Hasil untuk "General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution"

Aniket Samanta, Animesh Hazra, Punyabrata Pradhan

We present exact results for steady-state density correlation functions in conserved-mass transport processes with {\it anisotropic}, reflection-symmetric hopping on a $d-$dimensional hypercubic lattice. In addition to mass conservation, we consider center-of-mass (CoM) conservation, imposed either along a specific axis or along all axes. CoM-conserving dynamics is implemented through coordinated {\it multidirectional} hopping of two equal chunks of masses in {\it opposite} directions. While anisotropy and mass conservation are known to generate power-law density correlations $C({\bf x}) \sim 1/|{\bf x}|^d$ at large distance $|{\bf x}| \gg 1$ {\it [Phys. Rev. A {\bf 42}, 1954 (1990)]}, an additional CoM conservation can qualitatively alter the nature of the power law. Indeed, when CoM is conserved in {\it all} directions, the correlations decay faster $-$ typically as $C({\bf x}) \sim 1/|{\bf x}|^{(d+2)}$, regardless of the presence (or absence) of anisotropy. Consequently, the systems exhibit an extreme {\it hyperuniformity} (``class I''), where the long-wavelength density fluctuations, despite the slow power-law decay, are anomalously suppressed. When CoM is conserved along particular ({\it not} all) directions, the slower $1/|{\bf x}|^{d}$ power-law decay is recovered. The above behavior can be understood from an analogy between the correlation function and an electrostatic potential: While a (rank-$2$) quadrupolar charge distribution gives rise to the $1/|{\bf x}|^{d}$ power law, the $1/|{\bf x}|^{(d+2)}$ power law originates from a higher-order (rank-$4$) multipolar charge distribution. These findings reveal a rich interplay between anisotropy and CoM conservation in nonequilibrium steady states.

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شهرها به‌عنوان مقاصد گردشگری، با ارائه جاذبه‌های تاریخی، فرهنگی، هنری و طبیعی، محیطی مناسب برای جذب گردشگران فراهم می‌آورند. توسعه گردشگری شهری به‌عنوان یک فرایند پیچیده و چندبعدی، نیازمند بررسی‌های دقیق و آینده‌نگرانه در عرصه شهرسازی و مدیریت شهری است. با بهره‌گیری از روش‌های آینده‌پژوهی، می‌توان به شناسایی روندها و تغییرات اجتماعی، اقتصادی و فناوری که بر روی صنعت گردشگری تأثیر می‌گذارند، پرداخت. این تحقیق به مطالعه پیشران‌های تأثیرگذار بر توسعه گردشگری شهری تبریز پرداخته و این تحلیل را با بهره‌گیری از رویکردهای آینده‌پژوهی انجام داده است. در این راستا، مؤلفه‌های متعددی که می‌توانند به رشد و شکوفایی گردشگری در این شهر کمک کنند، مطالعه شدند و نتایج کیفی نشان دادند که چگونه این مؤلفه‌ها می‌توانند در کنار یکدیگر به ایجاد یک اکوسیستم گردشگری پایدار و پویا منجر شوند. همچنین، با توجه ‌به روندهای جهانی و نیازهای محلی، کارایی و تأثیر این مؤلفه‌ها بر توسعه گردشگری موردبررسی قرار گرفت. برای انجام این پژوهش ابتدا 4 مؤلفه به‌عنوان مؤلفه‌های اصلی در غالب اقتصادی، اجتماعی، زیست‌محیطی و کالبدی استخراج شد و سپس با استفاده از روش دلفی عوامل پیشران شناسایی شدند. جهت تحلیل داده‌ها از روش تحلیل اثرات متقابل در نرم‌افزار میک مک استفاده شد. با توجه به نتایج به‌دست‌آمده در زمینه پیشران‌های تأثیرگذار در توسعه گردشگری شهر تبریز، ایجاد شرایط مناسب برای توسعه ظرفیت تحمل محیط‌زیست، مدیریت زمین، آموزش مدیران، بازسازی آثار گردشگری، گسترش فضاهای مرتبط با گردشگری و... می‌تواند نقش بسزایی در توسعه گردشگری شهر تبریز داشته باشد و این نتیجه حاصل شد که مؤلفه‌های اقتصادی بیشترین تأثیر را در توسعه گردشگری شهر تبریز دارند. درنهایت، این مطالعه می‌تواند به تصمیم‌گیرندگان و برنامه‌ریزان شهری کمک کند تا راهبردهای مؤثری برای بهبود وضعیت گردشگری تبریز تدوین کرده و از ظرفیت‌های بالقوه این شهر بهره‌برداری نمایند.

