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Ecological health of two waterbodies i.e., cistern-made and ‘natural’ earthen-made waterbody was compared in the present study based on temporal variations of physicochemical and biological parameters. Number of physicochemical parameters [transparency, temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), total hardness (TH), total alkalinity (TA), biochemical oxygen demands (BOD), nitrate, phosphate and chlorophyll a (Chl a)], and biological parameters, e.g., zooplankton community and aquatic macrophytes were studied seasonally. Zooplankton communitiy comprised six arthropods and two rotifers. SIMPER analysis depicted that Moina sp., Daphnia sp., and Cyclops sp. were dominant species in cistern pond while Cyclops sp., Daphnia sp., Keratella sp. and Brachionus sp. were dominant in earthen natural pond. Abundance of species was highest in summer followed by post-rainy and winter in both the ponds while maximum abundance of zooplankton was recorded in summer. Species richness peaked in winter in natural pond, while in cistern pond species richness and diversity raised in summer. Multivariate analyses depicted significant temporal variation in zooplankton species in both the conditions. RELATE analysis revealed that temporal variation in species distribution and zooplankton community was significantly correlated with environmental parameters. Moreover, biological-environmental best matching (BIO-ENV) analyses indicated that water temperature, pH, TH and BOD (for cistern pond) and water temperature, EC and TSS (for earthen natural pond) were the main driving forces for temporal variations in species distribution and zooplankton community. Additionally, correlation analysis depicted that Moina sp., Daphnia sp., Diaptomus sp., Cyclops sp., Cypris sp., Bosmina sp., and species abundance was positively (significant) correlated with transparency, water temperature, and Chl a in natural pond. On the other hand, correlation analysis depicted that zooplankton species, species abundance, evenness and diversity were positively correlated with water temperature, DO, BOD and Chl a in cistern pond. Moreover, abundance of aquatic macrophytes were limited in three basic groups, namely free floating [(Lemna sp. (Major), Lemna sp. (Minor), Azolla sp., Pistia sp. and Eichhornia sp.], rooted submerged [Hydrilla sp., Ceratophyllum sp.] and rooted emerged [Nymphaes sp. and Ipomoea sp.]. Further, trophic state index (TSI) value revealed that both the ponds are hyper-eutrophic (‘natural’ waterbody > cistern waterbody) with a strong temporal variations. Therefore, these data could be used as water quality community-based bio-assessment tool as well as basis of water quality management plans to monitor the pollution level or conservation of aquatic ecology.

In 2019, we conducted a field experiment to test the effects of three different granular fertilizers on the salicylic acid and total phenolic contents in five different sport turfgrass mixtures under natural conditions. It was one of the first experiments assessing the natural resistance of sport turfgrass in Europe. In five terms, before and after fertilizers applications, we randomly collected turfgrass samples within each plot for chemical analyses. The turfgrass mixtures did not affect the average contents of salicylic acid and total polyphenols. The average contents of both compounds were influenced by the date of evaluation and fertilization scheme. The average content of salicylic acid was significantly the lowest under fertilization scheme C. The highest level of salicylic acid was detected on 18th June under scheme A and the lowest on 28th May, where the salicylic acid content ranged from 0.01 ± 0.00 mg.g−1 under scheme A to 0.017 ± 0.00 mg.g−1 under scheme B and 0.006±0.00 mg.g−1 under scheme C. The content of total polyphenols was higher under fertilization schemes B and C. We conclude that the method of fertilization exerts a certain effect on the salicylic acid and total polyphenol contents in turfgrass mixtures, which also depends on environmental factors.

In this study, the long-term suitability of the area proposals for winter recreation activities in the Sey-han Basin (Türkiye), which is located in the Mediterranean and Central Anatolia regions and includes alargepartoftheTaurusMountains,wereexaminedecologically.Forthispurpose,thepredictedglobal warming scenarios in the basin and the anthropogenic impacts arising from the planned rec-reation areas were evaluated for the upper basin (recreation areas) and lower basin (water resources, agricultural lands, and settlements) using a hypothetical risk analysis. For this purpose, multispectral images were obtained by using Landsat 8 Oli Multispectral images of the snow areas in the region in January-February-March 2019, and a hypothetical ecological risk analysis was created considering a total of 5 pressure factors originating from global climate change and anthropogenic effects. These possiblefactorsweredeterminedasflood(S1),drought(S2),sedimentation(S3),aquaticnutrients(S4), and tourist density (S5). The effects of these factors on a total of four features (C1: water quality, C2: fauna-flora, C3: agricultural areas, and C4: settlements) in the region were evaluated by hypothet-ical grading based on the literature. According to the hypothesis results obtained by the formula and statistical calculations, it was determined that the flood factor (S1) that will occur due to possible snow melt due to global climate change in the winter recreation areas in the studied region is the most significant factor limiting the sustainable usage of the Basin. For this reason, it has been emphasized in this study that the possibility of regions being exposed to the effects of climate change in the fu-ture should be taken into account, especially when planning for winter recreation areas. At the end of this study, it was concluded that the ecological balance analysis of basins is important, especially in terms of ensuring the long-term sustainable use of winter recreation areas.

