The application of predictive modelling for determining bio-environmental factors affecting the distribution of blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Gilgel Gibe watershed in Southwest Ethiopia

Blackflies are important macroinvertebrate groups from a public health as well as ecological point of view. Determining the biological and environmental factors favouring or inhibiting the existence of blackflies could facilitate biomonitoring of rivers as well as control of disease vectors. The combined use of different predictive modelling techniques is known to improve identification of presence/absence and abundance of taxa in a given habitat. This approach enables better identification of the suitable habitat conditions or environmental constraints of a given taxon. Simuliidae larvae are important biological indicators as they are abundant in tropical aquatic ecosystems. Some of the blackfly groups are also important disease vectors in poor tropical countries. Our investigations aim to establish a combination of models able to identify the environmental factors and macroinvertebrate organisms that are favourable or inhibiting blackfly larvae existence in aquatic ecosystems. The models developed using macroinvertebrate predictors showed better performance than those based on environmental predictors. The identified environmental and macroinvertebrate parameters can be used to determine the distribution of blackflies, which in turn can help control river blindness in endemic tropical places. Through a combination of modelling techniques, a reliable method has been developed that explains environmental and biological relationships with the target organism, and, thus, can serve as a decision support tool for ecological management strategies

Determination of composition and structure of spongy bone tissue in human head of femur by Raman spectral mapping

Biomechanical properties of bone depend on the composition and organization of collagen fibers. In this study, Raman microspectroscopy was employed to determine the content of mineral and organic constituents and orientation of collagen fibers in spongy bone in the human head of femur at the microstructural level. Changes in composition and structure of trabecula were illustrated using Raman spectral mapping. The polarized Raman spectra permit separate analysis of local variations in orientation and composition. The ratios of ν2PO43−/Amide III, ν4PO43−/Amide III and ν1CO32−/ν2PO43− are used to describe relative amounts of spongy bone components. The ν1PO43−/Amide I ratio is quite susceptible to orientation effect and brings information on collagen fibers orientation. The results presented illustrate the versatility of the Raman method in the study of bone tissue. The study permits better understanding of bone physiology and evaluation of the biomechanical properties of bone

Resilient cooling strategies – A critical review and qualitative assessment

The global effects of climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme events such as heatwaves and power outages, which have consequences for buildings and their cooling systems. Buildings and their cooling systems should be designed and operated to be resilient under such events to protect occupants from potentially dangerous indoor thermal conditions. This study performed a critical review on the state-of-the-art of cooling strategies, with special attention to their performance under heatwaves and power outages. We proposed a definition of resilient cooling and described four criteria for resilience—absorptive capacity, adaptive capacity, restorative capacity, and recovery speed —and used them to qualitatively evaluate the resilience of each strategy. The literature review and qualitative analyses show that to attain resilient cooling, the four resilience criteria should be considered in the design phase of a building or during the planning of retrofits. The building and relevant cooling system characteristics should be considered simultaneously to withstand extreme events. A combination of strategies with different resilience capacities, such as a passive envelope strategy coupled with a low-energy space-cooling solution, may be needed to obtain resilient cooling. Finally, a further direction for a quantitative assessment approach has been pointed out

Enamel-like apatite crown covering amorphous mineral in a crayfish mandible

Carbonated hydroxyapatite is the mineral found in vertebrate bones and teeth, whereas invertebrates utilize calcium carbonate in their mineralized organs. In particular, stable amorphous calcium carbonate is found in many crustaceans. Here we report on an unusual, crystalline enamel-like apatite layer found in the mandibles of the arthropod Cherax quadricarinatus (freshwater crayfish). Despite their very different thermodynamic stabilities, amorphous calcium carbonate, amorphous calcium phosphate, calcite and fluorapatite coexist in well-defined functional layers in close proximity within the mandible. The softer amorphous minerals are found primarily in the bulk of the mandible whereas apatite, the harder and less soluble mineral, forms a wear-resistant, enamel-like coating of the molar tooth. Our findings suggest a unique case of convergent evolution, where similar functional challenges of mastication led to independent developments of structurally and mechanically similar, apatite-based layers in the teeth of genetically remote phyla: vertebrates and crustaceans

A novel underuse model shows that inactivity but not ovariectomy determines the deteriorated material properties and geometry of cortical bone in the tibia of adult rats

