Protected Categories Research Articles

Transmittance thresholds of electrochromic glazing to achieve annual low-glare work environments

A recent study on the glare protection performance of electrochromic (EC) glazing showed that visible transmittance levels lower than 0.6% are necessary to achieve comfortable situations for sun positions, that were close to the central field of view. However, the question that arises is how often such situations occur throughout the year and how the glare protection performance of EC systems is for typical office situations for different climates and orientations. This study aims to quantify the annual performance for such configurations by applying improved simulation methods to conduct annual glare simulations and comparing them to the EN17037 classifications. The enhancement of the simulation method compared to existing methods was necessary to correctly consider the blurring effect in the lens of the eye – neglecting this would lead to an overestimation of glare.We found that for mid and north European climates the extreme situations do not occur such often, so that the ECglazing systems being able to switch to transmittance levels of 1% can mitigate glare throughout the year reasonably well for typical office situations and reaches typically the highest glare protection category according to EN17037 for a viewing direction, that is parallel to the facade. For more sunny climates such as Rome, slightly lower transmittance levels (around 0.5%) would be necessary to achieve a similar glare protection level.The study also revealed that tables E.7 and E.8 of EN17037 with pre-calculated 95-percentile Daylight Glare Probability (DGP) values should be re-calculated.

Analysis of the Stage Performance Effect of Environmental Protection Music and Dance Drama Based on Artificial Intelligence Technology.

There are a lot of environmental protection musicals and dances in public entertainment life to support the concept of environmental protection and to entice people to support the cause of environmental protection. As we all know, in a musical performance, the distance between the audience and the actors, the design of the stage environment, the training of the actors, the costumes of the actors, the makeup of the actors, and the musical accompaniment will all have more or less influence on the stage performance effects. In order to make environmental protection music and dance dramas profoundly meaningful to social production and human activities, it is especially important to analyze the stage performance of such music and dance dramas. The analysis of stage performance effects is not only beneficial to making the ideas spread by the music and dance drama penetrate into people's hearts but can also provide guiding suggestions for the production of music and dance drama. Therefore, this paper proposes a linear regression algorithm based on artificial intelligence to deeply explore and analyze the influence of the above six factors on the stage performance effects of environmental protection music and dance drama. In our method, first we preprocess the data collected by classification to remove the odd values from the data so that the various types of data conform to a normal distribution. Secondly, we obtained linear fit plots of the six factors with the stage performance effect scores by using a linear regression algorithm to deeply analyze the correlation between various types of data and the stage performance effect scores. Finally, through numerical calculations, we found that the distance between the audience and the actors, the training of the actors, and the musical accompaniment have a greater influence on the performance effect of the musical cabaret in the environmental protection category. Meanwhile, the costumes of the actors, the makeup of the actors, and the design of the stage environment have less influence on the performance effect of the musical cabaret. Therefore, in the production and performance of environmental protection music and dance dramas, producers and performers should pay more attention to the distance between the audience and the actors, the design of musical accompaniment, and the training of actors. To sum up, this paper has made a scientific, detailed, and reasonable analysis of the performance effect of environmental protection music and dance dramas on stage, contributing to the dissemination of environmental protection ideas.

THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT OF THE CITY: THE ESSENCE AND PRINCIPLES OF PROTECTION

Abstract. The article considers the actual problem of preserving the traditional environment for the historical city in the conditions of active development of urban infrastructure. Based on the analytical study of previous research and morphological analysis of components, it proposes to define the historic environment as a monument protection category, which determines the space of a historical city, organized in a characteristic landscape by inherited historic planning and system of buildings and structures, characterized by historical and cultural content. The article proves that the material basis of the city's historic environment is a historically inherited spatial framework formed by traditional buildings. Accordingly, to protect the environment of the ancient city means to preserve the inherited historic spatial framework in a state that does not change its spatial structure and does not lead to identity loss. The article also raises issues of practical solutions to the protection of the historic environment of ancient cities.

