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Dam building and reservoir operations alter the downstream hydrological regime, and as a result, affect the health of the river aquatic ecosystem, particularly for large-scale cascade reservoirs. This study investigated the impact of the Gezhouba Reservoir (GR) and the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) on the spawning conditions of two critical taxa, i.e., the endemic four major carps and the endangered Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze River. We analyzed the flow, sediment, and thermal regime in these two taxa spawning seasons and compared their features between the predam and postdam periods. Our results revealed that the GR and the TGR had altered the frequency distributions of flow, sediment, and water temperature to different degrees, with the impact by the GR on the carps and Chinese sturgeon ranked as water temperature > water temperature. For the GR, the satisfying degree of the suitable flow and water temperature of the carps increased, whilst the suitable flow, sediment, and water temperature for the Chinese sturgeon decreased. These changes in TGR showed a significant ascending (descending) trend in the suitable flow (water temperature) for the carps, and a clear decreasing trend in the flow, sediment, and temperature for Chinese sturgeon. Both the TGR and the GR had negative impacts on the spawning of these two taxa in terms of the rising/falling flow characteristics. flow, and the effect of the TGR on these two taxa were ordered as flow > water temperature, sediment > water temperature > flow, sediment > flow >

Ordinary human experience is embedded in a web of causal relations that link the brain to the body and the wider environment. However, there might be conditions in which brain activity supports consciousness even when that activity is fully causally isolated from the body and its environment. Such cases would involve what we call islands of awareness: conscious states that are neither shaped by sensory input nor able to be expressed by motor output. This Opinion paper considers conditions in which such islands might occur, including ex cranio brains, hemispherotomy, and in cerebral organoids. We examine possible methods for detecting islands of awareness, and consider their implications for ethics and for the nature of consciousness.

Background: We wished to compare the nuisance parameters of pediatric vs. adult randomized-trials (RCTs) and determine if the latter can be used in sample size computations of the former.Methods: In this meta-epidemiologic empirical evaluation we examined meta-analyses from the Cochrane Database of Systematic-Reviews, with at least one pediatric-RCT and at least one adult-RCT. Within each meta-analysis of binary efficacy-outcomes, we calculated the pooled-control-group event-rate (CER) across separately all pediatric and adult-trials, using random-effect models and subsequently calculated the control-group event-rate risk-ratio (CER-RR) of the pooled-pediatric-CERs vs. adult-CERs. Within each meta-analysis with continuous outcomes we calculated the pooled-control-group effect standard deviation (CE-SD) across separately all pediatric and adult-trials and subsequently calculated the CE-SD-ratio of the pooled-pediatric-CE-SDs vs. adult-CE-SDs. We then calculated across all meta-analyses the pooled-CER-RRs and pooled-CE-SD-ratios (primary endpoints) and the pooled-magnitude of effect-sizes of CER-RRs and CE-SD-ratios using REMs. A ratio < 1 indicates that pediatric trials have smaller nuisance parameters than adult trials.Results: We analyzed 208 meta-analyses (135 for binary-outcomes, 73 for continuous-outcomes). For binary outcomes, pediatric-RCTs had on average 10% smaller CERs than adult-RCTs (summary-CE-RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.98). For mortality outcomes the summary-CE-RR was 0.48 (95% CIs: 0.31, 0.74). For continuous outcomes, pediatric-RCTs had on average 26% smaller CE-SDs than adult-RCTs (summary-CE-SD-ratio: 0.74).Conclusions: Clinically relevant differences in nuisance parameters between pediatric and adult trials were detected. These differences have implications for design of future studies. Extrapolation of nuisance parameters for sample-sizes calculations from adult-trials to pediatric-trials should be cautiously done.

In this paper, Reduced-Order Observer For Real-Time Implementation Speed Sensorless Control of Induction Using RT-LAB Softwareis presented. Speed estimation is performed through a reduced-order observer. The stability of the proposed observer is proved based on Lyapunov’s theorem. The model is initially built offline using Matlab/Simulink and implemented in real-time environment using RT-LAB package and an OP5600 digital simulator. RT-LAB configuration has two main subsystems master and console subsystems. These two subsystems were coordinated to achieve the real-time simulation. In order to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of proposed method, experimental results are presented over a wide speed range, including zero speed.

