Footprinting

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Effective population size (Ne ) is a particularly useful metric for conservation as it affects genetic drift, inbreeding and adaptive potential within populations. Current guidelines recommend a minimum Ne of 50 and 500 to avoid short-term inbreeding and to preserve long-term adaptive potential respectively. However, the extent to which wild populations reach these thresholds globally has not been investigated, nor has the relationship between Ne and human activities. Through a quantitative review, we generated a dataset with 4610 georeferenced Ne estimates from 3829 populations, extracted from 723 articles...

Habitat suitability analysis is essential in habitat and species conservation. Anatidae are known for their migratory behaviour, high population density, and wide distribution range. Understanding their habitat utilzation and influencing factors is crucial in targeted conservation and management. In this study, we collected Anatidae diversity data, including the number of species, through field surveys from October 2021 to March 2022 and thirty habitat variables through an online database in Anhui Province, China...

This review scrutinizes current research on new methods for enhancing bituminous binder performance through radiation and radical grafting of polymer modifiers of bitumen. It investigates innovative methods, including using waste polymers as modifiers and applying radiation for polymer grafting, to overcome challenges like high costs, low aging resistance, and storage stability issues, of which separation of phases polymer/bitumen is the most significant obstacle. These advanced modification techniques promise sustainability through the decrease of the carbon footprint of transportation systems by improving the properties and durability of binders...

The recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW) for the extraction of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) to be used to produce recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) is widely acknowledged internationally. However, CDW not only contains concrete debris but may also contain burnt clay bricks. The recycling of such CDW without the segregation of different components would result in recycled aggregates having different proportions of concrete and brick aggregates. The utilization of these aggregates in concrete requires a detailed investigation of their mechanical and durability properties...

This paper describes different variants of broadband and simple attenuator modules for beamforming applications, based on radio frequency micro electro-mechanical systems (RF-MEMS), framed within coplanar waveguide (CPW) structures. The modules proposed in the first part of this work differ in their actuation voltage, topology, and desired attenuation level. Fabricated samples of basic 1-bit attenuation modules, characterized by a moderate footprint of 690 × 1350 µm2 and aiming at attenuation levels of -2, -3, and -5 dB in the 24...

The design of a readily useable technology for routine paddock-scale soil porosity estimation is described. The method is non-contact (proximal) and typically from "on-the-go" sensors mounted on a small farm vehicle around 1 m above the soil surface. This ultrasonic sensing method is unique in providing estimates of porosity by a non-invasive, cost-effective, and relatively simple method. Challenges arise from the need to have a compact low-power rigid structure and to allow for pasture cover and surface roughness...

Gamma-ray spectroscopy (GRS) enables continuous estimation of soil water content (SWC) at the subfield scale with a noninvasive sensor. Hydrological applications, including hyper-resolution land surface models and precision agricultural decision making, could benefit greatly from such SWC information, but a gap exists between established theory and accurate estimation of SWC from GRS in the field. In response, we conducted a robust three-year field validation study at a well-instrumented agricultural site in Nebraska, United States...

This study aimed to investigate the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with gastrocnemius (GCM) strength exercise on foot morphology in patients with stroke. Herein, 31 patients with chronic stroke meeting the study criteria were enrolled and divided into two groups; 16 patients were randomized to the gastrocnemius neuromuscular electrical stimulation (GCMNMES) group, and 15 patients to the conventional neuromuscular electrical stimulation (CNMES) group. The GCMNMES group conducted GCM-strengthening exercise with NMES...

Background Health care is a significant contributor to climate change. Global pressure for a change towards a more sustainable way of providing dental health care has resulted in the creation of the Green Impact Toolkit, which is comprised of a list of suggested changes that dental practices can make to become more sustainable in a number of categories, such as procurement, waste and water.Aims To compare the effectiveness of changes suggested by the Green Impact Toolkit.Materials and methods A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted using the Ecoinvent database v3...

INTRODUCTION: The use of pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) and asthma exacerbations necessitating healthcare reviews contribute substantially to the global carbon footprint of healthcare. It is possible that a reduction in carbon footprint could be achieved by switching patients with mild asthma from salbutamol pMDI reliever therapy to inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol dry powder inhaler (DPI) reliever therapy, as recommended by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). METHODS: This post hoc analysis included all 668 adult participants in the Novel START trial, who were randomised 1:1:1 to treatment with: as-needed budesonide-formoterol DPI, as-needed salbutamol pMDI, or maintenance budesonide DPI plus as-needed salbutamol pMDI...

