Similar Environmental Characteristics Research Articles

Groundwater hydrogeochemical processes, water quality index, and probabilistic health risk assessment in an arid and semi-arid environment (Hamedan, Iran)

Groundwater protection requires an understanding of different hydrogeochemical processes and this study synthesised and analysed a large hydrogeochemical dataset (1030 data points over 15 years) of published data in western Iran, to gain a deeper understanding and reveal the main factors controlling groundwater geochemistry. Furthermore, non-carcinogenic effects on human health related to nitrate (NO3−) concentrations were assessed. In terms of the measured parameters, four distinct clusters were identified Ca–HCO3, Na–HCO3, Na–SO4, and Na–SO4–Cl. Cluster 1 (68% of samples) had higher average pH while exhibiting lower average electrical conductivities (ECs), cations, and anions than the other clusters and had a lower average weighted arithmetic than the other clusters. 28.5%, 51.9%, 16.3%, 2.1%, and 1.2% of total water samples rated as excellent, good, poor, extremely poor, and undrinkable, respectively, implying that about 80.4% of the groundwater samples are potable. Multi-linear regression models based on pH and EC values can predict cation and anion concentrations in groundwater with high accuracy. The significance of the findings lies in their potential to facilitate the comprehension, modeling, and eventual forecasting of the fate of anions and cations in semi-arid and arid environments, as well as similar groundwaters, using common water characteristics. In order to lower the non-carcinogenic health risks to the local population, the appropriate actions should be taken. The majority of the region's agricultural areas have primary soil textures that are sandy and prone to NO3− leaching. Therefore, in order to maintain the quality of the groundwater in the study region, excessive use of chemical and organic fertilizers should be avoided. These findings will contribute to understanding and safeguarding groundwater quality, while also informing management strategies in arid and semi-arid regions with similar environmental characteristics.

A worldwide coastal analysis of the climate wave systems

Wind generated waves of a sea state are generally the result of the superposition of wind sea and swells, making the frequency-direction wave energy distribution crucial for comprehending this behavior. Wave spectral partitioning methods provide groups of waves with similar characteristics, thus they have been usually applied to identify wind sea and swell. In addition, several swells can coexist in a sea state. This study develops a method to estimate the wave systems and analyze their characteristics over the coast worldwide using 32year (1989-2020) historical information and more than 10.000 locations. A wave system is considered as the long-term climate conditions prevailing over a frequency-direction wave energy area collecting similar environmental and physical characteristics. The method is applied for the hourly time series of the directional wave spectra. First, the watershed clustering algorithm is used and the partitions found are classified as wind sea or swells based on a wave age criterion. The information obtained from the swell spectral partitions is then used to estimate the probability of their occurrence within specific frequency-direction bins and the clustering algorithm is applied anew to this population in order to identify the number of significant long-term climate wave systems locally and their characteristics. Outcomes reveal that on average swells coexist with wind sea in approximately 70% of the global coast, whereas about 25% is predominantly dominated by pure swells and the wind sea dominates only in the 5%. Only the 2% of the global coast line presents one swell wave system. About 50% of the global coastal locations exhibit three and four, whereas the 15% presents two swell wave systems. The analysis shows that about 30% of the coastal locations present at least five swell wave systems, mostly on Pacific islands and enclosed seas.

Effects of spatial variability in vegetation phenology, climate, landcover, biodiversity, topography, and soil property on soil respiration across a coastal ecosystem

