Limited Area Research Articles

Macroscopical, Microscopical and Histochemical Analysis of Eryngium karatavicum Iljin Growing on the Territory of South Kazakhstan.

Carrying out macroscopical and microscopical analyses of plants allows determining the species and identifying diagnostic signs of the plant that distinguish the studied object from other related species. Endemic plant species are a specific component of the flora, whose representatives grow in a relatively limited area, represented by a small geographical area. Their diagnostic morphological and anatomical data are insufficiently studied. Such endemic unexplored plant species include Eryngium karatavicum Iljin, which grows in the territory of South Kazakhstan. This article presents the results of macroscopical, microscopical and histochemical analyses of leaves, flowers and stems of Eryngium karatavicum. The results of morphological analysis of Eryngium karatavicum showed that the plant has distinctive features of macroscopical, microscopical and histochemical signs on the upper and lower sides of the leaf, stem, inflorescence, leaves of the wrapper and flower. These results can be used to confirm the authenticity, identification, and standardization of aerial parts of the endemic plant Eryngium karatavicum Iljin.

Advances in 3D Bioprinting: Techniques, Applications, and Future Directions for Cardiac Tissue Engineering.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Cardiac tissue engineering is a direction in regenerative medicine that aims to repair various heart defects with the long-term goal of artificially rebuilding a full-scale organ that matches its native structure and function. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting offers promising applications through its layer-by-layer biomaterial deposition using different techniques and bio-inks. In this review, we will introduce cardiac tissue engineering, 3D bioprinting processes, bioprinting techniques, bio-ink materials, areas of limitation, and the latest applications of this technology, alongside its future directions for further innovation.

Co-Circulation of Coronaviruses among Rodents and Insectivores

Coronaviruses (family Coronaviridae, genera Alphacoronavirus and Betacoronavirus) are the causative agents of respiratory, intestinal and neurological diseases in humans and animals. Natural reservoirs of coronaviruses include bats, rodents and insectivores, however, the circulation of coronaviruses among rodents and insectivores in the Russian Federation has been unexplored. The aim of the study was to investigate the diversity of coronaviruses among rodents and insectivores co-inhabiting natural biotopes. Materials and methods. Rodents (68 specimens) and shrews of the genus Sorex (23 specimens) were caught in a limited forest area not exceeding 1.5 sq. km, in the vicinity of Novosibirsk. All samples were screened using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction followed by sequencing. Results and discussion. Four distinct coronaviruses have been detected in four species of small mammals. Rodent-borne coronaviruses were classed within subgenera Embecovirus, genus Betacoronavirus, and demonstrated host-associated phylogenetic clustering. The level of homology between the new RNA isolates from red-backed vole (Myodes rutilus), root vole (Microtus oeconomus) and field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) is 85.5–87.7 %. The nucleotide sequences of Siberian coronavirus isolates are closely related (>93 % homology) to previously published sequences in each of the carrier groups found in Europe and China, which suggests their common evolutionary origin. The coronavirus identified in the common shrew (Sorex araneus) belongs to the genus Alphacoronavirus, but is significantly different (>36 % difference) from earlier identified strains included in the genus. It has been shown that different coronaviruses co-circulate in a limited area among rodents and insectivores.

Engineering of the crystalline state towards a defective state of CeCoO3 perovskite for the OER process in alkaline medium

Perovskite oxides act as an efficient electrocatalyst, but their limited active surface area has made it challenging to enhance their electrocatalytic activity. Thus, researchers found that changing the crystalline surface to an amorphous surface having oxygen vacancy can create an enriched active zone. In this research, we adopt a top-down approach for the amorphization of the crystalline CeCoO3 nanostructure that creates crystal defects, producing materials with a higher specific surface area, potential electrocatalysis for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and greater stability. The calculated overpotential (η) and Tafel slope for defective CoCO3 (D-CCO3) is 265 and 35.95 mV dec−1 very low as compared to the crystalline CoCO3 (C-CCO3, 384 and 76.11 mV dec−1). The electrochemical analysis also suggests that the defective CoCO3 (D-CCO) exhibited the 33.96 mF and ECSA of 849 cm2. The current research enables a valuable approach for improving and changing the material properties and electrochemical efficiency of nanoscale perovskite oxide electrocatalysts attributed to crystal defects and nitrogen doping. However, further modifications to the D-CCO structure in the near future may be employed to address other environmental challenges.

