Local Environment Research Articles

Nurturing future leaders for nature: the example of the UK's National Education Nature Park.

This piece reviews the evidence on the effect that engaging with nature has on school-age children's future attitudes and behaviour towards nature. It also looks into the impact engaging with nature has on children and young people's physical, mental and personal development and the evidence on how much time children in England are spending in natural environments. It then presents a UK Government project, the National Education Nature Park (NENP), intended to increase children in England's access to nature by developing nature spaces within the grounds of educational institutions. It concludes with suggestions for how the implementation of the NENP could be used to learn more about the effect that engaging with nature has on children alongside understanding how school-based nature projects could benefit the local environment. This article is part of the theme issue 'Bringing nature into decision-making'.

Decentralized Chatting Application Using Blockchain Technology

Abstract: The emergence of blockchain technology has spurred innovation in various domains, including decentralized communication systems. In this context, a decentralized chat application leveraging blockchain, Remix Ethereum IDE, Ganache blockchain, and MetaMask offers a novel approach to secure and privacy-centric messaging. The application harnesses blockchain's immutable ledger to store chat messages, ensuring data integrity and censorship resistance. Remix Ethereum IDE provides developers with a robust environment for crafting smart contracts, the backbone of the chat application's functionality. Developers can design and deploy smart contracts defining chatroom logic, message encryption, and user authentication. Ganache blockchain serves as a local testing environment, enabling developers to validate smart contracts and simulate blockchain interactions in a controlled setting. This facilitates rapid iteration and debugging during the development phase. MetaMask acts as the gateway for users to access the decentralized chat application. Through MetaMask, users authenticate securely using their Ethereum wallets, ensuring pseudonymous identity verification and enabling seamless interaction with the Ethereum blockchain. Together, these technologies form the foundation of a decentralized chat application that prioritizes privacy, security, and user control. By leveraging blockchain and associated tools, the application offers a compelling alternative to centralized messaging platforms, empowering users with sovereignty over their data and communication.

MANUSCRIPT Local Crowd, Local Probe: Strengths and Drawbacks of Azidohomoalanine as a Site-Specific Crowding Probe.

Every residue on a protein can be characterized by its interaction with water, in lack or in excess, as water is the matrix of biological systems. Infrared spectroscopy and the implementation of local azidohomoalanine (AHA) probes allow us to move beyond an ensemble or surface-driven conceptualization of water behavior and toward a granular, site-specific picture. In this paper, we examined the role of crowding in modulating both global and local behavior on the β-hairpin, TrpZip2 using a combination of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy, two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations. We found that, at the amino acid level, crowding drove dehydration of both sheet and turn peptide sites as well as free AHA. However, the subpicosecond dynamics showed highly individualized responses based on the local environment. Interestingly, while steady-state FTIR measurements revealed similar responses at the amino-acid level to hard versus soft crowding (dehydration), we found that PEG and glucose had opposite stabilizing and destabilizing effects on the protein secondary structure, emphasizing an important distinction in understanding the impact of crowding on protein structure as well as the role of crowding across length scales.

Human movement and environmental barriers shape the emergence of dengue

Understanding how emerging infectious diseases spread within and between countries is essential to contain future pandemics. Spread to new areas requires connectivity between one or more sources and a suitable local environment, but how these two factors interact at different stages of disease emergence remains largely unknown. Further, no analytical framework exists to examine their roles. Here we develop a dynamic modelling approach for infectious diseases that explicitly models both connectivity via human movement and environmental suitability interactions. We apply it to better understand recently observed (1995-2019) patterns as well as predict past unobserved (1983-2000) and future (2020-2039) spread of dengue in Mexico and Brazil. We find that these models can accurately reconstruct long-term spread pathways, determine historical origins, and identify specific routes of invasion. We find early dengue invasion is more heavily influenced by environmental factors, resulting in patchy non-contiguous spread, while short and long-distance connectivity becomes more important in later stages. Our results have immediate practical applications for forecasting and containing the spread of dengue and emergence of new serotypes. Given current and future trends in human mobility, climate, and zoonotic spillover, understanding the interplay between connectivity and environmental suitability will be increasingly necessary to contain emerging and re-emerging pathogens.