Anna Enge, Julie D. Pietrzak, Bram C. van Prooijen

The Norwegian Trench (NT) is the main pathway for North Sea water into the Atlantic Ocean and for Atlantic Water (AW) into the North Sea. The processes that determine the cross-shelf exchange through the NT are key to understanding the variability of the salt budgets in the North Sea. Here, high-resolution numerical simulations from Copernicus Marine Services (CMEMS) for two recent years (2022, 2023) reveal new sources of variability of the flows in the NT. We find that wind regulates the flows in the NT, particularly in enabling the outflow of the fresh-water river plume, the Norwegian Coastal Current (NCC), in the Skagerrak during easterly wind conditions. Strong NCC outflows are associated with transport in a northward direction into the Atlantic Ocean. Furthermore, intensified eddy activity at the surface is found during strong NCC flows, causing high velocity surface currents sometimes exceeding magnitudes of 1 m/s. AW inflows partly compensate the northward outflows, keeping the net transport of 2–3 Sv constant over both years. However, the magnitudes of the AW inflows are small compared to the NCC. AW inflows that are comparable to the NCC outflows only occur during northerly winds in winter. We show that the variability of surface flows in the NT is wind induced, but that the effects of the canyon-like shape of the NT and seasonality of winds and river discharges introduce more variable deep flows than previously considered.

Sibylle Marcotte, Rémi Gribonval, Gabriel Peyré

While conservation laws in gradient flow training dynamics are well understood for (mostly shallow) ReLU and linear networks, their study remains largely unexplored for more practical architectures. This paper bridges this gap by deriving and analyzing conservation laws for modern architectures, with a focus on convolutional ResNets and Transformer networks. For this, we first show that basic building blocks such as ReLU (or linear) shallow networks, with or without convolution, have easily expressed conservation laws, and no more than the known ones. In the case of a single attention layer, we also completely describe all conservation laws, and we show that residual blocks have the same conservation laws as the same block without a skip connection. We then introduce the notion of conservation laws that depend only on a subset of parameters (corresponding e.g. to a pair of consecutive layers, to a residual block, or to an attention layer). We demonstrate that the characterization of such laws can be reduced to the analysis of the corresponding building block in isolation. Finally, we examine how these newly discovered conservation principles, initially established in the continuous gradient flow regime, persist under discrete optimization dynamics, particularly in the context of Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD).

Erik Orvehed Hiltunen, John C. Schotland

We introduce and study a generalized energy conservation relation for scattering of time-modulated waves, where conventional energy conservation does not hold. Based on this relation, we derive an optical theorem and compute the active power describing the power input or output due to scattering. Notably, the same system may be subject to energy gain, energy loss, or energy conservation depending on the frequency harmonics present in the wave field. Moreover, we show how the optical theorem derived herein may be used for image reconstruction based on measurements of the power. In particular, such measurements do not require information about the phase of the scattered field.

Jason Pillay, Cristina Tortora, Antonio Punzo et al.

Handling missing data is a major challenge in model-based clustering, especially when the data exhibit skewness and heavy tails. We address this by extending the finite mixture of scale mixtures of multivariate skew-normal (FMSMSN) family to accommodate incomplete data under a missing at random (MAR) mechanism. Unlike previous work that is limited to one of the special cases of the FMSMSN family, our method offers a cluster analysis methodology for the entire family that accounts for skewness and excess kurtosis amidst data with missing values. The multivariate skew-normal distribution, as parameterised by \cite{azzalini1996} and \cite{arnoldbeaver} includes the normal distribution as a special case, which ensures that our method is flexible toward existing symmetric model-based clustering techniques under a normality assumption. We derive the distributional properties of the missing components of the data and propose an augmented EM-type algorithm tailored for incomplete observations. The modified E-step yields closed-form expressions for the conditional expectations of the missing values. The simulation experiments showcase the flexibility of the FMSMSN family in both clustering performance and parameter recovery for varying percentages of missing values, while incorporating the effects of sample size and cluster proximity. Finally, we illustrate the practical utility of the proposed method by applying special cases of the FMSMSN family to global CO2 emissions data.

