Desertification and Its Mitigation Strategy in China

China is severely impacted by desertification. Of its territory, 34,6% -- some 3.32 million km2 -- is classified as drylands （including arid, semi-arid and semi-humid arid areas）. Of the drylands, 2.62 million km2 meets the UNCCD definition of desertified land. These desertified lands spread across 18 provinces and account for 27.33% of the country＇s landmass. Over 400 million residents are affected, causing an annual direct economic loss exceed 64 billion CNY. China＇s desertification mitigation began in late 1950s. Through a number of high-profile programs ＂Three-North Shelterbelt Development Program＂, ＂National Program on Combating Desertification＂, ＂Sandification Control Program for Beijing and Tianjin Vicinity＂, and ＂Croplands to Forests or Grasslands Program＂ launched between 1978 and 2000, the Government of China has poured on average 0.024% of the country＇s annual GDP into desertiflcation mitigation and, as a result, some 20% of desertified lands have been brought under control. Approximately 50×104 km2 of the existing desertified lands are considered restorable given current technology. When the potential desertification increments induced by global warming are taken into account, total desertifled area within planning horizon is projected to range from 55×104 to 100×104 km2. With the approximate restoration rate of 1.5×104-2.2×104 km2 y-1, China＇s anti-desertification battle is expected to last 45-70 years. The current strategic plans set restoration targets at 22×104 km2 by 2015, with an additional 33×104 km2 by 2030, and the fnal 45×104 km2 of the 100×104 km2 restored by 2050. Through examining state investment in mitigation and current rehabilitation strategies, the paper recommends： （i） boardening the previous sectoral perspective to a multi-stakeholder approach; （ii） setting priority zones within the restorable area, and establishing National Special Eco-Zones; （iii） steering state investment from government investment in tree plantations to acquisition of planted/greened areas; and （iv） introducing preferential policies in favor of sandy land restoration, including extending land tenures to 70 years and compensating for ecological services.

Systematic Literature Review on Cloud Computing Security: Threats and Mitigation Strategies

Cloud computing plays a significant role in modern information technology, providing organizations with numerous benefits, including flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency. However, it has become essential for organizations to ensure the security of their applications, data, and cloud-based networks to use cloud services effectively. This systematic literature review aims to determine the latest information regarding cloud computing security, with a specific emphasis on threats and mitigation strategies. Additionally, it highlights some common threats related to cloud computing security, such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, account hijacking, malware attacks, and data breaches. This research also explores some mitigation strategies, including security awareness training, vulnerability management, security information and event management (SIEM), identity and access management (IAM), and encryption techniques. It discusses emerging trends in cloud security, such as integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), serverless computing, and containerization, as well as the effectiveness of the shared responsibility model and its related challenges. The importance of user awareness and the impact of emerging technologies on cloud security have also been discussed in detail to mitigate security risks. A literature review of previous research and scholarly articles has also been conducted to provide insights regarding cloud computing security. It shows the need for continuous research and innovation to address emerging threats and maintain a security-conscious culture in the company.

MRICES: A new model for emission mitigation strategy assessment and its application

Many global emission reduction strategies have been proposed, but few have been assessed quantitatively from the view of equality, efficiency and effectiveness. Integrated assessment models (IAM) is one of the effective ways to make climate policy modeling. So in this paper we developed the MRICES (Multi-regional integrated model of climate and economy with GDP spillovers) model, which is an IAM but extends to include GDP spillover mechanism, to make assessment on several strategies for global emission reduction, including the egalitarianism strategy, the UNDP strategy and the Copenhagen Accord. Using 1990 as a baseline for historical emission levels, the egalitarian strategy argues that developed countries should implement urgent emission reductions, whereas developing countries are allowed relatively higher future emission quotas. The UNDP strategy addresses the issue of substantial changes in global temperature but acknowledges that developing countries are not able to afford more costs for mitigation measures, which is inequitable from the perspective of a country's right to develop. We also simulated the Copenhagen Accord to determine the consequences by the year 2100 if each country continues their current emission mitigation actions, and results indicated that the increase in global temperature will be 2.8 ℃by 2100; consequently, much stronger emission reduction efforts must be implemented after 2020. Based on analysis on mitigation strategies, it is recognized that the common but differentiated responsibility principle must be insisted when making global mitigation strategy. To comply with this principle, the emission reduction baseline of developed and developing countries should be discriminated, so 1990 and 2005 can be taken as the base year for developed and developing countries respectively.

