. Of these 19 new species, seven produce a sexual morph (M. clavatum, M. eburneum, M. flavum, M. phuwiangense, M. purpureonigrum, M. purpureum, and M. sulphureum) and asexual morphs are found in the ...remaining new species and also in M. sulphureum, M. purpureonigrum
and M. purpureum. Metarhizium blattodeae, M. koreanum and M. viridulum are new records for Thailand. An alternative neotype for Metarhizium anisopliae is proposed based on multi-gene and 5′tef analyses showing that CBS 130.71 from Ukraine is more suitable,
being from a much closer geographical location to Metchnikoff's Metarhizium anisopliae. This isolate is distinct from the neotype of Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae proposed by M. Tulloch from Ethiopia (ARSEF 7487). Six new genera are established for monophyletic
clades subtending the core Metarhizium clade, including Keithomyces, Marquandomyces, Papiliomyces, Purpureomyces, Sungia, and Yosiokobayasia. Metarhizium carneum, M. aciculare, and M. neogunnii are combined in Keithomyces and one new combination for M.
marquandii in Marquandomyces is proposed. Purpureomyces is introduced for species producing purple stromata including a new combination for M. khaoyaiense and two new species P. maesotensis and P. pyriformis. Papiliomyces contains two new combinations
for M. liangshanense and Metacordyceps shibinensis. The genus Sungia is proposed for the Korean species M. yongmunense on Lepidoptera pupa and Yosiokobayasia for the Japanese species M. kusanagiense also on Lepidoptera pupa. A synoptic
and dichotomous key to the accepted taxa is provided together with tables listing distinguishing morphological characters between species, host preferences, and geography.
Formal planning and development of what became the first Landsat satellite commenced over 50 years ago in 1967. Now, having collected earth observation data for well over four decades since the 1972 ...launch of Landsat-1, the Landsat program is increasingly complex and vibrant. Critical programmatic elements are ensuring the continuity of high quality measurements for scientific and operational investigations, including ground systems, acquisition planning, data archiving and management, and provision of analysis ready data products. Free and open access to archival and new imagery has resulted in a myriad of innovative applications and novel scientific insights. The planning of future compatible satellites in the Landsat series, which maintain continuity while incorporating technological advancements, has resulted in an increased operational use of Landsat data. Governments and international agencies, among others, can now build an expectation of Landsat data into a given operational data stream. International programs and conventions (e.g., deforestation monitoring, climate change mitigation) are empowered by access to systematically collected and calibrated data with expected future continuity further contributing to the existing multi-decadal record. The increased breadth and depth of Landsat science and applications have accelerated following the launch of Landsat-8, with significant improvements in data quality.
Herein, we describe the programmatic developments and institutional context for the Landsat program and the unique ability of Landsat to meet the needs of national and international programs. We then present the key trends in Landsat science that underpin many of the recent scientific and application developments and follow-up with more detailed thematically organized summaries. The historical context offered by archival imagery combined with new imagery allows for the development of time series algorithms that can produce information on trends and dynamics. Landsat-8 has figured prominently in these recent developments, as has the improved understanding and calibration of historical data. Following the communication of the state of Landsat science, an outlook for future launches and envisioned programmatic developments are presented. Increased linkages between satellite programs are also made possible through an expectation of future mission continuity, such as developing a virtual constellation with Sentinel-2. Successful science and applications developments create a positive feedback loop—justifying and encouraging current and future programmatic support for Landsat.
•Landsat program approaching 50 years of continuous global data collection.•Landsat-8 successfully on-orbit; Landsat-9 under development; Landsat-10 being scoped.•Open data has accelerated science and application developments.•Value of calibrated data shown for science, applications, and towards virtual constellations.•Time series analysis of Landsat offering new insights on earth system and human activity.
