Local Origin Research Articles

Prospects for green infrastructure development to improve the living comfort for the population of Odesa

The paper is aimed at identification of the prospects for development of green infrastructure as an element of the comfort of living for the urban population of Odesa.
 The authors briefly described the natural and climatic characteristics of the city. An overview of the research into the development of green infrastructure in urban areas and its connection with the comfort of living for the population in the latest papers of Ukrainian and foreign scientists, such as Bonetskyi, Carter, Cuthbert, Fisher, Henriquez, Huang, Liu, Martins, Nazaruk, Newell, Ocheretnyi, Pryshchepa, Rendekova, Rahman, Sakieh, Sholok, Vasylieva, Zheng, Zibtseva, etc., was performed.
 The percentage of the city's green space area per resident was calculated and compared to the normative value, a map of the provision of Odesa residents with green spaces was given, and the city districts with maximum and minimum green areas were identified.
 The paper characterized the species composition of the city’s flora, including the species of native woody, shrubby and herbaceous plants and those imported from other countries and continents.
 During identification of promising ways to develop green infrastructure within the territory of Odesa, the authors found that for improvement of the comfort of living in the city it is necessary to increase the share of green infrastructure, in particular, to form the green belt of Odesa and create green roofs and walls.
 The authors gave recommendations for the future expansion of the existing project on formation of the green belt of Odesa, which provides for a system of ecological corridors around the historical centre of the city, to all city districts and the outskirts.
 The main functions and advantages of green roofs and walls are indicated in terms of improvement of the quality of life of the urban population. In view of rather rapid climate change, when creating new green areas, the authors recommended to give attention to drought-resistant bushy trees, shrubs and perennial tall grasses, primarily of local origin.
 The paper also mentions the main possible directions of further research regarding identification of the optimal set of plantations and efficient approaches to the introduction of green infrastructure elements.

Insights into natal origins of migratory Nearctic hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae): new evidence from stable isotope (δ2H) assignment analyses

Hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are an important group of insects that provide a multitude of key ecosystem services including pollination and biological control, yet many of their major life history traits are not understood. Some Palearctic hover fly species are known to migrate in response to changing seasonal conditions, yet this behavior is almost entirely unrecognized in Nearctic species. At least one species, Eupeodes americanus, is partially migratory during autumn while Allograpta obliqua may be non‐migratory, but it is unknown where these insects originate and how far they may travel. We examined natal origins of two Nearctic hover fly species, A. obliqua and E. americanus, using stable hydrogen isotope (δ2H) measurements of metabolically inactive tissues (wings and legs) to derive a hover fly δ2H isoscape. While A. obliqua was mostly of local origin, several E. americanus were sourced from northern latitudes in the Midwestern United States and Canada, representing travel distance of up to 3000 km likely using seasonally favorable air currents. This phenomenon is expected to have major ecological and economic ramifications, especially in the realm of plant pollination ecology and biological control.

Environmental and land use controls of microplastic pollution along the gravel-bed Ain River (France) and its “Plastic Valley”

Understanding microplastic particles (MPs) accumulation and transport along rivers represents a major task due to the complexity and heterogeneity of rivers, and their interactions with their wider corridor. The identification of MPs hotspots and their potential sources is especially challenging in coarse-bed rivers transporting a wide range of particle sizes with a high degree of variability in time and space. This research focuses on the gravel-bed Ain River (Rhône River tributary, France) which is managed by means of various dams and also hosts one of the major plastic production centres in Europe (Oyonnax and Bienne Plastic Valleys). In this research, (i) Geographical Information Systems (GIS) were used to locate plastic factories and to characterise the land use of the Ain River watershed. (ii) On the field, sediment samples were extracted from the hyporheic zone (HZ) of mobile gravel bar heads, while hydro-sedimentary settings were measured in order to describe site conditions. Sampling sites were especially established in downwelling areas (i.e. where the surface water entered the hyporheic zone), upstream and downstream of dams and plastic factories. (iii) After density separation and organic matter digestion of sediment, MPs were characterised with a µFTIR device followed by data processing via the siMPle software. This work highlighted the trapping efficiency of alluvial bars for MPs. The highest MPs concentrations were found along the Plastic Valleys (up to 4400 MPs/kg), while the lower river was less contaminated by MPs. After grain-size correction, a significant breakpoint was identified in the area of the main dams, revealing their major influence on MPs distribution. The variability in MPs concentrations and types suggested a local origin for most of MPs. A particular feature was the dominance of polypropylene (PP) which appears as a critical industrial heritage as the studied region is specialised in the manufacturing of hard plastics. Indeed, multivariate analyses also revealed that MPs concentrations and types were mostly driven by the vicinity of plastic factories and urban areas. This relationship between the land use, the presence of dams and MPs characteristics provides key results for the MPs assessment and the improvement of management issues along coarse-bed rivers.

