Intermediate Levels Research Articles

Partial information sharing in supply chains with ARMA demand

AbstractIn this paper we suggest a novel mechanism for information sharing that allows a retailer to control the amount of shared information, and thus to limit information leakage, while still assisting the supplier to make better‐informed decisions and improve the overall efficiency of the supply chain. The control of the amount of leaked information facilitates information sharing because, absent such control, a retailer may refrain from sharing information due to the concern of information leakage. Specifically, we analyze a supply chain in which a retailer observes Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) demand for a single product where all players use the myopic order‐up‐to policy for determining their orders. We introduce a new class of information sharing arrangements, coined partial‐information shock (PaIS) sharing. This new class of information sharing agreements extends the previously studied mechanisms of demand sharing and full‐information shock sharing. We demonstrate that the retailer can construct a PaIS sharing arrangement that allows for an intermediate level of information sharing while simultaneously controlling the amount of leakage. We characterize when one PaIS arrangement will be more valuable to the supplier than another. We conclude with a numerical study that highlights that there does not necessarily need to be a tradeoff between the supplier having a better forecast and the retailer experiencing a higher level of leakage.

Long-lived carriers-promoted photocatalytic deuteration of halides with D2O as the deuterium source over Cu doped quantum dots

Deuterium labeling is a highly valuable yet challenging subject of research in various scientific fields. Conventional deuteration methods often involve harsh reaction conditions and suffer from limited reactivity and selectivity. Herein, we report a visible light–driven C–X (X = halogen) to C–D (D = deuterium) exchange strategy over copper-doped cadmium sulfide quantum dots (Cu-CdS QDs) under mild conditions, eliminating the need for noble metal catalysts and expensive deuterium sources. The conversion of aryl halides into deuterated products using Cu-CdS QDs reaches up to 99%, which is four times higher than that achieved using pristine CdS QDs. The substantial enhancement in the photocatalytic activity of the QDs can be primarily attributed to the generation of long-lived charge carriers (approximately 6 μs) induced by Cu doping. Mechanistic studies reveal that the Cu dopants considerably retard the recombination of photoinduced carriers by creating intermediate energy levels that serve as hole trapping centers in CdS QDs, thereby improving the electron utilization efficiency in energetically demanding photoreduction reactions. Additionally, the introduction of Cu increases the energy offset between the conduction band of CdS QDs and molecular acceptors, facilitating the electron transfer process. Upon visible light irradiation, a series of aryl halides can be efficiently converted into the desired deuterated compounds using D2O as the deuterium source. This work demonstrates that regulating charge carrier dynamics in ultrasmall QD-based photocatalysts is a promising strategy for promoting organic transformations.

Trophic Ecology of the Pyjama Shark Poroderma africanum (Gmelin, 1789) Elucidated by Stable Isotopes.

Sharks may occupy both intermediate and upper levels of marine food webs. They are overfished worldwide and constitute one of the largest portions of the bycatch. The removal of top-predator species has negative cascading effects on the entire food web, causing the "mesopredator release" phenomenon, which leads to an increase in mesopredators with consequent changes in the ecosystem's energetic balance. Despite their important ecological role, information on their trophic ecology is limited. This essential information can be obtained through the analysis of stomach contents and, more recently, by using less invasive techniques, such as the stable isotope analysis of muscle tissue, obtained through biopsies. Here, we analysed the trophic ecology of the pyjama shark or striped catshark Poroderma africanum, an endemic species of South Africa, by means of SIA. The results obtained from SIA were analysed using the R SIMMR and SIBER packages to estimate the contribution of potential food sources to the diet and to evaluate the extent of the trophic niches. The SIMMR outputs showed that adults select more benthic prey than juveniles, which consume more planktonic species, with juveniles being more generalist than adults, according to SIBER outputs. As assessed by IUCN, the population of P. africanum is increasing, and given its role as mesopredator, future monitoring efforts could be crucial to elucidating their potential effects in marine food webs.

