Investigation of Geomorphological Forms of Goyjah Bel Basin in Ahar Plain

Geological and geomorphological studies as the basic studies, play a key role in watershed, soil protection and flooding management projects. Goyjah Bel basin is located ten kilometers southwest of Ahar County. The study area is a part of Aharchay River watershed, which joins Qarah Su River and then Aras River. The mentioned basin is located in the structural zones of Alborz and Central Iran and is composed of various rock-sedimentary units due to its vastness and geographical location. The morphological appearance of this basin is affected by two mentioned zones and the trend of structures in the northwest-southeast region. In the formation of these structures, factors such as the collision of Iranian and Turan plate, the performance of thrust faults and finally the performance of northwest-southeast strike-slip faults have played a role. The morphology of the basin mainly includes mountains and hills.This was a descriptive and analytical research based on field and library studies. Spatial data of this research included the satellite images, topographic maps (1.25000), aerial photographs and geological maps (1.100000) which the types, units and facies of geomorphology were determined by them. In the study area, three units, three types and seven geomorphological facies were identified. The most dominant geomorphological unit was Hill unit with an area of 3665.1 hectares, occupying 49% of the total basin. In addition to the Hill unit, the mountain unit also has a very large area, but the plain and river unit covers a small area. Various morphological forms in the study area include anticlines, synclines, alluvial cones, sedimentary dams, canals, ditches, grooves, landslides and various types of canal wall collapse movements.Os estudos geológicos e geomorfológicos, como estudos básicos, desempenham um papel fundamental em projetos de bacias hidrográficas, proteção do solo e gestão de inundações. A bacia de Goyjah Bel está localizada dez quilômetros a sudoeste do Condado de Ahar. A área de estudo faz parte da bacia hidrográfica do rio Aharchay, que se junta ao rio Qarah Su e ao rio Aras. A bacia mencionada está localizada nas zonas estruturais do Alborz e do Irã Central e é composta por várias unidades rochosas-sedimentares devido à sua vastidão e localização geográfica. O aspecto morfológico desta bacia é afetado por duas zonas mencionadas e pelo movimento de estruturas na região noroeste-sudeste. Na formação dessas estruturas, fatores como a colisão das placas Iraniana e Turan, o desempenho de falhas de empuxo e, finalmente, o desempenho de falhas de ataque-deslizamento noroeste-sudeste têm desempenhado um papel. A morfologia da bacia inclui principalmente montanhas e colinas. Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva e analítica baseada em estudos de campo e bibliotecários. Os dados espaciais desta pesquisa incluíram as imagens de satélite, cartas topográficas (1.25000), fotografias aéreas e cartas geológicas (1.100000) cujos tipos, unidades e fácies da geomorfologia foram por eles determinados. Na área de estudo foram identificadas três unidades, três tipos e sete fácies geomorfológicas. A unidade geomorfológica mais dominante foi a unidade Hill com área de 3665,1 hectares, ocupando 49% do total da bacia. Além da unidade de Monte, a unidade de montanha também possui uma área muito grande, mas a unidade de planície e rio cobre uma área pequena. Várias formas morfológicas na área de estudo incluem anticlinais, sinclinais, cones aluviais, barragens sedimentares, canais, valas, sulcos, deslizamentos de terra e vários tipos de movimentos de colapso da parede do canal

Effect of Gravel Filter on Runoff, Sediment Control and Vegetation Enhance in Rainwater Catchment System (Dareh-Morid Basin, Baft)

In this study gravel filter were used to control runoff and sediment to enhance vegetation in Dareh Morid Basin of Baft, Kerman.This research was conducted in a completely randomized block design with four treatments and three replications.Treatments included natural system as a control, natural system with gravel filter, im permeable system without gravel filter, and impermeable system with gravel filter. The effect of gravel filter on reducing sediment and increasing vegetation was measured at depths of 25, 50 and 75 cm using TDR device after each rainfall.The results of this study revealed that at all three mentioned depths in the impermeable system with gravel filter, the moisture was significantly higher than in other treatments.The performance of the gravel filter along with making the system surface impermeable reduced sediment erosion and increased vegetation. As a result, it can be claimed that the rainwater harvesting through impermeable surfaces using gravel filter will be a good solution to control runoff plus sediment and a significant contribution to the water supply of plants in arid and semi-arid regions.In this study gravel filter were used to control runoff and sediment to enhance vegetation in Dareh Morid Basin of Baft, Kerman.This research was conducted in a completely randomized block design with four treatments and three replications.Treatments included natural system as a control, natural system with gravel filter, im permeable system without gravel filter, and impermeable system with gravel filter. The effect of gravel filter on reducing sediment and increasing vegetation was measured at depths of 25, 50 and 75 cm using TDR device after each rainfall.The results of this study revealed that at all three mentioned depths in the impermeable system with gravel filter, the moisture was significantly higher than in other treatments.The performance of the gravel filter along with making the system surface impermeable reduced sediment erosion and increased vegetation. As a result, it can be claimed that the rainwater harvesting through impermeable surfaces using gravel filter will be a good solution to control runoff plus sediment and a significant contribution to the water supply of plants in arid and semi-arid regions

