Daily Water Research Articles

Methods of Calculation of Daily Flooded Areas in the Volga Delta During the Flood Periods Based on the Remote Sensing Data

We developed methods for calculating the daily flooded areas in the Volga delta (VD) for the entire flood period using satellite data. The methodology is based on the construction of dependences of the flooding areas of the hydrographic network and interchannel spaces of VD (Ftotal) on the means of daily water levels in the channels of watercourses (НР). Ftotal for individual flood dates were determined using satellite images. Data on НР were taken at hydrological stations (h/s) on the same dates from the State Water Cadastre. These dependencies were used to calculate the daily flooding areas of DV with high accuracy for flood periods of different water contents (high-water, low-water and medium-water contents). This method was developed in two modifications: 1 – modification for the case of the sufficient number of satellite images to cover all the main changes in the course of each phase of the flood, 2 – modification for the case of the insufficient number of satellite images to cover all the main changes in the course of each phase of the flood. We conducted a comparative analysis of daily Ftotal obtained with high accuracy using modification 1 for floods of different water contents (high-water, low-water, medium-water contents). We revealed how floods of different water contents differ in characteristics including timing of passage, amplitude, area of maximum flooding area, duration of the rise phase, decline phase and flood plateau phase. Such calculations have never been conducted before. The results of calculations by this method allow us to identify the spatial-temporal patterns of the VD flooding under different types of water contents. Our method enables to predict the dynamics of floods and to calculate the water balance of the Volga delta.

Understanding vegetative ecophysiological responses of herbaceous species from a Brazilian dry forest by simulating 60‐year precipitation extremes

AbstractIn the Caatinga, a Brazilian dry forest, low water availability is a limiting factor that affects the growth and survival of herbaceous plants. Thus, we hypothesize that simulated extreme changes in precipitation modify aboveground and belowground vegetative responses differently between annual and perennial herbaceous species. Seedlings of the species were obtained through seed germination. During 1 year, they were submitted to three rainfall simulation (RS) treatments, defined from a 60‐year sequence: Twet‐RS of rainy years; Tcontrol‐RS of years close to the historical average; Tdry‐RS of dry years; and with 30 repetitions per treatment. The daily water administration corresponded to the daily average of rainfall in the past. In the simulation of dry years, the annual species reduced the growth drastically, while the perennials showed a moderate reduction. All species reduced biomass and production and expansion of their leaves in dry years but invested in water storage and leaf longevity. Below ground, annuals explored surface water resources and perennials invested in root growth, accessing underground layers. If reductions in rainfall are confirmed, the allocation of herbaceous biomass may follow an “optimal partitioning” strategy, along with maintaining higher water content in the organs, which is an efficient survival strategy.

Feeding chicory silage, but not Se-yeast or a single injection of inorganic Se, affects metabolism, fat in milk, and type I immunity in transition ewes

In the study, we assessed the effect on performance and health of a single injection of inorganic Se prepartum or feeding chicory silage and organic Se supplementation during the peripartum in ewes. Approximately one month before lambing, 45 pregnant Polypay ewes were moved into single pens and randomly assigned to 5 groups to be fed either grass or chicory silage and supplemented or not with 3.6 mg Se/day as selenium yeast or given a single prepartum injection of Na-selenite. Daily dry matter intake (DMI), water intake, milk production and components, blood metabolic, immune and inflammatory parameters, and blood micromineral levels were measured. DMI was lower in ewes fed chicory silage, although no statistical differences in milk yield were observed. Very few differences were observed in milk components, except fat %, which was higher among ewes fed chicory silage. The type of silage had a significant effect on the fatty acid profile of the milk, with the milk from ewes fed chicory having a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids and overall improved health indices compared to the milk from ewes fed grass silage. Blood NEFA and BHBA were higher in ewes fed chicory vs. grass silage. Neither silage type nor Se supplementation had a strong effect on most of the parameters associated with immune or inflammatory function, except for the liver enzymes GGT and GOT, which were lower, and a larger type I/type II ratio immune response measured by the DxD2 assay among ewes fed chicory vs. grass silage. No effects on parasite fecal egg counts were observed. Supplementation of ewes with Se-yeast resulted in higher blood levels of Se, whereas the one-time prepartum injection had no significant effect on whole blood Se levels. Feeding chicory silage and supplementing Se during the transition period had a minimal impact on ewe performance and health.

