Search results for: rapid detection

Authors: Mutaz Dwairy

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Solid tumors have high interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), high mechanical stress, and low oxygen levels. Solid stresses may induce apoptosis, stimulate the invasiveness and metastasis of cancer cells, and lower their proliferation rate, while oxygen concentration may affect the response of cancer cells to treatment. Although tumors grow in a nonhomogeneous environment, many existing theoretical models assume homogeneous growth and tissue has uniform mechanical properties. For example, the brain consists of three primary materials: white matter, gray matter, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Therefore, tissue inhomogeneity should be considered in the analysis. This study established a physical model based on convection-diffusion equations and continuum mechanics principles. The model considers the geometrical inhomogeneity of the brain by including the three different matters in the analysis: white matter, gray matter, and CSF. The model also considers fluid-solid interaction and explicitly describes the effect of mechanical factors, e.g., solid stresses and IFP, chemical factors, e.g., oxygen concentration, and biological factors, e.g., cancer cell concentration, on growing tumors. In this article, we applied the model on a brain tumor positioned within the white matter, considering the brain inhomogeneity to estimate solid stresses, IFP, the cancer cell concentration, oxygen concentration, and the deformation of the tissues within the neoplasm and the surrounding. Tumor size was estimated at different time points. This model might be clinically crucial for cancer detection and treatment planning by measuring mechanical stresses, IFP, and oxygen levels in the tissue.

Keywords: biomechanical model, interstitial fluid pressure, solid stress, tumor microenvironment

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Authors: Ana Vulic, Tina Lesic, Nina Kudumija, Maja Kis, Manuela Zadravec, Nada Vahcic, Tomaz Polak, Jelka Pleadin

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Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by numerous types of molds. They can contaminate both food and feed so that they represent a serious public health concern. Production of dry-fermented meat products involves ripening, during which molds can overgrow the product surface, produce mycotoxins, and consequently contaminate the final product. Citrinin is a mycotoxin produced mainly by the Penicillium citrinum. Data on citrinin occurrence in both food and feed are limited. Therefore, there is a need for research on citrinin occurrence in these types of meat products. The LC-MS/MS method for citrinin determination was developed and validated. Sample preparation was performed using immunoaffinity columns, which resulted in clean sample extracts. Method validation included the determination of the limit of detection (LOD), the limit of quantification (LOQ), recovery, linearity, and matrix effect in accordance to the latest validation guidance. The determined LOD and LOQ were 0.60 µg/kg and 1.98 µg/kg, respectively, showing a good method sensitivity. The method was tested for its linearity in the calibration range of 1 µg/L to 10 µg/L. The recovery was 100.9 %, while the matrix effect was 0.7 %. This method was employed in the analysis of 47 samples of dry-fermented sausages collected from local households. Citrinin wasn’t detected in any of these samples, probably because of the short ripening period of the tested sausages that takes three months tops. The developed method shall be used to test other types of traditional dry-cured products, such as prosciuttos, whose surface is usually more heavily overgrown by surface molds due to the longer ripening period.

Keywords: citrinin, dry-fermented meat products, LC-MS/MS, mycotoxins

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Authors: Sharda Kumari

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As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to leave its mark on the global business landscape, companies have had to adapt to new realities and find ways to sustain their operations amid social distancing measures, government restrictions, and heightened public health concerns. This unprecedented situation has placed considerable stress on both employees and employers, underscoring the need for innovative approaches to manage the risks associated with Covid-19 transmission in the workplace. In response to these challenges, the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies, with an increasing preference for remote interactions and virtual collaboration. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems have risen to prominence as a vital resource for organizations navigating the post-pandemic world, providing a range of benefits that include acquiring new customers, generating insightful consumer data, enhancing customer relationships, and growing market share. In the context of pandemic management, CRM systems offer three primary advantages: (1) integration features that streamline operations and reduce the need for multiple, costly software systems; (2) worldwide accessibility from any internet-enabled device, facilitating efficient remote workforce management during a pandemic; and (3) the capacity for rapid adaptation to changing business conditions, given that most CRM platforms boast a wide array of remotely deployable business growth solutions, a critical attribute when dealing with a dispersed workforce in a pandemic-impacted environment. These advantages highlight the pivotal role of CRM systems in helping organizations remain resilient and adaptive in the face of ongoing global challenges.

