Local Conditions Research Articles

You can bring plankton to fecal indicator organisms, but you cannot make the plankton graze: particle contribution to E. coli and MS2 inactivation in surface waters.

Organisms that are associated with feces ("fecal indicator organisms") are monitored to assess the potential for fecal contamination of surface water bodies in the United States. However, the effect of the complex mixtures of chemicals and the natural microbial community within surface water ("particles") on fecal indicator organism persistence is not well characterized. We aimed to better understand how particles, including biological (e.g., potential grazers) and inert (e.g., minerals) types, affect the fecal indicator organisms Escherichia coli K-12 ("E. coli") and bacteriophage MS2 in surface waters. A gradient of particles captured by a 0.2-µm-pore-size filter ("large particles") was generated, and the additional particles and dissolved constituents that passed through the filter were deemed "small particles." We measured the ratio of MS2 and E. coli that survived over a 24-h incubation period for each condition (0%-1,000% large-particle concentration in raw water) and completed a linear regression that included large- and small-particle coefficients. Particles were characterized by quantifying plankton, total bacterial cells, and total solids. E. coli and MS2 persistence was not significantly affected by large particles, but small particles had an effect in most waters. Small particles in higher-salinity waters had the largest, negative effect on E. coli and MS2 survival ratios: Significant small-particle coefficients ranged from -1.7 to -5.5 day-1 in the marine waters and -0.89 to -3.2 day-1 in the fresh and estuarine waters. This work will inform remediation efforts for impaired surface water bodies.IMPORTANCEMany surface water bodies in the United States have organisms associated with fecal contamination that exceed regulatory standards and prevent safe recreation. The process to remediate impaired water bodies is complicated because these fecal indicator organisms are affected by the local environmental conditions. For example, the effect of particles in surface water on fecal indicator concentrations are difficult to quantify in a way that is comparable between studies and water bodies. We applied a method that overcomes this limitation to assess the effects of large particles, including natural plankton that could consume the seeded fecal indicator organisms. Even in environmental water samples with diverse communities of plankton present, no effect of large particles on fecal indicator concentrations was observed. These findings have implications for the interpretation and design of future studies, including that particle characterization of surface water may be necessary to assess the fate of fecal indicators.

Civilising subject(s): drawing pedagogy in Bombay in the age of industrial capitalism and empire

ABSTRACT This article charts a critical history of drawing, as it was taught within “general” schooling in colonial Bombay (now Mumbai), beyond the artisanal workshop, art, and industrial schools. Rather than children’s creative or subjective expression as it is commonly seen today, drawing’s presence in the school curriculum was a sign of the efforts being taken to create a workforce suitable for industrial capitalism, in Britain and in India. Analysing archival sources, and situating them within the broader discourses around colonialism, work, and the industrial subject, the article points out that when drawing was taught in Bombay it was hamstrung by issues metropolitan in origin, viz. course design, inconsistent pedagogic vision, lack of financial outlay as well as local conditions of low industrialisation. Similar problems plagued drawing in Britain. However, colonial power relations held Indian teachers and school-goers responsible for drawing’s “failures” in addressing the crisis of technical skilling and employment generation in India, while in Britain the critique was directed towards the system. Drawing – despite these “failures” – came to be valued as a practice necessary in and of itself. Drawing, the article contends, offered an embodied and verifiable response to wage labour, as seen in its unfolding in the colony, i.e. a moral technology geared towards wage labour.

