Project Area Research Articles

Through the eyes of community health workers: what was needed to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the Missouri Southeast region.

Public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, elucidate the strengths, weaknesses, and significant gaps in infrastructure, compatibility and consistency in communication systems, as well as the quality of collaborative relationships, and provider and workforce capacity. They also expose longstanding patterns of mistrust in the government and healthcare systems, and inadequacy in socio-economic infrastructures. These issues resulted in higher COVID-19 infection and mortality rates, and lower vaccination rates in many rural counties across the nation, including Missouri. In response to these challenges, the COVID-19 Response Network was formed in the Southeast corner of the state. The Network was a community-academic partnership that brought together community and faith-based leaders, academicians, healthcare providers and administrators, public health practitioners, and pharmacists to facilitate collaboration on education and outreach efforts aimed at reducing vaccine inequity in the 16-county project area. Importantly, the Network also included Community Health Workers (CHWs) who worked with these different agencies and organizations and were at the heart of implementing Network activities. The intent of this study was to assess their perspectives on the factors that influenced community engagement and communication strategies, and increased vaccine uptake in rural Missouri. Qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews, were used to explore the professional and personal experiences of CHWs working at the grassroots level during an ongoing pandemic. Narrative analysis revealed effective communication and engagement strategies for increasing vaccine uptake in rural communities. For instance, fear-based messaging was perceived as coercive and met with resistance. In contrast, messages that shared personal experiences and catered to the human need to protect their loved ones were more effective. Trust in the source of information was critical. This study highlights the significance of exploring and leveraging the capacities of trusted community members like CHWs to increase the effectiveness of public health interventions in rural communities.

VOLUMETRIC QUANTIFICATION OF EUCALYPTUS SP. STANDS THROUGH AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OBTAINED BY RPAS

Volumetric quantification of Eucalyptus sp. stands through aerial photographs obtained by RPAS. The data collection for forest management is necessary to carry out the inventory, being a procedure that requires field work, high cost and time. Therefore, the objective of this work was to develop dendrometric equations based on aerial images of RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) combined with the manipulation of vector data, and to estimate the forest production of Eucalyptus sp., in the southern region of the state of Rondônia. The extraction of the variables crown projection area (ACRPAS) and total height (hRPAS) were derived from RPAS images, these have been validated from data obtained in the field by means of forest inventory and by standing trees rigorous scaling. Diametric and volumetric equations were adjusted according to the variables obtained by RPAS. The total height (h) of the scaled trees and hRPAS did not show significant differences (X²= 31.013). When comparing the estimates obtained by the v equation with their respective values of the scaling, it is verified that the v equation is accurate for estimates of the variable under study (X²= 0.8077). The results indicated success in tree detection, even with the difficulties in delimiting the crowns due to occlusion. Despite the challenges arising from flight altitudes below 250 m, the estimates of diameter, height, and individual volume using metrics derived from RPAS products were accurate, consistent with those obtained in the traditional forest inventory. The use of RPAS for volumetric quantification of forest stands in Rondônia represents an innovative approach in the sector, despite the challenges encountered.

Study on structure-performance relationship and action mechanism of organic chemicals in cement grinding aids

Grinding aids (GAs) are an important addtive in the cement production process. However, the relationship between the molecular structure of GAs and its grinding efficiency has not been clearly revealed. In this study, the influence of GAs with different structures, including glycols and alkanolamines, on the grinding efficiency of pure clinker was systematically investigated. The working mechanism from their adsorption and dispersion configurations on tricalcium silicate (C3S) surface was investigated by first-principles method. As the structural parameters of GAs, number of polar groups is found to affect the grinding efficiency of cement clinker. The grinding performance of alkanolamines is better than that of glycols at the same dosage, when the number of hydroxyl groups is the same. The tertiary alkanolamines are adsorbed through the double-ended hydroxyl group to form larger molecular projection areas than the glycols with single-ended hydroxyl group, thus resulting in higher dispersion efficiency. Further, with the growth of the number of methyl groups in the molecular structure of the tertiary alkanolamines, the thickness of the adsorbed molecular layer grows from 9.25 Å to 9.87 Å, and the ability to shield the electrostatic forces between cement particles is enhanced and result in a better grinding aid performance.

