bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Machine Learning to Predict Visitors to Totally Protected Areas in Sarawak, Malaysia
Authors: Abang Abdurahman Abang Zainoren , Wan Yaacob Wan Fairos , Md Nasir Syerina Azlin , Jaya Serah , Mokhtar Suhaili
Published: February 2022

The machine learning approach has been widely used in many areas of studies, including the tourism sector. It can offer powerful estimation for prediction. With a growing number of tourism activities, there is a need to predict tourists’ classification for monitoring, decision making, and planning formulation. This paper aims to predict visitors to totally protected areas in Sarawak using machine learning techniques. The prediction model developed would be able to identify significant factors affecting local and foreign visitors to these areas. Several machine learning techniques such as k-NN, Naive Bayes, and Decision Tree were used to predict whether local and foreign visitors’ arrival was high, medium, or low to these totally protected areas in Sarawak, Malaysia. The data of local and foreign visitors’ arrival to eighteen totally protected areas covering national parks, nature reserves, and wildlife centers in Sarawak, Malaysia, from 2015 to 2019 were used in this study. Variables such as the age of the park, distance from the nearest city, types of the park, recreation services availability, natural characteristics availability, and types of connectivity were used in the model. Based on the accuracy measure, precision, and recall, results show Decision Tree (Gain Ratio) exhibited the best prediction performance for both local visitors (accuracy = 80.65) and foreign visitors (accuracy = 84.35%). Distance to the nearest city and size of the park were found to be the most important predictors in predicting the local tourist visitors’ park classification, while for foreign visitors, age, type of park, and the natural characteristics availability were the significant predictors in predicting the foreign tourist visitors’ parks classification. This study exemplifies that machine learning has respectable potential for the prediction of visitors’ data. Future research should consider bagging and boosting algorithms to develop a visitors’ prediction model.
COVID-19 in the Workplace in Indonesia
Authors: Lestari Fatma , Cook Margaret , Johnstone Kelly , Wardhany Miranda Surya , Modjo Robiana , Widanarko Baiduri , Octaviani Devie Fitri
Published: February 2022

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a pandemic because of its worldwide spread. The COVID-19 pandemic does not only impact public health but also the operations of businesses and workers’ safety in their workplace. The objectives of this study were to provide a broad perspective of COVID-19 prevention and control implementation in industries, investigate barriers and challenges as well as drivers in implementing COVID-19 prevention and control, and provide key recommendations to the policy makers regarding COVID-19 prevention and control in industries. This study was conducted through online interviews with selected organizations in various industries which were selected by the granting body, including agriculture and animal husbandry; construction; manufacturing; and logistic and goods transportation. It also involved policy makers from government agencies including the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Health, Indonesian Safety and Health Council, International Labor Organization, and Indonesian COVID-19 Task Force. The participants of this study were chosen using convenience sampling. The findings of this study indicate that health protocols are implemented to varying degrees in companies, both within and across the sectors, and that drivers to comply with the Health Protocols include compliance, business continuity, and top management commitment. The significant barriers and challenges include a perceived lack of clear direction from the government, rapid changes in directives’, poor worker awareness, and limited organizational resources. The key recommendations to the policy maker include harmonization of the guidelines and legislation, additional schemes to provide funding in the COVID-19 prevention and control implementation, as well as facilitate the ongoing education of the general working public.
Chemical and Microbiological Assessment of Wastewater Discharged along the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Hassen Wafa , Mehri Ines , Beltifa Asma , Giorgia Potortì Angela , Khellaf Nabila , Amer Ranya , Van Loco Joris , Hassen Abdennaceur , Di Bella Giuseppa , Khdary Nezar H. , Ben Mansour Hedi
Published: February 2022

The large discharges of wastewater in different natural receiving environments, particularly the marine environment, have massively contributed to pollution. This study examined the physicochemical and microbiological quality of wastewater discharged along the Mediterranean Sea. This investigation is one of the few works carried out by scientists along with the Mediterranean countries. Wastewater sampling was carried out in Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Italy. Analyses confirmed that the quality of treated wastewater was always better than the ones registered as raw wastewater. In addition, the quality of the treated wastewater and seawater appeared to be adequate and satisfied the standard and recommended limits in vigor in all these Mediterranean countries. These results showed that the wastewater treatment process used in Italy allowed a higher reduction in most tested parameters (COD: 80.44%, BOD5: 58.9%, OM: 70.74%, TOC: 78.4%). The bacteriological quality of these waters and their diversification was assessed by the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) technique. Firmicutes, Gamma-Proteobacteria, and Beta-Proteobacteria in 42% of the DGGE DNA bands, and predominately some lineages affiliated to cultivable and non-cultivable clones of Bacteroides (58%), were found. The examination of antibiotic susceptibility at the level of 18 strains isolated from various arbitrary water samples showed that most of these isolates exhibited resistance to at least one antibiotic family, and 11 isolates exhibited 100% resistance against aztreonam. This result confirms the large antibiotic-resistance spreading and circulation registered these last decades in the natural environment, conditioned by the extensive and non-controlled use of antibiotics for human therapy and animal feeding.
Governance in the Italian Processed Tomato Value Chain: The Case for an Interbranch Organisation
Authors: Samoggia Antonella , Monticone Francesca , Esposito Gianandrea
Published: February 2022

