Erosion Sites Research Articles

Decision support tool to mitigate ship-induced erosion in non-uniform, sheltered coastal fairways

The negative impact of maritime traffic in terms of shore erosion in sheltered coastal fairways can be mitigated by sustainable fairway management. Mitigation measures include regulating the ship traffic in terms of speed, routes, or size of ships, but can also involve erosion protection along a fairway. For effective shoreline management of a fairway, it is essential to predict ship waves, to identify sites with potential erosion problems, and to investigate the effectiveness of different measures before implementing them. Several attempts have been made to develop site-specific criteria for managing ship waves. However, few available generic models consider primary waves generated by large ships in confined fairways. Therefore, a tool for supporting decisions in fairway management was developed. The decision support tool is based on simplified formulas for ship- and wind-wave prediction, combined in a framework that enables automatic, rapid assessments on large spatial and temporal scales. Moreover, the tool requires only readily available input data, such as data on AIS, bathymetry, shoreline geometry, wind, fairway centreline, and grain size. The output from the model includes ship and wind wave heights and potential erosion sites. The decision support tool was applied to the Furusund Fairway, Sweden, by simulating one year of ship traffic to validate its capability of identifying potential erosion sites. The simulation demonstrated that the tool was capable of identifying known erosion sites in the fairway. Additionally, scenarios with different speed regulation strategies for the Furusund Fairway were investigated using the decision support tool. Overall, it is concluded that the developed tool enables rapid assessment of ship waves, wind waves, and potential erosion over large areas in fairways.

Assessing the Water-Resources Potential and Soil Erosion Hotspot Areas for Sustainable Land Management in the Gidabo Watershed, Rift Valley Lake Basin of Ethiopia

For development of a comprehensive sediment management plan, it is crucial to categorize watersheds on the basis of soil erosion hotspot areas to extend the useful life of water bodies (e.g., Gidam reservoir). The goal of this study was to assess the surface water potential and identify erosion hotspot areas of the Gidabo watershed in Ethiopia using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The SUFI-2 (Sequential Uncertainty Fitting Version 2) program was used to calibrate the model, and the model’s performance was evaluated. According to the catchment prioritization analysis, some of the sub-basins with similar land use, land cover, and soil type but with higher slope would generate higher sediment yield. Furthermore, the soil conservation scenarios were developed in SWAT, and the model result showed that average annual sediment yield could be reduced by the application of grassed waterway, filter strips, terracing, and contouring by 49%, 37.53%, 62.32%, and 54.6% respectively. It was concluded that sediment yield reduction by applying terracing was more effective than other conservation measures for affected sub-basins. The surface water potential of the watershed varies spatially from sub-basin to sub-basin, and the mean monthly surface water potential of the watershed is 33 million cubic meters. These findings can help decision-makers to develop appropriate strategies to minimize the erosion rate from erosion hotspot areas and to allocate the watershed water potential for different types of water demands. Strip planting, terracing, or contour farming may be necessary on chosen hotspot erosion sites to reduce the effect of slopes on surface runoff flow velocity and sediment transport capacity.

