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Paweł Płatek,1 Natalia Daniel,1 Kamil Cieplak,1 Marcin Sarzyński,1 Przemysław Siemiński,2 Bartosz Sadownik,3,4 Paweł Andruszkiewicz,3 Łukasz Wróblewski3 1Faculty of Mechatronics, Armament and Aviation, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland; 2Faculty of Automotive and Construction Machinery Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland; 3 2nd Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Medical University of Warsaw, Central Teaching Hospital, Central Teaching Hospital, Warsaw, Poland; 4Department of Descriptive and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, PolandCorrespondence: Paweł Płatek, Military University of Technology, gen. Sylwestra Kaliskiego 2, Warsaw, 00-908, Poland, Tel/Fax +48 261839657, Email pawel.platek@wat.edu.plPurpose: The paper describes the design concept and findings from technological and initial clinical trials conducted to develop a helmet for non-invasive oxygen therapy using positive pressure, known as hCPAP (Helmet Continuous Positive Airway Pressure).Methods: The study utilized PET-G filament, a recommended material for medical applications, along with the FFF 3D printing technique. Additional technological investigations were performed for the production of fitting components. The authors proposed a parameter identification method for 3D printing, which reduced the time and cost of the study while ensuring high mechanical strength and quality of the manufactured elements.Results: The proposed 3D printing technique facilitated the rapid development of an ad hoc hCPAP device, which was utilized in preclinical testing and treatment of Covid-19 patients, and yielded positive results. Based on the promising outcomes of the preliminary tests, further development of the hCPAP device’s current version was pursued.Conclusion: The proposed approach offered a crucial benefit by significantly reducing the time and costs involved in developing customized solutions to aid in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.Graphical Abstract: Keywords: 3D printing, fused filament fabrication, Covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, respiratory failure, hCPAP

Abstract Aim The main objective of this paper was to establish types of health status in the group of practicing nurses. Design Positive psychology defines human health as the underlying resource for all life activities, including professional work. Practicing nurses are exposed to a variety of professional pressures, most notably high‐stress burden. Long‐term functioning in conditions of work‐related overburden and stress may compromise the health status of nurses and make them vulnerable to somatic or psychosomatic conditions. Methods In this study, we used original worksheets for collecting socio‐economic data and health‐related data, Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC‐29), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐28), Brief COPE Inventory (Mini‐COPE) and the somatic symptom scale. K‐means clustering analysis for cases was used to identify types of health status among the surveyed nurses. Results This survey discovered that specific types of health status can be distinguished among practicing nurses. The nurses represented various types of health status, levels of the sense of coherence and the use of stress management strategies.

Abstract Increasingly, researchers are using innovative methods to census marine life, including identification of environmental DNA (eDNA) left behind by organisms in the water column. However, little is understood about how eDNA is distributed in the ocean, given that organisms are mobile and that physical and biological processes can transport eDNA after release from a host. Particularly in the vast mesopelagic ocean where many species vertically migrate hundreds of meters diurnally, it is important to link the location at which eDNA was shed by a host organism to the location at which eDNA was collected in a water sample. Here, we present a one-dimensional mechanistic model to simulate the eDNA vertical distribution after its release and to compare the impact of key biological and physical parameters on the eDNA vertical and temporal distribution. The modeled vertical eDNA profiles allow us to quantify spatial and temporal variability in eDNA concentration and to identify the most important parameters to consider when interpreting eDNA signals. We find that the vertical displacement by advection, dispersion, and settling has limited influence on the eDNA distribution, and the depth at which eDNA is found is generally within tens of meters of the depth at which the eDNA was originally shed from the organism. Thus, using information about representative vertical migration patterns, eDNA concentration variability can be used to answer ecological questions about migrating organisms such as what depths species can be found in the daytime and nighttime and what percentage of individuals within a species diurnally migrate. These findings are critical both to advance the understanding of the vertical distribution of eDNA in the water column and to link eDNA detection to organism presence in the mesopelagic ocean as well as other aquatic environments.

