bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk Assessment of Pectenotoxins in New Zealand Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish, 2009–2019
Authors: Boundy Michael J. , Harwood D Tim , Kiermeier Andreas , McLeod Cath , Nicolas Jeane , Finch Sarah
Published: December 2020

Pectenotoxins (PTXs) are produced by Dinophysis spp., along with okadaic acid, dinophysistoxin 1, and dinophysistoxin 2. The okadaic acid group toxins cause diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), so are therefore regulated. New Zealand currently includes pectenotoxins within the DSP regulations. To determine the impact of this decision, shellfish biotoxin data collected between 2009 and 2019 were examined. They showed that 85 samples exceeded the DSP regulatory limit (0.45%) and that excluding pectenotoxins would have reduced this by 10% to 76 samples. The incidence (1.3%) and maximum concentrations of pectenotoxins (0.079 mg/kg) were also found to be low, well below the current European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) safe limit of 0.12 mg/kg. Inclusion within the DSP regulations is scientifically flawed, as pectenotoxins and okadaic acid have a different mechanism of action, meaning that their toxicities are not additive, which is the fundamental principle of grouping toxins. Furthermore, evaluation of the available toxicity data suggests that pectenotoxins have very low oral toxicity, with recent studies showing no oral toxicity in mice dosed with the PTX analogue PTX2 at 5000 µg/kg. No known human illnesses have been reported due to exposure to pectenotoxins in shellfish, a fact which combined with the toxicity data indicates that they pose negligible risk to humans. Regulatory policies should be commensurate with the level of risk, thus deregulation of PTXs ought to be considered, a stance already adopted by some countries.
Reply to Comments on Proteomic Investigations of Two Pakistani Naja Snake Venom Species Unravel the Venom Complexity, Posttranslational Modifications, and Presence of Extracellular Vesicles. Toxins 2020, 12, 669
Authors: Munawar Aisha , Dreyer Benjamin , Schlüter Hartmut , Betzel Christian
Published: December 2020

We appreciate the commentary on our article, and we would like to take the opportunity to address several points raised in the reviewers’ commentary [...]
Differences in Toxic Response Induced by Three Variants of the Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning Phycotoxins in Human Intestinal Epithelial Caco-2 Cells
Authors: Huguet Antoine , Drapeau Olivia , Rousselet Fanny , Quenault Hélène , Fessard Valérie
Published: December 2020

Diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) is caused by the consumption of shellfish contaminated with a group of phycotoxins that includes okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1), and dinophysistoxin-2 (DTX-2). These toxins are inhibitors of serine/threonine protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A), but show distinct levels of toxicity. Aside from a difference in protein phosphatases (PP) inhibition potency that would explain these differences in toxicity, others mechanisms of action are thought to be involved. Therefore, we investigated and compared which mechanisms are involved in the toxicity of these three analogues. As the intestine is one of the target organs, we studied the transcriptomic profiles of human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells exposed to OA, DTX-1, and DTX-2. The pathways specifically affected by each toxin treatment were further confirmed through the expression of key genes and markers of toxicity. Our results did not identify any distinct biological mechanism for OA and DTX-2. However, only DTX-1 induced up-regulation of the MAPK transduction signalling pathway, and down-regulation of gene products involved in the regulation of DNA repair. As a consequence, based on transcriptomic results, we demonstrated that the higher toxicity of DTX-1 compared to OA and DTX-2 was consistent with certain specific pathways involved in intestinal cell response.
Establishment of a Novel Oral Murine Model of Ricin Intoxication and Efficacy Assessment of Ovine Ricin Antitoxins
Authors: Whitfield Sarah J. , Padgen Debbie B. , Knight Simon , Gwyther Robert J. , Holley Jane L. , Clark Graeme C. , Green A. Christopher
Published: December 2020

Ricin, produced from the castor beans of Ricinus communis, is a cytotoxin that exerts its action by inactivating ribosomes and causing cell death. Accidental (e.g., ingestion of castor beans) and/or intentional (e.g., suicide) exposure to ricin through the oral route is an area of concern from a public health perspective and no current licensed medical interventions exist to protect from the action of the toxin. Therefore, we examined the oral toxicity of ricin in Balb/C mice and developed a robust food deprivation model of ricin oral intoxication that has enabled the assessment of potential antitoxin treatments. A lethal oral dose was identified and mice were found to succumb to the toxin within 48 h of exposure. We then examined whether a despeciated ovine F(ab′)2 antibody fragment, that had previously been demonstrated to protect mice from exposure to aerosolised ricin, could also protect against oral intoxication. Mice were challenged orally with an LD99 of ricin, and 89 and 44% of mice exposed to this otherwise lethal exposure survived after receiving either the parent anti-ricin IgG or F(ab′)2, respectively. Combined with our previous work, these results further highlight the benefit of ovine-derived polyclonal antibody antitoxin in providing post-exposure protection against ricin intoxication.
Determination of Zearalenone and Trichothecenes, Including Deoxynivalenol and Its Acetylated Derivatives, Nivalenol, T-2 and HT-2 Toxins, in Wheat and Wheat Products by LC-MS/MS: A Collaborative Study
Authors: Girolamo Annalisa De , Ciasca Biancamaria , Pascale Michelangelo , Lattanzio Veronica M.T.
Published: December 2020

