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The non-profit organization Scenic Virginia is dedicated to identifying and showcasing the state's scenic landscapes. Recently, the state incorporated a "scenic" element into its new Conserve Virginia land conservation strategy. Consequently, there is a need for a standardized assessment tool that both citizens and professionals can use to identify and evaluate the scenic value of publicly accessible viewsheds in Virginia. This paper outlines the rationale behind developing a scientifically robust protocol, which is based on an extensive literature review and photographs from Scenic Virginia's annual photo contest. The protocol serves as a scenic assessment tool designed to encourage local citizen participation in identifying significant scenic resources in Virginia. Local communities will utilize this new tool to help them identify and evaluate their scenic assets. The protocol was reviewed by a panel of experts, and its implementation is currently underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundPublished in 2015, the International Consensus Recommendations on Surveillance for Colorectal Endoscopic Neoplasia Detection and Management in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients (SCENIC) recommended abandoning the use of diagnostic term "dysplasia-associated lesion or mass (DALM)" for polypoid dysplastic lesions detected in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to investigate whether this recommendation had any influence on diagnostic terminologies used by pathologists in their practice.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all pathology reports for surveillance colonoscopic biopsies from ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in our institution during 1/2012-12/2014 (pre-SCENIC) and 1/2016-12/2018 (post-SCENIC). These included 1203 biopsies from 901 UC patients during the pre-SCENIC period and 1273 biopsies from 977 UC patients during the post-SCENIC period. Their corresponding endoscopic findings and histopathologic diagnoses were recorded. Clinical indications for total colectomy for UC patients and corresponding histopathologic findings in colectomy specimens were also recorded and compared.ResultsA total of 347 and 419 polyps/polypoid lesions were identified during the pre-SCENIC and post-SCENIC periods, among which 60 and 104 were dysplastic/adenomatous, respectively. More polypoid dysplastic lesions were simply diagnosed as "adenoma" during the post-SCENIC period in comparison with the pre-SCENIC period (97.1% vs 65.0%; P < 0.001). The number of cases with a comment in pathology reports regarding the distinction between DALM and sporadic adenoma was also significantly decreased during the post-SCENIC period (5.8% vs 38.3%; P < 0.001). In addition, the term "dysplasia" was more consistently used for random biopsies during the post-SCENIC period. Furthermore, the terms "sessile serrated adenoma/polyp" (SSA/P) and "serrated epithelial change" (SEC) were more consistently used for polypoid lesions and random biopsies, respectively, during the post-SCENIC period, although these were not specifically addressed in the SCENIC recommendations. The indications for colectomy remained unchanged, however, despite the standardization of diagnostic terminologies.ConclusionThe SCENIC recommendations relieve pathologists from the burden of distinguishing DALM from sporadic adenoma in IBD patients, which helps the standardization of diagnostic terminologies used by pathologists. The consistent use of the diagnostic terminologies may help reduce potential confusions to clinicians and patients.

Background: High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is a pathologic subtype of ovarian cancer (OC) with a more lethal prognosis. Extensive heterogeneity results in HGSOC being more susceptible to treatment resistance and adverse treatment effects. Revealing the heterogeneity involved is crucial. Methods: We downloaded the single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA) data from GEO database and performed a scRNA analysis for cell landscape of HGSOC by using the Seurat package. The highly expressed genes were uploaded into the DAVID and KEGG database for enrichment analysis, and the AUCell package was used to calculate cancer-associated hallmark score. The SCENIC analysis was used for key regulons, the estrogen response enrichment scores in TCGA-OV RNA-seq dataset were calculated by using the GSVA package. Besides, the expression of STRA6 and IRF1 and the cell invasion and migration in si-STRA6 OC cells were detected by using the quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR method and Transwell assay respectively. Results: We successfully constructed a single-cell atlas of HGSOC and delineated the heterogeneity of epithelial cells therein. There were five epithelial cell subpopulations, GLDC + Epithelial cells, PEG3+ leydig cells, STRA6+ granulosa cells, POLE2+ Epithelial cells, and AURKA + Epithelial cells. STRA6+ granulosa cells have the potential to promote tumor growth as well as the highest estrogen response early activity through the biological pathways analysis of highly expressed genes and estrogen response score of ssGSEA. We found that IRF1 and STRA6 expression was remarkably upregulated in the OC cancer cell line HEY. Silencing of STRA6 markedly decreased the invasion and migration ability of the OC cancer cell line HEY. Conclusion: There is extreme heterogeneity of epithelial cells in HGSOC, and STRA6+ granulosa cells may be able to promote cancer progression. Our findings are benefit to the heterogeneity identification of HGSOC and develop targeted therapy strategy for HGSOC patients.

