High Degree Of Specialization Research Articles

Specialist Bee Species Are Larger and Less Phylogenetically Distinct Than Generalists in Tropical Plant–Bee Interaction Networks

Bee pollinators are key components of terrestrial ecosystems. Evidence is mounting that bees are globally in decline, and species with a higher degree of specialization are the most vulnerable to local extinction. However, ecological features that could explain bee specialization remain poorly tested, especially in tropical species. Here, we aim to determine the most specialized bee species and their associated ecological traits in tropical plant–bee interaction networks, answering three questions: (1) Which bees in the interaction networks are specialists? (2) Is body size related to their role as specialists in interaction networks? (3) Are there phylogenetic relationships between the bee species identified as specialists? We used fifteen quantitative plant–bee interaction networks from different Brazilian biomes covering 1,702 interactions (386 bee and 717 plant species). We used the normalized degree (standardized number of partners) as a metric to determine trophic specialization of bee species. Body size was estimated by measuring intertegular distance (ITD), i.e., the distance between the bases of the wings on the thorax. Evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) was used to quantify species uniqueness, i.e., the singularity of species in the phylogenetic tree. Relationships between dietary specialism, ITD and ED were assessed using generalized linear models. We detected 34 specialist bee species (9% of total species), distributed in 13 genera, and four families. ITD and ED were important variables explaining the specialization of tropical bee species. Specialists were larger and less phylogenetically distinct than expected by chance. Based on a large data set covering some of the main tropical biomes, our results suggest that loss of specialist bees from Brazilian plant–bee networks could have deleterious consequences for native plant species preferentially pollinated by large-bodied bees. Moreover, by affecting more evolutionarily distinct species, i.e., those with fewer extant relatives, the loss of specialist bees will likely affect few clades but can result on considerable loss of evolutionary history and phylogenetic diversity in the Brazilian bee communities. The results are important for decision-making concerning conservation measures for these species and may also encourage the development of sustainable management techniques for bees.

Industrial linkage effects of RCEP economies' imports of producer services on manufacturing advantages.

This study examines the industrial transmission mechanisms between producer services imports and manufacturing advantages in RCEP economies. Based on the framework of GVCs’decomposition, we establish a hierarchical linear model (HLM) withthe data from 2007 to 2017 in the ADB MIRO, WTO BaTiS and WITS databases to analyze the impact of producer services imports in RCEP economies on the value-added domestic exports of manufacturing in countries around the world, and the conclusions are as follows: (1) Producer service imports have a significant positive impact on the domestic value-added of manufacturing exports through direct effects, upstream effects and downstream effects. The downstream effect is the main driving force for the improvement of manufacturing. After using instrumental variables to resolve endogeneity, the conclusion remains stable; (2) The downstream effect of insurance imports is the largest among producer services imports. After the outbreak of the world financial crisis, the transmission effect of the industry chain was higher in 2008 than before the crisis. (3) Due to the high degree of specialization of industrial division in developed economies, the transfer effect of the three major industrial chains is greater than that of developing countries and regions.

Neural and behavioural responses of the pollen-specialist bee Andrena vaga to Salix odours.

An effective means of finding food is crucial for organisms. Whereas specialized animals select a small number of potentially available food sources, generalists use a broader range. Specialist (oligolectic) bees forage on a small range of flowering plants for pollen and use primarily olfactory and visual cues to locate their host flowers. So far, however, little is known about the specific cues oligoleges use to discriminate between hosts and non-hosts and how floral scent compounds of hosts and non-hosts are processed in the bees' olfactory system. In this study, we recorded physiological responses of the antennae (electroantennographic detection coupled to gas chromatography; GC-EAD) and in the brain (optical imaging; GC imaging), and studied host-finding behaviour of oligolectic Andrena vaga bees, a specialist on Salix plants. In total, we detected 37 physiologically active compounds in host and non-host scents. 4-Oxoisophorone, a common constituent in the scent of many Salix species, evoked strong responses in the antennal lobe glomeruli of A. vaga, but not the generalist honeybee Apis mellifera. The specific glomerular responses to 4-oxoisophorone in natural Salix scents reveals a high degree of specialization in A. vaga for this typical Salix odorant component. In behavioural experiments, we found olfactory cues to be the key attractants for A. vaga to Salix hosts, which are also used to discriminate between hosts and non-hosts, and A. vaga demonstrated a behavioural activity for 4-oxoisophorone. A high sensitivity to floral scents enables the specialized bees to effectively find flowers and it appears that A. vaga bees are highly tuned to 4-oxoisophorone at a very low concentration.

