Search Results (10,287)

Analysis of the white blood cell differential as part of a flow cytometry-based approach is a common routine diagnostic tool used in clinics and research. For human blood, the methodological approach, suitable markers, and gating strategies are well-established. However, there is a lack of information regarding the mouse blood count. In this article, we deliver a fast and easy protocol for reprocessing mouse blood for the purpose of flow cytometric analysis, as well as suitable markers and gating strategies. We also present two possible applications: for the analysis of the whole blood count, with blood from a cardiac puncture, and for the analysis of a certain leukocyte subset at multiple time points in the framework of a mouse experiment, using blood from the facial vein. Additionally, we provide orientation values by applying the method to 3-month-old and 24-month-old male and female C57BL/6J mice. Our analyses demonstrate differences in the leukocyte fractions depending on age and sex. We discuss the influencing factors and limitations that can affect the results and that, therefore, need to be considered when applying this method. The present study fills the gap in the knowledge related to the rare information on flow cytometric analysis of mouse blood and, thus, lays the foundation for further investigations in this area. Full article

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake holds significant historical importance in Portuguese history. The subsequent tsunami resulted in extensive destruction and damage, affecting not only Lisbon but also other regions of Portugal, Spain, and North Africa. This significant and hazardous event led to an increase in awareness about earthquake and tsunami risks, not only within Portugal but throughout Europe. This heightened awareness facilitated advancements in scientific developments, including design codes, standards, and earthquake engineering. However, recent studies focusing on hazard assessment for Lisbon are limited. For this reason, this paper aims to present a comprehensive probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) for the Lisbon metropolitan area. The first stage of PSHA involves defining applicable and active seismic source models (area and line sources) within the study area. Subsequently, historical and instrumental earthquake records are collected to build a homogenized earthquake catalog, utilizing both global and local earthquake databases. Following this, the completeness level of the earthquake catalog is tested. By incorporating suitable ground motion models to the region and local soil characteristics, seismic hazard maps for various return periods and hazard curves in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA) are developed. The findings based on the area source model agree with existing literature, indicating PGA values ranging from 0.3 g to 0.9 g, 0.2 g to 0.7 g, 0.2 g to 0.5 g, and 0.1 g to 0.3 g for return periods of 2475, 975, 475, and 50 years, respectively. Full article

Water-saving irrigation is of extraordinary importance for tomato production in semi-arid areas of northwest China. For this purpose, we conducted a two-season trial in a solar greenhouse of two tomato genotypes named ‘181’ and ‘Mao Fen 802’ and cultivated with substrate, under four irrigation regimes, i.e., well-watered (WW), low (LWD, 80% WW), moderate (MWD, 60% WW) and high (HWD, 40% WW) water deficit. The substrate water content of WW treatment was 75%θf to 90%θf (where θf is the field capacity). The study results showed that the single fruit weight and yield of tomato were significantly declined with an increasing water deficit degree. Compared to WW treatment, the fruit weight and yield were decreased about 34.45% and 20.35% for ‘181’ and ‘Mao Fen 802’ under HWD treatment, respectively. Conversely, water deficit treatment led to an obvious promotion of WUE and showed an upward trend as the water deficit level increased. In addition, compared to WW treatment, the water deficit significantly decreased the total flavonoids of the ‘181’ tomato by 24.4–93.1%, whereas there was no significant impact on that of ‘Mao Fen 802’. Nonetheless, different individual polyphenols were increased by suitable deficit irrigation for two tomato cultivars. Gallic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and naringin of ‘181’tomato were increased by 128.4–195.2%, 8.6–43.7%, and 31–73-fold, respectively, under water deficit compared to WW treatment. Further, under water deficit treatment, p-coumaric acid, benzoic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid of ‘Mao Fen 802’ were increased by 36.2–49.2%, 59.1–189.7%, and 36.3–106.4% compared to WW treatment. As the main carotenoid component, the lycopene content of tomato fruit exhibited a significant rise of 7.84–20.02% and 20.55–32.13% for ‘181’ and ‘Mao Fen 802’ under three degrees of water deficit compared to WW treatment. Linear regression showed a significantly positive relationship between irrigation amounts and yield, and total polyphenols, whereas there was a significantly negative relationship between irrigation amounts and WUE, and total carotenoids. Based on correlation and PCA, WW and LWD, and MWD and HWD, were gathered together for ‘181’, while LWD, MWD, and HWD, were gathered, and only WW scattered for ‘Mao Fen 802’, along the PC1 direction. It was proposed that ‘Mao Fen 802’ was more sensitive to water deficit than the ‘181’ tomato. In conclusion, water deficit is conductive to water-saving cultivation of the greenhouse tomato and the tomato genotypes, and water deficit level is a key factor necessary for consideration. Full article