Collective action among producers is a corrective measure for power imbalance, which affects primary producers in agro-food supply chains. As associations of producers and processors, Interbranch Organisations (IBOs) promote dialogue, best practice, and market transparency. However, interbranch cooperation is still a less explored subject in agro-food governance studies. Therefore, the present paper aims to analyse the role of IBO North Italy for Processing Tomato (IBO NIPT) in the governance of the processed tomato value chain. The IBO for Processing Tomatoes of Northern Italy was chosen as a case study as it is one of the eight recognized IBOs in the country and Italy is the third biggest producer of tomatoes for processing worldwide. Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in the processed tomato value chain were carried out to reach this aim. Abridged transcripts were analysed through thematic analysis by two or three researchers. The present study has three research steps: first, to explore the history of the IBO NIPT; second, to explore its current role as collective institution acting towards power imbalances; third, the IBO’s role in reference price streamlining. A multi-theoretical approach based on the following three theoretical frameworks was used to analyse the interviews: New Institutional Economics (NIE); Devaux’s framework for collective action; and Transaction Cost Economics. The paper highlights the role of local institutions in bringing innovations in the food supply chain and suggests that the future of IBOs in Italy has to be expanded beyond reference price streamlining and could benefit from the cooperation of retailers.
The Recent Progress China Has Made in High-Concentration Backfill
Authors: Li Shuai , Yu Zheng , Yu Haoxuan , Wang Xinmin
Published: February 2022

With the development of science and technology, backfill technology has made continuous progress, and the traditional backfill method is no longer suitable for various complicated practical engineering situations. Therefore, researchers in the field of backfill mining have gradually shifted their research focus to the study of high-concentration backfill, and Chinese researchers are no exception. In order to solve the problems caused by the traditional backfill method, China began to vigorously develop high-concentration backfill in recent years, and achieved a lot of results. In this paper, some important achievements made by Chinese researchers on high-concentration backfill in recent years are reviewed; it also presents a summary report of the latest research results from several key laboratories across China. Therefore, this paper reviews the development progress of high-concentration backfill China has made, of which the main contents include: (1) research progress of the high-concentration backfill theory in China; and (2) research progress of high-concentration backfill equipment in China. Finally, we claim that this paper serves just as a guide to start a conversation, and we hope many more experts and scholars will be interested and engage in the research of this field.
Downscaling Food System for the ‘Public City’ Regeneration—An Experience of Social Agriculture in Trieste
Authors: Basso Sara , Biagi Paola Di , Crupi Valentina
Published: February 2022

The relationship between food and cities has been recognized as an area of interest for urban planning only recently, thanks to measures adopted at various government levels, locally and internationally. Rethinking the processes of food production, distribution, sale, consumption and recycling in a sustainable and socially equitable way can contribute to making cities fairer, healthier and more resilient to climate change. Starting from these premises, our contribution explores, in particular, the hypothesis that rethinking the relationship between food and urban space can provide an opportunity to promote socio-spatial regeneration processes of public housing neighbourhoods, through projects and actions that involve their inhabitants. This hypothesis is argued starting from a project experience developed in Borgo San Sergio, a district of Trieste, Italy, which aims to consolidate and enhance practices of cultivation and distribution of food, but also of environmental education. The aim of the project is to create a short supply chain in which social agricultural enterprises are involved. The critical reflection stemming from the case study outlines some possible fields of intervention for an urban planning practice aimed at bringing the food system back to an urban and local scale—downscaling—with social and environmental justice goals consistent with the European Green Deal.
Optimization for Feeder Bus Route Model Design with Station Transfer
Authors: Cao Yi , Jiang Dandan , Wang Shan
Published: February 2022

To fully take the advantages of conventional bus and subway, and to maximize the overall feeder efficiency of the public transport system, the topic of feeder bus route optimization is studied in this paper. Considering the origin destination demand of passenger flow between subway stations and bus stations and transfer characteristics, the objective function is established with the minimum sum of bus operation cost and passenger travel cost. Taking into account the integrity of the feeder bus route, the rationality of the route, the route capacity and the station transfer factors, the constraints of the optimization model are constructed. Based on the idea of the genetic algorithm, the solution algorithm of the optimization model is developed. The genetic algorithm and enumeration algorithm are used to solve the optimization of the feeder bus route in this case, and the accuracy and efficiency of the solution are analyzed. The influence of the number of feeder bus routes on the system in the case network is compared and discussed. We compare and analyze the differences between the original bus network and the feeder bus network in terms of bus operation cost, passenger flow demand and total passenger travel cost. The research shows that the model and algorithm can find the approximate optimal solution of the feeder bus network scheme related to the subway through fewer iterations. The number of routes in the model has little impact on the whole feeder system, and the optimization scheme using five routes is effective and reasonable in this paper. Compared with the existing bus network, the optimization scheme has obvious advantages in improving the passenger-carrying rate, reducing the per capita travel cost and improving the overall operation efficiency of the system.
Heavy Metal Distribution in Surface Water and Sediment of Megech River, a Tributary of Lake Tana, Ethiopia
Authors: Engdaw Flipos , Hein Thomas , Beneberu Getachew
Published: February 2022