Antioxidant Screening and Sunscreen Activity of Nanocream of Purified Extract of Kenikir Leaves (ETDK) and Tampoi Fruit Peel Extract (EKBT)

Background: UV lights are free radicals that can cause damage to the skin, such as redness, burning, pigmentation, and even cancer. Kenikir leaf purified extract (ETDK) and Tampoi fruit peel extract (EKBT) contain flavonoid compounds. Flavonoid compounds can be antioxidants and sunscreens due to the presence of chromophore groups that can absorb UV rays to reduce exposure to the skin. Objectives: This study aims to determine the antioxidant activity and the ability of sunscreen nano cream Purified extract of Kenikir leaves and Tampoi fruit peel extract. Material and metode: Nanocream is made with 3 ETDTK-EKBT combination formulas, II ETDK formulas, III EKBT formulas. The antioxidant activity test was carried out using the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) method and the sunscreen activity test using the UV-Vis spectrophotometric method to calculate the SPF value of the preparation (Mansur's method). Result: The results showed that the nano cream formula had a strong antioxidant activity with the per cent inhibition of formula I 78.28%, formula II 68.49%, and formula III 73.00%. The activity test results as a sunscreen formulation of purified extract nano cream from Kenikir leaves and nano cream from Tampoi fruit peel extract had extra protection ability with a sun-protecting factor value of 7 while the nano cream formula combined extract with an SPF value of 10 gave the maximum protection category. Conclusion: nano cream have potential as antioxidants and sunscreens.

New materials and their application in the design and production of high-performance textile products

This paper provides a comprehensive description of the performance materials employed in a select group of high- performance textiles that are designed for a range of nontraditional applications. It also covers some design aspects of the individual products and explains the principles governing the specially engineered functional performance built into the products through the use of special materials and product design features. Among the applications covered is critical life saving applications falling under healthcare and personal protection categories.

Species of fungi recommended for inclusion in the 2nd edition of the Red Data Book of the Oryol Region

Based on the results of the long-term (2008–2020) studies of macromycetes in Oryol Region, a list of 24 fungal species recommended for the second edition of the regional Red Data Book has been compiled. The list includes 4 species of basidial fungi (Clavariadelphus pistillaris, Cortinarius violaceus, Grifola frondosa, and Gyroporus cyanescens) that were included in the first edition of the Red Data Book of Oryol Region (2007) and another 20 species (Aeruginoscyphus sericeus, Bulgaria inquinans, Clavaria zollingeri, Ganoderma lucidum, Gloiodon strigosus, Gyroporus castaneus, Hericium coralloides, Holwaya mucida, Hydnocristella himantia, Metuloidea murashkinskyi, Phellinidium ferrugineofuscum, Polyporus umbellatus, Ramaria fennica, Ramariopsis crocea, Ramariopsis pulchella, Rhizochaete sulphurina, Rhodonia placenta, Rhodotus palmatus, Skeletocutis odora, Triblidium caliciiforme) that are proposed for protection for the first time. Each species is provided with the Latin name, followed by brief characteristics of its current taxonomic position, biology and ecology, population‐limiting factors in the region, data on the range in Russia and on the distribution in Oryol Region, as well as the recommended protection category. The presented species list includes two species (Clavaria zollingeri, Rhodotus palmatus) from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and three species (Ganoderma lucidum, Grifola frondosa, Polyporus umbellatus) recorded in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation (2008). Two species (Aeruginoscyphus sericeus and Rhodotus palmatus) are new to Oryol Region.

In Vitro Conservation and Genetic Stability in Vanilla planifolia Jacks.