Coastal terrestrial-aquatic interfaces (TAIs) are crucial contributors to global biogeochemical cycles and carbon exchange. The soil carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux in these transition zones is however poorly understood due to the high spatiotemporal dynamics of TAIs, as various sub-ecosystems in this region are compressed and expanded by complex influences of tides, changes in river levels, climate, and land use. We focus on the Chesapeake Bay region to (i) investigate the spatial heterogeneity of the coastal ecosystem and identify spatial zones with similar environmental characteristics based on the spatial data layers, including vegetation phenology, climate, landcover, diversity, topography, soil property, and relative tidal elevation; (ii) understand the primary driving factors affecting soil respiration within sub-ecosystems of the coastal ecosystem. Specifically, we employed hierarchical clustering analysis to identify spatial regions with distinct environmental characteristics, followed by the determination of main driving factors using Random Forest regression and SHapley Additive exPlanations. Maximum and minimum temperature are the main drivers common to all sub-ecosystems, while each region also has additional unique major drivers that differentiate them from one another. Precipitation exerts an influence on vegetated lands, while soil pH value holds importance specifically in forested lands. In croplands characterized by high clay content and low sand content, the significant role is attributed to bulk density. Wetlands demonstrate the importance of both elevation and sand content, with clay content being more relevant in non-inundated wetlands than in inundated wetlands. The topographic wetness index significantly contributes to the mixed vegetation areas, including shrub, grass, pasture, and forest. Additionally, our research reveals that dense vegetation land covers and urban/developed areas exhibit distinct soil property drivers. Overall, our research demonstrates an efficient method of employing various open-source remote sensing and GIS datasets to comprehend the spatial variability and soil respiration mechanisms in coastal TAI. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to modeling carbon fluxes released by soil respiration in coastal TAIs, and our study highlights the importance of further research and monitoring practices to improve our understanding of carbon dynamics and promote the sustainable management of coastal TAIs.

Predicting important fishing grounds for the small-scale fishery, based on Automatic Identification System records, catches, and environmental data

Abstract Effective and sustainable management of small-scale fisheries (SSF) is challenging. We describe a novel approach to identify important fishing grounds for SSF, by implementing a habitat modelling approach, using environmental predictors and Automatic Identification System (AIS)-B data coupled with logbook and First Sales Notes data, within the SE Bay of Biscay. Fishing activity patterns and catches of longliners and netters are used to determine the main environmental characteristics of the fishing grounds, and a habitat modelling approach is implemented to predict the zones that fulfil similar environmental characteristics across a larger geographical extent. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) were built for 24 fish species, and to identify other zones that fulfil similar characteristics and, thus, could be considered relevant for the species targeted by each gear type. Most of the models showed a good prediction capacity. The models included between one and four predictor variables. ‘Depth of mixing layer’ and ‘benthic rocky habitat’ were the variables included more frequently for fish species captured by netter’s fleet. For longliners, the ‘seafloor slope’ and ‘benthic rocky habitat’ were the two most important variables. The predictive maps provide relevant information to assist in management and marine spatial planning.

The Application of Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Heat Island Mitigation in Asia: Progress, Challenges, and Recommendations.

Unprecedented urbanization in Asia affects the net radiation and energy flux of urban areas in the form of urban heat islands (UHI). The application of nature-based solutions (NbS) via urban green and blue infrastructures is a promising approach to mitigate UHI via urban boundary condition modifications, which affect the energy balance. This narrative review discusses the application of green and blue infrastructures in the Asian context by highlighting its progress, challenges, and recommendations. This review is descriptive in nature and includes perspectives on the discussed topics. Studies on the application of green and blue infrastructures in UHI mitigation are still scant in Asia. Their cooling performance is greatly influenced by their types, size, geometry, surface roughness, spread (threshold distance), temporal scales, topography, pollution levels, prevailing climate, and assessment techniques. Distinct urban characteristics, climatic conditions, environmental risks, lack of awareness and expertise, lack of policy and government incentives, and limited scientific studies are the major challenges in their implementation of UHI mitigation in Asia. Although green and blue infrastructures are associated with urban cooling, more in-depth experimental work and multidisciplinary research collaboration are paramount to exploring its implementation potential in Asia and other countries that share similar urban and environmental characteristics.