A Complication Hanging by a Thread

Question: A 75-year-old man presented with a 1-month history of mild abdominal pain and cramping, associated with weight loss (3 kg). He denied any nausea, vomiting, chills, diarrhea, or hematochezia. The patient reported no trauma. He had a history of ampullary adenocarcinoma treated with pancreaticoduodenectomy 2 years earlier. The postoperative course was marked by hemorrhagic shock owing to a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm that was successfully treated by trans-arterial embolization. On physical examination, the patient was afebrile and had normal vital signs. He had a slight tender abdomen on palpation. Blood tests revealed a C-reactive protein level of 20.2 mg/L (reference value, <3.5 mg/L) and a white blood cell count of 3670/mm3 with 87% neutrophils. Other laboratory tests were unremarkable. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan showed a status post embolization of the splenic artery with hyperattenuating embolic material (Figure A) and long thin hyperattenuating foreign bodies in the small bowel lumen (Figure B–D; the entire CT scan is provided as supplemental material) that were better assessed on a coronal maximum intensity projection view (Figure E). The small bowel wall was normal. There was no sign of bowel perforation, no fluid collection, and no sign of active or recent bleeding. The colon was normal. The pancreaticojejunal anastomosis was unremarkable. There was no evidence of tumor recurrence. What is the diagnosis? Look on page 55 for the answer and see the Gastroenterology web site (www.gastrojournal.org) for more information on submitting your favorite image to Clinical Challenges and Images in GI. The pancreaticoduodenectomy was complicated with a pseudoaneurysm arising from the splenic artery (Figure F) that was successfully treated with transarterial embolization with steel wire coils. A postembolization CT scan showed complete occlusion of the lesion and the splenic artery (coronal view; Figure G). There was no bleeding recurrence, and the patient was discharged. The patient was regularly followed-up with a CT scan that showed no evidence of tumor recurrence and no modification of the embolization site. A multidisciplinary team recommended conservative management with no invasive procedure to remove the migrated coils. The patient spontaneously and painlessly evacuated the coils in stools 5 weeks after the diagnosis (Figure H). A contrast-enhanced CT scan performed 3 weeks later showed the evacuation of migrated coils, and the persistence of coils in the splenic artery (Figure I). The patient is currently asymptomatic and free from tumor recurrence. Complications of splenic artery embolization include splenic infarction (1%–2%), splenic abscesses, left pleural effusion (10%), or basal atelectasis (30%), and rarely portal thrombosis. Migration of coils is exceptional and has been described after embolization of splenic pseudoaneurysms owing to vascular coil erosion into the gastrointestinal tract.1Shah N.A. Akingboye A. Haldipur N. et al.Embolization coils migrating and being passed per rectum after embolization of a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm, "the migrating coil": a case report.Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2007; 30: 1259-1262Crossref PubMed Scopus (36) Google Scholar, 2Tekola B.D. Arner D.M. Behm B.W. Coil migration after transarterial coil embolization of a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm.Case Rep Gastroenterol. 2013; 7: 487-491Crossref PubMed Scopus (21) Google Scholar, 3Takahashi T. Shimada K. Kobayashi N. et al.Migration of steel-wire coils into the stomach after transcatheter arterial embolization for a bleeding splenic artery pseudoaneurysm: report of a case.Surg Today. 2001; 31: 458-462Crossref PubMed Scopus (46) Google Scholar As previously reported, migration was a delayed complication (3 months to 10 years in the literature). Of note, several cases reported evidence of infection at the erosion site, which was not present here. Management depends on the extent of material migration and symptoms and ranges from conservative treatment to more invasive procedures (endoscopic or surgical retrieval). No evidence suggests that specific coils are more prone to secondary migration. eyJraWQiOiI4ZjUxYWNhY2IzYjhiNjNlNzFlYmIzYWFmYTU5NmZmYyIsImFsZyI6IlJTMjU2In0.eyJzdWIiOiIwMDVhZjJiODcwMzAzNjk2ZmI2YWIzMjUzYjdlYWQxOSIsImtpZCI6IjhmNTFhY2FjYjNiOGI2M2U3MWViYjNhYWZhNTk2ZmZjIiwiZXhwIjoxNjgwMjM3NDk5fQ.LS386lU7wuNg_A2l4X5T61IP2FppVGq2DNjFd7aTwKDD2CnGpQETIi90YGkob6isNUAcHjGC4yhMDhQNo1DG5HKu1dFwUcd02ku-3-ijbtwufokHYbR9GkgBLJJrKiVWexXPcCmjZ80L7FxHY7cNGxrNvpL2raueVLp6qDpzbURZecPBVy2dgcAXpt6jsm1aasdWat3eZkIIzv_GjPqtCeiF2xd_C5fCUMsrsLpgVJRc4TUlfE7LeeevSOcSauQrdo1mVy7_4gMzUgxnWKEuzCzZQJNc2cgIvMo0DQPGSs8o2SDa7TKbqSjnpikBuxPR43PNpPDaTpv5tnSCsdVXbQ Download .mp4 (6.04 MB) Help with .mp4 files Video

Estimation of erosion and deposition by Unit Stream Power Erosion and Deposition in a sub-basin on the Mogi Guaçu River’s margins, municipality of Mogi Guaçu, SP, Brazil

