Search Results (43,932)

The Mongolian wild ass (Equus hemionus hemionus) is a flagship species of the desert-steppe ecosystem in Asia, and understanding its strategies for coping with cold environments is vital for both revealing its survival mechanisms and informing conservation efforts. In this study, we employed metagenomic sequencing to characterize the composition and functional potential of the gut microbiota, and applied DNA metabarcoding of the chloroplast trnL (UAA) g–h fragment to analyze dietary composition, aiming to reveal seasonal variations and the interplay between dietary plant composition and gut microbial communities. In the cold season, Bacteroidota and Euryarchaeota were significantly enriched, suggesting enhanced fiber degradation and energy extraction from low-quality forage. Moreover, genera such as Bacteroides and Alistipes were also significantly enriched and associated with short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolism, bile acid tolerance, and immune modulation. In the cold season, higher Simpson index values and tighter principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) clustering indicated a more diverse and stable microbiota under harsh environmental conditions, which may represent an important microecological strategy for the host to cope with extreme environments. Functional predictions based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) further indicated upregulation of metabolic and signaling pathways, including ABC transporters, two-component systems, and quorum sensing, suggesting multi-level microbial responses to low temperatures and nutritional stress. trnL-based plant composition analysis indicated seasonal shifts, with Tamaricaceae detected more in the warm season and Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, and Amaryllidaceae detected more in the cold season. Correlation analyses revealed that dominant microbial phyla were associated with the degradation of fiber, polysaccharides, and plant secondary metabolites, which may help maintain host energy and metabolic homeostasis. Despite the limited sample size and cross-sectional design, our findings highlight that gut microbial composition and structure may be important for host adaptation to cold environments and may also serve as a useful reference for future studies on the adaptive mechanisms and conservation strategies of endangered herbivores, including the Mongolian wild ass. Full article

We propose a novel numerical test to evaluate the reliability of numerical propagations, leveraging the fiber bundle structure of phase space typically induced by Lie symmetries, though not exclusively. This geometric test simultaneously verifies two properties: (i) preservation of conservation principles, and (ii) faithfulness to the symmetry-induced fiber bundle structure. To generalize the approach to systems lacking inherent symmetries, we construct an associated collective system endowed with an artificial G-symmetry. The original system then emerges as the G-reduced version of this collective system. By integrating the collective system and monitoring G-fiber bundle conservation, our test quantifies numerical precision loss and detects geometric structure violations more effectively than classical integral-based checks. Numerical experiments demonstrate the superior performance of this method, particularly in long-term simulations of rigid body dynamics and perturbed Keplerian systems. Full article

Comprehending the effects of climate change on the range of endangered species is essential for formulating successful conservation strategies. This research examines two nationally protected dung beetle species (Heliocopris dominus and Heliocopris bucephalus) in China to forecast their probable habitat range under present and future climate scenarios. Employing MaxEnt modeling with validated occurrence records and environmental variables, we discerned critical factors affecting their distribution and anticipated changes in habitat suitability. Results reveal that isothermality, temperature seasonality, maximum temperature of the warmest month, and annual precipitation are the principal environmental drivers. Presently, appropriate habitats are primarily located in southern Yunnan and Hainan, with future forecasts indicating a northward extension into additional areas. These findings offer critical insights for choosing conservation zones for these vulnerable species amid shifting climate conditions. Full article

In this paper, the boundary value problem of wave diffraction on a semi-infinite circular pin is solved using the Wiener–Hopf method with compensation of eigenmodes. The solution to the problem is presented as an infinite series defined by a recurrence formula. The reliability and accuracy of the solution are verified numerically in terms of fulfillment of the law of energy conservation. Sufficiently reliable results are obtained at the first iteration. The method used for solving this problem can be applied to solving diffraction problems on axisymmetric volumetric structures. Full article

