Winkelwalsh6401

The reaction coefficient values are much more extensive when competitors implement laxer policies, indicating a more significant racing trend to the bottom. Overall, after controlling for the spillover effect and hysteresis effect of haze pollution, the strategic interaction of environmental regulation among provinces is not conducive to improve air quality. The consequence might be correlated with low environmental standards, weak regulation enforcement, and the "free-ride" motive in China. These findings will be of great significance for optimizing local government behavior and improving air quality.In arid and semiarid regions, groundwater is required for the drinking, agriculture, and industrial activities due to scarcity of surface water. Groundwater contaminated with high concentrations of fluoride and nitrate can severely affect human health in these regions. Twenty-eight groundwater samples from rural habitations of Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, India, were collected in March 2018 and subjected to analysis for water quality parameters. Fluoride and nitrate concentrations in groundwater varied from 0 to 5.74 mg/L and 10.22-519.64 mg/L, respectively. Nitrate content of about 86% samples and fluoride content of about 54% exceeded the permissible limit of Bureau of Indian Standards (IS10,500) as well as World Health Organization standards. All groundwater samples belonged to poor to unfit drinking water quality index. Principle component analysis elucidates the anthropogenic contribution to high nitrate concentrations observed in this area. Noncarcinogenic human health risk evaluated from high nitrate and fluoride in drinking water for children, men, and women points to the fact that noncarcinogenic risk is exceeding the allowable limit to human health. The predominating hydrochemical facies in the area is Na+-HCO3--Cl- followed by Na+-Mg2+-HCO3--Cl-. The Gibbs plot and bivariate ionic cross-plots suggest the noncarbonate weathering (rock dominance), evaporation dominance, and ion exchange process to be the predominating geochemical mechanisms governing the evolution of groundwater hydrogeochemistry. Giggenbach diagram shows the immature character, i.e., incomplete equilibration of the groundwater.High-quality and accurate environmental investigations are essential for the evaluation of contamination and subsequent decision-making processes. A combination of environmental geochemical indices, multivariate analyses and geographic information system approach was successfully used to assess contamination status and source apportionment of trace elements (Ag, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, V and Zn) in surface stream sediments from the Oued Rarai basin in north-western Tunisia, containing various metal and metalloid ores. The contamination level reported in this study indicates a non-negligible potential ecological risk, mainly related to sediment transport along the river. Antimony (concentrations ranged from 0.02 to 297 mg kg-1 and Igeo > 5), arsenic (from 0.5 to 1490 mg kg-1 and Igeo > 5), lead (from 2.9 to 5150 mg kg-1 and Igeo > 5) mercury (from 0.05 to 54.4 mg kg-1 and Igeo > 5) and silver (from 0.05 to 9.4 mg kg-1 and Igeo > 5) showed the most crucial contamination. Besides, potential ecological riment at former and current mining sites in north-western Tunisia.The spatial and temporal distribution pattern is an outstanding feature of the relationship among ecosystem services (ESs) that explains links between human activities and disturbed chemical composition of ecosystems. This study investigated the spatiotemporal variation of land use/cover changes (LUCC) and quantifies the change in four essential ecosystem services with an emphasis on soil (nutrient delivery ratio, carbon storage, crop production, and water yield) and their relationships in the Jiroft plain, Iran, during 1996-2016 through analytical tools including Land Change Modeler, and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoff. During the 20-year concentrate period, there was a considerable overall gain in cropland (5396 km2) and urban (1787 km2), loss of unused land (5692 km2), water (2088 km2), and forest (1083 km2). As a result of LUCC, while crop production and nutrient delivery ratio showed a rising trend, overall carbon storage and water yield decreased. The spatiotemporal trade-off between carbon storage and crop production, the temporal trade-off between crop production and water yield, and synergy between water yield and crop production were widespread in Jiroft plain. These results showed that the interaction among ESs mutates over time and can be changed under planning and policies. This study will enrich the research of the geographical distribution of ESs interaction in dryland ecosystems to provide practical ecosystem management under local conditions.Fluoride contamination in groundwaters of a rural region in semi-arid Western India has been studied using combination of geochemical-and-isotopic techniques, in conjunction with Health Quotient assessment approach. The objective of this study is to determine the sources and controls on fluoride content and to evaluate probabilistic non-carcinogenic risk associated with its long-term consumption. F- ranges from 0.3 to 12 mg L-1, shows high spatial variability, and ~ 35% of the samples have F-  > 1.5 mg L-1 (WHO maximum limit for drinking). Two sources are identified high F- results from water-rock interaction of F-bearing minerals in granites and gneisses, while phosphate fertilizers can contribute up to ~ 0.46 mg L-1 of groundwater F- that can be significant for low F- samples. High F- samples are characterized by high pH, Na and alkalinity, and low Ca. Calcite precipitation drives the solubility of F-bearing minerals. Kinetic fractionation of water isotopes (18O and 2H) demonstrates that evaporation plays role in enriching groundwater F-. Non-carcinogenic risk, estimated by Hazard Quotient ([Formula see text]), ranges from 0.13-5.72 to 0.26-11.86 for adult and children, respectively. Conservative estimate shows that ~ 0.467 million of adults and~0.073 million of children in four sub-districts are under the risk of fluorosis-while the residents of other five sub-districts remain safe from it. Finally, we suggest stakeholders to install F- treatment plants to ensure the health safety of local residents in the high-risk zones, create awareness in farmers for optimum use of fertilizers, and promote rainwater harvesting, for better management of groundwater resources and quality in the region.