In this paper, we present a joint channel estimation and synchronization technique for burst-mode OFDM systems. The technique uses the nonlinear recursive least squares algorithm (NL-RLS) to jointly estimate the channel impulse response (CIR), the carrier frequency offset (CFO), the sampling clock offset (SCO), and the timing offset, and to correct for each of these in the digital domain and without the use of a delay-locked loop (DLL). The need for pilot symbols in the payload data is eliminated by a decision-directed operation mode. The time-domain NL-RLS algorithm needs a small number of parameters to be estimated and can suppress the effect of decision feedback errors. Simulation results confirm its improved performance and relatively low variance.

The Neotropical species of the rarely collected genus Bolitogyrus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini) are revised. The genus exhibits an uncommon, disjunct distribution between the Neotropical and Oriental Regions and is of unknown phylogenetic position within Staphylinini. Morphological evolution remarkable for Staphylinini was discovered within Bolitogyrus, including sexually dimorphic modifications of the pronotum that may be involved in male competition for females. rSEM interactive animations were used to establish morphological species boundaries between two highly variable species and are provided to illustrate diagnostic characters of the genitalia in unconventional views. The genus is redescribed based on the world fauna and twenty-eight Neotropical species are considered valid. Of these, nineteen are described as new to science: Bolitogyrus ashei sp. n.; B. apicofasciatus sp. n.; B. brevistellus sp. n.; B. bufo sp. n.; B. cheungi sp. n.; B. cornutus sp. n.; B. divisus sp. n.; B. falini sp. n.; B. gracilis sp. n.; B. inexspectatus sp. n.; B. longistellus sp. n.; B. marquezi sp. n.; B. newtoni sp. n.; B. pseudotortifolius sp. n.; B. pulchrus sp. n.; B. silex sp. n.; B. thomasi sp. n.; B. tortifolius sp. n.; and B. viridescens sp. n. Bolitogyrus sallei (Kraatz), stat. r. is removed from synonymy with B. buphthalmus (Erichson) and the following new synonyms are proposed: Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884, syn. n. = Quedius buphthalmus Erichson, 1840; C. nevermanni Scheerpeltz, 1974, syn. n. = C. costaricensis Wendeler, 1927. A summary of all available bionomic and distributional data, as well as an illustrated identification key to and diagnoses of all Neotropical species are provided.

Argininosuccinate synthetase catalyzes the transformation of citrulline and aspartate into argininosuccinate and pyrophos­phate using the hydrolysis of ATP to AMP and pyrophos­phate. This enzymatic process constitutes the rate-limiting step in both the urea and arginine–citrulline cycles. Previous studies have investigated the crystal structures of argininosuccinate synthetase from bacterial species. In this work, the first crystal structure of human argininosuccinate synthetase in complex with the substrates citrulline and aspartate is presented. The human enzyme is compared with structures of argininosuccinate synthetase from bacteria. In addition, the structure also provides new insights into the function of the numerous clinical mutations identified in patients with type I citrullinaemia (also known as classic citrullinaemia).

Al'aide de donnees recueillies lors de la couverture d'evenements par la presse locale, on examine comment a etepresentele meurtre d'un jeune de 15 ans, Jordan Manners, commis dans une ecole secondaire de Toronto. En particulier, on cherche acomprendre pourquoi, apres avoir d'abord tentede contextualiser l'evenement en fonction d'autres cas de tireurs dans des ecoles, les medias ont ensuite adopteun cadre d'interpretation basesur des presup- positions ideologiques liees aux classes marginales de Toronto. Quand les medias veulent absolument couvrir un evenement malgrel'absence de renseignements essentiels, on note qu'ils on tendance areprendre des cadres conformistes. Dans la conclusion, on etudie la signification sociopolitique de ces cadres essentialises pour les crimes commis dans les collectivites pauvres, habitees principalement par des personnes de couleur. Mots cles : constructionnisme, media, crime, tireur dans les ecoles, classes marginales Using data gathered from local press coverage, this article examines how the shooting death of 15-year-old Jordan Manners at a Toronto high school was framed. In particular, we seek to explain why the media's initial attempt to contextualize the event vis-a`-vis the tragedy of past school shootings eventually gave way to an interpretive frame rooted in ideological presuppositions about Toronto's underclass. We argue that when the media are confronted with a ''must cover'' event but lack essential informa- tion, the tendency is to adopt pre-existing, consonant frameworks. We con- clude by exploring the socio-political significance of such essentializing frames vis-a`-vis crime in poor communities inhabited mainly by people of colour.