The Ychsma ceramic provenance from Armatambo, 1250 – 1532 CE (Lima, Peru). A local or imported production?

The Ychsma society was one of the most important civilizations developed between 900 and 1532 CE in Lima, the present Peruvian capital, situated on the central coast of Peru. The Ychsma territory included the lower basin of the Rímac and Lurín valleys in the current city of Lima (Peru). Around 1470 CE, the Ychsma region was conquered and placed under the control of the Inca Empire, which ruled the region until the Spanish conquest in 1532 CE. Despite this, the Inca rule allowed local elites to maintain their position and control of the population. The archaeological site of Armatambo was an important administrative center of the Ychsma society. This site was actively occupied during the Middle Ychsma (1250–1350 CE) and Late Ychsma (1350–1532 CE) phases, and as the capital of the Sullco Curacazgo controlled a large part of the lower Rímac valley. During excavations at this site, many materials associated with ceramic production were found. One aspect crucial to the study of ceramic materials is the reconstruction of ceramic production and distribution networks, which allows us to obtain information linked to the social and economic interaction between communities. To determine the local or non-local origin of the materials found at Armatambo, 61 samples were analyzed using ICP-MS, Petrography, and SEM. The results were compared with archaeological and geological data from the Rímac valley to determine whether or not production there was local or non-local and to identify possible sources of raw materials.

Historical evolution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in Chaihe Reservoir from 1863 to 2018

Pollution from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) spreads and changes worldwide. The pollution evolution in the regional water environment evolves in response to multiple factors, requiring considerable attention. PAH heterogeneity in the sediment core from Chaihe Reservoir was investigated to indicate dynamic changes in PAH pollution levels and sources and propose recommendations for controlling PAHs. Dynamic PAH patterns showed that the overall decline in PAH pollution was in association with local anthropogenic activities, temperature, and precipitation over the period 1863–2018. Nevertheless, coal, oil, and natural gas consumptions still played significant roles in transferring PAHs to the reservoir. Meanwhile, there were dominant local origins, including grass, wood, and coal combustion. The results highlight that the joint action of natural and anthropogenic interventions mitigated PAH pollution in the reservoir. Promoting improved fuels, new energy vehicles, and cleaner energy may further lower PAH pollution.

Festival Induced Air Quality Perturbation over an Urban Center in Eastern Nepal

An attempt has been made to investigate the changes in the characteristics of aerosol optical properties and a columnar load of carbon monoxide (CO) induced during the Dashain celebration 2018 over Birtamode, Nepal. Ground-based measurements of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) were carried out using a Microtops II sun-photometer during 13th to 25th Oct, 2018. AOD values on days before Dashain were in the range of 0.6 which increased above 1 attaining a maximum value of 1.6 on 19th. The AOD values started dropping below 1 on 24th, attaining a daily average of 0.64. The peak values on the respective days were also captured by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) AOD retrievals. A similar pattern was observed with the TROPOspheric Measuring Instrument (TROPOMI) CO column with peak value on the 19th. The air mass trajectories show that the increase in the AOD and CO values is of local origin and the CAMS GFAS wildfire flux of CO and PM2.5 show no change during the study period. However, the spatial analysis of AOD shows that the increased values are of regional nature. The results highlight the necessity of installation of low-cost air quality sensors in the region and utilization of aerosol and trace gaseous products derived from satellite remote sensing instruments at high temporal resolution and the application of chemical transport models.

