Coexistence Of Solutions Research Articles

Dimensions of human–tiger conflict and solutions for coexistence in the forests of the Khata Corridor, Bardiya, Nepal

Abstract Khata Corridor forest, which serves as a border crossing for wildlife between Nepal and India, is one of the areas in Nepal with the highest incidence of human–wildlife conflict. In recent years both the tiger Panthera tigris tigris and human populations in this region have increased, leading to more frequent conflict. We aimed to determine whether increased conflict risk was primarily from tigers entering human settlements or whether there are additional drivers associated with human use of forested areas. We conducted the study in four settlements that varied in socio-economic status and distance from Bardiya National Park, through field visits and household surveys. Tiger records (sightings, pug marks and attacks) were most frequent far from Bardiya National Park, in settlements without benefits from tiger-based tourism and nearer the periphery of forest, and were rarely associated with the interior of settlements. Human visitation into forests was also highest in the most remote settlement. Our findings suggest that conflict risk is driven by the extent of human activity in forested areas, reflecting an unequal distribution of the conservation benefits of tourism amongst settlements. In the long-term, continued coexistence between people and tigers will depend on minimizing conflict risk across settlements through establishing an equitable distribution of conservation benefits. In the short term, we recommend raising public awareness of tiger behaviour to emphasize that tigers are highly unlikely to enter and occupy the interior of human settlements, mitigating negative perceptions of conflict risk.

Nonlinear behavior and energy harvesting performance of a new tunable quasi-zero stiffness system.

Energy harvesting from vibrations is a popular research topic. However, it is difficult to change the values of its dynamic stiffness characteristics during the operation of device. This paper analyzes the nonlinear dynamical behavior and energy harvesting performance of an energy harvesting device with a gear unit and an inertial amplifier. The Melnikov method is used to discriminate the chaos behavior of the system and is illustrated by numerical simulations. Chaotic dynamics analysis provides a simplified analytical idea that offers more insight into the performance of this energy harvesting device. In addition, the basins of attraction of the coexistence solution of the system are plotted, and the trajectory and energy harvesting efficiency of the system are analyzed for changes in the initial value. The results show that the device has the convenience to change the form and efficiency of system energy harvesting. The theory of Melnikov functions recognizes the presence of chaos and can provide solutions for the parameterization of the system. The choice of initial value greatly affects the energy harvesting efficiency.

Chilli Cakes: A Nature-Based Solution for Enhancing Human-Wildlife Coexistence and Socio-Economic Resilience in Zimbabwe

Abstract Gonarezhou National Park (GNP) in Zimbabwe is home to a thriving population of African elephants ( Loxodonta africana ). However, this population faces constant threats stemming from human encroachment and habitat degradation, exacerbated by unplanned cultivation and a growing number of domestic livestock. As human and elephant interactions increase, so does the incidence of human-elephant conflict (HEC), posing a significant risk to both communities and elephants alike. This conflict jeopardizes the survival of elephants that venture beyond the confines of the protected area. In defence, the farmers employ various strategies to minimize HECs, including burning chilli peppers, beating drums and fire, deploying bee hives, employing dogs, and utilizing other defensive measures. A study conducted in 2019 identified HEC hot spots through GPS-tracking elephants. A collaboration with affected farmers was then sought in developing a more sustainable solution for mitigating HEC. As a result, a novel product named “Chilli Cake” was developed, drawing upon traditional knowledge and innovative science techniques to deter elephants from raiding crops. The chilli cake initiative successfully reduced HECs and improved crop protection for farmers in Malipati. These findings carry significant implications for elephant conservation through the promotion of coexistence between wildlife and people while promoting community resilience which is the basis for sustainable development in Zimbabwe and beyond. Information © The Authors 2024

Concentric Structure of Coexistent KCl Core Solution and Water Adlayer Inside a Highly Hydrophobic Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube

Concentric Structure of Coexistent KCl Core Solution and Water Adlayer Inside a Highly Hydrophobic Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube

Land tenure formalisation and perceived tenure security: Two decades of the land administration project in Ghana

Ghana’s Land Administration Project (LAP), initiated in 2003, aimed to enhance certainty regarding land rights. What has been achieved since then? We explore landowners’ perceptions of tenure security in Ghana using micro-level data from two waves of the Ghanaian Living Standards Surveys: GLSS5+ (2008) and GLSS7 (2017). This data allows us to study the linkages between land title formality and perceptions of tenure security, measured by landowners' perceived ability to sell or use their land as collateral. This is complemented by analysing government policy documents and appraisal reports from independent organisations, making our study a valuable contribution to ongoing research on the formalisation-security link in Ghana and other African countries. The results indicate that those with formal titles are more likely to perceive their land ownership secure. However, in some regions customary systems persist in parallel with perceived security. These regional nuances highlight the complex factors influencing perception of tenure security. For policy, these findings emphasise the need to consider contextual peculiarities and expertise when assessing the compatibility of customary traditions with formal titles and finding solutions for potential coexistence.