Vanilla planifolia Jacks. is a species of great economic importance, since vanillin, a compound highly valued in the food and pharmaceutical industry, is extracted from its pods. This species is in the category of special protection, so it is important to take actions for its conservation and to maintain the genetic stability of the conserved germplasm. An adequate way to achieve this is through the minimal growth in vitro conservation techniques. The present work aimed to establish an in vitro conservation protocol for vanilla germplasm that allows the genetic stability of the conserved material. For the establishment of the minimal growth in vitro conservation protocol: two concentrations of basal Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium (50% and 100%), two incubation temperatures (4 and 22 °C) and two concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA) (3 and 5 mg⋅L−1) were evaluated. To evaluate the genetic stability of the germplasms used in this study (cultivated, wild, and V. insignis morphotypes) by analyzing the profiles of molecular markers SSR (simple sequence repeats) and ISSR (inter simple sequence repeats). The MS medium (100%) supplemented with 3 mg⋅L−1 of ABA and incubated at 22 °C, was the best treatment for the in vitro conservation of Vanilla spp. Compared with the control treatment, it allowed us to obtain smaller shoots (1.17 × 0.17 cm), which showed high genetic stability, given by the low percentages of polymorphism detected in morphotypes cultivated and wild (SSR 0%, ISSR 2%) and V. insignis (SSR 0%, ISSR 0%). We conclude the usefulness of the established protocol to conserve the genetic variation of the evaluated Vanilla germplasm.

The sustainable development goals in two sustainable development reserves in central amazon: achievements and challenges

The 2030 Agenda was set in 2015 by the United Nations, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The Amazonian riverine people are recognized as traditional communities that have their own culture and use the local natural resources of their territories in an ancestral and traditional way. The Sustainable Development Reserve is a Brazilian protected area category which aims to ensure the protection of the natural environment while allowing the residence and the use of these lands by traditional populations. This article reports and discusses the achievements and challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals in two sustainable development reserves in Central Amazonia. The goals were evaluated in the Mamirauá and Amanã Sustainable Development Reserves, due to the large research programs developed in those areas along the past 20 years. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals have a clear connection with the mission of these sustainable development reserves in Central Amazon. Despite the many achievements conquered over the years, there are many challenges yet to overcome; and while striving to achieve the goals from the 2030 Agenda, new challenges will emerge. The current main challenges to reach the Sustainable Development Goals in the Mamirauá and Amanã Sustainable Development Reserves, in Central Amazon, are connecting to the reality of rural areas.

Habitat suitability assessment for the Great Bustard Otis tarda tarda in Tacheng Basin, western China

The Great Bustard is afforded the highest category of protection in China. This species has disappeared from much of its former range, and identification of factors influencing habitat suitability can play a key role in development of conservation plans. We used distance sampling and interviews to census Great Bustards in the Tacheng Basin of western China in October from 2014 to 2016, and obtained 210 occurrence points. We then used high-resolution species distribution models to explore the role of 16 environmental variables, including a novel high-resolution contemporary climate dataset, in habitat suitability. Our ensemble model classifies approximately 3,885 km 2 , or 9.9% of our study area in the most suitable and moderately suitable categories. These suitable areas are distributed primarily in the north of our study area, in farmlands along the southern slope of Talbahetai Mountain, and to a lesser degree along the eastern slope of Balluk Mountain. The variables which contributed most significantly to habitat suitability include distance to county highway, elevation, distance to field edge, and mean summer temperature. We propose reducing disturbance associated with roads by conducting awareness campaigns among local residents and creating campaigns and policies to promote responsible bird photography. Given the important role of farmlands to Great Bustards, we recommend planting compatible crops and establishing a Great Bustard protection demonstration area to implement and inform others about measures to improve farmland habitat for Great Bustards.

