bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in Molecular Genetic Tools for Babesia
Authors: Hakimi Hassan , Asada Masahito , Kawazu Shin-ichiro
Published: October 2021

Development of in vitro culture and completion of genome sequencing of several Babesia parasites promoted the efforts to establish transfection systems for these parasites to dissect the gene functions. It has been more than a decade since the establishment of first transfection for Babesia bovis, the causative agent of bovine babesiosis. However, the number of genes that were targeted by genetic tools in Babesia parasites is limited. This is partially due to the low efficiencies of these methods. The recent adaptation of CRISPR/Cas9 for genome editing of Babesia bovis can accelerate the efforts for dissecting this parasite’s genome and extend the knowledge on biological aspects of erythrocytic and tick stages of Babesia. Additionally, glmS ribozyme as a conditional knockdown system is available that could be used for the characterization of essential genes. The development of high throughput genetic tools is needed to dissect the function of multigene families, targeting several genes in a specific pathway, and finally genome-wide identification of essential genes to find novel drug targets. In this review, we summarized the current tools that are available for Babesia and the genes that are being targeted by these tools. This may draw a perspective for the future development of genetic tools and pave the way for the identification of novel drugs or vaccine targets.
Dynamic Variations in Infrared Skin Temperature of Weaned Pigs Experimentally Inoculated with the African Swine Fever Virus: A Pilot Study
Authors: Oh Sang-Ik , Lee Hu Suk , Bui Vuong Nghia , Dao Duy Tung , Bui Ngoc Anh , Le Thanh Duy , Kieu Minh Anh , Nguyen Quang Huy , Tran Long Hoang , So Kyoung-Min , Yi Seung-Won , Kim Eunju , Hur Tai-Young
Published: October 2021

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating viral disease in pigs and is therefore economically important for the swine industry. ASF is characterized by a short incubation period and immediate death, making the early identification of ASF-infected pigs essential. This pilot-scale study evaluates whether the infrared thermography (IRT) technique can be used as a diagnostic tool to detect changes in skin temperature (Tsk) during the early stages of disease development in experimentally ASF-infected pigs. Clinical symptoms and rectal temperatures (Tcore) were recorded daily, and IRT readings during the experimental ASF infection were analyzed. All infected pigs died at 5–8 days post inoculation (dpi), and the incubation period was approximately 4 dpi. The average Tcore increased from 0 dpi (38.9 ± 0.3 °C) to 7 dpi (41.0 ± 0.5 °C) and decreased by 8 dpi (39.8 ± 0 °C). The maximum Tsk of ASF-infected pigs increased from 2 (35.0 °C) to 3 dpi (38.5 °C). The mean maximum Tsk observed from three regions on the skin (ear, inguinal, and neck) significantly increased from 2 to 3 dpi. This study presents a non-contact method for the early detection of ASF in infected pigs using thermal imaging at 3 days after ASF infection.
Filtering Effect of Rhinogobio cylindricus Gut Microbiota Relieved Influence of the Three Gorges Dam on the Gut Microbiota Composition
Authors: Chen Xiaojuan , Zhu Qiguang , Yang Zhi , Sun Hang , Zhao Na , Ni Jiajia
Published: October 2021

Fish gut microbiota were potentially influenced by habitat changes. However, the fish gut has been shown to have a filtering effect on habitat microorganisms. Here, we hypothesized that the filtering of fish gut microbiota could counteract the effect of dam construction on the gut microbiota composition. To test this hypothesis, we collected water and Rhinogobio cylindricus individuals from four sampling sites located upstream of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) and analyzed the microbiota composition in the water samples (n = 48) and R. cylindricus gut samples (n = 89) by high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. A total of 6,772,720 (49,435.91 ± 3762.80) high-quality sequences were obtained from 137 samples. The microbiota in the water environment was significantly more diverse than that in the gut of R. cylindricus. The β-diversity of microbiota in the water was significantly lower than that in the gut of R. cylindricus. The water microbiota composition varied greatly according to the distribution of the sampling sites upstream of the TGD, but the gut microbiota of R. cylindricus did not show the same pattern. Rather, the gut microbiota of R. cylindricus were not significantly affected by the TGD. This consistency in the internal tract of R. cylindricus is presumedly a result of a filtering effect on the water microorganisms. Our study furthers our understanding of the stabilization mechanism of the gut microbiota composition of fish and the impact of dams on river ecosystems.
Role of Borate Buffer in Organic Degradation by Peroxymonosulfate in the Presence of Metal Oxides
Authors: Park Saerom , Oh Sungjik , Kim Ilho
Published: October 2021

