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The phenomenon this paper looks at is power swings, voltage collapse, series compensation and the effect of shunt active VAR compensation. Power swing blocking although a well established technique in its own right; is hampered by traditional detection methods which can be compromised when the system topology changes. Voltage collapse (insufficient VARS) and its effect on distance protection is not a subject which has had wide spread discussion. Fast and slow VAR compensation devices like SVC's and STATCOM bring in new challenges to this traditional art. Series compensation is also being considered on relatively short lines in order to export more power through existing corridors and has implications on distance reach as well as directionality. (5 pages)

The phenomenon this paper looks at is power swings, voltage collapse, series compensation and the effect of shunt active VAR compensation. Power swing blocking although a well established technique in its own right; is hampered by traditional detection methods which can be compromised when the system topology changes. Voltage collapse (insufficient VARS) and its effect on distance protection is not a subject which has had wide spread discussion. Fast and slow VAR compensation devices like SVC's and STATCOM bring in new challenges to this traditional art. Series compensation is also being considered on relatively short lines in order to export more power through existing corridors and has implications on distance reach as well as directionality. (5 pages)

A successful rice production on swampland would require a planting material from high yielding varieties adaptated to the swampy ecosystem. This study was carried out to compare the growth and yield characteristics of five rice lines and a check variety as grown on non-tidal swampland. The lines were F4 generation of bulk selection from the crosses involving Bengkulu swamp rice landraces (Hanafi Putih, Tigo-tigo, Harum Curup, and Lubuk Durian) and high yielding varieties for the irrigated field (Sidenuk and Bestari). The trial was conducted on a shallow non-tidal swampland with stagnant inundation no more than 50 cm in depth often occurred during the plant life cycle. The lines and the check variety (Inpara 4) were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Observations were made for the agronomic performances of the plant, including plant height, total tiller number clump-1, effective tiller number clump-1, heading date, maturity date, panicle length, grain number panicle-1, 100-grain weight, and grain yield clump-1. Significant variation among the genotypes was found for all observed traits. On average, the evaluated lines showed comparable growth and yield performances to the check variety. Tigo-tigo × Bestari was the tallest line and potential for medium depth swampland. This line showed good overall agronomic performances and yielded relatively higher than the check variety, but delayed in attaining maturity. For shallow swampland, Hanafi Putih x Sidenuk exhibited the most potent line by having good overall agronomic and yield performances, except late in maturity. For early maturing line, Lubuk Durian x Hanafi Putih showed its potential for shallow swampland. Although this line was not the best, it showed better overall agronomic performances than the check variety. Keywords: F4 lines, growth and yield performance, rice landrace, swampland, plant maturity

A successful rice production on swampland would require a planting material from high yielding varieties adaptated to the swampy ecosystem. This study was carried out to compare the growth and yield characteristics of five rice lines and a check variety as grown on non-tidal swampland. The lines were F4 generation of bulk selection from the crosses involving Bengkulu swamp rice landraces (Hanafi Putih, Tigo-tigo, Harum Curup, and Lubuk Durian) and high yielding varieties for the irrigated field (Sidenuk and Bestari). The trial was conducted on a shallow non-tidal swampland with stagnant inundation no more than 50 cm in depth often occurred during the plant life cycle. The lines and the check variety (Inpara 4) were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Observations were made for the agronomic performances of the plant, including plant height, total tiller number clump-1, effective tiller number clump-1, heading date, maturity date, panicle length, grain number panicle-1, 100-grain weight, and grain yield clump-1. Significant variation among the genotypes was found for all observed traits. On average, the evaluated lines showed comparable growth and yield performances to the check variety. Tigo-tigo × Bestari was the tallest line and potential for medium depth swampland. This line showed good overall agronomic performances and yielded relatively higher than the check variety, but delayed in attaining maturity. For shallow swampland, Hanafi Putih x Sidenuk exhibited the most potent line by having good overall agronomic and yield performances, except late in maturity. For early maturing line, Lubuk Durian x Hanafi Putih showed its potential for shallow swampland. Although this line was not the best, it showed better overall agronomic performances than the check variety. Keywords: F4 lines, growth and yield performance, rice landrace, swampland, plant maturity

