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Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To sustain recreational hunting participation, we need to identify what makes a hunting experience satisfying. Merely identifying which factors are important to hunter satisfaction may be insufficient, however, as factor importance could vary across consecutive hunting seasons. Using online surveys, completed by individuals who hunted upland game in Nebraska, USA, from 2018 to 2022, we applied importance grid analysis (IGA) and penalty–reward contrast analysis (PRCA) to examine how activity‐specific factors influenced satisfaction across 5 consecutive hunting seasons. Results suggested consistent differences between the explicit (perceived importance) and implicit (performance) importance of factors for each hunting season. Factors related to seeing birds and harvest held greater implicit importance than expected based on explicit importance ratings (τ > 0.55, P < 0.05), whereas factors relating to access and other hunters held relatively lower implicit importance (τ < 0.31, P < 0.05). The PRCA method consistently identified seeing game birds as a minimum requirement to upland game hunting (penalty β < −0.26, P < 0.01). However, factors relating to harvest, access, and other hunters emerged as important only within certain seasons. Using IGA and PRCA provided valuable insights about the importance of hunters seeing game birds, and how aspects of different hunting seasons may improve satisfaction for hunters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to accurately model the machine-lunar soil simulant interaction, this study combined physical and simulation experiments to calibrate the discrete element simulation parameters of the JLU-H lunar highland simulant. First, the intrinsic parameters and the true angle of repose of the JLU-H were determined through physical tests to provide data for subsequent simulation tests. A Plackett-Burman test was designed to identify and select the parameters that have a significant effect on the angle of repose. The range of values of the significant parameters was then optimized using the steepest climb test. The Box-Behnken test was then utilized to calibrate and obtain the optimal parameter combinations. Finally, a validation test of the angle of repose was conducted using the calibrated DEM parameters. The relative error between the simulation results and the test results was 1.54 %. Then further straight shear tests were conducted to verify the accuracy and validity of the DEM parameters. The results show that the calibrated parameters can provide a reference for the selection of discrete element simulation parameters for lunar soil simulant and the design and optimization of drilling and excavation machinery for lunar exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a sizable (n = 34) whole-genome dataset on Armenians, a population inhabiting the region in West Asia known as the Armenian highlands. Equipped with this genetic data, we conducted a whole-genome study of Armenians and deciphered their fine-scale population structure and complex demographic history. We demonstrated that the Armenian populations from western, central, and eastern parts of the highlands are relatively homogeneous. The Sasun, a population in the south that had been argued to have received a major genetic contribution from Assyrians, was instead shown to have derived its slightly divergent genetic profile from a bottleneck that occurred in the recent past. We also investigated the debated question on the genetic origin of Armenians and failed to find any significant support for historical suggestions by Herodotus of their Balkan-related ancestry. We checked the degree of continuity of modern Armenians with ancient inhabitants of the eastern Armenian highlands and detected a genetic input into the region from a source linked to Neolithic Levantine Farmers at some point after the Early Bronze Age. Additionally, we cataloged an abundance of new mutations unique to the population, including a missense mutation predicted to cause familial Mediterranean fever, an autoinflammatory disorder highly prevalent in Armenians. Thus, we highlight the importance of further genetic and medical studies of this population. A whole-genome study of Armenians shows homogeneous genetic structure across the region, with a recent bottleneck explaining the distinctiveness of the Sasun population. Our findings reject the Balkan theory for the origin of Armenians, instead revealing genetic input from a Levantine source in the region after the Early Bronze Age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of technologies through social networks is a common practice among adolescents who use it to communicate. However, the lack of control and supervision of these media means that they disseminate any type of information, including sexual content. Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Intimate Images Diffusion Scale (EDIMA) in Peruvian adolescents. Method: A psychometric study was conducted with a population of 900 adolescents from the coast, highlands and jungle of Peru. A confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance analysis was performed by age and sex groups. In addition, internal consistency was evaluated through the omega index to estimate the reliability of the scale. Results: Our study identified that the two-factor model obtained adequate fit indices with values >0.994 for the CFI and TLI, while the SRMR had a value of 0.074 and the RMSEA of 0.058. Measurement invariance by age group reported a ΔCFI and ΔRMSEA ≤0.01. Reliability reported a McDonald's ω greater than 0.8. Conclusion: The EDIMA is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate the dissemination of intimate images among adolescents from various regions of Peru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Luna Analog Facility, a joint ESA-DLR endeavour, consists of three components and spans an area of 1,000 m2, providing testbeds of simulated lunar environments. The main sections within the facility are a large area filled with lunar mare regolith simulant resembling mare regions and a smaller, individual "Dust Chamber". The latter replicates highland conditions and contains approximately 20 tons of material, specifically simulating the fine-particle lunar regolith portion up to 250 µm. The Dust Chamber serves as a platform for testing various technologies, such as mechanical tools, robotic operations, in-situ resource utilization activities, and astronaut attire, as well as different procedures including rover and astronaut tasks. This work represents the geotechnical, geochemical and mineralogical characterization of the Lumina Sustainable Materials Ltd. 2023 batch highland simulants, from which Lunar250 is intended for use in the Luna Dust Chamber. Additionally, this work provides new results for ESA's mare simulant, EAC-1. We provide data on particle size distribution, particle shape, abrasivity, density, water content, major and trace element geochemistry and modal mineralogy. As the simulants in the Luna Facility will be constantly overseen, this work organized by the Vulcan Facility (ESA) intends to support the monitoring of the geotechnical property variations of the simulants over time. Ultimately, we analysed several properties with different tools to emphasize how different methods and instruments affect the variability and reliability of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rewilding has gained growing prominence in recent years as an alternative to established environmental conservation and ecological restoration projects. Strategic rewilding interventions typically involve greater ambition over larger geographical areas, and embrace visionary time horizons, such as 100-years for Durrell's Dalnacardoch Estate and 250-years for Trees for Life's Dundreggan Estate, both in the Scottish Highlands. For initiatives with such mega-timescales, should we be using the word 'project' at all? Perhaps rewilding on this scale and ambition might be better considered as transformational endeavors. Many rewilding projects do not have short-term fixed outcomes, and deliberately take an agile approach to realize success, enabling more adaptive, place-based collaboration with natural world stakeholders. What works in one location may not work in