In the context of the STEM approach to education, motivating pupils through tailored research and leveraging IT in the classroom is relevant. The justification of these approaches hasn't received much examination, though. The purpose of the study is to support the decision to use an AR-plant recognition application to give tailored instruction throughout both extracurricular activities and the school day. Every phase of an app's interaction with a user was examined and used to categorize every app. Also described were the social settings of the applications and how they were used for extracurricular activities. There has been discussion on the didactics of using AR recognition apps in biology classes. A survey of experts in digital education regarding the ease of installation, the friendliness of the interface, and the accuracy of image processing was conducted to give usability analysis. Applications were examined for their ability to accurately identify plants on the "Dneprovskiy district of Kiev" list in order to assess the rationale of usage. It has been established that Google Lens is the best option. As an alternative to Seek or Flora Incognita, according to the analysis's findings, these apps were less accurate.

This study aims to identify middle-class consumers’ habits in four countries during the pandemic of 2020, with special attention to analogous consumers’ reactions to extraordinary circumstances during the recession of 2008. Furthermore, this study tried to detect the impact of the pandemic on conscious shopping. Although the consequences of the ongoing pandemic were unforeseeable, the paper opened new avenues for further research on factors responsible for conscious consumption during the unprecedented externality and its significance on the middle-class consumers in culturally diverse markets. To achieve the aforementioned goals, between June and December 2020, computer-assisted web interviews (CAWI) based on pilot stage research were conducted to answer the following questions: How did the pandemic influence the buyers’ shopping habits in terms of conscious consumption? What were the reasons for the changes in shopping habits? What kind of consumer behaviors would middle-class buyers recommend to others? One general conclusion, inter alia, should be stressed remarkably: during the pandemic, irrespective of the cultural differences, the middle-class consumers’ behaviors did not vary significantly with regards to most of the investigated variables.

Disasters, extreme weather conditions and rural recreation makes the availability of a portable heating and cooling device as a must. There are many devices that work on the heating and power generation in the market. The air-conditioner which works on the heat pump principle is well known. Harsh weather conditions, natural disasters and recreation in rural areas (deserts and mountains) requires the availability of a heating and cooling device that works on well available fuel and has a low fuel consumption rate. Such a device will help in saving lives and encourage rural tourism. In this paper, a heating and cooling device is proposed for rural places, harsh weather conditions and natural disasters where no electricity is available. The device is working on the principle of heat pump (HP) to optimize its performance. The source of energy selected for this device is fossil fuels; fossil fuel is used for its convenience where no electricity is available. Low vibration low noise Stirling Engine (SE) is used to drive the heat pump that produces heating/cooling effects. Analysis of the proposed device is performed for each of its components. The results attained from analysis coincide with the results in literature. An electricity free, low vibration, silent and improved performance CHC device was attained. With suitable selected sub-devices an OHR of 2.429 was achieved by the proposed device compared to currently available devices.

Data processing is complicated nowadays due to its vast amount and low structuration level. Perspective field to provide such structuration is exceptional studies because, in most cases, they foresee measuring parameters planned before such expeditions. Therefore, it is possible to define the parameters that will be measured and prepare forms to fill them during the expedition. This study substantiates the way of processing such data in the form of ontologies, providing structuring and interoperability of expedition data by providing a similar structuring approach. The case of using such an approach based on real-life expedition study in the field of the environment of the National Center "Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" is described. The approach foresees using Excel to define the parameters that will be measured during an expedition in the form of table’s columns. Each row in such a table will represent the place or name of the research object. An additional column is devoted to inserting geolocation. After providing the research, such files are uploaded into Polyhedron system and ontology is generated. Such ontologies are stored and integrated into ArcGis and can be used to present their own results and provide background research by other researchers.

