Apparent Variations Research Articles

Nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics and cytotoxicity (HT-29 and HCT-116 cell lines) studies insight the potential of less utilized parts of Camellia sinensis (Kangra tea)

Camellia sinensis (tea) is an evergreen plant having bioactive compounds associated with various pharmacological effects, including anti-cancerous activity. These phytochemicals are variedly distributed in plant tissues. A detailed study to understand chemical composition within the economically underutilized tea tissues is required to generate value. Therefore, a comprehensive chemical profiling of underutilized C. sinensis parts [coarse leaves, flowers, fruits (immature);n = 9] was performed by NMR techniques. NMR (1D and 2D) spectroscopy ambiguously identified and quantified fifty-seven metabolites (Coarse leaves: 35, flowers; 42, immature fruits; 45). The statistical analysis showed apparent tissue-specific similarities (26 metabolites) and variations. Further, HPLC-DAD revealed absolute quantification of catechins, caffeine and theanine among the different parts of C. sinensis. Moreover, cytotoxicity studies of tea tissues against colorectal cancer cell lines showed anticancer potentials. This chemical information and anticancer activity of underutilized C. sinensis parts will help to develop value added nutraceutical and cosmeceutical products.

Variations in preference for family care support among the elderly in Southwestern Nigeria.

Preference for family care support among the elderly has become a prominent issue in Nigeria. Hence, the study explored variations in preference for family care support among the elderly in South-western Nigeria (Lagos and Oyo states). Data were extracted from a 2012 elderly survey dataset, and analyzed using quantitative techniques (univariate and bivariate). The results showed that study locations, marriage-type, educational attainment, employment status, religious affiliation, means of livelihood and usual place of residence have little and apparent variations in preferences for family care support in Southwestern Nigeria. We recommend that in order to keep on sustaining high-preferences for family care support, elderly people should be given all-round communal supports by family caregivers in the Nigerian extended family system.

Stress-Induced Apparent Resistivity Variations at the Kalpin Observatory and the Correlation with the 2020 Mw 6.0 Jiashi Earthquake

Stress may induce apparent resistivity changes. Clarifying the deformation process of the source media is critical for determining the correlations between resistivity variations and earthquake occurrence. In this study, the stress state of a medium was analyzed by integrating GPS measurements, the spatiotemporal evolution of the load/unload response ratio (LURR), geochemical monitoring, and synchronous apparent resistivity changes preceding the 2020 Mw 6.0 Jiashi earthquake. The medium hosting the Kalpin Observatory underwent elastic deformation before 2019, and the synchronous decreases in the E–W and N–S apparent resistivities from 2015 can be attributed to N–S-dominated compressive stress. The microdamage stage occurred in 2019, with subsequent E–W apparent resistivity variation amplitudes that were ~0.4 Ωm higher than those in previous years. This difference is a result of microdamage to the medium owing to tensile stress during the seismogenic process. The spatiotemporal evolution of the LURR and gas seepage monitoring data also indicate that the medium was damaged prior to the earthquake. Variations in the apparent resistivity measured at the Kalpin Observatory indicate that the medium underwent elastic deformation, followed by microdamage, until stress triggered the earthquake.

Spatial variability of summer hydrography in the central Arabian Gulf

The Arabian Gulf is a very significant ocean body, which hosts more than 55% of the oil reserves of the world and produces about 30% of the total production, and thus, it is likely to face high risk and adverse problems by the intensified environmental stressors and severe climatic changes. Therefore, understanding the hydrography of the Gulf is very essential to identify various marine environmental issues and subsequently, developing marine protection and management plans. In this study, hydrography data collected at 11 stations along 3 linear transects in the early summer of 2016 were analyzed. The physicochemical parameters exhibited apparent variations along each transect, both laterally and vertically, connected to stratification, formation of different water masses and excessive heating. The temperature and salinity decreased laterally from nearshore to offshore, while layered density structures were identified in the offshore regions. The pH, dissolved oxygen (DO) and chlorophyll fluorescence (Fo) exhibited distinct horizontal and vertical variations. The observed pH is within the normal ranges, indicating that seawater acidification may not be a threat. The highest DO (6.13–8.37 mg/l) was observed in a layer of 24—36 m water depth in the deeper regions of the central transect.