Excess heavy metal concentrations caused by severe anthropogenic activities are among the major threats of aquatic pollution in developing countries like Ethiopia. So far, there is limited information regarding concentrations of selected toxic heavy metals in the freshwater bodies of northern Ethiopian highlands. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the current status and spatial distributions of heavy metals in water and sediment samples of the Megech River located in the North Gondar zone of the Amhara region from November 2018 to January 2019. Six different sampling sites (M1–M6) were identified based on the anthropogenic influence. A total of 30 water and 30 sediment samples were collected along the course of the river. Results revealed that concentrations of Cu (0.11 to 0.17 mg L−1), Zn (0.11 to 0.16 mg L−1) and Cr (0.03–0.05 mg L−1) in the water were within international guidelines for domestic use. In the sediment, maximum concentrations of heavy metals detected at site M2 were within the recommended sediment quality guideline for aquatic systems. Generally, higher concentrations of heavy metals were observed at sites with higher anthropogenic activity (M2). Therefore, continuous monitoring and seasonal studies with representative samples including benthic organisms and macrophytes are needed to quantify the impact on downstream sections.
An Efficient Algorithm for Solving the Matrix Optimization Problem in the Unsupervised Feature Selection
Authors: Li Chunmei , Wu Wen
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we consider the symmetric matrix optimization problem arising in the process of unsupervised feature selection. By relaxing the orthogonal constraint, this problem is transformed into a constrained symmetric nonnegative matrix optimization problem, and an efficient algorithm is designed to solve it. The convergence theorem of the new algorithm is derived. Finally, some numerical examples show that the new method is feasible. Notably, some simulation experiments in unsupervised feature selection illustrate that our algorithm is more effective than the existing algorithms.
Analytical and Data-Driven Wave Approximations of an Extended Schrödinger Equation
Authors: Klauss Rachel , Phillips Aaron , Vega-Guzmán José M.
Published: February 2022

Using both analytical and numerical techniques, we discuss wave solutions within the framework of an extended nonlinear Schrödinger equation with constant coefficients equipped with spatiotemporal dispersion, self-steepening effects, and a Raman scattering term. We present the exact traveling wave solution of the system in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions and mention some symmetry results as they relate to the resulting ordinary differential equation. A constructed bright soliton solution serves as the base to compare a numerical solution of the system using spectral Fourier methods with a precise statistical low-rank approximation using a data-driven approach aided by the Koopman operator theory. We found that the spatiotemporal feature added to the model serves as a regularizing tool that enables a precise reconstruction of the original solution.
Research on Comparision between Deterministic Method and Uncertain Method for Solving Uncertain Multiobjective Programming
Authors: Zheng Mingfa , Zhong Haitao , Zheng Aoyu , Zhou Lin , Yuan Guoqiang
Published: February 2022

Since there are often few or no samples and asymmetry information in the problems, uncertainty theory is introduced to study uncertain multi-objective programming (UMP), which cannot be solved by probability theory. Generally speaking, there are two types of methods for solving the UMP problem: in deterministic method, using the numerical characteristics of an uncertain variable, the UMP problem is transformed into a deterministic multiobjective programming, and then solved by the weighting method and ideal point method; in the uncertain method, the UMP problem is transformed into an uncertain single-objective programming, and then is solved by the evaluation criteria of the uncertain variables. The theoretical analysis and the data results for numerical examples solved by the AC algorithm designed in the paper show that the two types of methods are obviously different. Further, using this comparison, the essential difference between the two methods is whether the uncertainty relation between objective functions sholud be considered. Therefore, when the uncertainty relation is closely related, the uncertain method is more appropriate; otherwise, the deterministic method should be chosen.
Nuclear Potentials Relevant to the Symmetry Energy in Chiral Models
Authors: Li Niu , Wei Si-Na , Jiang Wei-Zhou
Published: February 2022