Geostructures, dynamics and risk mitigation of high-altitude and long- runout rockslides

Long-runout rockslides at high altitude could cause disaster chain in river basins and destroy towns and major infrasturctures.This paper firstly explores the initiation mechanism of high-altitude and long-runout rockslides.Two types of sliding-prone geostructure models,i.e.the fault control type in orogenic belt and the fold control type in platform area,are proposed.Then,large-scale experimental apparatus and associated numerical simulations are conducted to understanding the chain-style dynamics of rockslide-debris avalanche-debris flow.The results reveal the fragmentation effects,the rheological behaviors and the boundary layer effect of long-runout avalanche-debris flow.The dynamic character-istics of quasi-static-transition-inertia state and solid-liquid coupling in rapid movement of rockslide-debris avalanche-debris flow are investigated.Finally,the risk mitigation strategy of the non-structure and structure for resilient energy dissipation are illustrated for initiation,transition and deposition zones.The structural prevention and mitigation methods have been successfully applied to the high-altitude and long-runout rockslides in Zhouqu and Maoxian of the Wenchuan earthquake zone,as well as the other major geohazards in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its adjacent areas.

Addressing Nursing Safety Hazards and Mitigation Strategies for Elderly Endocrinology Patients in Hospital Care

Objective:To investigate the safety hazards in nursing and explore mitigation strategies for elderly patients in the endocrinology department.Methods:A total of 240 bedridden elderly patients from February 2021 to January 2023 were recruited and divided into two groups using the random number table method.The control group(n=120)received conventional nursing care,and the observation group(n=120)received personalized nursing care.Patients’quality of life,the incidence rate of pressure sores,and patient satisfaction with nursing care were observed and analyzed.Results:The incidence of pressure ulcers in the observation group was significantly lower at 17.50%compared to 30.00%in the control group(P<0.05).Quality of life in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).The satisfaction rate in the observation group was significantly higher at 93.33%compared to 84.17%in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:These findings emphasize that only through the implementation of scientific and rational nursing measures can effectively reduce nursing risks,enhance therapeutic outcomes,and improve the quality of life for elderly patients.

Mitigation of greenhouse gases released from mining activities:A review

Climate changes that occur as a result of global warming caused by increasing amounts of greenhouse gases(GHGs)released into the atmosphere are an alarming issue.Controlling greenhouse gas emissions is critically important for the current and future status of mining activities.The mining industry is one of the significant contributors of greenhouse gases.In essence,anthropogenic greenhouse gases are emitted directly during the actual mining and indirectly released by the energy-intensive activities associated with mining equipment,ore transport,and the processing industry.Therefore,we reviewed both direct and indirect GHG emissions to analyze how mining contributes to climate change.In addition,we showed how climate change impacts mineral production.This assessment was performed using a GHG inventory model for the gases released from mines undergoing different product life cycles.We also elucidate the key issues and various research outcomes to demonstrate how the mining industry and policymakers can mitigate GHG emission from the mining sector.The review concludes with an overview of GHG release reduction and mitigation strategies.

Staphylococcus aureus and biofilms:transmission, threats, and promising strategies in animal husbandry

Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) is a common pathogenic bacterium in animal husbandry that can cause diseases such as mastitis, skin infections, arthritis, and other ailments. The formation of biofilms threatens and exacerbates S. aureus infection by allowing the bacteria to adhere to pathological areas and livestock product surfaces, thus triggering animal health crises and safety issues with livestock products. To solve this problem, in this review, we provide a brief overview of the harm caused by S. aureus and its biofilms on livestock and animal byproducts(meat and dairy products). We also describe the ways in which S. aureus spreads in animals and the threats it poses to the livestock industry. The processes and molecular mechanisms involved in biofilm formation are then explained. Finally, we discuss strategies for the removal and eradication of S. aureus and biofilms in animal husbandry, including the use of antimicrobial peptides, plant extracts, nanoparticles, phages, and antibodies. These strategies to reduce the spread of S. aureus in animal husbandry help maintain livestock health and improve productivity to ensure the ecologically sustainable development of animal husbandry and the safety of livestock products.

