Comparative Mapping Research Articles

STABILITY OF ROAD ROUTES IN THE MOSCOW UYEZD IN THE 17TH - FIRST THIRD OF THE 18TH CENTURY

The article examines a little-studied problem in the period of formation of the system of overland roads in the central part of the Russian state. The purpose of the study is to find out how stable were the road routes in the southern (Zaretskaya) part of the Moscow uyezd in the 17th and the first third of the 18th century. This choice is explained by the fact that the roads in the southern part of the uyezd, separated from its northern (Zamoskovnaya) part by the Moskva river, were a unified complex of communications. The research was based on the cadasters of 1627-1629, Moscow uyezd’s maps of the second half of the 17th century, as well as land surveyor’s plans in the 1720s from the map collection of J.-N. Delisle. The study included identification of settlements indicated on the early 18th-century maps and plans of the second half of the 17th century, a comparison of identified settlements, and search for settlements from the cadasters of 1627-1629 on the basis of comparisons of maps and plans (in some cases, the settlements in the cadasters have references to roads that serve as landmarks). The author concludes that five major roads in southern Moscow suburbs, New Mozhaisk, Zvenigorod, Borovsk, Kashira and Kamensk roads, were formed up to the mid-17th century and kept their importance throughout the 18th century. They were postal highways, “federal highways” of that time. It is impossible to draw a conclusion about the route stability of country roads on the basis of the analyzed sources. The data of cadasters of 1627-1629 allows to confirm that at least three out of five roads (Borovsk, Kamensk and Kashira) existed not only in the second, but also in the first half of the 17th century. The absence of the Zvenigorod road in the Zaretskaya part of the uyezd in the cadasters does not mean that it did not exist in the first third of the17th century. Most likely the scribe simply did not indicate it as a landmark.

Differential interactome mapping of aggregation prone/prion-like proteins under stress: novel links to stress granule biology

BackgroundAberrant stress granules (SGs) are emerging as prime suspects in the nucleation of toxic protein aggregates. Understanding the molecular networks linked with aggregation-prone proteins (prion protein, synuclein, and tau) under stressful environments is crucial to understand pathophysiological cascades associated with these proteins.MethodsWe characterized and validated oxidative stress-induced molecular network changes of endogenous aggregation-prone proteins (prion protein, synuclein, and tau) by employing immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry analysis under basal and oxidative stress conditions. We used two different cell models (SH-SY5Y: human neuroblastoma and HeLa cell line) to induce oxidative stress using a well-known inducer (sodium arsenite) of oxidative stress.ResultsOverall, we identified 597 proteins as potential interaction partners. Our comparative interactome mapping provides comprehensive network reorganizations of three aggregation-prone hallmark proteins, establish novel interacting partners and their dysregulation, and validates that prion protein and synuclein localize in cytoplasmic SGs. Localization of prion protein and synuclein in TIA1-positive SGs provides an important link between SG pathobiology and aggregation-prone proteins. In addition, dysregulation (downregulation) of prion protein and exportin-5 protein, and translocation of exportin-5 into the nucleus under oxidative stress shed light on nucleocytoplasmic transport defects during the stress response.ConclusionsThe current study contributes to our understanding of stress-mediated network rearrangements and posttranslational modifications of prion/prion-like proteins. Localization of prion protein and synuclein in the cytoplasmic SGs provides an important link between stress granule pathobiology and aggregation-prone proteins. In addition, our findings demonstrate nucleocytoplasmic transport defects after oxidative stress via dysregulation and nuclear accumulation of exportin-5.

Comparison of voltage maps using OCTARAY catheter and PENTARAY catheter.

