scholarly journals Standardized NEON organismal data for biodiversity research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daijiang Li ◽  
Sydne Record ◽  
Eric Sokol ◽  
Matthew E. Bitters ◽  
Melissa Y. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scales ◽  
R Package ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ecological Community ◽  
Biodiversity Research ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Community Data ◽  
Patterns And Processes ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Data Design

Understanding patterns and drivers of species distributions and abundances, and thus biodiversity, is a core goal of ecology. Despite advances in recent decades, research into these patterns and processes is currently limited by a lack of standardized, high-quality, empirical data that spans large spatial scales and long time periods. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) fills this gap by providing freely available observational data that are: generated during robust and consistent organismal sampling of several sentinel taxonomic groups within 81 sites distributed across the United States; and will be collected for at least 30 years. The breadth and scope of these data provides a unique resource for advancing biodiversity research. To maximize the potential of this opportunity, however, it is critical that NEON data be maximally accessible and easily integrated into investigators’ workflows and analyses. To facilitate its use for biodiversity research and synthesis, we created a workflow to process and format NEON organismal data into the ecocomDP (ecological community data design pattern) format, and available through the `ecocomDP` R package; we then provided the standardized data as an R data package (`neonDivData`). We briefly summarize sampling designs and data wrangling decisions for the major taxonomic groups included in this effort. Our workflows are open-source so the biodiversity community may: add additional taxonomic groups; modify the workflow to produce datasets appropriate for their own analytical needs; and regularly update the data packages as more observations become available. Finally, we provide two simple examples of how the standardized data may be used for biodiversity research. By providing a standardized data package, we hope to enhance the utility of NEON organismal data in advancing biodiversity research.

scholarly journals sampbias, a method for quantifying geographic sampling biases in species distribution data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Zizka ◽  
Alexandre Antonelli ◽  
Daniele Silvestro
Keyword(s):  
R Package ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Species Occurrence ◽  
Biodiversity Research ◽  
Occurrence Data ◽  
Standard Tool ◽  
Moderate Effect ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Species Occurrences

AbstractGeo-referenced species occurrences from public databases have become essential to biodiversity research and conservation. However, geographical biases are widely recognized as a factor limiting the usefulness of such data for understanding species diversity and distribution. In particular, differences in sampling intensity across a landscape due to differences in human accessibility are ubiquitous but may differ in strength among taxonomic groups and datasets. Although several factors have been described to influence human access (such as presence of roads, rivers, airports and cities), quantifying their specific and combined effects on recorded occurrence data remains challenging. Here we present sampbias, an algorithm and software for quantifying the effect of accessibility biases in species occurrence datasets. Sampbias uses a Bayesian approach to estimate how sampling rates vary as a function of proximity to one or multiple bias factors. The results are comparable among bias factors and datasets. We demonstrate the use of sampbias on a dataset of mammal occurrences from the island of Borneo, showing a high biasing effect of cities and a moderate effect of roads and airports. Sampbias is implemented as a well-documented, open-access and user-friendly R package that we hope will become a standard tool for anyone working with species occurrences in ecology, evolution, conservation and related fields.

scholarly journals ecocomDP: A data design pattern and R package to facilitate FAIR biodiversity data for ecological synthesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Sokol
Keyword(s):  
Design Pattern ◽  
Ecological Research ◽  
Ecological Community ◽  
Biodiversity Data ◽  
Intermediate Data ◽  
The Us ◽  
Long Term Ecological Research ◽  
Community Data ◽  
Data Design

