Search Results (290)

Background: Public fitness facilities are high-contact environments that facilitate microbial transfer via shared surfaces; however, temporal dynamics and device-specific contamination patterns remain insufficiently characterized. Methods: A repeated-measures observational study was conducted in a fitness facility over five consecutive weekdays (Monday to Friday). A total of 180 surface samples were collected from 12 gym devices, each sampled three times daily (morning, noon, and evening). Surface-associated cultivable bacteria were recovered using culture-based methods followed by MALDI-TOF MS identification. Ecological metrics, including species richness and Shannon diversity, were calculated, and taxa were classified by origin (skin-associated versus environmental). Device-specific contamination profiles were developed using a composite index incorporating pathogen presence, contamination frequency, and persistence. Temporal trends and predictors of contamination were analyzed using mixed-effects regression models. All statistical analyses were performed in R. Results: A total of 248 bacterial isolates were identified, representing 61 species across 32 families, with a predominance of skin-associated taxa (72.2%). Sampling time point was a strong independent predictor of contamination (adjusted OR for noon vs. morning: 7.19; p < 0.001). While overall microbial diversity remained stable across devices (Shannon index, p = 0.44), substantial heterogeneity was observed in pathogen prevalence, multispecies burden, and persistence. The functional trainer and leg extension showed the highest composite risk scores (42.3%), while the ab crunch machine and upper body ergometer demonstrated significantly increasing contamination trends over the sampling period (p < 0.05). Co-occurrence analysis showed nonrandom microbial associations, with the strongest positive links between Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus (Φ = 0.76) and Staphylococcus aureus (Φ = 0.61). Conclusions: Gym equipment surfaces harbor predominantly human-associated microbial communities exhibiting dynamic temporal contamination patterns, and on selected devices, increasing the baseline contamination across consecutive cleaning cycles. The findings indicate that contamination patterns on shared fitness equipment are dominated by taxa commonly associated with human skin and support targeted hygiene interventions focused on frequently contacted devices and periods of elevated contamination. Full article

Introduction: Heavy metal contamination in water represents a major environmental and public health challenge because toxic ions frequently occur as complex multi-species mixtures rather than isolated pollutants. This study presents a numerical design and optimization of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on a LaF/Au/BaTiO₃/WS₂ heterostructure for monitoring refractive-index changes associated with mixed heavy metal ions in aqueous media. Methodology: The optical response of the multilayer sensor was evaluated using the transfer matrix method under TM-polarized illumination at 633 nm. Systematic optimization was performed for the prism substrate, Au thickness, dielectric oxide layer, and 2D nanomaterial interface. The final configuration consisted of a LaF prism, 50 nm Au film, 2.0 nm BaTiO₃ spacer, and 0.80 nm WS₂ monolayer. Sensor performance was assessed using resonance-angle shift, sensitivity, detection accuracy, quality factor, figure of merit, FWHM, attenuation, and estimated limit of detection. Results and Discussion: The optimized LaF/Au/BaTiO₃/WS₂ configuration produced stable simulated SPR responses across single, binary, quaternary, and five-ion heavy metal matrices. The WS₂ monolayer provided the highest angular displacement among the evaluated 2D materials, while BaTiO₃ improved field confinement and limited optical damping in the numerical model. The configuration maintained attenuation near 1.6%, FWHM values around 7.9°, detection accuracy between 0.030 and 0.032 deg⁻¹, and model-based refractometric LoD values down to 3.49 × 10⁻⁵ RIU under the assumed angular-resolution criterion. Conclusions: The proposed LaF/Au/BaTiO₃/WS₂ SPR configuration provides a numerical framework for label-free monitoring of refractive-index changes associated with complex heavy-metal-ion mixtures in contaminated water. Experimental fabrication and testing are required to validate the simulated performance. Full article