We employ the extended Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL), linear-σ models, and the density-dependent model with chiral limits to work out the mean fields and relevant properties of nuclear matter. To have the constraint from the data, we re-examine the Dirac optical potentials and symmetry potential based on the relativistic impulse approximation (RIA). Unlike the extended NJL and the density-dependent models with the chiral limit in terms of the vanishing scalar density, the extended linear-σ model with a sluggish changing scalar field loses the chiral limit at the high-density end. The various scalar fields can characterize the different Schrödinger-equivalent potentials and kinetic symmetry energy in the whole density region and the symmetry potential in the intermediate density region. The drop in the scalar field due to the chiral restoration results in a clear rise of the kinetic symmetry energy. The chiral limit in the models gives rise to the softening of the symmetry potential and thereof the symmetry energy at high densities.
Corepressors SsnF and RcoA Regulate Development and Aflatoxin B1 Biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus NRRL 3357
Authors: Ma Xiaoyun , Jiang Yiran , Ma Longxue , Luo Shujuan , Du Haolan , Li Xu , Xing Fuguo
Published: February 2022

Aspergillus flavus is a saprophytic fungus that can be found across the entire world. It can produce aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), which threatens human health. CreA, as the central factor in carbon catabolite repression (CCR), regulates carbon catabolism and AFB1 biosynthesis in A. flavus. Additionally, SsnF-RcoA are recognized as the corepressors of CreA in CCR. In this study, ssnF and rcoA not only regulated the expressions of CCR factors and hydrolase genes, but also positively affected mycelia growth, conidia production, sclerotia formation, and osmotic stress response in A. flavus. More importantly, SsnF and RcoA were identified as positive regulators for AFB1 biosynthesis, as they modulate the AF cluster genes and the relevant regulators at a transcriptional level. Additionally, the interactions of SsnF-CreA and RcoA-CreA were strong and moderate, respectively. However, the interaction of SsnF and RcoA was weak. The interaction models of CreA-SsnF, CreA-RcoA, and SsnF-RcoA were also simulated with a docking analysis. All things considered, SsnF and RcoA are not just the critical regulators of the CCR pathway, but the global regulators involving in morphological development and AFB1 biosynthesis in A. flavus.
Microbiome in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): An Omics Perspective
Authors: Lohia Sonnal , Vlahou Antonia , Zoidakis Jerome
Published: February 2022

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is predominant in 10% of the world’s adult population, and is increasingly considered a silent epidemic. Gut microbiota plays an essential role in maintaining host energy homeostasis and gut epithelial integrity. Alterations in gut microbiota composition, functions and, specifically, production of metabolites causing uremic toxicity are often associated with CKD onset and progression. Here, we present the latest omics (transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) studies that explore the connection between CKD and gut microbiome. A review of the available literature using PubMed was performed using the keywords “microb*”, “kidney”, “proteom”, “metabolom” and “transcript” for the last 10 years, yielding a total of 155 publications. Following selection of the relevant studies (focusing on microbiome in CKD), a predominance of metabolomics (n = 12) over transcriptomics (n = 1) and proteomics (n = 6) analyses was observed. A consensus arises supporting the idea that the uremic toxins produced in the gut cause oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis in the kidney leading to CKD. Collectively, findings include an observed enrichment of Eggerthella lenta, Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium spp., and a depletion in Bacteroides eggerthii, Roseburia faecis and Prevotella spp. occurring in CKD models. Bacterial species involved in butyrate production, indole synthesis and mucin degradation were also related to CKD. Consequently, strong links between CKD and gut microbial dysbiosis suggest potential therapeutic strategies to prevent CKD progression and portray the gut as a promising therapeutic target.
Holistic Approach to Tuberculosis Detection, Treatment and Prevention: Emerging Evidence and Strategies from the Field
Authors: Zafar Ullah Abu Naser , Shrestha Sourya , Malik Amyn A. , Roy Tapash
Published: February 2022

The global fight against tuberculosis (TB) has gained momentum since the adoption of the ‘End TB Strategy’ in 2014 [...]
Street Verge in Transition: A Study of Community Drivers and Local Policy Setting for Urban Greening in Perth, Western Australia
Authors: Hunt Shania , Maher Jeremy , Swapan Mohammad Shahidul Hasan , Zaman Atiq
Published: February 2022

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are regarded as the key policy agenda for national, regional, and local government to combat climate change impacts and promote sustainable development. For example, in Perth and Peel metropolitan area, the capital city of Western Australia, there has been a shift of policy setting from that of a sprawling city to a denser city, while maintaining and promoting its ecosystem services and achieving sustainable city goals. Residential verge gardens have been widely adopted in recent years by communities and local governments in the Perth metropolitan area. This study reviews the motivations and drivers for the uptake of verge gardens in metropolitan suburbs and identifies potential policy responses. The City of Bayswater local government area was surveyed for this research. The study considers a mixed-methods approach, including site auditing and a questionnaire survey for local residents who have transformed their verges. A total of 534 verge gardens were audited on residential lots, and 166 valid questionnaire responses were received from residents. The site-audit of the verge gardens in Bayswater found that native vegetation is the dominant verge garden of choice, followed by the ornamental garden, with food production (plants/vegetables) seeming to be the least popular option. Regarding the motivations and drivers, the study has found that social (e.g., aesthetics, flowers, social interactions, and social mimicry), environmental (e.g., attracting wildlife and birds and environmental practice waterwise garden), and personal (easy maintenance) drivers are the primary motivators for residents to adopt verge gardens. Whilst the on-ground surveys were prior to COVID-19, the article includes how this topic could relate to pandemic-resilient urban spaces. As local governments look towards supporting the sustainable outcome goals, the observations of this study will be helpful for developing local government policy and community programs in the promotion and uptake of verge gardens in Australian cities.
A Comparative Evaluation of the Estimation of Rabies Virus Antibodies among Free-Roaming, Vaccinated Dogs in Bengaluru, India
Authors: Das Lekshmi J. , Isloor Shrikrishna , Santosh Alur Kotrappa , Bhat Avinash , Sharada Ramakrishnaiah , Rathnamma Doddamane , Veeregowda Belamaranahally Muniveerappa , Phaniraj Konanduru Lingappa , Abhijit Kumar Nageshkumar , T. Vanak Abi
Published: February 2022

