Natural Processing Research Articles

The significant improvement in ovarian PCOS syndrome using hydralazine and alendronate aromatase inhibitor FDA-approved drugs in Wistar rat models

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of vitamin C, glutamine, mesalazine, hydralazine, and alendronate as new drug candidates for the treatment of letrozole-induced PCOS in female Wistar rats. PCOS was induced in rats by intramuscular injection of estradiol valerate (2 mg/kg body weight for 28 days). The rats then received normal saline (PCOS group), letrozole (0.5 mg/kg), vitamin C (100 mg/kg), glutamine (1000 mg/kg), mesalazine (200 mg/kg), hydralazine (30 mg/kg), and alendronate (17.5 mg/kg). Serum testosterone, LH, FSH, estradiol and progesterone levels were determined by ELISA method. H&E staining was used for histological analysis in the ovarian tissues. The groups treated with hydralazine and alendronate, show a significant decrease in testosterone, LH hormone, cystic and atretic follicles, and a significant increase in the number of single layer, multilayer, antral, graafian follicles and the volume of corpus luteum as compared to the PCOS group. Hydrolazine and alendronate appear to be effective in restoring folliculogenesis and increasing ovulation in PCOS rat. So that the natural process of ovulation and the improvement of the histology of polycystic ovaries and its shift towards healthy and active ovaries were observed. This finding supports the potential beneficial effect of hydrolazine and alendronate on improving PCOS complication.

The nurse sow system ‒ A natural process of handling large litters: A review

The nurse sow system ‒ A natural process of handling large litters: A review

Hydrochemical and geoelectrical investigation to determine the origin and spatial distribution of the salinization of the unconfined Plio-Quaternary aquifer of Tabeditt, Southern Tunisia

The expansion of irrigated agriculture and the overexploitation of groundwater in the Tabeditt region lead to a serious deterioration of the chemical quality of water. The compilation of hydrogeological and geophysical studies is essential in order to assess the quality of the Plio-Quaternary waters and to determine the origin of the salinization of these waters. In this study, hydrochemical analyses were carried out on groundwater samples in the Tabeditt region. Hydrochemical data have shown that the salinity in this area could exceed 6 g/L. The interpretation of major ion analyses demonstrates that mineralization is controlled by natural processes. The mineralization process consists of the dissolu-tion of evaporite minerals, namely gypsum, anhydrite, and halite. The geoelectrical study is carried out to obtain information about the distribution and quality of water in the Plio-Quaternary. Interpreta-tion of the resistivity models show the presence of two main zones: the first, near Tabeditt Wadi, is characterized by low values, indicating the influence of salt water in the groundwater and the second, located on the right bank of Wadi Jmal, is characterized by variable resistivity values, generally high, indicating the lateral changes in lithological facies, and the presence of fresh water. In such an arid region suffering from scarcity and degradation (or depletion) of water resources, it is important to implement a master plan that keeps under control the number of wells both known and unknown ones taping these aquifers.

IMPLEMENTASI KURIKULUM MERDEKA BELAJAR DALAM BENTUK UPAYA MENINGKATKAN KEPEDULIAN SISWA SMP MUHAMMADIYAH 3 TERHADAP LINGKUNGAN SEKITAR MELALUI SEMINAR LINGKUNGAN

Garbage is the remains of human daily activities or natural processes in solid or semi-solid form in the form of organic or inorganic substances that are biodegradable or non-biodegradable which are considered useless and disposed of into the environment. As representatives of the future society, students must be equipped with the value of caring for the environment from an early age. This community service program uses the lecture and question and answer method in the form of a seminar with the theme "Environment: Green Environmental Care School for Muhammadiyah 3 Middle School Students in Sukamaju Village, Kadudampit District, Sukabumi Regency" with the aim of providing knowledge to Muhammadiyah 3 Middle School students about the need for awareness to protect the surrounding environment from damage that they can start from the school environment. Thus, students can contribute to the formation of green schools in their respective schools.

Forage plants in grasslands with different topographies affect yak foraging preferences on the eastern Tibetan plateau.