another due to ecological or climate differences, even at a very local level. Rewilding interventions, like other projects, require attention to context in design and delivery. This paper proposes that long duration rewilding interventions may be considered as portfolios of connected projects and operational activities working at landscape level in collaboration with nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alterations to hydrological regime of running waters are one of the typical manifestations of current climate change. Small streams in particular are subject to both periods of critically low flow rates on the one hand and increased discharges at spates on the other. The response of macroinvertebrate assemblages to flow pulses following severe rainfall events was studied in two small highland streams. Benthic macroinvertebrates showed good resistance and resilience against the impacts of increased discharge rates caused by severe rainfall events not exceeding certain limits. No distinct changes were recorded in macroinvertebrate composition following discharge events in which current velocities increased by < 0.35 m.s−1; however, significant (p < 0.05) reductions in abundance was recorded following the spate where current velocity increased by > 1 m.s−1. Macroinvertebrate assemblages on gravel substrates were more resistant to the impact of sudden flow pulses than those on sandy substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kidnapped is the most Scottish novel Robert Louis Stevenson ever wrote. Set in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, it integrates historical with fictional events and features detailed Highland topography, along with a gallery of Scottish character types. Yet despite its regional ambiance Kidnapped is imbued with classical references that broaden its focus, illuminating issues of class and education within the story and of genre and narrative structure without. At the close of the novel David Balfour's grasp of a Latin tag proves crucial to establishing, if not his identity as heir to a Scottish estate, at least his position as an educated gentleman. This status contrasts with his earlier identity as 'the lad with the silver button'. A cluster of motifs connects the novel to the epic genre, while the observance of narrative principles set forth in Horace's Ars Poetica adds an authentic eighteenth-century touch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent Sclater's Monal survey conducted in the Upper Siang region of Arunachal Pradesh (India) resulted in the sighting of two Red Goral individuals - a young adult and a juvenile. These observations were made within the Mount Eko Dumbing area, which is owned and managed by the indigenous Simong tribal community. The report includes photographic documentation of the observed Red Gorals and provides detailed illustrations of their habitat characteristics, as well as the deep traditional relationships that the Simong people maintain with these species and the surrounding natural environment. Additionally, the study highlights the critical conservation challenges and opportunities relevant to the Red Goral in this ecologically and culturally significant region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paraguay River Basin forms part of the La Plata River Basin in South America. Its streamflow is significantly attenuated by a high evapotranspiration rate, very gentle slopes and the presence of a vast wetland known as the Pantanal. Modeling the hydrology of watersheds in which the flood pulse is affected by the presence of large floodplains can pose issues for hydrological models that do not account for spatial complexity and simplify water routing using linear assumptions. The new version of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, known as SWAT+, routes water using variations of the kinematic wave model. However, with the inclusion of connectivity and Landscape Units, SWAT+ provides more flexibility in terms of representing the hydrologic fluxes in the watershed. The main objective of this study is to use the concept of Landscape Units and connectivity to represent the water exchanges between uplands, floodplains and channels. We developed code routines to (1) temporally retain surface and subsurface water coming from the upland into the floodplain, by assuming a reservoir-like floodplain behavior, and (2) represent overbank flow, aiming to fully simulate the interactions between channels and floodplains. The model was calibrated based on monthly discharge for the period 1990 to 2020. The simulated average annual water storage in the floodplains of the Paraguay River is ~108.81 mm accounting for 56.5% of the total annual discharge at the outlet. Furthermore, ~61% of the total annual surface runoff in the Paraguay River Basin flows through the floodplains. Results indicate that the model is able to capture the hydrologic regime in the Paraguay River representing an improvement of SWAT+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an analysis of hourly air temperatures in four groups of 32 stations from the UK highland (5 stations), UK lowland (4 stations), Italian highland (11 stations), and Italian lowland (12 stations) at different altitudes was carried out over the period from 2002 to 2021. The study aimed to examine the trends of each hour of the day during this period, over different averaging time windows (10‐day, 30‐day, and 60‐day). The trends were computed using the Mann–Kendall trend test and Sen's slope estimator. The similarity of trends within and across the groups of stations was assessed using the hierarchical clustering with dynamic time warping technique. An additional analysis was conducted to show the correlation of trends among the group of stations using the correlation distance matrix. Hierarchical clustering and distance correlation analysis show trend similarities and correlations, also indicating dissimilarities among different groups. Using 30‐day averages, significant warming trends in specific months at the Italian stations are evident, especially in February, July, August, and December. The UK highland stations did not show statistically significant trends, but clear pattern similarities were found within the groups, especially in certain months. The ultimate goal of this article is to provide insights into temperature dynamics and climate change characteristics on regional and diurnal scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important neurotransmitter that promotes sleep and reduces anxiety, but its natural synthesis in the body is insufficient, necessitating dietary intake. This study utilized a combination of germination, the addition of active barley powder, and fermentation to enhance GABA content in an enzymatically hydrolyzed highland barley beverage. The samples were divided into five groups: highland barley (HB), germinated highland barley (GB), highland barley supplemented with another high-glutamic-acid decarboxylase-active highland barley powder TB13 (BT), germinated barley supplemented with TB13 (GBT), and germinated barley supplemented with TB13 followed by fermentation (GBTF). The results indicated that all the pretreatments significantly elevated GABA levels, with the GBT sample showing the highest GABA content, which was 2.4 times that of the HB sample. Germination had minimal impact on the taste and aroma of the beverage, while the addition of TB13 active barley powder caused only slight changes to the aroma. The GABA content in the GBTF sample was 2.2 times higher than in the HB sample, and the GBTF sample also exhibited the highest total phenolic content, demonstrating the strongest antioxidant and free-radical scavenging abilities. Furthermore, the GBTF treatment increased acidity, reduced bitterness, and significantly altered the flavor profile of the barley beverage, enhancing its overall quality and consumer appeal as a GABA-rich functional drink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the historical trends and variability of rainfall and temperature and to estimate the extent of change across various agroecological zones (AEZs) in the West Arsi Zone of south‐central Ethiopia from 1983 to 2019. Data on daily temperature and rainfall were collected from the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute. The study utilized the Mann–Kendall test, Sen's