Intra-ocular lens (IOL) power calculation in eyes with keratoconus typically results in hyperopic postoperative refractive error. We investigated the visual and refractive outcomes in keratoconus patients having cataract surgery with a toric IOL and compared IOL power calculation accuracy of conventional formulae and keratoconus specific formulae.

Ein-Tal Eye Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Retrospective case-series study.

Post-operative visual acuity and manifest refraction were examined. The error in predicted refraction and IOL power calculation accuracy within a range of 0.5 to 2.0 diopters were compared between different IOL calculating formulae.

Thirty-two eyes with keratoconus were included. Visual acuity improved in all cases and subjective astigmatism decreased from -2.95+/-2.10 D to -0.95+/-0.80 D (p<0.001). Mean absolute errors were Barrett True-K for keratoconus with measured or predicted posterior corneal power, 0.34 D; Barrett Universal II, 0.64 D; Kane Formula, 0.69 D; Kane Formula for kulating formulae. Utilizing the posterior corneal power within the Barrett True K formula for keratoconus improved IOL power prediction accuracy.Venustaconcha ellipsiformis (Unionidae) is a freshwater mussel species inhabiting small to medium streams of the Midwestern United States; however, its occurrence is rather sporadic and populations are often isolated. Due to anthropogenic habitat degradation and water pollution, this species is designated as some sort of conservation status in many states. To prioritize conservation strategies, highly variable genetic markers are necessary to assess population genetic structure and potential genetic erosion of V. ellipsiformis. Using whole genome sequence data, we developed and characterized microsatellite markers for V. ellipsiformis. Among 23 tetranucleotide loci tested, 14 loci were consistently amplified and showed polymorphism. Analyses performed on three populations in the upper Mississippi River basin showed that the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 11 and the observed heterozygosity varied from 0.15 to 0.75. Based on genotypic and allelic rarefaction curves, these loci had adequate statistical power to genetically discriminate between individuals and the sample size was large enough to capture most alleles available in the populations at most loci. Finally, cross-species screening of the loci successfully amplified and showed polymorphism in six species in the tribe Lampsilini. The microsatellite loci developed in this study provide a valuable addition to extant genetic markers for freshwater mussels and can be useful to provide high-level resolution of population genetic parameters for V. ellipsiformis. Such information will be of great value for resource managers developing and prioritizing conservation strategies for imperiled mussel species.During the study into the microbial biodiversity and bioactivity of the Microcystis phycosphere, a new yellow-pigmented, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium containing polyhydroxybutyrate granules designated as strain Z10-6T was isolated from highly-toxic Microcystis aeruginosa Kützing M.TN-2. The new isolate produces active bioflocculating exopolysaccharides. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated strain Z10-6T belongs to the genus Sphingopyxis with highest similarity to Sphingopyxis solisilvae R366T (98.86%), and the similarity to other Sphingopyxis members was less than 98.65%. However, both low values obtained by phylogenomic calculation of average nucleotide identity (ANI, 85.5%) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH, 29.8%) separated the new species from its closest relative. The main polar lipids were sphingoglycolipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified glycolipid and one unidentified aminophospholipid. The predominant fatty acids were summed feature 8, C171ω6c, summed feature 3, C160, C181ω7c 11-methyl and C140 2-OH. The respiratory quinone was ubiqunone-10, with spermidine as the major polyamine. The genomic DNA G + C content was 64.8 mol%. Several biosynthesis pathways encoding for potential new bacterial bioactive metabolites were found in the genome of strain Z10-6T. The polyphasic analyses clearly distinguished strain Z10-6T from its closest phylogenetic neighbors. Thus, it represents a novel species of the genus Sphingopyxis, for which the name Sphingopyxis microcysteis sp. nov. is proposed. find more The type strain is Z10-6T (= CCTCC AB2017276T = KCTC 62492T).Two Gram-negative, rod bacteria, strains DP07T and DP05T, showing catalase- and oxidase-positive activities, were isolated from sea sand in South Korea. Strain DP07T was strictly aerobic and had a yellow colony colour. Contrastingly, strain DP05T was facultatively aerobic and had a creamy colony colour. Both strains contained ubiquinone-10 as the sole isoprenoid quinone. Strain DP07T contained cyclo-C190 ω8c, C160, summed feature 8 (comprising C181 ω7c and/or C181 ω6c), and C160 2-OH as the major fatty acids and phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified phospholipid, and an unidentified polar lipid as the major polar lipids. Strain DP05T contained C160, cyclo-C190, and summed feature 8 (comprising C181 ω7c and/or C181 ω6c) as the major fatty acids and phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminophospholipid, and two unidentified polar lipids as the major polar lipids. Cadaverine was detected as the predominant polyamine in both strains. The DNA G + C contents of strains DP07T and DP05T were 66.