The environmental sustainability of acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment at semi-industrial scale is examined by means of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. An integrated process which ...includes magnesite, lime, soda ash and CO2 bubbling treatment was employed to effectively treat, at semi-industrial scale, AMD originating from a coal mine in South Africa. Economic aspects are also discussed. AMD is a growing problem of emerging concern that cause detrimental effects to the environment and living organisms, including humans, and impose on development, health, access to clean water, thus also affect economic growth and cause social instability. Therefore, sustainable and cost effective treatment methods are required. A life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) revealed the viability of the system, since the levelized cost of AMD treatment can be as low as R112.78/m3 (€7.60/m3 or $9.35/m3). Moreover, due to its versatility, the system can be used both at remote locales, at stand-alone mode (e.g. using solar energy), or can treat AMD at industrial scale, thus substantially improving community resilience at local and national level. In terms of environmental sustainability, 29.6 kg CO2eq are emitted per treated m3 AMD or its environmental footprint amount to 2.96 Pt/m3. South Africa's fossil-fuel depended energy mix and liquid CO2 consumption were the main environmental hotspots. The total environmental footprint is reduced by 45% and 36% by using solar energy and gaseous CO2, respectively. Finally, AMD sludge valorisation, i.e. mineral recovery, can reduce the total environmental footprint by up to 12%.
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•Environmental impacts of AMD treatment were assessed by life cycle assessment (LCA).•An integrated active process, i.e. magnesite, lime, soda ash and CO2 treatment, was used.•The process is cost effective, treatment cost as low as R112.78/m3 (€7.60–$9.35/m3).•The high environmental footprint was attributed to electricity and liquid CO2 use•Introduction of solar energy and gaseous CO2 can axe environmental footprint by 81%.•AMD sludge valorisation, i.e. mineral recovery, seems promising but more research is needed.
Mining activities cause significant damage to nature but it is inevitable. The nature of ore along mining method not only guide the volume of waste generation but also the nature of waste. ...Bioremediation is considered as an alternative and economically viable technique compared to conventional remediation techniques. It is found to be suitable alternative in treating mine wastes and recovery of toxic heavy metals. Out of all the waste generated during and after mining operation, Acid mine drainage/ acid rock drainage is the most dangerous one laden with heavy and toxic metals, remain untreated. Use of microorganisms not only help in detoxification but also facilitates extraction. Sulfate-reducing microorganisms have been applied for the treatment of acid mine waste Amongst all the known microorganisms, SRB plays a vital role in mine waste treatment, neutralizing acidity & reviving alkalinity. Due to simultaneous elimination of sulfate and metals, and the possibility to reuse, bioreactors with SRB represent a promising option for remediation of mine waste..Such a technique picked up its momentum due to its low cost, easy availability of ingredients, and eco-friendly nature. Considering the dependency of microorganisms on other factors for their survival, such a treatment system may/ may not be used alone. Therefore, it advisable to use the same along with other techniques depending upon site conditions, nature of deposit and availability of essential requisites. In this paper, attempts were made to highlight the potential thrust areas requiring applying this technique, limiting factors.
Reliable satellite monitoring of agriculture is often difficult because surface variations occur rapidly compared to the cloud-free satellite observation frequency. Harmonic time series models, i.e., ...superimposed sequences of sines and cosines, have an established provenance for fitting satellite vegetation index time series to coarse resolution satellite data, but their application to medium resolution Landsat data for crop monitoring has been limited. Non-linear harmonic models have been shown to perform well over agricultural sites using single-year Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) time series, but have not been explored with Landsat data. The 2017 availability of Landsat Analysis Ready Data (ARD) over the United States provides the opportunity to investigate the utility of temporally rich Landsat data for 30 m pixel-level crop monitoring. In this paper, the capability of 5- and 7-parameter linear harmonic models and a 5-parameter non-linear harmonic model applied to a year of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) ARD is investigated. The analysis is undertaken over six sites, each defined by a 5000 × 5000 30 m pixel ARD tile, that together include the major conterminous United States (CONUS) crops identified by inspection of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cropland