Amorphous MoS2 from a machine learning inter-atomic potential.

Amorphous molybdenum disulfide has shown potential as a hydrogen evolution catalyst, but the origin of its high activity is unclear, as is its atomic structure. Here, we have developed a classical inter-atomic potential using the charge equilibration neural network method, and we have employed it to generate atomic models of amorphous MoS2 by melting and quenching processes. The amorphous phase contains an abundance of molybdenum and sulfur atoms in low coordination. Besides the 6-coordinated molybdenum typical of the crystalline phases, a substantial fraction displays coordinations 4 and 5. The amorphous phase is also characterized by the appearance of direct S-S bonds. Density functional theory shows that the amorphous phase is metallic, with a considerable contribution of the 4-coordinated molybdenum to the density of states at the Fermi level. S-S bonds are related to the reduction of sulfur, with the excess electrons spread over several molybdenum atoms. Moreover, S-S bond formation is associated with a distinctive broadening of the 3s states, which could be exploited for experimental characterization of the amorphous phases. The large variety of local environments and the high density of electronic states at the Fermi level may play a positive role in increasing the electrocatalytic activity of this compound.

Finding the right plaice at the right time: Multi‐molecular analysis of flatfish reveals historical catch habitats

AbstractFlatfish are ecologically diverse species that commonly occur in marine environments, but also in estuarine and riverine habitats. This complicates the examination of the potential role of flatfish in the ‘marine fish event horizon’, an economic shift in human exploitation from freshwater to marine fish species during the 10–11th centuries CE around the southern North Sea. This study represents the first multi‐disciplinary investigation of flatfish remains to make species‐specific interpretations of flatfish exploitation. Peptide mass fingerprinting and multi‐isotope analysis of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulphur (δ34S) was performed on collagen from 356 archaeological flatfish and 120 comparative archaeological marine or freshwater species to explore the catch habitat of individual flatfish species between 600 and 1600 CE from the North Sea area. European flounder show signals reflecting both freshwater and marine environments, while other flatfish show only those of marine habitats. A subtle shift towards more marine exploitation towards the end of the period is identified, corresponding to the observed transition in targeted species from flounder to plaice throughout the medieval period. Sites show slight differences in δ13C and δ34S within the same species, related to the local environments. Remarkable is the high abundance of marine plaice and flounder during the early medieval period, which shows clear marine or coastal exploitation of flatfish early on, well before the previously accepted onset of the marine fish event horizon. This indicates a gradual shift from coastal to open marine fish exploitation over the medieval period.

Lignocellulolytic Enzymes Production by Four Wild Filamentous Fungi for Olive Stones Valorization: Comparing Three Fermentation Regimens.

Lignocellulolytic enzymes play a crucial role in efficiently converting lignocellulose into valuable platform molecules in various industries. However, they are limited by their production yields, costs, and stability. Consequently, their production by producers adapted to local environments and the choice of low-cost raw materials can address these limitations. Due to the large amounts of olive stones (OS) generated in Morocco which are still undervalued, Penicillium crustosum, Fusarium nygamai, Trichoderma capillare, and Aspergillus calidoustus, are cultivated under different fermentation techniques using this by-product as a local lignocellulosic substrate. Based on a multilevel factorial design, their potential to produce lignocellulolytic enzymes during 15 days of dark incubation was evaluated. The results revealed that P. crustosum expressed a maximum total cellulase activity of 10.9 IU/ml under sequential fermentation (SF) and 3.6 IU/ml of β-glucosidase activity under submerged fermentation (SmF). F. nygamai recorded the best laccase activity of 9 IU/ml under solid-state fermentation (SSF). Unlike T. capillare, SF was the inducive culture for the former activity with 7.6 IU/ml. A. calidoustus produced, respectively, 1,009 μg/ml of proteins and 11.5 IU/ml of endoglucanase activity as the best results achieved. Optimum cellulase production took place after the 5th day under SF, while ligninases occurred between the 9th and the 11th days under SSF. This study reports for the first time the lignocellulolytic activities of F. nygamai and A. calidoustus. Furthermore, it underlines the potential of the four fungi as biomass decomposers for environmentally-friendly applications, emphasizing the efficiency of OS as an inducing substrate for enzyme production.