Vaccination is the practical solution for the prevention of rabies in dogs. Assessment of the immunogenicity of vaccination includes estimation of specific rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (VNA) in the target species. We undertook a study to estimate the levels of VNA in free-roaming dogs with a history of rabies vaccination in Bengaluru city, India. We compared the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) and an in-house quantitative indirect ELISA (iELISA). The study area comprised the jurisdiction of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the Bengaluru civic body. The BBMP, along with several non-government organizations (NGO), were conducting a trap- neuter- vaccinate- release program for the prevention of dog rabies. Serum samples were collected from 250 free-roaming dogs from representative regions of BBMP, of which 125 had a VNA titre of 0.5 IU or more by the RFFIT. Furthermore, 126 dogs showed percent positivity values (PP values) more than the cut off PP value of 57.1 by the iELISA, accounting for 50.4% of satisfactory post-vaccinal serum conversion. The sensitivity and specificity of the iELISA was 94.4% and 95.2%, respectively. Based on these data, a quantitative iELISA may be a complementary tool for sero-monitoring immune responses of free-ranging animals after rabies vaccination.
Viral Infection and Respiratory Exacerbation in Children: Results from a Local German Pediatric Exacerbation Cohort
Authors: Sallard Erwan , Schult Frank , Baehren Carolin , Buedding Eleni , Mboma Olivier , Ahmad-Nejad Parviz , Ghebremedhin Beniam , Ehrhardt Anja , Wirth Stefan , Aydin Malik
Published: February 2022

Respiratory viruses play an important role in asthma exacerbation, and early exposure can be involved in recurrent bronchitis and the development of asthma. The exact mechanism is not fully clarified, and pathogen-to-host interaction studies are warranted to identify biomarkers of exacerbation in the early phase. Only a limited number of international exacerbation cohorts were studied. Here, we have established a local pediatric exacerbation study in Germany consisting of children with asthma or chronic, recurrent bronchitis and analyzed the viriome within the nasopharyngeal swab specimens derived from the entire cohort (n = 141). Interestingly, 41% of exacerbated children had a positive test result for human rhinovirus (HRV)/human enterovirus (HEV), and 14% were positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). HRV was particularly prevalent in asthmatics (56%), wheezers (50%), and atopic (66%) patients. Lymphocytes were decreased in asthmatics and in HRV-infected subjects, and patients allergic to house dust mites were more susceptible to HRV infection. Our study thus confirms HRV infection as a strong ‘biomarker’ of exacerbated asthma. Further longitudinal studies will show the clinical progress of those children with a history of an RSV or HRV infection. Vaccination strategies and novel treatment guidelines against HRV are urgently needed to protect those high-risk children from a serious course of disease.
Yellow Fever: Origin, Epidemiology, Preventive Strategies and Future Prospects
Authors: Gianchecchi Elena , Cianchi Virginia , Torelli Alessandro , Montomoli Emanuele
Published: February 2022

Yellow fever (YF) virus still represents a major threat in low resource countries in both South America and Africa despite the presence of an effective vaccine. YF outbreaks are not only due to insufficient vaccine coverage for insufficient vaccine supply, but also to the increase in people without history of vaccination living in endemic areas. Globalization, continuous population growth, urbanization associated with inadequate public health infrastructure, and climate changes constitute important promoting factors for the spread of this virus to tropical and subtropical areas in mosquito-infested regions capable of spreading the disease. In the present review, we focus on the origin of the virus and its transmission, representing two debated topics throughout the nineteenth century, going deeply into the history of YF vaccines until the development of the vaccine still used nowadays. Besides surveillance, we highlight the urgent need of routine immunization and vaccination campaigns associated to diverse and innovative mosquito control technologies in endemic areas for YF virus in order to minimize the risk of new YF outbreaks and the global burden of YF in the future.
Quantifying Evapotranspiration and Drainage Losses in a Semi-Arid Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) Field with a Dynamic Crop Coefficient (Kc) Derived from Leaf Area Index Measurements
Authors: Eliades Marinos , Bruggeman Adriana , Djuma Hakan , Christofi Christos , Kuells Christoph
Published: February 2022

