Search Results (1,195)

During a survey of myxozoan diversity in fishes from Hunan Province, two new Myxidium species were discovered infecting the gallbladder of Sarcocheilichthys kiangsiensis Nichols, 1930 and Sarcocheilichthys parvus Nichols, 1930, in Dongting Lake, China. In both cases, myxospores were observed freely floating in the biles, with no typical plasmodia detected. Morphologically, both of them can be differentiated from previously described congeners by a combination of features, including myxospore dimensions, polar capsule shape, number of polar tubule coils and shell valve striations. BLASTn research indicated that neither species matched any available species in GenBank. The highest sequence similarity for Myxidium kiangsiensis n. sp. was 98.54% with M. asiaticum Chen et al., 2020 (PQ776264), and that for Myxidium parvusis n. sp. was 93.06% with Zschokkella guelaguetza Alama-Bermejo et al., 2023 (OQ888223). This study represents the first record of Myxidiidae infection in Sarcocheilichthys hosts. Phylogenetic analysis based on the obtained SSU rDNA sequences placed the two species in separate subclades interspersed with other Myxidium and Zschokkella species. This topology further corroborates the polyphyletic nature of these two genera. Full article

Floodplain forests in central Amazonia are structured along a marked flooding gradient that influences species distribution, performance, and survival. This study evaluated the demographic structure, survival, and growth responses of two co-occurring tree species across contrasting várzea environments differing in inundation regimes. Field surveys quantified seedlings, juveniles, and adults in low- and high-floodplain forests, while a field experiment assessed survival and growth under conditions with and without interspecific interaction. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that temporal variation and forest type significantly affected growth parameters, with species-specific responses to flooding intensity. In the field experiment, mortality of Crateva tapia L. differed significantly among treatments (χ² = 24.96, p < 0.001), with the highest mortality observed in high-várzea (up to 75% under interspecific interaction), while Hura crepitans L. showed 100% survival across all treatments. Non-parametric analyses detected no significant treatment effects on selected morphological traits. The results support the stress-gradient hypothesis, suggesting that plant–plant interactions may shift along the flooding gradient, with facilitative processes becoming more relevant under higher stress conditions. Overall, differential flood tolerance appears to be a key driver of habitat preference and population structure in these Amazonian wetlands. Full article

The assessment of the hydromorphological state of a river is fundamental for both correctly evaluating its ecological conditions and planning its restoration. Despite this, there is a critical gap in studies on this topic in Southern Italy, although they are recommended by several EU Framework Directives. This research provides a contribution to filling this gap by assessing the hydromorphological quality of the Middle and Lower Sabato River (Southern Italy), by using the method officially adopted by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), named IDRAIM. The method presents the advantage of considering the specific Italian context in terms of channel adjustments and anthropogenic impacts. However, it also considers pre-existing geomorphological approaches developed in other countries that make the method applicable at least in the entire Mediterranean area. To apply the method, in this study, we used data obtained by GIS analysis, remotely sensed data, and field-surveyed data. The study has highlighted that, in the Middle and Lower Sabato R., eight river reaches out-of-fifteen have displayed a “moderate or sufficient” morphological quality, five reaches a “good” morphological quality, while the remaining two reaches have been characterized by a “poor” morphological quality. Functional alterations have seemed to prevail over artificiality and intensity of short-term channel adjustments in conditioning hydromorphological quality. These results will be a key starting point for already planned studies dealing with both the restoration of the Sabato R. and flood hazard and risk assessment. Full article

