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Strong and Rapid Postfire Recovery of Vegetation Productivity in Australia.
No full textFires disrupt ecosystems, release carbon, and reduce carbon uptake, which increases atmospheric CO2 concentration, warms the atmosphere, and fosters more frequent and intense fires. Quantifying postfire recovery is crucial for understanding the adaptability and resilience of ecosystems to fire disturbances. Observations from satellite-derived active fire (~1-km) and Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) products reveal that Australia experiences extensive fires annually, reducing vegetation productivity. Here we analyze the post-fire GPP recovery trajectories of 1.7 × 106 fire-affected pixels (or 1.5 × 106 km2) in Australia between 2011 and 2019, of which 1.3 × 106 pixels (1.2 × 106 km2) experienced a single fire (single-fire pixels), and 0.4 × 106 pixels (0.3 × 106 km2) experienced two or more fires (multiple-fire pixels). We found that Australia's postfire GPP recovery was strong and rapid. 88% of single-fire pixels recovered to 135% of the prefire level in an average of 2.3 years, whereas 86% of multiple-fire pixels recovered to 115% of the prefire level in an average of 1.2 years. NonForest ecosystems (e.g., grasslands, shrublands, and savannas) exhibited a higher postfire recovery magnitude (138% for single-fire pixels and 115% for multiple-fire pixels) compared to Forest (110% for single-fire pixels and 108% for multiple-fire pixels). This rapid and robust postfire GPP recovery is significantly influenced by postfire precipitation, fire (i.e., fire frequency, intensity) and fire severity (damage, impacts; a metric of resistance of terrestrial ecosystems to fire). Specifically, higher fire severity and higher postfire precipitation have a positive impact on postfire recovery, whereas increased fire frequency has a negative impact. Furthermore, fire dynamics have a smaller role in the long-term interannual continental GPP changes than climate or land-use changes, as strong and rapid GPP recovery offsets the short-term fire-induced GPP losses
Approaches to determining occlusion pressure for blood flow restricted exercise training: Systematic review.
No full textLow-intensity exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) is an increasingly common method of improving muscular strength and hypertrophy, and improving aerobic fitness, in clinical and athletic populations. The aim of this systematic review was to describe common approaches to determining occlusion pressures for BFR exercise. A comprehensive literature search yielded 1389 results, of which 129 were included. Studies were predominantly randomised control trials (86.7%) with modest sample sizes (average number of 11.4 ± 6.2 participants per BFR group/s) of young adults (average age of 34.6 ± 17.9). Five different approaches for determining occlusion pressure were identified: arbitrary pressures (56.6%), percentage of limb occlusion pressure (25.6%), brachial systolic blood pressure (10.9%), perceived tightness (3.9%) and other (3%). From 2016 to 2018, the number of published papers using a percentage of limb occlusion pressure increased yearly, paralleling a decrease use of arbitrary pressures. Of the studies included in this review, the most common approach to determining occlusion pressure was using a non-individualised, arbitrary pressure. Given the safety concerns associated with arbitrary pressures, continual dissemination regarding the optimal applications of BFR for safety and efficacy is required
The Architecture of the Counter-Measure
No full textStarting with an argument based on Vitruvius, the contention of this chapter is that architecture is of necessity biopolitical. The force of this claim is that while architecture is constrained by the housing of life, it is also true that life is itself the locus of differential of power. In addition, the networks of relations in which acts of building occur are organized by the logic of capital and the logic of carbon. Intervening with this setting in ways that suspend the hold of those logics while allowing for acts of creation is understood here in terms of counter-measures. The argument is developed via a critical engagement with parametricism
Efficient Path Planning in Complex Environments with Trust Region Continuous Belief Tree Search
No full textReal world applications of path planning must contend with complicated constraint and objective functions imposed by the surrounding operational and regulatory environment Traditional methods such as PRM and RRT have asymptotic guarantees but often struggle in practice with complex blackbox objective constraint functions especially in compute limited situations Continuous Belief Tree Search CBTS addresses these limitations by maintaining local estimates of the objective function in order to sample new nodes from continuous space often giving high quality solutions more quickly However CBTS requires careful tuning of a control duration parameter which introduces a tradeoff between compute time and path cost feasibility In environments with complex costs and constraints there may be no single control duration that gives good paths in short compute time This paper proposes Trust Region CBTS TR CBTS an extension of CBTS with an adaptive control duration parameter inspired by trust region methods TR CBTS adjusts control duration based on information from recently sampled candidate nodes allowing longer control duration where possible to speed up compute time and shortening control duration when precise navigation in environments with complex unknown constraint and objective functions We show TR CBTS outperforms existing comparable planners for a realistic robotic path planning application in autonomous ship routin
In Situ FTIR-MS Study─Correlations of Coal Properties with FTIR-Derived Structural Parameters and MS-Evolved Gases