Качество зерна новых сортов яровой пшеницы в Северном Зауралье

Abstract. The production of high-quality food wheat grains depends to a large extent on the quality potential of the cultivated varieties and the conditions that ensure its implementation. Studies have identified quality-resistant varieties and factors that ensure an optimal combination of yield and grain quality. The purpose of the research is to consider the possibilities of new varieties of spring wheat to form the technological properties of grain in the northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen region. Methods. Studies were carried out in 2021 and 2022 in the northern forest-steppe zone of the Tyumen region at the Ishim state section. The soil is leached chernozem. The predecessor in the experience is pure steam. The technological properties of wheat grain were assessed by the West Siberian Interregional Center for Comprehensive Quality Assessment of the Tested Varieties (Barnaul). The main criteria for assessing wheat varieties are taken as the gluten content in flour, the strength of flour according to the alveograph and the liquefaction of the test according to the farinograph, these indicators in local conditions are often limiting when assessing varieties according to bakery strength. According to the results of studies, it was established that the indicator “gluten content in flour” in the studied varieties significantly depended on meteorological conditions. For example, in 2022, with a higher degree of moisture and a lower degree of heat compared to 2021, in the predominant part of the varieties (80 %), the amount of gluten in the flour was lower than the standards for wheat filler. At the same time, the following varieties showed high opportunities to provide flour with the amount of gluten: Tyumenskaya 25, Agronomicheskaya 5, Baganochka, Dorada, Tyumenskaya 29, Varden. Varieties stood out – their indicators were at the level of requirements for strong wheat: Baganochka, Ishimskaya 12 and Lenta 45. In terms of “dough liquefaction”, a significant part of the varieties corresponded to the class “wheat-filler”. At the level of strong wheat were indicators in the varieties Ishimskaya 12, Zagora Novosibirsk, Nitsa. Scientific novelty: In the conditions of the northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen region, new scientific information has been obtained on the formation by new varieties of spring soft wheat of the state test of technological indicators characterizing the baking power of flour. The highest gluten content in flour of 70% yield was distinguished by the varieties Agronomic 5, Dorada, Varden, Baganochka, Ishimskaya 12, and Lenta varieties were characterized by high indicators of the physical properties of the test on the alveograph; Ishimskaya 12 on the farinograph, Zagora Novosibirsk, Nice.

A global database of soil seed bank richness, density, and abundance.

A soil seed bank is the collective name for viable seeds that are stored naturally in the soil. At the species or population level, the ability to form a seed bank represents a strategy for (re)colonization following a disturbance or other change in the local environmental conditions. At the community level, seed banks are thought to buffer local diversity during periods of environmental change and are often studied in relation to the potential for passive habitat restoration. The role that seed banks play in plant population and community dynamics, as well as their importance in the agricultural sector, means that they have been widely studied in ecological research. This database is the result of a comprehensive literature search, including all seed bank studies from the Web of Science from which data could be extracted, as well as an additional search of the Russian language literature. The database contains information on the species richness, seed density, and/or seed abundance in 3096 records from at least 1929 locations across the world's seven continents, extracted from 1442 studies published between 1940 and 2020. Records are grouped into five broad habitat categories (aquatic, arable, forest, grassland-including shrubland-and wetland), including information relating to habitat degradation from, or restoration to other habitats (total 14 combinations). Sampling protocols were also extracted for each record, and the database was extensively checked for errors. The location of each record was then used to extract summary climate data and biome classification from external published databases. The database has several potential uses. The large geographical spread relative to many other global biodiversity datasets is relevant for investigating patterns of diversity in biogeographical or macroecological contexts. Habitat type and status (intact, degraded, and restored) can be used to provide insights for biodiversity conservation, while the potential effects of sampling method and effort can be used to inform optimized data collection for future seed bank studies. This database is released under the CC-BY license.

Tumor-on-chip platforms for breast cancer continuum concept modeling.

Our previous article entitled "Proteomics and its applications in breast cancer", proposed a Breast Cancer Continuum Concept (BCCC), including a Breast Cancer Cell Continuum Concept as well as a Breast Cancer Proteomic Continuum Concept. Breast cancer-on-chip (BCoC), breast cancer liquid biopsy-on-chip (BCLBoC), and breast cancer metastasis-on-chip (BCMoC) models successfully recapitulate and reproduce in vitro the principal mechanisms and events involved in BCCC. Thus, BCoC, BCLBoC, and BCMoC platforms allow for multiple cell lines co-cultivation to reproduce BC hallmark features, recapitulating cell proliferation, cell-to-cell communication, BC cell-stromal crosstalk and stromal activation, effects of local microenvironmental conditions on BC progression, invasion/epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)/migration, intravasation, dissemination through blood and lymphatic circulation, extravasation, distant tissues colonization, and immune escape of cancer cells. Moreover, tumor-on-chip platforms are used for studying the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs/nano-drugs or nutraceuticals. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize and analyse the main bio-medical roles of on-chip platforms that can be used as powerful tools to study the metastatic cascade in BC. As future direction, integration of tumor-on-chip platforms and proteomics-based specific approaches can offer important cues about molecular profile of the metastatic cascade, alowing for novel biomarker discovery. Novel microfluidics-based platforms integrating specific proteomic landscape of human milk, urine, and saliva could be useful for early and non-invasive BC detection. Also, risk-on-chip models may improve BC risk assessment and prevention based on the identification of biomarkers of risk. Moreover, multi-organ-on-chip systems integrating patient-derived BC cells and patient-derived scaffolds have a great potential to study BC at integrative level, due to the systemic nature of BC, for personalized and precision medicine. We also emphasized the strengths and weaknesses of BCoC and BCMoC platforms.