Source-tracking of the Chinese Chikungunya viruses suggests that Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia act as major hubs for the recent global spread of Chikungunya virus

BackgroundChikungunya fever, caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), has become a major global health concern, causing unexpected large outbreaks in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. CHIKV is not indigenous to China, and its origin in the country is poorly understood. In particular, there is limited understanding of the recent global spread of CHIKV in the context of the CHIKV epidemic.MethodsHere we investigated a novel Chikungunya patient who came from Myanmar to China in August, 2019. Direct genome sequencing was performed via combined MinION sequencing and BGISEQ-500 sequencing. A complete CHIKV genome dataset, including 727 CHIKV genomes retrieved from GenBank and the genome sequenced in this study, was constructed. An updated and comprehensive phylogenetic analysis was conducted to understand the virus’s origin, evolution, transmission routes and genetic adaptation.ResultsAll globally distributed CHIKV genomes were divided into West Africa, East/Central/South African and Asian genotypes. The genome sequenced in this study was located in the Indian Ocean lineage, and was closely related to a strain isolated from an Australian patient who returned from Bangladesh in 2017. A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis showed that the Chinese strains mainly originated from the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Further analyses indicated that the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia may act as major hubs for the recent global spread of CHIKV, leading to multiple outbreaks and epidemics. Moreover, we identified 179 distinct sites, including some undescribed sites in the structural and non-structural proteins, which exhibited apparent genetic variations associated with different CHIKV lineages.ConclusionsHere we report a novel CHIKV isolate from a chikungunya patient who came from Myanmar to China in 2019, and summarize the source and evolution of Chinese CHIKV strains. Our present findings provide a better understanding of the recent global evolution of CHIKV, highlighting the urgent need for strengthened surveillance against viral diversity.

Cross‐ Coherence of the Outer Radiation Belt During Storms and the Role of the Plasmapause

AbstractThe high energy electron population in Earth's outer radiation belt is extremely variable, changing by multiple orders of magnitude on timescales that vary from under an hour to several weeks. These changes are typically linked to geomagnetic activity such as storms and substorms. In this study, we seek to understand how coherent changes in the radiation belt are across all radial distances, in order to provide a spatial insight into apparent global variations. We do this by calculating the correlation between fluxes on differentmeasured by the PET instrument aboard the SAMPEX spacecraft for times associated with 15 large storms. Our results show that during these times, variations in the0.63 MeV electron flux are coherent outside the minimum plasmapause location and also coherent inside the minimum plasmapause location, when flux is present. However, variations in the electron fluxes inside the plasmapause show little correlation with those outside the plasmapause. During storm recovery and possibly main phases, flux variations are coherent across allregardless of plasmapause location, due to a rapid decrease, followed by an increase in radiation belt fluxes across all.

Song type variations of Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) and their geographic distributions.

Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) is a familiar singer in the Western Hemisphere family Parulidae, yet apparent geographic variations in its song and potentially related causal mechanisms have not received detailed examination in previously published studies. Here, we analyzed song pattern variations of 651 Louisiana Waterthrush singers in audio spectrogram recordings obtained from our field work and publicly accessible bioacoustics archives. Visual and auditory assessment of the introductory note sequence of each song identified three distinct song types (A, B, and C) and most of the songs were assigned to one of these types. Linear Discriminant Analysis and Random Forest methods were used to verify the assignments and showed strong agreement for Type A with slightly less agreement on Types B and C. User error rates (proportion of the Linear Discriminant Analysis classifications that were incorrect) were low for Types A and B, and somewhat higher for Type C, while producer error rates (proportion of the song type for which the Linear Discriminant Analysis was incorrect) were somewhat higher for Types A and C than the minimal levels achieved for Type B. Our findings confirmed that most between-individual variation was in the number of notes and note sequence duration while most within-individual variation resulted from the percent of downstrokes. The location of each singer was plotted on a map of the breeding range and results suggested the song types have large-scale discrete geographic distributions that co-occur in some regions but not range-wide. Evaluation of the distributions provided tentative support for a hypothesis that two of the song types may independently exhibit congruence with the geographic extent of Pleistocene glacial boundaries and the third song type may be distinguished by a lack of congruence, but further investigation is needed to elucidate whether the song variations represent subpopulations with three separate evolutionary histories.

