bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Structural analysis of the essential environmental factors associated with the marine meiofauna
Authors: Zhang Qingtian , Hu Guikun 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
A biogeochemical study was carried out from 2006 to 2007 in Bohai Bay, northern China, to investigate meiofauna and a number of environmental factors. A total of 18 environmental factors were selected to study their interrelations using Interpretive Structural Analysis. The results showed that these environmental factors could be divided into five levels according to their degree of impact; the results also showed clear links among these factors. The six factors designated as Level 1 included both biological and chemical factors. The other factors had indirect effects on meiofauna and affect these six factors in different ways. There was single factor, sediment grain size, in the fifth level. The structural analysis of the essential factors gave us more information than simple correlation analysis did. Both the water and sediment factors influenced the benthos community. The result is helpful in understanding the complex relationships between environmental factors, and could be used to grasp the main causes and their environmental linkages with further studies; it would be a good basis for integrative environmental management.
Water quality control plan with BATHTUB model for lake inflow rivers – a case study of total phosphorus in Northwest Lake Taihu, China
Authors: Xu Chen , Wan Rongrong , Yang Guishan , Lv Wen , Ma Qian , Li Bing 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
Total phosphorus (TP) standards for lakes differ from those for rivers in GB3838-2002. This disjunction may lead to the failure of lake-water quality improvement plans that control nutrient inputs from inflow rivers. With monthly monitoring data for the period 2009–2015, Northwest Lake Taihu was regarded as a case study and the BATHTUB model was utilised to simulate the correspondence between concentrations of TP in the lake and in its inflow rivers. A control plan for TP in Northwest Lake Taihu's inflow rivers is proposed. To guarantee the fulfillment of the control goals of TP in the lake, concentration of TP in the inflow rivers of North Zone, Zhushan Bay, Meiliang Bay and Gonghu Bay should be reduced by 50%, 58%, 18% and 11%, respectively, and TP flux loads should be maintained under 227.35, 173.39, 113.69 and 90.62 ta−1, respectively. Meanwhile, total TP influxes from Northwest Lake Taihu should be maintained under 604.63 ta−1. A control plan that is more restrictive than GB3838-2002 should be proposed to address the TP pollution of the lake. This research provides the foundation for quantifying reduction of the nutrient loading from the catchment and for maintaining Lake Taihu and other typical eutrophic lakes.
Water quality, availability, and acute gastroenteritis on the Navajo Nation – a pilot case-control study
Authors: Grytdal Scott P. , Weatherholtz Robert , Esposito Douglas H. , Campbell James , Reid Raymond , Gregoricus Nicole , Schneeberger Chandra , Lusk Tina S. , Xiao Lihua , Garrett Nancy , Bopp Cheryl , Hammitt Laura L. , Vinjé Jan , Hill Vincent R. , O'Brien Katherine L. , Hall Aron J. 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
The Navajo Nation includes approximately 250,000 American Indians living in a remote high desert environment with limited access to public water systems. We conducted a pilot case-control study to assess associations between acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and water availability, use patterns, and quality. Case patients with AGE and non-AGE controls who presented for care to two Indian Health Service hospitals were recruited. Data on demographics and water use practices were collected using a standard questionnaire. Household drinking water was tested for presence of pathogens, coliforms, and residual chlorine. Sixty-one subjects (32 cases and 29 controls) participated in the study. Cases and controls were not significantly different with respect to water sources, quality, or patterns of use. Twenty-one percent (n = 12) of study participants resided in dwellings not connected to a community water system. Eleven percent (n = 7) of subjects reported drinking hauled water from unregulated sources. Coliform bacteria were present in 44% (n = 27) of household water samples, and 68% (n = 40) of samples contained residual chlorine concentrations of &lt;0.2 mg/L. This study highlights issues with water availability, quality, and use patterns within the Navajo Nation, including sub-optimal access to community water systems, and use of water hauled from unregulated sources.
An exploration of disinfection by-products formation and governing factors in chlorinated swimming pool water
Authors: Ilyas Huma , Masih Ilyas , van der Hoek Jan Peter 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
This paper investigates disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation and their relationship with governing factors in chlorinated swimming pools. The study compares concentrations of DBPs with WHO guidelines for drinking water quality recommended to screen swimming pool water quality. The statistical analysis is based on a global database of 188 swimming pools accumulated from 42 peer-reviewed journal publications from 16 countries. The mean and standard deviation of dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid were estimated as 282 ± 437 and 326 ± 517 μg L−1, respectively, which most often surpassed the WHO guidelines. Similarly, more than half of the examined pools had higher values of chloral hydrate (102 ± 128 μg L−1). The concentration of total chloramines (650 ± 490 μg L−1) was well above the WHO guidelines in all reported cases. Nevertheless, the reported values remained below the guidelines for most of the studied pools in the case of total trihalomethanes (134 ± 160 μg L−1), dichloroacetonitrile (12 ± 12 μg L−1) and dibromoacetonitrile (8 ± 11 μg L−1). Total organic carbon, free residual chlorine, temperature, pH, total nitrogen and bromide ions play a pivotal role in DBPs formation processes. Therefore, proper management of these governing factors could significantly reduce DBPs formation, thereby, contributing towards a healthy swimming pool environment.
