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Aggregate and limestone mining in San Antonio’s Bexar and Comal counties in Texas, USA, has caused considerable health concerns as of late. Aggregate mining actions can result in localized air quality issues in any neighborhood. Furthermore, heavy truck traffic, hauling, and transportation of the mined material contribute to pollution. In this research, PM species were sampled at four locations north of the San Antonio city limits. The data were collected using a TSI Air Quality Sampler that sampled PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and relative humidity. Continuous data with 1 min averages were recorded during the study period from August to September 2019. The instrument was stationed at every location for a period of 7 days each. The four locations were a ranch, an open field, a residential compound, and an elementary school. PM1 and PM2.5 concentration levels were lower compared to PM10 concentrations at all four studied sites. Our results suggest that PM concentrations are primarily impacted by mining activities. PM species were highest at the residential compound due to its proximity to an active mining area, resulting in deleterious health effects for neighbors living in the vicinity of the sampled site.

Abstract For 118 million residential housing units in the U.S., there is currently a gap between the potential energy savings that can be achieved through the use of existing energy efficiency technologies, and the actual level of energy savings realized, particularly for the 37% of housing units that are considered residential rental properties. Additional quantifiable benefits are needed beyond energy savings to help further motivate residential property owners to invest in energy efficiency upgrades. This research focuses on assessing the adoption of energy efficient upgrades in U.S. residential housing and the impact on rental prices. Ten U.S. cities are chosen for analysis; these cities vary in size across multiple climate zones, and represent a diverse set of housing market conditions. Data was collected for over 159,000 rental property listings, their characteristics, and their energy efficiency measures listed in rental housing postings across each city. Following an extensive data quality control process, over thirty different types energy efficient features were identified. The level of adoption was determined for each city, ranging from 5.3% to 21.6%. Efficient lighting and appliances were among the most common, with many features doubling as energy efficient and other desirable aesthetic or comfort improvements. Then using propensity score matching and conditional mean comparison methods, the relative impact on rent charged in each city was calculated, which ranged from a 6% to 14.1% increase in rent for properties with energy efficient features, demonstrating a positive economic impact of these features, particularly for property owners. This was further subdivided into five types of energy efficiency upgrade and three housing types. Single family homes generally demanded higher premiums with energy efficient features, however there was not a consistent pattern across the types of efficient upgrades. The results of this work demonstrate that investment in energy efficient technologies has quantifiable benefits for rental property owners in the U.S. beyond just energy savings. This methodology and results can also be used in other cities and by property owners, utility companies, or others, ultimately encouraging further investment and positive economic impact in residential energy efficiency and in turn improving energy and resource conservation in the building sector.

Plants exhibit plasticity in response to their current environment and, in some cases, to that of the previous generation (i.e. maternal effects). However, few studies have evaluated both within- and between-generation plasticities and the extent to which they interact to influence fitness, especially in natural environments. The plasticity of adult traits to two generations of natural differences in light was determined for Campanulastrum americanum, a forest-edge herb that expresses annual and biennial life histories. Plasticity was found to an individual's light environment (within generation) and the maternal light environment (between generations). Responses to ambient light for size traits and timing of flowering were probably passive, whereas apparently adaptive responses were found for light acquisition traits. Maternal light influenced the expression of most adult traits but had the strongest effect when plants were germinated in natural environments. The transgenerational effects of light were consistent with adaptive plasticity for several traits. Plastic within-generation changes in flowering time may also result in adaptive between-generation effects by altering the offspring life history schedule. Finally, the results underscore the importance of conducting studies of within- and between-generation plasticity in natural populations, where the environmental context is relevant to that in which the traits evolved.

