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Abstract Maternal health is a major public health tricky globally. Cesarean section delivery reduces morbidity and mortality when certain complications occur throughout pregnancy and labor. Cesarean section subjected to the availability and use of essential obstetric services in regional factors in Ethiopia. There was a scarcity of studies that assess the spatial distribution and associated factors of cesarean section. Consequently, this study aimed to assess the spatial variation of cesarean section and associated factors using mini EDHS 2019 national representative data. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Ethiopia from March to June 2019. A two-stage stratified sampling design was used to select participants. A Global Moran’s I and Getis-Ord Gi* statistic hotspot analysis was used to assess the spatial distribution. Kuldorff’s SaTScan was employed to determine the purely statistically significant spatial clusters. A multilevel binary logistic regression model fitted to identify factors. A total of 5753 mothers were included. More than one-fourth of mothers delivered through cesarean section at private health institutions and 54.74% were not educated. The proportion of cesarean section clustered geographically in Ethiopia and hotspot areas were observed in Addis Ababa, Oromia, Tigray, Derie Dewa, Amhara, and SNNR regions. Mothers’ age (AOR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.02–1.12), mother’s had secondary education (AOR = 2.113, 95% CI 1.414, 3.157), mother’s higher education (2.646, 95% CI 1.724, 4.063), Muslim religion followers (AOR = 0.632, 95% CI 0.469, 0.852), poorer (AOR = 1.719, 95% CI 1.057, 2.795), middle wealth index (AOR = 1.769, 95% CI 1.073, 2.918), richer (AOR = 2.041, 95% CI 1.246, 3.344), richest (AOR = 3.510, 95% CI 2.197, 5.607), parity (AOR = 0.825, 95% CI 0.739, 0.921), and multiple pregnancies (AOR = 4.032, 95% CI 2.418, 6.723) were significant factors. Therefore, geographically targeted interventions are essential to reduce maternal and infant mortality with WHO recommendations for those Muslim, poorest and not educated mothers.

Maternal health is a major public health tricky globally. Cesarean section delivery reduces morbidity and mortality when certain complications occur throughout pregnancy and labor. Cesarean section subjected to the availability and use of essential obstetric services in regional factors in Ethiopia. There was a scarcity of studies that assess the spatial distribution and associated factors of cesarean section. Consequently, this study aimed to assess the spatial variation of cesarean section and associated factors using mini EDHS 2019 national representative data. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Ethiopia from March to June 2019. A two-stage stratified sampling design was used to select participants. A Global Moran's I and Getis-Ord Gi* statistic hotspot analysis was used to assess the spatial distribution. Kuldorff's SaTScan was employed to determine the purely statistically significant spatial clusters. A multilevel binary logistic regression model fitted to identify factors. A total of 5753 mothers were included. More than one-fourth of mothers delivered through cesarean section at private health institutions and 54.74% were not educated. The proportion of cesarean section clustered geographically in Ethiopia and hotspot areas were observed in Addis Ababa, Oromia, Tigray, Derie Dewa, Amhara, and SNNR regions. Mothers' age (AOR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.02–1.12), mother's had secondary education (AOR = 2.113, 95% CI 1.414, 3.157), mother's higher education (2.646, 95% CI 1.724, 4.063), Muslim religion followers (AOR = 0.632, 95% CI 0.469, 0.852), poorer (AOR = 1.719, 95% CI 1.057, 2.795), middle wealth index (AOR = 1.769, 95% CI 1.073, 2.918), richer (AOR = 2.041, 95% CI 1.246, 3.344), richest (AOR = 3.510, 95% CI 2.197, 5.607), parity (AOR = 0.825, 95% CI 0.739, 0.921), and multiple pregnancies (AOR = 4.032, 95% CI 2.418, 6.723) were significant factors. Therefore, geographically targeted interventions are essential to reduce maternal and infant mortality with WHO recommendations for those Muslim, poorest and not educated mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the variability of community-based and determinants of childhood diarrhea management including rehydration and feeding therapies using the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, UDHS (N = 2,923). The study utilized the Bayesian model and geo-statistical techniques with location (district) and nonlinear metrical attributes (mother's and child's age) to gain a better understanding of childhood diarrhea management. The results show that 45% and 58% of under-5 children received less than the usual amount of fluid and food, respectively, during diarrheal episodes. However, the findings indicate that the prevalence of diarrhea among under-5 children does vary spatially within and between subregions and districts of Uganda. The fixed effects show that the covariates have no significant influence on rehydration therapy. However, the wealth index, family size, and number of under-5 children in a household have a significant impact on feeding therapy for children with diarrhea. In general, the results indicate that geography has a significant effect on the rehydration therapy, while both geography and socioeconomic variables have a significant influence on feeding therapy on under-5 children with diarrhea. These findings can support policymakers to identify subregions and districts with ineffective practices and policy strategies to better address the spatial variations and determinants of diarrhea management in Uganda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local governance is a cornerstone of effective public administration, particularly at the community level, which represents the most immediate interface between the government and the people. This study assessed the extent of implementation of local ordinances focusing on public health and safety. A descriptive research design was used to provide a comprehensive understanding of the extent of implementation of ordinances, factors to the effective implementation and the efficiency of the leadership styles of the policy implementers. The respondents of the study were 736 individuals which were grouped according to the three types of communities: urban, suburban and rural. Those living in the suburban areas observed significantly better implementation of ordinances as compared to the other cohorts. On the factors to the effective implementation; as to enforcement of fines or penalties against violators, those living in the suburban areas responded significantly higher efficiency of implementation as compared to the other groups. In terms of Public Information and campaign, those living in the rural areas significantly scored a lower level of effective implementation and the same was observed in terms of police visibility and engagement. Moreover, as to the efficiency of leadership styles in the enforcement of ordinances, those in the suburban areas perceived significantly higher level of efficiency in comparison to other community groups. The spatial variances were tested using the f-test (ANOVA) and Least Square Difference set at 0.05 and 0.01 alpha levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon content of microbial biomass in soil serves as one of the indicators of its biological activity and is often used in assessing the impact of anthropogenic activity and natural changes on the soil microbiome. Significant spatial and temporal variation of the indicator at the level of ecosystems, soil typological units, land use types, etc., makes it difficult to interpret the data obtained during mass monitoring. The aim of the study was to determine the background values of microbial biomass content in the surface sub-litter layer of soils in protected forests of the Moscow region. A reconnaissance survey of various podzolic soils typical for the region and differing in their genesis and texture and formed under mixed southern taiga forests in four protected natural territories was carried out. The soils of autonomous positions and the soils experiencing slight additional moistening were studied. The microbial biomass carbon was estimated by two methods: by the content of phospholipids and by substrate-induced respiration of microbial communities. Significant spatial variability of microbial