Biodiversity conservation decisions are typically based on limited data and resources. For this reason, there is great interest in surveying taxa that may allow for a rapid assessment of the ...biodiversity at a site. Numerous taxa have been proposed and utilized for rapid assessments that allow for such a survey in a matter of weeks or less. Herein, we test the idea that nocturnal moths have many of the characteristics that make them ideal for such surveys, such as relative ease of identification, strong ecological association with specific plant species and habitats, high alpha diversity, extended seasonal activity, and ease of trapping. We demonstrate that even in a few hours of sampling during single night surveys, moth communities are predictive of regional forest types at sampling sites in New Jersey. We sampled moths in five different forest habitats in New Jersey, USA: Pine Barrens, Upland Deciduous Forest, Palustrine Deciduous Forest, Maritime Forest, and Ruderal/Disturbed Forests, at four sites per forest type. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyses revealed that moth communities differ significantly across these four forest types (p < 0.01). We used Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) R tests to quantify the degree of differentiation among moth communities, and found that Tortricidae (R = 0.657) and Geometridae (R = 0.637) predict forest communities nearly as well as the total moth diversity (R = 0.668). Uncommon species (R = 0.665) were better predictors than common species (R = 0.500). Host plant generalists (R = 0.654) were better predictors than specialists (0.538), which was a surprising find.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•Production of purified hydrogen starting from synthetic biogas by joint MDR and steam-iron.•Low heating power biogas has been simulated by equimolar mixtures of CH4 and CO2.•Solid composed of nickel ...catalyst and doped iron ores as reactive material.•TG+MS to determine relation between exhaust gas and mass gain/loss of solid.•Insight over reactions sequence, carbon deposition and self-gasification.
Mechanical mixtures of nickel oxide and iron oxide doped with small quantities of ceria and alumina (2wt%), have been tested as suitable solids to jointly produce and purify hydrogen from an equimolar mixture of CH4 and CO2 simulating a desulfurized biogas. Since the solid mixture constitutes a reactant within the system, most part of the experiments has been carried out in a thermogravimetric system acting as a differential reactor. Exhaust gases were continuously monitored by mass spectrometry at the exit of the thermobalance. The apparent reaction mechanism consists of a first stage in which CH4 reduces Fe2O3 (hematite) to Fe3O4 (magnetite) and NiO to metallic Ni. This newly formed metallic nickel adopts a catalytic role promoting the methane dry reforming (MDR) reaction between CH4 and CO2. Fe3O4 reduces to metallic iron (Fe0) at the expense of H2 and CO (products of MDR), that transform in the oxidized species H2O and CO2 respectively. This reaction displaces dry reforming towards products what avoids carbon formation at some extent. Carbon deposition has been detected at temperatures lower than 900°C. These deposits were partially removed along isothermal experiments, probably by CO2 (Boudouard), and/or newly formed H2 and CO (MDR). EDS analysis demonstrated that carbon is mostly formed on the surface of nickel particles, while Raman spectroscopy shows that this carbon was highly graphitized. Metallic iron can be reoxidized with steam in a subsequent stage releasing high purity hydrogen.
This research is devoted to the use of ethanol (i.e. bio-ethanol) in the combined production and purification of hydrogen by redox processes. The process has been studied in a single lab scale fixed ...bed reactor. Iron oxides, apart from their remarked redox behavior, exert an important catalytic role allowing the complete decomposition of ethanol at temperatures in the range from 625 to 750 degree C. The resulting gas stream (mainly H sub(2) and CO) reduces the solid to metallic iron. During a subsequent oxidation with steam, the solid can be regenerated to magnetite producing high purity hydrogen (suitable to be used in PEM fuel cells). Even though small amounts of coke are deposited during the reduction step, this is barely gasified by steam during the oxidation step (detection of CO sub(x) in concentrations lower than 1 ppm). Influence of parameters like temperature, ethanol partial pressure and alternate cycles' effect has been studied in order to maximize the production of pure hydrogen.
Rationale
Since energy drinks (EDs) were marketed to the general public as recreational and soft drinks, mixing these with alcohol has become a popular practice, especially in the younger population. ...Alcohol mixed with EDs (AmEDs) is a particularly alarming combination, given the evidence that consistently associate these drinks with increased risk behaviours and greater alcohol consumption. Caffeine and taurine are commonly found in EDs. In contrast to caffeine, the studies on taurine psychoactive properties and how this amino acid influences ethanol intake alone or in combination with caffeine are not so numerous.
Objectives
We summarised relevant and available data on the studies focusing on taurine as a psychoactive agent and its influence on ethanol (EtOH)-induced behaviours. Given the increased risk that represents mixing alcohol with energy drinks, we put emphasis on the research exploring the impact of these combinations on motivated behaviour towards EtOH consumption.