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of trichothecenes—namely, nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON) and its acetylated derivatives (3- and 15-acetyl-DON), T-2 and HT-2 toxins—and zearalenone (ZEN) in wheat, wheat flour, and wheat crackers was validated through a collaborative study involving 15 participants from 10 countries. The validation study, performed within the M/520 standardization mandate of the European Commission, was carried out according to the IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) International Harmonized Protocol. The method was based on mycotoxin extraction from the homogenized sample material with a mixture of acetonitrile-water followed by purification and concentration on a solid phase extraction column. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was used for mycotoxin detection, using isotopically labelled mycotoxins as internal standards. The tested contamination ranges were from 27.7 to 378 μg/kg for NIV, from 234 to 2420 μg/kg for DON, from 18.5 to 137 μg/kg for 3-acetyl-DON, from 11.4 to 142 μg/kg for 15-acetyl-DON, from 2.1 to 37.6 μg/kg for T-2 toxin, from 6.6 to 134 μg/kg for HT-2 toxin, and from 31.6 to 230 μg/kg for ZEN. Recoveries were in the range 71–97% with the lowest values for NIV, the most polar mycotoxin. The relative standard deviation for repeatability (RSDr) was in the range of 2.2–34%, while the relative standard deviation for reproducibility (RSDR) was between 6.4% and 45%. The HorRat values ranged from 0.4 to 2.0. The results of the collaborative study showed that the candidate method is fit for the purpose of enforcing the legislative limits of the major Fusarium toxins in wheat and wheat-based products.
Phylogenomic Analysis of Global Isolates of Canid Alphaherpesvirus 1
Authors: Lewin Andrew C. , Coghill Lyndon M. , Mironovich Melanie , Liu Chin-Chi , Carter Renee T. , Ledbetter Eric C.
Published: December 2020

Canid alphaherpesvirus 1 (CHV-1) is a widespread pathogen of dogs with multiple associated clinical signs. There has been limited prior investigation into the genomics and phylogeny of this virus using whole viral genome analysis. Fifteen CHV-1 isolates were collected from animals with ocular disease based in the USA. Viral DNA was extracted for Illumina MiSeq full genome sequencing from each isolate. These data were combined with genomes of previously sequenced CHV-1 isolates obtained from hosts in the UK, Australia and Brazil. Genomic, recombinational and phylogenetic analysis were performed using multiple programs. Two isolates were separated into a clade apart from the remaining isolates and accounted for the majority of genomic distance (0.09%): one was obtained in 2019 from a USA-based host (ELAL-1) and the other in 2012 from a host in Brazil (BTU-1). ELAL-1 was found to contain variants previously reported in BTU-1 but also novel variants in the V57 gene region. Multiple non-synonymous variants were found in USA-based isolates in regions associated with antiviral resistance. Evidence of recombination was detected between ELAL-1 and BTU-1. Collectively, this represents evidence of trans-boundary transmission of a novel form of CHV-1, which highlights the importance of surveillance for this pathogen in domestic dog populations.
NCBI’s Virus Discovery Codeathon: Building “FIVE” —The Federated Index of Viral Experiments API Index
Authors: Martí-Carreras Joan , Gener Alejandro , Miller Sierra , Brito Anderson , Camacho Christiam , Connor Ryan , Deboutte Ward , Glickman Cody , Kristensen David , Meyer Wynn , Modha Sejal , Norris Alexis , Saha Surya , Belford Anna , Biederstedt Evan , Brister James , Buchmann Jan , Cooley Nicholas , Edwards Robert , Javkar Kiran , Muchow Michael , Muralidharan Harihara , Pepe-Ranney Charles , Shah Nidhi , Shakya Migun , Tisza Michael , Tully Benjamin , Vanmechelen Bert , Virta Valerie , Weissman JL , Zalunin Vadim , Efremov Alexandre , Busby Ben
Published: December 2020

Viruses represent important test cases for data federation due to their genome size and the rapid increase in sequence data in publicly available databases. However, some consequences of previously decentralized (unfederated) data are lack of consensus or comparisons between feature annotations. Unifying or displaying alternative annotations should be a priority both for communities with robust entry representation and for nascent communities with burgeoning data sources. To this end, during this three-day continuation of the Virus Hunting Toolkit codeathon series (VHT-2), a new integrated and federated viral index was elaborated. This Federated Index of Viral Experiments (FIVE) integrates pre-existing and novel functional and taxonomy annotations and virus–host pairings. Variability in the context of viral genomic diversity is often overlooked in virus databases. As a proof-of-concept, FIVE was the first attempt to include viral genome variation for HIV, the most well-studied human pathogen, through viral genome diversity graphs. As per the publication of this manuscript, FIVE is the first implementation of a virus-specific federated index of such scope. FIVE is coded in BigQuery for optimal access of large quantities of data and is publicly accessible. Many projects of database or index federation fail to provide easier alternatives to access or query information. To this end, a Python API query system was developed to enhance the accessibility of FIVE.
Recent Vertebrate and Invertebrate Burrows in Lowland and Mountain Fluvial Environments (SE Poland)
Authors: Mikuś Paweł
Published: December 2020