Seed Quantity and Quality Variation in European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is characterized by inter-annual cycles of seed production (masting), with synchronized high seed production between sites in some years. The importance of both seed quantity and quality monitoring stems from its role in sustaining the ecological balance, promoting biodiversity, and ensuring the long-term viability of forest ecosystems. This study aimed to (1) describe seed production from 2015 to 2022, (2) identify the potential factors that could affect the yield appearance and seed quantity, and (3) compare the quality of beechnuts from different crop years in Croatia. At each of the six forest seed objects located in the area of forest administrations Bjelovar, Karlovac, Ogulin, Požega, and Delnice, we selected 5 trees for seed collection. Seeds were collected with large PVC nets covering total projection area of the tree crowns. Seed quality testing was performed according to the International Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA Rules). Our results indicate a consistent biennial beechnut cycle. The crop was completely absent in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, while 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022 were fruitful years. Weather plays a key role in triggering masting. We found that beechnut production is influenced by summer weather conditions (from June to August) in the previous two years. Abundance of beechnut production varies on an annual level, population level and on individual trees. Factors that partially explain the variability in yield are tree height and crown size. No significant differences in viability were found across different years and sites, though the results should be approached with caution due to limited sample representation. The study identified a positive correlation between seed weight and viability, as well as the impact of precipitation on moisture content. The results emphasize the need for continued monitoring and further research to understand the factors influencing beechnut production and quality, crucial for sustainable forest management in the face of climate change.

The application of PRISMA hyperspectral satellite imagery in the delineation of distinct hydrothermal alteration zones in the Chilean Andes: The Marimaca IOCG and the Río Blanco-Los Bronces Cu-Mo porphyry districts

This study provides an overview of the application of hyperspectral imagery acquired by the Italian satellite mission “PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa” (PRISMA), for mapping hydrothermal and supergene mineral alteration zones associated with different Cu deposits in the Chilean Andes. Study areas include the Marimaca Copper Project in the Naguayán district (Antofagasta Province), hosting Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous iron oxide-copper–gold mineralizations and the Río Blanco-Los Bronces district (Santiago Region) known for its Late Miocene – Early Pliocene copper-molybdenum porphyry deposits. These mineral systems exhibit hydrothermal alteration haloes extending over several kilometers, with upward and outward mineral zonation.To characterize the surface-exposed alteration, the satellite imagery was processed using a multiple feature extraction workflow targeting the relative abundances and compositions of specific supergene and hydrothermal alteration minerals, including Fe-oxides and hydroxides (hematite-goethite), phyllosilicates (micas-kaolinite-chlorite), hydroxyl-bearing sulfates (alunite-natroalunite-jarosite) and epidote. The results reveal a zonation from proximal sulfates (natroalunite to alunite) and Al-rich white mica (ranging from 0.3 km-wide for the area identified to the east of the Marimaca deposit to 1 km-wide in correspondence of the Los Sulfatos deposit, respectively) to distal Al-poor white mica (0.2 to 0.5 km-wide, respectively) and an outer chlorite-epidote zone. In the Marimaca Project area, the structurally-controlled alteration evolves west to east from chlorite-rich to phengitic white mica (Al-poor). A NNE-SSW trending supergene leached cap covers a 6 km-long and up to 2 km-wide area from north to south. Our study documents how spaceborne hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy can support mineral exploration by enabling non-invasive reconnaissance mapping of the outcropping rocks, providing specific targeting information for follow-up field surveys and drilling campaigns.

Стандартизированная модель огнестрельного проникающего ранения глаза без внутриглазного инородного тела (открытая травма глаза типа В)