Quantifying evapotranspiration and drainage losses is essential for improving irrigation efficiency. The FAO-56 is the most popular method for computing crop evapotranspiration. There is, however, a need for locally derived crop coefficients (Kc) with a high temporal resolution to reduce errors in the water balance. The aim of this paper is to introduce a dynamic Kc approach, based on Leaf Area Index (LAI) observations, for improving water balance computations. Soil moisture and meteorological data were collected in a terraced nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) orchard in Cyprus, from 22 March 2019 to 18 November 2021. The Kc was derived as a function of the canopy cover fraction (c), from biweekly in situ LAI measurements. The use of a dynamic Kc resulted in Kc estimates with a bias of 17 mm and a mean absolute error of 0.8 mm. Evapotranspiration (ET) ranged from 41% of the rainfall (P) and irrigation (I) in the wet year (2019) to 57% of P + I in the dry year (2021). Drainage losses from irrigation (DR_I) were 44% of the total irrigation. The irrigation efficiency in the nectarine field could be improved by reducing irrigation amounts and increasing the irrigation frequency. Future studies should focus on improving the dynamic Kc approach by linking LAI field observations with remote sensing observations and by adding ground cover observations.
The Potential of Oxygenates to Increase the Risk of Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Groundwater Contamination
Authors: Eze Michael O. , George Simon C.
Published: February 2022

The Clean Air Act (42 U.S. Code § 7401) is one of the United States of America’s most influential environmental laws. Under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, oxygen-containing organic compounds must be added to some fossil fuels with the goal of combating CO2 and particulate emissions. However, one major implication is the effect of co-solvency on the leaching potentials of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into groundwater. Our research investigated this effect on three groups of recalcitrant PAHs that are present in diesel fuel. Our results reveal that ethanol addition enhances the leaching potentials of these otherwise hydrophobic contaminants, with 10% ethanol (E10) resulting in elution of all the PAHs studied. While 5% ethanol addition to diesel fuel resulted in the elution of an average of 2.5% of all the trimethylnaphthalenes and 6.0% of the C2 alkylphenanthrenes present in diesel fuel, 10% ethanol addition led to the elution of more than 80% of each of the studied trimethylnaphthalene peaks and more than 70% of each of the studied C2 alkylphenanthrene peaks present in diesel fuel. In view of the known mutagenic and carcinogenic risks associated with exposure to PAHs through groundwater contamination, our study highlights the need for energy scientists to carefully consider the environmental and health implications of ethanol-blended innovations holistically. It is not enough to save the atmosphere but ruin the hydrosphere and most importantly, human health.
Estimating the Soil Erosion Response to Land-Use Land-Cover Change Using GIS-Based RUSLE and Remote Sensing: A Case Study of Miyun Reservoir, North China
Authors: Gong Wenfeng , Liu Tiedong , Duan Xuanyu , Sun Yuxin , Zhang Yangyang , Tong Xinyu , Qiu Zixuan
Published: February 2022

Soil erosion by water is a major cause of land degradation. Agricultural practices and many other ecological environmental problems contribute to land degradation worldwide, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. Miyun County, which is located in a mountainous region of North China, is an important natural ecological zone and surface source of drinking water for Beijing and is very vulnerable to soil erosion due to its thin soil layer and human activities. Landsat images from 2003 and 2013 were used to analyze the land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) over this period. The revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to quantify soil loss and to map erosion risk. In addition, the response of soil erosion to LULCC was evaluated. The results showed that the areas under cropland, forest, and water bodies increased over the study period by 66.03, 243.44, and 9.01 km2, respectively. The increase in forested land indicated that the improved ground vegetation cover was due to the implementation of active ecological measures. Between 2003 and 2013, light soil erosion increased by 587.46 km2, and extremely severe soil erosion increased by 9.57 km2. The extents of slight, moderate, severe, and very severe soil erosion, however, decreased by 8.02, 445.21, 142.69, and 1.11 km2, respectively. A total of 57.5% of land with moderate soil erosion has been converted to light soil erosion, which could be highly beneficial for the improvement of vegetation control of soil and water losses. In terms of area, forestland exhibited the greatest increase, while moderate soil erosion exhibited the greatest decrease over the study period. Land-use change led to an alteration in the intensity of soil erosion due to changes or loss of vegetation. The conversion from high intensity soil erosion to low intensity was attributed to the implementation of ecological environmental protection. The results generated from this study may be useful for planners and land-use managers to make appropriate decisions for soil conservation.
Drag Coefficient of Submerged Flexible Vegetation Patches in Gravel Bed Rivers
Authors: Nosrati Kourosh , Afzalimehr Hossein , Sui Jueyi
Published: February 2022