The effects of borate ions on the reactivity of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) during organic degradation in the presence of metal oxides were examined. The metal oxides exhibited catalytic abilities for the degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) but not for phenol (PN). Scavenging experiments revealed the absence of radical generation during PN degradation in the presence of the various metal oxides and borate buffer. This indicated that the borate buffer hindered the catalytic abilities of the metal oxides for producing radicals via the PMS oxidant, especially during the faster degradation of compounds such as PN. Various concentrations of borate ions were assessed for enabling pH control and permitting catalytic activity. Fe2O3 was found to accelerate and inhibit PN degradation at borate-ion concentrations of 2 mM and 5–20 mM, respectively. Only the 20 mM borate-ion solutions were successful at maintaining the initial pH for 2 d. Phosphate buffer, which was examined as an alternative, also disrupted radical formation but not as considerably as that of the borate ions with metal oxides. This study demonstrates the significance of enabling pH control and permitting the catalytic activity for ensuring the effective use of oxyanions as buffers.
Potential for Biomass Production and Remediation by Cultivation of the Marine Model Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum in Oil Field Produced Wastewater Media
Authors: Gillard Jeroen T. F. , Hernandez Alexander L. , Contreras Javier A. , Francis Isolde M. , Cabrales Luis
Published: October 2021

While oilfield produced water (PW) is one of the largest, unclaimed wastewater streams of the oil industry, it could potentially be used as a cultivation medium for microalgae. Microalgae could help with the remediation of this water while also delivering biomass that can be transformed into valuable byproducts such as biofuels. The coupling of these two purposes is expected to cut production costs of biofuels while aiding environmental protection. In this study, we compared the cultivation capacity of the marine model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum in media at varying salinities and in media composed of PW from two oilfields in the Central Valley of California that differed drastically in the concentration of inorganic and organic constituents. Specifically, we measured the carrying capacity of these media, the maximum growth rates of P. tricornutum, its cellular lipid accumulation capacity, and its capacity to remediate the most polluted PW source. Our study shows that P. tricornutum can successfully adjust to the tested cultivation media through processes of short-term acclimation and long-term adaptation. Furthermore, the cultivation of P. tricornutum in the most heavily polluted PW source led to significant increases in cell yield and improved photosynthetic capacity during the stationary phase, which could be attributed chiefly to the higher levels of nitrate present in this PW source. Chemical water analyses also demonstrated the capability of P. tricornutum to remediate major nutrient content and potentially harmful elements like fluorine and copper. Because P. tricornutum is amenable to advanced genetic engineering, which could be taken advantage of to improve its cultivation resilience and productivity in an economic setting, we propose this study as a step towards essential follow-up studies that will identify the genetic regulation behind its growth in oilfield PW media and its remediation of the PW constituents.
Investigations on the Influence of Total Water Hardness and pH Value on the Measurement Accuracy of Domestic Cold Water Meters
Authors: Büker Oliver , Stolt Krister , Kroner Corinna , Benkova Miroslava , Pavlas Jan , Seypka Veit
Published: October 2021

In the framework of the ongoing EMPIR Joint Research Project (JRP) 17IND13 Metrology for real-world domestic water metering (Metrowamet), a main task is to investigate the influence of realistic operation conditions, that is, typical water qualities (suspended particles, degree of hardness, and pH value), on the measurement accuracy. For this purpose, two representative types of cold water meters were investigated in more detail. Initially, the cold water meters were calibrated and then subjected to an accelerated wear test with water of different pH values and degrees of hardness. The accelerated wear tests were designed to reproduce the realistic use and service life of a cold water meter. Subsequently, the cold water meters were re-calibrated to assess the influence of the different water qualities on the measurement accuracy. One of the results was that the measurement accuracy of the water meters investigated was not strongly affected by the water quality. The practical realisation and the measurement results are reported in this paper.
Location Matters: A Framework to Investigate the Spatial Characteristics of Distributed Flood Attenuation
Authors: Antolini Federico , Tate Eric
Published: October 2021

Distributed attenuation in flood management relies on small and low-impact runoff attenuating features variously distributed within a catchment. Distributed systems of reservoirs, natural flood management, and green infrastructure are practical examples of distributed attenuation. The effectiveness of attenuating features lies in their ability to work in concert, by reducing and slowing runoff in strategic parts of the catchment, and desynchronizing flows. The spatial distribution of attenuating features plays an essential role in the process. This article proposes a framework to place features in a hydrologic network, group them into spatially distributed systems, and analyze their flood attenuation effects. The framework is applied to study distributed systems of reservoirs in a rural watershed in Iowa, USA. The results show that distributed attenuation can be an effective alternative to a single centralized flood mitigation approach. The different flow peak attenuation of considered distributed systems suggest that the spatial distribution of features significantly influences flood magnitude at the catchment scale. The proposed framework can be applied to examine the effectiveness of distributed attenuation, and its viability as a widespread flood attenuation strategy in different landscapes and at multiple scales.
Temporal Influences of Vegetation Cover (C) Dynamism on MUSLE Sediment Yield Estimates: NDVI Evaluation
Authors: Gwapedza David , Hughes Denis Arthur , Slaughter Andrew Robert , Mantel Sukhmani Kaur
Published: October 2021