Diet selection, a core problem of foraging behavior, is a nutritional adaptation strategy formed in the long-term natural selection process by grazing herbivores and is significant for the sustainable management of grassland. Studies have mainly focused on the impacts of the individual and whole community spatial characteristics and herbivore body status on herbivore foraging behavior; thus, the response and mechanism of forage plants in different terrains to the diet selection of grazing herbivores remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, forage plants (gramineae, cyperaceae, legume, forbs, edible shrubs, and community) in different topographies (terrace, riparian zones, shady slope, half shady slope, half sunny slope, sunny slope) on the eastern Tibetan plateau were selected to study changes in nutrient and mineral content characteristics of forage plants, as well as the difference in feeding bias of yaks for forage plants in different terrains by using an indoor cafeteria trial. A structural equation model was used to illustrate the impact of the forage plants in different terrains on the feeding bias of yak. The multi-criterion decision model TOPSIS showed that the nutritional value of gramineae was highest for the shaded slope, and that of cyperaceae and leguminosae was the highest for the terraces. The nutrient value of forbs and the whole community was highest for the sunny slope. Dry matter intake by yaks of leguminosae, forbs, and the whole plant community was significantly higher for terraces than for grasslands with other topographies, and all were significantly lower in riparian zones. Yak forage preference of leguminosae, forbs, and the whole community was the highest for the terrace and the lowest for the riparian zones. Structural equation modeling showed that for functional groups, the interactions between topography and functional groups were the drivers influencing yak forage preferences. Our study highlights the propensity of yaks to forage for plants in areas with different topographies. These results have provided a scientific basis for understanding the relationship between herbivores and plants in grasslands and for formulating scientific grazing management strategies, which are of considerable importance for sustainable grassland livestock husbandry.

Management of canine wounds using platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) biomaterial. A case series report.

The increasing interest in platelet-based therapies has underwritten the development of novel veterinary regenerative treatments. The haemoderivative platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) comprises abundant concentrations of platelets and leucocytes, above the physiologic baseline, which are considered essential elements for wound regeneration, stimulating local angiogenesis, cellular migration, proliferation and differentiation, considered essential for skin repair. This study aimed to describe the treatment of eight dogs with naturally occurring cutaneous wounds, where autologous PRF therapy was applied, using a protocol developed by our group. Eight dogs, aged between 7-month and 9-year old, from different breeds and sexes, were enrolled in this study. Four of these wounds were clinically infected. In three cases, two PRF treatments were performed during the first week of treatment, followed by single weekly treatments from the second week onwards, until exophytic granulation tissues were present. In each case, the treatment was finalized only when complete wound closure was achieved. Wounds did not receive topical antiseptics, antibiotics or topical drugs to promote wound healing during the treatment. PRF-grafting treatments were well tolerated in all treated wounds, inducing significant granulation tissue formation. PRF clots acted as a natural tissue filler, promoting epithelization and wound closure, without the requirement of topical antimicrobial/antiseptics application, or additional surgical debridement. Evident skin contraction was recorded in larger injuries and all the treatments resulted in vestigial aesthetic scars where hair growth was also observed. PRF-therapy obtained promising results, as an alternative wound treatment, revealing a biological regenerative action, prompting the natural skin healing process.

Comparison of negative pressure wound therapy against normal dressing after vascular surgeries for inguinal wounds: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundNegative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is a therapeutic technique of applying sub-atmospheric pressure to a wound to reduce inflammation, manage exudate, and promote the formation of granulation tissue. It aims to optimise the natural physiological processes of wound healing for more effective recovery, and NPWT has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional dressings. MethodsThe protocol followed in the study was prospectively registered. Appropriate search terms and Boolean operators were used to search electronic databases for relevant articles. Screening of articles was performed, and data extraction was done. The effect measure was chosen according to the nature of the variable, and the effect model was chosen as per heterogeneity. Forest plot was used to give visual feedback. ResultsThis study included 11 randomized controlled trials (13 publications) with a total of 1310 patients (1497 inguinal wounds). The NPWT group had lesser odds of developing surgical site infection (OR: 0.40; 95 % CI: 0.29–0.54; n = 1491; I2 = 20 %; p-value ≤0.00001) and lesser odds of needing surgical wound revision (OR: 0.48; 95 % CI: 0.26–0.91; n = 856; I2 = 0 %; p-value = 0.02) as compared to the normal dressing group. No significant difference was observed in duration of hospital stay, cost of care, wound healing time, or other complications. ConclusionNPWT application in inguinal wounds significantly reduces the surgical site infection and the need for wound revision in patients who have undergone vascular surgery.

Advances in understanding the reproductive toxicity of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in women.

Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in disorders of the female reproductive system, accompanied by a rise in adverse pregnancy outcomes. This trend is increasingly being linked to environmental pollution, particularly through the lens of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs). These external agents disrupt natural processes of hormones, including synthesis, metabolism, secretion, transport, binding, as well as elimination. These disruptions can significantly impair human reproductive functions. A wealth of animal studies and epidemiological research indicates that exposure to toxic environmental factors can interfere with the endocrine system's normal functioning, resulting in negative reproductive outcomes. However, the mechanisms of these adverse effects are largely unknown. This work reviews the reproductive toxicity of five major environmental EDCs-Bisphenol A (BPA), Phthalates (PAEs), Triclocarban Triclosan and Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)-to lay a foundational theoretical basis for further toxicological study of EDCs. Additionally, it aims to spark advancements in the prevention and treatment of female reproductive toxicity caused by these chemicals.

Arsenic Species Distribution and Toxicity in the Environment, Bioaccumulation, Biomethylation and Bioremediation by Microalgae: A Review

Arsenic (As) is a noxious metalloid that has been designated a priority pollutant and is present in the environment as a consequence of both anthropogenic and natural processes. Its toxicity in environmental and biological systems depends strongly on the chemical species. Interest in arsenic and microalgae interactions is important because microalgae are at the base of the aquatic food chain, are used in animal nutrition and has potential for As phytoremediation. This paper reviewed the current information on As species distribution in the environment especially as it relates to its toxicity to microalgae as well as its bioaccumulation, biomethylation and bioremediation by microalgae using appropriate methods. Information obtained revealed that Microalgae have evolved mechanisms for dealing with As in the environment with arsBHC operon mediating the reduction and extrusion of arsenite from the cells. They accumulate large amounts of arsenic from their surroundings which could lead to toxicity, As excretion from cells, reduction, methylation or complexation with metal binding peptides like glutathione and phytochelatins. This has made them suitable as ecological indicators to give an indication of As bioavailability and also in possible applications for the process of As remediation. Microalgae are been proposed for bioremediation purposes in aquatic environment since they show a high capacity for biosorption and bioconcentration of As and most importantly since they are able to methylate inorganic As to non-toxic organic and volatile As.

Topical gel preparation from Staphylococcus epidermidis isolate extract accelerated healing on incision wound model in rats

A wound is a disorder of skin integrity caused by physical trauma or disease. Wound healing is a natural restorative response to tissue injury. It is a complex dynamic physiological process involving several overlapping phases. Although wound management has been applied, however, some time it is associated withmajor drawbak including invasiveness, antibiotic resistance, and high costs. Natural medicines are being developed for wound management to resolve the drawback. Commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis was proven to play a role in natural wound healing process. This study aimed to investigate the wound healingactivity of a topical gel preparation containing S. epidermidis isolate extract on an incision wound model in rats. The methanol extract of S. epidermidis isolate was prepared by maceration and used as an active ingredient of the topical gel using NaCMC as a gelling agent. A physical stability test was carried out by assessingorganoleptic properties, pH value, homogeneity, dispersion, and viscosity of the gel preparation. The gel preparation was then topically applied once-daily for 11 d on incision wound model of male white rats (Rattus norvegicus). The wound healing was observed daily and calculated using Morton’s formula. Nosignificant change in the physical stability parameters of the gel preparation was observed during observation on day 1, 7, and 14 (p>0.05). A significant increase in wound healing after the application of the gel preparation compared to negative control was observed (p<0.05). In contrast, no significant difference inwound healing between the gel preparation and the positive control group was observed (p>0.05). In conclusion, the topical gel preparation from S. epidermidis isolate extract accelerates healing on incision wound models in rats.

Utility of cell-based vaccines as cancer therapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Cell-based therapeutic cancer vaccines use autologous patient-derived tumor cells, allogeneic cancer cell lines or autologous antigen presenting cells to mimic the natural immune process and stimulate an adaptive immune response against tumor antigens. The primary objective of this study is to perform a systematic literature review with an embedded meta-analysis of all published Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of cell-based cancer vaccines in human subjects. The secondary objective of this study is to review trials demonstrating biological activity of cell-based cancer vaccines that could uncover additional hypotheses, which could be used in the design of future studies. We performed the systematic review and meta-analysis according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The final review included 36 studies − 16 single-arm studies, and 20 controlled trials. Our systematic review of the existing literature revealed largely negative trials and our meta-analysis did not show evidence of clinical benefit from cell-based cancer-vaccines. However, as we looked beyond the stringent inclusion criteria of our systematic review, we identified significant examples of biological activity of cell-based cancer vaccines that are worth highlighting. In conclusion, the existing literature on cell-based cancer vaccines is highly variable in terms of cancer type, vaccine therapies and the clinical setting with no overall statistically significant clinical benefit, but there are individual successes that represent the promise of this approach. As cell-based vaccine technology continues to evolve, future studies can perhaps fulfill the potential that this exciting field of anti-cancer therapy holds.