Implementación tecnológica en los servicios de Cirugía General y del Aparato Digestivo en España. Encuesta nacional y resultados

Technology is one of the pillars of surgery in the 21st century and is a key factor in achieving better surgical results. The current surgical process involves not only surgical techniques, but also a very high degree of specialisation and the knowledge and use of techniques and devices from other fields. In Spain, there are no studies published at a national level in this regard.From the Minimally Invasive Surgery and Technological Innovation section of the Spanish Association of Surgeons we have designed a study whose main objective is to evaluate the degree of technological implantation in the specialty of General Surgery in Spain, as well as to analyze the devices available in the different centres of the country. We propose to make a detailed description of the applications of these devices and techniques by areas of interest, pointing out the pathologies and procedures in which this technology is used.

Amplicon Sequencing-Based Bipartite Network Analysis Confirms a High Degree of Specialization and Modularity for Fungi and Prokaryotes in Deadwood.

Fungi and prokaryotes are dominant colonizers of wood and mediate its decomposition. Much progress has been achieved to unravel these communities and link them to specific wood properties. However, comparative studies considering both groups of organisms and assessing their relationships to wood resources are largely missing. Bipartite interaction networks provide an opportunity to investigate this colonizer-resource relationship more in detail and aim to directly compare results between different biotic groups. The main questions were as follows. Are network structures reflecting the trophic relationship between fungal and prokaryotic colonizers and their resources? If so, do they reflect the critical role of these groups, especially that of fungi, during decomposition? We used amplicon sequencing data to analyze fungal and prokaryotic interaction networks from deadwood of 13 temperate tree species at an early to middle stage of decomposition. Several diversity- and specialization-related indices were determined and the observed network structures were related to intrinsic wood traits. We hypothesized nonrandom bipartite networks for both groups and a higher degree of specialization for fungi, as they are the key players in wood decomposition. The results reveal highly modular and specialized interaction networks for both groups of organisms, demonstrating that many fungi and prokaryotes are resource-specific colonizers. However, as the level of specialization of fungi significantly surpassed that of prokaryotes, our findings reflect the strong association between fungi and their host. Our novel approach shows that the application of bipartite interaction networks is a useful tool to explore, quantify, and compare the deadwood-colonizers relationship based on sequencing data.IMPORTANCE Deadwood is important for our forest ecosystems. It feeds and houses many organisms, e.g., fungi and prokaryotes, with many different species contributing to its decomposition and nutrient cycling. The aim of this study was to explore and quantify the relationship between these two main wood-inhabiting organism groups and their corresponding host trees. Two independent DNA-based amplicon sequencing data sets (fungi and prokaryotes) were analyzed via bipartite interaction networks. The links in the networks represent the interactions between the deadwood colonizers and their deadwood hosts. The networks allowed us to analyze whether many colonizing species interact mostly with a restricted number of deadwood tree species, so-called specialization. Our results demonstrate that many prokaryotes and fungi are resource-specific colonizers. The direct comparison between both groups revealed significantly higher specialization values for fungi, emphasizing their strong association to respective host trees, which reflects their dominant role in exploiting this resource.

