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Stop neglecting the blue! The relevance of One Ocean Health for the planet we want
No full text
One Health, Planetary Health, and EcoHealth – there are myriad conceptual frameworks for expanding discussions to move beyond human, animal and plant health, to be inclusive for the health of ecosystems. At present, however, despite its crucial role in the survival of our world, the ocean receives insufficient consideration within these frameworks. Therefore, greater emphasis should be placed on what can be coined
One Ocean Health
. To this end, we relate the health of the ocean to currently dominant connotations of the concept of health and acknowledge the ocean’s nature as one gigantic, interconnected ecosystem; a common, irreplaceable ocean on which all living things depend, human and non-human, terrestrial and aquatic alike. Recognizing the interconnectedness of ocean and society, and drawing on concepts from medical theory, we advocate for a holistic, co-developed approach to ocean health that integrates not only scientific and policy perspectives but also acknowledges the cultural diversity in the ways in which people relate to the ocean and engage with it. To achieve this, objective and subjective perspectives of what constitutes “diseases” in marine ecosystems need to be considered, while also defining means and normative goals of a “healthy ocean” – always bearing in mind the fact that this is not an end in itself, but remains crucial for the preservation of the planet that we as humans.
One Health impact statement
This research represents an interdisciplinary reflection on the neglected role of ocean health within the One Health framework. Despite its critical importance, the ocean is often rather absent from discussions from One Health deliberations. We examine how different conceptualizations of what constitutes a “healthy” or “diseased” system influence these debates, and explore the challenges and opportunities for integrating holistic, transdisciplinary views into ocean health via the proposed One Ocean Health perspective. We argue that this perspective further emphasizes the deep interconnectedness of ocean, human and non-human organisms, advocating for enhanced inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange. Recognizing the ocean as a fundamental component of global health is essential to addressing complex environmental and societal challenges, ultimately ensuring a more resilient and sustainable future.
This article is the product of the workshop “Governance of
marine diseases and the ‘One Health’ perspective related to the
ocean” conducted on September 1, 2022 in Kiel, Germany, which
was an annex meeting to the 2nd International Ocean Health
Symposium Emerging Marine Diseases, Regulating Functions,
and Governance Implications (August 29th–31st). The authors
would like to acknowledge the Beyond One Ocean Health (B1OH)
initiative (https://oceanandsociety.org/en/projects/b1oh-beyondone-ocean-health), endorsed by the United Nations The Ocean
Decade – The Science We Need for the Ocean We Want initiative
and as part of the programme Digital Twins of the Ocean.LK and MCR acknowledge general funding from Kiel University. TB
acknowledges funding by the European Union HORIZON EUROPE
program ACTNOW: Advancing understanding of Cumulative
Impacts on European marine biodiversity, ecosystem functions
and services for human wellbeing (Grant No. 101060072). RSP
acknowledges funding by KAUST Grant number BAS/1/1095-01-
01. RV acknowledges funding by the German Federal Ministry of
Education and Research, project SpaCeParti-2 (No. 03F0983A)
PrEditor3D: Fast and Precise 3D Shape Editing
No full textWe propose a training-free approach to 3D editing that enables the editing of a single shape within a few minutes. The edited 3D mesh aligns well with the prompts, and remains identical for regions that are not intended to be altered. To this end, we first project the 3D object onto 4-view images and perform synchronized multi-view image editing along with user-guided text prompts and user-provided rough masks. However, the targeted regions to be edited are ambiguous due to projection from 3D to 2D. To ensure precise editing only in intended regions, we develop a 3D segmentation pipeline that detects edited areas in 3D space, followed by a merging algorithm to seamlessly integrate edited 3D regions with the original input. Extensive experiments demonstrate the superiority of our method over previous approaches, enabling fast, high-quality editing while preserving unintended regions.This work is partially done during Ziya's and Can's internships at Snap. Matthias Niesner was supported by the ERC Starting Grant Scan2CAD (804724) and Angela Dai was supported by the ERC Starting Grant SpatialSem (101076253)
Joint Optimization of Positioning and Computation Offloading in Multi-UAV MEC Networks for Low Latency Applications
No full textThe advent of multi-unmanned aerial vehicle (multi-UAV) networks in mobile edge computing (MEC) introduces dynamic computational topologies where UAVs, acting as mobile edge servers, are tasked with processing data from ground-based user equipment (UE). This paper addresses the dual challenges of optimizing both UAV deployment and task offloading within such networks to minimize communication latency and efficiently utilize UAV resources, which are limited by battery life and processing capabilities. We propose a bi-level optimization framework that simultaneously tackles the placement of UAVs and the distribution of computational tasks among them. At the higher level, UAV deployment is optimized to ensure minimal distance to the UEs, thereby reducing latency and energy consumption during data transmission. At the lower level, task offloading is optimized to balance the computational load across the UAV network, considering each UAV's capacity and battery constraints. We demonstrate through extensive simulations the significant improvements in system efficiency, latency, and resilience. This approach not only enhances the performance of UAV-assisted MEC networks but also provides scalable solutions adaptable to various operational scenarios
