bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accuracy of 1,2-o-Dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric Acid-(6′-methylresorufin) Ester (DGGR)-Lipase to Predict Canine Pancreas-Specific Lipase (cPL) and Diagnostic Accuracy of Both Tests for Canine Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Wolfer Lina A. , Howard Judith , Peters Laureen M.
Published: April 2022

Different lipase assays have variable reported diagnostic accuracies for acute pancreatitis (AP) in dogs. The aims of this retrospective study were to evaluate optimal cutoffs for 1,2-o-dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid-(6′-methylresorufin) ester (DGGR)-lipase to predict diagnostic cutoffs of canine pancreas-specific lipase (cPL; IDEXX). DGGR-lipase activity and cPL from the same blood draw in 301 dogs with a variety of diseases were compared using Spearman’s rank correlation, Cohen’s kappa agreement, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Activity of DGGR-lipase (10–15,616 U/L) and cPL concentrations (8.1–≥2000 µg/L) were highly correlated (rs = 0.91). Areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) to predict cPL >200 and ≥400 µg/L with DGGR-lipase were 0.97 and 0.99, with optimal cutoffs of 143 U/L (sensitivity (Se) 91.7%; specificity (Sp) 95.3%) and 205 U/L (Se 97.5%; Sp 96.4%), and Cohen’s kappa agreements of 0.87 and 0.92, respectively. AUCs for a clinical diagnosis of AP, assigned to 87/301 dogs, with DGGR-lipase (0.75) and cPL (0.76) did not differ significantly (p = 0.48); optimal cutoffs were 161 U/L for DGGR (Se 67%; Sp 81%) and 235 µg/L for cPL (Se 68%; Sp 84%). To conclude, DGGR-lipase is a highly accurate predictor of cPL with a comparable performance when used to diagnose AP in dogs.
Hemodynamic Effects of Protamine Infusion in Dogs with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease Undergoing Mitral Valvuloplasty
Authors: Yoshida Tomohiko , Matsuura Katsuhiro , Mandour Ahmed S. , Aboshi Yuki , Yamada Shusaku , Yotsuida Hideki , Hasegawa Mizuki , Cheng Chieh-Jen , Yaginuma Youta , Watanabe Momoko , Fukuzumi Shou
Published: April 2022

Protamine, an antagonizing agent to heparin, is indispensable for dogs undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. Protamine-induced hypotension (PIH) during cardiac anesthesia has been reported in humans. The purpose of this study was to describe the hemodynamic effect of protamine administration in dogs during cardiac surgery in clinical cases. Study design: Retrospective, clinical, cohort study. A total of 14 client-owned dogs who suffered heart failure due to medically uncontrolled myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) were included in this study. The severity of MMVD was classified according to American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine staging (ACVIM: stage B2, C, D) and dogs undergoing mitral valve surgery. Records with clinical data for dogs treated between July 2019 to August 2020 were examined for age, sex, breed, body weight, concurrent diseases, hospitalization, anesthetic record, and mortality within 3 months after the operation. PIH was defined as mean arterial pressure (MAP) lowered by 20% of that before protamine infusion. To evaluate the effect of protamine on hemodynamic variables, each of the other values was compared with values at the beginning of protamine infusion. MAP decreased by 41.0 and 45.7% in two dogs (14.3%) compared with pressure before protamine infusion. Others did not show obvious alteration in hemodynamic variables. Epinephrine treatment alleviated hypotension in one dog. Another dog with systemic hypotension concomitant with elevated central venous pressure did not respond to epinephrine treatment and a reboot of extracorporeal circulation was required. Reheparinization and reinstitution of cardiopulmonary bypass successfully resuscitate the second dog. In conclusion, clinicians should alert the incidence of severe hypotension even with slow protamine infusion following canine cardiac surgery. This study also provides two effective treatments for catastrophic hypotension during protamine infusion.
Estimating Yield from NDVI, Weather Data, and Soil Water Depletion for Sugar Beet and Potato in Northern Belgium
Authors: Vannoppen Astrid , Gobin Anne
Published: April 2022

Crop-yield models based on vegetation indices such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) have been developed to monitor crop yield at higher spatial and temporal resolutions compared to agricultural statistical data. We evaluated the model performance of NDVI-based random forest models for sugar beet and potato farm yields in northern Belgium during 2016–2018. We also evaluated whether weather variables and root-zone soil water depletion during the growing season improved the model performance. The NDVI integral did not explain early and late potato yield variability and only partly explained sugar-beet yield variability. The NDVI series of early and late potato crops were not sensitive enough to yield affecting weather and soil water conditions. We found that water-saturated conditions early in the growing season and elevated temperatures late in the growing season explained a large part of the sugar-beet and late-potato yield variability. The NDVI integral in combination with monthly precipitation, maximum temperature, and root-zone soil water depletion during the growing season explained farm-scale sugar beet (R2 = 0.84, MSE = 48.8) and late potato (R2 = 0.56, MSE = 57.3) yield variability well from 2016 to 2018 in northern Belgium.
pH-Responsive Eco-Friendly Chitosan–Chlorella Hydrogel Beads for Water Retention and Controlled Release of Humic Acid
Authors: Li Hao , Wang Jin , Luo Yu , Bai Bo , Cao Fangli
Published: April 2022