Abstract Background The nursing profession is associated with constant presence of difficult situations and stress, which arise from responsibility for the highest values – human life and health. With demographic changes in the society, the demand for nursing care increases. Looking after the health of nursing staff becomes a non-material investment in employees. One of the most important health potentials described in literature is the sense of coherence. It can significantly contribute to maintaining good health, modify one’s functioning in a stressful working environment and influence the choice of strategies for coping with stress. Aim The aim of the study was to describe the specific relationship between the sense of coherence and strategies for coping with stress in a group of professionally active nurses. Methodology and methods The study involved 91 nurses in central Poland, aged 22–52. The group was diversified in terms of: education, work system, marital status and place of residence. The study was conducted with the use of: Sense of Coherence Questionnaire SOC-29 and Inventory to Measure Coping Strategies with Stress - Mini-COPE. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of scientific research set out in the Helsinki Declaration. Results The sense of coherence value in the test group was M = 134.24 (SD = 19.55). In stressful situations nurses most often used active strategies to cope with stress: Planning M = 2.10 (SD = 0.54), Seeking Emotional Social Support M = 1.95 (SD = 0.68) and Seeking Instrumental Social Support M = 1.95 (SD = 0.69), and the least frequently: Alcohol/Drug Use M = 0.28 (SD = 0.48). The level of the sense of coherence and its components differentiated the strategies of coping with stress used in the examined group of nurses. Conclusions The research confirmed that the sense of coherence serves as a health potential in a stressful working environment - a high sense of coherence translate into better mental health, correct functioning in the working environment, and using adaptive strategies of coping with stress. Nurses with a stronger sense of coherence used more adaptive strategies to deal with stress than those with average or low levels.

Abstract The Cookiecutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis) is an ectoparasitic, mesopelagic shark that is known for removing plugs of tissue from larger prey, including teleosts, chondrichthyans, cephalopods, and marine mammals. Although this species is widely distributed throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical oceanic waters, like many deep-water species, it remains very poorly understood due to its mesopelagic distribution. We used a suite of biochemical tracers, including stable isotope analysis (SIA), fatty acid analysis (FAA), and environmental DNA (eDNA), to investigate the trophic ecology of this species in the Central Pacific around Hawaii. We found that large epipelagic prey constituted a relatively minor part of the overall diet. Surprisingly, small micronektonic and forage species (meso- and epipelagic) are the most important prey group for Cookiecutter sharks across the studied size range (17–43 cm total length), with larger mesopelagic species or species that exhibit diel vertical migration also being important prey. These results were consistent across all the tracer techniques employed. Our results indicate that Cookiecutter sharks play a unique role in pelagic food webs, feeding on prey ranging from the largest apex predators to small, low trophic level species, in particular those that overlap with the depth distribution of the sharks throughout the diel cycle. We also found evidence of a potential shift in diet and/or habitat with size and season. Environmental DNA metabarcoding revealed new prey items for Cookiecutter sharks while also demonstrating that eDNA can be used to identify recent prey in stomachs frozen for extended periods. Integrating across chemical tracers is a powerful tool for investigating the ecology of elusive and difficult to study species, such as meso- and bathypelagic chondrichthyans, and can increase the amount of information gained from small sample sizes. Better resolving the foraging ecology of these mesopelagic predators is critical for effective conservation and management of these taxa and ecosystems, which are intrinsically vulnerable to overfishing and exploitation.

Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis from water samples is a promising new method to identify both targeted species and whole communities of aquatic organisms. However, the current literature regarding eDNA shedding rates primarily focuses on fish and most decay rate constants are reported for warm sunlit waters. Here, we conducted experiments to investigate how eDNA shedding differs between animal forms and how long eDNA can persist in waters of varying temperature and light conditions. We designed quantitative PCR assays for one fish (mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus), one crustacean (grass shrimp, Palaemon spp.), and two scyphomedusae (moon jelly, Aurelia aurita and nettle, Chrysaora spp.) to estimate eDNA shedding and decay rates. We found that shedding rates were highly variable for all organisms, but grass shrimp had the lowest shedding rate. We quantified eDNA decay rate constants at 6, 15, and 23°C and found that decay rate constants of mummichog and grass shrimp were larger at higher temperatures, while those of scyphomedusae did not show clear temperature dependence. We also found that higher‐order decay models with tails fit the data better than first‐order log‐linear models, suggesting temporal variability in eDNA decay rates. Results indicate that different animal forms shed different types of eDNA, impacting both shedding and decay rates. These findings fill critical knowledge gaps regarding variation in eDNA shedding and decay across animal forms under a range of realistic marine temperature conditions. These data will be useful for interpreting field studies that utilize eDNA to investigate ocean habitats that are otherwise difficult to access.