Avian orthoreovirus (ARV) has re-emerged as one of the most important viral pathogens affecting modern poultry production worldwide. In China, the epidemiological landscape of ARV has undergone a substantial transformation over the past decade, characterized by increasing genotypic diversity, frequent genome reassortment, an expanding host range, and recurrent vaccine-breakthrough outbreaks. Growing evidence indicates that contemporary ARV populations evolve within a dynamic multispecies transmission network shaped by intensive poultry production, host adaptation, and vaccine-associated selective pressures. Recent molecular studies have revealed extensive genetic heterogeneity among circulating strains and highlighted the limitations of conventional σC-based classification systems for accurately describing viral evolution, pathogenicity, and antigenic diversity. Whole-genome analyses further demonstrate that reassortment among chicken-origin, duck-origin, and goose-origin orthoreoviruses plays a pivotal role in generating novel viral variants with altered biological properties. In parallel, accumulating evidence suggests that ARV exerts broad immunomodulatory effects through the disruption of innate antiviral signaling, impairment of lymphoid organ function, interference with vaccine responsiveness, and the enhancement of susceptibility to secondary infections. These findings indicate that ARV should be regarded not only as an arthrotropic pathogen but also as an important immunopathological agent influencing flock health and productivity. This review summarizes current knowledge of ARV in China, with an emphasis on molecular epidemiology, genomic evolution, reassortment mechanisms, transmission ecology, immune interference, vaccine escape, and integrated prevention strategies. Particular attention is given to the increasing importance of whole-genome surveillance, phylodynamic analysis, and multispecies epidemiological monitoring for understanding contemporary ARV evolution. Future perspectives involving structural vaccinology, precision immunization, metagenomics-assisted surveillance, and predictive evolutionary modeling are also discussed. Collectively, sustainable ARV control will likely require genome-informed and adaptive prevention frameworks integrating virology, immunology, epidemiology, and precision poultry management. Full article

Introduction: Establishing baseline descriptions of inorganic elements in the early life stages of sharks and in their respective nursery areas is essential for assessing anthropogenic impacts and supporting conservation strategies. Objectives: This study presents the first baseline of plasma trace element concentrations (Al, Zn, As, Cu, Cr, Cd, Co, Mn, Ti, Ni, Hg, Pb) for four juvenile shark species (Carcharhinus limbatus, Paragaleus pectoralis, Rhizoprionodon acutus, and Sphyrna lewini) from Sal Rei Bay, Boa Vista Island, Cabo Verde—the first multi-species shark nursery area described in Atlantic Africa. Methodology: Seawater and sediment samples were collected from eight sites and analyzed along with plasma samples using total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF). Sediment granulometry and pollution indices, including the enrichment factor (EF), ecological risk index (RI), and metal pollution index (MPI), were used to characterize habitat contamination. Data were analyzed using statistical models to explore spatial and element-specific patterns. Results: Overall, environmental contamination was low, with slight increases in Cd, Co, and Hg at sites 1 and 2, near the fishing port, and at site 5, likely reflecting natural transport, sediment redistribution, and enhanced nearshore deposition. Juvenile sharks exhibited generally low plasma trace element concentrations, although species-specific elemental signatures were evident: elevated levels of Al and Cu in C. limbatus, Zn in S. lewini, and As in R. acutus and P. pectoralis. Conclusions: These findings establish critical baseline reference values for trace elements in juvenile sharks from a key Atlantic nursery area. The results provide an essential framework for future biomonitoring efforts and contribute to the management and conservation of Cabo Verdean shark nursery habitats. Full article