Two programs that provide high-quality long-term ecological data, the Environmental Data Initiative (EDI) and the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), have recently teamed up with data users interested in synthesizing biodiversity data, such as ecological synthesis working groups supported by the US Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network Office, to make their data more Findable, Interoperable, Accessible, and Reusable (FAIR). To this end: we have developed a flexible intermediate data design pattern for ecological community data (L1 formatted data in Fig. 1, see Fig. 2 for design details) called "ecocomDP" (O'Brien et al. 2021), and we provide tools to work with data packages in which this design pattern has been implemented. we have developed a flexible intermediate data design pattern for ecological community data (L1 formatted data in Fig. 1, see Fig. 2 for design details) called "ecocomDP" (O'Brien et al. 2021), and we provide tools to work with data packages in which this design pattern has been implemented. The ecocomDP format provides a data pattern commonly used for reporting community level data, such as repeated observations of species-level measures of biomass, abundance, percent cover, or density across multiple locations. The ecocomDP library for R includes tools to search for data packages, download or import data packages into an R (programming language) session in a standard format, and visualization tools for data exploration steps that are recommended for data users prior to any cross-study synthesis work. To date, EDI has created 70 ecocomDP data packages derived from their holdings, which include data from the US Long Term Ecological Research (US LTER) program, Long Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB) program, and other projects, which are now discoverable and accessible using the ecocomDP library. Similarly, NEON data products for 12 taxonomic groups are discoverable using the ecocomDP search tool. Input from data users provided guidance for the ecocomDP developers in mapping the NEON data products to the ecocomDP format to facilitate interoperability with the ecocomDP data packages available from the EDI repository. The standardized data design pattern allows common data visualizations across data packages, and has the potential to facilitate the development of new tools and workflows for biodiversity synthesis. The broader impacts of this collaboration are intended to lower the barriers for researchers in ecology and the environmental sciences to access and work with long-term biodiversity data and provide a hub around which data providers and data users can develop best practices that will build a diverse and inclusive community of practice.

Challenges of the parliamentary system in Iraq after 2003

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Emad Wakaa Ajil
Keyword(s):  
Political System ◽  
Separation Of Powers ◽  
Political Process ◽  
The United States ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
The Political ◽  
Parliamentary System ◽  
Political Transformations ◽  
The Us ◽  
Long Time

Iraq is one of the most Arab countries where the system of government has undergone major political transformations and violent events since the emergence of the modern Iraqi state in 1921 and up to the present. It began with the monarchy and the transformation of the regime into the republican system in 1958. In the republican system, Continued until 2003, and after the US occupation of Iraq in 2003, the regime changed from presidential to parliamentary system, and the parliamentary experience is a modern experience for Iraq, as he lived for a long time without parliamentary experience, what existed before 2003, can not be a parliamentary experience , The experience righteousness The study of the parliamentary system in particular and the political process in general has not been easy, because it is a complex and complex process that concerns the political system and its internal and external environment, both of which are influential in the political system and thus on the political process as a whole, After the US occupation of Iraq, the United States intervened to establish a permanent constitution for the country. Despite all the circumstances accompanying the drafting of the constitution, it is the first constitution to be drafted by an elected Constituent Assembly. The Iraqi Constitution adopted the parliamentary system of government and approved the principle of flexible separation of powers in order to achieve cooperation and balance between the authorities.

scholarly journals Core Elements Affecting Sharing: Evidence from the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3943
Author(s):  
Aurelija Burinskienė ◽  
Edita Leonavičienė ◽  
Virginija Grybaitė ◽  
Olga Lingaitienė ◽  
Juozas Merkevičius
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Collaborative Consumption ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Personal Consumption ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Core Elements ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Number Of Visits

The new phenomenon called sharing or collaborative consumption emerged a decade ago and is continuously growing. It creates new possibilities for society, and especially for business, is beneficial for the environment, makes more efficient use of resources, and presents a new competitive business model. The scientific literature lacks a more in-depth analysis of the factors influencing sharing activity growth; therefore, the paper’s authors attempt to fill this gap. The authors aim to identify the factors affecting the use of sharing platforms. To reach the goal, the authors developed a regression model and constructed a list of 71 variables. The study used monthly United States data from January 2017 to June 2020 from the publicly available Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)and Google trends databases. The comparison to other indexes proves that the proposed index, representing the number of visits to sharing platforms (SEP), is a unique one. The first index allowed us to revise the sharing activity monthly. The authors identified that variables such as wage level, social network users, import level, and personal consumption are critical in affecting the number of visits to sharing platforms. The presented framework could be helpful for practitioners and policymakers analysing the stimulation of sharing or collaborative consumption. It includes indicators representing different areas, such as society, technology, and country, and allows for monthly investigations. Such activity was evident for a long time when online platforms contributed to its wider accessibility. The results help to forecast the number of visits monthly. Sharing is still an emerging area for research; thus, the authors tried to explore the phenomenon of sharing to expand the conceptual level of knowledge.