Over geological time, fauna inhabiting alluvial environment developed numerous traces of life, called bioturbation structures. However, present literature rarely offers comprehensive and comparative analyses of recent bioturbation structures between different types of environments. In this paper, the distribution of recent animal life traces in two different fluvial environments (lowland and mountain watercourse) was examined. An analysis of a set of vertical cross-sections of river bank enabled to determine physical and environmental features of the burrows, as well as degree of bioturbation in individual sections. Most of the burrows were assigned to their tracemakers and compared between two studied reaches in relation to the geomorphic zones of a stream channel. A mesocosm was conducted using glass terraria filled with river bank sediment and specimens of Lumbricus terrestris. The experiment confirmed field observations on the ability of earthworms to migrate into deep sediment layers along plant roots. The impact of floods on fauna survival was assessed on the basis of observations of large floods in 2016, 2018 and 2019. The abundance, distribution and activity of fauna in the sediment are mainly controlled by the occurrence of high and low flows (droughts and floods), which was particularly visible in lowland river reach.
Development and Validation of a New Calibration Model for Diviner 2000® Probe Based on Soil Physical Attributes
Authors: Provenzano Giuseppe , Rallo Giovanni , Duarte Guedes Cabral de Almeida Ceres , Gomes de Almeida Brivaldo
Published: December 2020

This study aimed to develop a new model, valid for soil with and without expandable characters, to estimate volumetric soil water content (θ) from readings of scaled frequency (SF) acquired with the Diviner 2000® sensor. The analysis was carried out on six soils collected in western Sicily, sieved at 5 mm, and repacked to obtain the maximum and minimum bulk density (ρb). During an air-drying process SF values, the corresponding gravimetric soil water content (U) and ρb were monitored. In shrinking/swelling clay soils, due to the contraction process, the variation of dielectric permittivity was affected by the combination of the mutual proportions between the water volumes and the air present in the soil. Thus, to account for the changes of ρb with U, the proposed model assumed θ as the dependent variable being SF and ρb the independent variables; then the model’s parameters were estimated based on the sand and clay fractions. The model validation was finally carried out based on data acquired in undisturbed monoliths sampled in the same areas. The estimated θ, θestim, was generally close to the corresponding measured, θmeas, with Root Mean Square Errors (RMSE) generally lower than 0.049 cm3 cm−3, quite low Mean Bias Errors (MBE), ranging between −0.028 and 0.045 cm3 cm−3, and always positive Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency index (NSE), confirming the good performance of the model.
Gap-Filling of Surface Fluxes Using Machine Learning Algorithms in Various Ecosystems
Authors: Huang I-Hang , Hsieh Cheng-I
Published: December 2020

Five machine learning (ML) algorithms were employed for gap-filling surface fluxes of CO2, water vapor, and sensible heat above three different ecosystems: grassland, rice paddy field, and forest. The performance and limitations of these ML models, which are support vector machine, random forest, multi-layer perception, deep neural network, and long short-term memory, were investigated. Firstly, the accuracy of gap-filling to time and hysteresis input factors of ML algorithms for different ecosystems is discussed. Secondly, the optimal ML model selected in the first stage is compared with the classic method—the Penman–Monteith (P–M) equation for water vapor flux gap-filling. Thirdly, with different gap lengths (from one hour to one week), we explored the data length required for an ML model to perform the optimal gap-filling. Our results demonstrate the following: (1) for ecosystems with a strong hysteresis between surface fluxes and net radiation, adding proceeding meteorological data into the model inputs could improve the model performance; (2) the five ML models gave similar gap-filling performance; (3) for gap-filling water vapor flux, the ML model is better than the P–M equation; and (4) for a gap with length of half day, one day, or one week, an ML model with training data length greater than 1300 h would provide a better gap-filling accuracy.
Impact of Nutrients, Temperatures, and a Heat Wave on Zooplankton Community Structure: An Experimental Approach
Authors: Işkın Uğur , Filiz Nur , Cao Yu , Neif Érika M. , Öğlü Burak , Lauridsen Torben L. , Davidson Thomas A. , Søndergaard Martin , Tavşanoğlu Ülkü Nihan , Beklioğlu Meryem , Jeppesen Erik
Published: December 2020