Information regarding the soil erosive processes that comprise the detachment, transport and deposition, are essential when analyzing hydrological processes associated with the generation of the flow in the landscape and water recharge. The USPED (Unit Stream Power Erosion and Deposition) model has been applied in several regions around the world for providing more accurate estimates, since it adds a physical base that relates the relief morphology with the erosion-defining runoff parameters. The current study aims to analyze erosion and deposition using the USPED model in a sub-basin on Mogi Guaçu River’s margins, municipality of Mogi Guaçu, SP, Brazil, and generate subsidies for future diagnoses regarding areas in the region with greatercapacity for water storage, based on less erosion. The loss of mineral and organic particles arising from the erosive process changes the soil’s effective depth, texture and structure, directly and negatively impacting its capacity to absorb and retain water. 60% of the sub-basin’s area was unaffected by considerable processes of erosion and deposition, both due to the current arboreal vegetation, but also the smooth relief of the site. The erosion and deposition sites have totaled 23.42 and 15.76% of the sub-basin area respectively, being adjacent to one another and preferably near or within the drainage network. The results of the spatialization were validated by the Kappa Index and revealed that the UPSED model obtained an excellent agreement with the “ground truth”. Stability in terms of erosion, favors the water recharge in area, since the soils present a sandy texture and in addition, the Latossolos, which make up 63% of the sub-basin, are deep and possess a high water storage...

The use of Remote Sensing and GIS Methodology in the Analysis of Urualla Gully Erosion site Imo State Nigeria

The study of Urualla gully erosion is currently undermined by the inherent costs associated with consistent field monitoring and the lack of historic measurements to perform time series analysis. Remote sensing methodologies, via the Landsat archive, are used as a low-cost data source to allow analyses of gullies over the time period 2006 to 2021. In conjunction with longterm environmental variables, the Landsat data is used to establish land cover changes over the time period, via pixel-based classification, to identify its role in gully development. Aiming to link environmental characteristics and land cover changes with Urualla gully development and its rates of change, Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and remote sensing imagery are used to detect topographical and landscape characteristics and to calculate gully dimensions. Landscape analysis over the study period reveals a steady increase in Gully/Open land. The increasing area of Urualla gully consistently correlates with vegetation loss, (r= -0.97 (p&lt;0.05)) and also, when correlated with Built-Up Area over the same period of time, the correlation shows (r= 0.97 (p&lt;0.05). Analysis of study area topography at 30m resolution reveals that Urualla gully site developed on high slope of more than 400 . The study offers a method of monitoring Urualla gully development from early stage to maturity and exemplifies the complexity and variability of erosion drivers in the study area. It presents a verified approach in the monitoring of gullies, enacted through use of low budget/computing cost remote sensing and classification technologies, and serves to embolden civilian and governmental efforts to manage the societal and environmental menace of gully erosion.

A novel optimal data set approach for erosion‐impacted soil quality assessments—A case‐study of an agricultural catchment in the Chernozem region of Northeast China

AbstractBecause soil erosion is a primary cause of land degradation globally, it has received increasing attention in food production regions, such as the Chernozem region of Northeast China. This study assessed soil quality under soil erosion degradation using a novel optimal data set (ODS) approach and a comparative minimum data set (MDS) approach to derive soil quality indices (SQIs) within an agricultural watershed in Heilongjiang Province, China. The selection of SQIs was contingent on 15 physical, chemical, and microbial properties measured at 52 grids. Soil erosion rates were determined using the Cs‐137 technique. Results showed that SQIs derived from the ODS and MDS approaches were strongly correlated (r = 0.91, p &lt; 0.01). However, soil quality inferred by SQIs varied significantly between erosion and deposition sites, namely, increasing from upstream to midstream to downstream areas. Changes in SQIs and erosion rates exhibited spatially opposing trends, reflecting the impact of soil erosion on soil quality, which was also confirmed by comparing representative soil properties at erosion and deposition sites. The ODS approach using the optimal fingerprinting factor screening procedure of the composite fingerprinting approach is a cause‐related method that uses a relatively strict indicator selection procedure, which mainly includes sample groupings, Kruskal–Wallis H test, discriminant function analysis, and conservative behaviour tests of factors. Thus, it can theoretically obtain more reliable results compared to MDS. Further studies are nevertheless needed to assess the feasibility of this novel approach in other cases.