The non-profit organization Scenic Virginia is dedicated to identifying and showcasing the state’s scenic landscapes. Recently, the state incorporated a “scenic” element into its new Conserve Virginia land conservation strategy. Consequently, there is a need for a standardized assessment tool that both citizens and professionals can use to identify and evaluate the scenic value of publicly accessible viewsheds in Virginia. This paper outlines the rationale behind developing a scientifically robust protocol, which is based on an extensive literature review and photographs from Scenic Virginia’s annual photo contest. The protocol serves as a scenic assessment tool designed to encourage local citizen participation in identifying significant scenic resources in Virginia. Local communities will utilize this new tool to help them identify and evaluate their scenic assets. The protocol was reviewed by a panel of experts, and its implementation is currently underway.

Single-cell transcriptome sequencing (scRNA-seq) is an unparalleled technology in the field of transcriptomics, which can study cells in a comprehensive and unbiased manner, thus characterizing complex biological processes at the cellular level. At the same time, scRNA-seq can produce a large amount of experimental data; therefore, the extraction of important information is required. In this review, we summarize the common applications of scRNA-seq analysis, such as of cellular communication, pseudo-timing, transcription factors, and functional enrichment, to mine cellular information and reveal the regulatory relationships between genes and trajectories of different cell lineages during development. We also describe the latest technological progress of scRNA-seq use in organoid, pathogenic gene variants, tumor tissues, stem cells, viruses, antibody preparation, and so on, in order to improve its applicability in future research in the life science field.

This study aims to classify the ten coasts of the Pangandaran District using the Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES). The CSES objectively assesses coastal characteristics and is rarely used in Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia. Pangandaran District was chosen in this study because it is part of a National Tourism Strategic Area in Indonesia, especially for marine tourism, which means it is at risk of physical changes to the environment due to the growth of tourism. The study results show that most coasts were classified as natural, but Class 1, as the top natural, was not obtained. The low quality of the scenery is because its physical parameters are lower than its human parameters. In order to improve the quality of the scenery, it can be done by handling garbage and waste, setting up utilities' development, and zoning for tourism types.

Objective To predict potential regulators of terminal erythroid differentiation by single-cell transcriptome data mining, and then focus on exploring the expression pattern and function of nuclear transcription factors NFYB and NFYC in terminal erythroid differentiation. Methods Using published single-cell transcriptome data of human terminal erythropoiesis, SCENIC analysis was performed to predict stage-specific transcription regulators. The expression levels of two predicted regulators, NFYB and NFYC, in different stages of human and mouse terminal erythropoiesis were first analyzed in public bulk RNA-seq data; cells among different stages of terminal erythroid differentiation in mouse fetal liver were sorted by flow cytometry, NFYB and NFYC expression levels were then detected by RT-qPCR. In addition, the expression of NFYB and NFYC was inhibited by lentivirus-mediated shRNA interference and the efficiency of terminal erythroid differentiation and enucleation was examined. Results NFYB and NFYC were potential regulators at early stage of terminal erythropoiesis by SCENIC analysis. Their expression level was high at early stage of both human and mouse terminal erythropoiesis and then decreased at the last stage. Knockdown of Nfyb and Nfyc in mouse fetal liver derived erythroid cells significantly inhibited terminal erythroid differentiation and enucleation (P＜0.05). Conclusions NFYB and NFYC promote the terminal erythroid differentiation.

