Soil Moisture Measurements and Modeling at a Geomorphically Reclaimed Coal Mine in New Mexico

Geomorphic reclamation is a relatively new technique in which landforms are built to be similar to those that eventually form in nature given the particular conditions of a location, making them self-sustaining and functional. The near surface water balance will have a large impact on the establishment and health of vegetation which in turn is important for maintaining a stable landform. This study developed a one-dimensional water balance model for a geomorphically reclaimed site and used the model to investigate seed germination and plant survival for a range of slope aspects and climate conditions. Disturbed and undisturbed samples of reclaimed soil were collected for laboratory tests from the mine site located in northwest New Mexico. Saturated and unsaturated hydraulic properties were determined from falling head tests, hanging column tests, pressure plate tests, and dew point potentiometer measurements. In addition, hydraulic properties were estimated from field tension infiltrometer tests. Laboratory and field tests accounted for the variable soil density in the near surface. Periodic soil moisture measurements at the reclaimed site were made from August 2012 to March 2014. Simulated and measured water contents were compared by statistical analyses to validate the numerical model, and indicated that a reasonable comparison was attained between predicted and observed soil water contents. The water balance simulations revealed that it is necessary to consider near surface variability in soil hydraulic properties to produce reasonable predictions of soil moisture. The numerical model was then used to predict soil water potential and temperature for different climates (one wet year and one dry year) and aspect conditions. A population based hydrothermal time model was used to predict the seed response to environmental condition available at soil surface. Germination potential of a native plant bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides), and an invasive species cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) was determined in terms of cumulative progress towards germination (PTG). Survivability of existing plant blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis) and cheatgrass was also predicted by comparing soil water potential at different depths with the wilting points of the respective plants. The results show that establishment of vegetation in geomorphically reclaimed soil is dependent on climate and aspect conditions. The study of germination potential indicates that for a range of climates studied, cheatgrass has higher germination potential than bottlebrush squirreltail. Germination potential and survivability is greater on the northern aspect than the southern aspect. Wet conditions provide favorable conditions for germination and survival for all species. Potential for invasion by cheatgrass is greater on the northern aspect in dry climate conditions when bottlebrush squirreltail is seeded on reclaimed soil. This study reveals that the method of placement of soil and watershed design followed in geomorphic reclamation provide favorable environment for vegetation during the wet climate conditions. The dependence of plant germination and survivability on climate and aspect in this study suggest that geomorphic reclamation - which results in numerous small watersheds with slopes with varying aspects - may result in a healthier overall ecosystem compared to the larger, more uniform aspects associated with traditional reclamation. Comparing the predictions of seed germination and plant survival with long term field measurements and observation of vegetation cover is suggested to validate the approach described in this study

Integration of biological data resources using image object keying.

This paper proposes a novel concept of ‘image object keying'. The work builds on earlier research in this area and shows how the 3D structure of a protein can be retrieved interactively from a gel electrophoresis protein spot. It uses intelligent image matching operations like the Hough Transform and Edge Detection techniques. Unique aspects are that searches may be initiated from multiple biological resources but with the results being integrated into a single page. A significant outcome of this work is that it enables researchers to search the database without the need to write and complex script

From local laboratory data to public domain database in search of indirect association of diseases: AJAX based gene data search engine.

This paper presents an extensible schema for capturing laboratory gene variance data with its meta-data properties in a semi-structured environment. This paper also focuses on the issues of creating a local and task specific component database which is a subset of global data resources. An XML based genetic disorder component database schema is developed with adequate flexibilities to facilitate searching of gene mutation data. A web based search engine is developed that allows researchers to query a set of gene parameters obtained from local XML schema and subsequently allow them to automatically establish a link with the public domain gene databases. The application applies AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML), a cutting-edge web technology, to carry out the gene data searching function

Mammalian Sirt1: insights on its biological functions

Sirt1 (member of the sirtuin family) is a nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent deacetylase that removes acetyl groups from various proteins. Sirt1 performs a wide variety of functions in biological systems. The current review focuses on the biological functions of Sirt1 in obesity-associated metabolic diseases, cancer, adipose tissue, aging, cellular senescence, cardiac aging and stress, prion-mediated neurodegeneration, inflammatory signaling in response to environmental stress, development and placental cell survival

Improvement of Stiffness and Strength of Backfill Soils Through Optimization of Compaction Procedures and Specifications

Vibration compaction is the most effective way of compacting coarse-grained materials. The effects of vibration frequency and amplitude on the compaction density of different backfill materials commonly used by INDOT (No. 4 natural sand, No. 24 stone sand, and No. 5, No. 8, No. 43 aggregates) were studied in this research. The test materials were characterized based on the particle sizes and morphology parameters using digital image analysis technique. Small-scale laboratory compaction tests were carried out with variable frequency and amplitude of vibrations using vibratory hammer and vibratory table. The results show an increase in density with the increase in amplitude and frequency of vibration. However, the increase in density with the increase in amplitude of vibration is more pronounced for the coarse aggregates than for the sands. A comparison of the maximum dry densities of different test materials shows that the dry densities obtained after compaction using the vibratory hammer are greater than those obtained after compaction using the vibratory table when both tools were used at the highest amplitude and frequency of vibration available. Large-scale vibratory roller compaction tests were performed in the field for No. 30 backfill soil to observe the effect of vibration frequency and number of passes on the compaction density. Accelerometer sensors were attached to the roller drum (Caterpillar, model CS56B) to measure the frequency of vibration for the two different vibration settings available to the roller. For this roller and soil tested, the results show that the higher vibration setting is more effective. Direct shear tests and direct interface shear tests were performed to study the impact of particle characteristics of the coarse-grained backfill materials on interface shear resistance. The more angular the particles, the greater the shear resistance measured in the direct shear tests. A unique relationship was found between the normalized surface roughness and the ratio of critical-state interface friction angle between sand-gravel mixture with steel to the internal critical-state friction angle of the sand-gravel mixture

