Search

With the advancement of global civilisation, monitoring and managing dumpsites have become essential parts of environmental governance in various countries. Dumpsite locations are difficult to obtain in a timely manner by local government agencies and environmental groups. The World Bank shows that governments need to spend massive labour and economic costs to collect illegal dumpsites to implement management. Here we show that applying novel deep convolutional networks to high-resolution satellite images can provide an effective, efficient, and low-cost method to detect dumpsites. In sampled areas of 28 cities around the world, our model detects nearly 1000 dumpsites that appeared around 2021. This approach reduces the investigation time by more than 96.8% compared with the manual method. With this novel and powerful methodology, it is now capable of analysing the relationship between dumpsites and various social attributes on a global scale, temporally and spatially.

Background Anterior shoulder instability is frequent among young athletes. Surgical treatment for this injury aims to facilitate an early return to sports (RTS). However, the rate of recurrent instability after surgery is reportedly high among young patients, and it is unclear whether surgery ensures satisfactory RTS. The purpose of this study was to verify the clinical outcomes and RTS after arthroscopic Bankart repair in competitive teenage athletes without critical bone loss in the glenoid. Methods We retrospectively reviewed competitive teenage athletes who underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair. Patients with large bony defects in the glenoid, larger than 20% of the healthy side, were excluded. Clinical outcomes, recurrent instability, the final level of RTS, and the time needed for RTS were analyzed. Results In total, 50 patients with a mean follow-up period of 44.5 ± 19.6 (range, 24–85 months) months were included. The mean age at surgery was 16.8 ± 1.7 (range, 13–19 years) years. Two patients (4.0%) experienced recurrent instability. All patients returned to sports, 96% of patients participated competitively, and 76% achieved a complete return to the pre-injury level without any complaints. The time for RTS was 6.6 ± 2.7 months (range, 3–18 months), to competitions was 9.3 ± 4.0 (range, 6–24 months) months, and to complete return was 10.6 ± 4.3 (range, 8–24 months) months. The complete return rates varied by sports type, with 82% in contact athletes, 59% in dominant-hand overhead athletes, and 100% in other athletes (P = 0.026). Other preoperative factors or concomitant lesion such as bony Bankart, superior labrum tear, or humeral avulsion of glenohumeral ligament lesion did not affect the complete RTS. Conclusion Arthroscopic Bankart repair is an effective surgical procedure for anterior shoulder instability, even among competitive teenage athletes. Sports type was the only factor associated with complete RTS after surgery.

Laurencia catarinensis (Ceramiales, Rhodomelaceae) has a high diversity of secondary metabolites such as acetogenin and halogenated terpenoids, with biological activities. We tested different combinations of auxins and cytokinins to evaluate their effects on the growth, total soluble proteins, pigments, and carbohydrates of L. catarinensis with the aim of improving the culture techniques of this species. To accomplish this, algae were cultivated in seawater enriched with quarter strength of von Stosch solution (VSES/4) with the addition of plant growth regulators (PGRs), and the treatment control without PGRs addition. The auxins tested were indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and cytokinins were benzylaminopurine (BA) and 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP), in the following combinations: IAA:BA, IAA:2iP, 2,4-D:BA, and 2,4-D:2iP, in the concentrations of 5:5, 5:50, 50:5, and 50:50 μM for each auxin:cytokinin combination. Addition of PGRs had significant effects on the growth rates of L. catarinensis, which varied from 7.62 ± 0.12% to 9.30 ± 0.55% day−1. The highest growth rates were observed in treatments with 5:5 μM of IAA:BA and 2,4-D:BA, and 50:5 μM of 2,4-D:2iP. Higher contents of total soluble proteins were observed in treatments with 50:50 μM of IAA:BA and 2,4-D:BA. The auxin:cytokinin combinations inhibited allophycocyanin contents, but did not affect chlorophyll a and carbohydrate concentrations. Therefore, supplementation of auxins and cytokinins, especially the IAA:BA and 2,4-D:BA combinations, is useful approach to stimulate growth rates or soluble protein contents of L. catarinensis, improving the cultivation of this species with high biotechnological potential.