slope estimator, and descriptive statistical methods to analyze data and identify trends. The analysis revealed a significant increase in mean annual temperature (p < 0.001) with 0.045°C per annum. The lowland and midland experienced significant increases in mean annual temperature (p < 0.001) by 0.063°C and 0.094°C per year, respectively, while insignificant increase was found in the highland AEZ. Analysis of rainfall revealed high interannual and seasonal variability, with the highest rainfall variability observed in the lowland. The analysis also revealed the study area experienced a significant decrease in annual average rainfall (p < 0.01) by 3.704 mm and Belg rainfall, short rainy season from mid‐February to May (p < 0.05) by 22.46 mm per year. The annual number of rainy days (RDs >1 mm) shows a significant decreasing trend (p < 0.001). The analysis further revealed decreasing trends of rainfall in all AEZs where the midland experienced a significant decrease in annual rainfall (p < 0.01) by 8.72 mm and Belg rainfall (p < 0.05) by 4.734 mm. In the Kiremt rainfall pattern, there was a decreasing wet spell and an increasing dry spell, and the annual rainfall coefficient of variation (CV) was 17.22% in the highland, 26% in the midland, and 32.36% in the lowland. Overall, the detected alterations in rainfall patterns, coupled with their considerable variability, are expected to negatively affect rain‐fed agriculture and the environment. The results of this study are anticipated to offer crucial insights into the spatiotemporal variability and climate trends, aiding decision‐makers and development planners in crafting tailored strategies to enhance climate resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly plastic general‐purpose genotypes are a frequent occurrence among invasive plants. Yet it remains uncertain to what extent genetic differentiation can co‐occur with such elevated levels of plasticity. Understanding the interplay between these two evolutionary strategies is essential to understand potential invasive success and future climate change responses. We investigated the potential for genetic shifts between upland and lowland populations of the highly plastic invasive herb Erythranthe guttata in New Zealand. We aimed to determine (a) the presence of genetic differentiation between upland and lowland origin E. guttata populations; (b) whether any differences aligned with established adaptive patterns; and (c) whether genetic differentiation was occurring alongside the high plasticity of E. guttata populations in response to varying elevations. We grew cuttings from 38 E. guttata populations from upland and lowland Canterbury in a lowland and an upland common garden, where we measured a wide range of growth and reproductive traits. We found significant differentiation between upland and lowland origin populations over most measured traits. Plants sourced from upland populations flowered earlier and produced more flowers than plants originating from lowland populations. Lowland origin plants were taller, had larger leaves and higher photosynthetic rates than upland plants. These differences occurred alongside high levels of unspecialised plasticity to the growing environment. Synthesis: We found that over a period of less than 150 years, distinct lowland and upland phenotypes of E. guttata have emerged. These differences are consistent with known selective patterns to elevation that favour reproductive security at higher elevations and competitive ability at lower elevations. This rapid genetic differentiation occurred alongside high plasticity to growing environment, suggesting that highly plastic invasive species still retain the capacity to genetically adapt to novel environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mountainous regions of the Earth have significant elevation differences even on small areas of the earth's surface, which is the main reason for the characteristic combination of natural conditions in these regions. This includes height as a leading factor, resulting in relief and a corresponding complex of natural components. All other components of development in these areas will be radically different from those in nearby plains, and the conditions of existence for the population will also be characteristic of these territories. These conditions affect lifestyle, occupation, and health. Altitude is most clearly traced in the variability of hydroclimatic, soilbiological, and landscape components vertically. As altitude and climatic components directly affect agricultural specialization, it is important to consider these factors when planning agricultural activities in mountainous areas. There is a change in the direction of reducing the duration of the vegetation period for plants. Agriculture is associated with growing coldresistant plants, while heat-loving plants are grown on the plains and their growing season is shorter. The physical and geographical challenges of highlands involve determining the limits of disturbance or barrier that can cause instability, as well as forecasting the development of weak components. It is necessary to identify processes that affect the development of mountains. These include altitude, topography, climate, and weathering, which together determine the stability of natural complexes in highlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earliest ovules or seeds widely reported from the Late Devonian (Famennian) are crucial for understanding the evolution of seed plants. Cosmosperma, the first Devonian seed documented in China and East Asia, is characterized by cupules with multiple segments enclosing a single ovule and covered by prickles. Two new Cosmosperma species, Cosmosperma dicrana sp. nov. and Cosmosperma lepta sp. nov., are now identified from the Upper Devonian (Wutong Formation) of Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, China, respectively. C. dicrana exhibits dichotomized fertile branches terminating in pairs of cupulate ovules, with centrifugally extending cupule segments at their distal portions. C. lepta displays slender cupulate ovules on pinnate fertile branches. Both species possess prickles on their cupules. A comparison with coeval seed plant taxa reveals differences in fertile branch types and suggests different evolutionary levels. The potentially weak dispersal ability of Cosmosperma is suggested by the absence of specialized structures for wind or water transport. Prickles on Cosmosperma cupules do not suggest adaptations for epizoochory but facilitate entanglement and friction. The adaptations for short‐distance dispersal can be advantageous in a disturbed and heterogeneous environment. The presence of Late Devonian seed plant taxa with dispersal‐adapted traits hints at habitat divergence, with some possibly inhabiting uplands or areas away from the coast. The prickles may also be an adaptation for maintaining stability in small‐ to medium‐sized plants of the Late Devonian coastal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main stages of development of some nival–glacial geosystems of Asian Russia have been studied and modeled by the geoinformation modeling tools. The state of glaciation for different time periods are considered. A geoinformation analysis of data of different temporal states show the development of glacial geosystems of the region with a general decrease in area. Geographical references of altitudinal and geometric parameters and the level of degradation of glacial landscapes are specified. The results of such modeling can be used for global models and databases characterizing glacial phenomena at different levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a safehouse project for survivors of witchcraft accusations that has been initiated by people of the Hewa‐speaking community located in the Papua New Guinea highlands. Belief in witchcraft and the killing of accused witches has a long cultural history among Hewa people, where it was formerly part of intergroup conflict and patterns of dominance and retribution. Contemporary Hewa witch killing often involves the use of torture and the targeting of children and infants, although these have no historical precedent. The safehouse has been established inside the community itself. Locating the safehouse where accusations and killing are taking place is a deliberate strategy to change