Exploiting the Inherent Cyber Resilience of Inverter-Dominated Microgrids Against PLL Attack
No full textThis letter assesses the impact of phase locked-loop (PLL) cyberattacks on inverter-dominated microgrids considering the current limitation of the grid forming (GFM) and grid following (GFL) inverters. By reducing the PI gains of the PLL, an adversary can induce significant voltage sags by exploiting the dynamic coupling between the GFL’s synchronization loop and the GFM’s droop controller. The study demonstrates that preemptive tuning of lower droop gains in GFM inverters can mitigate the effects of such attacks. Leveraging this inherent cyber-resilience of inverter-dominated microgrids, an active decentralized droop adjustment mechanism is proposed. Power hardware-in-the-loop experiments validate the time-domain analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed mitigation strategy
Partial Desalination of Brackish Groundwaters for Hydroponic Agriculture using Monovalent-Selective Electrodialysis
No full textThis thesis examines the feasibility of using Monovalent-Selective Electrodialysis (MSED) as an efficient method for the partial desalination of brackish groundwaters, specifically targeting their purification for use in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and hydroponic systems. Conventional desalination methods, such as Reverse Osmosis (RO), produce effluent water that is often too deionized for hydroponics, necessitating the addition of fertilizer to meet optimal crop nutrient profiles. MSED offers one solution by selectively removing ions that contribute heavily to plant toxicity (such as sodium and chloride) while preferentially retaining valuable divalent micronutrients. Two distinct brackish groundwater sources from Saudi Arabia, Mastorah and Jeddah, were tested using a commercial monovalent-selective anion exchange membrane (AEM) and cation exchange membrane (CEM) pair across a range of operational conditions, achieving targeted salt removal rates up to 90% removal while demonstrating monovalent selectivity.
Overall, the MSED process successfully produced a partially desalinated water stream from Mastorah that is chemically more suitable for hydroponic applications than conventional RO permeate
Microbes can capture carbon and degrade plastic - why aren't we using them?
No full textInterventions involving bacteria or fungi could help to sequester greenhouse gases, create more sustainable products and clean up pollution — in ways that are economically viable and safe.The authors declare no competing interests.
The views expressed in this article are the authors’ own, not
those of the institutions, affiliations or agencies that fund
their research
Spatiotemporal variability in global lakes turbidity derived from satellite imageries
No full textTurbidity is a key indicator of water quality and has significant impacts on underwater light availability of lakes. But the spatiotemporal variability of turbidity, which is important for understanding comprehensive changes in the water quality and status of aquatic ecosystems, remains unclear on a global scale. In this study, the spatial distribution pattern, seasonal variability, spatiotemporal variability, and influencing factors of turbidity in 774 lakes worldwide have been investigated using the turbidity product of Copernicus Global Land Service (CGLS) derived from Sentinel-3 OLCI. We found that 63.4% of lakes show low turbidity (≤ 5 Nephelometric Turbidity Units). The ranking of turbidity by climate zone is as follows: arid climate > tropical climate > temperate climate ∼ polar climate > cold climate. Turbidity decreased significantly in 40% of studied lakes, and increased significantly in 32% lakes. The lake with low turbidity has less seasonal variation, and there is a large seasonal variation in lake turbidity in the tropical and polar climate zones of Northern Hemisphere. Positive covariates to turbidity of global lakes include wind speed of lake, slope, surface runoff, and population in the catchment. Conversely, negative covariates include lake area, volume, discharge, inflow of lake, and GDP. Abundant water volume, favorable flow conditions, and more financial investments in lake management can help to reduce turbidity. These findings highlight the spatiotemporal changes of global lake turbidity and underlying mechanisms in controlling the variability, providing valuable insights for future lake water quality management.We are grateful to Dr Yuanyuan Huang from Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Researouces Resarch of CAS for comments on the methods and writing. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32361143871, 52109071, 52311540127, and 52411540183) and the Pinduoduo-China Agricultural University Research Fund (Grant No PC2023A02002)
Sustainable high-pressure homogenization of hexagonal boron nitride for triboelectric nanogenerators: advancing self-powered environmental monitoring in portable electronics