Mechanisms of Accelerated Degradation in the Front Cells of PEMFC Stacks and Some Mitigation Strategies

The accelerated degradation in the front ceils of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell（PEMFC） stack seriously reduces the reliability and durability of the whole stack. Most researches only focus on the size and configuration of the gas intake manifold, which may lead to the maldistribution of flow and pressure. In order to find out the mechanisms of the accelerated degradation in the front cells, an extensive program of experimental and simulation work is initiated and the results are reported. It is found that after long-term lifetime tests the accelerated degradation in the front cells occurs in all three fuel cell stacks with different flow-fields under the U-type feed configuration. Compared with the rear cells of the stack, the voltage of the front cells is much lower at the same current densities and the membrane electrode assembly（MEA） has smaller active area, more catalyst particle agglomeration and higher ohmic impedance. For further investigation, a series of three dimensional isothermal numerical models are built to investigate the degradation mechanisms based on the experimental data. The simulation results reveal that the dry working condition of the membrane and the effect of high-speed gas scouting the MEA are the main causes of the accelerated degradation in the front cells of a PEM fuel cell stack under the U-type feed configuration. Several mitigation strategies that would mitigate these phenomena are presented： removing cells that have failed and replacing them with those of the same aging condition as the average of the stack; choosing a Z-type feed pattern instead of a U-type one; putting several air flow-field plates without MEA in the front of the stack; or exchanging the gas inlet and outlet alternately at a certain interval. This paper specifies the causes of the accelerated degradation in the front cells and provides the mitigation strategies.

Evaluation Method and Mitigation Strategies for Shrinkage Cracking of Modern Concrete

The complex compositions and large shrinkage of concrete,as well as the strong constraints of the structures,often lead to prominent shrinkage cracking problems in modem concrete structures.This paper first introduces a multi-field(hydro-thermo-hygro-constraint)coupling model with the hydration degree of cementitious materials as the basic state parameter to estimate the shrinkage cracking risk of hardening concrete under coupling effects.Second,three new key technologies are illustrated:temperature rise inhibition,full-stage shrinkage compensation,and shrinkage reduction technologies.These technologies can efficiently reduce the thermal,autogenous,and drying shrinkages of concrete.There after,a design process based on the theoretical model and key technologies is proposed to control thecracking risk index below the threshold value.Finally,two engineering application examples are provided that demonstrate that concrete shrinkage cracking can be significantly mitigated by adopting the proposed methods and technologies.

Nutritional impact of mycotoxins in food animal production and strategies for mitigation

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi that are commonly detected as natural contaminants in agricultural commodities worldwide.Mycotoxin exposure can lead to mycotoxicosis in both animals and humans when found in animal feeds and food products,and at lower concentrations can affect animal performance by disrupting nutrient digestion,absorption,metabolism,and animal physiology.Thus,mycotoxin contamination of animal feeds represents a significant issue to the livestock industry and is a health threat to food animals.Since prevention of mycotoxin formation is difficult to undertake to avoid contamination,mitigation strategies are needed.This review explores how the mycotoxins aflatoxins,deoxynivalenol,zearalenone,fumonisins and ochratoxin A impose nutritional and metabolic effects on food animals and summarizes mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of mycotoxicity.