The automatic extraction of seismic reflection events is fundamental to seismic interpretation and structural identification in oil and gas exploration, particularly for large-scale regional surveys and preliminary basin-scale assessments. Although the B-COSFIRE (Bar-Combination of Shifted Filter Responses) method has demonstrated strong capability in detecting ridge-like structures, its application in large-scale seismic processing is limited by high computational cost and complex filter bank configuration. Conventional edge detectors such as the Canny operator are computationally efficient but often produce fragmented and noise-sensitive results in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) seismic data because they rely solely on local gradient information and ignore the spatial continuity of geological horizons. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a lightweight and computationally efficient framework for rapid seismic event extraction. The method simplifies the B-COSFIRE architecture by replacing its configurable filter bank with a Difference-of-Gaussian (DoG) operator, which enhances ridge-like reflection features while suppressing background interference through a center–surround mechanism. Furthermore, a Spatial Consistency Constraint (SCC) module is introduced to enforce lateral continuity using directional morphological closing operations. This strategy reconstructs disrupted reflection segments and converts isolated detection responses into spatially coherent linear structures. Adaptive thresholding and skeletonization are then applied to obtain single-pixel-wide reflection contours suitable for geological interpretation and regional structural analysis. The proposed method was evaluated using both synthetic seismic models (Ricker wavelet convolution with Gaussian noise, σ = 0.15) and real post-stack seismic profiles characterized by low SNR conditions. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a Precision of 0.9527, Recall of 1.0000, and F1-score of 0.9758 on synthetic data, outperforming both the standard Canny detector (F1: 0.8972) and B-COSFIRE (F1: 0.7311). The Continuity Index reaches 261.00 pixels, substantially higher than Canny (223.67 pixels) and B-COSFIRE (66.86 pixels). Notably, B-COSFIRE exhibits a severely imbalanced detection profile (Precision: 0.5762, Recall: 1.000), indicating excessive false positives that undermine its practical utility. The proposed method additionally achieves the lowest runtime (0.024 s per profile), representing a 44× speedup over B-COSFIRE (1.039 s), while requiring no training data. Overall, the proposed framework provides a practical and efficient solution for automated seismic event extraction. With only a small number of geologically interpretable parameters and strong robustness across different datasets, the method is well-suited for large-scale seismic data processing and preliminary structural assessment in underexplored regions, enabling rapid first-pass evaluation of extensive survey areas before detailed interpretation and reservoir characterization. These characteristics make the method particularly suitable for computer-assisted interpretation workflows in industrial oil and gas exploration. Unlike prior approaches that treat seismic event extraction as a generic edge detection problem, the proposed framework explicitly encodes geological prior knowledge—specifically, the lateral continuity of stratigraphic interfaces—as a morphological constraint, bridging the gap between image processing methodology and geophysical interpretation requirements. Full article

Seismic lines are among the most widespread anthropogenic disturbances in Alberta’s boreal peatlands, where repeated petroleum-exploration surveys can alter surface morphology, hydrology, and recovery potential. Although low-impact seismic (LIS) techniques are designed to minimize ground disturbance, the long-term consequences of re-using existing lines remain poorly understood. This study used remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS)-based LiDAR and optical imagery to examine how peatland microtopography and hydrology evolve following repeated seismic surveys. We quantified four attributes—ground depression, hummock cover, depth to water, and surface water cover—across new seismic lines (cut in 2021), old seismic lines (cut in 1996), and re-disturbance (cut in 1996, re-cut in 2021) LIS lines, as well as adjacent undisturbed peatland, in a boreal fen of northern Alberta. New disturbances were depressed by approximately 10 cm relative to the surrounding peatland and exhibited reduced microtopographic variability. Hummock cover decreased from 21% in the matrix to 6% on new disturbances. Old disturbances showed greater heterogeneity than new disturbances, with hummock cover partially recovering to 14% and surface water increasing from 7% to 27%, reflecting greater spatial heterogeneity in surface conditions. Re-disturbances exhibited microtopographic conditions similar to or more degraded than old disturbances, with hummock cover reduced to 2% and persistently high surface water cover (27%). These patterns suggest that repeated seismic surveys may limit recovery and maintain altered hydrological and microtopographic conditions. Within the context of this case study, even narrow LIS corridors were associated with persistent alterations when re-used, highlighting the importance of considering re-use effects when developing management strategies for peatland ecosystems. RPAS data provide an effective means to quantify these fine-scale changes and inform peatland restoration and seismic line management. Full article

