Average Depletion Research Articles

An explicit State-of-Charge planning solution for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle based on low-granularity prior-knowledge

The intervention of batteries in hybrid electric vehicles, when paired with an effective Energy Management Strategy (EMS), substantially improves fuel efficiency and reduces emissions in comparison to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. The evolution of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) has facilitated the possibility of predictive energy management (PEM) predicated on State-of-Charge (SoC) planning. Nevertheless, prevalent methodologies frequently encounter challenges in balancing optimization with real-time applicability. To address these limitations, we have devised an explicit SoC planning method that necessitates sparse traffic prior-knowledge, drawing inspiration from the optimal charge depletion behavior. This innovative method strategically determines the average SoC depletion rate for each anticipated driving road segment by integrating theoretical predictions of optimal depletion rate with experienced constraints. Capitalizing on prior knowledge of sparse traffic velocities and road grades, we have developed a hierarchical PEM framework that seamlessly integrates SoC planning – power split. The results of the simulation experiments reveal that the SoC trajectories and fuel consumption generated by this method are in close approximation to theoretically optimal benchmarks. Furthermore, the computational time of this method is in accordance with the demanding real-time requisites of onboard units even if hundreds of miles. Notably, this approach exhibits an enhanced robustness to predictive discrepancies, ensuring reliability and efficacy in dynamic driving cycles.

Abundances of Planetary Nebulae and Evolved Stars: Iron and Sulfur Depletion, and Carbon and Nitrogen Enrichment, in Low- and Intermediate-mass Stellar Populations in the Milky Way

We research the elemental abundances in Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) compared with those of their stellar progenitors (red giant branch and asymptotic giant branch, AGB, stars), to explore and quantify the expected—i.e., due to AGB evolution or condensation onto grains—differences. We gleaned the current literature for the nebular abundances while we used the APOGEE DR 17 survey data for the stellar sample. We examined the elements in common between the nebular and stellar samples, namely, C, N, O, Fe, and S. We confirm that iron in PNe is mostly entrapped in grains, with an average depletion 〈D[Fe/H]〉 = 1.741 ± 0.486 dex, and we disclose a weak correlation between iron depletion and the [O/H] abundance, D[Fe/H] = (6.6003 ± 2.443) × [O/H] + (1.972 ± 0.199). Sulfur may also be mildly depleted in PNe, with 〈D[S/H]〉 = 0.179 ± 0.291 dex. We also found an indication of nitrogen enrichment for PNe 〈E[N/H]〉 = 0.393 ± 0.421 dex, with maximum enrichment (0.980 ± 0.243) occurring for the PNe whose progenitors have gone through the hot-bottom burning. The carbon enrichment is 〈E[C/H]〉 = 0.337 ± 0.463 dex when measured for the general PN populations. Our results will be relevant for future Galactic and extragalactic studies comparing nebular and stellar samples.

Drivers of municipal water security and vulnerability in Pakistan: A case study of Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Tehsil Mardan has experienced enormous shifts in land use and cover (LULC), growth in population, climate variance, and a drop in the groundwater table. This study sought to evaluate and quantify the vulnerability status of municipal water security in Tehsil Mardan, by incorporating LULC, population, and climate indicators using remote sensing and statistical techniques. LULC changes were quantified from Landsat imageries using Envi from 1990 to 2021. Field and questionnaire surveys were conducted to estimate groundwater depletion and municipal water demand. The Mann-Kendall trend test was applied to temperature and precipitation data. Analysis of correlation was performed to measure the relationship among all the variables. To get a deeper understanding of the vulnerability of municipal water security caused by physical, climatic, and social factors, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was utilized. LULC results showed a fivefold rise in built-up class from 37 km2 to 188 km2 and a substantial decline in bare land from 437 km2 to 252 km2 from 1990 to 2021. The average groundwater table depletion was one foot per year and showed a significant positive correlation with the number of tube wells, water supply and demand, and population growth. An increase of 0.008 °C per year in average temperature while a declining trend is observed in mean precipitation during the last 30 years. The results showed that municipal water security vulnerability changed from “invulnerable relatively” to “very vulnerable” stage during the last three decades. The study contributed valuable insights to facilitate policymakers, and urban planners for management of the current and future municipal water works, land use planning, and associated environmental opportunities and threats.