Shallow lakes are globally the most numerous water bodies and are sensitive to external perturbations, including eutrophication and climate change, which threaten their functioning. Extreme events, such as heat waves (HWs), are expected to become more frequent with global warming. To elucidate the effects of nutrients, warming, and HWs on zooplankton community structure, we conducted an experiment in 24 flow-through mesocosms (1.9 m in diameter, 1.0 m deep) imitating shallow lakes. The mesocosms have two nutrient levels (high (HN) and low (LN)) crossed with three temperature scenarios based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections of likely warming scenarios (unheated, A2, and A2 + 50%). The mesocosms had been running continuously with these treatments for 11 years prior to the HW simulation, which consisted of an additional 5 °C increase in temperature applied from 1 July to 1 August 2014. The results showed that nutrient effects on the zooplankton community composition and abundance were greater than temperature effects for the period before, during, and after the HW. Before the HW, taxon richness was higher, and functional group diversity and evenness were lower in HN than in LN. We also found a lower biomass of large Cladocera and a lower zooplankton: phytoplankton ratio, indicating higher fish predation in HN than in LN. Concerning the temperature treatment, we found some indication of higher fish predation with warming in LN, but no clear effects in HN. There was a positive nutrient and warming interaction for the biomass of total zooplankton, large and small Copepoda, and the zooplankton: phytoplankton ratio during the HW, which was attributed to recorded HW-induced fish kill. The pattern after the HW largely followed the HW response. Our results suggest a strong nutrient effect on zooplankton, while the effect of temperature treatment and the 5 °C HW was comparatively modest, and the changes likely largely reflected changes in predation.
A Review of Current and Emerging Approaches for Water Pollution Monitoring
Authors: Zolkefli Nurhasliza , Sharuddin Siti Suhailah , Yusoff Mohd Zulkhairi Mohd , Hassan Mohd Ali , Maeda Toshinari , Ramli Norhayati
Published: December 2020

The aquatic ecosystem is continuously threatened by the infiltration and discharge of anthropogenic wastewaters. This issue requires the unending improvement of monitoring systems to become more comprehensive and specific to targeted pollutants. This review intended to elucidate the overall aspects explored by researchers in developing better water pollution monitoring tools in recent years. The discussion is encircled around three main elements that have been extensively used as the basis for the development of monitoring methods, namely the dissolved compounds, bacterial indicator, and nucleic acids. The latest technologies applied in wastewater and surface water mapped from these key players were reviewed and categorized into physicochemical and compound characterizations, biomonitoring, and molecular approaches in taxonomical and functional analyses. Overall, researchers are continuously rallying to enhance the detection of causal source for water pollution through either conventional or mostly advanced approaches focusing on spectrometry, high-throughput sequencing, and flow cytometry technology among others. From this review’s perspective, each pollution evaluation technology has its own advantages and it would be beneficial for several aspects of pollutants assessments to be combined and established as a complementary package for better aquatic environmental management in the long run.
Materials and Technologies for the Tertiary Treatment of Produced Water Contaminated by Oil Impurities through Nonfibrous Deep-Bed Media: A Review
Authors: Sobolciak Patrik , Popelka Anton , Tanvir Aisha , Al-Maadeed Mariam A , Adham Samer , Krupa Igor
Published: December 2020

This review covers various aspects of the treatment of emulsified oil/water mixtures and is particularly focused on tertiary treatment, which means the reduction of the oil content from 70–100 ppm to below 10 ppm, depending on national regulations for water discharge. Emulsified oil/water mixtures frequently occurs in water treatment processes because, in the petroleum industry, chemically enhanced oil recovery leads to the production of a vast amount of oil-emulsified wastewater. This review is focused on various aspects of tertiary treatment via granular deep-bed filtration. The importance of polymeric materials, as well as carbon nanostructures, which may be an alternative to the current media have been highlighting. The particular potential of polymers is based on their broad availability and low price (particularly for polyolefins), the simple treatment of their surfaces through a variety of chemical and physical methods to design surfaces with tailored surface free energy (wettability), and the porosity. Polymer technology offers a variety of well-established methods for designing foams with tailored porosity, which, together with appropriately tuned surface energy and controlled roughness, would open new avenues for the production of foamy media for efficient oil/water separation. Additionally, a crucial inventions in deep-bed filtration is discussed.
Conservation Paleobiology as a Tool to Define Reference Conditions in Naturally Stressed Transitional Settings: Micropaleontological Insights from the Holocene of the Po Coastal Plain (Italy)
Authors: Barbieri Giulia , Rossi Veronica , Ghosh Anupam , Vaiani Stefano Claudio
Published: December 2020

The key role of paralic environments as providers of ecosystem services, associated with their increasingly threatened state, led to the definition of international water management policies aimed to improve ecological quality status (EcoQs). Restoration actions rely on the definition of reference conditions, which is a particularly challenging task in naturally stressed transitional environments. In the present work, we apply the diversity index Exp(H’bc) on benthic foraminifer assemblages from two anthropogenically unimpacted transitional to coastal Holocene sediment successions of the Po coastal plain, in order to assess past EcoQs (PaleoEcoQs). Ostracod ecological groups provided detailed insights on naturally stressful paleoenvironmental conditions. We show that “poor” to “moderate” PaleoEcoQs are recorded by biological indicators at reference conditions under fluctuations of chemical-physical parameters and organic matter enrichment. We emphasize the importance of a site-specific paleobiological approach, as significant differences in diversity occur even on a short spatial scale. This study illustrates that early to mid-Holocene sediment successions resulted to be appropriate for conservation paleobiological purposes, providing a high-resolution paleoecological record under the influence of the Holocene sea-level rise in analogy with the present-day global change.
Developing Pseudo Continuous Pedotransfer Functions for International Soils Measured with the Evaporation Method and the HYPROP System: I. The Soil Water Retention Curve
Authors: Singh Amninder , Haghverdi Amir , Öztürk Hasan Sabri , Durner Wolfgang
Published: December 2020