The spatial-temporal evolution of heavy metal accumulation in the offshore sediments along the Shandong Peninsula over the last 100 years: Anthropogenic and natural impacts

The anthropogenic and natural impacts on the temporal and spatial variations of heavy metals in sediments under the Shandong Peninsula coastal current are still unclear. Here, the concentrations\\burial fluxes of Cr, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb in three sediment cores retrieved from the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea along the Shandong Peninsula were analyzed to study the spatial-temporal variability of heavy metal accumulation over the last century. The results showed that the buried heavy metal fluxes were relatively low at the end of the Shandong Peninsula coastal current. The enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicated that those metals did not severely pollute the sediments except As that reached a moderate enrichment. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that Cr, Cu, Zn, and Pb were mainly derived from natural weathering and As was determined by anthropogenic contamination. The strength of the Shandong Peninsula coastal current, the Yellow River estuary location, and sediment discharge load significantly influenced the concentrations of natural-origin heavy metals by affecting sediment grain size and the source-sink process. The emission of pollutants from agricultural and industrial activities in the Shandong Peninsula region resulted in As enrichment since the 1950s. Moreover, the EF values of heavy metals in sediment cores from China's coastal seas showed apparent spatial variations of heavy metal pollution but had coherent temporal variability with China's economic development process. Heavy metals pollution has weakened in most coastal seas since the 2000s, likely due to the extensive industrial upgrading and the implementation of pollution control. These results have a reference significance for studying the evolution and source-sink process of the heavy metals in offshore sediments and tracing anthropogenic impacts in different periods.

Seasonal variations of nutrient concentrations and their ratios in the central Bohai Sea

The Bohai Sea is a typical semi-enclosed sea in the northwest Pacific, which is subject to serious eutrophication due to human activities. Similar to hydrographic variables such as water temperature and salinity, the nutrient concentrations and ratios in the Bohai Sea also exhibit seasonal variations. However, the effects of external inputs, biological processes, and benthic processes on these seasonal variations have not been quantified to date. To address this issue, a physical–biological coupled model was developed to capture the seasonal nutrient cycling in the central Bohai Sea. The simulation results revealed apparent seasonal variations in the concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP), and dissolved silicate (DSi). The N/P ratio (as the molar ratio of DIN/DIP) also exhibited an apparent seasonal variation, with the maximum and minimum values in surface water occurring in summer (>100) and winter (<30), respectively. The Si/N ratio (as the molar ratio of DSi/DIN) was slightly higher in summer than in other seasons. The budget for three types of nutrient indicated that the biological processes determined the seasonal variations in nutrient concentrations and the N/P ratio. The external inputs of nutrients via river input, atmospheric deposition, and sediment release were probably important in summer when they could alleviate the reduced nutrient concentrations due to biological processes. To maintain a reasonable nitrogen budget, it was necessary to include benthic nitrogen loss, which removed a large amount of inorganic nitrogen in summer and autumn. In addition, the variation of N/P ratio of phytoplankton uptake can reduce the ratio of DIN to DIP in surface water by ~20 in summer as compared to the calculation with a fixed N/P ratio (16:1) in phytoplankton uptake.

