Benthic community ecology for Algerian river Seybouse

Abstract The Seybouse is the second largest river basin in Algeria, hosting an important biodiversity and providing various ecosystem services. This watershed is highly influenced by agricultural and industrial activities, which threaten its biodiversity and ecosystem integrity. The use of benthic macroinvertebrates as biological indicators has a long tradition in developed countries and integrated into all assessments of the ecological quality of river systems. However, the macroinvertebrates of many North African regions are still not well studied, including those of the Seybouse river. The aim of this study is to assess the inventory and ecological role of benthic macroinvertebrates in inland waters of the Seybouse River and determine the impact of pollution on their spatial distributions. We sampled the benthic macrofauna of Wadi Seybouse and its affluents using regular surveys in three sites, of which one was in the upper Seybouse Bouhamdane in Medjez Amar and two in the middle Seybouse. Between December 2019 and May 2020, 10 physico-chemical parameters (pH, EC, OD, water speed, NO3, Salinity, NO2, MES, turbidity, depth) were measured in order to establish a health state diagnosis of these aquatic ecosystems. The complementary biological approach by the analysis of populations of macroinvertebrates identified 7482 individuals and 40 taxa divided into five classes: Crustaceans which were the most dominant, insects with the main orders (Ephemeroptera, Diptera, Trichoptera, Heteroptera and Odonata), Molluscs, Nematodes and Annelids. The physico-chemical analyzes and the application of the organic pollution indices indicated a strong to excessive pollution for all sites, especially in Seybouse upstream

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Assessment of the Impact of Small Hydropower Plants on the Ecological Status Indicators of Water Bodies: A Case Study in Lithuania

Water ◽

10.3390/w13040433 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 433

Author(s):

Laima Česonienė ◽

Midona Dapkienė ◽

Petras Punys

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Suspended Solids ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Fish Abundance ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Small Hydropower ◽

Hydropower Plants ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

The Impact

Hydropower plants produce renewable and sustainable energy but affect the river’s physico-chemical characteristics and change the abundance and composition of the aquatic organisms. The impact of large HPPs on the ecological conditions of surface water bodies have been extensively studied, but less attention has been paid to environmental impact studies of small hydropower plants (SHPs). The impact of hydropeaking on both the river flow regime and ecosystems has been well-studied for peaking mode plants, mainly medium to large-sized ones. However, for small hydroelectric power plants, and especially for those in lowland rivers, the available information on water quality, benthic macroinvertebrates communities and fish abundance, and biomass is not sufficient. Ten small hydropower plants were selected, and the ecological status of water bodies was assessed in different parts of Lithuania. The studies were performed at the riverbed upstream from the SHPs, where the hydrological regime has not changed, and downstream from the SHPs. It was found that the small hydropower plants do not affect the physico-chemical values of the water quality indicators. This study demonstrated that the total number of benthic macroinvertebrates taxa (TS) is influenced by the concentration of nitrogen and suspended solids, the water flow, the river area, and the current speed; the number of EPT (Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (caddisflies)) taxa is influenced by the concentration of nitrogen and suspended solids. The studied indicators do not have a significant impact on biomass. The SHPs affect the fish abundance and biomass. The Lithuanian fish index (LFI) is influenced by the average depth and area of the river. Some SHPs operating in lowland areas may yield somewhat significant hydrograph ramping but more detailed investigation is needed to support the significance of this impact on the biological indices.

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Bioévaluation De La Qualité Des Eaux Du Cours D’eau Menoua En Zone Périurbaine De Dschang, Ouest Cameroun

European Scientific Journal ESJ ◽

10.19044/esj.2017.v13n27p368 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (27) ◽

pp. 368

Author(s):

Ngameni Tchamadeu Norbert ◽

Patricia Bi Asanga Fai ◽

Mpoame Mbida ◽

Kenko NKontcheu Daniel Brice

Keyword(s):