Direct measurements of soil hydraulic properties are time-consuming, challenging, and often expensive. Therefore, their indirect estimation via pedotransfer functions (PTFs) based on easily collected properties like soil texture, bulk density, and organic matter content is desirable. This study was carried out to assess the accuracy of the pseudo continuous neural network PTF (PCNN-PTF) approach for estimating the soil water retention curve of 153 international soils (a total of 12,654 measured water retention pairs) measured via the evaporation method. In addition, an independent data set from Turkey (79 soil samples with 7729 measured data pairs) was used to evaluate the reliability of the PCNN-PTF. The best PCNN-PTF showed high accuracy (root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.043 cm3 cm−3) and reliability (RMSE = 0.061 cm3 cm−3). When Turkish soil samples were incorporated into the training data set, the performance of the PCNN-PTF was enhanced by 33%. Therefore, to further improve the performance of the PCNN-PTF for new regions, we recommend the incorporation of local soils, when available, into the international data sets and developing new sets of PCNN-PTFs.
A New Runoff Routing Scheme for Xin’anjiang Model and Its Routing Parameters Estimation Based on Geographical Information
Authors: Zang Shuaihong , Li Zhijia , Yao Cheng , Zhang Ke , Sun Mingkun , Kong Xiangyi
Published: December 2020

The Xin’anjiang model is a conceptual hydrological model, which has an essential application in humid and semi-humid regions. In the model, the parameters estimation of runoff routing has always been a significant problem in hydrology. The quantitative relationship between parameters of the lag-and-route method and catchment characteristics has not been well studied. In addition, channels in Muskingum method of the Xin’anjiang model are assumed to be virtual channels. Therefore, its parameters need to be estimated by observed flow data. In this paper, a new routing scheme for the Xin’anjiang model is proposed, adopting isochrones method for overland flow and the grid-to-grid Muskingum–Cunge–Todini (MCT) method for channel routing, so that the routing parameters can be estimated according to the geographic information. For the new routing scheme the average overland flow velocity can be determined through the land cover and overland slope, and the channel routing parameters can be determined through channel geometric characteristic, stream order and channel gradient. The improved model was applied at a 90 m grid scale to a nested watershed located in Anhui province, China. The parent Tunxi watershed, with a drainage area of 2692 km2, contains four internal points with available observed streamflow data, allowing us to evaluate the model’s ability to simulate the hydrologic processes within the watershed. Calibration and verification of the improved model were carried out for hourly time scales using hourly streamflow data from 1982 to 2005. Model performance was assessed by comparing simulated and observed flows at the watershed outlet and interior gauging stations. The performance of both original and new runoff routing schemes were tested and compared at hourly scale. Similar and satisfactory performances were achieved at the outlet both in the new runoff routing scheme using the estimated routing parameters and in the original runoff routing scheme using the calibrated routing parameters, with averaged Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.92 and 0.93, respectively. Moreover, the new runoff routing scheme is also able to reproduce promising hydrographs at internal gauges in study catchment with the mean NSE ranging from 0.84 to 0.88. These results indicate that the parameter estimation approach is efficient and the developed model can satisfactorily simulate not only the streamflow at the parent watershed outlet, but also the flood hydrograph at the interior gauging points without model recalibration. This study can provide some guidance for the application of the Xin’anjiang model in ungauged areas.
Sediment Carbon Variations in the Venice Lagoon and Other Transitional Water Systems of the Northern Adriatic Sea
Authors: Sfriso Adriano , Buosi Alessandro , Tomio Yari , Juhmani Abdul-Salam , Chiesa Stefania , Greco Marta , Gazzola Chiara , Mistri Michele , Munari Cristina , Sfriso Andrea Augusto
Published: December 2020

The concentrations of inorganic, organic and total carbon, and some sedimentary parameters (sediment density, fines, pH, and shell fragments), have been analyzed in surface sediments of the Venice Lagoon since 1987. Environmental scenarios, characterized by different anthropogenic impacts, have been considered, especially in the central basin where more information is available. Data collected in 2009 in the lagoons and ponds of Po Delta, in Comacchio Valleys and Pialassa della Baiona have been also considered and analyzed together with those recorded in the whole Venice Lagoon in 2011. The results show a strong correlation of the inorganic carbon (Cinorg) with the carbonatic or siliceous origins of the sediments and changes of both Cinorg and organic carbon (Corg) according to different anthropogenic impacts, especially eutrophication and clam-fishing activities. Higher sediment density, grain-size, and pH were associated to good-high ecological conditions and the higher presence of inorganic carbon of biological origin (shell fragments and calcified macroalgal fragments). Conversely, Corg, which is associated to eutrophic conditions, was strongly affected by the sediment disturbance and the presence of high concentrations of bivalves which enhance its consumption.
Comparison of Zooplankton Community Patterns in Relation to Sediment Disturbances by Dredging in the Guemho River, Korea
Authors: Ko Eui-Jeong , Kim Dong-Kyun , Jung Eun-Song , Heo Yu-Ji , Joo Gea-Jae , Kim Hyun-Woo
Published: December 2020