Keywords: healthcare, CRM, customer relationship management, customer experience, digital transformation, pandemic response, patient monitoring, patient management, healthcare automation, electronic health record, patient billing, healthcare information systems, remote workforce, virtual collaboration, resilience, adaptable business models, integration features, CRM in healthcare, telehealth, pandemic management

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Authors: Marwa A. A. Ragab, Amira F. El-Yazbi, Amr El-Hawiet

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The analysis of heavy metals in honey samples is crucial. When found in honey, they denote environmental pollution. Some of these heavy metals as lead either present at low or high concentrations are considered to be toxic. Other heavy metals, for example, copper and zinc, if present at low concentrations, they considered safe even vital minerals. On the contrary, if they present at high concentrations, they are toxic. Their voltammetric determination in honey represents a challenge due to the presence of other electro-active components as vitamins, which may overlap with the peaks of the metal, hindering their accurate and precise determination. The simultaneous analysis of some vitamins: nicotinic acid (B3) and riboflavin (B2), and heavy metals: lead, cadmium, and zinc, in honey samples, was addressed. The analysis was done in 0.1 M Potassium Chloride (KCl) using a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE), followed by chemometric manipulation of the voltammetric data using the derivative method. Then the derivative data were convoluted using discrete Fourier functions. The proposed method allowed the simultaneous analysis of vitamins and metals though their varied responses and sensitivities. Although their peaks were overlapped, the proposed chemometric method allowed their accurate and precise analysis. After the chemometric treatment of the data, metals were successfully quantified at low levels in the presence of vitamins (1: 2000). The heavy metals limit of detection (LOD) values after the chemometric treatment of data decreased by more than 60% than those obtained from the direct voltammetric method. The method applicability was tested by analyzing the selected metals and vitamins in real honey samples obtained from different botanical origins.

Keywords: chemometrics, overlapped voltammetric peaks, derivative and convoluted derivative methods, metals and vitamins

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Authors: Bijit Kalita, R. Jayaganthan

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Additive manufacturing (AM) is a novel manufacturing method which provides more freedom in design, manufacturing near-net-shaped parts as per demand, lower cost of production, and expedition in delivery time to market. Among various metals, AM techniques, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) is the most prominent one that provides higher accuracy and powder proficiency in comparison to other methods. Particularly, 17-4 PH alloy is martensitic precipitation hardened (PH) stainless steel characterized by resistance to corrosion up to 300°C and tailorable strengthening by copper precipitates. Additively manufactured 17-4 PH stainless steel exhibited a dendritic/cellular solidification microstructure in the as-built condition. It is widely used as a structural material in marine environments, power plants, aerospace, and chemical industries. The excellent weldability of 17-4 PH stainless steel and its ability to be heat treated to improve mechanical properties make it a good material choice for L-PBF. In this study, the microstructures of martensitic stainless steels in the as-built state, as well as the effects of process parameters, building atmosphere, and heat treatments on the microstructures, are reviewed. Mechanical properties of fabricated parts are studied through micro-hardness and tensile tests. Tensile tests are carried out under different strain rates at room temperature. In addition, the effect of process parameters and heat treatment conditions on mechanical properties is critically reviewed. These studies revealed the performance of L-PBF fabricated 17–4 PH stainless-steel parts under cyclic loading, and the results indicated that fatigue properties were more sensitive to the defects generated by L-PBF (e.g., porosity, microcracks), leading to the low fracture strains and stresses under cyclic loading. Rapid melting, solidification, and re-melting of powders during the process and different combinations of processing parameters result in a complex thermal history and heterogeneous microstructure and are necessary to better control the microstructures and properties of L-PBF PH stainless steels through high-efficiency and low-cost heat treatments.