Ultraviolet A and B wavelength-dependent inactivation of viruses and bacteria in the water
Authors: Mbonimpa E. G. , Blatchley E. R. , Applegate B. , Harper W. F. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractUVA and UVB can be applied to solar disinfection of water. In this study, the inactivation and photoreactivation of viruses and bacteria in the UVA-B range were analyzed. MS2 and T4 bacteriophages, and Escherichia coli were used as surrogates to quantify dose-response behaviors. Inactivation in UVC was used to validate the methodology and to expand the inactivation action spectra. The results showed log-linear inactivation for MS2 and T4 in the 254–320 nm wavelength range. T4 inactivation was consistently faster than MS2 (except at 320 nm), and for both phages, inactivation decreased with increasing wavelength. The dose-response of bacteria exhibited a lag at low doses, possibly because the photons must strike a discrete number of critical targets before growth stops. A tail was present at high doses for some wavelengths, perhaps due to clumping or the presence of subgroups with higher resistance. The inactivation action spectra for bacteria exhibited a reduction in inactivation as wavelength increased. No bacterial inactivation was observed beyond 320 nm at doses applied. After inactivation at 297 nm (UVA), bacteria regained viability through photoreactivation, and repair increased with increase in photoreactivating light exposure time. This implies additional doses above inactivation thresholds are required to cause irreversible damage. These results are useful for designing solar disinfection systems.
Isolation and molecular identification of Acanthamoeba spp. from hot springs in Mazandaran province, northern Iran
Authors: Dodangeh Samira , Kialashaki Elham , Daryani Ahmad , Sharif Mehdi , Sarvi Shahabeddin , Moghaddam Yusef Dadi , Hosseini Seyed Abdollah 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
Acanthamoeba is a free-living protozoan that can be found in natural and artificial environments such as hot tubs, surface water and springs and can cause severe diseases including amoebic keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. The present study was conducted owing to the lack of research regarding genotypes of Acanthamoeba in hot springs of Mazandaran province in northern Iran. Twenty-four water samples were collected from all hot springs in Mazandaran province. After filtration through nitrocellulose membrane, samples were cultured on non-nutrient agar medium enriched with TYIS-33. The cultures were microscopically examined for the presence of Acanthamoeba. Positive cultures were analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genotypes were determined by targeting the 18 S rRNA gene. The pathogenic potential of all positive isolates was identified using thermotolerance and osmotolerance tests. Eleven (47.8%) samples were positive for Acanthamoeba. Based on sequencing analysis, 100% of isolates belonged to the T4 genotype. Thermo- and osmo-tolerance tests showed that four (36.3%) Acanthamoeba strains were highly pathogenic. According to our research, the occurrence of Acanthamoeba in recreational hot springs could be a hazard for high risk persons. Posting warning signs and regular monitoring of these waters by health planners may therefore be useful for decreasing Acanthamoeba spp. infections.
Storage of aerobic granular sludge embedded in agar and its reactivation by real wastewater
Authors: Cheng Yuanyuan , Xuan Xinpeng , Zhang Linan , Zhao Jue , Long Bei 
Published: October 2018

AbstractAerobic granular sludge (AGS) was preserved using an agar embedding method to maintain its stability. No obvious damage was imposed on the granular appearance during 30 days of cold and dry storage, but the granular microstructure had an uneven surface with a large number of holes. The results were consistent with the extinction of microbial communities and the monitored consumption of extracellular polymeric substances, in which granular specific oxygen utilization rate and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids/mixed liquor suspended solids ratio, respectively, decreased by 72.4% and 62.5% during storage. A mass conversation calculation indicated that the loss of granular mass was 1.6393 g. An offensive odour was smelled during storage, and the results indicated that a material transformation and mitigation were involved between AGS and the gas phase. Although the granular structure was destroyed to a certain extent, no obvious damage was imposed on the granular skeleton during storage. After it was aerated again after a feeding with real wastewater, the residual skeleton served as a carrier for the rapid proliferation of microorganisms, and good granular properties were obtained after 11 days of reactivation.