biomass was noted both at the site level and at the ecosystem level. For the autonomous soils of similar classification positions and textures, it was comparable with the local variability at the experimental sites. The value of microbial biomass depended mainly on the character of soil water regime and soil texture, which largely determined the sorption capacity of the soil and its provision with biophilic elements, and also correlated with the richness of the ground cover providing the soil microbiome with nutrients. In order to obtain correct results of monitoring soil biological activity, unification of the methodology and depth of sampling in soils of background and anthropogenically transformed ecosystems is of great importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with the rapid advancement of additive manufacturing technology, 3D-printed structures and materials have been successfully employed in various applications. Computer simulations of these structures and materials are often characterized by a vast number of spatial-varied parameters to predict the structural response of interest. Direct Monte Carlo methods are infeasible for uncertainty quantification and reliability assessment of such systems as they require a large number of forward model evaluations to obtain convergent statistics. To alleviate this difficulty, this paper presents a convolutional dimension-reduction method with knowledge reasoning-based loss regularization for surrogate modeling and uncertainty quantification of structures with high-dimensional spatial uncertainties. To manage the inherent high-dimensionality, a deep convolutional dimension-reduction network (ConvDR) is constructed to transform the spatial data into a low-dimensional latent space. In the latent space, knowledge reasoning is formulated as a form of loss regularization, and evolutionary algorithms are employed to train both the ConvDR network and a linear regression model as surrogate models for predicting the response of interest. 2D structures with spatial-variated material compositions are used to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the spatio-temporal variability of various physical and chemical parameters of water quality and to determine the trophic state of Lake Ardibo. Water samples were collected from October 2020 to September 2021 at three sampling stations in four different seasons. A total of 14 physico-chemical parameters, such as water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity, turbidity, alkalinity, Secchi-depth, nitrate, ammonia, silicon dioxide, soluble reactive phosphorus, total phosphorus, chloride, and fluoride were measured using standard methods. The results demonstrated that temporal variation existed throughout the study period. Except for turbidity, the water quality of the lake varied significantly within the four seasons (ANOVA, p < 0.05). DO levels decreased significantly during the dry season following water mixing events. Chlorophyll-a measurements showed significant seasonal differences ranging from 0.58 μg L−1 in the main-rainy season to 8.44 μg L−1 in the post-rainy period, indicating moderate algal biomass production. The overall category of Lake Ardibo was found to be under a mesotrophic state with medium biological productivity. A holistic lake basin approach management is suggested to maintain water quality and ecological processes and to improve the lake ecosystem services. HIGHLIGHTS Water quality parameters were influenced by seasons and lake mixing.; The water quality of the studied lake was mainly influenced by total alkalinity, pH, water temperature, DO, NO3, and NH3. The trophic conditions of Lake Ardibo change during different seasons.;

Few studies have investigated the spatial patterns of the air temperature urban heat island (AUHI) and its controlling factors. In this study, the data generated by an urban climate model were used to investigate the spatial variations of the AUHI across China and the underlying climate and ecological drivers. A total of 355 urban clusters were used. We performed an attribution analysis of the AUHI to elucidate the mechanisms underlying its formation. The results show that the midday AUHI is negatively correlated with climate wetness (humid: 0.34 K; semi-humid: 0.50 K; semi-arid: 0.73 K). The annual mean midnight AUHI does not show discernible spatial patterns, but is generally stronger than the midday AUHI. The urban–rural difference in convection efficiency is the largest contributor to the midday AUHI in the humid (0.32 ± 0.09 K) and the semi-arid (0.36 ± 0.11 K) climate zones. The release of anthropogenic heat from urban land is the dominant contributor to the midnight AUHI in all three climate zones. The rural vegetation density is the most important driver of the daytime and nighttime AUHI spatial variations. A spatial covariance analysis revealed that this vegetation influence is manifested mainly through its regulation of heat storage in rural land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentachlorophenol (PCP), a persistent organic pollutant, has been banned in many countries, but it is still used in China as a wood preservative, molluscicide, or reagent for fish-pond cleaning, which may pose risks to the ecosystem and humans. However, data on the occurrence of PCP in the environment are scarce in the recent decade. The Yangtze River was regarded as a priority area of PCP pollution according to previous documents. This study aimed to examine the spatial distribution of PCP in the Yangtze River water, the differences in dry and wet seasons, the ecological risk for aquatic organisms, and its removal efficiency in tap water treatment plants. The river water samples (n = 144) were collected from the upper, middle, and lower reaches across ten provinces (or municipalities) in December 2020 and June 2021, respectively. PCP was detected in 88.9% of all the samples, ranging from Max: 0.02) to aquatic organisms posed by PCP in the river. In addition, 100% removal of PCP in tap water treatment plants was observed, while the transformation products of PCP need further studies. The risk of human exposure to PCP through water ingestion only was negligible. However, human exposure risks of PCP in highly contaminated areas still require attention, considering its bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The objective of this work was to define experimental blocks for sugarcane experiments using geostatistical techniques, principal component analysis, and clustering techniques applied to soil properties. For this, data of soil chemical properties from a sugarcane experiment were used. Geostatistical techniques were applied to identify the spatial variability of these properties and to estimate the values for non-sampled locations through kriging. The principal components analysis was used for dimensional reduction, and, with the new variables obtained, the cluster analysis was performed using the k-means method to determine the experimental blocks with two to five replicates. Of the 12 analyzed variables, 10 showed spatial dependence. The principal component analysis allowed reducing the dimensionality of the data to two variables, which explained 82.27% of total variance. The obtained blocks presented irregular polygonal shapes, with different formats and sizes, and some of them showed discontinuities. The proposed methodology has the potential to identify more uniform areas in terms of soil chemical properties to allocate experimental blocks for sugarcane.

A comprehensive investigation of the physicochemical properties of overlying water and sediments in Hangzhou West Lake, China was conducted. A wide range of crucial physical parameters were analyzed, revealing significant spatial and seasonal differences. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations in overlying water met the Class III limits (TN ≤2 mg/L, TP ≤0.2 mg/L, COD ≤20 mg/L) of the Environmental Quality Standard for Surface Waters (GB3838–2002), indicating relatively good overall water quality. However, concerns were raised regarding potential eutrophication, particularly evident during summer with explosive chlorophyll-a growth in certain lake areas like WH (266 mg/L) and XLH (239 mg/L). Lakes receiving direct diversion showed lower TN and TP versus non-diverted lakes. This research provides valuable insight into the complex nutrient dynamics and conditions of West Lake, improving understanding of lake ecosystem management and sustainable conservation strategies.