Bioinspired High-Magnesium Calcite for Efficiently Reducing Chemical Oxygen Demand in Lake Water.

Organic matter accumulation in water can cause serious problems such as oxygen depletion and quality deterioration of waters. While calcium carbonate has been used as green and low-cost adsorbent for water treatment, its efficiency in reducing the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of water, which is a measure of organic pollution, is restrained by the limited specific surface area and chemical activity. Herein, inspired by the high-magnesium calcite (HMC) found in biological materials, a feasible method to synthesize fluffy dumbbell-like HMC with large specific surface area is reported. The magnesium inserting increases the chemical activity of the HMC moderately but without lowering its stability too much. Therefore, the crystalline HMC can retain its phase and morphology in aqueous environment for hours, which allows the establishment of adsorption equilibrium between the solution and the adsorbent that retains its initial large specific surface area and improved chemical activity. Consequently, the HMC exhibits notably enhanced capability in reducing the COD of lake water polluted by organics. This work provides a synergistic strategy to rationally design high-performance adsorbents by simultaneously optimizing the surface area and steering the chemical activity.

Phylogeographic patterns of genetic diversity in Pontastacus leptodactylus (Decapoda: Astacidae): is the hypothesis of the taxonomically rich genus Pontastacus true?

Abstract The narrow-clawed crayfish Pontastacus leptodactylus is a large native European astacid crayfish species distributed in the drainage area of the Azov, Black and Caspian Seas. The species shows immense morphological diversity across its range. Various species and subspecies have been described and, recently, eight species and two subspecies were confirmed in the updated classification of freshwater crayfishes. However, genetic diversity studies of the species are scarce, mostly from limited geographical areas. Therefore, we aimed to analyse the genetic diversity of this species using mtDNA and nuDNA from across their distributional range to verify the presence of described species. Analyses of individuals from 65 populations and 14 countries confirmed the existence of three divergent mtDNA phylogroups corresponding to the geographical area of Central and Southern Europe, Eastern Europe and Asia, and Turkey. Analysis of ancestral ranges revealed the Black Sea basin as the most likely area of origin. The nuDNA analysis showed low diversity partially corresponding to the mtDNA pattern. All analyses showed mitonuclear discordance indicating the existence of a single species. Therefore, we point out the possibility of taxonomic inaccuracy with the current number of valid species within the P. leptodactylus species complex.

A game theory‐based approach for the study of inter‐interference in coexisting wireless body area networks

SummaryA wireless body area network (WBAN) enables the continuous monitoring of health conditions including heart rate, temperature, and glucose levels. It is composed of several sensors that are placed on the body. The network's performance is significantly affected by the unpredictable movements of the human body. Due to the varying proximities between them, the existence of several WBANs creates a challenge when mobility is involved. In this fictitious scenario, we consider a park area with both mobile and static WBANs or WBAN‐equipped individuals passing through the park who have varying degrees of mobility. When a mobile WBAN passes a static WBAN and is within a minimum distance of the static WBAN, they pair up and immediately interfere. Inter‐interference caused by WBANs operating in a limited area causes packet loss and performance deterioration. In this work, static WBAN locations are optimised to minimise interference and system inter‐interference problems are addressed by a game theoretic method. This paper formulates a flexible game theoretic framework to study WBAN coexistence using the expected pay‐off function considering a two‐player game. It is observed from the results obtained that the probability of interference caused by fast mobile WBANs is reduced to a maximum of 50% compared with that caused by slow mobile WBANs thereby reducing the need for relocation of static WBANs.

