The vegetation of the Outer Hebrides

1979 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
pp. 219-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Currie
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Outer Hebrides ◽  
Geographical Elements ◽  
Sand And Gravel ◽  
Southern Species ◽  
Phytosociological Study

SynopsisThe paper reviews four topics in relation to the vegetation of the Outer Hebrides: (a)history and flora, (b) environment and habitat, (c) geographical relationship, and (d) conservation. The preliminary flora edited by J. W. Heslop Harrison in 1941 remains the best published list, and there is need for a modern flora. A provisional checklist is presented, based upon recently published data, especially the Atlas of the Bristish Flora (Perring and Walters 1962) and the Critical Supplement (Perring 1968) Miss M. S. Campbell has been responsible for a great deal of recent recording. Geology and climate are critical factors, and soils are mainly peat, except in the extensive machair areas. Significant habitals are coastland, wetland, peatland, moorland and upland. woodland is scarce, though there are good amenity woodlands. Each habitat is reviewed in relation to the floristic lists in the Nature Conservation Review (Ratcliffe 1977b). There has been no phytosociological study of the vegetation overall, though particular localities such as St Kilda have been described. The geographical elements are listed, and related to those of Skye, Shetland and Faeroe. The flora is more restricted than that of the mainland. Important categories recognized are (a) species of localized distribution, (b) southern species reaching their northern limits and (c) ‘Atlantic’ species. The origin of the flora is discussed, and it is concluded that the facts have not yet been clearly demonstrated. Eight potential threats are identified as fire, changing agricultural practice including drainage, large-scale peat, sand and gravel extraction, the oil industry, wave-energy generation and tourism.

scholarly journals Surgery for Coagulopathy-Related Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Craniotomy vs. Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 564
Author(s):  
Yen-Bo Liu ◽  
Lu-Ting Kuo ◽  
Chih-Hao Chen ◽  
Woon-Man Kung ◽  
Hsin-Hsi Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Intracerebral Hemorrhage ◽  
Functional Outcomes ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Promising Result ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Complication Rates ◽  
Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery ◽  
Reduction Of Mortality

Coagulopathy-related intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is life-threatening. Recent studies have shown promising results with minimally invasive neurosurgery (MIN) in the reduction of mortality and improvement of functional outcomes, but no published data have recorded the safety and efficacy of MIN for coagulopathy-related ICH. Seventy-five coagulopathy-related ICH patients were retrospectively reviewed to compare the surgical outcomes between craniotomy (n = 52) and MIN (n = 23). Postoperative rebleeding rates, morbidity rates, and mortality at 1 month were analyzed. Postoperative Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 1 year were assessed for functional outcomes. Morbidity, mortality, and rebleeding rates were all lower in the MIN group than the craniotomy group (8.70% vs. 30.77%, 8.70% vs. 19.23%, and 4.35% vs. 23.08%, respectively). The 1-year GOSE score was significantly higher in the MIN group than the craniotomy group (3.96 ± 1.55 vs. 3.10 ± 1.59, p = 0.027). Multivariable logistic regression analysis also revealed that MIN contributed to improved GOSE (estimate: 0.99650, p = 0.0148) and mRS scores (estimate: −0.72849, p = 0.0427) at 1 year. MIN, with low complication rates and improved long-term functional outcome, is feasible and favorable for coagulopathy-related ICH. This promising result should be validated in a large-scale prospective study.

scholarly journals Biological Impact of a Large-Scale Genomic Inversion That Grossly Disrupts the Relative Positions of the Origin and Terminus Loci of theStreptococcus pyogenesChromosome