THE INFLUENCE OF VALUES ON SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The study is devoted to providing new facts to support the influence of culture on the development of the country. We tried to interpret the phenomenon of eco-nomic growth through non-economic factors such as institutions, technology (in-novation), trust, culture, values. There is no single decisive factor of economic growth, it is always a set of unities. It is assumed that cultural values and eco-nomic performance in a country have a two-way relationship. Cultural values determine the social direction and complement the traditional factors of economic growth. Moreover, at the same time, they change under the influence of socio-economic development. A comparative analysis of different cultures requires identifying universal characteristics and grouping countries according to these characteristics. Categories of universal culture are the informal rules that underlie any social organization and form the basis of social relations. The categories of property rights, income distribution, competition, and environmental protection are among the main issues of society's existence and development. These catego-ries relate to economic values, the economic interests of the country. Values and attitudes largely determine the direction and rate of economic growth and, at the same time, are influenced by ideology, religion, and political regime. The purpose of this article is to determine the interdependence of society's values and its eco-nomic development. The main economic values are private property, competi-tion, and profit. It is possible to explore these categories of economic values through an analysis of data from the World Values Survey (WVS). Research methods. Regression is useful to test the relationship between economic values and well-being on the example of 36 countries. The initial data are economic val-ues statistics WVS (Greif, Mokyr, 2016) and GDP per capita, World Bank (GDP per capita (current US$)). The regression model includes independent (values) and dependent (GDP per capita) variables. Result. The study examined attitudes to private property, competition and environmental protection in European countries. A positive correlation was found between attitudes towards private property and well-being, between economic growth and environmental goals. The findings confirm the correlation between culture, values and economic growth. At the same time, there is no noticeable correlation between attitudes toward compe-tition and income levels. Institutional factors are assumed to have a particular influence on competition values.

Human disturbance and shifts in vertebratecommunity compositionin a biodiversity hotspot.

Understanding how human modification of the landscape shapes vertebrate community composition is vital to understanding the current status and future trajectory of wildlife. Using a participatory approach, we deployed the largest camera-trap network in Mesoamerica to date to investigate how anthropogenic disturbance shapes the occupancy and co-occurrence of terrestrial vertebrate species in a tropical biodiversity hotspot: the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. We estimated species richness in different categories of land protection with rarefaction analysis and estimated the expected occupancy with a joint species distribution model that included covariates for anthropogenic disturbance, land protection, habitat quality, and habitat availability. Areas with the most stringent land-use protections (e.g., Corcovado National Park, 24 species [95% CI 23-25]) harbored significantly more species than unprotected areas (20 species [19.7-20.3]), mainly due to a reduced presence of large-bodied species of conservation concern in unprotected areas (e.g., jaguar Panthera onca and white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari). Small-bodied generalist species, such as opossums (Didelphidae) and armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), in contrast, were more common at disturbed sites, resulting in a significant difference in vertebrate community composition between sites with low and high disturbance. Co-occurrence of species was also mainly associated with response to disturbance. Similar responses to disturbance create two groups of species, those whose site-level occupancy usually increased as anthropogenic disturbance increased and those whose estimated occupancy decreased. The absence of large-bodied species entails an important loss of ecological function in disturbed areas and can hinder forest development and maintenance. Efforts to protect and restore forested landscapes are likely having a positive effect on the abundance of some threatened species. These efforts, however, must be sustained and expanded to increase connectivity and ensure the long-term viability of the wildlife community.

INTERSEXES’ AND HUMANS WITH INTEGRATED IMPLANTS RIGHTS PROTECTION ISSUES AND PROSPECTS IN MODERN CONDITIONS

The paper investigates intersexes’ and humans with integrated implants rights protection issues and prospects in modern conditions. Author’s theoretical vision of intersexes and humans with integrated implants understanding and their rights protection was represented. Main issues concerning the mentioned categories of people effective rights protection have been defined. Prospective directions in relation to intersexes’ and humans with integrated implants legal possibili- ties regulation and defence in modern conditions have been outlined.