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Mesh Size ◽

Reference Station ◽

Agricultural Activity ◽

Agricultural Activities ◽

Taxonomic Richness ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

The Impact

We conducted a study to assess the impact of peri-urban agricultural activities of the city of Dschang on the water quality and macroinvertebrate structure of the Menoua stream. This study covered 3 stations (one reference station at the upstream of the peri-urban agricultural activities and two downstream) with a monthly sampling frequency from March 2015 to February 2016. The physico-chemical analysis were carried out according to standard protocols while the benthic macro-fauna was harvested using a haze net of 30 cm side and 400 μm mesh size. Physico-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, conductivity, TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), salinity, turbidity, colour, SS (Suspended Solids), nitrate, ammonium and orthophosphate were analyzed. The inventory of benthic macroinvertebrates revealed a taxonomic richness of 42 families and 77 taxa and a gross abundance of 1833 individuals. Spatio-temporal monitoring of physicochemical and biological parameters provided the image of relatively low pollution. Metrics such as total taxonomic richness, richness of ETO (Ephemeroptera-Trichoptera-Odonata), relative abundance of Ephemeroptera-Trichoptera-Odonate (% ETO), diversity of Shannon and Weaver and Pielou's equitability were determined at each of the three stations. These indices, unlike several other studies, increased downstream of anthropogenic activities. Low agricultural activity in the watershed has resulted in habitat diversification and availability of resources for benthic macroinvertebrates, resulting in increased abundance and diversity

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Influence of the Mekin hydroelectric dam on the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates of the Dja stream: South Cameroon region

World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews ◽

10.30574/wjarr.2021.12.2.0552 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 063-077

Author(s):

Cécile Rita Boudem Tsane ◽

Patrick Georges Thiery Moanono ◽

Brillant Nonga Tang ◽

Rodrigue Nanfack Dongmo ◽

Paul Bertrand Sob Nangou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Pollution Index ◽

Mesh Size ◽

Organic Pollution ◽

Chemical Analyses ◽

Monthly Basis ◽

Hydroelectric Dam ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Physical Degradation

This work was conducted with the aim of studying the biodiversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Dja River and determining the effect of the Mekin hydroelectric dam on their population in relation to the physico-chemical quality of the water. The study ran from May to October 2020 and samplings were carried out on a monthly basis in four different sampling stations located upstream and downstream of the dam. The physico-chemical analyses were done according to standard methods, while the benthic macrofauna was collected using a turbid net of 400 µm mesh size over a total area of about 6 m2 per station. Physico-chemical analyses revealed a decreasing evolution from upstream to downstream of the dam of nitrogen forms (NO3- (1.67mg/L-0.41mg/L); NH4+ (0.31 mg/L-0.21 mg/L) with p>0.05); Electrical Conductivity (21.45µS/Cm-17.1µS/Cm with p<0.05) and Suspended Solids (11.10mg/L-6.57mg/L with p<0.05); while Dissolved Oxygen (49.82%-78.23% with p<0.05) and velocity (0.04m/s-0.23m/s) increased. Organic Pollution Index revealed that the water was moderately polluted (3-4). In total, 1894 individuals, of which 1044 belonging to 2 phyla, 2 classes, 6 orders, 27 families and 47 genera/species were collected upstream; and 850 belonging to 3 phyla, 4 classes, 8 orders, 28 families and 45 genera/species were collected downstream. Odonata was largely abundant and highly represented Trithemis dorsalis (96.05%); while downstream, Heteroptera was largely abundant and highly represented by Poissonia sp1. (79.78%). These results revealed that restoration of the upstream of the dam impacted by organic pollution and physical degradation of the environment is recommended.

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The Need to Belong and the Relationship Between Loneliness and Health

Zeitschrift für Gesundheitspsychologie ◽

10.1026/0943-8149/a000129 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 194-201 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Freda-Marie Hartung ◽

Britta Renner

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Social Situation ◽

First Year ◽

Health State ◽

Need To Belong ◽

First Year University ◽

Perceived Social Isolation ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Humans are social animals; consequently, a lack of social ties affects individuals’ health negatively. However, the desire to belong differs between individuals, raising the question of whether individual differences in the need to belong moderate the impact of perceived social isolation on health. In the present study, 77 first-year university students rated their loneliness and health every 6 weeks for 18 weeks. Individual differences in the need to belong were found to moderate the relationship between loneliness and current health state. Specifically, lonely students with a high need to belong reported more days of illness than those with a low need to belong. In contrast, the strength of the need to belong had no effect on students who did not feel lonely. Thus, people who have a strong need to belong appear to suffer from loneliness and become ill more often, whereas people with a weak need to belong appear to stand loneliness better and are comparatively healthy. The study implies that social isolation does not impact all individuals identically; instead, the fit between the social situation and an individual’s need appears to be crucial for an individual’s functioning.