The purpose of the work was to creation of a standardized model of a gunshot penetrating wound of the eye without an intraocular foreign body. The wound was inflicted by a specially made projectile. The shot was fired from an air rifle with modulated pumping of a compression pump. A set of shells (specially made and standard) was used, and they were weighed with laboratory analytical scales. The velocity of the projectiles was recorded with a ballistic chronograph. The parameters of the shot were previously worked out on a bar of ballistic plasticine, then on 11 heads of cadaver rabbits (22 eyes). 4 series of experiments were performed. We studied the flight speed of projectiles, the nature of their flight and the meeting with the target (plasticine, cadaver eyes). The nature of the eye injury (type of injury) was analyzed depending on the energy (based on speed and mass) and aerodynamic characteristics of the projectile. According to preliminary results, a decision was made to modernize the standard projectile. A projectile has been upgraded to meet external ballistic characteristics to create a standardized model of a gunshot penetrating wound to the eye without an intraocular foreign body. The specified wound parameters were as follows: the distance from the muzzle of the air rifle to the target was 30 cm. Shots were fired into the sclera projection area 2–3 mm from the limb. The parameters of the shot were as follows: the mass of the upgraded projectile was 0.54‒0.55 g, two pumps of the rifle's air pump. The parameters used provided a speed range of 40–46 m/s. In an experiment on laboratory animals, pathogenetic factors characteristic of a gunshot injury to the eye were reproduced. This made it possible in 100 % of cases to reproduce an injury simila to a gunshot penetrating injury to the eye without an intraocular foreign body (an open eye injury of type B). Keywords: pneumatic installation, standardized experimental model, gunshot open globe injury

The latissimus dorsi creates a dynamic track for the inferior angle of the scapula during arm abduction in humans

BackgroundThe importance of several scapulothoracic muscles, including trapezius and serratus anterior, in maintaining physiological scapula kinematics has been highlighted in the past. However, the relationship between the scapula and the latissimus dorsi muscle remains unclear. Our clinical surgical observation is that the latissimus dorsi does not directly attach but rather runs superficial to the inferior angle of the scapula. Based on this observation, we hypothesise that the latissimus dorsi creates a dynamic track on which the scapula glides under the muscle belly during elevation of the arm, creating the latissimus-scapula overlap (LSO).MethodsAll consecutive patients who had a whole-body computed tomography scan (CT) in case of polytrauma evaluation between 2018 and 2021, with complete depiction of the scapula and latissimus dorsi muscle, were analysed. 150 shoulders in 90 patients with arms up were matched according to their age (within five years), gender, and affected side with 150 shoulders in 88 patients with arms down. Patients with pathologies of the upper extremities or thorax that potentially could alter LSO measurements were excluded. LSO was calculated as a ratio of the measured area of the latissimus dorsi projection on the scapula and the total scapula area.ResultsThe mean age of the 178 patients (48 females; 13 males) was 60 years. The arms-up group showed a significantly higher LSO than the arms-down group (19.9 ± 6.3% vs. 2.7 ± 2.2%; p < 0.0001). In the arms-up group, approximately one fifth of the scapula was overlapped inferiorly by the muscle belly of the latissimus dorsi, contrary to the almost non-existing LSO in the arms-down group.ConclusionWith arms up, humans show a significantly higher LSO in comparison to arms down indicating that the latissimus dorsi indeed creates a dynamic track on which the scapula is forced to travel during abduction of the arm. This finding of increased LSO during the elevation of the arm warrants further consideration of the role of the latissimus dorsi in scapula kinematics and potentially scapular dyskinesis.Level of evidenceLevel two diagnostic study.

Prospects of Solar Pump for Irrigation and Household Applications for Climate Resilience in the Coastal Region of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a climate vulnerable and agricultural country. Coastal region of Bangladesh is severely affected by climate change. To mitigate climate, change a solar pump of flow rate 180 liter per minute was designed and tested in farmers’ fields of Kalapara and Galachipa Upazila (sub-district) of Patuakhali district, Barguna Sadar and Amtali Upazila of Barguna district and Char Fasson and Lalmohon Upazila of Bhola district in the coastal region of Bangladesh for irrigating in high value crops like tomato and brinjal using pond/canal water. One solar pump was installed in each Upazila of off-grid area in 2018 and experiments were conducted during 2018-2021. Each solar pump was operated with 1300 Wp photovoltaic panels and the panels were also used for supplying electricity to home appliances and home water supply when the irrigation time was over. In farmers’ fields, water saving irrigation methods such as drip irrigation and alternate furrow irrigation were conducted. The water savings from drip and alternate furrow irrigation methods over famers’ practice (every furrow irrigation) for tomato were 48.79% and 30.39% and those for brinjal were 47% and 35%, respectively. The benefit cost ratio of the demonstrated solar PV system was found to be 1.62 which was higher than low lift diesel pump (1.30). A small solar pump of 0.8 kW reduced 1.76 ton of carbon emission per year than a similar diesel engine operated pump. The farmers in the project areas are using the solar panels for irrigation, lightings, operating fans, supplying drinking water, sanitation and other purposes. Therefore, solar pump is an environment friendly and climate resilient technology with multiple benefits for small holder farmers in the coastal region of Bangladesh.