Abstract Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy can give insights into carrier dynamics and offers the possibility of element and site-specific information through the measurements of core levels. In this paper, we demonstrate that this method can access electrons dynamics in PbS quantum dots over a wide time window spanning from pico- to microseconds in a single experiment carried out at the synchrotron facility BESSY II. The method is sensitive to small changes in core level positions. Fast measurements at low pump fluences are enabled by the use of a pump laser at a lower repetition frequency than the repetition frequency of the X-ray pulses used to probe the core level electrons: Through the use of a time-resolved spectrometer, time-dependent analysis of data from all synchrotron pulses is possible. Furthermore, by picosecond control of the pump laser arrival at the sample relative to the X-ray pulses, a time-resolution limited only by the length of the X-ray pulses is achieved. Using this method, we studied the charge dynamics in thin film samples of PbS quantum dots on n-type MgZnO substrates through time-resolved measurements of the Pb 5d core level. We found a time-resolved core level shift, which we could assign to electron injection and charge accumulation at the MgZnO/PbS quantum dots interface. This assignment was confirmed through the measurement of PbS films with different thicknesses. Our results therefore give insight into the magnitude of the photovoltage generated specifically at the MgZnO/PbS interface and into the timescale of charge transport and electron injection, as well as into the timescale of charge recombination at this interface. It is a unique feature of our method that the timescale of both these processes can be accessed in a single experiment and investigated for a specific interface.

The authors attempt to visualise nature conservation issues in the Podlaskie Voivodship using a series of small-scale thematic maps. Publicly available spatial and statistical data was used. The authors discuss the effects of applying the adopted methodological solutions. Some of them present a new approach to cartographic visualisation of spatial data. It may be an opportunity to look at various visualisation methods, their effectiveness, and the possibility of visualising nature issues on small-scale thematic maps.

Respiratory failure is a dominating medical issue in the severe course of COVID-19. Both at the stage of diagnostics prior to admission to the intensive care unit and during the monitoring of lesion evolution, diagnostic imaging techniques may significantly influence clinical decisions. Although computed tomography remains the gold standard for diagnosing lung diseases, its usefulness for infected, critically ill patients has been largely limited during the pandemic. Reports from those countries in which the healthcare systems were most seriously overloaded with patients with COVID-19-induced pneumonia stress the key role of point-of-care lung ultrasound performed by clinicians first during preliminary diagnostics and then while monitoring disease dynamics. This consensus, worked out by an interdisciplinary team of specialists forming the Study Group for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in the Intensive Care Management of COVID-19 Patients, presents a broad spectrum of aspects regarding the analysed issue. Its concise form is meant to serve clinicians who perform ultrasound as a straightforward and informative guide.

Bedside point-of-care echocardiography is being increasingly incorporated in peri­operative assessment and in intensive care units. Because of availability of tissue Doppler imaging in the modern ultrasound machines there has been an increased interest in research of diastolic function of left ventricle. The diastolic function is crucial for the hemodynamically effective function of the heart. Diastolic dysfunction is a well-established risk factor of the major adverse cardiac events during perioperative period, complications during weaning from ventilator and prognostic factor of mortality in septic shock.

Increasingly, eDNA is being used to infer ecological interactions. Here the authors sample eDNA over 18 months in a marine environment and use co-occurrence network analyses to infer potential interactions among organisms from microbes to mammals, testing how they change over time in response to oceanographic factors.

