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Recent studies in snowmelt-dominated catchments have documented changes in nitrogen (N) retention over time, such as declines in watershed exports of N, though there is a limited understanding of the controlling processes driving these trends. Working in the mountainous headwater East River Colorado watershed, we explored the effects of riparian hollows as N-cycling hotspots and as important small-scale controls on observed watershed trends. Using a modeling-based approach informed by remote sensing and in situ observations, we simulated the N-retention capacity of riparian hollows with seasonal and yearly hydrobiogeochemical perturbations imposed as drivers. We then implemented a scaling approach to quantify the relative contribution of riparian hollows to the total river corridor N budget. We found that riparian hollows primarily serve as N sinks, with N-transformation rates significantly limited by periods of enhanced groundwater upwelling and promoted at the onset of rainfall events. Given these observed hydrologic controls, we expect that the nitrate (NO3-) sink capacity of riparian hollows will increase in magnitude with future climatic perturbations, specifically the shift to more frequent rainfall events and fewer snowmelt events, as projected for many mountainous headwater catchments. Our current estimates suggest that while riparian hollows provision ~5–20% of NO3- to the river network, they functionally act as inhibitors to upland NO3- reaching the stream. Our work linking transient hydrological conditions to numerical biogeochemical simulations is an important step in assessing N-retaining features relative to the watershed N budget and better understanding the role of small-scale features within watersheds.

The pace and scope of digital innovation targeting the real estate industry has intensified over the past decade. This article is therefore concerned with the digitization of the residential real estate industry, and how critical housing scholars might shape a research agenda on this transformation. We set out platform logic, digital labor, and financialization as a conceptual vocabulary for studying new digital modalities of real estate practice. Platform logic highlights questions of power and politics relating to the data collection capacities potentially obscured by platforms’ convenience and ease of use. Digital labor points to how platform real estate may change relationships among incumbent real estate professionals, investors and property owners, and tenants and residents. Financialization shifts the focus to how digital platforms participate in the contemporary political economy of housing. The article concludes with an agenda for critical housing research on digital real estate platforms.

Virtual reality (VR) simulation training for helicopter search and rescues (SAR) hoist operators is very uncommon in comparison to the availability of pilot simulation training. SAR hoist operators control winch systems for hoisting objects or people during helicopter flight. Using a rear crew helicopter VR training simulator we sought to quantify hoist operator performance and validate this system by showing that experienced SAR hoist operators and novices hoist differently. We recruited 12 military SARs and 11 persons without hoisting experience and examined their performance in moderate wind conditions over two landscapes, ocean and land. Experienced operators were not affected by environment, completed missions faster than novices, made fewer velocity adjustments, and demonstrated better cable management. These variables can now be used as sources of feedback to train novice hoist operators. Since there were differences between performances of experienced and novice hoist operators we have established construct validity of the simulator.

Leeches and oligochaetes comprise a monophyletic group of annelids, the Clitellata, whose reproduction is characterized by simultaneous hermaphroditism. While most clitellate species reproduce by cross-fertilization, self-fertilization has been described within the speciose genus Helobdella. Here we document the reproductive life histories and reproductive capacities for three other Helobdella species. Under laboratory conditions, both H. robusta and H. octatestisaca exhibit uniparental reproduction, apparently reflecting self-fertility, and suggesting that this trait is ancestral for the genus. However, the third species, H. austinensis, seems incapable of reproduction by self-fertilization, so we inferred its reproductive life history by analyzing reproduction in breeding cohorts. Comparing the reproductive parameters for H. robusta reproducing in isolation and in cohorts revealed that reproduction in cohorts is dramatically delayed with respect to that of isolated individuals, and that cohorts of leeches coordinate their cocoon deposition in a manner that is not predicted from the reproductive parameters of individuals reproducing in isolation. Finally, our comparisons of reproductive capacity for individuals versus cohorts for H. robusta, and between different sizes of cohorts for H. austinensis, reveal differences in resource allocation between male and female reproductive roles that are consistent with evolutionary theory.