High endothelial shear stress and stress gradient at plaque erosion persist up to 12 months

BackgroundLocal hemodynamics are known to play an important role in the development of plaque erosion. Recent studies showed that erosion patients might be treated conservatively without stent implantation. We investigated evolution of hemodynamic parameters on the plaque erosion site in conservatively treated patients. MethodsComputational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed using the coronary angiogram and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of non-stent treated erosion patients who had serial OCT studies. Calculated CFD parameters included endothelial shear stress (ESS), ESS gradient (ESSG), and oscillatory shear index (OSI). ResultsThe CFD parameters at the erosion and non-erosion sites were compared among baseline (n = 23), and 1-month (n = 20) and 12-month (n = 16) follow-ups. The erosion site had higher ESS and ESSG values than the non-erosion sites at baseline (mean ESS: 3.00 vs 1.36 Pa, p < 0.01; mean ESSG: 1.71 vs. 0.65 Pa/mm, p = 0.01), 1-month (mean ESS: 2.89 vs 1.19 Pa, p < 0.01; mean ESSG: 1.71 vs. 0.60 Pa/mm, p < 0.01), and 12-month (mean ESS: 3.26 vs 1.59 Pa, p < 0.01; mean ESSG: 1.87 vs. 0.78 Pa/mm, p < 0.01). OSI was not different between erosion and and non-erosion sites. ConclusionsESS and ESSG values were higher at the plaque erosion sites compared to non-erosion sites. Elevated ESS and ESSG at the erosion site persisted up to 12 months. These data indicate that a local thrombogenic milieu related to hemodynamic perturbation persists up to 12 months at the plaque erosion sites following conservative treatment.Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02041650

İnsanız Hava Aracı (Drone) ile Erozyon Alanlarının Tespiti: Trakya Yarımadası Örneği

Bu çalışma, Trakya Yarımadası’nda tespit edilen erozyon bölgelerinin alan ve hacimlerinin Coğrafi Bilgi Sistemleri (CBS) kullanılarak hesaplanması amacı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Uzaktan algılama ile yapılan ölçümler hem zaman kazanımı hem de fazla işgücünün önüne geçmektedir. Ayrıca drone ile çekim yapılabilecek araziler için satın alınabilecek uydu görüntülerinden daha az maliyetli olmaktadır. Bu amaçla, bölgede doğal karakteristikleri farklılık gösteren 13 erozyon alanı incelenmiş ve insansız hava aracı (drone) ile görüntüler elde edilmiştir. Çalışmada İHA verilerinin kalibrasyonu amacıyla sınırları belli olan ve doğaya zarar vermeyen beyaz boya ile sınırları belirlenmiş ve çeşitli yüksekliklerden bu alanların tüm ölçümleri (uzunluklar, açılar vb.) yapılmıştır. Sınırları belirlenen alanlar daha sonra İHA görüntüleri alınarak CBS yazılımları ve grafik programı “Autodesk Inventor” ile çeşitli proseslerden geçirilerek hacim hesaplaması yapılmıştır. Görüntülerde farklılık olmaması için uygun hava koşulları beklenmiş ve birleştirilecek olan İHA görüntüleri benzer hava şartlarında elde edilmiştir. Farklı hava koşullarında alınan görüntülerin birleştirilmesinde ışık, gölge gibi faktörlerin hesaplamalarda herhangi bir sapmaya neden olmaması ve görsel olarak farklılık oluşturmaması için özen gösterilmiştir. Toplam 13 adet erozyon alanlarından görüntüler alınmış ve çalışmada koordinat sistemi olarak WGS 1984 (World Geodetic System 1984) kullanılmıştır.&#x0D; Bu görüntüler birleştirilerek bu alanların ortomozaik görüntüleri oluşturulmuştur. Görüntülerdeki bölgelerin alan ve hacimlerinin yanı sıra kalibrasyonları da yapılmıştır. Yapılan çalışmada, kalibrasyon için küçük bir alanın kullanılması alansal hesaplamada doğruluk oranını %90’ın üzerine çıkarırken hacim ölçümlerinde ise bu oran uçuş yüksekliğine göre %60 – 78 arasında bulunmuştur. &#x0D; Yaklaşık 100 m2 alanda yapılan kalibrasyon çalışmasında 100 metre yükseklikten çekilen görüntüde 12 fotoğraf, 10 metre yükseklikten çekilen görüntüde ise 103 fotoğraf kullanılmıştır. Buna göre, yerden 10 metre yükseklikten çekilen görüntüde hacimsel doğruluk oranı %78,57 bulunmuştur.