2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (17) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragutin J. Savic ◽  
Scott V. Nguyen ◽  
Kimberly McCullor ◽  
W. Michael McShan
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Parental Strain ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Relative Length ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Rich Medium ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTA large-scale genomic inversion encompassing 0.79 Mb of the 1.816-Mb-longStreptococcus pyogenesserotype M49 strain NZ131 chromosome spontaneously occurs in a minor subpopulation of cells, and in this report genetic selection was used to obtain a stable lineage with this chromosomal rearrangement. This inversion, which drastically displaces theorisite relative to the terminus, changes the relative length of the replication arms so that one replichore is approximately 0.41 Mb while the other is about 1.40 Mb in length. Genomic reversion to the original chromosome constellation is not observed in PCR-monitored analyses after 180 generations of growth in rich medium. Compared to the parental strain, the inversion surprisingly demonstrates a nearly identical growth pattern in the first phase of the exponential phase, but differences do occur when resources in the medium become limited. When cultured separately in rich medium during prolonged stationary phase or in an experimental acute infection animal model (Galleria mellonella), the parental strain and the invertant have equivalent survival rates. However, when they are coincubated together, bothin vitroandin vivo, the survival of the invertant declines relative to the level for the parental strain. The accompanying aspect of the study suggests that inversions taking place nearoriCalways happen to secure the linkage oforiCto DNA sequences responsible for chromosome partition. The biological relevance of large-scale inversions is also discussed.IMPORTANCEBased on our previous work, we created to our knowledge the largest asymmetric inversion, covering 43.5% of theS. pyogenesgenome. In spite of a drastic replacement of origin of replication and the unbalanced size of replichores (1.4 Mb versus 0.41 Mb), the invertant, when not challenged with its progenitor, showed impressive vitality for growthin vitroand in pathogenesis assays. The mutant supports the existing idea that slightly deleterious mutations can provide the setting for secondary adaptive changes. Furthermore, comparative analysis of the mutant with previously published data strongly indicates that even large genomic rearrangements survive provided that the integrity of theoriCand the chromosome partition cluster is preserved.

Nanoemulsions: A Versatile Technology for Oil and Gas Applications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nouf AlJabri ◽  
Nan Shi
Keyword(s):  
Droplet Size ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Small Droplet ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Nanoemulsions (NEs) are kinetically stable emulsions with droplet size on the order of 100 nm. Many unique properties of NEs, such as stability and rheology, have attracted considerable attention in the oil industry. Here, we review applications and studies of NEs for major upstream operations, highlighting useful properties of NEs, synthesis to render these properties, and techniques to characterize them. We identify specific challenges associated with large-scale applications of NEs and directions for future studies. We first summarize useful and unique properties of NEs, mostly arising from the small droplet size. Then, we compare different methods to prepare NEs based on the magnitude of input energy, i.e., low-energy and high-energy methods. In addition, we review techniques to characterize properties of NEs, such as droplet size, volume fraction of the dispersed phase, and viscosity. Furthermore, we discuss specific applications of NEs in four areas of upstream operations, i.e., enhanced oil recovery, drilling/completion, flow assurance, and stimulation. Finally, we identify challenges to economically tailor NEs with desired properties for large-scale upstream applications and propose possible solutions to some of these challenges. NEs are kinetically stable due to their small droplet size (submicron to 100 nm). Within this size range, the rate of major destabilizing mechanisms, such as coalescence, flocculation, and Ostwald ripening, is considerably slowed down. In addition, small droplet size yields large surface-to-volume ratio, optical transparency, high diffusivity, and controllable rheology. Similar to applications in other fields (food industry, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc.), the oil and gas industry can also benefit from these useful properties of NEs. Proposed functions of NEs include delivering chemicals, conditioning wellbore/reservoir conditions, and improve chemical compatibility. Therefore, we envision NEs as a versatile technology that can be applied in a variety of upstream operations. Upstream operations often target a wide range of physical and chemical conditions and are operated at different time scales. More importantly, these operations typically consume a large amount of materials. These facts not only suggest efforts to rationally engineer properties of NEs in upstream applications, but also manifest the importance to economically optimize such efforts for large-scale operations. We summarize studies and applications of NEs in upstream operations in the oil and gas industry. We review useful properties of NEs that benefit upstream applications as well as techniques to synthesize and characterize NEs. More importantly, we identify challenges and opportunities in engineering NEs for large-scale operations in different upstream applications. This work not only focuses on scientific aspects of synthesizing NEs with desired properties but also emphasizes engineering and economic consideration that is important in the oil industry.