Characteristics of Large Low-frequency Debris Flow Hazards and Mitigation Strategies

A low-frequency debris flow took place in the north coastal range of Venezuela on Dec. 16, 1999, and scientists all over the world paid attention to this catastrophe. Four characteristics of low-frequency debris hazard are discussed: long return period and extreme catastrophe, special rare triggering factors, difficulty in distinguishing and a series of small hazards subsequent to the catastrophe. Different measures, such as preventing, forecast - warning, engineering, can be used for mitigating and controlling the catastrophe. In engineering practice, it is a key that large silt-trap dams are used to control rare large debris flow. A kind of low dam with cheap cost can be used to replace high dam in developing countries. A planning for controlling debris flow hazard in Cerro Grande stream of Venezuela is presented at the end of this paper.

Urban Heat Island： Dynamic Simulation, Assessment and Measuring Mitigation in Cities of Extreme Dry Weather

Increasing urbanization in the cities of northern Mexico reflects a general trend to increased temperatures, so it is likely that heat waves amplify the frequency and intensity in urban centers, mainly located in arid and semiarid as Mexicali city with extremely arid climate, very hot in summer and cold and rainy in winter. Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico is located at N32°38＇ and W115°20＇. The urban area is expanded over 14,890 hectares, with a population rise the 689,775. In the last four decades has experienced an accelerated industrial growth and mismatched land uses, for example： most of the industrial parks were established before the 1980 in what was the outskirts of the city, but nowadays practically are inside of the urban area contributing to the increase the urban temperature. The heat islands profile shows that are intensified in industrial areas as well as trade and services. The preliminary scenarios of climate change for Mexicali indicate that for the decade of 2080 the temperature will increase between 4.2℃ and 4.4℃. This paper addresses in a simulation context, an industrial and commercial city sector and their ability to implement urban heat island mitigation strategies. The simulation of this process requires several spatial analysis tools and specific knowledge about the processes that increase urban temperatures. In this work, only land use, land cover and buildings are considered. The proposed method takes into account the actual spatial organization to analyze trends for the proposed growth areas.

A synthetical geoengineering approach to evaluate the largest hydraulic fracturing-induced earthquake in the East Shale Basin, Alberta

On 2019-03-04,the largest induced earthquake(ML4.18)occurred in the East Shale Basin,Alberta,and the underlying physical mechanisms have not been fully understood.This paper proposes a synthetical geoengineering methodology to comprehensively characterize this earthquake caused by hydraulic fracturing.Based on 3D structural,petrophysical,and geomechanical models,an unconventional fracture model is constructed by considering the stress shadow between adjacent hydraulic fractures and the interactions between hydraulic and natural fractures.Coupled poroelastic simulations are conducted to reveal the triggering mechanisms of induced seismicity.It is found that four vertical basement-rooted faults were identified via focal mechanisms analysis.The brittleness index(BI)along two horizontal wells has a high magnitude(BI>0.5),indicating the potential susceptibility of rock brittleness.Due to the presence of overpressure,pre-existing faults in the Duvernay Formation are highly susceptible to fault reactivation.The occurrence of the earthquake clusters has been attributed to the fracturing fluid injection during the west 38^(th)-39^(th) stage and east 38^(th) stage completions.Rock brittleness,formation overpressure,and large fracturing job size account for the nucleation of earthquake clusters,and unconventional natural-hydraulic fracture networks provide fluid flow pathways to cause fault reactivation.This workflow can be used to mitigate potential seismic risks in unconventional reservoirs in other fields.

Framework for Effective Utilization of Distributed Scrum in Software Projects

There is an emerging interest in using agile methodologies in Global Software Development(GSD)to get the mutual benefits of both methods.Scrum is currently admired by many development teams as an agile most known meth-odology and considered adequate for collocated teams.At the same time,stake-holders in GSD are dispersed by geographical,temporal,and socio-cultural distances.Due to the controversial nature of Scrum and GSD,many significant challenges arise that might restrict the use of Scrum in GSD.We conducted a Sys-tematic Literature Review(SLR)by following Kitchenham guidelines to identify the challenges that limit the use of Scrum in GSD and to explore the mitigation strategies adopted by practitioners to resolve the challenges.To validate our reviewfindings,we conducted an industrial survey of 305 practitioners.The results of our study are consolidated into a research framework.The framework represents current best practices and recommendations to mitigate the identified distributed scrum challenges and is validated byfive experts of distributed Scrum.Results of the expert review were found supportive,reflecting that the framework will help the stakeholders deliver sustainable products by effectively mitigating the identified challenges.

