Efficient Integration of Ultra-low Power Techniques and Energy Harvesting in Self-Sufficient Devices: A Comprehensive Overview of Current Progress and Future Directions.

Compact, energy-efficient, and autonomous wireless sensor nodes offer incredible versatility for various applications across different environments. Although these devices transmit and receive real-time data, efficient energy storage (ES) is crucial for their operation, especially in remote or hard-to-reach locations. Rechargeable batteries are commonly used, although they often have limited storage capacity. To address this, ultra-low-power design techniques (ULPDT) can be implemented to reduce energy consumption and prolong battery life. The Energy Harvesting Technique (EHT) enables perpetual operation in an eco-friendly manner, but may not fully replace batteries due to its intermittent nature and limited power generation. To ensure uninterrupted power supply, devices such as ES and power management unit (PMU) are needed. This review focuses on the importance of minimizing power consumption and maximizing energy efficiency to improve the autonomy and longevity of these sensor nodes. It examines current advancements, challenges, and future direction in ULPDT, ES, PMU, wireless communication protocols, and EHT to develop and implement robust and eco-friendly technology solutions for practical and long-lasting use in real-world scenarios.

Identifying the source rookery of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) found in feeding grounds around the Korean Peninsula.

Determining the genetic diversity and source rookeries of sea turtles collected from feeding grounds can facilitate effective conservation initiatives. To ascertain the genetic composition and source rookery, we examined a partial sequence of the mitochondrial control region (CR, 796 bp) of 40 green turtles (Chelonia mydas) collected from feeding grounds around the Korean Peninsula between 2014 and 2022. We conducted genetic and mixed-stock analyses (MSA) and identified 10 CR haplotypes previously reported in Japanese populations. In the haplotype network, six, three, and one haplotype(s) grouped with the Japan, Indo-Pacific, and Central South Pacific clades, respectively. The primary rookeries of the green turtles were two distantly remote sites, Ogasawara (OGA) and Central Ryukyu Island (CRI), approximately 1,300 km apart from each other. Comparing three parameters (season, maturity, and specific feeding ground), we noted that OGA was mainly associated with summer and the Jeju Sea, whereas CRI was with fall and the East (Japan) Sea ground. The maturity did not show a distinct pattern. Our results indicate that green turtles in the feeding grounds around the Korean Peninsula originate mainly from the Japan MU and have genetic origins in the Japan, Indo-Pacific, and Central South Pacific clades. Our results provide crucial insights into rookeries and MUs, which are the focus of conservation efforts of the Republic of Korea and potential parties to collaborate for green turtle conservation.

Devolution of forest management to local communities and its impacts on livelihoods and deforestation in Berau, Indonesia.

Law 11/2020 on job creation has changed a partial forest business license to a multi-purpose forest business and devolved some authorities in forest management to local communities. Studies on common-pool resources demonstrate that devolution of common property is one of the most important factors for sustainability. This study aims to analyze the factors that influence reducing deforestation and focuses on two different village forest organizations in East Kalimantan: first, village forests under the management of the Forest Management Unit of Berau Barat -forests managed by a provincial government (Long Duhung and Merapun village forests), and second, devolution of village forest managed by a local village institution (Merabu village forest). Recent evidence from these study sites indicates that the devolution of forest management associated with village forests has not consistently reduced forest cover loss. There was a complex interaction between the passage of robustness of the institutional settings and economic preferences linked to deforestation. The forest governance systems, including rules that determine property rights, can promote forest conservation when people's interests are served by forest land use. Conversely, economic preferences also control deforestation. This study confirms that the institutional robustness of forest governance systems and actors' economic preferences play an important role in controlling deforestation. This study suggests the devolution of rights for forest management and incentivizing economic alternatives for using forest resources to reduce deforestation.

Power Gain from Energy Harvesting Sources at High MPPT Sampling Rates.