Plant growth and physiological responses of the invasive plant Acmella radicans to contrasting light and soil water conditions

Acmella radicans (Jacquin) R.K. Jansen is a new invasive species record for Yunnan Province, China, as of 2017 and little is known about its invasion mechanisms. To better understand its invasive strategies, we investigated the growth, physiological and soil nutrient use parameters of the invader under combined conditions of light (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of light availability) and soil water content (full, high, medium, and low soil water content) in the glasshouse. The results showed that light level, soil water content and their interaction had a significant effect on all plant morphological, physiological and soil nutrient parameters for A. radicans (P < 0.05). For the most part, plant height, total branch length, leafstalk length, leaf area, inflorescence number, seed number, leaf biomass, stem biomass, aboveground biomass, and total biomass of A. radicans were significantly increased with increased shading rate and soil water content and were generally greater at intermediate light levels and intermediate to high soil water levels. Under high-irradiance conditions, the chlorophyll content was greatly reduced compared to other treatments. We also observed that leafstalk length, leaf area, Pn, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b of A. radicans were markedly increased with increased shading rate and soil water content, and were generally highest under intermediate irradiance and soil water conditions, but many plant physiological parameters also exhibited relatively high values under waterlogging conditions. The concentrations of organic matter, available N and available K of A. radicans soils at high-irradiance and full-high soil water content treatments and medium-irradiance and high-medium soil water content treatments were often less than those of other treatments indicated that hypothetically soil absorption was increased by moderate shading and high soil water. This was the first study demonstrating that A. radicans thrives best under moderate light conditions in combination with high soil water. Furthermore, we surmised that its higher phenotypic and physiological plasticity contributes to its invasion success.

Mathematical modeling identifies clotting factor combinations that modify thrombin generation in normal and factor VIII-, IX-, or XI-deficient blood

BackgroundIn healthy individuals, plasma levels of clotting proteins naturally vary within a range of 50% to 150% of their mean values. We do not know how these variations modify thrombin generation. ObjectivesTo assess the impact of protein level variations on simulated thrombin generation in normal and factor (F)VIII-, FIX-, or FXI-deficient blood. MethodsWe used a mathematical model of flow-mediated coagulation to simulate thrombin generation with all possible combinations of clotting protein variations within the normal range and for various tissue factor levels. We selected, analyzed, and ranked combinations that enhanced thrombin generation compared with baseline. ResultsProtein variations most strongly affected thrombin generation at intermediate tissue factor levels. Low tissue factor levels prevented coagulation initiation, while high tissue factor levels always triggered thrombin generation. At intermediate levels, we identified protein variations that substantially modified thrombin generation. Low-normal FV shortened lag times and increased thrombin generation, whereas high-normal FV lengthened lag times and reduced thrombin generation. With severe FVIII and FIX deficiencies, low-normal tissue factor pathway inhibitor α and antithrombin amplified the effect of low-normal FV. For moderate FVIII and FIX deficiencies, high-normal tissue factor pathway inhibitor α and antithrombin enhanced the impact of high-normal FV in reducing thrombin production. In normal and FXI-deficient blood, high-normal FVIII and FIX significantly boosted thrombin generation. ConclusionOur mathematical model predicted how variations in clotting protein levels, within the normal range, could contribute to the variability of bleeding phenotypes observed with clotting factor deficiencies. Our study generated experimentally testable hypotheses that could aid in developing new therapies toward normal hemostasis.

How morphodynamic gradients shape the distribution of meiofauna and nematodes on sandy beaches of the Amazon region?

The present study analyzed how a small-scale morphodynamic gradient, based on the level of exposure to oceanic waves, shapes the spatial distribution patterns of the local meiofauna, with a special focus on the nematodes, of tropical macrotidal beaches on the Amazon coast (northern Brazil). The study focused on three sandy beaches, first compiling their physical characteristics (waves, currents and morphodynamic state), and then sampling biological and sediment samples at five different levels across the intertidal zone. Meiofauna was composed of 11 different groups, but was dominated by Nematoda. The nematode assemblage had a total of 89 genera, of which Daptonema and Theristus (both from family Xyalidae) were the most abundant on all studied beaches, at most intertidal levels. The diversity of nematode genera increased toward the low tide mark, while nematode density peaked in either the upper (on the protected and tide-dominated beaches) or intermediate levels (on the exposed, tide-modified beach). Distinct faunal zonation patterns were identified on the three beaches, which were influenced by their level of exposure to oceanic conditions, their granulometry, and the moisture of the sediment. While the variation in the characteristics of the meiofauna can be attributed to the level of exposure of beaches, horizontal distribution patterns were also closely related to habitat heterogeneity, including morphological features and freshwater inputs.

