Ha

The reactivity of natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) towards sulfide and has not been well studied with regard to electron transfer, product formation and kinetics. We thus investigated the abiotic transformation of sulfide upon reaction with reduced and non-reduced Sigma Aldrich humic acid (HA), at pH 6 under anoxic conditions. Sulfide reacted with non-reduced HA at conditional rate constants of 0.227~0.325 h(-1). The main transformation products were elemental S (S(0)), and thiosulfate (S2O3(2-)), yielding electron accepting capacities of 2.82~1.75 µmol e(-) (mg C) (-1). Native iron contents in the HA could account for only 6~9% of this electron transfer. About 22~37 % of S reacted with the HA to form organic S (Sorg). For reduced HA, only formation of Sorg was observed and no inorganic transformation products occurred. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy supported Sorg to be mainly about zerovalent, such as thiols, organic di- and polysulfides, or hetero...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of styles of play in soccer and the influence of contextual variables (i.e. match status, venue and quality of opposition). Team possessions ( n = 68,766) from the 380 matches of the 2015–2016 English Premier League season were collected for this study. The Possession Effectiveness Index, based on Expected Goals and Ball Movement Points metrics, was used to measure the effectiveness of team possessions. Linear mixed models were applied to analyse the influence of contextual variables on the effectiveness score for each style. Results showed that the effectiveness of Direct Play, Counterattack, Maintenance and Crossing significantly increased when teams were winning by two or more goals. Counterattack increased its effectiveness when teams were winning by one goal and reduced its effectiveness when losing by one goal. The effectiveness of Direct Play increased when losing by two goals or more. Playing away negatively affected th...

Significance Societies around the world make massive investments in ecosystem restoration projects to mitigate habitat loss, conserve biodiversity, and boost ecosystem services. We use a return-on-investment framework to assess the value of coordinating restoration efforts in space and time to maximize ecological connectivity between the Laurentian Great Lakes and their tributaries, which are fragmented by hundreds of thousands of dams and road crossings. We show that coordinating restoration efforts across the entire region is nine times more cost-effective than local-scale planning. Similarly, a single lump sum investment is up to 10 times more cost-effective than a series of annual allocations. These dramatic economic and ecological efficiencies provide ample incentive for coordinating conservation efforts across broad spatial and temporal scales.

Avian influenza virus (AIV) can cause severe disease in poultry flocks worldwide. Highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1and H7N9 AIVs are important causes of morbidity and mortality. Effective vaccines against AI in poultry need to be developed for use in emergency responses for a limited area to stop viral spread. A transgenic Arabidopsis expressing the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of the low pathogenic LPH1N1sub type was constructed, and immune response evaluated in chickens. The study demonstrated that chickens given high or low doses of HA transgenic total soluble protein (TSP) orally had a higher HI antibody, enhanced cytokine responses, and a reduction in virus shedding compared to chickens given a commercial inactivated vaccine after challenge. In addition, chickens given the transgenic plant vaccine (TPV) had better weight gain than those given the commercial vaccine. The TPV has the potential to serve as a vaccine against AIV inpoultry.