Coexistence of two species with intra- and interspecific competition in an unstirred chemostat

In this paper, we study an intra- and interspecific competition system with the different diffusion rates in an unstirred chemostat. Due to the present of the different diffusion rates, the conservation principle for a classical standard chemostat model does not hold here. Firstly, we prove the existence, the uniqueness and asymptotic behaviors of positive solution of the single population system by using the degree theory. Secondly, by the degree theory and standard bifurcation theory, the existence and global structure of the coexistence solutions are investigated. The results show that when the maximum growth rates of two microorganisms with different diffusion abilities are not small, two competing microorganisms will coexist. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to illustrate that the interspecific interference can help the weaker competitor to win in the competition.

Reframing videotelephony through coexistence and empathy in the third space

ABSTRACT Predicated on the telephone, the history of videotelephony has continually adopted a two-way model of communication between ‘newsreader’ participants, confined to boxes on a screen. This article identifies philosophical approaches and practical solutions to overcome this ‘horseless-carriage’ syndrome using a phenomenological methodology to reframe the concept of videotelephony as a third space encounter through the author’s telematic art practice. By reflecting on audience participation in the Installations Telematic Dreaming (1992) and Telematic Vision (1993) participants interact through a third-person self-image and transcend their physical vulnerabilities and self-conscious inhibitions to engage and identify through coexistence and empathy. These observations draw on analogies between Martin Heidegger’s ‘hammer’ and the television screen, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s ‘extension of bodily synthesis’ and the telepresent image of self. By drawing on these phenomenological approaches, the author’s AHRC research project Telepresence Stage (2022) responded to the mass entrapment of two-way videoconference apps during the COVID-19 lockdown, and the inevitable Zoom fatigue, to provide alternative fit-for-purpose telepresence solutions for the performing arts sector. The project exposes the flaws and misconceptions of conventional videotelephony by employing open-source resources and practical green-screen techniques to embody a shared third space between remote performers, arriving at alternative telepresence solutions for future coexistence.

Design and Dynamic Analysis of a Co-Existence Solution Between a Semi-Submersible Offshore Fish Cage and a Spar-Type Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

Abstract Clean energy captured by offshore wind turbines has been widely used for supporting onshore activities. In the near future, facilities such as offshore wind turbines can also play an important role in the energy transition of offshore activities. Offshore wind energy can be employed for electrifying operations in offshore fish farms, which are traditionally supplied by diesel-engine barges/generators. Based on this motivation, this study focuses on the design of a shared mooring system between a semi-submersible offshore fish cage and a spar-type floating wind turbine. A numerical model of the proposed shared mooring system is implemented in a global response analysis software sima for performing fully coupled time-domain simulations. The configuration of the shared mooring line is determined using an engineering approach, which comprises Irvine’s formulation, system eigenvalue analysis, and cost estimation. Moreover, relevant case studies by altering the environmental conditions are performed. Extreme operational conditions that may give large relative motions are investigated thoroughly. The dynamic performance of the integrated system is compared with that of individual structures. The global motion of the floating wind turbine and its mooring line’s tension behavior are obviously influenced by the existence of the shared line. In general, the present work investigates the feasibility of a shared mooring system for these types of offshore structures and further gives insights into the engineering design procedure.

Towards a sustainable fisher-dolphin coexistence: Understanding depredation, assessing economic damage and evaluating management options

Finding solutions for a sustainable coexistence between wildlife and humans is considered among the most challenging environmental management issues for scientists, conservationists, managers, and stockholders world-wide. Depredation by the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) on small scale fisheries has increased in the recent years, leading to a growing conflict in many areas of the Mediterranean Sea and pressing for urgent management solutions. This study aims at developing a management framework for a sustainable coexistence between fishers and dolphins in Sardinia (Mediterranean Sea). Relying on the combination of different approaches (field study, literature review and Multi Criteria Decision Analysis), the scientific evidence necessary for understanding dolphin depredation were updated and improved, the related economic damage was calculated, and different management options were identified and evaluated by several stakeholder groups to support the decision-making process. Averaging for all investigated net types (gillnet and trammel net), a depredation frequency of 53% was found, the highest values ever found in both Sardinia and many other Mediterranean sites. Depredation probability was influenced by different factors, such as net type, fishing operation duration, depth of the fishing site and period. The estimated economic damage due to depredation ranges on average between 6492 and 11,925 euro per year and depends on the type of fishing net. The results from the field study, the literature review and the stakeholder involvement allowed us to define the most plausible and shared management options, identifying a framework for assessing and managing the conflict between fishers and dolphins for the creation of a more sustainable vision for the future.