The Role of Recast and Metalinguistic Feedback on Essay Writing: Pakistani Students Perspective

This study investigates the comparative study which concentrates on the impact of the two types of feedback: recast vs. metalinguistic, as an intervention in second language writing in English in Pakistan to reduce error essay writing. Written corrective feedback is a process which is introduced by educationists and psychologists which attracts the attention of the learner and stimulates him to improve his cognition by the direction given by teachers. Mixed method is used to evaluate the effect of these two types of feedback at intermediate level in Pakistan. Quasi experimental method was used to evaluate the development of the student in the destined writing by using test in the form of pre-test and post-test. The problems which are persisted in the text are exposed in the interviews that had paid little attention to the feedback comments. The collected data is analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The finding reveals an overall effect indicating the written corrective feedback has a potential to enhance the second language writing grammatical accuracy. The results of this study highlights that metalinguistic feedback is more efficacious than its near counterpart recast.

Regime Shift to Hyperturbid Conditions in the Loire Estuary: Overview of Observations and Model Analysis of Physical Mechanisms

AbstractThe Loire estuary (France) was extensively deepened during the 20th century. Coincidentally, suspended sediment concentrations increased drastically from ∼0.1 g/l to ∼1–5 g/l at the surface and the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) moved upstream. In this study we, for the first time, brought together a century of observations of estuary bed level, tidal amplitude, and sediment concentration to demonstrate these large changes. Next, we analyzed a minimal set of physical mechanisms that explain the dramatic increase in sediment concentration. To this end, we used the iFlow model representing dynamic equilibrium conditions in the Loire. Novel in the model is that it dynamically resolves salt stratification and corresponding damping of turbulence. For conditions representing the year 2000, high sediment concentrations were found with satisfactory correspondence to observations. Low sediment concentrations were found when using the year 1900 bed level but keeping all other model parameters the same. Varying the bed level gradually between these two extremes, the equilibrium solution suddenly increases for intermediate bed level, constituting an abrupt regime shift. Robustness of this result was established in an extensive sensitivity study featuring 13,200 model experiments. The regime shift is enabled by a feedback between increasing sediment concentration, reducing turbulence due to sediment and salt stratification, and increasing sediment importing capacity of the estuary. The essential sediment importing mechanisms in this feedback are related to the tidal asymmetry and gravitational circulation. This is the first time gravitational circulation and salt stratification are shown to be important factors in a transition to hyperturbidity.

114 Prime Time of Life: A multimodal physical activity and health education programme for middle-aged and older adults

Abstract Prime Time of Life is inclusive of people living with clinical conditions and differing fitness and functional abilities. Health screening was conducted preprogramme, and specific clinical exercise advice and support was provided to participants by Dr Diane Cooper, Clinical Exercise Physiologist. Participants completed two 60-minute multimodal (cardiovascular fitness, strength, balance, flexibility) exercise classes per week and were also encouraged to complete additional classes in their purpose built on-demand exercise library. In all 60-minute exercise classes the exercise instructor demonstrated three different options for each exercise to cater for participants who were working at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of fitness. Participants appreciated the adaptations and progressions that were available for all exercises as it enabled them to work to their ownability and progress and monitor progress throughout the programme. Each week a 20-minute health education workshop relevant to participants was delivered online via Zoom. The workshop was recorded, edited, and uploaded to YouTube to view on-demand. The link for each video was shared with participants weekly via email to support on-demand learning in addition to any other relevant supporting material such as a training diary. The Prime Time of Life programme increased participants upper and lower body strength, aerobic fitness and perceptions of physical and mental health (see chapter 3). This was in addition to increased confidence and feelings of positivity around the participants’ own management of healthy functional ageing (see chapter 3). Participants commented that they really enjoyed the Prime Time of Life programme. It increased their awareness on the importance of multimodal exercise for healthy ageing and that they felt empowered to continue training and improve their health in the long term. Following on from this successful programme a full train the trainer programme has been developed and piloted with 9 Local Sports Partnerships, 20 participants with further plans for upscaling.

