Search Results (21)

New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) enables growers to earn payments by accumulating carbon units as their forests increase in carbon stock. For forests of less than 100 hectares, growers use predefined lookup tables (LUTs) to estimate carbon stock changes based on forest age. Using a combination of growth models and productivity surfaces, underpinned by data from 1360 growth plots, the objective of this study was to provide draft updates for the Exotic Hardwoods LUTs. The updated LUTs were based on growth rates of three Eucalyptus species, E. fastigata, E. regnans, and E. nitens, which comprise a major proportion of the Exotic Hardwoods forest type in New Zealand. Carbon tables were first derived for each species. Then, a draft LUT was generated for New Zealand’s North Island, using a weighted average of the species-specific tables based on the relative importance of the species, while the E. nitens table was used for the South Island where this is the predominant Eucalyptus species. Carbon stock predictions at ages 30 and 50 years were 820 and 1340 tonnes CO₂ ha⁻¹ for the North Island, and slightly higher at 958 and 1609 tonnes CO₂ ha⁻¹ for the South Island. Regional variation was significant, with the highest predicted carbon in Southland (1691 tonnes CO₂ ha⁻¹ at age 50) and lowest in Hawke’s Bay/Southern North Island (1292 tonnes CO₂ ha⁻¹). Predictions closely matched the current Exotic Hardwood LUT to age 20 years but exceeded it by up to 45% at age 35. Growth and carbon sequestration rates were similar to other established Eucalyptus species and slightly higher than Acacia species, though further research is recommended. These findings suggest that the three Eucalyptus species studied here could serve as the default species for a revised Exotic Hardwoods LUT and that the current national tables could be regionalised. However, the government may consider factors other than the technical considerations outlined here when updating the LUTs. Full article

New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) allows growers to receive payments through the accumulation of carbon units for increased carbon stock. For forests < 100 ha, growers rely on pre-formulated lookup tables (LUTs) to estimate changes in carbon stock by age. Currently, minor exotic softwood species, which are predominantly redwood and cypresses, are covered by a general Exotic Softwoods LUT. However, this table has been found to significantly underestimate carbon sequestration for these species. Using a combination of growth models and productivity surfaces, the objective of this study was to provide draft updates for the Exotic Softwoods LUT based on redwood, and two key cypresses (Cupressus lusitanica and C. macrocarpa), at different scales (national, Island level, regional), and to identify the most appropriate scale for a revised LUT. For cypress species, carbon predictions were made using C. lusitanica for the North Island and C. macrocarpa for the South Island, as these are the preferred species for each island. Variation in redwood carbon among New Zealand’s nine regions ranged over two-fold at ages 30 (390–847 tonnes CO₂ ha⁻¹) and 50 (926–1956 tonnes CO₂ ha⁻¹) and carbon was much higher within the North Island than the South Island. Predicted carbon for cypresses was higher within the North Island than the South Island at all ages and varied across regions, by 38% at age 30 (610–840 tonnes CO₂ ha⁻¹) and 12% at age 50 (1019–1146 tonnes CO₂ ha⁻¹). These findings suggest that a separate LUT for redwood is warranted, and that cypress species could serve as the default species for a revised Exotic Softwoods LUT. They also suggest that regional tables should be considered for both redwood and cypresses. However, the government may consider factors other than the technical considerations outlined here when updating the LUTs. Full article

The valorization of biological aggregates through the extraction of hydrogel-forming polymers can enhance the economics and sustainability of various processes in which bacteria are involved in organic waste transformation, such as wastewater treatment. Achieving these goals requires the development of a method capable of detecting the presence of gel-forming polymers in complex mixtures containing biopolymers that are most often unknown and uncharacterized. A miniaturized screening method capable of detecting gelation via ionic crosslinking using only 1 to 3 mg of the tested samples (commercial molecules or extracellular polymeric substances, EPSs) is proposed. The method consists of calculating a percentage of reactivity (%R) through UV-vis spectra and determining the percentage of gel volume (%Vg) formed after the addition of calcium. Both factors were combined to give a gelling factor (GF), and the test was applied to pure commercial molecules (BSA, DNA, alginate (ALV), and a mixture of them), allowing the classification of the following solutions according to their gel-forming capacity: GF_(ALV) > GF_(ALV+DNA) > GF_{(BSA+ALV+DNA)} > GF_(BSA+ALV) > GF_(DNA) > GF_(BSA+DNA) > GF_(BSA). As a relevant tool for screening hydrogel-forming solutions, the method was applied to the EPS extracted from aerobic granular sludge. The EPS (0.5% w/v) had a GF of 0.16 ± 0.03, equivalent to approximately half of the GF of ALV (0.38 ± 0.02 at 0.5% w/v). The developed test pushes the limits of the existing gel-detection techniques because it allows for quicker, less consuming, and more informative gelation detection through the use of simple methods that do not require sophisticated equipment. Full article