Public health responses to toxic cyanobacterial blooms: perspectives from the 2016 Florida event
Authors: Metcalf James S. , Banack Sandra Anne , Powell James T. , Tymm Fiona J. M. , Murch Susan J. , Brand Larry E. , Cox Paul Alan 
Published: October 2018

AbstractIn June 2016, massive cyanobacterial blooms occurred in the St. Lucie River in Florida, caused by nutrient and cyanobacterial-laden water releases from Lake Okeechobee. We independently collected and analyzed bloom material for cyanotoxin diversity and concentrations. The concentrations of microcystins, potent hepatotoxins, present in the bloom material greatly exceeded World Health Organization Guideline Values for drinking and recreational water. We also detected the neurotoxins anatoxin-a(S) and β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). The Florida State Governor declared a state of emergency, but many affected aquatic recreational areas in St. Lucie County remained open during the bloom event without adequate hazard notification to citizens. During the bloom event, issues with preparedness, communication, sampling, analysis, closures and contingencies were observed. We suggest better ways that cyanobacterial bloom events can be predicted, managed, and mitigated in the future throughout the world. As similar problems with cyanobacterial bloom frequency and occurrence present worldwide, understanding governmental responses to the 2016 Florida incident can help in the development of effective mitigation and management strategies for future bloom events.
Treaties can be a non-starter: a multi-track and multilateral dialogue approach for Brahmaputra Basin
Authors: Barua Anamika , Vij Sumit 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
Countries sharing the Brahmaputra River have for decades deliberated on formulating and implementing cooperative strategies to develop the potential of the basin. Yet, little progress has been made so far at the government-to-government track 1 level in achieving regional cooperation due to the diverse national interests of the riparian countries. This has led to tension and friction among co-riparian nations and mistrust at political level. Drawing from the Brahmaputra Dialogue, this paper aims to highlight the merit of multi-track and multilateral dialogue processes for building trust and confidence between the riparian countries – paving a way towards transboundary cooperation. The paper concludes that given the geo-politics and the national interests of each riparian nation, negotiation for a treaty for cooperation through track 1 diplomacy, in the Brahmaputra River Basin (BRB), is a non-starter. Multi-track and multilateral dialogues can provide a platform to pursue positive interactions and can be viewed as an extension to existing state-diplomacy in BRB, to bring about sustainable change in the basin management.
Examining the interaction of flood vulnerability determinants in Cambodia and Vietnam using partial least squares structural equation modeling
Authors: Ha Anh Hoang , Da Hanh Tran Minh , Thi Tuong Vi Nguyen , Shunbo Yao 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
The formation of vulnerability to natural hazards consists of many driving factors that represent multi-facets of the subjected system. However, the interactions among these components remain unclear and have not been clarified. Examining these internal relationships helps to improve the accuracy of vulnerability assessments and provides needed focus in flood management. This study employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to discover the interrelationship of household flood vulnerability determinants in Cambodia's floodplain and Vietnam's Mekong River Delta. The results show that demographics and social capital have direct influences on flood exposure. In this paper, socioeconomic status can reduce flood effect levels through the mediation of coping capacity. In addition, heterogeneity was also observed between Vietnamese and Cambodian families, highlighting the influence of context on understanding social vulnerability. As the two countries are under threat from hydropower and climate change that profoundly affect flooding, flood management strategies should be improved. The study suggests that the focus should be placed with socioeconomic and coping capacity to sustainably strengthen resilience against flooding.
Methodology for the national water savings models– indoor residential and commercial/institutional products, and outdoor residential products
Authors: Schein Jonah , Chan Peter , Chen Yuting , Dunham Camilla , Fuchs Heidi , Letschert Virginie , McNeil Michael , Melody Moya , Price Sarah , Stratton Hannah , Williams Alison 
Published: October 2018

AbstractSince 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has operated WaterSense® in partnership with manufacturers, utilities, and consumer groups. Similar to EPA's ENERGY STAR® role for energy-efficient products, WaterSense® employs a labeling system to identify water-efficient products, homes, and services. As of 2015, the WaterSense® program can claim credit for a total savings of 1.5 trillion gallons of water and $32.6 billion in consumer water and energy bills. Savings are tracked in the National Water Savings (NWS) model that combines innovative analyses with methodologies established in the energy sector. Merging life-cycle cost and national impact analysis models, the NWS model estimates savings from a bottom-up accounting method for individual products. The model extends those savings to the national level by employing parameters such as frequency of product use by number of people and building type, product lifetime, stock accounting, and market saturation. The NWS model tracks the water and consumer monetary savings of WaterSense-labeled products for residential and commercial water use both indoors and out.
