 m deep borehole, to simulate how in-borehole gravity surveys are performed. During the survey, the system generated, on average, clouds of (3.0 ± 0.1) × 105 87Rb atoms with the standard deviation in atom number across the survey observed to be as low as 8.9 × 104. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diacodexeids are widely considered to be a paraphyletic group consisting of the oldest and most primitive artiodactyls that made their sudden appearance in all northern continents around the Palaeocene–Eocene boundary. In South Asia, the first record of artiodactyls is marked by the appearance of Gujaratia indica from the early Ypresian (∼55 Ma) Cambay Shale of the Vastan lignite mine, India, which is slightly younger than the oldest artiodactyls from Europe and North America. Here we describe new dental material of G. indica, documenting associated upper dentition, including P4, a new locus. Gujaratia (including G. pakistanensis and G. indica) is clearly distinct from all known diacodexeids in having the most triangular upper molars and lower molars with weaker paraconids. Cladistic analysis performed to assess the phylogenetic relationships of Gujaratia with other diacodexeids, dichobunoids, raoellids and pakicetids shows that Gujaratia is monophyletic while Diacodexis and Diacodexeidae are strongly polyphyletic. Gujaratia is found to be closer to the North American diacodexeids and D. gigasei and D. morrisi from Europe, which form a paraphyletic group. The European Diacodexis represents an unnatural grouping with D. antunesi being most closely related to a clade comprising dichobunids and homacodontids, and D. gazini and D. varleti occupying basal positions in a clade comprising raoellids and pakicetids. Dichobunidae is also recovered as a polyphyletic group whereas Homacodontidae is paraphyletic. Raoellids and pakicetids, long considered to be endemic to the Indian subcontinent, are monophyletic and without close affinities to Gujaratia, and appear to be more closely allied to some European dichobunoids, e.g., D. gazini, necessitating a reappraisal of current ideas about artiodactyl origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detrimental influence of inhaled ozone on human respiratory system is ambiguous due to the complexity of dose response relationship between ozone and human respiratory system. This study collects inhaled ozone concentration and respiratory disease data from Shenzhen City to reveal the impact of ozone on respiratory diseases using the Generalized Additive Models (GAM) and Convergent Cross Mapping (CCM) method at the 95% confidence level. The result of GAM exhibits a partially significant lag effect on acute respiratory diseases in cumulative mode. Since the traditional correlation analysis is incapable of capturing causality, the CCM method is applied to examine whether the inhaled ozone affects human respiratory system. The results demonstrate that the inhaled ozone has a significant causative impact on hospitalization rates of both upper and lower respiratory diseases. Furthermore, the harmful causative effects of ozone to the human health are varied with gender and age. Females are more susceptible to inhaled ozone than males, probably because of the estrogen levels and the differential regulation of lung immune response. Adults are more sensitive to ozone exposure than children, potentially due to the fact that children need longer time to react to ozone stress than adults, and the elderly are more tolerant than adults and children, which may be related to pulmonary hypofunction of the elderly while has little correlation with ozone exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addresses the contested practices of making and maintaining data infrastructure, the imaginaries produced by data infrastructures, the relations between state and civil society that data infrastructure reworks, and the conditions under which technology can further socio-ecological justice instead of reentrenching state and capitalist power. The Forest History Society (FHS) maintains an extensive database of published sources related to environmental history. During the late 1960s, the oil major Shell predicted that oil-producing states would impose an embargo on oil-consuming states and that energy conservation policies would be necessary. The resulting picture reveals the place-specific interactions of state and market ideologies, regional geopolitics, and local elites in concentrating control over land. A case study of water politics in the 1970s shows how the Duvalier dictatorship's technocratic reforms changed urban elites' expectations of the state and made urban water dynamics a key metric for assessing the presence of the state in daily life. [Extracted from the article]

Large carnivores are recovering in many landscapes where the human footprint is simultaneously growing. When carnivores encounter humans, the way they behave often changes, which may subsequently influence how they affect their prey. However, little research investigates the behavioural mechanisms underpinning carnivore response to humans. As a result, it is not clear how predator–prey interactions and their associated ecosystem processes will play out in the human‐dominated areas into which carnivore populations are increasingly expanding.We hypothesized that humans would reduce predation risk for prey by disturbing carnivores or threatening their survival. Alternatively, or additionally, we hypothesized that humans would increase predation risk by providing forage resources that congregate herbivorous prey in predictable places and times.Using grey wolves Canis lupus in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA as a study