Vegetation patches and strips either along riverbanks or in channel beds are essential for the protection of erosion and sedimentation processes. In the present study, the drag coefficient Cdv of submerged flexible vegetation patches in gravel bed rivers was investigated. A total of 13 vegetation patches with different densities were studied in disparate reaches of the Padena Marbor and Beheshtabad gravel bed rivers in Iran. Water depths, flow velocities, and particle grain sizes around these vegetation patches were collected. The Saint-Venant equation and various empirical equations for estimating the drag coefficient were applied to study hydrodynamics in the presence of vegetation patches under nonuniform flow conditions. Furthermore, the drag coefficient factor of flexible vegetation was used to represent the flexibility of vegetation patches and drag characteristics, which were explored from the perspective of material mechanics. The results showed that the calculated values of Cdv exhibited nonuniform variations with the increase in the Reynolds number along the streamwise direction due to flow nonuniformity. Two effects caused by flexible vegetation patches were observed, namely, the sheltering effect (for Red>580) and blockage effect (for Red<450). In most of the vegetated patches, the sheltering effect was dominant, which reduced the drag coefficient. Finally, a fitting formula was proposed based on the drag coefficient factor and Cauchy number.
Experimental Study on the Kinetics of the Natural Gas Hydration Process with a NiMnGa Micro-/Nanofluid in a Static Suspension System
Authors: Wu Qiong , Lin Nengyu , Li Li , Chen Feng , Zhang Baoyong , Wu Qiang , Xv Xianfu , Wang Xinyan
Published: February 2022

Natural gas is a resource-rich clean energy source, and natural gas hydration technology is a promising method for natural gas storage and transportation at present. To realize the rapid generation of hydrates with a high gas storage capacity, in this paper NiMnGa micro/nanoparticles (NMGs) with different mass fractions (0.1 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%) were prepared with 0.05 wt% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 1 wt% L-tryptophan to form static suspension solutions of gellan gum, and the methane hydration separation kinetics experiments were carried out under the condition of 6.2 MPa for the SDS-NMG-SNG (SNG) and L-tryptophan-NMG-LNG (LNG) systems. The results showed that the induction time of the systems with NMG micro-/nanoparticles was shortened to different degrees and the gas consumption rate was increased. The best effect was achieved in the SNG system with 1 wt% NMG, and the induction time was shortened by 73.6% compared with the SDS-gellan system (SG). The gas consumption rate of the system with L-tryptophan was better than that of the system with SDS, and the best effect was achieved in the system with 2 wt% NMG. The system with 2 wt% NMG had the best effect, and the problem of foam decomposition did not occur. The analysis concluded that NMG has strong mass transfer and phase-change heat absorption properties, which can significantly improve the kinetics of the natural gas hydrate generation process; L-tryptophan can weaken the diffusion resistance of methane molecules in the suspended static solution, further enhancing the mass transfer of the hydrate generation process. These findings will provide new perspectives regarding the application of phase-change micro-/nanoparticles in methane hydrate generation under static conditions.
Characteristics of Infrastructure and Surrounding Geo-Environmental Circumstances Involved in Fatal Incidents Caused by Flash Flooding: Evidence from Greece
Authors: Diakakis Michalis
Published: February 2022

Recent studies have shown that a large portion of flood-associated fatalities are related to the use of vehicles. However, there is limited research on the role of infrastructure and geo-environmental conditions surrounding such incidents. This work exploits a dataset of 40 fatal vehicle-related events caused by flooding in Greece to explore the circumstances, the characteristics of infrastructure and of the surrounding environment and their possible influence in the studied incidents. The results showed that the majority of cases occurred in road segments and river crossings with a variety of design deficiencies related to safety and protection from flooding, including poor signage and lighting as well as the absence of road closures, road barriers and other crucial safety features. In high percentages incidents occurred in isolated/remote sites in rural areas, relatively narrow roads and low quality infrastructure (e.g., ford crossings) with a lack of easy alternate routes and absence of other individuals. In the vast majority of cases, the accidents occurred in small arid catchments drained by ephemeral torrents when experiencing extreme flows. The findings have practical implications as they provide a better understanding of dangerous circumstances and define the high-risk segments of the road, which is helpful in prioritizing and shaping appropriate interventions.
Data-Driven Flood Alert System (FAS) Using Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) to Forecast Flood Stages
Authors: Sanders Will , Li Dongfeng , Li Wenzhao , Fang Zheng N.
Published: February 2022

