Location Optimization of Wastewater Treatment Plants Using GIS: A Case Study in Umm Durman/Karary

Spatially-referenced and up-to-date information system is one of the most useful tools for effective wastewater planning, management and environmental protection. Therefore, it is necessary to have a system which provides facilities through geo-spatial relationships. The River Nile catchment is one of the most important watersheds in the Sudan in terms of providing for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes and for electricity generation. Thus, protection of this important water source is crucial in national development. But, only very few point source treatment plants are currently in operation and non-point source treatment plants are required to be established to protect the catchment from pollution. Locating wastewater treatment systems is one of the essential components, and that needs spatially-oriented data gathering, analyzing and visualizing. Further, GIS-BASED decision support systems for available treatment plants are well suited for informing improved analysis and understanding of the problems of available treatment plants to perform a reliability to improve analysis and understand of the existing situation to choose the appropriate location of treatment through a GIS MODEL BASE using ARCGIS. This study-plan solve the issues and undertaken logics of GIS to identify the critical socio-economic and environmental factors, and find a more comprehensive and convenient way to optimize the locations for wastewater treatment facilities that are suitable for different local conditions in Karar

Using a multi-dimensional approach for catchment scale herbicide pollution assessments

peer-reviewedWorldwide herbicide use in agriculture, whilst safeguarding yields also presents water quality issues. Controlling factors in agricultural catchments include both static and dynamic parameters. The present study investigated the occurrence of herbicides in streams and groundwater in two meso-scale catchments with contrasting flow controls and agricultural landuse (grassland and arable land). Using a multi-dimensional approach, streams were monitored from November 2018 to November 2019 using Chemcatcher® passive sampling devices and groundwater was sampled in 95 private drinking water wells. The concentrations of herbicides were larger in the stream of the Grassland catchment (8.9–472.6 ng L−1) dominated by poorly drained soils than in the Arable catchment (0.9–169.1 ng L−1) dominated by well-drained soils. Incidental losses of herbicides during time of application and low flows in summer caused concentrations of MCPA, Fluroxypyr, Trichlorpyr, Clopyralid and Mecoprop to exceeded the European Union (EU) drinking water standard due to a lack of dilution. Herbicides were present in the stream throughout the year and the total mass load was higher in winter flows, suggesting a persistence of primary chemical residues in soil and sub-surface environments and restricted degradation. Losses of herbicides to the streams were source limited and influenced by hydrological conditions. Herbicides were detected in 38% of surveyed drinking water wells. While most areas had concentrations below the EU drinking water standard some areas with well-drained soils in the Grassland catchment, had concentrations exceeding recommendations. Individual wells had concentrations of Clopyralid (619 ng L−1) and Trichlorpyr (650 ng L−1). Despite the study areas not usually associated with herbicide pollution, and annual mass loads being comparatively low, many herbicides were present in both surface and groundwater, sometimes above the recommendations for drinking water. This whole catchment assessment provides a basis to develop collaborative measures to mitigate pollution of water by herbicides.Horizon 2020 Framework Programm

Addressing the clumsiness loophole in a Leggett-Garg test of macrorealism

The rise of quantum information theory has lent new relevance to experimental tests for non-classicality, particularly in controversial cases such as adiabatic quantum computing superconducting circuits. The Leggett-Garg inequality is a "Bell inequality in time" designed to indicate whether a single quantum system behaves in a macrorealistic fashion. Unfortunately, a violation of the inequality can only show that the system is either (i) non-macrorealistic or (ii) macrorealistic but subjected to a measurement technique that happens to disturb the system. The "clumsiness" loophole (ii) provides reliable refuge for the stubborn macrorealist, who can invoke it to brand recent experimental and theoretical work on the Leggett-Garg test inconclusive. Here, we present a revised Leggett-Garg protocol that permits one to conclude that a system is either (i) non-macrorealistic or (ii) macrorealistic but with the property that two seemingly non-invasive measurements can somehow collude and strongly disturb the system. By providing an explicit check of the invasiveness of the measurements, the protocol replaces the clumsiness loophole with a significantly smaller "collusion" loophole.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Aortic Arch Morphology and Aortic Length in Patients with Dissection, Traumatic, and Aneurysmal Disease