Vegetation cover is an important factor controlling erosion and sediment yield. Therefore, its effect is accounted for in both experimental and modelling studies of erosion and sediment yield. Numerous studies have been conducted to account for the effects of vegetation cover on erosion across spatial scales; however, little has been conducted across temporal scales. This study investigates changes in vegetation cover across multiple temporal scales in Eastern Cape, South Africa and how this affects erosion and sediment yield modelling in the Tsitsa River catchment. Earth observation analysis and sediment yield modelling are integrated within this study. Landsat 8 imagery was processed, and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values were extracted and applied to parameterise the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) vegetation (C) factor. Imagery data from 2013–2018 were analysed for an inter-annual trend based on reference summer (March) images, while monthly imagery for the years 2016–2017 was analysed for intra-annual trends. The results indicate that the C exhibits more variation across the monthly timescale than the yearly timescale. Therefore, using a single month to represent the annual C factor increases uncertainty. The modelling shows that accounting for temporal variations in vegetation cover reduces cumulative simulated sediment by up to 85% across the inter-annual and 30% for the intra-annual scale. Validation with observed data confirmed that accounting for temporal variations brought cumulative sediment outputs closer to observations. Over-simulations are high in late autumn and early summer, when estimated C values are high. Accordingly, uncertainties are high in winter when low NDVI leads to high C, whereas dry organic matter provides some protection from erosion. The results of this study highlight the need to account for temporal variations in vegetation cover in sediment yield estimation but indicate the uncertainties associated with using NDVI to estimate C factor.
Evaluation of the Integrated Multi-SatellitE Retrievals for the Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) Product in the São Francisco Basin (Brazil)
Authors: Rodrigues Daniele Tôrres , Santos e Silva Cláudio Moisés , dos Reis Jean Souza , Palharini Rayana Santos Araujo , Cabral Júnior Jório Bezerra , da Silva Helder José Farias , Mutti Pedro Rodrigues , Bezerra Bergson Guedes , Gonçalves Weber Andrade
Published: October 2021

The São Francisco River basin is one of the largest in the Brazilian territory. This basin has enormous economic, social and cultural importance for the country. Its water is used for human and animal supply, irrigation and energy production. This basin is located in an area with different climatic characteristics (humid and semiarid) and studies related to precipitation are very important in this region. In this scenario, the objective of this investigation is to present an assessment of rainfall estimated through the Integrated Multi-SatellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) product compared with rain gauges over the São Francisco river basin in Brazil. For that, a period from of 20 years and 18 surface weather stations were used to evaluate the product. Based on different evaluation techniques, the study found that the IMERG is appropriate to represent precipitation over the basin. According to the results, the performance of the IMERG product depends on the location where the rain occurs. The bias ranged from −1.67 to 0.34 mm, the RMSE ranged from 5.36 to 10.36 mm and the values of the correlation coefficients between the daily data from the IMERG and rain gauge ranged from 0.28 to 0.61. The results obtained by Student t-test, density curves and regression analysis, in general, show that the IMERG is able to satisfactorily represent rain gauge data. The exception is the eastern portion of the basin, where the product, on average, underestimates the precipitation (p-value < 0.05) and presents the worst statistical metrics.
Impacts of Climate Change on Urban Drainage Systems by Future Short-Duration Design Rainstorms
Authors: Zhang Han , Yang Zhifeng , Cai Yanpeng , Qiu Jing , Huang Bensheng
Published: October 2021

The adverse impacts of climate change and urbanization are converging to challenge the waterlogging control measures established in the Dong Hao Chong (DHC) Basin. Based on representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios, the future (2030–2050) waterlogging was assessed for the DHC basin and combined with future design rainfall. The delta change factors were projected using the regional climate model, RegCM4.6, and the annual maximum one-day rainstorm was modified to develop the annual maximum value method. By combining the delta change and annual maximum value methods, a future short-duration design rainstorm formula is developed in this study. The Chicago hyetograph shapes indicated that the peak rainfall intensity and amount both increase in the five return periods with two RCP scenarios. The InfoWorks ICM urban flood model is used to simulate the hydrological response. The results show that climate change will exacerbate urban waterlogging in DHC Basin. The maximum inundation volume and number of inundation nodes were expected to increase in the five return periods under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively. The submerged area is increasing due to climate change. This study highlights the link between climate change and urban drainage systems, and suggests that the effect of climate change in extreme rainfall should be considered in urban waterlogging management and drainage system design.
Seawater Intrusion into Coastal Aquifers
Authors: Shalev Eyal
Published: October 2021

This editorial presents a representative collection of 11 papers presented in the Special Issue on Seawater Intrusion into coastal aquifers. Coastal aquifers are one of the most important water resources in the world. In addition, the natural discharge of freshwater to the sea as submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has an important role in the ecology of marine environments. The dynamics of seawater and freshwater within coastal aquifers are highly sensitive to disturbances, and their inappropriate management may lead to the deterioration of water quality. In many coastal aquifers, seawater intrusion has become the major constraint imposed on groundwater utilization. Groundwater exploitation and climate variations create dynamic conditions, which can significantly increase seawater intrusion into aquifers and may result in the salinization of wells.
Adsorption Behavior of Lead Ions from Wastewater on Pristine and Aminopropyl-Modified Blast Furnace Slag
Authors: Wang Yali , Li Huining , Cui Suping , Wei Qi
Published: October 2021