the belief system that supports the identification and killing of accused witches. This model also ensures that people do not become internally displaced when they flee their accusers. The safehouse is designed to be self‐sufficient so that is does not become reliant on aid from external organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we are concerned with the cultivation of food crops – comparing trajectories of millets and buckwheat in Eastern Himalayas, and the circumstances under which farmers plant or forgo certain crops. Crop choices and how farmers cultivate their crops have far-reaching consequences for society, economy and the environment. With accelerating climate change, present global, corporate food regime based on a handful of genetically identical crops appears as a high-risk venture. For many Indigenous peoples alternatives to and negotiations with these regimes are commonly located in their traditions: the crops, foodways, and diversity-based agricultural systems of their ancestors even as a multitude of factors have conspired to their decline across the Eastern Himalayan Region. Yet, paradoxically, with climate change these crops, agriculture and knowledge systems seem to hold the future, especially for smallholder farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biggest canid in the neotropics, the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), is endangered in many parts of its distribution. Only eight records have been reported for Uruguay and the southern border of Brazil over the last 30 years. After a multi-year effort, we present nine new records for this area and characterize Uruguay and southern Brazil's habitat suitability. Our records confirm the current presence of the species in Uruguay, the Brazilian Pampa, and the Atlantic highlands of southern Brazil, although no local population could be identified. Individuals appear to move in an erratic pattern, possibly when searching for other members of the species. Only three regions presented multiple records (all in the Atlantic highlands), indicating the possible existence of local populations. Although most of southern Brazil and Uruguay are highly suitable for the species, none of the 21 surveyed areas (with 50,816 camera trap nights) within putative distribution areas have confirmed the species occurrence, as all records reported here came from opportunistic encounters. In light of this, we believe that very few individuals still occur in the southern limit of the maned wolf distribution, and thus, the species can certainly be classified as critically endangered in the Brazilian Pampa/Uruguayan Savanna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships of Guiana Shield members of Trichomycterus are examined using three mitochondrial genes (Cytochrome Oxidase 1, Cytochrome b, and 16s) and one nuclear gene (RAG 2). A time-calibrated phylogeny is implemented to examine how diversification is related to the timing of major geographical events in the Guiana Shield. There was topological discordance among the gene trees; however, they overall suggest the presence of two subclades. The T. guianensis subclade consists of the strongly supported relationships of T. sp. 'Potaro, elongate' (Potaro R.) sister to T. guianensis (Potaro R.) + T. sp. 'Ireng, spotted' (Ireng R.). The T. cf. guianensis subclade consists of the strongly supported sister group relationship of T. cf. guianensis (Mazaruni, Potaro, and potentially Caroni Rivers) + T. sp. 'Mazaruni, plain' (Mazaruni R.). Weakly supported as sister to this is T. sp. 'Kusad Mountain' (Takutu R.), and sister to all other members of the subclade is T. conradi (Ireng and Potaro Rivers). The dated phylogeny suggests that the Guiana Shield clade is derived from a lowland ancestor that entered the Proto-Berbice and/or Proto-Essequibo Rivers ∼17.4 Ma. The Proto-Berbice contained the lowland portions of the Ireng and Takutu Rivers, and the Proto-Essequibo contained the lowland portions of the Potaro and Mazaruni Rivers, but the histories of the upland portions of the Ireng, Potaro, and Mazaruni Rivers are less clear and have been thought to have drained northward in what we are referring to as the Grand Pakaraima River in which all members of the T. guianensis clade (except for T. sp. 'Kusad Mountain' and possibly T. conradi) were found. We interpret two geodispersal events into the Grand Pakaraima River and a potential vicariance event ∼9.4 Ma between uplands and lowlands. The likely formation of the modern Guiana Shield rivers occurred 3.8–1.9 Ma, with the modern Ireng River being captured first by the Proto-Essequibo ∼3.8 Ma and finally consolidated ∼1.9 Ma when captured by the Rio Branco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of archaeological investigations within funerary contexts at the site of Marcajirca (a.d. 1000–1600) in the north-central highlands of Peru. The results suggest the existence of various population groups, or ayllu members, that were buried at this site. Two contemporary types of tombs are predominant, funerary caves and chullpas, along with two belowground tombs, which are atypical in the region. Bioarchaeological analyses indicate that all the tombs were collective and that the remains were manipulated over time. The evidence from Marcajirca points to important changes in funerary patterns with respect to the previous period, including tombs being incorporated into residential places and, later in time, tombs as created, extra, private spaces by enclosing the chullpas within patios where rituals such as burning of offerings were practiced. The results are discussed within the context of the cult of the dead and the formation of ayllus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current investigations into the Albian–Cenomanian sedimentary record within the Western Interior have identified multiple complex tectono‐sedimentary process–response systems during the ongoing evolution of North America. One key sedimentary succession, the upper Cedar Mountain Formation (Short Canyon Member and Mussentuchit Member), has historically been linked to various regionally and continentally significant tectonic events, including Sevier fold‐and‐thrust deformation. However, the linkage between the Short Canyon Member and active Sevier tectonism has been unclear due to a lack of high‐precision age constraints. To establish temporal context, this study compares maximum depositional ages from detrital zircons recovered from the Short Canyon Member with that of a modified Bayesian age stratigraphic model (top‐down) to infer that the Short Canyon Member was deposited at ca 100 Ma, penecontemporaneous with rejuvenated thrusting across Utah [Pavant (Pahvant), Iron Springs and Nebo thrusts]. These also indicate a short depositional hiatus with the lowermost portion of the overlying Mussentuchit Member. The Short Canyon Member and Mussentuchit Member preserve markedly different sedimentary successions, with the Short Canyon Member interpreted to be composed of para‐autochthonous orogen–transverse (across the Sevier highlands) clastics deposited within a series of stacked distributive fluvial fans. Meanwhile, the muddy paralic Mussentuchit Member was a mix of orogen–transverse (Sevier highlands and Cordilleran Arc) and orogen–parallel basinal sediments and suspension settling fines within the developing collisional foredeep. However, the informally named last chance sandstone (middle sandstone of the Mussentuchit Member) is identified as an orogen–transverse sandy debris flow originating from the Sevier highlands, similar to the underlying Short Canyon Member. During this phase of landscape evolution, the Short Canyon Member – Mussentuchit Member depocentre was a sedimentary conduit system that would fertilize the Western Interior Seaway with ash‐rich sediments. These volcaniclastic contributions, along with penecontemporaneous deposits across the western coastal margin of the Western Interior Seaway, eventually would have lowered oxygen content and resulted in a contributing antecedent trigger for the Cenomanian–Turonian transition Oceanic Anoxic Event 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertisols are dark-colored clays that develop cracks when it expands and contracts with changes in moisture content. Tillage techniques and frequency have an impact on crop harvesting, drainage, soil erosion, moisture