Evaluating Differences of Erosion Patterns in Natural and Anthropogenic Basins through Scenario Testing: A Case Study of the Claise, France and Nahr Ibrahim, Lebanon

This study assessed soil erosion risks of two basins representing different geographical, topographical, climatological and land occupation/management settings. A comparison and an evaluation of site-specific factors influencing erosion in the French Claise and the Lebanese Nahr Ibrahim basins were performed. The Claise corresponds to a natural park with a flat area and an oceanic climate, and is characterized by the presence of 2179 waterbodies (mostly ponds) considered as hydro-sedimentary alternating structures, while Nahr Ibrahim represents an orographic Mediterranean basin characterized by a random unequal land occupation distribution. The Claise was found to be under 12.48% no erosion (attributed to the dense pond network), 65.66% low, 21.68% moderate and 0.18% high erosion risks; while Nahr Ibrahim was found to be under 4, 39.5 and 56.4%, low, moderate and high erosion risks, along with 66% land degradation determined from the intersection of land capability and land occupation maps. Under the alternative scenario for the Claise where ponds were considered dried, erosion risks became 1.12, 0.52, 76.8 and 21.56%, no erosion, low, moderate and high risks, respectively. For Nahr Ibrahim, and following the Land Degradation Neutrality intervention, high erosion risks decreased by 13.9%, while low and moderate risks increased by 3 and 10.8%

Inducing Water Productivity from Snow Cover for Sustainable Water Management in Ibrahim River Basin, Lebanon

International audienceThe aim of this paper is to explore the effects and linkages between snow cover areas, distribution, probability and measured water discharge along east Mediterranean coastal watershed using moderate-resolution satellite images (MODIS-Terra). The Nahr Ibrahim River is a typical Lebanese watershed with an area of 326 km2 stretching between the sea and mountainous terrain to the east. The largest snow cover often exists in January-February with snow-free conditions between June and November. Image analysis enabled to analyze the temporal variability of the mean and maximum monthly areas of snow cover between 2000 and 2013. Snow cover dynamics were compared with the discharge from main springs (Afqa and Rouaiss) feeding the river and the probability of snow cover was estimated. The mean monthly snow cover, snow melting rates and springs discharge were found to be in direct relationship. In addition, the measured water discharge at the river mouth was found to be higher than the discharge of the two main feeding springs. This indicates a contribution of groundwater to the stream flow, which is again in direct connection with snow melting at the upper bordering slopes and probably from neighboring watersheds. Considering the characteristics of the mountainous rocks (i.e. Sinkholes, fissured and karstified limestone), the pedo-climatic and land cover conditions affect the hydrological regime which is directly responding to the area and temporal distribution of snow cover, which appears after two months from snowing events. This is reflected on water productivity and related disciplines (Agricultural yield, floods). This study highlights the potential of satellite snow detection over the watershed to estimate snow cover duration curve, forecast the stream flow regime and volume for better water management and flood risk preparedness

Molecular characterization and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of Helicobacter pylori isolated from patients with Gastrodeudenal diseases in Jordan

Introduction:  Helicobacter pylori is a major cause of more than 80% of chronic active gastritis and other gastrodeudonal diseases worldwide. Successful treatment of H. pylori routinely requires the use of multiple agents with different mechanisms including compounds inhibiting acid secretion in conjunction with antibiotics. However, recent data showed the emergence of resistant clinical strains particularly against metronidazole and clarithromycin. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of and the susceptibility of H. pylori isolates recovered from patients with gastrodeudonal diseases to several antimicrobial agents. Materials and Methods: A prospective study has been conducting on Jordanian patients attended the gastrointestinal unit of the Jordan university hospital starting from 2014-2015 with gastroduodenal diseases. Antral and corpus mucosal biopsies from the stomach of each patient were used for the isolation of H. pylori on selective culture media. Presumptive H. pylori colonies were subsequently confirmed by biochemical tests and standard 16S rDNA PCR assay. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by standard agar diffusion methods according to CLSI. Subsequently, MICs were determined by E test and standard agar dilution method. Molecular typing of the clinical strains was performed using multiplex PCR for the detection of vacA and cagA genotypes. Metronidazole resistance was characterized by molecular methods for the detection of rdxA gene mutations. Results: Among 72 symptomatic patients, 13 (23%) patients showed positive H. pylori infection by both rapid urease test and culture. The antibiotic susceptibility profile showed that all of the isolates were sensitive to amoxicillin.  Resistance to, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin were observed in 15%, 23% and 8% of the isolates respectively while 92% of the strains were resistant to metronidazole (MIC ≥ 32 ug/ml). Metronidazole resistance due to mutations in rdxA gene was only observed in one strain (8%) suggesting other resistance mechanisms. Correlation between antibiotic resistance and virulence factors was statistically not significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The present study showed that the prevalence of metronidazole resistance among clinical isolates of H. pylori is very high. Lower resistance to other antibiotics are reported. Concern should be taken into consideration when triple therapy is used for the treatment of H. pylori in our region

Effect of ethnomedicinal plants used in folklore medicine in Jordan as antibiotic resistant inhibitors on Escherichia coli