Impacts of Roof/Ground Mitigation Strategies on Improving the Urban Thermal Environment and Human Comfort over the Yangtze River Delta, China

The combined effects of global warming and the urban heat islands exacerbate the risk of urban heat stress. It is crucial to implement effective cooling measures in urban areas to improve the comfort of the thermal environment. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model(WRF), coupled with a single-layer Urban Canopy Model(UCM), was used to study the impact of heat mitigation strategies. In addition, a 5-km resolution land-cover dataset for China(ChinaLC), which is based on satellite remote sensing data, was adjusted and used, and 18 groups of numerical experiments were designed, to increase the albedo and vegetation fraction of roof/ground parameters. The experiments were conducted for four heatwave events that occurred in the summer of 2013 in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration of China. The simulated results demonstrated that, for the single roof/ground schemes, the mitigation effects were directly proportional to the albedo and greening. Among all the experimental schemes, the superposed schemes presented better cooling effects. For the ground greening scheme, with similar net radiation flux and latent heat flux, its storage heat was lower than that of the roof greening scheme, resulting in more energy flux into the atmosphere, and its daytime cooling effect was not as good as that of the roof greening scheme. In terms of human thermal comfort(HTC), the improvement achieved by the ground greening scheme was better than any other single roof/ground schemes, because the increase in the relative humidity was small. The comprehensive evaluation of the mitigation effects of different schemes on the thermal environment presented in this paper provides a theoretical basis for improving the urban environment through rational urban planning and construction.

The Realistic Dilemma, Problem Tracking and Mitigating Strategies of Primary School Science Teachers’ Professional Happiness

The Science teachers in primary schools are the key group in developing science education, and they play a vital role in realizing the dream of strengthening the country through education. Their professional happiness deserves special attention. Whether this group is happy not only affects their own working conditions and quality of life, but also affects the work vitality of other teachers. Improving the professional happiness of science teachers in primary schools has become an important topic in the construction of teachers’ team in the new period. At present, the intensity of primary school science teachers’ own work is high, their non-own work is increasing, their physical and mental health is difficult to guarantee, and their professional happiness is reduced. The main causes of the problems are poor individual psychological quality, poor school management style and improper social cognitive evaluation. In order to solve this problem, we have explored strategies to improve the professional happiness of science teachers in primary schools through reshaping teachers’ work, democratic management of schools and national policy guarantee.

N Cycle, N Flow Trends in Japan, and Strategies for Reducing N_2O Emission and NO_3^- Pollution

To feed an increasing population, large amounts of chemical nitrogen fertilizer have been used to produce much of our food, feed and fiber thereby increasing nitrogen levels in soils, natural waters, crop residues, livestock wastes,and municipal and agricultural wastes, with national and international concern about its potential adverse effects on environmental quality and public health. To understand these phenomena and problems, first the nitrogen cycle and the environment are described. Then recent trends for nitrogen cycling through the food and feed system, N2O emissions from fertilized upland and paddy soils, and NO-3 pollution in ground water in Japan are reported. Finally, mitigation strategies in Japan for reducing N2O emission and NO-3 pollution are proposed, including nitrification inhibitors, controlled release fertilizers, utilization of plant species that could suppress nitrification, utilizing the toposequence, government policy, and appropriate agricultural practices. Of all the technologies presented, use of nitrification inhibitors and controlled release fertilizers are deemed the most important with further development of these aspects of technologies being expected. These practices, if employed worldwide, could help reduce the load, or environmental deterioration, on the Earth's biosphere.