The three distinct medicinal parts of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Ang) roots are the head, body, and tail (ARH, ARB, and ART, respectively). How endophytic fungi shape the differences in metabolic components among these parts remains unclear. We quantified the distribution of active components and endophytic fungi along the ARH, ARB, and ART and their relationships. Based on the metabolic components and their abundances detected via non-target metabolism, the different medicinal parts were distinguishable. The largest number of dominant metabolic components was present in ART. The difference between ART and ARH was the greatest, and ARB was in a transitional state. The dominant active molecules in ART highlight their effects in haemodynamics improvement, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and hormone regulation, while ARH and ARB indicated more haemostasis, blood enrichment, neuromodulation, neuroprotection and tranquilisation, hepatoprotection, and antitumour activities than that of ART. The ARHs, ARBs, and ARTs can also be distinguished from each other based on the endophytic fungi at the microbiome level. The most dominant endophytic fungi were distributed in ART; the differences between ART and ARH were the largest, and ARB was in a transition state, which is consistent with the metabolite distributions. Structural equation modelling showed that the endophytic fungi were highly indicative of the metabolic components. Correlation analysis further identified the endophytic fungi significantly positively correlated with important active components, including Condenascus tortuosus, Sodiomyces alcalophilus, and Pleotrichocladium opacum. The bidirectional multivariate interactions between endophytic fungi and the metabolic components shape their spatial variations along the longitudinal direction in the Ang root. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the spatial and seasonal variations of the phytoplankton community in response to environmental variables in Lake Ardibo. The study was done from October 2020 to September 2021 and physicochemical parameters such as water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, turbidity, alkalinity, Secchi-depth, nitrate, ammonium, silicon dioxide, soluble reactive phosphorus, and total phosphorus were measured using standard methods. ANOVA results indicated that all physicochemical parameters except turbidity had significant variation (p < 0.05) in all seasons. A total of 66 phytoplankton species grouped into seven phyla, including Bacillariophyta (23 taxa), Chlorophyta (21 taxa), Cyanophyta (14 taxa), Euglenophyta (3 taxa), Charophyta (2 taxa), Dinophyta (2 taxa) and Cryptophyta (1 taxon) were identified. Phytoplankton biomass showed significant spatial and seasonal variation with maximum cell density during the pre-rainy season, and low density in the main rainy season. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that nutrients had a positive affinity with the phytoplankton community, whereas electrical conductivity, water temperature, and pH showed a negative relationship with phytoplankton abundance. Temporal rather that abiotic factors far influenced phytoplankton dynamics in this deep tropical lake. The analysis postulates that partial atelomixis during the pre-rainy months favors higher phytoplankton biomass with functional groups such as desmids and heavy diatoms contributing most during this mixing period, while wet season mixing depressed algal biomass due to increased turbidity with nutrients not being limiting during these times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Although it is widely reported that rail transit has the potential to encourage higher density development, it remains unclear whether rail transit leads to more mixed urban development across station areas. This article provides rare quantitative analysis of changes in land use mix around the rail transit system in Tianjin, China through an investigation into the spatial effects of a rail transit line which cuts across both highly developed and less developed areas. By using longitudinal data over a twelve-year period (2004–2016) and by comparing the entropy-based land-use mix index, the study shows that with the operation of rail transit, land use mix has increased in formerly low-mixed station catchments, but the change is not obvious for already highly diverse areas. It also shows that a more balanced development occurs in station areas with higher land use dominance, while the leading functions are intensified in station areas with lower land use dominance. By presenting a clear picture of the spatial distribution and patterns of land use mix changes over time, this article concludes that rail transit leads to more balanced development across different station areas in the context of China's rapid urbanization. The outcome provides a base for further exploring how the planning of rail transit stations may help tackle the differentiated development in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study attempts to analyse the connectivity pattern and development of road network in the East district through connectivity indices such as alpha, beta, gamma the sum of which gives the Aggregate Transport Score (ATS) and the density of roads has also been calculated. The development of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) roads has been analysed based on the secondary data. It has been found that during 2006 East district had an overall road density of 0.82 of which two of the blocks had the lowest density with only 0.66 and another two of the Gram Panchayat Units (GPUs) had villages having no road network. However, in 2020 the connectivity has improved considerably with an increase in road density of 1.59 and the road density of all the eight blocks is more than 1 indicating a relatively developed network. The road connectivity of GPUs has also improved and only two of the GPU are having low category of ATS and 43 under high ATS. The result of Shannon Entropy shows that Alpha and Beta are more significant than Beta and ATS. A total of 185 habitations have been connected with 646.9 km of newly constructed roads under PMGSY during 2001–2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aimed to study the water quality of six Delta Egyptian governorates using ArcGIS maps. Compared to winter, water temperature was higher during summer in all selected governorates. Dissolved oxygen (D.O.) was higher than in summer during winter in all selected governorates. The maximum atmospheric temperature (Tmax) was higher in current work than that recorded throughout the past ten years in Damietta and Beheria governorates during spring, while it was high at Kafr El-Sheikh in autumn and summer. Tmax was directly proportional to the observed water temperature and inversely proportional to D.O. Water temperature showed negative correlations with all physicochemical parameters. Cd levels were relatively high in winter in all examined governorates. Pb level raised at Gharbia, Dakahila, and Monfia in winter and spring. Cu and Fe levels were moderately high during all seasons, while Zn levels were high and moderate in Kafr El-Seikh and Damietta in spring. The spatial distribution gave a visual picture of the main parameters affecting the water quality in the examined governorates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities have placed significant pressure on the terrestrial biosphere, leading to ecosystem degradation and carbon losses. However, the full impact of these activities on terrestrial biomass carbon remains unexplored. In this study, we examined changes in global human footprint (HFP) and human‐induced aboveground biomass carbon (AGBC) losses from 2000 to 2018. Our findings show an increasing trend in HFP globally, resulting in the conversion of wilderness areas to highly modified regions. These changes have altered global biomes' habitats, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. We also found accelerated AGBC loss driven by HFP expansion, with a total loss of 19.99 ± 0.196 PgC from 2000 to 2018, especially in tropical regions. Additionally, AGBC is more vulnerable in the Global South than in the Global North. Human activities threaten natural habitats, resulting in increasing AGBC loss even in strictly protected areas. Therefore, scientifically guided