Annette Hübschle, Julie Berg

This paper introduces southern blue criminology, a novel theoretical framework that extends traditional criminological analysis to encompass the environmental harms affecting the world’s oceans, particularly from a Global South perspective. This approach critiques crime-centric analysis and expands upon the concept of “harmscapes” – areas significantly impacted by ecological damage – by integrating socio-economic and cultural contexts often overlooked by prevailing enforcement paradigms developed in the Global North. Through a critical review of existing criminological theories and maritime enforcement practices, this study highlights the inadequacies of current approaches that fail to account for the transnational and complex nature of oceanic harms. Southern blue criminology is proposed through four integrative perspectives: shifting from a crime-centric view to embracing a broader conception of ocean harmscapes; moving beyond state-centric responses to foster whole-of-society involvement including non-state actors; transcending Western-centric governance models in favor of context-dependent strategies that respect local knowledge and practices; and expanding the analytical frame from human-centric approaches to include human–nonhuman assemblages, recognizing the ocean as an active participant in ecological and social interactions. The framework aims to foster more effective and sustainable management of marine environments, proposing a shift from a punitive focus to a more comprehensive, preventive, and restorative approach. The implications of this research are significant, suggesting a transformative shift in policies to better address the intricate web of factors contributing to maritime environmental crimes and to enhance global ecological justice.

Shengchi Shi, Shengchi Shi, Yuqing Zhang et al.

The implementation of a controllable sterility strategy is crucial for the commercialization of precise trait improvements in farmed fish using genome editing and sustainable development of fisheries. Our previous research has demonstrated that females deficient in pituitary gonadotropin luteinizing hormone β-subunit (lhβ) or gonadal steroidogenesis gene steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (star) exhibit sterility due to impaired oocyte maturation and ovulation. Nevertheless, the effective restoration of fertility in lhβ- or star-deficient females remains unsolved. This study has discovered that the administration of exogenous 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) at 100 and 300 μg/L for 6 h (from 02:00 to 08:00 a.m.) effectively restores the fertility of lhβ- or star-deficient females. Fertilized eggs from these mutant females can be raised without noticeable developmental defects for up to 3 weeks post-fertilization (wpf) compared to the wild-type (WT) control zebrafish. The increased expression levels of adamts9 and adam8b in lhβ- or star-deficient zebrafish females treated with DHP demonstrate a positive correlation with oocyte maturation and ovulation restoration. In contrast, exogenous DHP administration did not rescue the sterility phenotype observed in progesterone receptor (pgr)-deficient females. Building on our recent success in generating an all-female carp population through cytochrome P450, family 17, subfamily A, polypeptide 1 (cyp17a1)-depletion, our research presents a promising and effective strategy for an “off-on” switch for managing fertility in genome-edited cyprinids. The strategy would offer practical guidance and theoretical justification for developing “controllable fertility” in all-female fish, which would support the sustainable development of fisheries by promoting the use of novel biotechnologies in aquaculture in an eco-friendly manner.

Bao‐Sen Shieh, Shih‐Hsiung Liang, Chia‐Hung Jen

Noise pollution, one of the most prominent features of urbanization, is an important factor influencing the vocal behavior of urban wildlife. Studies have reported that many songbirds raise their song minimum frequencies in response to urban noise. It has been proposed that this increased minimum frequency (IMF) of songs is an adaptation that allows urban populations to cope with the masking effect of noise pollution. However, urban populations of some songbirds do not exhibit significant IMF compared with non‐urban populations; thus, the notion that IMF is an adaptation to urban noise has been questioned. Furthermore, the effects of IMF might be influenced by both noise levels and the acoustic structures of songs. Here, we employed dichotomous and gradient effect size approaches to investigate IMF regarding two distinct acoustic structures (whistled and harmonic) in songs of six grey‐cheeked fulvetta Alcippe morrisonia morrisonia populations in Taiwan, three with high noise pollution and three with low noise pollution. We found that when using the dichotomous approach, paired populations with significant divergence in noise levels exhibited weak or insignificant divergence in the minimum frequencies for both whistled and harmonic phrases. In contrast, we found that when using the gradient approach, the effect size of noise‐level divergence was strongly correlated with the effect size of divergence in the minimum frequency of the harmonic phrase and only moderately correlated with the effect size of divergence in the minimum frequency of the whistled phrase. These findings suggest that noise pollution has a more pronounced effect on the divergence in the minimum frequency of harmonic phrases used in short‐range communication, compared to the whistled phrases used in long‐range communication. For population comparisons on the IMF, adopting a gradient approach could provide insights into the impact of noise pollution on the acoustic structures of songs across various communication ranges.