Intraurban spatial configuration, hydrologic similarity areas and their roles in urban drainage dynamics

ABSTRACT Hydrologic Similarity Areas (HSA) were delimited in the Belém catchment, and their responses on the water balance were evaluated. A cluster analysis of intraurban spatial configuration was conducted to delimit six HSA. The urban water balance was performed in the Aquacycle model, whose calibration resulted in satisfactory adherence to the measured streamflow. Indeed, the modeling results show that the intraurban spatial heterogeneity is reflected in the annual and daily water balance. The evapotranspiration rates can represent 25% to 50% precipitation in the different HSA. Moreover, infiltration and runoff can range five times among the HSA. In analyzing the daily events, we identified the areas that most contributed to runoff and those with higher infiltration capacity during flood events. Such results may support future studies on understanding flood dynamics and guide the implementation of sustainable urban drainage solutions that aim to reduce runoff and control flood risk.

Super Moisture-Sorbent Sponge for Sustainable Atmospheric Water Harvesting and Power Generation.

Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) shows great promise to mitigate the worldwide water scarcity, especially in the arid regions. Salt-based composite materials are the extensively used sorbents for SAWH, however, they suffer from complex preparation to avoid salt leakage. Furthermore, the significant amount of heat produced during water harvesting process is often neglected and wasted. Herein, an integrated strategy is developed to synthesis salt-based stable super moisture-sorbent sponge by using the chelation of LiCl and dopamine (DA), and the simultaneous polymerization of DA on melamine sponge (PMS). The as-prepared LiCl/PMS/CNTs showed high water uptake, reaching 1.26 and 1.81g g-1 at 15% and 30% RH, respectively, and no salt leakage is observed during the water absorption process. Remarkable daily water production of 3.47kg kg-1 day-1 in an arid environment (30% RH) is achieved. Moreover, a dual-function system is successfully constructed by combining the LiCl/PMS/CNTs with a thermoelectric module to fully utilize the heat generated from the SAWH process, which can realize the simultaneous production of fresh water and electricity. The maximum output power density is up to 35.4 and 454.4mW m-2 during the water absorption and desorption process, respectively.

The Optimal Dietary Sodium or Chloride Level of Broilers Fed a Corn–Soybean Meal Diet from 22 to 42 Days of Age

The objective of this study was to assess the ideal dietary Na or Cl level for chickens from 22 to 42 d of age, utilizing a corn–soybean meal diet that maintains a 1:1 ratio of Na to Cl. At 22 d of age, a total of 288 male broilers of Arbor Acres were selected and randomly divided into one of six treatments. Each treatment contained eight replicates, with six chicks in each replicate. The control chicks were given a basic diet including 0.02% Na and 0.07% Cl without added Na or Cl, while the birds in other treatments were given diets containing different Na or Cl levels (0.13%, 0.19%, 0.25%, 0.31%, and 0.37%). With increasing dietary Na or Cl levels, linear (p < 0.0001) and quadratic (p < 0.0001) increases occurred in ADG, ADFI, and average daily water consumption, while F/G exhibited a linear (p < 0.0001) and quadratic (p < 0.0001) decrease from 22 to 42 d of age in broilers. Linear (p < 0.02) and quadratic increases (p < 0.03) were found in the heart indicator, serum Cl− concentrations, and blood Na+ and Cl− concentrations, whereas the kidney indicator, blood K+ concentrations, and serum K+, UA, and glucose (GLU) concentrations showed a linear (p < 0.04) and quadratic (p < 0.004) decrease with an increase in dietary Na or Cl levels. The excreta water content, liver indicator, and jejunal crypt depth also showed a linear increase (p < 0.02). The ideal levels of dietary Na or Cl were estimated to be 0.07% to 0.12%, based on the most suitable broken-line and asymptotic models (p ≤ 0.0002) using those sensitive indicators mentioned above. It was suggested that the suitable dietary Na or Cl level of 0.12% would adequately fulfill the Na or Cl metabolic demands of chickens from 22 to 42 d of age.