IntroductionHIV is the second leading cause of death among young people globally, and adolescents are the only group where HIV mortality is not declining. Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is one of few regions seeing rapid increase of HIV infections (31.0%) since 2001. MENA youth are at particular risk of HIV due to dearth of research and challenges in accessing services.ObjectiveThe purpose of this scoping review is to establish the epidemiological HIV risk factors and underlying risk context for youth residing in or originating from the MENA region.MethodsOnline database searches were conducted using combination of search terms. Screening 5,853 citations, published between 1990-2019 with age groups 16 to 29, resulted in 57 studies included across 18 MENA countries.Results'Key populations' engage in risky behaviors, including: overlapping risky behaviors among youth who inject drugs (PWID); lack of access to HIV testing, condomless sex, and multiple sex partners among young men who have sex with men (MSM); and high and overlapping risk behaviors among young sex workers. Challenges facing other youth groups and bridging populations include: peer pressure, inhibition about discussing sexual health, lack of credible sex education sources, low condom use, and lack of access to HIV protection/prevention services, especially testing.ConclusionPoor surveillance coupled with scarcity of rigorous studies limit what is known about epidemiology of HIV among youth in MENA. Homophobia, stigma around PWID, and illegal status of sex work promote non-disclosure of risk behaviors among youth and curtail serving this population.

Monitoring aquatic species by identification of environmental DNA (eDNA) is becoming more common. To obtain quantitative eDNA datasets for individual species, organism-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays are required. Here, we present detailed methodology of qPCR assay design and testing, including in silico, in vitro, and in vivo testing, and comment on the challenges associated with assay design and performance. We use the presented methodology to design assays for three important marine organisms common in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE): humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), shortbelly rockfish (Sebastes jordani), and common murre (Uria aalge). All three assays have excellent sensitivity and high efficiencies ranging from 92% to 99%. However, specificities of the assays varied from species-specific in the case of common murre, genus-specific for the shortbelly rockfish assay, and broadly whale-specific for the humpback whale assay, which cross-amplified with other two other whale species, including one in a different family. All assays detected their associated targets in complex environmental water samples.

Objectives The purpose of the study has been to describe functioning of single and mothers in relationships (married or in informal relationships) at work and verify if the declared degree of work satisfaction differentiates types of behavior at work and stress coping strategies in both groups of mothers. Material and Methods The study was conducted on equal samples of single mothers (N = 186) and mothers from 2-parent families (N = 186) using Latack Coping Scale that measures work-related stress coping strategies, the AVEM (Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster – Work-Related Behavior and Experience Pattern) questionnaire, and a survey. It showed similarity between the studied groups in terms of the measured variables. Results There were considerable differences between single and married mothers in terms of support seeking strategies. The interaction of work satisfaction and the type of motherhood significantly differentiates (p = 0.03) the avoidance strategy of resignation. Conclusions That strategy of resignation was more frequently used by single mothers with lower work satisfaction, who were distinctly different from those whose work satisfaction was higher, and from the mothers in relationships (married or in informal relationships) (regardless of the level of their work satisfaction). Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(1):55–69

Abstract Direct phenological mismatch caused by climate change can occur in mammals that moult seasonally. Two colour morphs of the weasel Mustela nivalis (M. n.) occur sympatrically in Białowieża Forest (NE Poland) and differ in their winter pelage colour: white in M. n. nivalis and brown in M. n. vulgaris. Due to their small body size, weasels are vulnerable to attacks by a range of different predators; thus cryptic coat colour may increase their winter survival. By analysing trapping data, we found that the share of white subspecies in the weasel population inhabiting Białowieża Forest decreases with decreasing numbers of days with snow cover. This led us to hypothesise that selective predation pressure should favour one of the two phenotypes, according to the prevailing weather conditions in winter. A simple field experiment with weasel models (white and brown), exposed against different background colours, revealed that contrasting models faced significantly higher detection by predators. Our observations also confirmed earlier findings that the plasticity of moult in M. n. nivalis is very limited. This means that climate change will strongly influence the mortality of the nivalis-type due to prolonged camouflage mismatch, which will directly affect the abundance and geographical distribution of this subspecies.