This study aimed to determine whether a swimming-type (planktonic and epiphytic) zooplankton group compared with the taxonomic group is appropriate to indicate the environmental changes caused by dredging. Water sampling in the littoral zone was conducted from 2007 to 2015, including the dredging period from October 2010 to June 2012. The water quality, number of species, population densities, and biotic indices were compared for both dredging period and grouping type. Nine of 11 water quality parameters were changed by the dredging period. The results showed that the rotifer and planktonic groups were consistently dominant. In all groups, population density was the lowest during the dredging period. After dredging, both the number of species and population density increased only in the epiphytic group. The dominant species, including Polyarthra vulgaris, Brachionus calyciflorus, B. rubens, and Bosmina longirostris, were included in the planktonic group for 9 years. Evenness did not differ, but diversity increased after the dredging period. This study showed that zooplankton could be used as a supplemental biological assessment tool for evaluating the impact of river dredging.
An Advanced Sensor Placement Strategy for Small Leaks Quantification Using Lean Graphs
Authors: Shiddiqi Ary Mazharuddin , Cardell-Oliver Rachel , Datta Amitava
Published: December 2020

Small leaks in water distribution networks have been a major problem both economically and environmentally, as they go undetected for years. We model the signature of small leaks as a unique Directed Acyclic Graph, called the Lean Graph, to find the best places for k sensors for detecting and locating small leaks. We use the sensors to develop dictionaries that map each leak signature to its location. We quantify leaks by matching out-of-normal flows detected by sensors against records in the selected dictionaries. The most similar records of the dictionaries are used to quantify the leaks. Finally, we investigate how much our approach can tolerate corrupted data due to sensor failures by introducing a subspace voting based quantification method. We tested our method on water distribution networks of literature and simulate small leaks ranging from [0.1, 1.0] liter per second. Our experimental results prove that our sensor placement strategy can effectively place k sensors to quantify single and multiple small leaks and can tolerate corrupted data up to some range while maintaining the performance of leak quantification. These outcomes indicate that our approach could be applied in real water distribution networks to minimize the loss caused by small leaks.
Integrating In Situ and Ocean Color Data to Evaluate Ecological Quality under the Water Framework Directive
Authors: Brito Ana C. , Garrido-Amador Paloma , Gameiro Carla , Nogueira Marta , Moita Maria Teresa , Cabrita Maria Teresa
Published: December 2020

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims at evaluating the ecological status of European coastal water bodies (CWBs). This is a rather complex task and first requires the use of long-term databases to assess the effect of anthropogenic pressure on biological communities. An in situ dataset was assembled using concomitant biological, i.e., chlorophyll a (Chl a) and environmental data, covering the years from 1995 to 2014, to enable a comprehensive assessment of eutrophication in the Western Iberia Coast (WIC). Given the temporal gaps in the dataset, especially in terms of Chl a, satellite observations were used to complement it. Positive relationships between Chl a 90th percentile and nitrogen concentrations were obtained. The Land-Uses Simplified Index (LUSI), as a pressure indicator, showed no relationship with Chl a, except in Galicia, but it highlighted a higher continental pressure in the Portuguese CWBs in comparison with Galician waters. In general terms, the trophic index (TRIX) showed that none of the CWBs were in degraded conditions. Nevertheless, the relatively high TRIX and LUSI values obtained for the water body in front of Tagus estuary suggest that this area should be subject to continued monitoring. Results highlighted the usefulness of satellite data in water quality assessments and set the background levels for the implementation of operational monitoring based on satellite Chl a. In the future, low uncertainty and harmonized satellite products across countries should be provided. Moreover, the assessment of satellite-based eutrophication indicators should also include metrics on phytoplankton phenology and community structure.
Observation Strategies Based on Singular Value Decomposition for Ocean Analysis and Forecast
Authors: Fattorini Maria , Brandini Carlo
Published: December 2020

In this article, we discuss possible observing strategies for a simplified ocean model (Double Gyre (DG)), used as a preliminary tool to understand the observation needs for real analysis and forecasting systems. Observations are indeed fundamental to improve the quality of forecasts when data assimilation techniques are employed to obtain reliable analysis results. In addition, observation networks, particularly in situ observations, are expensive and require careful positioning of instruments. A possible strategy to locate observations is based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). SVD has many advantages when a variational assimilation method such as the 4D-Var is available, with its computation being dependent on the tangent linear and adjoint models. SVD is adopted as a method to identify areas where maximum error growth occurs and assimilating observations can give particular advantages. However, an SVD-based observation positioning strategy may not be optimal; thus, we introduce other criteria based on the correlation between points, as the information observed on neighboring locations can be redundant. These criteria are easily replicable in practical applications, as they require rather standard studies to obtain prior information.
What is the Trade-Off between Snowpack Stratification and Simulated Snow Water Equivalent in a Physically-Based Snow Model?
Authors: Augas Julien , Abbasnezhadi Kian , Rousseau Alain N. , Baraer Michel
Published: December 2020