Loess environmental parameters reflect regional environmental evolution and provide basis for regional environmental change studies. Loess samples from different soil layers in Zhengzhou were collected, and their hyperspectral data measured. The characteristics of the original spectra, first-order differential spectra, second-order differential spectra, de-enveloping line spectra, and reciprocal logarithm spectra were analysed and correlated with environmental parameters, including mean particle size, standard deviation, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, and total organic carbon content, based on partial least squares regression. Inversion models were constructed. After transformation, the correlations between the various spectra and the environmental parameters were enhanced. Among them, the first-order and second-order differential spectra showed the greatest correlation with average particle size (correlation coefficient: 0.74). The correlation coefficients of the order differential spectrum with standard deviation, Fe2O3, and CaO were − 0.69, 0.67, and 0.75, respectively; the accuracy grade of the original spectrum inversion model was D. After spectral transformation, it was mostly improved; the best inversion model accuracy grade for standard deviation was C, that of the other parameters was B. Partial transformation is the optimal spectral transformation to establish an inversion model for these environmental parameters. This provides a new soil parameter inversion and monitoring method using hyperspectral remote sensing technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the distribution of gelatinous zooplankton in relation to environmental parameters along the coastal regions of Algeria in the south-western Mediterranean Sea. A total of 48 species were recorded from nine sampling stations located in the central (Sidi Fredj) and western (Habibas Islands) sectors of the Algerian coast. The results showed that the seasonal distribution of gelatinous species exhibits significant variations. Amongst cnidarians, P. noctiluca, M. atlantica and A. tetragona are the most abundant species. Chaetognaths are primarily represented by F. enflata and P. friderici. Tunicates display high diversity, with T. democratica, O. longicauda and D. nationalis as the most abundant species. Lastly, in molluscs, H. inflatus and L. trochiformis are the most abundant species. The nMDS and ANOSIM analysis reveal significant differences in the ecological community structures between the Habibas Islands and Sidi Fredj. Redundancy analysis results show relationships between different marine species and environmental variables, such as temperature, chlorophyll a and salinity. The studied species exhibit positive or negative correlations with these variables, suggesting an influence of these factors on their abundance and distribution. This study enhances our understanding of the factors that govern the distribution and dispersal of gelatinous zooplankton in the Mediterranean Sea and has significant implications for predicting changes in the distribution of these species under future environmental scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouses, as important parts of facility agriculture, can reduce the restrictions on agricultural production imposed by the natural environment and make rational and efficient use of production resources. We conducted long-term, continuous testing of temperature, humidity, light intensity, and CO2 concentration parameters in a heliostat greenhouse in the central and western parts of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a cold and arid region of northern China. A large amount of data was processed by statistical observation, simulation analysis, and 3D reconstruction to obtain the overall distribution, variation pattern, and mathematical model of the regional greenhouse environment in time and space. The results show that the temperature, humidity, light intensity, and CO2 concentration in the greenhouse have significant daily variation patterns, that there are strong coupling relationships between light intensity–CO2 concentration–time and indoor temperature–light intensity–CO2 concentration, that the coefficients of determination (R2) of the mathematical models are 0.88 and 0.89, and that the standard errors (RMSE) are 49.67 ppm and 45.30 ppm, respectively. The environmental parameters were fitted with high accuracy in order to provide scientific data for the cultivation of heliostats in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wildlife sanctuary is a location where the environment is still preserved so as to minimize forest conversion activities. Roaming method or exploration is the method that the autor uses in research butterfly inventory. Exploration is carried out by following the transect which adjusts the shape of the location with a distance between points of 20 meters. Areas that become observation locations including open land, fields, forest medium mixed and dense mixed forest. Butterfy data obtained through documentation or captured using insect nets observed, then release again. The aim of this research is identify butterfly species and environmental parameters present in the field clearing, field, medium ixed forest, and dense mixed forest. Results of the study are found 22 species butterflies with a total of 65 indiviuals. Previously, research related to butterfly inventory in Wildlife Sanctuary Paliyan has never been done. The conservation of butterflies is need because of the importance of the presence of butterflies as a determinant of environmental quality. Butterfly diversity disclosure can be used as a related database types of butterflies in Indonesia, especially the Paliyan Wildlife Sanctuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurement of ozone concentration, especially in workplaces is a crucial component of managing indoor air quality and protecting workers' and building occupants' health and safety. Some factors such as gaseous pollutants (like volatile organic compounds (VOCs)), relative humidity, and air velocity and direction could interfere with monitor readings. This study examined the impact of these environmental factors on the responses of six commercial ozone monitors: three UV photometry, two electrochemical and one semiconductor metal oxide. The results demonstrated that environmental physical parameters (i.e. air velocity and relative humidity) often slightly affected UV instrument's performance, while significant effects were seen in electrochemical and semiconductor monitors. Furthermore, chemical parameters (only VOCs including ethanol, acetone and toluene) had more influence on UV ozone monitors than those using electrochemical and metal oxide techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the analysis of soil radon data collected from March 2013 to July 2016. LR-115 Type II solid-state nuclear track detectors were deployed to determine the concentration of radon in the soil at a depth of 80 cm. The data on soil radon were collected using the integrated measurement technique over a 7-day period. Soil radon is affected by environmental parameters in addition to geophysical phenomena. To study the effect of the environmental parameters on the measured radon data, we have performed the analysis of soil radon with the environmental parameters using the ARIMA model. We have used the ARIMA (2,0,2) model to calculate the predicted value of soil radon. The predicted value of radon obtained from the model was primarily due to variations in environmental parameters. Therefore, we calculate the difference (residual) between the actual and predicted values of radon and correlate it with the seismic events that occurred around the investigation area. An anomalous variation in the residual radon was recorded a few days prior to the M5.4 earthquake, which occurred at a distance of 123.9 km from the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the distribution of vegetation and its modern pollen representation along an elevation gradient in the Italian Alps and explores the relationships with terrain and climate variables. Moss polsters were collected at 25 sites between ca. 300 and 1400 m asl from open areas, deciduous, and conifer forests. At each site vegetation was surveyed at 1.8 and 10 m radius according to the Braun-Blanquet method. Climatic data, bioclimatic indices, and terrain parameters were obtained for each sampling site. Three distinct pollen associations reflect the characteristic vegetation altitudinal belts present in the study area. Uphill dispersal, the regional load and the presence of high producers influence the abundance of pollen and the representation of taxa along the gradient. CCA ordination technique reveals the predictive power of environmental variables on modern pollen and vegetation datasets. The most relevant factors controlling vegetation distribution are identified in elevation, insolation, Pspring, Tsummer, the Ellenberg quotient, and Summer Water Balance (SWB). Elevation, insolation, summer P and T, the Ellenberg quotient, and the Gams' hygric continentality index (GAMS) explain more variance within the pollen dataset. A qualitative comparison among pollen and the corresponding parent