The genus Hypnea (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) has currently 61 accepted species distributed in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions, growing in different habitats with a wide range of environmental factors and interactions with abiotic and biotic factors. Some Hypnea species are consumed by humans mostly in Asian and Indo-Pacific countries and are also exploited as raw material for kappa-carrageenan production, consequently, have been harvested and/or cultivated in several countries for decades. Hypnea musciformis has the widest geographical distribution around the world and it is the most studied species. However, more molecular studies on H. musciformis from different countries are necessary to understand the phenotypic plasticity and to reveal cryptic species. The present review is a compilation of information on taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, life history, distribution, ecology, physiology, cultivation and harvesting, chemical composition, and biotechnological applications. Although Hypnea species are well known as sources of carrageenans, reports on chemical diversity and biological activities highlight their remarkable potential for biotechnological applications.

Orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) are critical for seed germination and maintaining natural populations of orchids, yet the degree of specificity of most orchids to their mycorrhizal associates remains unknown. Many orchids are at risk of extinction, whether generalists or specialists, but orchid species of narrow fungal specificity are arguably under increased threat due to their requirement for specific fungal symbionts. This study characterises the fungi associated with Aerangis ellisii, a lithophytic orchid from a site in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. Culturable OMF isolated from spontaneous protocorms of this species from the wild were used for seed germination. In vitro germination and seedling development of A. ellisii were achieved with fungi derived from A. ellisii and an isolate from a different Aerangis species 30 km away. The significance of these findings and their importance to conservation strategies for this species and other Aerangis spp. is discussed. These results have important implications for the conservation of A. ellisii populations in Madagascar.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T16:40:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-01-01 Benthic marine algae, especially Rhodophyta, are within a well-known marine group able to produce secondary metabolites with bioactive properties. Among them are halogenated terpenes, synthesized by vanadium-dependent haloperoxidase (V-BPO). The red alga Ochtodes secundiramea (Montagne) M. Howe produces high amounts of halogenated monoterpenes (HMT) which have the potential to control phytopathogenic fungi. Culture closed a system is a tool used to manipulate conditions to increase the synthesis of HMT and other metabolites. The apical segments of O. secundiramea were cultivated in a bioreactor, either in seawater enriched with half strength von Stosch’s solution (VSES/2) without (control) and with the addition of 250 mg L−1 bromine (treatment). In response to these conditions, specific growth rate, HMT profile, soluble protein, phycobiliproteins, soluble carbohydrate, and chlorophyll as well as the V-BPO activity, uptake, and accumulated bromine within the biomass were evaluated. The treatment did not promote significant alterations in the growth but increased the V-BPO activity and bromine uptake and incorporation (2.5 fold). No changes in the HMT profiles of the extracts from both cultures conditions were observed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses, whereas the values of total soluble protein and phycobiliproteins were 2-fold higher in samples from the bromine-enriched medium when compared to samples from control. These results support the evidences of protective effects promoted by V-BPO activity. Furthermore, carbohydrate and chlorophyll contents were not affected by experimental conditions. These results provided new low-cost strategies that can be applied to increase of certain biomass components, which here are algal proteins, especially in Rhodophyta-based biotechnological industries for food and agriculture. Coordenadoria de Engenharia de Pesca Universidade Estadual Paulista—UNESP, Campus Experimental de Registro, Vila Tupi: Av. Nelson Brihi Badur, 430 Departamento de Bioquímica Instituto de Química da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748—Cidade Universitária Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ficologia Instituto de Botânica da Secretaria de Estado do Meio Ambiente, Av. Miguel Estefano, 3687, Água Funda Coordenadoria de Engenharia de Pesca Universidade Estadual Paulista—UNESP, Campus Experimental de Registro, Vila Tupi: Av. Nelson Brihi Badur, 430