Energy harvesting (EH) sources require the tracking of their maximum power point (MPP) to ensure that maximum energy is captured. This tracking process, performed by an MPP tracker (MPPT), is performed by periodically measuring the EH transducer's output at a given sampling rate. The harvested power as a function of the sampling parameters has been analyzed in a few works, but the power gain achieved with respect to the case of a much slower sampling rate than the EH source's frequency has not been assessed so far. In this work, simple expressions are obtained that predict this gain assuming a Thévenin equivalent for the EH transducer. It is shown that the power gain depends on the relationship between the square of AC to DC open circuit voltage of the EH transducer. On the other hand, it is proven that harvested power increases, using a suitable constant signal for the MPP voltage instead of tracking the MPP at a low sampling rate. Experimental results confirmed the theoretical predictions. First, a function generator with a series resistor of 1 kΩ was used, emulating a generic Thévenin equivalent EH. Three waveform types were used (sinus, square, and triangular) with a DC voltage of 2.5 V and AC rms voltage of 0.83 V. A commercial MPPT with a fixed sampling rate of 3 Hz was used and the frequency of the waveforms was changed from 50 mHz to 50 Hz, thus effectively emulating different sampling rates. Experimental power gains of 11.1%, 20.7%, and 7.43% were, respectively, achieved for the sinus, square, and triangular waves, mainly agreeing with the theoretical predicted ones. Then, experimental tests were carried out with a wave energy converter (WEC) embedded into a drifter and attached to a linear shaker, with a sinus excitation frequency of 2 Hz and peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.4 g, in order to emulate the drifter's movement under a sea environment. The WEC provided a sinus-like waveform. In this case, another commercial MPPT with a sampling period of 16 s was used for generating a slow sampling rate, whereas a custom MPPT with a sampling rate of 60 Hz was used for generating a high sampling rate. A power gain around 20% was achieved in this case, also agreeing with the predicted gain.

Patient safety for people experiencing advanced dementia in hospital: A video reflexive ethnography.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety for people experiencing dementia in acute hospitals is a global priority. Despite national strategies as well as safety and quality guidelines, how safety practices are enacted within the complexities of everyday work are poorly understood and articulated. METHODS: Using video reflexive ethnography, this 18-month study was conducted within an inpatient geriatric evaluation and management unit for people experiencing dementia and/or delirium in Australia. Patients, family members, and staff members participated by: allowing researchers to document fieldwork notes and video-record their practices and/or accounts thereof; and/or interpreting video-recordings with researchers to co-analyse and make sense of the data. RESULTS: Safe care for people experiencing advanced dementia involved: negotiating risk via leadership, teamwork, and transparency; practice-based learning through situated adaptation; managing personhood versus protocols by doing the 'right' thing; joyful and meaningful work; as well as incorporating patient and family voices to do safety together. CONCLUSION: Patient safety for people experiencing dementia requires continuous responsiveness and prioritising in the context of multiple risks by a staff collective with a shared purpose. Ongoing research to better understand how the nuances of patient safety unfold in everyday complex clinical realities in diverse contexts and with key stakeholders is required.

Design and performance analysis of a rectenna system for charging a mobile phone from ambient EM waves.

Advances in information technology have dramatically enhanced mobile phones. Power capacity is one of the most significant limitations of a mobile phone. As a result, efficient energy management in such devices is critical everywhere. The goal of this research is to find a way to charge electronic devices wirelessly using radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) waves (Rectenna using energy detection-based spectrum sensing). Mechanical deformations cause frequency detuning, which lowers the effectiveness of antennas and rectennas that would otherwise allow wireless communication and RF energy harvesting in the far field. A rectenna based on a stretchable multiband antenna is designed as a self-powered system to perform reliably and integrate RF power received across its multiband despite mechanical deformations. Depending on what the battery needs, the proposed multiband antenna will work at 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 2.45 GHz as both an RF transducer and an RF energy harvester. Depending on the received RF power density (high), the receiving RF wave will be utilized for both communication and RF energy harvesting (RF-EH) when the battery's current voltage is less than 20% (referred to as "low voltage"). Otherwise, the received RF wave will be used only for RF-EH. The installed multiband rectifiers function perfectly in terms of efficiency and bandwidth. This proposed technique would reduce the charging crisis by 60-90% depending on the location of the mobile phone or receiver of ambient EM signals. This paper could help researchers in the field of RF energy-based wireless charging systems.