Visible/near-infrared luminescence and concentration effects of Pr3+-doped Sr2Al2GeO7 downconversion phosphors

The Pr3+ ion has been widely doped into various materials as a red and near-infrared (NIR) emitting center for applications in lighting and solar spectrum downconversion. Herein, the preparation of a new library of Pr3+-doped Sr2Al2GeO7 phosphors was proved by powder x-ray diffraction patterns and Rietveld refinements and characterized by a scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometry. The Sr2Al2GeO7:Pr3+ sample strongly absorbs blue photons over 420–500 nm and yields intense visible emissions with dominant peaks around 490 nm from the Pr3+ 3P0 → 3H4 transition, as well as robust NIR emission bands over 800–1200 nm. In addition to the typical transitions of 1D2 → 3F2 at 880 nm, 1G4 → 3H4 at 1000 nm, and 1D2 → 3F3,4 at 1070 nm, the distinguishable NIR emission at 929 nm was demonstrated from the 3P0 → 1G4 transition via static and dynamic spectroscopic analysis. Most interestingly, for the 3P0 blue-excited state, a considerably elevated concentration of about 10%Pr3+ was optimal for the visible/NIR emissions, in stark contrast to the diluted optimal 1%Pr3+ for the 1D2 state. The relevant cross-relaxation from the 3P0 and 1D2 states between Pr3+ was comprehensively treated by theoretical speculations and experimental results. Such concentrated Pr3+ blue activators would significantly facilitate the blue-to-NIR downconversion through a desired two-step sequential transition from the 3P0 initial state to the 1G4 intermediate level for quantum efficiency exceeding unity. The current results would consolidate the basis of concentrated Pr3+ donors to promote the novel Pr3+/Yb3+ codoping downconversion for greatly increasing Si solar cell efficiency.

Enhanced photovoltaic efficiency in TiO2-based CdS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells by the introduction of ZnO:Al3+ nanoparticles

A technique to fabricate quantum dots-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) based on Titanium Oxide (TiO2) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) is reported. ZnO nanocubes of around 65 nm were synthesized by the sol–gel precipitation method. ZnO was doped with Al3+ to enhance the photovoltaic efficiency by promoting electron mobility to form an efficient photoelectrode added to TiO2. Current density–voltage (J-V) characterizations indicate that the addition of Al3+ doping in ZnO crystalline structure in the photoelectrode can significantly improve current densities and consequently the photoconversion efficiency (η) of the QDSSCs, achieving maximum η of 3.4 % with five ZnO nanocubes layers with a 0.0005 M Al3+ doping concentration. While with the undoped sample and bare TiO2, the obtained ήs were 2.85 and 1.93 %, respectively. The improved QDSSC photovoltaic performance was attributed to the increased light harvesting due to a large surface area by introducing Al-doped ZnO nanocubes into the available places of the TiO2 lattice. On the other hand, the increased electrical conductivity due to the Al3+ ion doped into the ZnO lattice at the divalent Zn2+ site allows electrons to move readily into the Al-doped ZnO conduction band. Additionally, according to electron lifetime studies, the Al-doped ZnO nanocubes act as a dielectric layer, enhancing the photogenerated charge extraction process due to the introduction of lattice defects, causing intermediate levels to obtain higher electron recombination resistance.

Food supplementing peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius) nests increase reproductive success with no change in mean parental provisioning rate.