plant occurrence qualifies Abies alba, Fagus sylvatica, Poaceae and Cyclamen pollen as suitable indicators taxa of the local vegetation in the study area. Several high producers with very effective, long-distance anemophilous dispersal (Pinus, Ostrya, Alnus, and Juglans) or mixed pollination mechanisms (anemophilous and insect-pollination: Fraxinus ornus, and Castanea) show no or little association with their parent plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Mediterranean, the fleshy, mat-forming red alga Phyllophora crispa creates high-biodiversity habitats that influence light availability, water movement, and temperature. However, knowledge about its influence on other key environmental parameters, such as oxygen availability, chlorophyll, and turbidity, is missing. Therefore, we conducted an in situ study in the Western Mediterranean Sea using multiparameter probes that were placed multiple times on algal P. crispa mats, in adjacent Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, and on bare hard bottoms. We acquired a total of 17 full diel measurements for dissolved oxygen (DO), chlorophyll, and turbidity in September and October 2019. Results showed that P. crispa mats influence the investigated parameters differently when compared to P. oceanica meadows and that a monthly effect was observed. In September, general DO patterns measured for P. crispa mats and P. oceanica meadows follow the daily cycle depending on light availability, with the measured DO being lower in the P. oceanica meadows compared to the P. crispa mats and the hard-bottom habitats. In October, however, no significant difference in DO concentrations was observed between P. crispa mats and P. oceanica meadows. Results of this study corroborate that P. crispa mats can be viewed as an ecosystem engineering species, influencing environmental parameters and, hence, providing a habitat for outstanding associated biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the seasonal variation of zooplankton diversity and abundance in the Nokoué Lagoon in southern Benin. Through extensive sampling, a total of 109 zooplanktonic taxa were identified and quantified. The average zooplankton abundance was found to be 60 individuals per liter, with copepods and rotifers being the most dominant groups, comprising 68.1% and 29.1% of the total abundance, respectively. The key factor identified as driving the structure of the zooplanktonic assemblages was salinity, which showed significant seasonal variation. The results revealed that during the high water period, when the lagoon was filled with fresh water, rotifers were dominant, zooplanktonic diversity was highest, and abundances were quite high. Conversely, during the low water period, when the lagoon was characterized by brackish water, diversity was minimal, and abundance decreased slightly. The study also found that some areas of the lagoon showed high abundances independent of salinity levels, suggesting that other factors such as riverine inputs or the presence of acadjas (home-made brush parks used as fish traps) may also have notable effects on the zooplankton community. Overall, the findings of this study provide valuable insights into the functioning of one of the most biologically productive lagoons in West Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae are able to produce various products, including biofuel, proteins, and beta-carotene. Hence, the determination of optimal conditions for the production of these compounds is of utmost importance. This study aims to evaluate the impact of environmental parameters on the production of lipid, protein, and beta-carotene in Spirulina platensis microalgae. The studied parameters included salinity levels of 1, 2, and 3 M, pH values above and below seven, nitrate concentrations of 0.25 and 0.5 g L−1, light intensities of 2500 and 5000 lux, and temperatures of 25 and 30 °C. The results suggest that the highest protein level is synthesized at 2 M salinity, acidity above seven, 0.25 g L−1 nitrate concentration, 5000 lux of light intensity, and 30 °C temperature. However, the optimal conditions for lipid accumulation are found as the salinity of 2 M, pH greater than 7, nitrate concentration of 0.25 g L−1, the light intensity of 5000 lux, and temperature of 30 °C. The optimal beta-carotene production occurs at 3 M salinity, pH ≥ 7, nitrate concentration of 0.5 g L−1, the light intensity of 5000 lux, and temperature of 30 °C. A better understanding of the optimal conditions can ensure the maximum production of bioproducts, including biofuel, protein, and beta-carotene in Spirulina platensis microalga, at minimum costs.

The Bhima River originating from the Western Ghats of India, a global biodiversity hotspot, is one of the most dammed rivers, used intensively for multifaceted purposes including agriculture and domestic usage. The present study was undertaken from early pre-monsoon to start of monsoon of 2023 encompassing 68 sampling points across Bhima River and its tributaries to develop the water quality index (WQI). Environmental parameters including SWT, pH, DO, TDS and EC were measured in situ during the time of sampling. Surface water samples (1 L) was collected for estimation of dissolved nutrients. The concentration of dissolved oxygen was found to be below 2 mg l ^−1 in several sampling points representing hypoxic conditions of the riverine system. TDS and EC ranged from 55.12 ppm to 2983 ppm and 108.3 μS cm ^−1 to 5939 μS cm ^−1 respectively, indicating significant spatial and temporal variations. The concentration of dissolved ammonia (0.05 mg l ^−1 –14.09 mg l ^−1 ), nitrate (5.88 mg l ^−1 to 1596.16 mg l ^−1 ), o- phosphate (0.21 mg l ^−1 –35.47 mg l ^−1 ) and reactive silicate (36.70 mg l ^−1 to 1455.15 mg l ^−1 ) indicates possible influx of agricultural run-off and untreated municipal discharges. Calculations of water quality index (WQI) using the measured parameters showed ‘bad to very bad’ and ‘medium to good’ water quality along the Bhima River and its tributaries. In-depth analyses of WQI indicates pollution ‘hot-spots’ and hints toward urgent implementation of basin-level mitigation strategies for improvement of the ecological health of Upper Bhima basin.

Growing pumpkins in controlled environments, such as greenhouses, has become increasingly important due to the potential to optimise yield and quality. However, achieving optimal environmental conditions for pumpkin cultivation requires precise monitoring and control, which can be facilitated by modern sensor technologies. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal placement of sensors to determine the influence of external parameters on the maturity of pumpkins. The greenhouse used in the study consisted of a plastic film for growing pumpkins. Five different sensors labeled from A1 to A5 measured the air temperature, humidity, soil temperature, soil humidity, and illumination at five different locations. We used two methods, error-based sensor placement and entropy-based sensor placement, to evaluate optimisation. We selected A3 sensor locations where the monitored data were close to the reference value, i.e., the average data of all measurement locations and parameters. Using this method, we selected sensor positions to monitor the influence of external parameters on the maturity of pumpkins. These methods enable the determination of optimal sensor locations to represent the entire facility environment and detect areas with significant environmental disparities. Our study provides an accurate measurement of the internal environment of a greenhouse and properly selects the base installation locations of sensors in the pumpkin greenhouse.

Photovoltaic and CSP development are related to site specification. In addition to high levels of insolation, climate and environmental conditions have a great impact on the efficiency of these technologies. Soiling stands as a major parameter influencing the degradation of transmittance and reflectance for PV glass and CSP reflectors respectively, which decreases electrical performance. In this paper, the PV system and TraCS system (Tracking Cleanliness System) are used to evaluate the soiling effect in two sites with different climate conditions. Environmental variables such as air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation, are used as inputs to model soiling. The relationship between different input and output variables are analysed using two linear regression models in a simple form, and with the interaction between model predictors. An in-depth analysis is performed with an artificial neural network (ANN) model, to assess its ability to resolve the complexity of the soiling problem in relation to environmental parameters, and also for comparison with the linear models. The results show that in the region with relatively low rainfall soiling is significantly high and the soiling loss reach up in the summer season –1.07%/day. However, in the region with significant rainy days, the soiling loss is in the range of –0.18%/day in the same period of the year. On the other hand, the ANN model performed significantly in estimating the soiling ratio in comparison to the linear models in terms of R2 values and statistical indicators.

