Assessing impacts of sea level rise on seawater intrusion in a coastal aquifer with sloped shoreline boundary

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.International Association for Hydro-environment Engineering and Research, Asia Pacific Division.This paper investigates the effect of gradual and instantaneous sea level rise (SLR) on the seawater intrusion (SWI) process in coastal aquifer systems with different levels of land-surface inundation. A set of hypothetical case studies with different shoreline slopes is used to conduct this numerical experiment. For the purpose of numerical modelling, a future rate of SLR from 2015 to 2100 is considered based on the moderate expectation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2001). The gradual SLR is implemented in two different stages. First, continuous and nonlinear rising of sea level is imposed starting from year 2015 up to the end of the century. After that the final value of sea level is maintained as constant in order to assess the response time spanning to a new steady state condition. The effects of pumping resulting in lowering of groundwater level are also considered together with the dynamic variation of sea level. The results show that the rate and the amount of SWI are considerably greater in aquifers with flat shoreline slopes compared with those with steep slopes. Moreover, a shorter period of time is required to reach a new steady state condition in systems with flatter slopes. The SWI process is followed by a significant depletion in quantity of freshwater resources at the end of the century. The situation is exacerbated with combined action of SLR and over-abstraction. Finally, by considering the effect of inundation of the shoreline due to gradual SLR, the sensitivity of the system to the main aquifer parameters including molecular diffusion of solute, dispersion, hydraulic conductivity and porosity is investigated

Trends of Publications in Peshawar Islamicus Research Journal: A Bibliometric Study from 2010- 2020

This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of “Peshawar Islamicus” a research journal published by the Department of Islamiyat, University of Peshawar, Pakistan. The analysis covers authorship pattern, gender-wise distribution, number of articles, paper length, most prolific authors, number of references and department wise distribution etc. The data was collected from different issues of the journal which was analyzed by using MS Access and MS Excel 2016. The study found that 290 articles were published from 2010 to 2020 and highest numbers of articles (34) were published in 2019. The trend of male and two author was dominant, the volume of 2018 had maximum number of citations and most of papers were published in length 11-15 pages. The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produced maximum number of articles and the university of Peshawar was the most productive institution. Dr. Miraj ul Islam was the most productive author with 14 articles and maximum number of articles 103(46.18%) were published in Urdu language

Electronic Information Resources: An Overview of Problems Faced by the Faculty Members

Purpose: This study is an attempt to investigate the problems faced by respondents while accessing electronic information resources. The study\u27s specific objectives were to examine the demographic information, to probe the problems faced by the faculty members and to examine the difference of opinion between male and female faculty members regarding problems concerned with the electronic information resource. Research Design and Methodology: The survey research method was used, and data was collected from the respondents through the structured questionnaire. The stratified sampling technique was used, and 340 faculty members were selected from the total population of 661. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22 (SPSS), and descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to obtain the results. Results: The data was collected from the four faculties of the surveyed universities and found that most respondents (34.4%) were from the faculty of social sciences. The lecture comprised the major portion of the sample, while the proportion of male respondents was higher than female respondents. The major problems identified by the faculty members were the low speed of the internet, inadequate IT infrastructure, lack of internet, non-availability of full-text access to most of the e-journals, lack of awareness of e-resources, lack of cooperation of library and computer labs staff and lack of printing facility. Implications: The results help the university administration frame policies and plan about the procurement and subscription of e-resources. The findings will guide the authorities to organize training for teachers, researchers, and students to increase their awareness about e-resources. Originality: This is the first study of its kind in Pakistan to investigate the issues and problems encountered by faculty members while accessing electronic information resources

RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) AND LIBRARIES IN THE ERA OF TECHNOLOGY

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a new concept to be introduced in libraries of India and more particularly in the libraries of Jammu & Kashmir. The technology has helped libraries to create an atmosphere of security and proper vigilance. It has not only helped libraries to reduce the staff interference with the patrons but has also improved the efficiency of service deliverance as well. This paper aims to highlight the need for the adoption of RFID technology in libraries and other similar institutions. The paper gives an in-depth coverage of an RFID system. It starts with an introduction to RFID system and technology, and gives an outlook about role of this technology in libraries. The book gives a clear outlook about the different components and equipments of RFID technology in libraries along with their major specifications. It highlights the advantages associated with the use of RFID technology in a library-kind environment. The author of the book is currently working as Chief Librarian in J&K Higher Education Department. He has served many departments under different capacities and has the experience of installing, configuring and commissioning this RFID system in one of the prime educational institutions of the valley

Predicting Flux And Pressure Relationships of Large Scale Filtration with USD Model Inputs: Method and application