Recently, a new OCTARAY® mapping catheter was commercially launched. The catheter is designed to enable high-density mapping and precise signal recording via 48 small electrodes arranged on eight radiating splines. The purpose of this study was to compare bipolar voltage and low-voltage-area size, and mapping efficacy between the OCTARAY catheter and the PENTARAY® catheter METHODS: Twelve consecutive patients who underwent initial and second ablations for persistent atrial fibrillation within 2 years were considered for enrollment. Voltage mapping was performed twice, first during the initial ablation using the PENTARY catheter and second during the second ablation using the OCTARAY Long 3-3-3-3-3 (L3) catheter. Mean voltage with the OCTARAY-L3 catheter (1.64±0.57mV) was 32.3% greater than that with the PENTARAY catheter (1.24±0.46mV, p<.0001) in total left atrium. Low-voltage-area (<0.50mV) size with the OCTARAY-L3 catheter was smaller than that with the PENTARAY catheter (6.9±9.7vs. 11.4±13.0cm2 , p<.0001). The OCTARAY-L3 catheter demonstrated greater efficacy than the PENTARAY catheter in terms of shorter mapping time (606±99vs. 782±211s, p=.008) and more mapping points (3,026±838vs. 781±342 points, p<.0001). The OCTARAY catheter demonstrated higher voltage recordings, narrower low-voltage areas, and a more efficacious mapping procedure than the PENTARAY catheter.

Hi-C sequencing unravels dynamic three-dimensional chromatin interactions in muntjac lineage: insights from chromosome fusions in Fea's muntjac genome.

Eukaryotes have varying numbers and structures of characteristic chromosomes across lineages or species. The evolutionary trajectory of species may have been affected by spontaneous genome rearrangements. Chromosome fusion drastically alters karyotypes. However, the mechanisms and consequences of chromosome fusions, particularly in muntjac species, are poorly understood. Recent research-based advancements in three-dimensional (3D) genomics, particularly high-throughput chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) sequencing, have allowed for the identification of chromosome fusions and provided mechanistic insights into three muntjac species: Muntiacus muntjak, M. reevesi, and M. crinifrons. This study aimed to uncover potential genome rearrangement patterns in the threatened species Fea's muntjac (Muntiacus feae), which have not been previously examined for such characteristics. Deep Hi-C sequencing (31.42 × coverage) was performed to reveal the 3D chromatin architecture of the Fea's muntjac genome. Patterns of repeated chromosome fusions that were potentially mediated by high-abundance transposable elements were identified. Comparative Hi-C maps demonstrated linkage homology between the sex chromosomes in Fea's muntjac and autosomes in M. reevesi, indicating that fusions may have played a crucial role in the evolution of the sex chromosomes of the lineage. The species-level dynamics of topologically associated domains (TADs) suggest that TAD organization could be altered by differential chromosome interactions owing to repeated chromosome fusions. However, research on the effect of TADs on muntjac genome evolution is insufficient. This study generated Hi-C data for the Fea's muntjac, providing a genomic resource for future investigations of the evolutionary patterns of chromatin conformation at the chromosomal level.

Cross-subject emotion EEG signal recognition based on source microstate analysis

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are very weak and have low spatial resolution, which has led to less satisfactory accuracy in cross-subject EEG-based emotion classification studies. Microstate analyses of EEG sources can be performed to determine the important spatiotemporal characteristics of EEG signals. Such analyses can be used to cluster rapidly changing EEG signals into multiple brain prototype topographies, fully utilizing the spatial information contained in the EEG signals and providing a neural representation for emotional dynamics. To better utilize the spatial information of brain signals, source localization analysis on the EEG signals was first conducted. Then, a microstate analysis on the source-reconstructed EEG signals is conducted to extract the microstate features of the data. We conducted source microstate analysis on the participant data from the odor-video physiological signal database (OVPD-II) dataset. The experimental results show that the source microstate feature topologies of different participants under the same emotion exhibited a high degree of correlation, which was proven by the analysis of microstate feature topographic maps and the comparison of two-dimensional feature visualization maps of the differential entropy (DE) and power spectral density (PSD). The microstate features represent more abstract emotional information and are more robust. The extracted microstate features were then used with the style transfer mapping method to transfer the feature data from the source domain to the target domain and were then used in support vector machines (SVMs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for emotion recognition. The experimental results show that the cross-subject classification accuracies of the microstate features in SVMs were 84.90 ± 8.24% and 87.43 ± 7.54%, which were 7.19 and 6.95% higher than those obtained with the PSD and 0.51 and 1.79% higher than those obtained with the DE features. In CNN, the average cross-subject classification accuracies of the microstate features were 86.44 and 91.49%, which were 7.71 and 19.41% higher than those obtained with the PSD and 2.7 and 11.76% higher than those obtained with the DE features.