Diferencias clínicas entre los pacientes con dolor crónico primario y secundario atendidos por una unidad multidisciplinar de dolor crónico infantil / Clinical differences in a multidisciplinary pediatric pain unit between primary and secondary chronic pain

Introducción: El dolor crónico afecta a un porcentaje significativo de la población pediátrica en los países desarrollados, y puede tener una causa médica bien definida en el dolor crónico secundario (DCS), o desconocida en el dolor crónico primario (DCP). En España, hasta el momento, no existe información acerca de las diferencias clínicas de los pacientes atendidos en unidades multidisciplinarias. Métodos: Análisis retrospectivo de las historias clínicas de los pacientes atendidos en 2018 por la Unidad de Dolor Crónico Infantil del Hospital Universitario La Paz. Resultados: Se incluyeron los 92 pacientes atendidos, con edades comprendidas entre 2 y 19 años, y una edad media de 12,4 (SD=4,1) años, mayoritariamente de sexo femenino (55%) y una duración media del dolor de 11,3 (SD=10,4) meses. Los resultados de comparar pacientes con DCP (n=31) y DCS (n=61) mostraron que ambos grupos presentaban dolor medio con una gran intensidad (x=5,9; SD=2,2; rango=0-10), con duración y repercusión funcional similares, aunque el DCP se asoció menos a descriptores de tipo neuropático que el DCS (p=0,040) y era más extenso en su localización (p<0,001). Ambos grupos recibieron similar tratamiento basado en rehabilitación, psicoterapia, técnicas invasivas y tratamiento con medicación analgésica, aunque los pacientes del grupo DCP recibieron menos medicaciones analgésicas (gabapentinoides y opiáceos) que el DCS (p=0,011). Conclusión: Los pacientes con DCP o DCS, aunque tengan un perfil clínico similar, presentan diferencias en el número y tipo de analgésicos empleados, lo que avalaría la importancia del diagnóstico de la causa para adecuar el tratamiento farmacológico subsiguiente.(AU)

Introduction: Chronic pain affects an important part of the pediatric population in developed countries. secondary chronic pain (SCP) can have a well-defined medical cause, but primary chronic pain (PCP) can have an unknown etiology. In Spain, there is as yet no information on the clinical differences between patients treated in multidisciplinary units. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the clinical records of patients seen in 2018 at the Children's Chronic Pain Unit in University La Paz Hospital. Results: A total of 92 patients were included (age between 3 and 19 years), with a mean age of 12.4 (SD=4.1) years, mostly female (55%), with a mean duration of pain of 11.3 (SD=10.4) months. A comparison of patients with PCP (n=31) and SCP (n=61) showed that both groups, on average, presented intense pain (X=5.9; SD=2.2; range=0-10), with similar duration and functional repercussions, although PCP was less likely to be associated with neuropathic descriptors than SCP (p=.040), and was more extensive (p<.001). Both groups received similar treatment, based on rehabilitation, psychotherapy, invasive techniques and analgesic medication, although patients in the PCP group received less analgesic medication (gabapentinoids and opioids) than the SCP (p=.011). Conclusion: Patients treated in a multidisciplinary Child Pain Unit for PCP or SCP present a very similar clinical profile, though with differences in the number and type of analgesic drugs used. This shows the importance of etiologic diagnosis for adequate pharmacological treatment.(AU)

A 53-µA-Quiescent 400-mA Load Demultiplexer Based CMOS Multi-Voltage Domain Low Dropout Regulator for RF Energy Harvester.