TripHLApan: predicting HLA molecules binding peptides based on triple coding matrix and transfer learning.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) recognizes foreign threats and triggers immune responses by presenting peptides to T cells. Computationally modeling the binding patterns between peptide and HLA is very important for the development of tumor vaccines. However, it is still a big challenge to accurately predict HLA molecules binding peptides. In this paper, we develop a new model TripHLApan for predicting HLA molecules binding peptides by integrating triple coding matrix, BiGRU + Attention models, and transfer learning strategy. We have found the main interaction site regions between HLA molecules and peptides, as well as the correlation between HLA encoding and binding motifs. Based on the discovery, we make the preprocessing and coding closer to the natural biological process. Besides, due to the input being based on multiple types of features and the attention module focused on the BiGRU hidden layer, TripHLApan has learned more sequence level binding information. The application of transfer learning strategies ensures the accuracy of prediction results under special lengths (peptides in length 8) and model scalability with the data explosion. Compared with the current optimal models, TripHLApan exhibits strong predictive performance in various prediction environments with different positive and negative sample ratios. In addition, we validate the superiority and scalability of TripHLApan's predictive performance using additional latest data sets, ablation experiments and binding reconstitution ability in the samples of a melanoma patient. The results show that TripHLApan is a powerful tool for predicting the binding of HLA-I and HLA-II molecular peptides for the synthesis of tumor vaccines. TripHLApan is publicly available at https://github.com/CSUBioGroup/TripHLApan.git.

Harnessing Natural Evaporation for Electricity Generation using MOF-Based Nanochannels.

Functionalized nanochannels can convert environmental thermal energy into electrical energy by driving water evaporation. This process involves the interaction between the solid-liquid interface and the natural water evaporation. The evaporation-driven water potential effect is a novel green environmental energy capture technology that has a wide range of applications and does not depend on geographical location or environmental conditions, it can generate power as long as there is water, light, and heat. However, suitable materials and structures are needed to harness this natural process for power generation. MOF materials are an emerging field for water evaporation power generation, but there are still many challenges to overcome. This work uses MOF-801, which has high porosity, charged surface, and hydrophilicity, to enhance the output performance of evaporation-driven power generation. It can produce an open circuit voltage of ≈2.2V and a short circuit current of ≈1.9µA. This work has a simple structure, easy preparation, low-cost and readily available materials, and good stability. It can operate stably in natural environments with high practical value.

The right to delayed parenthood/maternity – separate issues of legal regulation

The article analyzes the peculiarities of legal relations arising in connection with the cryopreservation of human biological material – embryos and reproductive cells, namely: determining the origin of a child born in this way. It is noted that the birth of children is a component of the demographic policy of the state, and the use of assisted reproductive technologies can change the demographic situation in society for the better. Cryopreservation is relevant not only in cases when a couple who wants to have children have difficulties with conception, but also when such problems do not yet exist, but they may arise with a high probability – this applies to such categories of citizens who are undergoing treatment for oncological diseases with a risk of loss reproductive health, as well as citizens who constantly risk their lives and health due to their activities: military personnel, policemen or workers at factories with harmful working conditions.
 The author notes that medical biotechnologies are becoming more and more diverse and effective, scientific achievements are penetrating deeper and deeper into the natural processes of human reproduction, therefore there is a need to resolve legal issues related to cryopreservation. And the realization of the right to cryopreservation requires legal regulation of so-called delayed parenthood.
 From the point of view of family law, these relations are of interest in terms of the emergence of new family law relations. The author considers several models for determining the origin of a child born with the use of assisted reproductive technologies using cryopreserved reproductive cells or embryos. Separate issues of postmortem reproduction are considered.
 The author concludes that there is a need for legislative regulation of gaps in the field of cryopreservation of reproductive cells and embryos, which will allow to ensure proper consolidation of the guarantee of the right to paternity/maternity and an effective mechanism for their implementation in cases of restriction of vital activity or death of a person.