Burden and determinants of scabies in a pastoralist community: a case–control study from Southwest Ethiopia

BackgroundScabies is a skin infestation caused by the human itch mite, affecting people globally across all demographics. However, it is more prevalent among children, individuals with poor hygiene, those in...

Performance of an integrated household greywater treatment system for water optimization and reuse

This study evaluated the efficiency of an on-site household greywater treatment system for indirect human reuse and for domestic lawn irrigation. This helps in the reduction in the disparity between water demand and supply that is facing the rapidly increasing global populace. Natural household greywater was settled and then conventionally filtered by using two types of non-woven geotextile media; thermally bonded and needle punched. A third woven cotton textile media was also experimented and all the non-woven geotextile media were tested in single and double layers and combined with the woven cotton textile layer. The different filter media configurations were tested for a period of one year operation (six runs) with two filtration rates of 15.00 and 25.00 m3/m2/day for each run. For all runs, the final treated effluent was disinfected using calcium hypochlorite prior to reuse. The double layer needle punched non-woven geotextile media together with the woven cotton textile media gave the best removal efficiencies; 96.34 ± 1.85% for turbidity 81.87 ± 6.43% for BOD5, 97.49 ± 1.68% for TSS, 75.35 ± 3.99% for CODt, 99.59% for E.coli. The soluble CODs removal efficiencies were negligible (below 3%) in the first four runs with non-woven geotextile media and increased to 28.05 ± 4.29% when the woven cotton textile media was added. In general, the system was found to save about 63% of the daily water consumption reflecting a net 22.50% reduction in the daily water billing costs for the whole household.

1D-2D hydrodynamic and sediment transport modelling using MIKE models

A comprehensive modeling framework utilizing hydrodynamic and sediment transport models (MIKE Hydro River, MIKE 21 FM, MIKE 21C) was applied to the 33.57 km stretch of the Banshadhara River from Banshadhara bridge, Gunupur to Kashinagar town. Daily discharge, water levels, and sediment data from 2013 to 2022 of Gunupur and Kashinagar gauge stations was used as model input, and calibration–validation of models. Additionally, satellite remote sensing data used for determined Manning’s roughness (n) values as well compared the model outputs. Calibration procedures ensured high accuracy, with MIKE Hydro River achieving 98.3% agreement between observed and simulated water levels. 1D sediment transport model showing significant variability in total bed load values ranging from 0.3 to 3.83 m^3/s. The Wilcock & Crowe gravel bed load formula accurately predicted bed load transport within the expected magnitude, albeit tending to overestimate transport, indicative of supply-limited conditions. 2D MIKE 21 FM simulations highlighted flow dynamics, with rapid flood arrival at Kashinagar and varying current speeds along the river, especially at bends. MIKE 21C, focused on the central portion, indicated erosion processes at river bends with high discharge. Sediment transport model accuracy was approximately 86.7%, capturing general trends despite occasional discrepancies. Over a 10-year simulation, erosion trends and potential river course shifting were observed, particularly near bends. The analysis provides valuable insights for river management, flood risk mitigation, water resource management, infrastructure planning, and environmental preservation in the Banshadhara River basin and similar environments.