Comparison of maps of species richness and endemism produced directly from species occurrences with those produced by stacked species distribution modelling

Abstract Knowledge of the spatial patterns of biodiversity is essential for identifying conservation hotspots. Two commonly used methods of biodiversity assessments are point-to-grid maps and habitat suitability maps generated by stacked species distribution modelling (S-SDM). We compared these two types of maps using three metrics: species richness, weighted endemism (WE), and corrected weighted endemism (CWE) produced for three monocot genera (Allium, Tulipa and Eremurus) in Uzbekistan. Also, we asked how close the patterns of species richness and weighted endemism predicted by S-SDM will be if the sampling density is significantly reduced. To answer this question, we compared the maps of species richness and WE produced using the entire dataset, with one in which species occurrences were thinned to no more than ten occurrences per species. The patterns of species richness and WE in point-to-grid maps and maps generated by S-SDM were very similar for all three genera. However, the spatial distribution of CWE generated by S-SDM was dramatically different from that of point-to-grid maps, and this difference was consistent across the three genera. For species richness and WE, the maps produced by S-SDM from the reduced and complete datasets were similar and close to the analogous point-to-grid maps. These results suggest that even incomplete surveys can provide valuable data for elucidating spatial biodiversity patterns and that for conservationists, S-SDM should be an essential part of their toolbox. However, the use of CWE in S-SDM applications should be avoided.

Картографирование лесных насаждений Волгоградской области по данным ДЗЗ с использованием индексов BSFI и NDWI

The possibilities of adjusting the results of mapping wood plantations based on the bi-seasonal forest index (BSFI) according to Sentinel-2 data and calculated seasonal composite images of the NDWI index maximum values are presented. It was found out that with using a seasonal composite image of the mentioned values, calculated with the NIR and SWIR2 ranges, the manufacturer`s accuracy in raster cross-validation increases from 82,5 to 92,8 %. At the same time, the initial areas of wood zones decreased by 7 %, and those of false identifications shrank by 67 %. Comparison of mapping results with statistical data showed small differences in areas with a large number of natural forest plantations (in 18 of 33 areas they do not exceed 15 % of the design ones). Moreover, in lands with a large number of protective green spaces, discrepancies can reach up to 210 % of the design values. It is shown that significant distinctions in design and actual mapping materials can be associated with poor preservation, fires, illegal logging, as well as problems of accounting protective forest plantings. A fairly accurate method for adjusting BSFI was proposed (the manufacturer’s accuracy increased from 82,5 to 92,8 %) based on the maximum composite NDWI image calculated using the NIR and SWIR2 bands of the Sentilel-2A and Sentilel-2B satellites in a test area within the Volgograd region

Widać zabory? Analiza zróżnicowania przestrzennego nieważnych głosów w wyborach centralnych w Polsce w latach 2004–2019

The percentage of invalid votes in national elections in Poland, has not been studied as extensively as in the case of local elections. There are many research gaps in this area, starting with the description of the spatial patterns of this diverse phenomenon. This article has this main goal: to describe the spatial patterns of the percentage of invalid votes in the elections to the Sejm, the European Parliament and the President of the Republic of Poland in the years 2004–2019. The key of this study is a long-term analysis of the above-mentioned problem, as well as a look at the changes taking place in space-temporal terms. For this purpose, the methods of comparative map analysis, spatial classification and statistical analysis: Kruskal-Wallis and Student’s t-tests were used. The most important conclusion from this work is the universality of spatial patterns of the percentage of invalid votes in the case of elections to the Sejm and the European Parliament and some differences in the case of presidential elections. The persistence of interregional differences is also noticeable, but we can observe strengthening of these differences in the case of parliamentary and presidential elections, and weakening in the case of elections to the European Parliament. The article also presents an explanation for the significant increase of invalid votes in the Bydgoszcz district in the 2005 Sejm elections, which was caused by the unusual design of the brochure ballot card.

Genetic characterization of a multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Agona isolated from a dietary supplement in Germany.