Water budget study for groundwater recharge in Indus River Basin, Punjab (Pakistan)

Abstract Assessing groundwater recharge is crucial for managing and governing water resources in any region. Indus River Basin (IRB) is an area that relies heavily on canal and groundwater irrigation. The replenishment of groundwater is largely dependent on surface water supplies. The purpose of this research is to determine the amount of groundwater recharge from various sources in Rachna Doab. The study employed the water budget method to calculate seasonal groundwater recharge during the Rabi (October–March) and Kharif (April–September) (Summer) periods from 2005 to 2011. The main components of the recharge were rainfall, water conveyed through channels, and irrigation water applied to cultivated fields. Conversely, the extraction of water from private and public tube wells was the discharge component of the study. Groundwater levels increased during the Kharif season but decreased during the Rabi season. Average recharge contribution from rainfall was 45 and 14% during the Kharif and Rabi seasons, respectively. The total annual recharge from watercourses and irrigation fields was estimated to be approximately 33% of the total recharge. Rainfall was the most significant source of long-term seasonal recharge, followed by watercourses and irrigation fields. In general, the average depletion of the reservoir was 94 million cubic meters per season.

Hydro‐economic modeling of managed aquifer recharge in the lower Mississippi

AbstractThe Mississippi Embayment aquifer is one of the largest alluvial groundwater aquifers in the United States. It is being excessively used, located along the lower Mississippi River covering approximately 202,019 km2 (78,000 square miles). Annual average groundwater depletion in the aquifer has been estimated at 5.18 billion cubic meters (Gm3) (4.2 million acre‐feet) in 1981–2000. However, since 2000, annual groundwater depletion has increased abruptly to 8 Gm3 (2001–2008). In recent years, multi‐state efforts have been initiated to improve the Mississippi Embayment aquifer sustainability. One management strategy of interest for preserving groundwater resources is managed aquifer recharge (MAR). In this study, we evaluate the impact of different MAR scenarios on land and water use decisions and the overall groundwater system using an economic model able to assess profitability of crop and land use decisions coupled to the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS) hydrogeologic model. We run the coupled model for 60 years by considering the hydrologic conditions from the MERAS model for the years 2002–2007 and repeating them 10 times. We find MAR is not economically attractive when the water cost is greater than $0.05/m3. Groundwater storage is unlikely to improve when relying solely on MAR as groundwater management strategy but rather should be implemented jointly with other groundwater conservation policies.

Satellite-based estimates of groundwater storage depletion over Egypt

An arid climate accompanied by a freshwater shortage plagued Egypt. It has resorted to groundwater reserves to meet the increasing water demands. Fossil aquifers were lately adopted as the sole water source to provide the irrigation water requirements of the ongoing reclamation activities in barren areas. Yet, the scarcity of measurements regarding the changes in the aquifers’ storage poses a great challenge to such sustainable resource management. In this context, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission enables a novel consistent approach to deriving aquifers’ storage changes. In this study, the GRACE monthly solutions during the period 2003–2021 were utilized to estimate alterations in terrestrial water storage (TWS) throughout Egypt. Changes in groundwater storage (GWS) were inferred by subtracting soil water content, derived from the GLDAS-NOAH hydrological model, from the retrieved TWS. The secular trends in TWS and GWS were obtained using the linear least square method, while the non-parametric technique (Mann–Kendall’s tau) was applied to check the trend significance. The derived changes in GWS showed that all aquifers are undergoing a significant loss rate in their storage. The average depletion rate over the Sinai Peninsula was estimated at 0.64 ± 0.03 cm/year, while the depletion rate over the Nile delta aquifer was 0.32 ± 0.03 cm/year. During the investigated period (2003–2021), the extracted groundwater quantity from the Nubian aquifer in the Western Desert is estimated at nearly 7.25 km3. The storage loss from the Moghra aquifer has significantly increased from 32 Mm3/year (2003–2009) to 262 Mm3/year (2015–2021). This reflects the aquifer exposure for extensive water pumping to irrigate newly cultivated lands. The derived findings on the aquifers’ storage losses provide a vital source of information for the decision-makers to be employed for short- and long-term groundwater management.