A geoelectric study of aquifers in the Essaouira coastal region, Morocco

A geophysical study carried out in the framework of the water resources recognition within the Essaouira coastal area (Morocco) enabled to outline the spatial distribution of the Plio-Pleistocene and Cretaceous formations. It helped to determine the thickness and extension of the main aquifer used for irrigation purpose. The overall aim of this study is to highlight the hydrogeological structures of Essaouira Basin.A total of 45 vertical electrical soundings (VES) were measured using linear Schlumberger array configuration with a maximum half-length (AB/2) of 1000 m along eight sections of 126 km total length. The number of soundings constituting the eight VES profiles depends on the topography and the obstacles encountered. The VES data were processed and interpreted. According to the thematic maps of the study area, the results indicate the existence of three types of VES with apparent resistivity values ranging from 44 to 320 Ω m. In relationship with wells and mechanical drillings existing in the area, the analysis of the results obtained made it possible to derive from the quantitative and qualitative maps the different apparent resistivity variations of the aquifer and aquiclude geological layers.The careful examination of these maps shows that the region around the Qsob River is of interest from a hydrogeological point of view. It is represented by a significant thick layer given the large extension of the resistive Plio-Pleistocene and Cretaceous formations. Geophysical studies show that this region is partially protected from marine intrusion given its location between Tidzi Diapir and hidden diapir from Essaouira which little plays the role of barrier. It is crossed by the Qsob River which lends itself as the main source of both these layers. The electrical discontinuities emerging from the superposition of the different maps, E-W, NE-SW and NNE-SSW oriented, are abundant and dense in the north Haha region (Qsob River). Generally, the salt water circulates along these discontinuities from West to North and Northeast which explains the abundance of low apparent resistivity values recorded northeastwards. This geophysical reconnaissance is the most important for water supply of this area affected by increasingly long periods of drought.

Separating planetary reflex Doppler shifts from stellar variability in the wavelength domain

ABSTRACT Stellar magnetic activity produces time-varying distortions in the photospheric line profiles of solar-type stars. These lead to systematic errors in high-precision radial-velocity measurements, which limit efforts to discover and measure the masses of low-mass exoplanets with orbital periods of more than a few tens of days. We present a new data-driven method for separating Doppler shifts of dynamical origin from apparent velocity variations arising from variability-induced changes in the stellar spectrum. We show that the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the cross-correlation function used to measure radial velocities is effectively invariant to translation. By projecting the radial velocities on to a subspace labelled by the observation identifiers and spanned by the amplitude coefficients of the ACF’s principal components, we can isolate and subtract velocity perturbations caused by stellar magnetic activity. We test the method on a 5-yr time sequence of 853 daily 15-min observations of the solar spectrum from the HARPS-N instrument and solar-telescope feed on the 3.58-m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. After removal of the activity signals, the heliocentric solar velocity residuals are found to be Gaussian and nearly uncorrelated. We inject synthetic low-mass planet signals with amplitude K = 40 cm s−1 into the solar observations at a wide range of orbital periods. Projection into the orthogonal complement of the ACF subspace isolates these signals effectively from solar activity signals. Their semi-amplitudes are recovered with a precision of ∼ 6.6 cm s−1, opening the door to Doppler detection and characterization of terrestrial-mass planets around well-observed, bright main-sequence stars across a wide range of orbital periods.

Potassium isotopic fractionation during clay adsorption

Clay adsorption is a critical process responsible for the mobilization and cycling of potassium (K) on Earth’s surface. Recent studies emphasized the potential of using stable K isotopes (δ41K) to understand chemical weathering. However, the direction, degree, and mechanism of K isotopic fractionation linked to clay K uptake during chemical weathering remain poorly constrained.This work investigated the mechanism of K adsorption on clays (kaolinite and smectite) and the isotopic fractionation in three experimental sets with K-containing solutions. The time-series experiments revealed that the adsorption and isotope equilibria were attainedafter less than 12-hour reaction. Potassium adsorption rate slowed down and its isotopic fractionation approached the steady-state during 15-day reaction. The pH-dependent experiments demonstrated that the percentage of clay K adsorption and the isotopic composition of adsorbed K (and aqueous K) display negative linear correlations. Net isotopic fractionation between adsorbed and aqueous phases (Δ41Kad-aq) remained near-constant (0.6–0.8‰), regardless of variations in pH ranging from 4 to 10. The concentration-control experiments demonstrated that the percentage of K adsorption decreased with increasing KCl concentrations from 0.005 to 20 mM. The δ41K values of aqueous K reached the minimum of −0.53‰ after 92.7% K adsorbed (initial KCl of 0.005 mM). Potassium adsorption was substantially suppressed as ionic strength (fixed by Na+) increased from 0.001 to 0.5 M without apparent Δ41Kad-aq variations. The K K-edge XANES demonstrated that primary K incorporated in clay lattice and surface KCl derived from sorbed K+ and Cl− synchro-dehydration can be identified after drying of clays. These features indicate that adsorbed K+ was bounded onto clays as outer-sphere complexes, which can be replaced with excess Na+ at high ionic strength. Based on experimental results, we cannot distinguish specific mineralogy regulation on K isotopic fractionation. In sum, isotopically heavy K is preferentially sorbed on clay minerals. The results confirm an equilibrium fractionation path independent of reaction time, pH, ionic strength, and initial KCl concentration. Observed K isotopic fractionation is best fitted by an equilibrium isotopic fractionation law with a fractionation factor αad-aq of 1.00075. We highlight the opposite direction of K isotopic fractionation in clay adsorption and structural incorporation during chemical weathering, and their comparative contributions should be considered for future field investigations.