Influence of the Atomic Local Environment on the ORR Activity of Single-Atom Catalysts in N-Doped Graphene

Influence of the Atomic Local Environment on the ORR Activity of Single-Atom Catalysts in N-Doped Graphene

Honor Endorsement and Increased Firearm Purchasing Behavior and Intentions During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The surge in firearm sales from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have been linked to increases in firearm violence, which is of public concern given that having firearms in one's home is associated with increased risk for domestic violence and suicide. Consistent with pre-pandemic trends, individuals tended to purchase firearms for self-protection during COVID-19. Prior work indicates that protective firearm ownership is motivated not only by perceptions that the world (and one's local environment) is dangerous, but also by one's endorsement of masculinity norms found in U.S. cultures of honor (primarily southern and western states). Honor-based masculinity norms emphasis reputation defense, toughness, and an absolute intolerance of disrespect. The present research examined the relative motivating influences of various threat perceptions and masculine honor endorsement in predicting reasons for non-COVID-19 firearm ownership, firearm purchasing during COVID-19, and purchase intentions. Three separate samples (total N = 2483) of mostly White U.S. men completed online surveys during different months of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed measures of their endorsement of masculine honor norms, factors associated with firearm purchasing (e.g., dangerous world beliefs, intolerance of uncertainty), and firearm purchasing behaviors. Results indicated that masculine honor endorsement was higher among (1) protective firearm owners compared to non-owners and non-protective owners, (2) firearm owners who purchased a firearm during COVID-19 compared to non-owners and non-purchasing owners, and (3) firearm owners with intentions to purchase firearms in the next year compared to those without intentions and undecided owners. Relative to other predictors (e.g., COVID-19 concerns, dangerous world beliefs), masculine honor endorsement was consistently the strongest predictor of these outcomes. Findings add to the literature by highlighting the strength of masculine honor endorsement in motivating (protective) firearm ownership. Implications for interpersonal violence and suicide are discussed.

The effects of doxapram and its potential interactions with K2P channels in experimental model preparations.

The channels commonly responsible for maintaining cell resting membrane potentials are referred to as K2P (two-P-domain K+ subunit) channels. These K+ ion channels generally remain open but can be modulated by their local environment. These channels are classified based on pharmacology, pH sensitivity, mechanical stretch, and ionic permeability. Little is known about the physiological nature of these K2P channels in invertebrates. Acidic conditions depolarize neurons and muscle fibers, which may be caused by K2P channels given that one subtype can be blocked by acidic conditions. Doxapram is used clinically as a respiratory aid known to block acid-sensitive K2P channels; thus, the effects of doxapram on the muscle fibers and synaptic transmission in larval Drosophila and crawfish were monitored. A dose-dependent response was observed via depolarization of the larval Drosophila muscle and an increase in evoked synaptic transmission, but doxapram blocked the production of action potentials in the crawfish motor neuron and had a minor effect on the resting membrane potential of the crawfish muscle. This indicates that the nerve and muscle tissues in larval Drosophila and crawfish likely express different K2P channel subtypes. Since these organisms serve as physiological models for neurobiology and physiology, it would be of interest to further investigate what types of K2P channel are expressed in these tissues. (212 words).

Hollow g-C3N4@Ag3PO4 Core-Shell Nanoreactor Loaded with Au Nanoparticles: Boosting Photothermal Catalysis in Confined Space.

Low solar energy utilization efficiency and serious charge recombination remain major challenges for photocatalytic systems. Herein, a hollow core-shell Au/g-C3N4@Ag3PO4 photothermal nanoreactor is successfully prepared by a two-step deposition method. Benefit from efficient spectral utilization and fast charge separation induced by the unique hollow core-shell heterostructure, the H2 evolution rate of Au/g-C3N4@Ag3PO4 is 16.9 times that of the pristine g-C3N4, and the degradation efficiency of tetracycline is increased by 88.1%. The enhanced catalytic performance can be attributed to the ordered charge movement on the hollow core-shell structure and a local high-temperature environment, which effectively accelerates the carrier separation and chemical reaction kinetics. This work highlights the important role of the space confinement effect in photothermal catalysis and provides a promising strategy for the development of the next generation of highly efficient photothermal catalysts.