Our goal in this study was to determine to what extent the physiologic consequences of ovariectomy (OVX) in bones are exacerbated by a lack of daily activity such as walking. We forced 14-week-old female rats to be inactive for 15 weeks with a unique experimental system that prevents standing and walking while allowing other movements. Tibiae, femora, and 4th lumbar vertebrae were analyzed by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), microfocused X-ray computed tomography (micro-CT), histology, histomorphometry, Raman spectroscopy, and the three-point bending test. Contrary to our expectation, the exacerbation was very much limited to the cancellous bone parameters. Parameters of femur and tibia cortical bone were affected by the forced inactivity but not by OVX: (1) cross-sectional moment of inertia was significantly smaller in Sham-Inactive rat bones than that of their walking counterparts; (2) the number of sclerostin-positive osteocytes per unit cross-sectional area was larger in Sham-Inactive rat bones than in Sham-Walking rat bones; and (3) material properties such as ultimate stress of inactive rat tibia was lower than that of their walking counterparts. Of note, the additive effect of inactivity and OVX was seen only in a few parameters, such as the cancellous bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebrae and the structural parameters of cancellous bone in the lumbar vertebrae/tibiae. It is concluded that the lack of daily activity is detrimental to the strength and quality of cortical bone in the femur and tibia of rats, while lack of estrogen is not. Our inactive rat model, with the older rats, will aid the study of postmenopausal osteoporosis, the etiology of which may be both hormonal and mechanical

Holistic sustainability assessment of green building industry in Turkey

In the Turkish green building industry, firms need to do an industrial analysis as this market has an emerging nature and potentially unstable business environment. By performing such a strategic analysis, they may determine their own holistic sustainability approaches and thereby become long-lasting enterprises. Therefore, this paper presents a fuzzy model of the macro-environmental assessment (FMMA) in the green building industry in Turkey through PESTLE (political, economic, social, technical, legal, and environmental) framework. To achieve this objective, fuzzy synthetic evaluation was used in quantifying macro-environmental conditions (MECs). The required data for this analysis were obtained from professionals working in the national industry. To illustrate how FMMA works, the current case of the industry was presented. As a result, FMMA offers a comprehensive and practical tool. Given empirical findings, the effect of MECs on the industry was found to be medium-to-high. Also, technological factors were identified as the most effective group, followed by environmental, economic, legal, political, and social factors, respectively. Subsequent researches may examine other regions and industries by modifying the existing criteria and weights. Similarly, the green building industry may be investigated from the viewpoint of other parties in the market. Consequently, this study is first to offer a structured PESTLE quantification model and to evaluate MECs in this emerging industry. © 2018 Elsevier LtdResearch Grants Council, University Grants CommitteeThe authors gratefully acknowledge the surveyed LEED professionals for their generous collaboration and contributions. The authors also thank the anonymous referees for their constructive comments which have helped in improving the paper. Finally, they would like to thank the financial support provided by the Committee on Research Grants of Bulent Ecevit University

Relationship between aquatic insects and heavy metals in an urban stream using multivariate techniques

In the study, the relationship between some aquatic insect species (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Odonata) and some heavy metals (cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, nickel, iron and manganese) and boron were assessed using data obtained from the Ankara Stream, which flows through Ankara, the capital city of Turkey and receives high organic and industrial wastes. Sampling was carried out monthly along the Ankara Stream in 1991. environmental data were used to explain biological variation using multivariate techniques provided by the program canonical correspondence analysis ordination. The ordination method canonical correspondence analysis was applied to evaluate the relationships between environmental variables and distribution of aquatic insect larvae. Data sets were classified by two way indicator species analysis. In this study, aquatic insecta communities have been shown by canonical correspondence analysis ordination as related to total hardness, pH, cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, nickel, iron, manganese and boron. Cadmium, lead, copper and boron exceeded limits of the United States Environmental Protection Agency criteria for aquatic life. Trichopteran, Dinarthrum iranicum was an indicator of two way indicator species analysis and was placed close to the arrow representing copper. Odonate, Aeschna juncea was an indicator of two way indicator species analysis in site 10 and was placed close to the arrows representing manganese, lead, and nickel. Trichopteran, Cheumatopsyche lepida and odonate, Platycnemis pennipes were indicators of two way indicator species analysis for sites 6, 7, 11, 14, 15, 18 and were placed close to the arrows representing cadmium, boron, iron and total hardness