Projection of Future Climate by Multi-Model Median Approach under GIS Environment along the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Climate changes over the Gaza strip area as a semi-arid area is a major factor that affects the developing strategic plans for water sector. This study aims to determine the future climate changes over Gaza strip. Fossil energy intensive (A1F1) with high sensitivity is the emission scenario that was used for the prediction process. The median assembly approach was used to get the representative results from multi General Circulation Model (GCM) outputs. The predicted mean annual temperatures for years 2020, 2050 and 2080 were 20.66 oC, 22.48 oC and 25.08 oC respectively, While 0.85 oC, 2.67 oC and 5.28 oC were the mean annual changes from baseline period for years 2020, 2050 and 2080 respectively.  The predicted mean annual precipitation for years 2020, 2050 and 2080 were 294.68 mm/year, 243.70 mm/year and 170.82 mm/year respectively, Hence -7.48, -23.98 and -46.37 mm/year were the predicted mean annual precipitation changes from baseline period for years 2020, 2050 and 2080 respectively. The mean annual sea level rise for baseline period was 1.097 cm, in the other hand 9.04 cm, 28.84 cm and 59.85 cm were the predicted mean sea level rise values for years 2020, 2050 and 2080 respectively. Keywords: Climate Change, Gaza Strip, Climate projection, GCM, Emission scenario

Honoring Don Whitley, pioneer of innovative scientific instruments for Anaerobic Microbiology (1929-2019)

Don Whitley Scientific Limited announced the sad news of the death of its founder and chairman, Don Whitley on February 28, 2019. We mourn the loss of this great scientific entrepreneur who was born in London in June 1929. With his family’s relocation to Leeds in 1940, Don attended Leeds’s prestigious Morley Grammar School where he envisioned a career as a medical doctor. Family’s opposition led him to medical technology, working for a decade at Leeds Maternity Hospital and Killingbeck Hospital before moving to industry

Modelling Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Groundwater of the Gaza Coastal Aquifer from Ensemble of Global Climate Model Projections

The Gaza Strip is subjected to considerable impacts of climate change that may adversely affect the groundwater resource. A decrease in annual precipitation as well as an increase in temperatures are projected from an ensemble of global climate models. In this study, the impact of climate change on groundwater resources in Gaza coastal aquifer was evaluated. Regional groundwater flow simulations were made by means of a three-dimensional numerical model. The model was calibrated by adjusting model input parameters until a best fit was achieved between simulated and observed water levels. Simulated groundwater levels compared favorably with observed mean groundwater levels measured in observation wells. SEAWAT groundwater transient model with simulated climate change data input without any adaption pumping scenario was developed in order to determine the impacts of climate change on groundwater of the Gaza coastal aquifer. An effective management scenario was developed and examined by the same groundwater transient model. The scenario was generated to adapt with climate change conditions by developing new water resources and managing pumping rates. The results indicated that lack of water is expected to be a problem in the future. Also, the generated and examined solution scenario is a strategic solution for about a thirty year period. Keywords: Gaza Strip, climate change, groundwater, management, modeling, seawater intrusio

Design of multi-layer graphene membrane with descending pore size for 100% water desalination by simulation using ReaxFF

DATA AVAILABILITY STATMENT : Data are available upon request from the corresponding author and based on university rules.The performance of a desalination membrane depends on a specific pore size suitable for both water permeability and salt rejection. To increase membrane permeability, the applied pressure should be increased, which creates the need to improve membrane stability. In this research article, a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed using ReaxFF module from Amsterdam Modeling suite (AMS) software to simulate water desalination efficiency using a single and multi-layer graphene membrane. The graphene membrane with different pore sizes and a multi-layer graphene membrane with descending pore size in each layer were designed and studied under different pressures. The stability of the membrane was checked using Material Studio 2019 by studying the dynamics summary. The single-layer graphene membrane was evaluated under pressures ranging from 100 to 500 MPa, with the salt rejection ranging from 95% to 82% with a water permeability of 0.347 109 to 2.94 109 (mm.g.cm2s1.bar1), respectively. Almost 100% salt rejection was achieved for the multi-layer graphene membrane. This study successfully demonstrated the design and optimization of graphene membrane performance without functionalization.The Faculty of Sciences at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa,https://www.mdpi.com/journal/membranesam2023Chemistr

1-Phenyl­piperazine-1,4-diium bis­(hydrogen sulfate)

In the title compound, C10H16N2 2+·2HSO4 −, the S atoms adopt slightly distorted tetra­hedral geometry and the diprotonated piperazine ring adopts a chair conformation. In the crystal, the 1-phenyl­piperazine-1,4-diium cations are anchored between chains formed by the sulfate entities via inter­molecular bifurcated N—H⋯(O,O) and weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. These hydrogen bonds contribute to the cohesion and stability of the network of the crystal structure

MALDI TOF MS and currently related proteomic technologies in reconciling bacterial systematics

The chapter is on development and application of matrix assisted laser desorption ionisation time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) to identification and and classification of bacteria

Parallel evolution in streptococcus pneumoniae biofilms

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a commensal human pathogen and the causative agent of various invasive and noninvasive diseases. Carriage of the pneumococcus in the nasopharynx is thought to be mediated by biofilm formation, an environment where isogenic populations frequently give rise to morphological colony variants, including small colony variant (SCV) phenotypes. We employed metabolic characterization and whole-genome sequencing of biofilm-derived S. pneumoniae serotype 22F pneumococcal SCVs to investigate diversification during biofilm formation. Phenotypic profiling revealed that SCVs exhibit reduced growth rates, reduced capsule expression, altered metabolic profiles, and increased biofilm formation compared to the ancestral strain. Whole-genome sequencing of 12 SCVs from independent biofilm experiments revealed that all SCVs studied had mutations within the DNA-directed RNA polymerase delta subunit (RpoE). Mutations included four large-scale deletions ranging from 51 to 264 bp, one insertion resulting in a coding frameshift, and seven nonsense single-nucleotide substitutions that result in a truncated gene product. This work links mutations in the rpoE gene to SCV formation and enhanced biofilm development in S. pneumoniae and therefore may have important implications for colonization, carriage, and persistence of the organism. Furthermore, recurrent mutation of the pneumococcal rpoE gene presents an unprecedented level of parallel evolution in pneumococcal biofilm development