Abhishek Jha, Tinne Tuytelaars

In this paper, we present an empirical study of typical spatial augmentation techniques used in self-supervised representation learning methods (both contrastive and non-contrastive), namely random crop and cutout. Our contributions are: (a) we dissociate random cropping into two separate augmentations, overlap and patch, and provide a detailed analysis on the effect of area of overlap and patch size to the accuracy on down stream tasks. (b) We offer an insight into why cutout augmentation does not learn good representation, as reported in earlier literature. Finally, based on these analysis, (c) we propose a distance-based margin to the invariance loss for learning scene-centric representations for the downstream task on object-centric distribution, showing that as simple as a margin proportional to the pixel distance between the two spatial views in the scence-centric images can improve the learned representation. Our study furthers the understanding of the spatial augmentations, and the effect of the domain-gap between the training augmentations and the test distribution.

Md Shafayat Hossain, Frank Schindler, Rajibul Islam et al.

Topology and interactions are foundational concepts in the modern understanding of quantum matter. Their nexus yields three significant research directions: competition between distinct interactions, as in the multiple intertwined phases, interplay between interactions and topology that drives the phenomena in twisted layered materials and topological magnets, and the coalescence of multiple topological orders to generate distinct novel phases. The first two examples have grown into major areas of research, while the last example remains mostly untouched, mainly because of the lack of a material platform for experimental studies. Here, using tunneling microscopy, photoemission spectroscopy, and theoretical analysis, we unveil a "hybrid" and yet novel topological phase of matter in the simple elemental solid arsenic. Through a unique bulk-surface-edge correspondence, we uncover that arsenic features a conjoined strong and higher-order topology, stabilizing a hybrid topological phase. While momentum-space spectroscopy measurements show signs of topological surface states, real-space microscopy measurements unravel a unique geometry of topology-induced step edge conduction channels revealed on various forms of natural nanostructures on the surface. Using theoretical models, we show that the existence of gapless step edge states in arsenic relies on the simultaneous presence of both a nontrivial strong Z2 invariant and a nontrivial higher-order topological invariant, providing experimental evidence for hybrid topology and its realization in a single crystal. Our discovery highlights pathways to explore the interplay of different kinds of band topology and harness the associated topological conduction channels in future engineered quantum or nano-devices.

Joni S. Williams, R. Walker, M. Peek et al.

Wenhao Hou, Xiangtao Wei, Weihao Bai et al.

Macrobenthic bioturbation affects the environment, and variances in habitat, such as decreased dissolved oxygen concentration and increased ammonia concentration, affects the macrobenthic community. The relationship between macrobenthos and habitat factors may be a mutually causal relationship. The bottom-sowing culture for Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum in many coastal countries plays an important role in coastal fisheries, and the relationship between Manila clam and other macrobenthos affects the ecological stability of the bottom-sowing culture zone. It is necessary to explore the relationship between them to manage the waters used for the bottom-sowing culture for Manila clam. In this study , from June to October 2021, the field investigation on macrobenthos including Manila clam and their habitat factors, such as particle size, nutrient content, redox potential, and organic matter content, in 21 experimental communities enclosed by bolting-silk net in Shuangdao Bay, Weihai, Shandong, China was conducted, during which macrobenthos functional groups were determined by feed sources and motor behavior. The results showed that Manila clam biomass was 7.215±0.984 g/m2 (calculated by dry soft tissue weight), and it was positively correlated with the biomass of macrobebthos functional groups B1, G1 and P1; water content in sediment; sulfide content in interstitial water; the Shanon-Wiener diversity index; Pielou’s evenness index and the W statistic of the ABC (Abundance-Biomass Comparison) curve (p< 0.05). Moreover, it was negatively correlated with sediment particulate size and HCl-NO3 content in sediment (p< 0.05). The action of Manila clam to habitats was the dominant role of the interaction between clam and habitat. Thus, the bottom-sowing culture for Manila clam does not decrease the macrobenthic community stability, and the invasion of other macrobenthos into the bottom-sowing culture zones for Manila clam may be accidental or inevitable. The results of our study suggest that the management of the bottom-sowing culture for Manila clam should be conducted from ecosystem level; i.e., fishing and aquaculture in the same waters are regarded as two components of an ecosystem; manage them together, rather than treat them separately.