This work compares the contributions of synoptic, intraseasonal, and interannual components of large-scale parameters to tropical cyclone (TC) genesis over the North Indian Ocean (NIO) from April to December from 1979 to 2020. A composite analysis is employed with respect to TC genesis time and location. It is shown that most TCs occur when the total sea surface temperature (SST) is between 28 and 30 °C and SST anomalies in three time ranges are small (with the magnitude less than 0.2 °C). The TCs form mostly when the anomalies of vertical zonal wind shear are between −6 and 6 m s−1 and total vertical zonal wind shear falls within −12 and −3 m s−1, with the synoptic component being a positive contributor. The intraseasonal component of vorticity and convergence in the low level, vertical motion and specific humidity in the middle level, and convection contributes dominantly to the TC genesis. Synoptic-scale tropical disturbances obtain barotropic kinetic energy from the climatological mean and intraseasonal flows, with the former dominant in the southeastern sector, and the latter dominant in the northwestern sector. The contributions of the three temporal components of environmental factors are compared for TC genesis between the Arabian Sea (AS) and Bay of Bengal (BOB) and between the early season (April through June) and late season (September through December). The relative contributions of the three temporal components of factors are also compared for the TC formation among the NIO, northern tropical Atlantic Ocean (NTA), Northwestern Pacific (WNP), and Northeastern Pacific (ENP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous aspects of performance assessment of bifacial PV have been undertaken over the years, however, an area where knowledge lacks, is concerning the negative impact of soiling on individual side of a bifacial module. An in-depth study has been presented where the soiling losses and rates for individual sides of a bifacial module have been quantified through experiments. A soiling rate of 0.328 %/day was observed for bifacial module, while the rear side soiling rate was measured to be equal to 0.031 %/day, which was significantly lower than the front of the module. The impact of wind speed and relative humidity was investigated on the soiling losses for the module, along with a detailed assessment of effect of wind direction on the soiling on individual sides of the module. A common metric to analyse bifacial modules against monofacial is bifacial gain which was observed to be greater for soiled module (13.98 %) compared to clean module (12.92 %) due to significant variation in available irradiance to the front side of the module. Finally, a comparative assessment of the impact of orientation on the soiling losses was conducted and the results showed that significantly lower soiling losses (∼2 %) and soiling rate (bifacial∼0.063 %/day and bifacial rear∼0.047 %/day) was observed for a vertically installed bifacial module. The results are significant as they direct towards the applicability of bifacial modules in regions with prevailing dust and will assist in deciding which type of mitigation strategies can be explored for individual sides of a bifacial module. • A soiling rate of 0.328 %/day was observed for bifacial module. • The rear side soiling rate was measured to be equal to 0.031 %/day. • Bifacial gain which for soiled module (13.98 %) compared to clean module (12.92 %). • Vertical installation of bifacial module resulted in lower soiling losses (∼2 %). • Wind direction plays a crucial role in determining soiling rate of individual side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, advanced methods and processing schemes for the analysis of data from a Superconducting Gravimeter (SG) will be introduced and their relevance on acquired data proved. The SG CD-034 was installed on Easter of 1999 in the Geodynamic Observatory Moxa of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany. Initially, the quality of the recorded data was examined, spectra for the detection of the parasitic modes were calculated and the calibration values for the two sensors were determined. Ever since very high-quality gravity data of this SG and most of the other worldwide SGs were made available through the storage archive of the Global Geodynamics Project (GGP later changed to IGETS, International Geodynamics and Earth Tide Service) for global scientific investigations at that time. SG's such as the one in Moxa (Germany) still deliver significant scientific value for global gravitational field studies as well as for regional/local studies which will be shortly reviewed. Examples are the detection of polar motion, the influence of continental water loading in general and in particular river basin loads, the gravimetric effect of North Sea storm surges and the study of hydro-gravimetric signals, which could be compared with satellite observations and global hydraulic models. The long-term, low-noise operation of complex SG's requires some effort on maintenance. In order to evaluate the correct operation of the SG, new data processing steps were introduced to assist in the analysis of the data in case of issues with the instrumentation. For example, in 2012/2013 and 2020/2021 severe interference in the gravimeter electronics in Moxa led to a significant loss of data. In both cases, however, the cause could be determined, and the corresponding electronic components renewed. Since July 2021, the SG in Moxa registers again with high data quality comparable or slightly better than before the incident. Initial tests and tidal analyses confirm the validity of the old calibration factors, and the authors now look forward to the re-established long-term recording with excitement and confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal temperature variation of ballastless track is very complicated under the effect of a sunlit environment, and there are serious transverse and vertical temperature gradients, which will cause cracking and deformation of the structure. In this paper, an ANSYS temperature effect analysis model for ballastless track, considering box girder structure, is established based on the environmental information of the bridge and the characteristics of the structural system. The model considers the influence of solar radiation intensity, wind speed, air temperature, geographical location, bridge orientation, material parameters, and other factors on the boundary conditions, and can meet the needs of the daylight temperature response analysis and calculation of any complex bridge structure. On this basis, the effect and applicability of a solar reflective coating on ballastless track cooling are studied. The results showed that the calculated results of the finite element model agree well with the measured results. Under the high-temperature conditions in summer, sunlight and ambient temperature mainly have significant effects on the temperature and temperature gradient of the track slab, and the maximum vertical temperature gradient reaches 74.48 °C/m. The reflective coating can significantly reduce the track slab's temperature and vertical temperature gradient, with a maximum temperature gradient reduction of 34%. The transverse temperature gradient of the track slab can be reduced by up to 54% by further application of the side reflective coating. This study can promote the application of reflective coatings on high-speed railway track structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soiling significantly impacts PV systems' performance, but this can be mitigated through optimized frequency and timing of cleaning. This experimental study focused on the conditions leading to soiling. It utilized a novel method to evaluate the effectiveness of different cleaning frequencies. The transmittance of horizontally mounted glass coupons exposed outdoors in a warm and humid location was measured weekly and these measurements were used (i) to evaluate the variability of soiling and its seasonal correlations with environmental factors using linear regression models and (ii) to assess the effectiveness of the different cleaning cycles using statistical (F- and t-test) analysis. The minimum transmittance loss occurred during the season with the most frequent rainfall, which acted as the dominant natural cleaning agent. The experimental campaign showed that rainfalls do not completely clean soiling; a minimum intensity threshold has to be achieved to have a cleaning effect. The threshold rainfall was the highest for the weekly cleaned glass coupon and lowest for a coupon that was never cleaned. Based on the statistical analysis, it is suggested that weekly cleanings during winter and post-monsoon seasons and monthly cleanings during pre-monsoon and southwest monsoon seasons are optimal for areas in the Köppen–Geiger Cwa climate classification category. The correlation between soiling and environmental parameters was found to be highly dependent on the season. It may therefore not be possible to develop a