planning of future human activities is crucial to protect half of Earth through mitigation and adaptation under future risks of climate change and global urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is a major factor impacting global crop yields. To explore the spatial distribution and influencing factors of soil water and salt in typical canals of the Hetao irrigation district, regional soil information was monitored at fixed locations. In this study, classical statistics, geostatistics, and spatial autocorrelation methods were used to conduct quantitative analyses of soil salt content, water content, soil particle size distribution, and groundwater depth. The variation coefficient of the soil salt content in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers was between 10% and 100%, which corresponds to a medium degree of variation; the other soil layers had strong degrees of variation. The soil moisture content in each layer varied moderately. The gold coefficients of soil salt content and water content were less than 0.25, and the Z value was greater than 0, showing a strong spatial correlation and certain spatial agglomeration characteristics, which were mainly affected by structural factors in the study area. The distribution patterns of soil water and salt were affected by soil particle size. Sand content decreased with increasing depth, soil salt was negatively correlated with sand content, and soil water was positively correlated with sand content. Soil salinity was significantly affected by groundwater depth and increased with decreasing groundwater depth, following an exponential relationship. When the groundwater depth exceeded 1.7 m, the soil salt content exhibited small changes with groundwater depth. The results of this study could play a guiding role in terms of understanding the degree of soil salinization surrounding canals in the Hetao irrigation area and adjusting land management strategies over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads and traffic are important elements of urbanization, but their spatial associations with surface water quality in watersheds have been seldom studied. In this study, the spatially varying associations of three urbanization indicators, including road density, traffic density, and percentages of urban land, with twenty water quality indicators, including dissolved oxygen (DO), specific conductance (SC), dissolved solids (DS), suspended solids (SS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved nutrients, dissolved ions, heavy metals, and coliform bacteria, across the watersheds in the northern part of the state of Georgia, USA, have been examined by a conventional statistical method, ordinary least squares regression (OLS), and a spatial statistical method, geographically weighted regression (GWR). The results from OLS show that the urbanization indicators all have significant positive associations with the majority of the studied water pollutants, indicating that water pollution is significantly contributed by human activities related to urbanization in northern Georgia. In contrast, GWR results show that the associations vary across the watersheds affected by their urbanization levels. Significant positive associations are found between each urbanization indicator and each of the studied water pollutants, but not in all watersheds. The associations of suspended solids, nitrogen nutrients, and coliform bacteria with all three urbanization indicators are more significant in less-urbanized watersheds, while the associations of dissolved ions, BOD, and orthophosphate (PO4) with road density and traffic density are more significant than those with urban land in more-urbanized watersheds, indicating that those water pollutants are more contributed by human activities associated with roads and traffic than other activities in more-urbanized areas. As a pilot study to explore how and why the associations of surface water quality with roads and traffic change across watersheds with different urbanization levels, its findings suggest that the policies of watershed management, land-use planning, and transportation planning should be tailored in local areas based on the locally important water pollutants and their associated urbanization indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amines affect particle formation, aerosol acidity, nitrogen cycle, and climate change. However, little is known about the temporal and spatial differences in the composition, source, and formation process of amines in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in different regions of China. Seven amines (amine salts) were investigated in PM2.5 collected in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD, Shanghai and Nanjing), Pearl River Delta (PRD, Guangzhou), northern China (Xi'an and Haerbin), and background (Puding) areas in winter 2017–2018. Methylamine was the dominant amine species at the YRD, northern China, and background sites, while diethylamine dominated at the PRD site; moreover, the mass concentration and fraction of diethylamine were the lowest at the background site. These results could be attributed to changes in sources and atmospheric processes. Further, coal combustion and biomass burning were found to be important contributors of amines in northern cities in winter. The contribution of biomass and coal combustion to amines was weakened in other urban sites. In contrast, the amine abundance at the background site was largely controlled by biogenic sources. Acid‐base chemistry and displacement mechanism were tightly associated with the formation of amine salts at all sites. In particular, the atmospheric degradation of amines by hydroxyl radical (•OH) was significant at the Nanjing, Guangzhou, Xi'an, and Haerbin sites. The insignificant photochemical degradation of amines at the Shanghai and background sites can be explained by differentiated amine sources, meteorological conditions, and •OH levels. Overall, our findings deepen the understanding of the origins and atmospheric processes of amines. Plain Language Summary: Concentrations, compositions, potential sources, and major atmospheric processes of amines in winter PM2.5 in different regions of China were systematically investigated for the first time. The concentrations and compositions of amines in PM2.5 showed significant spatial differences, with the dominance of diethylamine at the Guangzhou site and the dominance of methylamine at other sites (Nanjing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Haerbin, and background sites). The influence of coal combustion associated with heating and industry was a typical feature that distinguishes the difference of amine sources between the coastal and northern areas. Moreover, the overall amine abundance at the background site was largely controlled by biogenic sources. Acid‐base chemistry and displacement mechanism were tightly associated with the formation of amine salts in PM2.5 at all sites. The atmospheric processes related to •OH exerted a significant impact on the removal of amines at the Nanjing, Guangzhou, Xi'an, and Haerbin sites. The insignificant photochemical degradation of amines in the Shanghai and background areas was associated with varied amine sources, meteorological conditions, and •OH levels. The overall results improve the current understanding on the temporal and spatial variations in the composition, source, and atmospheric process of amines in China. Key Points: Changes in the source led to large differences in the concentration and composition of amines in winter PM2.5 across regionsAcid‐base chemistry contributed significantly to the formation of amine salts in PM2.5 at all study sitesThe atmospheric degradation of amines by •OH was significant only at the Nanjing, Guangzhou, Xi'an, and Haerbin sites [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), a class of complex mixtures synthesized from polychlorinated n-alkanes, are widely used as flame retardants, plasticizers, lubricant additives, coolants, metalworking cutting fluids, and sealants. This study investigated the spatial distribution, the potential pollution sources, and ecological risk of 24 short-chain CPs (SCCPs) and 24 medium-chain CPs (MCCPs) from 29 surface marine sediment samples from the East China Sea and Yellow Sea in September 2019. All of the 48 CPs were detected. The concentrations