scholarly journals Large-scale targeted sequencing identifies risk genes for neurodevelopmental disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianyun Wang ◽  
◽  
Kendra Hoekzema ◽  
Davide Vecchio ◽  
Huidan Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Targeted Sequencing ◽  
Published Data ◽  
De Novo Mutations ◽  
Risk Genes ◽  
Mutation Burden ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Significant Burden

Abstract Most genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) were identified with an excess of de novo mutations (DNMs) but the significance in case–control mutation burden analysis is unestablished. Here, we sequence 63 genes in 16,294 NDD cases and an additional 62 genes in 6,211 NDD cases. By combining these with published data, we assess a total of 125 genes in over 16,000 NDD cases and compare the mutation burden to nonpsychiatric controls from ExAC. We identify 48 genes (25 newly reported) showing significant burden of ultra-rare (MAF < 0.01%) gene-disruptive mutations (FDR 5%), six of which reach family-wise error rate (FWER) significance (p < 1.25E−06). Among these 125 targeted genes, we also reevaluate DNM excess in 17,426 NDD trios with 6,499 new autism trios. We identify 90 genes enriched for DNMs (FDR 5%; e.g., GABRG2 and UIMC1); of which, 61 reach FWER significance (p < 3.64E−07; e.g., CASZ1). In addition to doubling the number of patients for many NDD risk genes, we present phenotype–genotype correlations for seven risk genes (CTCF, HNRNPU, KCNQ3, ZBTB18, TCF12, SPEN, and LEO1) based on this large-scale targeted sequencing effort.

scholarly journals Consumption of Agricultural Machinery and Tools in Russia at the Beginning of the 20th Century (Based on Materials from the Provinces of the Middle Volga Region)

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 360-375
Author(s):  
Andrey E. Makushev
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Technical Equipment ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Agricultural Machinery ◽  
Middle Volga Region ◽  
Middle Volga

Introduction. In the late XIX – early XX centuries agricultural engineering in Russia was considered as a tool for solving several important problems. Against the background of the growth of the export potential of Russian agriculture, an increase in its productivity was considered as a way of obtaining foreign currency funds necessary for settlements on international financial obligations. At the same time, the task of increasing the production of agricultural machinery could not be fully resolved without an increase in demand for it. Therefore, the large-scale agrarian transformations undertaken at the beginning of the 20th century assumed assistance to the peasants in the technical re-equipment of their farms. The preservation of manual labor and archaic methods of agricultural production at the beginning of the 20th century became a threat that could nullify all reform efforts. This article will attempt to determine the extent of consumption of agricultural machinery and implements in Russia in the late XIX – early XX centuries based on the use of statistical materials on the provinces of the Middle Volga region. Materials and Methods. In solving the research problems, archival materials, published data of official statistics, and also scientific literature were used. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was made by the methods of socio-economic history. The study was conducted on the basis of the principles of historicism, objectivity and systematic. The need for quantitative data processing led to the use of the statistical method. The digital data presented in the work received a graphical interpretation and were visualized in the form of diagrams. The application of modernization theory allowed the inclusion of the growth processes of the technical equipment of agriculture in the trend of industrial modernization. Results. Based on a study of archival and published sources, as well as available scientific literature on the topic, a dynamic analysis of the scale of agricultural machinery consumption was carried out in the late XIX – early XX centuries. The study showed a fairly significant increase in this indicator both in Russia as a whole and in relation to the provinces of the Middle Volga region. At the same time, uneven technical equipment of agriculture was revealed in relation to different provinces. The main factors hindering the introduction of agricultural machinery in agricultural practice are considered. Discussion and Conclusion. The above data quite definitely allow us to talk about the growth in the use of agricultural machinery and improved tools in the Middle Volga region at the beginning of the 20th century. However, in relation to different provinces, these dynamics had very significant differences. It looked the most rapid in the Samara and Saratov provinces. It was much less noticeable in the Penza, Simbirsk and Kazan provinces. Such high rates in the Samara and Saratov provinces are due to the active spread of intensive agriculture, which provided for a high level of mechanization of labor. Passing to the expanded production of a market type, the farmers actively introduced agronomic and technical innovations. However, the technological revolution in agriculture did not cover all producers, far more affecting those who went beyond the communal regime and moved into the category of rural private owners. Among the factors that slowed down the implementation of machines, one can single out the conservatism of the peasant consciousness, the inertia of traditions in the practice of farming, the insufficient technical literacy of the peasantry, which made it difficult to maintain and repair complex machines, their high cost, low purchasing power of rural residents, etc. All this not only hindered the development of agriculture, but also significantly restrained the processes of early industrial modernization of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.