simple, universal predictive relationship for soiling losses. The presented methodology is applicable to additional locations, even outside of the study area of India, to contribute to the understanding and mitigation of soiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, from the first time in Romania, soil fauna taxa were investigated from two types of habitats: with and without Campanula romanica, from Măcin Mountains National Park. Some population parameters were analysed as: taxa diversity, numerical abundance, dominance, evenness, equitability, Shannon-Wiener index of diversity. In total, 24 soil fauna groups were identified, with 399 individuals, recording characteristic structure and taxa for each type of plots. Even if the number of identified taxa is almost similar between plots, the numerical abundance was higher in areas without Campanula romanica. In the same time sixteen environmental variables were quantified, as: the thickness of three soil layers, air temperature and humidity, soil temperature and moisture, soil pH, soil penetration resistance, amount of organic carbon, total nitrogen, C/Nt ratio, humus content, potassium content, phosphorous content and the vegetation cover. They had a significant influence on structure composition of the edaphic taxonomic groups from the two types of habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-outdoor space can be used as an alternative to short-term office activities to save office energy consumption and promote a healthy and nature-based working environment. This study evaluated the suitability of semi-outdoor space in four aspects including environmental measurements, physiological measurements, subjective measurements and cognitive performance tests. However, the manual processing and analysis of such multidimensional data can be time-consuming and error-prone. Hence, the objective of this study was to develop a semi-automatic method to manage and analyze the data from different instruments and platforms and two open-source applications (a stroop color and word test and a digit span test) for cognitive performance tests. These codes were critical to the success of the project, providing an effective framework for data extraction, data pre-processing, data analysis and performance tests. Eighty-nine people participated in the experiment of evaluation of thermal comfort, cognitive performance, physiological performance and environmental parameters in semi-outdoor spaces in a tropical setting. Each participant received cognitive tests to assess their selective attention, short-term memory, concentration and creativity quotient. Concurrently, qualitative measurements were conducted to assess thermal sensation, thermal comfort and thermal acceptability. The heart rate, skin temperature, and skin conductance of participants were measured throughout the experiments. Microclimatic variables such as illuminance, noise levels, dry-bulb air temperature, global temperature, relative humidity, air speed, and air direction were monitored simultaneously. To understand the effects of semi-outdoor spaces on participant performance, this study recorded participant performance in different environments through controlled experiments. Data related to participants in different settings include those shared (e.g., environmental measurement), and data unique to each participant (e.g., physiological performance). The results revealed that the subjects' cognitive and physiological performance did not change significantly after switching to the semi-outdoor space due to the availability of natural and mechanical ventilation, suggesting that short-term office activities in the semi-outdoor space are feasible in the tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The type of single-slope solar greenhouse is mainly used for vegetable production in China. The coupling of heat storage and release courses and the dynamic change in the outdoor weather parameters momentarily affect the indoor environment. Due to the high cost of small weather stations, the environmental parameters monitored by the nearest meteorological stations are usually used as outdoor environmental parameters in China. In order to accurately predict the solar greenhouse and crop water demand, this paper proposes three deep learning models, including neural network regression (DNNR), long short-term memory (LSTM), and convolutional neural network-long- short-term memory (CNN-LSTM), and the hyperparameters of three models were determined by orthogonal experimental design (OD). The temperature and relative humidity monitored by the indoor sensors and outdoor weather station were taken as the inputs of models, the temperature and relative humidity 3, 6, 12 and 24 h in advance were taken as the output, 16 combinations of input and output data of two typical solar greenhouses were trained separately by three deep learning models, those models were trained 144, 144 and 288 times, respectively. The best model of three type models at four prediction time points were selected, respectively. For the forecast time point of 12 h in advance, the errors of the best LSTM and CNN-LSTM models in two greenhouses were all smaller than the DNNR models. For the three other time points, the results show that the DNNR models have excellent prediction accuracy among the three models. The maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity, and ETo were also accurately predicted using the corresponding optimized models. In sum, this study provided an optimized deep learning prediction model for environmental parameters of greenhouse and provides technical support for irrigation decision-making and water allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species composition of cyanobacteria assemblages was studied in six thermo-mineral springs of spas in Atlantic environments of Galicia (NW Spain). Two are considered hot (Ta ≥ 40 °C), two intermediate (Ta 20–40 °C) and two cold (Ta ≤ 20 °C), and four contain hydrogen sulphide. A total of 21 taxa (14 genera) have been recorded. Two diversity indices, Shannon index and Evenness were determined. The Shannon–Wiener index ranged between 0.31 and 0.73 and the Evenness index between 0.44 and 0.88. nMDS ordination showed that cyanobacteria assemblage composition was influenced mostly by temperature. Of the species identified, the most diverse genus is Leptolyngbya with four species, followed by Chroococcus with three species and Aphanocapsa, Phormidium and Lyngbya with two species. The most abundant species was Jaaginema angustissimum, followed by Leptolyngbya laminosa and Symploca thermalis. In the two cold springs, seven different species were found, and only Aphanocapsa conferta was common to both springs. Cyanobacterial species were more numerous in the four hot springs, with 15 different species and only Calothrix thermalis common to these hot springs. It is difficult to establish characteristic cyanobacterial flora for the thermo-mineral waters of the Galician springs since there are significant differences in the communities from the six sites studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convective gale is the most common weather phenomenon of severe storms, which causes serious disasters and is difficult to predict. Thunderstorm gales and tornado occurred successively in Wuhan on May 10 and 14, 2021. In this paper, the environmental conditions, Doppler radar echo characteristics and radar derived parameters of the two events are compared and analyzed by using conventional radiosonde and Wuhan Doppler weather radar data. The results show that: (1) Both events occur in the similar environment with high unstable energy, strong vertical wind shear and low uplift condensation height. There are convergence areas formed by multiple air streams on the ground, but the physical parameters of strong convection, energy helicity and strong weather index are significantly different between the two events. (2) The generation mechanism and radar echo characteristics of the two convective gales are different. The thunderstorm gale of "5.10" was mainly caused by the strong downdraft caused by dry and cold air in the middle layer and the phase change of precipitation particles, and by the fact that a cold thunderstorm high pressure was formed on the ground. The strong downdraft generated by the convective zone combined by multiple convective cells appears as a low-level gale core in the radial velocity field. The strong downdraft generated by the relatively isolated cell in front of the convection zone is characterized by low-level radial divergence. The "5.14" tornado is generated by supercell with hook echo, strong mesocyclone and TVS. (3) There are significant differences in the changes of vertical wind shear and SRH before the two events, indicating that the changes of ambient air flow in the two events are different. Whether such changes are applicable to the identification of the two weather conditions still needs to be studied by making statistical analysis on a large number of individual cases.