Assessment of Drinking Water Quality from Source to Household Storage Containers in Kachisi town, West Shewa, Ethiopia

A wide range of human and natural processes affect the quality of fresh waters and diseases related to contamination of drinking water constitute a major burden on human health. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the quality of drinking water supplied to Kachisi town using selected physicochemical and bacteriological parameters. A total of 60 water samples in triplicate were collected from boreholes, water reservoirs, household taps and storage containers in the households between October, 2019 and February, 2020. The physiochemical parameters were measured using HACH HQ440d multi meter and portable digital spectrophotometer (DR/6000) according to HACH instruction and bacteriological parameters were analyzed using the membrane filtration technique. The study results indicated that temperature and pH of the water samples were in the range of 18.77 0C and 21.4 0C, and 7.05 and 7.73, respectively. Total dissolved solids fell between 93 mg/l and116 mg/l while electrical conductivity records ranged between 185µS/cm and 232 µS/cm. The concentrations of Iron, nitrate and phosphate were in the range between 0.01-0.26 mg/l, 2.20-5.72 mg/l and 0.12-0.76 mg/l, respectively. Total Coliforms loadalso varied from 1CFU/100ml to 2CFU/100ml in samples collected from boreholes and reservoirs, from 1CFU/100ml to 12CFU/100ml in tap water samples and from 6CFU/100ml to 22CFU/100ml in samples from storage containers in the households. Fecal Coliform was negative in the water samples collected from boreholes, reservoirs and household taps while it was detected in 25% of the samples collected from household storage containers in the rangeof 3CFU/100ml to 5CFU/100ml. The detection of Total Coliforms in all water samples and Faecal Coliforms in some of the household containers samples might be attributed to absence of disinfection, lack of regular supervision of the system, poor water management and lack of safe water storage and handling practices.

In situ biosynthesis, characterization, and degradation of methylene blue dyes from Solanum Crispum flower extracts

Through a natural process of obtaining Solanum Crispum flower extract, Tin-oxide nanoparticles (SnO2 NPs) have been synthesized using an eco-friendly process. The physico-chemical properties of the synthesized SnO2 NPs were assessed by Ultraviolet–Visible, Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR), Raman, XRD, SEM, EDX, and TEM. A distinctive absorption peak at 267 nm, coupled with a 3.5 eV band gap, was observed in UV–visible spectral analysis. SnO functional groups of synthesized NPs were determined through FTIR at 596 cm−1. An active structural mode and a vibrational mode were identified using Raman spectroscopy, and the crystallographic nature and lattice parameters were studied by X-ray diffraction, and the crystallites were 12 nm in size. Photoluminescence (PL) was used to investigate the existence of defects/vacancies in the lattice site. The surface shape was revealed by SEM analysis. EDX was used to identify the elemental constitution. TEM evidence provided a tetragonal rutile structure for SnO2 NPs, and EDX analysis revealed their chemical purity. The DPPH testing technique was used to determine photo-antioxidant properties. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized SnO2 NPs was also investigated, A better result was obtained with these NPs than with commercially available SnO2 NPs.

Entropy-weighted water quality index, hydrogeochemistry, and Monte Carlo simulation of source-specific health risks of groundwater in the Morava River plain (Serbia)

Population growth, urbanization, industry, floods, and agriculture globally degrade groundwater in river plains, necessitating action for its quality assessment and management. Hence, a comprehensive methodology, including hydrogeochemical facies (Piper, Gibbs), irrigation indices (SAR, Wilcox), entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and Monte Carlo simulation of source-specific health risks was used in this study to analyze groundwater in the Morava river plain (Serbia). The results revealed a prevalent Ca–Mg–HCO3 groundwater type, influenced by water–rock interactions. Although groundwater was found suitable for irrigation, only 66.7 % of the samples were considered drinkable. Agricultural activities, natural processes, and municipal wastewater were identified as primary pollution sources. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) and hazard index (HI) threshold exceedance for adults and children ranged from 8.5 % to 39 % of the samples, with arsenic identified as the most risk-contributing contaminant. These findings provide valuable insights for researchers studying groundwater vulnerability in river plains.