This study aims to classify the ten coasts of the Pangandaran District using the Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES). The CSES objectively assesses coastal characteristics and is rarely used in Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia. Pangandaran District was chosen in this study because it is part of a National Tourism Strategic Area in Indonesia, especially for marine tourism, which means it is at risk of physical changes to the environment due to the growth of tourism. The study results show that most coasts were classified as natural, but Class 1, as the top natural, was not obtained. The low quality of the scenery is because its physical parameters are lower than its human parameters. In order to improve the quality of the scenery, it can be done by handling garbage and waste, setting up utilities' development, and zoning for tourism types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Psychodrama und Soziometrie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Microglia, the major immune cells in the brain, mediate neuroinflammation, increased oxidative stress, and impaired neurotransmission in Alzheimer's disease (AD), in which most AD risk genes are highly expressed. In microglia, due to the limitations of current single-omics data analysis, risk genes, the regulatory mechanisms, the mechanisms of action of immune responses and the exploration of drug targets for AD immunotherapy are still unclear. Therefore, we proposed a method to integrate multi-omics data based on the construction of gene regulatory networks (GRN), by combining weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) with single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering (SCENIC). This enables snRNA-seq data and bulkRNA-seq data to obtain data on the deeper intermolecular regulatory relationships, related genes, and the molecular mechanisms of immune-cell action. In our approach, not only were central transcription factors (TF) STAT3, CEBPB, SPI1, and regulatory mechanisms identified more accurately than with single-omics but also immunotherapy targeting central TFs to drugs was found to be significantly different between patients. Thus, in addition to providing new insights into the potential regulatory mechanisms and pathogenic genes of AD microglia, this approach can assist clinicians in making the most rational treatment plans for patients with different risks; it also has significant implications for identifying AD immunotherapy targets and targeting microglia-associated immune drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in single-cell RNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics methods allow for both the identification of cell types in a complex tissue and the large-scale gene expression profiling of various cell types in a mixture. In this report, we analyzed a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset for the intact adult mouse sciatic nerve and examined cell-type specific transcription factor expression and activity during peripheral nerve homeostasis. In total, we identified 238 transcription factors expressed in nine different cell types of intact mouse sciatic nerve. Vascular smooth muscle cells have the lowest number of transcription factors expressed with 17 transcription factors identified. Myelinating Schwann cells (mSCs) have the highest number of transcription factors expressed, with 61 transcription factors identified. We created a cell-type specific expression map for the identified 238 transcription factors. Our results not only provide valuable information about the expression pattern of transcription factors in different cell types of adult peripheral nerves but also facilitate future studies to understand the function of key transcription factors in the peripheral nerve homeostasis and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in single-cell RNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics methods allow for both the identification of cell types in a complex tissue and the large-scale gene expression profiling of various cell types in a mixture. In this report, we analyzed a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset for the intact adult mouse sciatic nerve and examined cell-type specific transcription factor expression and activity during peripheral nerve homeostasis. In total, we identified 238 transcription factors expressed in nine different cell types of intact mouse sciatic nerve. Vascular smooth muscle cells have the lowest number of transcription factors expressed with 17 transcription factors identified. Myelinating Schwann cells (mSCs) have the highest number of transcription factors expressed, with 61 transcription factors identified. We created a cell-type specific expression map for the identified 238 transcription factors. Our results not only provide valuable information about the expression pattern of transcription factors in different cell types of adult peripheral nerves but also facilitate future studies to understand the function of key transcription factors in the peripheral nerve homeostasis and disease.

Microglia, the major immune cells in the brain, mediate neuroinflammation, increased oxidative stress, and impaired neurotransmission in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), in which most AD risk genes are highly expressed. In microglia, due to the limitations of current single-omics data analysis, risk genes, the regulatory mechanisms, the mechanisms of action of immune responses and the exploration of drug targets for AD immunotherapy are still unclear. Therefore, we proposed a method to integrate multi-omics data based on the construction of gene regulatory networks (GRN), by combining weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) with single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering (SCENIC). This enables snRNA-seq data and bulkRNA-seq data to obtain data on the deeper intermolecular regulatory relationships, related genes, and the molecular mechanisms of immune-cell action. In our approach, not only were central transcription factors (TF) STAT3, CEBPB, SPI1, and regulatory mechanisms identified more accurately than with single-omics but also immunotherapy targeting central TFs to drugs was found to be significantly different between patients. Thus, in addition to providing new insights into the potential regulatory mechanisms and pathogenic genes of AD microglia, this approach can assist clinicians in making the most rational treatment plans for patients with different risks; it also has significant implications for identifying AD immunotherapy targets and targeting microglia-associated immune drugs.