Copula-based joint probability distribution of water supply and demand in Luhun irrigation district
Authors: Zhang Jinping , Shi Xixi , Li Jian , Li Fawen 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
The potential of the copula method to construct the joint probability distribution of three hydrological variables characterizing water supply and demand (WSD) is explored for the Luhun irrigation district of China. The marginal distributions of rainfall, reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) and irrigation water are simulated by the corresponding best-fitting cumulative distribution functions. Furthermore, the correlations between every pair of variables are quantified. On this basis, the two-dimensional joint distributions of rainfall and (ET0) (representing natural WSD), and irrigation water and (ET0) (representing man-made WSD), and the three-dimensional joint distribution of rainfall, irrigation water, and (ET0) (representing natural–man-made WSD) are established. The results reveal that the best-fitting marginal distributions for rainfall and (ET0) and irrigation water are the normal distribution and the Weibull distribution. Moreover, for rainfall and (ET0), the Student's t copula is applied to obtain the joint distribution, while the corresponding copula for (ET0) and irrigation water is the Clayton copula. Finally, the three-dimensional Student's t copula is selected to explore the dependence structure among rainfall, irrigation water, and (ET0). Therefore, these joint distributions provide an efficient approach to assess water shortage risks in the irrigation district.
Fiber filter built with polypropylene fibers applied to water clarification
Authors: Morita Alice K. M. , Reali Marco A. P. 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
Flexible fiber filters are recently developed modular filtration units which have been applied to wastewater and water treatments, satisfactorily removing solids even when operated at high application rates. In this paper, polypropylene fibers, in lieu of the commonly used polyamide fibers, were tested for constructing filtration modules containing parallel fibers. The studied fibers were analyzed by means of scanning electronic microscopy and through solubility assays in hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, aiming to evaluate the risks of using them as filtering media. Three polypropylene filters with different lengths (25, 60, and 100 cm) were constructed and fed with the same raw synthetic water. In-line coagulation was applied by addition of aluminum sulfate (22.5 mg·L−1) and filtration rates from 20 to 80 m·h−1 were evaluated. Filtrates with less than 0.5 NTU could be produced by both 60 and 100 cm filters, operating at 80 m·h−1. High filtration rates, as well as significant backwashing water and air flows, could be applied to flexible fiber filters made of polypropylene, which shows their promising applications.
Possibilities to use the meta model and classical approaches to evaluate the impact of hydraulic conditions in prediction of the critical submergence depth ratio
Authors: Poursorkhabi Ramin Vafaei , Ghasempour Roghayeh 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
One of the hydraulic phenomena that mainly occurs during the water withdrawal process of channels is the formation of vortices that can cause many problems for the hydro-mechanical facilities of intakes. In the current study, classical models and meta model approaches (i.e. Support Vector Machine and Gene Expression Programming) were applied to evaluate the impact of pipe diameter and hydraulic condition changes in prediction of the critical submergence depth ratio in horizontal intakes. In this regard, two types of critical submergence experiments, based on bottom clearance, were considered (i.e. c = 0 and c = d/2, in which c and d are the bottom clearance and diameter of the intake, respectively). Different models were developed and tested using experimental data series. The results indicated that in modeling the critical submergence depth ratio, meta model approaches led to better predictions compared to the classical approaches. It was observed that the developed models for the state of c = d/2 yielded better results. According to the outcome of sensitivity analysis, the ratio of velocities in the intake pipe and channel (Vi/Vc) had a key role in the modeling. It was also found that intake pipe diameter affected the critical submergence depth ratio in intake pipes. Increasing pipe diameter caused a decrease in model accuracy.
Predicting the relative energy dissipation of hydraulic jump in rough and smooth bed compound channels using SVM
Authors: Saghebian Seyed Mahdi 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
Channels with different shapes and bed conditions are used as useful appurtenances to dissipate the extra energy of a hydraulic jump. Accurate prediction of hydraulic jump energy dissipation is important in design of hydraulic structures. In the current study, hydraulic jump energy dissipation was assessed in channels with different shapes and bed conditions (i.e. smooth and rough beds) using the support vector machine (SVM) as an intelligence approach. Five series of experimental datasets were applied to develop the models. The results showed that the SVM model is successful in estimating the relative energy dissipation. For the smooth bed, it was observed that the sloping channel models with steps performed more successfully than rectangular and trapezoidal channels and the step height is an effective variable in the estimation process. For the rough bed, the trapezoidal channel models were more accurate than the rectangular channel. It was found that rough element geometry is effective in estimation of the energy dissipation. The result showed that the models of rough channels led to better predictions. The sensitivity analysis results revealed that Froude number had the more dominant role in the modeling. Comparison among SVM and two other intelligence approaches showed that SVM is more successful in the prediction process.