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Agona has a history of causing food-borne outbreaks and any emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates in novel food products is of concern. Particularly, in food products frequently consumed without sufficient heating prior to consumption. Here, we report about the MDR isolate, 18-SA00377, which had been isolated from a dietary supplement in Germany in 2018 and submitted to the German National Reference Laboratory for Salmonella. WGS-based comparative genetic analyses were conducted to find a potential reservoir of the isolate itself or mobile genetic elements associated with MDR. As a phylogenetic analysis did not yield any closely related S. Agona isolates, either globally or from Germany, a detailed analysis of the largest plasmid (295,499 bp) was performed as it is the main carrier of resistances. A combined approach of long-read and short-read sequencing enabled the assembly of the isolate's chromosome and its four plasmids. Their characterization revealed the presence of 23 different antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), conferring resistance to 12 different antibiotic drug classes, as well as genes conferring resistance to six different heavy metals. The largest plasmid, pSE18-SA00377-1, belongs to the IncHI2 plasmid family and carries 16 ARGs, that are organized as two distinct clusters, with each ARG associated with putative composite transposons. Through a two-pronged approach, highly similar plasmids to pSE18-SA00377-1 were identified in the NCBI database and a search for Salmonella isolates with a highly similar ARG resistance profile was conducted. Mapping and structural comparisons between pSE18-SA00377-1 and these plasmids and Salmonella isolates showed that both the plasmid backbone and identical or similar ARG clusters can be found not only in Salmonella isolates, originating mostly from a wide variety of livestock, but also in a diverse range of bacterial genera of varying geographical origins and isolation sources. Thus, it can be speculated that the host range of pSE18-SA00377-1 is not restricted to Salmonella and its spread already occurred in different bacterial populations. Overall, this hints at a complex history for pSE18-SA00377-1 and highlights the importance of surveilling multidrug-resistant S. enterica isolates, especially in novel food items that are not yet heavily regulated.

Epidemiological outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya and zika from 2015 to 2019: Rio de Janeiro case

Given the scenario of epidemiological outbreaks of the "triple arboviruses" Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika, the objective was to analyze notification data in comparison with the spread of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in the municipalities of the state of Rio de Janeiro from 2015 to 2019. As a sample, the state of Rio de Janeiro, which has the third largest population in Brazil, distributed in its 92 municipalities, experienced the phenomenon of the "triple epidemic" during a period involving the three arboviruses: Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya. The research presents tabulated epidemiological data and comparative LIRAa maps of the "triple arboviruses" in the Health Regions of Rio de Janeiro. The aim of carrying out the survey in the municipalities is to provide better conditions for combating and controlling the vectors.

Automatic Estimation of Excavator’s Actual Productivity in Trenching and Grading Operations Using Building Information Modeling (BIM)

This paper discusses the excavator’s actual productivity in trenching and grading operations. In these tasks, the quantity of material moved is not significant; precision within specified tolerances is the key focus. The manual methods for productivity estimation and progress monitoring of these operations are highly time-consuming, costly, error-prone, and labor-intensive. An automatic method is required to estimate the excavator’s productivity in the operations. Automatic productivity tracking aids in lowering time, fuel, and operational expenses. It also enhances planning, detects project problems, and boosts management and financial performance. The productivity definitions for trenching and grading operations are the trench’s length per unit of time and graded area per unit of time, respectively. In the proposed techniques, a grid-based height map (2.5D map) from working areas is obtained using a Livox Horizon® light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor and localization data from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and inertial measurement units (IMUs). Additionally, building information modeling (BIM) is utilized to acquire information regarding the target model and required accuracy. The productivity is estimated using the map comparison between the working areas and the desired model. The proposed method is implemented on a medium-rated excavator operated by an experienced operator in a private worksite. The results show that the method can effectively estimate productivity and monitor the development of operations. The obtained information can guide managers to track the productivity of each individual machine and modify planning and time scheduling.

Amoeba predation of Cryptococcus: A quantitative and population genomic evaluation of the accidental pathogen hypothesis.