The small size (

Extracts of brown algae are used commercially for agricultural crops due to their plant growth-promoting effects and they can also be applied to help improve seaweed cultivation. Gracilaria caudata is commercially exploited as a raw material for agar production in Brazil, and Laurencia catarinensis is a source of halogenated terpenoids with several biological activities. Investigations to understand the development of seaweeds of biotechnological interest are required in order to improve their cultivation and the sustainability for biomass production on an industrial scale. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of Ascophyllum/Acadian marine plant extract powder (AMPEP), a commercial, water-soluble extract of the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum, on the growth, branching development, and pigment content of G. caudata and L. catarinensis. Four concentrations of AMPEP (0, 0.1, 1.0, and 5.0 mg L−1) were added to sterilized seawater (seawater+AMPEP), and to a medium comprised of half-strength von Stosch solution (VSES/2+AMPEP). Experiments were performed under conditions of 23 ± 2 °C, a light:dark cycle of 14:10 h, salinity at 32 psu, and photon flux densities of 60 ± 10 μmol photons m−2 s−1. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, followed by a posteriori multiple comparison, Student-Newman-Keuls’ test. Treatments of seawater+AMPEP at concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 mg L−1 stimulated the growth rates of G. caudata when compared to the control. However, the effects of seawater+AMPEP and VSES/2+AMPEP on the branching architecture of the thalli were not significant for either species. Concentrations of phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, and chlorophyll-a in L. catarinensis were stimulated by the highest concentration of VSES/2+AMPEP (i.e., 5.0 mg L−1). This is the first study to report the stimulatory effect of AMPEP on the phycobiliprotein contents of selected red algae. Furthermore, seawater+AMPEP in concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 mg L−1 stimulated growth rates of G. caudata, which could be applied in its large-scale cultivation. The results obtained for G. caudata and L. catarinensis, an agar-producing and a terpenoid-producing species, respectively, contributed to extending the knowledge of the beneficial uses of a brown seaweed-derived extract with biostimulatory properties for use with cultivated, economically important red algae.

Gracilaria domingensis (Kutzing) Sonder ex Dickie is widely distributed in the Brazilian coast and is one of a few Gracilaria species with occurrence in the southern region of the country. Its commercial importance is in the use in human food (in natura) and knowledge of the physiology is fundamental to make its cultivation successful. The objectives of the present work were to determine the limits of tolerance to temperature and irradiance variations and to evaluate comparatively their effects on growth rates and contents of total soluble proteins and pigments in female gametophytes of G. domingensis from Brazilian tropical region (ES strain) and from subtropical region (SC strain). Variations in temperature (from 15 to 35 °C) and irradiance (from 20 to 250 μmol photons m−2 s−1) were tested. Both strains tolerated temperature variation from 15 to 30 °C, but died at 35 °C. The ES strain had higher growth rates (from 3.1 to 6.1% day−1) in relation to the SC strain (from 1.3 to 4.1% day−1), but the two strains had the highest growth rate at 25 °C. The ES strain had higher concentrations of total soluble proteins at low temperature (15 °C), while the SC strain showed higher protein concentrations at high temperatures (25 and 30 °C). In addition, the chlorophyll a concentration of the ES strain was higher at 20 °C and lower at 30 °C. The irradiance variation influenced the growth rates of the two strains (from 2.7 to 6.0% day−1) and the lowest growth rates were observed at irradiance of 20 μmol photons m−2 s−1 and the highest growth rates were observed at a wide range of irradiance variation (from 40 to 250, and from 60 to 250 μmol photons m−2 s−1 for SC and ES strains, respectively). The studied strains of G. domingensis showed higher concentrations of total soluble protein at low irradiances (20, 40, and 80 μmol photons m−2 s−1). The highest concentrations of phycoerythrin (423.0 μg g−1 FW) and phycocyanin (215.3 μg g−1 FW) were observed in the ES strain grown at low irradiance (40 μmol photons m−2 s−1). The chlorophyll a concentration of the two strains decreased with increased irradiance, indicating a photoacclimation. Our results showed that the tropical strain of G. domingensis has higher growth rates over a broader temperature range than the subtropical strain, which could be an advantageous feature for maricultural purposes.