In Nordic watersheds, estimation of the dynamics of snow water equivalent (SWE) represents a major step toward a satisfactory modeling of the annual hydrograph. For a multilayer, physically-based snow model like MASiN (Modèle Autonome de Simulation de la Neige), the number of modeled snow layers can affect the accuracy of the simulated SWE. The objective of this study was to identify the maximum number of snow layers (MNSL) that would define the trade-off between snowpack stratification and SWE modeling accuracy. Results indicated that decreasing the MNSL reduced the SWE modeling accuracy since the thermal energy balance and the mass balance were less accurately resolved by the model. Nevertheless, from a performance standpoint, SWE modeling can be accurate enough with a MNSL of two (2), with a substantial performance drop for a MNSL value of around nine (9). Additionally, the linear correlation between the values of the calibrated parameters and the MNSL indicated that reducing the latter in MASiN increased the fresh snow density and the settlement coefficient, while the maximum radiation coefficient decreased. In this case, MASiN favored the melting process, and thus the homogenization of snow layers occurred from the top layers of the snowpack in the modeling algorithm.
Evaluation of Environmental Quality of Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons Using Persistent Organic Pollutants and Metals in Thick-Lipped Grey Mullet
Authors: Leone Chiara , Capoccioni Fabrizio , Belpaire Claude , Malarvannan Govindan , Poma Giulia , Covaci Adrian , Tancioni Lorenzo , Contò Michela , Ciccotti Eleonora
Published: December 2020

The evaluation of past and present anthropogenic impacts affecting the ecological quality status of transitional ecosystems is crucial from the perspective of protecting them from further deterioration, and to evaluate remediation and restoration measures. Contamination patterns of thick-lipped grey mullet from two Mediterranean coastal lagoons within a protected area in Italy were assessed and compared in order to evaluate their overall quality status and to collect information that can provide useful feedback on management choices aimed at enhancing environmental quality and biodiversity conservation. The quality status of the two lagoons was evaluated by an environmental assessment methodology based on indicators of direct and indirect human pressures, while a broad range of analyses were carried out to determine the presence and concentration of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals in fish muscle tissue. A good quality status resulted for both lagoons, and an overall limited anthropogenic impact in the surrounding area. This could account for POPs and metal contamination levels found in mullet, although limited, and relating to their patterns. The overlap of results achieved with the two evaluation approaches can provide support for management choices in Mediterranean lagoon environments, especially for those committed to the protection and conservation of biodiversity.
Watersheds, Anthropogenic Activities and the Role of Adaptation to Environmental Impacts
Authors: Pacheco Fernando António Leal , Sanches Fernandes Luís Filipe
Published: December 2020

Runoff has shaped the Earth into watersheds, and humans have appropriated many of them [...]
Coupling Sediment Transport Dynamics with Sediment and Discharge Sources in a Glacial Andean Basin
Authors: Carrillo Ricardo , Mao Luca
Published: December 2020

Suspended and bedload transport dynamics on rivers draining glacierized basins depend on complex processes of runoff generation together with the degree of sediment connectivity and coupling at the basin scale. This paper presents a recent dataset of sediment transport in the Estero Morales, a 27 km2 glacier-fed basin in Chile where suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and bedload (BL) fluxes have been continuously monitored during two ablation seasons (2014–2015 and 2015–1016). The relationship between discharge and SSC depends on the origin of runoff, which is higher during glacier melting, although the hysteresis index reveals that sediment sources are closer to the outlet during snowmelt. As for suspended sediment transport, bedload availability and yield depend on the origin of runoff. Bedload yield and bedload transport efficiency are higher during the glacier melting period in the first ablations season due to a high coupling to the proglacial area after the snowmelt period. Instead, on the second ablation seasons the peak of bedload yield and bedload transport efficiency occur in the snowmelt period, due to a better coupling of the lower part of the basin caused by a longer permanency of snow. Differences in volumes of transported sediments between the two seasons reveal contrasting mechanisms in the coupling dynamic of the sediment cascade, due to progressive changes of type and location of the main sources of runoff and sediments in this glacierized basin. The paper highlights the importance of studying these trends, as with retreating glaciers basins are likely producing less sediments after the “peak flow”, with long-term consequences on the ecology and geomorphology of rivers downstream.
Geophysical Characterization of Hydraulic Properties around a Managed Aquifer Recharge System over the Llobregat River Alluvial Aquifer (Barcelona Metropolitan Area)
Authors: Sendrós Alex , Himi Mahjoub , Lovera Raúl , Rivero Lluís , Garcia-Artigas Ruben , Urruela Aritz , Casas Albert
Published: December 2020

Managed aquifer recharge using surface or regenerated water plays an important role in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area in increasing storage volume to help operators cope with the runoff variability and unexpected changes in surface water quality that are aggravated by climate change. The specific aim of the research was to develop a non-invasive methodology to improve the planning and design of surface-type artificial recharge infrastructures. To this end, we propose an approach combining direct and indirect exploration techniques such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), frequency domain electromagnetics and data from double-ring infiltration tests, trial pits, research boreholes and piezometers. The ERT method has provided much more complete and representative information in a zone where the recharge project works below design infiltration rates. The geometry of the hydrogeological units and the aquifer-aquiclude contact are accurately defined through the models derived from the interpretation of ERT cross-sections in the alluvial aquifer setting. Consequently, prior to the construction of recharge basins, it is highly recommended to conduct the proposed approach in order to identify the highest permeability areas, which are, therefore, the most suitable for aquifer artificial recharge.
Uptake and Recovery of Gold from Simulated Hydrometallurgical Liquors by Adsorption on Pine Bark Tannin Resin
Authors: Torrinha Maria Beatriz Q. L. F. , Bacelo Hugo A. M. , Santos Sílvia C. R. , Boaventura Rui A. R. , Botelho Cidália M. S.
Published: December 2020