The potential possibility of blast furnace slag as a low-cost adsorbent to remove lead ions from wastewater was investigated in detail in the present work. Both single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment were performed to reveal the effect of pH, adsorption temperature, contact time and initial concentration of lead ions on the adsorption performance of pristine slag. In order to make clear the correlation between the lead ion adsorption performance and the structure of slag, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was conducted to reveal the network structure and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was used to calculate the nonbridging oxygen in the network-forming tetrahedra. For the purpose of improving the adsorption performance, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was adopted to modify the slag via post-grafting method. The results show that the slag is predominately composed of SiO2, Al2O3, CaO and MgO, exhibiting an amorphous network structure based on SiO4 and AlO4 tetrahedra. The conditions for adsorption can be optimized as follows: a pH of 7, an adsorption temperature of 60 °C, a contact time of 120 min and an initial lead ion concentration of 40 mg·L−1. Under the optimal conditions, a removal rate of 99.98% and an adsorption capacity of 49.99 mg·g−1 are obtained for the pristine slag. The adsorption complies with the Langmuir model thermodynamically and conforms to the pseudo-second order model kinetically. It is noted that aminopropyl-modification has considerably enhanced the removal rate of lead ions from 20.71 to 64.32% and the adsorption capacity from 29.01 to 96.48 mg·g−1 since amino groups (-NH2) are more inclined to form a complex with lead ions than hydroxyl groups due to the higher nucleophilicity of amino groups than that of hydroxyl groups. However, it is necessary to develop more low-cost modification agents in the future work.
Abundance and Temporal Distribution of Beach Litter on the Coast of Ceuta (North Africa, Gibraltar Strait)
Authors: Asensio-Montesinos Francisco , Anfuso Giorgio , Aguilar-Torrelo María Teresa , Oliva Ramírez Milagrosa
Published: October 2021

Twelve beaches located in Ceuta (Spain) were studied from February to April 2019 to assess litter amounts (expressed as number of items), categories and temporal distribution. At each beach, three surveys were conducted, i.e., one per month (i.e., 36 in total). Selected beaches covered urban (7), rural (2) and remote (3) bathing areas. Plastic represented the dominant material, i.e., 35.2% of all debris, followed by glass (18.2%), pottery/ceramics (14.6%), wood (11.4%), metal (11.4%), paper/cardboard (4.8%), cloth (3.5%), rubber (0.7%), organic (0.3%) and other materials (0.1%). The Clean Coast Index was calculated to classify beaches in five categories for evaluating the cleanliness level of the coast observed at each survey: “Very Clean” (7 surveys), “Clean” (10), “Moderately Dirty” (8), “Dirty” (2) and “Extremely Dirty” (9). Litter occurrence was assessed by the Litter Grade methodology, which allowed to classify beaches in four grades: “A”: very good (0); “B”: good (4); “C”: fair (7); and “D”: poor (25). In a few surveys, some beaches were considered “good”, but their management should not be ignored because in other surveys those beaches reached fair and poor scores. Several potentially harmful litter items were related to beach users. Severe eastern storms removed litter at many of the beaches investigated and favored accumulation at others. Data analysis shows significant differences in litter abundance with respect to site, beach typology and the presence of cleaning operations but no important differences between the studied months. Rural beaches recorded the most litter, followed by urban and remote beaches. All beaches require immediate and more appropriate management actions to improve their environmental status.
Effects of Desiccation, Water Velocity, and Nitrogen Limitation on the Growth and Nutrient Removal of Neoporphyra haitanensis and Neoporphyra dentata (Bangiales, Rhodophyta)
Authors: Li Jingyu , Cui Guohua , Liu Yan , Wang Qiaohan , Gong Qingli , Gao Xu
Published: October 2021