The article attempts to solve the problem of updating higher education content to form a modern worldview of the individual through the interdisciplinary course "Biophilosophy". Biophilosophical knowledge and cognition content is studied at the fundamental and applied levels using methods of description, explanation, and analysis. The obtained results make it possible to formulate conclusions and perspectives regarding updating the content of philosophical knowledge in higher education, where biophilosophy can be a new worldview paradigm for preserving human culture and civilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ultrasound measurement of the inferior vena cava diameter and its respiratory variability are amongst the predictors of fluid volume status. The primary purpose of the present study was to compare the consistency of inferior vena cava diameter measurements and the collapsibility index, obtained with convex and cardiac transducers. A secondary aim was to assess the agreement of the patient’s allocation to one of the two groups: “fluid responder” or “fluid non-responder”, based on inferior vena cava collapsibility index calculation made with two different probes. Methods: 20 experienced clinicians blinded to the purpose of the study analysed forty anonymized digital clips of images obtained during ultrasound examination of 20 patients. For each patient, one digital loop was recorded with a cardiac and the second with a convex probe. The participants were asked to determine the maximal and minimal diameters of the inferior vena cava in all presented films. An independent researcher performed a comparative analysis of the measurements conducted with both probes by all participants. The calculation of the collapsibility index and allocation to “fluid responder” or “fluid non-responder” group was performed at this stage of the study. Results: The comparison of measurements obtained with cardiac and convex probes showed no statistically significant differences in the measurements of the maximal and minimal dimensions and in the collapsibility index. We also noticed that the decision of allocation to the “fluid responder” or “non-responder” group was not probe-dependent. Conclusion: Both transducers can be used interchangeably for the estimation of the studied dimensions.

Abstract Advances in detection of genetic material from species in aquatic ecosystems, including environmental DNA (eDNA), have improved species monitoring and management. eDNA from target species can readily move in streams and rivers and the goal is to measure it, and with that infer where and how abundant species are, adding great value to delimiting species invasions, monitoring and protecting rare species, and estimating biodiversity. To date, we lack an integrated framework that identifies environmental factors that control eDNA movement in realistic, complex, and heterogeneous flowing waters. To this end, using an empirical approach and a simple conceptual model, we propose a framework of how eDNA is transported, retained, and resuspended in stream systems. Such an understanding of eDNA dispersal in streams will be essential for designing optimized sampling protocols and subsequently estimating biomass or organismal abundance. We also discuss guiding principles for more effective use of eDNA methods, highlighting the necessity of understanding these parameters for use in future predictive modeling of eDNA transport.

Anna Andruszkiewicz,1 Małgorzata Anna Basińska,2 Mirosława Felsmann,3 Mariola Banaszkiewicz,4 Alicja Marzec,3 Kornelia Kędziora-Kornatowska5 1Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, 2Department of Psychopathology and Clinical Diagnosis, Institute of Psychology, Kazimierz Wielki University, 3Department of Nursing, 4Department of Postgraduate Education, 5Department and Clinic of Geriatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Bydgoszcz, Poland Background: Given the rising population of the elderly in modern societies, the concern for their good functioning poses a challenge for the 21st century medicine and social services. Senior citizens are at an increased risk of developing chronic conditions, which in turn increase discomfort associated with physiological processes of aging. Sensations of pain have a particular influence on the mentioned discomfort, and pain is prevalent among older people. Therefore, from the perspective of an elderly person and senior care, it is crucial to identify determinants of effective coping with chronic pain. Objectives: The aim of the research was to assess the relationship between a sense of coherence (SOC) and pain-coping strategies in chronically ill seniors. A total number of 188 individuals were included in the study, of whom 117 were female subjects and 71 were male subjects, with a mean age of 68.38 (standard deviation [SD] =6.35) years in the studied group. Subjects were sampled based on a diagnosis of a chronic medical illness with chronic pain as one of the major symptoms. Methods: The Polish adaptation of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC-29) to assess an SOC, the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) to assess pain-coping strategies, and the visual analog scale (VAS) to assess pain intensity were used in the study. Results and conclusion: The mean score of respondents’ SOC was 133.44 (SD =24.35). Among most common pain-coping strategies used by the respondents were prayer and hope, and the declaration of coping with pain while redefining pain was the least often used coping strategy in the studied group. Individuals with stronger SOC were less prone to catastrophizing and more often declared that they were coping with and could control and reduce pain. Keywords: chronic pain, pain-coping strategies, sense of coherence, older persons