conservation, and weeding in Ethiopia's highlands. Five tillage methods, namely, broad bed and furrows (BBF), permanently raised bed with notillage (PRB+NT), permanently raised bed with no-tillage, and 30% stubble retention (PRB+NT+M), flatbed with no-tillage (Flat+NT), and flatbed with no-tillage and 30% stubble retention (Flat+NT+M), were evaluated for their effects on the productivity of vertisol. This study was conducted in Moretna Jiru wereda, Enewari, for seven years (2015 to 2022) in the central highlands of Ethiopia. In this study, soil indicators such as moisture content, bulk density, organic carbon, pH, available phosphorus, extractable potassium, electrical conductivity, and total nitrogen, as well as productivity indicators such as plant height, grain yield, and straw yield, were measured. The results indicated that Flat+NT+M and Flat+NT significantly increased wheat grain yield by 13.4% and 11.2%, respectively compared with BBF, for the experimental years 2015/16 and 2017/18. In the experimental years 2019/20 and 2021/22, the wheat yield was greater under BBF than conservation agriculture practices. Compared with conservation agriculture practices, BBF resulted in the highest grain yield of faba bean. The soil property data imply that PRB+NT+M, Flat+NT, and Flat+NT+M improved the total nitrogen, soil pH, organic carbon, moisture holding capacity, and extractable potassium. Economically, Flat+NT was the most profitable practice, with an 1147.6% marginal rate of return (MRR). Based on the results, Flat+NT and Flat+NT+M are beneficial for wheat production during dry years, while BBF is beneficial for fababean production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses updated models of the 7th-century bce economy to argue that the harvesting activities reported in the Meṣad Ḥashavyahu ostracon occurred at a small grain-cultivating site located in the Judahite highlands. The distance between this farmstead and the inscription's coastal findspot explains why the ostracon was inscribed in the first place: the harvester could not appeal his case in person. As can be detected in the complaint, the granary complex in the Judahite highlands specialised in cereal products and was conversely not designed for the cultivation of a diversity of crops for local subsistence. This economic choice likely originated in Judah's effort to contribute its own grain surpluses to a broader regional network of trade and commerce, one which was defined by specialised zones of surplus production that originated in the wake of Sennacherib's campaign in 701 bce. Because Egypt built the fortress in which the inscription was found and moreover coerced Judah's king and people into a new system of obligatory payment (2 Kgs 23:29-35), the ostracon represents a stunning glimpse into a time when Judah's own administration was forcing its labourers to meet the extractive demands of an external power. The commander (śar) in the fortress was the logical authority for the harvester's case, as (1) a high-ranking figure close to both the Egyptian and Judahite powers, (2) a recipient of inland grain products, and (3) a potential keeper of important transactional documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background: Beyond emissions reduction, safeguarding our land is a crucial front in the battle against climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, fueled by unsustainable energy use, land-use changes, and unsustainable consumption and production patterns worldwide, exposing vulnerable people in Cameroon and Ethiopia to severe damages. Their economies and livelihoods are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to the high dependence on rainfed agriculture and natural resources, as well as their relatively low adaptive capacity. Goal and Objectives: Observe climate events in both countries are projected to exacerbate under future climate change scenarios without immediate intervention. In this plan, land plays a dual role, serving as both a source and a sink for greenhouse gases. Sustainable land management can help mitigate the adverse effects of these multiple stressors on ecosystems and societies. Methodology: This paper employs both doctrinal and comparative research methods to examine how Ethiopia and Cameroon are using land policies to combat climate change. The doctrinal research method focuses on analyzing legal texts, policies, and frameworks related to land use and climate change. It examines legal principles, rules, and doctrines to understand the legal rationale behind land management strategies adopted in response to climate change. This paper also uses comparative research to identify similarities and differences in land policies between Ethiopia and Cameroon. The comparative analysis highlights the influence of historical, cultural, and environmental factors on land policies and examines the effectiveness of specific policy measures in mitigating climate change impacts. Results: It is obvious that human land use can affect the climate, and conversely, the climate can affect land uses. This closely circular relationship of interdependence places land at the heart of policies and laws organizing the response to climate change. This paper through in-depth country level Land laws and policies assessments aims to analyze how can land policies in both countries be harnessed as powerful tools to combat the escalating threat of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposed and isolated alpine ecosystems present evolutionary challenges for flying species worldwide. Many insects have undergone dramatic wing reduction in response to these harsh conditions, losing the ability to fly. By contrast, some taxa have countered alpine conditions by evolving larger wings to improve flight ability. In this study, we investigated how two independent clades of Zelandoperla fenestrata stoneflies respond to upland environments. Our results revealed strikingly different adaptations to elevation across the two closely related clades. In Clade 1 (southern South Island), wing length decreases sharply with increasing elevation. In contrast, wing length in the geographically adjacent Clade 2 (northern South Island, and North Island) increases with elevation. These contrasting strategies highlight the diverse adaptive pathways that may exist even for closely related lineages encountering similar environmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic lines are 1.5 to 10 m wide linear corridors associated with petroleum exploration that fragment the landscape of northern Alberta. After clearing, seismic lines frequently exhibit low seedling recruitment and growth rates, due in part to the altered hydrologic conditions on the line. This research quantifies how seismic lines alter soil hydrophysical properties, hydrologic properties and snow accumulation patterns at two sites south of Fort McMurray, Alberta. During 2021 and 2022, water table levels were measured weekly during the summer months and were paired with measurements of soil properties (bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, porosity and specific yield) on seismic lines and in the adjacent matrix. Bulk density increased on seismic lines by 19% and 113% in lowland and upland ecosystems, respectively. Saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased on seismic lines by one order of magnitude for both upland and lowland ecosystems. Water table variability was increased on seismic lines, but depth to water table was related to external factors such as topographic position. Snow measurements in March 2022 indicated that snow water equivalent was greater on seismic lines that were oriented in the East–West (EW) direction and on lines that were widest compared to SWE within the adjacent matrix. Our results provide information to researchers and industry on the alteration of important ecosystem factors on seismic lines that may limit line recovery trajectories. This information will help to guide restoration planning decisions through an enhanced knowledge of limiting factors for vegetation growth on seismic lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmer institutions are one of the important instruments in empowering farmers in agribusiness development in highland areas in Indonesia. In fact, not all existing farmer institutions can survive and exist sustainably. Institutional