Groundwater analysis using Gravity Recovery, Climate Experiment and Google Earth Engine: Bundelkhand region, India

India is one of the highest consumers of groundwater in the world. This precious resource is important for socio-economic development and it has been extremely rapidly depleting. Therefore, monitoring of groundwater storage (GWS) change is of great significance. Dependence on in-situ groundwater measurement for accurate assessment of regional-scale GWS changes is constrained, especially over extended durations, due to poor spatiotemporal coverage of in-situ measurement and uncertainty in the storage process. In present study, Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), which offers quantitative measurement of terrestrial water storage (TWS) coupled with TerraClimate data, has been used to estimate the changes in GWS from 2002 to 2017 for the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, India. Google Earth Engine and ArcGIS are the processing software employed to process and analyse the satellite data. It was observed that, on average GWS, has been depleted by 112 mm during the studied period. The highest GWS fluctuation was observed in 2012(-247 mm to –60 mm); the lowest fluctuation for year 2009, (−162 mm to −43 mm). Volumetric groundwater depletion in the study area was calculated using the average GWS depletion. There is a reduction of 1,12,000 m3 groundwater per unit square kilometre area over the period of 16 years, however, 3.29 × 109 m3 in the entire studied region. Because of the rugged topography and hard rock terrain, the recharge process is poor. The population of the area increased by 24%, or by a factor of two, throughout the research period.

Development of optimal placement and sizing of FACTS devices in power system integrated with wind power using modified krill herd algorithm

PurposeThis study aims to intend and implement the optimal power flow, where tuning the production cost is done with the inclusion of stochastic wind power and different kinds of flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) devices. Here, the speed with fitness-based krill herd algorithm (SF-KHA) is adopted for deciding the FACTS devices’ optimal sizing and placement integrated with wind power. Here, the modified SF-KHA optimizes the sizing and location of FACTS devices for attaining the minimum average production cost and real power depletions of the system. Especially, the objective includes reserve cost for overestimation, cost of thermal generation of the wind power, direct cost of scheduled wind power and penalty cost for underestimation. The efficiency of the offered method over several popular optimization algorithms has been done, and the comparison over different algorithms establishes proposed KHA algorithm attains the accurate optimal efficiency for all other algorithms.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed FACTS devices-based power system with the integration of wind generators is based on the accurate placement and sizing of FACTS devices for decreasing the actual power loss and total production cost of the power system.FindingsThrough the cost function evaluation of the offered SF-KHA, it was noted that the proposed SF-KHA-based power system had secured 13.04% superior to success history-based adaptive differential evolution, 9.09% enhanced than differential evolution, 11.5% better than artificial bee colony algorithm, 15.2% superior to particle swarm optimization and 9.09% improved than flower pollination algorithm.Originality/valueThe proposed power system with the accurate placement and sizing of FACTS devices and wind generator using the suggested SF-KHA was effective when compared with the conventional algorithm-based power systems.

Potential mitigation of environmental impacts of intensive plum production in southeast China with maintenance of high yields: Evaluation using life cycle assessment.

Intensive plum production usually involves high yields but also high environmental costs due to excessive fertilizer inputs. Quantitative analysis of the environmental effects of plum production is thereby required in the development of optimum strategies to promote sustainable fruit production. We collected survey questionnaires from 254 plum production farms in Zhao'an county, Fujian province, southeast China to assess the environmental impacts by life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The farms were categorized into four groups based on yield and environmental impacts, i.e., LL (low yield and low environmental impact), LH (low yield but high environmental impact), HL (high yield but low environmental impact), and HH (high yield and high environmental impact). The environmental impacts, i.e., average energy depletion, global warming, acidification, and eutrophication potential in plum production were 18.17 GJ ha-1, 3.63t CO2 eq ha-1, 42.18kg SO2 eq ha-1, and 25.06kg PO4 eq ha-1, respectively. Only 19.7% of farmers were in the HL group, with 13.3% in the HH group, 39.0% in LL, and 28.0% LH. Plum yields of the HL group were 109-114% higher than the mean value of all 254 farms. Additionally, the HL group had a lower environmental impact per unit area compared to the overall mean value, with a reduction ranging from 31.9% to 36.7%. Furthermore, on a per tonne of plum production basis, the energy depletion, global warming potential, acidification potential, and eutrophication potential of HL farms were lower by 75.4%, 75.0%, 75.6%, and 75.8%, respectively. Overall, the total environmental impact index of LL, LH, HL, and HH groups were 0.26, 0.42, 0.06, and 0.21, respectively. Excessive fertilizer N application was the main source of the environmental impacts, the potential to reduce fertilizer N rate can be achieved without compromising plum yield by studying the HH group. The results provide an important foundation for enhancing the management of plum production, in order to promote 'green' agricultural development by reducing environmental impacts.