The biogeography of the Amazonian tree flora

We describe the geographical variation in tree species composition across Amazonian forests and show how environmental conditions are associated with species turnover. Our analyses are based on 2023 forest inventory plots (1 ha) that provide abundance data for a total of 5188 tree species. Within-plot species composition reflected both local environmental conditions (especially soil nutrients and hydrology) and geographical regions. A broader-scale view of species turnover was obtained by interpolating the relative tree species abundances over Amazonia into 47,441 0.1-degree grid cells. Two main dimensions of spatial change in tree species composition were identified. The first was a gradient between western Amazonia at the Andean forelands (with young geology and relatively nutrient-rich soils) and central–eastern Amazonia associated with the Guiana and Brazilian Shields (with more ancient geology and poor soils). The second gradient was between the wet forests of the northwest and the drier forests in southern Amazonia. Isolines linking cells of similar composition crossed major Amazonian rivers, suggesting that tree species distributions are not limited by rivers. Even though some areas of relatively sharp species turnover were identified, mostly the tree species composition changed gradually over large extents, which does not support delimiting clear discrete biogeographic regions within Amazonia.

Does industry co-location improve corporate information environment?

This study examines how the co-location of firms within the same industry enhances their information environments. We hypothesize that benefits arise from two effects: the industry peer effect, involving intra-industry information spillovers, and the geographic peer effect, related to shared local economic conditions with nearby non-industry peers. Our analysis evaluates how these effects, both separately and jointly, impact analysts’ forecast properties and stock price informativeness regarding future earnings. We find that the industry peer effect is negatively related to forecast dispersion and positively related to forecast accuracy, while the geographic peer effect shows no significant correlation. In addition, stock price informativeness about future earnings is positively associated with the industry peer effect but not with the geographic peer effect. We also find that greater proximity to industry or local peers enables analysts to incorporate more private (relative to public) information into their earnings forecasts, thereby enhancing the firm’s information environment. JEL CLASSIFICATION: M41, D80, G10

Mineral effects on methane hydrate formation and distribution in sand sediments

Methane hydrate is a promising energy resource widely occurring in the world, but the formation and distribution of methane hydrate in marine sediments with complex minerals remains unclear. Due to the small pore space and fine-grained size of clay minerals, the contact relationship between methane hydrate and clay mineral surface under excess water has not been characterized fully, which is required to investigate the mineral effect on methane hydrate formation. In this study, cryo-SEM was applied to observe the distribution of methane hydrate synthesized in pure quartz sands and the quartz sands mixed with montmorillonite or illite separately. According to the results of the research, methane hydrate dispersedly forms in the pore space away from and on the surface of quartz under a local excess water condition. In addition, methane hydrate occurs away from montmorillonite in pores with excess water and contacts the edge of montmorillonite under a local excess-gas condition. Moreover, methane hydrate was only observed to form away from illite aggregates in the pore with residual water. Montmorillonite and illite influence the preferable distribution of methane hydrate to occur away from mineral surface in excess water condition. In the sediments composed of different minerals, methane hydrate forms stochastically in the pore space and grows up individually. As a result, the findings of this study significantly expand the understanding of the formation and distribution of methane hydrate in marine sediments and the prediction of physical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments, and provide insights into natural gas hydrate exploration and production.