Using Commercial Satellite Imagery to Reconstruct 3 m and Daily Spring Snow Water Equivalent

AbstractSnow water equivalent (SWE) distribution at fine spatial scales (≤10 m) is difficult to estimate due to modeling and observational constraints. However, the distribution of SWE throughout the spring snowmelt season is often correlated to the timing of snow disappearance. Here, we show that snow cover maps generated from PlanetScope's constellation of Dove Satellites can resolve the 3 m date of snow disappearance across seven alpine domains in California and Colorado. Across a 5‐year period (2019–2023), the average uncertainty in the date of snow disappearance, or the period of time between the last date of observed snow cover and the first date of observed snow absence, was 3 days. Using a simple shortwave‐based snowmelt model calibrated at nearby snow pillows, the PlanetScope date of snow disappearance could be used to reconstruct spring SWE. Relative to lidar SWE estimates, the SWE reconstruction had a spatial coefficient of correlation of 0.75, and SWE spatial variability that was biased by 9%, on average. SWE reconstruction biases were then improved to within 0.04 m, on average, by calibrating snowmelt rates to track the spring temporal evolution of fractional snow cover observed by PlanetScope, including fractional snow cover over the full modeling domain, and across domain subsections where snowmelt rates may differ. This study demonstrates the utility of fine‐scale and high‐frequency optical observations of snow cover, and the simple and annually repeatable connections between snow cover and spring snow water resources in regions with seasonal snowpack.

Association of plain water intake with risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)-related mortality have increased dramatically in past decades. Our study aims to investigate the association between plain water and this prevalent metabolic disease, as water plays a crucial role in regulating metabolic processes. A total of 3,543/3,428 individuals with NAFLD/MASLD were included in this study from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Daily plain water intake was recorded, and mortality status was tracked until December 31, 2019. Multivariate Cox regression models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression models were used to assess the association between plain water intake and long-term all-cause as well as cause-specific mortality among participants with NAFLD/MASLD. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between substituting other beverages with plain water intake and the risk of mortality. The multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed a significant association between higher plain water intake and lower all-cause mortality, cerebrovascular diseases mortality, and cancer mortality in both NAFLD or MASLD patients. Dose-response analyses revealed a non-linear trend between plain water intake and mortality among NAFLD/MASLD patients. Additionally, replacing sugar or artificial beverages with plain water was linked to reduced all-cause mortality, cerebrovascular diseases mortality, and cancer mortality in patients with NAFLD/MASLD. Higher plain water intake is independently linked to lower risk of all-cause, cerebrovascular diseases mortality, and cancer mortality in NAFLD/MASLD patients. Increasing plain water intake may be an effective way for these patients to reduce their risk of mortality.

Organic Phase Change Materials as Thermal Energy Storage for Automated Solar Seawater Desalination System

A prototype of an automated solar seawater desalination system equipped with thermal energy storage was designed and developed to analyze experimentally the effect of adding organic phase change materials (palm wax and beeswax) to the desalination system’s efficiency. The desalination machine was set up with two configurations: with organic and without organic PCMs. While the setup without a PCM can produce an average of 30.8 mL per day and convert 2.056% of the total volume of input water to an output peak of 48.5 mL using solar energy, the setup with a PCM can produce an average daily water production of 68.9 mL and convert 4.6% of the input water volume with the highest record output of 104.5 mL compared to configurations without PCM, the organic PCM system with a 1:1.2 mixture of beeswax and palm wax can produce an average of 123.7%.

Wildlife trade at Belén and Modelo market, Peru: defining a baseline for conservation monitoring