Factors secreted by monosodium urate crystal-stimulated macrophages promote a proinflammatory state in osteoblasts: a potential indirect mechanism of bone erosion in gout

BackgroundTophi are lesions commonly present at sites of bone erosion in gout-affected joints. The tophus comprises a core of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals surrounded by soft tissue that contains macrophages and other immune cells. Previous studies found that MSU crystals directly reduce osteoblast viability and function. The aim of the current study was to determine the indirect, macrophage-mediated effects of MSU crystals on osteoblasts.MethodsConditioned medium from the RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cell line cultured with MSU crystals was added to the MC3T3-E1 mouse osteoblastic cell line. Conditioned medium from the THP-1 human monocytic cell line cultured with MSU crystals was added to primary human osteoblasts (HOBs). Matrix mineralization was assessed by von Kossa staining. Gene expression was determined by real-time PCR, and concentrations of secreted factors were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsIn MC3T3-E1 cells cultured for 13 days in an osteogenic medium, the expression of the osteoblast marker genes Col1a1, Runx2, Sp7, Bglap, Ibsp, and Dmp1 was inhibited by a conditioned medium from MSU crystal-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Mineral staining of MC3T3-E1 cultures on day 21 confirmed the inhibition of osteoblast differentiation. In HOB cultures, the effect of 20 h incubation with a conditioned medium from MSU crystal-stimulated THP-1 monocytes on osteoblast gene expression was less consistent. Expression of the genes encoding cyclooxygenase-2 and IL-6 and secretion of the proinflammatory mediators PGE2 and IL-6 were induced in MC3T3-E1 and HOBs incubated with conditioned medium from MSU crystal-stimulated macrophages/monocytes. However, inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 activity and PGE2 secretion from HOBs indicated that this pathway does not play a major role in mediating the indirect effects of MSU crystals in HOBs.ConclusionsFactors secreted from macrophages stimulated by MSU crystals attenuate osteoblast differentiation and induce the expression and secretion of proinflammatory mediators from osteoblasts. We suggest that bone erosion in joints affected by gout results from a combination of direct and indirect effects of MSU crystals.

FREQUENCY OF BONE EROSION ON COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPGHY SCAN IN ALLERGIC FUNGAL RHINOSINUSITIS

Objective: To analyze the frequency and sites of bone erosion on computerized tomograghy scan in Allergic Fungal Rhinosinustis in Pakistan.&#x0D; Study Design: Retrospective observational study.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Department of ENT, Combined Military Hospital Lahore, Malir Karachi and Rawalpindi, from Jan 2010 to Dec 2019.&#x0D; Methodology: Total 230 cases of Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis were screened, out of which 85 patients having bone erosions on computerized tomograpghy scan were included in the study. Bone erosion in different paranasal sinuses and their sub sites were evaluated. Depending upon the number of bone erosion, patients were divided into three categories as mild, moderate and severe. Those having erosion at a single site were labelled as mild, those with two sub sites of erosion as moderate and those with more than two subsites of erosion were labelled as severe cases.&#x0D; Results: Detailed evaluation of computerized tomography scan of paranasal sinuses revealed bone erosion in 85/230 (36.9%) cases. Mean affected age was 23.96 ± 12.71 years. There were 52 (61.1%) males and 33 (38.9%) females. Ethmoid sinus was the most commonly involved sinus to have bone erosions 55 (38.19%) followed by maxillary sinus 38 (26.38%) then sphenoid sinus 27 (18.75%) and lastly frontal sinus 24 (16.6%). Out of 85 patients 48 (56.1%) were having mild, 22 (25.8%) moderate and 15 (17.6%) had severe disease.&#x0D; Conclusion: Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis has high frequency of bone erosion. Computerized tomography scan is an important and effective investigation in finding these bony erosions and ethmoid sinus is the.....

Estimation of the erodibility of treated unsaturated lateritic soil using support vector machine-polynomial and -radial basis function and random forest regression techniques

Support vector machine techniques (polynomial and radial basis function) and random forest regression techniques have been used to predict erodibility of an unsaturated soil collected from an erosion watershed located at Amuzukwu, Nigeria. This location has been on the spotlight due to the level destruction resulting from erosion gullies. The soil, which was found to be of “Benin formation”, has been treated with composites of waste-based binders in a cleaner and greener technology to avoid the conventional emissions emanating from the use of ordinary cement. These materials were applied in a nanotextured scale, which improved the reactive surface and nucleating ability of the supplementary cementitious additives. This work is focused on proposing more reliable intelligent models, which can be used in future designs, construction and monitoring of the performance of the facilities at the erosion site without relying on repeated laboratory experiments. The performance indices, which included r, R2, MSE, RMSE, MAE and MAPE were used to test the validity and accuracy of the models. The three models showed agreement with the performance accuracy though SVM-radial basis function (SVM-RBF) outclassed both the previously used ANN and the SVM-p and RFR with R2 of 0.999 and minimal errors. The additives also proved to be good greener and cleaner cementing additives in the stabilization of soils with substantial improvements.