北京城市蝴蝶蜜源植物网络特征及重要蜜源植物识别

物种间相互作用网络研究能为物种多样性的保护、城市生态系统稳定性的维持提供指导。基于群落水平的城市蝴蝶蜜源植物互作网络的研究较少，对城市蝴蝶蜜源网络结构缺乏深入认识。研究在国内城市生态系统中构建蝴蝶蜜源网络，并探讨不同类型植物对网络特征的影响。2020年6-9月，在北京26个城市公园中记录访花蝴蝶和蜜源植物物种及互作频次，采用交互多样性（ID）、交互均匀性（IE）、专业化程度（H2'）定量化生态网络结构特征，采用Kruskal-Wallis秩和检验和变差分解分析不同生长型、起源、栽培方式的植物类型对网络结构的影响差异。采用物种的伙伴多样性（PD）和专业化程度（d'）识别重要蜜源植物。研究结果表明：（1）北京城市公园中22种蝴蝶与81种开花植物的交互作用，形成趋于泛化的生态网络结构；（2）不同生长型及不同起源的植物-蝴蝶网络的交互多样性及专业化程度有显著差异，草本及乡土植物对丰富网络中交互多样性和支持专业性更高的蝴蝶物种具重要作用，而植物的栽培方式对蜜源网络结构影响较小；（3）伙伴多样性高且专业化程度高的植物可被视为重要蜜源植物。基于蝴蝶多样性保护的目标，在城市生态系统中，绿色空间应注重构建乡土草本植物群落，优先选择重要蜜源植物。我们的发现印证了蝴蝶-蜜源植物生态网络方法作为联结生态研究和城市绿地实践管理的有效工具，能为城市生态系统中生物多样性保护提供科学策略，具有重要意义。;Study on ecological networks about species interactions provides a basis for species diversity protection, and it is beneficial for the maintenance of urban ecosystem stability. However, urban ecological network study between butterfly and plant based on community level still leaves a huge blank, therefore, the knowledge of butterfly-nectar plant network structure needs an in-depth understanding. To our knowledge, ours is the first study focusing on butterfly-nectar plant network in urban ecosystems in China and evaluating the effects of different type of plants on butterfly-nectar plant network. In this study, we surveyed flower visiting butterfly species and nectariferous plant species and the interaction frequency in 26 urban parks in Beijing, China from June to September in 2020. The butterfly-nectar plant bipartite network was built. We identified five quantitative metrics on two hierarchical levels (network and species) to describe network patterns and species' interaction. Metrics on network level were interaction diversity (ID), interaction evenness (IE) and network specialization (H2'). Moreover, we analyzed the effect of different vegetation types on the network structure differences, including different type of growth form, origin, and cultivation plant, using Kruskal-Wallis test and variance partitioning analysis. Metrics on species level were partner diversity (PD) and species specialization (d') for identifying important nectariferous plant species that provide a key and central role to the stability of the structure of network. The results are as follows: (1) 22 species of butterfly and 81 species of flowering plants of interaction were observed and the butterfly-nectar plant network tended to be generalized. (2) The interaction diversity and specialization of two growth form plant-butterfly network were significantly different (P<0.01), and same to of two origin plant. Furthermore, herbs and native plants played an important role in maintaining the interaction diversity and specialized butterfly species in the network. Interestingly, cultivation type of plants had little effect on nectar network structure. (3) Plants with high partner diversity and high degree of specialization could be regarded as important nectariferous plant species. Consequently, in order to protect butterfly diversity, native herbaceous plant community should be constructed in green space of urban ecosystem, and important nectariferous plant species should be given top priority to grow. Our findings confirm that the butterfly-nectar plant ecological network can provide a scientific strategy for biodiversity conservation in urban ecosystems. It could be an effective tool to link ecology research with urban green space practice management.

Deep Deconvolution of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Regulatory Microenvironment Reveals a High Degree of Specialization and Conservation Between Mouse and Human

Understanding the regulation of normal and malignant human hematopoiesis requires comprehensive cell atlas of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) regulatory microenvironment. Here, we develop a tailored bioinformatic pipeline to integrate public and proprietary single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets. As a result, we robustly identify for the first time 14 intermediate cell states and 11 stages of differentiation in the endothelial and mesenchymal BM compartments, respectively. Our data provide the most comprehensive description to date of the murine HSC-regulatory microenvironment and suggests a higher level of specialization of the cellular circuits than previously anticipated. Furthermore, this deep characterization allows to infer conserved features in human, suggesting that the layers of microenvironmental regulation of hematopoiesis may also be shared between species. Our resource and methodology are a steppingstone towards a comprehensive cell atlas of the BM microenvironment.

PipeArch

Data processing systems based on FPGAs offer high performance and energy efficiency for a variety of applications. However, these advantages are achieved through highly specialized designs. The high degree of specialization leads to accelerators with narrow functionality and designs adhering to a rigid execution flow. For multi-tenant systems this limits the scope of applicability of FPGA-based accelerators, because, first, supporting a single operation is unlikely to have any significant impact on the overall performance of the system, and, second, serving multiple users satisfactorily is difficult due to simplistic scheduling policies enforced when using the accelerator. Standard operating system and database management system features that would help address these limitations, such as context-switching, preemptive scheduling, and thread migration are practically non-existent in current FPGA accelerator efforts. In this work, we propose PipeArch, an open-source project 1 for developing FPGA-based accelerators that combine the high efficiency of specialized hardware designs with the generality and functionality known from conventional CPU threads. PipeArch provides programmability and extensibility in the accelerator without losing the advantages of SIMD-parallelism and deep pipelining. PipeArch supports context-switching and thread migration, thereby enabling for the first time new capabilities such as preemptive scheduling in FPGA accelerators within a high-performance data processing setting. We have used PipeArch to implement a variety of machine learning methods for generalized linear model training and recommender systems showing empirically their advantages over a high-end CPU and even over fully specialized FPGA designs.