Results
The research on taurine properties on motivated behaviour towards EtOH consumption is limited, and mostly all done in combination with caffeine or other molecules. This makes it difficult to elucidate the effect of this amino acid when combined with alcohol.
Conclusions
Incomplete understanding of the properties and effects of AmEDs is unavoidable until more studies are performed on the influence of taurine on motivation to consume alcohol. Taurine should be further explored, particularly in regard to its potential beneficial applications, motivational properties and synergies with other psychoactive ingredients (i.e. caffeine).
Agroecosystems have traditionally been considered incompatible with biological conservation goals, and often been excluded from spatial conservation prioritization strategies. The consequences for ...the representativeness of identified priority areas have been little explored. Here, we evaluate these for biodiversity and carbon storage representation when agricultural land areas are excluded from a spatial prioritization strategy for South America. Comparing different prioritization approaches, we also assess how the spatial overlap of priority areas changes. The exclusion of agricultural lands was detrimental to biodiversity representation, indicating that priority areas for agricultural production overlap with areas of relatively high occurrence of species. By contrast, exclusion of agricultural lands benefits representation of carbon storage within priority areas, as lands of high value for agriculture and carbon storage overlap little. When agricultural lands were included and equally weighted with biodiversity and carbon storage, a balanced representation resulted. Our findings suggest that with appropriate management, South American agroecosystems can significantly contribute to biodiversity conservation.
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•Copper oxychloride addition in a biopurification system was evaluated.•Simultaneous presence copper and pesticides affected slightly its dissipation capacity.•Microbial communities ...and biological activities were slightly altered but recovered.•Addition of copper oxychloride could be recommended but at ≤ 100 mg kg−1 according to preliminary results.
Alternating reductions with hydrogen and oxidations with steam have been carried out on solids with improved redox capacity showing the benefits of different synthesis methods in the steam-iron ...process (SIP). Solids chosen were a commercial hematite, a lab-made iron oxide doped with ceria and alumina and hematite synthesized by freeze-casting technique. The first one shows a high loss of reactivity from the first cycle on while the others keep their reduction capacity along three consecutive cycles and beyond. Isothermal experiments were also performed with the best two solids. Although all of them had hematite as the starting material, they have shown significant differences in behaviour respecting the original commercial hematite depending on the chemical (inclusion of additives that account for only 2 wt% of the solid mass) or physical (macroporosity) properties. Also the effect of long lasting runs with up to 10 cycles (reduction + oxidation) have been performed at different reduction temperatures showing a slightly higher stability of the pure iron oxide pellets produced by freeze-casting versus an iron oxide with alumina and ceria selected as structural stabilizers and accelerators of the reduction/oxidation reaction.
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•Several solids based on iron oxide to separate H2 from mixtures by steam-iron process.•Freeze-casting (FC) technique to produce solids with extended redox capabilities.•Freeze-casting solid (hematite) significantly better than commercial one.•Internal structure of solid and high temp. posttreatment confers singular features.•Behaviour comparable to iron oxide with dopants, event paying no heed to particle size.
Making has been touted for its potential to democratize STEM yet could be replicating issues of limited participation of persons from educationally underserved populations. This version of making ...could be problematic for young women of color, limiting participation and aspirations for STEM careers. We present a counterexample with Critical Making, an approach of action, reflection, and community dialog to promote social change. We examine a multimedia design and implementation project as an expression of seven young Latinx
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women's experiences. Participants were tasked with creating a maker artifact to display data from a community survey and produced an interactive (touch capacitive) heart-shaped word cloud capturing positive qualities of their community. We utilized cultural-historical activity theory to focus on relations of the teen participants, meanings conveyed by the word cloud, and how digital tools interacted with norms, division of labor, and community relationships to mediate understanding. We report tensions between group versus community values and between possible design features and tool limitations. We also report how participants authored intersecting identities as makers, group members, and contributors to their community. Our results document the dynamics of a Critical Maker program and expand understanding of how young Latinx women experience making and STEM learning.
The continuous increase in the intensity and extent of anthropogenic artificial light has significantly shaped Earth's nighttime environment. This environmental change has effects across the natural ...world, with consequences for organismal physiology and behaviour and the abundances and distributions of species. Here, we evaluate for the first time the relations between the spatio-temporal patterns of anthropogenic nighttime light and the distribution of terrestrial mammals, one of the most endangered species groups and one that expresses varying time partitioning strategies. Using descriptive statistics, trend tests and spatial prioritization analysis we show that in most places on earth there is a terrestrial mammal species whose range is experiencing detectable artificial light. For most species this tends only to be for small parts of their range, and those affected across large parts are typically rare. Over time (1992-2012), an increase in mean light intensity was found for the ranges of the majority of species, with very few experiencing a decrease. Moreover, nocturnal species are more likely to experience an increase in light within their ranges. This is of conservation concern as many terrestrial mammals are nocturnal and therefore often particularly vulnerable to a pressure such as artificial light at night.
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