Assessment of COVID-19 Lockdown Impact on the Air Quality in Eastern Spain: PM and BTX in Urban, Suburban and Rural Sites Exposed to Different Emissions

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally, and severe measures to control it were implemented. This study investigates the impact of the lockdown on the air quality of three provinces in the Valencia region, eastern Spain, in the years 2015–2020, focusing on particulate matter (PM). A thorough statistical analysis using different approaches is conducted. Hourly patterns are also assessed. In addition, the role of meteorological parameters on PM is explored. The results indicate an overall PM10 reduction of 16.5% when comparing the lockdown in 2020 and the 2015–2019 period, while PM2.5 increased by 3.1%. As expected, urban zones experienced higher reductions than suburban zones, which experienced a PM concentration increase. The impact of the drastic drops of benzene, toluene and xylene (77.4%, 58.0% and 61.8%, respectively) on the PM values observed in urban sites is discussed. Our study provides insights on the effect of activity changes over a wide region covering a variety of air quality stations, urban, suburban and rural, and different emission types. The results of this work are a valuable reference and suggest the need for considering different factors when establishing scientific air pollution control strategies.

Hunting of Game Fowl by the Russian Population of the Tarsky Irtysh Region in the 17th-19th Centuries: written and archaeological sources

Bird hunting as a type of economic activity of the Russian population in the 17th—18th centuries is analyzed on the basis of archeozoological collections and complexes from the cultural layers of rural sites. The composition and ratio of different types of commercial birds, methods of passive and active hunting are determined. The results obtained are compared with written sources of the 19 th century and archaeological materials from other regions. As part of the inventory of archaeological sites, in addition to the bow and arrowheads, a set of clay balls of different sizes and weights was identified, which were used as projectiles for slingshot in hunting flocking birds.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Kaduna State, Nigeria during October/November 2021, following three waves of infection and immediately prior to detection of the Omicron variant

Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa with an estimated ~213 million inhabitants. As of November 2021 there have been three waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Nigeria but there has been only one seroprevalence survey conducted to assess the proportion of a population that have been infected, which was performed in December 2020 after the first wave of infection. To provide an update on seroprevalence in Nigeria, we conducted survey at one urban site (n=400) and one rural site (n=402) in Kaduna State, Nigeria during October and November 2021 following the third wave of infection. Seroprevalence for the urban and rural sites was 42.5% and 53.5% respectively (mean 48.0%). Symptoms associated with seropositivity were identified for each site. The overall seroprevalence among unvaccinated individuals was 45.4%. The data indicates an infection rate in Kaduna State at least 387 times greater than that derived from cases confirmed by PCR. Extrapolating to the whole of Nigeria, it would suggest there has been at least 96.7 million infections (compared to 206,138 confirmed cases at the time of surveillance). The work presented here will inform public health policy and deployment strategies for testing, treatment, and vaccination in Nigeria, and provide a baseline for SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Nigeria immediately prior to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Fifth-century landscapes

The desertion of Roman London around the end of the fourth century is contrasted with settlement continuity within its rural hinterland. The failure of the Roman administration resulted in the abandonment of most urban properties. Although some suburban villas may have suffered a similar fate, others saw continued occupation into the fifth century. The most compelling evidence for such continuity comes from the site of the likely villa at St Martin-in-the-Fields by Trafalgar Square. Other rural sites, some first occupied in the Iron Age, remained as focal points for later activities represented by sporadic finds of early Saxon material in Southwark and at sites along the Fleet valley. The contrast that these sites present with the evidence from the City suggests that the evacuation of the city had little immediate impact on the management of the surrounding rural landscape. Saxon settlement occurred at some remove from Roman retreat. Other suburban villas may have been abandoned, only to attract later church foundations because of their identity as late antique sites with potential Christian associations. London’s late Saxon revival was the consequence of later political choices.

Comparison of Volatile Organic Compound Concentrations in Ambient Air among Different Source Areas around Khon Kaen, Thailand

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a complex group of chemicals that pose a direct risk to human health. They also lead to the formation of other air pollution constituents, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground level ozone (O₃). The ambient air concentrations of 19 VOCs were measured using multi-day 24 h sampling at two urban sites and two rural sites in the area of Khon Kaen, Thailand. Results showed that most VOCs were at concentrations considered acceptable according to the 24 h average standards established by the Thai Pollution Control Department. The VOC acrolein, however, was detected at concentrations (0.69–1.15 μg/m3) in excess of the 24 h average standard (0.55 μg/m3). Two other VOCs, benzene and 1,3-butadiene, were also detected at elevated levels (1.73–2.75 and 0.18–0.40 μg/m3, respectively) that indicated the potential to exceed the 1-year average standard. VOC concentrations were highest in the urban market monitoring site, suggesting that vehicle exhaust and food preparation using cooking oil at high temperatures may have been potential sources of the elevated VOCs.

