Marine plastic pollution has been a growing concern for decades. Single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads) are a significant source of this pollution. Although research outlining ...environmental, social, and economic impacts of marine plastic pollution is growing, few studies have examined policy and legislative tools to reduce plastic pollution, particularly single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads). This paper reviews current international market-based strategies and policies to reduce plastic bags and microbeads. While policies to reduce microbeads began in 2014, interventions for plastic bags began much earlier in 1991. However, few studies have documented or measured the effectiveness of these reduction strategies. Recommendations to further reduce single-use plastic marine pollution include: (i) research to evaluate effectiveness of bans and levies to ensure policies are having positive impacts on marine environments; and (ii) education and outreach to reduce consumption of plastic bags and microbeads at source.
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•Plastics in the marine environment are widely recognized as a global issue.•Current international strategies and policies to reduce single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads) are reviewed.•Many nations have adopted policies (since 1991) to reduce single-use plastic bags.•A rising tide of policy strategies to reduce microbeads began in 2014, but are yet to be implemented.•More research, policy and legislation efforts to reduce single-use plastic marine pollution are recommended.
The central radio source in M87 provides the best opportunity to study jet formation because it has a large angular size for the gravitational radius of the black hole and has a bright jet that is ...well resolved by very long baseline interferometry observations. We present intensive monitoring observations from 2007 and 2008, plus roughly annual observations that span 17 years, all made with the the Very Long Baseline Array at 43 GHz with a resolution of about 30 by 60RS. Our high dynamic range images clearly show the wide opening angle structure and the counterjet. The jet and counterjet are nearly symmetric in the inner 1.5 mas (0.12 pc in projection), with both being edge brightened. Both show deviations from parabolic shape in the form of an initial rapid expansion and subsequent contraction followed by further rapid expansion and, beyond the visible counterjet, subsequent collimation. Proper motions and counterjet/jet intensity ratios both indicate acceleration from apparent speeds of 0.5c to 2c in the inner ∼2 mas and suggest a helical flow. The jet displays a sideways shift with an approximately 8-10 yr quasi-periodicity. The shift propagates outward nonballistically and significantly more slowly than the flow speed revealed by the fastest-moving components. Polarization data show a systematic structure with magnetic field vectors that suggest a toroidal field close to the core.
Urban areas are considered net consumers of materials and energy, attracting these from the surrounding hinterland and other parts of the planet. The way these flows are transformed and returned to ...the environment by the city is important for addressing questions of sustainability and the effect of human behavior on the metabolism of the city. The present work explores these questions with the use of systems analysis, specifically in the form of a Multi-sectoral Systems Analysis (MSA), a tool for research and for supporting decision-making for policy and investment. The application of MSA is illustrated in the context of Greater London, with these three objectives: (a) estimating resource fluxes (nutrients, water and energy) entering, leaving and circulating within the city-watershed system; (b) revealing the synergies and antagonisms resulting from various combinations of water-sector innovations; and (c) estimating the economic benefits associated with implementing these technologies, from the point of view of production of fertilizer and energy, and the reduction of greenhouse gases. Results show that the selection of the best technological innovation depends on which resource is the focus for improvement. Urine separation can potentially recover 47% of the nitrogen in the food consumed in London, with revenue of $33 M per annum from fertilizer production. Collecting food waste in sewers together with growing algae in wastewater treatment plants could beneficially increase the amount of carbon release from renewable energy by 66%, with potential annual revenues of $58 M from fuel production.
•The Multi-sectoral Systems Analysis is described as a decision support tool.•Four technologies are assessed for their impact on London's urban metabolism.•The focus is on the flows of nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, water, and energy.•Alternative technologies have a key role for the recovery of nutrients.•The largest economic benefits are associated with water use reduction.
Atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) offers potential for advanced devices and an alternative to graphene due to its unique electronic and optical properties. The temperature-dependent Raman ...spectra of exfoliated, monolayer MoS2 in the range of 100–320 K are reported and analyzed. The linear temperature coefficients of the in-plane E 2g 1 and the out-of-plane A 1g modes for both suspended and substrate-supported monolayer MoS2 are measured. These data, when combined with the first-order coefficients from laser power-dependent studies, enable the thermal conductivity to be extracted. The resulting thermal conductivity κ = (34.5 ± 4) W/mK at room temperature agrees well with the first-principles lattice dynamics simulations. However, this value is significantly lower than that of graphene. The results from this work provide important input for the design of MoS2-based devices where thermal management is critical.
An imaging platform based on broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (BCARS) has been developed which provides an advantageous combination of speed, sensitivity and spectral breadth. The ...system utilizes a configuration of laser sources that probes the entire biologically-relevant Raman window (500 cm
to 3500 cm
) with high resolution (< 10 cm
). It strongly and efficiently stimulates Raman transitions within the typically weak "fingerprint" region using intrapulse 3-colour excitation, and utilizes the nonresonant background (NRB) to heterodyne amplify weak Raman signals. We demonstrate high-speed chemical imaging in two- and three-dimensional views of healthy murine liver and pancreas tissues and interfaces between xenograft brain tumours and the surrounding healthy brain matter.