Aims: To determine the cell types that promoted the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) using the substantia nigra in the brain tissues derived from patients with PD and normal controls., Background: PD is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that threatens the physical activity of the aging population, and the complex molecular mechanisms remain be comprehensively elucidated., Objective: To describe potential disease-promoting cell types in PD and to provide a theoretical basis., Methods: Single-cell nuclear sequencing data of nine PD samples and control samples from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were included, and heterogeneous cell subpopulations in the substantia nigra were identified by annotation analysis. Potential pathogenic cell subpopulations of PD were determined based on the expression data of marker genes. Cell differentiation trajectories and communication networks were generated by Pseudotime trajectory analysis and cell communication analysis. Furthermore, single-- cell regulatory network inference and clustering (SCENIC) analysis was conducted to determine the regulatory network of transcription factor-target genes in PD., Results: Among the nine cell subpopulations classified, RELN+neuron 3 showed reduced abundance and dopamine secretion capacity in PD and was therefore considered as a promoter of PD pathogenesis and progression. The regulatory network of MSRA action was involved in the developmental process of cells in the central nervous system, indicating that MSRA and its targets might serve as potential therapeutic targets for PD. RELN+neuron 3 had two directions of differentiation, specifically, branch 1 exhibited a high apoptotic profile and branch 2 exhibited a high cell death profile. In addition, the intensity of EPHA and EPHB signaling was attenuated between RELN+neuron 3 and other cell subpopulations., Conclusion: To conclude, this study identified a subpopulation of RELN+neuron 3 cells with markedly reduced abundance in the brain substantia nigra in PD. The MSRA-involved gene regulatory networks was considered as a novel therapeutic network for PD., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is a pathologic subtype of ovarian cancer (OC) with a more lethal prognosis. Extensive heterogeneity results in HGSOC being more susceptible to treatment resistance and adverse treatment effects. Revealing the heterogeneity involved is crucial., Methods: We downloaded the single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA) data from GEO database and performed a scRNA analysis for cell landscape of HGSOC by using the Seurat package. The highly expressed genes were uploaded into the DAVID and KEGG database for enrichment analysis, and the AUCell package was used to calculate cancer-associated hallmark score. The SCENIC analysis was used for key regulons, the estrogen response enrichment scores in TCGA-OV RNA-seq dataset were calculated by using the GSVA package. Besides, the expression of STRA6 and IRF1 and the cell invasion and migration in si-STRA6 OC cells were detected by using the quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR method and Transwell assay respectively., Results: We successfully constructed a single-cell atlas of HGSOC and delineated the heterogeneity of epithelial cells therein. There were five epithelial cell subpopulations, GLDC + Epithelial cells, PEG3+ leydig cells, STRA6+ granulosa cells, POLE2+ Epithelial cells, and AURKA + Epithelial cells. STRA6+ granulosa cells have the potential to promote tumor growth as well as the highest estrogen response early activity through the biological pathways analysis of highly expressed genes and estrogen response score of ssGSEA. We found that IRF1 and STRA6 expression was remarkably upregulated in the OC cancer cell line HEY. Silencing of STRA6 markedly decreased the invasion and migration ability of the OC cancer cell line HEY., Conclusion: There is extreme heterogeneity of epithelial cells in HGSOC, and STRA6+ granulosa cells may be able to promote cancer progression. Our findings are benefit to the heterogeneity identification of HGSOC and develop targeted therapy strategy for HGSOC patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

The Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, USFS Southern Research Station, worked with state and local agencies and various organizations to provide guidance and tools to reduce sedimentation and facilitate restoration of the 1900km2 Conasauga River watershed in northern Georgia and southern Tennessee. The Conasauga River has the most diverse aquatic ecosystem of any river in the region and is currently being considered for designation as a Federal wild and scenic river. The watershed is encircled and dissected by highways and roads, and receives intense recreational, industrial, and agricultural use from the surrounding human population. Unpaved roads have been found to account for more than 80 percent of stream sedimentation in the forested lands of this