For improving the mechanical strength of controlled release fertilizer (CRF) hydrogels, a novel material of Chlorella was employed as a bio-based filler to prepare chitosan–chlorella hydrogel beads with physical crosslink method. Here, the synthesis mechanism was investigated, and the chitosan–chlorella hydrogel beads exhibited enhanced mechanical stability under centrifugation and sonication than pure chitosan hydrogel beads. Chlorella brought more abundant functional groups to original chitosan hydrogel, hence, chitosan–chlorella hydrogel beads represented greater sensitivity and controllable response to external factors including pH, salt solution, temperature. In distilled water, the hydrogel beads with 40 wt% Chlorella reached the largest water absorption ratio of 42.92 g/g. Moreover, the mechanism and kinetics process of swelling behavior of the chitosan–chlorella hydrogel beads were evaluated, and the loading and releasing of humic acid by the hydrogel beads as a carrier material were pH-dependent and adjustable, which exhibit the potential of chitosan–chlorella hydrogel beads in the field of controlled release carrier biomaterials.
Development of a Tool for Modeling the Fecal Contamination in Rivers with Turbulent Flows—Application to the Seine et Marne Rivers (Parisian Region, France)
Authors: Van Lan-Anh , Nguyen Kim-Dan , Le Marrec François , Jairy Aïcha
Published: April 2022

Bacterial pollution in the water comes in particular from Escherichia coli and fecal coliforms, responsible for gastroenteritis and diarrhea, intestinal streptococci or enterococci (urinary tract infections and peritonitis), salmonella which can cause serious gastroenteritis, shigella (dysen-teritis, gastroenteritis), cholera vibrio (cholera). As 23 sites on the Seine and Marne Rivers (Parisian Region) would be identified as the natation competition sites for the Paris-2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the water quality at these sites should be seriously monitored. Numerical modeling can be considered one powerful tool to watch the water quality parameters. However, measurements show that the water quality is not homogeneous in a river cross-section, and one-dimensional (1D) models are not enough to accurately calculate the bacteriological concentration dispersion in the aquatic environments. Therefore, a two-dimensional model has been developed by coupling the TELEMAC-2D model and its water quality module WAQTEL for simulating bathing water quality in the Seine and Marne Rivers. The model was validated against in situ measurements and was compared against a 1D model. Results show that this model can simulate not only the longitudinal evolution but also the transverse dispersion of bacteriological pollutants. Then, a 3D multi-layer model has been developed around a bathing site using the TELEMAC-3D model. The result of the 3D model is promising and allows us to get a finer representation of the bacteriological concentration in three dimensions.
Potential of the Coupled WRF/WRF-Hydro Modeling System for Flood Forecasting in the Ouémé River (West Africa)
Authors: Quenum Gandomè Mayeul Leger Davy , Arnault Joël , Klutse Nana Ama Browne , Zhang Zhenyu , Kunstmann Harald , Oguntunde Philip G.
Published: April 2022

Since the beginning of the 2000s, most of the West-African countries, particularly Benin, have experienced an increased frequency of extreme flood events. In this study, we focus on the case of the Ouémé river basin in Benin. To investigate flood events in this basin for early warning, the coupled atmosphere–hydrology model system WRF-Hydro is used, and analyzed for the period 2008–2010. Such a coupled model allows exploration of the contribution of atmospheric components into the flood event, and its ability to simulate and predict accurate streamflow. The potential of WRF-Hydro to correctly simulate streamflow in the Ouémé river basin is assessed by forcing the model with operational analysis datasets from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Atmospheric and land surface processes are resolved at a spatial resolution of 5 km. The additional surface and subsurface water flow routing are computed at a resolution of 500 m. Key parameters of the hydrological module of WRF-Hydro are calibrated offline and tested online with the coupled WRF-Hydro. The uncertainty of atmospheric modeling on coupled results is assessed with the stochastic kinetic energy backscatter scheme (SKEBS). WRF-Hydro is able to simulate the discharge in the Ouémé river in offline and fully coupled modes with a Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE) around 0.70 and 0.76, respectively. In the fully coupled mode, the model captures the flood event that occurred in 2010. A stochastic perturbation ensemble of ten members for three rain seasons shows that the coupled model performance in terms of KGE ranges from 0.14 to 0.79. Additionally, an assessment of the soil moisture has been developed. This ability to realistically reproduce observed discharge in the Ouémé river basin demonstrates the potential of the coupled WRF-Hydro modeling system for future flood forecasting applications.
Research Development, Current Hotspots, and Future Directions of Blue Carbon: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Lai Qiuying , Ma Jie , He Fei , Zhang Aiguo , Pei Dongyan , Wei Geng , Zhu Xiaolin
Published: April 2022