Факторы трансформации политического ислама в мировой политике: возникновение насилия и терроризма

The article studies factors of transformation of political Islam and reasons for its “tightening” in the modern context. On the basis of the ideas of social constructivism, the author traces the main milestones in the evolution of political Islam and the formation of its radical branches that orient towards violence and terrorism. The article examines nine mega-events that ultimately determined the specifics of the modern union of Islam and poli tics — the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Islamic revolution in Iran, the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the September 11 attacks (2001), the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime, the “Arab Spring”, and the establishment of political Islam with a “Turkish face”. The author demonstrates that after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Islam began to gradually transform from the social phenomenon into the world-political factor. Initially, this tendency was observed in the intellectual and ideological spheres, but then penetrated practical politics. The article identifies four models of modern political Islam — Shiite, Salafi-jihadist, Takfirist-jihadist and moderate political Islam. According to the author’s conclusion, the attitude towards violence within these models is largely determined by the peculiarities of the formation, geographic ambitions and goals of the respective branches. The Shiite branch of political Islam that has established in Iran justifies violence for solving defensive tasks and appeals mainly to the categories of justice and protection of the oppressed. Salafijihadist and Takfirist groups, in essence, see violence as a key instrument for implementing the commandments of Allah and rebuilding the world on the principles of Sharia. The moderate political Islam (as shown by analyzing the case of Turkey) completely rejects violence, and religion remains largely a social phenomenon, although it is used for political purposes, in particular, to attract the electorate. On the basis of his analysis, the author comes to the conclusion that the idea of violence as an inherent element of political Islam is erroneous, but at the same time he points out risks of the increasing significance of this factor.

Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles by Hydrothermal Methods and Spectroscopic Investigation of Ultraviolet Radiation Protective Properties

Ultraviolet radiation causes damages to the human body, such as skin ageing, skin cancer, and allergies throughout the world. Applying zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in sunscreen products (like cloths or textiles) to protect human skin by absorbing the ultraviolet radiations that emerged from the sun. The main aim of this study is to investigate both absorbance and transmittance characteristics of the untreated and treated cotton textiles. For ZnO NPs using hydrothermal methods, they were made from Zn(NO3)2·6H2O and NaOH at a constant annealing temperature of 300°C. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to analyze the produced ZnO NPs. From the FT-IR result, ZnO NPs were observed in the region of 400-600 cm-1. Wurtzite hexagonal structure of ZnO NPs with the average crystal size 32 ± 49 nm was observed from XRD results. Flowers in the shape of synthesized ZnO NPs were observed from SEM images. The UV-vis penetration peaks were identified at 264 nm and 376 nm, with energy band gaps of 4.68 and 3.536 eV, respectively. When compared to bulk ZnO, the energy band gap of ZnO NPs was blue-shifted due to the impact of quantum confinement. The peaks in UV-vis absorption were caused by an electronic transition from the valiancy to the conduction bands. The high energy band shows high absorbance of the synthesis sample in the case of 264 nm. The ZnO NPs were manufactured and applied to 100% of raw cotton to impart sunscreen action to both untreated and treated cotton fabrics. The performance of treatment has been evaluated utilizing UV-vis spectroscopy through quantifying ultraviolet protective factors (UPF) and percentage of transmitted (%T) radiations. The treated cotton textiles have 61.50% UPF while 2.65% ultraviolet radiations were transmitted. In other words, untreated cotton textiles have 1.63% UPF while 74.56% ultraviolet radiation was transmitted. Therefore, the treated cotton textiles have excellent protection categories when compared to untreated cotton textiles.

The Arid Coastal Wetlands of Northern Chile: Towards an Integrated Management of Highly Threatened Systems

The ecological value of coastal wetlands is globally recognized, particularly as biodiversity hotspots, but also as buffer areas because of their role in the fight against climate change in recent years. Most of Chile’s coastal wetlands are concentrated in the central and southern part of the country due to climate conditions. However, northern coastal wetlands go unnoticed despite being located in areas of high water deficit (desert areas) and their role in bird migratory routes along the north–south coastal cordon of South America. This study reviews the current environmental status of the arid coastal wetlands of northern Chile (Lluta, Camarones, Loa, La Chimba, Copiapó, Totoral, Carrizal Bajo) in terms of regulations, management, and future aims. The main natural and anthropogenic threats to these coastal wetlands are identified, as well as the main management tools applied for their protection, e.g., the Nature Sanctuary designation, which allows for the protection of both privately and publicly owned property; and the Urban Wetland, a recently created protection category.

