Run-off and Soil Loss Estimation Using Numerical Approach in Hard Rock Terrain.

The present study reveals the potential run-off estimation, soil erosion and scope of groundwater recharge in the Bundelkhand region in the state of U.P. , India. The estimation of run-off and soil erosion have provided a platform to evaluate the realistic potential for water conservation in the study area. The study area is characterized by occurrence of mild to severe drought conditions with significant run-off and poor infiltration. Geomorphological factors such as land use changes, slope, and nature of soil affect the run-off rate and discharge significantly. Soil map and rainfall data for the study area were acquired to evaluate the hydrological soil group (HSG) and antecedent moisture condition (AMC) respectively. Soil Conservation Services and Curve Number (SCS-CN) method has been used to calculate the run-off volume at the point where river/streams join together while soil loss has been calculated using revised universal soil loss equation of RUSLE model with the input of spatial data sets such as soil texture, rainfall, topography etc. The maximum run-off (355mm) has been estimated in watershed-1 during 2016 and minimum (1 mm) in watershed-4 respectively. The estimated run-off varies from 5.5% to 28% of the total rainfall in the study area, while soil loss is maximum (2.1x106 ton/ha) in the watershed-1. It is a fact that soil loss is in conformity with run-off. This finding provides the roadmap for the selection of suitable artificial recharge structures to augment the groundwater in the study area.

Spatial and Kinematic Clustering of Stars in the Galactic Disk

The Galactic disk is expected to be spatially and kinematically clustered on many scales due to both star formation and the Galactic potential. In this work we calculate the spatial and kinematic two-point correlation functions (TPCF) using a sample of 1.7 × 106 stars with radial velocities from Gaia DR2. Clustering is detected on spatial scales of 1–300 pc and a velocity scale of 15 km s−1. After removing bound structures, the data have a power-law index of γ ≈ −1 for 1 pc < Δr < 100 pc and γ ≲ −1.5 for Δr > 100 pc. We interpret these results with the aid of a star-by-star simulation of the Galaxy, in which stars are born in clusters orbiting in a realistic potential that includes spiral arms, a bar, and giant molecular clouds. We find that the simulation largely agrees with the observations at most spatial and kinematic scales. In detail, the TPCF in the simulation is shallower than the data at ≲20 pc scales, and steeper than the data at ≳30 pc. We also find a persistent clustering signal in the kinematic TPCF for the data at large Δv (>5 km s−1) that is not present in the simulations. We speculate that this mismatch between observations and simulations may be due to two processes: hierarchical star formation and transient spiral arms. We also predict that the addition of ages and metallicities measured with a precision of 50% and 0.05 dex, respectively, will enhance the clustering signal beyond current measurements.

Towards greener aviation : a comparative study on the substitution of standard jet fuel with algal based second generation biofuels

The negative environmental impact of the aviation industry, related mainly to the gaseous emissions from turbine exhausts, is increasing with the increased demand on travel. In addition to the adverse environmental effects, the currently used aviation fuel is posing economic burdens on the air transport sector, with the increase in crude oil prices. Therefore, the aviation industry is investigating the potential of substituting the currently used aviation fuel with alternative fuels- mainly with those derived from second generation biofuels. Of all available sources of second generation biofuels, numerous studies indicate that those derived from algae seem to be the most promising, in terms of providing a viable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. This study explores the feasibility of microalgal jet fuel, taking into consideration technological, environmental and economic aspects. The results indicate that the viability and sustainability of microalgal jet fuel greatly depend on the technologies and inputs used during the different production stages of microalgal fuels. Provided certain conditions and characteristics are present, microalgal jet fuel has a realistic potential to provide the economic and environmental benefits needed to substitute conventional fuels.

Towards greener aviation : a comparative study on the substitution of standard jet fuel with algal based second generation biofuels

The negative environmental impact of the aviation industry, related mainly to the gaseous emissions from turbine exhausts, is increasing with the increased demand on travel. In addition to the adverse environmental effects, the currently used aviation fuel is posing economic burdens on the air transport sector, with the increase in crude oil prices. Therefore, the aviation industry is investigating the potential of substituting the currently used aviation fuel with alternative fuels- mainly with those derived from second generation biofuels. Of all available sources of second generation biofuels, numerous studies indicate that those derived from algae seem to be the most promising, in terms of providing a viable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. This study explores the feasibility of microalgal jet fuel, taking into consideration technological, environmental and economic aspects. The results indicate that the viability and sustainability of microalgal jet fuel greatly depend on the technologies and inputs used during the different production stages of microalgal fuels. Provided certain conditions and characteristics are present, microalgal jet fuel has a realistic potential to provide the economic and environmental benefits needed to substitute conventional fuels.

“Research for a Change”: A Book Review of Norma R. A. Romm’s Responsible Research Practice: Revisiting Transformative Paradigm in Social Research

In the book, Responsible Research Practice, the author, Norma Romm, makes the case for actively incorporating social justice initiatives within social research of any kind. Through numerous examples from around the world, using various research traditions, practices, and disciplines, she demonstrates how ethical practices can be implemented in research projects so participants are better off for having participated in the studies. This richly referenced book of research examples and supportive theoretical perspectives pushes the notion of ethical practice into a new gear. Readers of this book will be inspired and energized to see the realistic potential of active social research to change the world, particularly for those most marginalized.

23.5% efficient monolithic perovskite/organic tandem solar cells based on an ultra-thin metal-like metal-oxide interconnect.