The "Amoeboid Predator-Fungal Animal Virulence Hypothesis" posits that interactions with environmental phagocytes shape the evolution of virulence traits in fungal pathogens. In this hypothesis, selection to avoid predation by amoeba inadvertently selects for traits that contribute to fungal escape from phagocytic immune cells. Here, we investigate this hypothesis in the human fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus deneoformans. Applying quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and comparative genomics, we discovered a cross-species QTL region that is responsible for variation in resistance to amoeba predation. In C. neoformans, this same QTL was found to have pleiotropic effects on melanization, an established virulence factor. Through fine mapping and population genomic comparisons, we identified the gene encoding the transcription factor Bzp4 that underlies this pleiotropic QTL and we show that decreased expression of this gene reduces melanization and increases susceptibility to amoeba predation. Despite the joint effects of BZP4 on amoeba resistance and melanin production, we find no relationship between BZP4 genotype and escape from macrophages or virulence in murine models of disease. Our findings provide new perspectives on how microbial ecology shapes the genetic architecture of fungal virulence, and suggests the need for more nuanced models for the evolution of pathogenesis that account for the complexities of both microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions.

A Comprehensive Survey of Machine Learning Methodologies with Emphasis in Water Resources Management

This paper offers a comprehensive overview of machine learning (ML) methodologies and algorithms, highlighting their practical applications in the critical domain of water resource management. Environmental issues, such as climate change and ecosystem destruction, pose significant threats to humanity and the planet. Addressing these challenges necessitates sustainable resource management and increased efficiency. Artificial intelligence (AI) and ML technologies present promising solutions in this regard. By harnessing AI and ML, we can collect and analyze vast amounts of data from diverse sources, such as remote sensing, smart sensors, and social media. This enables real-time monitoring and decision making in water resource management. AI applications, including irrigation optimization, water quality monitoring, flood forecasting, and water demand forecasting, enhance agricultural practices, water distribution models, and decision making in desalination plants. Furthermore, AI facilitates data integration, supports decision-making processes, and enhances overall water management sustainability. However, the wider adoption of AI in water resource management faces challenges, such as data heterogeneity, stakeholder education, and high costs. To provide an overview of ML applications in water resource management, this research focuses on core fundamentals, major applications (prediction, clustering, and reinforcement learning), and ongoing issues to offer new insights. More specifically, after the in-depth illustration of the ML algorithmic taxonomy, we provide a comparative mapping of all ML methodologies to specific water management tasks. At the same time, we include a tabulation of such research works along with some concrete, yet compact, descriptions of their objectives at hand. By leveraging ML tools, we can develop sustainable water resource management plans and address the world’s water supply concerns effectively.

An integrated quantitative and qualitative approach for landslide susceptibility mapping in West Sikkim district, Indian Himalaya

Landslides rank as the third most common natural disaster globally, and the Indian Himalaya Region is no exception, experiencing severe impacts during the rainy season. This study focuses on creating a comparative landslide susceptibility map for the West Sikkim district in India using probabilistic and heuristic approaches. The frequency ratio (FR) and information value (IV) methods are employed for the probabilistic approach, while the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used for the heuristic approach. Eleven factors are considered in the analysis. The resulting landslide susceptibility (LS) map demonstrates accuracies of 77% for FR, 74% for IV, and 57% for AHP methods. Preliminary qualitative risk assessment is conducted, incorporating building and population density, as population and buildings are the most vulnerable elements in the society. The LS map with the highest accuracy (from FR) serves as the landslide potential factor, combined with building and population density as the risk damage potential factors for risk zonation. The resulting risk zonation map classifies the study area into high-risk (3%), medium-risk (14%), and low-risk (83%) zones. This study primarily addresses the 3% high-risk area where landslides pose a significant threat to population and infrastructure, aiming to inform policy implementation and mitigation measures.

Comparison of voltages between atria: differences in sinus rhythm and atrial fibrillation