Seaweeds have been verified to effectively reduce the nutrients of aquaculture wastewater, and to increase the economic output when commercially valuable species are utilized. Pyropia/Porphyra/Neopyropia/Neoporphyra species are important seafood resources globally, and their growth and bioremediation capacities are affected by diverse biotic and abiotic stressors. In this study, we investigated the effects of desiccation (0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 h of air exposure), water velocity (0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 m s−1), and the nitrogen limitation period (1, 2, and 3 d) on the relative growth rates (RGR) and nutrient removal rates of Neoporphyrahaitanensis and Neoporphyradentata. The RGRs and NO3-N removal rates of the two species decreased significantly with increasing desiccation periods. A higher water velocity of 0.5 m s−1 had a greater negative impact on the RGRs and NO3-N and PO4-P removal rates than 0.1 and 0.2 m s−1. N. haitanensis exhibited a greater tolerance to water motion than N. dentata. Additionally, the RGRs and NO3-N and PO4-P removal rates were significantly different among the nitrogen limitation periods. N. haitanensis and N. dentata exhibited different nitrogen usage strategies after nitrogen limitation and recovery. These results provide valuable information relating to the excessive nutrient removal from aquaculture wastewater by Neoporphyra species.
Improving Formaldehyde Removal from Water and Wastewater by Fenton, Photo-Fenton and Ozonation/Fenton Processes through Optimization and Modeling
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Ahmad , Najafpoor Ali Asghar , Navaei Ali Asghar , Zhou John L. , Altaee Ali , Ramezanian Navid , Dehghan Aliakbar , Bao Teng , Yazdani Mohsen
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to assess, optimize and model the efficiencies of Fenton, photo-Fenton and ozonation/Fenton processes in formaldehyde elimination from water and wastewater using the response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN). A sensitivity analysis was used to determine the importance of the independent variables. The influences of different variables, including H2O2 concentration, initial formaldehyde concentration, Fe dosage, pH, contact time, UV and ozonation, on formaldehyde removal efficiency were studied. The optimized Fenton process demonstrated 75% formaldehyde removal from water. The best performance with 80% formaldehyde removal from wastewater was achieved using the combined ozonation/Fenton process. The developed ANN model demonstrated better adequacy and goodness of fit with a R2 of 0.9454 than the RSM model with a R2 of 0. 9186. The sensitivity analysis showed pH as the most important factor (31%) affecting the Fenton process, followed by the H2O2 concentration (23%), Fe dosage (21%), contact time (14%) and formaldehyde concentration (12%). The findings demonstrated that these treatment processes and models are important tools for formaldehyde elimination from wastewater.
Removal of Coliphage MS2 Using a Microbial Fuel Cell Stack
Authors: Alzate-Gaviria Liliana , Tapia-Tussell Raul , Domínguez-Maldonado Jorge , Chable-Villacis Rubi , Rosiles González Gabriela , Hernández-Zepeda Cecilia
Published: October 2021

Bioelectrochemical technologies offer alternative ways of treating wastewater and using this process to generate electricity. However, research in this area is just beginning to consider environmental transmission of viruses present in wastewater. The viral fecal indicator coliphage MS2 (the most frequently used pathogen model) was used in this study, since it is a well-known indigenous wastewater virus. The scaled-up bioelectrochemical system had a working volume of 167 L and coliphage MS2 concentration decreased from 8000 to 285 PFU/mL. The kinetics were quantified up to 15 h, after which excessive yeast growth in the system prevented further bacteriophage determination. The logarithmic reduction value (LRV) calculated within the first three hours was 3.8. From 4 hours to 14, LRV values were from 4.1 to 4.8, and in hour 15 the LRV increased to 5.3, yielding a more than 90% reduction. Overall, results obtained indicate that the scaled-up bioelectrochemical treatment system was efficient in reducing coliphage MS2 densities and could be used as a model to explore its further applicability for the reduction of viruses or pathogens in treated effluents.
Climate Change Effects on Fish Passability across a Rock Weir in a Mediterranean River
Authors: Mameri Daniel , Rivaes Rui , Ferreira Maria Teresa , Schmutz Stefan , Santos José Maria
Published: October 2021

Climate change represents a major challenge for the management of native fish communities in Mediterranean rivers, as reductions in discharge may lead to a decrease in passability through small barriers such as weirs, both in temporary and perennial rivers. Through hydraulic modelling, we investigated how discharges from a large hydropower plant in the Tagus River are expected to affect the passability of native freshwater fish species through a rock weir (Pego, Portugal), equipped with a nature-like fish ramp. We considered not only mean daily discharge values retrieved from nearby gauging stations (1991–2005) for our flow datasets, but also predicted discharge values based on climatic projections (RCP) until the end of the century (2071–2100) for the Tagus River. Results showed that a minimum flow of 3 m3 s−1 may be required to ensure the passability of all species through the ramp and that passability was significantly lower in the RCP scenarios than in the historical scenario. This study suggests that climate change may reduce the passability of native fish species in weirs, meaning that the construction of small barriers in rivers should consider the decreases in discharge predicted from global change scenarios for the suitable management of fish populations.
Special Issue: Environmental Flows, Ecological Quality, and Ecosystem Services
Authors: Ibáñez Carles
Published: October 2021

Global environmental change is greatly disturbing rivers and estuaries by a number of stressors, among which water withdrawal, damming, pollution, invasive species, and climate change are the most worrying [...]
Study on the Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Mesoscale Drought in China under Future Climate Change Scenarios
Authors: Gong Xinglong , Du Shuping , Li Fengyu , Ding Yibo
Published: October 2021