МОДЕЛЮВАННЯ ЛОГІСТИЧНИХ БІЗНЕС-ПРОЦЕСІВ У СІЛЬСЬКОМУ ГОСПОДАРСТВІ

У статті розглянуті сільськогосподарські підприємства, що беруть участь у ланцюгах поставок, які здатні гнучко адаптуватися до змін на ринку. Зазначено, що підвищений інтерес до ланцюгів поставок також був спричинений розвитком інформаційних та комунікаційних технологій, що дають змогу часто обмінюватися величезними обсягами інформації серед учасників ланцюга для координації. Встановлено, що управління процесами ланцюга поставок можна додатково класифікувати за моделлю життє-здатної системи, що складається з п’яти взаємодіючих підсистем. Узагальнено перелік конкретних характеристик бізнес-процесу ланцюгу поставок, де кожна характеристика впливає на спосіб організації логістичних процесів. Через специфічні характеристики харчових продуктів важливо укладати контракти з постачальниками, щоб гарантувати постачання сировини зі встановленими обсягом, кількістю, якістю, у визначеному місці та в потрібний час.

Litter-inhabiting fungi show high level of specialization towards biopolymers composing plant and fungal biomass

Fungi are recognized as efficient decomposers of biopolymers contained in soil or litter, but not all saprotrophic taxa are equally efficient in accessing various C sources. While many fungi may be considered generalists that are able to utilize complex biomass of plant, bacterial, and fungal origin, it is less clear which of the individual biopolymers that compose these substrates they utilize. Here we analysed fungal communities in forest topsoil enriched in bags with polymers composing plant (cellulose, xylan, glucomannan, pectin, lignin) and fungal (chitin, β-1,3-glucan, and β-1,3-1,6-glucan) biomass along with fungal abundance and the activity of enzymes. There was a high degree of specialization among saprotrophs, each biopolymer being preferred by distinct taxa. White-rot fungi and general saprotrophs were most common on cellulose and xylan, while pectin and lignin-associated communities were dominated by moulds, and animal pathogens were found almost exclusively on chitin. Although several enzymes were produced on all biopolymers, the composition of enzyme pools was significantly different among substrates and different from litter. Activity of endocellulase, β-galactosidase, β-mannosidase, and β-glucosidase significantly correlated with the fungal to bacterial biomass ratio indicating the important role of fungi in their production. The results indicate the high level of specialization among litter-inhabiting fungi and differences in the substrate preference across nutritional guilds of saprotrophic fungi. While most of the litter-inhabiting fungi utilize plant biopolymers, fungal biopolymers are also frequently targeted.

Soil parameters affect the functional diversity of the symbiotic microbiota of Hymenaea courbaril L., a Neotropical fruit tree

