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

Impacts of Climate Change on a Spatially Distributed Water Balance in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

As Mediterranean coastal area, the Gaza Strip is likely to be at high risk for water scarcity due to climate change, thus hydrological studies are necessary. This study aims to investigate the impacts of climate change on water balance elements of the Gaza Strip and generate future projections. The Water Balance computer model (WetSPASS) integrated with the GIS was used for simulating the hydrological cycle for the Gaza Strip coastal aquifer in this study. The mean annual simulated evapotranspiration were 157.34 mm/year, 156.46 mm/year, 151.85 mm/year and 131.44 mm/year for baseline, year 2020, year 2050 and year 2080 respectively. While  34.88 mm /year, 32.35 mm /year, 26.73 mm /year and 18.71 mm /year were the mean annual  simulated surface runoff for baseline, year 2020, year 2050 and year 2080 respectively. The  mean annual simulated groundwater recharge were 125.33 mm/year, 105.07 mm/year, 64.44 mm/year and 20.14 mm/year for baseline, year 2020, year 2050 and year 2080 respectively. The mean simulated interception values were 8.31 mm/year, 7.71 mm/year, 6.41 mm/year and 4.56 mm/year for baseline, 2020, 2050 and 2080 respectively. The main conclusion from projected water balance elements is that Gaza Strip will be in a condition of severe water scarcity risk. Keywords: water balance, climate change, WetSPASS, Gaza Stri

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

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Pharmaceutical pollution of the world's rivers

Environmental exposure to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can have negative effects on the health of ecosystems and humans. While numerous studies have monitored APIs in rivers, these employ different analytical methods, measure different APIs, and have ignored many of the countries of the world. This makes it difficult to quantify the scale of the problem from a global perspective. Furthermore, comparison of the existing data, generated for different studies/regions/continents, is challenging due to the vast differences between the analytical methodologies employed. Here, we present a global-scale study of API pollution in 258 of the world's rivers, representing the environmental influence of 471.4 million people across 137 geographic regions. Samples were obtained from 1,052 locations in 104 countries (representing all continents and 36 countries not previously studied for API contamination) and analyzed for 61 APIs. Highest cumulative API concentrations were observed in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and South America. The most contaminated sites were in low- to middle-income countries and were associated with areas with poor wastewater and waste management infrastructure and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The most frequently detected APIs were carbamazepine, metformin, and caffeine (a compound also arising from lifestyle use), which were detected at over half of the sites monitored. Concentrations of at least one API at 25.7% of the sampling sites were greater than concentrations considered safe for aquatic organisms, or which are of concern in terms of selection for antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, pharmaceutical pollution poses a global threat to environmental and human health, as well as to delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Low-Cost Sensors for Monitoring Coastal Climate Hazards: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Unequivocal change in the climate system has put coastal regions around the world at increasing risk from climate-related hazards. Monitoring the coast is often difficult and expensive, resulting in sparse monitoring equipment lacking in sufficient temporal and spatial coverage. Thus, low-cost methods to monitor the coast at finer temporal and spatial resolution are imperative for climate resilience along the world’s coasts. Exploiting such low-cost methods for the development of early warning support could be invaluable to coastal settlements. This paper aims to provide the most up-to-date low-cost techniques developed and used in the last decade for monitoring coastal hazards and their forcing agents via systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature in three scientific databases: Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect. A total of 60 papers retrieved from these databases through the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol were analysed in detail to yield different categories of low-cost sensors. These sensors span the entire domain for monitoring coastal hazards, as they focus on monitoring coastal zone characteristics (e.g., topography), forcing agents (e.g., water levels), and the hazards themselves (e.g., coastal flooding). It was found from the meta-analysis of the retrieved papers that terrestrial photogrammetry, followed by aerial photogrammetry, was the most widely used technique for monitoring different coastal hazards, mainly coastal erosion and shoreline change. Different monitoring techniques are available to monitor the same hazard/forcing agent, for instance, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), time-lapse cameras, and wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for monitoring coastal morphological changes such as beach erosion, creating opportunities to not only select but also combine different techniques to meet specific monitoring objectives. The sensors considered in this paper are useful for monitoring the most pressing challenges in coastal zones due to the changing climate. Such a review could be extended to encompass more sensors and variables in the future due to the systematic approach of this review. This study is the first to systematically review a wide range of low-cost sensors available for the monitoring of coastal zones in the context of changing climate and is expected to benefit coastal researchers and managers to choose suitable low-cost sensors to meet their desired objectives for the regular monitoring of the coast to increase climate resilience

Low-Cost Sensors for Monitoring Coastal Climate Hazards: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Unequivocal change in the climate system has put coastal regions around the world at increasing risk from climate-related hazards. Monitoring the coast is often difficult and expensive, resulting in sparse monitoring equipment lacking in sufficient temporal and spatial coverage. Thus, low-cost methods to monitor the coast at finer temporal and spatial resolution are imperative for climate resilience along the world’s coasts. Exploiting such low-cost methods for the development of early warning support could be invaluable to coastal settlements. This paper aims to provide the most up-to-date low-cost techniques developed and used in the last decade for monitoring coastal hazards and their forcing agents via systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature in three scientific databases: Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect. A total of 60 papers retrieved from these databases through the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol were analysed in detail to yield different categories of low-cost sensors. These sensors span the entire domain for monitoring coastal hazards, as they focus on monitoring coastal zone characteristics (e.g., topography), forcing agents (e.g., water levels), and the hazards themselves (e.g., coastal flooding). It was found from the meta-analysis of the retrieved papers that terrestrial photogrammetry, followed by aerial photogrammetry, was the most widely used technique for monitoring different coastal hazards, mainly coastal erosion and shoreline change. Different monitoring techniques are available to monitor the same hazard/forcing agent, for instance, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), time-lapse cameras, and wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for monitoring coastal morphological changes such as beach erosion, creating opportunities to not only select but also combine different techniques to meet specific monitoring objectives. The sensors considered in this paper are useful for monitoring the most pressing challenges in coastal zones due to the changing climate. Such a review could be extended to encompass more sensors and variables in the future due to the systematic approach of this review. This study is the first to systematically review a wide range of low-cost sensors available for the monitoring of coastal zones in the context of changing climate and is expected to benefit coastal researchers and managers to choose suitable low-cost sensors to meet their desired objectives for the regular monitoring of the coast to increase climate resilience