Identification and apportionment of local and long-range sources of PM2.5 in two East-Mediterranean sites

The East Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region is a global climate hotspot that suffers from a lack of robust environmental data. This region, especially the Middle East, lacks source apportionment studies that help determine the different contributions of common regional airborne particulate matter sources. This work focuses on two sites in the East Mediterranean, that are, Zouk Mikael and Fiaa, Lebanon. The study shows the comprehensive chemical characterization of PM2.5 samples collected over almost one year at two sites, serving as the source apportionment model, positive matrix factorization. Different sources were identified due to the integration of organic markers such as biogenic emissions, cooking, biomass burning, and diesel generators. Crustal dust and ammonium sulfate sources were the major contributors to PM2.5 (43% and 46% at Zouk and Fiaa, respectively). Through cluster analysis, the former originated from the Arabian and Saharan Deserts, while the latter had different local and distant origins (industrial zones of Europe and Turkey), in addition to the contribution of Arabian and African countries to carbonaceous matter concentrations through refinery emissions. Meanwhile, local anthropogenic sources contributed to 36% at both sites, excluding ammonium sulfate. Traffic and industrial emissions, including energy production, contributed more to Zouk (27%) than Fiaa (13%). Site-specific sources were also identified, with open waste burning at Fiaa contributing 16% and diesel generators at Zouk contributing 5%. Biogenic emissions contributed to 9–13%. These results will be important to policymakers to improve air quality in the EMME region while considering the potency of the PM in a region where the world health organization guidelines cannot be reached.

Assessment of selenium supply in adolescents living in a rural area

Background. It has been found that selenium deficiency is one of the risk factors for the development of thyroid pathology, in particular autoimmune one. The evidence base for this statement includes the association of low selenium levels with enlarged thyroid gland, heterogeneity, and the presence of hypoechogenicity, which are ultrasonographic signs of thyroid lymphoid infiltration. Given that the inhabitants of rural areas consume mainly vegetables and fruits of local origin and water from local sources, the levels of selenium in them largely reflect the supply of this trace element in specific territories. Aim: to determine the degree of selenium availability of adolescent girls in rural areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions of Ukraine. Materials and methods. The level of selenium was studied in the hair of adolescent girls aged 13–15 years. Measurements were made using an atomic absorption spectrometer ICE 3500 (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA). Selenium content of more than 0.8 μg/g was considered normal. Results. It was found that selenium level in the hair was lower than the reference values in 15 of 16 residents of Zaporizhzhia region (93.6 %), in 16 of 18 residents of the Balakliia district (88.9 %) and in all the examined girls from Chuhuiiv district of Kharkiv region (100.0 %). At the same time, the median and minimum levels of selenium supply in all groups of patients were lower than the lower threshold of reference norms. In 12 of 16 examinees in group I (75.0 %), 9 of 12 in group II (75.0 %) and 14 of 18 in group III (77.77 %), thyroid sizes exceeded the age norm. Conclusions. The results of the research show that adolescent girls living in rural areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions have a high frequency of selenium deficiency against the background of which the majority of the examined patients has increased thyroid volume. Such data require regular monitoring of the health of adolescents in the specified areas with the mandatory participation of endocrinologists. In addition, there is a need to develop special organizational measures that would ensure timely detection of children with selenium deficiency with a rational schedule for their further examination.