Gully erosion, driven by the interplay of natural processes and human activities, results in severe soil degradation and landscape alteration, yet approaches for accurately quantifying erosion triggered by extreme precipitation using multi-source high-resolution remote sensing remain limited. This study first extracted digital surface models (DSM) for the years 2014 and 2024 using Ziyuan-3 and GaoFen-7 satellite stereo imagery, respectively. Subsequently, the DSM was calibrated using high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry data to enhance elevation accuracy. Based on the corrected DSMs, gully erosion depths from 2014 to 2024 were quantified. Erosion patches were identified through a deep learning framework applied to GaoFen-1 and GaoFen-2 imagery. The analysis further explored the influences of natural processes and anthropogenic activities on elevation changes within the gully erosion watershed. Topographic monitoring in the Sandu River watershed revealed a net elevation loss of 2.6 m over 2014–2024, with erosion depths up to 8 m in some sub-watersheds. Elevation changes are primarily driven by extreme precipitation-induced erosion alongside human activities, resulting in substantial spatial variability in surface lowering across the watershed. This approach provides a refined assessment of the spatial and temporal evolution of gully erosion, offering valuable insights for soil conservation and sustainable land management strategies in the Loess Plateau region. Full article

This study presents detailed microstructural observations of the mouthparts and sensory organs of adult cicadomorphan species, obtained using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Despite microstructural variation, the overall morphology of the mouthparts, comprising a three-segmented labium and a bundle of interlocking stylets (maxillae and mandibles), is highly conserved across species, supporting its evolutionary significance in sap feeding from floem, xylem, or epidermis cells. Variations in the number and shape of mandibular stylet barbs likely reflect adaptations to different host plant tissues. The presence of an identical dual interlocking system between the maxillary stylets, which is found consistently across taxa, enhances functional stability during feeding and indicates a conserved mechanism among cicadomorphans. The species studied exhibit two distinct types of salivary canal closure: hooked and T-shaped. The latter potentially represents a state linked to specialised feeding strategies, such as sap xylem feeding. On the labial tip, there are different shapes of the anterior sensory fields. This area hosts a complex array of sensilla of different numbers, including gustatory (sensilla peg, PS1 and PS2, basiconica, BS3, double basiconica, DB), olfactory (finger–like, FLS) and thermo-hygroreceptive (sensillum dome-shaped, DS, and coeloconicum, CS) types, which facilitate host detection and feeding site selection. In the posterior sensory field, sensilla contact-chemosensory (sensilla basiconica, BS1 and BS2, and sensillum trichoideum, TS) are present. Mechanosensilla chaetica (CH1–CH3) are widely distributed on the last labial segment and may contribute to labium positioning. These findings emphasise the presence of both conserved and specialised morphological traits reflecting evolutionary and ecological diversification within Cicadomorpha. Full article

Prefabricated Construction (PC) Technology is recognized for its advantages in reducing carbon emissions, lowering energy consumption, conserving materials, and improving waste management. Despite significant research efforts, few systematic analyses have been conducted to consolidate the current understanding of carbon emissions in PC. To address this gap, the present study undertakes a comprehensive review using a synergistic approach that integrates scientometric and rigorous qualitative analyses. The aim is to synthesize state-of-the-art research on carbon emissions in PC and provide insightful directions for future academic work in this field. A database of 114 relevant journal articles was compiled through a meticulous data collection process, followed by scientometric analysis to map influential journals, key articles, active countries, and emerging research trends. The qualitative analysis identifies prevailing research domains, highlights critical research gaps, and anticipates future needs. This study contributes to enriching the existing knowledge base and offers both theoretical insights and practical guidance for advancing low-carbon construction, optimizing assessment frameworks, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and informed policymaking. Full article

The current conservative wave of U.S. policies on higher education lacks the recognition of international students’ various backgrounds and ideologies, economic contributions, and nuanced experiences that would enrich college campuses. This paper provides a critical discourse analysis of anti-DEI rhetoric and legislation with Ohio’s higher education senate bill (S.B. 1 signed March 2025) as an exemplary case and with international students in mind. With this, I explicated some relevant legal issues of the bill (intellectual diversity, DEI programs, American civic literacy course, evaluating faculty’s role in maintaining a bias-free classroom, and partnership with People’s Republic of China) and their implications on freedom of expression and international student admissions, retention, safety, and student services. As a scholar from abroad, I aim to provide a voice, perspective, and analysis for international students in these politically charged times in U.S. higher education. Full article