How leadership course facilitators cope with difficult course situations

This study aimed to explore how facilitators of group dynamic and structured leadership courses cope with difficult situations during the course, and to relate their coping strategies to general individual characteristics and situation-specific appraisals. The study group consisted of facilitators of two of the most widespread leadership courses in Sweden: 110 facilitators of the course Understanding Group and Leader (UGL) and 111 facilitators of Developmental leadership (DL). A web-based questionnaire included descriptions of two difficult interpersonal course situations and questions on personality, general leadership style as well as situation-specific appraisal and coping. Three coping strategies were identified (factor analyses): Focus on course structure, Focus on psychological safety and Focus on own reflection. These factors were positively correlated. Weak associations were observed between the coping strategies and personality and general leadership style. Situation-specific appraisals covaried more strongly with the coping strategies. The findings suggest that reflection based on these coping strategies can lead to increased self-awareness and self-confidence on part of the facilitator. The findings may also help leadership course facilitators to cope more effectively, which in turn creates trust in the group that they are leading. The study contributes to the understanding of a limited research area; how leadership course facilitators cope with difficult course situations. The results provide guidance on how to cope more effectively. Practical implications include aspects to focus on in the training of leadership course facilitators.

Enhancing Precision Agriculture and Environmental Monitoring Using Proximal Remote Sensing

Proximal remote sensing is a cutting-edge technology that has emerged as a powerful tool in precision agriculture and environmental monitoring. By capturing high-resolution data from a close range, it provides valuable insights into crop health, soil conditions, and ecosystem dynamics. This paper explores the applications, advantages, and limitations of proximal remote sensing, focusing on its use in precision agriculture and environmental management. The applications of proximal remote sensing in precision agriculture include crop monitoring, disease detection, and resource optimization. In environmental management, it aids in habitat mapping, biodiversity assessment, and environmental impact analysis. The advantages of proximal remote sensing lie in its high spatial resolution, real-time data acquisition, and flexibility in sensor selection. However, limitations such as limited coverage area and skill requirements need to be considered. The future perspectives of proximal remote sensing encompass advancements in sensor technology, automation, integration with other technologies, and enhanced data storage and analysis. By leveraging these advancements, proximal remote sensing can contribute to more sustainable practices and informed decision-making for a better and resilient future.

Integrated Ecological Risk Assessment of the Agricultural Area under a High Anthropopressure Based on Chemical, Ecotoxicological and Ecological Indicators

Agricultural land is often located close to highly urbanised/industrialised areas and is subject to continuous anthropogenic pressure associated with the emission of many pollutants, ultimately deposited in the soil. Most studies on ecological risk assessment have only analysed the total contaminants’ concentration, which does not reflect their bioavailability or toxicity and often leads to an overestimation of risk. Therefore, in our study, we used an interdisciplinary approach, whereby the final conclusions about the risk in a given area are based on the integration of detailed data from chemical, ecotoxicological and ecological analysis. The research was carried out on agricultural land exposed to high levels of anthropopression for more than 100 years. Chemical measurements comprised both the total and bioavailable PAH content. A battery of bio-assays describing effects on soil retention and habitat function was used for ecotoxicity testing, and ecological indicators included enzymatic activity, respiration, microbial biomass, carbon mineralisation and nitrification. The integrated IntRisk index ranged from 0.19 to 0.94, and this was mainly due to high values of the chemical risk index, while the ecotoxicological and ecological results indicated no or low risk. The majority of the area (almost 90%) had acceptable risk levels, no/low risk (IntRisk < 0.5) at 57% of the sites and medium risk at 28% of the area. Very high unacceptable risk (IntRisk 0.77–0.94) was only at three sampling sites. The integration of data from a set of 15 indicators allowed us to derive quantitative risk indexes and delineate the limited area which needs additional action.