Keywords: 17–4 PH stainless steel, laser powder bed fusion, selective laser melting, microstructure, additive manufacturing

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Authors: Xuhui Lin, Qiuchen Lu, Yi An, Tao Yang

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As global climate change intensifies, extreme weather events such as floods increasingly threaten urban infrastructure, making the vulnerability of urban road networks a pressing issue. Existing static repair strategies fail to adapt to the rapid changes in road network conditions during flood events, leading to inefficient resource allocation and suboptimal recovery. The main research gap lies in the lack of repair strategies that consider both the dynamic characteristics of networks and the progression of flood propagation. This paper proposes a topology-based dynamic repair strategy that adjusts repair priorities based on real-time changes in flood propagation and traffic demand. Specifically, a novel method is developed to assess and enhance the resilience of urban road networks during flood events. The method combines road network topological analysis, flood propagation modelling, and traffic flow simulation, introducing a local importance metric to dynamically evaluate the significance of road segments across different spatial and temporal scales. Using London's road network and rainfall data as a case study, the effectiveness of this dynamic strategy is compared to traditional and Transport for London (TFL) strategies. The most significant highlight of the research is that the dynamic strategy substantially reduced the number of stranded vehicles across different traffic demand periods, improving efficiency by up to 35.2%. The advantage of this method lies in its ability to adapt in real-time to changes in network conditions, enabling more precise resource allocation and more efficient repair processes. This dynamic strategy offers significant value to urban planners, traffic management departments, and emergency response teams, helping them better respond to extreme weather events like floods, enhance overall urban resilience, and reduce economic losses and social impacts.

Keywords: Urban resilience, road networks, flood response, dynamic repair strategy, topological analysis

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Authors: Tzong-Ying Hao, Mohammad T. Rahmani

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The Torre Central building is a 9-story shear wall structure located in Santiago, Chile, and has been instrumented since 2009. Events of different intensity (ambient vibrations, weak and strong earthquake motions) have been recorded, and thus the building can serve as a full-scale benchmark to evaluate the structural health monitoring method developed. The first part of this article presents an analysis of inter-story drifts, and of changes in the first system frequencies (estimated from the relative displacement response of the 8th-floor with respect to the basement from recorded data) as baseline indicators of the occurrence of damage. During 2010 Chile earthquake the system frequencies were detected decreasing approximately 24% in the EW and 27% in NS motions. Near the end of shaking, an increase of about 17% in the EW motion was detected. The structural health monitoring (SHM) method based on changes in wave traveling time (wave method) within a layered shear beam model of structure is presented in the second part of this article. If structural damage occurs the velocity of wave propagated through the structure changes. The wave method measures the velocities of shear wave propagation from the impulse responses generated by recorded data at various locations inside the building. Our analysis and results show that the detected changes in wave velocities are consistent with the observed damages. On this basis, the wave method is proven for actual implementation in structural health monitoring systems.

Keywords: Chile earthquake, damage detection, earthquake response, impulse response, layered shear beam, structural health monitoring, Torre Central building, wave method, wave travel time

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Authors: Pomila Sharma

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The rapid urbanization in India was not accompanied by the establishment of waste water treatment facility at similar and same pace. The inland fresh water ecosystem is increasingly subjected to great stress from various human activities. Jalmahal Lake is located in Jaipur city of Rajasthan state; the lake was constructed about 400 years ago and surrounded by hills. The lake was approximately 139 hectare in full spread and has catchment area of 23.5 sq. kilometer. Out of the total catchment area approximate 40% falls inside dense urban area of Jaipur city. During the showers, the treated and untreated waste waters and runoff waters get mixed and enter the lake through the various influx channels, and the lake water quality gets affected by the inflow of waste water. The main objective of this work was to use the Moringa oleifera seeds as a natural adsorbent for the treatment of wastewater in lake. Moringa oleifera is a tropical, multipurpose tree whose seeds contain high-quality edible oil 40% by weight and water soluble, non-toxic protein that act as an effective coagulant for the removal of organic matter in water and waste water treatment. Laboratory Jar test procedure had been used for coagulation studies; an experiment runs using lake water. Water extracts/powder of Moringa seed applied to treat polluted water of lake. In present study various doses of Moringa oleifera seed coagulant viz. 100 mg/L, 200 mg/L, and 400 mg/L were taken and checked for the efficiency dose on treated and untreated polluted water. Turbidity and color removal is one of the important steps in a waste water treatment processes. The results indicate significant reduction in turbidity and color. Standard plate count was significantly reduced fecal coliform levels too. All parameters were reduced with the increased dose of Moringa oleifera. It was clear from the study Moringa oleifera seed was shown to be a potential bio-coagulant, for treatment of sewage laden polluted water in the lake.