There is considerable evidence that abiotic factors have an important influence on the microbial diversity of natural ecosystems. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that rhizospheric and endophytic micro-organisms isolated from the roots of Hymenaea courbaril L. in two biomes with distinct ecological characteristics – the Pantanal wetland and the Cerrado savanna – present distinct functional traits. We also evaluated the functional diversity (H′) of the microbiota and the potential effects of soil parameters, such as Organic Material (OM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and nutrient concentrations, on the relative abundance of the micro-organisms with functional traits such as the solubilization of phosphates (CaHPO4, AlPO4, and FePO4), the synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and the ACC deaminase enzyme, and antibiosis to the phytopathogens Fusarium sp., Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Rhizoctonia sp. A higher percentage of the micro-organisms from the Pantanal (in comparison with the Cerrado) presented intense or very intense function in the synthesis of IAA and antibiosis, with a higher degree of specialization (reduced functional diversity) in the former trait (H’ = 0.73) and a lower degree in the latter (H’ = 0.91 for antibiosis to Fusarium sp.; H’ = 0.97 for S. sclerotiorum, and H’ = 0.80 for Rhizoctonia sp.). The micro-organisms of the Cerrado were more effective in the solubilization of phosphates, and the mean concentrations of P solubilized by these micro-organisms were higher than those observed in the isolates from the Pantanal, when the sources were AlPO4 and FePO4, which indicates a potential relationship between the high concentrations of Al and Fe found naturally in the soils of the Cerrado and the functional traits of its endemic microbiota. We also observed high levels of diversity in the functional traits of the Cerrado micro-organisms involved in solubilization (H’ = 1.09 for CaHPO4, H’ = 1.05 for AlPO4, and H’ = 1.09 for FePO4). All the isolates from both biomes synthetized ACC deaminase very intensively. In the Pantanal, soil parameters such as pH, OM, CEC, and the levels of Mn and Fe, as well as the Fe concentrations in the root and aerial portion of the plant affected the relative abundance of the micro-organisms that had efficient functional traits. In the Cerrado soil, the parameters pH, CEC, and the Mn, Mg, and Fe concentrations, as well as the level of Fe in the aerial part of the plant all affected the relative abundance. We proved our hypothesis on the specialization of the micro-organisms for specific functional traits, and also that the functionality of the symbiotic microbiota is influenced by environmental parameters. The present study provides important insights into the interactions between the soil and the endophytic root and rhizospheric micro-organisms isolated from H. courbaril L. in the Pantanal and Cerrado biomes. These findings will support future studies that will better define the environmental factors that influence the expression of different functional traits by the micro-organisms in the microbiome.

Nurses Competence with Regard Congenital Heart Diseases in Cardiac Care Unit of Pediatric Hospital in Sulaimani City

The activities of the nurse performing duties at a haemodynamic facility is characterized by the need to be able to field a high degree of specialisation. It is absolutely essential that he/she has bases of knowledge and skills also in the field of intensive care and cardiac resuscitation that are adequate for the high complexity of the diseases and procedures that are treated . Method : Quantitative design with descriptive study was carried out with assessment approach and it was conducted on nurses in cardiac care unit of pediatric hospital in Sulaimani city/Kurdistan region from 1st July 2017-1st May 2018. Non-probability sampling was performed, a purposive sample of (35) nurses, all males and females . Data were shown and tabled in frequencies and percentage, and mean of scores was calculated from ordinal data in five level ( 5, 4 , 3, 2, 1 ) . In the present study the highest mean of score indicates the highest level of practice regarding nursing management. The P-value at 0.05 level indicates the degree of significance. Independent T- test and ANOVA have been utilized to find out the significant relationship of nursing care management with socio-demographic characteristics, and nurse’s skill and experiences. Result : socio-demographic profile of participants presented. Out of 35 participants studied 21 (60%) were from age group 20 – 30 years, with mean age of 30.4 years. Majority of participants studied 77.1 % were female . Majority of the nurses were graduated for institute 16 (45.7%) and 10 (28.6%) were hold university certificate . According to working experience and skills. Out of 35 participants studied, only 19 (54.29%) attended training session regarding Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Around 74.29% of participants were not familiar with PICU drugs . Around 74.29% of participants were not familiar with PICU drugs however, 88.6% of participants were familiar to PICU doses. 80% of the total participants did not attend the periodic educational program and conference/symposium. 97.14% of the participants did not study the books regarding CHD. The right to practice in manner that is suitable for fulfilling the obligations was reported as never by 48.6% of nurses . Regarding perception of ethical practice in work environment major participants 88.6% reported sometime

Plasmopara elegantissima sp. nov. (Oomycota, Peronosporales), a Downy Mildew Species Specialized to Impatiens textori (Balsaminaceae)

Over the past 15 years, downy mildew became the most destructive foliar disease in cultivated Impatiens species (Balsaminaceae) worldwide. A previous study had revealed that the causal agent was not Plasmopara obducens (Oomycota, Peronosporales) but Plasmopara destructor on Impatiens walleriana, and Plasmopara velutina on Impatiens balsamina. This hints to a relatively high degree of specialization of Plasmopara on Balsaminaceae. Therefore, it was the aim of the present study to perform multigene phylogenetic analysis and detailed morphological investigation for several Korean downy mildew samples parasitic to cultivated I. walleriana, and I. balsamina, but also to a northeast Asian wild plant, Impatiens textori. It was revealed that I. textori harbors a new species, which is introduced and described here as Plasmopara elegantissima.