Dans les latitudes tempérées élevées, les ongulés donnent généralement naissance dans une fenêtre temporelle étroite lorsque les conditions sont optimales pour la survie de la progéniture au printemps ou au début de l'été, et utilisent une photopériode changeante pour les conceptions temporelles afin d'anticiper ces conditions. Cependant, dans les basses latitudes tropicales, la variation de la durée du jour est minime et la variation des précipitations rend le cycle saisonnier moins prévisible. Néanmoins, plusieurs espèces d'ongulés conservent des pics de naissance étroits dans de telles conditions, tandis que d'autres montrent que les naissances se propagent assez largement tout au long de l'année. Nous avons étudié comment la variation des précipitations d'une année à l'autre et d'une année à l'autre a influencé le moment de la reproduction de quatre espèces d'ongulés montrant ces modèles contrastés dans la région de Masai Mara au Kenya. Les quatre espèces présentaient des pics de naissance au cours de la période optimale putative au début de la saison humide. Pour le hartebeest et l'impala, le pic de naissance est diffus et la progéniture naît tout au long de l'année. En revanche, le topi et le phacochère ont montré une concentration saisonnière étroite de naissances, avec des conceptions supprimées une fois que les précipitations mensuelles sont tombées en dessous d'un seuil. Les fortes précipitations de la saison précédente et les fortes pluies précoces de l'année en cours ont amélioré la survie au stade juvénile de toutes les espèces, à l'exception de l'impala. Nos résultats révèlent comment la variation des précipitations affectant la croissance des graminées et donc la nutrition des herbivores peut régir la phénologie reproductive des ongulés dans les latitudes tropicales où la variation de la longueur du jour est minime. Le mécanisme sous-jacent semble être la suppression des conceptions une fois que les gains nutritionnels deviennent insuffisants. En réagissant de manière proximale à la variation des précipitations au cours de l'année, les ongulés de la savane tropicale sont moins susceptibles d'être affectés négativement par les conséquences du réchauffement climatique sur la phénologie de la végétation que les ongulés du Nord montrant un contrôle photopériodique plus rigide sur le moment de la reproduction. En latitudes templadas altas, los ungulados generalmente dan a luz dentro de una ventana de tiempo estrecha cuando las condiciones son óptimas para la supervivencia de la descendencia en primavera o principios del verano, y utilizan conceptos cambiantes de fotoperíodo a tiempo para anticipar estas condiciones. Sin embargo, en latitudes tropicales bajas, la variación de la duración del día es mínima, y la variación de las precipitaciones hace que el ciclo estacional sea menos predecible. Sin embargo, varias especies de ungulados conservan picos de nacimiento estrechos en tales condiciones, mientras que otras muestran nacimientos muy extendidos a lo largo del año. Investigamos cómo la variación interanual de las precipitaciones influyó en el tiempo reproductivo de cuatro especies de ungulados que muestran estos patrones contrastantes en la región de Masai Mara en Kenia. Las cuatro especies exhibieron picos de nacimiento durante el periodo óptimo putativo en la estación húmeda temprana. Para hartebeest e impala, el pico de nacimiento era difuso y las crías nacían durante todo el año. Por el contrario, topi y jabalí mostraron una estrecha concentración estacional de nacimientos, con concepciones suprimidas una vez que las precipitaciones mensuales cayeron por debajo de un nivel umbral. Las altas precipitaciones en la temporada anterior y las altas lluvias tempranas en el año en curso mejoraron la supervivencia en la etapa juvenil para todas las especies, excepto los impalas. Nuestros hallazgos revelan cómo la variación de la precipitación que afecta el crecimiento de la hierba y, por lo tanto, la nutrición de los herbívoros, puede gobernar la fenología reproductiva de los ungulados en latitudes tropicales donde la variación de la duración del día es mínima. El mecanismo subyacente parece ser la supresión de las concepciones una vez que las ganancias nutricionales se vuelven insuficientes. Al responder proximalmente a la variación de las precipitaciones dentro del año, es menos probable que los ungulados de la sabana tropical se vean afectados negativamente por las consecuencias del calentamiento global para la fenología de la vegetación que los ungulados del norte que muestran un control fotoperiódico más rígido sobre el tiempo reproductivo. In high temperate latitudes, ungulates generally give birth within a narrow time window when conditions are optimal for offspring survival in spring or early summer, and use changing photoperiod to time conceptions so as to anticipate these conditions. However, in low tropical latitudes day length variation is minimal, and rainfall variation makes the seasonal cycle less predictable. Nevertheless, several ungulate species retain narrow birth peaks under such conditions, while others show births spread quite widely through the year. We investigated how within-year and between-year variation in rainfall influenced the reproductive timing of four ungulate species showing these contrasting patterns in the Masai Mara region of Kenya. All four species exhibited birth peaks during the putative optimal period in the early wet season. For hartebeest and impala, the birth peak was diffuse and offspring were born throughout the year. In contrast, topi and warthog showed a narrow seasonal concentration of births, with conceptions suppressed once monthly rainfall fell below a threshold level. High rainfall in the previous season and high early rains in the current year enhanced survival into the juvenile stage for all the species except impala. Our findings reveal how rainfall variation affecting grass growth and hence herbivore nutrition can govern the reproductive phenology of ungulates in tropical latitudes where day length variation is minimal. The underlying mechanism seems to be the suppression of conceptions once nutritional gains become insufficient. Through responding proximally to within-year variation in rainfall, tropical savanna ungulates are less likely to be affected adversely by the consequences of global warming for vegetation phenology than northern ungulates showing more rigid photoperiodic control over reproductive timing. في خطوط العرض المعتدلة العالية، تلد ذوات الحوافر عمومًا في غضون فترة زمنية ضيقة عندما تكون الظروف مثالية لبقاء النسل في الربيع أو أوائل الصيف، وتستخدم تغيير الفترة الضوئية إلى مفاهيم زمنية لتوقع هذه الظروف. ومع ذلك، في خطوط العرض الاستوائية المنخفضة، يكون تباين طول اليوم ضئيلًا، ويجعل تباين هطول الأمطار الدورة الموسمية أقل قابلية للتنبؤ. ومع ذلك، فإن العديد من الأنواع ذوات الحوافر تحتفظ بقمم ولادة ضيقة في ظل هذه الظروف، في حين أن البعض الآخر يظهر أن الولادات تنتشر على نطاق واسع خلال العام. لقد حققنا في كيفية تأثير التباين في هطول الأمطار خلال العام وبين الأعوام على التوقيت التكاثري لأربعة أنواع من ذوات الحوافر تظهر هذه الأنماط المتناقضة في منطقة ماساي مارا في كينيا. أظهرت جميع الأنواع الأربعة قمم ولادة خلال الفترة المثلى المفترضة في موسم الأمطار المبكر. بالنسبة لحيوان النحل والامبالا، كانت ذروة الولادة منتشرة وولدت ذرية على مدار العام. على النقيض من ذلك، أظهر التوبي والخنزير الحربي تركيزًا موسميًا ضيقًا للولادات، مع قمع المفاهيم بمجرد انخفاض هطول الأمطار الشهري إلى ما دون مستوى العتبة. عزز ارتفاع هطول الأمطار في الموسم السابق وارتفاع الأمطار المبكرة في العام الحالي البقاء على قيد الحياة في مرحلة الشباب لجميع الأنواع باستثناء الإمبالا. تكشف النتائج التي توصلنا إليها كيف أن تباين هطول الأمطار الذي يؤثر على نمو العشب وبالتالي تغذية الحيوانات العاشبة يمكن أن يحكم الفينولوجيا الإنجابية لذوات الحوافر في خطوط العرض الاستوائية حيث يكون تباين طول اليوم ضئيلًا. يبدو أن الآلية الأساسية هي قمع المفاهيم بمجرد أن تصبح المكاسب الغذائية غير كافية. من خلال الاستجابة القريبة من التباين في هطول الأمطار خلال العام، فإن ذوات الحوافر في السافانا الاستوائية أقل عرضة للتأثر سلبًا بعواقب الاحترار العالمي على فينولوجيا الغطاء النباتي من ذوات الحوافر الشمالية التي تظهر تحكمًا دوريًا ضوئيًا أكثر صرامة في توقيت التكاثر.