Keywords: coagulant, Moringa oleifera, plate count, turbidity, wastewater

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Authors: Mei Han, Jinkou Zhao, Yuan Yao, Liangui Feng, Xianbin Ding, Guohui Wu, Chao Zhou, Lin Ouyang, Rongrong Lu, Bo Zhang

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To compare the HIV incidence estimated using BED capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (BED-CEIA) and observed in a cohort against the HIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) measured by pooling polymerase chain reaction (pooling-PCR). A total of 617 MSM subjects were included in a respondent driven sampling survey in Chongqing in 2008. Among the 129 that were tested HIV antibody positive, 102 were defined with long-term infection, 27 were assessed for recent HIV infection (RHI) using BED-CEIA. The remaining 488 HIV negative subjects were enrolled to the prospective cohort and followed-up every 6 months to monitor HIV seroconversion. All of the 488 HIV negative specimens were assessed for acute HIV infection (AHI) using pooling-PCR. Among the 488 negative subjects in the open cohort, 214 (43.9%) were followed-up for six months, with 107 person-years of observation and 14 subjects seroconverted. The observed HIV incidence was 12.5 per 100 person-years (95% CI=9.1-15.7). Among the 488 HIV negative specimens, 5 were identified with acute HIV infection using pooling-PCR at an annual rate of 14.02% (95% CI=1.73-26.30). The estimated HIV-1 incidence was 12.02% (95% CI=7.49-16.56) based on BED-CEIA. The HIV incidence estimated with three different approaches was different among subgroups. In the highly HIV prevalent MSM, it costs US$ 1724 to detect one AHI case, while detection of one case of RHI with BED assay costs only US$ 42. Three approaches generated comparable and high HIV incidences, pooling PCR and prospective cohort are more close to the true level of incidence, while BED-CEIA seemed to be the most convenient and economical approach for at-risk population’s HIV incidence evaluation at the beginning of HIV pandemic. HIV-1 incidences were alarmingly high among MSM population in Chongqing, particularly within the subgroup under 25 years of age and those migrants aged between 25 to 34 years.

Keywords: BED-CEIA, HIV, incidence, pooled PCR, prospective cohort

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Authors: Rupas Kumar M., Saravana Kumar M., Amarendra Kumar S., Likhita Komal V., Sree Deepthi M.

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The demand for water is increasing at an alarming rate due to rapid urbanization and increase in population. Due to freshwater scarcity, Groundwater became the necessary source of potable water to major parts of the world. This problem of freshwater scarcity and groundwater dependency is very severe particularly in developing countries and overpopulated regions like India. The present study aimed at evaluating the Ground Water Quality Index (GWQI), which represents overall quality of water at certain location and time based on water quality parameters. To evaluate the GWQI, sixteen water quality parameters have been considered viz. colour, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, total hardness, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, nitrate, sulphate, iron, manganese and fluorides. The groundwater samples are collected from Kadapa City in Andhra Pradesh, India and subjected to comprehensive physicochemical analysis. The high value of GWQI has been found to be mainly from higher values of total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, turbidity, alkalinity, hardness, and fluorides. in the present study, citrus limetta (sweet lemon) peel powder has used as a coagulant and GWQI values are recorded in different concentrations to improve GWQI. Sensitivity analysis is also carried out to determine the effect of coagulant dosage, mixing speed and stirring time on GWQI. The research found the maximum percentage improvement in GWQI values are obtained when the coagulant dosage is 100ppm, mixing speed is 100 rpm and stirring time is 10 mins. Alum is also used as a coagulant aid and the optimal ratio of citrus limetta and alum is identified as 3:2 which resulted in best GWQI value. The present study proposes Citrus limetta peel powder as a potential natural coagulant to treat Groundwater and to improve GWQI.

Keywords: alum, Citrus limetta, ground water quality index, physicochemical analysis

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Authors: Belgherbi Aicha, Bessaid Abdelhafid

