Explore the vast range of titles available.

This paper investigates how atmospheric vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, and concentration affect molecular absorption calculation. This sensitivity analysis is performed in preparation to the upcoming TRUTHS mission, anticipated to provide hyperspectral TOA BRF records with a radiometric accuracy better than 1%. Two methods for characterizing the atmospheric vertical profile are compared: rescaling the H2O and O3 concentrations of an AFGL U.S. Standard vertical profile, and using customized profiles based on CAMS data. The study investigates the effects of those methods on multi-spectral observations in key spectral regions affected, respectively, by water vapour, ozone and methane, as well as on hyperspectral observations covering the visible to SWIR region. Results show that when molecular transmittance exceeds 97%, the choice of method has minimal impact, with less than 1% uncertainty. When the molecular transmittance decreases from 97% to 75%, the corresponding uncertainty on the TOA BRF simulation increases from 1% up to 5%. For transmittance below 75%, using CAMS data for vertical profile characterization is recommended. The study also highlights how pressure and temperature profiles influence Rayleigh optical thickness estimation, particularly affecting TOA BRF in the blue spectral region.

This paper illustrates the process of design under uncertainty on a practical case study of an offshore wind farm. We document the entire process through selection and quantification of relevant uncertainties, definition of probabilistic limit states, reliability computation algorithms, as well as illustrating the impacts of the analysis through a design utilization study. The brief introduction in this study draws information and summarizes outcomes from the extensive works that took part within the EU H2020 HIPERWIND project. The results from the study show that significant material savings can be achieved by introducing probabilistic design methodologies, and particularly with the help of an integrated modelling approach where the entire structure (turbine, tower & foundation) is considered as a whole.

Biological invasions are among the main threats to global biodiversity and present the potential to disrupt host-parasite dynamics. In Brazil, the scientific reports of the occurrence of the Amazonian fish ‘pirarucu’ (Arapaima gigas) in the upper Paraná River basin, São Paulo state, were made in 2015. However, the effects of its introduction are still unknown, including those associated to its host-parasite relationships. As part of our studies on the possible effects of A. gigas introduction into this basin, the parasites from the eyes of 60 specimens of A. gigas were evaluated. We reported the occurrence of Austrodiplostomum compactum metacercariae (Trematoda, Diplostomidae) parasitizing the eyes of A. gigas supported by morphological and molecular data (COI mtDNA). The new partial sequences had a similarity of 100% to other sequences of Au. compactum previously deposited in Genbank. Five hosts (Prevalence = 8.33%) with a standard length between 69 and 116 cm were infected, with a mean intensity of infection of 31.8 ± 17.2 (1–93). Large infected hosts are unlikely to be a significant prey item for the definitive hosts (medium-sized piscivorous birds), and could act as an ‘ecological sink’, disrupting the transmission of this metacercariae. Hosts with high infection rates by these metacercariae may present cataracts, exophthalmos, and blindness, resulting in loss of visual acuity. Considering that A. gigas is a carnivorous and visual predator, the low infection observed possibly does not act as a biological filter to hinder or contain the invasion, probably presenting a low negative effect on the visual acuity of hosts.

The present study describes Demidospermus spirophallus n. sp. and Demidospermus prolixus n. sp. (Monogenea, Dactylogyridae) from the siluriform catfish Loricaria prolixa Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1978 (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from the state of São Paulo, Brazil, supported by morphological and molecular data. In addition, notes on the circumscription of the genus with a redescription of Demisdospermus anus are presented. Demidospermus spirophallus n. sp. differed from other congeners mainly because of the morphology of the male copulatory organ (MCO), which exhibited 2½ counterclockwise rings, a tubular accessory piece with one bifurcated end and a weakly sclerotized vagina with sinistral opening. Demidospermus prolixus n. sp. presents a counterclockwise-coiled MCO with 1½ rings, an ovate base, a non-articulated groove-like accessory piece serving as an MCO guide, two different hook shapes, inconspicuous tegumental annulations, a non-sclerotized vagina with sinistral opening and the absence of eyes or accessory eyespots. The present study provides, for the first time, molecular characterization data using the partial ribosomal gene (28S) of two new species of Demidospermus from Brazil (D. spirophallus n. sp. and D. prolixus n. sp.), and Demidospermus anus from Loricariichthys platymetopon Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1979 collected in the Upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil. Additionally, a revision of the species composition of this genus and others that occur in catfish is proposed to elucidate problems with their circumscription. The Brazilian species of Demidospermus clustered together as sister taxa among Neotropical dactylogyrids from siluriforms. The morphological characterization of D. spirophallus n. sp. and D. prolixus n. sp., and the molecular data of the three species in the present study will extend knowledge about this monogenean genus from the Neotropical region, and provide new information for future phylogeny studies.