All aboard the 'Elephant Express', a practical solution for human-elephant coexistence

One of the most significant challenges for elephant conservation is managing negative interactions that occur where people and elephants use the same space and compete for resources. Human–elephant conflict (HEC) incidents often manifest in direct impacts to humans or elephants. However, some HEC situations result in long-term risk and chronic stress among communities living with elephants. Indirect impacts or opportunity costs, such as people being disadvantaged by the presence of elephants are harder to quantify and are not often addressed. In the eastern Okavango Panhandle, in northern Botswana, 17,500 people share space and resources with 18,000 elephants. Elephants here use distinct, historical corridors on a daily basis, moving from dryland resources to the wetlands of the Okavango Delta. Confrontations with elephants occur most frequently where these elephant corridors cross the main service road in the area, increasing fear among people walking to work, children going to school, parents sending children to school, and the elderly or expectant mothers accessing medical care. This constant fear contributes to chronic stress and can drive negative perceptions towards elephants. A novel intervention has been introduced to help reduce the costs of HEC and foster coexistence, in the Okavango Panhandle area—"The Elephant Express". The bus service was established through a multi-stakeholder collaboration to provide primary school children and medical personnel safe transport across elephant corridors. The complementary bus service have reduced stress from living with elephants, increased attendance and performance in schools, and facilitated improved access to medical care.

Thermo-responsive ion imprinted polymer on the surface of magnetic carbon nanospheres for recognizing and capturing low-concentration lithium ion

Ion imprinted polymer (IIP) on the surface of magnetic carbon nanospheres, using N-propylacrylamide and benzo-12-crown 4-ether (B12C4) as bi-functional monomers, is designed and synthesized for the selective recognition and recovery of Li+ from aqueous medium. The adsorption behaviors of Li+-IIP including adsorption kinetics, isotherms, selective recognition, and regeneration are investigated in detail by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. The adsorption capacity of Li+-IIP towards Li+ reaches a maximum value of 23.46 mg g−1 at 25 ˚C within 60 min. The Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models manifest the apparent adsorption behavior dominated by single layer chemisorption. The Li+-IIP realized selective adsorption of Li+ against Na+, K+, Mg2+, Al3+, and Fe3+ in their coexistence solution. It is reused five times without a significant decrease with the assistance of externally applied magnetic field for solid/liquid separation. The recognition mechanism of Li+-IIP towards Li+ is the combined action of dehydration effect, electrostatic attraction, and size and imprinting effect, as identified by theoretical simulated calculation based on density functional theory and experimental data. The temperature-responsive adsorption of Li+-IIP towards Li+ facilitates the adsorption/desorption operations. Li+-IIP shows good separation from the treated solution by applying an external magnetic field. This work provides new insights into the recovery of lithium.

Synthesis of carbon disulfide modified chitosan resin and its adsorption properties for palladium(Ⅱ) in wastewater

A novel chitosan resin microsphere (CDCR) adsorbent, which was synthesized by secondary crosslinking and carbon disulfide modification, and was evaluated for its efficacy in recovering palladium from wastewater. The physicochemical properties and adsorption mechanism of CDCR were determined using scanning electron microscope energy dispersive system (SEM-EDS), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), simultaneous thermal analyzer (TG-DSC), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc. The experimental results showed that its saturated adsorption capacity was about 204.34 mg/g. And the adsorption process of Pd(Ⅱ) was found to be in accordance with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich model. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the reaction between CDCR and Pd(Ⅱ) was a spontaneous endothermic process. CDCR showed good reusability, maintaining a Pd(Ⅱ) removal efficiency of 99.99% after eight adsorption–desorption cycles. In the multi-ion coexistence solution, CDCR also exhibited excellent selectivity towards Pd(Ⅱ) adsorption. Furthermore, the adsorption of Pd(Ⅱ) by CDCR was primarily attributed to electrostatic interaction with protonated amine groups and complexation with sulfur groups.