Introduction: Elasmobranchs play a vital role in marine food webs through top-down control and the structuring of ecosystem stability, yet more than one-third of species face extinction. The Maldives, a recognised Indian Ocean hotspot for shark and batoid diversity, designated its EEZ as a shark sanctuary in 2010, but multispecies elasmobranch occurrence patterns and environmental drivers remain poorly characterised in Lhaviyani Atoll in the central Maldives, which hosts two Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs). Recreational SCUBA networks can turn routine dive activity into long-term conservation evidence, already informing nearly 10% of the western Indian Ocean ISRAs. Objective: To characterise spatiotemporal patterns of elasmobranch assemblages in Lhaviyani Atoll (2017–2024), quantify how environmental and geomorphic drivers shape relative abundance, diversity, and hotspots, and provide evidence for targeted elasmobranch conservation. Methodology: A seven-year opportunistic dive-log dataset of 12,732 SCUBA surveys and 142,994 elasmobranch records across 94 dive sites was analysed. Effort-standardised relative abundance and community metrics (Shannon diversity, Pielou’s evenness) were modelled against sea surface temperature (SST), salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, zonal current velocity, substrate type, and reef geomorphology using generalised additive models (GAMs). Spatial analyses identified persistent northern-rim aggregation areas aligned with ISRAs. Results: Twenty-eight species (14 sharks, 14 batoids) were recorded, including 23 threatened on the IUCN Red List (4 Critically Endangered, 12 Endangered, 7 Vulnerable). Relative abundance and diversity peaked during the late southwest monsoon (August–September) and declined during the northeast monsoon (December–March). After 2021, diversity and evenness increased while overall abundance declined. Relative abundance was primarily driven by SST, salinity, and current velocity; for sharks, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll-a were additionally significant, whereas batoid abundance was driven mainly by temperature, oxygen, and current velocity. Four persistent hotspots along the northern atoll rim were identified, with sharks concentrated along exposed slopes and channels, and batoids distributed broadly within lagoonal habitats. Conclusions: Long-term citizen science dive-log monitoring is cost-effective for elasmobranch conservation in remote tropical seascapes. These results show how dive-industry partnerships can inform conservation governance over a decade after sanctuary designation, supporting targeted, habitat-focused management as shark and batoid conservation frameworks continue to evolve. Full article

Environmental contamination by rare earth elements (REEs) is increasing globally due to their extensive use in modern technologies, medicine, agriculture, and aquaculture. Their release into aquatic systems via wastewater discharge, industrial emissions, surface runoff, and atmospheric deposition has raised concerns regarding their environmental fate and potential ecotoxicological effects. Despite this, information on REE accumulation in marine predators remains limited. This study provides a multi-species assessment of REE bioaccumulation in elasmobranchs. Concentrations of 14 REEs (Ce, Dy, Er, Eu, Gd, Ho, La, Lu, Nd, Pr, Sm, Tb, Tm, and Yb) were quantified in liver and muscle tissues of six elasmobranch species collected from demersal and deep-sea habitats along the Portuguese continental shelf. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to evaluate differences in REE concentrations among species and tissues, and to explore potential patterns associated with ecological traits. Results indicated that REE concentrations varied significantly across tissues and species, with muscle generally exhibiting higher accumulation than liver. Overall, this study provides the first comprehensive baseline of REE bioaccumulation in elasmobranchs from the Portuguese coast, contributing to a better understanding of emerging contaminants in marine food webs. These findings have important implications for environmental biomonitoring and highlight potential risks associated with seafood consumption. Full article

Contemporary Blue Planetary Health frameworks frequently approach marine degradation primarily as a technical management problem while insufficiently addressing the relational, ethical, and political–economic conditions driving ocean collapse. The framework proposes that dominant marine governance paradigms continue to reproduce anthropocentric and extractivist assumptions that reduce oceans to economic assets rather than recognizing them as living multispecies relational systems. In response, the study develops the Blue Stratified Relational Responsibility Framework (BSRRF), an interdisciplinary model integrating multispecies ethics, marine psychophysiology, environmental humanities, political ecology, Indigenous relational ontologies, and ocean governance. The framework advances three central claims: marine sustainability requires relational rather than purely instrumental governance; humans possess asymmetrical ecological responsibility due to their technological and institutional power; and meaningful Blue Planetary Health transformation requires simultaneous shifts in moral imagination, affective perception, governance systems, and political economy. The study further critiques dominant Blue Economy paradigms for reproducing extractivist and colonial dynamics under narratives of sustainability and innovation. Ultimately, the framework argues that although the ocean crisis manifests ecologically, its underlying drivers are simultaneously epistemological, political, economic, and civilizational. Consequently, advancing Blue Planetary Health requires integrated transformations in education, governance, public policy, and multispecies ethical responsibility. Full article