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H7n7) in australia and the potential for novel influenza a viruses to emerge

In 2020, several geographically isolated farms in Victoria, Australia, experienced an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus H7N7 and low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses H5N2 and H7N6. Effective containment and control measures ensured the eradication of these viruses but the event culminated in substantial loss of livestock and significant economic impact. The avian HPAI H7N7 virus generally does not infect humans; however, evidence shows the ocular pathway presents a favourable tissue tropism for human infection. Through antigenic drift, mutations in the H7N7 viral genome may increase virulence and pathogenicity in humans. The Victorian outbreak also detected LPAI H7N6 in emus at a commercial farm. Novel influenza A viruses can emerge by mixing different viral strains in a host susceptible to avian and human influenza strains. Studies show that emus are susceptible to infections from a wide range of influenza viral subtypes, including H5N1 and the pandemic H1N1. The emu’s internal organs and tissues express abundant cell surface sialic acid receptors that favour the attachment of avian and human influenza viruses, increasing the potential for internal genetic reassortment and the emergence of novel influenza A viruses. This review summarises the historical context of H7N7 in Australia, considers the potential for increased virulence and pathogenesis through mutations and draws attention to the emu as potentially an unrecognised viral mixing vessel

Moisture-Strength-Constructability Guidelines for Subgrade Foundation Soils Found in Indiana

Soil moisture is an important indicator of constructability in the field. Construction activities become difficult when the soil moisture content is excessive, especially in fine-grained soils. Change orders caused by excessive soil moisture during construction projects drive up construction costs for INDOT and cause unexpected delays. To alleviate these problems and minimize change order costs associated with having unexpectedly high soil moisture conditions at the time of construction, a methodology was developed to allow INDOT engineers to estimate in situ soil moisture conditions early in the design phases of projects. The soil moisture prediction methodology is based on results from soil moisture flow simulations carried out using the HYDRUS-1D software. The soil moisture flow simulations in HYDRUS-1D required i) weather data, ii) groundwater table data and iii) in situ soil hydraulic (saturated and unsaturated) and index property data. These data were collected for all the counties in Indiana from five different sources: i) Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), ii) Indiana Geological Survey (IGS), iii) United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO), iv) the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and v) Indiana State Climate Office (Iclimate). The results obtained from initial soil moisture flow simulations were first validated using field measurements from six IGS test sites located in Indiana where soil property data and continuous in situ soil moisture measurements at multiple depths were available for up to 3 years (2011-2014). Good agreement was observed between moisture content measurements and predictions. After validation of the developed moisture prediction methodology, ten-year moisture content simulations using HYDRUS 1D were performed for typical profiles in each county in Indiana using as input weather data from the iclimate database, groundwater data from DNR database and soil properties from IGS, INDOT and the SSURGO databases. Yearly results from these ten-year soil moisture flow simulations were then overlapped to ascertain how the profiles of the in situ soil moisture content within the depth of interest varied monthly within this period of time in each county. Using the results of these simulations for typical soil profile(s) for each county, a constructability criteria was developed that is based on determining how the in situ soil moisture content deviates from the optimum soil moisture content obtained from standard Proctor compaction tests (these are often performed by INDOT in routine projects). Recommendations are made for in situ soil moisture constructability assessment that can be implemented by INDOT in pilot projects and further refined as needed

Antibacterial activity of natural spices on multiple drug resistant Escherichia coli isolated from drinking water, Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Spices traditionally have been used as coloring agents, flavoring agents, preservatives, food additives and medicine in Bangladesh. The present work aimed to find out the antimicrobial activity of natural spices on multi-drug resistant <it>Escherichia coli </it>isolates.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Anti-bacterial potentials of six crude plant extracts (<it>Allium sativum</it>, <it>Zingiber officinale</it>, <it>Allium cepa</it>, <it>Coriandrum sativum</it>, <it>Piper nigrum </it>and <it>Citrus aurantifolia</it>) were tested against five <it>Escherichia coli </it>isolated from potable water sources at kushtia, Bangladesh.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All the bacterial isolates were susceptible to undiluted lime-juice. None of them were found to be susceptible against the aqueous extracts of garlic, onion, coriander, pepper and ginger alone. However, all the isolates were susceptible when subjected to 1:1:1 aqueous extract of lime, garlic and ginger. The highest inhibition zone was observed with lime (11 mm).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Natural spices might have anti-bacterial activity against enteric pathogens and could be used for prevention of diarrheal diseases. Further evaluation is necessary.</p