Mode of action of Jatropha curcas phorbol esters in bovine kidney cells

Jatropha meal is a potential biofeed for animal production however, the presence of phorbol esters (PEs) in the meal limits its utilization. The PEs caused severe toxic manifestations in animals. The information on the mechanisms of toxicity at the cellular level is rather limited. Therefore, this research was conducted to investigate the mode of action of PEs by evaluating the biochemical, biological and molecular responses of cells exposed to PEs. Phorbol esters from Jatropha meal were isolated and identified as Jatropha factor (JF) JFC1, JFC2, JFC3 and a mixture of JFs (C4, C5 and C6). These PEs exhibited cytotoxic activity towards bovine kidney cells and induced significant morphological changes. The PEs severely altered the redox status of the cells which resulted in the occurrence of oxidative stress. Moreover, the PEs up-regulated the expressions of PKC-βII, proto-oncogenes, pro-inflammatory cytokines and elevated the caspase-3 activity in the cells. All PEs were toxic, but JFC1 and JFC2 appeared to be more toxic to the bovine kidney cells as compared to the JFC3 and the mixture of JFs. The results indicated that the cytotoxic activity of Jatropha meal PEs was elicited through induction of oxidative stress and inflammation of the cells

Soil science challenges in a new era: A transdisciplinary overview of relevant topics

Concise ReviewTransdisciplinary approaches that provide holistic views are essential to properly understand soil processes and the importance of soil to society and will be crucial in the future to integrate distinct disciplines into soil studies. A myriad of challenges faces soil science at the beginning of the 2020s. The main aim of this overview is to assess past achievements and current challenges regarding soil threats such as erosion and soil contamination related to different United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) including (1) sustainable food production, (2) ensure healthy lives and reduce environmental risks (SDG3), (3) ensure water availability (SDG6), and (4) enhanced soil carbon sequestration because of climate change (SDG13). Twenty experts from different disciplines related to soil sciences offer perspectives on important research directions. Special attention must be paid to some concerns such as (1) effective soil conservation strategies; (2) new computational technologies, models, and in situ measurements that will bring new insights to in-soil process at spatiotemporal scales, their relationships, dynamics, and thresholds; (3) impacts of human activities, wildfires, and climate change on soil microorganisms and thereby on biogeochemical cycles and water relationships; (4) microplastics as a new potential pollutant; (5) the development of green technologies for soil rehabilitation; and (6) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by simultaneous soil carbon sequestration and reduction in nitrous oxide emission. Manuscripts on topics such as these are particularly welcomed in Air, Soil and Water Researchinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investigation of Erodibility and Sedimentation in Goyjah Bel basin

Goyjah Bel basin is located 10 km south of Ahar city with an area of ​​about 7462.8 hectares, where the occurrence of erosion is remarkable. This study is based on library studies, field studies, and the use of empirical models of erosion and sedimentation estimation. For estimation of the intensity of erosion in these units, and classification of lands based on quantitative criteria, PSIAC method is used with a comprehensive view of all the determinants. Estimation of erosion by this method in geomorphological units proves that the hypotheses on speed and accuracy, identification of the most important erosion factors and the most critical areas of sedimentation, and determination of relations and distribution of erosion in the region is correct. Here, the experimental MPSIAC model, which considers the most effective parameters in erosion and sedimentation, is used, and environmental parameters are evaluated. Finally, the results are compared with neuro-fuzzy model. The results indicate that MPSIAC model works good in this basin. It should be noted that the estimated sediment is in erosion class of 4, and in terms of qualitative classification, the erosion was in a high class. Therefore, according to the definition of this class, it can be said that in this basin, the transfer of soil particles is to an extent that implementation of soil and water conservation programs is necessary and prior, and the use of land must be so limite

Application of thermal lens technique to measure the thermal diffusivity of biodiesel blend

Thermal diffusivity of palm biodiesel blends was measured using a thermal lens double beam setup. Palm biodiesel blends were prepared from a mixture of normal palm oil biodiesel and diesel fuel with the percentage of the mixture set in the range of 10–90 %. The thermal diffusivity of the palm biodiesel blends consistently increased by increasing the concentration of palm biodiesel from 0.784 × 10−7 to 1.056 × 10−7 m2/s and average of measurement limitation was 0.629 × 10−7 m2/s. Hence, thermal lens technique is suitable and accurate to assess the thermal diffusivity of palm biodiesel

COVID-19 Spatial Policy: A Comparative Review of Urban Policies in the European Union and the Middle East

This article reviews existing research and discussions on urban policy in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis focuses on the first pandemic period in the European Union and the Middle East. A search was conducted in available databases and search engines (Scopus, Google Scholar). A critical bibliometric analysis of publications from the first pandemic period was carried out. The most frequent topics covered were spatial organization, transport, environment, and social issues. The analysis showed that the quantitative scope and depth of the selected topics in the European Union and the Middle East differ. Activities defined as “exploitative” should be considered a particularly interesting point of reference in both analyzed regions