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In the recent years a great deal of research work has been devoted to the development of semi-automatic and automatic techniques for the analysis of abdominal CT images. The first and fundamental step in all these studies is the semi-automatic liver and spleen segmentation that is still an open problem. In this paper, a semi-automatic liver and spleen segmentation method by the mathematical morphology based on watershed algorithm has been proposed. Our algorithm is currency in two parts. In the first, we seek to determine the region of interest by applying the morphological to extract the liver and spleen. The second step consists to improve the quality of the image gradient. In this step, we propose a method for improving the image gradient to reduce the over-segmentation problem by applying the spatial filters followed by the morphological filters. Thereafter we proceed to the segmentation of the liver, spleen. The aim of this work is to develop a method for semi-automatic segmentation liver and spleen based on watershed algorithm, improve the accuracy and the robustness of the liver and spleen segmentation and evaluate a new semi-automatic approach with the manual for liver segmentation. To validate the segmentation technique proposed, we have tested it on several images. Our segmentation approach is evaluated by comparing our results with the manual segmentation performed by an expert. The experimental results are described in the last part of this work. The system has been evaluated by computing the sensitivity and specificity between the semi-automatically segmented (liver and spleen) contour and the manually contour traced by radiological experts. Liver segmentation has achieved the sensitivity and specificity; sens Liver=96% and specif Liver=99% respectively. Spleen segmentation achieves similar, promising results sens Spleen=95% and specif Spleen=99%.

Keywords: CT images, liver and spleen segmentation, anisotropic diffusion filter, morphological filters, watershed algorithm

Procedia PDF Downloads 325

Authors: Wenjun Zhang, Thao Thi Le, Dongyup Shin, Jong Min Kim

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Electrochemical hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) synthesis holds significant promise for decentralized environmental remediation through the electro-Fenton process. However, challenges persist, such as the absence of robust electrocatalysts for the selective two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e⁻ ORR) and the high cost and sluggish kinetics of conventional electro-Fenton systems in treating highly concentrated wastewater. This study introduces an efficient water treatment system for removing substantial quantities of organic pollutants using an advanced electro-Fenton system coupled with a high-valent NiO catalyst. By employing a precipitation method involving crystal facet and cation vacancy engineering, a trivalent Ni (Ni³⁺)-rich NiO catalyst with a (111)-domain-exposed crystal facet, named {111}-NivO, was synthesized. This catalyst exhibited a remarkable 96% selectivity and a high mass activity of 59 A g⁻¹ for H₂O₂ production, outperforming all previously reported Ni-based catalysts. Furthermore, an advanced electro-Fenton system, integrated with a flow cell for electrochemical H₂O₂ production, was utilized to achieve 100% removal of 50 ppm bisphenol A (BPA) in 200 mL of wastewater under heavy-duty conditions, reaching a superior rapid degradation rate (4 min, k = 1.125 min⁻¹), approximately 102 times faster than the conventional electro-Fenton system. The hyper-efficiency is attributed to the continuous and appropriate supply of H₂O₂, the provision of O₂, and the timely recycling of the electrolyte under high current density operation. This catalyst also demonstrated a 93% removal of total organic carbon after 2 hours of operation and can be applied for efficient removal of highly concentrated phenol pollutants from aqueous systems, which opens new avenues for wastewater treatment.

Keywords: hydrogen peroxide production, nickel oxides, crystal facet and cation vacancy engineering, wastewater treatment, flow cell, electro-Fenton

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Authors: Nisreen Agha

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Investigation of representative core samples under the petrological microscope reveals common petrographic and mineralogical characteristics with distinct faunal assemblages, allowing establishing of the microfacies associations and deducing the paleoenvironmental trends of the Paleocene Farrud and Mabruk rock units. Recognition of the early and post-diagenetic processes, particularly dolomitization and micritization, as well as dissolution and precipitation of spary drusy calcite as a new morphism process affecting the reservoir rocks, is established. The microfacies trends detected from the investigation of 46 core samples from Farrud member (Lower Paleocene) representing six wells; QQQ1-11, GG1-11, LLL1-11, RRR1-11, RRR40-11, and RRR45-11 indicate that the deposition was started within the realm of shallow supratidal and intertidal subenvironments followed by deeper environments of the shelf bays with maximum sea level during inner shelf environment where fossiliferous bioclastic packstone dominated. The microfacies associations determined in 8 core samples from two wells LLL1and RRR40 representing Mabruk Member (Upper Paleocene), indicate paleoenvironmental trends marked by sea level fluctuations accompanied with a relatively marine shelf bay conditions intervened with short-lived shallow intertidal and supratidal warm coastal sedimentation. As a result, dolostone, evaporitic dismicrites, and gypsiferous dolostone of supratidal characters were deposited. They reflect rapid oscillation of the sea level marked by drop land-ward shift of the sea shore deposition prevailed by supratidal gypsiferous dolostone and numerous ferruginous materials as clouds straining many parts of dolomite and surrounded the micritized fossils. This situation ends the deposition of the Farrud Member in most of the studied wells. On the other hand, the facies in the northern part of the Concession -11 field indicates deposition in a deeper marine setting than in the southern facies.