Transfer of Airport PAS Administration Procedures from Offline to Online at the Makassar Regional V Airport Authority Office

Airport Public Address System (PAS) Card is a limited area entry permit card in the Airport area. Airport PAS is issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. In order to improve security at airports, Minister of Transportation Regulation Number PM 167 of 2015 has been stipulated which is an amendment to Minister of Transportation Regulation Number PM 33 of 2015 concerning Access Control to Limited Security Areas at Airports. In it there are several articles that regulate airport security areas, control of entrances to airports and administrative sanctions for violating airport security regulations. To find out the form of transition of airport pass administration procedures from offline to online at the Makassar Region V Airport Authority Office? This research is a qualitative research with a comparative descriptive type of research that uses data collection methodologies with literature studies, observations and interviews. Sugiyono (2018), explains the notion of a qualitative research method is a research method that is based on the philosophy of postpositivism, used to research on natural object conditions, (as opposed to experiments) where the researcher is the key instrument, data collection techniques are carried out by triangulation (combined ), data analysis is inductive/qualitative in nature, and the results of qualitative research emphasize the meaning of generalizations. Comparative descriptive qualitative research in this study is used to describe and analyze the transition of airport pass administration procedures from offline to online at the Makassar Region V Airport Authority Office from the side of officers and applicants.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Abaca Craft Producers: Philippine Illustrations

The study determined the knowledge, attitude, and practices of abaca craft producers in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur. Specifically, the study sought to determine the socio-demographic profile and the knowledge, attitude, and practices in abaca craft production of the respondents. This study used a quantitative and qualitative research design, utilizing a set of questionnaires and an interview guide involving 134 abaca craft producers, who were selected through a random sampling method. The abaca craft producers were also interviewed through focus group discussion. The results indicated that respondents are 41 or older (41.8%), female (78.4%), have finished secondary level education (55.2%), have 5 to 6 dependents (38.06%), are married (70.9%), have been an abaca craft producer for less than a year (41.4%), and have attended 1 to 2 trainings (46.27%) on abaca craft production. It was found that the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices still needs improvement, with mean values of 3.46, 3.62, and 3.70, respectively. The intervention tools, therefore, should be developed to enhance knowledge, attitudes, and practices, particularly product development training and marketing support, due to the limited market area and the need to adapt to modern methods of marketing. It also identified the lack of funding for equipment and transportation vehicles, where the need to collaborate with local government units and other agencies is recommended. A proposal for a product development project for abaca craft producers is hereby recommended.

A new species of trapezitine skipper (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) from the Kimberley in the Australian Monsoon Tropics

A new species of skipper butterfly, Toxidia aurantia Braby, sp. nov., is illustrated, diagnosed and described from the northern Kimberley of Western Australia. A molecular phylogeny based on one mitochondrial (COX1 barcode fragment) and four nuclear genes (EF1-a, RSB2, RSB5, Wingless) for nearly all members of Toxidia Mabille, 1891 and its sister genus Timoconia Strand, 1909 according to the Maximum Likelihood optimality criterion, indicated that the new species belongs in the Toxidia xanthomera species-group (formerly classified in the genus Neohesperilla Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914) and is most closely related to T. crocea (Miskin, 1889). These two taxa are sister to T. xiphiphora (Lower, 1911). Toxidia aurantia Braby, sp. nov. is currently known from only a limited area on the mainland in the Admiralty Gulf near the Osborn Islands and Borda Island, WA. The discovery of this new species contributes to the emerging picture that the northern Kimberley is likely an area of high species richness for butterflies and day-flying moths within the Australian Monsoon Tropics.

Energy approach to the description of the dynamics of hydrocarbon spills

An energy approach to the problem of theoretical description of axisymmetric and quasi-one-dimensional oil product spills is presented. Within the framework of these models, approximate equations describing the evolution of the size of oil spots over time were derived. Solution of these equations describing the characteristics of spills of both a limited area (for machine oil stains) and unlimited spills of crude oil is obtained. A number of laboratory experiments have been carried out to study the dynamics of spreading of a spot of reference engine oil and crude oil for axisymmetric and quasi-one-dimensional flows. The presented theoretical and experimental results are in good agreement for both spreading regimes.