Urban rooftop photovoltaic systems represent a substantial yet still underutilized renewable energy resource, particularly in high-density residential environments. Accurate large-scale assessment of rooftop solar potential, however, remains challenging due to the complex geometry of urban morphology and the limited availability of high-resolution geospatial data. This study presents a large-scale methodological framework for estimating the theoretical photovoltaic potential of urban rooftop spaces using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)-based digital photogrammetry and GIS-based spatial analysis. The approach integrates centimeter-resolution Digital Surface Models (DSMs) and orthophotos derived from fixed-wing UAS surveys with detailed rooftop vectorization and solar radiation modeling implemented in a GIS environment. The methodology accounts for rooftop geometry, surface orientation, slope, shading effects, and rooftop-mounted obstacles. The methodology consists of data collection of high-resolution RGB imagery suitable for detailed three-dimensional reconstruction. The images are captured with a UAS equipped with a S.O.D.A. 3D photogrammetric camera, creating a dense, georeferenced three-dimensional point cloud based on UAS imagery. Based on the point cloud, a high-resolution Digital Surface Model (DSM) was produced. Rooftop boundaries and rooftop-mounted structures were digitized on the basis of an orthophoto created from UAS imagery. The analysis workflow consists of solar modeling using ArcGIS Pro, including calculating the solar radiation. The next methodological step is to filter low radiation rooftops, steep slopes, and northern-oriented rooftops. Finally, we calculate the potential electricity production. The framework was applied to high-density residential districts in Sofia, Bulgaria, dominated by prefabricated panel buildings with predominantly flat rooftops. Drone applications in such studies are typically restricted to modeling individual roofs, which severely limits their scalability for district-wide evaluations. To overcome this, the study employs a specialized fixed-wing UAS uniquely certified for legal operations over densely populated urban environments. This platform rapidly maps large territories, ensuring consistent lighting and shading conditions that significantly enhance the accuracy of subsequent rooftop digitization. Furthermore, the resulting centimeter-level precision enables the exact vectorization of micro-rooftop obstacles. Capturing these intricate details is a critical innovation that effectively prevents the overestimation of solar energy potential commonly observed in conventional large-scale models. Solar radiation was modeled at the pixel level for a full annual cycle and filtered using photovoltaic suitability criteria, including minimum annual radiation thresholds, slope, and aspect constraints. Theoretical electricity production was subsequently estimated using zonal statistics and system performance parameters representative of contemporary photovoltaic installations. The results indicate a total theoretical annual electricity potential of approximately 76.7 GWh for the analyzed rooftop spaces, with an average production of about 34 MWh per rooftop and pronounced spatial variability driven by rooftop geometry and exposure conditions. The findings demonstrate the significant renewable energy potential embedded in existing urban rooftop infrastructure and highlight the applicability of UAS-based photogrammetry for high-resolution, large-area solar potential assessments. The proposed framework provides actionable information for urban energy planning, municipal solar cadaster development, and the strategic integration of photovoltaic systems into dense urban environments, particularly in regions lacking open-access high-resolution geospatial datasets. Full article

Accurate spatial identification of check dams is a key prerequisite for evaluating soil and water conservation benefits and optimizing dam system planning on the Loess Plateau. Current deep learning models face severe misclassification and omission issues under complex terrain due to the scarcity of check dam samples and the lack of prior geographic knowledge. This study proposes a recognition method based on Faster R-CNN, constrained by suitable areas and microtopography. The Xiliugou watershed in Inner Mongolia was selected as the study area. Based on Google Earth imagery and field survey data, a check dam sample dataset was constructed, integrating the morphological features of “linear dam body with a trapezoidal slope.” Using the construction suitable area constraints defined by the Technical Specifications for Check Dams and microtopography standard deviation (δ) derived from DEM as dual spatial filtering mechanisms, these were deeply embedded into the Faster R-CNN model to limit the search space and enhance geographic plausibility. Experimental results show that the constrained Faster R-CNN model achieved a precision and recall of 92.86% and 96.89%, compared with the accuracy rate of only deep learning model recognition (60.61%), which significantly increased by 32.25%, indicating that geographical constraints have an enhancing effect. Using this method, a total of 191 embankment dams were identified in the Xiliugou Basin. New 30 unrecorded embankment dams (21 small dams and 9 micro-dams) were discovered. The model’s good generalization ability was verified in the Han Tiechuan geographical isolation area, which contained 153 embankment dam samples, with an accuracy rate of 72.94%. Spatial analysis further revealed the “successive interception along tributaries” distribution pattern and strong spatial aggregation characteristics (box dimension D ≈ 0.36) of check dams in the Xiliugou watershed. This study confirms the critical role of suitable area and microtopography constraints in improving the accuracy and reliability of deep learning models and provides a transferable technical paradigm for automated, high-precision surveys of regional soil and water conservation projects. Full article

This article addresses the regeneration of extractive landscapes through the case study of the abandoned quarry system of Cutrofiano in the Salento region of Southern Italy, positioning the quarry as a critical interface between geology, architecture, and contemporary environmental challenges. The study aims to redefine the quarry landscape not as a residual void, but as a potential ecological and cultural infrastructure. The research adopts an interdisciplinary methodology combining geomorphological and geotechnical surveys, historical and cartographic analysis, spatial interpretation, and a multi-criteria assessment framework to identify vulnerabilities and transformation potentials. The results include a strategic masterplan articulated into three integrated interventions: the conversion of the open-pit quarry into a flood-control basin for hydrogeological risk mitigation and sustainable water management; the transformation of the quarry floor into an energy park; and the design of cultural spaces for public use and territorial enhancement. These strategies demonstrate the feasibility of reconciling environmental safety, renewable energy production, and heritage valorization within a single morphological logic. The study concludes that the quarry can be reinterpreted as a regenerative landscape model, offering transferable tools for Mediterranean contexts characterized by similar geological and socio-economic conditions. Full article