Comparative analysis of winter barley varieties according to productivity, its components and grain quality in the Rostov region

Among the grain forage crops in the Russian Federation, barley ranks first in terms of multi-use and gross yields. However, the current level of grain production of this crop does not fully meet the needs of the livestock and food industries. Winter barley varieties are currently approved for use in the North Caucasus, Middle Volga and Nizhnevolsk regions of the Russian Federation, where its yield is 1.5–2 times higher than that of spring barley. According to the trait ‘productivity’ barley varieties of various breeding institutions have quite significant fluctuations in the regions of their cultivation, and therefore inter-station tests are carried out to determine their response. The best ones are further used in various breeding projects. The purpose of the current paper was to analyze the trait ‘productivity’ and its components and grain quality among present local and foreign winter barley varieties, in order to use the identified ones in crossings parental forms. The monitoring of varieties was carried out on the experimental plot of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “ARC «Donskoy” (2017–2019). The subjects of the study were winter barley varieties (29 samples) of local and foreign origin. Based on the results of a system analysis, there has been identified a number of varieties that have the necessary combinations of traits important for breeding, such as:– high productivity (the multi-row varieties ‘Marusya’, ‘Vivat’, ‘Foks 1’, ‘Erema’, ‘Artel’, ‘Dostoyny’ (Russia), ‘KWS-Scala’ (Germany), ‘Capten’ (France));– coarse-grained (the multi-row lines ‘KWS-117’, ‘KWS-234’, ‘KWS-History’ (Germany) and the two-row varieties ‘Explorer 3’, ‘Explorer 4’, ‘Explorer 5’, ‘Explorer 7’, ‘Explorer 3/2’, ‘Explorer 4/2’, ‘Bronskyli’ (France) with more than 50 g);– head density per 1 m2 when harvesting (the two-row varieties ‘KWS-History’ with 704 pcs/m2, ‘KWS-117’ with 710 pcs/m2 (Germany), ‘Explorer 8’ with 739 pcs/m2, ‘Explorer 3/2’ with 759 pieces/m2, ‘Wintwalt’ with 847 pieces/m2 (France));– number of grains per head (the multi-row varieties ‘Marusya’ with 57.9 pcs, ‘Andryusha’ with 55.8 pcs (Russia), ‘Capten’ with 55.6 pcs (France) and two-row varieties ‘Explorer 3’ with 26.0 pcs., ‘Explorer 5’ with 25.9 pcs., ‘Bronskyli’ with 25.8 pcs (France);– stable protein percentage in grain less than 11 % (the two-row varieties ‘KWS-History’ with 10.3 %, ‘KWS-234’ with 10.7 % (Germany) and ‘Explorer 3/2’ with 10.3 % (France).

Aerobiology over the Southern Ocean - Implications for bacterial colonization of Antarctica.

Parts of the Antarctic are experiencing dramatic ecosystem change due to rapid and record warming, which may weaken biogeographic boundaries and modify dispersal barriers, increasing the risk of biological invasions. In this study, we collected air samples from 100 locations around the Southern Ocean to analyze bacterial biodiversity in the circumpolar air around the Antarctic continent, as understanding dispersal processes is paramount to assessing the risks of microbiological invasions. We also compared the Southern Ocean air bacterial biodiversity to non-polar ecosystems to identify the potential origin of these Southern Ocean air microorganisms. The bacterial diversity in the air had both local and global origins and presented low richness overall but high heterogeneity, compatible with a scenario whereby samples are composed of a suite of different species in very low relative abundances. Only 4% of Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) were identified in both polar and non-polar air masses, suggesting that the polar air mass over the Southern Ocean can act as a selective dispersal filter. Furthermore, both microbial diversity and community structure both varied significantly with meteorological data, suggesting that regional bacterial biodiversity could be sensitive to changes in weather conditions, potentially altering the existing pattern of microbial deposition in the Antarctic.