The blue carbon ecosystem has a strong capacity for carbon sequestration, but its research progress and development are still unclear. This study used CiteSpace to conduct a visual analysis, based on the analysis of 908 articles retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The results showed that blue carbon research has gone through an early exploratory stage based on the scientific concept research, a research stage on the carbon sequestration process of the diverse blue carbon ecosystems, and a blue carbon protection and restoration stage based on climate change and human activities. The blue carbon theoretical framework has been continuously improved and the subject is currently more focused. The hot research topics are different at different stages. In the early stage, they focused on the types of blue carbon ecosystems and the process of carbon sequestration. Blue carbon research has developed from a single ecosystem type to multiple ecosystem types, and from concept recognition to system assessment research. Recently, research on the response, restoration and protection of blue carbon ecosystems has become a hotspot under the combined effect of human activities and climate change. In the future, it is necessary to strengthen the scientific research on blue carbon, to protect the integrity of the ecosystem structure and service functions, and to make a greater contribution to the global carbon neutrality strategy.
Assessment of Contamination along the Tigris River from Tharthar-Tigris Canal to Azizziyah, Middle of Iraq
Authors: Oleiwi Alyaa Shakir , Al-Dabbas Moutaz
Published: April 2022

The Tigris River is the second-longest river in Western Asia and runs through heavily populated areas, especially in Baghdad city with nearly 8 million inhabitants. The water demand is at its highest levels, nevertheless the Tigris discharge has severely declined in the last decades; combined with the fact that the wastewater quantities are increasing, and the wastewater treatment plants are experiencing a deficiency. Four sites were chosen: the Tharthar-Tigris Canal which is located in the north part of Baghdad city, Baghdad city, the Diyala River conjunction with the Tigris River site, and Al-Azizziyah site in the south of Baghdad city near Kut government, to determine the effect of the decreasing Tigris River flow on the water quality and to identify the sources of pollution. In this research, the used method evaluates the concentration of the contaminants along the course of the Tigris River to determine the source of the contaminants as the novelty of this research. The data include the discharge of The Tigris River, a hydrochemical analysis, such as major ions and trace elements, and biological parameters (BOD5, COD, E. coli bacteria, and coliform bacteria MPN/100 mL) as contamination indicators. Multivariate statistical techniques (factor analysis) were applied to evaluate spatial variations, for the years 2005 to 2020, and Phreeqc software was used to assess the saturation indices determine the dominant geochemical processes source responsible for surface water quality. The dominant minerals of the Tigris River were gypsum, anhydrite, and halite. The Tigris River is within the permissible limits for drinking, except at the Tharthar-Tigris Canal and Diyala River, and the main water quality deterioration factors of the Tigris River were recognized as: total dissolved solids, E. coli bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, BOD5, and COD. By applying the SPSS program, two factors were identified. The first anthropogenic factor discharged into the river represents 71.27% of the variance and is comprised of agricultural land wastewater and sewage water. While the second factor represents 17.02%, indicated by the variables Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, and SO42−. This factor accounts for the chemical weathering of rocky components. It is recommended that a periodic monitoring system is needed to. follow up on pollution levels and water quality for the Tigris River, by conducting seasonal surveys.
Development, Validation and Application of a Targeted LC-MS Method for Quantification of Microcystins and Nodularin: Towards a Better Characterization of Drinking Water
Authors: Van Hassel Wannes Hugo R. , Huybrechts Bart , Masquelier Julien , Wilmotte Annick , Andjelkovic Mirjana
Published: April 2022

Cyanotoxins can be produced in surface waters by cyanobacterial blooms, mostly during summer and early autumn. Intoxications would result from consumption of water contaminated with the potent hepatotoxins, microcystins and nodularin. Therefore, the WHO has set a guideline value for drinking water quality concerning one congener of microcystin. Consequently, the design of a validated, public reference method to detect and quantify the hepatotoxins in drinking water is necessary. During this study, a method was developed to quantify cyanotoxins (eight microcystin congeners and nodularin) in water using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Additionally, bottled and tap water samples were tested for the presence of cyanotoxins. No cyanotoxins were detected in any of the collected water samples. However, quality controls and the results of a proficiency test show the validity of the method.
Using Fuzzy Neural Networks to Model Landslide Susceptibility at the Shihmen Reservoir Catchment in Taiwan
Authors: Huang Chuen-Ming , Lee Chyi-Tyi , Jian Liu-Xuan , Wei Lun-Wei , Chu Wei-Chia , Lin Hsi-Hung
Published: April 2022

Machine learning algorithms are commonly employed in landslide susceptibility assessments. Recently, algorithms that utilize artificial intelligence have come into prominence. This study attempts to adapt the most fundamental framework of deep learning and introduces fuzzy theory concepts to analyze landslide susceptibility while updating the network parameters with trial-and-error methods. The final analysis results will compare with those of logistic regression (LR). In order to assess the ability of the model to identify landslides in a more objective way, two typhoon events were used as a training event and a validation event, respectively. The results of the analysis show that the area under the curve (AUC) of the fuzzy neural network (FNN) for the training event is 0.915, but the AUC for the validation event drops to 0.746. Although the results of the FNN for training events were better than those of LR, they did not differ much from those of LR in predicting future events. The reason for this is that the difference between the landslide distributions of the training and validation events is too large, making the model biased in its identification. Overall, FNN is still a recommended method for analyzing landslide potential and can be used as a reference for LR.
Remote Sensing-Based Agricultural Water Accounting for the North Jordan Valley
Authors: Al-Bakri Jawad T. , D’Urso Guido , Batchelor Charles , Abukhalaf Motasem , Alobeiaat Adel , Al-Khreisat Areej , Vallee Domitille
Published: April 2022