Flexible working practices have become commonplace due to the emergence of the turbulent environment that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced organizations to change their business models, structures, processes, and policies. In this context, organizations have started to reconfigure work in terms of flexible working practices that enable them to use the full potential of their employees and to provide the conditions for well-being at work and, as a result, competitive sustainability. This study aimed to explore the relationship between dimensions of work engagement, namely, vigor at work, dedication to work, and absorption in work, and organizational identification under the moderating roles of different working practices, namely, remote, hybrid, and onsite working, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this cross-sectional study, 200 randomly chosen employees from the public insurance industry in Turkey formed the research sample. The results indicate that each dimension of work engagement, namely, vigor at work, dedication to work, and absorption in work, is positively associated with organizational identification. In addition, when the moderation effects of different working practices on this relationship were analyzed, it was apparent that the relationship between an employee’s absorption in their work and organizational identification was weaker in those working onsite, stronger in those working in a hybrid context, and strongest in those working remotely. Therefore, we suggest that work redesign towards remote working practices enhanced positive psychological and behavioral changes in employees, i.e., well-being at work, resulting in a strengthened relationship between absorption in work and organizational identification during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

A dimensional synthesis of parallel manipulators (PMs) consists of determining the values of the geometric parameters that affect the platform motion so that a useful workspace with assigned sizes can be suitably located in a free-from-singularity region of its operational space. The main goal of this preliminary dimensioning is to keep the PM far enough from singularities to avoid high internal loads in the links and guarantee a good positioning precision (i.e., for getting good kinematic performances). This paper presents a novel method for the dimensional synthesis of translational PMs (TPMs) and applies it to a TPM previously proposed by the author. The proposed method, which is based on Jacobians’ properties, exploits the fact that TPM parallel Jacobians are block diagonal matrices to overcome typical drawbacks of indices based on Jacobian properties. The proposed method can be also applied to all the lower-mobility PMs with block diagonal Jacobians that separate platform rotations from platform translations (e.g., parallel wrists). Full article

The global increase of livestock has caused illegal intrusion of livestock into protected areas. Until now, hotspot areas of illegal grazing have rarely been mapped, long-term monitoring data are missing, and little is known about the drivers of illegal grazing. We localized hotspots of illegal grazing and identified factors that influenced spatio-temporal patterns of illegal grazing over three decades in the Moyowosi Kigosi Game Reserve (MKGR), Tanzania. We used questionnaires with local pastoralists (N = 159), georeferenced aerial survey data and ranger reports from 1990–2019 to understand the reasons for illegal grazing in the area. We found that hotspots of illegal grazing occurred initially within 0–20 km of the boundary (H (3) = 137, p < 0.001; (H (3) = 32, p < 0.001) and encroached further into the protected area with time (H (3) = 11.3, p = 0.010); (H (2) = 59.0, p < 0.001). Further, livestock herd sizes decreased with increasing distance from the boundary (R = −0.20, p = 0.020; R = −0.40, p = 0.010). Most interviewees (81%) claimed that they face challenges of reduced foraging land in the wet season, caused by increasing land used for cultivation, which drives them into the MKGR to feed their livestock. We conclude that there is spatio-temporal consistency in the illegal livestock intrusion over three decades, and hotspot areas are located along the boundary of the MKGR. We suggest focusing patrols at these hotspot areas, especially during the wet season, to use limited law enforcement resources effectively. Full article

While recent advances in genetics make it possible to follow the genetic exchanges between populations and their phenotypic consequences, the impact of the genetic exchanges on the sensory perception of populations has yet to be explored. From this perspective, the present study investigated the consequences of African gene flow on odor perception in a Malagasy population with a predominantly East Asian genetic background. To this end, we combined psychophysical tests with genotype data of 235 individuals who were asked to smell the odorant molecule beta-ionone (βI). Results showed that in this population the ancestry of the OR5A1 gene significantly influences the ability to detect βI. At the individual level, African ancestry significantly protects against specific anosmia/hyposmia due to the higher frequency of the functional gene (OR ratios = 14, CI: 1.8–110, p-value = 0.012). At the population level, African introgression decreased the prevalence of specific anosmia/hyposmia to this odorous compound. Taken together, these findings validate the conjecture that in addition to cultural exchanges, genetic transfer may also influence the sensory perception of the population in contact. Full article