Multi-junction solar cells provide an avenue to overcome fundamental efficiency limits of single-junction devices. The facile bandgap tunability of metal-halide perovskite solar cells renders them attractive building blocks for multi-junction architectures. Combinations with crystalline silicon and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) cells have been reported. All-perovskite tandem cells have likewise shown promising results. Meanwhile, narrow-gap non-fullerene acceptors (NFA) have revived the area of organic solar cells (OSCs) and unlocked skyrocketing efficiencies. Organic and perovskite semiconductors share similar processing technologies, which renders them attractive partners in multi junction architectures. As of yet, perovskite/organic tandem cells show subpar efficiencies of 20 per cent, limited by the low open circuit voltage (Voc) of wide-gap perovskite cells and losses introduced by the interconnect between the sub-cells. Here, we demonstrate two-terminal p-i-n perovskite/organic tandem cells with an efficiency of 23.5 per cent and a high Voc of 2.15 volts, operating near the levels predicted by a semi-empirical model. The perovskite sub-cells with optimized charge extraction layers afford an unsurpassed combination of a high Voc and fill-factor. The organic back-cells provide a high external quantum efficiency in the near-infrared. In surprising contrast to paradigmatic concerns about limited photostability of non-fullerene cells, we evidence an outstanding operational stability if excitons are predominantly generated on the NFA, which is the case in a tandem cell, where the illumination is spectrally filtered by the perovskite cell. A novel interconnect based on an ultra-thin (1.5 nanometers) metal like indium oxide layer offers unprecedented low optical/electrical losses. This work sets a new milestone for perovskite/organic tandem devices, that outperform the best p-i-n perovskite single junctions and are at par with perovskite/CIGS and all-perovskite multi-junctions. Perovskite/organic tandem architectures bear a realistic potential to reach an efficiency above 31%.

Revisiting promising preclinical intracerebral hemorrhage studies to highlight repurposable drugs for translation

Intracerebral hemorrhage is a devastating global health burden with limited treatment options and is responsible for 49% of 6.5 million annual stroke-related deaths comparable to ischemic stroke. Despite the impact of intracerebral hemorrhage, there are currently no effective treatments and so weaknesses in the translational pipeline must be addressed. There have been many preclinical studies in intracerebral hemorrhage models with positive outcomes for potential therapies in vivo, but beyond advancing the understanding of intracerebral hemorrhage pathology, there has been no translation toward successful clinical application. Multidisciplinary preclinical research, use of multiple models, and validation in human tissue are essential for effective translation. Repurposing of therapeutics for intracerebral hemorrhage may be the most promising strategy to help relieve the global health burden of intracerebral hemorrhage. Here, we have reviewed the existing literature to highlight repurposable drugs with successful outcomes in preclinical models of intracerebral hemorrhage that have realistic potential for development into the clinic for intracerebral hemorrhage.

Human Leukocyte Antigen Gene Testing and Carbamazepine-Induced Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis: A Study of Pediatric Practice

Background Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are life-threatening drug-induced dermatologic conditions. SJS/TEN occurs in 1-10 per 10 000 patients taking carbamazepine (CBZ) (Pratt VM, McLeod HL, Rubinstein WS et al. Medical Genetics Summaries. National Center for Biotechnology Information US; 2018: 1-527). The development of SJS/TEN is associated with variable drug metabolism and presence of an at-risk HLA haplotype. HLA-B*15:02 and HLA-A*31:01 haplotypes can produce a hyperimmune response in the setting of CBZ use in patients of Asian and European descent, respectively (Schneider JA, Cohen PR. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis: A concise review with a comprehensive summary of therapeutic interventions emphasizing supportive measures. Adv Ther. 2017; 34:1235-1244). Objective The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Canadian pharmacogenomics Network for Drug Safety (CPNDS) recommend that patients with high-risk ethnic backgrounds should be genetic tested before initiating CBZ (Sukasem C, Chaichan C, Nakkrut T et al. Association between HLA-B Alleles and Carbamazepine-induced maculopapular exanthema and severe cutaneous reactions in Thai patients. Journal of Immunology Research. 2018; 1-11).We sought out to assess the awareness of this in prescribing practitioners and their standard of practice. Materials and methods We created a 15-question survey and distributed to pediatric neurologists and pediatricians at the University of Alberta. We hypothesized that there was a discordance between the standard of practice and the recommendation by the FDA and CPNDS. Results The survey results indicated a lack of awareness of the at-risk ethnicities for CBZ-induced SJS/TEN. HLA gene testing was rarely done prior to initiation of CBZ in high-risk patients. In addition, there was a lack of awareness for standard of care for genetic testing in Canada and worldwide. Conclusions Our results demonstrate an evident gap between current prescriber practices and existing FDA and CPNDS recommendations to screen for HLA genotypes. We hope that this study captures the realistic potential to improve patient outcomes.

The Business Case for a Journey Planning and Ticketing App—Comparison between a Simulation Analysis and Real-World Data

Successful development of “Mobility-as-a-Service” (MaaS) schemes could be transformative to our transport systems and critical for achieving sustainable cities. There are high hopes for mobile phone applications that offer both journey planning and ticketing across all the available transport modes, but these are in their infancy, with little understanding of the correct approach to business models and governance. In this study, we develop a system dynamics diffusion model that represents the uptake of such an app, based on one developed and released in West Yorkshire, UK. We perform sensitivity and uncertainty tests on user uptake and app operating profitability, and analyse these in three key areas of marketing, competition, and costs. Comparison to early uptake data is included to demonstrate accuracy of model behaviour and would suggest market failure by month 12 without stronger marketing, even if additional tickets and functions are offered. In response to this, we offer further insights on the need for direct targeted marketing to ensure mass market adoption, the importance of understanding a realistic potential adopter pool, the awareness of competing apps, and the high uncertainty that exists in this market.