Heavy rainfall leads to severe flooding problems with catastrophic socio-economic impacts worldwide. Hydrologic forecasting models have been applied to provide alerts of extreme flood events and reduce damage, yet they are still subject to many uncertainties due to the complexity of hydrologic processes and errors in forecasted timing and intensity of the floods. This study demonstrates the efficacy of using eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) as a state-of-the-art machine learning (ML) model to forecast gauge stage levels at a 5-min interval with various look-out time windows. A flood alert system (FAS) built upon the XGBoost models is evaluated by two historical flooding events for a flood-prone watershed in Houston, Texas. The predicted stage values from the FAS are compared with observed values with demonstrating good performance by statistical metrics (RMSE and KGE). This study further compares the performance from two scenarios with different input data settings of the FAS: (1) using the data from the gauges within the study area only and (2) including the data from additional gauges outside of the study area. The results suggest that models that use the gauge information within the study area only (Scenario 1) are sufficient and advantageous in terms of their accuracy in predicting the arrival times of the floods. One of the benefits of the FAS outlined in this study is that the XGBoost-based FAS can run in a continuous mode to automatically detect floods without requiring an external starting trigger to switch on as usually required by the conventional event-based FAS systems. This paper illustrates a data-driven FAS framework as a prototype that stakeholders can utilize solely based on their gauging information for local flood warning and mitigation practices.
The Circular Economy Approach to Improving CNP Ratio in Inland Fishery Wastewater for Increasing Algal Biomass Production
Authors: García-Martínez Janet B. , Sanchez-Tobos Leidy P. , Carvajal-Albarracín Nicolaz A. , Barajas-Solano Andrés Fernando , Barajas-Ferreira Crisostomo , Kafarov Viatcheslav , Zuorro Antonio
Published: February 2022

In this work, the capacity of wastewater from an inland fishery system in Colombia (Norte de Santander) was tested as culture medium for Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp. Due to insufficient N and P concentrations for successful algae growth, the effect of wastewater replenishment with NO3, PO4, and Na2CO3 or NaHCO3 as a carbon source was analyzed using a three-factor nonfactorial response surface design. The results showed that the addition of NaNO3 (0.125 g/L), K2HPO4 (0.075 g/L), KH2PO4 (0.75 g/L), and NaHCO3 (0.5 and 2 g/L for Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp. respectively) significantly increased the biomass of Chlorella sp. (0.87 g/L) and Scenedesmus sp. (0.83 g/L). Although these results show that the addition of other nutrients is not necessary (Na, Mg, SO4, Ca, etc.), it is still essential to determine the quality of the biomass produced in terms of its application as a feed supplement for fish production.
A Combination of Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithms and Machine Learning Methods Improves the Prediction of Groundwater Level
Authors: Kayhomayoon Zahra , Babaeian Faezeh , Ghordoyee Milan Sami , Arya Azar Naser , Berndtsson Ronny
Published: February 2022

Groundwater is a crucial source of water supply in drought conditions, and an auxiliary water source in wet seasons. Due to its increasing importance in view of climate change, predicting groundwater level (GWL) needs to be improved to enhance management. We used adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) to predict the GWL of the Urmia aquifer in northwestern Iran under various input scenarios using precipitation, temperature, groundwater withdrawal, GWL during the previous month, and river flow. In total, 11 input patterns from various combinations of variables were developed. About 70% of the data were used to train the models, while the rest were used for validation. In a second step, several metaheuristic algorithms, such as genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), ant colony optimization for continuous domains (ACOR), and differential evolution (DE) were used to improve the model and, consequently, prediction performance. The results showed that (i) RMSE, MAPE, and NSE of 0.51 m, 0.00037 m, and 0.86, respectively, were obtained for the ANFIS model using all input variables, indicating a rather poor performance, (ii) metaheuristic algorithms were able to optimize the parameters of the ANFIS model in predicting GWL, (iii) the input pattern that included all input variables resulted in the most appropriate performance with RMSE, MAPE, and NSE of 0.28 m, 0.00019 m, and 0.97, respectively, using the ANIFS-ACOR hybrid model, (iv) results of Taylor’s diagram (CC = 0.98, STD = 0.2, and RMSD = 0.30), as well as the scatterplot (R2 = 0.97), showed that best prediction was achieved by ANFIS-ACOR, and (v) temperature and evaporation exerted stronger influence on GWL prediction than groundwater withdrawal and precipitation. The findings of this study reveal that metaheuristic algorithms can significantly improve the performance of the ANFIS model in predicting GWL.
Rainwater Harvesting for Irrigation of Tennis Courts: A Case Study
Authors: Pimentel-Rodrigues Carla , Silva-Afonso Armando
Published: February 2022

It has become evident that, during this century, climate change will continue, affecting all regions of the planet. The expected impacts over the next few decades may differ from region to region, with some areas becoming humid and others drier. In regions such as the Mediterranean basin, the main expected impacts of climate change will be prolonged droughts and an increase in the intensity and frequency of heavy rains. Measures of mitigation and adaptation are particularly important in urban environments, where more than half of the population lives, and rainwater harvesting systems (RWHS) are considered to be a very suitable solution to these problems. However, the published studies have mainly focussed on buildings, with very limited references to the interest of its application in large urban infrastructure. Based on consumption and precipitation data, this article presents a study on the implementation of an RWHS in a large-scale sports infrastructure located in the city of Cascais (Portugal) intended for the practice of tennis, with 12 brick dust fields, some of them covered. The average annual consumption of potable water for watering the tennis courts is 5500 m3, and the results show that the RWHS can reduce this consumption by >50%, in addition to other expected benefits, such as the known effect of these systems in reducing flood peaks in the area.