Green hydrogen production is expected to play a major role in the context of the shift towards sustainable energy stipulated in the Fit for 55 package. Green hydrogen and its derivatives have the capacity to act as effective energy storage vectors, while fuel cell-powered vehicles will foster net-zero emission mobility. This study evaluates the potential of green hydrogen production in Power-to-Gas (P2G) systems operated in former mining sites where sand and gravel aggregate has been extracted from lakes and rivers under wet conditions (below the water table). The potential of hydrogen production was assessed for the selected administrative unit in Poland, the West Pomerania province. Attention is given to the legal and organisational aspects of operating mining companies to identify the sites suitable for the installation of floating photovoltaic facilities by 2050. The method relies on the use of GIS tools, which utilise geospatial data to identify potential sites for investments. Basing on the geospatial model and considering technical and organisational constraints, the schedule was developed, showing the potential availability of the site over time. Knowing the surface area of the water reservoir, the installed power of the floating photovoltaic plant, and the production capacity of the power generation facility and electrolysers, the capacity of hydrogen production in the P2G system can be evaluated. It appears that by 2050 it should be feasible to produce green fuel in the P2G system to support a fleet of city buses for two of the largest urban agglomerations in the West Pomerania province. Simulations revealed that with a water coverage ratio increase and the planned growth of green hydrogen generation, it should be feasible to produce fuel for net-zero emission urban mobility systems to power 200 buses by 2030, 550 buses by 2040, and 900 buses by 2050 (for the bus models Maxi (40 seats) and Mega (60 seats)). The results of the research can significantly contribute to the development of projects focused on the production of green hydrogen in a decentralised system. The disclosure of potential and available locations over time can be compared with competitive solutions in terms of spatial planning, environmental and societal impact, and the economics of the undertaking. Full article

An accurate assessment of frost damage in coffee plantations can help develop effective agronomic practices to cope with extreme weather events. Remotely piloted aircrafts (RPA) have emerged as promising tools to evaluate the impacts caused by frost on coffee production. The objective was to evaluate the impact of frost on coffee plants, using vegetation indices, in plantations of different ages and areas of climatic risks. We evaluated two coffee plantations located in Brazil, aged one and two years on the date of frost occurrence. Multispectral images were collected by a remotely piloted aircraft, three days after the occurrence of frost in July 2021. The relationship between frost damage and these vegetation indices was estimated by Pearson’s correlation using simple and multiple linear regression. The results showed that variations in frost damage were observed based on planting age and topography conditions. The use of PRA was efficient in evaluating frost damage in both young and adult plants, indicating its potential and application in different situations. The vegetation index MSR and MCARI2 indices were effective in assessing damage in one-year-old coffee plantations, whereas the SAVI, MCARI1, and MCARI2 indices were more suitable for visualizing frost damage in two-year-old coffee plantations. Full article

The crop and crop wild relative (CWR) checklist of Lithuania was created containing 2630 taxa. The checklist comprises 1384 native taxa including archaeophytes and 1246 neophytes. In total, 699 taxa (26.6%) are defined for food and forage use. A list of 144 CWR priority species with 135 native species and archaeophytes and 9 naturalized species was generated. In total, 53 genera of food and forage species belonging to 15 families are represented by the priority CWR. Two approaches for CWR genetic reserve selection have been employed in this study: (1) CWR-targeted evaluation of preselected sites, including Natura 2000 sites, national protected areas, and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), such as ancient hillfort sites and ecological protection zones of water bodies; (2) analysis of large georeferenced plant databases. Forty-five potential genetic reserve sites have been selected by the first approach covering 83 species or 57.6% of the national CWR priority list. With the second approach, the in situ CWR National Inventory database has been created by combining data from the Database of EU habitat mapping in Lithuania (BIGIS), Herbarium Database of the Nature Research Centre (BILAS), Lithuanian Vegetation Database (EU-LT-001), and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Hotspot analysis of CWR species richness and number of observations suggested that higher CWR diversity is more likely to be found in protected areas. However, Shannon diversity and Shannon equitability indices showed that the areas outside of the protected areas are also suitable for CWR genetic reserve establishment. Full article