Longitudinal growth data of children were analyzed to clarify the relationship between the timing of body mass index (BMI) rebound and obesity risk in later ages. Of 54 558 children born between April 2004 and March 2005 and longitudinally measured in April and October every year in the preschool period, 15 255 children were analyzed wherein no longitudinal measurement is missing after 1 year of age. BMI rebound age was determined as the age with smallest BMI value across longitudinal individual data after 1 year of age. Rebound age was compared between overweight and non-overweight groups. The subjects were divided into groups based on the timing of rebound. The sex- and age-adjusted mean of the BMI, height and weight s.d. scores for age group, along with 6 months weight and height gain, were compared among groups using analysis of covariance. Among those who were overweight at 66–71 months of age, BMI rebound age obtained at approximately 3 years of age was compared with the non-overweight group, whose BMI rebound age was utmost 66 months or later (P

Microbeam radiotherapy (MRT) is based on a spatial fractionation of synchrotron X-ray microbeams at the microscale level. Although the tissue-sparing effect (TSE) in response to non-uniform radiation fields was recognized more than one century ago, the TSE of MRT in the testes and its clinical importance for preventing male fertility remain to be determined. In this study, using the combination of MRT techniques and a unique ex vivo testes organ culture, we show, for the first time, the MRT-mediated TSE for the preservation of spermatogenesis. Furthermore, our high-precision microbeam analysis revealed that the survival and potential migration steps of the non-irradiated germ stem cells in the irradiated testes tissue would be needed for the effective TSE for spermatogenesis. Our findings indicated the distribution of dose irradiated in the testes at the microscale level is of clinical importance for delivering high doses of radiation to the tumor, while still preserving male fertility.

The present study characterizes the spatial distribution of seaweed diversity on eight islands from the South Shetlands based on an updated taxonomic survey, discussing the higher number of species compared with previous studies and the possible relationships with environmental parameters. Seaweeds were sampled in Deception, Livingston, Halfmoon, Robert, Nelson, King George, Penguin, and Elephant Islands during the austral summer between 2010 and 2013 in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones. The taxonomic analyses evaluated morphological characteristics, reproductive structures, and molecular features. Physicochemical parameters of seawater were also monitored using standard analytical methods. A total of 104 species of benthic marine algae were identified (28 Phaeophyceae, 24 Chlorophyta, and 52 Rhodophyta), ~82% of all seaweeds taxa described to Antarctica, including six new records previously recorded only at lower latitudes, four confirmed taxa, and two putative new species. Spatial variation in species diversity was observed among the collecting sites, and Livingston and King George Islands showed the highest diversity among the islands. Deception, an area with geothermal activity and intense tourism, was dominated by opportunistic and broadly distributed filamentous green algae. Antarctic macroalgae diversity was higher than in previous studies, most likely due to more efficient techniques of sampling, and combined taxonomical methods. However, changes in the biogeographical distribution or introduction of some taxa, resulting from anthropogenic activities and/or climate changes, should be considered. Therefore, the higher number of taxa and the new records reported in this study suggest the need for long-term monitoring in the area for conservation purposes.

The evacuation and disruption in housing caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and following nuclear radiation may have influenced child health in many respects. However, studies regarding longitudinal childhood growth are limited. Therefore, in this study we aimed to explore the influence of the earthquake on longitudinal changes in body mass index in preschool children.Participants were children from nursery schools who cooperated with the study in the Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. The exposed group consisted of children who experienced the earthquake during their preschool-age period (4-5 years old). The historical control group included children who were born 2 years earlier than the exposed children in the same prefectures. Trajectories regarding body mass index and prevalence of overweight/obesity were compared between the two groups using multilevel analysis. Differences in the changes in BMI between before and after the earthquake, and proportion of overweight/obesity was compared between the two groups. We also conducted subgroup analysis by defining children with specific personal disaster experiences within the exposed group.A total of 9722 children were included in the study. Children in the exposed group had higher body mass indices and a higher proportion of overweight after the earthquake than the control group. These differences were more obvious when confined to exposed children with specific personal disaster experiences.Children's growth and development-related health issues such as increased BMI after natural disasters should evoke great attention.