Reconstructing the redox environment of the Cambrian Harkless Formation, Nevada, USA: Navigating the effects of iron-rich clay minerals on the iron speciation redox proxy

Understanding the oxygenation of ancient oceans is critical for contextualizing evolutionary events throughout Earth's history. While there are many geochemical proxies available for evaluating paleoredox state, iron speciation is one of the most robust and widely applied recorders of local bottom water redox. The proxy uses a series of sequential extractions which are operationally designed to target redox active iron in different mineral groups, including carbonates, oxides, magnetite, and sulfides. However, clay minerals that contain iron are not specifically targeted but can be important reservoirs of redox active iron. These clay minerals are abundant during many times in Earth's history, so it is critical to understand how they are extracted during iron speciation and their impact on paleoenvironmental interpretations.Here we apply the iron speciation proxy in combination with other geochemical proxies (FeT/Al, Mn enrichments) and mineralogical analyses to determine local bottom water redox conditions during deposition of the early Cambrian Harkless Formation exposed near Gold Point, Nevada, USA. The Harkless Formation contains one of the last occurrences of archaeocyathan reefs before their extinction, thus studying the underlying strata can provide information about the environmental conditions which led to reef development. Iron speciation results indicate oxic to potentially anoxic conditions in the water column. The presence of FeT/Al enrichments, Mn depletion, and the Fe-rich redox sensitive clay minerals chamosite and glauconite suggest intermittent anoxia in the water column and porewaters during some intervals of Harkless deposition. Further, by combining iron speciation extractions with petrographic and x-ray diffraction analyses, we demonstrate that glauconite and chamosite were likely formed at or below the sediment water interface and are also not consistently or fully removed by the standard sequential iron reagents, as noted by previous work.The presence of these authigenic Fe-bearing clay minerals overall results in an underestimation of the proportion of redox active iron during deposition and early sediment diagenesis that may lead to incorrect environmental characterization. We therefore advocate for caution and careful examination of the mineralogy of samples when applying the iron speciation proxy, particularly when authigenic and/or early diagenetic iron-bearing clay minerals are suspected to be present. Based upon these findings, we suggest that the Harkless Formation experienced variable local bottom water redox conditions ranging from oxic to anoxic during deposition. Changes in the relative abundances of chamosite and glauconite may also indicate an increase in oxygenation up section, suggesting that local water column oxygenation played a role in archaeocyathan reef development.

Carbon footprint calculating for fruit processing and storage activities

Food production plays a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing these issues in agriculture and production requires strategies that consider regional and national contexts while ensuring food security. There is no universal solution for agro-processing sector; thus, research and adaptable tools must be employed based on local conditions. The research were focused on analysis of fruit paste production technology, refrigerated storage and transport. As a result, a calculating carbon footprint method for these processes was developed. Conclusions of this research can be of great value to agri-food industry, enabling producers to make more informed decisions about energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This makes it possible to move toward more sustainable and environmentally friendly production, while ensuring high quality products throughout their shelf life.

A methodology for assessing multiple hazards applied to Sweden

Despite extensive efforts through various international initiatives to reduce global warming, it has been determined that human induced climate change is here, that the present scale of disruption of the climate is unprecedented and will continue. Increasing weather volatility can be expected, which will most likely increase exposure to weather related hazards, e.g. wildfires, flooding. The aim of this paper is to present an index-based multi-hazard risk assessment method to assess wildfires and flooding hazard for two municipalities within Sweden. The method is designed to be used by the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) for planning purposes and can be modified to take the local FRS’s capabilities and local conditions into account, thereby improving hazard preparedness at a local level. The analysis presented indicates that, while the frequency of multi-hazard overlap from wildfires and flooding is greatest in more northern parts of Sweden, the method provides important information even when applied to areas with limited overlap. A variation of the hazard assessment using a box kernel sliding window was studied to investigate the sensitivity of the model for rapid variations of an individual hazard level. Given that resource needs will typically spread over several days for large scale natural hazards, the box kernel approach is valuable in helping to identify a span of days when resources associated with incident response might be needed. In the future, the model should be expanded to include additional single hazards, the application to additional municipalities and extension to FRS planning exercises for natural hazards.