Human activities have resulted in severe habitat degradation and fragmentation at a global scale. Despite this scenario, some carnivore species that adapted to the new conditions are expanding, leading to close coexistence with humans and the emergence of potential conflicts. In this work, we used a European wildcat (Felis silvestris) observations database of more than 350 sightings over 17 years in NW Spain to build suitability models based on environmental, topographic, climatic, and human impact variables. MaxEnt was used to analyse the availability of suitable habitats for the species at a regional scale. Our results showed that less than one third of the suitable area for the species had confirmed wildcat presence. Elevation, the percentage of forested area, and footpath density were the three main variables conditioning wildcat presence, with the first two variables having positive effects and footpath density negatively affecting wildcat presence. The selection of high areas and forest areas by the species seems to be related to food availability, while the avoidance of footpaths seems to be related to the fact that main mortality causes are linked to human disturbances. The results enhance the understanding of the European wildcat ecology and provide insight into potential management plans to ensure the conservation of one of the main populations of the species throughout its range. Full article

Soil degradation in Europe is mostly represented by soil erosion that, as a sediment production mechanism, is the main environmental threat to many watersheds, including the Bovilla watershed (Tirana), useful for the supply of drinking water to the city, and therefore, the care of water quality is of particular interest. The soil erosion of the Bovilla watershed was monitored in a work set up in June 2017. Following this work, this research updates the previous data on soil loss at the Bovilla watershed in t/ha/year to September 2019 and focuses on the identification and monetary evaluation of the ecosystem services (ESs) linked to soil erosion (loss of carbon, loss of mineral elements, habitat quality, crop productivity, and sustainable tourism suitability). Then, we applied the replacement cost analysis to test the economic convenience and suggest the adoption of sustainable land management practices (e.g., reforestation) able to improve the quality water in this watershed. The study carried out demonstrates that the values of soil lost due to erosion vary depending on the type of land use (ranging from average values of 120.32 t/ha for bare land to values of 8.16 t/ha for wooded areas). Furthermore, from the application of monetary methods for the evaluation of some ecosystem services linked to erosion (loss of carbonaceous and mineral elements, habitat quality, productivity, suitability for sustainable tourism), it clearly emerges that the value of the productivity of agricultural crops varies from EUR 0 to 35,320.50/ha and that the service represents a more incisive service than the previous ones, so much so as to make the conversion of some agricultural land with high productivity values into wooded areas economically disadvantageous. The data from this study may help to develop Bovilla watershed management strategies for erosion and pollution control and sediment remediation mainly in agricultural lands. A program of measures can be effective for controlling soil erosion, but it must be implemented over long time frames, and it requires relevant investments from the public and private sectors, also with a view to increase the allocation of economic values of monetary compensation aimed at those who decide to start forestation projects on highly productive soils. Full article

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) is a dioecious, anemophilous, and drought-resistant fruit tree species. It is cultivated in new Mediterranean areas, including the regions of southern Italy (Apulia and Basilicata). It has been estimated that over 40,000 ha are suitable for pistachio cultivation in areas infected by Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca. As a newly introduced species, knowledge of its biological reproductive behaviors in its new areas of spreading is essential for appropriate agronomic planning and management. This two-year study (2022 and 2023), carried out in the countryside of Stigliano (MT, Italy), had the objective of evaluating the flowering phenograms, pollen production, and assessing protocols for the conservation and extension of pollen viability, of the most widespread cultivars. A slight delay was observed in the blooming phenograms, compared to other cultivation Mediterranean areas, such as Spain or Sicily. Furthermore, the overlap between female and male phenograms was partial. No significant differences were observed in the polliniferous aptitude of the two male cultivars. Among the different protocols tested, the pollen storage at 33% relative humidity and a temperature of −80 °C maintained the pollen germinability above 50% for up to three weeks. These findings highlight the importance of controlled environmental conditions in preserving pollen viability over extended periods, providing valuable insights for agricultural and botanical research that relies on maintaining pollen viability for breeding and genetic studies. Full article