Seagrass meadows support critical coastal ecosystems, but corresponding species-level remote sensing data remain limited, particularly in the Arabian Gulf, where field spectral data for dominant taxa are extremely limited. We present the first multi-species spectral characterisation of three dominant seagrass species in the Kingdom of Bahrain—Halophila stipulacea (n = 46 spectra, 25 stations), Halodule uninervis (n = 34, 19 stations), and Halophila ovalis (n = 17, 8 stations)—measured with an ASD FieldSpec^® 4 Hi-Res spectroradiometer (Malvern Panalytical, Malvern, UK; 350–2500 nm) from samples collected across 29 geographic stations (52 species–station sampling units). All sample counts reported here underwent quality control. Kruskal–Wallis tests with Benjamini–Hochberg (BH) correction, Jeffries–Matusita (JM) distance, Hedges’ g, and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were used to characterise inter-species differences. H. ovalis was clearly distinguished from both co-occurring species: the Hd. uninervis–H. ovalis pair showed a discriminating window of 692–1394 nm (mean |g| = 1.31, BH q = 0.000046), and that for the H. stipulacea–H. ovalis pair was 700–1376 nm (mean |g| = 1.21, BH q = 0.000285); the JM distances were 1.60–1.67. A secondary shortwave-infrared discriminating window (1607–1755 nm; mean |g| = 0.90, BH q = 0.006) was also identified for the Hd. uninervis–H. ovalis pair. The H. stipulacea–Hd. uninervis pair showed meaningful geometric separation (JM = 0.994) but no individually significant wavelengths at the available sample size. ASentinel-2-proxy LDA achieved 85.6% overall accuracy (balanced accuracy = 87.3%; macro area under the curve = 0.917), outperforming a Landsat-proxy model by 20 percentage points. For each species, both a best-overall index and a visible-range alternative optimised for submerged satellite remote sensing are reported. The primary indices achieved balanced accuracies of 0.877–0.924; the visible-range alternatives achieved 0.818–0.907. Performance degraded substantially under noise (σ ≥ 0.002: −7.5 percentage points [pp]) and wavelength misregistration (±2–3 nm shifts caused losses of 5.5–15.7 pp), calling for stringent calibration requirements. These results constitute the first multi-species spectral library for Kingdom of Bahrain seagrasses, supporting Sentinel-2-based species mapping in the Arabian Gulf. Full article

In national park sections adjacent to large cities, protected wildlife habitats often intersect with roads, tourism, agriculture, forestry, and other community-use spaces. This overlap complicates the joint prioritization of multi-species conservation and potential human-wildlife conflict governance. Using species trace-point data from the Fourth National Giant Panda Survey, we developed 30 m MaxEnt distribution models for 12 mammal species in the Chengdu section of the Giant Panda National Park and integrated protected-species’ conservation priority with potential wild-boar-related conflict pressure. Test AUC values ranged from 0.702 to 0.897, and elevation was the dominant predictor for 11 species. The Top 15% weighted conservation priority area, based on protection status and rarity, covered 350.1 km². Potential wild boar conflict pressure was defined as wild boar suitability multiplied by human exposure, and the Top 15% risk area covered 348.3 km². Overlaying the two layers identified 61.6 km² of high-conservation-high-conflict areas. Functional-zone statistics showed that the core conservation zone concentrated higher multi-species conservation value, whereas the general control zone carried stronger potential wild boar conflict pressure. This framework provides a spatial basis for coordinating protected mammal monitoring, crop-damage warning, and community co-management. Full article