Characteristics of powdery mildew and its importance for wheat grown in Poland

Powdery mildew of grasses and cereals (Blumeria graminis) is a fungal plant disease which is caused by species of fungi from the Erysiphaceae order. B. graminis is a biotrophic parasite, biologically diverse parasite with a high degree of specialization in certain host species and with numerous physiological breeds adapted to different varieties of a particular host species. In Poland, powdery mildew of cereals and grasses is recorded every year, and its greatest intensity is in south-eastern and south-western regions. The degree of infestation by B. graminis varies every year. This means that the disease occurs every year, in greater or lesser severity. Therefore, it requires monitoring (harmfulness thresholds) and chemical control practically in every vegetation season. Nowadays, an important role is played by immunological breeding. In breeding programs, resistance genes from wild crop forms, primitive and indigenous varieties are an effective tool. The introduction of effective resistance genes into cultivated varieties is a common procedure used in breeding program.&lt;br /&gt;The aim of this study was to describe the fungal disease of plants from the group of powdery mildews caused by &lt;br /&gt; B. graminis as an overview.

OPETH: Open Source Solution for Real-Time Peri-Event Time Histogram Based on Open Ephys.

Single cell electrophysiology remains one of the most widely used approaches of systems neuroscience. Decisions made by the experimenter during electrophysiology recording largely determine recording quality, duration of the project and value of the collected data. Therefore, online feedback aiding these decisions can lower monetary and time investment, and substantially speed up projects as well as allow novel studies otherwise not possible due to prohibitively low throughput. Real-time feedback is especially important in studies that involve optogenetic cell type identification by enabling a systematic search for neurons of interest. However, such tools are scarce and limited to costly commercial systems with high degree of specialization, which hitherto prevented wide-ranging benefits for the community. To address this, we present an open-source tool that enables online feedback during electrophysiology experiments and provides a Python interface for the widely used Open Ephys open source data acquisition system. Specifically, our software allows flexible online visualization of spike alignment to external events, called the online peri-event time histogram (OPETH). These external events, conveyed by digital logic signals, may indicate photostimulation time stamps for in vivo optogenetic cell type identification or the times of behaviorally relevant events during in vivo behavioral neurophysiology experiments. Therefore, OPETH allows real-time identification of genetically defined neuron types or behaviorally responsive populations. By allowing “hunting” for neurons of interest, OPETH significantly reduces experiment time and thus increases the efficiency of experiments that combine in vivo electrophysiology with behavior or optogenetic tagging of neurons.

A Great New World? China’s Industrial Land Market Post-2007

Market forces played a negligible role in the allocation of industrial land before 2007 in China. Since 2007, the central government has launched a reform that strictly implemented two policies: 1) all the urban industrial land must be sold through public auction; 2) there is a minimum land price (MLP) constraint on industrial land transaction. This paper investigates the micro-foundations of the industrial land market in urban China post-2007. In this market, the local government as monopoly supplier auctions off industrial land in order to gather land sales revenues and boost local industrial development, subject to an MLP regulation from the central government. Using a large land-transaction data matched with county-industry-specific characteristics, our empirical analysis finds that: first, the industrial land markets have been fledging in China, fostered by the reform since 2007. Specifically, in contrast to before the reform, the industrial land sale prices become pretty responsive to both the demand factors (e.g., industry agglomeration and coagglomeration, local economic development) and the supply factors (land cost) of the market; moreover, in terms of quantity, more land is sold to industries with higher degree of specialization or concentration in a county, suggesting improved allocation efficiency. Second, local governments selectively support industries in their land supply decisions. We find that local governments tend to sell more land at lower prices to those industries that are strategically important (classified as priority industries) or that can bring higher coagglomeration externalities to a county. Third, although about 70% of land transactions in our sample are not bounded by the central government’s minimum price constraints, still the MLP constraints are binding in 55,000 land transactions amounting to a total land area of 2,824 square kilometers, and costly downward adjustments are involved there. Our analysis reveals different preferences between local governments and the central government. Compared with local governments, the central government tends to value less the coagglomeration externality in developed regions. Also the central government tends to be more concerned about the social cost of land supply than local governments in general.

Professional Public Relations (PR) trends and challenges

There are several studies and reports that identify the challenges that Public Relations must assume in the coming years, but how will the professional field face them? Are the organizations and institutions prepared to assume the new needs that constant adaptation demands? What are the priorities that they must establish so that the profession is renewed? The profession, in order to face the challenges that the future holds in the changing society in which we live, must commit itself to training. Thanks to training, public relations professionals will be able to achieve a high degree of specialization in the discipline. Strategic vision, Public Relations (PR) assessment, commitment to quality and professional ethics, transparency, as well as inclusion and equality must be the benchmarks of the sector.

Sustainable Risk Assessment through the Analysis of Financial Losses from Third-Party Damage in Bridge Construction

Due to the recent introduction of innovative construction methods and technologies, construction projects increasingly require sustainability in their high degrees of specialization and complex work processes. This is due to a wide variety of new risk factors associated with construction projects that can lead to extensive and severe damage. When an accident occurs during a construction project, it can cause material, property, or bodily damage not only within the actual construction site but also outside, affecting third parties. This study analyzed the record of such third-party damage and the subsequent financial losses in bridge construction management, to identify the objective and quantified relationship of risk indicators related to the damage and losses. In order to assess the actual losses in construction projects, we adopted the loss claim payout data as recorded and provided by a major Korean insurance company, and conducted a multiple regression analysis to identify the loss indicators and to develop a loss estimation model. In this study, the analysis of the data indicated that the superstructure type, the foundation type, floods, and company ranking by the amount of the contract were the four statistically significant risk indicators that affected financial losses from third-party damage, among the nine variables used as independent variables, which included the superstructure type, foundation type, superstructure construction method, maximum span length, floods, typhoons, total construction cost, total construction period, and company ranking. As this study focused on identifying the risk factors and producing a loss assessment model quantified in numerical values, the results provide important references for assessing and minimizing the risks to third parties and the consequential financial losses in bridge construction, while promoting sustainability objectives.

Effects of Cryopreservation on Cell Metabolic Activity and Function of Biofabricated Structures Laden with Osteoblasts.

Biofabrication and maturation of bone constructs is a long-term task that requires a high degree of specialization. This specialization falls onto the hierarchy complexity of the bone tissue that limits the transfer of this technology to the clinic. This work studied the effects of the short-term cryopreservation on biofabricated osteoblast-containing structures, with the final aim to make them steadily available in biobanks. The biological responses studied include the osteoblast post-thawing metabolic activity and the recovery of the osteoblastic function of 3D-bioprinted osteoblastic structures and beta tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds infiltrated with osteoblasts encapsulated in a hydrogel. The obtained structures were cryopreserved at −80 °C for 7 days using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as cryoprotectant additive. After thawing the structures were cultured up to 14 days. The results revealed fundamental biological aspects for the successful cryopreservation of osteoblast constructs. In summary, immature osteoblasts take longer to recover than mature osteoblasts. The pre-cryopreservation culture period had an important effect on the metabolic activity and function maintain, faster recovering normal values when cryopreserved after longer-term culture (7 days). The use of β-TCP scaffolds further improved the osteoblast survival after cryopreservation, resulting in similar levels of alkaline phosphatase activity in comparison with the non-preserved structures. These results contribute to the understanding of the biology of cryopreserved osteoblast constructs, approaching biofabrication to the clinical practice.

The Learning Method of Peer Review in College English Writing Course

Peer review is an important teaching method of writing. College English has a large vocabulary, complex situations and high degree of specialization, which are difficult points in teaching. Through peer review, students can benefit a lot, such as enhancing interest in college English reading and writing through the exchange of reading and evaluation, enhancing initiative in writing and improving their abilities to identify errors and appreciate English articles. In this paper, the applications of the learning method of peer review in college English teaching were investigated, and it was found that teacher’s behavior, time arrangement and student’s behavior were all particularly important and needed to be arranged in a scientific way. On the other hand, a student-oriented teaching model of “trinity” was also presented, which covered three target elements: ability, knowledge and education. In this paper, a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was used to evaluate the learning outcomes of peer review, and an evaluation indicator system for students’ learning ability and the weights thereof were established. According to the actual situation of the evaluated objects, four evaluation grades were selected, that is, excellent, good, fair and poor. Our teaching experiment showed that through this learning model, students have improved their English writing ability and reading comprehension ability to a certain degree, as well as their self-learning ability, which is beneficial to the consolidation of their learning effect.