Translational Science Education Through Citizen Science

Guided by the six elements of Translational Ecology (TE; i.e., decision-framing, collaboration, engagement, commitment, process, and communication), we showcase the first explicit example of a Translational Science Education (TSE) effort in the coastal redwood ecosystem of Humboldt County, CA. Using iNaturalist, a flexible and free citizen science/crowdsourcing app, we worked with students from grade school through college, and their teachers and community, to generate species lists for comparison among 19 school and non-profit locations spanning a range of urbanization. Importantly, this TSE effort resulted in both learning and data generation, highlighting the ability of a TSE framework to connect and benefit both students and researchers. Our data showed that, regardless of the age of the observers, holding organized BioBlitzes added substantially more species to local biodiversity lists than would have been generated without them. In support of current ecological theory, these data showed an urbanization gradient among sites, with rural sites containing fewer non-native species than urban ones. On the education side, qualitative assessments revealed students and educators remained engaged throughout the project. Future projects would also benefit by establishing quantifiable metrics for assessing student learning from project conception. Throughout the project, the fundamentals of TE were followed with repeated interactions and shared objectives developed over time within trusted community relationships. Such positive human interactions can lead new naturalists to think of themselves as champions of their local biodiversity (i.e., as land stewards). We anticipate that such newly empowered and locally expert naturalists will remain committed to land stewardship in perpetuity and that other scientists and educators are inspired to conduct similar work.

Impact of a Regional Campus on the Placements of Students at Rural Pharmacy Experiential Sites

Pharmacist shortages in rural communities underscore the need to focus on increasing the pipeline of pharmacists practicing rurally. Experiential placement in rural communities is one method to approach this challenge. Regional pharmacy campuses may facilitate rural experiential placements. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a regional campus on the number of rural experiential placements. This retrospective analysis compared experiential student placements in the five-year periods before and after the addition of a regional school of pharmacy campus. Experiential placements in the designated time periods were compared with respect to numbers of overall pharmacy practice experiences, experiences in rural locations, and rural counties with rotation sites. The average distance to rural sites was also compared. Differences in rural experiential placements were not statistically different. The number of rural counties with pharmacy experiential placements grew from eight to twelve, and driving distance increased. While institution of a regional campus contributed to an increase in the number of rural counties with experiential placements, overall rural experiential placements did not statistically differ versus suburban placements. Additional inquiry into factors that affect rural placement is needed to influence strategies to develop and maintain rural experiential sites and consistently place students at those sites.

Mixing state of refractory black carbon in fog and haze at rural sites in winter on the North China Plain

The variability of the mixing state of refractory black carbon aerosol (rBC) and the corresponding complicated light absorption capacity imposes great uncertainty for its climate forcing assessment. In this study, field observations using a single-particle soot photometer (SP2) were conducted to investigate the mixing state of rBC under different meteorological conditions at a rural site on the North China Plain. The results showed that the hourly mass concentration of rBC during the observation periods was 2.6±1.5 µg m−3 on average, with a moderate increase (3.1±0.9) during fog episodes. The mass-equivalent size distribution of rBC exhibited an approximately lognormal distribution with a mass median diameter (MMD) of 213 nm. We found that the count median diameter (CMD) of rBC particles during snowfall episodes was larger than that before snowfall, and the number of rBC particles with Dc<121 nm were reduced by 28.4 % after snow. This may indicate that rBC-containing particles with small core sizes (Dc) were much more effectively removed by snow with light snow intensity (0.23 mm h−1). Based on the Mie scattering theory simulation, the relative and absolute coating thicknesses of rBC-containing particles were estimated to be ∼1.6 and ∼52 nm for the rBC core with a mass-equivalent diameter (Dc) of 170 to 190 nm, respectively, which indicates that most of the rBC-containing particles were thinly coated. Furthermore, a moderate light absorption enhancement (Eabs=1.3) and relatively low absorption cross section (MAC = 5.5 m2 g−1) at 880 nm were observed at the Gucheng (GC) site in winter compared with other typical rural sites. The relationship between the microphysical properties of rBC and meteorological conditions was also studied. Relatively warm and high-RH environments (RH>50 %, -4∘C<T<4∘C) were more favorable to rBC aging than dry and cold environments (RH<60 %, T<-8∘C). And the increase in ambient RH at the same temperature favors rBC aging. An increasing mass fraction of secondary inorganic aerosols (SIAs; especially sulfate and nitrate) and a decreasing mass fraction of organic aerosols in the environment support the formation of thick coatings by rBC. The RH dependence of absorption enhancement (Eabs) was likely caused by the relative coating thickness (RCT) as supported by the gradual increase in the mass concentration and mass fraction of secondary components as a function of RH in the ambient air. The mass fractions of aqueous-phase formation of secondary components had a limited effect on Eabs under a high-RH environment. The measured rBC concentrations and the mixing state of rBC in different meteorological environments will be useful for evaluating the radiative forcing of rBC in regional climate models.

Dynamics of development of rural blacksmith craft in Rus

It is impossible to obtain a full-fledged description of the industrial culture of Rus without studying the role of rural handicrafts. The research on the vector of development of rural blacksmith craft is of great interest, in particular, the extent to which this vector reflects the dynamics of urban craft. It was established that rural craftsmen did not only supply raw materials to urban craft centres and produce technologically simple products, but also embraced technological innovations. The accumulated analytical data made it possible to suggest the coinciding dynamics of the development of urban and rural handicrafts. The authors conducted a comparative analysis for such a category of objects as knives, which is one of the most numerous groups of iron tools. The article shows a complex picture of the chronological distribution of technological patterns for making knives on rural sites. It is concluded that the rural blacksmith craft in Rus was in constant development.