Data Layer (CDL). The model fits are evaluated as the root mean square difference (RMSD) between the fitted and the observed Landsat data. Considering locations with at least 21 annual Landsat observations, the 7-parameter linear harmonic model (tile mean crop NDVI RMSD values ranging from 0.052 to 0.072) and the 5-parameter non-linear harmonic model (tile mean crop NDVI RMSD values ranging from 0.054 to 0.074) are shown to be able to fit annual Landsat NDVI time series for most CONUS crops, whereas the 5-parameter linear harmonic model cannot (tile mean crop NDVI RMSD values ranging from 0.072 to 0.099). If there are between 15 and 20 annual Landsat observations, the 5-parameter non-linear harmonic model is recommended for fitting annual NDVI crop time series, and if there are ≥21 observations, then either the 5-parameter non-linear or the 7-parameter linear model can be used. The 7-parameter model had marginally smaller mean NDVI RMSD values but larger standard deviations than the 5-parameter non-linear model, likely due to the relative robustness of the non-linear model to over-fitting and oscillations. None of the models could reliably fit crops with multiple stages, such as alfalfa, that are insufficiently sampled using combined Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+ time series. Given the utility of the growing season peak NDVI for crop yield applications, the date and magnitude of the model fitted peak NDVI are compared to quantify model reporting differences. The differences between the 7-parameter linear and the 5-parameter non-linear harmonic models are not large. For each ARD tile, the mean absolute differences in the estimated peak NDVI days varied from <2 days in the northern ARD tiles, which had short growing seasons and similar crops, to less than a week for the other tiles except for nearly 10 days for the California tile that had longer growing seasons and more diverse crops including crops with multiple stages. The paper concludes with a discussion and recommendations for future research.
•Harmonic model fitting on crops using single-year Landsat 5 and 7 time series•Landsat ARD data•First application of non-linear harmonic model to Landsat time series•NDVI models fitted per-pixel in six 5000 × 5000 30 m agricultural ARD tiles•Considered all major U.S. crop types
The modern settlements of El-Matariya and Ain Shams are located to the north-east of Cairo, now covering the cemetery of Heliopolis. This necropolis contained many tombs from the Old Kingdom, or even ...before, which continued to be in use through the Late Period (7th–4th centuries BC). Heliopolis is considered one of the oldest religious cities in the history of ancient Egypt, which has not been systematically and fully excavated. During the rescue excavations of Ard Neqabet El-Muhamin in Ain-Shams East (Heliopolis) in 1987–8, many objects were found. They come from different periods, have different shapes and have been made from different materials. The aim of this research is to study in detail the objects, which stem from the excavations of Ard Neqabet El-Muhamin at Heliopolis which they are kept in El-Matariya’s storerooms and Grand Egyptian Museum, which have not been published completely. These objects have a lot of archaeological information, which need to be published in scientific research, to help date these artifacts and cast light on them.
The co-management of different wastewater matrices can lead to synergistic effects in terms of pollutants removal. Here, the co-treatment of real municipal wastewater (MWW) and acid mine drainage ...(AMD) is comprehensively examined. Under the identified optimum co-treatment condition, i.e., 15 min contact time, 1:7 AMD to MWW liquid-to-liquid ratio, and ambient temperature and pH, the metal content of AMD (e.g., Al, Fe, Mn, Zn) was grossly (~95%) reduced along with sulphate (~92%), while MWW’s phosphate content was practically removed (≥99%). The PHREEQC geochemical model predicted the formation of (oxy)-hydroxides, (oxy)-hydro-sulphates, metals hydroxides, and other mineral phases in the produced sludge, which were confirmed using state-of-the-art analytical techniques such as FE-SEM-EDS and XRD. The key mechanisms governing pollutants removal include dilution, precipitation, co-precipitation, adsorption, and crystallization. Beneficiation and valorisation of the produced sludge and co-treated effluent could promote resource recovery paradigms in wastewater management. Overall, the co-treatment of AMD and MWW appear to be feasible, yet not practical due to the excessive volume of MWW that is required to attain the desired treatment quality. Future research could focus on chemical addition for the control of the pH and the use of (photo)-Fenton for enhancing treatment efficiency.
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•The co-treatment of acid mine drainage and municipal wastewater was successfully performed.•Optimum mixing ratios for the treatment of two wastewater streams were duly determined.•PHREEQC geochemical model and simulations were used to complement experimental results.•Advanced and state of art analytical techniques were used to verify the fate of chemical species.