Apolipoprotein A-I Synthesis and Secretion Are Increased in Hep G2 Cells Depleted of Copper by Cupruretic Tetramine

Two amine chelators, namely N,N′-bis(2-aminoethyl)-1,3-propanediamine-4 HCl (2,3,2-tetramine) and diamsar, were used at various levels to deplete copper (Cu) from cultured Hep G2 cells. For cells cultured at 0.63 µmol of Cu/L, maximal depletions were attained after 24 h of incubation with 10 µmol of either chelator/L, which resulted in an average significant depletion of 45% of cellular Cu. In addition, when cells were cultured continuously for four passages at 0.63 µmol Cu/L with 20 µmol of 2,3,2-tetramine/L, cellular Cu was significantly depleted more than 40% compared with controls. Furthermore, after two passages of 2,3,2-tetramine treatment, cells were pulsed for 10 min with [3H]leucine and chased up to 2 h. At the end of the pulse, the amount of [3H]leucine incorporated into apolipoprotein A-I was twofold greater (P < 0.05) in treated than in control cells. No difference was detected for the synthesis of apolipoprotein B and total protein. During the chase, the cellular depletion curves for apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein B and total protein were not altered by 2,3,2-tetramine treatment. From 30 to 120 min of the chase, the amount of nascent apolipoprotein A-I degraded was small and not altered, but that secreted into the medium was 56% higher (P < 0.05) in the Cu-depleted than in the control cells.

An Investigation of Recharging Groundwater Levels through River Ponding: New Strategy for Water Management in Sutlej River

Groundwater is an essential water resource in the current era, and studying its sustainability and management is highly necessary nowadays. In the current area of research interest, the reduced mean annual Sutlej River flow, the increase in the population/built-up areas, and enhanced groundwater abstractions have reduced groundwater recharge. To address this issue, groundwater recharge modeling through ponding of the Sutlej River was carried out using a modular three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater flow model (MODFLOW) in a 400 km2 area adjacent to Sutlej River. The mean historical water table decline rate in the study area is 139 mm/year. The population and urbanization rates have increased by 2.23 and 1.62% per year in the last 8 years. Domestic and agricultural groundwater abstraction are increasing by 1.15–1.30% per year. Abstraction from wells and recharge from the river, the Fordwah Canal, and rainfall were modeled in MODFLOW, which was calibrated and validated using observed data for 3 years. The model results show that the study area’s average water table depletion rate will be 201 mm/year for 20 years. The model was re-run for this scenario, providing river ponding levels of 148–151 m. The model results depict that the water table adjacent to the river will rise by 3–5 m, and average water table depletion is expected to be reduced to 151 to 95 mm/year. The model results reveal that for ponding levels of 148–151 m, storage capacity varies from 26.5–153 Mm3, contributing a recharge of 7.91–12.50 million gallons per day (MGD), and benefiting a 27,650–32,100-acre area; this means that for areas benefitted by dam recharge, the groundwater abstraction rate will remain sustainable for more than 50 years, and for the overall study area, it will remain sustainable for 7–12.3 years. Considering the current water balance, a recharging mechanism, i.e., ponding in the river through the dam, is recommended for sustainable groundwater abstraction.

Radio jet–ISM interaction and positive radio-mechanical feedback in Abell 1795

ABSTRACT We present XSHOOTER observations with previous ALMA, MUSE, and HST observations to study the nature of radio jet triggered star formation and the interaction of radio jets with the interstellar medium in the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) in the Abell 1795 cluster. Using HST UV data, we determined an ongoing star formation rate of 9.3 M⊙ yr−1. The star formation follows the global Kennicutt–Schmidt law; however, it has a low efficiency compared to circumnuclear starbursts in nearby galaxies with an average depletion time of ∼1 Gyr. The star formation and molecular gas are offset by ∼1 kpc indicating that stars have decoupled from the gas. We detected an arc of high linewidth in ionized gas where electron densities are elevated by a factor of ∼4 suggesting a shock front driven by radio jets or peculiar motion of the BCG. An analysis of nebular emission line flux ratios suggests that the gas is predominantly ionized by star formation with a small contribution from shocks. We also calculated the velocity structure function (VSF) of the ionized and molecular gases using velocity maps to characterize turbulent motion in the gas. The ionized gas VSF suggests that the radio jets are driving supersonic turbulence in the gas. Thus radio jets cannot only heat the atmosphere on large scales and may quench star formation on longer time-scales while triggering star formation in positive feedback on short time-scales of a few million years.