A novel design scheme for acoustic cloaking of complex shape based on region partitioning and multi-origin coordinate transformation

Acoustic cloaking is an important application of acoustic metamaterials. This article proposes a novel design scheme for acoustic cloaking based on the region partitioning and multi-origin coordinate transformation. The cloaked region is partitioned into multiple narrow strips. For each strip, a local coordinate system is established with the local origin located at the strip center, and a coordinate transformation in the local coordinate system is conducted to squeeze the material along the strip length direction to form the cloaked region. To facilitate the implementation of the acoustic cloak, the multilayer effective medium is used to approximate the non-uniform anisotropic material parameters. The effectiveness of the proposed coordinate transformation method is verified by comparing the results from our method with those in the literature. Firstly, the results of a circular acoustic cloak in the literature are reproduced by using our finite element (FE) simulations for validation. Then, a comparison is made between the traditional coordinate transformation scheme and our new scheme for simulating an elliptical acoustic cloak. The results indicate that the proposed multi-origin coordinate transformation method has a better cloaking effect on the incident wave along the ellipse minor axis direction than the traditional method. This means that for the same object, an appropriate transformation scheme can be selected for different incident wave directions to achieve the optimal control effect. The validated scheme is further used to design an arch-shaped cloak composed of an upper semicircular area and a lower rectangular area, by combining the traditional single-centered coordinate transformation method for the semicircular area and the proposed multi-origin method for the rectangular area. The results show that the designed cloak can effectively control the wave propagation with significantly reduced acoustic pressure level. This work provides a flexible acoustic cloak design method applicable for arbitrary shapes and different wave incident directions, enriching the theory of acoustic cloaking based on coordinate transformation.

On the earliest evidence of the middle Dnipro area non-flint rocks use

Purpose. To determine the rock composition and origin of raw materials of non-flint stone products found during the study on the Mira Upper Palaeolithic archaeological site in the Middle Dnipro area. Methodology. The research on the artefacts was carried out using the mineralogical and petrographic methods. The rocks were studied in transparent thin sections using a polarized microscope. To verify the accuracy of the petrographic analysis of some specimens, the XRD and XRF methods were applied. Establishing the provenance of the rocks was performed using comparative mineralogical and petrographic analysis, for which the specimens of samples from the outcrops were used, as well as geological survey and literary data. Findings. To conduct petrographic research, seven specimens of stones with traces of processing, found during archaeological excavations of the Upper Palaeolithic Mira site, were taken. As a result of the petrographic analysis, it was established that the stones with traces of processing are represented by the aplitoid two-feldspar granites, altered dolerite, quartz arenite, quartz rock, amphibolite and actinolitite. All the mentioned rocks are typical for the Middle Dnipro area. The specimens of the granites, dolerite, and arenite, by their petrographic features, have analogues among the rocks of the region and, more likely, are of the local provenance. Most likely, a quartz sample comes from the territory of the Ukrainian Shield. The types of amphibolite and actinolitite, which are analogues to the studied artefacts by their petrographic and chemical features, do not occur today among the rocks that form natural outcrops in the Middle Dnipro area. Thus, the specimens of the amphibolite and actinolitite may have both local and other origin. More accurate determination of the provenance of the amphibolite and actinolitite samples requires further study involving sample collections from other regions, wherefrom these rocks could have been carried. Originality. For the first time, the Upper Palaeolithic Mira archaeological site stone artefacts were studied in thin sections and with the application of XRD and XRF analyses, which made it possible to make more precise findings on their petrographic properties and origin. The studied samples are of great importance because, today, they are the earliest non-flint stone artefacts from the Middle Dnipro area to be studied by means of petrography, particularly those made from crystalline rocks of the Ukrainian Shield. Practical value. The results obtained can be used in performing studies on archaeology and the history of mining, as well as in popular science works.