A low-power capacitorless demultiplexer-based multi-voltage domain low-dropout regulator (MVD-LDO) with 180 nm CMOS technology is proposed in this work. The MVD-LDO has a 1.5 V supply voltage headroom and regulates an output from four voltage domains ranging from 0.8 V to 1.4 V, with a high current efficiency of 99.98% with quiescent current of 53 µA with the aid of an integrated low-power demultiplexer controller which consumes only 68.85 pW. The fabricated chip has an area of 0.149 mm2 and can deliver up to 400 mA of current. The MVD-LDO's line and load regulations are 1.85 mV/V and 0.0003 mV/mA for the low-output voltage domain and 3.53 mV/V and 0.079 mV/mA for the high-output voltage domain. The LDO consumes only 174.5 µW in standby mode, making it suitable for integrating with an RF energy harvester chip to power sensor nodes.

Clinical differences in a multidisciplinary pediatric pain unit between primary and secondary chronic pain.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic pain affects an important part of the pediatric population in developed countries. secondary chronic pain (SCP) can have a well-defined medical cause, but primary chronic pain (PCP) can have an unknown etiology. In Spain, there is as yet no information on the clinical differences between patients treated in multidisciplinary units. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the clinical records of patients seen in 2018 at the Children's Chronic Pain Unit in University La Paz Hospital. RESULTS: A total of 92 patients were included, (age between 3 and 19 years), with a mean age of 12.4 (SD = 4.1) years, mostly female (55%), with a mean duration of pain of 11.3 (SD = 10.4) months. A comparison of patients with PCP (n = 31) and SCP (n = 61) showed that both groups, on average, presented intense pain (X = 5.9; SD = 2.2; range = 0-10), with similar duration and functional repercussions, although PCP was less likely to be associated with neuropathic descriptors than SCP (p = 0.040), and was more extensive (p < 0.001). Both groups received similar treatment, based on rehabilitation, psychotherapy, invasive techniques and analgesic medication, although patients in the PCP group received less analgesic medication (gabapentinoids and opioids) than the SCP (p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Patients treated in a multidisciplinary Child Pain Unit for PCP or SCP present a very similar clinical profile, though with differences in the number and type of analgesic drugs used. This shows the importance of etiologic diagnosis for adequate pharmacological treatment.

Power Management Unit for Solar Energy Harvester Assisted Batteryless Wireless Sensor Node.

This work describes an energy-efficient monolithic Power Management Unit (PMU) that includes a charge pump adapted to photovoltaic cells with the capability of charging a large supply capacitor and managing the stored energy efficiently to provide the required supply voltage and power to low energy consumption wireless sensor nodes such as RFID sensor tags. The proposed system starts-up self-sufficiently with a light source luminosity equal to or higher than 500 lux using only a 1.42 cm2 solar cell and integrating an energy monitor that gives the ability to supply autonomous sensor nodes with discontinuous operation modes. The system occupies an area of 0.97 mm2 with a standard 180 nm CMOS technology. The half-floating architecture avoids losses of charging the top/button plate of the stray capacitors in each clock cycle. Measurements' results on a fabricated IC exhibit an efficiency above 60% delivering 13.14 µW over 1.8 V. The harvested energy is enough to reach the communication range of a standard UHF RFID sensor tag up to 21 m.

A Multifunctional Battery-Free Bluetooth Low Energy Wireless Sensor Node Remotely Powered by Electromagnetic Wireless Power Transfer in Far-Field.

This paper presents a multifunctional battery-free wireless sensing node (SN) designed to monitor physical parameters (e.g., temperature, humidity and resistivity) of reinforced concrete. The SN, which is intended to be embedded into a concrete cavity, is autonomous and can be wirelessly powered thanks to the wireless power transmission technique. Once enough energy is stored in a capacitor, the active components (sensor and transceiver) are supplied with the harvested power. The data from the sensor are then wirelessly transmitted via the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology in broadcasting mode to a device configured as an observer. The feature of energy harvesting (EH) is achieved thanks to an RF-to-DC converter (a rectifier) optimized for a low power input level. It is based on a voltage doubler topology with SMS7630-005LF Schottky diode optimized at -15 dBm input power and a load of 10 kΩ. The harvested DC power is then managed and boosted by a power management unit (PMU). The proposed system has the advantage of presenting two different power management units (PMUs) and two rectifiers working in different European Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency bands (868 MHz and 2.45 GHz) depending on the available power density. The PMU interfaces a storage capacitor to store the harvested power and then power the active components of the sensing node. The low power digital sensor HD2080 is selected to provide accurate humidity and temperature measurements. Resistivity measurement (not reported in this paper) can also be achieved through a current injection on the concrete probes. For wireless communications, the QN9080 system-on-chip (SoC) was chosen as a BLE transceiver thanks to its attractive features: a small package size and extremely low power consumption. For low power consumption, the SN is configured in broadcasting mode. The measured power consumption of the SN in a deep-sleep mode is 946 µJ for four advertising events (spaced at 250 ms maximum) after the functioning of sensors. It also includes voltage offset cancelling functionality for resistivity measurement. Far-field measurement operated in an anechoic chamber with the most efficient PMU (AEM30940) gives a first charging time of 48 s (with an empty capacitor) and recharge duration of 27 s for a complete measurement and data transmission cycle.