sustainability is the ability to maintain farmer institutions as an organizational forum to run optimally in accordance with its role and function. Therefore, the research objective is to examine the influence of individual capability and individual motivation through leadership on the sustainability of farmers' institutions in the highlands. This research was conducted in the highland areas of Tinggimoncong and Tombolopao Subdistricts, Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The sample selection was carried out by simple randomization by taking 10% of the total population so that the number of samples used in this study was 214 respondents. Furthermore, to collect information on the effects of individual capability and individual motivation on the sustainability of farmers' institutions in the highland area, the analysis technique of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was analyzed. The results show that individual capability has a direct influence on institutional sustainability in highland areas, with a statistically significant and positive correlation. Meanwhile, individual motivation has no direct effect on institutional sustainability. Furthermore, leadership has a partial mediation effect between individual capability and institutional sustainability of farmers and has a full mediation effect between individual motivation and institutional sustainability of farmers in the highlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moles—small insectivorous mammals of the family Talpidae—are widespread across the Northern Hemisphere. These subterranean mammals are easily detected through the mounds, or molehills, they construct as surface bioproducts of tunnel systems excavated underground. The dense aggregation of these bioconstructions in a range of environments (e.g., floodplains, woodland, coastal dunes and upland regions) indicates that moles may play an important role in sediment systems. However, compared with other fossorial mammals (e.g., gophers and rabbits), the impact of moles as direct and indirect biogeomorphic agents is poorly understood. Furthermore, little is known about how molehills develop and degrade over time or how long they persist as landscape features. By examining molehills created by the European mole (Talpa europaea) over 4 months on a floodplain in Oxfordshire, UK, we provide a quantitative assessment of how these landforms evolve over time and space. Through the creation of high‐resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) using structure‐from‐motion (SfM) photogrammetry, we derive a variety of metrics describing molehill morphology and produce a detailed record of how molehills change at weekly time intervals. In addition, measurements of molehill volume are used to estimate the excavation rate of moles over a month. Findings show that (i) molehills are dynamic landforms that change in size and shape in response to phases of construction, collapse, erosion and rebuilding; (ii) rates of degradation are influenced by soil characteristics and seasonal weather conditions; (iii) molehills can persist as landscape features for several months; and (iv) moles are capable of moving a substantial volume of sediment in highly active areas (3.89 m3 ha−1 month−1). Future work is now needed to determine the geomorphic impact of T. europaea over larger spatial scales (e.g., river catchments) and longer timescales (e.g., years–decades) to determine its importance in relation to other bioturbators and within the wider sediment system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on a range of primary and secondary sources pertaining to military roads and King's Houses, this paper highlights the significance of space and material culture during the century of conflict, mobility, and cultural assimilation that drew the Scottish Highlands and Gaelic culture into the nation-state of Great Britain. The original fieldwork presented here locates, identifies, and analyzes lost inns known as King's Houses, government-owned inns established along military roads constructed by the British army throughout the eighteenth century. King's Houses were central to the narrative of Highland Scotland as a site of both improvement and internal colonialism within the British Isles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past three decades specialty coffees have gained greater visibility in the high-end consumer marketplace. These coffees include Arabica varieties grown in northern Thailand, the borderlands area of the Golden Triangle. In the 1970s Thai Royal Project initiatives sought to eradicate upland minority groups' swidden rotational farming and opium cultivation. Despite minorities' issues of land access, geopolitics of the Cold War, and citizenship challenges, Royal Project crop replacement schemes offered a technical, management-based solution. These projects imposed alternative crops, including avocado, macadamia, and coffee. Through interviews with Akha and Lisu coffee growers, roasters, and marketers in three villages in Chiang Rai Province, supplemented with discussions among neighboring Chinese and Lahu villagers, this paper explores varied coffee livelihoods in the changing context of the uplands. Ethnicized coffee marketing has latched onto royalist and touristic narratives about hill tribes, presenting individuals as culturally quaint loyal subjects who are doing better for the nation by growing coffee. However, these stories occlude Cold War histories, social stratification, and ecological damages resulting from coffee production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the spatial and social differences in people's lack of access to adequate energy and transport services in the UK. We respond to the need for developing a differentiated understanding of both the drivers and expressions of this ‘double energy vulnerability’ (DEV), while seeking to integrate and analyse relevant information from all four UK nations. Using a variety of statistically representative census and survey datasets, the paper develops a series of multi‐dimensional indices to map transport‐ and energy‐related injustices. This is followed by a cluster analysis to examine broad‐level geographical patterns, and a Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) model to explore the spatial variation of vulnerabilities related to contingencies such as income, ethnicity and housing. The paper corroborates the results of previous qualitative studies, and research within selected UK nations, while revealing several unexpected territorial clusters and underpinnings of infrastructural injustice. DEV is shown to disproportionately affect coastal, highland, peripheral and rural regions, with an internal granularity that exhibits high levels of variation within urban and peri‐urban settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

W. N. McClean was a pioneer in the development and publication of river flow measurements in Scotland using current metering and chart recorders to produce runoff records for the River Garry, 1913–1915. In 1929 McClean began to establish a much more extensive hydrometric network comprising rainfall and runoff stations throughout the Ness, Lochy, Spey and Aberdeenshire Dee basins. This work was pursued with remarkable vigour until 1949 and was partly instrumental in establishing the UK Inland Water Survey in 1935. The flow record on the Dee commenced in 1929 and, still operational today, is one of the longest continuous runoff records in the UK. McClean’s data were collected at a time when many of the catchments were little modified by human interventions. They constitute a unique record of the natural runoff regime for this part of the British uplands and include two of the largest UK floods ever reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Tithonian (Late Jurassic) palaeobotanical records from the Jaisalmer Basin are infrequent. We report the first record of an age-diagnostic palynological assemblage of the sedimentary rocks in the Bhadasar Formation from the Jaisalmer Basin, India. The study is carried out to consider the palaeoenvironmental settings in this basin based on palynological and palynofacies investigations. A well-preserved assemblage of palynomorphs with 22 species belonging to 10 genera, including spores and pollen. The palynological assemblage is characterised