This is the accepted manuscript of the paper "Identification of Resistance Genes and Response to Arsenic in Rhodococcus aetherivorans BCP1", published as final paper in "Frontiers in Microbiology Volume 10, 07 May 2019, Pages 888 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00888”. Arsenic (As) ranks among the priority metal(loid)s that are of public health concern. In the environment, arsenic is present in different forms, organic or inorganic, featured by various toxicity levels. Bacteria have developed different strategies to deal with this toxicity involving different resistance genetic determinants. Bacterial strains of Rhodococcus genus, and more in general Actinobacteria phylum, have the ability to cope with high concentrations of toxic metalloids, although little is known on the molecular and genetic bases of these metabolic features. Here we show that Rhodococcus aetherivorans BCP1, an extremophilic actinobacterial strain able to tolerate high concentrations of organic solvents and toxic metalloids, can grow in the presence of high concentrations of As(V) (up to 240 mM) under aerobic growth conditions using glucose as sole carbon and energy source. Notably, BCP1 cells improved their growth performance as well as their capacity of reducing As(V) into As(III) when the concentration of As(V) is within 30–100 mM As(V). Genomic analysis of BCP1 compared to other actinobacterial strains revealed the presence of three gene clusters responsible for organic and inorganic arsenic resistance. In particular, two adjacent and divergently oriented ars gene clusters include three arsenate reductase genes (arsC1/2/3) involved in resistance mechanisms against As(V). A sequence similarity network (SSN) and phylogenetic analysis of these arsenate reductase genes indicated that two of them (ArsC2/3) are functionally related to thioredoxin (Trx)/thioredoxin reductase (TrxR)-dependent class and one of them (ArsC1) to the mycothiol (MSH)/mycoredoxin (Mrx)-dependent class. A targeted transcriptomic analysis performed by RT-qPCR indicated that the arsenate reductase genes as well as other genes included in the ars gene cluster (possible regulator gene, arsR, and arsenite extrusion genes, arsA, acr3, and arsD) are transcriptionally induced when BCP1 cells were exposed to As(V) supplied at two different sub-lethal concentrations. This work provides for the first time insights into the arsenic resistance mechanisms of a Rhodococcus strain, revealing some of the unique metabolic requirements for the environmental persistence of this bacterial genus and its possible use in bioremediation procedures of toxic metal contaminated sites.

Interactions between phytoplankton species shape their physiological and evolutionary responses. Yet, studies addressing the evolutionary responses of phytoplankton in changing environments often lack an explicit element of biotic interactions. Here, we ask (1) how the presence of a locally adapted phytoplankton species will affect an invading phytoplankton species' evolutionary response to a physiologically challenging environment; (2) whether this response is conserved across environments varying in quality; and (3) which traits are associated with being a successful invader under climate change scenarios. In a conceptual first step to disentangle these broad questions, we experimentally evolved populations of fresh‐ and seawater phytoplankton in a novel salinity (the freshwater green algae Chlamydomonas in salt water, and the marine Ostreococcus in freshwater), either as mono‐cultures (colonizers) or as co‐cultures (invaders: invading a novel salinity occupied by a resident species, for example, Chlamydomonas invading salt water occupied by resident Ostreococcus) for 200 generations. We superimposed a temperature treatment (control (22°C), mild warming (26°C), drastic warming (32°C), and fluctuating (22°C/32°C) warming) as a representative aspect of climate change with the potential to ameliorate or deteriorate existing environmental conditions. Invaders had systematically lower extinction rates and evolved overall higher growth rates, as well as broader salinity and temperature preferences than colonizers. The invading species' evolutionary responses differed from those of colonizers in a replicable way across environments of differing quality. The evolution of small cell size and high reactive oxygen species tolerance may explain the invaders' higher fitness under the scenarios tested here. British Ecological Society http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000409 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6884040