region. Collaborative efforts of research and management focused on developing sediment yield models, prioritizing road restoration, and reducing sediment yields from roads to streams. Model development facilitated identification of highly erosive roads and prediction of sediment yield reductions following reconstruction of forest roads. We monitored sediment yield and transport from a wide variety of existing forest roads during autumn 2001. We used these data for model validation. We then used the model to characterize roads by erosion susceptibility and to prioritize roads for reconstruction. During the summer of 2002, we completed reconstruction and installation of best management practices along more than 20 miles of forest roads. We monitored sediment yield from these roads through autumn 2002. Simulated estimates of sediment yield from the reconstructed roads were severely limited by the resolution and quality of available data and the sediment transport algorithms employed in the model. Despite a 46 percent increase in rainfall from the pre to post-treatment period, road reconstruction reduced sediment yield by 70 percent.

Recent work has suggested that stem cells exhibit far greater heterogeneity than initially thought. Indeed, their dynamic nature and shared traits with surrounding niche cells have made prospective identification of adult neural stem cells (NSCs) challenging. Refined fate mapping strategies and single‐cell omics techniques have begun to clarify functionally distinct states within the adult NSC pool, the molecular signatures that govern these states, and the functional contributions/interactions with neighboring cells within the subventricular niche. Ependymal cells are the epithelial cells which line the ventricular system and reside in the same niche as NSCs. Our own work has revealed that, despite sharing similar embryonic origins with NSCs and close geographic proximity, ependymal cells are transcriptionally distinct and fail to exhibit stem cell function in vivo, even following injury. Intriguingly, comparison of ependymal cells with qNSCs revealed transcriptional signatures that are largely overlapping, suggesting that post‐transcriptional regulation might underlie their divergent phenotypes. Additional analysis of ependymal versus qNSC gene regulatory network activation supports this notion. This Viewpoint summarizes the historical confusion regarding the identity of NSCs within the lateral ventricle niche and describes recent work that provides greater appreciation for the diverse functional states within the NSC niche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Jordan Academy for Arabic is the property of Jordan Academy for Arabic and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mitochondrial activity differs markedly between organs, but it is not known how and when this arises. Here we show that cell lineage-specific expression profiles involving essential mitochondrial genes emerge at an early stage in mouse development, including tissue-specific isoforms present before organ formation. However, the nuclear transcriptional signatures were not independent of organelle function. Genetically disrupting intra-mitochondrial protein synthesis with two different mtDNA mutations induced cell lineage-specific compensatory responses, including molecular pathways not previously implicated in organellar maintenance. We saw downregulation of genes whose expression is known to exacerbate the effects of exogenous mitochondrial toxins, indicating a transcriptional adaptation to mitochondrial dysfunction during embryonic development. The compensatory pathways were both tissue and mutation specific and under the control of transcription factors which promote organelle resilience. These are likely to contribute to the tissue specificity which characterizes human mitochondrial diseases and are potential targets for organ-directed treatments. [Display omitted] • Cell lineage-specific mitochondrial gene expression emerges early in development • Disrupting mt-protein synthesis induces lineage-specific transcriptional responses • These responses are both mutation and tissue specific • Transcription factors promoting organelle resilience mediate the response Emergence of lineage-specific gene expression profiles during early mouse development provides fresh insights into organ-specific differences in mitochondrial function in health and disease in mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The visual matrix is a method for researching shared experience, stimulated by sensory material relevant to a research question. It is led by imagery, visualization and affect, which in the matrix take precedence over discourse. The method enables the symbolization of imaginative and emotional material, which might not otherwise be articulated and allows "unthought" dimensions of experience to emerge into consciousness in a participatory setting. We describe the process of the matrix with reference to the study "Public Art and Civic