Remote sensing can provide important and updated information for agricultural water accounting (AWA). In this study, data from the open-access portal (WaPOR) of the Food and Agricultural Organization was used in AWA to assess levels of agricultural water consumption and to provide possible solutions for water deficiency in the North Jordan Valley (NJV). Consolidated procedures have been applied to complement and validate the WaPOR products. These included the use of climatic and ground data, the multispectral remote-sensing data of Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 to derive land use/cover maps, GIS layers, and calibrated evapotranspiration (ET) estimates using the surface energy balance algorithm for land (SEBAL). The data of water inflows and outflows were analyzed using the water accounting plus (WA+) system. Results showed that the WaPOR data of actual ET and interception (AETI) were highly correlated with SEBAL-ET, with WaPOR data overestimating ET for irrigated areas. Precipitation data from WaPOR, on the other hand, were underestimating inflow from rainfall, although significant correlations were observed between these data and rainfall records. As a result, the quality of WaPOR data affected the outputs from agricultural water accounting. The main impact on water accounting outputs was the underestimation of percolated water that could be utilized as a possible solution to water deficiency in the NJV. In addition, the water accounting performance indicators were relatively affected, although they reflected the nature of the study area where water deficiency predominated as a result of inter-basin transfer. The study compared outputs from water accounting in terms of the possible solutions to water deficiency in the NJV and concluded that considerable amounts of recoverable water could be developed when compared with the option of developing surface water from the side wadis. Also, it emphasized the important role of remote-sensing sources for providing information for AWA needed for improved water management and governance.
Quantitative Assessment of Climatic and Reservoir-Induced Effects on River Water Temperature Using Bayesian Network-Based Approach
Authors: Xu Pengcheng , Li Fan , Wang Yuankun , Qiu Jianchun , Singh Vijay P. , Zhang Changsheng
Published: April 2022

River flow regulations and thermal regimes have been altered by human-induced interventions (such as dam construction) or climate change (such as air temperature variations). It is of great significance to adopt a well-performed data-driven model to accurately quantify the impact of human-induced interventions or climate change over river water temperature (WT), which can help understand the underlying evolution mechanism of the river thermal regimes by dam operation or climate change. This research applied the Bayesian network-based model (BNM), which can easily identify inherently stronger associated variables with a target variable from multiple influencing variables to predict the daily WT and make a quantitative assessment of the effect produced by Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) construction in the Yangtze River, China. A comparative study between the proposed model and two other models was implemented to verify the predicted accuracy of the BNM. With the help of the BNM model, the impact of reservoir impoundment over water temperature was quantitatively analyzed by calculating the difference between reconstructed water temperature series and observed series during the post-TGR period. The construction of the TGR posed more impact on variations in WT than the impact induced by the climate change according to results. The effect of TGR on WT can be concluded as follows: WT from October to January in post-TGR showed a remarkable warming tendency and an increase in released warmer water volumes than before, while WT showed a cooling tendency during March to June because of the hysteretic effect of WT response to increasing air temperature. The proposed BNM model shows great potential for WT prediction and ecological risk management of rivers.
Principles and Technical Application of Mixing Zones for Wastewater Discharges to Freshwater and Marine Environments
Authors: Campos Carlos J. A. , Morrisey Donald J. , Barter Paul
Published: April 2022

A discharge mixing zone (DMZ) is a defined geographical area or volume of water in the receiving environment of a discharge where initial dilution of the effluent occurs and where exceedance of water quality criteria may be permitted. DMZs are essential to inform determination of discharge consent conditions and an important element of risk management frameworks to reduce any effects of the discharges on the environment and human health. In this review, we describe the principles and technical application of DMZs. We present an overview of the physical processes that govern the dispersion and dilution of wastewater discharges and the fate of contaminants in coastal environments and define key criteria for determining the size of DMZs. We summarize DMZ requirements in international legislation and guidance and exemplify their application to different types of discharges by means of case studies. The selected case studies illustrate different modelling tools for defining DMZs and different monitoring approaches to assess their effectiveness in achieving ecological and human health objectives.
The Coupling Response between Different Bacterial Metabolic Functions in Water and Sediment Improve the Ability to Mitigate Climate Change
Authors: Shi Penglan , Wang Huan , Feng Mingjun , Cheng Haowu , Yang Qian , Yan Yifeng , Xu Jun , Zhang Min
Published: April 2022