species, we investigated 170 kill sites across a spectrum of human influences ranging from heavily restricted human activities on protected federal lands to largely unregulated activities on private lands. Then, we used conditional logistic regression to quantify how the probability of predation changed across varied types and amounts of human influences, while controlling for environmental characteristics and prey availability.Wolves primarily made kills in environmental terrain traps and where prey availability was high, but predation risk was significantly better explained with the inclusion of human influences than by environmental characteristics alone. Different human influences had different, and even converse, effects on the risk of wolf predation. For example, where prey were readily available, wolves preferentially killed animals far from motorized roads but close to unpaved trails. However, wolves responded less strongly to humans, if at all, where prey were scarce, suggesting they prioritized acquiring prey over avoiding human interactions.Overall, our work reveals that the effects of large carnivores on prey populations can vary considerably among different types of human influences, yet carnivores may not appreciably alter predatory behaviour in response to humans if prey are difficult to obtain. These results shed new light on the drivers of large carnivore behaviour in anthropogenic areas while improving understanding of predator–prey dynamics in and around the wildland–urban interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent sesquicentennial of Yellowstone National Park, the nation's first and prototypical national park, marked an opportune nioment for examining the management of the nation's public lands. Public lands are contronting a myriad of challenges, whether from climate change and the elticacy of using the nation's lands for jbssil.fuel development or renewable resources, or from how best to manage them for recreational use and preserve their pristine character and habitat.for wildlife and other resources. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration is promoting its 30/30 campaign while exploring targeted changes to oil, gas, and coal development on public lands. Calls for reforming pointed areas of public land management seem endless and escalating. Most critics today Jocus attention on fixing some identifiable failure of public land management planning. Planning, after all, operates as the engine driving the modern administration Of public lands. Some public land aficionados champion planning reform by accentuating the urgency of folding into the decision-making process Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, whose land may have been wrested from them to create the public land. Others lament how our planning processes, while moving toward landscape-level planning, have yet to move forward enough in response to modern ecological principles and challenges. Still others float specitic refbrm proposals, often promoting a.lix for a single type of public land. I suggest these critics, while raising legitimate concerns, are ignoring a much larger problem, not yet captured by today's commentary. Our public land laws remain tethered to an antiquated past. This Article reviews how public land planning has become dominant, and that in turn has allowed public land managers too much discretion to allow uses that may be inimical to the sustainability of identifiable landscapes. In sum, we have lost an enforceable vision.fur guiding planning decisions on the use of public lands, whether they are Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, or Bureau oj Land Management administered lands. I review how this occurred and offer a novel path forward. suggesting a paradigm shift. That shiR would elevate the importance of encoding an entbrceable vision®r our public lands capable of circumscribing potentially problematic decisions, while also crafting a new management paradigm that respects the importance of place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bai-Hassan Oil Field is considered as one of the important north Iraq oil fields. The oil field of Bai-Hassan is faraway about 40 km to the northwest of Kirkuk City. The field consists of two domes (in NW-SE direction) Kithka Dome and Dauod Dome separated by a narrow saddle called Shashal saddle. The current study is focused on microfacies analysis to build 3D reservoir models and petrophysical properties of Palani Formation (Early Oligocene) and Baba, Bajawan and Tarjil formations (Middle Oligocene). In the present study, several types of welllogs obtained from BH-20, BH-39, BH-53, BH-89, BH-91, BH-92, and BH-122 wells which including gamma-ray (GR), neutron (NPHI), density (ROHB), sonic (DT), spontaneous potential (SP) and resistivity (LLD, MSFL) well-logs were used in order to determine and study of reservoir characterization to explain different parameters including lithology with contacts identifications, total (PHIT) and effective (PHIE) porosities, permeability, water saturation (SW) and hydrocarbons saturation (Sh), of Oligocene succession in the Bai-Hassan Oil Field within Zagros basin, northern Iraq. The analysis of the results showed that the Kathka dome area compared to the Dauod dome area is better in terms of petrophysical properties as well as in terms of its content of hydrocarbon groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil production from depleted reservoirs in EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) techniques has significantly increased due to its huge demands in industrial energy sectors. Chemical EOR is one of the best approaches to extract the trapped oil. However, there are gaps to be