This study aimed to monitor long-term land use dynamics for understanding the natural forest integrity and intactness of the Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarhole) Tiger Reserve (RTR) pre- and post-declarations as TR. We employed multi-source data from Survey of India Toposheets (1:50 k), Landsat-7, and Sentinel-2A along with Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) vegetation canopy height (10 m) data, a high-spatial resolution CORONA (1970) images and temporal Google Earth Pro images for mapping and validation...

UNLABELLED: In most actinomycetes, GlnR governs both nitrogen and non-nitrogen metabolisms (e.g., carbon, phosphate, and secondary metabolisms). Although GlnR has been recognized as a global regulator, its regulatory role in central carbon metabolism [e.g., glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle] is largely unknown. In this study, we characterized GlnR as a direct transcriptional repressor of the pckA gene that encodes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, catalyzing the conversion of the TCA cycle intermediate oxaloacetate to phosphoenolpyruvate, a key step in gluconeogenesis...

BACKGROUND: Recommendations exist that aim to mitigate the substantial ecological impact of anaesthesia. One option is to use anaesthetic gas capturing technology at anaesthesia workstation exhausts to harvest and recycle volatile agents. However, the efficiency of such technology is mainly unverified in vivo. METHODS: The efficiency of CONTRAfluran™ in capturing sevoflurane from an anaesthesia workstation exhaust (when set to minimal flow and end-tidal control mode) was evaluated in 70 adult patients scheduled for general or bariatric laparoscopic surgery...

The ideal femoral tunnel passing through the centre of the femoral neck targeted to the footprint of the ligamentum teres (LT) is established during the LT reconstruction surgery with the free-hand technique. We aimed to quantitatively determine the entry site and define the angular orientation of the ideal femoral tunnel with its relevance to the femoral valgus angle (FVA) and the femoral anteversion angle (FAA) to facilitate the creation of an ideal femoral tunnel during the LT reconstruction surgery. A total of 60 randomly selected CT images were obtained to reconstruct three-dimensional femur models...

Hydrogen (H2 ) is the most promising energy carrier for reducing the carbon emissions of the energy sector, but the impact of its production on water resources remains unclear. Here, we quantify the water footprint (WF) of different H2 production pathways accounting for the WF of the primary energy used in the production process, as well as feedstock and infrastructure water requirements. Results suggest that green H2 obtained from water electrolysis powered by renewable energy has the lowest WF (65 ± 2 m3 /TJ for wind and 204 ± 79 m3 /TJ for solar) mostly due to the low WF of renewable energy...

The exhaust gases in production of burnt clay bricks is responsible for greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission which increase the carbon footprint in the ecosystem. Here, we report carbon emission and thermal performance based evaluation of 8 ft. × 9 ft. × 8 ft. building. The bricks used in building construction are manufactured from fly ash, agro-forestry wastes, construction & demolition wastes (C&D), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) using NaOH as activator in order to provide compressive strength in the range of 3-6 MPa with ambient curing at 30 °C for 28 days...

The growing concerns about environmental sustainability and energy security, such as exhaustion of traditional fossil fuels and global carbon footprint growth have led to an increasing interest in alternative energy sources, especially bioenergy. Recently, numerous scenarios have been proposed regarding the use of bioenergy from different sources in the future energy systems. In this regard, one of the biggest challenges for scientists is managing, modeling, decision-making, and future forecasting of bioenergy systems...

Noise and vibrations generated by railway traffic can seriously affect the adjacent buildings and their residents. Different mitigation methods have been proposed in the past decades to tackle this challenge. Despite many mitigation measures presented in the literature, some of these measures have shown limitations in their application, while for others their carbon footprint does not justify their implementation in real projects. This study introduces the concept of forests as natural metamaterials to attenuate the vibrations generated at the wheel-rail interaction...

Achieving sustainable dietary change is essential for safeguarding human and environmental health. However, dietary recommendations based on broad food groups may not accurately reflect real-world realities because individuals select and consume dishes with multiple food items influenced by diverse context-specific factors. Therefore, here we explored the sustainability trade-offs of dietary choices at the dish level through an optimization modeling approach tested in Japan. We estimated the nutritional quality, price, and carbon footprint of major Japanese dishes and examined 16 dietary scenarios to identify options that meet the nutritional requirements and minimize carbon footprint...