Abstract Background Malaria remains one of the most devastating diseases globally, and the control of mosquitoes as the vector is mainly dependent on chemical insecticides. Elevated temperatures associated with future warmer climates could affect mosquitoes' metabolic enzyme expression and increase insecticide resistance, making vector control difficult. Understanding how mosquito rearing temperatures influence their susceptibility to insecticide and expression of metabolic enzymes could aid in the development of novel tools and strategies to control mosquitoes in a future warmer climate. This study evaluated the effects of temperature on the susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) mosquitoes to pyrethroids and their expression of metabolic enzymes. Methods Anopheles gambiae s.l. eggs obtained from laboratory-established colonies were reared under eight temperature regimes (25, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 °C). Upon adult emergence, 3- to 5-day-old female non-blood-fed mosquitoes were used for susceptibility tests following the World Health Organization (WHO) bioassay protocol. Batches of 20–25 mosquitoes from each temperature regime (25–34 °C) were exposed to two pyrethroid insecticides (0.75% permethrin and 0.05% deltamethrin). In addition, the levels of four metabolic enzymes (α-esterase, β-esterase, glutathione S-transferase [GST], and mixed-function oxidase [MFO]) were examined in mosquitoes that were not exposed and those that were exposed to pyrethroids. Results Mortality in An. gambiae s.l. mosquitoes exposed to deltamethrin and permethrin decreased at temperatures above 28 °C. In addition, mosquitoes reared at higher temperatures were more resistant and had more elevated enzyme levels than those raised at low temperatures. Overall, mosquitoes that survived after being exposed to pyrethroids had higher levels of metabolic enzymes than those that were not exposed to pyrethroids. Conclusions This study provides evidence that elevated temperatures decreased An. gambiae s.l. mosquitoes' susceptibility to pyrethroids and increased the expression of metabolic enzymes. This evidence suggests that elevated temperatures projected in a future warmer climate could increase mosquitoes' resistance to insecticides and complicate malaria vector control measures. This study therefore provides vital information, and suggests useful areas of future research, on the effects of temperature variability on mosquitoes that could guide vector control measures in a future warmer climate. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Malaria remains one of the most devastating diseases globally, and the control of mosquitoes as the vector is mainly dependent on chemical insecticides. Elevated temperatures associated with future warmer climates could affect mosquitoes' metabolic enzyme expression and increase insecticide resistance, making vector control difficult. Understanding how mosquito rearing temperatures influence their susceptibility to insecticide and expression of metabolic enzymes could aid in the development of novel tools and strategies to control mosquitoes in a future warmer climate. This study evaluated the effects of temperature on the susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) mosquitoes to pyrethroids and their expression of metabolic enzymes. Methods Anopheles gambiae s.l. eggs obtained from laboratory-established colonies were reared under eight temperature regimes (25, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 °C). Upon adult emergence, 3- to 5-day-old female non-blood-fed mosquitoes were used for susceptibility tests following the World Health Organization (WHO) bioassay protocol. Batches of 20–25 mosquitoes from each temperature regime (25–34 °C) were exposed to two pyrethroid insecticides (0.75% permethrin and 0.05% deltamethrin). In addition, the levels of four metabolic enzymes (α-esterase, β-esterase, glutathione S-transferase [GST], and mixed-function oxidase [MFO]) were examined in mosquitoes that were not exposed and those that were exposed to pyrethroids. Results Mortality in An. gambiae s.l. mosquitoes exposed to deltamethrin and permethrin decreased at temperatures above 28 °C. In addition, mosquitoes reared at higher temperatures were more resistant and had more elevated enzyme levels than those raised at low temperatures. Overall, mosquitoes that survived after being exposed to pyrethroids had higher levels of metabolic enzymes than those that were not exposed to pyrethroids. Conclusions This study provides evidence that elevated temperatures decreased An. gambiae s.l. mosquitoes' susceptibility to pyrethroids and increased the expression of metabolic enzymes. This evidence suggests that elevated temperatures projected in a future warmer climate could increase mosquitoes' resistance to insecticides and complicate malaria vector control measures. This study therefore provides vital information, and suggests useful areas of future research, on the effects of temperature variability on mosquitoes that could guide vector control measures in a future warmer climate. Graphical Abstract

In recent years, the rapid development of the rare earth industry has had a serious impact on the environment. Some enterprises have taken measures to improve the production process. In order to explore the sustainability of this industry and these improvements’ environmental benefits, this paper combines emergy analysis and lifecycle assessment to evaluate and compare the production process of rare-earth oxides considering the three aspects of emergy flow, pollutant emissions, and emergy-based indicators. Changes in the emergy of pollutant emissions before and after improvement of the production process are discussed. The results show that the greatest inputs in the mining and beneficiation stage and smelting separation stage are labor force and service and non-renewable resources, respectively. These two production stages are highly dependent on external input and have weak competitiveness. Both stages place great pressure on the environment, so the bastnasite production process would be unsustainable in the long term. After the improvement, the environmental impact of the production process for bastnaesite changed significantly, indicating that the improvement effect of the wastewater treatment facilities and the change of fuel from coal to natural gas is remarkable.

In recent years, the rapid development of the rare earth industry has had a serious impact on the environment. Some enterprises have taken measures to improve the production process. In order to explore the sustainability of this industry and these improvements’ environmental benefits, this paper combines emergy analysis and lifecycle assessment to evaluate and compare the production process of rare-earth oxides considering the three aspects of emergy flow, pollutant emissions, and emergy-based indicators. Changes in the emergy of pollutant emissions before and after improvement of the production process are discussed. The results show that the greatest inputs in the mining and beneficiation stage and smelting separation stage are labor force and service and non-renewable resources, respectively. These two production stages are highly dependent on external input and have weak competitiveness. Both stages place great pressure on the environment, so the bastnasite production process would be unsustainable in the long term. After the improvement, the environmental impact of the production process for bastnaesite changed significantly, indicating that the improvement effect of the wastewater treatment facilities and the change of fuel from coal to natural gas is remarkable.