of SCCPs and MCCPs ranged from 0.703 to 13.4 ng/g dw and 0.0936 to 4.19 ng/g dw, respectively. C10 congeners showed the highest abundancy. The median concentrations of the SCCPs and MCCPs declined gradually with carbon atoms and chlorine atoms, except for Cl5 congeners. Spatial variations showed that all CP congeners in the East China Sea were larger than in the Yellow Sea and displayed a point-source-type distribution, which is consistent with the industrial park distribution. Although the potential ecological risk was at a relatively low level, bioaccumulation and trophic magnification could amplify the risk to marine organisms. Our results provide data support and theoretical assistance for SCCP and MCCP pollution control and sewage outlets in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current physiognomy and problems of rural and urban territories in Spain are directly related to the demographic processes linked to the rural exodus of the 1960s. In the year 2020, a new problem and/or conditioning factor arose, COVID-19, which has modified dynamics, routines, and aspects of the daily life of the population. The objectives of this research are to check whether there are differences in the effect of COVID-19 between urban and rural municipalities and, in turn, to analyse the demographic dynamics of the population between 2020 and 2022, as well as territorial distribution patterns. To this end, population data were extracted from the Population Register and Residential Variation data for the period 2010 and 2022 and demographic and statistical calculations (Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation) were carried out. Among the main results, it is observed that COVID-19 has less of an effect in Spanish rural areas. Moreover, these areas show a positive demographic trend for the period 2020–2022. Population growth has had a direct influence on the improvement of demographic data, although with differences according to autonomous communities. This fact represents a break in the trend in rural areas, but is beginning to show signs of exhaustion and a return to the pre-pandemic trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public transport, especially bus and metro, are fundamental elements of sustainable transport systems. However, a dearth of research has been devoted to exploring the correlation between the built environment and the intermodal transfer modes that link bus and metro. To address this research gap, this study aims to explore the relationship between the built environment and transfer ridership by examining transfer ridership across different modes. First, this study uses Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) data collected in the city of Chengdu to identify the ridership of Metro-to-Bus (M-B) and Bus-to-Metro (B-M) transfer passengers using dynamic transfer time thresholds. A multi-scale geographically weighted regression model (MGWR) is employed to examine the impact of the built environment on M-B and B-M transfer modes and their scale effects. The findings demonstrate that the MGWR model is effective in capturing the spatial heterogeneity and scale effects of the interrelationships between different built environment factors in the M-B and B-M modes. Furthermore, the impact of different built environment factors on transfer ridership varies. In particular, the number of bus stops and lines have a more pronounced positive effect on promoting transfer ridership, while the density of non-motorway lanes has a significant negative effect. This research provides valuable insights for public transportation management and supports the seamless integration of bus and metro systems to optimize transfer services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deserts are important landscapes on the earth and their variations have impacts on global climate through feedback processes. However, there is a limited understanding of the climatic controls on the spatial and temporal variations of global deserts. Here, we use climate reanalysis datasets, global land use/land cover (LULC) products and the CMIP6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) model outputs to calculate the changing of global deserts during 1982–2020, and estimate future spatial trends of global deserts. Our results show that mean annual global desert area over this period is 17.64×106 km2, accounting for 12% of the terrestrial land. Desert areas decreased rapidly from the end of the 1980s to the 1990s in North Africa and Australia, followed by a slow expansion in the early 21st century globally. Spatio-temporal variations of areas of arid climate are characterized by interdecadal fluctuations, and there are clear regional differences in dynamics of the aridity index (AI, used here as a proxy for the area of drylands) and desert areas. Statistical analyses reveal that increased vegetation cover is directly related to the reduction of desert area, while potential evaporation, surface temperature and humidity are also significantly correlated with the desert area. The relationship between wind speed and desert dynamics varies regionally. The results of the CMIP6 simulations suggest that global deserts will expand in the 21st century, albeit at different rates under the ssp245 and ssp585 scenarios. Desert expansions are modelled to be greatest in Asia, Africa and Australia, while those of southern North Africa may reduce as their southern borders migrate northwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Maternal exposure to pesticides during early pregnancy is associated with increased risks of birth defects, while the association between maternal exposure to chemical fertilizer during pregnancy and the risk of birth defects remains unknown. Methods Data were from a population-based birth defects surveillance system between 2007 and 2012 in Pingding County, Shanxi Province, northern China. A total of 14 074 births with 235 birth defects were used to estimate spatial clustering and correlations at the village level. A population-based case–control study of 157 cases with birth defects and 204 controls was performed to investigate the association between maternal chemical fertilizer exposure and the risk of birth defects by a two-level logistic model. Results The total prevalence of birth defects between 2007 and 2012 was 167.0/10 000 births. The spatial analysis indicated a remarkable high-risk area of birth defects in the southeast of Pingding County and the use of chemical fertilizer was associated with the risk of birth defects at the village level. After adjusting for confounders at the individual level, mothers who live in villages with chemical fertilizer application ≥65 tons/y had an increased risk of birth defects (adjusted odds ratio 2.06 [95% confidence interval 1.23 to 3.46]) compared with those of <65 tons/y. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the risk of birth defects may be associated with the use of chemical fertilizer in rural northern China. The findings must be cautiously interpreted and need to be investigated on larger samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grass recovery is often implemented in the loess area of China to control erosion. However, the effect mechanisms of grass cover on runoff erosion dynamics on steep loess hillslopes is still not clear. Taking the typical forage species (Coreopsis) in semiarid areas as subject, this study quantified the effects of canopies and roots on controlling slope runoff and erosion. A series of field experiments were conducted in a loess hilly region of China. Field plots (5 m length, 2 m width, 25° slope gradient) constructed with three ground covers (bare soil; Coreopsis with intact grass; only roots of Coreopsis), were applied with simultaneous simulated rainfall (60 mm h−1) and upslope inflow (10, 30, 50, 70, 90 L min−1). The results showed that compared with bare soil, intact grass significantly reduced runoff and soil loss rates by 16.6% and 62.4% on average, and decreased soil erodibility parameter by 66.3%. As inflow rate increased, the reductions in runoff and soil loss rates increased from 2.93 to 14.00 L min−1 and 35.11 to 121.96 g m−2 min−1, respectively. Canopies relatively contributed 66.7% to lowering flow velocity, turbulence, weakening erosive force and increasing hydraulic resistance. Roots played a predominant role in reducing