• A test rig of the DX-SAHP system using R134a as refrigerant has been built. • The mathematical model of the DX-SAHP has been conducted and validated. • The optimum operation parameters and control strategy have been calibrated. • The system performance with control strategy calibration has been investigated. As known, the performance of a direct-expansion solar-assisted heat pump (DX-SAHP) is affected by environmental and operational parameters significantly, and the variable capacity system has distinct advantages. The calibration of the control strategy will be very useful for the thermal performance improvement of DX-SAHP systems. Based on the test rig which is used to supply domestic hot water, the original variable capacity control strategy has been calibrated with the quasi-dynamic mathematical model under different conditions. The calibration results show that the optimum range of the degree of superheat is 7–12 °C. For winter and spring/autumn conditions, the optimum range of operation duration are 360–420 min and 300–360 min, and the corresponding optimum range of average compressor speed are 3750–4500 r·min−1 and 2750–3750 r·min−1, respectively. Experiments prove that the actual operation parameters can be maintained at the optimum range well and the average coefficient of performance (COP m) during the whole heating process has been improved further. For winter and spring/autumn, the average operation duration and compressor speed are 395 min and 3970 r·min−1, 345 min and 3066 r·min−1, respectively. Moreover, the values of COP m could reach 3.44 and 4.67, respectively. Even at solar radiation intensity of 577.6 W·m−2 with ambient temperature of −9.1 °C, the COP m could reach 2.38. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Factors affecting NH 3 concentration in swine building are not fully understood. • Monitoring and quantifying NH 3 are crucial for maintaining barn environment. • Three machine learning algorithms were utilized to predict NH 3 concentration. • SVR had a better performance accuracy compared to other tested models. • Pigs' body mass and feed intake mostly influenced the NH 3 concentration. Ammonia (NH 3) concentration in livestock barns is a crucial environmental parameter affecting the well-being of animals and workers' health. Effective management and prediction of NH 3 levels are essential for maintaining an efficient and enduring swine production system. This study investigated the application of machine learning algorithms, namely support vector regression (SVR), random forest regression (RFR), and multiple linear regression (MLR), to predict NH 3 concentrations in pig barns and examined the impact of individual input variables on prediction accuracy. In this study, three datasets, each comprising five key biophysical variables, i.e., feed intake (FI), mass of pig (MP), carbon dioxide (CO 2) levels, temperature (T), and relative humidity (RH), were utilized for training and testing these algorithms. The data were collected from three barns during the growing-finishing stage of pigs in 2022 and 2023. The study results revealed a strong positive relationship between FI and MP with NH 3 concentrations. Among the three machine learning models, the SVR outperformed the MLR and RFR in predicting NH 3 concentration. The result exhibited that the SVR obtained the maximum performance in both training (R2 >0.95) and testing (R2 >0.85), with R2 improvements of up to 5.43 % and 14.02 % and RMSE decreases of up to 15.97 % and 28.98 %, in comparison to the RFR and MLR across the three input datasets in NH 3 prediction. The study also emphasized the importance of dataset size, with the large dataset containing all five input indicators achieving the highest accuracy compared to smaller datasets. In addition, the MLR demonstrated maximum stability, followed by the SVR, whereas the RFR exhibited minimum stability. Sensitivity analysis revealed that FI was the most influential input variable for NH 3 concentration prediction. The study ranked the impact of individual input variables as FI > MP > CO 2 > T > RH. The combination of FI, MP, CO 2 , and T as input indicators achieved the highest model performance, accounting for a substantial portion of the variance between observed and predicted data. This study demonstrated the potential of machine learning models, particularly SVR, for predicting NH 3 concentrations using relevant input variables in pig barns. These findings significantly enhance understanding of NH 3 concentration dynamics in pig barns, providing crucial insights into swine production and environmental management with data-driven modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs), as a new type of environmental pollutant, have attracted extensive attention in recent years. However, there has been relatively little research specifically focusing on MPs in the Yellow River Basin, China, particularly regarding MP migration patterns. Based on surface water and sediment samples from 19 sampling sites in the Wuding River (WDR), the abundances and characteristic distributions of MPs were analyzed, and the environmental factors affecting their distribution and potential ecological risks were evaluated. The results showed that the MP abundances in surface water and sediments of the WDR were significantly different (P < 0.05), with mean values of 2.98 ± 0.69 items/L and 419.47 ± 75.61 items/kg, respectively. In terms of MP characteristics, the most common size class was 0.1–0.5 mm in surface water. Polyethylene (PE, 32.50%) and polypropylene (PP, 27.50%) were the main polymer types of MPs in surface water. Although similar MP characteristics were observed in sediments, there were significantly more particles in the <0.1 mm particle size (P < 0.05), which was 15.0% higher than in surface water. Also, more high-density MP fragments were observed in sediment samples. The retention of MPs in sediments was influenced by the MP characteristics (density, shape, particle size) and sediment particle size. In contrast, the MP abundance in surface water was more closely related to the presence of other environmental pollutants, such as total phosphorus (WTP) and ammonia nitrogen (WAN). Temperature (T), agricultural land (AGR), and residential land (RES) only had significant effects on the distribution of MPs in surface water (P < 0.05). Potential ecological risk assessments revealed that MP pollution in sediments was more serious than in surface water, especially in the middle and lower reaches. The results of this study are important for understanding MP transport in a sandy river and for eliminating potential sources of MPs. [Display omitted] • MPs in the surface water and sediment of the Wuding River were investigated. • The "MP community" was significantly different between the surface water and sediment. • Weaker response of MPs to environmental factors in sediments compared to surface water. • Medium ecological risk of MPs in sediments, with PVC as the main contaminant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The latest improvements in infrared detectors enable the use of infrared thermography in many applications for outdoor temperature measurements through a low cost and easy to maintain solution. However, converting the radiative fluxes received by the infrared camera to the object of interests’ apparent surface temperature is a challenging task. It requires us to consider the global radiative heat balance at the sensor level. Such a correction implies taking into account the background contributions (sky, sun, other elements on the scene), the involved transmissions (camera optics, atmosphere, participating media of the scene), etc. As a consequence, supplementary data are needed to achieve quantitative outdoor thermal monitoring. In this study, we propose a comparison of gathering those data from different observation scales: a local weather station, existing sensor networks such as Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR) and open source online satellite data from the European Copernicus program. Finally, the feasibility, advantages and limitations of the proposed methods are discussed.

Studying correlations between phytoplankton communities and environmental factors is critical for understanding how aquatic ecosystems function. The high sensitivity of phytoplankton to changes in these factors makes it possible to control the state of the ecosystem of water bodies. Artificial lakes often demonstrate increased trophic status, inducing changes in phytoplankton structure. In this paper, we studied phytoplankton in June 2023 (hydrological spring) in two ecosystems, South Baikal and the Irkutsk Reservoir, that are connected by a water course but have different environmental parameters. The gradient of environmental parameters from the lake towards the reservoir revealed peculiarities in the distribution of some microalgae species. Microscopy and statistical analysis showed that water temperature was the most important factor affecting the structure of the communities. The warmer water of the reservoir, in contrast to the lake, demonstrated a twofold increase in species number, abundance, and biomass. Downstream from the reservoir, we observed a succession in the dominating Baikal species complex, its supplementation, and replacement with other species typical of the summer period and Baikal bays. The trophic status of the reservoir during the study may be described as oligotrophic, with local traits of mesotrophicity; its water refers to Class I and Class II and may be qualified as clean.