Confirming resistance to PPO-inhibiting herbicides applied preemergence and postemergence in a Georgia Palmer amaranth population

Abstract Herbicides that inhibit protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) are used in more than 40 agronomic and specialty crops across Georgia to manage weeds through residual and postemergence (POST) control. In 2017, a population of Palmer amaranth exhibiting reduced sensitivity to POST applications of PPO-inhibiting herbicides was identified by the University of Georgia. Seed were collected from the site along with a known sensitive population; distance between the samples was 200 m, increasing the likelihood of similar environmental and genetic characteristics. To quantify sensitivity for both preemergence (PRE) and POST uses, 21 greenhouse dose-response assessments were conducted from 2017 to 2022. After conducting initial rate-response studies, 13 doses per herbicide were chosen for the POST experiment; field use rates of fomesafen (420 g ai ha−1), lactofen (219 g ai ha−1), acifluorfen (420 g ai ha−1), and trifludimoxazin (25 g ai ha−1) ranging from 0× to 4× the field use rate for the susceptible population, and 0× to 40× for the suspect population were applied. Herbicide treatments included adjuvants and were applied to plants 8 to 10 cm in height. Relative resistance factors (RRFs) were calculated for control ratings, mortality, and biomass, and ranged from 105 to 318, 36 to 1,477, 215 to 316, and 9 to 49 for fomesafen, lactofen, acifluorfen, and trifludimoxazin, respectively. In the PRE experiment, herbicide applications included five to nine doses of fomesafen (1× = 210 g ai ha−1), flumioxazin (1× = 57 g ai ha−1), oxyfluorfen (1× = 561 g ai ha−1), and trifludimoxazin (1× = 38 g ai ha−1); doses ranged from 0× to 6× for the suspect population and 0× to 2× for the susceptible population. Visual control, mortality, and biomass RRFs ranged from 3 to 5 for fomesafen, 21 to 31 for flumioxazin, 6 to 22 for oxyfluorfen, and 8 to 38 for trifludimoxazin. Results confirm that a Georgia Palmer amaranth population is resistant to PPO-inhibiting herbicides applied both PRE and POST.

Konut Alt Piyasalarının Ankara Metropolitan Alanı Örneği Üzerinden Değerlendirilmesi

The housing market consists of heterogeneous products with different housing characteristics. Due to its heterogeneity, the housing market is better analyzed by dividing it into different homogeneous groups, especially submarkets with similar spatial, environmental and physical characteristics, rather than a single homogeneous market. This article discusses the housing submarkets by using the current housing supply in Ankara. In this context, it investigates whether the analysis for the city as a whole reflects a realistic housing price structure. Moreover, it seeks an answer the question of whether socio-economic submarkets based on average household income by neighborhood and spatial submarkets based on location by district are determinant for Ankara. Data were collected from one of Turkey's largest real estate websites on the dwelling units being advertised for sale in the nine central districts of Ankara between January and September 2021. Data were analyzed by hedonic regression model. Empirical results reveal that although a single market does not effectively reflect a realistic price structure, location by districts and average household income by neighborhood do affect the price of housing in each submarket. Each submarket has its own dynamics and the housing price structure in each submarket depends on different variables. For Ankara, spatial submarkets have more explanatory power than socio-economic submarkets.

Impact of environmental factors on diabetes mortality: A comparison between inland and coastal areas

BackgroundDiabetes mortality varies between coastal and inland areas in Shandong Province, China. However, evidence about the reasons for this disparity is limited. We assume that distinct environmental conditions may contribute to the disparities in diabetes mortality patterns between coastal and inland areas. MethodQingdao and Jinan were selected as typical coastal and inland cities in Shandong Province, respectively, with similar socioeconomic but different environmental characteristics. Data on diabetes deaths and environmental factors (i.e., temperature, relative humidity and air pollution particles with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5)) were collected from 2013 to 2020. Spatial kriging methods were used to estimate the aggregated diabetes mortality at the city level. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to quantify the possible cumulative and non-cumulative associations between environmental factors and diabetes mortality by age, sex and location. ResultsIn the coastal city (Qingdao), the maximum cumulative relative risks (RRs) of temperature and PM2.5 associated with diabetes deaths were 2.54 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.25–5.15), and 1.17 (95 % CI: 1.01–1.37) respectively, at lag 1 week. In the inland city (Jinan), only temperature exhibited significant cumulative associations with diabetes deaths (RR = 1.54, 95 % CI: 1.07–2.23 at 29 °C). Lower relative humidity (22 %–45 %) had a lag-specific association with diabetes deaths in inland areas at lag 3 weeks (RR = 1.33, 95 % CI: 1.03–1.70 at 22 %). ConclusionDespite the lower PM2.5 concentrations in the coastal location, diabetes mortality exhibited stronger links to environmental variables in the coastal city than in the inland city. These findings suggest that the control of air pollution could decrease the mortality burden of diabetes, even in the region with relatively good air quality. Additionally, the spatial estimation method is recommended to identify associations between environmental factors and diseases in studies with limited data.