Panagiota Keramea, Nikolaos Kokkos, George Zodiatis et al.

The second-largest oil pollution incident in the Eastern Mediterranean Levantine basin, following the oil pollution crisis in Lebanon in 2006, is considered to be the oil leakage from the Syrian Baniyas power plant (summer 2021), during which 12,000 tons of oil were released. At the operational phase, the everyday predictions of oil drift were provided using the MEDSLIK and MEDSLIK-II models in the framework of an agreement between the Mediterranean Operational Network for Global Ocean Observing System (MONGOOS) and the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean (REMPEC). In this work, we present a novel post-operational comprehensive model-based analysis, conducting a SAR validation in two model outputs: the MEDSLIK and the OpenDrift models. Each simulation is initiated with the operationally acquired EMSA-CSN and ESA SAR images. Moreover, the high-resolution met-ocean fields (CYCOFOS, SKIRON) are used to force the oil drift and transformation in both models. The spill was developed under the calm-wind conditions that prevailed during the incident. We found that the boundary sea currents developed on the periphery of the Lattakia eddies (anticyclonic and cyclonic) were responsible for the fast westward spreading of the oil spill offshore in the NE Levantine, the north-south pathway bifurcation, and re-landing of oil in the extended coastal area of Lattakia. Model outputs were validated against Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) images with appropriate performance metrics, used for the first time, to assess the capacity of a reliable representation of oil spill drift. The intercomparison between the two oil spill models indicated that both models produce almost similar results, while their validation against the satellite SAR observations illustrates moderate accuracy.

Weiming Xie, Jianwei Sun, Leicheng Guo et al.

Coastal tidal flats provide valuable ecosystems, but are highly sensitive to tidal dynamics, sea-level rise, and human activities. Tidal inundation depth and frequency are known to affect tidal flat morphodynamics. However, the causes, processes and extent remain uncertain, particularly given the associated changes in sediment availability. In this study, we monitored the hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and morphological changes on two tidal flats in the northern and southern parts of the Yellow River Delta, with contrasting tidal regimes. The data showed that longer inundation periods under diurnal tides gained additional sediment and deposition than under semi-diurnal tides, because of the associated increase in water depth and sediment availability. The wave impact increased at the site with a semi-diurnal tidal regime owing to the lower water depth, where a larger bed shear stress led to tidal flat erosion. These results indicated that the combination of tidal regime and the occurrence of powerful waves played a joint role in controlling bed erosion, sediment availability, and short-term tidal flat evolution. This has implications for coping with delta erosion by enhancing local sediment availability in diurnal tidal regions and restoring vegetation to attenuate waves in semi-diurnal regions of the Yellow River Delta.