One hundred years of piñon nuts, a largely forgotten wild food crop from the American Southwest (1850-1950)

Piñon nuts are the edible seeds of the piñon pine (Pinus edulis). Commercial piñon nut harvesting began in the United States in the mid-19th century and primarily involved Native and Mexican Americans. Despite the economic benefits, it could be dangerous work, with reports of deaths from exposure, accidents, and violence. Piñon nut production varied yearly due to the trees’ masting behavior, with 3 to 11-years between large crops, likely influenced by climate and local conditions. Although there was considerable interest in cultivation during the early 20th century, slow growth and delayed nut-bearing limited cultivation efforts. Piñon nuts were popular throughout the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, gaining great popularity in New York among immigrant communities. Piñon nuts, due to their small size, posed choking hazards to children. Fannie Spitz's piñon nut-shelling machine, patented in 1918, revolutionized nut processing by efficiently removing kernels, impacting the industry significantly. In the early to mid-20th century, piñon nuts were used in candy production. Farmers experimented with feeding hogs and chickens piñon nuts, however, this practice did not become widespread due to cheaper corn availability. Piñon wood was valued for firewood and mine props, with limited use as lumber or railroad ties, while small trees gained popularity as Christmas trees. Piñon resin was chewed and also used medicinally, in salves. By the mid-20th century, piñon nuts lost popularity to peanuts, which benefited from aggressive marketing and high production. The piñon industry struggled with crop variability, low supply, and high prices.

Intraspecific venom variation in the Iberian asp viper (Vipera aspis zinnikeri) across natural and intensive agricultural habitats

Snake venom composition varies at different levels. To date, comparative venom studies have seldom taken into account the role of habitat type in the occurrence of snake venom variation. Here we investigated the presence of venom variation across different populations of the Iberian asp viper (Vipera aspis zinnikeri) inhabiting two contrasting habitats: natural vs. intensive agricultural. We used shotgun proteomics to describe the protein composition of the venoms of six adults from two distinct localities. Furthermore, to test whether local conditions and habitat can alter venom composition in this taxon, we compared the SDS-PAGE profiles of 40 adult venoms from six populations, three in natural habitats and three in intensive agricultural environments. The venoms were composed of 21 toxin families, of which five (CTL, PLA2, VEGF, svSP, and svMP) comprised 69–82 % of each proteome. The relative abundances of toxin families varied considerably at inter- and intra-population levels. Linear regression performed on non-metric multidimensional scaling values showed a significant effect of locality of origin and habitat type on the differences detected between individual SDS-PAGE venom profiles. Our results suggest the presence of regional variation in V. a. zinnikeri venom, potentially reinforcing the role of local pressures in shaping snake venom composition. SignificanceThis work provides the first proteomic characterization of the venom of the Iberian asp viper, Vipera aspis zinnikeri, obtained by means of shotgun proteomics. The statistical analysis of 40 individual SDS-PAGE venom profiles highlights that venom variation in this taxon can be associated with geographical origin and habitat type of the area where each viper was collected. Our results suggest the presence of regional variation in V. a. zinnikeri venom, reinforcing the role that local pressures may play as drivers of snake venom variation.

Previous reproductive success and environmental variation influence nest‐site fidelity of a subarctic‐nesting goose

AbstractNest‐site fidelity is a common strategy in birds and is believed to be adaptive due to familiarity with local conditions. Returning to previously successful nest sites (i.e., the win‐stay lose‐switch strategy) may be beneficial when habitat quality is spatially variable and temporally predictable; however, changes in environmental conditions may constrain dispersal decisions despite previous reproductive success. We used long‐term (2000–2017) capture‐mark‐reencounter data and hierarchical models to examine fine‐scale nest‐site fidelity of emperor geese (Anser canagicus) on the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta in Alaska. Our objectives were to quantify nest‐site dispersal distances, determine whether dispersal distance is affected by previous nest fate, spring timing, or major flooding events on the study area, and determine if nest‐site fidelity is adaptive in that it leads to higher nest survival. Consistent with the win‐stay lose‐switch strategy, expected dispersal distance for individuals that failed their nesting attempt in the previous year was greater (207.7 m, 95% HPDI: 151.1–272.7) than expected dispersal distance for individuals that nested successfully in the previous year (125.5 m, 95% HPDI: 107.1–144.9). Expected dispersal distance was slightly greater following years of major flooding events for individuals that nested successfully, although this pattern was not observed for individuals that failed their nesting attempt. We did not find evidence that expected dispersal distance was influenced by spring timing. Importantly, dispersal distance was positively related to daily survival probability of emperor goose nests for individuals that failed their previous nesting attempt, suggesting an adaptive benefit to the win‐stay lose‐switch strategy. Our results highlight the importance of previous experience and environmental variation for informing dispersal decisions of a long‐lived goose species. However, it is unclear if dispersal decisions based on previous experience will continue to be adaptive as variability in environmental conditions increases in northern breeding areas.