Parents are expected to exhibit intermediate levels of investment in parental care that reflect the trade-off between current versus future reproduction. Providing parents with supplemental food may allow for increased care to the current brood (additive model), re-allocation of parental effort to other behaviours such as self-maintenance (substitution model), or may provide parents with a buffer against provisioning shortfalls (insurance model). We investigated the impact of parental food supplementation on provisioning behaviour and breeding success in Arctic-breeding peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus tundrius) over five successive breeding seasons (2013-2017). We found that supplemental feeding had no impact on mean provisioning rates, yet resulted in increased nestling survival probability, increased nestling body mass and decreased variance in nestling body mass and provisioning rates. These results are consistent with parents adopting a hybrid of the additive and substitution models. We suggest that food supplementation enables increased investment in other forms of parental care (e.g. nest defence, brooding) without altering mean provisioning rates. The lack of observed effects on mean provisioning rates, coupled with increased survival and body mass of offspring, suggests a potential reallocation of parental effort. The findings contribute to understanding the responses of peregrine falcons to food supplementation, highlighting the need for future studies to explore broader environmental contexts and potential long-term effects on parental survival and future reproduction.

교착어적 특성을 활용한 한국어문법교육 연구 - 서울대 한국어 초·중급 교재를 중심으로

This study is developed by proceeding with the contents of “A Study on the Composition and Content Analysis of Korean Textbooks” (2021). Previous studies have shown that the characteristics of the structure of textbooks centered on oral language have led to a lack of linkage with the system of grammar education, and this study is linked to the fact that the problem of grammar education is found in the characteristics of Korean language called agglutinative language. The reason we paid attention to the agglutinative language characteristics was that it was sometimes pointed out as a major type of error by foreign learners, and it was considered suitable for understanding the basic principles. Therefore, by analyzing the target grammar for each level 1 to 4 in units of grammatical morpheme, a grammar category that revealed agglutinative language characteristics was set and classified. The classification items are grammar in which postpositions are combined, grammar in which endings are combined, and other vocabulary, which is based on the grammatical role of the ending or postposition, which is the minimum unit that constitutes grammar. Additionally, the grammar content was investigated by dividing the postposition combination grammar and the ending combination grammar into elementary and intermediate levels. The grammar related to ending combination occupied the highest proportion in the entire levels, confirming that Korean is predicate-oriented and the importance of the ending. The grammar content required for basic sentence composition at the beginner level was a final ending, a connection ending, prefinal ending, and some of transformative ending and auxiliary connective ending, In intermediate level, transformative ending that organizes sentences, auxillary connective ending that adds meaning, and various subordinate connective ending were required as grammar content. For grammar related to postposition combination, a case-marking postpositional particle that constitutes a basic sentence at the beginner level and a auxiliary postpositional particle that adds special meaning at the intermediate level were required as grammar content. It is hoped that the agglutinative language, typological characteristics of the Korean language, will help to select and organize the contents of Korean grammar education.

Determination of Skin Cancer and Sun Knowledge Status of Nursing Students

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess nursing students' awareness of sun knowledge and skin cancer. Method: The research is cross-sectional and descriptive. Through the use of an online questionnaire, 272 nursing students provided the study's data. Data were gathered using the Skin Cancer and Sun Knowledge Scale and a form asking participants to describe their personal information. The statistical application IBM SPSS 26.0 was utilized to analyze the data. Results: The Skin Cancer and Sun Knowledge Scale total score (14.51±3.24) was determined to be higher than the middle level. The total score of the scale did not significantly correlate with the students' age, grade level, prior knowledge of skin cancer, or the existence of a family history of the disease (p&amp;gt;0.05). However, there was a significant correlation (p&amp;lt;0.05) between gender and the scale's total score. The students' ages and the scale's overall score did not significantly correlate (p&amp;gt;0.05). Conclusion: According to the study's findings, most respondents have knowledge that is above the intermediate level. Even though the study's conclusions paint a generally positive picture, they also demonstrate the need for further development. At this point, more effective community awareness of skin cancer may result from evaluating and updating the methods and content of nursing education programs. Future work could focus on the development of more specific strategies to increase knowledge in this area.