Association between the potential distribution of Lutzomyia longipalpis and Nyssomyia whitmani and leishmaniasis incidence in Piauí State, Brazil.

Leishmaniases are vector borne diseases caused by Leishmania spp. parasites transmitted by female sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) whose geographic distribution is influenced by environmental factors. Among the main tools for studying the distribution of vector species, modeling techniques are used to analyze the influence of climatic and environmental factors on the distribution of these insects and their association with human cases of the disease. Here, we used a multiscale ecological niche modeling approach to assess the environmental suitability of sandfly vectors of the etiological agents of Visceral (VL) and American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) in Piauí state, northeastern Brazil, and then evaluated their relationship with human disease incidence. For this, we obtained the geographic coordinates of the vector species Lutzomyia longipalpis and Nyssomyia whitmani through literature review, online databases and unpublished records. These data were used for the development of predictive models of the distribution of both sandflies species based on climatic and environmental variables. Finally, the environmental suitability for the presence of these vectors was compared with the incidence of both the diseases at the municipality level. The final models for each sandfly species showed good predictive powers with performance metric values of 0.889 for Lu. longipalpis and 0.776 for Ny. whitmani. The areas with greater environmental suitability for the presence of these species were concentrated in the central-north region of Piauí and coincide with the location of those municipalities presenting higher incidences of VL and ACL, situated in the central-north and extreme north of the state, respectively. The south and southeast regions of Piauí state have low incidence of these diseases and presented low environmental suitability for the presence of both vectors. We discuss how predictive modeling can guide entomological and epidemiological surveillances and recommend an increased supervision and control activities in Teresina (capital of the state of Piaui), Altos and Pedro II, in addition to other municipalities with similar social and environmental characteristics.

Elevational variation of spider and insect communities in the Swedish mountains

AbstractMountain topography gives rise to often dramatic climate‐driven elevation gradients in primary productivity, which can generate substantial biodiversity variation. Therefore, mountain areas may be particularly useful for evaluating the ecological consequences of climate change. Arthropods are the most diverse animal phylum, which play important roles in most ecosystems. However, despite their ecological importance, we have limited information on how arthropods vary along elevation gradients. We investigated how taxonomic richness, taxonomic composition, and spatial structuring of spider and insect communities varied along elevation gradients and among three geographic locations in a mountain region of northern Sweden. The locations provided a latitude gradient spanning approximately 3° (from 62° N to 65° N), but were otherwise selected to contain similar environmental characteristics. Taxonomic richness of both spiders and insects declined monotonically with increasing elevation, and there were limited differences between the geographic locations in such declines. Taxonomic composition varied with elevation for both taxonomic groups, but also differed among the three sites. Linyphiid spiders were more widely distributed along the elevation gradients than other spider taxa, whereas a broad taxonomic range of insects occurred over almost all elevations. We observed nested as well as modular spatial distributions of both spider and insect communities along the elevation gradients. While the modular patterns suggest that species turnover has generated distinct communities at different elevations, some generalist species were still widespread throughout large parts of the gradients. Our results point to smaller differences among geographic locations than among taxonomic groups in how taxonomic richness and community structuring varied with elevation. We interpret these results as support for taxonomically specific adaptations to environmental conditions being important for structuring arthropod communities. We also suggest that climate‐driven changes to arthropod communities in mountain environments may be regulated by two not mutually exclusive processes, one in which generalist species may become more dominant and shift their ranges upward and one in which high‐elevation specialists may go extinct because of increasingly fragmented habitats.