The presence and accumulation of plastic and microplastic (MP) debris in the natural environment is of increasing concern and has become the focus of attention for many researchers. Plastic debris is ...a prolific, long-lived pollutant that is highly resistant to environmental degradation, readily adheres hydrophobic persistent organic pollutants and is linked to morbidity and mortality in numerous aquatic organisms. The prevalence of MPs within the natural environment is a symptom of continuous and rapid growth in synthetic plastic production and mismanagement of plastic waste. Many terrestrial and marine-based processes, including domestic and industrial drainage, maritime activities agricultural runoff and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effluent, contribute to MP pollution in aquatic environments. MPs have been identified in food consumed by human and in air samples, and exposure to MPs via ingestion or inhalation could lead to adverse human health effects. Regulations in many countries have already been established or will soon be implemented to reduce MPs in aquatic environments. This review focuses on the occurrence, sources, and transport of MPs in terrestrial and aquatic environments to highlight potential human health effects, and applicable regulations to mitigate impacts of MPs. This study also highlights the importance of personality traits and cognitive ability in reducing the entry of MPs into the environment.
•The effect of binder type on moisture transfer and thermal properties of hemp concrete is investigated.•Increasing binder hydraulicity and adding water retainers to the binder reduces capillary ...absorption.•Binder type did not significantly influence permeability suggesting interparticular space largely contribute to permeability.•Binder type did not significantly influence thermal conductivity or heat capacity.•However a trend suggests that binder hydraulicity reduces conductivity and increases heat capacity.
Lime–hemp concrete is a low-embodied energy, carbon-negative, sustainable construction material made with a lime-based binder and hemp aggregate. This work investigates moisture and thermal properties of hemp concretes made with hydrated lime and pozzolans, and those including hydraulic lime and cement. The paper concludes that the type of binder influences capillary action of hemp concrete and that increasing the hydraulicity of the binder, as well as adding a water retainer, reduces capillary absorption. The impact of the binder type on permeability is less evident, and the results indicate that the large interparticular spaces between hemp particles (macropores) contribute to permeability to a greater extent than micropores (which are influenced by the hydraulicity of the binder).
Finally, the binder type did not have a statistically significant impact on either thermal conductivity or specific heat capacity. A trend however suggests that increasing the binder’s hydraulic content reduces thermal conductivity and increases heat capacity; and that the presence of water retainers enhances both conductivity and heat capacity.
Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a pleiotropic anti-inflammatory cytokine produced and sensed by most hematopoietic cells. Genome-wide association studies and experimental animal models point at a central ...role of the IL-10 axis in inflammatory bowel diseases. Here we investigated the importance of intestinal macrophage production of IL-10 and their IL-10 exposure, as well as the existence of an IL-10-based autocrine regulatory loop in the gut. Specifically, we generated mice harboring IL-10 or IL-10 receptor (IL-10Rα) mutations in intestinal lamina propria-resident chemokine receptor CX3CR1-expressing macrophages. We found macrophage-derived IL-10 dispensable for gut homeostasis and maintenance of colonic T regulatory cells. In contrast, loss of IL-10 receptor expression impaired the critical conditioning of these monocyte-derived macrophages and resulted in spontaneous development of severe colitis. Collectively, our results highlight IL-10 as a critical homeostatic macrophage-conditioning agent in the colon and define intestinal CX3CR1hi macrophages as a decisive factor that determines gut health or inflammation.
•Macrophage production of IL-10 is dispensable for gut homeostasis•Macrophage sensing of IL-10 is critical for gut homeostasis•IL-10 is a critical conditioning factor for gut macrophages•Colonic Treg-derived IL-10 silences macrophages
Under salinity, Vitis spp. rootstocks can mediate salt (NaCl) exclusion from grafted V. vinifera scions enabling higher grapevine yields and production of superior wines with lower salt content. ...Until now, the genetic and mechanistic elements controlling sodium (Na+) exclusion in grapevine were unknown.
Using a cross between two Vitis interspecific hybrid rootstocks, we mapped a dominant quantitative trait locus (QTL) associated with leaf Na+ exclusion (NaE) under salinity stress. The NaE locus encodes six high-affinity potassium transporters (HKT). Transcript profiling and functional characterization in heterologous systems identified VisHKT1;1 as the best candidate gene for controlling leaf Na+ exclusion.
We characterized four proteins encoded by unique VisHKT1;1 alleles from the parents, and revealed that the dominant HKT variants exhibit greater Na+ conductance with less rectification than the recessive variants. Mutagenesis of VisHKT1;1 and TaHKT1.5-D from bread wheat, demonstrated that charged amino acid residues in the eighth predicted transmembrane domain of HKT proteins reduces inward Na+ conductance, and causes inward rectification of Na+ transport.
The origin of the recessive VisHKT1;1 alleles was traced to V. champinii and V. rupestris. We propose that the genetic and functional data presented here will assist with breeding Na+-tolerant grapevine rootstocks.
Current revelations about the secret US-NSA program, PRISM, have confirmed the large-scale mass surveillance of the telecommunication and electronic messages of governments, companies, and citizens, ...including the United States' closest allies in Europe and Latin America. The transnational ramifications of surveillance call for a re-evaluation of contemporary world politics' practices. The debate cannot be limited to the United States versus the rest of the world or to surveillance versus privacy; much more is at stake. This collective article briefly describes the specificities of cyber mass surveillance, including its mix of the practices of intelligence services and those of private companies providing services around the world. It then investigates the impact of these practices on national security, diplomacy, human rights, democracy, subjectivity, and obedience. Adapted from the source document.
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