Asian knotweed’s impacts on soil chemistry and enzyme activities are higher in soils with low-nutrient status

Invasive alien plants such as Reynoutria spp. can drastically affect the composition of plant communities. Yet, whether and how these species also affect soil physicochemical properties and microbial functioning is still an unresolved question in the literature. Using a space-for-time substitution approach comparing invaded to uninvaded adjacent plots, we estimated the impacts of Reynoutria on soil biochemistry across nine contrasted sites in France by measuring soil carbon content, nutrient availability and enzyme activities. Soil under Reynoutria displayed higher carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents but no differences were detected regarding enzyme activities between invaded and uninvaded sites. Moreover, the magnitude of Reynoutria’s effects differed depending on local conditions, with greater effects when total carbon and phosphorus-related enzymes were relatively low. These data highlight that changes in soil nutrient availability might be primarily due to direct effects of Reynoutria on soil properties and microbial functioning. Higher impacts were observed in soils with low-nutrient status, suggesting a ‘niche construction ability’ of Reynoutria. Our results underscore the necessity of considering the context-dependency of Reynoutria on soil biochemistry and highlight that the impact of alien species belowground functioning depends on initial soil conditions.

Producer services agglomeration and low-carbon economic transition: the role of economic growth target constraint

Abstract Objective. Producer services are an intermediate input factor that permeates every link in the industrial production chain and is essential to the growth of a low-carbon economy. This study aims to elucidate the connection between producer services agglomeration (PSA) and low-carbon economic transition. Methods. Based on China’s provincial panel data from 2004 to 2021, we empirically test the influence of PSA on low-carbon economic transition using a two-way fixed effects model, and utilize government work reports to construct an indicator of economic growth target constraints and its characteristics to further explore its moderating effect. Results. PSA contributes to enhancing low-carbon economic transition. The heterogeneity test finds that PSA significantly helps low-carbon economic transition in the east and west regions, but not in the central region. The quantile regression findings demonstrate that PSA is more effective at raising the level of low-carbon economic transition at the 10th and 90th quantiles, which indicates that the carbon reduction and efficiency enhancement effects of PSA play a greater role in regions with lower and higher low-carbon economic transition levels. Further research presents that the economic growth target constraint negatively moderates PSA’s impact on low-carbon economic transition, but this constraint characterized by soft constraints strengthens the positive effect of PSA on low-carbon economic transition. Implications. In view of this, the government can foster PSA in accordance with local conditions, optimize agglomeration area layout, and establish a scientific and reasonable government target management system to strengthen low-carbon and high-quality economic development.

Freshwater Mussel (Unio pictorum) Shells Reveal Hydrological and Environmental Change From 1300 BC to the Present Day.