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a new approach for assessing marine biodiversity that may overcome challenges of traditional monitoring and complement both existing surveys and biodiversity assessments. There are limited eDNA studies that evaluate vertebrate biodiversity in the marine environment or compare patterns of biodiversity with traditional methods. This study uses eDNA metabarcoding of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA genes present in seawater samples to characterize vertebrate biodiversity and distribution within National Marine Sanctuaries located in the California Current upwelling ecosystem. The epipelagic community in the study region has been monitored using traditional (mid-water trawl and marine mammal) survey methods since 1983. During 2016 and 2017, we concurrently sampled the epipelagic community using traditional survey methods and water for eDNA analysis to assess agreement among the methods. We collected replicate eDNA samples from 25 stations at depths of 10, 40, and 80 m, resulting in 131 small volume (1 L) environmental water samples to examine eDNA sequences. Across the eDNA and traditional survey methods, 80 taxa were identified. Taxa identified by eDNA partially overlapped with taxa through trawl and marine mammal surveys, but more taxa were identified by eDNA. Diversity and distribution patterns of marine vertebrates inferred from eDNA sequences reflected known spatial distribution patterns in species occurrence and community structure (e.g., cross-shelf and alongshore patterns). During both years, we identified fishery taxa Sebastes (rockfish), Merluccius (hake), Citharichthys (sanddab), and Engraulis (anchovy) across the majority of the stations using eDNA metabarcoding. The marine vertebrate assemblage identified by eDNA in 2016 was statistically different from the 2017 assemblage and more marine mammals were identified in 2017 than in 2016. Differences in assemblages identified by eDNA were coincident with different oceanographic conditions (e.g., upwelling and stratification). In 2016, weak upwelling and warmer than average conditions were measured, and vertebrate assemblages were not different among ecological regions [Point Reyes, Pescadero, and Monterey Bay]. While in 2017, average upwelling conditions returned, vertebrate assemblages differed at each region. This study illustrates that eDNA provides a new baseline for vertebrate assessments that can both augment traditional biomonitoring surveys and aid our understanding of changes in biodiversity.

A number of studies have illustrated the utility of environmental DNA (eDNA) for detecting marine vertebrates. However, little is known about the fate and transport of eDNA in the ocean, thus limiting the ability to interpret eDNA measurements. In the present study, we explore how fate and transport processes affect oceanic eDNA in Monterey Bay, CA, United States (MB). Regional ocean modeling predictions of advection and mixing are used for an approximately 10,000 km2 area in and around MB to simulate the transport of eDNA. These predictions along with realistic settling rates and first-order decay rate constants are applied as inputs into a particle tracking model to investigate the displacement and spread of eDNA from its release location. We found that eDNA can be transported on the order of tens of kilometers in a few days and that horizontal advection, decay, and settling have greater impacts on the displacement of eDNA in the ocean than mixing. The eDNA particle tracking model was applied to identify possible origin locations of eDNA measured in MB using a quantitative PCR assay for Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax). We found that eDNA likely originated from within 40 km and south of the sampling site if it had been shed approximately 4 days prior to sampling.

The subject matter of the article concerns velocities/flow rate measurements in the area of disturbed flows-behind the 90° bend. They were conducted by means of an ultrasonic flowmeter with clamp-on sensors on pipeline, for water and two different Reynolds numbers of 70,000 and 100,000, corresponding to two velocities of approximately 1.42 m/s and 2.04 m/s. The tests were carried out at 12 distances from the disturbance. Sensors on the circumference of the pipeline were mounted 30° each. The correction factor values were calculated for the given measurement geometry. The measurements have shown that the values of this coefficient are always greater than 1, which means that the ultrasonic flow meter understates the speed values. They also showed that already at a distance of 8 nominal diameters from the disturbance, the correction factor does not exceed 1.02, so the measurement errors are within the maximum permissible error (MPE) of a typical ultrasonic flow meter. For distances less than eight nominal diameters from the disturbance, not taking the correction factor value into the account can lead to systematic errors of up to 10.8%. Studies have also proved that in each measurement plane behind the disturbance there are two mounting angles for the ultrasonic sensors, 60° and 240° respectively, for which the correction factor values are minimal. Additionally, using the laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) method, velocity solids were determined at individual distances from the disturbance, and the projections of velocity blocks on the appropriate plane represented velocity profiles and indicated the distances from the disturbance at which these profiles stabilise.