Oxygen vacancy defect engineering in MoO2/Mo-doped BiOCl Ohmic junctions for enhanced photocatalytic antibiotic elimination

Vacancy defect engineering is an effective strategy for improving photocatalytic activity, but controlling surface vacancies precisely remains a challenge. In this study, MoO2/Mo doped BiOCl (Mo-BiOCl) composites enriched with oxygen vacancies (OVs) were prepared by a facile defect engineering strategy with MoO2 hollow spheres as a precursor and molybdenum sources, where the slowly released Mo4+ ions in the reaction system resulted in the tailored formation of Mo-BiOCl. The optimized MoO2/Mo-BiOCl composite (BOM-3) demonstrated significantly improved photocatalytic degradation efficiency for Tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) under visible light, with an apparent rate constant (k) 4.7 and 120 times higher than that of BiOCl and MoO2, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of BOM-3 can be attributed to the presence of abundant OVs, which extend the light response range by creating intermediate defect level from OVs. Additionally, the formation of ohmic heterojunction between Mo-BiOCl and MoO2 with close interface contacts facilitates rapid separation of interfacial charge carries and efficient migration of photogenerated electrons from Mo-BiOCl to MoO2. The possible degradation pathway of TC using BOM-3 is proposed, and toxicity evaluation indicates that most intermediates have lower toxicity than TC. This work presents a straightforward approach for improving photocatalytic antibiotic degradation through the construction of a novel Ohmic-junction with tuned surface OVs.

Unlocking the magic of digital adaptivity: Unleashing students' writing skills and self-determination motivation through digital literacy instruction

This study explored the impact of adaptive learning (AL) and digital literacy (DL) instruction on L2 learners' writing skills and motivation. The study explored the potential of DL instruction within AL contexts to enhance L2 writing and motivation. A total of 93 students at an intermediate level of proficiency were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (AL-enhanced or EG1, and AL-enhanced supported by DL instruction or EG2) and a control group (a technology-enhanced non-AL group). The study used writing tasks, self-determination theory (SDT) questionnaire, DL questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews as instruments for data collection. Findings indicated that AL significantly influences participants' writing outcomes and SDT compared to the control group. Furthermore, the use of DL instruction within AL environments enhances DL skills, writing outcomes, and self-determination motivation. Qualitative results also suggest a positive effect of AL and DL instruction on students' writing skills and SDT. Finally, findings indicate that integration of AL and DL instruction could enhance students' engagement, autonomy, and motivation, thereby positively impacting their overall learning experience. Findings highlight the significance of integrating AL and DL instruction to enhance students' writing, SDT, and overall learning experience, thereby preparing them for the digital age.

Learning General and Specific Embedding with Transformer for Few-Shot Object Detection

AbstractFew-shot object detection (FSOD) studies how to detect novel objects with few annotated examples effectively. Recently, it has been demonstrated that decent feature embeddings, including the general feature embeddings that are more invariant to visual changes and the specific feature embeddings that are more discriminative for different object classes, are both important for FSOD. However, current methods lack appropriate mechanisms to sensibly cooperate both types of feature embeddings based on their importance to detecting objects of novel classes, which may result in sub-optimal performance. In this paper, to achieve more effective FSOD, we attempt to explicitly encode both general and specific feature embeddings using learnable tensors and apply a Transformer to help better incorporate them in FSOD according to their relations to the input object features. We thus propose a Transformer-based general and specific embedding learning (T-GSEL) method for FSOD. In T-GSEL, learnable tensors are employed in a three-stage pipeline, encoding feature embeddings in general level, intermediate level, and specific level, respectively. In each stage, we apply a Transformer to first model the relations of the corresponding embedding to input object features and then apply the estimated relations to refine the input features. Meanwhile, we further introduce cross-stage connections between embeddings of different stages to make them complement and cooperate with each other, delivering general, intermediate, and specific feature embeddings stage by stage and utilizing them together for feature refinement in FSOD. In practice, a T-GSEL module is easy to inject. Extensive empirical results further show that our proposed T-GSEL method achieves compelling FSOD performance on both PASCAL VOC and MS COCO datasets compared with other state-of-the-art approaches.