IntroductionDomestic wildlife markets have important nutritional, medicinal, cultural, and financial significance for local communities, but the scale and diversity of wildlife trade that passes through them is also associated with negative impacts on biodiversity, poor animal welfare, and potential human health risk. To design, and monitor the effectiveness of, interventions to ameliorate such impacts, an understanding of the species sold at the markets and their purpose is required, together with a robust (and potentially flexible) baseline. Here we focus on Belén (the largest open wildlife market in the Peruvian Amazon) and Modelo market, in Iquitos, Peru.MethodsWe surveyed wildlife products for sale at both markets approximately weekly over a year, using two different survey methods (open and discreet). To provide a baseline to support future conservation monitoring, we estimated a number of different market metrics (including indices of product availability, volume (observed per survey), and price), for the most frequently observed species ‘groups’, and compared indices of trade volume with daily river water levels. To provide a complete understanding of the range of species involved, we also described all threatened species recorded at the markets, the products sold, and their uses, including those that were only observed occasionally.ResultsBoth markets sold predominantly wild meat, and some pets; at Belén Market >30% observations were of decorative, spiritual, or medicinal products. At least 71 unique species (including mammals, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates) were observed in total. The most frequently observed species ‘groups’ were: lowland paca, peccaries, caiman, river turtles, boas, yellow footed tortoise, parrots, and brocket deer. 27.7% of species were threatened or Near Threatened globally or nationally but there was no evidence that discreet surveys increased their detection. Daily river water levels were positively correlated with indices of trade volume for lowland paca, caiman, and yellow-footed tortoise, and negatively correlated with indices of trade volume for parrots and river turtle eggs.DiscussionBeyond providing a comparative dataset, and insights regarding the apparent availability and value of a diversity of products (including food items, live pets, and other decorative, spiritual, and medicinal items), we suggest that simulations using these data could be used to optimize future monitoring efforts. Finally, our observations of correlations of per survey trade volumes of some species with daily river water levels in Iquitos may inform optimal time of year for species- specific surveys.

Novel heavy fuel oil based IGCC polygeneration system based on integration with ejector cooling and heat recovery of the solid oxide fuel cell in adsorption desalination

An innovative polygeneration system based on the gasification of heavy fuel oil including Orimulsion, Mazut, and Asphaltene has been proposed. In this system, electricity, hot water, cooling, hydrogen, fresh water, and nitrogen are produced in an innovative way to improve the system. In this regard, the integration of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle-Organic Rankine Cycle- Ejectero Refrigeration Cycle-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Adsorbation Deselination-Polyer Electron Electrolyzer has been proposed. The proposed system was investigated from the points of view of energy, exergy, exergoeconomic, and exergoenvironmental. In addition, to model the air separation unit, machine learning techniques have been employed.The results show that if Mazut is used as a gasification material, the system will have 36.81 %, 33.3 %, and 66.22 mPts/kWh in terms of polygeneration energy efficiency, polygeneration exergy efficiency and Levelized environmental impact of electricity, respectively and if Orimulsion is used, the Levelized cost of electricity value will be 33.32$/MWh which are the best performance in three fuel. Nitrogen production in this system is 35.08 kg/s, and hydrogen production is 0.0051 kg/s. The value of specific daily water production in the AD unit is 8.40 m3watertonofsilicagelper day, and the flow of hot water produced is 7.37 kg/s.

Revealing caprine schistosomiasis and its One Health importance in Malawi: A molecular epidemiological investigation augmented with a praziquantel treatment and GPS animal tracking pilot sub-study

To shed first light on caprine schistosomiasis and its zoonotic potential in Malawi, we conducted a molecular epidemiological investigation, sampling goats (n = 230) across three districts, using faecal miracidia hatching test. Molecular genotyping of miracidia later revealed the prevalence of Schistosoma mattheei to be 0.0 % in Nsanje District (n = 30), 16.7 % in Chikwawa District (n = 30) and 25.3 % in Mangochi District (n = 170). Notably, a miracidium of Schistosoma haematobium was observed from a single goat in Chikwawa. Inspection of carcasses (n = 51) at two local abattoirs in Mangochi District did not find any evidence of caprine schistosomiasis where only a single herd, at Mangochi 3, was infected. Here, despite sampling several other herds nearby, the prevalence was 87.7 % (n = 49), with an animal found excreting 1000 miracidia per 5 g of faeces. At this location, our praziquantel treatment (n = 14) and GPS animal tracking (n = 2) pilot sub-study compared two local goat herds over a three-month period. The daily foraging ranges across a 10 km2 area were recorded, alongside targeted schistosome surveillance within local freshwater intermediate snail hosts. Analysis of GPS data revealed only one herd (infected) to have regular daily water contact with Lake Malawi whereas the other herd (not infected) totally avoided the lake. One week after praziquantel treatment administered at 40 mg/kg, anthelminthic cure rate was 92.3 % while at three months approximately a third of treated animals were shedding schistosome miracidia. Cercariae from several field-caught snails locally were genotyped, inclusive of finding a Schistosoma haematobium-mattheei hybrid. Our findings reveal the focalized nature of caprine schistosomiasis, signposting a novel alert for S. haematobium transmission, and highlight where zoonotic transmission can be intense. To better address zoonotic spill-over from S. mattheei (and/or S. haematobium), the national control programme for schistosomiasis should formally develop targeted surveillance of caprine schistosomiasis and where appropriate, attempt an integrated One Health intervention in future.