Keywords: Farrud and Mabruk members, paleocene, microfacies associations, diagenesis, sea level oscillation, depositional environments

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Authors: Taha Anjamrooz, Sareh Rajabi, Hasan Mahmmud, Ghassan Abulebdeh

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Water availability, as well as water demand, are not uniformly distributed in time and space. Numerous extra-large water diversion projects are launched in Amazon to alleviate water scarcities. This research utilizes statistical analysis to examine the temporal and spatial features of 40 extra-large water diversion projects in Amazon. Using a network analysis method, the correlation between seven major basins is measured, while the impact analysis method is employed to explore the associated economic, environmental, and social impacts. The study unearths that the development of water diversion in Amazon has witnessed four stages, from a preliminary or initial period to a phase of rapid development. It is observed that the length of water diversion channels and the quantity of water transferred have amplified significantly in the past five decades. As of 2015, in Amazon, more than 75 billion m³ of water was transferred amidst 12,000 km long channels. These projects extend over half of the Amazon Area. The River Basin E is currently the most significant source of transferred water. Through inter-basin water diversions, Amazon gains the opportunity to enhance the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 5%. Nevertheless, the construction costs exceed 70 billion US dollars, which is higher than any other country. The average cost of transferred water per unit has amplified with time and scale but reduced from western to eastern Amazon. Additionally, annual total energy consumption for pumping exceeded 40 billion kilowatt-hours, while the associated greenhouse gas emissions are assessed to be 35 million tons. Noteworthy to comprehend that ecological problems initiated by water diversion influence the River Basin B and River Basin D. Due to water diversion, more than 350 thousand individuals have been relocated, away from their homes. In order to enhance water diversion sustainability, four categories of innovative measures are provided for decision-makers: development of water tradeoff projects strategies, improvement of integrated water resource management, the formation of water-saving inducements, and pricing approach, and application of ex-post assessment.

Keywords: sustainability, water trade-off projects, environment, Amazon

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Authors: C. D’Urso, L. Frusteri, M. Samperi, G. Leonardi

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Solid metal halides are used as active cathode ingredients in the case of Na-NiCl2 batteries that require a fused secondary electrolyte, sodium tetrachloraluminate (NaAlCl4), to facilitate the movement of the Na+ ion into the cathode. The sodium-nickel chloride (Na - NiCl2) battery has been extensively investigated as a promising system for large-scale energy storage applications. The growth of Ni and NaCl particles in the cathodes is one of the most important factors that degrade the performance of the Na-NiCl2 battery. The larger the particles of active ingredients contained in the cathode, the smaller the active surface available for the electrochemical reaction. Therefore, the growth of Ni and NaCl particles can lead to an increase in cell polarization resulting from the reduced active area. A higher current density, a higher state of charge (SOC) at the end of the charge (EOC) and a lower Ni / NaCl ratio are the main parameters that result in the rapid growth of Ni particles. In light of these problems, cathode and chemistry Nano-materials with recognized and well-documented electrochemical functions have been studied and manufactured to simultaneously improve battery performance and develop less expensive and more performing, sustainable and environmentally friendly materials. Starting from the well-known cathodic material (Na-NiCl2), the new electrolytic materials have been prepared on the replacement of nickel with iron (10-90%substitution of Nichel with Iron), to obtain a new material with potential advantages compared to current battery technologies; for example,, (1) lower cost of cathode material compared to state of the art as well as (2) choices of cheaper materials (stainless steels could be used for cell components, including cathode current collectors and cell housings). The study on the particle size of the cathode and the physicochemical characterization of the cathode was carried out in the test cell using, where possible, the GITT method (galvanostatic technique of intermittent titration). Furthermore, the impact of temperature on the different cathode compositions of the positive electrode was studied. Especially the optimum operating temperature is an important parameter of the active material.