Engagement" (FROGGETT, MANLEY, ROY, PRIOR & DOHERTY, 2014) in which it was developed and tested. Subsequently, examples of its use in other contexts are provided. Both the matrix and post-matrix discussions are described, as is the interpretive process that follows. Theoretical sources are highlighted: its origins in social dreaming; the atemporal, associative nature of the thinking during and after the matrix which we describe through the Deleuzian idea of the rhizome; and the hermeneutic analysis which draws from object relations theory and the Lorenzerian tradition of scenic understanding. The matrix has been conceptualized as a "scenic rhizome" to account for its distinctive quality and hybrid origins in research practice. The scenic rhizome operates as a "third" between participants and the "objects" of contemplation. We suggest that some of the drawbacks of other group-based methods are avoided in the visual matrix—namely the tendency for inter-personal dynamics to dominate the event. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs150369

Copyright of Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis: Studia de Arte et Educatione is the property of Press of Pedagogical University of Cracow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The visual matrix is a method for researching shared experience, stimulated by sensory material relevant to a research question. It is led by imagery, visualization and affect, which in the matrix take precedence over discourse. The method enables the symbolization of imaginative and emotional material, which might not otherwise be articulated and allows "unthought" dimensions of experience to emerge into consciousness in a participatory setting. We describe the process of the matrix with reference to the study "Public Art and Civic Engagement" (FROGGETT, MANLEY, ROY, PRIOR & DOHERTY, 2014) in which it was developed and tested. Subsequently, examples of its use in other contexts are provided. Both the matrix and post-matrix discussions are described, as is the interpretive process that follows. Theoretical sources are highlighted: its origins in social dreaming; the atemporal, associative nature of the thinking during and after the matrix which we describe through the Deleuzian idea of the rhizome; and the hermeneutic analysis which draws from object relations theory and the Lorenzerian tradition of scenic understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the peak tourism season the number of tourists allowed access at any one time and the maximum carrying capacity of scenic areas should be sufficient to fully exploit the layout of the area. The number of tourists visiting the scenic location should be controlled so as not to exceed the capacity of each individual attraction in the location. Huang previously investigated the carrying capacity of scenic areas. He presented improvements on the traditional model for calculating the carrying capacity. His model, known as "including small elements" , includes many distinct conditions in its calculations. However, it does not account for the distance between individual attractions, so the carrying capacity of the scenic area calculated from his model is smaller than the reality. Hence, by viewing tourism as a production line, we construct a new scenic capacity calculation model both making full use of the area layout, and ensuring that the number of tourists does not exceed the design capacity of the individual attractions. First, from analysis of tourist behavior in scenic areas, we portray the scenic area tourism route as a production line. The tourists are taken to be the individual product pieces; the scenic spot represents the processes. The movement of tourists along the tourism production line represents the linear movement of the product pieces. Hence, we use production and operations theory to construct a general model to calculate the optimum number of tourists to be allowed access at any one time, and the carrying capacity, of a scenic area during its opening hours. Our general model is the same as Huang' s "including small elements" model. The general model does not account for the time taken to travel between attractions in scenic areas, so the carrying capacity estimated from this model is low. To improve the model, the concept of the virtual sub - attraction is introduced. The scenic area attractions are divided into several virtual sub-attractions, each being assigned the same visit length which was calculated by the greatest common divisor of visit times per attraction. Batch access numbers are set as the carrying capacity of the sub attraction. The impact that the order in which tourists visit the attractions has on the carrying capacity of the scenic area is also analyzed. Two models are constructed: the maximum carrying capacity of the scenic area including visit order, and the maximum carrying capacity of the scenic area excluding visit order. Finally, we undertake empirical analysis. The results show that increasing the size of access batches does not lead to a