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Escherichia coli </it>occurs naturally in the human gut; however, certain strains that can cause infections, are becoming resistant to antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant <it>E. coli </it>that produce extended-spectrum β lactamases (ESBLs), such as the CTX-M enzymes, have emerged within the community setting as an important cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and bloodstream infections may be associated with these community-onsets. This is the first report testing the antibiotic resistance-modifying activity of nineteen Jordanian plants against multidrug-resistant <it>E. coli</it>.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The susceptibility of bacterial isolates to antibiotics was tested by determining their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) using a broth microdilution method. Nineteen Jordanian plant extracts (<it>Capparis spinosa </it>L., <it>Artemisia herba-alba Asso, Echinops polyceras </it>Boiss., <it>Gundelia tournefortii </it>L, <it>Varthemia iphionoides </it>Boiss. & Blanche, <it>Eruca sativa Mill</it>., <it>Euphorbia macroclada </it>L., <it>Hypericum trequetrifolium </it>Turra, <it>Achillea santolina </it>L., <it>Mentha longifolia </it>Host, <it>Origanum syriacum </it>L., <it>Phlomis brachydo</it>(Boiss.) Zohary, <it>Teucrium polium </it>L., <it>Anagyris foetida </it>L., <it>Trigonella foenum-graecum </it>L., <it>Thea sinensis </it>L., <it>Hibiscus sabdariffa </it>L., <it>Lepidium sativum </it>L., <it>Pimpinella anisum </it>L.) were combined with antibiotics, from different classes, and the inhibitory effect of the combinations was estimated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Methanolic extracts of the plant materials enhanced the inhibitory effects of chloramphenicol, neomycin, doxycycline, cephalexin and nalidixic acid against both the standard strain and to a lesser extent the resistant strain of <it>E. coli</it>. Two edible plant extracts (<it>Gundelia tournefortii L</it>. and <it>Pimpinella anisum L</it>.) generally enhanced activity against resistant strain. Some of the plant extracts like <it>Origanum syriacum </it>L.(Labiateae), <it>Trigonella foenum- graecum </it>L.(Leguminosae), <it>Euphorbia macroclada </it>(Euphorbiaceae) and <it>Hibiscus sabdariffa </it>(Malvaceae) did not enhance the activity of amoxicillin against both standard and resistant <it>E. coli</it>. On the other hand combinations of amoxicillin with other plant extracts used showed variable effect between standard and resistant strains. Plant extracts like <it>Anagyris foetida </it>(Leguminosae) and <it>Lepidium sativum </it>(Umbelliferae) reduced the activity of amoxicillin against the standard strain but enhanced the activity against resistant strains. Three edible plants; Gundelia <it>tournefortii </it>L. (Compositae) <it>Eruca sativa </it>Mill. (Cruciferae), and <it>Origanum syriacum </it>L. (Labiateae), enhanced activity of clarithromycin against the resistant <it>E. coli </it>strain.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study probably suggests possibility of concurrent use of these antibiotics and plant extracts in treating infections caused by <it>E. coli </it>or at least the concomitant administration may not impair the antimicrobial activity of these antibiotics.</p

TSO/DSO Coordination for RES Integration: A Systematic Literature Review

The increasing penetration of large-scale Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) has raised several challenges for power grid operation. Power management solutions supporting the integration of RESs, such as those based on energy storage technologies, are generally costly. Alternatively, promoting a more proactive role of the Distribution System Operator (DSO) to successfully manage RESs’ uncertainty, and take advantage of their flexible resources for the provision of ancillary services, can avoid installing expensive devices in the network and reduce costs. In this line, improved coordination between Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and DSOs is highly desirable. In this paper, the feasibility of solving different aspects of the integration of RESs through an improved TSO/DSO coordination is evaluated. In particular, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) is conducted to study the most relevant TSO/DSO coordination approaches, exclusively focused on integrating distributed RESs, currently available in the literature. Their main operational, managerial, economic, and computational challenges, advantages, and disadvantages are discussed in detail to identify the most promising research trends and the most concerning research gaps to pave the way for future research toward developing a solid TSO/DSO coordination mechanism for integrating RESs efficiently. The main results of the SLR show a clear trend in implementing decentralized TSO/DSO coordination models since they provide efficient facilitation of RESs’ services, while reducing computational burden and communication complexity and, consequently, reducing operative costs. In addition, while different aspects of the TSO/DSO coordination implementation, such as reactive power and voltage regulation, operational cost minimization, operational planning, and congestion management, have been thoroughly addressed in the literature, further research is needed regarding data exchange mechanisms and RESs’ uncertainty modeling and prediction. In this line, the development of standardized communication solutions, based on the Common Grid Model Exchange Standard (CGMES) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), has shown promising interoperability results, whereas the use of learning-based approaches to predict RESs’ uncertain behavior and distribution networks’ responses, using only historical data, which relieves the need for access to commercially sensitive and proprietary network data, has also shown itself to be a promising research direction

The Nahr Ibrahim Valley (Adonis river) in Lebanon : Five Thousand Years of Relationships between Societies and Landscapes (International multidisciplinary program CEDRE)

International audienc

Evaluation des caractéristiques physiques et des risques naturels dans le bassin versant du Nahr Ibrahim

International audienc

Evaluation des caractéristiques physiques et des risques naturels dans le bassin versant du Nahr Ibrahim

International audienc