scholarly journals The Method of Cluster Drilling in the Western Ural as the Beginning of the Technical and Economic Revolution in the World Drilling

TECHNOLOGOS ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 47-57
Author(s):  
Neroslov Alexey
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Drilling Process ◽  
Directional Drilling ◽  
North Caucasus ◽  
The World ◽  
The City

In 1943, at the height of the Great Patriotic War, the new revolutionary drilling technique with high efficiency was used in Krasnokamsk oilfield of Molotov (Perm) Oblast for the first time in the world – the cluster turbodrilling method. The development of oil industry in Prikamye in the 1940s was associated with certain complications. The main deposits of the Krasnokasmk oilfield discovered before the war turned out to be located due to a number of reasons within the area of industrial and residential construction of the city of Krasnokamsk and under the Kama river and the Paltinskoye swamp close to the city. Conventional drilling methods could not be used for their development. The way out was to use the method of directional drilling that was little known at that moment. The development of the innovative technology in Krasnokamsk oilfield in 1942 was largely due to the involvement of the specialists of the Experimental Turbodrilling Bureau evacuated from Baku. Directional drilling which involved the deviation of the bottom hole (the ultimate lowest point of the well) from the wellhead (the initial uppermost location) by several hundred metres opened up broad opportunities for developing hard-to-recover oil deposits while significantly accelerating and ensuring cost savings of the drilling process. The directional drilling served as the basis for the development in Prikamye of an advanced technology of cluster drilling when several directional wells with different azimuths were drilled from a small well pad. In 1943–1944, cluster drilling was tested and successfully used in Krasnokamsk oilfield. The cluster drilling comprised an entire range of innovative solutions including the movement of assembled drilling rigs without dismantling power equipment. Also, it resulted in the reduction of total labour costs, scope of construction and assembly works, costs of building oilfield roads, power lines and pipelines, and transportation costs. People’s Commissariat of Oil Industry of the USSR initiated a large-scale rollout of the advanced method of cluster drilling in the largest oil-producing regions of the Soviet Union – Azerbaijan and the North Caucasus, and the area of the “second Baku” – Bashkiria, Tatary, and Kuybyshev oblast. The transition to the advanced and cost-saving technology of cluster drilling laid the foundation for the technical and economic revolution of the world drilling practices.

scholarly journals A global comparison of grassland biomass responses to CO 2 and nitrogen enrichment

2010 ◽  
Vol 365 (1549) ◽  
pp. 2047-2056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Lee ◽  
Pete Manning ◽  
Janna Rist ◽  
Sally A. Power ◽  
Charles Marsh
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Forage Production ◽  
Global Comparison ◽  
N Enrichment