Geographical Indications for agricultural products and foodstuffs in the EU: to what extent does the protection level match the scope of the subject matter?

To recognize an origin-linked production model and the typicity of the products, the European Union (EU) has introduced the Geographical Indication (GI) protection regime. By requiring that relevant production steps must take place in the defined locale, the regime confers exclusive production rights on the local producers. There are two GI categories in the EU. The first is Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), covering products with a qualitative link to both natural and human factors in the designated region. The second is Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), the scope of which overlaps with PDO and covers products that have a qualitative or reputational link with their regional origin. This article examines whether exclusive rights are necessary and appropriate to fulfil their objectives and argues that these rights, when extended to human factors and reputation, cannot always be justified. It is argued that the overlapping scope of the subject matter undermines the ability of these two GI protection categories to provide transparent and trustworthy information for consumers. Finally, this article proposes to redefine the scope of the subject matter and the protection level for PDO and PGI by approaching the product/origin link from a resource utilization, integration and sustainability perspective. *Corresponding author: Jianmei.Gao@vub.be. The research for this article was partially funded by Vrije Universiteit Brussel/China Scholarship Council Joint Scholarship and the National Social Science Fund of China (Grant No. 16 ZDA236).

FORMULATION OF SOLAR CREAM EXTRACT ETHANOL GANGGANG GREEN (Ulva lactuca L.) AND IN VITRO TEST OF SPF VALUE (SUN PROTECTING FACTOR)

<p>Excessive ultraviolet radiation or UV rays will make the epidermal tissue in the skin unable to resist the harmful effects. Sunscreen is a cosmetic ingredient that functions as a physical or chemical function as a barrier to the penetration of UV rays into the skin. Plants that can function as sunscreens because they have phenolic compounds, one of which is green algae (<em>Ulva lactuca</em> L).</p><p>This type of research is an experimental study using UV-Vis spectrophotometry to determine the ability of sun cream to inhibit UV radiation to the skin. The purpose of this study was to formulate sunscreen cream from ethanol extract of green algae (<em>Ulva lactuca</em> L.) and measure the best SPF (<em>Sun Protecting Factor</em>) value of various concentrations of green algae (Ulva lactuca L.) ethanol extract sunscreen cream.</p><p>The results of the study the SPF value of formula 1 (cream base) was 1.5077, which means formula 1 has no activity as sunscreen, formula 2 (3% green algae extract) with formula 2 (3% extract extract) with an SPF value of 7,311 which is classified as in the extra protection category, formula 3 (4% extract concentration) has an SPF value of 13,427 which is included in the maximum protection category and formula 4 with an SPF value of 19,282 which belongs to the ultra protection category. The cream formulation with the highest SPF value was formula 4. The higher the extract concentration, the higher the SPF value.</p>

PENENTUAN KADAR FLAVONOID TOTAL DAN NILAI SPF EKSTRAK ETANOL DAUN BUAS-BUAS (Premna serratifolia L.) ASAL KABUPATEN MELAWI PROVINSI KALIMANTAN BARAT