In this paper, we investigated the consistency of visual perception for the change of reflection images in an augmented reality setting. Reflection images with distortion and magnification were generated by changing the capture position of the environment map. Observers evaluated the distortion and magnification in reflection images where the reflected objects were arranged symmetrically or asymmetrically. Our results confirmed that the observers’ visual perception was more sensitive to changes in distortion than in magnification in the reflection images. Moreover, the asymmetrical arrangement of reflected objects effectively expands the acceptable range of distortion compared with the symmetrical arrangement.

It was proposed recently that different chiralities of the dark matter (DM) fermion under a broken dark U(1) gauge group can lead to distinguishable signatures at the LHC through shower patterns, which may reveal the mass origin of the dark sector. We study this subject further by examining the dark shower of two simplified models, the dubbed Chiral Model and the Vector Model. We derive a more complete set of collinear splitting functions with power corrections, specifying the helicities of the initial DM fermion and including the contribution from an extra degree of freedom, the dark Higgs boson. The dark shower is then implemented with these splitting functions, and the new features resulting from its correct modelling are emphasized. It is shown that the DM fermion chirality can be differentiated by measuring dark shower patterns, especially the DM jet energy profile, which is almost independent of the DM energy., Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures

Orchids, particularly terrestrial taxa, rely mostly on basidiomycete fungi in the Cantharellales and Sebacinales that trigger the process of seed germination and/or initiate the full development of the seedling. During the course of development, orchids may associate with the same fungus, or they may enlist other types of fungi for their developmental needs leading to resilience in a natural setting. This study examined in vitro seed germination and seedling developmental behavior of Cynorkis purpurea, a terrestrial orchid from the Central Highlands of Madagascar. This species is mostly restricted to gallery forests in the Itremo Massif, in moist substrate between rocks bordering streams. The main objective was to understand the influence of diverse mycorrhizal fungi on seed germination and further development of C. purpurea. The study aims to compare symbiotic versus asymbiotic germination and seedling development with seeds and fungi collected from a 13-km(2) area in the Itremo region. Seeds collected from the wild were sown with diverse orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) spanning 12 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in three genera (Tulasnella, Ceratobasidium, and Sebacina) acquired from different habitats. Treatments were assessed in terms of the percentage of germinated seeds and fully developed seedlings against those in asymbiotic control media treatments. Overall, OMF significantly improved seedling development within the 12-week experiment period. Sebacina as a genus was the most effective at promoting seedling development of C. purpurea, as well as having the ability to enter into successful symbiotic relationships with orchids of different life forms; this new knowledge may be especially useful for orchid conservation practiced in tropical areas like Madagascar. A Sebacina isolate from an epiphytic seedling of Polystachya concreta was the most effective at inducing rapid seedling development and was among the five that outperformed fungi isolated from roots of C. purpurea. C. purpurea was found to be a mycorrhizal generalist, despite its specific habitat preference, highlighting the complex interaction between the plant, fungi, and the environment. The potential impact on conservation strategies of understanding the requirements for orchid seed germination and development by identifying and using OMF from diverse sources is discussed in detail.

Standard video does not capture the 3D aspect of human motion, which is important for comprehension of motion that may be ambiguous. In this paper, we apply augmented reality (AR) techniques to give viewers insight into 3D motion by allowing them to manipulate the viewpoint of a motion sequence of a human actor using a handheld mobile device. The motion sequence is captured using a single RGB-D sensor, which is easier for a general user, but presents the unique challenge of synthesizing novel views using images captured from a single viewpoint. To address this challenge, our proposed system reconstructs a 3D model of the actor, then uses a combination of the actor's pose and viewpoint similarity to find appropriate images to texture it. The system then renders the 3D model on the mobile device using visual SLAM to create a map in order to use it to estimate the mobile device's camera pose relative to the original capturing environment. We call this novel view of a moving human actor a reenactment, and evaluate its usefulness and quality with an experiment and a survey.