Diagnostic testing and the evolution of detection avoidance by pathogens

Abstract Diagnostic testing is a key tool in the fight against many infectious diseases. The emergence of pathogen variants that are able to avoid detection by diagnostic testing therefore represents a key challenge for public health. In recent years, variants for multiple pathogens have emerged which escape diagnostic testing, including mutations in Plasmodium falciparum (malaria), Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia) and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). However, little is currently known about when and the extent to which diagnostic test escape will evolve. Here we use a mathematical model to explore how the frequency of diagnostic testing, combined with variation in compliance and efficacy of isolating, together drive the evolution of detection avoidance. We derive key thresholds under which a testing regime will (i) select for diagnostic test avoidance, or (ii) drive the pathogen extinct. Crucially, we show that imperfect compliance with diagnostic testing regimes can have marked effects on selection for detection avoidance, and consequently, for disease control. Yet somewhat counterintuitively, we find that an intermediate level of testing can select for the highest level of detection avoidance. Our results, combined with evidence from various pathogens, demonstrate that the evolution of diagnostic testing avoidance should be carefully considered when designing diagnostic testing regimes.

Water use efficiency and canopy temperature response of soybean subjected to deficit irrigation

Deficit irrigation is a key strategy for improving water use efficiency (WUE) under irrigated conditions. However, there is a lack of information regarding the optimal water replacement that have minimal negative effects on soybean productivity. The objective of this study was to determine the water replacement levels associated with insignificant grain yield (GY) losses in soybean crops. A rain shelter experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with six replicates. Eight irrigation replacement levels, L120, L100, L90, L80, L70, L60, L50, and L40, were applied, where L100 was the reference treatment that kept soil moisture content along the soil profile under field capacity conditions and all other replacement levels were a fraction of this reference level. Grain yield ranged from 2.2 Mg ha-1 in L40 to 4.4 Mg ha-1 in L100, with a significant GY reduction in irrigation levels below 70%. The average crop water stress index (CWSI) ranged between 0.26 at L120 and 0.66 at L40 irrigation levels. WUE varied significantly only for the extreme irrigation levels studied, with the greatest value at the L40 irrigation level (1.2 kg m-3) and the lowest value at the L120 irrigation level (0.65 kg m-3), whereas for the intermediate irrigation levels from 50 to 100%, the WUE was equal to approximately 1.1 kg m-3. The relationship between CWSI and GY (R2 = 0.85) suggested that the maximum GY occurred at a CWSI of 0.34. In addition, the relationship between CWSI and WUE (R2 = 0.73) showed that as evapotranspiration decreased, crop temperature increased. In conclusion, the implementation of a continuous water deficit in soybeans is feasible for farmers in water-scarce areas, but the minimum value of area productivity must be considered, even though WUE increases under more intensive values of water deficit.

Vulnerability of endemic insular mole skinks to sea‐level rise

AbstractAlthough coastal islands are home to many endemic species, they are also at risk of inundation from storm surge and sea level rise. Three subspecies of mole skink (Plestiodon egregius egregius, P. e. insularis, and the Egmont Key Mole Skink known from a single occurrence) occur on a small number of islands off the Gulf Coast of Florida, USA. We used the most recent sea level rise projections and the latest storm surge simulation data to predict impacts to habitat for insular mole skinks in Florida from 2030 to 2150. Our models predicted that in &lt;100 years (by 2100; intermediate sea level rise scenario; ~1.08–1.15 m sea level rise), &gt;78% of preferred habitat for the Florida Keys Mole Skink, &gt;65% of preferred habitat for the Cedar Key Mole Skink, and &gt;36% of preferred habitat for the Egmont Key Mole Skink will be inundated from sea level rise. Storm surge from tropical cyclones presents a more immediate risk to insular mole skink habitat: our models predicted that between 58% and 75% of Florida Keys Mole Skink habitat is at risk of being submerged under an average maximum of between 0.60 (SD = 0.86) and 0.98 (SD = 0.36) m of storm surge water for a category 1 storm, and the amount of habitat predicted to be impacted increases for higher intensity storms. Our models predicted similar trends for Cedar Key and Egmont Key Mole Skink habitat. Given current sea level rise projections, our models predicted that all three subspecies could be extinct by 2140 due to habitat inundation. There remains uncertainty about how species and ecosystems will respond to sea level rise, thus research to fill these gaps could help mitigate the effects of sea level rise in areas most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.