Use of joint supervised machine learning algorithms in assessing the geotechnical peculiarities of erodible tropical soils from southeastern Nigeria

ABSTRACT Multiple machine learning algorithms were integrated in this study to assess the geotechnical peculiarities of tropical soils from erosion sites in Nigeria. Laboratory analyses of the soils, which followed standard methods, revealed that they are erodible in nature. Results of correlation, principal component and factor analyses revealed the relationships between geotechnical variables, which were later used for artificial neural network (ANN) modelling. Soil particle distribution was predicted and analyzed using ANN1 (with sigmoid output activation) and ANN2 (with identity output activation). However, ANN2 gave more reliable prediction than ANN1, with R2 averaging 0.913 and 0.522, respectively. Low ANN model errors were also reported. Furthermore, soil erodibility potential, with emphasis on the grainsize distribution, was predicted using logistic regression analysis (LRA). The LRA results showed that the model accurately classified soil erosion events by 90%, and further revealed that sand content is the priority influencer of soil erodibility, more than gravel and fines contents. Thus, the likelihood of high soil erosion events in the area increases with sand %. The logistic regression model was tested for reliability based on Cox & Snell and Nagelkerke R-squares – R2 = 0.593 and R2 = 0.791, respectively – indicating that the model is acceptable and reliable.

BEACH PROFILE USING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE IMAGERY

The advancement of technology has allowed the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for beach surveying to be used instead of theodolite method. This is still a debatable issue whether UAV can completely replace the theodolite method for future research. The studied area at Seberang Takir, Kuala Nerus is recognized as a critical erosion site and beach nourishment activity has been undertaken here on an approximately five year cycle. This study aims to show the potential of UAV application for coastal research. The results show that the elevation data of drone extracted from Digital Elevation Model (DEM) are match equivalent to the total station elevation data within 0.03 m. The beach profile graph of the drone and total station show significant differences in the steeper area. This study shows that the UAV image technique using a drone holds the potential for monitoring and quantifying the beach changes to levels of accuracy and precision that can be compared to the theodolite method. UAV has a big potential for beach monitoring and it is encouraged to be applied for further understanding of how and when they can be most useful.

Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) for the Investigation of Erosion site in Oredide Village, Auchi in Etsako West LGA of Edo State, Southern Nigeria

The Dipole –Dipole array was used for Constant Separation Traversing (CST) to investigate subsurface lithology in Oredide village, Auchi, Edo state with a view to determining the vulnerability or otherwise of the menace of erosion in the area. All the traverses were carried out with electrode spacing of 10 m with a spread of 200 m. The data was obtained using Pasi terrameter (16-GL) and processed with the Dipro software. The results revealed that the subsurface is underlain by the topsoil, lateritic sand, sand and sandstone. 2D results indicate topsoil with resistivity value range of 309 to 40130 Ωm within the depth range of 0 to 5 m. The second layer corresponds to sandy, lateritic sand, sand and sandstone having resistivity values ranging from 2186 to 60350 Ωm to a depth of 10.0 m. The third layer has resistivity values indicating lateritic sand, sand and sandstone layer with resistivity values ranging from 2186 to 60350 within the depth of 20 m. The fourth layer connotes lateritic sand, sand and sandstone to a depth of 30 m. The fifth horizon has resistivity values in the range of 585.2 to 35732.4 Ωm which is representative of sand and sandstone.The maximum depth imaged was 47.7 m.The inverted 2-D resistivity structure shows high resistivity distribution near-surface &gt;1000 Ωm, which are indications of vulnerabilities to erosion in the study area with depth of scouring being 15 m.