Modeling the Effectiveness of Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Reducing Sediments and Nutrient Export from a River Basin

Water pollution from unsustainable agricultural practices is a global problem that undermines human health and economic development. Sustainable agricultural practices have been considered to maintain global food production without compromising water quality and ecosystem health. However, the effectiveness of sustainable agricultural practices in reducing sediments and nutrient export and the combination of practices that will best achieve water quality objectives is still under-explored. In this study, we assess the effectiveness of sustainable agricultural practices in reducing sediments and nutrients export to rivers and determine the combination of practices that would allow the highest reductions of sediments and nutrients, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in a Portuguese river basin highly affected by agricultural pollution. SWAT was calibrated and validated for river discharge, sediments, phosphorous, and nitrate loads at the outlet of the basin, with a good agreement between simulated and observed values. The effects of filter strips, fertilizer incorporation, and conservation tillage were analyzed considering both individual and combined effects. Our study shows that sustainable agricultural practices can substantially reduce sediments and nutrients export from a river basin, with the highest average combined depletion of sediments, phosphorus, and nitrate export (25%) achieved when fertilizer incorporation, conservation tillage, and filter strips were implemented simultaneously. Additional studies exploring the effect of sustainable agricultural practices across a range of climate and watershed characteristics, as well as their capacity to deal with challenges related to climate change, will further improve our understanding of the effectiveness of sustainable agricultural practices.

LoTSS Jellyfish Galaxies. IV. Enhanced Star Formation on the Leading Half of Cluster Galaxies and Gas Compression in IC3949

With Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO integral field spectroscopy, we present a resolved analysis of star formation for 29 jellyfish galaxies in nearby clusters, identified from radio continuum imaging taken by the Low Frequency Array. Simulations predict enhanced star formation on the “leading half” (LH) of galaxies undergoing ram pressure stripping, and in this work we report observational evidence for this elevated star formation. The dividing line (through the galaxy center) that maximizes this star formation enhancement is systematically tied to the observed direction of the ram-pressure-stripped tail, suggesting a physical connection between ram pressure and this star formation enhancement. We also present a case study on the distribution of molecular gas in one jellyfish galaxy from our sample, IC3949, using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array CO J = 1 − 0, HCN J = 1 − 0, and HCO+ J = 1 − 0 observations from the ALMA MaNGA Quenching and Star Formation Survey. The H2 depletion time (as traced by CO) in IC3949 ranges from ∼1 Gyr in the outskirts of the molecular gas disk to ∼11 Gyr near the galaxy center. IC3949 shows a clear region of enhanced star formation on the LH of the galaxy where the average depletion time is ∼2.7 Gyr, in line with the median value for the galaxy on the whole. Dense gas tracers, HCN and HCO+, are only detected at the galaxy center and on the LH of IC3949. Our results favor a scenario in which ram pressure compresses the interstellar medium, promoting the formation of molecular gas that in turn fuels a localized increase of star formation.

The China groundwater crisis: A mechanistic analysis with implications for global sustainability

Over the past several decades, China has rapidly depleted groundwater storage, and has lagged in managing and protecting this resource. As a result, dried up rivers, land subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and wetland losses are extensive. To assist with managing this vital groundwater resource, we constructed the first national-scale numerical groundwater flow model of China to provide a comprehensive overview and understanding of the subsurface flow dynamics. The groundwater model is three-dimensional with a 10 km by 10 km horizontal resolution and five discretized vertical layers (up to 1700 m below the land surface). The calibrated model matched calculated to observed water levels and sufficiently reproduced water budgets. The model was used to reconstruct groundwater depletion by retracing the different stages of Chinese economic development. From 1945 to 2020, the northern provinces are characterized by an average groundwater depletion of ∼16.7 km3/yr (equivalent to 30% of the Yellow River's annual flow) while southern China has experienced no substantial groundwater depletion. Groundwater depletion is consistent with a large observed reduction in groundwater discharge as baseflow to the Yellow River (-23%) relative to negligible variation in baseflow in the Yangtze River. Our study provides a holistic tool to support development of nationwide water management strategies and temper the effects of a future water crisis that China's growing economy could propagate at the global scale.