Synovial chondromatosis is a non-cancerous tumor characterized by the formation of multiple nodules of cartilage due to metaplastic development of the synovial membrane. Etiology can be a primary lesion, of which pathogenesis remains unknown, or low-grade trauma or internal disorders. This pathology can long remain undiagnosed and leads to therapeutic wandering, especially since clinical manifestations are non-specific. Symptoms may mimic temporomandibular disorders and dental orthopantomogram does not always show intra-articular calcified bodies. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are tests of choice for the diagnosis of this pathology. This case report describes the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and management of a case of synovial chondromatosis involving the temporomandibular joint, in a 21-year-old woman who was initially treated for two years for a common temporo-mandibular disorder. The evidence gathered during the medical interview and clinical examination led us to suspect synovial chondromatosis of the temporomandibular joint. Prescription of a CBCT and MRI confirmed the diagnosis of her temporomandibular joint disorder and led to a successful arthroplasty. Full article

Separate reactions of [Th{N(CH₂CH₂NSiMe₂Bu^t)₂(CH₂CH₂NSi(Me)(Bu^t)(μ-CH₂)]₂ (1) with [Re(η⁵-C₅H₅)₂(H)] (2) or [Ru(η⁵-C₅H₅)(H)(CO)₂] (3) produced, by alkane elimination, [Th(Tren^DMBS)Re(η⁵-C₅H₅)₂] (ThRe, Tren^DMBS = {N(CH₂CH₂NSiMe₂Bu^t)₃}^3-), and [Th(Tren^DMBS)Ru(η⁵-C₅H₅)(CO)₂] (ThRu), which were isolated in crystalline yields of 71% and 62%, respectively. Complex ThRe is the first example of a molecular Th-Re bond to be structurally characterised, and ThRu is only the second example of a structurally authenticated Th-Ru bond. By comparison to isostructural U-analogues, quantum chemical calculations, which are validated by IR and Raman spectroscopic data, suggest that the Th-Re and Th-Ru bonds reported here are more ionic than the corresponding U-Re and U-Ru bonds. Full article

In shallow aquatic environments, sediment is a significant source of monomethylmercury (MMHg) for surface water (SW). High-altitude aquatic ecosystems are characterized by extreme hydro-climatic constraints (e.g., low oxygen and high UV radiation). We studied, during two seasons, the diel cycles of MMHg in SW and sediment porewaters (PW) of Lake Uru Uru (3686 m a.s.l, Bolivia) contaminated by urban and mining activities. Our results show that diel changes in SW MMHg concentrations (up to 1.8 ng L⁻¹) overwhelm seasonal ones, with higher MMHg accumulation during the night-time and the dry season. The calculation of MMHg diffusive fluxes demonstrates that the sediment compartment was the primary source of MMHg to the SW. Most MMHg efflux occurred during the dry season (35.7 ± 17.4 ng m⁻² day⁻¹), when the lake was relatively shallow, more eutrophicated, and with the redoxcline located above the sediment–water interface (SWI). Changes in MMHg accumulation in the PWs were attributed to diel redox oscillations around the SWI driving both the bacterial sulfate reduction and bio-methylation. Finally, we highlight that although MMHg loading from the PW to the SW is large, MMHg photodegradation and demethylation by microorganisms control the net MMHg accumulation in the water column. Full article

Translational parallel manipulators (TPMs) with DELTA-like architectures are the most known and affirmed ones, even though many other TPM architectures have been proposed and studied in the literature. In a recent patent application, this author has presented a TPM with three equal limbs of Universal-Revolute-Universal (URU) type, with only one actuated joint per limb, which has overall size and characteristics similar to DELTA robots. The presented translational 3-URU architecture is different from other 3-URUs, proposed in the literature, since it has the actuators on the frame (base) even though the actuated joints are not on the base, and it features a particular geometry. Choosing the geometry and the actuated joints highly affects 3-URU’s behavior. Moreover, putting the actuators on the base allows a substantial reduction of the mobile masses, thus promising good dynamic performances, and makes the remaining part of the limb a simple chain constituted by only passive R-pairs. The paper addresses the kinematics and the singularity analysis of this novel TPM and proves the effectiveness of the new design choices. The results presented here form the technical basis for the above-mentioned patent application. Full article