Galernas: A history of coastally trapped disturbances (2003−2020) with hidden frontogenesis in the Bay of Biscay

Galerna is the term accepted for an abrupt westerly change that affects the north coast of Spain. The wind surge travels from the mid-north coast of Spain to France, generally reaching their maximum intensity at the Basque Coast, and cuts off a period of hot weather, clear skies, and calm conditions at sea. The galernas have a large history of shipwrecks and fishermen deaths. They have been characterized as coastally trapped disturbances (CTD) and their propagation, enhanced with the local formation of a micro-front, was documented to behave like a density current. Alternatively, synoptic fronts have also been reported to cause galernas, considered to be more intense than those generated by a local micro-front. In this article we have generated the first climatology (2003–2020) of these events based on an objective identification methodology. The developed Event Identification Software (EIS), based on both 10-min surface station data and hourly ERA5 reanalysis fields, together with a new Front Identification Scheme (FIS) have enabled a deeper study into the origin and development of these micro-fronts, and a more comprehensive exploration of the interaction of the oceanic fronts entering the Bay of Biscay. Our results show that the area receives an average of four to five relatively intense galernas (Vmax > 50 km h−1) per year. Their number shows a great interannual variability (from one to seven) and a marked seasonality: May and June concentrate the largest fraction (almost one episode each year) and practically no episodes in winter. They occur more frequently between noon and the late afternoon, where the most intense wind records concentrate. Very strong galernas (Vmax > 72 km h−1) have occurred in all 18 years, can happen in any month from February to November, and their monthly distribution does not show the mentioned seasonality. On the contrary, the highest rates of temperature decrease across the galerna front in the coastal stations (−∆T/0.5 h > 4 °C) do have a stronger seasonality, with May and June concentrating a relatively large number of cases with a more abrupt temperature drop. The FIS shows that most of the galernas (83.5%) have a local origin inside the Bay of Biscay, and only a few ones (16.5%) are caused by oceanic fronts initiated out of the region. The local frontogenesis is more frequently initiated by the relatively cold marine southwesterly pre-frontals preceding a parent oceanic front and blowing against the warm continentals inside the Bay of Biscay, after being ducted along the north and northwestern coast of Spain. This hidden local frontogenesis, first revealed by the FIS, seems to be enhanced by the observed lee troughing, which could have both a thermal and dynamic origin, acting simultaneously after the intense Foehn at the coastal strip, preceding the formation of the galerna front. The local front enhancement appears to be the reason for the apparent jump of the primary front, which may eventually weaken, and even disappear, as the galerna front sharpens. Even during the more occasional frontal galernas, directly caused by the westerlies or north-westerlies behind the oceanic front, their eastward propagation is more rapid over the coastal area. The front deforms in shape and may cause its characteristic unexpected/abrupt irruption. All the EIS detected galernas, even the frontal ones, are wind reversals caused by a coastally trapped marine boundary layer. The upper-level ridge over Europe, observed in all of them, seems to be a synoptic ingredient for their development, preventing the eastward propagation of Atlantic depressions and enhancing at the same time the temperature and pressure gradients between the marine and continental air masses.

Assessment of jelly candy manufactured from prickly pear fruits (Opuntia Spp.)

The purpose of the present study was to assess fresh juice and peels of cactus pear Opuntia ficus-indica (yellow cultivar) and Opuntia littoralis (red cultivar),local origin for their Physicochemical properties and bioactive compounds as well as jelly candies prepared by using six formulas of prickly pear juice and peels were studied .The obtained results showed that, prickly pear juices (red and yellow cultivars) were the highest T.S.S (12.3 and 11.9%, respectively) and PH values (5.2 and 5.7, respectively), while the lowest values were recorded for the peels. On the contrary, the peels possessed the highest total phenolic contents (87.72 and 76.15 mg Gallic acid/100 g FW) and flavonoids (18.182 and 13.55 mg Querectin/100 g FW) for red and yellow, respectively. Whereas, red prickly pear showed lower content of carotenoids and higher content of betalains than yellow prickly pear (either for juice or peels). On the other hand, results showed that jelly candies produced from prickly pear are found to be important source of total polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and betalains and have low microbial load during cold storage for 4weeks. Sensorial evaluation showed that red peels, red juice and yellow juice jelly candies were the most accepted by panelists with the same values which considered “Like very Much ” .Therefore, prickly pear fruits can be used for food manufacturing especially children's foods which are considered to be healthy, attractive colors, have no side effects and are appropriate in sensorial properties which leads to an increase in the add value.