How Can a Changing Climate Influence the Productivity of Traditional Olive Orchards? Regression Analysis Applied to a Local Case Study in Portugal

Nowadays, the climate is undoubtedly one of the main threats to the sustainability of olive orchards, especially in the case of rainfed traditional production systems. Local warming, droughts, and extreme weather events are some of the climatological factors responsible for environmental thresholds in relation to crops being exceeded. The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of microclimatic variability on the productivity of traditional olive orchards in a municipality located in northeastern Portugal. For this purpose, official data on climate, expressed through agro-bioclimatic indicators, and olive productivity for a 21-year historical period (2000–2020) were used to evaluate potential correlations. In addition, a comprehensive regression analysis involving the dataset and the following modeling scenarios was carried out to develop regression models and assess the resulting predictions: (a) Random Forest (RF) with selected features; (b) Ordinary Least-Squares (OLS) with selected features; (c) OLS with correlation features; and (d) OLS with all features. For the a and b scenarios, features were selected applying the Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation (RFECV) technique. The best statistical performance was achieved considering nonlinearity among variables (a scenario, R2 = 0.95); however, it was not possible to derive any model given the underlying methodology to this scenario. In linear regression applications, the best fit between model predictions and the real olive productivity was obtained when all the analyzed agro-bioclimatic indicators were included in the regression (d scenario, R2 = 0.85). When selecting only the most relevant indicators using RFECV and correlation techniques, moderate correlations for the b and c regression scenarios were obtained (R2 of 0.54 and 0.49, respectively). Based on the research findings, especially the regression models, their adaptability to other olive territories with similar agronomic and environmental characteristics is suggested for crop management and regulatory purposes.

Effects of Anthropogenic Disturbance of Natural Habitats on the Feeding Ecology of Moorish Geckos.

Urbanization and anthropic influences can drastically modify a natural habitat and transform it into an easily recognizable "urban habitat". Human activities can also induce less severe modifications of what apparently might still look like natural habitats. Therefore, these subtle alterations may be hidden but can still cause important negative effects on plant and animals. In contrast, some species seem able to take advantage of these anthropic alterations. Here, we examined the possible effects of the anthropogenic disturbance of an apparent natural habitat on the feeding ecology and body condition of Moorish geckos, Tarentola mauritanica. For this, we compared microhabitat structure, invertebrate availability, the diet composition (estimated from fecal contents), diet selection patterns and body condition of the two populations of geckos inhabiting two contiguous small islands. These islands have similar environmental characteristics, but highly contrasting differences in urbanization and anthropogenic influence. We found that, although the abundance of potential invertebrate prey was similar on both habitats, the diversity of invertebrate prey was lower in the altered habitat. As a consequence, although composition of the diet of geckos was similar on both islands, the diversity of prey and food niche breadth were lower in the altered habitat, and patterns of diet selection changed. However, these inter-habitat differences did not seem to affect the body size and body condition of geckos. We discuss how flexibility in feeding ecology may allow some species to cope with small anthropic disturbances of the habitat.

Subwoofer array design for optimal performance and minimal noise pollution in the Roman theatre of Italica, Spain

Subwoofer arrays are widely used in live sound events. However, the performance of sound systems and the generated environmental noise pollution in the vicinity of Roman theatres is not well researched and documented. The investigation aimed to determine the most suitable subwoofer array configuration for an outdoor Roman theatre according to their low frequency coverage across the audience area and overspill on nearby residential areas. Performance suitability was determined by measuring the overall sound pressure (dBA) and spectrum levels of the arrays within the audience area at several locations representative of nearby residential areas. The Array Performance Rating (APR) was calculated for each array configuration to complement performance assessments. Results showed a notorious difference between coupled and uncoupled arrays, as well as between ground-based and flown subwoofer configurations. It was proven that the flown point source array offered overall less sound pressure levels and spectral variability in the audience plane and it caused the least environmental noise pollution. The conclusions drawn from this study can provide valuable guidance applicable to future sound system deployments and reconstruction projects of ancient outdoor theatres of similar architectural and environmental characteristics.