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Reducing the Risks of the Financial Sector to Ensure Sustainable Growth of the Russian Еconomy

Economics taxes & law ◽

10.26794/1999-849x-2019-12-3-86-92 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 86-92

Author(s):

T. I. Minina ◽

V. V. Skalkin

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Monetary Policy ◽

Financial Sector ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Sustainable Growth ◽

Necessary Condition ◽

Real Sector ◽

Financial Instruments ◽

The Real ◽

The Impact

Russia’s entry into the top five economies of the world depends, among other things, on the development of the financial sector, being a necessary condition for the economic growth of a developed macroeconomic and macro-financial system. The financial sector represents a system of relationships for the effective collection and distribution of economic resources, their deployment according to public demand, reducing the risk of overproduction and overheating of the economy.Therefore, the subject of the research is the financial sector of the Russian economy.The purpose of the research was to formulate an approach to alleviating the risks of increasing financial costs in the real sector of the economy by reducing the impact of endogenous risks expressed as financial asset “bubbles” using the experience of developed countries in the monetary policy.The paper analyzes a macroeconomic model applied to the financial sector. It is established that the economic growth is determined by the growth and, more important, the qualitative development of the financial sector, which leads to two phenomena: overproduction in the real sector and an increase in asset prices in the financial sector, with a debt load in both the real and financial sectors. This results in decreasing the interest rate of the mega-regulator to near-zero values. In this case, since the mechanisms of the conventional monetary policy do not work, the unconventional monetary policy is used when the mega-regulator buys out derivative financial instruments from systemically important institutions. As a conclusion, given deflationally low rates, it is proposed that the megaregulator should issue its own derivative financial instruments and place them in the financial market.

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Surveying adherence of dental clinic patients to preventive measures in oral cavity

Periodontology ◽

10.33925/1683-3759-2019-24-2-167-172 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 167-172 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

T. V. Kudryavtseva ◽

V. V. Tachalov ◽

E. S. Loboda ◽

L. Yu. Orekhova ◽

E. Yu. Nechai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Cavity ◽

Working Conditions ◽

Oral Hygiene ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Periodontal Diseases ◽

Dental Health ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Dental Clinic ◽

The Many ◽

The Impact

Relevance. Periodontal diseases are a medical and social problem due to the wide spread among the population of developed countries and the impact on the quality of life. Among the many factors that are important in the development of inﬂammatory periodontal diseases, an important role is played by adherence to the recommendations of the dentist in respecting oral hygiene. Aim of the work was to study the adherence of patients of the dental clinic to compliance with preventive measures in the oral cavity.Materials and methods. A total of 98 patients of dental clinic, 62 female (medial age 38,6 ± 14,0 years) and 36 male (medial age 37,2±13,1 years) participated in survey. The study participants flled in the profle and answered questions about age, gender, harmful working conditions and bad habits, frequency of visits to the dental clinic, attitudes to the prevention of dental diseases, knowledge about the means and methods of oral hygiene.Results. As a result of the study, it was found that in the vast majority of cases, respondents are employed in production that does not adversely aﬀect their health (91%), only 8% of patients indicated harmful working conditions.Conclusions. The study revealed that, despite the recommendations of the dentist, patients are not always committed to the implementation of preventive measures in the oral cavity. Dentists need to motivate patients to use not only the usual methods and means of hygiene, but also additional ones necessary for maintaining dental health.

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The Impact of Copper in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Revista de Chimie ◽

10.37358/rc.17.2.5436 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 68 (2) ◽

pp. 279-283

Author(s):

Mihail Silviu Tudosie ◽

Elena Truta ◽

Ana Maria Davitoiu ◽

Luminita Stanciulescu ◽

George Jinescu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Copper Concentration ◽

Graphite Furnace ◽

Urine Samples ◽

Health State ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Children With Adhd ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

The Impact

During one year (september 2013 � september 2014), 50 children from the residential institution for children SOS Satele Copiilor Bucharest, where included in our research. The children were distributed in two groups: Group A which consisted of 25 children (12 girls, 13 boys) who were not diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Group B which consisted of 25 children (14 boys, 11 girls) who were diagnosed with ADHD. Initially, the two groups were subjected at a psycho-diagnostic battery of tests, one of them being the Evaluating the Health State of children with ADHD questionnaire elaborated by us, particularly for this research, with the purpose of highlighting the direct link between the children health state and their ADHD symptoms. This study sought to determine the concentration of copper in urine samples from a group of children with ADHD and a group of normal children, to highlight the role of copper in the development of ADHD symptoms. Levels of copper concentration in urine samples from the two groups were processed by Student�s t-Test. Statistical analysis showed that the arithmetic averages of copper concentration in urine samples, of the two groups do not differ significantly, so copper may be causing ADHD symptoms occur. The copper content in urine samples has been determined using atomic absorption spectrometry with graphite furnace.