In order to investigate temporal variations in phytoplankton connected with hydrography, high-resolution (twice a week) samplings were carried out between January and December 2018 at a single, shallow water station in the Dardanelles. Diatoms dominated in early and mid-winter, late spring and early summer, and between August and October. Whereas dinoflagellates dominated in the period from mid-February to the end of the third week of May, mid-summer, and late autumn. Other groups were generally more abundant in the early summer and mid-autumn than any other period. Late spring and early summer, mid-autumn and middle winter were the important bloom periods. The average contribution of diatom abundance (5.00 × 105±7.80 × 105 cells L−1) to average total phytoplankton abundance (9.63 × 105±7.88 × 105 cells L−1) was above 50% (average: 51.88%) during the year except spring (34.32%). However, the average contribution of dinoflagellates (43.32±20.69%) and others (4.81±6.99%) to the total phytoplankton abundance were lower than the abundance of the diatoms (51.88±21.61%). The study revealed a decrease both in the total number of algal blooms which also included HABs and their densities in the region compared to the previous findings. These observations seem to evidence environmental status improvement of the investigated area, manifested in an average chlorophyll a concentration (0.71±0.52 µg L−1) and quantitative phytoplankton structure (103 to 105 cells L−1).

Based on hourly station precipitation data and ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis data from 2009 to 2019, this paper explores the temporal variations and spatial distribution of short–duration heavy rainfall (SDHR) induced by North China cold vortices (NCCV) over the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, and comparatively analyzes the characteristic of environmental parameters and then choose some predictors to make probability forecasting for short–duration heavy rainfall induced by North China cold vortices. Results show that short–duration heavy rainfall has obviously interannual, monthly and diurnal variations. Areas of high short–duration heavy rainfall frequency caused by North China cold vortices exhibit eastward movement, which generally locate along the mountain areas of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in the afternoon, and moves to the coastal areas of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region after midnight. In general, short–duration heavy rainfall induced by North China cold vortices mainly occurs in 16:00–21:00 and around 02:00–05:00, showing a delayed peak time and a secondary peak time in recent years. Besides, short–duration heavy rainfall caused by North China cold vortices occurs fewer but more extremely over the northwestern and southern parts of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, more frequently and extremely over the border area of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and more frequently but with moderate intensity over the coastal area of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. By comparing the distribution characteristics of some physical parameters for three categories of no precipitation, ordinary precipitation, and short–duration heavy rainfall weather induced by North China cold vortices, it is found that moisture and atmospheric instability conditions have great significance for the occurrence of short–duration heavy rainfall caused by North China cold vortices. Probability forecast for short–duration heavy rainfall caused by North China cold vortices is made based on ingredient method and fuzzy logic algorithms. The result shows the products have good performance, further implying the significance of the environmental parameters for forecasting short–duration heavy rainfall caused by North China cold vortices.

Abstract The Technical Building Code (CTE) is the regulatory framework that regulates the basic quality requirements that buildings must meet. The basic documents of the CTE, characterize the basic requirements (energy saving, protection against humidity, indoor air quality, among others) and quantify them, establishing levels or limit values. They also establish procedures whose use proves compliance with the basic requirements, specified in the form of verification methods or solutions sanctioned by practice. We must not forget the requirements established by other regulations and that affect housing, as is the case of the Regulation of Thermal Installations in Buildings (RITE), related to welfare and hygiene, especially related to the requirement of thermal quality of the environment. In order to investigate and justify the technical requirements established by the regulations, especially those related to indoor environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, wind speed, CO2,...), a multidisciplinary training is necessary, and the use of multiple equipment and tools is also necessary, of associated software for verification. But the most appropriate methodology for its justification is not specified. This is the challenge assumed in a study case for the justification of the requirements in a cave-house in Almería. Resumen El Código Técnico de la Edificación (CTE) es el marco normativo por el que se regulan las exigencias básicas de calidad que deben cumplir los edificios. Los Documentos Básicos del CTE, caracterizan las exigencias básicas (ahorro de energía, protección frente a la humedad, calidad del aire interior, entre otras) y las cuantifica, estableciendo niveles o valores límite. También establecen procedimientos cuya utilización acredita el cumplimiento de las exigencias básicas, concretados en forma de métodos de verificación o soluciones sancionadas por la práctica. No hay que olvidar las exigencias establecidas por otras reglamentaciones y que afectan a las viviendas, como es el caso del Reglamento de Instalaciones Térmicas en los Edificios (RITE), relacionado con el bienestar e higiene, especialmente la relativa a la exigencia de calidad térmica del ambiente. Para poder investigar y justificar las exigencias técnicas establecidas por los reglamentos, especialmente las relacionadas con los parámetros medioambientales interiores (temperatura, humedad, velocidad del viento, CO2,…) en necesario una formación pluridisciplinar, siendo necesario el uso de múltiples equipos y herramientas además de software asociado para la verificación. Pero no se especifica la metodología más apropiada para su justificación. Este es el reto asumido en un caso de estudio para la justificación de las exigencias en una casa cueva en Almería.

This work aims to evaluate the possible relations between the confirmed daily cases of COVID-19 and the environmental parameters for the Cuiabá-Várzea Grande conurbation in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The data sets used to cover the rainy-dry periods, from January to December 2020, were achieved from a database of government institutions, and processed through the Spearman correlation test. Our results showed that atmospheric pressure and fire radiative power has a significant positive correlation, suggesting that these parameters favor the transmission of COVID-19. On the other hand, the relative humidity of the air and the total column of water vapor showed a significant negative correlation with the number of confirmed daily cases of COVID-19, which indicates that the water vapor present in the atmosphere acts in the regulation of virus transmission. Thus, taking into account the results obtained, there is a need for collaborative policies and measures among the three spheres of executive power in Brazil, to act in the surveillance of fire cases, which can favor the transmission of COVID-19. In addition, prevention and protection measures aimed at reducing the spread of coronavirus continue to be indispensable.