Correlation between interface perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions in Pt/Pd(t Pd)/Co(t Co)/Au

The interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (iDMI) and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) can be manipulated via interface engineering. Their strength determines the generation and the size of skyrmions, and the correlation between the iDMI and PMA allows them to be controlled simultaneously, thus choosing the material parameters for which skyrmions can be formed. This opens up the possibility of synthesizing suitable magnetic multilayers that are needed for low-power high-density memory and in logic applications. Vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), Brillouin light scattering (BLS), and microstrip ferromagnetic resonance (MS-FMR) were used to investigate the correlation between the iDMI and the interface PMA. For this, Pt/Pd(t Pd)Co(t Co)/Au thin film structures with 0 ⩽ t Pd⩽1.2 nm and 1.2 nm ⩽ t Co⩽3 nm were grown by combined sputtering and e-beam evaporation on Si/SiO2 substrates. VSM measurements revealed a negligible magnetic dead layer and a Pd thickness-independent magnetization at saturation of around 1200 emu cm−3. MS-FMR and BLS allowed us to conclue that PMA results from weak volume and interfacial contributions induced by Pd/Co or Pt/Co and Co/Au interfaces. The interface anisotropy constants are found to be 0.65 mJ m−2 and 0.85 mJ m−2 for Pd/Co and for Pt/Co interfaces, respectively. The Pd thickness-dependence of surface iDMI (D s) and PMA (K s) constants follow an exponential decay with a characteristic thickness higher for PMA than the iDMI. The slower decrease of K s vs Pd thickness suggests a shorter range of the iDMI with respect to PMA and points out a strongly localized origin for the iDMI. This difference between the iDMI and PMA is most likely responsible for the nonlinear correlation between PMA and iDMI constants. The investigation of the Co thickness-dependence of the iDMI and PMA in Pd/Co/MgO/Ta systems allows us to conclude a zero iDMI constant of Co/Au and to determine the iDMI constants of Pd/Co and Co/MgO, estimated to be D s Pd/Co = −0.096 pJ m−1 and D s Co/MgO = −0.15 pJ m−1, respectively. The criterion of skyrmions stability, applied for our samples, revealed the possibility of the existence of stable skyrmions in some samples.

Near-Infrared Model and Its Robustness as Affected by Fruit Origin for ‘Dangshan’ Pear Soluble Solids Content and pH Measurement

Soluble solid content (SSC) and acidity (pH) are two important factors indicating the fruit quality of pears and can be measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). However, the robustness of these measurements as affected by different origins of pears remains largely unknown. In this study, we developed an NIRS method to measure ‘Dangshan’ pear (Pyrus spp.) SSC and pH and evaluated the robustness of this non-destructive detection method by examining the effects of pears from three different origins in 2019 and 2020. First, the Kennard–Stone method was used to divide the calibration set of the 2020 pear samples from different orchards. The partial least squares (PLS) model was used to establish the local origin and hybrid origin models to predict the pears’ SSC and pH. Second, a combination of competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), successive projections algorithm (SPA), and uninformative variable elimination (UVE) was implemented to construct spectral prediction models based on effective variables for assessing the pears’ SSC and pH from local and hybrid origins. The results showed that the local origin detection model produced large errors in predicting the SSC and pH of pears from different origins, and the model, established based on the pear samples of three origins, performed better than the local origin and other hybrid origin models. Finally, the model could be effectively simplified using 70 and 52 characteristic variables selected by the CARS method. Pear samples harvested from three different orchards in 2019 were used as an independent set to verify the validity of the selected characteristic variables. The results showed that the predicted R2p for the SSC and pH measurements of pears of three different origins were more than 0.9 and 0.85, respectively. This finding indicates that the difference in the origin of pears has an important influence on the quantitative inversion of pear SSC and pH measurements, and the combination of the hybrid origin model constructed based on the characteristic variables can improve the prediction accuracy. These findings provide an important theoretical basis for the development of rapid detection devices for the measurements of pears’ SSC and pH.