Clinical spectrum of childhood tuberculosis and outcome at Mohammed Alamin Hamid Pediatric Hospital, Omdurman, Sudan.

The World Health Organization report in 2018 estimated 234,000 deaths due to tuberculosis (TB) in children less than 15 years; 40,000 of them occurring in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected children. These deaths represent 15% of all TB deaths. This study aimed to determine the clinical spectrum and outcome of childhood TB at Mohamed Alamin Hamid Pediatric Hospital TB management unit. Retrospective observational hospital-based study was conducted during January 2017-December 2018, in children aged 0-18 years who were diagnosed with TB. A total of 174 patients were enrolled in this study. The majority of patients' ages ranged from 5 to 17 years (111, 63.8%). Most of the patients were males (92, 52.9%) and (142, 81.6%) resided in Khartoum State. Lung opacity and hailer parenchymal shadows were the common presenting features (83, 47.7%) in chest X-ray. Sputum for acid fast bacilli was positive in only 20 (11.5%) patients. Testing for HIV was negative in 41 (23.6%) patients and was not done in 133 (76.4%). A total of 107 (61.5%) children were diagnosed as having pulmonary TB; extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) was 67 (38.5%). Tuberculous lymphadenitis was the commonest type of EPTB and was diagnosed in 38 (56.7%) patients. The majority 94 (87.9%) completed their treatment and 13 (12.1%) with smear positive results were cured. Defaulters were 20 (11.5%), and 6 patients (3.4%) were retreated after default, 11 (6.3%) were transferred out, and 14 (8%) are still on treatment. Thirteen patients (7.5%) died, and the outcome of three patients was not documented.

Power Management IC for a Dual-Input-Triple-Output Energy Harvester.

We present the design of a power management integrated circuit that processes harvested energy from radio frequency waves and piezoelectric vibrations. The rectification of piezoelectric and RF sources has a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 87.73% and 74.70%, respectively. The asynchronous and microcontroller-less integrated circuit (IC) is designed to be low power, so the bulk of the harvested energy goes to three loads. The output peak powers of 111 µW, 156 µW, and 128 µW will be sufficient to run small devices for RF communication systems.

Athlete Biological Passport: Need and Challenges.

The Athlete Biological Passport programme was initiated in 2009 by the World Anti-Doping Agency for making the anti-doping programme more effective and stronger. There are three modules in this ABP programme: haematological, steroidal and endocrinological. Currently, the first two modules have been implemented. The newer products such as recombinant human erythropoietin, recombinant proteins, and peptides are similar to those produced naturally. Hence, detection of these substances even with advanced techniques is difficult. Therefore, the concept of ABP came into existence which is based on longitudinal monitoring of biological markers and their variations over a period of time. The ABP does not rely upon the detection of a particular prohibited substance but it reflects the changes in biological markers collated over an athlete's career. Hence, athletes can be monitored through constant interpretation of the passport data. There are many advantages with the implementation of this programme; however, there are various issues which may lead to false interpretation of passport data that must be taken into consideration.

Cryptic diversity in the inshore hagfish, Eptatretus burgeri (Myxinidae, Pisces) from the northwest Pacific.