Grassland ecosystems cover vast areas of the Earth's surface and provide many ecosystem services including carbon (C) storage, biodiversity preservation and the production of livestock forage. Predicting the future delivery of these services is difficult, because widespread changes in atmospheric CO 2 concentration, climate and nitrogen (N) inputs are expected. We compiled published data from global change driver manipulation experiments and combined these with climate data to assess grassland biomass responses to CO 2 and N enrichment across a range of climates. CO 2 and N enrichment generally increased aboveground biomass (AGB) but effects of CO 2 enrichment were weaker than those of N. The response to N was also dependent on the amount of N added and rainfall, with a greater response in high precipitation regions. No relationship between response to CO 2 and climate was detected within our dataset, thus suggesting that other site characteristics, e.g. soils and plant community composition, are more important regulators of grassland responses to CO 2 . A statistical model of AGB response to N was used in conjunction with projected N deposition data to estimate changes to future biomass stocks. This highlighted several potential hotspots (e.g. in some regions of China and India) of grassland AGB gain. Possible benefits for C sequestration and forage production in these regions may be offset by declines in plant biodiversity caused by these biomass gains, thus necessitating careful management if ecosystem service delivery is to be maximized. An approach such as ours, in which meta-analysis is combined with global scale model outputs to make large-scale predictions, may complement the results of dynamic global vegetation models, thus allowing us to form better predictions of biosphere responses to environmental change.

An Integrated Decision Support System for Intercropping

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 51-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Sodiya ◽  
A. T. Akinwale ◽  
K. A. Okeleye ◽  
J. A. Emmanuel
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Decision Support System ◽  
Support System ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Weather Condition ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
General Decline ◽  
Fertility Protection

Intercropping, which is the agricultural practice of growing two or more crops in the same land area, is not currently yielding adequate results in Africa. Despite the advantages of intercropping like improved soil fertility, protection against pests and diseases and eventual increase in farm yield, this farming practice is faced with challenges—inadequate planning, bad crop management and lack of required intercropping expertise. Consequently, this has resulted in inadequate reward for farmers and a general decline in crop production. In this regard, the authors present an Intelligent and Integrated Intercropping Decision Support System for Intercropping (IDSS-I) for improved crop production. The design adopts a forecasting component that provides farmers with the estimated yield and income depending on the size of land, soil type and weather condition. Although the implementation was carried out using JAVA and SQL, usability testing revealed 85% acceptance of the tool among the contacted 10 large scale farmers. It was also confirmed that the system provided 95% diagnosis information for 90% common Africa crop diseases.

scholarly journals Dietary Silicon and Its Impact on Plasma Silicon Levels in the Polish Population

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Prescha ◽  
Katarzyna Zabłocka-Słowińska ◽  
Halina Grajeta
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Graphite Furnace ◽  
Absorption Spectrometry ◽  
Alcoholic Beverages ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Polish Population ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Dietary Recall ◽  
Median Plasma ◽  
Silicon Level

Silicon in nutritional amounts provides benefits for bone health and cognitive function. The relationship between silicon intake from a common daily diet and silicon blood level has been scarcely elucidated, so far. The aim of this study was to analyze the associations between plasma silicon levels and the total and bioavailable silicon intake—along with the contribution of silicon made by food groups—in a healthy adult Polish population. Si intake was evaluated in 185 healthy adults (94 females and 91 males, aged 20–70) using a 3-day dietary recall and a database on the silicon content in foods, which was based on both previously published data and our own research. Fasting plasma silicon levels were measured in 126 consenting subjects, using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The silicon intake in the Polish population differed significantly according to sex, amounting to 24.0 mg/day in women and 27.7 mg/day in men. The median plasma silicon level was 152.3 µg/L having no gender dependency but with a negative correlation with age. Significant correlations were found between plasma silicon level and total and bioavailable silicon intake, as well as water intake in the diet (r = 0.18, p = 0.044; r = 0.23, p = 0.011; r = 0.28, p = 0.002, respectively). Silicon intakes from non-alcoholic beverages, cereal foods, and carotene-rich vegetables were also positively associated with plasma silicon levels. These results may help establish dietary silicon recommendations and formulate practical advice on dietary choices to ensure an appropriate supply of silicon. The outcome of this study, however, needs to be confirmed by large-scale epidemiological investigations.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document