Ultra Scale-Down tools have demonstrated the huge benefit for rapid process development with reduced material requirement and better solutions. In this poster, a method was reported to predict the flux and transmembrane pressure relationships of a diafiltration application for a crossflow filtration (CFF) process, based on data generated using an Ultra Scale-Down (USD) device that uses dead-end mode of operation to mimic CFF. A new flux prediction protocol was developed to accurately determine the system resistance of large scale crossflow filtration (CFF) systems, and, to predict CFF performance using USD data. Antibody fragment (Fab’) is expressed in E. coli as an intracellular product and E.coli homogenate was used for scale-up studies and to validate the prediction results. Predicted and actual flux-pressure drop and transmission data showed good agreement. Wall shear rate correlations have been established for both the lab scale cassette and the USD device, and a mimic has been developed by operating both scales at equivalent membrane averaged shear rates

Three dimensional simulation of seawater intrusion in a regional coastal aquifer in UAE

Published13th Computer Control for Water Industry Conference, CCWI 2015In this study the vulnerability of the Wadi Ham aquifer, located in the Fujairah Emirate of the UAE, to seawater intrusion (SWI) is assessed using a 3D finite element (FE) model. The numerical model is developed based on available hydrogeological data in real scale. By simulation of the aquifer for the next 10 years and by maintaining the current rates of pumping (in year 2015), the progress of seawater intrusion in year 2025 is followed by further depletion in freshwater storage of the Wadi Ham aquifer. In order to control this problem, the model is subjected to a management strategy involving surface recharge of the aquifer with treated wastewater

Real-coded genetic algorithm particle filters for high-dimensional state spaces

This thesis successfully addresses the issues faced by particle filters in high-dimensional state-spaces by comparing them with genetic algorithms and then using genetic algorithm theory to address these issues. Sequential Monte Carlo methods are a class of online posterior density estimation algorithms that are suitable for non-Gaussian and nonlinear environments, however they are known to suffer from particle degeneracy; where the sample of particles becomes too sparse to approximate the posterior accurately. Various techniques have been proposed to address this issue but these techniques fail in high-dimensions. In this thesis, after a careful comparison between genetic algorithms and particle filters, we posit that genetic algorithm theoretic arguments can be used to explain the working of particle filters. Analysing the working of a particle filter, we note that it is designed similar to a genetic algorithm but does not include recombination. We argue based on the building-block hypothesis that the addition of a recombination operator would be able to address the sample impoverishment phenomenon in higher dimensions. We propose a novel real-coded genetic algorithm particle filter (RGAPF) based on these observations and test our hypothesis on the stochastic volatility estimation of financial stocks. The RGAPF successfully scales to higher-dimensions. To further strengthen our argument that whether building-block-hypothesis-like effects are due to the recombination operator, we compare the RGAPF with a mutation-only particle filter with an adjustable mutation rate that is set to equal the population-to-population variance of the RGAPF. The latter significantly and consistently performs better, indicating that recombination is having a subtle and significant effect that may be theoretically explained by genetic algorithm theory. After two successful attempts at validating our hypothesis we compare the performance of the RGAPF using different real-recombination operators. Observing the behaviour of the RGAPF under these recombination operators we propose a mean-centric recombination operator specifically for high-dimensional particle filtering. This recombination operator is successfully tested and compared with benchmark particle filters and a hybrid CMA-ES particle filter using simulated data and finally on real end-of-day data of the securities making up the FTSE-100 index. Each experiment is discussed in detail and we conclude with a brief description of the future direction of research

Shift to Online Learning: Response of Pakistani Visual Art Teachers During Pandemic and Post-Covid Era

This study aims to investigate the response of Visual art teachers to educational lockdown and shift to online learning at art institutions. The study employed qualitative phenomenological research design to investigate visual artists i.e., painters, sculptors, textile designers, graphic designers, and performing artists who were faculty members in five leading art institutions of Lahore. Data were collected by conducting a total of 15 interviews from each mentioned discipline. These interviews were conducted preferably in their studios, at their homes, or at times online through WhatsApp video calls. The data was analyzed thematically by using NVIVO 12 software. Findings – It was observed that new methodologies were devised by the faculty and art institutions to mitigate the pandemic upshot, however, virtual learning made it hard for the faculty to teach practice-based subjects. As a result, the assessment criteria were also affected. The study findings provide insight for art institutions and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to start preparing their systems to offer effective online teaching as a substitute for regular classes in Visual Arts. The researchers could not find any such study in the local context, and very few globally. Therefore, this study may serve as a baseline for further research

Performance of taste enhancers mixed with cereal bases and evaluation of the most preferred bait composition for Bandicota bengalensis (Gray)

Baiting technique if appropriately applied is the most reliable strategy to control rodent pests. Behavior modifying components may play a significant role in developing the most attractive baits. An attempt was therefore made to investigate the behavior revolutionizing effect of taste enhancers including peanut oil, peanut butter, egg shell and fishmeal, on exploratory approaches of rodents. Precise role of additives and impact of particle size of cereal bases has been discussed aiming to minimize bait shyness, neophobia and development of the most preferred bait combination for effective control of bandicoot rat Bandicota bengalensis.Key words: Bandicota bengalensis, cereals baits, taste enhancers, shyness, neophobia