ABRAHAM JACOBI ON JUVENILE DIABETES MELLITUS-1896

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 830-830
Author(s):  
T. E. C.
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
New York ◽  
Juvenile Diabetes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mineral Waters ◽  
Juvenile Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Pediatric Clinic ◽  
Medicinal Treatment ◽  
Small Doses ◽  
Long Time

Abraham Jacobi (1830-1919) was the first in the United States to specialize in the teaching of pediatrics. In 1862 he founded the first pediatric clinic in New York City. Probably no other pediatrician in America had a greater influence than Jacobi on the development of American pediatrics. This is how Jacobi treated juvenile diabetes mellitus 80 years ago and 26 years before Banting and Best had isolated insulin. ... The disease runs a more rapid course in infants and children than in adults, and terminates more readily in coma and death. Therefore the treatment must be enforced. Fortunately, the young, with very rare exceptions, are apt to live on milk mostly. Thus less difficulties are encountered in them than in adults. For these also milk, skimmed or not, forms a principal and beneficial part of their nutriment. The medicinal treatment of the young requires some modifications. The facility with which cerebral symptoms ("coma") are developed, renders the persistent use of alkalies advisable (mineral waters), and forbids the use of opium. lodoform, which I have seen to render fair service in adults, in daily doses of from ten to twenty grains internally, is seldom tolerated by the young, even in proportionately small doses. Arsenic may be given in increasing doses a long time, the bromide as well as other preparations, one drop and more of Fowler's solution [potassium arsenite], largely diluted, after meals, three times daily, the dose to be increased gradually until doses of from two to four drops are taken.

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater

2021 ◽  
pp. 45-55
Author(s):  
В.Я. Кофман
Keyword(s):  
Rna Virus ◽  
Health Hazard ◽  
The United States ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Sewer Systems ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Treatment Facilities ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
Low Prevalence

Пандемия СOVID-19, объявленная ВОЗ чрезвычайной ситуацией в области здравоохранения, вызвана новым коронавирусом SARS-CoV-2. По сообщениям из Евросоюза, США и Австралии, потенциальная выживаемость коронавируса SARS-CoV-2 в фекалиях и сточных водах в течение достаточно длительного времени создает реальную возможность его поступления с канализационными стоками на очистные сооружения или непосредственно в поверхностные воды при сбросе неочищенных стоков. Это свидетельствует о существовании потенциальной возможности передачи SARS-CoV-2 через воду. В этой связи особую актуальность приобретает разработка эффективных способов удаления и инактивации вирусов на очистных сооружениях. Наличие коронавирусной инфекции в сточных водах может представлять серьезную опасность для здоровья контактирующих с ними людей. К ним относится персонал очистных сооружений, а также население в целом, которое может подвергаться непосредственному воздействию необработанных или недостаточно обработанных сточных вод через неисправные водопроводные или канализационные коммуникации. Во многих странах для получения своевременной достоверной информации о распространении коронавирусной инфекции используют методы эпидемиологии сточных вод. Возможность выявления РНК вируса в сточных водах даже при низкой распространенности СOVID-19 и корреляция между концентрацией РНК SARS-CoV-2 в сточных водах и официальной информацией указывают на то, что наблюдение за сточными водами может стать чувствительным инструментом мониторинга циркуляции вируса в популяции. The COVID-19 pandemic, declared by WHO as a health emergency, is caused by a novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. According to reports from the European Union, the United States and Australia, the potential survival of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in feces and wastewater for a sufficiently long time creates a real threat of its entry with wastewater into treatment facilities or directly into surface water while raw wastewater is discharged. This indicates the potential for the transfer of SARS-CoV-2 by water. In this regard, the development of effective methods for the removal and inactivation of viruses at the treatment facilities is of special actuality. The presence of coronavirus infection in wastewater can pose a serious health hazard to people in contact with it. These include the personnel at the wastewater treatment facilities, as well as the general population, who may be directly exposed to raw or inadequately treated wastewater through defective water or sewer systems. In many countries wastewater epidemiology methods are used to obtain timely reliable information on the spread of coronavirus infection. Possible detection of RNA virus in wastewater even with a low prevalence rate of COVID-19 and the correlation between the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and official information indicate that monitoring wastewater can become a sensitive tool for monitoring the circulation of the virus in the population.