Using genetic methods, aneuploidies can be detected in ancient human remains, which is so far the only way to reliably prove their existence in the past. As highlighted in recent studies by Rohrlach ...et al. and by Anastasiadou et al., this initial step enables a deeper exploration of the history of rare diseases, encompassing the social and historical contexts of the afflicted individuals.
Using genetic methods, aneuploidies can be detected in ancient human remains, which is so far the only way to reliably prove their existence in the past. As highlighted in recent studies by Rohrlach et al. and by Anastasiadou et al., this initial step enables a deeper exploration of the history of rare diseases, encompassing the social and historical contexts of the afflicted individuals.
Mining activities are notorious for their environmental impact, with acid mine drainage (AMD) being among the most significant issues. Specifically, AMD has recently been a topical issue of prime ...concern, primarily due to the magnitude of its environmental, ecotoxicological, and socioeconomic impacts. AMD originates from both active and abandoned mines (primarily gold and coal) and is encountered in Canada, China, Russia, South Africa, USA, and other countries with strong mining industry. Owing to its acidity, AMD contains elevated levels of dissolved (toxic) metals, metalloids, rare-earth elements, radionuclides, and sulfates. Practical and cost-effective solutions to prevent its formation are still pending, while for its treatment active (driven by frequent input of chemicals and energy) or passive (based on oxidation/reduction) technologies are typically employed with the first being more efficient in contaminants removal, however, at the expense of process complexity, cost, and materials and energy consumption. More recently, and under the circular economy concept, hybrid (combination of active and passive technologies) and particularly integrated (sequential or stepwise treatment) systems have been explored for AMD beneficiation and valorisation. These systems are costly to install and operate but are cleaner production systems since they can effectively prevent pollution and can be used for closed-loop and sustainable AMD management (e.g., zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems). Herein, the body of knowledge on AMD treatment, beneficiation (metals/minerals recovery), valorisation (water reclamation), and life cycle assessment (LCA) is comprehensively reviewed and discussed, with focus placed on circular economy. Future research directions to introduce reuse, recycle, and resource recovery paradigms in wastewater treatment and to inspire innovation in valorising this toxic and hazardous effluent are also provided. Overall, AMD beneficiation and valorisation appears promising since the reclaimed water and the recovered minerals/metals could offset treatment costs and environmental impacts. However, the main challenges include high-cost, complexity, co-contamination in the recovered minerals, and the generation of a higly heterogeneous and mineralised sludge.
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•The body of knowledge on AMD treatment, beneficiation, and valorisation was reviewed•Focus was placed on opportunities for introducing AMD treatment in circular economy•The state-of-the-art on relevant LCA studies was summarised and discussed•Challenges related to minerals recovery and water reclamation were highlighted•Knowledge gaps were identified and future research directions were proposed
The identification of biomarkers linked to the onset, progression, and prevention of age-related diseases (ARD), in the era of personalized medicine, represents the best goal of geroscience. ...Geroscience has the fundamental role of exploring and identifying the biological mechanisms of aging to suggest interventions capable of stopping/delaying the many pathological conditions and disabilities related to age. Therefore, it has become its key priority, as well as that of clinical practice and research, based on identifying and validating a range of biomarkers, geromarkers, which can be used to diagnostic, prognostic, or predictive clinical purposes. Indeed, geromarkers have, the potential to predict ARD trajectories and facilitate targeted interventions to slow down the related disabilities. Here our attention is paid to the inflammatory indexes (CAR, mGPS, hs-mGPS) linked to the relationship between the plasma levels of two inflammatory analytes, the typical positive protein of the acute phase, and the negative one, i.e. c-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin, respectively. These indexes allow us to understand the magnitude of the two main mechanisms predicted to influence the aging process, including inflammation and immunosenescence, as well as the degree of ARD severity. Evidence on their relationship with ARD is widely reported and discussed, to understand which can represent the best ARD geromarker, and its clinical application.
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•Identification of biomarkers related to age-related diseases (ARD) represents the best goal of geroscience.•The inflammatory indexes CAR, mGPS, hs-mGPS could have a role of this type.•These indexes provide information on the extent of inflammation and immunosenescence of ARD, and on their severity.•They appear promising, especially hs-mGPS, and may represent the best ARD prognostic gero-marker.
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