Д.А. Жауынбаева, А.У. Сатыбалдиева

Бұл мақалада мектеп географиясында оқушылардың ақпараттық құзыреттіліктерін дамыту мүмкіндіктері қарастырылып, ақпараттық технологияларды география пәнінде қолдану мен оның тиімділігі талданған. Мектеп географиясында ақпараттық технологияларды қолдана отырып, оқушылардың ақпараттық құзыреттіліктерін дамытуға болады. Жас ерекшеліктеріне сай ақпараттық технологияларды орнымен қолдану оқушылардың дұрыс ақпарат алуына, ақпараттық құзыреттіліктерін дамытуға, сонымен қатар жалпы білім сапасын арттыруға мүм- кіндік береді. Зерттеу жұмысының басты мақсаты мектеп географиясын оқытуда оқушы- лардың ақпараттық құзыреттіліктерін арттырудың тиімді жолдарын талдау болып табылады. Оқушылардың құзыреттіліктерін дамыту мәселесі жалпы орта білім беру мазмұнын жаңа- шаландырудағы заманауи білім берудің басым міндеттеріне жатады. Географияның басқа пәндерге қарағанда артықшылығы табиғатты, қоғам мен затты және олардың өзара әрекеттерін оқытудағы жинақтық артықшылығымен ерекшеленеді. Сондық- тан экологиялық білім беру мен тәрбие беру мазмұнындағы мақсатқа қол жеткізуде оқушы- ларды тәрбиелеудің маңызды бөлігі болып табылады. География пәнаралық және біріктіріл- ген пән болғандықтан, қоршаған орта мен қоғамды, оған қоса демографияны, этнографияны, туризм, дін, мәдениет және де басқа бағыттарды қоса оқытады. Сондықтан оқушылардың дүниетанымын қалыптастыратын пән ретінде қоршаған әлем мен онда болып жатқан үдеріс- тер туралы ұғымдар толық берілуі қажет. Біздің зерттеулеріміз үшін география пәнін оқытуда оқушылардың ақпараттық құзырет- тіліктерін дамыту үдерісіне деген қызығушылық маңызды болып табылады. Соған байла- нысты зерттеу жұмысында география сабақтарында ақпараттық технологияларды пайдалану- дың тиімділігіне өз тәжірибеміз негізінде талдау жасалынады. Ақпараттық құзыреттілікті арттырудағы мультимедиа технологияларының мүмкіндіктері қарастырылып, оқушылардың ақпараттық құзыреттіліктерін дамыту мүмкіндіктері анықталды. Зерттеу барысында ақпараттық технологияларды қолданғаннан кейін, оқушылардың білім деңгейлерін анықтау мақсатында бақылау жүргізілді. Эксперимент нәтижесі көрсеткендей, эксперименттік топта бақылау тобымен салыстырғанда пәнге деген қызығушылығы мен білім деңгейі едәуір жоғарылады. Эксперимент нәтижелері ақпараттық технологияларды география пәнінде қолдану оқушылардың пәндік құзіреттіліктердің қалыптасудағы маңыз- дылығы зор екендігін және жалпы орта білім беретін мектептерге енгізудің тиімділігін көрсетті. Түйін сөздер: мектеп географиясы, ақпараттық технологиялар, құзырет, ақпараттық құзырет В данной статье рассматриваются возможности развития информационных компетенций учащихся в школьной географии, анализируется использование информационных техно- логий в обучении географии и их эффективность. С помощью информационных технологий в школьной географии возможно развитие информационных компетенций учащихся. Грамотное использование соответствующих возрасту информационных технологий позво- ляет учащимся получать достоверную информацию, развивать свою информационную компетентность, а также в целом повышать качество образования. Основной целью нашего исследования является анализ эффективных способов повышения информационной компе- тентности учащихся в процессе преподавания школьной географии. Проблема развития компетенций учащихся является одной из приоритетных задач современного образования при модернизации содержания общего среднего образования. Преимущества географии перед другими дисциплинами определяют основы географи- ческих знаний об окружающей среде и характеризуются комплексностью в обучении взаимодействию природы и общества. Он также является важной частью экологического образования и воспитания на всех уровнях школьного образования. Поскольку география является междисциплинарной и интегрированной дисциплиной, она преподает окружающую среду и общество, включая демографию, этнографию, туризм, религию, культуру и другие области. Поэтому как предмет, формирующий мировоззрение учащихся, необходимо полностью передать понятия об окружающем мире и происходящих в нем процессах. Для нашего исследования важен интерес к процессу формирования информационных компетенций учащихся при обучении географии. В связи с этим в исследовательской работе анализируется эффективность использования информационных технологий на уроках географии на основе собственного опыта. Рассмотрены возможности использования мульти- медийных технологий с целью повышения компетентности, определены возможности разви- тия информационных компетенций учащихся. В ходе исследований после использования информационных технологий был проведен мониторинг для определения уровня знаний школьников. Как показывают результаты эксперимента, интерес к предмету и уровень знаний значительно возросли в эксперимен- тальной группе по сравнению с контрольной группой. Результаты эксперимента показали, что использование информационных технологий в предмете география имеет большое значение в формировании предметных компетенций учащихся и эффективности ее реализа- ции в общеобразовательных школах. Ключевые слова: школьная география,информационные технологии, компетенция, информационная компетенция This article examines the possibilities of information competencies of students in school geography. With the help of information technologies in school geography, it is possible to develop information competencies of students. Proper use of age-appropriate information technologies allows students to receive reliable information, develop their information competence. The issue of developing students' competencies is aimed at the priority goals of the advantages of modern education in the "Updating the content of general secondary education". Conducting the geography subject, the content of which determines the basics of goegraphic education, differs from other subjects by accumulative advantage in teaching nature, society and matter and their interaction, therefore it is a necessary part of the process of achieving the goal in the field of environmental education and education of students at all levels of school education. Since geography is an interdisciplinary and integrated discipline, it teaches the environment and society, including demography, ethnography, tourism, religion, culture and other fields. The development of territories, countries and the world, the main problems of humanity are considered in geography, therefore, methods and techniques in which the world and the concepts occurring in it must be fully happening in it play a key role as a formative subject for students. Interest in the process of developing information competence of students is important for our study. In this regard, the effectiveness of the use of information technologies in geography lessons is analyzed in the research work based on our own experience. The effective aspects of multimedia technologies for the purpose of increasing competence are considered, the possibilities for developing information competencies of students are determined. During the study, after the use of information technologies, monitoring was conducted to determine the level of knowledge of schoolchildren. As the results of the experiment show, interest in the subject and the level of knowledge increased significantly in the experimental group compared to the control group. The results of the experiment showed that the use of information technologies in the subject of geography has great importance in the formation of subject competencies of students and the effectiveness of its implementation in general education schools. Keywords: school geography, information technology, competence, information competence

