A new species of rock skink (Scincidae: Liopholis) from the Central Ranges bioregion of arid Australia.

A new species of rock skink Liopholis Fitzinger 1843 (Scincidae) is described from the Mann-Musgrave Ranges of north-western South Australia. Liopholis margaretae sensu lato (Storr 1968) is currently known to occur in two disjunct populations: the MacDonnell Ranges bioregion and nearby regions in the Northern Territory, and the Central Ranges bioregion in South Australia. Based on morphological examination of both museum and field specimens, as well as on newly generated molecular data, we show that specimens from these two ranges constitute distinct species.

Photoluminescence and Scintillation Mechanism of CsPbBr.

Small bandgap scintillators have gained significant attention in recent years. Especially CsPbBr is an interesting material, mitigating the small Stokes shift-related problem of perovskites like CsPbBr. In this work, optical and scintillation properties of CsPbBr single crystals are investigated as a function of temperature, with a detailed focus at 10 K.

Estimation of carbon sequestration potential and air quality impacts of biochar production from straw in China.

Aiming to optimize straw resource utilization and to reduce air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions in China, the environmental benefits of biochar production using straw and utilization need to be assessed. Two biochar production scenarios were studied: centralized production scenario (CPS) utilizing an industrialized production method with advanced air pollution control devices, and decentralized production scenario (DPS) based on a distributed production method of biochar at the village level, compared to an open-burning scenario (OBS). The potential GHG emission reductions under DPS, including the benefit of soil biochar application, were evaluated as 680 Tg CO-eq yr, which was lower than the reductions under CPS (780 Tg CO-eq yr).

Diagnosing a genetic disease in a donor-conceived child: case report and discussion of the ethical, legal, and practical issues.

We describe the unexpected challenges pediatricians may experience when children conceived with assisted reproduction are diagnosed with a rare genetic condition. A local case series triggered a dialogue between many stakeholders with varied expertise. Indeed, diagnosing a genetic disease in a child conceived by embryo, egg, or sperm donation is becoming more common now that genetic testing and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are readily accessible.

Translational strategies to uncover the etiology of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract.

While up to 50% of children requiring kidney replacement therapy have congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT), they represent only a fraction of the total patient population with CAKUT. The extreme variability in clinical outcome underlines the fundamental need to devise personalized clinical management strategies for individuals with CAKUT. Better understanding of the pathophysiology of abnormal kidney and urinary tract development provides a framework for precise diagnoses and prognostication of patients, the identification of biomarkers and disease modifiers, and, thus, the development of personalized strategies for treatment.