by the dominance of coniferous pollen of Callialasporites spp. Araucariacites spp. along with some significant taxa viz. Cupressacites ramachandra, Microcachryidites antarcticus, Classopollis sp. Podocarpidites sp. Pityosporites sp. Ginkgoretectina spp. and Monosulcites sp. which suggest a Late Tithonian (Late Jurassic) age. The occurrence of conifer pollens (Araucariacites and Callialasporites) represents coastal vegetation and warm climate. However, some bisaccate pollen (Podocarpidites) indicates drier upland areas. Palynofacies records suggest two distinct Palynofacies Assemblages (PA – I and PA – II) correspond to the marginal oxic to dysoxic basin and the shelf to marginal transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone derivative, named 6,7-dimethoxy-2-[2-(3′ ,4′ ,5′ -trimethoxyphenyl)ethyl]chromone (1), and eight known 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone derivatives (2–9) were isolated from highland barley Monascus purpureus for the first time. Compounds 1–9 were determined by extensive spectroscopic data and reported references and they were evaluated for their hepatoprotective activities on L-O2 cells with Bifendatatum as the positive drug. As a result, compounds 1, 4, and 8 exhibited certain hepatoprotective activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tropical African Laetiporus species are revised, based on morphological, ecological, distribution, and phylogenetic data. Laetiporus discolor, originally described from insular Mauritius, is accepted for the species spanning over the African eastern mountain ranges. Laetiporus oboensis and Laetiporus tenuiculus are described as new from the African equatorial insular São Tomé, based on phylogenetic, morphological, and distribution data. Laetiporus oboensis is characterized by compound basidiomes, with densely imbricated pilei in pale orange tint, a lobed margin, 3–4 pores/mm, and basidiospores averaging 4.8 × 3.7 μm. Laetiporus tenuiculus has mostly solitary, small, thin basidiomes, with pale flesh to pale orange pileus, an incised margin, 4–5 pores/mm, and basidiospores averaging 5.4 × 4.2 µm. A fourth species, known from two isolates from Ethiopian highlands, but for which voucher specimens were not available for description, is uncertain. These four species form an African endemic lineage, whose distribution is Afromountainous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding precipitation over complex terrain, such as southwestern China, requires the consideration of both multiscale circulation and topography. First, the dominant synoptic system must be clarified, as it determines how multiscale topography affects precipitation. Here, based on a self-organizing map, large-scale winds are categorized into anomalous-westerly types, anomalous-easterly types, and transitional types. Four synoptic-scale systems (vortex type, cold-front type, tropical-depression type, and weak-synoptic-forcing type) dominate the summer precipitation. The vortex type occurs with strengthened large-scale westerlies, and its precipitation is distributed within the moisture convergence region. The cold-front type, tropical-depression type, and weak-synoptic-forcing type exhibit large-scale easterly anomalies. For the cold-front type, a low-level northeasterly blocked by topography shapes the northwest–southeast-oriented front zone at the upper highland slope. The precipitation frequency and intensity are high within the frontal zone, while the intensity is weak on both sides. For the tropical-depression type, moist low-level easterlies uplifted by westward-rising topography anchor precipitation at the lower slope. Large precipitation for the tropical-depression type is attributed to a high frequency. Large-scale horizontal winds are the weakest for the weak-synoptic-forcing type, and the local topography influences the scattered precipitation distribution. Both the frequency and intensity are high for the weak-synoptic-forcing type. Overall, long-lasting nocturnal events dominate the precipitation of the four synoptic types, while large-scale easterlies favor precipitation events with shorter durations and earlier peaks. For obvious synoptic systems, large-scale topography influences precipitation via a dynamic blocking effect, while the thermodynamic role of local topography is important with a weak-synoptic-forcing. Significance Statement: Clarifying dominant synoptic systems is highly important for understanding precipitation over complex terrain, as the effect of topography on precipitation varies with different synoptic backgrounds. Taking southwestern China as a representative of complex terrain, this study objectively identified the dominant synoptic systems associated with summer precipitation. The distribution and fine-scale characteristics of precipitation have been further analyzed considering the combined influence of multiscale circulation and topography. In addition to advancing our understanding of precipitation in southwestern China, this study provides a reference for analyzing precipitation in other regions with complex terrains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To increase the resilience of salt marshes subject to sea‐level rise impacts, managers can focus on interventions within current marsh footprints or in adjacent uplands to facilitate landward marsh migration. The latter approach may be more appropriate when degradation is severe and in situ intervention options are limited. Strategies for facilitating marsh migration include removing artificial barriers, soil grading to reduce steep topography, and manipulating adjacent upland vegetation that can hinder migration, but experiments testing the effectiveness of these activities are limited. We therefore conducted a field experiment to determine if physically removing three upland vegetation types (forest, shrub, and Phragmites australis) adjacent to a Rhode Island salt marsh facilitates short‐term marsh migration. Upland vegetation removal led to increased ambient light in all habitats, significantly enhanced marsh plant cover, extent, and elevation in shrub habitat, and declines in total bird abundance in forest and shrub habitats. Enhanced migration did not occur in forest or Phragmites habitats, and in shrubs, marsh plants only colonized where Baccharis halimifolia, common in upper marsh borders, had been removed. Five years after removal, all upland habitats and associated vegetation were indistinguishable from initial conditions. Our study suggests that upland plant removal might provide a limited window for facilitating salt marsh migration and that more intensive methods may be needed for sustained, longer‐term benefits. It also demonstrates that there may be ecological trade‐offs to consider when altering upland habitats to enhance landward marsh migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This note considers some of the reporting on Highland Gypsy Travellers by journalists writing in northern Scottish newspapers in the mid- and late-nineteenth century and illustrates the nature and extent of prejudices against this group. It shows how these prejudices were displayed even by those who advocated for Highlanders, opposed oppression and showed sympathy towards the plight of Travellers. These include Hugh Miller, writing in the Inverness Courier, John Mackie in the John o' Groat Journal and Northern Ensign, and Thomas Mulock in the Inverness Advertiser. These writers, while rejecting the claim that there were innate differences between 'races of men', generally held that some peoples had fallen into a 'degraded state' from which it was the duty of Christians to rescue them. This was similar to the approach often taken towards colonised peoples, for example towards First Nations children in Canada. The note briefly considers two areas of legislation which had an impact in Highland Gypsy Travellers – the Vagrancy Act, extended to Scotland in 1871, and the Education Acts of the 1870s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal salt marshes of the eastern United States are particularly vulnerable to accelerated sea level rise, and urban marshes are at greater risk of erosion, inundation, and conversion to mudflat if left unmanaged. To guide New York City (NYC) salt marsh restoration strategies, NYC Parks collected up to 10 years of salt marsh elevation change data through 2020 