addressed and studied well for quality and cost consideration in EOR techniques. Therefore, this paper addresses for the first time a systematic overview from alkaline surfactant polymer ((ASP)) and future perspectives of nano-alkaline surfactant polymer ((NASP)), its synergy effects on oil recovery improvement, and the main screening criteria for these chemicals. The previous findings have demonstrated that the optimum salinity, choosing the best concentration, using effective nano-surfactant, polymer and alkaline type, is guaranteed an ultra-low IFT (Interfacial Tension). Core flood results proved that the maximum oil is recovered by conjugating nanoparticles with conventional chemical EOR methods (surfactant, alkaline and polymer). This work adds a new insight and suggests new recommendation into the EOR application since, for the first time, it explores the role and effect of nanotechnology in a hybrid with ASP. The study illustrates detailed experimental design of using NASP and presents an optimum micro-model setup for future design of NASP flow distribution in the porous media. The presence of nano along with other chemicals increases the capillary number as well as the stability of chemicals in the solution and strengthens the effective mechanisms on the EOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the quantitative association between short-term exposure to air pollution and respiratory disease outpatient visits among children in China. Methods: We searched articles from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2020 in six peer-reviewed literature databases following PRISMA guidelines. Results: Of 2668 records, 33 were included in meta-analysis. The pooled excess risks of respiratory disease outpatient visits among children in China per 10 μg/m3 increase were 0.75% (95% CI: 0.54%, 0.96%) for PM2.5, 0.70% (95% CI: 0.50%, 0.89%) for PM10, 0.82% (95% CI: 0.58%, 1.05%) for SO2, 1.61% (95% CI: 1.25%, 1.98%) for NO2 and 0.74% (95% CI: 0.01%, 1.46%) for O3. In subgroup analysis, air pollution had a greater impact in southern or central cities, cold seasons, and areas with high relative humidity. Conclusions: Short-term exposure to air pollution was significantly associated with an increased excess risk of respiratory disease outpatient visits among children in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient air pollution has been regarded as an important cause of the morbidity and mortality of respiratory diseases. In the current work, a total of 469,490 respiratory emergency room (ER) visits in Lanzhou, China from Jan 1, 2013 to Dec 31, 2016 were collected. A generalized additive model (GAM) was used to investigate the association between O3 and respiratory ER visits for the different gender and age subgroups. The results showed that: (a) with per inter-quartile range (IQR) (31 µg/m3) increase in O3, the greatest relative risk (RR) of respiratory ER visits for the total was 1.014 (95% CI 1.008–1.020) at lag 4 days. Females and 16-to-45-year-olds were relatively more sensitive to O3; (b) the significant lag effects were found in single-day lag models, with the highest RR values for different groups were observed at lag 3-lag 5 days. The multi-day cumulative lag effects were stronger for the total; (c) in the multiple-pollutant models, the effects of O3 were generally increased when introducing other pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO2) for adjustment. This study demonstrated that short-term exposure to O3 increased the RR of respiratory ER visits in Lanzhou, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While migrating, animals make directionally persistent movements and may only respond to human‐induced rapid environmental change (HIREC), such as climate and land‐use change, once a threshold of HIREC is surpassed. In contrast, animals on other seasonal ranges (e.g., winter range) make more localized and tortuous movements while foraging and may have the flexibility to adjust the location of their range and the intensity of use within it to minimize interactions with HIREC. Because of these seasonal differences in movement, animals on seasonal ranges should avoid areas that contain any level of HIREC, however, during migration, animals should use areas that contain low levels of HIREC, avoiding it only once a threshold of HIREC has been surpassed. We tested this hypothesis using a decade of GPS collar data collected from migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; n = 56 migration, 143 winter) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana; n = 70 migration, 89 winter) that winter on and migrate through a natural gas field in western Wyoming. Using surface disturbance caused by well pads and roads as an index of HIREC, we evaluated behavioral responses across three spatial scales during winter and migration seasons. During migration, both species tolerated low levels of disturbance. Once a disturbance threshold was surpassed, however, they avoided HIREC. For mule deer, thresholds were consistently ~3%, whereas thresholds for pronghorn ranged from 1% to 9.25% surface disturbance. In contrast to migration, both species generally avoided all levels of HIREC while on winter range. Our study suggests that animal responses to HIREC are mediated by season‐specific movement patterns. Our results provide further evidence of ungulates avoiding human disturbance on winter range and reveal disturbance thresholds that trigger mule deer and pronghorn responses during migration: information that managers can use to maintain the ecological function of migration routes and winter ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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