ObjectivesTo assess aortic arch morphology and aortic length in patients with dissection, traumatic injury, and aneurysm undergoing TEVAR, and to identify characteristics specific to different pathologies.MethodThis was a retrospective analysis of the aortic arch morphology and aortic length of dissection, traumatic injury, and aneurysmal patients. Computed tomography imaging was evaluated of 210 patients (49 dissection, 99 traumatic injury, 62 aneurysm) enrolled in three trials that received the conformable GORE TAG thoracic endoprosthesis. The mean age of trauma patients was 43 ± 19.6 years, 57 ± 11.7 years for dissection and 72 ± 9.6 years for aneurysm patients. A standardized protocol was used to measure aortic arch diameter, length, and take-off angle and clockface orientation of branch vessels. Differences in arch anatomy and length were assessed using ANOVA and independent t tests.ResultsOf the 210 arches evaluated, 22% had arch vessel common trunk configurations. The aortic diameter and the distance from the left main coronary (LMC) to the left common carotid (LCC) were greater in dissection patients than in trauma or aneurysm patients (p < .001). Aortic diameter in aneurysm patients was greater compared with trauma patients (p < .05). The distances from the branch vessels to the celiac artery (CA) were greater in dissection and aneurysm patients than in trauma patients (p < .001). The take-off angle of the innominate (I), LCCA, and left subclavian (LS) were greater, between 19% and 36%, in trauma patients than in dissection and aneurysm patients (p < .001). Clockface orientation of the arch vessels varies between pathologies.ConclusionsArch anatomy has significant morphologic differences when comparing aortic pathologies. Describing these differences in a large sample of patients is beneficial for device designs and patient selection

Comparative evaluation of three semi-quantitative radiographic grading techniques for knee osteoarthritis in terms of validity and reproducibility in 1759 X-rays: report of the OARSI–OMERACT task force

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to compare the measurement properties of three categorical X-ray scoring methods of knee osteoarthritis (OA), both on semiflexed and extended views. METHODS: In data obtained from trials and cohorts, X-rays were graded using Kellgren and Lawrence (KL), the OA Research Society International (OARSI) joint space narrowing score, and measurement of joint space width (JSW). JSW was analyzed as a categorical variable. Construct validity was assessed through logistic regression between X-ray stages and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index. Inter-observer reliability was assessed in 50 subjects for extended views by weighted kappa. Intra-observer reliability and sensitivity to change were assessed separately for extended and semiflexed views in 50 patients who had both views performed, over a 30-month interval, by weighted kappa and standardized response mean (SRM). RESULTS: Extended views were available from three trials and two cohorts (1759 X-rays), including one trial in which both extended and semiflexed views (antero-posterior) were obtained. Correlation with clinical parameters was low for the three scoring methods, except for the single community-based cohort. Inter-rater reliability was higher for categorical JSW in extended views (kappa, 0.86 vs 0.56 and 0.48 for KL and OARSI, respectively). Intra-rater reliability was higher for categorical JSW, both in extended views (0.83 vs 0.61 and 0.71) and in semiflexed views (0.89 vs 0.50 and 0.67). Sensitivity to change was also higher for categorical JSW, particularly in semiflexed views (SRM, 0.49 vs 0.22 and 0.34). CONCLUSION: These results indicate categorical JSW, in particular on semiflexed views, may be the preferred method to evaluate structural severity in knee OA clinical trials

Species composition influences soil nutrient depletion and plantphysiology in prairie agroenergy feedstocks

High-diversity mixtures of perennial tallgrass prairie vegetation could be useful biomass feed-stocks for marginal farmland in the Midwestern United States. These agroenergy crops can help meet cel-lulosic agrofuel targets while also enhancing other ecosystem services on the landscape. One proposedadvantage of high-diversity prairie biomass feedstocks is that they should become nutrient limited at aslower rate than monoculture feedstocks. In this study, we examine rates of soil nutrient depletion and thephysiology and performance of a focal species (switchgrass,Panicum virgatumL.) in four prairie agroen-ergy feedstocks with different species composition and diversity. The feedstocks in this study were a1-species switchgrass monoculture, a 5-species mixture of C4grasses, a 16-species mixture of C3and C4grasses, forbs, and legumes, and a 32-species mixture of C3and C4grasses, forbs, legumes, and sedges. Toassess feedstock effects on soil, we measured changes in soil N/P/K over afive-year period. We also per-formed a greenhouse study, in which we grew switchgrass plants infield soil conditioned by each feed-stock. To assess feedstock effects on plant function, we measured four physiological traits (photosyntheticrate, chlorophyll concentration, leafflorescence, leaf N concentration) on switchgrass plants within eachfeedstock in thefield. In the soil analysis, we found that the 5-species feedstock displayed higher rates ofsoil N/P/K depletion than other feedstocks. In the greenhouse analysis, we found that switchgrass plantsgrown in soil conditioned by the 5-species feedstock were smaller than plants grown in soil conditionedby other feedstocks. In the physiological analysis, we found that switchgrass plants in the 5-species feed-stock had lower leaf N, photosynthesis, chlorophyll concentration, and higherflorescence than switchgrassplants growing in other feedstocks. Collectively, our results show that prairie agroenergy feedstocks withdifferent species composition and diversity have different rates of soil nutrient depletion, which influencesthe physiology and performance of plants within the feedstock. These differences would ultimately impactthe ecosystem services (e.g., biomass production, need for fertilizer) that these prairie agroenergyfeedstocks provide