Soil carbon sequestration potential in global croplands.

Improving the amount of organic carbon in soils is an attractive alternative to partially mitigate climate change. However, the amount of carbon that can be potentially added to the soil is still being debated, and there is a lack of information on additional storage potential on global cropland. Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration potential is region-specific and conditioned by climate and management but most global estimates use fixed accumulation rates or time frames. In this study, we model SOC storage potential as a function of climate, land cover and soil. We used 83,416 SOC observations from global databases and developed a quantile regression neural network to quantify the SOC variation within soils with similar environmental characteristics. This allows us to identify similar areas that present higher SOC with the difference representing an additional storage potential. We estimated that the topsoils (0–30 cm) of global croplands (1,410 million hectares) hold 83 Pg C. The additional SOC storage potential in the topsoil of global croplands ranges from 29 to 65 Pg C. These values only equate to three to seven years of global emissions, potentially offsetting 35% of agriculture’s 85 Pg historical carbon debt estimate due to conversion from natural ecosystems. As SOC store is temperature-dependent, this potential is likely to reduce by 14% by 2040 due to climate change in a “business as usual” scenario. The results of this article can provide a guide to areas of focus for SOC sequestration, and highlight the environmental cost of agriculture.

Benefit transfer of climate change adaptation policies in island tourist destinations

Benefit transfer is a non-market valuation method that offers a quick and cost effective alternative to costly valuation methods for assessing the economic value of environmental goods and policies in tourism. This paper assesses the validity of the benefits transfer method for the policies to adapt to climate change impacts across tourist destinations. To do so, a discrete choice experiment is designed and conducted simultaneously across seven island destinations with similar sociological and environmental characteristics. The results show some climate change adaptation policies are more valued than others by tourists, and some destinations attract higher preferences for environmental actions. The tests give significant support to the validity of the transfer of benefits of adaptation policies across destinations, thereby providing an alternative for the economic assessment of the benefits of non-market goods and climate change adaptation policies in tourism, as worldwide information about the costs and benefits involved in tourism policy decision making become increasingly available.

Environmentally-appropriate technology under lack of resources and knowledge: Solar-powered cocoa dryer in rural Nias, Indonesia

Climate change has substantially affected rural areas, considering their lack of resources and knowledge. In general, new technologies claim to produce fewer environmental impacts to adapt to climatic changes. Still, they typically emerge at the expense of higher investments and the technical knowledge required. However, the economic and knowledge constraints of rural areas make it challenging to employ expensive and sophisticated environment-friendly technologies. This study aims to propose the concept of environmentally-appropriate technology for the rural context lacking economic resources and knowledge. Taking the case of a solar-powered cocoa dryer in Nias, Indonesia, this research employs a generic VDI 2222 engineering design and physiological modeling in conjunction with the conceptual understanding of environmental design and Design for the Environment (DfE) to demonstrate the proposed concept. The design considers locally available environment-friendly energy, materials, and signals to produce a well-functioning and affordable technology. Furthermore, this study involves field trials considering applicable cocoa quality standards in Indonesia (SNI 2323:2008) and market needs. The results show that the technology can include more than 95% of local materials and construction processes while using solar as a renewable energy source to generate the heat required by the cocoa drying process. More than 60% of the parts are degradable, while the rest are reusable. The technology also performs well technically, reaching the desired moisture content of the dried cocoa beans to meet market needs. These results demonstrate the possibility of an environmentally-appropriate technology, which is affordable, technically functioning, and environment-friendly for less resourceful regions such as rural areas. Future studies can use the approach to provide various technologies with similar techno-economic and environmental characteristics for different contexts lacking resources and knowledge.

TOURIST PREFERENCES AND EXPECTATIONS OF URBAN PARK: A CASE STUDY IN KITAKYUSHU, JAPAN

The quality of an urban park can be evaluated by understanding the tourist’s reasons, preferences, and expectations. This study analyzes several variables based on answers to field survey questionnaires using 425 respondents. Furthermore, Green Park, located in Kitakyushu, Japan, serves as the case study. The result found six essential variables: 1) “Playing with children” is the most popular reason for visiting this park; 2) Tourists living closer to the area frequently visit; 3) The existence is necessary; 4) The relationship between the importance and the origins of the tourists is related to a sense of place; 5) Tourist preferences are affected by seasonality; 6) The most favorite expectation is the availability of water facilities. This further can contribute to tourism development in urban parks with similar climatic and environmental characteristics.