How Does Mg2+(aq) Interact with ATP(aq)? Biomolecular Structure through the Lens of Liquid-Jet Photoemission Spectroscopy.

Liquid-jet photoemission spectroscopy (LJ-PES) allows for a direct probing of electronic structure in aqueous solutions. We show the applicability of the approach to biomolecules in a complex environment, exploring site-specific information on the interaction of adenosine triphosphate in the aqueous phase (ATP(aq)) with magnesium (Mg2+(aq)), highlighting the synergy brought about by the simultaneous analysis of different regions in the photoelectron spectrum. In particular, we demonstrate intermolecular Coulombic decay (ICD) spectroscopy as a new and powerful addition to the arsenal of techniques for biomolecular structure investigation. We apply LJ-PES assisted by electronic-structure calculations to study ATP(aq) solutions with and without dissolved Mg2+. Valence photoelectron data reveal spectral changes in the phosphate and adenine features of ATP(aq) due to interactions with the divalent cation. Chemical shifts in Mg 2p, Mg 2s, P 2p, and P 2s core-level spectra as a function of the Mg2+/ATP concentration ratio are correlated to the formation of [Mg(ATP) 2]6-(aq), [MgATP]2-(aq), and [Mg2ATP](aq) complexes, demonstrating the element sensitivity of the technique to Mg2+-phosphate interactions. The most direct probe of the intermolecular interactions between ATP(aq) and Mg2+(aq) is delivered by the emerging ICD electrons following ionization of Mg 1s electrons. ICD spectra are shown to sensitively probe ligand exchange in the Mg2+-ATP(aq) coordination environment. In addition, we report and compare P 2s data from ATP(aq) and adenosine mono- and diphosphate (AMP(aq) and ADP(aq), respectively) solutions, probing the electronic structure of the phosphate chain and the local environment of individual phosphate units in ATP(aq). Our results provide a comprehensive view of the electronic structure of ATP(aq) and Mg2+-ATP(aq) complexes relevant to phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions that are central to bioenergetics in living organisms.

Exploring the (dis)advantages of smart cities’ inclusive, integrative and social practices in new business creation: the effect of human capital inflow

ABSTRACT The term ‘smart’ has become key in cities’ development policies. The need to adapt to an increasingly global and dynamic context is fundamental to cities’ survival and development trajectories. Nonetheless, how this goal should be met and how the ‘smart’ dimension in cities impacts the social, economic and urban levels are still subject to debate. In the present paper, we focus on the relationship between the ‘smart living’ dimension, which includes integrative, inclusive and social practices, and the promotion of a local entrepreneurial environment by considering the moderating role of intra- and international human capital inflow. Using a GLS method and a panel dataset that includes 30 cities, we demonstrate that the relationship tends to be an inverted U-shaped curve, contributing to the discussion on the impact of smart cities’ social policies on entrepreneurship in urban contexts. Furthermore, we highlight that human capital inflow positively moderates this relationship, showing that intra- and international human capital flows contribute differently in this regard, producing divergent effects. We conclude with implications for academics and policymakers, and practical and theoretical suggestions.

Diversity and Abundance of Butterfly Species Complex in Two Diverse Habitats of Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, India

Butterflies are important bio-indicators that should be protected to conserve the biodiversity and environment. They play an important role in the food chain and are valuable pollinators in the local environment. The present study investigated and compared the butterfly abundance and diversity within two different habitats (i) Undisturbed and (ii) Disturbed, in Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Campus, Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh. A total of 24 butterfly species were recorded during the study from June 2022 to July 2023 using transects with the aid of sweep nets. An overall total of 2537 butterflies were recorded, which spread across 05 families 17 genera and 23 species. The most abundant family of butterflies caught in undisturbed ecosystems was Pieridae 38% followed by Nymphalidae 27%, Lycaenidae 14%, Papilionidae and Hesperiidae 7%. In disturbed ecosystems butterflies were distributed as Pieridae being dominated with 52% followed by Lycaenidae at 22%, Nymphalidae at 16%, Hesperiidae at 7% and Papilionidae at 3%. The undisturbed habitat was more diversified (H’-1.59) in butterfly diversity than the disturbed habitat (H’- 1.20).