L. Rowan, B. Arbogast, S. J. Kamel

Christopher A. Lepczyk, Travis Longcore, Catherine Rich

As authors of the original works calling attention to the need to understand trap-neuter-release (TNR) in conservation biology (Lepczyk et al., 2010; Longcore et al., 2009) as well as having collectively worked on issues surrounding feral and free-ranging cats for over 50 years, we appreciate the renewed interest in the topic. However, we found the recent article A renewed call for conservation leadership 10 years further in the feral cat Trap-Neuter-Return debate and new opportunities for constructive dialogue by Debrot et al. (2022) to have understated or missed several key pieces of information relevant to conservation. As a result, the Perspective serves to obfuscate rather than clarify current conservation and management efforts focused on free-ranging cats by minimizing existing knowledge and selective use of the literature to support points. While TNR appeals to those seeking to avoid euthanasia as a solution, it is ineffective at reducing feral cat numbers at scale. In a population not supplemented with food, the percent of the cat population needed to be spayed or neutered must exceed 70% to reduce cat numbers through decreasing births in a population (Andersen et al., 2004; Foley et al., 2005). Such a large number has only been achieved once at a meaningful scale (Gunther et al., 2022), where the authors noted the need to implement TNR at high intensity, sustain the effort over long time scales, and over all contiguous areas. In fact, this one example cost more than one million dollars ($US) over 9 years of TNR implementation (Gunther et al., 2022). Notably, two other large, intensive, and well-funded TNR efforts, conducted in California and Florida over eleven (1992–2003) and six years (1998– 2004), respectively, failed to reduce cat numbers (Foley et al., 2005). Hence, TNR is not considered a viable form of cat management. One reason the authors suggest that TNR is an acceptable form of management within cities is because they are “unimportant for wildlife” and “need not be a priority for conservationists,” which reinforces a traditional, but misguided, view that cities are sacrifice zones for wildlife and hold no value for conservation. Unfortunately, this view underestimates the relevance of cities to conservation as they are not monolithic concrete jungles, but rather, are home to endemic, rare, and threatened and endangered species (Schwartz et al., 2002, Ives et al., 2016, Lepczyk et al. 2022) and contribute significantly to regional biodiversity (Spotswood et al., 2021). Moreover, people enjoy seeing native wildlife in areas where they live and generally do not value free-ranging cats (e.g., Lohr & Lepczyk, 2014). A second issue of consequence is that TNR policies are more about rejecting the use of lethal control or housing of cats in shelters than about population control of cats based on scientific research. Having worked extensively in the trenches of cat policy, it is critical to note that pro-outdoor cat advocates are seeking to move cat management away from animal shelters altogether, particularly those that practice euthanasia, in response to the no-kill movement specifically and “compassionate conservation” more generally. Such movement toward “managing” cats only in the field turns a blind eye to the inhumane treatment and conditions of cats living outdoors that organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have noted for years (https:// www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/what-is-petas-stance-on-pro grams-that-advocate-trapping-spaying-and-neutering-andreleasing-feral-cats/). Third, the authors only incidentally mention the serious nature of zoonotic diseases and effects on public health associated with free-ranging cats. No work to date has demonstrated that any TNR program has been successful at reducing disease transmission or is a positive form of managing disease, particularly within a One Health context. Given the large number of serious diseases that are impacting humans and wildlife due to cats (Lepczyk et al., 2015), this is a serious oversight for a socioecological systems approach to cat management. Fourth, having worked directly with stakeholders, including many of the pro-outdoor cat advocacy organizations, as well as policymakers, conservation practitioners, and the public, it is clear that there is a general lack of understanding about the political nature of cat Received: 26 May 2022 Revised: 22 August 2022 Accepted: 24 August 2022

Peng Lang, Duan Jian, Liu Shiyu et al.