No full textThe chemistry involved in the coal-to-coke transformation remains inadequately understood. This hinders the effective formulation of coke blends to achieve targeted coke characteristics. This study presents the development and demonstration of a unique and novel technique for coal characterization under high vacuum conditions. The coal undergoes carbonization from 30 to 600 °C at a heating rate of 5 °C/min, with spectra acquired at regular intervals of 10 °C. The spectra enable in situ assessment of the coal-to-semicoke transformation under realistic reaction conditions. Furthermore, the pellet was prepared utilizing pure coal samples, excluding the incorporation of KBr. This process provides improved understanding and a fundamental understanding of the chemistry underlying coal-to-semicoke transformation while also enhancing the varied applications of different coals for blending and coke production. This study found that coal rank, fluidity, and vitrinite content significantly influenced the structural and chemical changes during the coking process. This analytical technique is applicable to coal blends and coal maceral concentrates, providing deeper insights into the chemistry of the coal-to-metallurgical coke transformation. Future research will examine additional coal samples with varied properties
Spatial Practices That Reshape the Social Determinants of Health for Families with Young Children Affected by Disadvantage
No full textEarly childhood experiences are a key social determinant of health, according to the World Health Organization. For families with young children affected by socioeconomic disadvantage, fostering social connection and nurturing family environments can improve early childhood. However, these families can face complex, multifaceted problems which render siloed services inadequate. Integrated service delivery (ISD) offers an alternative to address complex family issues. This chapter uses spatial theorization to illustrate how practices enacted within informal, shared spaces in place-based child and family centers can accomplish depth in the moment and reshape the early childhood of young children in these families
Coral thermotolerance retained following year-long exposure to a novel environment.
Get PDFActive restoration strategies targeting corals with elevated heat tolerance have the potential to enhance reef resistance under a warming climate. While stress-tolerant corals have been documented in extreme systems such as mangrove lagoons, it is critical to assess the ability of these corals to maintain tolerance when moved to a more benign habitat. Here, we translocated corals from a mangrove lagoon to an adjacent reef and evaluated the thermal thresholds of corals from both locations before translocation and after 1 year. We demonstrate that mangrove colonies have higher thermal tolerance than reef corals, and, critically, mangrove colonies exhibited no loss in thermal tolerance following 1-year translocation to a less extreme reef habitat. Up-regulation of genes associated with DNA repair, metabolism, and homeostasis indicates the importance of these pathways in helping mangrove corals mitigate thermal stress. Our findings suggest the use of heat tolerant corals from extreme systems holds promise as part of intervention strategies aiming to increase reef resistance
The Africa-Europe energy interconnection: Assessing green hydrogen suppliers for France
No full textGreen hydrogen (GH2) is a promising renewable energy vector with the potential to reduce global dependence on fossil fuels significantly. Although its production is technically feasible worldwide, the availability of natural resources and the suitability of local conditions impose substantial geographic constraints. In this context, the Africa–Europe green energy interconnection presents a strategic opportunity to facilitate cross-continental collaboration in the energy transition. By leveraging Africa's vast renewable energy potential, particularly solar and wind, this partnership can accelerate Europe's decarbonization goals while enhancing regional energy security. Beyond environmental benefits, such cooperation also stimulates economic development on both continents, offering a scalable model for global green energy alliances that integrate sustainability, resilience, and shared prosperity. This study explores the strategic role of Africa as a future green hydrogen supplier for France, addressing a critical dimension of the global energy transition. The research introduces a multi-criteria decision-making framework to evaluate nine African countries as potential green hydrogen suppliers, considering twelve multidimensional criteria across four key categories: financial viability, reliability, environmental impact, and resource availability. We employ a comparative approach using TOPSIS and VIKOR to provide a robust assessment of supplier rankings. The findings highlight Morocco as the most promising green hydrogen supplier for France, followed by Algeria, with a comprehensive sensitivity analysis revealing how decision-maker preferences influence ranking outcome
Making the ‘geo’ matter: The discipline and discourse of geography
No full textWhat is Geography about? What are its key discoveries and ideas? By what means do geographers interrogate the world? How has their thinking shifted over time and why? Students of Geography at universities are usually expected to develop an informed perspective on the aims and scope of their chosen discipline, and the major schools of thought within it (both past and present). Often, this perspective will emerge from a semester-long course of study, perhaps at the beginning or very end of their degree programme. This book has been conceived and written for them. As we’ll explain in this introductory chapter, the aim is to offer a fresh and engaging approach to material that students often find dry, irrelevant and, if truth be told, rather boring
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