soil loss and enhancing soil anti-erodibility, with relative contributions of 78.8% and 73.8%. Furthermore, the maximum erosion depth reduced by Coreopsis was at the upper slope section which was previously eroded the most. These results demonstrated the efficiency of Coreopsis cover in controlling runoff and erosion on steep loess slopes, especially under large inflow rates and at upper slope sections. We suggest protecting Coreopsis with intact grass at upper slope sections, while the aboveground grass biomass can be used for grazing or harvesting at middle and lower slope sections, with roots reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planktonic cells are a vital part of biogeochemical nutrient cycling and play an extremely important role in maintaining the balance of water ecosystems. In this study, surface water samples were collected in three seasons (spring, summer, and winter) 10 km along the estuary of the Bailang River to assess the relationship between environmental factors and the bacterial community structure, which was determined by high-throughput sequencing. The physicochemical properties of the samples, including the pH, salinity, and inorganic nitrogen (NH4+, NO3−, and NO2−), exhibited significant seasonal variations, and the diversity and structure of the bacterial community also varied seasonally. A redundancy analysis showed that the inorganic nitrogen (NH4+, NO3−, NO2−), pH, and salinity are key factors in shaping the bacterial community composition. Among the different seasons, the core taxa of bacterial communities were the same, and Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the key components during the three seasons. The bacterial diversity and structure also varied seasonally, but there were no significant differences in spatial composition. Based on a phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states analysis, nitrogen-cycle-related processes include four dominant processes: nitrogen mineralization, nitrogen fixation, dissimilatory nitrate reduction, and denitrification. These results suggest that the bacterial community structure in the waters of the Bailang River estuary is subject to seasonal rather than spatial variation. These findings provide new evidence for studies of the seasonal variation of bacterial communities in estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study aimed to assess the spatial and seasonal variations of the phytoplankton community in response to environmental variables in Lake Ardibo. The study was done from October 2020 to September 2021 and physicochemical parameters such as water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, turbidity, alkalinity, Secchi-depth, nitrate, ammonium, silicon dioxide, soluble reactive phosphorus, and total phosphorus were measured using standard methods. ANOVA results indicated that all physicochemical parameters except turbidity had significant variation (p

The three distinct medicinal parts of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Ang) roots are the head, body, and tail (ARH, ARB, and ART, respectively). How endophytic fungi shape the differences in metabolic components among these parts remains unclear. We quantified the distribution of active components and endophytic fungi along the ARH, ARB, and ART and their relationships. Based on the metabolic components and their abundances detected via non-target metabolism, the different medicinal parts were distinguishable. The largest number of dominant metabolic components was present in ART. The difference between ART and ARH was the greatest, and ARB was in a transitional state. The dominant active molecules in ART highlight their effects in haemodynamics improvement, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and hormone regulation, while ARH and ARB indicated more haemostasis, blood enrichment, neuromodulation, neuroprotection and tranquilisation, hepatoprotection, and antitumour activities than that of ART. The ARHs, ARBs, and ARTs can also be distinguished from each other based on the endophytic fungi at the microbiome level. The most dominant endophytic fungi were distributed in ART; the differences between ART and ARH were the largest, and ARB was in a transition state, which is consistent with the metabolite distributions. Structural equation modelling showed that the endophytic fungi were highly indicative of the metabolic components. Correlation analysis further identified the endophytic fungi significantly positively correlated with important active components, including Condenascus tortuosus, Sodiomyces alcalophilus, and Pleotrichocladium opacum. The bidirectional multivariate interactions between endophytic fungi and the metabolic components shape their spatial variations along the longitudinal direction in the Ang root.

Abstract Water is one of the most basic entities, especially in semiarid regions where low precipitation and limited surface water resources bring more emphasis on the use of groundwater leading to endangering and overexploitation. Therefore, quantity with monitoring of groundwater quality at regular intervals becomes of utmost importance for understanding its suitability for drinking and irrigation. This study aims in understanding spatial variations and their trend in terms of quality over a decade (2010–2020) using different hydrochemical parameters in the vicinity of the coastal tracts of the Mundra block. Samples were analyzed for TDS, pH, EC, TH, major cations, and anions. Drinking suitability was identified by correlating parameters with WHO, BIS standards and by preparing WQI maps. Irrigational suitability was found by SAR, RSC, KI, Na %, MH, and PI. Reduced water level (RWL) values represented a further increase in the reversal flow of groundwater in a decade leading to an increment in salinity and seawater intrusion. The study area in most of the analysis is possessing much higher values above safer limits when compared to 2010 and 2020, making the water very much unacceptable for drinking and irrigation. The major cause in the area is overexploitation and unconditional deeper drilling, resulting in an increase in coastal salinity and seawater intrusion. The use of such water tends to harm agriculture, soil condition as well as human health.

Abstract Background Accessibility and utilization of postnatal newborn check-ups within 2 days after delivery are critical for a child’s survival, growth, and development. However, the service delivery is not yet improved and fluctuates across the geographical locations in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the spatial distribution and determinants of newborns not received postnatal check-ups within 2 days after birth in Ethiopia. Methods A secondary data analysis of the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2016 was done among live births within 2 years preceding the survey. A multilevel binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify the factors associated with the outcome variable. Adjusted Odds Ratio with 95% (Confidence Interval) was calculated and used as a measure of associations and variables with a p-value 4 ANC visits. Mothers who gave birth at home and others were 80% (AOR = 0.02(0.01–0.29) and 25% (AOR = 0.76(0.59–0.99), higher than mothers delivered at hospital. Rural mothers were 1.90 times higher (AOR = 1.90(1.29–2.81) than urban mothers, and mothers live in administrative regions of Afar 66% (AOR = 0.34(0.16–0.69), Oromia 47% (AOR = 0.53(0.30–0.91), Somali 60% (AOR = 0.40 (0.22–0.74),Benishangul 50% (AOR = 0.50 (0.27–0.92), SNNPR 67% (AOR = 0.33(0.19–0.57), Gambela 70% (AOR = 0.30 (0.16–0.56), Harari 56% (AOR = 0.44 (0.25–0.78), and Dire Dawa70% (AOR = 0.30 (0.17–0.54) were higher than Addis Abeba for not receiving postnatal checkup of new born within the first 2 days, respectively. Conclusions Low postnatal check-up utilization remains a big challenge in Ethiopia, with significant spatial variations across regional and local levels. Spatial clustering of not receiving postanal check-ups within 2 days was observed in Afar, Oromia, Gambela, Benishangul, SNNPR, Harari, and Dire Dawa regions. Residence, ANC visits, place of delivery, and administrative regions were significantly associated with not receiving postnatal check-ups. Geographically targeted interventions to improve ANC follow-up and institutional delivery should be strengthened.