The recovery of critical and precious metals from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is an environmental and economic imperative. Biosorption has been considered a key technology for the selective extraction of gold from hydrometallurgical liquors obtained in the chemical leaching of e-waste. In this work, the potential of tannin resins prepared from Pinus pinaster bark to sequester and recover gold(III) from hydrochloric acid and aqua regia solutions was assessed. Equilibrium isotherms were experimentally determined and maximum adsorption capacities of 343 ± 38 and 270 ± 19 mg g−1 were found for Au uptake from HCl and HCl/HNO3 (3:1 v/v) solutions containing 1.0 mol L−1 H+. Higher levels of acidity (and chloride ligands) significantly impaired the adsorption of gold from both kinds of leaching solutions, especially in the aqua regia system, in which the adsorbent underperformed. Pseudo-first and pseudo-second order models successfully described the kinetic data. The adsorbent presented high selectivity towards gold. Actually, in simulated aqua regia WEEE liquors, Au(III) was extensively adsorbed, compared to Cu(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), Pd(II), and Zn(II). In three adsorption–desorption cycles, the adsorption capacity of the regenerated adsorbent moderately decreased (19%), although the gold elution in acidic thiourea solution had been quite limited. Future research is needed to examine more closely the elution of gold from the exhausted adsorbents. The results obtained in this work show good perspectives as regards the application of pine bark tannin resins for the selective extraction of Au from electronic waste leach liquors.
Depression of Groundwater Table and Reduced Nitrogen Application Jointly Regulate the Bacterial Composition of nirS-Type and nirK-Type Genes in Agricultural Soil
Authors: Bai Fangfang , Qi Xuebin , Li Ping , Qiao Dongmei , Wang Jianming , Du Zhenjie , She Yingjun , Guo Wei , Lu Hongfei
Published: December 2020

Despite the known influence of nitrogen fertilization and groundwater conditions on soil microbial communities, the effects of their interactions on bacterial composition of denitrifier communities have been rarely quantified. Therefore, a large lysimeter experiment was conducted to examine how and to what extent groundwater table changes and reduced nitrogen application would influence the bacterial composition of nirK-type and nirS-type genes. The bacterial composition of nirK-type and nirS-type genes were compared at two levels of N input and three groundwater table levels. Our results demonstrated that depression of groundwater table, reduced nitrogen application and their interactions would lead to drastic shifts in the bacterial composition of nirS-type and nirK-type genes. Structural equation models (SEMs) indicated that depression of groundwater table and reduced nitrogen application not only directly altered the species composition of denitrifier bacterial communities, but also indirectly influenced them through regulating soil nutrient and salinity. Furthermore, the variation in soil NO3−–N and electrical conductivity caused by depression of groundwater table and reduced nitrogen application played the most important role in altering the community composition of denitrifier bacterial communities. Together, our findings provide first-hand evidence that depression of groundwater table and reduced nitrogen application jointly regulate the species composition of denitrifier bacterial communities in agricultural soil. We highlight that local environmental conditions such as groundwater table and soil attributes should be taken into account to enrich our knowledge of the impact of nitrogen fertilization on soil denitrifier bacterial communities, or even biogeochemical cycles.
Natural and Anthropogenic Groundwater Contamination in a Coastal Volcanic-Sedimentary Aquifer: The Case of the Archaeological Site of Cumae (Phlegraean Fields, Southern Italy)
Authors: Stellato Luisa , Coda Silvio , Arienzo Michele , De Vita Pantaleone , Di Rienzo Brunella , D’Onofrio Antonio , Ferrara Luciano , Marzaioli Fabio , Trifuoggi Marco , Allocca Vincenzo
Published: December 2020

Archeological sites close to coastal volcanic-sedimentary aquifers are threatened by groundwater contaminated by natural and anthropogenic processes. The paper reports on a hydrogeological, chemical (major, minor and trace elements) and isotopic (δD-H2O, δ18O-H2O, δ15N-NO3, δ18O-NO3, δ11B, 222Rn) survey of groundwater at the Cumae archaeological site, which is located in the coastal north-western sector of the volcanic district of Phlegraean Fields (southern Italy), where groundwater flooding phenomena occur. Results show the presence of a complex coastal volcanic-sedimentary aquifer system where groundwater quality is influenced mainly by: (i) aquifer lithology and localized ascent of magmatic fluids along buried volcano-tectonic discontinuities, (ii) mixing of groundwater, deep mineralized fluids and seawater during groundwater pumping, and (iii) nitrate contamination >50 mg/L from non-point agricultural sources. Moreover, δD and δ18O point toward fast recharge from seasonal precipitations, while the isotopic ratios of N and O in nitrate reveal the contribution of mineral and organic fertilizers as well as leakage from septic tanks. Results can assist the local archaeological authority for the safeguarding and management of the archaeological heritage of the Cumae site.