Characterization of Groundwater Potential Zones from a Tropical River Basin, Southern Western Ghats, India

The increasing demands for groundwater resources and marked changes in climate over the years have imposed immense pressure on global groundwater resources. The present study has been undertaken to emphasize the expediency of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) to delineate the groundwater potential of a small tropical river basin of Kerala (India), viz., Thuthapuzha River Basin. Atotal of 10 geo-environmental thematic layers such as Geology, Geomorphology, Drainage density, Rainfall, Soil, Slope, Topographic Position Index, Groundwater level and Curvature were prepared and studied for groundwater potential zone demarcation. Weights assigned to each class in all the thematic maps are based on their characteristics and water potential capacity through Weighed overlay method (WoM). The groundwater potential zone map subsequently obtained was classified into five classes-very high, high, moderate, low and very low. The study reveals that about 63% of the river basin is covered under a moderate groundwater potential zone. The low and high groundwater potential zones are observed at 27% and 9%, respectively. The area under very high and very low potential zones is recorded only in very limited areas (>1%) in the basin. Keywords: Groundwater Potential Zone; Weighed Overlay Method (WoM); GIS; Thuthapuzha River; Kerala

Insulated concrete form foundation wall as solar thermal energy storage for Cold-Climate building heating system

Employing green energies for building energy sector decarbonization has captured the world’s attention in the current century. However, the imbalance between energy demand and availability necessitates designing reliable and cost-effective energy storage systems. The present study aims to propose an innovative building-integrated solar thermal storage method using insulated concrete form (ICF) foundation walls for residential buildings in cold climates such as that of Canada. Surplus solar thermal energy is stored inside the ICF wall, which has a high thermal capacity and mass and is integrated into the building envelope. The ICF wall and solar thermal collectors are coupled with a water-to-water heat pump to meet building space heating load and domestic hot water demand. Different configurations integrating the ICF wall are modeled and simulated in TRNSYS software to perform a yearly transient analysis. It is shown that a system with ICF walls has an 11% higher solar fraction (SF) than a similar system with a large water thermal storage tank. By replacing the solar thermal collector with a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal collector, the overall system solar fraction can increase to 20% above that of a similar system with a large water thermal storage tank system. An ICF-based system with a 16 m2 solar collector can completely cover nine months of space heating and domestic hot water load for a single-family house in London, Ontario. A detailed sensitivity analysis shows that the proposed ICF-based systems achieve an optimum solar fraction at high tilt angles (65-70°), unlike a similar design with an extensive water thermal storage tank system. Because of their ability to achieve a high SF at high tilt angles, ICF systems are suitable for vertically mounted solar systems typically required by high-rise buildings due to limited roof area. As part of the building envelope, ICF foundation walls have no additional cost and can be considered a feasible strategy for reducing the residential sector’s carbon footprint..

A Learning-Based Methodology for Microwave Passive Component Design

Microwave passive component design is of particular interest to radio frequency (RF) scholars and engineers. Although a plethora of studies have been carried out over multiple decades, designing high-frequency structures that offer high performance still heavily relies on heuristic methods and even rules of thumb. Thus, the process is often inefficient, and outcomes are not guaranteed. This article proposes a novel cascaded convolutional neural network (CNN) model to speed up the design process of planar microwave passive components. Given target behavior specifications, our proposed neural network model can quickly and accurately suggest proper component structures for single or multiple frequency bands. The feasibility and reliability of our model are validated here by both electromagnetic (EM) simulation and a fully instrumented implementation. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model can design planar passive components, including two-port matching networks and three-port power dividers. Moreover, our model provides passive component topologies that are fundamentally different from canonical number-limited templates and, therefore, yields novel architectures for passive microwave components. It also facilitates rapid passive components design flow for targeted electrical behavior within a limited board area. The proposed cascaded CNN model and the associated methodologies in this article are generic and, thus, can be easily extended to the design of any symmetrical planar microwave passive components.