Numerical Investigation of Erosion Wear Characteristics of Hydraulic Spillway

There are many sand-laden waters in China, and the wear of hydraulic structures caused by sand-laden water diversion has been paid more and more attention. Taking the spillway of a reservoir as the research object, the numerical model of erosion wear caused by sediment-laden particle flows on the spillway was established by using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, VOF (Volume of Fluid) multiphase flow model and DPM (Discrete Phase Model). Through the simulation analysis of the spillway’s overall erosion, the distribution of the spillway erosion wear was obtained. Then, according to the main wear parts, the single variable, such as sediment diameter, sediment concentration, flow velocity and gate opening degree, was changed to study the erosion amount of the spillway and the distribution law of the spillway erosion parts. The results show that the main erosion sites of the spillway are at the bottom of the gate chamber and the middle section of the spillway. The maximum erosion increases linearly with the increase in sediment concentration. With the increase in sediment concentration, the sediment concentration changed from 1 kg/m3 to 6 kg/m3, and the maximum erosion of the spillway increased from 2.58 × 10−7 kg/m2 to 1.53 × 10−6 kg/m2. The erosion at the bottom of the spillway and gate leaf increases first and then decreases with the increase in sediment diameter and reaches the maximum value when the particle size is 0.002 mm. The erosion at the bottom of the spillway and the gate leaf increases with different growth trends as the flow velocity increases, when the flow velocity increases from 2 m/s to 9 m/s and the maximum erosion amount at the bottom of the spillway increases from 3.66 × 10−7 kg/m2 to 1.14 × 10−6 kg/m2, and the maximum erosion of the gate leaf increased from 1.66 × 10−8 kg/m2 to 8.98 × 10−6 kg/m2. The erosion amount at the bottom of the spillway increases with the increase in the gate opening between 0 and 3 m and tends to be stable when the gate opening is greater than 3 m. The maximum erosion position moves to the rear part of the spillway with the change in the gate opening. The change in the gate opening has no obvious effect on the erosion amount of the gate leaf but only changes the area of the gate erosion part. Thus, the erosion wear distribution of spillway under different work conditions is summarized, and the qualitative study between the erosion wear and the distribution of sediment diameter, sediment concentration, flow velocity and gate opening degree is made.

Linkages Between Sinuosity Index and Flood Sustainability: A Study of Morna River (Maharashtra), India

The morphological changes in the river channel over periods that occur due to the flood events, affected the sinuosity index of the river channel. The river characteristic like sinuosity also determines the intensity of flood in a channel. Recent flood losses have increased as a result of variability in rainfall; simultaneously such problems are coming up with sustainable development. The attempted research study has been carried out to evaluate and understand the river channel changes and bank stability of the Morna river in Maharashtra. The research work also identified the pattern/planform of the river. Morna river meets Warna river near the Mangle village. Most of the streams in the upper basin area are non-perennial. The occurrence of floods takes place due to seasonal rainfall. An index of Sinuosity was used to analyze variation in river courses, as well as identify stability and instability. Therefore, this may facilitate predicting probable riverbank erosion sites and also support sustainable flood management planning for these sites during forthcoming flood events. The sinuosity index of the Morna river ranges from 1.09 to 1.44. The sinuosity indexes for the Morna river and tributaries of its sub-basins/watersheds have been calculated using geospatial techniques. The disparities in sinuosity indexes of the Morna basin and sub-watersheds having a good correlation with slope of the river , fluvial processes, water discharge and hydraulic aspects of the river channel. Seasonal potential flood risk for the agricultural land may be found at the confluence of the Warna river and its tributary Morna river when it receives heavy rainfall in upstream.

New insight into soil carbon fixation rate: The intensive co-occurrence network of autotrophic bacteria increases the carbon fixation rate in depositional sites

Whilst it has been shown that different microbial populations can significantly affect ecosystem functions, little is known about the potential effect of soil erosion on autotrophic bacterial co-occurrence networks and if the networks can influence carbon fixation potential. Here, the random matrix theory (RMT)-based molecular ecological network (MEN) approach with a stable isotope labeling experiment were performed to discern the relationship between autotrophic bacterial networks with the carbon fixing ability and quantify the 13CO2 (carbon dioxide) fixation rate in different soil erosion regions (the Chinese Loess Plateau, the T groups, and the hilly red soil erosion region in Southern China, the H groups). The rates of carbon fixation (RS) were ranked in the following order: H group depositional sites (HD; 30.86 Mg C km−2 yr−1) > H group erosion sites (HE; 18.04 Mg C km−2 yr−1) > T group depositional sites (TD; 5.00 Mg C km−2 yr−1) > T group erosion sites (TE; 1.03 Mg C km−2 yr−1). The results of the random forest modeling and variation partitioning analysis indicated that the bacterial co-occurrence networks were significantly associated with the carbon fixation rate (P < 0.05), and can explain 85.9% variations of carbon fixation rate in different erosion and deposition sites. With the results of multiple stepwise linear regression analysis, pH and C: N were considered to be the key abiotic factors that influenced the carbon fixing rate, which resulted in the carbon fixation rate of H groups were higher than what in T groups. Further, the ZP-plot suggested that the Proteobacteria were the keystones connecting and promoting other species to perform the C-fixing function. The statistical evidence of co-occurrence networks, which are positively associated with the autotrophic bacterial carbon fixation rate, advances the understanding of microbial networks in the function of carbon fixation.