Early performance of two tropical dry forest species after assisted migration to pine-oak forests at different altitudes:strategic response to climate change

Assisted migration has been proposed as a strategy for adaptive management of forest species in response to expected effects of climate change,but it is controversial for several reasons.Tropical dry forests are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world.In Mexico,historically,land-use change and deforestation have been decreasing forest cover,and climate change is shifting the potential distribution of different forest types,exacerbating the risk of local extinctions.Assisted altitudinal migration could be a feasible strategy for reducing local extinctions in response to climate change and lack of landscape connectivity.Our objective was to evaluate survival and growth of Albizia plurijuga and Ceiba aesculifolia,two tropical deciduous forests species in Mexico.We transplanted 4-month-old seedlings to experimental raised beds at three altitudes(2100,2400 and 2700 m a.s.l.),exceeding their upper regional limit of distribution(2000 m a.s.l.).We also tested seed germination at each altitude.We monitored the experiment for 10 months.For both species,as altitude increased and cold weather was more prevalent,plant performance declined.Within species,differences in individual growth were significant among altitudes.Overall survival was 18.5%for A.plurijuga and 24.5%for C.aesculifolia.Both species had higher survival and better growth at lower altitude,and no seedling emergence at any altitude.We conclude that assisted migration can be implemented for each species by an upward attitudinal shift within,and not exceeding,400 m beyond their present upper altitudinal limit of distribution.Our results indicate that for many species that show altitudinal gradients at regional scales,unless current climate conditions change,the potential to establish outside their range is minimal.

Centrifuge modelling of landslides and landslide hazard mitigation:A review

Landslides are serious geohazards that occur under a variety of climatic conditions and can cause many casualties and significant economic losses.Centrifuge modelling,as a representative type of physical modelling,provides a realistic simulation of the stress level in a small-scale model and has been applied over the last 50 years to develop a better understanding of landslides.With recent developments in this technology,the application of centrifuge modelling in landslide science has significantly increased.Here,we present an overview of physical models that can capture landslide processes during centrifuge modelling.This review focuses on(i)the experimental principles and considerations,(ii)landslide models subjected to various triggering factors,including centrifugal acceleration,rainfall,earthquakes,water level changes,thawing permafrost,excavation,external loading and miscellaneous conditions,and(iii)different methods for mitigating landslides modelled in centrifuge,such as the application of nails,piles,geotextiles,vegetation,etc.The behaviors of all the centrifuge models are discussed,with emphasis on the deformation and failure mechanisms and experimental techniques.Based on this review,we provide a best-practice methodology for preparing a centrifuge landslide test and propose further efforts in terms of the seven aspects of model materials,testing design and equipment,measurement methods,scaling laws,full-scale test applications,landslide early warning,and 3D modelling to better understand the complex behaviour of landslides.

The African Elephant (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>): Mini-Review of an Endangered Species

Humankind is responsible for conditioning the distribution of species, including the African elephant. From its great physical form to its fascinating social behaviour, Loxodonta africana can trigger an admiration in some and be undervalued by others, often ending up being a victim of human activities. Increasingly, the apparent impossibility of the coexistence of these two species represents a problem for the conservation of the large African mammal. Here it was reviewed the published bibliography about the African savannah elephant (L. africana), between July 2015 and December 2019. The Web of Science (WoS) database enabled the search for the words “Loxodonta africana”. From this research, we obtained 310 articles, 149 of them were analysed. Elephants have characteristics that define its uniqueness that are constantly reported, such as: its cognition and extraordinary memory, factors that influence its movements and its distribution, its specific vocalization and the strong dependence on social connections. Threats to the conservation of the species and the urgency of interventions are also an important subject of discussion. Poaching for ivory represents a major obstacle on conservation and has been drastically reducing the number of elephant populations and causing future consequences for those who thrive. Law enforcement in reducing/prohibit poaching has proven to be insufficient, so there is an urgent need to combat the demand for ivory. Also, it is necessary to bypass the conflict, promote tolerance and enable cohabitation. We believe that educating human populations to better understand the species may be the difference to guarantee a future for the species. Conservationists may be the enablers of these educational actions, however, to make the difference, it is necessary to know the species in detail. Mastering knowledge in these behavioural areas will contribute to improve mitigation strategies, which could make the difference to guarantee a future for the species.