Preserved biological communities can provide baseline data about the historical ecosystems and environmental conditions that preceded recent anthropogenic alteration. Freshwater mussel shells show particularly good preservation, and the shell assemblages commonly found during archaeological excavations can offer insights into past ecosystems. We studied assemblages of Unio pictorum mussel shells from palaeochannel silts associated with the Late Bronze Age site of Must Farm in eastern England (c. 850 BC), on an ancient tributary of the modern-day River Nene. We compared archaeological shells from two sediment horizons (broadly 1300-700 BC) to live individuals collected from two analogous sites on the present-day Nene. Size and growth rate, interannual growth variability and stable isotope (δ18O and δ13C) composition were compared between the populations. Size and the von Bertalanffy growth parameter L∞ differed among all four populations. Mean lengths and L∞ were higher in the two modern populations (mean lengths 77.3 ± SE 0.8 and 73.8 ± SE 1.1 mm, L∞ 91.8 ± 5.4 and 79.0 ± 8.1 mm) than the ancient populations (mean lengths 58.1 ± SE 1.6 mm and 68.4 ± SE 0.9 mm; L∞ 71.5 ± 16.9 and 76.8 ± 6.2 mm). Modern individuals also showed greater variation in age-corrected year-to-year growth. δ13C was lower in modern shells (-11.8‰ for modern shells, -9.03‰ and -9.02‰ for ancient shell populations), potentially reflecting altered hydrological and nutrient regimes. δ18O and δ13C were positively correlated for all but one sampled ancient shell, but not modern shells. These results reflect changes in local environmental conditions, particularly the transition from a shallow, slow-flowing tributary to a deeper, canalised river with faster flow, as well as effects of anthropogenic nutrient enrichment. The findings demonstrate the importance of long-term data in studying anthropogenic ecosystem alteration and avoiding shifting baseline syndrome in conservation planning.

Pilot microbial electrolysis cell closes the hydrogen loop for hydrothermal wet waste conversion to jet fuel

The global shift toward net-zero emissions necessitates resource recovery from wet waste. In this study, we demonstrate the first feasibility of combining pilot-scale microbial electrolytic cells (MECs) with hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) for simultaneous post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater (PHW) treatment and efficient hydrogen (H₂) production to meet biocrude upgrading requirements. Long-term single reactor operation revealed that fixed anode potential enabled rapid startup, and low catholyte pH and high salinity were effective in suppression of cathodic methanogenesis and acetogenesis – resulting in high current density of 16.6 A m−2 and 9.3 A m−2 when feeding synthetic wastewater and PHW respectively. Additionally, the anode biofilm exhibited spatial variations in response to local environmental conditions. Onsite parallel or serial operations of multiple MECs showed good performance using actual PHW with a record-high H2 production rate of 0.5 L LR day−1 for MEC over 10 liters scale, and the optimal chemical oxygen demand (COD)-to-H2 yield reached 0.127 kg-H2 per kg-COD, supporting a self-sufficient, closed-loop upgrade to jet fuel.

A bifurcation and multiplicity result for a critical growth elliptic problem

We consider a Brézis–Nirenberg type critical growth p-Laplacian problem involving a parameter μ>0 in a smooth bounded domain Ω. We prove the existence of multiple nontrivial solutions if either μ or the volume of Ω is sufficiently small. The proof is based on an abstract critical point theorem that only assumes a local (PS) condition. Our results are new even in the semilinear case p=2.

Teleconnection Between Early Winter Monsoon System and Harmful Algal Blooms in Shallow Lake Taihu

AbstractThere is a long history of observation and monitoring at local scales with a focus on meteorological modulation of lakes, however, the features at the local scale are heavily influenced by large‐scale atmospheric circulation. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in large shallow eutrophic lakes are susceptible to local meteorological conditions, but their response to climate system variability is rarely considered. This study reveals that HABs in Lake Taihu, the third largest freshwater lake in subtropical China, are promoted by the weakened East Asian monsoon system in precursory early winter, but show no response in late winter with the low temperature unfavorable for algal metabolism. The weak early winter monsoon system is characterized as the northward‐shifted polar front jet and eastward‐tilted East Asian Trough. The accompanied anomalous descending motion decelerates surface winds over the middle to lower reaches of the Yangtze River including Taihu basin by strengthening atmospheric stratification and decreasing turbulent activity in the lower troposphere. The weakened surface winds reduce sediment resuspension and improve underwater light availability in Lake Taihu, providing favorable light condition for phytoplankton growth. It is indicated that the early‐winter surface winds rather than simultaneous nutrient supply, play a dominant role on the interannual variability of algal biomass in Lake Taihu. The positive algal biomass anomaly in early winter tends to persist and promote HABs in the following warmer seasons. Our finding validates the interannual teleconnection between climate system and HAB variation in Lake Taihu, and provides insights on predicting HABs in subtropical East Asian shallow lakes.