The thesan project: Connecting ionized bubble sizes to their local environments during the Epoch of Reionization

Abstract An important characteristic of cosmic hydrogen reionization is the growth of ionized gas bubbles surrounding early luminous objects. Ionized bubble sizes are beginning to be probed using Lyman-α emission from high-redshift galaxies, and will also be probed by upcoming 21-cm maps. We present results from a study of bubble sizes using the state-of-the-art thesan radiation-hydrodynamics simulation suite, which self-consistently models radiation transport and realistic galaxy formation. We employ the mean-free path method, and track the evolution of the effective ionized bubble size at each point (Reff) throughout the Epoch of Reionization. We show there is a slow growth period for regions ionized early, but a rapid ‘flash ionization’ process for regions ionized later as they immediately enter a large, pre-existing bubble. We also find that bright sources are preferentially in larger bubbles, and find consistency with recent observational constraints at z ≳ 9, but tension with idealized Lyman-α damping-wing models at z ≈ 7. We find that high overdensity regions have larger characteristic bubble sizes, but the correlation decreases as reionization progresses, likely due to runaway formation of large percolated bubbles. Finally, we compare the redshift at which a region transitions from neutral to ionized (zreion) with the time it takes to reach a given bubble size and conclude that zreion is a reasonable local probe of small-scale bubble size statistics ($R_\text{eff} \lesssim 1\, \rm {cMpc}$). However, for larger bubbles, the correspondence between zreion and size statistics weakens due to the time delay between the onset of reionization and the expansion of large bubbles, particularly at high redshifts.

Revealing the hidden structure of disordered materials by parameterizing their local structural manifold

Durable interest in developing a framework for the detailed structure of glassy materials has produced numerous structural descriptors that trade off between general applicability and interpretability. However, none approach the combination of simplicity and wide-ranging predictive power of the lattice-grain-defect framework for crystalline materials. Working from the hypothesis that the local atomic environments of a glassy material are constrained by enthalpy minimization to a low-dimensional manifold in atomic coordinate space, we develop a generalized distance function, the Gaussian Integral Inner Product (GIIP) distance, in connection with agglomerative clustering and diffusion maps, to parameterize that manifold. Applying this approach to a two-dimensional model crystal and a three-dimensional binary model metallic glass results in parameters interpretable as coordination number, composition, volumetric strain, and local symmetry. In particular, we show that a more slowly quenched glass has a higher degree of local tetrahedral symmetry at the expense of cyclic symmetry. While these descriptors require post-hoc interpretation, they minimize bias rooted in crystalline materials science and illuminate a range of structural trends that might otherwise be missed.

Efficient Charge Transfer of p-n Heterojunction UiO-66-NH2/CuFe2O4 Composite for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Using a p-n heterojunction is one of the efficient methods to increase charge transfer in photocatalysis applications. So, herein, p-type UiO-66 (NH2) and n-type CuFe2O4 (CFO) are used to form an effective p-n heterojunction. Due to their poor charge separation in their pristine form, both UiO-66 (NH2) and CFO materials cannot produce hydrogen; however, the composite p-n heterojunction formed between these materials makes fast charge separation and so hydrogen is efficiently produced. The optimized catalyst UCFO 25% produces a maximum of 62.5 µmol/g/h hydrogen in an aqueous methanol solution. The formation of a p-n heterojunction is confirmed by Mott–Schottky analysis and optical properties, crystallinity and the local atomic environment of the material was analyzed by various analytical tools like UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, and XANES.