Power Lies in the Barrel of a Gun: Diplomacy Without Strategic Military Capability Is Futile

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 77-99
Author(s):  
Moorosi Leshoele
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
United Nations Security Council ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Military Capability ◽  
Black Africa ◽  
Mineral Wealth ◽  
The World ◽  
Long Time ◽  
History Of ◽  
Pipe Dream

Abstract The United States of America invests heavily on their military capability and it is estimated that it spends, alone, approximately 40 per cent of what the whole world spends on military. Four of the other super powers that make up the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UN-SC) also spend a significant percentage of their national budgets on military. Chinweizu has for a long time argued that Africa needs a well-resourced African Standby Force (or the Black Africa League) that will protect the interests of the continent so as to prevent the history of Africans enslavement and colonialism repeating itself. This article seeks to analyse Africa’s investment on its military defense capability vis-à-vis the five permanent members of the UN-SC and North Korea, by critiquing two case studies of two of the continent’s economic giants – South Africa and Egypt. Realist and Sankofa perspectives are used as the prisms through which the article was researched. In line with Chinweizu’s observation, the article argues that without serious political will and dedication to building Africa’s nuclear weapons capability and ensuring that Africa is economically self-reliant, diplomatic engagements with the rest of the world as (un)equal partners will remain a pipe dream and the looting of Africa’s mineral wealth will continue unabated. It is clear that given the reality of the African Holocust if African countries fail to collectively defend themselves, Africa will continue to be a political football for the rest of the world.

The Arts as a Polarized Issue and the Role of Political Trust in Promoting the Arts: Evidence From the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-97
Author(s):  
Lim Jae Young ◽  
Woo Harin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Moderating Role

The arts in the United States, for a long time received strong support from both sides of the political aisle. However, in recent years, the arts have been transformed into a partisan issue that pits conservatives against liberals. The article points to the importance of political trust as a means of helping conservatives overcome their ideological inclinations and support the arts. Scholars argue that political trust influences more strongly individuals who perceive a given policy to be one that imposes ideological risks for them compared with those without such risks. Focusing on the moderating role of political trust, the article examines whether political trust can help alleviate the conservatives’ hostility to the arts. Relying on the 2016 General Social Survey, the article finds that conservatives have no direct relationship with arts spending, but they will be more likely to support arts spending when this is contingent upon political trust.

scholarly journals A multiscale approach to balance trade-offs among dam infrastructure, river restoration, and cost

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (47) ◽  
pp. 12069-12074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel G. Roy ◽  
Emi Uchida ◽  
Simone P. de Souza ◽  
Ben Blachly ◽  
Emma Fox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
River Restoration ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Dam Removal ◽  
The United States ◽  
Multiscale Approach ◽  
Funding Policy ◽  
Net Benefit ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Aging Infrastructure

Aging infrastructure and growing interests in river restoration have led to a substantial rise in dam removals in the United States. However, the decision to remove a dam involves many complex trade-offs. The benefits of dam removal for hazard reduction and ecological restoration are potentially offset by the loss of hydroelectricity production, water supply, and other important services. We use a multiobjective approach to examine a wide array of trade-offs and synergies involved with strategic dam removal at three spatial scales in New England. We find that increasing the scale of decision-making improves the efficiency of trade-offs among ecosystem services, river safety, and economic costs resulting from dam removal, but this may lead to heterogeneous and less equitable local-scale outcomes. Our model may help facilitate multilateral funding, policy, and stakeholder agreements by analyzing the trade-offs of coordinated dam decisions, including net benefit alternatives to dam removal, at scales that satisfy these agreements.

scholarly journals The pitfalls of biodiversity proxies: Differences in richness patterns of birds, trees and understudied diversity across Amazonia

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila D. Ritter ◽  
Søren Faurby ◽  
Dominic J. Bennett ◽  
Luciano N. Naka ◽  
Hans ter Steege ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Taxonomic Group ◽  
Diversity Gradients ◽  
Richness Patterns ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Micro Organisms

AbstractMost knowledge on biodiversity derives from the study of charismatic macro-organisms, such as birds and trees. However, the diversity of micro-organisms constitutes the majority of all life forms on Earth. Here, we ask if the patterns of richness inferred for macro-organisms are similar for micro-organisms. For this, we barcoded samples of soil, litter and insects from four localities on a west-to-east transect across Amazonia. We quantified richness as Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in those samples using three molecular markers. We then compared OTU richness with species richness of two relatively well-studied organism groups in Amazonia: trees and birds. We find that OTU richness shows a declining west-to-east diversity gradient that is in agreement with the species richness patterns documented here and previously for birds and trees. These results suggest that most taxonomic groups respond to the same overall diversity gradients at large spatial scales. However, our results show a different pattern of richness in relation to habitat types, suggesting that the idiosyncrasies of each taxonomic group and peculiarities of the local environment frequently override large-scale diversity gradients. Our findings caution against using the diversity distribution of one taxonomic group as an indication of patterns of richness across all groups.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document