An increased abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in aquatic environments has been linked to environmental pollution. Mining polluted sites with high concentration of metals could favor the in situ coselection of ARGs, whereas wastewater discharges release fecal antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment. To study the effect of human fecal contamination and mining pollution, water and sediment samples affected by mining activities and sewage discharges were collected from three lakes in Bolivia, the pristine Andean lake Pata Khota, the Milluni Chico lake directly impacted by acid mine drainage, and the Uru-Uru lake located close to Oruro city and highly polluted by mining activities and human wastewater discharges. Physicochemical parameters, including metal composition, were analyzed in water and sediment samples. ARGs were screened for and verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) together with the mobile element class 1 integron (intl1), as well as crAssphage, a marker of human fecal pollution. The gene intl1 was positively correlated with sul1, sul2, tetA, and bla_OXA-2. CrAssphage was only detected in the Uru-Uru lake, and its tributaries and significantly higher abundance of ARGs were found in these sites. Multivariate analysis showed that crAssphage abundance, electrical conductivity, and pH were positively correlated with higher levels of intl1 and ARGs. Taken together, our results suggest that fecal pollution is the major driver of higher levels of ARGs and intl1 in environments contaminated by wastewater and mining activities. Full article

Various 3-UPU architectures feature two rigid bodies connected to one another through three kinematic chains (limbs) of universal–prismatic–universal (UPU) type. They were first proposed in the last decade of the 20th century and have animated discussions among researchers for more-or-less two decades. Such discussions brought to light many features of lower-mobility parallel manipulators (PMs) that were unknown until then. The discussions also showed that such architectures may be sized into translational PMs, parallel wrists, or even reconfigurable (metamorphic) PMs. Even though commercial robots with these architectures have not yet been built, the interest in them remains. Consequently, a review of the literature on these architectures, highlighting their contribution to the progress of lower-mobility PM design, is still of interest for the scientific community. This paper aims at presenting a critical review of the results that have been obtained up until now. Full article

Viruses are ubiquitous and diverse microorganisms arising as a result of interactions within their vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Here we report the presence of different viruses in the salivary glands of 1657 mosquitoes classified over 28 culicinae species from the North region of the Brazilian Pantanal wetland through metagenomics, viral isolation, and RT-PCR. In total, 12 viruses were found, eight putative novel viruses with relatively low similarity with pre-existing species of viruses within their families, named Pirizal iflavirus, Furrundu phlebovirus, Pixé phlebovirus, Guampa vesiculovirus, Chacororé flavivirus, Rasqueado orbivirus, Uru chuvirus, and Bororo circovirus. We also found the already described Lobeira dielmorhabdovirus, Sabethes flavivirus, Araticum partitivirus, and Murici totivirus. Therefore, these findings underscore the vast diversity of culicinae and novel viruses yet to be explored in Pantanal, the largest wetland on the planet. Full article

Schoenoplectus californicus subsp. tatora (totora) is an endemic plant from wetlands in South America’s Altiplano region. In the endorheic Titicaca-Desaguadero-Poopó-Salar de Coipasa system (TDPS), totora can be found along rivers, lakes, and shallow ponds. Lake Uru-Uru is a minor lake placed upstream of Lake Poopó, and it gets water inflows from the Desaguadero River, the city of Oruro and several mining and metallurgic complexes. Polluted waters from these origins, together with natural high salinity and high presence of As and Pb, make Lake Uru-Uru an ideal location to search for plant species suitable to be used in constructed and restored wetlands under pollution stress, particularly in systems with high pH and salty waters. To test if totora could meet such requirements, healthy plants were collected at two sites in Lake Uru-Uru with different exposure to polluted inflows. Chemical composition of different organs (leaves, rhizomes and roots) were compared. Results indicated totora’s capacity to withstand high concentrations of a cocktail of multiple pollutants and heavy metals. Particularly, this research showed totora as a multi-hyperaccumulator (concentrations in shoots higher than 1000 mg kg⁻¹) for As, Fe and Ni. These results, combined with totora’s intrinsic high rates of biomass production, slow decomposition rates and its value as raw material for local craftwork and industrial uses, support the recommendation to use totora in constructed or restored wetlands, particularly in sites polluted with heavy metals, and in waters with high salinity. Full article