BackgroundUltra high-density mapping systems allow for comparison of atrial electroanatomical maps in unprecedented detail. Atrial scar determined by voltages and surface area between atria, rhythm and atrial fibrillation (AF) types was assessed.MethodsLeft (LA) and right atrial (RA) maps were created using Rhythmia HDx in patients listed for ablation for paroxysmal (PAF, sinus rhythm (SR) maps only) or persistent AF (PeAF, AF and SR maps). Electrograms on corresponding SR/AF maps were paired for direct comparison. Percentage surface area of scar was assigned low- (LVM, ≤ 0.05 mV), intermediate- (IVM, 0.05–0.5 mV) or normal voltage myocardium, (NVM, > 0.5 mV).ResultsThirty-eight patients were recruited generating 96 maps using 913,480 electrograms. Paired SR-AF bipolar electrograms showed fair correlation in LA (Spearman’s ρ = 0.32) and weak correlation in RA (ρ = 0.19) and were significantly higher in SR in both (LA: 0.61 mV (0.20–1.67) vs 0.31 mV (0.10–0.74), RA: 0.68 mV (0.19–1.88) vs 0.47 mV (0.14–1.07), p < 0.0005 both). Voltages were significantly higher in patients with PAF over PeAF, (LA: 1.13 mV (0.39–2.93) vs 0.52 mV (0.16–1.49); RA: 0.93 mV (0.24–2.46) vs 0.57 mV (0.17–1.69)). Minimal differences were seen in electrogram voltages between atria.Significantly more IVM/LVM surface areas were seen in AF over SR (LA only, p < 0005), and PeAF over PAF (LA: p = 0.01, RA: p = 0.04). There was minimal difference between atria within patients.ConclusionsUltra high-density mapping shows paired electrograms correlate poorly between SR and AF. SR electrograms are typically (but not always) larger than those in AF. Patients with PeAF have a lower global electrogram voltage than those with PAF. Electrogram voltages are similar between atria within individual patients.

An improved Compton parameter map of thermal Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect from Planck PR4 data

ABSTRACT Taking advantage of the reduced levels of noise and systematics in the data of the latest Planck release (PR4, also known as NPIPE), we construct a new all-sky Compton-y parameter map (hereafter, y-map) of the thermal Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) effect from the Planck PR4 data. A tailored Needlet Internal Linear Combination (NILC) pipeline, first validated on detailed sky simulations, is applied to the nine single-frequency Planck PR4 sky maps, ranging from 30 to 857 GHz, to produce the PR4 y-map over 98 per cent of the sky. Using map comparisons, angular power spectra, and one-point statistics, we show that the PR4 NILC y-map is of improved quality compared to that of the previous PR2 release. The new y-map shows reduced levels of large-scale striations associated with 1/f noise in the scan direction. Regions near the Galactic plane also show lower residual contamination by Galactic thermal dust emission. At small angular scales, the residual contamination by thermal noise and cosmic infrared background (CIB) emission is found to be reduced by around 7 and 34 per cent, respectively, in the PR4 y-map. The PR4 NILC y-map is made publicly available for astrophysical and cosmological analyses of the thermal SZ effect.

Assessment of ecological sustainability of the landscape of the Prypiat River basin within the Volyn region

The relevance of the research lies in the fact that, in the context of the global concept of sustainable development, one of the leading tasks is to maintain the sustainability of natural ecosystems by finding optimal strategies for the development of socio-economic systems. The purpose of the research is to assess the environmental sustainability of the landscapes of the Prypiat River basin within the territorial communities of the Volyn Oblast in the current conditions of the region’s development. The methods used to achieve this goal included the calculation of the landscape ecological sustainability coefficient based on the systematization of statistical reporting data, followed by comparative geographical analysis and environmental mapping using ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro. The main results of the research show that the coefficient of ecological stability of landscapes in the Prypiat River basin is in the range of 0.22-5.39 and assesses landscapes from the level of “unstable with pronounced instability” to “stable, with pronounced stability”. The distribution of land areas in the territorial communities located in the Tsyr sub-basin determines the landscape characterization at the level of “stable, with pronounced stability”. Within the territorial communities of the Vyzhivka sub-basin and the upper reaches of the Prypiat River, the landscapes are “conditionally stable” – “stable”. Within the communities of the Turia sub-basin – from “unstable” to “stable, with pronounced stability”. Within the communities of the Stokhid sub-basin – from “unstable” to “stable, with pronounced stability”. The territorial communities of the middle part of the Styr sub-basin are represented by landscapes ranging from “unstable, with pronounced instability” to “stable, with pronounced stability”. In general, more ecologically stable landscapes are located in the northern part of Volyn Oblast, due to the large areas of forested land. Environmental instability of landscapes is typical for the southern part of the region due to large areas of ploughed land. The practical value of the work lies in obtaining regional variations in the assessment of ecological stability of landscapes, which is important to consider when developing coordinated concepts between communities and environmental management bodies on a basin basis to achieve sustainable development goals in socio-ecological systems

Comparative Assessment of Three Different Alveolar Ridge Dimension Measurement Methods before Implant Placement: An In Vivo Study.