This study developed a novel framework integrating UAV-derived orthophotography, deep learning-based substrate classification, two-dimensional hydraulic modeling, Froude number (Fr) analysis, and multispecies habitat suitability assessment to evaluate the effects of channel modification and precipitation on fish habitats in Gaoliao Creek, eastern Taiwan. Habitat changes under baseflow and rainfall-induced high-flow conditions were quantified using Fr-based hydraulic habitat availability and Habitat Suitability Index (HSI)- and Combined Habitat Suitability Index (CHSI)-based habitat suitability. Channel modification transformed the channel from a deep and slow-flowing system into a shallower and faster-flowing environment. Under baseflow conditions, the proportion of available habitat meeting the adopted hydraulic criteria decreased from 81.6% to 73.9%, whereas the CHSI-derived proportion of weighted usable area (PUA) increased from 0.300 to 0.323 due to favorable substrate composition. During rainfall events, habitat availability and suitability declined markedly during peak flows and recovered as discharge receded. Compared with the pre-engineering channel, the modified channel exhibited greater sensitivity to short-term hydrological fluctuations but effectively prevented overbank flooding during the selected extreme rainfall event. These findings highlight the trade-off between flood-control benefits and ecological resilience and emphasize the importance of maintaining habitat heterogeneity in river management. Because the analyses were based on a single typhoon-related rainfall event and lacked direct biological validation, the results should be interpreted as event-specific predictions requiring further verification. Full article

Scientific knowledge-based fishery management is essential to ensure the sustainability of marine resources, particularly in regions where fisheries are data-limited. This study assessed the stock status of six shallow-water demersal fish species (Bagre marinus, Cathorops mapale, Diapterus rhombeus, Eucinostomus argenteus, Haemulopsis corvinaeformis, and Lutjanus synagris) in the Colombian Caribbean Sea using three complementary length-based models: length-based indicators (LBIs), length-based spawning potential ratio (LBSPR), and the Length-Based Bayesian Biomass estimator (LBB). The integrated results demonstrated that five species (C. mapale, D. rhombeus, E. argenteus, H. corvinaeformis, and L. synagris) are currently overexploited (F/M > 1 and B/B_MSY < 1), while B. marinus is experiencing overfishing (F/M > 1 and B/B_MSY > 1), with a high risk of surpassing its maximum sustainable yield. These outcomes confirm that demersal fish populations in the Colombian Caribbean are being exploited beyond sustainable biological limits. With the aim of promoting stock recovery and long-term sustainability, this study recommends the implementation of recently evaluated management measures focused on (i) the implementation and enforcement of Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs); (ii) the regulation and monitoring of trawl net mesh sizes to improve selectivity patterns; (iii) the establishment of spatial and temporal closures in critical spawning areas for demersal fish species; and (iv) the strengthening of fishery monitoring and data collection systems. The findings provide critical baseline information and a methodological framework to support evidence-based fishery management and conservation strategies in tropical multispecies fisheries under data-limited conditions. Full article

This study investigates the differential settling behavior of binary particle suspensions through a combination of theoretical modeling and batch settling experiments. A classical zone-formation differential settling model is adopted, and a comprehensive experimental program is designed to generate data for model evaluation. Batch settling tests conducted using fine copper tailings and coarse silica sands show that distinct settling zones can be identified, and the solids’ concentrations of the particle species are consistent with theoretical predictions. However, the behavior within the sediment region differs from model assumptions, as a range of solids’ concentrations is observed, suggesting the presence of a transition zone rather than a sharp transition from the hindered settling region to a sediment with maximum solids’ concentration. Experimental observations of the sediment boundary also reveal a discrepancy between theoretical predictions and measured propagation velocities. This discrepancy is attributed to inter-species interactions arising from differential settling velocities, which are not accounted for in conventional models. The results highlight the limitations of widely used differential settling models and emphasize the importance of incorporating species–species interactions and transition zone behavior to improve the prediction of settling behavior in multi-species suspensions. Full article