Exploration of the pollution status of river-based water sources is important to ensure quality and safe drinking water supply for the public. The present study investigated physicochemical parameters of surface water in the upper segment of River Mahaweli, which provides drinking water to the Nuwara Eliya and Kandy districts of Sri Lanka. River surface water from 15 intakes and treated water from 14 Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) were tested for pH, water temperature, turbidity, EC, COD, 6 anions, 21 cations, 3 pesticides, and 30 antibiotics once every 3 months from June 2022 to July 2023. Except for turbidity and iron concentrations, all other parameters were within the permissible range as per the Sri Lanka Standard Specification for Potable Water (SLS 614:2013). The uppermost Kotagala WTP raw water had a high concentration of iron due to runoff from areas with abundant iron-bearing minerals. Turbidity increased as the river flowed downstream, reaching its highest value of 13.43 NTU at the lowermost Haragama. Four intakes had raw surface water suitable for drinking as per the Water Quality Index (WQI). Pollution increased gradually towards downstream mainly due to agricultural runoff, industrial effluents, and urbanization. Poor water quality at the upstream Thalawakale-Nanuoya intake was due to highly contaminated effluent water coming from Lake Gregory in Nuwara Eliya. Cluster analysis categorized WTP locations in the river segment into 3 clusters as low, moderate, and high based on contaminations. Principal component analysis revealed that the significance of the 41.56% variance of the raw water was due to the pH and the presence of heavy metals V, Cr, Ni, Rb, Co, Sr, and As. All treated water from 15 WTPs had very good to excellent quality. In general, heavy metal contamination was low as indicated by the heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and heavy metal evaluation index (HEI). The treatment process could remove up to 94.7% of the turbidity. This is the first attempt to cluster the river catchment of the Mahaweli River based on physicochemical parameters of river water. We present here the land-use pattern-based pollution of the river and efficacy of the water treatment process using the Mahaweli River Basin as a case study. Regular monitoring and treatment adjustments at identified points are recommended to maintain the delivery of safe drinking water. Full article

Türkiye is one of the first regions where olives were domesticated, and olives reflect the country’s millennia-old agricultural and cultural heritage. Moreover, Türkiye is one of the leading nations in olive and olive oil production in terms of quality and diversity. This study aims to determine the current and future distribution areas of olives, which is important for Türkiye’s socio-economic structure. For this purpose, 19 different bioclimatic variables, such as annual mean temperature (Bio1), temperature seasonality (Bio4), and annual precipitation (Bio12), have been used. The RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios of the CCSM4 model were used for future projections (2050 and 2070). MaxEnt software, which uses the principle of maximum entropy, was employed to determine the current and future habitat areas of the olives. Currently and in the future, it is understood that the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara, and Black Sea coastlines have areas with potential suitability for olives. However, the model projections indicate that the species may shift from south to north and to higher elevations in the future. Analyses indicate that the Aegean Region is the most sensitive area and that a significant portion of habitats in the Marmara Region will remain unaffected by climate change. Full article