Drought propagation across meteorological, hydrological and agricultural systems in the Lancang‐Mekong River Basin

AbstractDrought produces cross‐system impacts, and these interactions between multiple systems are also referred to as drought propagation. However, the complex natural processes and anthropogenic disturbances lead to the drought propagation process being non‐linear and systems feedback, which is still lack of knowledge in large‐scale basins. To address these challenges, we propose a hydro‐economic coupled model and investigate drought propagation across meteorological‐hydrological‐agricultural systems. The results from the Lancang‐Mekong River Basin show that drought propagates from the meteorological system to the hydrological system and is weakened by the basin buffer and storage capacity. This propagation process shows spatial heterogeneity caused by basin characteristics, highlighting that the upstream (CS location) and downstream (KR and KC locations) are more prone to hydrological drought vulnerability. As drought further propagates to the agricultural system, water abstraction behaviours can alleviate the drought situation, leading to crop yield increases ranging from 4.6% to 39.2% through irrigation pathways. Unfortunately, irrigation behaviour also worsens hydrological drought in a feedback loop, where downstream VT (annual discharge decreases by around 1346 m3/s) shows more intense variation than upstream LP (annual discharge decreases by almost 135 m3/s), illustrating the feedback among multi‐systems and accumulation in spatial. Moreover, upstream hydropower and downstream agricultural water use show synergistic relationships, revealing that efficient anthropogenic interventions can positively mitigate the impact of drought on human well‐being. This paper provides an in‐depth understanding of the complex drought propagation process in nature‐human highly coupled Lancang‐Mekong, which may help policymakers and basin managers to better cope with drought.

Neuropsychological aspects of stress manifestation

Modern life, unfortunately, is not devoid of stressful situations. This article explores how stress affects various cognitive functions, making us more vulnerable. Memory, attention, decision-making, inhibition, and abstract thinking are just some aspects of the effects of stress. Studies show that prolonged or repeated stress can weaken the immune system, increasing inflammation and even destroying neurons in the hippocampus responsible for memory. Maturation of the frontal cortex, which is accompanied by an increase in gray matter volume and the number of synapses, can be disrupted by stress, leading to cognitive decline. Recent research on the impact of stressful situations on psychological and physical health is characterized by a wide range of methodological approaches and a variety of sources. Sapolsky R. highlights the impact of stress on memory-related processes, as well as on the formation of certain parts of the brain. In the work of D. Nakazawa, we get acquainted with neural development and the natural processes associated with this development. Thus, the latest research and publications in the field of stress psychology are an important contribution to our understanding of this complex problem and the development of practical recommendations for overcoming the negative effects of stress. Sleep is crucial for restoring energy and consolidating memory, but it also becomes a victim of stress. Lack of sleep and deterioration in its quality make us more vulnerable to the negative effects of stress. Children who have experienced stress risk losing even more neurons than their peers, as the natural neuronal pruning at puberty can be intensified. Chronic stress can lead to neurotic reactions, psychophysiological symptoms, and psychosomatic illnesses. This emphasizes the importance of nervous system rehabilitation and neuropsychological interventions.

Challenging reconstruction of the plurimillennial morphodynamics of hybrid urban deltas: Trajectory from a wave-dominated delta to a human-dominated delta in the Western Mediterranean area

The reconstruction of the human impacts on the morphodynamics of river deltas in the long term is challenging. The ternary diagram of Galloway (1975) used to classify morphodynamics of deltas does not include direct human influence which is now affecting most of the deltas of the world. The study of human-dominated deltas requires specific approaches and consideration of human processes and morphologies in interaction with more commonly studied natural processes and morphologies. This study demonstrates how to combine different datasets from natural and social sciences to reconstruct long term temporal trajectories of hybrid urban deltas. The Francolí delta, associated with the UNESCO city of Tarragona, offers a perfect case study to identify the different steps of a wave-dominated delta leading to a human-dominated delta over a long-term perspective. Tarragona emerged in the 1st millennium BCE and became a significant port city in the Roman period. This study identifies the evidence of a semi-protected harbour built 2000 years ago that initiates the evolution of a hybrid urban delta towards a human-dominated delta. Until the end 19th c. CE, cyclical changes at the river mouth are observed due to natural fluvial and coastal dynamics while progradation stages are partly affected by anthropogenic structures over time. The 19th c. CE is a major turning point. Morphodynamics controlled by anthropogenic factors strongly increase while fluvial and coastal sedimentation is partly erased by dredgings. The systematic approach proposed for the Francolí delta can be standardised and applied to other hybrid urban deltas allowing better comparison between urbanised deltas.