greater carrying capacity of the scenic area. This is due to the fact that large volumes of tourists can lead to longer waiting times for a long visit time attraction than for a short visit time attraction, and thus makes some of the attractions idle. Our model can increase the number of tourists by minimizing the down-time of attractions in scenic areas during the peak tourism season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has not been any research concerning the problem of the disclosing of the portraits of the country in the twentieth century Lithuanian academic scenic music - operas and ballets. Instead, there are many analyses of music language, music technologies, and the stylistics of the composition. The analysis of the plot reveals the psychological characteristics of the main characters, their social role and the influence of their rural environment, but does not emphasize the portraits of the culture of the country. The majority of the plots of the Lithuanian academic music compositions in the twentieth century correlate with the rural living, thus with the romanticism: the operas "Pagirėnai" by St. Šimkus, "Dalia" (1957) by B. Dvarionas, "The Drowned Girl" (1958) by V. Baumilas, ";the ballets "The Fiancée" (1941) by J. Pakalnis, "At the Shore of the Sea" (1953) by J. Juzeliūnas. Even though the West Europe romanticism predominated only at the nineteenth century, it prevailed in Lithuania until the middle of the twentieth century as a result of the dominance of the socialistic government as well as socialistic naturalism. The portraits of the life of the Lithuanian country appear in ballets and operas, which are based on ethnic myths. These compositions reveal Lithuanian ethnic songs, dances, and ancient customs. Nonetheless, there are numerous pieces, where the theme of the country, its social relation and its way of life is selected deliberately and is introduced by the means of traditional opera or even musical drama. The first Lithuanian scenic opus in the twentieth century (the operas "Birutė", "Eglė, the Queen of Grass-snakes" by M. Petrauskas, the ballet "Jūratė ir Kastytis" by J. Gruodis) where mainly correlated with legends and myths, not the realia of the country life. Nevertheless, these pieces contain fragments of ethnic songs and customs, vague hints of rural community. That is way these compositions are related to the portraits of the Lithuanian rural way of life. In the first part of the ballet "Jurate ir Kastytis" (by J. Gruodis) the ancient Lithuanian legend is combined with the reality of the Lithuanian village: the dance of the sea-shore village residents, who are greeting the returning fishermen, is demonstrated. This act can be understood as a scenic example of strong relationships among the villagers. J. Gruodis deliberately expresses the Lithuanian character by introducing quotes from Lithuanian folk songs: "Good Morning, Young Girl", "Oh, on the Hill" (Gaudrimas, 1964), "The Little Apple Tree", "How the Guelder Rose Grew". In the first Lithuanian opera, according to V. Landsbergis (1976), "M. Petrauskas does not quote any Lithuanian songs' melodies, even more, he does not try to introduce any folk songs' intonation to his own melodies; it was not yet time for that point of view", nevertheless, Birute answers the Crusaders, that "My father's house is nicer than anything else, as well as the hillock overgrown by the pine grove" (Landsbergis, 1976, 256). These words are an allusion to an ethnic rural song. What is more, at the end of the opera a choir of reapers appears, thus providing a hint about Birute's original rural environment. The next opera of M. Petrauskas as well as the ballet of E. Balsys "Egle, the Queen of Grass-snakes", contain numerous fragments of the rural life, even though these pieces are based on ethnic myths. One of the first Lithuanian composers St. Šimkus was knowingly interested in the Lithuanian country. His opera "Pagirenai" (1939, staged at Kaunas Theatre in 1942) reveals the relations between young betrothed villagers' Danute and Pranas and the landlord Dargailis and the overseer of the estate Spoksa, who secretly try to separate the pair. Luckily, the young pair avoids the deception. The composer unveils the correlation between country dwellers and Christian morality. The scenes of the rural life are revealed in the ballet "Matchmaking" (1933) (by B. Dvarionas, libretto by Liudas Gira). The story evolves at a villager's house, where two men (the first one young and poor, the second one - old and wealthy) try to propose to the villager's daughters. The ballet was shown in Monte Carlo and London in 1937. The scenography was awarded with a gold medal at the Paris World's fair. .ASA-Even more dramatically the relationship between villagers and landlords is revealed in the ballet "Fiancée" by J. Pakalnis (1941-42, premier night in 1943, libretto by Stasys Santvaras). The manor overseer Pustapedis comes to villagers' Maryte and Antanas engagement feast and takes away some girls for hard work in the manor. They