Preliminary Study of Insect Diversity and Its Economic Importance in Agulu-Nanka Gully Sites

The study was designed to investigate the insect diversity and its economic importance in Agulu and Nanka gully sites using standard procedures. A total of 1,609 insects belonging to 15 species were identified from the study sites, which comprised of 1026 individuals belonging to 15 species from Agulu and 583 specimens belonging to 8 species from Nanka. The diversity of the insect species highlighted the dominance, diversity index, species richness and species evenness. Blattodea were the most dominant order in both Agulu site (43.27%), and Nanka site (56.60%). The order Blattodea was the most diverse (0.725) in Nanka site, whereas the order Coleoptera was the most diverse (0.740) in Agulu site. Results from the economic importance revealed 8 insect species as harmful, 3 species as beneficial, while 4 insect species were considered as both beneficial and harmful. Beneficial insects are edible and good agents of pollination while the harmful insects devour agricultural produce and stored food. The result of this study shows that gully erosion site is dominated by insect diversity, probably due to the flora regeneration.

Biodegradable Polymeric Foams Based on Modified Castor Oil, Styrene, and Isobornyl Methacrylate.

The environmental issues of petroleum-derived polymeric foams have necessitated seeking renewable alternatives. This work aims to prepare renewable free-radically polymerized polymeric foams with the ability to biodegrade. Furthermore, this work attempted to incorporate a bio-based reactive diluent, which has not been reported in the literature. The synthesis of maleated castor oil glycerides was performed with products analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry using attenuated total reflection (ATR-FTIR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. Polymeric foams were prepared using maleated castor oil glycerides via free radical copolymerization with styrene and isobornyl methacrylate as reactive diluents. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine anisotropic macrocellular morphology, with log-normal cell diameter distributions. The compressive mechanical and energy absorption properties were investigated; the polymeric foams displayed Young’s modulus up to 26.85 ± 1.07 MPa and strength up to 1.11 ± 0.021 MPa using styrene as the reactive diluent, and Young’s modulus up to 1.38 ± 0.055 MPa and strength up to 0.088 MPa when incorporating isobornyl methacrylate. Furthermore, a thorough analysis of the cellular structure–property relationships was performed, indicating relationships to cell diameter, cell wall thickness and apparent density. The polymeric foams displayed rapid mass loss in an aerobic soil environment with multiple erosion sites revealed by SEM. In conclusion, renewable polymeric foams with excellent compressive properties were achieved using styrene as reactive diluent, but the incorporation of isobornyl methacrylate decreased strength-related properties.

Joint involvement in Rheumatoid arthritis: Sonographic evaluation in comparison with Radiography

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of ultrasonography (including power doppler) in assessing the joint involvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and its comparison to radiographic changes. Materials and Methods: 55 patients with RA underwent ultrasound and radiographic examination of wrist and hand with laboratory investigations. 25 subjects were taken as controls. Following points were specifically looked in ultrasound – synovitis, synovial hypertrophy, effusion, cartilage thickness, swelling of tendon, osteophytes, erosions. Erosion sites were compared using radiographs. Ultrasonography was performed by two radiologists and inter-observer agreement was calculated. Results: Out of total 55 cases, 44 cases were classified as early RA and 11 cases as advanced RA. Out of 25 control subjects, 3 subjects had a lesion – atypical for RA, however – all 3 had previous trauma at that site. Inter-observer agreement was excellent. Intra-articular erosions were seen in all cases of advanced RA and in only 26/44 cases in early RA cases. Tenosynovitis was seen in 21/44 cases of early RA while only one case of advanced RA showed tenosynovitis. There was reduced cartilage thickness in all patients of advanced RA while none was observed in early RA cases. Synovial hypertrophy and synovial effusion were almost similar in both early and advanced RA cases. Ultrasonography detected erosions in 37/54 cases while radiography detected erosions in only 11/54 cases. Conclusions: Sonography can be used as a primary modality to diagnose RA especially early RA, which helps in reducing disabilities by early aggressive treatment. It is more sensitive than radiography in detecting erosions. Keywords: Erosions, Ultrasonography, Radiograph, Synovitis.