American Society of Hematology 2020 guidelines for sickle cell disease: Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cerebrovascular disease in children and adults

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system (CNS) complications are among the most common, devastating sequelae of sickle cell disease (SCD) occurring throughout the lifespan.OBJECTIVE: These evidence-based guidelines of the American Society of Hematology are intended to support the SCD community in decisions about prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the most common neurological morbidities in SCD.METHODS: The Mayo Evidence-Based Practice Research Program supported the guideline development process, including updating or performing systematic evidence reviews. The panel used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach, including GRADE evidence-to-decision frameworks, to assess evidence and make recommendations.RESULTS: The panel placed a higher value on maintaining cognitive function than on being alive with significantly less than baseline cognitive function. The panel developed 19 recommendations with evidence-based strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat CNS complications of SCD in low-middle- and high-income settings.CONCLUSIONS: Three of 19 recommendations immediately impact clinical care. These recommendations include: use of transcranial Doppler ultrasound screening and hydroxyurea for primary stroke prevention in children with hemoglobin SS (HbSS) and hemoglobin Sβ0 (HbSβ0) thalassemia living in low-middle-income settings; surveillance for developmental delay, cognitive impairments, and neurodevelopmental disorders in children; and use of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain without sedation to detect silent cerebral infarcts at least once in early-school-age children and once in adults with HbSS or HbSβ0 thalassemia. Individuals with SCD, their family members, and clinicians should become aware of and implement these recommendations to reduce the burden of CNS complications in children and adults with SCD.</p

Spin Fidelity for Three-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger and W States Under Lorentz Transformations

Constructing the reduced density matrix for a system of three massive spin$-\frac{1}{2}$ particles described by a wave packet with Gaussian momentum distribution and a spin part in the form of GHZ or W state, the fidelity for the spin part of the system is investigated from the viewpoint of moving observers in the jargon of special relativity. Using a numerical approach, it turns out that by increasing the boost speed, the spin fidelity decreases and reaches to a non-zero asymptotic value that depends on the momentum distribution and the amount of momentum entanglement.Comment: 12pages, 2 figure

Entanglement in the quantum Ising model

We study the asymptotic scaling of the entanglement of a block of spins for the ground state of the one-dimensional quantum Ising model with transverse field. When the field is sufficiently strong, the entanglement grows at most logarithmically in the number of spins. The proof utilises a transformation to a model of classical probability called the continuum random-cluster model, and is based on a property of the latter model termed ratio weak-mixing. Our proof applies equally to a large class of disordered interactions

Joint generative model for fMRI/DWI and its application to population

Author Manuscript 2011 March 12. 13th International Conference, Beijing, China, September 20-24, 2010, Proceedings, Part IWe propose a novel probabilistic framework to merge information from DWI tractography and resting-state fMRI correlations. In particular, we model the interaction of latent anatomical and functional connectivity templates between brain regions and present an intuitive extension to population studies. We employ a mean-field approximation to fit the new model to the data. The resulting algorithm identifies differences in latent connectivity between the groups. We demonstrate our method on a study of normal controls and schizophrenia patients.National Alliance for Medical Image Computing (U.S.) (NIH NIBIBNAMICU54-EB005149)Neuroimaging Analysis Center (U.S.) (NIH NCRR NAC P41-RR13218)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01MH074794)National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate FellowshipNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (CAREER Grant 0642971