manage to escape; unfortunately, Maryte is captured and locked in the manor by the landlord Veblevskis. Finally, the serfs learn about the abolishment of the serfdom. Thus, new relationships begin to evolve between the village and the manor; Maryte and Antanas become free. The scenic compositions, that reveal historical times and events, introduce relationships that evolve and change in rural surroundings, for instance, the relations between the village and the estate in serfdom times (the opera "Dalia", 1957, by B. Dvarionas) and the relations between the country and the city. The story of the opera "Dalia", based on the play of B. Sruoga "Apyaušrio Dalia" (1941), takes place in the eighteenth century Lithuanian country and reveals the social relations between the village and the landlords. The main character Dalia returns from the city to her home village and becomes the main figure of the rebellion. The opposite between the country and the landlords is revealed in the opera "The Journey to Tilže" by E. Balsys. This peace correlates with the living in Lithuania Minor in the nineteenth century. The Protestantism at the village and the relations between Lithuanians at Lithuania Minor in the sixteenth century unfolds in the opera "Mažvydas" (1988, by A. Zigaityte), based on the play "Mažvydas" by J. Marcinkevicius; the opera "Donelaitis" (1988, libretto by A. Drilinga) by A. Bražinskas, reveals the lifestyle and the relations among villagers in the seventeenth century. A new historical period, which began to change the relationships of the rural community, began after World War II, when the soviets reoccupied Lithuania and after the consolidation of the socialistic realism in music. J. Juzeliunas's ballet "At the Shore of the Sea" (1953) portrays the new way of life at the soviet collective-farm offishermen. The compositions of the authors of the twentieth century Lithuanian academic music reveal numerous issues of the Lithuanian country since the thirteenth century. The pieces disclose the problems of the relations between different social groups (the villagers and the landlords), the opposite between the city and the country and its influence on the rural way of life, furthermore, the relationships between the residents of the collective-farms. Thus diverse portraits of the rural culture are created in scenic compositions. Nowadays, Lithuanian composers are not interested in the country and its lifestyle. The realia of the rural life are revealed only in the titles of the postmodern compositions, for instance: "The Well" (V. Bartulis, 1999), "The Old Mill" (D. Raudonikyté-With, 1997), "The Ornaments of the Weathervane" (A. Bružas, 1999), "The Distaffs" (A. Bružas, 2004). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an optimal control model to analyze reforestations with two different species, including commercial values, carbon sequestration and biodiversity or scenic values. We discuss the implications of partial or total internalization of environmental values, showing that internalizing only carbon sequestration may have negative impacts on biodiversity-scenic values. To evaluate the practical relevance, we compare reforestations in the South-west of Spain with cork-oaks (a slow-growing native species) and with eucalyptus (a fast-growing alien species). We do the analysis with two different carbon crediting methods: the Carbon Flow Method and the Ton Year Accounting Method. With the first method, the forest surface increases more, but using mainly eucalyptus. With the second, additional reforestations are done mainly using cork-oaks. We value the impact on visitors of these reforestations using stated preferences methods showing that, when these values are internalized, cork-oaks are favored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The opinions of 207 respondents on the visual effects of seven different cutting types were asked using a nine-point verbal scale ranging from ''worsens very much'' to ''improves very much''. Other estimates were obtained by letting the same respondents evaluate photographs of stands which had been treated with different cuttings. The direct questions gave results quite similar to the evaluations of photographs for all but young respondents, indicating that most respondents were able to imagine the effect of the treatment correctly. The results based on the evaluation of photographs indicated that the effect of regenerative cuttings is negative while the impact of thinnings is positive. After a few years of cutting the stand is already regarded as clearly more pleasant than immediately after the cutting. Natural regeneration with seed trees seems to be a way to avoid the very negative immediate impact of clear-felling, especially in the case of Scots pine. Women, young, urban people and those who do not own forest or have work related to forests tended to experience thinnings less positively and saw regenerative cuttings as more harmful than the other test groups did. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]