The fishery of inshore hagfish (Eptatretus burgeri) is particularly important from the perspective of the eel-skin leather industry in the northwest Pacific. In order to reveal the genetic diversity and population structure of E. burgeri in the northwest Pacific, we analyzed partial nucleotide sequences of three mitochondrial DNA regions (523 bp in COI, 712 bp in ND4 and 617 bp in Cytb) based on specimens collected from six locations in Korea and Japan. The genetic diversities of E. burgeri were higher in Korean locations compared to Japanese ones. AMOVA showed that E. burgeri was completely separated into two groups (group A: southern coast of Korea and western coast of Japan vs. group B: eastern coast of Japan). Furthermore, groups A and B were divided into each two lineages (lineage I: west southern coast of Korea, lineage II: east southern coast of Korea and western coast of Japan, lineage III and IV: eastern coast of Japan). Our molecular results suggest that these two groups and lineages of E. burgeri may be different evolutionary significant unit and management unit, respectively.

A Century after! Rediscovery of the ancient catfish Diplomystes Bleeker 1858 (Siluriformes: Diplomystidae) in coastal river basins of Chile and its implications for conservation

The ancient catfish family Diplomystidae, with seven species endemic to rivers of southern South America, represents one of the oldest branches of the diverse order Siluriformes. With most species endangered, new reports of these species become extremely valuable for conservation. Currently, it is assumed that Diplomystes species inhabit only Andean (large) basins, and that they are extinct from coastal (small) basins from which their presence have not been recorded since 1919. Here, we document new records of the family Diplomystidae in the Laraquete and Carampangue basins, two coastal basins from the Nahuelbuta Coast Range, Chile, with no previous reports. This finding represents the rediscovery of the genus in coastal basins in more than a Century. Based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences, the collected specimens were found to be closely related to Diplomystes nahuelbutaensis from the Andean Biobío Basin, but sufficiently differentiated to suggest that coastal basin populations are a different management unit. These populations are important because, contrary to previous thoughts, they prove these catfish can survive in small river networks, providing unique opportunities for research and conservation. The conservation category of Critically Endangered (CE) is recommended for the populations from the Laraquete and Carampangue basins.(AU)

La familia de bagres Diplomystidae, con siete especies endémicas de ríos del sur de Sudamérica, es uno de los linajes mas antiguos del diverso orden Siluriformes. Al estar la mayoría de las especies amenazadas, nuevos registros de éstas son extremadamente valiosos para su conservación. Actualmente, se ha asumido que los Diplomystidos se distribuyen solo en cuencas Andinas (más grandes), y que sus especies estarían extintas en cuencas de menor tamaño como las costeras, sin registros desde 1919. En este trabajo documentamos la familia Diplomistidae en las cuencas de Carampangue y Laraquete, dos cuencas costeras de la Cordillera de Nahuelbuta, Chile, lo que representa el primer registro de esta familia en estas cuencas costeras. Además, este hallazgo representa el re-descubrimiento de la familia en cuencas costeras después de un siglo. Sobre la base de análisis de ADN mitocondrial, los especímenes colectados se relacionaron más cercanamente con poblaciones de la especie Diplomystes nahuelbutaensis presente en la cuenca del Biobío. Sin embargo, existen diferencias genéticas suficientes entre las poblaciones costeras y las del Biobío para justificar su separación como unidad de manejo distinta. Estas poblaciones costeras son importantes porque demuestran que los Diplomístidos pueden sobrevivir en cuencas de pequeño tamaño, ofreciendo oportunidades únicas para su investigación y conservación. Se recomienda la categoría de conservación En Peligro Critico de Extinción (CR) para las poblaciones de las cuencas Laraquete y Carampangue.(AU)

Development of microsatellite markers for an endangered fern in the Ryukyus, Plagiogyria koidzumii (Plagiogyriaceae).