Open-set recognition of wild plants in natural complex scenes is an important task for plant conservation, ecological monitoring, and precision agriculture. Traditional closed-set learning methods struggle to handle unseen species not covered by the training set and complex environmental interferences, while existing open-vocabulary methods lack knowledge-driven reasoning capabilities and cannot provide interpretable recognition for unknown categories. This research proposes the Reasoning-Aware Perceptual Framework that integrates open-vocabulary vision-language models, foundation mask-generation tools, and domain knowledge reasoning to achieve known/unknown category recognition, online perception, and interpretable reasoning of unknown wild plant species. Centered on a five-stage closed loop of Perception-Retrieval-Reasoning-Decision-Iteration, the framework captures open concepts through vision-language feature alignment, completes evidence-based reasoning and confidence evaluation in combination with a botanical domain knowledge base, and finally outputs species classification decisions, interpretable reasoning reports with family/genus-level taxonomic affinity, and uncertainty-calibrated confidence scores. The unknown category estimation with family/genus-level taxonomic affinity in this framework refers to a general unknown label combined with taxonomic affinity at the family/genus level, which can clearly reflect the evolutionary relationship between unknown species and known species. Experiments on the self-constructed WildPlantOpenSet-10K dataset and public benchmark datasets report an F1-score of 84.7% for unknown species recognition, AUROC of 0.93 for known/unknown discriminability, and mean F1 of 87.0% across all categories. This framework focuses on open-set wild plant recognition and interpretable reasoning, using off-the-shelf instance extraction to acquire visual features for downstream reasoning. It maintains stable robustness in complex scenarios such as occlusion, strong light, and multi-species coexistence, and can adapt to the open-world environment without relying on large-scale pixel annotations, providing a research prototype for interpretable open-set recognition in complex natural environments. Full article

This article advances a transdisciplinary framework for planetary health education grounded in multispecies responsibility and Indigenous relational ontologies. Addressing the limitations of anthropocentric environmental paradigms, the paper proposes an expanded Stratified Relational Responsibility Model integrating ethical, ecological, and neurobiological dimensions of human–more-than-human relations. The framework bridges insights from environmental ethics, anthropology, and affective neuroscience to examine how relational awareness, emotional regulation, and embodied cognition shape pro-environmental behavior. Four pedagogical pillars are introduced to support behavioral transformation, emphasizing relational perception, affective attunement, ethical reflexivity, and collective responsibility. The article further discusses implementation challenges within Western educational contexts and highlights the need for culturally responsive adaptation. By situating human agency within multispecies networks, the model contributes to ongoing debates in planetary health and sustainability education, offering a theoretically robust and practically oriented approach to fostering ecological responsibility. Full article

The structural application of Recycled Aggregate Concrete (RAC) in marine and coastal structures remains restricted by its highly variable quality and uncertain durability. Although the adhered old mortar is recognized as the most distinctive feature of RAC, its bidirectional influence on chloride transport, acting as a preferential transport pathway and a chloride-binding reservoir, has not yet been systematically elucidated. This study develops a five-phase mesoscopic numerical framework (natural aggregate, new and old mortars, new and old ITZs) to investigate the bidirectional effects on chloride ingress. The proposed model involves multi-species (K⁺, Na⁺, Cl⁻, OH⁻, Ca²⁺, SO₄²⁻) coupling and thermodynamic chloride binding on AFm and C-S-H phases, with different binding capacities in old and new mortar. This model was validated against published experimental data, demonstrating high accuracy in predicting effective diffusivity across varying replacement rates. Parametric sensitivity analyses reveal that RAC’s chloride resistance is governed by the competition between the “facilitation effect”, caused by the inherent porosity in attached old mortar, and the “retardation effect”, caused by enhanced binding capacity. This work provides new mechanistic insight into the dual effects of old mortar and establishes a robust theoretical tool for the durability design of RAC structures exposed to chloride environments. Full article