In this study, precipitation, and temperature data from HadGEM2-ES under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5 were used to evaluate drought in China in the 21st century. The K-means clustering algorithm was used to analyze the regional characteristics of the dry hazard index (DHI) in China, and the impact of climate change on the variation trend and periodicity of regional drought in China was explored. The results show that the temperature and potential evapotranspiration (PET) of all clusters have an increasing trend under the two RCPs, and the precipitation of most clusters shows a significantly increasing trend. The drought index calculated by the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI) is higher than those calculated by the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and standardized effective precipitation evapotranspiration index (SP*ETI). The variation trends of drought intensity and frequency in China are not significant in the 21st century; however, the local variation trends are significant. The droughts in most parts of the Xinjiang Province, northern Tibet and western Qinghai Province show significantly increasing trends. According to the DHI analyses and the variations in the drought area ratio, with increases in greenhouse gas concentrations, the droughts in central and western China will become more severe, and drought will spread to the eastern areas of China. In the case that both precipitation and temperature may increase in the future, the increase in evapotranspiration caused by temperature rise will greatly affect drought dynamics. The main drought periodicity in China in the 21st century is 1~3.6 years. Drought is affected by climate change but not significantly.
Sewer Mining as a Distributed Intervention for Water-Energy-Materials in the Circular Economy Suitable for Dense Urban Environments: A Real World Demonstration in the City of Athens
Authors: Plevri Argyro , Monokrousou Klio , Makropoulos Christos , Lioumis Christos , Tazes Nikolaos , Lytras Efthymios , Samios Stylianos , Katsouras Georgios , Tsalas Nikolaos
Published: October 2021

Water reuse and recycling is gaining momentum as a way to improve the circularity of cities, while recognizing the central role of water within a circular economy (CE) context. However, such interventions often depend on the location of wastewater treatment plants and the treatment technologies installed in their premises, while relying on an expensive piped network to ensure that treated wastewater gets transported from the treatment plant to the point of demand. Thus, the penetration level of treated wastewater as a source of non-potable supply in dense urban environments is limited. This paper focuses on the demonstration of a sewer mining (SM) unit as a source of treated wastewater, as part of a larger and more holistic configuration that examines all three ‘streams’ associated with water in CE: water, energy and materials. The application area is the Athens Plant Nursery, in the (water stressed) city of Athens, Greece. SM technology is in fact a mobile wastewater treatment unit in containers able to extract wastewater from local sewers, treat it directly and reuse at the point of demand even in urban environments with limited space. The unit consists of a membrane bioreactor unit (MBR) and a UV disinfection unit and produces high quality reclaimed water for irrigation and also for aquifer recharge during the winter. Furthermore, a short overview of the integrated nutrient and energy recovery subsystem is presented in order to conceptualise the holistic approach and circularity of the whole configuration. The SM technology demonstrates flexibility, scalability and replicability, which are important characteristics for innovation uptake within the emerging CE context and market.
Climate Change and Water Exploitation as Co-Impact Sources on River Benthic Macroinvertebrates
Authors: Salmaso Francesca , Crosa Giuseppe , Espa Paolo , Quadroni Silvia
Published: October 2021

Climate change can affect freshwater communities superimposing on other major stressors, such as water exploitation, with effects still poorly understood. The exacerbation of naturally-occurring periods of low flows has been reported as a major hydrological effect of water diversions, with severe impacts on river benthic macroinvertebrate communities. This study aimed at assessing long-term modifications of low-flow events in a large lowland Italian river possibly associated to climate change and the effects of these events, intensified by water withdrawals, on benthic macroinvertebrates. A 77-year dataset on daily discharge was thus analyzed through Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s method to investigate modifications of the main hydrological parameters. Moreover, macroinvertebrates were collected during the low-flow periods that occurred from 2010 to 2015 at three sites downstream of water withdrawals, representing three different conditions of hydrological impairment. After assessing possible differences in taxonomical and functional composition between sites and impairment conditions, redundancy analysis and ordinary least squares regression were performed to link benthos metrics to environmental (hydrological and physico-chemical) characteristics. An increase in the duration of the low-flow periods and reduced summer flows were detected on the long term, and the magnitude of low flows was significantly altered by water withdrawals. These hydrological features shaped both structural and functional characteristics of benthic assemblages, highlighting the need for a more environmentally-sustainable water resource management in the current context of climate change.
Protection and Guidance of Downstream Moving Fish with Electrified Horizontal Bar Rack Bypass Systems
Authors: Meister Julian , Moldenhauer-Roth Anita , Beck Claudia , Selz Oliver M. , Peter Armin , Albayrak Ismail , Boes Robert M.
Published: October 2021

Horizontal bar rack bypass systems (HBR-BS) are characterized by a horizontal bar rack (HBR) with narrow clear bar spacing of 10–20 mm and an adjacent bypass (BS) to efficiently protect and guide downstream moving fish at water intakes. The small bar spacing may lead to operational challenges, such as clogging and high head losses. This study investigated whether combining an HBR with a low-voltage electric field (e-HBR) allows one to increase the clear bar spacing while maintaining a high standard of fish protection and guidance efficiency. To this end, an HBR-BS with 20 mm bar spacing and an e-HBR-BS with 20 and 51 mm bar spacing were tested with spirlin (Alburnoides bipunctatus) and European eel (Anguilla anguilla) in a laboratory flume. The racks were electrified with 38 V pulsed direct current. The protection efficiency of the e-HBR with 51 mm was 96% for spirlin and 86% for eels, which are similar results to those of the HBR with 20 mm. Some eels passed through the e-HBR, but only when they were parallel to the rack. Fish injuries of variable severeness due to the electrification were observed. The results highlight the potential of hybrid barriers for the protection of downstream moving fish. However, fish injuries due to electricity may occur; and reporting applied voltage, electrode geometry, resulting electric field strength and the pulse pattern of the electrified rack setup is necessary to ensure comparability among studies and to avoid injuries.
Aquatic Biological Diversity Responses to Flood Disturbance and Forest Management in Small, Forested Watersheds
Authors: Danehy Robert , Bilby Robert , Justice Tiffany , Lester Gary , Jones Jay , Haddadi Sogal , Merritt Glenn
Published: October 2021