at six salt marsh sites using the Surface Elevation Table-Marker Horizon (SET-MH) method, conducted a salt marsh trends analysis to determine shoreline change from 1974 to 2012, and conducted a salt marsh conditions assessment. We found that the citywide average surface elevation trend of 3.31 mm yr−1 was not significantly different from the 30-year (1990–2020) Relative Sea Level Rise of 4.23 mm yr−1 at The Battery, NY, tide station, probably due to high variability across and within sites. We also found that accretion rates differed across sites and watersheds, and sites situated lower in the tidal zone had higher accretion rates. Notably, Jamaica Bay's Idlewild salt marsh, long suspected of being sediment-starved and ranking lowest in our conditions assessment, had the highest accretion rate at 9.5 mm yr−1. Our salt marsh trends analysis also showed marsh loss at the shoreline edge, bare ground cover, and other indicators of marsh degradation. In mitigating marsh loss, the design grades for our recent wetland restoration projects enlarge the upper elevation ranges of the low- and high-marsh zones and incorporate wider and more gradual slopes in upland transition zones to enable inland marsh migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal freshwater marshes (TFMs), found in the upper tidal reaches of river estuaries, are characterized by high diversity and productivity. These ecosystems are threatened by climate change, but unlike other coastal wetlands, there is a lack of information about the impact and their response to this threat. To understand the resilience of Jug Bay TFMs to sea level rise (SLR), surface elevation change was measured in low and mid-high marsh areas along primary and secondary channels. Elevation change exhibited significant temporal and spatial variability. A marked seasonality showed higher elevation during the growing season, and episodic storms altered elevation trajectories. Spatially, elevation change was significantly affected by channel category and marsh zone. Low marsh along primary channels lost elevation (−11.57 mm year−1), while the mid-high marsh gained elevation (+2.65 mm year−1). In secondary channels, both low (+11.29 mm year−1) and mid-high marshes (+5.43 mm year−1) gained elevation. A shoreline change analysis for the Patuxent and Western Branch rivers (2007–2018) showed change rates between −0.35 and −0.90 m year−1. A 2019 upland migration study indicated that most TFMs studied are not able to migrate due to steep slopes. Overall, marsh in more protected areas, along secondary channels, are more resilient, while low marsh in primary channels the most vulnerable to SLR. With low upland migration potential, studied marshes have to rely mainly on vertical elevation gain to keep up with SLR. If restoration is considered in this system, it should focus on the vulnerable low marsh zones along primary channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the nature of mainstream Glasgow working-class culture and argues that it is unique. Its unique nature derives from its idiosyncratic combination of harsh industrial and overcrowded housing conditions; a radical socialist political tradition; and large numbers of refugees from the Irish Land Wars and the Highland Clearances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riparian forests are crucial for biodiversity, but dam construction for hydroelectric power disrupts these ecosystems, causing habitat loss and altering river dynamics. Our study investigates the impacts of dams on tree diversity in the southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We sampled trees along riverbanks and uplands across 15 dam-affected fragments, analysing the relationship between habitat loss (i.e. loss of riparian zones by permanent flooding due to dam filling), elevation difference, fragment size, and dam implementation time with alpha and beta diversity using mixed models and redundancy analyses. Habitat loss had a more significant impact on beta diversity, leading to shifts in species composition and reduced uniqueness of communities as the impact's intensity, spatial extent, and duration increased. Alpha diversity only increased in response to local elevation differences between plots located on uplands and riverbanks. Our sampling design can be applied to other inadequately monitored systems to provide insights into beta diversity, a component often neglected in dam licensing and mitigation processes. Our findings reveal a transient local heterogenisation, transitioning into regional homogenisation due to dam-induced habitat loss in riparian forests of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Qinling-Bashan mountains are not only an important ecological function area, but also a concentrated contiguous poverty-stricken area in China. Tt is of great practical significance to strengthen the ecological sensitivity evaluation and reveal the terrain gradient characteristics for the delineation of ecological red line and the construction of regional ecological highlands in the mountainous area. Methods］ Based on the data of land use / cover, climate, terrain and soil type, the linear weighted sum method, entropy weight method and spatial overlay analysis method have been used to evaluate its ecological sensitivity, and the sensitive function zoning and ecological protection countermeasures have been put forward. Results］ (l)The ecological sensitivity fluctuated in Qinling-Bashan mountains during 2000一201 8 and it decreased after 201 0 ； (2) Horizontally, the ecological sensitivity of Bash an mountains is higher than that of Qinling mountains; (3) Vertically, with the increase of terrain,it shows the trend of'4first increasing-decreasing-then increasing". The ecological sensitivity is the highest around 9()() m of elevation, and the distribution area of ecological sensitivity above severe degree is the most extensive in 75 〜200 m of surface cutting depth and 15° 〜25° of slope.(4) According to the evaluation results, it is divided into five types: key construction area, moderate development area, soil-and-water conservation area, general ecological area and important ecological area, and their characteristics and protection countermeasures have been summed up and put forward. Conclusion] Tn the future, we should continually optimize the land use pattern, strengthen the comprehensive management and ecological restoration of mountains, forest, farmlands, lakes and grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree-ring chronologies based on the annual ring width of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) have been studied at eight test sites in insular pine forests in the north of the Republic of Kazakhstan from the Turgay Depression to the eastern part of the Kazakh Uplands. Analysis of the relationships between radial increment of pine and climate shows that the climatic signal in the chronologies can change depending on geomorphological conditions caused by the edaphic factor, relief, and absolute elevation marks. These features must be taken into account when using tree-ring chronologies for spatiotemporal reconstructions of climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study aims to evaluate how β‐glucanase impacts dough characteristics, and the in vitro starch digestibility and quality of breads from mixed wheat and highland barley flour at different wheat/highland barley flour weight ratios (70/30 and 50/50). The results showed that β‐glucanase reduced the dough's viscoelasticity and enhanced its extensibility, softness, α‐helix (2.52%–16.12%), β‐sheet (11.10%–31.66%) and free sulfhydryl content (22.70%–34.49%). This helped to mitigate the negative effects of a high β‐glucan content on the wheat/highland barley dough (P < 0.05). Moreover, β‐glucanase improved the specific volume (44.67%–56.56%) and springiness (5.56%–40.41%) as well as reduced the hardness of wheat/highland barley bread (7.50%–71.32%). Furthermore, as the higher content of slowly digestible starch (20.81%–30.84%) reduced the enzymatic rate (k value), β‐glucanase‐treated wheat/highland barley bread exhibited lower starch digestibility (66.17%–71.16%) than white bread (75.37%). Therefore, this study indicated that β‐glucanase played an offsetting role on highland barley bread while maintaining relatively low starch digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]