River water is an important source for drinking water supply in Northwestern New Territories of Hong Kong. Thus, there is no denying the fact that monitor the quality of river water is a must for the locals. In this study, a mixed multivariate analysis method was used to lower monitoring costs by optimizing the layout of water quality monitoring stations. To this purpose, the data from a period of five years and over 36,000 observations was evaluated in this article. The cluster analysis approach was also used to categorize monitoring stations into three groups. What's more, three latent factors that predominantly influence the river water quality were assessed using factor analysis: anthropogenic pollution, seawater intrusion and geological processes, and the nitrification process. A spatial pattern using the three latent factor scores was plotted and six redundant monitoring stations were identified by this pattern. Finally, discriminant analysis was used to extract seven significant parameters. The results showed that the surface water-monitoring program of the watercourses in the Northwestern New Territories (Hong Kong) could be adjusted by reducing the monitoring stations to 18 and the measured chemical parameters to seven to ensure the detection of water quality and reduce the cost. HIGHLIGHTS Studying the spatial variation of water resource by a mixed multivariate statistical method.; Performing cluster analysis for three latent factors that affect river water quality.; Establish evaluation system to identified redundant monitoring stations.; Extract seven significant parameters for measuring the contamination conditions.; Give a more reasonable monitoring station layout to ensure the detection of water quality and reduce the cost.;

Rapid urbanization has caused an increase in the discharge of inorganic elements into the environment; however, the knowledge about the fate and annual variations of multiple elements in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is limited. To understand the distribution and change of those elements, we collected and analyzed wastewater and sludge samples from seven WWTPs in a southeast city of China. Results revealed the elemental concentration ranging from 0.06 μg·L−1 (Tl) to 221.90 μg·L−1 (Mn) in the influent, below the detection limit (Er), to 206.40 μg·L−1 (Mn) in the effluent, and 0.58 mg·kg−1 (Tl) to 309.30 mg·kg−1 (Zn) in the sludge. The removal analysis revealed that rare earth elements (REEs) were removed well from the wastewater with removal efficiencies ranging from 88.03% (Tm) to 97.37% (Sm), while heavy metals were poor, with removal efficiencies ranging from 10.71% (Mn) to 89.17% (Pb). The elemental flux analysis highlighted that activated sludge served as a major temporary storage site for 23 elements, while excess sludge acted as the major sink for REEs. Significant spatial variations were detected among different WWTPs. On the contrary, the temporal variations were insignificant based on the monitoring data from 2010 to 2020, indicating the satisfactory implementation of current environmental regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The spatially varying prevalence and determinants of depression in the urban population of South Africa have remained unexplored. This study sets out to examine the spatial variations and determinants of depression status among the urban population of South Africa. Methods: Data were sourced from the Wave 5 of the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) of 2017, which was a survey of households and individuals aged 15 years and above living in the nine provinces of South Africa. The outcome variable is depression status. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, mapping, and geographically weighted regression. Results: Results showed variations in the prevalence of depression status across the nine provinces of South Africa. The prevalence of low depression status ranged from 77% in Eastern Cape Province to 88% in Western Cape Province. In addition, the results revealed spatial variations across the provinces on the influence of socio-economic factors on depression status of the urban population in South Africa. Conclusion: This study recommends the development and implementation of unique effective approaches for prevention, mitigation, and management of depression problems for each of the provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assayed the fatty acid composition of muscles of the northern pike Esox lucius Linnaeus, 1758 inhabiting the Gyda River, Siberia, Russia using gas-liquid chromatography. Of 43 fatty acids identified in the pike samples, 23 fatty acids accounted for 99.3% of the total content. The most abundant saturated fatty acids (SFA, 31.6%) were palmitic (C16:0, 20.0%) and stearic (C18:0, 7.3%) acids. Among monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA, 15.1%), oleic acid (C18:1n9, 10.2%) and palmitoleic acid (C16:1, 4.1%) demonstrated the highest levels. The most represented polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, 53.3%) were arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6, 7.6%), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3, 7.3%), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3, 26.3%). The fatty acid profile of specimens from the Gyda River was different in comparison to profiles found in other pike populations, most likely due to different diets. Pike flesh has good nutrition quality in terms of a low n-6/n-3 ratio (0.36), low atherogenic (0.39), and thrombogenic (0.22) indices, and a high ratio of hypocholesterolemic to hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (2.83), and this species can be recommended as a replacement or alternative to other fish sources in traditional diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural hazards are dynamic and unpredictable events that are a continuous threat to global socio-economic development. Humans' reactions to these catastrophes are influenced by their proximity to the hazards and their ability to anticipate, resist, cope with, and recover from their consequences. Due to climatic changes, the risk of multiple natural hazards is expected to increase in several regions of Pakistan. There is a pressing need to understand the spatial discrepancies of natural hazards due to climate change and identifying the regions that require special measures to increase resilience, achieve adaptation, and sustainable development goals. This paper synthesizes the related literature to understand spatial variations of natural hazards due to climate changes across Pakistan. The Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT), National Aeronautics and Space Administration Global Landslide Catalog (NASA-GLC), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) are utilized to analyze spatial discrepancies and vulnerabilities to natural hazards. This study unveils that Pakistan's current risk analysis and management strategies seem to be obsolete compared to global trends. Because of spatial variations of hazards, most research work on hazard risk assessments and risk management focuses on a single hazard, neglecting the co-occurrence impact of different natural hazards. Very limited studies are included in comprehensive multi-hazard risk strategies. Therefore, in Pakistan, risk management would require integrated multi-hazard risk assessment approaches to detect, analyze, measure, and evaluate various natural hazards, their effects, and interconnections. Moreover, the Pakistan governmental institutes dealing with natural hazards should focus on pre-disaster mitigation and resilience techniques instead of investing only in post-disaster relief activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Akosombo Hydroelectric Power Plant (AHPP) is one of the largest man‐made lakes in the world. The impact of the dam after its construction on living organisms and people is not known. This paper offers new insights into our understanding of how the lake affects water quality for living organisms and people living downstream of its tailrace at different spatial levels. Water samples were collected to determine physicochemical and bacteriological parameters at fifteen strategically chosen sampling points. The data were analysed in the laboratory for certain physicochemical and biological parameters. About 95 questionnaires were also administered at Abume to households to ascertain their concerns with the water from the dam. The results indicated that the operation of AHPP has statistically significant effects on pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), faecal coliform and total coliform. The DO and total coliform did not rejuvenate by the 1km tailrace distance of the study. However, pH rejuvenated at a distance of 750 meters. The people also point out that the quality of the river at Abume is not safe for drinking and living organisms. The study concludes that water from the AHPP downstream is a satisfactory source of raw water that can be treated for domestic use. The water can also not support large fish species like tilapia. The study recommends that cage fishing should not take place close to the tailrace. The Volta River Authority and the government should provide potable drinking water to the communities affected by the construction of the dam and new sustainable turbines should be employed to manage the dam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the spatial distribution and chemical speciation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in sediments, and traces the origins of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) with C N isotopes composition and elemental ratios in the northern Beibu Gulf. The spatial distribution of biogenic elements was significantly related to the grain size composition