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The Impact of Filler Geometry on Polylactic Acid-Based Sustainable Polymer Composites

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26010149 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 149

Author(s):

Karol Leluk ◽

Stanisław Frąckowiak ◽

Joanna Ludwiczak ◽

Tomasz Rydzkowski ◽

Vijay Kumar Thakur

Keyword(s):

Polymer Composites ◽

Polylactic Acid ◽

Matrix Material ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Precipitated Calcium Carbonate ◽

Cellulose Fibres ◽

Shape Factors ◽

Pure Cellulose ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

The Impact

Recently, biocomposites have emerged as materials of great interest to the scientists and industry around the globe. Among various polymers, polylactic acid (PLA) is a popular matrix material with high potential for advanced applications. Various particulate materials and nanoparticles have been used as the filler in PLA based matrix. One of the extensively studied filler is cellulose. However, cellulose fibres, due to their hydrophilic nature, are difficult to blend with a hydrophobic polymer matrix. This leads to agglomeration and creates voids, reducing the mechanical strength of the resulting composite. Moreover, the role of the various forms of pure cellulose and its particle shape factors has not been analyzed in most of the current literature. Therefore, in this work, materials of various shapes and shape factors were selected as fillers for the production of polymer composites using Polylactic acid as a matrix to fill this knowledge gap. In particular, pure cellulose fibres (three types with different elongation coefficient) and two mineral nanocomponents: precipitated calcium carbonate and montmorillonite were used. The composites were prepared by a melt blending process using two different levels of fillers: 5% and 30%. Then, the analysis of their thermomechanical and physico-chemical properties was carried out. The obtained results were presented graphically and discussed in terms of their shape and degree of filling.

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Challenges and Sustainability of China’s Socio-Economic Stability in the Context of Its Demographic Development

Societies ◽

10.3390/soc11010022 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 22

Author(s):

Andrea Čajková ◽

Peter Čajka

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Pension System ◽

Population Policy ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Economic Stability ◽

Demographic Development ◽

Demographic Challenges ◽

Family Behavior ◽

Socio Economic Development ◽

The Impact

Like many developed countries in the world, China currently faces many serious demographic challenges that pose a potential risk to the country’s socio-economic development and stability. The current demographic development and trend is characterized by a change in the reproductive behavior of the population, characterized by a decline in birth rates, a change in family behavior, and a shift in the value system. This paper is aimed at identifying the impact of population policy and the degree of its influence on both the economic and social system of the country. Based on a deterministic approach, the findings reveal and demonstrate the serious demographic challenges facing China, and we are noting that there is no guarantee that parametric adjustments, such as shifting the retirement age, will de facto ensure the financial health of the pension system by preventing bankruptcy. We point out the risks and prospects for the sustainability of China’s socio-economic development based on an analysis of past and current Chinese demographic policy.

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Impact of Preharvest and Postharvest on Color Changes during Convective Drying of Mangoes

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10030490 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 490

Author(s):

Alioune Diop ◽

Jean–Michel Méot ◽

Mathieu Léchaudel ◽

Frédéric Chiroleu ◽

Nafissatou Diop Ndiaye ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regression Models ◽

Convective Drying ◽

Color Changes ◽

Ripening Time ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

C 30 ◽

The Impact

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the harvest stage, ripening conditions and maturity on color changes of cv. ‘Cogshall’ and cv. ‘Kent’ variety mangoes during drying. A total of four harvests were undertaken, and the fruits were ripened at 20 and 35 °C for five different ripening times at each temperature. At each ripening time, mangoes were dried at 60 °C/30% RH/1.5 m/s for 5 h. A wide physico-chemical and color variability of fresh and dry pulp was created. The relationships according to the L*, H* and C* coordinates were established using mixed covariance regression models in relation to the above pre- and postharvest (preprocess) parameters. According to the L* coordinate results, browning during drying was not affected by the preprocess parameters. However, dried slices from mangoes ripened at 35 °C exhibited better retention of the initial chroma, and had a greater decrease in hue than dried slices from mangoes ripened at 20 °C. However, fresh mango color, successfully managed by the pre- and postharvest conditions, had more impact on dried mango color than the studied parameters. The preprocess parameters were effective levers for improving fresh mango color, and consequently dried mango color.

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