Keywords: critical raw materials, energy storage, sodium metal halide, battery

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Authors: Si-Jie Ji, Santhanamoorthi Nachimuthu, Jyh-Chiang Jiang

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With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, air pollution poses significant global environmental challenges, contributing to acid rain, global warming, and adverse health effects. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the concentration of toxic gases in the atmospheric environment in real-time and to deploy cost-effective gas sensors capable of detecting their emissions. In this study, we systematically investigated the sensing capabilities of the two-dimensional MoSe₂ for seven key environmental gases (NO, NO₂, CO, CO₂, SO₂, SO₃, and O₂) using density functional theory (DFT) and non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) calculations. We also investigated the impact of H₂O as an interfering gas. Our results indicate that the MoSe₂ monolayer is thermodynamically stable and exhibits strong gas-sensing capabilities. The calculated adsorption energies indicate that these gases can stably adsorb on MoSe₂, with SO₃ exhibiting the strongest adsorption energy (-0.63 eV). Electronic structure analysis, including projected density of states (PDOS) and Bader charge analysis, demonstrates significant changes in the electronic properties of MoSe₂ upon gas adsorption, affecting its conductivity and sensing performance. We find that oxygen (O₂) adsorption notably influenced the deformation of MoSe₂. To comprehensively understand the potential of MoSe₂ as a gas sensor, we used the NEGF method to assess the electronic transport properties of MoSe₂ under gas adsorption, evaluating current-voltage (I-V), resistance-voltage (R-V) characteristics, and transmission spectra to determine sensitivity, selectivity, and recovery time compared to pristine MoSe₂. Sensitivity, selectivity, and recovery time are analyzed at a bias voltage of 1.7V, showing excellent performance of MoSe₂ in detecting SO₃, among other gases. The pronounced changes in electronic transport behavior induced by SO₃ adsorption confirm MoSe₂’s strong potential as a high-performance gas-sensing material. Overall, this theoretical study provides new insights into the development of high-performance gas sensors, demonstrating the potential of MoSe₂ as a gas-sensing material, particularly for gases like SO₃.

Keywords: density functional theory, gas sensing, MoSe₂, non-equilibrium Green’s function, SO

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Authors: Patrick M. Garvey, Roger P. Pech, Daniel M. Tompkins

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Competition is a widespread interaction and natural selection will encourage the development of mechanisms that recognise and respond to dominant competitors, if this information reduces the risk of a confrontation. As olfaction is the primary sense for most mammals, our research tested whether olfactory ‘eavesdropping’ mediates alien species interactions and whether we could exploit our understanding of this behaviour to create ‘super-lures’. We used a combination of pen and field experiments to evaluate the importance of this behaviour. In pen trials, stoats (Mustela erminea) were exposed to the body odour of three dominant predators (cat / ferret / African wild dog) and these scents were found to be attractive. A subsequent field trial tested whether attraction displayed towards predator odour, particularly ferret (Mustela furo) pheromones, could be replicated with invasive predators in the wild. We found that ferret odour significantly improved detection and activity of stoats and hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), while also improving detections of ship rats (Rattus rattus). Our current research aims to identify the key components of ferret odour, using chemical analysis and behavioural experiments, so that we can produce ‘scent from a can’. A lure based on a competitors’ odour would be beneficial in many circumstances including: (i) where individuals display variability in attraction to food lures, (ii) there are plentiful food resources available, (iii) new immigrants arrive into an area, (iv) long-life lures are required. Pest management can therefore benefit by exploiting behavioural responses to odours to achieve conservation goals.

Keywords: predator interactions, invasive species, eavesdropping, semiochemicals

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Authors: Bendes Ákos

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Digital evidence will be the most widely used type of evidence in the future. With the development of the modern world, more and more new types of crimes have evolved and transformed. For this reason, it is extremely important to examine these types of crimes in order to get a comprehensive picture of them, with which we can help the authorities work. In 1865, with early technologies, people were able to forge a picture of a quality that is not even recognized today. With the help of today's technology, authorities receive a lot of false evidence. Officials are not able to process such a large amount of data, nor do they have the necessary technical knowledge to get a real picture of the authenticity of the given evidence. The digital world has many dangers. Unfortunately, we live in an age where we must protect everything digitally: our phones, our computers, our cars, and all the smart devices that are present in our personal lives and this is not only a burden on us, since companies, state and public utilities institutions are also forced to do so. The training of specialists and experts is essential so that the authorities can manage the incoming digital evidence at some level. When analyzing evidence, it is important to be able to examine it from the moment it is created. