High Expansion Potential Research Articles

Suitable habitat shifts and ecological niche overlay assessments among benthic Oplegnathus species in response to climate change

Climate change has had a significant impact on many marine organisms. To investigate the effects of environmental changes on deep-water benthic fishes, we selected the genus Oplegnathus and applied species distribution modeling and ecological niche modeling. From the last glacial maximum to the present, the three Oplegnathus species (O. conwayi, O. robinsoni, and O. peaolopesi) distributed in the Cape of Good Hope region of southern Africa experienced fitness zone fluctuations of 39.9%, 13%, and 5.7%, respectively. In contrast, O. fasciatus and O. punctatus, which were primarily distributed in the western Pacific Ocean, had fitness zone fluctuations of −6.5% and 11.7%, respectively. Neither the O. insignis nor the O. woodward varied by more than 5% over the period. Under future environmental conditions, the range of variation in fitness zones for the three southern African Oplegnathus species was expected to be between −30.8% and −26.5%, while the range of variation in fitness zones for the two western Pacific stonefish species was expected to remain below 13%. In addition, the range of variation in the fitness zones of the O. insignis was projected to be between −2.3% and 7.1%, and the range of variation in the fitness zones of the O. woodward is projected to be between −5.7% and −2%. The results indicated that O. fasciatus and O. punctatus had a wide distribution and high expansion potential, while Oplegnathus species might have originated in western Pacific waters. Our results showed that benthic fishes were highly adaptable to extreme environments, such as the last glacial maximum. The high ecological niche overlap between Oplegnathus species in the same region suggested that they competed with each other. Future research could explore the impacts of environmental change on marine organisms and make conservation and management recommendations.

Situation Analysis of Female Academics' Career Advancement in Higher Education in Syria

This research examines factors which may be influencing female academics career advancement at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Syria. The paper conducts situation analysis on academic environment at HEI in Syria, exploring factors which may be impacting female academics experience and career progression and lack of academic representation at senior management levels. The paper examines a private HEIs investigating the environment in Syria highlighting the situation after 2011. The methodology applied in diagnosing the situation, is based on data collected from a capacity building in higher education project (CBHE), funded by Erasmus+. The methodology employs the design of questionnaire survey administered at the research target group. A one-way translation from English to Arabic is performed by expert academics and verified by linguistic experts. The sample design employs nonprobability sampling techniques. The size of the sample is 47 observations for academics. The findings of the analysis are reported across individual, and institutional levels. The research results signify that interest in research is a strong motivator; while career satisfaction still reveals an area of future development. There is still little awareness on gender issues topics, as well as little research works being performed in the scope gender research issues. The concept of gender equality has a high potential for evolution and expansion on the intermediate and long term at the institutional and socio cultural contests in Syria. The future direction of this research emphasizes developing a conceptual framework on the factors which may be affecting female academics experience and career advancement in HEIs in Syria. Furthermore, future research recommends the development of institutional and national policies in the scope of gender equality, which could be reflected at human resources practices, environment of the workplace, infusion of gender at university mission and planning, curriculum, research, and university governance.

Mutational profile of the regenerative process and de novo genome assembly of the planarian Schmidtea polychroa.

Planarians are organisms with a unique capacity to regenerate any part of their body. New tissues are generated in a process that requires many swift cell divisions. How costly is this process to an animal in terms of mutational load remains unknown. Using whole genome sequencing, we defined the mutational profile of the process of regeneration in the planarian species Schmidtea polychroa. We assembled de novo the genome of S. polychroa and analyzed mutations in animals that have undergone regeneration. We observed a threefold increase in the number of mutations and an altered mutational spectrum. High allele frequencies of subclonal mutations in regenerated animals suggested that most of the cells in the regenerated animal were descendants of a small number of stem cells with high expansion potential. We provide, for the first time, the draft genome assembly of S. polychroa, an estimation of the germline mutation rate for a planarian species and the mutational spectrum of the regeneration process of a living organism.

Empowering Sri Lankan Msmes: The Crucial Role of Skill Development in Fostering Future Tourism Growth

Tourism is a strategically important industry for Sri Lanka, making a significant contribution to the crises that hit the island economy in terms of income generation, foreign exchange earnings, job creation, attracting foreign direct investment and high value-added growth. It is the only sector which has bounced back very strongly and has a high potential for growth and expansion. The MSMEs account for 80 per cent of business enterprises and 75 per cent of employment in the tourism industry, and its growth prospects are seriously impacted by skill gaps and shortages. This is mainly a supply-side issue which has not been addressed for decades and is aggravated by COVID-19 (2020-21) and the economic crisis (2022 onwards) and requires immediate attention from policymakers, training providers and employers.

Traffic Speed Prediction Method Based on Spatiotemporal Sampling and LSTM

Accurate prediction of traffic speed is crucial for traffic management and planning. In order to solve the problems of low prediction efficiency of previous traffic speed prediction models and easy neglect of spatiotemporal characteristics, a traffic speed prediction method based on spatiotemporal sampling and LSTM model is proposed based on the 24-hour driving dataset of 4,000 taxis in Shanghai, and draw speed heat maps in different regions at different times to visualize the spatiotemporal characteristics of traffic speed. Experimental results show that the model has high prediction accuracy and good expansion potential.

Cracking process in expansive soil with and without vegetation covers in dry and rainy seasons at field scale

ABSTRACT The presence of desiccation cracks in the soil alters its hydromechanical behavior, increasing the soil's water infiltration capacity, mobilizing the potential for expansion. This may affect the performance of the structural elements of the construction. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanics of expansion, contraction and cracking of the expansive soil of Paulista - Pernambuco, Brazil, through field trials, subject to wetting cycles and drying. The studied soil is a sandy silty clay of high compressibility with medium to very high expansion potential. The process of formation and propagation of cracks was analyzed using digital images and the monitoring of samples subjected to drying and wetting cycles. The indices of crack geometry increased with the advancement of desiccation but did not stabilize. During the wetting period, they tend to close. The pattern of cracks in the tests varied according to the presence or absence of vegetation. It was concluded that the vegetation cover has a significant influence on the standardization and the crack formation and propagation process.

Mapping potential conflicts between photovoltaic installations and biodiversity conservation

European countries are expanding utility-scale solar farms to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy independence. However, the expansion of these facilities raises concerns about competition for land for other uses, including biodiversity conservation. Thus, quantitative assessment of the friction between renewable energy development and conservation potential is an important step towards the sustainable development of the energy sector in this region. Here, grounded on land sparing/land sharing concepts, we discuss a prioritization framework based on solar potential and human footprint (used as a proxy for wilderness) to identify zones where the development of solar farms may cause a negative impact on biodiversity (sparing areas), and areas where they may have beneficial outcomes (sharing areas). We apply this framework to the Iberian Peninsula, where the land conflict may become particularly significant in the near future, given the high potential for photovoltaic production and expansion of photovoltaic installations, and the vast areas of well-preserved habitats still remaining. We detected around 18,000 km2 of sparing areas, of which half are not in protected areas, and >41,000 km2 of sharing areas. Much of these sharing areas are found near urban areas, which is where energy is most needed for supplying homes, transport, and machinery. Through strategic planning, the implementation of solar farms in land sharing areas has the potential to yield dual benefits, for both local biodiversity and food production, driving economic growth. By doing so, these initiatives can also safeguard important wilderness areas, which play a pivotal role in conserving biodiversity.

Modeling of metamaterial based incision patterns for generating high expansions in skin grafts

BackgroundSplit-thickness skin grafting is a widely used treatment for burn patients. It requires removing a small portion of healthy skin, making parallel incisions on it, stretching it, and surgically implanting it into the burn site. Although skin graft mesher companies claim to significantly expand the size of the skin graft, in reality, the amount of expansion achieved is much smaller. MethodsThis study aimed to improve the expansion potential of skin grafts by designing new incision patterns with auxetic properties, using a skin simulant material and additive manufacturing. The mechanical properties and digital image correlation was used to analyze the strain, effective Poisson's ratio, local strains, void area, and meshing ratio of the auxetic skin graft simulants. FindingsThe results showed that the Y-shaped skin graft simulant had the highest effective negative Poisson's ratio, largest areal expansions, lowest maximum induced stresses and strains, and uniform strain distribution properties, making it the best choice for generating high expansions in skin grafts. IntrepretationThe study found that the expansions were highly strain sensitive, with higher auxeticity observed at lower strains. The novel findings with auxetic skin graft simulants are expected to provide valuable insights for developing skin grafts with higher expansion potential in the future.

Environmental suitability and potential range expansion of the Eurasian beaver in Italy

AbstractReintroduction and rewilding initiatives are key strategies to reverse human impacts on ecosystems and re‐establish natural processes. However, rewilding may involve complex management scenarios, because many expanding species can have economic impacts and cause human–wildlife conflicts. Conflicts can be particularly challenging when carnivores, large herbivores and ecosystem engineers are involved. The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is a key ecosystem engineer that was once present in a large part of the Palearctic, but in Medieval times underwent a severe decline due to the joint effects of habitat loss and hunting. Subsequent legal protection and reintroductions triggered the recovery of the species through most of its original range. Eurasian beavers recently started the recolonization of Italy, because of the joint effects of natural dispersal (from Austria to northern Italy) and illegal reintroductions (central Italy). The lack of data on the most likely colonization routes hampers appropriate management of this species. Here, we identified the areas where beaver populations are most likely to arrive in the near future within Europe, with a specific focus on Italy. First, we developed spatially cross‐validated species distribution models to identify the areas with the highest suitability for the Eurasian beaver in Europe. Second, we used connectivity modelling to assess the possible expansion routes of this species in Italy. Large areas of Europe are suitable for the beaver and may soon be colonized. The connectivity model showed a high potential for expansion from central Italy to surrounding areas, while the high isolation of northern Italy populations suggests a slower expansion. Our results can help environmental managers to understand where to focus both the future monitoring of beaver populations and actions aimed at preventing and mitigating possible human–wildlife conflicts that could arise from the expansion of an environmental engineer such as the beaver.

Common juniper, an overlooked conifer with high invasion potential in protected areas of Patagonia

The benefits of early detection of biological invasions are widely recognized, especially for protected areas (PAs). However, research on incipient invasive plant species is scarce compared to species with a recognized history of invasion. Here, we characterized the invasion status of the non-native conifer Juniperus communis in PAs and interface areas of Andean Patagonia, Argentina. We mapped its distribution and described both the invasion and the environments this species inhabits through field studies, a literature review, and a citizen science initiative. We also modeled the species’ potential distribution by comparing the climatic characteristics of its native range with those of the introduced ranges studied. The results show that J. communis is now widely distributed in the region, occurring naturally in diverse habitats, and frequently within and close to PAs. This species can be considered an incipient invader with a high potential for expansion in its regional distribution range, largely due to its high reproductive potential and the high habitat suitability of this environment. Early detection of a plant invasion affords a valuable opportunity to inform citizens of the potential risks to high conservation value ecosystems before the invader is perceived as a natural component of the landscape.

Compressible cementitious composite materials: Multiscale modeling and experimental investigation

Tunnel linings installed in difficult geological conditions characterized by a high expansion potential, such as Opalinus Clay and rocks containing anhydrite, may exhibit a loss of integrity due to excessive ground deformations in case water penetrates the rocks. One of the potential remedies against lining deterioration and failure of the tunnel structure is the incorporation of a compressible cementitious layer around the tunnel. This compressible layer serves as a cushion that protects the tunnel structure by tolerating a certain amount of deformations prior to collapse. The deformation capacity of the compressible layer can be enhanced by introduction of various soft inclusions or air bubbles in the cementitious mix. However, such soft inclusions reduce the overall elasticity modulus and strength of the composite. Hence, it is crucial to determine the optimal mix that provides the required compaction potential without compromising on stiffness and strength. For this design purpose computational modeling can be adopted. The model should be able to account for the material properties of the individual components and their volume fraction, which strongly influence the overall behavior of the cementitious composite, and to capture the main features characterizing compressible composites, such as a yielding plateau after a certain threshold loading has been reached. The compaction process of such a composite is described by a voxel model with a discrete distribution of material properties, where the voxels are compacted by applying an Eigenforce when the local stress state reaches a threshold value. This threshold is determined within the framework of continuum micromechanics on the scale of individual inclusions. The model predictions are compared with data from experimental investigations on the compression behavior of different cementitious mixes.

Suspension culture on microcarriers and as aggregates enables expansion and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs)

Background aimsHuman pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) hold a great promise for promoting regenerative medical therapies due to their ability to generate multiple mature cell types and for their high expansion potential. However, cell therapies require large numbers of cells to achieve desired therapeutic effects, and traditional two-dimensional static culture methods cannot meet the required production demand for cellular therapies. One solution to this problem is scaling up expansion of PSCs in bioreactors using culture strategies such as growing cells on microcarriers or as aggregates in suspension culture. MethodsIn this study, we directly compared PSC expansion and quality parameters in microcarrier- and aggregate-cultures grown in single-use vertical-wheel bioreactors. ResultsWe showed comparable expansion of cells on microcarriers and as aggregates by day 6 with a cell density reaching 2.2 × 106 cells/mL and 1.8 × 106 cells/mL and a fold-expansion of 22- and 18-fold, respectively. PSCs cultured on microcarriers and as aggregates were comparable with parallel two-dimensional cultures and with each other in terms of pluripotency marker expression and retention of other pluripotency characteristics as well as differentiation potential into three germ layers, neural precursor cells and cardiomyocytes. ConclusionsOur study did not demonstrate a clear advantage between the two three-dimensional methods for the quality parameters assessed. This analysis adds support to the use of bioreactor systems for large scale expansion of PSCs, demonstrating that the cells retain key characteristics of PSCs and differentiation potential in suspension culture.

Development of hierarchical auxetic skin graft simulants with high expansion potential

Skin grafting is a surgical procedure to treat extensive burn injuries, and the design of skin grafts plays an essential role in burn surgery. In skin grafting, parallel incisions are projected onto a small section of healthy skin that has been removed for maximum expansions and coverage of a larger burn area. Currently, in the traditional method, skin graft expansions are insufficient to cover large burn areas. This work studied the hierarchy of alternating slit (AS) shaped and rotating rectangle (RR) shaped auxetic skin graft patterns. The 3D models of hierarchical structures were designed and developed using SolidWorks and additive manufacturing methods, respectively. These moulds were used to fabricate the hierarchical skin graft simulants. Statistical analysis was performed to calculate the significance among the groups. These hierarchical skin graft simulants were tested uniaxially and calculated the effective Poisson's ratio, meshing ratio, and induced stress up to 300% strain. From the results, all the auxetic skin graft simulants showed very high expansion. The first-order AS-shaped skin graft simulant showed the maximum expansion among all the hierarchical models. Till now, skin grafts have not achieved such high expansion experimentally. This research will be useful to the doctors to improve burn surgery outcomes and guide the manufacturers to develop new mesher with higher expansion potential.

Gingiva-derived Stromal Cells Isolated from Cats Affected with Tooth Resorption Exhibit Increased Apoptosis, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress while Experiencing Deteriorated Expansion and Anti-Oxidative Defense.

Gingiva-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (GMSCs) are multipotent cells characterized by multilineage differentiation potential, proliferative expansion, and unique immunomodulatory ability, making them attractive as a new treatment of periodontal regeneration. In this study, GMSCs obtained from the gingiva of healthy cats (HE) as well as from cats affected by tooth resorption (TR) were isolated and characterized. Feline GMSCs (fGMSCs) from HE patients exhibited fibroblast-like morphology, developed cellular body, specific growth pattern, high expansion, and proliferative potential as well as reduced senescence signature. fGMSCs demonstrated high s-100 and IL-10 positive cells, while simultaneously having low activity of IL-1. Moreover, high activity of ki-67 combined with reduced senescence markers were noted. In comparison, GMSCs from cats with TR exhibited enlarged nuclei and flat, irregular shape along with increased expression of CD44, s-100 and CD45 and downregulation of CD73. GMSCs from TR cats showed lower ability to form colonies, increased incidence of apoptosis, higher number of senescent cells, and reduced cell migration. Upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines was also noted in the TR group along with lower expression of mTOR and miR-17 and upregulation of miR-378. Mitochondrial dynamics, biogenesis and antioxidant properties are also negatively impacted in this group. Collectively, our findings suggest that GMSCs isolated from the gingiva of cats affected with TR have deteriorated functionality caused by impaired proliferation and growth and possibly mediated via mitochondrial dysfunction. fGMSCs or their EV's should be further investigated for their role in the pathophysiology of TR in cats.

Development of novel hierarchical designs for skin graft simulants with high expansion potential

Skin graft designs play an essential role in healing severe burn injuries. Split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) is one of the commonly used techniques for treating large burn injuries. In STSG, parallel cuts are projected onto a small portion of excised healthy skin for expansion and covering a larger burn area. To date, expansions reported for STSG are very low and insufficient to cover large burn areas. In this work, novel traditional and auxetic hierarchical cuts were designed on skin graft simulants, which were mechanically tested to study their expansion potential. Additive manufacturing and a two-part polymeric material were employed to fabricate the skin graft simulants. The nonlinear mechanical behavior of the hierarchical skin graft simulants was characterized using hyperelastic models. The effective Poisson’s ratio, meshing ratios, and induced stresses in first and second-order hierarchical cut patterns were estimated across all skin graft simulants for up to 300% strain. Also, Statistical analysis was performed to calculate the significance among the groups. From the analysis, the skin graft simulants with second-order auxetic incision patterns were found to exhibit the lowest induced stresses and maximum expansion of approximately four times, at 300% strain. To date, traditional skin grafts have only been able to achieve up to three times expansion. Therefore, the expansions realized with the novel hierarchical skin graft simulants is unprecedented, with the potential to generate ground-breaking advances in burn injury treatment.

Evolutionary dynamics of Usutu virus: Worldwide dispersal patterns and transmission dynamics in Europe.

Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging mosquito-borne Flavivirus, with birds as the main zoonotic reservoir. Humans are accidental hosts and mostly develop mild or even asymptomatic infections, although severe complications such as encephalitis can also arise. Detailed characterization of the pathogen's phylogenetics may offer valuable insights into the prediction and prevention of potential epidemics; however, lack of uniformity and the number of available USUV sequences worldwide hamper comprehensive investigation. The study aimed to investigate USUV spatio-temporal dispersal inter- and intracontinentally and to estimate the dynamics of viral spread within Europe. Phylogeographic and phylodynamic analyses were done using advanced phylogenetic methods implemented in Beast 1.10.4 and Beast 2.6.4 software packages. Herein, we report on a new USUV isolate from Culex pipiens collected in 2019 from Serbia. The results of this research revealed two newly described intercontinental migration events of USUV from Africa to Germany in the 1970s and from Africa to the Middle East (Israel) in the late 90s. Finally, phylodynamic analysis substantiated the ongoing active expansion of USUV in Europe. The data would imply a high potential for further USUV expansion in Europe. Detailed phylogenetic characterization of the pathogen may offer valuable insights into prediction and prevention of potential epidemics; however, lack of uniformity and number of available USUV sequences worldwide hampers comprehensive investigation. This study draws attention to the need for upscaling USUV surveillance.

Impact of online computer assisted learning on education: Experimental evidence from economically vulnerable areas of China

There is growing interest by both educators and policymakers in helping underperforming students catch up using computer assisted learning (CAL). While CAL interventions have been shown to be effective internationally and elsewhere in China, these have been mostly offline CAL programs that are difficult and costly to implement. An online CAL (OCAL) may be able to bypass many of offline CAL's implementation problems and enhance the remedial tutoring experience. The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of an OCAL intervention on the academic and non-academic performance of students and to explore the mechanism behind OCAL's impact. According to the findings, OCAL improved overall English scores of students in the treatment group relative to the control group by 0.48 standard deviations. This impact is large when compared with offline CAL programs previously evaluated in rural China. We found that OCAL also led to a positive change in the attitudes of students towards English learning and student aspirations for their future education level. We found three possible explanations for OCAL's impact. We believe that online features that enhance the interest-oriented stimulation of the software is the main source of improvement among students. Cost-effectiveness analysis showed that the OCAL program is more cost-effective than traditional offline CAL, which is suitable for policymakers as it indicates high potential for OCAL program expansion.