R18‐14147 (Reg. no. GP‐528, PI 705143) is a high‐protein conventional soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasm of maturity group Mid‐IV developed and released by the University of Arkansas System – Division of Agriculture Research & Extension in 2023. The germplasm is an F3:4 selection from the cross LG10‐3671‐1 × R09‐430. Plants of R18‐14147 have an indeterminate growth habit with purple flowers, gray pubescence, brown pod wall, and imperfect black hilum. Across 28 environments in Arkansas (2019–2022), R18‐14147 yield averaged 4482 kg ha−1, with broad adaptability and yield stability. Seed of R18‐14147 contains on average 429 g kg−1 and 191 g kg−1 of protein and oil on a dry weight basis, respectively, and seed weight is 15.2 g 100 seeds−1. The average seed protein content of this line is 8%–27% higher than the average protein content of the check cultivars used in various trials to evaluate R18‐14147. Additionally, R18‐14147 has been identified as resistant to stem canker. R18‐14147 presents soybean growers in the mid‐southern United States with a promising germplasm alternative combining high yield potential and elevated seed protein content for alternative crop rotation in herbicide‐tolerant cultivar systems, offering potentially seed‐saving cost benefits and serving as a valuable germplasm for new cultivar development. Core Ideas: R18‐14147 is a high‐protein soybean genotype that can support the growing market for plant‐based protein.R18‐14147 is a non‐GMO genotype with improved economically important traits that can maximize profit for growers.R18‐14147 is a well‐adapted germplasm that can be important in pre‐breeding activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current systematics of the large branchiopod crustaceans are reviewed in relation to other crustacean groups and from class to genus level. Calmanostraca and Diplostraca are raised to superorder, and †Kazacharthra and Notostraca are both treated as orders. Problems and needs regarding the systematics of large branchiopods are presented and discussed, with suggestions for moving forward, stressing the need for modern methods and defensible taxonomic definitions. Subdividing taxonomic categories may or may not be warranted, but should never be based on only one gene, or on limited taxon sampling. Furthermore, splitting species out as new genera, when the original genus is poorly defined can only lead to future problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Water phantoms are required to perform reference dosimetry and beam quality measurements but there are no published studies about the size requirements for such phantoms. Purpose: To investigate, using Monte Carlo techniques, the size requirements for water phantoms used in reference dosimetry and/or to measure the beam quality specifiers %dd(10)x$\%dd(10)_{\sf x}$ and TPR1020$TPR^{20}_{10}$. Methods: The EGSnrc application DOSXYZnrc is used to calculate D(10)$D(10)$, the dose per incident fluence at 10 cm depth in a water phantom irradiated by incident 10×10cm2$10\,\times \,10 \, {\rm {cm}}^{2}$ beams of 60Co$^{60}{\rm {Co}}$ or 6 MV photons. The water phantom dimensions are varied from 30×30×40cm3$30 \,\times \, 30 \,\times \, 40 \, {\rm {cm}}^3$ to 15×15×22cm3$15 \,\times \, 15 \,\times \, 22 \, {\rm {cm}}^3$ and occasionally smaller. The %dd(10)x$\%dd(10)_{\sf x}$ and TPR1020$TPR^{20}_{10}$ values are also calculated with care being taken to distinguish TPR1020$TPR^{20}_{10}$ results when using Method A (changing depth of water in phantom) and Method B (moving entire phantom). Typical statistical uncertainties are 0.03%. Results: Phantom dimensions have only minor effects for phantoms larger than 20×20×25cm3$20 \,\times \, 20 \,\times \, 25 \, {\rm {cm}}^3$. A table of corrections to the dose at 10 cm depth in 10×10cm2$10 \,\times \, 10 \, {\rm {cm}}^{2}$ beams of 60Co$^{60}{\rm {Co}}$ or 6 MV photons are provided and range from no correction to 0.75% for a 60Co$^{60}{\rm {Co}}$ beam incident on a 20×20×15cm3$20 \,\times \, 20 \,\times \, 15 \, {\rm {cm}}^3$ phantom. There can be distinct differences in the TPR1020$TPR^{20}_{10}$ values measured using Method A or Method B, especially for smaller phantoms. It is explicitly demonstrated that, within ±$\pm$ 0.15%, TPR1020$TPR^{20}_{10}$ values for a 30×30×30cm3$30 \,\times \, 30 \,\times \, 30 \, {\rm {cm}}^3$ phantom measured using Method A or B are independent of source detector distance between 40 and 200 cm. Conclusions: The phantom sizes recommended in the TG‐51 and IAEA TRS‐398 reference dosimetry protocols are adequate for accurate reference dosimetry and in some cases are even conservative. Correction factors are necessary for accurate measurement of the dose at 10 cm depth in smaller phantoms and these factors are provided. Very accurate beam quality specifiers are not required for reference dosimetry itself, but for specifying beam stability and characteristics it is important to specify phantom sizes and also the method used for TPR1020$TPR^{20}_{10}$ measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects are a promising source of high-quality protein, and the insect farming industry will lead to higher sustainability when it overcomes scaling up, cost effectiveness, and automation. In contrast to insect farming (raising and breeding insects as livestock), wild insect harvesting (collecting agricultural insect pests), may constitute a simple sustainable animal protein supplementation strategy. For wild harvest to be successful sufficient insect biomass needs to be collected while simultaneously avoiding the collection of nontarget insects. We assessed the performance of the USDA Biomass Harvest Trap (USDA-BHT) device to collect flying insect biomass and as a mosquito surveillance tool. The USDA-BHT device was compared to other suction traps commonly used for mosquito surveillance (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light traps, Encephalitis virus surveillance traps, and Biogents Sentinel traps). The insect biomass harvested in the USDA-BHT was statistically higher than the one harvested in the other traps, however the mosquito collections between traps were not statistically significantly different. The USDA-BHT collected some beneficial insects, although it was observed that their collection was minimized at night. These findings coupled with the fact that sorting time to separate the mosquitoes from the other collected insects was significantly longer for the USDA-BHT, indicate that the use of this device for insect biomass collection conflicts with its use as an efficient mosquito surveillance tool. Nevertheless, the device efficiently collected insect biomass, and thus can be used to generate an alternative protein source for animal feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision mobile drip irrigation (MDI) describes the application of water through surface drip irrigation lines that are dragged by center pivot or linear move. MDI has the potential to greatly reduce water losses due to wind drift, soil water evaporation, and canopy evaporation. Two studies were conducted with the following objectives: (1) compare soil water evaporation under MDI and LESA; (2) assess soil water redistribution under MDI; (3) compare end-of-season profile soil water under MDI and LESA at two irrigation capacities 3.1 and 6.2 mm/day and to investigate design objectives that were implemented to overcome problems of earlier MDI designs. The experiments were conducted in western Kansas. Soil water evaporation was 35% lower under MDI. There was adequate redistribution of soil water in the subsurface. End-of-season soil water was significantly higher (p = 0.001) under MDI compared to LESA at the 3.1 mm/day irrigation capacity. Statistical uniformity of MDI was good ranging between 85 and 90%. The MDI system prevented deep wheel tracks and its redesign eliminated emitter clogging and reduced the frequency of the drip lines moving into the crop. The ability to better manage MDI due to design changes and its demonstration of superior performance in reducing soil water evaporation under limited canopy cover suggests that the system has the potential to enhance crop water productivity in a water-limited environment.