We examined riparian system responses to an extreme rainfall event on 1–4 December 2007, in eleven small watersheds (mean area—13.2 km2) from 2008–2016 at debris flow, high flood, and low flood reaches (all extended overbank flows). Macroinvertebrate responses followed expected outcomes after extreme disturbance including increasing chironomids and other multi-voltine species. A core assemblage of twenty abundant and common species-maintained populations even after debris flow (likely by recolonizing quickly) with total richness during project of 253 including 183 rare species (<0.01 total abundance) supporting an annual turnover of species from 22 to 33%. Primary disturbance changes to habitat were declines in shade and in-channel wood at all reaches, more strongly at debris flow reaches. Macroinvertebrate communities across disturbance intensities became increasingly similar after the storm. Combined effects of the flood reducing channel complexity and previous logging decreasing in-channel wood recruitment from riparian systems, limits habitat complexity. Until this feature of forested watershed streams returns, there appears to be a ceiling on reach scale aquatic biological diversity.
Determining Water Isotope Compositions for the IAEA WICO and North West Villages, South Africa
Authors: Mathuthu Joseph , Mokhine Naomi Dikeledi , Mkiva Namhla , Nde Samuel Che , Dennis Ingrid , Hendriks Johan , Palamuleni Lobina , Kupi Tebogo Gilbert , Mathuthu Manny
Published: October 2021

Deuterium (2H) and oxygen 18 (18O) stable isotopes in water are the key indicators of hydrological and ecological patterns and processes. The water isotopes δ2H and δ18O have been employed widely as tracers in hydrological and ecological research, as they are integrated into geological and biological systems in a predictable manner. The aim of this study was to determine the water isotope composition of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Water Isotope Inter-laboratory Comparison (WICO) samples and to determine the Local Meteoric Water Line for North West Province (NWP) villages in South Africa. The IAEA WICO 2020 samples were obtained from the IAEA, Vienna, and borehole water samples from selected villages in the North West province of South Africa were randomly collected to investigate the relationship between the stable isotopes (18O and 2H) and the climate in underground water aquifers. A cavity ring-down spectroscopy analyzer with laser-current-tuned cavity resonance, Picarro L2140-i, was used to measure triple water–isotope ratios with high precision. The IAEA WICO results obtained for the d-excess were in a satisfactory range and the margins of error were close to those required by the IAEA. The δ2H values ranged between −33.00‰ and −8.00‰, while the δ18O values ranged between −5.50‰ and −2.00‰. The results of this work have shown that our water science and management lab is capable of undertaking inter-laboratory comparisons for the IAEA.
Axiological aspect of the transhumanism philosophy. N. Bostrom’s concept
Authors: Gordeev Roman Mikhailovich
Published: October 2021

The author considers the philosophy of transhumanism in the aspect of reflection of important modern socio-cultural processes, i.e. information, biological and nanotechnological ones, in its main postulates and shows that this problem puts the rethinking of the very concept of "man" on the agenda. The article states that transhumanism offers one of the most radical programs of such reinterpretation, transferring the question of death from a purely philosophical plane to an engineering plane as well. However, although the desire to delay or overcome death as much as possible with the help of scientific achievements (scientific immortalism) is in many ways the defining idea for transhumanism, it does not exhaust its entire essence. The article examines many provisions of N. Bostrom's concept, including his understanding of the key value of transhumanism, which he sets out in the program document for the movement «Values of Transhumanism», defining the main one as «having the opportunity to explore the realities of transhumanism and posthumanism». Despite the attractiveness of the ideas of transhumanism, which ideally represent a person as an immortal being, many of the values proclaimed by transhumanists, as shown in the article, are utopian and (or) extremely dangerous for society.
Infection, infection control, and disinfectants in a challenging infection era
Authors:   Phil Bowler Consulting Ltd, Appleton, Warrington, UK, Bowler Philip G.
Published: October 2021