We developed 10 microsatellite markers for Plagiogyria koidzumii, a critically endangered fern species found on Iriomotejima Island in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan and in Taiwan. These markers showed polymorphism among 65 wild individuals from Iriomotejima Island; the number of alleles per locus was 2-14, and mean observed and expected heterozygosity in the largest population were 0.276 and 0.277, respectively. A genetic structure analysis using these markers indicated clear genetic differentiation even within the narrow geographic range (ca. 10 × 8 km) on Iriomotejima Island. These microsatellite markers should be valuable for measuring genetic diversity and comparing genetic structure within and between populations.

Genetic population structure of Japanese river sculpin Cottus pollux (Cottidae) large-egg type, inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences.

The geographic distribution of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes from Japanese river sculpin Cottus pollux large-egg type (LE), collected from 55 locations in 22 rivers over most of the species' range in Japan, was examined to assess for patterns of population genetic structure. The 87 haplotypes observed from C. pollux LE were distinguishable from C. pollux middle-egg type and small-egg type haplotypes from previously published research. Cottus pollux LE from each river were largely represented by diagnostic mtDNA haplotypes, with limited geographical associations of haplotypes, suggesting that each river must be treated as a separate management unit.

Genome-wide SNP analyses reveal high gene flow and signatures of local adaptation among the scalloped spiny lobster (Panulirus homarus) along the Omani coastline.

BACKGROUND: The scalloped spiny lobster (Panulirus homarus) is a popular seafood commodity worldwide and an important export item from Oman. Annual catches in commercial fisheries are in serious decline, which has resulted in calls for the development of an integrated stock management approach. In Oman, the scalloped spiny lobster is currently treated as a single management unit (MU) or stock and there is an absence of information on the genetic population structure of the species that can inform management decisions, particularly at a fine-scale level. This work is the first to identify genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for P. homarus using Diversity Arrays Technology sequencing (DArT-seq) and to elucidate any stock structure in the species. RESULTS: After stringent filtering, 7988 high utility SNPs were discovered and used to assess the genetic diversity, connectivity and structure of P. homarus populations from Al Ashkharah, Masirah Island, Duqm, Ras Madrakah, Haitam, Ashuwaymiyah, Mirbat and Dhalkut landing sites. Pairwise FST estimates revealed low differentiation among populations (pairwise FST range = - 0.0008 - 0.0021). Analysis of genetic variation using putatively directional FST outliers (504 SNPs) revealed higher and significant pairwise differentiation (p < 0.01) for all locations, with Ashuwaymiyah being the most diverged population (Ashuwaymiyah pairwise FST range = 0.0288-0.0736). Analysis of population structure using Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) revealed a broad admixture among P. homarus, however, Ashuwaymiyah stock appeared to be potentially under local adaptive pressures. Fine scale analysis using Netview R provided further support for the general admixture of P. homarus. CONCLUSIONS: Findings here suggested that stocks of P. homarus along the Omani coastline are admixed. Yet, fishery managers need to treat the lobster stock from Ashuwaymiyah with caution as it might be subject to local adaptive pressures. We emphasize further study with larger number of samples to confirm the genetic status of the Ashuwaymiyah stock. The approach utilised in this study has high transferability in conservation and management of other marine stocks with similar biological and ecological attributes.

Population structure of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) using microsatellite loci analysis in South Korea: Implications for disease management.

The prevention and control of infectious diseases transmitted by wildlife are gaining importance. To establish effective management strategies, it is essential to understand the population structure of animals. Raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in South Korea play a key role in the maintenance of food web stability and possess genetic compositions that are unique compared to those in other areas. However, wild raccoon dogs play another role as the main host of various infectious diseases. To establish long-term strategies for disease management, we investigated the genetic structure and possible geographic barriers that influence the raccoon dog population in South Korea by analyzing 16 microsatellite loci. The present study showed that mountains were the major factors responsible for genetic structuring, along with distance. We proposed potential management units (MUs) for raccoon dogs based on the genetic structuring and gene-flow barrier data obtained in this study. Four MUs were suggested for the Korean raccoon dog population (Northern, Central, Southwestern, and Southeastern). The Korean raccoon dog population structure determined in this study and the proposed MUs will be helpful to establish pragmatic strategies for managing Korean raccoon dog population and for preventing the transmission of infectious diseases.