Is riverbank vegetation important for the estimation of flood water levels?

Freshwater plants are one of the main components of the aquatic ecosystem and significantly influence river processes at different scales, and they are also affected by the river flow (Nikora, 2010; Nepf, 2012). Thus, a proper flood risk management requires to include understanding the processes of mutual interactions (flowbiota), which are still challenging (Nikora, 2010; Nepf, 2012). It is essential to know that such vegetation is a crucial component of the environment, which provides important tool for nature-based solutions for river engineering and management. Considering appropriate placement of plants along the stream, various possibilities for using vegetation as a nature-based solution may include facilitate sediment transport in the channel, control to direct overbank flows, and the reduction of scour and river channel erosion processes (Shields Jr. et al., 2017). However, a proper prediction of processes occurring in rivers with vegetated bank? (e.g., vegetationinduced turbulence) needs sufficient studies of vegetation seasonality due to its dynamic nature. Past approach to the subject of river management (e.g., Ree 1949) did not include the ecological meaning (wildlife habitat) of riverine vegetation and thus, all the actions were focused only on reducing the source of flow resistance by cutting the vegetation to reduce flooding (Nepf, 2012). Hence, current methods should be developed in such a way as to comply with the assumptions of finding the balance in predicting the channel resistance in the presence of vegetation between ecological management and flood control (Nilsson et al. 2005; Nepf, 2012). Flow-biota-sediment interactions, due to continuous vegetation development, are vulnerable to extensive knowledge gaps in the investigation linking the fluid mechanics, biomechanics, ecology and transport processes that prevent a full understanding of these phenomena (Nikora, 2010; Łoboda et al., 2018). To expand knowledge in this research field, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of riverbank vegetation on the flood water levels, considering various riverbank vegetation coverage due to its variation throughout the annual seasons. For that purpose, the hydrodynamic model Delft3D Flexible Mesh will be used to simulate river flow hydrodynamics on the part of the Meuse river as a case study. This study will investigate various static vegetation scenarios considering seasonal changes in vegetation roughness and their life cycle, e.g., due to leaf loss or plant dying. The main focus will be drawn to short periods including before, during and after the flood event (i.e., period of approximately two weeks; starting two days before the flood event). As Nepf (2012) highlighted, vegetation is not distributed uniformly, which plays an important role in the reach-scale flow resistance. Thus, the proposed study will consider the density of plant coverage on the riverbanks as well as species variety

FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL; AN ASSESSMENT

The study is about breast lesions which is a common cause of mortality and morbidity among females. To avoid negative consequences, there is need for urgent diagnosis and treatment. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) is a useful diagnostic tool and possess higher level of accuracy. In this study, the objective was to determine the accuracy of FNAC in diagnosis of palpable breast lumps. Additionally, the objective was to find the correlation between cytological findings and histopathological examination of surgical specimens. The methodology of the study was based on retrospective study method. FNAC of breast lump was conducted on 271 patients out of which 104 formed the base group. The results showed that there were 104 patients of base study who had average age of 32 years. There were 54 patients with lump in left breasts, and 46 patients with lump in right breasts and 4 patient had bilateral lump. There were 77 patients with benign, 34 patients with malignant, and 3 had atypica;/suspicious lesions on cytological examination. Based on histopathological examination, 77 cases were related to benign, 26 were related to malignant, and 1 with atypical/suspicious. Cyto-histological concurrence was 93.05% and 79.2% for Fibroadenoma and Infiltrating ductal carcinoma respectively. Overall sensitivity of FNAC procedure was 94.17%, specificity 100% and accuracy 93.26%.  On the basis of result, it is concluded that FNAC is a simple, reliable method for diagnosis of both benign and malignant lesions and can be used in the evaluation of breast lesions.