Inner areas matter: A place-sensitive approach for the identification of the Daily Life Spaces in the Italian Abruzzo region

Despite the institutionalization of the issue of inner areas with the National Strategy for Inner Areas (Strategia Nazionale per le Aree Interne, SNAI), a reflection on their spatial organisation is still missing. Our paper aims at filling this gap by providing a methodology for identifying the citizens' Daily Life Spaces (DLS) in the Italian Abruzzo region, which can be used as the spatial unit of analysis of cohesion policies. Their identification results from a multi-step algorithm based on an original definition of central places and on the notions of geographical and organised proximity which consider both citizens’ isochrones and commuting flows. Our methodology is able to provide the internal spatial organisation of both Labour Market Areas and Project Areas and is consistent with a historical perspective. Finally, it questions the SNAI classification, calling for a revision of its methodology of identification.

Productivity Indicators of Almond Varieties and Forms Grown in Babek and Kangarli Districts of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic

The article presents the yield of local and imported almond varieties and some newly discovered almond forms cultivated in the territory of Babek and Kangarli districts. Here, the yield from each tree and the yield per hectare were studied separately, and the average yield was calculated for the varieties. Including the productivity of each almond variety and form, the yield per 1 m3 canopy volume, 1 m2canopy projection, 1 cm2 cross-section of the stamp and 1 m2leaf surface of the tree was calculated and detailed based on the methods compared with the varieties. Depending on the varieties, the volume of the canopy is 10.54-23.22 m3, the projection area of the canopy is 7.52-11.85 m2, the cross-section of the stamp is 156.23-185.59 cm2, the leaf surface of the tree is 12.31-30.72 m2 The specific weight per m3 of the umbrella is 2.01-2.91 kg, the productivity coefficient per m2of the projection area of the umbrella is 3.10-4.64 kg, the weight per 1 cm2of the cross section of the stamp is 0.16-0.28 kg and the weight per m3of leaf area was 1.30-2.73 kg. Here, the average weight of each fruit, the weight of the kernel, the weight of the seed for each variety and shape were studied and the most productive varieties and shapes were selected and planted in large areas. recommended. Also, among the promising varieties and forms, the varieties and forms with the highest seed yield were identified and selected. It is appropriate to use the selected varieties and forms in planting new orchards.

Ultrasonic liquid level detection method based on the variation of reflected energy on the inner wall of a container

Liquid level detection plays an important role in industry. For the liquid level detection of flammable, explosive and volatile liquids, the detection method based on the ultrasonic principle is usually adopted. Though a lot of efforts, the detection precision is still challenging. Herein, Ultrasonic liquid level detection method is studied to address the detection precision. A projection model of the inner wall of the sound beam is established. The transmitter–receiver probe is placed near the height of the liquid level on the outer wall of the liquid tank. The sound beam emitted by the probe passes through the tank wall and generates a projection area on its inner wall. The energy of the echo signal received by the probe is calculated, and the relationship between the proportion of liquid in the projection area and the energy is used to detect changes in the liquid level. The test system is set up, the echo signal received by the probe is collected, and its normalized energy is calculated. The results show that for different tank wall thicknesses, liquid types and detection frequencies, the normalized energy can clearly characterize the change of liquid level with an error of less than 3 mm. It provides a new avenue for liquid level detection. The research also shows that for the determined detection frequency, when the tank wall thickness corresponds to the values greater than or equal to the critical distance of the probe, the detection accuracy of liquid level change is the highest.

Analysis of the Evolution of the Policy of Linking the Increase and Decrease in Urban and Rural Construction Land in China Based on the Content Analysis Method