and terrestrial inputs. The liable nitrogen (LN) accounted for 20.74 ± 14.84 % of total nitrogen (TN), and organic matter-sulfide form-N (OSF-N) was the dominant part among four LN forms. The bio-available P (BAP) accounted for 76.49 ± 5.92 % of total phosphorus (TP), and the average proportions of P fractions followed the order of organic P (OP) > Fe-bound P (Fe P) > authigenic P (Ca P) > detrital P (De-P) > exchangeable P (Ex-P). The SOM was mainly derived from terrestrial sources in Lianzhou Bay and Maowei Sea, whereas marine phytoplankton primarily contributed to the SOM in other coastal bays. • Elemental distribution relates to terrestrial inputs and grain size composition. • OSF-N is the dominant LN forms and LN account for one-fifth of TN. • OP is the largest proportions of TP fractions and Most of TP is bio-available. • SOM is dominated by terrestrial source in Lianzhou Bay and Maowei Sea. • Marine phytoplankton primarily contributed to the SOM in other coastal bays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Good and responsible management of bathing water quality requires a site-specific approach. • The frequency of bathing water sampling can influence the relevance of bathing water quality assessment. • Spatio-temporal variability in the density of fecal indicator bacteria influences the assessment of bathing water quality. • The monitoring of bathing water quality provided for in the current EU Bathing Water Directive should be redefined. The time and location of sampling as well as the number of samples per season can influence a reliable assessment of bathing water quality. In this study, we investigated the spatio-temporal variation of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) density and the effects of FIB variability and sampling frequency on the assessment of a single sample and the annual and final assessment of coastal bathing water quality. Increasing the number of samples from 10 to 20 per bathing season had a significant impact on bathing water quality assessment at sites where water quality fluctuations had previously been observed, resulting in a change in water quality to a lower category in 36 % of annual and 54 % of final assessments, suggesting that the minimum number of samples per season should be increased at such sites. Increasing the number of samples at sites assessed as excellent over a longer period had no impact on water quality assessment. Spatial and temporal variations in FIB density were significant at a considerable number of sites both in the single sample assessment and in the annual and final assessment. Bathing water quality was spatially unrepresentative at a quarter of the sites analyzed and temporally unrepresentative at a fifth, as there was at least one additional point with a lower bathing water quality than the official sampling point or the bathing water quality was lower in the afternoon than in the morning. When revising the current recreational water quality regulations, the impact of sampling frequency of and of spatio-temporal variation of FIB density on the relevance of bathing water quality assessment at sites subjected to pollution needs to be seriously considered. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The ability of biological soil crusts (BSCs) to improve soil microenvironments is mainly due to microorganisms that form an integral component of the BSCs. We aimed to investigate the changes in bacterial communities within BSCs along climate gradients and explored factors and ecological processes that drive these variations. Methods: Algal and lichen BSCs were sampled along an aridity gradient in alpine grasslands from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Bacterial communities in BSCs were determined using high-throughput sequencing, and soil beneath the BSCs (0–5 cm) was collected for macro-nutrient determination. Results: Algal BSCs consisted of more diverse bacterial communities than did lichen BSCs. Bacterial communities were significantly affected by the aridity index. With an increase in aridity index, bacterial diversity increased in algal BSCs but decreased in lichen BSCs. Additionally, lichen BSCs' bacterial communities were different from those of algal BSCs, especially in wetter areas, where Burkholderia dominated in lichen BSCs, but not in algal BSCs. Lichen BSCs' bacterial composition correlated significantly with soil pH and total nitrogen content, however that was not the case with algal BSCs. Stochastic processes governed the spatial variations of bacterial communities in lichen BSCs, which was different from the equivalent importance of stochastic and deterministic processes in algal BSCs. Conclusions: Changes in BSCs associated bacterial communities along an aridity gradient were different between algal and lichen BSCs. Additionally, stochastic processes were much more important for lichen BSCs than algal BSCs in shaping spatial variations of bacterial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to perform the spatial-temporal analysis of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) particulate matters (PM) pollution in Zonguldak Province and its adjacent regions due to active mining and industrial activities. Samples for the year 2020 were collected at nine air quality monitoring stations located in the study area. Monthly, seasonal, and yearly PM variations were examined using statistical and geostatistical methods of data analysis. The results showed that (1) both PM concentrations, PM2.5 and PM10, varied monthly and seasonally. Monthly box plots revealed the U-shaped patterns with the peaks in winter months and valleys in summer months; (2) geospatial analysis of seasonal variations enabled to set the boundaries between high and low pollution values in the region and allowed to identify the most polluted sites; mean PM2.5 concentrations were found as 38, 22, 15, and 27 mg/m3 for winter, spring, summer, and autumn, respectively, while corresponding PM10 were 69, 46, 35, and 57 mg/m3; (3) histogram plots for yearly PM2.5 and PM10 values showed that concentrations were the most frequent between 15–20 mg/m3 and 40–50 mg/m3; (4) comparative review between annual mean concentrations of PM and limit values showed that almost all stations exceed the thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Leaves at different heights in a canopy have differential roles on photosynthetic characteristics and yield but have not been compared systematically under plastic film mulching with drip irrigation. Aims: To determine the temporal and spatial variation of morpho-physiological characteristics in relation to the benefit of mulched drip irrigation in spring maize growth. Methods: Field experiments were conducted in northeastern China during 2017 and 2018 that included mulched drip irrigation (MD), non-mulched drip irrigation (ND), and traditional non-mulched rain-fed (CK) treatments. Key results: MD significantly increased lower leaf area by 13.1–62.3%, upper leaf N content (N mass) by 6.3–13.0%, and upper leaf photosynthetic capacity (A max) and maximum carboxylation rate (V cmax) by 13.4–42.3% and by 4.7–11.6%, respectively. There were close correlations between leaf physiological parameters (N mass, carbon isotope discrimination (Δ), A max, and V cmax), and also between morphological parameters (leaf area (LA) with leaf mass per area (LMA), and LMA with leaf dry matter content (LDMC). As for time scale, leaf morphological parameters (LA, LMA, and LDMC) in the reproductive stage (R-stage) were higher than those in the vegetative stage (V-stage), while physiological parameters (N mass, A max, and V cmax) were higher in the V-stage. This study indicated that MD treatment increased the photosynthetic area of lower leaves and the photosynthetic capacity of upper and middle leaves compared with non-mulched rainfed CK. In addition, an increase of net radiation absorbed by the canopy in MD was likely to correspond to a higher net photosynthetic rate, which was beneficial to yield accumulation in the treatment. Conclusions: This study provided relevant information for the simulation of water and carbon flux under mulched drip irrigation. Implications: The research explained that the morpho-physiological characteristics of leaves at different canopy heights played different role on affecting maize yields under plastic film mulched drip irrigation. To determine the temporal and spatial variation of maize leaf morpho-physiological characteristics, field experiments were conducted that included mulched drip irrigation (MD), non-mulched drip irrigation (ND), and traditional non-mulched rain-fed (CK) treatments in northeastern China. Results showed that MD treatment increased the photosynthetic area of lower leaves and the photosynthetic capacity of upper and middle leaves, which was beneficial to yield accumulation. This study can also provide a reference for the simulation of water carbon flux under mulched drip irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty, inequality, and unemployment are on the rise in South Africa. The focus of this study is on school-age children in poverty. Education is a critical policy imperative for the country. Model-based small area estimation was conducted to estimate the different poverty measures for lower and upper bound poverty levels. The primary data sources are the Income and Expenditure Survey 2010/2011 and the 2011 national population census. The model diagnostics and the validation of the estimates showed that the model-based estimates at the local municipality level are more reliable than the direct estimates. There are significant variations in poverty across the local municipalities of South Africa; therefore, spatially targeted poverty alleviation programmes are more beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]