Cerium dioxide (CeO₂) has emerged as a structurally versatile oxide for dye-wastewater purification because its architecture, porosity, and surface accessibility can be tuned over a wide range while maintaining good chemical stability and environmental compatibility. Recent studies show that template-free or low-template routes can generate porous, mesoporous, multilayered, and flower-like CeO₂ architectures with rapid dye uptake and, in some systems, adsorption-assisted photocatalytic removal. However, CeO₂-based dye removal has often been discussed either within broad surveys of environmental applications or from composition-centered viewpoints, whereas the more fundamental question is how synthesis route controls architecture formation and how architecture, in turn, governs adsorption and subsequent removal behavior. This mini-review addresses that question from a morphology-centered perspective. It first examines template-free and low-template routes for constructing structured CeO₂, then discusses how porosity, hierarchical assembly, and surface accessibility regulate adsorption kinetics and equilibrium capacity in dye-containing aqueous systems. It further considers adsorption-assisted photocatalytic removal and argues that dark adsorption should be regarded as the structural first step rather than a secondary contribution. On this basis, the review shows that rare-earth doping in these systems is most usefully understood as a secondary tuning strategy that refines an already favorable host architecture by modifying surface interaction, optical response, or reactive-species generation. Overall, the available evidence indicates that CeO₂-based dye-wastewater purification is most meaningfully interpreted through a route–architecture–function framework in which morphology defines the host, adsorption organizes the local reaction environment, and doping serves mainly as structure-assisted tuning. This perspective shifts the design logic of CeO₂ from empirical performance optimization toward rational structure-directed construction of integrated removal platforms. Full article

Coal-mining subsidence lakes are an expanding artificial wetland type in China, yet the relationships between waterbird diversity components and water-quality and landscape gradients remain unclear. We conducted monthly point-count surveys from January to December 2025 at 28 subsidence lakes in Huaibei, Anhui, China (lake area: 0.01–1.05 km²), and used generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to test relationships between waterbird diversity and water quality, lake morphology, landscape composition, and anthropogenic disturbance. Associations differed among diversity components. Species richness was positively associated with surrounding cropland and built-up area, whereas total abundance was positively associated with total nitrogen but negatively associated with total phosphorus, indicating that nutrient-related associations were not uniform across water-quality variables. Both Shannon and Margalef diversity were positively associated with surrounding cropland and also showed positive, context-dependent associations with built-up area. These findings suggest that different components of waterbird diversity were associated with different environmental gradients, with landscape context more strongly associated with richness and diversity indices, whereas water-quality gradients were more strongly associated with abundance. Conserving waterbird diversity in subsidence lakes therefore requires attention not only to nutrient conditions within lakes, but also to the surrounding wetland–farmland landscape context. Full article

The northward expansion of Dirofilaria spp. is a current medical and veterinary concern. However, it is unclear how far north the parasite has spread in Western Siberia and what species of mosquito can carry and transmit it. This study examined Dirofilaria spp. infection in Aedes mosquitoes in the taiga zone of the Irtysh Basin. The mosquito species were identified based on morphology, and Dirofilaria spp. were identified using PCR. Of the 13 habitats surveyed, 24 of 2205 mosquito samples were infected with D. repens and 1 with Dirofilaria sp. The highest infection rate (~7.6) was recorded in Tobolsk, Tyumen region, at 58.4° N. Mosquito infection was recorded as far north as 61° N in Khanty-Mansiysk. The presence of the infective L3 stage of the parasite was recorded up to 60° N in Bobrovsky. Nine species of mosquitoes were found to be infected with D. repens: Aedes rossicus, Aedes behningi, Aedes cantans, Aedes communis, Aedes cyprius, Aedes euedes, Aedes excrucians, Aedes flavescens, and Aedes sticticus. Two of these species, Ae. behningi and Ae. communis, were competent vectors of the parasite. Thus, D. repens has successfully adapted to the Aedes mosquito in the taiga zone of Siberia. Full article