The purpose of this study was to compare the three various techniques for measuring the alveolar ridge's dimensions prior to implant insertion. For this study, a total of 36 participants were chosen. To prepare a surgical stent, a study model was created from an alginate impression. A first point (reference point) was marked on the crest of the ridge in relation to the adjacent teeth. Then, one point (point 1) and another point (point 2) were marked at distances of 3 and 6 mm, respectively, from the reference point. Based on the procedure for measuring the size of the alveolar ridge, the study was divided into the following groups. Group I: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) measurement method; Group II: Ridge mapping measurement method; Group III: Direct caliper measurements method. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the mean and standard deviation (SD). The Student's unpaired t-test was utilized for the statistical analysis. The 5% level of significance was used. There was no significant difference found between CBCT with ridge mapping and direct caliper measurements. However, on comparison of ridge mapping and direct caliper measurements technique, at point 1, the ridge mapping was 3.88 ± 0.12 and the direct caliper measurement was 3.62 ± 0.08. At point 2, the ridge mapping was 6.58 ± 0.06 and the direct caliper measurement was 6.32 ± 0.04. There was a statistically significant difference found between these two measurement methods. Within the limitation, the current study came to the conclusion that when CBCT and ridge mapping measurements were individually compared with the gold standard-the surgical open method, CBCT-demonstrated to be a highly specific and sensitive method for detecting the residual alveolar ridge width in the treatment planning of dental implants. Evaluation of alveolar bone is necessary during treatment planning for dental implant placement. Using simply panoramic and/or periapical radiographs to evaluate the bone may not be sufficient because it only provides two-dimensional information regarding the implant locations. Therefore, for better implant placement, three-dimensional information of the implant site, such as CBCT and ridge mapping technique, should be assessed.

Reproducibility of Remote Mapping of the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Surface Ruptures

Abstract We use multiple, independently produced surface-rupture maps of the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence to test the reproducibility of surface-rupture map interpretation and completeness. The 4 July Mw 6.4 and 5 July Mw 7.1 earthquakes produced surface-rupture zones approximately 20 and 50 km in length, respectively. Three independent mappers with various backgrounds in active tectonics mapped the surface rupture from the postearthquake lidar data without knowledge from postearthquake field or geodetic observations. Visual comparisons of the three remote rupture maps show good agreement for scarps &amp;gt;50 cm in height. For features with less topographic expression, interpretations of the data vary more widely between mappers. Quantitative map comparisons range from 18% to 54% consistency between mapped lines with 1 m buffers. The percent overlap increases with buffer width, reflecting variance in line placement as well as differences in fault-zone interpretation. Overall, map similarity is higher in areas where the surface rupture was simpler and had more vertical offset than in areas with complex rupture patterns or little vertical offset. Fault-zone interpretation accounts for the most difference between maps, while line placement accounts for differences at the meter scale. In comparison to field observations, our remotely produced maps capture the principal rupture well but miss small features and geometric complexity. In general, lidar excels for the detection and measurement of vertical offsets in the landscape, and it is deficient for detecting lateral offset with little or no vertical motion.

IRplus: An Augmented Tool to Detect Inverted Repeats in Plastid Genomes.

High-throughput sequencing methods have increased the accessibility of plastid genomes, which are crucial for clarifying phylogenetic relationships. Current large sequencing efforts require software tools for routine display of their distinctive quadripartite structure, which is denoted by four junction sites. By concentrating on these junctions and their close vicinity, IRscope has emerged as the standard tool for detection of this structure and creating simplified comparative graphical maps of plastid genomes. Here, we provide an augmented version (IRplus) that encompasses a novel set of functions such as integrated error detection, flexible color schemes, and an upgraded method to detect inverted repeats in genomic sequences. Spanning across the plant tree of life, IRplus allows the quick visualization of various sets of plastid genomes and features, next to smooth interoperability with other widely used annotation file formats and platforms. The IRplus can be accessed at https://irscope.shinyapps.io/IRplus/, and source codes are freely available at https://github.com/AmiryousefiLab/IRplus.