SummaryThe association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and bone mineral density (BMD) is controversial. Fat accumulation is linked to SUA and BMD, thus possibly explaining the mixed results. We found that adiposity drives part of the association between SUA and BMD in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis.IntroductionBoth positive and negative associations between SUA and BMD have been reported. SUA levels and BMD increase with higher body weight and other indices of adiposity; hence, the association between SUA and BMD might be a consequence of the confounding effect of adiposity. We investigated in this cross-sectional study whether the association between SUA and BMD is independent of measures of fat accumulation and other potential confounders.MethodsSUA levels, femur BMD, markers of bone metabolism, body mass index (BMI), fat mass (FM), waist circumference (WC), and abdominal visceral fat area were measured in 180 treatment-naive postmenopausal osteoporotic women (mean age 66.3 ± 8.5 years, age range 48–81 years).ResultsWomen with higher SUA levels (third tertile) had significantly higher femur BMD and lower cross-linked C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) and bone alkaline phosphatase (bALP) levels. SUA levels were positively associated with all indices of adiposity. In multivariable analysis with femur BMD as dependent variable, the association between logarithmic (LG)-transformed SUA levels and BMD (beta = 0.42, p < 0.001) was lessened progressively by the different indices of adiposity, like LG-BMI (beta = 0.22, p = 0.007), LG-WC (beta = 0.21, p = 0.01), LG-FM (beta = 0.18, p = 0.01), and LG-abdominal visceral fat area (beta = 0.12, p = 0.05). The association between SUA levels and markers of bone metabolism was dependent on the effect of confounders.ConclusionIn postmenopausal osteoporotic women, the strong univariable association between SUA levels and femur BMD is partly explained by the confounding effect of indices of adiposity.

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are the next frontier in offshore wind energy, allowing exploration of deep-water regions previously unavailable to fixed-foundation turbines. Since offshore turbines operate in lower turbulence levels, the intrinsic hydrodynamic unstable modes of the tip vortices can have even more relevance than in onshore turbines. For floating turbines, platform motion induced by wind and wave loads can trigger vortex instabilities, modifying the wake structure, possibly influencing the flow reaching downstream wind turbines. In the present paper, we study those effects by the means of numerical simulations and their comparison with analytical studies. In our simulations, the wind turbine blades are modeled as actuator lines in the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Heave motion with different amplitudes and frequencies are studied. The effect of increasing amplitude is to advance the onset of vortex interaction. For the lower frequency of heave motion, several vortices coalesce to form a large flow structure. High amplitude of oscillations in the streamwise velocity were observed due to these flow structures, which may increase fatigue or induce high amplitude motion on downstream turbines. The number of vortices that interact, as other qualitative phenomena of the numerical simulation, were well predicted by a simple stability model of two-dimensional row of vortices. The disturbances imposed by the heave motion were also compared to the eigenvectors resulting from linear stability theory for helical vortices and the predicted growth rates for the wavenumbers resulting from this comparison were consistent with the model of a row of vortices. These results motivate further studies to understand the impact of the larger flow structures on downstream turbines.

This study describes two new species, Trinigyrus anthus n. sp. and Trinigyrus carvalhoi n. sp., from gills of Hypostomus spp. from the Upper Paraná River basin, Brazil. Trinigyrus peregrinus is redescribed based on examination of its holotype, paratypes and new material of specimens parasitizing Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii, also from the Upper Paraná River basin, Brazil. New morphological features were included in the diagnosis of the genus, such as the presence of a sclerotized border on the anchor base, and a weakly sclerotized fringe on the base of the male copulatory organ (MCO). Trinigyrus anthus n. sp. differs from other congeners by the shape of the MCO, presenting an enlarged base with sclerotized fringes resembling flower petals. Trinigyrus carvalhoi n. sp. and T. peregrinus are similar but can be differentiated from each other mainly by the sclerotization of the vagina (absent in the new species), and the morphology of the MCO (C-shaped versus one counterclockwise circle, respectively). For the first time, gene sequences of Trinigyrus spp. from Brazil were obtained (partial ribosomal 28S and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (mtCOI)). The genetic divergences among the new species and T. peregrinus varied from 2 to 3% (6‒18 pb) based on sequences of 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA), and 6–7% (83‒92 pb) using mtCOI. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial 28S rDNA revealed that Trinigyrus, Heteropriapulus and Unilatus formed a monophyletic and well-supported clade of monogeneans from Neotropical freshwater loricariids, suggesting a closer relationship among these dactylogyrids and their hosts

The development of cage fish farms has been associated with an increase in parasitic diseases. Organic matter resulting from feed waste and faeces attracts animals such as birds and invertebrates that can act as hosts for parasites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of cage farming on Austrodiplostomum compactum metacercariae infections of Plagioscion squamosissimus collected close to a cage farm in the Chavantes reservoir (Paranapanema River). Thirty-seven fish were collected in an area close to cages (CF), and 28 in an area not influenced by cages (CT). All specimens were weighed, measured and the eyes removed for morphological analyses of metacercariae. The prevalence, mean intensity of infection, mean abundance and condition factor were calculated. The prevalence (CF = 86.4%, CT = 57.1%), mean infection intensity (CF = 20.31 ± 1.13, CT = 4.29 ± 7.14) and mean abundance (CF = 17.70 ± 6.27, CT = 2.35 ± 0.77) were higher in the CF (P< 0.05) group. There were no significant correlations (P> 0.05) between the mean abundance and standard length or the total weight and condition factor in either group (P> 0.05). Fish farms may interfere with the life cycle of A. compactum, leading to more infections with P. squamosissimus. This could be due to an increase in the number of host animals that are attracted by the availability of food resources derived from fish farms.