Growth and production of cowpea beans under potassium doses in soil of cerrado in Amapá, Brazil.

The cowpea bean [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], a legume of great socioeconomic importance, it was previously cultivated exclusively for subsistence and commercial purposes, especially in the North and Northeast regions. This crop has a low production cost and high nutritional value, in addition to a high potential for productivity growth and expansion to other regions. The objective of this work was to evaluate parameters of growth and production in cowpea culture, as a function of potassium fertilization in soil of the cerrado of Amapá. The parameters of growth and production of the cowpea culture were evaluated, as a function of potassium fertilization in the soil of the cerrado of Amapá. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, using a completely randomized experimental design, with four replications, in a 5x2 factorial scheme, totaling 40 experimental units, which were composed of plastic pots containing 7 dm3 of soil collected from the arable layer (0-20 cm ) of a typical Hyperdystrophic Yellow Argisol, with a sandy clay loam texture, in a cerrado area in the municipality of Porto Grande-AP. The factors consisted of the control treatment (without K), four doses of K (45, 90, 135 and 180 kg ha-1) in the form of potassium chloride, and two cowpea cultivars (Pretinho and BRS Tumucumaque). The cultivar BRS Tumucumaque shows better growth and production of cowpea plants. Doses of 90 kg ha-1 provided greater height (98.75 cm) and stem diameter (10.0 mm). As for production, the dose of 135 kg ha-1 caused greater grain weight gain (5.25 g) and dry mass of pods (13.92 g), and the doses of 90 and 180 kg ha-1 induced greater number and length of pods (3.16 pods) respectively. These results show better responsiveness of the BRS Tumucumaque cultivar at doses of 90, 135 and 180 kg ha-1 in the type of soil where the study was conducted.

Selection of Potential Sites for Promoting Small-Scale Irrigation across Mali Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Agricultural development across much of sub-Saharan Africa is constrained by the gap in knowledge on site suitability for sustainably expanding irrigable lands to new areas. This study aimed to identify the most suitable sites for promoting small-scale irrigation in Mali based on environmental and land use/land cover criteria. Six thematic layers were integrated to consider the water accessibility (distance from surface water and groundwater potential), soil, climate conditions, slope, and land use/land cover. Subjective scores and weights were assigned to each of the six layers, which were integrated to select the most suitable sites according to five categories ranging from ‘very high’ to ‘very low’. Results indicated that 641,448 ha of land have a very high potential for small-scale irrigation expansion: these are mostly located in the central Segou region (53% of the total very high potential sites across the country) and around the capital district, Bamako, in southern Koulikoro (38% of the total very high potential sites across the country). Sites ranked second as having high potential are also distributed in southern Segou, central Koulikoro, and the western Kayes and Mopti regions, totaling 20.8 Mha. Moderate potential sites are generally located in the northwestern and southern parts accounting for 37.8 Mha of the country, whereas low and very low potential sites are concentrated in the northern and eastern parts of the country over a total area of 65 Mha. The present study demonstrates the usefulness of remote sensing and GIS techniques in agricultural development planning at large-scale; similar methodologies can be applied in other sub-Saharan African countries.

The distribution of Phytophthora cinnamomi in the Americas is related to its main host (Persea americana), but with high potential for expansion

Phytophthora cinnamomi is among the most destructive plant pathogens that affect many host plants in different ecosystems. Economically important hosts of this pathogen include avocado (Persea americana), and this oomycete may cause large-scale destructive epidemics. This study analyzed the potential geographic distribution of P. cinnamomi (pathogen) and avocado (host), and distribution of the pathogen in relation to multiple hosts in the Americas. Niche overlap between hosts and pathogen were also evaluated, using a multistep process of ecological niche modelling and the MaxEnt algorithm. Niche similarity among pathogen populations in different hosts and related niche similarity were also examined. As a complement, a tool was designed to visualize the risk of this pathogen in avocado. Results showed that the pathogen was randomly distributed in the avocado niche environmental space, but the niche of the pathogenwas narrower than that of its principal host. The niche of the pathogen was largely a function of the host niches. Areas with potential to grow avocado could present low risk of P. cinnamomi, but given the invasiveness of this pathogen, they may be affected in the future.