Dactylis glomerata is a globally important cool-season forage grass with high ecological and economic value. During field surveys conducted in three counties of the Ili region of Xinjiang, Zhaosu County, Tekes County, and Xinyuan County, a previously unreported root rot disease was observed on wild orchardgrass, with disease incidence ranging from 20% to 72%. The most severe symptoms were recorded in Zhaosu County. The pathogen was isolated and identified as Bipolaris sorokiniana based on morphological characteristics and multilocus phylogenetic analyses of ITS, GAPDH, and TEF gene sequences. The results of biological characteristics showed that the optimal conditions for mycelial growth were 25 °C, pH 7, continuous light for 24 h, potato sucrose agar (PSA) as the culture medium, soluble starch as the optimal carbon source, and peptone as the optimal nitrogen source. In vitro fungicide sensitivity assays indicated that all nine tested fungicides significantly inhibited mycelial growth of B. sorokiniana. Among them, difenoconazole exhibited the highest inhibitory activity, with an EC₅₀ value of 0.0706 mg·L⁻¹, followed by tebuconazole (EC₅₀ = 0.3606 mg·L⁻¹) and tetramycin (EC₅₀ = 0.6815 mg·L⁻¹). These findings provide a scientific basis for further studies on disease epidemiology, pathogenic mechanisms, and integrated management of this disease. Full article

This review surveys how nanoparticles and biomolecular nanosized structures interact with model membrane systems, and how these interfacial processes govern their performance in drug and gene delivery, antimicrobial strategies, biosensing, and nanotoxicology. The nanostructures covered include polymeric nanoparticles, lipid-based carriers, peptide nanostructures, dendrimers, and multifunctional hybrids. Model membranes span Langmuir monolayers, supported lipid bilayers, vesicles/liposomes across sizes, and emerging hybrid or asymmetric constructs that better approximate native complexity. Mechanistically, interactions follow recurrent routes—surface adsorption, bilayer insertion, pore formation, and lipid extraction/reorganization—regulated by particle size, morphology, charge, ligand architecture, and lipophilicity, in conjunction with membrane composition, phase state, curvature, and asymmetry. A multiscale toolkit links structure, mechanics, and dynamics: Langmuir troughs and Brewster Angle Microscopy map thermodynamics and mesoscale morphology; atomic force microscopy and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation resolve nanoscale topography and viscoelasticity; fluorescence microscopy/spectroscopy reports on localization and packing; neutron and X-ray reflectometry quantify vertical structure; molecular dynamics provides atomistic pathways and design hypotheses. Historically, the field advanced from early monolayers and bilayers, through the fluid mosaic model, to raft microdomains and modern biomimetic systems, enabling increasingly realistic experiments. Key advances include cross-method integration linking experimental observations with image-based computational models; persistent debates concern the translation from simplified models to living membranes, the role of dynamic coronas, and scale/force-field limits in simulations. Future efforts should prioritize hybrid models incorporating proteins and asymmetric lipidomes, standardized reporting and reference systems, rigorous coupling of experiments with calibrated simulations and machine learning, and alignment with safety-by-design and regulatory expectations, thereby shifting interfacial measurements from descriptive observation to predictive design rules. Full article

In archaeological contexts, isolated or poorly connected masonry elements are very common due to the absence of floors and weak connections between walls. As a result, under horizontal actions, vulnerability to out-of-plane (OOP) failures often becomes the most critical issue for their preservation. As is well-known, limit analysis-based approaches provide a reliable assessment of the expected OOP failure mechanisms and the associated acceleration capacity for existing masonry buildings. However, these approaches mainly refer to box-type buildings and cannot be directly applied to archaeological remains, whose morphology may differ significantly. With a specific focus on the Pompeii Archaeological Park (PAP), this study proposes a two-level classification of archaeological walls aimed at identifying their most likely OOP failure mechanisms and the most suitable analytical models available in the literature to predict their behaviour. The first level identifies recurring typologies based on the morphology of wall connections, relying on geometrical data that can be easily obtained from maps and/or on-site surveys. The second level then evaluates the effectiveness of these connections by investigating their construction techniques. The paper, therefore, proposes a general methodology for assessing the vulnerability of archaeological masonry walls to OOP failure mechanisms and discusses its application to some walls in the PAP. Full article

Grounded in a typological framework, this study utilizes design-based research to systematically examine urban furniture in Macau, specifically interrogating the mechanisms of morphological continuity and spatial evolution. Through extensive field surveys and iterative design practices, the research identifies pronounced deficiencies in existing urban furniture, particularly concerning cultural resonance, functional versatility, and environmental synergy. To resolve these issues, the study proposes a typological design methodology predicated on cultural identification, archetypal restoration, and morphological innovation. This framework is articulated through three strategic pillars: (1) reconfiguring the structural logic of vernacular architecture via analogical synthesis; (2) recontextualizing architectural symbols to facilitate the contemporary translation of cultural heritage; and (3) calibrating ergonomic performance with aesthetic cohesion through rigorous proportional reasoning. Empirical validation confirms that this approach substantially augments both the cultural legibility and spatial fluidity of urban furniture. Ultimately, this research establishes a refined theoretical and methodological template for urban design in culturally heterogeneous contexts. Full article