Erosion and flood events can damage soils, water, quality, and sediment transportation, causing many cumulative hazards. In developing countries, such as Iran, the empirical models, which are low-cost procedures to mitigate environmental hazards, are necessary to plan the watersheds. Hence, the main aim of this study is to evaluate erosion and flood susceptibility using empirical models of erosion potential method (EPM) and rational flood model (RFM) to prioritize the GIS-based prone zones in a catchment of the Kopet-Dagh Mountains. The results revealed that the heavy classes of erosion and flood susceptibility include 40.4–58.2% of the total study area, dominantly in the upstream catchments. The correlation test revealed a strong, significant, and direct association (R equal to 0.705) between W and Qp at the 99% confidence level. Consequently, the results of our research indicated the prioritization of the three sub-catchments based on their slight sensitivity and susceptibility to occurrences of soil erosion and flood events through future spatial developments. Ultimately, the model validity explained the AUC (area under the curve) values averagely equal to 0.898 and 0.917 for erosion and flood susceptibility evaluations (i.e., EPM and RFM), explaining the very good performance of the models and excellent sensitivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the long-term suitability of the area proposals for winter recreation activities in the Seyhan Basin (Türkiye), which is located in the Mediterranean and Central Anatolia regions and includes a large part of the Taurus Mountains, were examined ecologically. For this purpose, the predicted global warming scenarios in the basin and the anthropogenic impacts arising from the planned recreation areas were evaluated for the upper basin (recreation areas) and lower basin (water resources, agricultural lands, and settlements) using a hypothetical risk analysis. For this purpose, multispectral images were obtained by using Landsat 8 Oli Multispectral images of the snow areas in the region in January-February-March 2019, and a hypothetical ecological risk analysis was created considering a total of 5 pressure factors originating from global climate change and anthropogenic effects. These possible factors were determined as flood (S1), drought (S2), sedimentation (S3), aquatic nutrients (S4), and tourist density (S5). The effects of these factors on a total of four features (C1: water quality, C2: fauna-flora, C3: agricultural areas, and C4: settlements) in the region were evaluated by hypothetical grading based on the literature. According to the hypothesis results obtained by the formula and statistical calculations, it was determined that the flood factor (S1) that will occur due to possible snow melt due to global climate change in the winter recreation areas in the studied region is the most significant factor limiting the sustainable usage of the Basin. For this reason, it has been emphasized in this study that the possibility of regions being exposed to the effects of climate change in the future should be taken into account, especially when planning for winter recreation areas. At the end of this study, it was concluded that the ecological balance analysis of basins is important, especially in terms of ensuring the long-term sustainable use of winter recreation areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper calculates and analyzes the collision and freezing characteristics of water droplets on the cylindrical conductors with different diameters and deduces the variation law of icing weight change rate on different diameters rotating cylindrical conductors with wind speed, ambient temperature, liquid water content, and median volume diameter. Then, a prediction and value-seeking method of icing environment parameters based on rotating circular conductors is determined. The laboratory test results show that the measured values of ambient temperature T, wind speed U, liquid water content w and median volume diameter MVD are in good conformity with the reference values measured by other instruments, and the average errors of each parameter are 3.41%, 5.44%, 6.08% and 7.20%, respectively. The field natural experiment was carried out at Hunan Xuefengshan Energy Equipment Safety National Observation and Research Station. The obtained icing environmental parameters were substituted into the icing simulation calculation model of the LDQ-100 glass insulator. Compared with the field experiment results, the simulated ice shape and the field ice shape were in good agreement. The error between the numerical calculation results of the icing weight and the field icing weight of the experimental insulator was less than 6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweeds are a promising biomass resource that contain proteins with high potential for sustainable exploration. Palmaria palmata, one of the main red seaweeds of the Canadian coast, has a high protein content and much interest as an ingredient. Understanding the associations between environmental conditions and P. palmata color and chemical composition is of paramount importance to predict optimum harvesting conditions and thus increase its value. This study investigated the influence of environmental conditions on the composition and color of wild and cultivated P. palmata. Important changes in these parameters were found for P. palmata harvested in the subarctic Canadian transition zone, depending on the harvesting site/month. A marked increase in carbohydrates and decrease in ashes content (up to 2-fold) were observed from June to October, while photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) values have decreased. These associations suggest that wild P. palmata is shade acclimated to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence region. Maximum protein content was found for samples in June and was especially higher for samples from Grande-Rivière. Samples were intensely colored in June, possibly related to the higher protein content found in this month. Although several intricate factors seem to influence color development in this species, data from this study assist harvesting sites and period to maximise dark red color and avoid pigmentation degradation and paleness. In sum, these results may help indicate the best site/period to take commercial advantage of this species and orient future research on the multifactored relationships between environmental factors and macroalgae chemical composition and color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin film thermo-responsive hydrogels have become a huge interest in applications such as smart drug-delivery systems or sensor/actuator technology. So far, mostly, the response of such hydrogels has been measured only by varying the temperature in a liquid environment, but studies of the response towards humidity and temperature are rare because of experimental limitations. Often the swelling measurements are performed on samples placed on a stage that can be heated/cooled, while vapors enter the permeation chamber at their own temperature. This thermal difference leads to some uncertainties on the exact relative humidity to which the sample is exposed to. In this study, we explored the possibility of performing swelling measurements under thermal equilibrium by placing the sample and an interferometer, as a detector, in an environmental chamber and therefore exposing the smart hydrogel to adjustable temperatures and relative humidity conditions while measuring the hydrogel's thin film thickness changes. As a case study, we used thin films of the thermo-responsive hydrogel, poly N-vinylcaprolactam deposited by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Similar thin films were previously characterized by in situ ellipsometry while the sample was heated on a stage and exposed to humid air produced at room temperature. The comparison between the two measurement methods showed that while measurements in the presence of thermal gradients are limited mostly to low humidity, measurements in thermal equilibrium are restricted only by the operation limits of the used environmental chamber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) aptasensor based on liquid crystal (LC), 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl (5CB). This optical sensor is made up of an aptamer that interacts with DEHP and cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) at the aqueous/LCs interface. The cationic surfactants, CTAB, trigger the homeotropic state of 5CB and control its local anchoring depending on the extent to which they interact with the aptamers. When the aptamers are electrostatically attracted to CTAB, the orientation of 5CB is disturbed. The conformational changes of the aptamers contribute to a change in the ordering of 5CB from a tilted to homeotropic state due to the formation of the DEHP-aptamer complexes. The ordering of the LCs is influenced by the biomolecular interactions at the CTAB-filled aqueous/5CB interface. We analysed the orientational ordering of 5CB according to the DEHP concentrations. An orientational transition from homeotropic to tilted alignment was observed with decreasing DEHP concentration. We determined the detection limit to be approximately 0.651 pg/mL in phosphate-buffered saline. We interpreted the greyscale intensity data that measured the intensity of polarised light, which penetrated the LCs, to quantify the polarised image. Our results demonstrate the potential method for simply monitoring the DEHP levels in various environmental parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]