Surface mining caused multiple ecosystem service losses in China

China's surface mining greatly supported the rapid socio-economic development; however, there was a scarcity in the systematic understanding of national changes in surface mining changes and associated ecosystem services (ESs) losses, which inevitably affected human well-being and limited sustainable ecosystem management and policy optimization. In this study, we quantified the areal changes in surface mining based on the ChinaCover database and performed further analysis of ES loss from expanded surface mining using multidimensional geospatial data from 1990 to 2015, including MODIS products, meteorological records, and statistical datasets. Our observations reveal that China's surface mining was estimated to be 4746 km2 in 2015 and that Inner Mongolia had the largest surface mining area (28%). Surface mining expanded remarkably from 1990 to 2015, with an increase by 2.7 times after 2000. In particular, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and Qinghai had the greatest increases in surface mining area. Rapid expansion of surface mining led to obvious declines in natural habitat area, water retention, net primary productivity, and grain production, and these ES losses showed apparent spatiotemporal variations. China has taken many measures to reclaim the abandoned surface mining sites. Given the rapid expansion of surface mining and related ES loss, China should continue to perform ecological restoration for its sustainability.

Case Report: Aperiodic Fluctuations of Neural Activity in the Ictal MEG of a Child With Drug-Resistant Fronto-Temporal Epilepsy.

Successful surgical treatment of patients with focal drug-resistant epilepsy remains challenging, especially in cases for which it is difficult to define the area of cortex from which seizures originate, the seizure onset zone (SOZ). Various diagnostic methods are needed to select surgical candidates and determine the extent of resection. Interictal magnetoencephalography (MEG) with source imaging has proven to be useful for presurgical evaluation, but the use of ictal MEG data remains limited. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether pre-ictal variations of spectral properties of neural activity from ictal MEG recordings are predictive of SOZ location.We performed a 4 h overnight MEG recording in an 8-year-old child with drug-resistant focal epilepsy of suspected right fronto-temporal origin and captured one ~45-s seizure. The patient underwent a right temporal resection from the anterior temporal neocortex and amygdala to the mid-posterior temporal neocortex, sparing the hippocampus proper. She remains seizure-free 21 months postoperatively. The histopathological assessment confirmed frank focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type IIa in the MEG-defined SOZ, which was based on source imaging of averaged ictal spikes at seizure onset. We investigated temporal changes (inter-ictal, pre-ictal, and ictal periods) together with spatial differences (SOZ vs. control regions) in spectral parameters of background brain activity, namely the aperiodic broadband offset and slope, and assessed how they confounded the interpretation of apparent variations of signal power in typical electrophysiological bands. Our data show that the SOZ was associated with a higher aperiodic offset and exponent during the seizure compared to control regions. Both parameters increased in all regions from 2 min before the seizure onwards. Regions anatomically closer to the SOZ also expressed higher values compared to contralateral regions, potentially indicating ictal spread. We also show that narrow-band power changes were caused by these fluctuations in the aperiodic component of ongoing brain activity. Our results indicate that the broadband aperiodic component of ongoing brain activity cannot be reduced to background noise of no physiological interest, and rather may be indicative of the neuropathophysiology of the SOZ. We believe these findings will inspire future studies of ictal MEG cases and confirm their significance.