Extreme climatic events, such as heat wave and large temperature fluctuations, are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity during the next hundred years, which may rapidly alter the composition and function of lake bacterial communities. Here, we conducted a year-long experiment to explore the effect of warming on bacterial metabolic function of lake water and sediment. Predictions of the metabolic capabilities of these communities were performed with FAPROTAX using 16S rRNA sequencing data. The results indicated that the increase in temperature changed the structure of bacterial metabolic functional groups in water and sediment. During periods of low temperature, the carbon degradation pathway decreased, and the synthesis pathway increased, under the stimulation of warming, especially under the conditions temperature fluctuation. We also observed that nitrogen fixation ability was especially important in the warming treatments during the summer season. However, an elevated temperature significantly led to reduced nitrogen fixation abilities in winter. Compared with the water column, the most predominant functional groups of nitrogen cycle in sediment were nitrite oxidation and nitrification. Variable warming significantly promoted nitrite oxidation and nitrification function in winter, and constant warming was significantly inhibited in spring, with control in sediments. Co-occurrence network results showed that warming, especially variable warming, made microbial co-occurrence networks larger, more connected and less modular, and eventually functional groups in the water column and sediment cooperated to resist warming. We concluded that warming changed bacterial functional potentials important to the biogeochemical cycling in the experimental mesocosms in winter and spring with low temperature. The effect of different bacteria metabolism functions in water column and sediment may change the carbon and nitrogen fluxes in aquatic ecosystems. In conclusion, the coupling response between different bacterial metabolic functions in water and sediment may improve the ability to mitigate climate change.
Sustainable Catchment-Wide Flood Management: A Review of the Terminology and Application of Sustainable Catchment Flood Management Techniques in the UK
Authors: Lashford Craig , Lavers Tom , Reaney Sim , Charlesworth Susanne , Burgess-Gamble Lydia , Dale Jonathan
Published: April 2022

Climate change has seen increased pressures put on the existing ageing flood mitigation infrastructure. As a result, over recent decades there has been a shift from traditional hard-engineered approaches to flooding to more sustainable methods that utilise nature-based processes in order to slow flow, store water and increase infiltration. Doing so has resulted in a range of different nomenclature for such techniques, particularly in the rural environment. This paper takes a critical review of such terms to draw parallels in the different approaches, with the aim of developing a more unified, consistent approach to flood management. Furthermore, links have been drawn with the urban environment, where Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are used as a sustainable approach to urban flooding. The findings from this review have identified a series of issues that result from the current UK approach of differentiating between urban and rural flood risk, with funding often given for Natural Flood Management (NFM) projects separately to SuDS, with little integrated thinking from source to sea. Hence, the review suggests (1) a greater consideration of scale, focusing on the catchment as a whole, is required to ensure a more holistic approach to flood management, under the phrase “sustainable catchment-wide flood management”, to ensure that the focus shifts from NFM (rural) and SuDS (urban), to a more integrated catchment-wide approach; (2) the development of robust policy and regulatory framework, to ensure that such an approach is more widely adopted; (3) a greater consideration of the long-term costs is also required, with future research needed on the long-term maintenance costs of different methods; (4) the development of modelling approaches that can simulate flow at a range of spatial and temporal scales, to support stakeholders, such as local authorities, flood risk engineers and government agencies when considering flow not only in rural areas, but also to understand the impact beyond the immediate area around the scheme.
Sustainable Modification of Polyethersulfone Membrane with Poly(Maleic Anhydride-Co-Glycerol) as Novel Copolymer
Authors: Al Hachim Zainab Safaa , Ridha Ali Mousa , AL-Baiati Mohammad N. , Alsalhy Qusay F. , Majdi Hasan Shakir
Published: April 2022

This work presented an endeavour to fabricate sustainable and eco-friendly polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration membranes. A novel and graft copolymer (Poly(Maleic Anhydride-Co-Glycerol)) (PMG) have been synthesized via a facile and rapid route to impart their hydrophilic features onto the final PES membrane. A series of characterization tools, for both nanoadditives and nanocomposite membranes, have been harnessed to confirm their successful fabrication processes. These include Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and contact angle measurements (CA). Results disclosed the successful synthesis of PMG nanoparticles that manifested a smooth homogenous surface with an average molecular size of 88.07 nm. The nanocomposite membrane structure has witnessed a gradual development upon each increment in the nanoparticle content ratio along with relatively thicker pore walls. The size and shape of figure-like micropores exhibited critical visible structural changes following the nanoadditive incorporation into the PES polymeric matrix. For the nanocomposite membrane, the SEM imaging indicated that a thicker active layer and less finger-like micropores were formed at higher PMG NP content within the membrane matrix. Hydrophilicity measurements disclosed a reversible correlation with the NP content where the CA angle value was at a minimum at the higher PMG loading content. Compared to the pristine membrane, a considerable enhancement in the performance of the modified membranes was witnessed. The membrane prepared using 2.5 g PMGNPs showcased six times higher pure water flux than neat PES membrane and maintained the highest retention (98%) against BSA protein solution. Additionally, the nanocomposite revealed promising antifouling and self-cleaning characteristics.
Benefit Sharing in Hydropower Development: A Model Using Game Theory and Cost–Benefit Analysis
Authors: Liu Bingwen , Yao Kaiwen , Wang Feilong , Chi Xu , Gong Yichun
Published: April 2022