A key research focus at present is the exploration and innovation of electrode materials suitable for energy storage and conversion. Molybdenum-based sulfides/selenides (primarily MoS₂ and MoSe₂) have garnered attention in recent years due to their intrinsic two-dimensional structures, which are conducive to ion/electron transfer or insertion/extraction, making them promising candidates in electrocatalytic hydrogen production and sodium-ion battery applications. However, their inherently poor electronic structures have led most research efforts to concentrate on modifications aimed at enhancing their performance in hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Owing to their remarkable chemical inertness, expansive specific surface areas, and tunable pore architectures, carbon-based materials have garnered significant attention in research. The utilization of biomass as a renewable and environmentally sustainable precursor offers considerable benefits, including abundant availability, ecological compatibility, and cost-effectiveness. Consequently, recent scholarly endeavors have concentrated intensively on the synthesis of valuable carbon materials derived from renewable biomass sources. This review addresses the scientific challenges related to the development of electrode materials for HERs and SIBs in electrochemical energy storage and conversion. It delves into the recent focus on the two-dimensional transition-metal chalcogenides, particularly MoS₂ and MoSe₂, and the difficulties encountered in modulating their electronic structures when applied to HERs and SIBs. The review proposes the use of eco-friendly and widely sourced biomass-derived carbon (BMC) as a supporting matrix combined with MoS₂ and MoSe₂ to regulate their structures and enhance their electrocatalytic activity and sodium storage performance. Additionally, it highlights the existing challenges faced by these BMC/MoS₂ and BMC/MoSe₂ composites and offers insights into future developments. Full article

Cyrtotrachelus buqueti Guer is a major pest affecting bamboo forests economically, causing significant damage to bamboo forests in Sichuan Province, China. To understand how C. buqueti responds to future climate conditions, an optimized Maximum Entropy Model (Maxent) was used to simulate the potential global distribution patterns of C. buqueti under current climate conditions and three different future climate scenarios and to analyze the dominant factors influencing its distribution. The results indicate that Bio18 (precipitation of the warmest quarter), Bio04 (temperature seasonality), Bio06 (minimum temperature of the coldest month), and Bio02 (mean diurnal temperature range) are the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of this species. The global area of high-suitability habitats for C. buqueti is 9.00 × 10⁴ km², primarily distributed in China. Under three different future climate scenarios, there are varying degrees of expansion in both the total suitable habitat and the medium-suitability areas for C. buqueti. Under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, the medium-suitability area of the species increases the most, reaching 9.83 × 10⁴ km². Additionally, these findings can serve as a reference for developing and implementing control strategies, assisting relevant authorities in more effectively managing and controlling this pest, and mitigating its potential threats to bamboo forest ecosystems and economies. Full article

Semiconducting metal oxides are widely used for solar cells, photo-catalysis, bio-active materials and gas sensors. Besides the material properties of the semiconductor being used, the specific surface topology of the sensors determines device performance. This study presents different approaches for increasing the sensing area of semiconducting metal oxide gas sensors. Micro- and nanopatterned laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) are generated on silicon, Si/SiO₂ and glass substrates. The surface morphologies of the fabricated samples are examined by FE SEM. We selected the nanostructuring and characterization of nanostructured source Ni/Au and Ti/Au films prepared on glass using laser ablation as the most suitable of the investigated approaches. Surface structures produced on glass by backside ablation provide 100 nm features with a high surface area; they are also transparent and have high resistivity. The value of the hydrogen sensitivity in the range concentrations from 100 to 500 ppm was recorded using transmittance measurements to be twice as great for the nanostructured target TiO₂/Au as compared to the NiO/Au. It was found that such transparent materials present additional possibilities for producing optical gas sensors. Full article

In mountain environments, landslide activity can be assessed through a combination of remote and proximal sensing techniques performed at different scales. The complementarity of methods and the synergistic use of data can be crucial for landslide recognition and monitoring. This paper explored the potential of Multi-Temporal Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (MT-DInSAR) to detect and monitor slope deformations at the basin scale in a catchment area of the Northern Apennines (Italy) and verified the consistency between the landslide classification by the Inventory of Landslide Phenomena in Italy (IFFI) and displacements from the SAR data. In this research, C- and X-band SAR were considered to provide insights into the performances and suitability of sensors operating at different frequencies. This study provides clues about the state of activity of slow-moving landslides and critically assessed its contribution to the IFFI inventory update. Moreover, it demonstrated the benefits of the synergistic use of SAR and geomorphological analysis to investigate slope dynamics in clayey terrains by exemplifying the approach for a relevant case study, the Gaiato landslide. Notwithstanding the widespread use of MT-DInSAR for landslide kinematics investigations, the main limiting factors are discussed along with the expected improvements related to the upcoming new generations of L-band SAR satellites. Full article