Chemical and boron isotopic compositions of tourmaline at the Baiyanghe Be[sbnd]U deposit, northwest China: Implications for Be[sbnd]U mineralization

Tourmaline records the physical and chemical conditions of the crystallization environment and preserves the information through younger magmatic-hydrothermal processes. Therefore, tourmaline is a favorable geochemical tracer and can be used to reveal processes that have contributed to the metallogenesis of hydrothermal deposits. The Baiyanghe deposit, located in the Xiemisitai Mountains, Northwest China, is the largest volcanogenic BeU deposit in Asia. The deposit has three types of ores: U type, Be type, and BeU type. These ores either occur separately or co-exist but have cross-cutting relationships. Major ore bodies occur as fracture fillings along contact zones between the Yangzhuang granite porphyry and the underlying Devonian volcanic rocks. Three types of tourmaline (e.g., hosted in the granite porphyry, rhyolitic crystal tuff, and basalt) were identified based on their occurrences, and seven sub-type tourmalines were clarified according to their textures and chemical compositions. They all belong to the alkali schorl group and rich in F. The low Al concentration (< 6 apfu) and Fe + Mg > 3 apfu tourmaline hosted in the rhyolitic crystal tuff suggest the substitution at Z site by Fe3+. The tourmalines hosted in the granite porphyry are rich in Li, Be, U, Ca, Ti, Cr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Ta, and Th, whereas the tourmalines hosted in the rhyolitic crystal tuff and the basalt are rich in Mg, Sc, V, Co, Cu, Ni, Ga, and Sr, respectively. The δ11B value ranges from −5.94‰ to −4.48‰, from −8.01‰ to −6.93‰, and from −8.31‰ to −4.94% in the tourmalines hosted in the granite porphyry, the rhyolitic crystal tuff and the basalt, respectively. These data indicate that the chemical components that have contributed to the growth of tourmaline were derived from granitic magmas essentially. The oscillating zonation and the apparent variations of trace element compositions (e.g., Fe/(Fe + Mg) and Na/(Na + Ca) ratios) and REE patterns of the tourmalines indicate the involvement of periodic fluids and significant fluid-rock interaction, which are responsible for the precipitation of sub-type tourmalines. It is proposed that the tourmalines at the Baiyanghe deposit are the products of fluids exsolved from either a deep-rooted crystallizing magma chamber or one of the younger intrusions of the hosting composite granitic pluton in addition to the crystallizing the Yangzhuang granitic magma. The chemical and boron isotopic composition of tourmaline can provide a fingerprint to decipher the magmatic-hydrothermal process during the cyclic UBe mineralization.

Radial Velocity Monitoring of the Young Star Hubble 4: Disentangling Star-spot Lifetimes from Orbital Motion*

Abstract We studied the weak-lined T Tauri star Hubble 4, a known long-period binary, and its star-spot phenomena. We used optical radial velocity (RV) data taken over a span of 14 yr (2004–2010, 2017–2019) at the McDonald Observatory 2.7 m Harlan J. Smith Telescope and single epoch imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Wide Field Camera 3 instrument. The observed and apparent RV variations show contributions, respectively, from the binary motion as well as from a large spot group on one of the stars, presumed to be the primary. Fitting and removing the orbital signal from the RVs, we found the lower bound on the lifetime of a previously identified large spot group on the surface of the star to be at least 5.1 yr. An ∼5 yr lower limit is a long, but not unprecedented, duration for a single spot group. The later epoch data indicate significant spot evolution has occurred, placing an upper bound on the spot group lifetime at 12 yr. We find that pre-main-sequence evolutionary models for the age of Taurus (∼2 Myr), combined with component mass estimates from the literature, permit us to reproduce the HST relative photometry and the binary-induced contribution to the apparent RV variations. The long-lived star spot we find on Hubble 4 has significant implications for dynamo models in young stars, as it adds evidence for long lifetimes of magnetic field topologies. There are also significant implications for young star exoplanet searches, as long-lived coherent RV signals may be spot induced and not the result of planetary motion.

Lorentz forces induced by a static magnetic field have negligible effects on results from classical molecular dynamics simulations of aqueous solutions

A static external magnetic field is included in molecular dynamics simulations of aqueous solutions, and the effects on static and dynamic properties are determined. It is pointed out that diamagnetic properties are generally negligible if small molecules or ions are considered. Therefore, particular attention is paid to the effects arising from the Lorentz force acting on the (partial) charges on water, atomic ions, and larger molecules in solution. Careful analysis of many macroscopic and microscopic properties is performed for systems in magnetic fields of up to 1 T. None of the properties is found to be significantly affected by the Lorentz force. It is shown that any apparent variations with magnetic-field strength are simply statistical fluctuations. It is emphasized that the magnitude of the Lorentz force is up to eight orders of magnitude smaller than the average force coming from nonmagnetic forces and thermal fluctuations in the liquid phase at normal temperatures. The results are complemented by a theoretical argument which precludes Lorentz-force effects. A discussion of earlier reports of significant magnetic-field effects is presented.