From crisis into crisis – the previous decade of Ukraine’s economy

The Ukrainian economy has been highly cyclical over the past 15 years. Regardless of whether we consider a series of domestic/foreign political events (2013-2015), an external financial/economic shock (2008-2009), or a shock caused by a pandemic (2020-2021) as the trigger, the Ukrainian economy has been hit by a severe economic crisis every five years or so since 2008, which has impeded its from catching-up at the regional level. From Ukraine's perspective, the period that started with the global financial and economic crisis was marked not only by global recessions (2008-2009 and 2020-2021), affecting both the neighboring countries and the world economy as a whole, but also by a crisis of local origin (2014-2015) – involving an annexation/occupation of territory which is not recognized by international law and an armed conflict – which, by its very nature, exacerbated the country's devergence from international norms. Consequently, Ukraine – compared to neighboring countries – was in a completely different situation when the pandemic arrived, since its economy was characterized by a slow but stable growth and recovery phase which had followed a severe recession marked by armed struggles, rising Russian-Ukrainian tensions, internal political skirmishes, reform initiatives, Western integration efforts, lending and aid programs, and by laws restricting the rights of national minorities and all the diplomatic conflicts that went along with them. Against this background, an assessment of the success of the pandemic response cannot be complete without an analysis of the main economic indicators for the preceding period 2013-2019. Thus, this study examines the economic tendencies of the given period, while the regional comparison of the state of the Ukrainian economy will provide us important information about the effectiveness of recovery from the recession caused by the Eastern Ukrainian conlict, namely: the measure of catching-up or lagging behind compared to the neighboring countries.

SEDIMENTOLOGICAL , PETROGRAPHICAL AND CLAY MINERAIOGICAL STUDY OF THE GRAVEL AND CONGLOMERETE FACIES OF THE NORTHERN PART OF SAMARRA CITY ,IRAQ

The gravels, conglomerates and the associated sediments in the studeid area, most probaly were deposited in an alluvial –fan environment . Sedimentologically, the sediments consist of three facies association: gravel and conglomerate(facies Q1),sand and sandstone (facies Q2)and gypcrete, gypseous mud and gypseous mudstone (facies Q3).These Facies most likely represent a mid-fan deposits and their material had been transported to the fan by stream flow condition . The petrography of gravels, sands and sandstones (The coarse sediments) reveal that the sedimentary rock fragments are the main constituents. The study indicates local origin of these sediments and had been derived from the older formations exposed in the north and northeast of the studied area .The clay minerals of the fine grained sediments include: montmorillonite, chlorite, kaolonite and palygorskite. The palygorskite is considered as authogenic in origin whereas the other minerals are detrital.

An Illustrated History of the Maṇḍala: From Its Genesis to the Kālacakratantra

An Illustrated History of the Maṇḍala: From Its Genesis to the Kālacakratantra

Consumer biases in the perception of organizational greed

AbstractThis article extends current models of how consumers judge or perceive organizations as greedy using the theoretical framework of motivated moral reasoning. We show that inherent features of an organization (size and ‘black sheep’ status) and its behaviour (relative frequency) bias consumer perceptions of organizational greed. We use an experimental methodology, present subjects with vignettes describing different scenarios, validate our questionnaire using confirmatory factor analysis, and test our hypotheses using a general linear model with covariates. Our findings suggest that consumer perceptions of organizational greed are subject to three effects: the underdog effect (Study 1, n = 496), the black sheep effect (Study 2, n = 229) and the ‘common is moral’ heuristic (Study 3, n = 249). This is the first study to investigate greed under a motivated reasoning paradigm and to show that perceptions of organizational greed are subject to socio‐psychological biases. This study also provides advice on branding and positioning strategies that appeal to the underdog status of an organization or its local origins.