Globally, hydropower is one of the most important energy sources, but its development often entails population displacement. Traditional economics cannot fundamentally resolve disputes over relocation compensation. In the present study, we use the game theory to model the relationship between stakeholders. The main issue is the distribution of benefits between hydropower developers and the affected population. To distribute benefits more fairly and rationally, we model the benefits and costs for the developers and the affected people over the full life cycle of the project, consider the affected people as project investors, adjust benefit distribution based on the internal rate of return, and assess the rationality of the resulting plan. Under this benefit-sharing model, hydropower developers and affected people can share benefits and risks, effectively eliminate conflicts, and ensure project success. The model provides guidance for the formulation of compensation for affected people, and a new paradigm for the study of benefit-sharing mechanisms for hydropower development.
Transport of Potentially Toxic Elements in Solid Particulate Matter during Flash Flood Events in Upper and Lower Stretch of the Sava River
Authors: Zuliani Tea , Vidmar Janja , Ščančar Janez , Kolarević Margareta Kračun , Kolarević Stoimir , Paunović Momir , Milačič Radmila
Published: April 2022

During extreme hydrological conditions such as flood events, sediments and alluvial soils may become re-suspended. As a consequence, the concentration of solid particulate matter (SPM) in the water column increases. As sediments represent a sink for the contaminants, when such perturbation occurs, the toxic substances may be re-dissolved into the water, causing harmful effects to the freshwater habitat. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the release of potentially toxic elements associated to SPM during flash floods. Two sampling sites on the Sava River were chosen: Litija (Slovenia), where the river has still the characteristics of an alpine river, and in Belgrade (Serbia), where Sava is a lowland river with a flat riverbed, slower flow and bigger quantities of fine-grained sediment. The results of the study showed a good correlation between the SPM mass concentration and water level/discharge. At both sampling sites, elevated concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn were determined in SPM, indicating a moderate level of contamination at Litija and a high level at Belgrade. The results demonstrated that during the two investigated flash flood events limited the dissolution of PTE from SPM-bearing particles.
Research on the Asymmetry of Cross-Sectional Shape and Water and Sediment Distribution in Wandering Channel
Authors: Xu Linjuan , Jiang Enhui , Zhao Lianjun , Li Junhua , Zhao Wanjie , Zhang Mingwu
Published: April 2022

The construction of a river regulation project has changed the cross-sectional shape of a river and significantly impacted the evolution of the river regime. In this paper, an asymmetry index was proposed to characterize the changes in the shape of the river cross-section and the distribution of water and sediment factors. According to the transverse distribution formula of the river section and water and sediment factors, the asymmetry of the cross-sectional shape as well as water and sediment factors along with the transverse distribution in the wandering reach of the lower Yellow River before and after the construction project was calculated, respectively. The results showed that the cross-sectional shape of the river channel before and after the building was asymmetric, and the cross-sectional shape of the river channel after the construction was more asymmetric than that of the free development channel without engineering constraints; at the same time, under the action of a limited control boundary, the asymmetry of cross-section flow velocity and sediment concentration and other water and sediment factors along the transverse distribution were more prominent, the flow velocity and sediment concentration along the transverse distribution increased, the river flow was more concentrated, and the sediment transport capacity of the channel improved significantly under a large flow (5000 m3/s). This study revealed the positive effect of river regulation projects on the river regime evolution of the wandering river and provided new ideas for the study of river regime evolution.
Sluice Gate Design and Calibration: Simplified Models to Distinguish Flow Conditions and Estimate Discharge Coefficient and Flow Rate
Authors: Yoosefdoost Arash , Lubitz William David
Published: April 2022

Sluice gates are common hydraulic structures for controlling and regulating flow in open channels. This study investigates five models’ performance in distinguishing conditions of flow regimes, estimating the discharge coefficient (Cd) and flow rate. Experiments were conducted for different gate openings, flow rates, upstream and downstream conditions. New equation forms and methods are proposed to determine Cd for energy–momentum considering losses (EML) and HEC-RAS models. For distinguishing the flow regimes, results indicated a reasonable performance for energy–momentum (EM), EML, and Swamee’s models. For flow rate and discharge coefficient performance of EM, EML, and Henry’s models in free flow and for EM and EML in submerged flow were reasonable. The effects of physical scale on models were investigated. There were concerns about the generality and accuracy of Swamee’s model. Scaling effects were observed on loss factor k in EML. A new equation and method were proposed to calibrate k that improved the EML model’s accuracy. This study facilitates the application and analysis of the studied models for the design or calibration of sluice gates and where the flow in open channels needs to be controlled or measured using sluice gates such as irrigation channels or water delivery channels of small run-of-river hydropower plants.
Probabilistic Approach to Determine the Spatial Distribution of the Antecedent Moisture Conditions for Different Return Periods in the Atlántico Region, Colombia
Authors: Salgado-Cassiani Julio Jose , Coronado-Hernández Oscar E. , Gatica Gustavo , Linfati Rodrigo , Coronado-Hernández Jairo R.
Published: April 2022