ABSTRACT
 
 Premna serratifolia L. leaves contain flavonoids, saponins, polyphenols, and terpenoids,
 potentially act as sunscreens. The purpose of this study was to determine the flavonoid content and
 SPF (Sun Protection Factor) ethanol extract of Premna serratifolia L. leaves from Melawi Regency,
 West Kalimantan Province using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The Premna serratifolia L. leaves were
 extracted by maceration using 70% ethanol solvent, then the filtrate obtained was concentrated with a
 rotary vacuum evaporator to obtain a thick extract. The extract was determined for its flavonoid
 content using UV-Vis spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 439 nm, and the SPF value was
 determined at a concentration of 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer at a
 wavelength of 290-320 nm. The SPF value was calculated and analyzed descriptively using the
 Mansur method. The result showed that the average flavonoid content of ethanol extract of Premna
 serratifolia L. leaves was 3.70±0.02% calculated as quercetin. The SPF EEDB values obtained from
 variations in concentrations of 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm respectively were 19.95±0.02; 30.08±0.01;
 34.58±0.14; and 38.28 ± 0.12, where the SPF value is included in the ultra protection category.
 
 Key words: Premna serratifolia L. leaves, flavonoid content, SPF, UV-Vis Spectrophotometer

Optimisasi Tween 80 dan Span 80 Sebagai Emulgator dalam Formula Krim Tabir Surya Kombinasi Ekstrak Etanol Daun Alpukat (Persea americana M.) dan Nanopartikel Seng Oksida Dengan Metode Simplex Lattice Design

Avocado leaves contain flavonoid which act as antioxidant whereas nanoparticles of zinc oxide can protect the skin against a wide spectrum of UV. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of variation of Tween 80 and span 80 as emulsifier and determine the optimum formula of sunscreen scream containing ethanol extract of avocado leaves and zinc oxide nanoparticles. Avocado leaves were extracted by maceration method using ethanol. Nano zinc oxide is obtained by the High Energy Ball Milling technique and characterized using Particle Size Analyzer. Determination of the optimal cream formula with variations in the concentration of Tween 80 and Span 80 is done by Simplex Lattice Design (SLD) method. The maceration resulted ethanolic extract of avocado leaves with a yield of 34.4%. The synthesised zinc oxide nanoparticles obtained showed 179.47±5.98 nm in diameter. The results showed that increasing concentrations of Tween 80 and decreasing concentration of Span 80 increased spreadability but decreased the viscosity and adhesiveness of creams. The SPF evaluation of creams showed a medium protection category (SPF>15). The optimum formula was obtained with the ratio of Tween 80 and Span 80 was 7,8 and 3,2%, respectively, with the desirability value of 0.863.

Deforestation and fragmentation trends of seasonal dry tropical forest in Ecuador: impact on conservation

BackgroundFragmentation and deforestation are one of the greatest threats to forests, and these processes are of even more concern in the tropics, where the seasonal dry forest is possibly one of the most threatened ecosystems with the least remaining surface area.MethodsThe deforestation and fragmentation patterns that had occurred in Ecuadorian seasonal dry forests between 1990 and 2018 were verified, while geographic information systems and land cover shapes provided by the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment were employed to classify and evaluate three types of seasonal dry forests: deciduous, semi-deciduous, and transition. The study area was tessellated into 10 km2 hexagons, in which six fragmentation parameters were measured: number of patches, mean patch size, median patch size, total edge, edge density and reticular fragmentation index (RFI). The RFI was also measured both outside and inside protected natural areas (unprotected, national protected areas and protected forest). Moreover, the areas with the best and worst conservation status, connectivity and risk of disappearance values were identified by means of a Getis-Ord Gi* statistical analysis.ResultsThe deforestation of seasonal dry forests affected 27.04% of the original surface area still remaining in 1990, with an annual deforestation rate of − 1.12% between 1990 and 2018. The RFI has increased by 11.61% as a result of the fact that small fragments of forest have tended to disappear, while the large fragments have been fragmented into smaller ones. The semi-deciduous forest had the highest levels of fragmentation in 2018. The three categories of protection had significantly different levels of fragmentation, with lower RFI values in national protected areas and greater values in protected forests.ConclusionsThe seasonal dry forest is fragmenting, deforesting and disappearing in some areas. An increased protection and conservation of the Ecuadorian seasonal dry forest is, therefore, necessary owing to the fact that not all protection measures have been effective.