Monitoring of Extreme Drought in the Yangtze River Basin in 2022 Based on Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data

The Yangtze River Basin experienced a once-in-a-century extreme drought in 2022 due to extreme weather, which had a serious impact on the local agricultural production and ecological environment. In order to investigate the spatial distribution and occurrence of the extreme drought events, this study used multi-source remote sensing data to monitor the extreme drought events in the Yangtze River Basin in 2022. In this study, the gravity satellite data product CSR_Mascon was used to calculate the GRACE Drought Intensity Index (GRACE-DSI), which was analyzed and compared with the commonly used meteorological drought indices, relative soil humidity, and soil water content data. The results show that (1) terrestrial water storage change data can well reflect the change in water storage in the Yangtze River Basin. Throughout the year, the average change in terrestrial water storage in the Yangtze River Basin from January to June is higher than the average value of 33.47 mm, and the average from July to December is lower than the average value of 48.17 mm; (2) the GRACE-DSI responded well to the intensity and spatial distribution of drought events in the Yangtze River Basin region in 2022. From the point of view of drought area, the Yangtze River Basin showed a trend of extreme drought increasing first, and then decreasing in the area of different levels of drought, and the range of drought reached a maximum in September with a drought area of 175.87 km2, which accounted for 97.71 per cent of the total area; at the same time, the area of extreme drought was the largest, with an area of 85.69 km2; (3) the spatial and temporal variations of the GRACE-DSI and commonly used meteorological drought indices were well correlated, with correlation coefficients above 0.750, among which the correlation coefficient of the SPEI-3 was higher at 0.937; (4) the soil moisture and soil relative humidity products from the CLDAS, combined with soil moisture products from the GLDAS, reflect the starting and ending times of extreme drought events in the Yangtze River Basin in 2022 well, using the information from the actual stations. In conclusion, gravity satellite data, analyzed in synergy with data from multiple sources, help decision makers to better understand and respond to drought.

Structure–polaronic conductivity relationship in vanadate–phosphate glasses

AbstractThis work provides new insights into the nature of the polaronic transport in xV2O5–(100−x)P2O5, 41 ≤ x ≤ 89 mol% glasses from analysis of their conductivity over a wide range of frequencies and temperatures, and correlation of the electrical parameters to the structural models of these materials. The results show that the linear increase in direct current (DC) conductivity with the increase in V2O5 could be related to the formation of a vanadate subnetwork, which is characterized by a length distribution of V–O bonds and variations in linkages between different vanadate units. Such a structurally complex network offers multiple conduction pathways which are favorable for polaron hopping. The Summerfield scaling of conductivity spectra reveals a temperature‐invariant mechanism of polaron transport for all glasses and the same local structural environment of polarons at higher V2O5 contents due to the same ratio of vanadate units present in the network. Also, this study highlights the similarities and differences in the nature of the polaronic transport of vanadate–phosphate glasses and other polaronically conducting phosphate glasses containing WO3, MoO3, and Fe2O3, and pins down a pivotal role of the glass structure in electrical processes in these materials.

Are Selenides the Same as Sulfides? Structure, Spectroscopy, and Properties of Narrow-Gap Rare-Earth Semiconductors RE2Sn(S1-xSex)5 (RE = La, Ce; x = 0-0.8).

The ternary rare-earth sulfides RE2SnS5 (RE = La-Nd) and the partial solid solutions RE2Sn(S1-xSex)5 (RE = La, Ce; x = 0-0.8) were prepared in the form of polycrystalline samples by reaction of the elements at 900 °C and as single crystals in the presence of KBr flux. They adopt the La2SnS5-type structure (orthorhombic, space group Pbam, Z = 2) consisting of chains of edge-sharing SnCh6 octahedra separated by RE atoms. Although the cell parameters evolve smoothly in RE2Sn(S1-xSex)5, detailed structural analysis by single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed a pronounced preference for the Se atoms to occupy two out of the three chalcogen sites, which offers a rationalization for why the all-selenide end-members RE2SnSe5 do not form. Solid-state 119Sn NMR spectra confirmed the nonrandom distribution of SnS6-nSen local environments, which could be resolved into individual resonances. The Raman spectra of RE2SnS5 compounds show an intense peak at 307-320 cm-1 assigned to a symmetric A1g mode, which is dominated by Sn-S bonds; the Raman peak intensities varied with Se substitution in La2Sn(S1-xSex)5. Optical diffuse reflectance spectra, band structure calculations, and electrochemical impedance spectra indicated that these compounds are narrow band gap semiconductors; the optical band gaps are insensitive to RE substitution in RE2SnS5 (0.7 eV) but they gradually decrease with greater Se substitution in RE2Sn(S1-xSex)5 (0.7-0.4 eV).