Previous soil moisture conditions play an important role in the design of hydraulic structures because they are directly related to the runoff threshold associated with a return period. These represent one of the main determinants of the runoff response of a drainage basin. One of the main difficulties facing hydrologists in Colombia lies in the time spent gathering and analyzing information related to the selection of antecedent moisture conditions. In this study, complete records from 19 rainfall stations located in the Atlántico region, Colombia, were used to analyze the cumulative precipitation during the 5 days prior to the annual maximum daily precipitation associated with different return periods using the Gev, Gumbel, Pearson Type III and Log Pearson Type III probability distributions. Different interpolation methods (IDW, kriging and spline) were applied to evaluate the spatial distribution of the antecedent moisture conditions. The main contribution of this research is establishing, using a probabilistic approach, the behavior of antecedent moisture conditions in a particular region, which can be used by engineers and designers to plan water infrastructure. This probabilistic approach was applied to a case study of the Atlántico region, Colombia, where the spatial distribution of antecedent moisture conditions was calculated for several return periods. The results indicate that the better results were obtained with the IDW interpolation method, and the Pearson Type III and Gumbel distributions also showed the best fits based on the Akaike criterion.
Institutional Determinants of Carbon Financial Accounting Practices
Authors: Kashyap Varsha , Hooks Jill , Rahman Asheq , Uddin Bhuiyan Md. Borhan
Published: April 2022

This paper investigates how and why firms affected by Emissions Trading Schemes (ETSs) are financially accounting for carbon in a voluntary setting. Using institutional theory, the authors seek to identify the determinants of a firm’s decision to adopt a particular carbon financial accounting practice. We identify the recognition and measurement practices for carbon-emission allowances using data gathered from the annual reports of ETS-affected firms in Australia. These practices are identified in the five stages of carbon-emission allowance transactions, namely, when these are: (1) received for free, (2) purchased, (3) used, (4) sold, and (5) surrendered. Inconsistencies in carbon financial accounting practices are observed. The findings reveal that carbon-emission allowances are recorded as intangible assets, but most firms provide incomplete information on their carbon financial accounting practices. Firms also exhibit inconsistencies in specifying how they are ‘recognising’ and ‘measuring’ carbon-emission allowances. The results provide evidence of coercive (regulation) and mimetic (size, leverage, and listing status) pressures being the main determinants of carbon financial accounting practice.
Integrating Nutrition Actions in Service Delivery: The Practices of Frontline Workers in Uganda
Authors: Namugumya Brenda Shenute , Candel Jeroen J.L. , Talsma Elise F. , Termeer Catrien J.A.M. , Harris Jody
Published: April 2022

Background: Integrating nutrition actions into service delivery in different policy sectors is an increasing concern. Nutrition literature recognizes the discrepancies existing between policies as adopted and actual service delivery. This study applies a street-level bureaucracy (SLB) perspective to understand frontline workers’ practices that enact or impede nutrition integration in services and the conditions galvanizing them. Methods: This qualitative exploratory study assesses the contextual conditions and practices of 45 frontline workers employed by the agriculture, health and community development departments in two Ugandan districts. Results: Frontline workers incur different demands and resources arising at societal, organizational, and individual level. Hence, they adopt nine co-existing practices that ultimately shape nutrition service delivery. Nutrition integration is accomplished through: (1) ritualizing task performance; (2) bundling with established services; (3) scheduling services on a specific day; and (4) piggybacking on services in other domains. Disintegration results from (5) non-involvement and (6) shifting blame to other entities. Other practices display both integrative and disintegrative effects: (7) creaming off citizens; (8) down prioritization by fixating on a few nutrition actions; and (9) following the bureaucratic ‘jobs worth’. Integrative practices are driven mostly by donors. Conclusion: Understanding frontline workers’ practices is crucial for identifying policy solutions to sustain nutrition improvements. Sustaining services beyond timebound projects necessitates institutionalizing demands and resources within government systems. Interventions to facilitate effective nutrition service delivery should strengthen the integrative capacities of actors across different government levels. This includes investing in integrative leadership, facilitating frontline workers across sectors to provide nutrition services, and adjusting the nutrition monitoring systems to capture cross-sector data and support policy learning.
Understanding Factors That Support Community Health Worker Motivation, Job Satisfaction, and Performance in Three Ugandan Districts: Opportunities for Strengthening Uganda’s Community Health Worker Program
Authors: Pandya Shivani , Hamal Mukesh , Abuya Timothy , Kintu Richard , Mwanga Daniel , Warren Charlotte E. , Agarwal Smisha
Published: April 2022