No full textThe growing demand for low-power, high-density wearable electronics devices and Internet of Things (IoT) technology requires reliable energy modules. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), an emerging energy harvesting technology, hold great potential to consistently supply power to these IoT devices and low-power consumption devices. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of a highly efficient triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) by synthesizing highly pure two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) flakes as electropositive materials using the high-pressure homogenizer (HPH) method and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) as electronegative materials. The fabricated device exhibits a highly reliable and repeatable open circuit voltage (Voc) of ∼135 V and short circuit current (Isc) of ∼17.0 μA at a tapping frequency of 5 Hz. Furthermore, the 2D hBN flakes prepared by HPH exhibit a high-power density of 18 W cm−2, exceeding the previously reported values for hBN-based TENGs. The device can monitor full-range humidity (30% to 100% RH) and distinguish between light and strong tapping. The HPH-prepared 2D hBN-based TENGs powered or operated portable devices such as digital thermometers, stopwatches, and mini-calculators. The HPH-prepared 2D hBN-based TENG device can harvest energy from the mechanical input for an energy-efficient lifestyle because it can continuously charge and discharge the capacitor through continuous pressing and releasing by tapping. Thus, HPH-prepared 2D hBN flakes can be used to create an energy-efficient process to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, promote sustainability, and advance clean energy technologies.This research was supported by funding from the Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC-2D), FSU project code 8474000463, System on Chip Lab grant under Awards No. 8474000134 and 8474000137, Advanced Research and Innovation Center (ARIC), jointly funded by STRATA Manufacturing PJSC (a Mubadala company), and Sandooq Al Watan under Grant SWARD-S22-015, from the Khalifa University of Science and Technology. The authors thank the Imaging and Characterization (IAC) core lab facility of King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) for granting access to its transmission electron microscopes lab to carry out the TEM analysis of the samples
Webinar: Data Management for Novel Solar Cells Research with NOMAD and NOMAD Oasis
No full textThe evolution of new solar cell technologies is often slow-paced, typically requiring decades to surpass the 20% power conversion efficiency barrier for commercial viability. Given the almost infinite number of potential chemical compositions for new absorber layer materials and the limitless possibilities of device architectures, navigating this material space becomes an unattainable task without employing data science tools.
This talk will introduce the NOMAD Laboratory (https://nomad-lab.eu), a platform supported by the NFDI consortium FAIRmat (https://fairmat-nfdi.eu), designed to meet these challenges head-on by making materials science data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). I will illustrate the ongoing evolution of the NOMAD infrastructure in supporting solar cell research, featuring an app developed to visualize and search an expansive and AI-ready solar cell dataset. The platform also includes an adaptable electronic lab notebook (ELN) that can be tailored by research labs to facilitate AI-ready data/metadata capture, transfer, and processing within a FAIR database context. Building upon the public data available in NOMAD, enriched by the perovskite database project, I will discuss the evolution of the materials used as transport layers in perovskite solar cells based on network analysis. This study highlights the need for our current scientific publication culture to be supplemented with structured data artifacts. These additional resources can enable scientists to better leverage the vast knowledge presented in the rapidly expanding body of publications in their discipline, which is currently an overwhelming resource to navigate at this scale
Mixed Wettability Microfluidics: Fabrication, Experimental Validation, and Numerical Simulation
No full textSubsurface reservoirs often exhibit heterogeneous wettability patterns, named mixed wettability, which critically influence multiphase fluid flow dynamics and trapping mechanisms. To investigate these effects at the pore scale, microfluidic systems have become crucial. Despite their utility, the fabrication of microfluidic devices with precisely controlled spatial distributions of mixed wettability remains a significant challenge. This study presents a novel fabrication approach that combines photolithography and molecular vapor deposition (MVD) of perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) to engineer micromodels with defined mixed wettability configurations. Two micromodel designs were developed to emulate the wettability complexities of natural porous media, including single channels with horizontal and vertical wettability transitions. Two-phase flow experiments were conducted using high-resolution microscopy and high-speed imaging to capture dynamic pore-scale phenomena. Experimental observations highlighted the profound effect of mixed wettability on the behavior of two-phase fluids. Specifically, the meniscus shape shifted from convex to concave as fluids moved between hydrophobic and hydrophilic areas. In channels with vertical variations in wettability, the fluid interface formed a distinctive S-shape. These observations were complemented by numerical simulations using the phase-field method in COMSOL Multiphysics®, enabling validation of the experimental results. The simulations closely matched experimental findings, highlighting the efficiency of the fabrication technique and the reliability of the experimental and numerical methods. This work provides a robust platform for studying the interplay between mixed wettability and multiphase flow, offering valuable insights for applications in subsurface energy systems, including oil recovery, CO2 sequestration, and hydrogen storage.<br