As an important ecosystem service, water conservation is influenced by land use related to human activities. In this study, we first evaluated spatial and temporal changes in water conservation in Baicheng City, western Jilin Province, from 2000 to 2020. Then, we identified three different scenarios: the natural development scenario (NDS), cropland protection scenario (CPS), and ecological protection scenario (EPS). We coupled the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) models to predict the distribution of land use types and water conservation in Baicheng City under these scenarios for 2030. The results showed the following: (1) The average water conservation in Baicheng City from 2000 to 2020 was 7.08 mm. (2) Areas with higher water conservation were distributed in the northwest and northeast, while lower water conservation areas were distributed in the central and southwest of Baicheng City. (3) The simulation results of the future pattern of land use show an increasing water conservation trend in all three scenarios. Compared with the other two scenarios, the ecological protection scenario is the most suitable option for the current development planning of Baicheng City. Under the ecological protection scenario (EPS), ecological land is strictly protected, the area of agricultural land increases to some extent, and the overall structure of changes in land use becomes more rational. This study provides a reference for land resource allocation and ecosystem conservation. Full article

This study investigates the influence of technostress (Tech) on the well-being (WB) of employees in manufacturing sectors employing Industry 4.0 in Turkey, examining the effect of work exhaustion (WE) as a mediator in the association between technostress and well-being. How digital leadership (Dg) moderates these relationships is analyzed and discussed accordingly. This article also presents strategies for digital leaders to mitigate employees’ technostress in the digital transformation era and discusses their positive role. Using the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, data were gathered from 329 workers employed at three manufacturing firms located in Istanbul. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test this study’s hypothesis. The results indicate that increased technostress notably reduces employee well-being, primarily because it heightens work exhaustion. Moreover, robust digital leadership effectively lessens these negative impacts, underscoring its value in managing technological stress. This research explains the importance of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3) for better health and well-being practices in workplaces. It suggests practical implications for organizations, including developing digital leadership skills, routinely assessing technostress, and applying targeted actions to sustain employee health during digital shifts. Full article

Given the endangered status and very limited distribution of Barbarea vulgaris R.Br. subsp. lepuznica (Nyár.) Soó in stressful, high-elevation habitats, where these plants must prioritise the resource acquisition and vegetative growth to sustain their survival and persistence, we aimed to reveal possible abiotic/biotic-driven constraints in biomass allocation for flower production. Three functional traits, i.e., the tallest shoot height, leaf mass area (LMA) and number of inflorescences (racemes), were measured in thirty plants in each of the three studied populations differing in altitude and sheep grazing intensity (P1—1700 m, grazed; P2—1900 m, ungrazed; P3—2100 m, ungrazed). The LMA and dominant shoot height were significantly higher and, respectively, lower in P3 compared with P1. Although the mean number of racemes in P1 was lower than in P2 and P3, the differences were not statistically significant. The tallest shoot height, followed by the LMA, displayed the highest contribution to differentiating the three populations. The raceme count decreased significantly with increasing height of the dominant shoot in P1 and P2, and also with increasing LMA in P3. The observed constraint in raceme production within all populations is very likely one facet of the trade-off between reproductive and vegetative allocation under harsh edapho-climatic conditions. The studied plants have adopted a conservative-tolerant strategy to cope with the abiotic stress at higher elevations, but an acquisitive-tolerant strategy in face of grazing. The subspecies lepuznica seems to be in a favourable conservation status, but a close monitoring in grazed areas is recommended. Full article

The degree of informational redundancy is often examined in genetic studies but not yet detailed for taxa conceived as minimally monophyletic groups (microgenus). Evolutionary processes in microgenera were reviewed, detailing critical sets of traits, the novon, the immediate ancestron, and the ancestron. Calculations were made from known intra-genus character state changes for maximum entropy, Shannon entropy, and entropic redundancy. Additional evaluations of contrived data sets were intended to evaluate the range of informational variation in small, medium, and large numbers of species and traits. Results indicate that measures of Shannon information and redundancy are rather similar in all but microgenera with the smallest number of species and traits per species. Hypothetically, this similarity is due to the fairly constant balance between numbers of newly evolved traits and traits monothetically redundant because all are shared with all species in the genus. This balance may be explained by a selective construct or emergent property that balances innovation leading to the colonization of new niches and conservation of proven ancestral traits for survival sympatricially and peripatrically in the particular challenges of the ancestor’s niche. The entropic redundancy calculations indicate that 0.20 to 0.30 of the information in a microgenus serves as flexibility in survival adaptation at the genus level. Full article