This paper describes a framework for aerial imaging of high dynamic range (HDR) scenes for use in virtual reality applications, such as immersive panorama applications and photorealistic superimposition of virtual objects using image-based lighting. We propose a complete and practical system to acquire full spherical HDR images from the sky, using two omnidirectional cameras mounted above and below an unmanned aircraft. The HDR images are generated by combining multiple omnidirectional images captured with different exposures controlled automatically. Our system consists of methods for image completion, alignment, and color correction, as well as a novel approach for automatic exposure control, which selects optimal exposure so as to avoid banding artifacts. Experimental results indicated that our system generated better spherical images compared to an ordinary spherical image completion system in terms of naturalness and accuracy. In addition to proposing an imaging method, we have carried out an experiment about display methods for aerial HDR immersive panoramas utilizing spherical images acquired by the proposed system. The experiment demonstrated HDR imaging is beneficial to immersive panorama using an HMD, in addition to ordinary uses of HDR images.

The activities of bioactive compounds can be influenced by countless factors, including post-collection sample treatment. In this study, the activities of Ochtodes secundiramea extracts obtained using different processes are compared; the biomass was macerated immediately, lyophilized in liquid nitrogen, or dried in an oven at 50 °C after collection. The chemical profiles of the extracts were evaluated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and their biological activities were assessed using qualitative and quantitative bioautography thin-layer chromatography (TLC) assays against phytopathogenic fungi. Preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to isolate the major compound observed in semi-quantitative (CG-MS). The biomass processing methods were shown to influence the chemical profiles of the extracts that promote the oxidation of halogenated monoterpenes; however, C10H15Br2Cl was the major compound identified in all of the extracts regardless of the preparation method used. Similarly, changes in qualitative antifungal activity were observed depending on the preparation method, even though the minimum amount of material required for the inhibition of fungal growth (the activity detection limit) was 5 μg in all cases. The activity detection limits for the HPLC-purified majority compound were 5 and 10 μg against Cladosporium sphaerospermum and Colletotrichum lagenarium, respectively; these values are similar to those obtained for the crude extracts. These results point towards the possibility of using these crude extracts for the control of anthracnose in cucumbers post-harvest.

Bioinvasion events causing serious environmental damage have been a concern with the mariculture of Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex P.C. Silva, suggesting the importance of studying the biological aspects of drifting specimens of K. alvarezii for monitoring programs. The present study aims to evaluate the tolerance and growth of drifting color variants of K. alvarezii under different temperatures and salinities to determine their physiological capacity for growing outside cultivation rafts. Drifting color variants were collected in Paraiba State, Brazil, in November 2011(dry month) and August 2012 (rainy month), and cultivated in the laboratory under different temperatures (20, 24, 28, and 32 °C) and salinities (15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 psu). Growth rates as well as pigment and protein contents were determined. Results showed that drifting specimens collected in the dry month showed higher tolerance to variation in temperature (20 to 28 °C) and salinity (25 to 35 psu) than drifting specimens collected in the rainy month. Higher growth rates occurred in samples cultured at 20 and 24 °C (2.8–3 % day−1) and 25 to 35 psu (3.4–3.5 % day−1), suggesting temperature and salinity optima. Higher phycobiliprotein levels were observed in the red and brown variants under hypersaline conditions (45 and 55 psu). Higher chlorophyll a contents were associated with samples cultivated at 20–24 °C and 24–35 psu. Based on the results of the present study, drifting specimens collected in dry month are more tolerant to temperature and salinity variations, suggesting that the drifting K. alvarezii should be monitored especially during this period to prevent its establishment outside the cultivation rafts and dispersion along the northeastern coast of Brazil.