[Objective] Differences of plant species composition, community structure, and diversity in different soil erosion control years in the granite erosion area were compared and analyzed in order to provide a scientific basis for soil erosion control and ecological reconstruction in the granite erosion area. [Methods] The method of replacing time with space was adopted. In the Pingjiang River basin of Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province, four artificial forests with different treatment years of 4, 14, 24, and 34 years were selected as the research objects, and the untreated forest and secondary forest were taken as the control. The species composition, community structure, and plant diversity of plant communities in different areas were investigated and analyzed by the quadrat survey method. [Results] ① 43 species of plants were investigated, belonging to 31 families and 41 genera, including 17 species in the arbor layer, eight species in the shrub layer, and 18 species in the herb layer. ② The “bamboo ditch + arbor, shrub and grass” measures could effectively increase plant diversity and promote vegetation restoration and succession. The Simpson index and Shannon-Wiener index of forest lands with different management years were greater than those of forest lands without artificial management. ③ With the increase of water and soil loss control years, the Simpson, Shannon-Wiener, and evenness indexes of the plant community showed upward-decreasing-increasing trends, and they were all smaller than secondary forests. ④ There were fewer common species in the woodland of different treatment years, secondary forest, and untreated forest, which showed dissimilarity on the whole. [Conclusion] It is difficult to effectively restore plant diversity in granite erosion areas only by natural closure. The “bamboo ditch + arbor, shrub and grass” measures could effectively promote vegetation restoration and increase plant diversity.

M. Isabel Sáez, Alba Galafat, Antonio J. Vizcaíno et al.

This study raises the question of the potential long-term effects of a feeding pulse with diets containing algal biomass on the quality of frozen turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) fillets. A feeding trial was carried out with this aim, in which juvenile turbot were fed during 60 d with six different experimental diets, two of which were enriched with the macroalgae Ulva rigida (U diets), the other two with a microalgae blend (M diets), plus a non-supplemented control diet (CT), and finally, a commercial aquafeed (COM). Two inclusion levels were considered in algae-enriched diets (50 and 100 g kg-1) so that they were designed as U5 and U10 for U. rigida, and M5 and M10 for microalgae-enriched diets. The duration of the feeding pulse with the functional diets was 60 days, and then, all specimens were fed with a COM diet for a further 150-d period until reaching a body size close to the commercial standard (approximately 750 g). Subsequently, fish were sacrificed; fillets were removed from the pigmented flank and kept at -20 °C for 5 months. Then, fillets were thawed and the muscle proximal composition and fatty acid profile were analyzed, and fillet quality parameters were assessed during a 10-d co\ld storage period at 4°C. The possible deferred effects of algae-enriched diets on fillet quality were compared with a control diet without algae (CT) and with a commercial diet (COM). Roughly, the results obtained indicated that a 60-d administration pulse of algae-enriched diets induced some long-term changes in both the nutritional and organoleptic quality of turbot fillets. In this regard, the algae-enriched aquafeeds improved the muscle antioxidant response throughout the cold storage period, prolonging the shelf life of thawed turbot fillets. In addition, in terms of consumers’ acceptability, this feeding pulse on pre-growing stage of the productive cycle was able to modify the skin and muscle pigmentation of fish of commercial size. Namely, the U10 diet increased the protein content, improved muscle texture, reduced fillet total lipid content, and favored muscle selective retention of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. On the other hand, the strategy based on the early administration of a diet rich in fishmeal (CT) for 60 d, followed by feeding with commercial feed, also affected positively the quality of fillets, with values comparable to U10 specimens. Thus, the results obtained indicate that a two-month feeding pulse with algae-supplemented diets during pre-growing phase may represent a promising strategy to improve the nutritional and organoleptic quality of frozen turbot fillet, as well as to extend their shelf life during the post-thawing cold storage.