Analysing Effects on Ground Water Levels Due to Conversion of Rural to Urban Landscapes

Abstract Greater NOIDA evolved from 1991 with 101 villages to 2020 with 293 villages. This is an ideal case of rural to urban transformation in the immediate past. This transformation led to a decrease in recharging natural surfaces and an increase in impermeable surfaces. Along with the reduction in recharge areas, an increase in population has necessitated more and more extraction of groundwater resulting in an imbalance of water extraction and recharge. The result is depletion of groundwater levels in this area. The area is part of the wide Indo-Gangetic alluvium with sand, silt and clay layers resting on quartzite’s of Delhi Super Group. Geomorphological map prepared using digital elevation models of the area shows older and younger alluvial plains and active flood plains of the river Hindan. Time series analysis of key land use land cover classes shows that recharge areas were reduced from 77 % to 30 % from 2005 to 2019 and impervious surfaces have increased from 19 % to 65 % for the same period. Aquifers of the area are both phreatic and semi-confined. The aquifer parameters estimated through step drawdown test and long duration aquifer performance test indicates that the average coefficient of transmissivity of the area is 1752 m2/day and the average coefficient of storage is 4.84 x 10-4. Discharge of the wells shows a yield of 8 to 16 lps for a drawdown of 3 to 6 m. An attempt has been made to know the behaviour of groundwater levels during the same period as that of land use land cover. The results indicate a 74 % depletion in groundwater levels with an average annual depletion of 21 %. An interrelationship between urban growth and groundwater levels has been established in this study. This analysis indicates that as agriculture declined water levels also depleted and have a positive correlation of 0.852. On the contrary, as the built-up increased water level has depleted hence have a negative relationship with a correlation coefficient of -0.851. To make it a sustainable resource, these overexploited aquifers need careful participatory management by communities, Scientists, and policymakers.

Synthesis of New Norfloxacin-Tin Complexes to Mitigate the Effect of Ultraviolet-Visible Irradiation in Polyvinyl Chloride Films.

Polyvinyl chloride is used in the manufacturing of a wide range of products, but it is susceptible to degradation if exposed to high temperatures and sunlight. There is therefore a need to continuously explore the design, synthesis, and application of new and improved additives to reduce the photodegradation of polyvinyl chloride in harsh environments and for outdoor applications. This research investigates the use of new norfloxacin–tin complexes as additives to inhibit the photodegradation of polyvinyl chloride to make it last longer. Reactions between norfloxacin and substituted tin chlorides, in different molar ratios and in methanol under reflux conditions, gave the corresponding organotin complexes in high yields. The chemical structures of the synthesized complexes were established, and their effect on the photodegradation of polyvinyl chloride due to ultraviolet-visible irradiation was investigated. Norfloxacin–tin complexes were added to polyvinyl chloride at very low concentrations and homogenous thin films were made. The films were irradiated for a period of up to 300 h, and the damage that occurred was assessed using infrared spectroscopy, polymeric materials weight loss, depression in molecular weight, and surface inspection. The degree of photodegradation in the polymeric materials was much less in the blends containing norfloxacin–tin complexes compared to the case where no additives were used. The use of the additives leads to a reduction in photodegradation (e.g., a reduction in the formation of short-chain polymeric fragments, weight loss, average molecular weight depletion, and roughness factor) of irradiated polyvinyl chloride. The norfloxacin–tin complexes contain aromatic moieties (aryl and heterocycle), heteroatoms (nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine), and an acidic center (tin atom). Therefore, they act as efficient photostabilizers by absorbing the ultraviolet radiation and scavenging hydrogen chloride, peroxides, and radical species, thereby slowing the photodegradation of polyvinyl chloride.

TMC-SNPdb 2.0: an ethnic-specific database of Indian germline variants.