Health care-associated infections inflict a huge clinical and economic burden on public health worldwide. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics continues to escalate, and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives have yet to make a major impact. Additionally, the ability of bacteria to evade environmental threats by living within a self-produced protective biofilm and/or producing resistant spores further challenges effective infection control. The current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has also amplified the burden significantly. Amidst a particularly challenging infection era, the demand for meticulous infection control and prevention practices is paramount, a key component of which is the use of appropriate disinfectants that can combat a wide variety of microbial pathogens, including diverse forms of viruses and bacteria, particularly highly tolerant spore-forming and biofilm-forming microorganisms. This review addresses the advantages and disadvantages of commonly used disinfectants such as alcohols, hypochlorite, and quaternary ammonium compounds, together with oxidizing agents such as chlorine dioxide and peracetic acid, which are gaining increasing acceptance in routine infection control practices today. Given the increasing requirements for rapid-acting disinfectants that are effective against the toughest of microorganisms (e.g. spores and biofilm), are environmentally friendly, and remain active under diverse environmental conditions, emerging oxidizing agents warrant further consideration, particularly chlorine dioxide, which offers most requirements for an ideal disinfectant, including retention of activity over a broad pH range. Given the critical importance of infection control and antimicrobial stewardship in public health and health care facilities today, consideration of chlorine dioxide as a safe, selective, highly effective, and environmentally friendly disinfectant is warranted.
Economic return on investments in research and development (R&D) in pine and eucalyptus plantations in Brazil
Authors: Silva Vinicius Evangelista , Mageste José Geraldo , Guimarães Vieira João Paulo , Tessarollo Ribeiro Otávio Augusto , Janni Vanessa
Published: October 2021

Currently, public and private resources are directed towards the development of Research and Development (R&D) projects in the Brazilian forestry area. But, many times, such investments are used only as corporate advertising, without the knowledge of their real return, underestimating the importance of R&D in the development of organizations in this sector. Hence the importance of studies that seek to evaluate investment returns and how profitable they are for society and for technological innovation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible economic return of R&D in the Brazilian Forest Sector, in particular, its effects on increasing the productivity of pine and eucalyptus stands. Through the publications of the Statistical Yearbook of the Brazilian Association of Planted Forest Producers (ABRAF) it was possible to understand the relationship between investments in R&D, planted area and annual current wood productivity, using an indicator that related Investments and Revenue in the R&D of organizations Brazilian forestry companies of this Association. It can be inferred that for every R $ 1.00 invested in R&D projects, an average return of R $ 16.02 is obtained in such organizations. It was also concluded that the marginal gains in annual wood productivity correlated positively and significantly with investments in R&D (r = 0.43). Thus, investments in R&D made by silvicultural organizations translate into an economic return for them, as well as that their absence can stagnate the increase in wood productivity.
Yogic Discipline in an individual human life
Authors: T.S Dharmalingam , P Balachandran
Published: October 2021

In the modern world, the yoga plays a vital role in human life. To realise the truth and meaning of life, one has to practice yogic discipline in everyday living. The human body is made up of five elements such as akash, air, fire, water and earth. An air plays a very important role to survive by providing life energy. Everyday practice of pranayama would help in regulating respiratory system (Breathing exercise) as well as circulatory system. The physical exercises regulate the circulation of blood, heat, air in the body. The practice of asana would help in bringing flexibility in our muscular system so as to enhance the meditation process. The practice of meditation gives peace of mind and improves integirity. The practice of yoga will improve self-confidence, self-control, speaking truth, tolerance and social virtues. Each and every individual should practice yoga, asanas, meditation and do self-analysis exercises such as analysis of thoughts, moralisation of desires, nutralisation of anger and eradication of worries. This would help to bring hormoney between body and mind, habit and wisdom, self and society. Purpose and method and will and nature.
Enhancing Financial Reporting Quality through Corporate Ethics Commitment
Authors: Nasir Noorul Azwin Md , Hashim Hafiza Aishah , Nawi Noorshella Che , Yusoff Mohd Nor Hakimin , Aluwi Nur Athirah Mohd
Published: October 2021

Objective - A rising number of cases involving ethical misconduct within firms have of late received considerable attention in Malaysia. Despite the country's declaring having a strong corporate governance policy, strengthened through the Code of Ethics for Company Directors and Malaysia Code of Corporate Governance, unethical practices, and lack of integrity within firms remain an issue. This paper aims to review the current implementation of corporate ethical conducts among corporate governance practitioners as well as factors that influence corporate ethics commitment in a firm.

Methodology/Technique - This paper is developed from extensive readings of previous literature on corporate governance practices and their effect on the quality of financial reports.

Findings - This paper discloses collective approaches of corporate ethics practiced in Malaysian firms and how the implementation has enhanced the firms' overall financial reporting quality. It demonstrates current issues and the importance of corporate ethics commitment to enhance financial reporting quality. Firms that emphasize ethical commitments, reduce the risk of financial statement fraud and firms will naturally gain trust from their stakeholders.

Novelty - This paper stresses the importance of sound ethical conduct above other factors that influence the financial reporting quality of firms in Malaysia. This paper is the result of extensive research on corporate ethics commitment and financial reporting quality.

Type of Paper - Review.

Keywords: Corporate Ethics; Corporate Governance; Financial Reporting Quality

JEL Classification: G34, M41.