The policy of linking the increase and decrease in urban and rural construction land is a land policy that gradually forms and develops to solve the contradiction between “food and construction” under the background of urbanization in China. It is of great significance to the sustainable development of China’s social economy. In order to grasp the evolution of the policy of linking the increase and decrease in urban and rural construction land in China as a whole, this paper used the content analysis method to analyze the changes in the content of China’s urban−rural construction land increase/decrease linkage policy from different perspectives, such as the levels of policy promulgation and the types of policy promulgation. Firstly, 105 directly related policy texts were selected from a large amount of policy information and read in detail with this as a sample, and 11 keywords were extracted, which were “balance of occupation and compensation”, “clear property rights”, “reasonable planning”, “project area”, “turnover indicators”, “linkage procedure”, “voluntary principle”, “resettlement compensation”, “cultivated land protection”, “supervision and management”, and “capital finance and taxation”. Secondly, the policy text was coded to provide quantitative data on policy development. Finally, the trajectory of policy development was analyzed on the basis of the quantitative data on policy development. The results show that the existing policies were mostly issued in the form of notifications, management measures, implementation plans, working rules, and so on, involving the nature, principles, conditions, methods, procedures, capital finance and taxation, and circulation indicators of the linkage between the increase and decrease, but the policy effectiveness is low, and there is a lack of formal laws and regulations. Improving the legal status of the policy, changing the relationship between the government and the market, strengthening the protection of cultivated land, and reconstructing the income distribution mechanism will help to further improve the policy of linking the increase and decrease in urban and rural construction land.

IMPLEMENTATION OF A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM IN MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HOUSING CONSTRUCTION

Building the 864-unit housing complex was a significant construction undertaking. Within an implementation period of 18 months and a project area of approximately 34 hectares, this project demanded efficient management to control the time and budget that had been set. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to implement effective planning, organization, management and resource allocation processes. This process aims to break down project management into simpler tasks or activities, provide time estimates for each task, and continuously monitor their progress. Although conventional planning tools such as Primavera and Msproject can provide a time representation of the tasks to be performed, they are not yet able to provide spatial or geographic monitoring of these tasks within the scope of the project. By integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS), this project can gain additional benefits. GIS allows identifying data about the progress of construction tasks, and then presenting them in the form of maps. This not only visualizes overall progress graphically and geographically, but also makes it easy to extract useful summaries to support project decision making. With GIS, construction project monitoring not only becomes more efficient, but also more up-to-date and relevant to the scope of the project involving various dispersed structures. It is hoped that GIS integration can improve project management control and optimize the final results of the construction of the 864 housing complexes.

Exogenous glutathione protected wheat seedling from high temperature and water deficit damages

High temperatures (HT) and drought are two major factors restricting wheat growth in the early growth stages. This study investigated the role of glutathione (GSH) amendment (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mM) to soil in mitigating the adverse effect of HT (33 °C, with 25 °C as a control), water regimes (60% of field capacity and control), and their combinations. HT decreased the length, project area, surface area, volume, and forks of the root, while drought had the reverse effect. Shoot length, leaf area, leaf relative water content, and shoot and root dry matter were significantly decreased by HT and drought, and their combined impact was more noticeable. GSH significantly promoted the root system, shoot growth, and leaf relative water content. The combined treatment reduced chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll. However, 0.5 mM GSH raised chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll by 28.6%, 41.4%, and 32.5%, respectively, relative to 0.0 mM GSH. At combined treatment, 0.5 mM GSH decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) by 29.5% and increased soluble protein content by 24.1%. GSH meaningfully enhanced the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxide in different treatments. This study suggested that GSH could protect wheat seedlings from the adverse effects of HT and/or drought stresses.

Land Resources for Wind Energy Development Requires Regionalized Characterizations.

Estimates of the land area occupied by wind energy differ by orders of magnitude due to data scarcity and inconsistent methodology. We developed a method that combines machine learning-based imagery analysis and geographic information systems and examined the land area of 318 wind farms (15,871 turbines) in the U.S. portion of the Western Interconnection. We found that prior land use and human modification in the project area are critical for land-use efficiency and land transformation of wind projects. Projects developed in areas with little human modification have a land-use efficiency of 63.8 ± 8.9 W/m2 (mean ±95% confidence interval) and a land transformation of 0.24 ± 0.07 m2/MWh, while values for projects in areas with high human modification are 447 ± 49.4 W/m2 and 0.05 ± 0.01 m2/MWh, respectively. We show that land resources for wind can be quantified consistently with our replicable method, a method that obviates >99% of the workload using machine learning. To quantify the peripheral impact of a turbine, buffered geometry can be used as a proxy for measuring land resources and metrics when a large enough impact radius is assumed (e.g., >4 times the rotor diameter). Our analysis provides a necessary first step toward regionalized impact assessment and improved comparisons of energy alternatives.