Assessing mangrove conservation in China by integrating mangrove ecosystem into ecological footprint accounting

Mangrove conservation effort have been undertaken in China, but there is still a lack of quantitative assessment of its eco-environmental benefits. The ecological footprint (EF) is an important indicator of the sustainability of ecosystems, with carbon footprint (CF) and biocapacity (BC) being key indicators of forest ecosystems. Despite the high carbon sequestration capacity of mangrove ecosystems, they have not yet been included in EF. This study introduces mangrove ecosystems into EF accounting and assesses the eco-environmental benefits of mangrove conservation in China. To achieve this, the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of mangrove forests was estimated based on the gross primary production and respiration rates. Average forest carbon sequestration (AFCS) and yield factor, key parameters of CF and BC, were calculated from NEE for the first time. The CF and BC of mangrove ecosystems were then refined using newly defined AFCS and yield factor. The proposed framework was applied to the whole mangrove forests in China to assess mangrove conservation efforts. The results showed that the average CF of mangrove forests is about 1000 M ha, which is lower than that of terrestrial forests, while the BC of mangroves is not as high as expected due to the limited area of mangroves. CF and BC vary along the coastline, whereby CF tends to decrease with decreasing latitude while BC remains high at low latitudes owing to the large mangrove area. There is no significant decreasing trend in CF, but BC increases with increasing mangrove area. The newly introduced ecological footprint accounting of mangrove ecosystems suggests that mangrove conservation in China should focus on ecosystem health and expand the area of forestable land. These findings will benefit future management of mangrove ecosystems in China and other countries.

Stress-strain state and load ability of compressed pipe-concrete elements

In the article are presented the results of stress-strain state and the bearing capacity of compression pipe-concrete elements studies. The studies were carried by using a fractional-rational diagram of relationship between stress and strain proposed in the Eurocode for a compressed concrete core inside a pipe and a symmetrical two-line diagram with limited area of fluidity for any values of an arbitrary flexibility of element and eccentricity of compressive force. On the carried research basis has been developed an effective numerical technique for determining the stress-strain state and the bearing capacity of compressed pipe-concrete elements. In calculation technique constructing, the task solution is reduced to system of nonlinear algebraic equations solving, relative to the deformation level in the most stressed section of the compressed concrete core section and the position of the neutral axis in this section. The efficiency of the proposed calculation method has been verified by numerous numerical experiments. It is shown that depending on the element's flexibility and the compressive force's eccentricity, at the moment of bearing capacity loss, the operation of the steel pipe can be both elastic and elasticplastic, and this is determined only by calculations using the proposed general method. Keywords: concrete; steel pipe; «load-deflection» graph; deformation; stress; deflection; stress-strain state; bearing capacity; eccentricity.

“Lithological zoning and stable isotopes distribution in carbonates in the Polish native sulfur deposits. Implications for origin of the ores”. Discussion, comment

The paper of A. Gąsiewicz and P. Olchowy on lithological zoning and stable isotopes distribution in carbonates in the Polish native sulfur deposits and implications for origin of the ores as a result of sedimentary processes, presented there, are discussed. Steep contacts of sulfur-bearing limestones with gypsum and barren limestones contradict their supposed sedimentary origin and zonation. The arguments in favour of replacement of gypsum by sulfur-bearing limestone are presented as well for formation of barren limestones by sulfur leaching and reprecipitation in the neighbouring sulfur-bearing and surrounding rocks. The registered lithologic zonation of sulfur deposits is not a result of aerial changes of sedimentary environment, but may be explained by pH and Eh variation of connate formation water. The well documented variation of δ13C and δ18O may be explained by weathering processes. Karstification of sulfur-bearing limestones produced the intercalations of clays with crumbled limestone and sulfur, resembling the synsedimentary breccia. There are no strong arguments in favour of sedimentary origin of sulfur ores. The formation of sulfur-bearing limestone in sedimentary environment, however, cannot be totally excluded, but if occurred, may take place on a very limited area, concurrently with formation through epigenetic gypsum replacement.