Modeling Autonomous Vehicles’ Altruistic Behavior to Human-Driven Vehicles in the Car following Events and Impact Analysis

To explore the impact of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on human-driven vehicles (HDVs), a solution for AV to coexist harmoniously with HDV during the car following period when AVs are in low market penetration rate (MPR) was provided. An extension car following framework with two possible soft optimization targets was proposed in this article to improve the experience of HDV followers with different following strategies by deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm. The pretreated Next Generation Simulation (NGSIM) dataset was used for the experiments. 1027 car following events with being redefined were extracted from it, in which 600 of the events were used for training and 427 of the events were used for testing. The different driving strategies obtained from the classical car following models were embedded into virtual environment built by OpenAI gym. The reward function combined safety, efficiency, jerk, and stability was used to encourage the agent with DDPG algorithm to maximize it. The final result reveals that disturbance of HDV followers decreases by 2.362% (strategy a), 8.184% (strategy b), and 13.904% (strategy c), respectively. The disturbance of HDV follower decreases by 14.961% (strategy a), 12.020% (strategy b), and 13.425% (strategy c), respectively. HDV followers with different strategies get less jerk in both soft optimizations. AV passengers get a loss on jerk and efficiency, but safety is enhanced. Also, AV car following performs better than HDV car following in both soft and brutal optimizations. Moreover, two possible solutions for harmonious coexistence of HDVs and AVs when AVs are in low MPR are proposed.

Coexistence solutions for a Lotka–Volterra competition model with density-dependent motion

This paper is concerned with a Lotka–Volterra model with density-dependent motion. Under homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions, which is different from the previous article (Liu and Guo, 2021), the corresponding steady-state problem is discussed. Stability properties of the trivial and semitrivial solutions are determined completely. The sufficient conditions for the existence of coexistence solutions are also obtained by using the theory of fixed point index in positive cones. Finally, the limiting behavior of coexistence solutions is studied as some certain parameter tends to infinity.

Selective extraction of gold from strong acid E-waste leachate through H+-triggered cascade reaction of thiolated β-cyclodextrin

Recycling precious metals from the increasing amount of e-waste is significant for the sustainability of strategic metal resources. However, few technologies have been reported for efficient and highly selective recovery of precious metals from the strong acidic e-waste leachate. Herein, we demonstrated a simply synthesized thiolated β-cyclodextrin (T-CD) that can recover gold from multi-metal coexistence solutions at pH 2 with an exceptional adsorption capacity of 1890.98 mg/g, and a superior selectivity coefficient about 5×104. The recognition of Au3+ by sulfhydryl groups on T-CD and the hydrolysis of T-CD triggered by H+ were proved to be the critically important contributors to the highly selective recovery of gold from strong acid wastewater. In addition, T-CD can directly and effectively extract gold from actual waste PCB leachate, allowing the acidic solution to be recycled five times. This work provides a new guidance for the direct recovery of rare metals from strongly acidic wastewater.

Highly effective and selective removal of lead ions by polymer-grafted silica-coated acid-resistant magnetic chitosan composites

Separation and recovery of lead resources from lead-containing wastewater is very important to achieve reuse of lead(II) and environmental protection. Herein, a novel magnetic separation adsorbent, polymer-grafted silica-coated acid-resistant magnetic chitosan composite (PMSC), was facilely constructed and applied for the efficient and selective adsorption of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions. The adsorption results in the Pb(II) mono-contaminated system showed that the adsorption process of PMSC on Pb(II) was significantly pH-responsive and increased with increasing pH, reaching a qmax value of 88.03 mg g−1 at pH 6.0, which was more than 6 times of MSC (14.47 mg g−1). More interestingly, the adsorbent with inert silica coated on the core has a higher acid resistance, with almost no iron leaching from PMSC at pH 1.0, while PMC has 3.99 mg L−1 of iron leaching. The results of adsorption isotherms and kinetics of Pb(II) by PMSC showed that Langmuir and pseudo-second-order kinetics can better describe the adsorption behavior, indicating that the adsorption process was mainly controlled by chemisorption and the maximum monolayer adsorption capacity can reach 111.12 mg g−1 at 298.15 K. Furthermore, PMSC maintained about 80 % of the initial adsorption capacity after five cycles of repeated use, demonstrating its good regenerative cycling performance. Also, PMSC showed excellent selective adsorption of Pb(II) in the coexistence solutions of multiple metal ions with the SPb up to 85.83 %, which was far more than that of MSC (23.55 %), indicating that the polymer grafting had a significant enhancement on the selective performance of the adsorbent. This work could provide design and preparation insights for the development of novel, acid-resistant, recyclable and fast magnetic separation adsorbents for the efficient selective separation of lead ions.