Cancer is a somatic disease. The lack of Indian-specific reference germline variation resources limits the ability to identify true cancer-associated somatic variants among Indian cancer patients. We integrate two recent studies, the GenomeAsia 100K and the Genomics for Public Health in India (IndiGen) program, describing genome sequence variations across 598 and 1029 healthy individuals of Indian origin, respectively, along with the unique variants generated from our in-house 173 normal germline samples derived from cancer patients to generate the Tata Memorial Centre-SNP database (TMC-SNPdb) 2.0. To show its utility, GATK/Mutect2-based somatic variant calling was performed on 224 in-house tumor samples to demonstrate a reduction in false-positive somatic variants. In addition to the ethnic-specific variants from GenomeAsia 100K and IndiGenomes databases, 305 132 unique variants generated from 173 in-house normal germline samples derived from cancer patients of Indian origin constitute the Indian specific, TMC-SNPdb 2.0. Of 305 132 unique variants, 11.13% were found in the coding region with missense variants (31.3%) as the most predominant category. Among the non-coding variations, intronic variants (49%) were the highest contributors. The non-synonymous to synonymous SNP ratio was observed to be 1.9, consistent with the previous version of TMC-SNPdb and literature. Using TMC SNPdb 2.0, we analyzed a whole-exome sequence from 224 in-house tumor samples (180 paired and 44 orphans). We show an average depletion of 3.44% variants per paired tumor and significantly higher depletion (P-value < 0.001) for orphan tumors (4.21%), demonstrating the utility of the rare, unique variants found in the ethnic-specific variant datasets in reducing the false-positive somatic mutations. TMC-SNPdb 2.0 is the most exhaustive open-source reference database of germline variants occurring across 1800 Indian individuals to analyze cancer genomes and other genetic disorders. The database and toolkit package is available for download at the following: Database URL http://www.actrec.gov.in/pi-webpages/AmitDutt/TMCSNPdb2/TMCSNPdb2.html

Application of direct peptide reactivity assay for assessing the skin sensitization potential of essential oils.

Plant-derived products are frequently found as ingredients in cosmetics. However, the current data show non-neglectable skin sensitizing potential of these preparations suggesting an urgent need for data regarding their health safety profile. The aim of this study was to assess the skin sensitization potential of commercial essential oils by selected Lamiaceae species (Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Mentha longifolia, Thymus vulgaris, Salvia officinalis, and Rosmarinus officinalis) using a chemistry-based Direct Peptide Reactivity Assay (DPRA) in order to predict their potential allergic properties. In the DPRA assay, nucleophile-containing synthetic peptides (cysteine peptide and lysine peptide) were incubated with the test substance for 24 h. Depletion of the peptide in the reaction mixture was measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) using UV detection and the average peptide depletion data for cysteine and lysine was then calculated. Menthae longifoliae aetheroleum showed no or minimal reactivity with 4.48% cysteine depletion, Rosmarini aetheroleum and Salviae aetheroleum showed low reactivity with the 12.79% and 15.34% of cysteine depletion, respectively, while the other analyzed essential oils showed moderate reactivity with the cysteine depletion between 23.21 and 48.43%. According to DPRA predictive analysis, only Menthae longifoliae aetheroleum can be classified as negative, while all other essential oils may be classified as positive, thus having the potential to cause skin sensitization.

Application of Time-Variable Gravity to Groundwater Storage Fluctuations in Saudi Arabia

In the Middle East, water shortage is becoming more and more serious due to the development of agriculture and industry and the increase in population. Saudi Arabia is one of the most water-consuming countries in the Middle East, and urgent measures are needed. Therefore, we integrated data from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), and other relevant data to estimate changes in groundwater storage in Saudi Arabia. The findings are as follows: 1) Average annual precipitation (AAP) was calculated to be 76.4, 90, and 72 mm for the entire period, Period I (April 2002 to March 2006) and Period II (April 2006 to July 2016), respectively. 2) The average TWS variation was estimated to be −7.94 ± 0.22, −1.39 ± 1.35, and −8.38 ± 0.34 mm/yr for the entire period, Period I and Period II, respectively. 3) The average groundwater storage was estimated to be +1.56 ± 1.35 mm/yr during Period I. 4) The higher average groundwater depletion rate was calculated to be −6.05 ± 0.34 mm/yr during Period II. 5) Both soil texture and surface streams in the study area promote lateral flow and carry surface water to the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea. 6) During Period II, average annual recharge rates were estimated to be +9.48 ± 2.37 and +4.20 ± 0.15 km3 for Saudi Arabia and the Saq aquifer, respectively. 7) This integrated approach is an informative and cost-effective technique to assess the variability of groundwater resources in large areas more efficiently.