Turbulent energy mapping using Delft3D on the Ebrié lagoon in Ivory Coast – Abidjan

The flow module of the Delft3D model is used to investigate the hydrodynamics of the flow at Ebrié Lagoon. The simulations are carried out for both the flood and low water conditions along the lagoon tributaries over a complete tidal cycle. After the due model validation, the breakdown of energy along the vertical and horizontal is performed. It has been noted that the values of the turbulent energy are generally weak over the whole lagoon. However, slight Spatio-temporal variations were noted in areas near the main estuary that undergoes the direct impact of the tides regardless of the regimes of the tributaries. These values increase with the depth and show apparent variations along the whole tidal cycle. Away from the main estuary, precisely at the mouths of the tributaries, the turbulent energy is also very high. During the low tides (weak flows), the turbulent energy is also weak and tends to decrease with the depth. During the floods, it displays the opposite behaviour. These results are quite crucial because they allow one to locate the suitable areas for biologic production and hence fisheries management in the lagoon.

Evaluation of performance, carcass characteristics, serum biochemistry and hematological parameters of broilers fed graded levels of raw cocoa bean shell based diet

Competition exists between man and his livestock for conventional feed ingredients like maize. This has necessitated the search for alternative ingredients. Large quantities of cocoa bean shell are produced and wasted annually by farmers and associated processing industries in Nigeria. A total of one hundred and fifty day-old Anak broiler chicks were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments with 30 birds per treatment, replicated thrice, in a completely randomised design. The treatments were: A (0% CBS-control diet); B (5% RCBS); C (10% RCBS); D (15% RCBS) and E (20% RCBS). Birds were fed ad libitum throughout the experimental period of eight weeks. The feed intake and weight gained were monitored. Carcass analysis, serum and hematological parameters such as total protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, glucose, creatinine, red blood cell, white blood cells, hemoglobin and packed cell volume were determined. Significant differences were observed in the feed intake, the birds fed with the control diet A had the highest feed intake 4556.50gm compared with birds fed diet D and E with mean values of 4177.50gm and 4097.00gm respectively. The highest weight gain was obtained from birds on control diet (1952.00gm) and the lowest from birds with 20% RCBS (1550.00gm, diet E). As the level of inclusion of RCBS increased the feed conversion ratio value increased. The dressed out percentage ranged from 73.67% - 67.00%. Apparent variations in the values obtained for total protein, creatinine, red blood cells, hemoglobin and packed cell volume of the birds fed graded levels of RCBS were not significant. However, white blood cells and globulin values increased with increase in the level of CBS in the diet. RCBS could effectively replace up to 10% maize in the diets of broilers without a deleterious effect on broiler chicken.

Seasonal water temperature variations in response to air temperature and precipitation in a forested headwater stream and an urban river: a case study from the Bukhan River basin, South Korea

Seasonal water temperature variations in response to air temperature and precipitation were examined in a forested headwater stream (Yeonyeop stream, YS) and an urban river (Bukhan River, BR) within the same basin. In both sites, precipitation and air/water temperatures were monitored from April to November of 2017 and 2018. The differences between air and water temperatures were 4–6 °C higher in the YS than the BR during the summer and fall seasons. Air temperature and precipitation exhibited seasonal differences with no apparent spatial variations; however, water temperature alone varied both seasonally and spatially. Mean temperature elasticity in the YS was greater than that in the BR, whereas mean precipitation elasticity in the YS was lower than that in the BR. Additionally, temperature elasticity increased with water temperature, whereas precipitation elasticity increased with decreases in water temperature, albeit only during the summer. From an elasticity standpoint, our findings suggest that water temperature in a forested headwater stream is more sensitive to air temperature changes than that in an urban river.