Особенности длительных фаз повышенного/пониженного стока Енисея (до впадения Ангары)

The article presents the results of studying long phases of decreased and increased conditionally natural annual and seasonal water flow of the Yenisei River at Kyzyl Сity, Nikitino and Bazaikha settlements. The retrieval of long-term water flow time series (with excluded anthropogenic changes) at Nikitino and Bazaikha settlements is based on the transformation of the annual hydrograph of daily water discharges using the Kalinin–Milyukov method. Long phases of annual and seasonal water flow were revealed on the basis of cumulative deviations curves. For the entire observation period of 1936–2021, two long contrasting phases were revealed for winter flow, which are typical for many studied rivers in Russia. At the same time, long-term changes in runoff of the combined season of snowmelt flood and summer-autumn rain floods, as well as annual water flow, were characterized by a four- to five-fold change in contrasting phases. The duration of contrasting phases reached more than 50 years, and the phases of decreased water flow were significantly longer than the phases of increased flow. The difference in the water flow of contrasting phases of the Yenisei River is most significant for winter flow and is on average equal to 20–40 %, and the one for annual flow and flow in the season of snowmelt floods and summer-autumn rain floods is 9–12 %.

Catalysing sustainable development through water conservation: Insights from Malaysia

This study aims to investigate the attitudinal predictors (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control) of consumers’ water conservation intentions. The average daily water usage among consumers in Malaysia is 201 litres higher than the recommended 165 litres by the United Nations. Furthermore, based on the National Water Resource Study (2000-2050), water consumption is expected to rise by 103% by 2050. The water issues require decisive action to ensure sufficient clean water resources for future generations. Thus, educating consumers regarding water saving is of paramount importance in ensuring sufficient water resources and achieving SDGs. Data were collected via 320 questionnaires, and Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings indicate a positively significant association between attitudinal predictors and Water Conservation Intention among Malaysian consumers. Interestingly, income level exhibits a clear negative and significant relationship with Water Conservation Intention. This implies that income level does not influence consumer’s attitudes. The findings in this paper contribute to the essential component of holistic and integrated governance frameworks aimed at achieving sustainable and inclusive development for water management in Malaysia. This study contributes to the scarce yet crucial body of evidence regarding water-conservation efforts to ensure sustainable water management practices.

The Synergistic Effect of the Same Climatic Factors on Water Use Efficiency Varies between Daily and Monthly Scales