Assessing climate change impacts on the stability of small tidal inlets:Part 1 - Data poor environments

Bar-built or barrier estuaries (here referred to as Small tidal inlets, or STIs), which are commonly found along wave-dominated, microtidal mainland coasts, are highly likely to be affected by climate change (CC). Due to their pre-dominance in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, many STIs are located in developing countries, where STI related activities contribute significantly to the national GDPs while community resilience to coastal changes is low, with the corollary that CC impacts on STIs may lead to very serious socio-economic consequences. While assessing CC impacts on tidal inlets is in general difficult due to inherent limitations of contemporary numerical models where long term morphodynamic simulations are concerned, these difficulties are further exacerbated due to the lack of sufficient model input/verification data in often data poor developing country STI environs. As a solution to this problem, Duong et al. (2016) proposed two different process based snap-shot modelling approaches for data poor and data rich environments. This article demonstrates the application of Duong et al.'s (2016) snap-shot modelling approach for data poor environments to 3 case study sites representing the 3 main STI types; Permanently open, locationally stable inlets (Type 1), Permanently open, alongshore migrating inlets (Type 2) and Seasonally/Intermittently open, locationally stable inlets (Type 3). Results show that Type 1 and Type 3 inlets will not change Type even under the most extreme CC driven variations in system forcing considered here. Type 2 inlets may change into Type 1 when CC results in a reduction in annual longshore sediment transport. Apart from Type changes, CC will affect the level of inlet stability and some key behavioural characteristics (e.g. inlet migration distances, inlet closure times). In general, CC driven variations in annual longshore sediment transport rates appear to be more relevant for future changes in inlet stability and behaviour, rather than sea level rise as commonly believed. Based on model results, an inlet classification scheme which, for the first time, links inlet Type with the Bruun inlet stability criteria is presented

Assessing Climate Change Impacts on the Stability of Small Tidal Inlets: Part 2- Data Rich Environments

Climate change (CC) is likely to affect the thousands of bar-built or barrier estuaries (here referred to as Small tidal inlets - STIs) around the world. Any such CC impacts on the stability of STIs, which governs the dynamics of STIs as well as that of the inlet-adjacent coastline, can result in significant socio-economic consequences due to the heavy human utilisation of these systems and their surrounds. This article demonstrates the application of a process based snap-shot modelling approach, using the coastal morphodynamic model Delft3D, to 3 case study sites representing the 3 main STI types; Permanently open, locationally stable inlets (Type 1), Permanently open, alongshore migrating inlets (Type 2) and Seasonally/Intermittently open, locationally stable inlets (Type 3). The 3 case study sites (Negombo lagoon - Type 1, Kalutara lagoon - Type 2, and Maha Oya river - Type 3) are all located along the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. After successful hydrodynamic and morphodynamic model validation at the 3 case study sites, CC impact assessment are undertaken for a high end greenhouse gas emission scenario. Future CC modified wave and riverflow conditions are derived from a regional scale application of spectral wave models (WaveWatch III and SWAN) and catchment scale applications of a hydrologic model (CLSM) respectively, both of which are forced with IPCC Global Climate Model output dynamically downscaled to approximately 50 km resolution over the study area with the stretched grid Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model CCAM. Results show that while all 3 case study STIs will experience significant CC driven variations in their level of stability, none of them will change Type by the year 2100. Specifically, the level of stability of the Type 1 inlet will decrease from 'Good' to 'Fair to poor' by 2100, while the level of (locational) stability of the Type 2 inlet will also decrease with a doubling of the annual migration distance. Conversely, the stability of the Type 3 inlet will increase, with the time till inlet closure increasing by approximately 75%. The main contributor to the overall CC effect on the stability of all 3 STIs is CC driven variations in wave conditions and resulting changes in longshore sediment transport, not Sea level rise as commonly believed

Effect of calcium chloride treatment by vacuum infiltration method on texture and shelf life of black cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum cv. OG)

The use of vacuum infiltration in the food industry has several advantages, such as improving the quality, eliminating chemical treatment requirements, stabilizing products, and retaining nutrients during storage and processing. This study was performed to optimize the vacuum level (516-684 mmHg), treatment time (10-20 min), and calcium chloride (CaCl2) concentration (0.58- 1.42%) using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The firmness of black cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum cv. OG) reached an optimum value (1477.81 g/cm2) when fruits were treated at a vacuum level of 637 mmHg with a concentration of CaCl2 1.09% for 17 min. Meanwhile, the firmness was 746 g/cm2 for the control sample, which was dipped in 1.42% CaCl2 solution for 20 min at the atmospheric condition. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of stomata of two samples with/without vacuum treatment were also significantly different. The sample after vacuum treatment at optimum parameters was put into PE and PP bags for storage at 10-12°C. Vacuum-infiltrated tomatoes contained in PE and PP bags had a corresponding storage time of 30 and 28 days. The control samples were maintained for shorter periods, only 22 and 20 days, respectively