Species are fundamental units of nature that need proper identification in order to assess and conserve biodiversity. Artemia is a model crustacean for population analysis and comparison in regionally endemic sexual species and parthenogenetic lineages distributed in hypersaline lakes, lagoons, and solar saltworks scattered in arid and semi-arid areas worldwide. The taxonomy of two American Artemia species has been controversial: Artemia monica Verrill, 1869 , adapted to the carbonate-rich conditions of Mono Lake (CA, USA), and Artemia franciscana Kellogg, 1906 , a species broadly distributed in the Americas. The former species has been studied little, despite being listed as threatened in the IUCN Red List. In contrast, the latter has been studied extensively, is broadly distributed in the Americas, and has become established as a non-native invasive species in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Given the need to conserve A. monica , the intraspecific diversity of invasive A. franciscana , and the local species in areas invaded by this species, we reconsider their biodiversity and taxonomic status currently threatened by synonymization. In conclusion, A. monica and A. franciscana should be treated as two separate species that are isolated both ecologically and reproductively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypersaline lakes in arid and semi-arid areas are unique ecosystems that harbour unique extremophile organisms such as Artemia , the paradigmatic example of adaptation to harsh living conditions. We assessed the mitogenomic biodiversity of Artemia species from the Tibetan Plateau, China, a remote and yet minimally disturbed ecosystem with a variety of hypersaline lakes. Analysis of ten Tibetan salt lakes demonstrated the occurrence of two regionally endemic species, Artemia tibetiana and Artemia sorgeloosi , with the latter being the dominant species with eight localities. Both species coexist in Jingyu and Jibu lakes, representing the first case of natural distribution overlap between sexual Artemia species. Artemia sorgeloosi exhibits higher genetic diversity and interpopulation differences, a result consistent with the heterogeneity of local salt lakes, local Artemia population demographics, and their adaptive potentials. Significant F ST values demonstrate a gene flow barrier between A. sorgeloosi populations that is compatible with an 'island biogeography' distribution pattern, making the Tibetan Plateau a sort of natural laboratory to study intraspecific population differences. Artemia sorgeloosi and the exotic Artemia franciscana were found coexisting in Yangnapen Lake, demonstrating the ability of this invasive species to colonize high-altitude inland habitats, and the need to monitor its presence and eventual expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]