The coupled processes of ecosystem carbon and water cycles are usually evaluated using the water use efficiency (WUE), and improving WUE is crucial for maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems. However, it remains unclear whether the WUE in different ecosystem responds synchronously to the synergistic effect of the same climate factors at daily and monthly scales. Therefore, we employed a machine learning-driven factor analysis method and a geographic detector model, and we quantitatively evaluated the individual effects and the synergistic effect of climate factors on the daily mean water use efficiency (WUED) and monthly mean water use efficiency (WUEM) in different ecosystems in China. Our results showed that (1) among the 10 carbon flux monitoring sites in China, WUED and WUEM exhibited the highest positive correlations with the near-surface air humidity and the highest negative correlation with solar radiation. The correlation between WUEM and climate factors was generally greater than that between WUED and climate factors. (2) There were significant differences in the order of importance and degree of impact of the same climate factors on WUED and WUEM in the different ecosystems. Among the 10 carbon flux monitoring sites in China, the near-surface air humidity imposed the greatest influence on the WUED and WUEM changes, followed by the near-surface water vapor pressure. (3) There were significant differences in the synergistic effects of the same climate factors on WUED and WUEM in the different ecosystems. Among the 10 carbon flux monitoring sites in China, the WUED variability was most sensitive to the synergistic effect of solar radiation and photosynthetically active radiation, while the WUEM variability was most sensitive to the synergistic effect of the near-surface air humidity and soil moisture. The research results indicated that synchronous responses of the WUE in very few ecosystems to the same climate factors and their synergistic effect occurred at daily and monthly scales. This finding enhances the understanding of sustainable water resource use and the impact of climate change on water use efficiency, providing crucial insights for improving climate-adaptive ecosystem management and sustainable water resource utilization across different ecosystems.

Dietary and Physical Activity Habits of Children and Adolescents before and after the Implementation of a Personalized, Intervention Program for the Management of Obesity.

Obesity in childhood and adolescence represents a major public health problem, mostly attributed to dietary and physical activity factors. We aimed to determine the dietary and physical activity habits of participants before and after the implementation of a personalized, multidisciplinary, lifestyle intervention program for the management of obesity in the context of the Horizon Research Project 'BigO: Big Data against Childhood Obesity'. Three hundred and eighty-six (n = 386) children and adolescents (mean age ± SD: 12.495 ± 1.988 years, 199 males and 187 females) participated in the study prospectively. Based on body mass index (BMI), subjects were classified as having obesity (n = 293, 75.9%) and overweight (n = 93, 24.1%) according to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut-off points. We implemented a personalized, multidisciplinary, lifestyle intervention program providing guidance on diet, sleep, and exercise, and utilized the BigO technology platform to objectively record data collected via a Smartphone and Smartwatch for each patient. Following the intervention, a statistically significant decrease was noted in the consumption of cheese, cereal with added sugar, savory snacks, pasta, and fried potatoes across both BMI categories. Also, there was an increase in daily water intake between meals among all participants (p = 0.001) and a reduction in the consumption of evening snack or dinner while watching television (p < 0.05). Boys showed a decrease in the consumption of savory snacks, fried potato products, and pasta (p < 0.05), an increase in the consumption of sugar-free breakfast cereal (p < 0.05), and drank more water between meals daily (p < 0.001). Our findings suggest that a personalized, multidisciplinary, lifestyle intervention improves the dietary habits of children and adolescents.

Assessment of daily altimeter-based open ocean water level with hindcast and forecast efficiency

Satellite altimetry water level measurements are valuable in episodic and climate change related hydrodynamic impact studies, despite their sparse temporal distribution over the global ocean. This study presents the spatiotemporal characteristics of the open-ocean satellite derived water level measurements globally for the period 31/12/1992-15/10/2019 and evaluates their efficacy to represent the water level even during intense atmospheric conditions. Water level measurements from 23 different satellite missions are compared with tide gauge records and hydrodynamic simulations. The satellite measurements reproduce the water-level variations with good to excellent skill for ~60% of the areas considered. Additionally, satellite measurements and local atmospheric conditions are utilized in order to examine whether statistical data driven models can contribute to decreasing the temporal sparseness of the water level data over the global ocean. The suitability of this low computational-cost method is demonstrated by deriving a 63-year hindcast of the daily maximum water level for the global ocean, and for a medium-term 15-day ensemble forecast. The publicly available long-term water-level hindcast and the parameters of the data-driven statistical model derived can serve as a tool for designing and facilitating local and global coastal risk-assessment studies.