Four new species of Utivarachna Kishida, 1940 (Araneae: Trachelidae) from Sumatra.

Four new species of trachelid spiders belonging to the genus Utivarachna Kishida, 1940 are described: U. angsoduo sp. nov., U. balonku sp. nov., U. rimba sp. nov., and U. trisula sp. nov. Part of the EFForTS project, the spider specimens were uncovered in a canopy fogging collection of tree crown arthropods along a land-use gradient from rainforest via jungle rubber (rubber agroforestry) to monocultures of rubber and oil palm in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Three of the proposed new species were found exclusively in rainforest or jungle rubber agroforest (U. angsoduo sp. nov., U. rimba sp. nov., U. trisula sp. nov.), and one of them exclusively in monocultures of rubber trees (U. balonku sp. nov.). We provide photographs and distribution maps for the proposed new species, and discuss their potential ecology based on their sampling locations. We also encountered a fifth species of the genus in all four land-use systems, U. phyllicola Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001, one of two species of the genus previously recorded from Sumatra, and also provide photographs and distribution maps for this species in the research area of the EFForTS project.

Motor mapping of the hand muscles using peripheral innervation-based navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation to identify functional reorganization of primary motor regions in malignant tumors.

Tumor-related motor reorganization remains unclear. Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) can investigate plasticity non-invasively. nTMS-induced motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) of different muscles are commonly used to measure the center of gravity (CoG), the location with the highest density of corticospinal neurons in the precentral gyrus. We hypothesized that a peripheral innervation-based MEP analysis could outline the tumor-induced motor reorganization with a higher clinical and oncological relevance. Then, 21 patients harboring tumors inside the left corticospinal tract (CST) or precentral gyrus were enrolled in group one (G1), and 24 patients with tumors outside the left CST or precentral gyrus were enrolled in Group 2 (G2). Median- and ulnar-nerve-based MEP analysis combined with diffusion tensor imaging fiber tracking was used to explore motor function distribution. There was no significant difference in CoGs or size of motor regions and underlying tracts between G1 and G2. However, G1 involved a sparser distribution of motor regions and more motor-positive sites in the supramarginal gyrus-tumors inside motor areas induced motor reorganization. We propose an "anchor-and-ship theory" hypothesis for this process of motor reorganization: motor CoGs are stably located in the cortical projection area of the CST, like a seated anchor, as the core area for motor output. Primary motor regions can relocate to nearby gyri via synaptic plasticity and association fibers, like a ship moving around its anchor. This principle can anticipate functional reorganization and be used as a neuro-oncological tool for local therapy, such as radiotherapy or surgery.

Impact of nutrient management practices on yield and economics of foxtail millet under foxtail millet-chickpea cropping system in integrated farming system under Tungabhadra project area of Karnataka, India

Impact of nutrient management practices on yield and economics of foxtail millet under foxtail millet-chickpea cropping system in integrated farming system under Tungabhadra project area of Karnataka, India

Drivers and drags of speculative land developments in a prospective mining landscape, Ghana

This study investigated the drivers and trends of land developments in Newmont Ahafo North Project area. We analysed Landsat imagery to determine land use and cover changes from 1990 to 2021, utilizing a supervised classification method and data from a sample of 200 stakeholders through structured interviews in five project communities. The interrelation of factors influencing land developments in the area was examined using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) model. The results demonstrated a substantial decline in cropland and bareland from 45 % and 38 % to 17 % and 21 %, respectively, with corresponding increases in the built-up and vegetation covers over the period. The pending mining project induced significant speculative developments affecting agriculture and native vegetation. Long mineral exploration, unemployment and poverty, non-compliance and enforcement of mining laws, inadequate compensation, and the compensation experience of farmers drove speculative developments in the mining landscape. The mines declared a mining area without prompt compensation and economically constrained poor locals. This generated contention between the mine and the affected community, culminating in costly expenditure and frustration of the project's timelines. The study underscores the need to rigorously enforce the mining land access legislation and review provisions and application of mining laws on speculative development to curb contestations.

Effects of nitrogen management practices on foxtail millet production and economics under foxtail millet-chickpea cropping system in the Tungabhadra project area of Karnataka, India

Effects of nitrogen management practices on foxtail millet production and economics under foxtail millet-chickpea cropping system in the Tungabhadra project area of Karnataka, India