Selective bilingualism: official language use and linguistic landscape in Hungarian-Romanian mixed schools in Romania

ABSTRACT In Romania most Hungarian-speaking children study in their mother tongue, in Hungarian-language classes. Some of these are organised in ‘mixed schools’, where parallel Hungarian and Romanian classes coexist in the same institution. Although these institutions seem a good solution for inter-ethnic coexistence, no systematic research has been conducted on their internal language policy and language practices yet. The aim of the paper is to examine the language policy of these institutions, by focusing on the language of two top-down elements of the linguistic landscape, school inscriptions and internal signs of rooms. The study argues that three language strategies can be distinguished: asymmetry, symmetry and quasi-asymmetry, which are influenced by the institutional characteristics of the school. Furthermore, the paper offers possibilities for applying its findings in different contexts and situations. By drawing attention to the limits of formal language policy, it argues that depending on the structural context they find themselves in, actors can openly contest or reinterpret even seemingly clear legal regulations, negotiating their applicability according to the dominant language hierarchies and ideologies they adhere to. Additionally, the paper provides insights concerning two methodological dilemmas in linguistic landscape research, namely, representativity and lack of explanatory depth of quantitative analysis.

Security and privacy vulnerabilities of 5G/6G and WiFi 6: Survey and research directions from a coexistence perspective

Spectrum scarcity has been a major concern for achieving the desired quality of experience (QoE) in next-generation (5G/6G and beyond) networks supporting a massive volume of mobile and IoT devices with low-latency and seamless connectivity. Hence, spectrum sharing systems have been considered as a major enabler for next-generation wireless networks in meeting QoE demands. Specifically, the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) has standardized coexistence of 4G LTE License Assisted Access (LAA) network with WiFi in the unlicensed 5 GHz bands, and the 5G New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) with WiFi 6/6E in 6 GHz bands. While most current coexistence solutions and standards focus on performance improvement and QoE optimization, the emerging security challenges of such network environments have been ignored in the literature. The security framework of standalone networks (either 5G or WiFi) assumes the ownership of entire network resources from spectrum to core functions. Hence, all accesses to the network shall be authenticated and authorized within the intra-network security system and is deemed illegal otherwise. However, coexistence network environments can lead to unprecedented security vulnerabilities and breaches as the standalone networks shall tolerate unknown and out-of-network accesses, specifically in the medium access. In this paper, for the first time in literature, we review some of the critical and emerging security vulnerabilities in the 5G/WiFi coexistence network environment which have not been observed previously in standalone networks. Specifically, independent medium access control (MAC) protocols and the resulting hidden node issues can result in exploitation such as service blocking, deployment of rogue base-stations, and eavesdropping attacks. We study potential vulnerabilities in the perspective of physical layer authentication, network access security, and cross-layer authentication mechanisms. This study opens a new direction of research in the analysis and design of a security framework that can address the unique challenges of coexistence networks.

Performance Analysis of Existing ITS Technologies: Evaluation and Coexistence

The performance of vehicular communication technologies changes dynamically according to the application requirements considering data rate, communication ranges, latency, etc. These applications are evolving rapidly and should enhance intelligent transport systems (ITS) such as road safety and automated driving. However, to reach the required quality, these applications need many radio resources to carry the potential traffic load resulting from the environmental perception and data exchanged between the different entities. Therefore, an assessment of vehicular communication technologies' reliability and resilience under these conditions is required to address the multiple challenges of the ITS services. The paper's main contribution is to propose a comprehensive analysis model able to evaluate and compare the performances of ITS technologies according to different constraints related to environment-changing situations. This analysis examines the channel occupancy and provides simulation results which allow the identification of the suitable configurations and the most appropriate technology for a given use case. We also propose a coexistence solution between these technologies based on density-sharing according to the use case requirements and the availability of the technology. Finally, we present the challenge of adaptive configuration in vehicular networks, which helps to provide the optimal structure through road profiles and environment variability (infrastructure, data, etc.). Results show different trade offs and limitations between the considered ITS technologies, which are essential to understand their behaviour in a realistic environment.

Evaluation of the socialization program to strengthen school coexistence in basic education students.

School coexistence is one of the fundamental aspects for the well-being of the members of an educational community; its proper management allows improving academic performance and strengthening the quality of learning. For this reason, the design of a socialization program to strengthen school coexistence in fifth-year basic education students of the Ana Páez Educational Unit is proposed as a research objective. Regarding the methodology, the study responds to a mixed research design, the inductive method was used and the level of the study was descriptive and applied to the students to provide solutions for a healthy coexistence. The proposal was put into practice achieving great success in the student community.