Subterranean ecosystems represent some of the most unique and fragile habitats on Earth, yet they remain poorly understood and highly vulnerable to human-induced disturbances. Despite their ecological significance, these systems are rarely integrated into conservation planning, and surface-level protected areas alone are insufficient to safeguard their biodiversity. In southeastern Brazil, a karst landscape spanning approximately 1200 km², recognized as the region with the highest cave density in South America (approximately 2600 caves), is under increasing pressure from urban expansion, agriculture, and mining, all of which threaten the ecological integrity of subterranean habitats. This study sought to identify caves of high conservation priority by integrating species richness of non-troglobitic invertebrates, occurrence of troglobitic species, presence of endemic troglobitic taxa, and the degree of anthropogenic impacts, using spatial algebra and polygon-based mapping approaches. Agriculture and exotic forestry plantations (54%) and mining operations (15%) were identified as the most prevalent disturbances. A total of 32 troglobitic species were recorded, occurring in 63% of the 105 surveyed caves. Notably, seven caves alone harbor 25% of the region’s known cave invertebrate diversity and encompass 50% of its cave-restricted species. The findings highlight the global significance of this spot of subterranean biodiversity and reinforce the urgent need for targeted conservation measures. Without immediate action to mitigate unsustainable land use and resource exploitation, the persistence of these highly specialized communities is at imminent risk. Full article

Accelerated artificial aging of zinc oxide (ZnO)-based acrylic artists’ paint, filled with calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) as an extender, was carried out for a total of 1963 h (~8 × 10⁷ lux·h), with assessments at specific intervals. The total color difference ΔE* was <2 (CIELab-76 system) over 1725 h of aging, while the human eye notices color change at ΔE* > 2. Oxidative degradation of organic components in the paint to form volatile products was revealed by attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). It appears that deep oxidation of organic intermediates and volatilization of organic matter may be responsible for the relatively small value of ΔE* color difference during aging of the samples. To elucidate the degradation pathways, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the spectral data, revealing: (1) the catalytic role of ZnO in accelerating photodegradation, (2) the Kolbe photoreaction, (3) the decomposition of the binder to form volatile degradation products, and (4) the relative photoinactivity of CaCO₃ compared with ZnO, showing slower degradation in areas with a higher CaCO₃ content compared with those dominated by ZnO. These results provide fundamental insights into formulation-specific degradation processes, offering practical guidance for the development of more durable artist paints and conservation strategies for acrylic artworks. Full article

Background and Objectives: Spinal anesthesia is increasingly preferred in pediatric surgeries due to its rapid onset, high success rate, and low risk of systemic complications. However, the influence of age and body mass index (BMI) on block characteristics in adolescents remains insufficiently studied. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 190 pediatric patients (aged 9–18 years; 154 male, 36 female) undergoing elective surgery with spinal anesthesia. Patients were stratified by age (Group 1: 9–14 years; Group 2: 15–18 years) and BMI (Group A: 16.00–19.65 kg/m²; Group B: 19.66–23.31 kg/m²). The primary outcome was sensory block duration. Secondary outcomes included sedation requirements, complications, analgesic requirement times, and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores. Results: Group 2 had significantly longer sensory block duration and lower postoperative VAS scores at 3 and 12 h compared to Group 1 (p < 0.001). Lower BMI was associated with greater sedation requirements (p < 0.001) and a higher incidence of intraoperative nausea and vomiting (p = 0.013). Complications were infrequent (hypotension 6.3%, bradycardia 2.1%, PONV 7.1%, postoperative headache 3.1%) and managed conservatively. Conclusions: Age and BMI meaningfully influence spinal anesthesia characteristics in pediatric patients. Older adolescents achieved longer sensory block durations and better postoperative analgesia, whereas younger and lower-BMI patients required more sedation and had higher nausea rates. Individualized spinal anesthesia planning, considering age, BMI, and developmental stage, may optimize clinical outcomes. Prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings. Full article