Background: Uganda’s community health worker (CHW) program experiences several challenges related to the appropriate motivation, job satisfaction, and performance of the CHW workforce. This study aims to identify barriers in the effective implementation of financial and non-financial incentives to support CHWs and to strengthen Uganda’s CHW program. Methods: The study was implemented in Uganda’s Lira, Wakiso, and Mayuge districts in May 2019. Ten focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with 91 CHWs, 17 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were held with CHW supervisors, and 7 IDIs were held with policy-level stakeholders. Participants included stakeholders from both the Ugandan government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Utilizing a thematic approach, themes around motivation, job satisfaction, incentive preferences, and CHW relationships with the community, healthcare facilities, and government were analyzed. Results: CHWs identified a range of factors that contributed to their motivation or demotivation. Non-monetary factors included recognition from the health system and community, access to transportation, methods for identification as a healthcare worker, provision of working tools, and training opportunities. Monetary factors included access to monthly stipends, transportation-related refunds, and timely payment systems to reduce refund delays to CHWs. Additionally, CHWs indicated wanting to be considered for recruitment into the now-halted rollout of a salaried CHW cadre, given the provision of payment. Conclusion: It is imperative to consider how to best support the current CHW program prior to the introduction of new cadres, as it can serve to exacerbate tensions between cadres and further undermine provision of community health. Providing a harmonized, balanced, and uniform combination of both monetary incentives with non-monetary incentives is vital for effective CHW programs.
Manajemen Laba Melalui Islamic Corporate Governance sebagai Pemoderasi pada Bank Umum Syariah: Capital, Asset Quality, Management, Earnings, Liquidity
Authors: Rahmalina Anisa
Published: April 2022

This study aims to determine how the influence of earnings management through Islamic corporate governance as a moderating variable in Islamic commercial banks registered with the OJK: Capital, Asset Quality, Management, Earnings, Liquidity.The sampling technique used was the purposive sampling method. This research uses quantitative research with secondary data in the form of panels. The sample used was 12 Islamic commercial banks for the 2016-2020 period, Based on the results of the first hypothesis test from the partial regression results, it shows that capital has a significant effect on earnings management. The second hypothesis shows that Asset Quality has a significant effect on earnings management. The third hypothesis shows that management has no significant effect on earnings management. The fourth hypothesis shows that Earnings has a significant effect on earnings management. The fifth hypothesis shows that liquidity has no significant effect on earnings management. The sixth hypothesis shows that Islamic Corporate Governance is able to moderate the positive and significant influence of Capital on Earnings Management. The seventh hypothesis shows that Islamic Corporate Governance is able to moderate the positive and significant influence of Asset Quality on Earnings Management. The eighth hypothesis shows that Islamic Corporate Governance is not able to moderate the positive and significant influence of Management on Earnings Management. Hypothesis nine shows that Islamic Corporate Governance is not able to moderate the positive and significant effect of Earnings on Earnings Management. Hypothesis nine shows that Islamic Corporate Governance is not able to moderate the positive and significant effect of Liquidity on Earnings Management.
Preferensi Risiko sebagai Pemoderasi: Sanksi Perpajakan, Pelayanan Fiskus, Sikap Rasional terhadap Kepatuhan Wajib Pajak
Authors: Sitorus Fathdry Lewis
Published: April 2022

Tujuan Penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui Sanksi Perpajakan, Pelayanan Fiskus, Sikap Rasional Terhadap Kepatuhan Wajib Pajak dan apakah Preferensi Risiko mampu Memoderasi Sanksi Perpajakan, Pelayanan Fiskus, Sikap Rasional terhadap Kepatuhan Wajib Pajak orang pribadi. metode pengumpulan data melalui kuesioner, dengan sampel 100 responden wajib pajak orang pribadi yang terdaftar di KPP Pratama Padang Satu. Metode analisis yang digunakan adalah analisis regresi linear berganda dan moderated regresion analysis (MRA) dengan menggunakan SPSS 22. Hasil yang didapat secara parsial (uji-t) adalah sanksi perpajakan berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak, sedangkan pelayanan fiskus dan sikap rasional tidak berpengaruh dan tidak signifikan terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak. Preferensi risiko tidak mampu memoderasi Pengaruh sanksi perpajakan, pelayana fiskus, dan sikap rasional terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak
Profitabilitas sebagai Pemoderasi Pengaruh Corporate Governance, Leverage Terhadap Nilai Perusahaan
Authors: Hidayat Rahmat
Published: April 2022

Penelitian ini adalah untuk menguji profitabilitas sebagai pemoderasi pengaruh corporate governance,leverage terhadap nilai perusahaan pada perusahaan yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia. Metode penentuan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan metode purposive sampling sehingga dari 184 populasi diperoleh sampel sebanyak 45 perusahaan. Data pada penelitian ini di analisis dengan teknik analisis regresi linear berganda. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa leverage dan profitabilitas secara parsial berpengaruh signifikan terhadap nilai perusahaan sedangkan kepemilikan manajeral tidak berpengaruh signifikan secara parsial terhadap nilai perusahaan. Profitabilitas yang dimoderasi oleh nilai perusahaan berpengaruh signifikan terhadap nilai perusahaan, sedangkan leverage yang dimoderasi oleh profitabilitas tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap nilai perusahaan.