Early and Long Term Results of Our Open Heart Surgical Operations in the Presence of Active Oncological Diseases

Introduction: Active cancer and heart disease, which share similar environmental and biological characteristics, can occur concomitantly. Open heart surgery may be required for these patients when indicated. This study aims to demonstrate the early and long-term results and discuss the intervention strategy in patients with different types of active malignancies, who underwent open-heart surgery. Patients and Methods: Between January 2012 and May 2020, open-heart surgery was performed on 10 patients with active malignancies. The mean age was 65.5 (52-77), and four of the patients were female. Two patients were operated on urgently due to advanced pleural effusion. AVR+CABG, CABG, CABG+left upper lobectomy, and AVR+MVR were performed in four patients with lung cancer; AVR+CABG were performed in one patient with colon cancer; CABG was performed in four patients each with one of the following conditions: lymphoma, breast cancer, essential thrombocytosis, meningioma); and mass resection operation from the left atrium and left ventricle was performed in one patient with osteosarcoma. Results: Eight patients were discharged and two patients died in the early postoperative period. Postoperative left hemiparesis developed in one patient. Six-month, one-year and five-year survival rates were 79%, 37.5% and 25%, respectively. Conclusion: Open-heart surgery can be successfully performed with acceptable mortality and morbidity rates on the high-risk patient group with active cancer.

Abundance, distribution and behaviour of humpback whales (

Context Previous research has shown the presence of an endangered humpback whale population breeding off the Pacific coast of Central America. However, little is known about the density, size, social-group structure and spatial habitat use of this subpopulation. Aim The study goal was to characterise a potential breeding subpopulation of humpback whales in the waters off Nicaragua. Five objectives were used to achieve this goal: (1) estimate abundance, (2) determine encounter rates, (3) define group composition, (4) assess distribution, and (5) document habitat-use patterns. Method Boat-based surveys were conducted between November and April at two study sites along the Pacific coast of Nicaragua in the winters of 2004–2008 and 2016–2020. Key result Inter-annual mark–recapture estimates did not yield a reliable estimate of abundance. Encounter rates were lower for the northern study site than for the southern site. Group composition consisted of groups with calves, singers and competitive males. Conclusion These results confirmed that Nicaragua is a breeding area based on known breeding-ground behaviours observed in other areas, and similar environmental characteristics. Implication Distinct habitats were found at the two study sites, suggesting that Central American humpback whales might use different areas within the broader Central American breeding range according to their needs and activity.

Hazard Assessment of Debris Flow Based on Infinite Irrelevance Method and Probabilistic Neural Network Coupling Model

Debris flow is one of the most harmful natural disasters, which seriously damages the ecological environment balance, human life safety and property loss. Therefore, it is necessary to predict and assess the hazard of debris flow. This paper proposes an effective model for predicting the hazard of debris flow, which is a coupled model based on the Infinite Irrelevance Method (IIM) and the Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN). Taking Xiuyan Manchu Autonomous County, Liaoning Province, China as an example, this paper selects 31 key debris flow trenches according to the geological data survey and the characteristics of debris flow disasters, and uses IIM to screen the frequency, watershed area, height difference, debris reserves, rainfall, lithology, slope, population density, NDVI, a total of 9 influencing factors as the sample data set of PNN, and randomly divided into a training set and test set, the ratio is 65% and 35%. Compared with the IIM-GRNN model, the evaluation results show that the accuracy rate of the IIM-PNN model is 91%, which is more excellent than the IIM-GRNN model with an accuracy rate of 82%. The IIM-PNN model can more effectively classify and predict the hazard of debris flow, and can be used in other regions with similar geological environmental characteristics to take measures to manage and prevent the recurrence of the disaster.