Summary The allocation of nonstructural carbon (NSC) to growth, metabolism and storage remains poorly understood, but is critical for the prediction of stress tolerance and mortality. We used the radiocarbon (14C) ‘bomb spike’ as a tracer of substrate and age of carbon in stemwood NSC, CO2 emitted by stems, tree ring cellulose and stump sprouts regenerated following harvesting in mature red maple trees. We addressed the following questions: which factors influence the age of stemwood NSC?; to what extent is stored vs new NSC used for metabolism and growth?; and, is older, stored NSC available for use? The mean age of extracted stemwood NSC was 10 yr. More vigorous trees had both larger and younger stemwood NSC pools. NSC used to support metabolism (stem CO2) was 1–2 yr old in spring before leaves emerged, but reflected current‐year photosynthetic products in late summer. The tree ring cellulose 14C age was 0.9 yr older than direct ring counts. Stump sprouts were formed from NSC up to 17 yr old. Thus, younger NSC is preferentially used for growth and day‐to‐day metabolic demands. More recently stored NSC contributes to annual ring growth and metabolism in the dormant season, yet decade‐old and older NSC is accessible for regrowth.

Song Gupuh, a partially collapsed cave in the Gunung Sewu Limestones of East Java, Indonesia, contains over 16 m of deposits with a faunal sequence spanning some 70 ka. Major changes in the range of animals represented show the impact of climate change and humans. The Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene was a period of maximum biodiversity. Human use of Song Gupuh and other cave sites in the region also intensified significantly from ca. 12 ka, together with a new focus on exploitation of small-bodied species (macaque monkeys and molluscs), the first evidence for import of resources from the coast, and use of bone and shell tools. Human activity, especially after the onset of the Neolithic around 2.6 ka, subsequently contributed to a progressive loss of many species from the area, including tapir, elephant, Malayan bear, rhino and tiger, and this extinction process is continuing. We conclude by discussing the biogeographical significance of Song Gupuh in the context of other sites in Java (e.g. Punung, Wajak) and further afield (e.g. Liang Bua).

Sustainability of agro-food supply chains has recently become the subject of greater interest from consumers, firms, governmental organizations and academia as the environment continues to deteriorate. One of the most critical factors influencing the sustainability of an agro-food supply chain is its network design. A particularly challenging aspect in this context is the broad range of influencing indicators associated with the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) of sustainability that need to be considered. However, many of these indicators could not be fully integrated or measured by single-step optimization problems. This paper presents a critical literature review of operational research methods for the design of sustainable supply chains. A novel two-stage hybrid solution methodology is proposed. In the first stage, a partner selection is performed using a hybrid multi criteria decision making based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and the Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) aggregation method. The result obtained in the first stage is used in the second stage to develop a multi-objective mathematical model to optimize the design of the supply chain network. This approach allows the simultaneous consideration of all three dimensions of sustainability including carbon footprint, water footprint, number of jobs created and the total cost of the supply chain design. The proposed approach generates a Pareto frontier to aid users in making decisions. Numerical experiments are completed utilizing data from an agro-food company to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed solution methodology. The analyzes of the numerical results provide important organizational, practical and policy insights on (1) the impact of financial and environmental sustainability on supply chain network design (2) the tradeoff analysis between environmental emission, water footprint, societal implications and associated cost for making informed decision on supply chain investment.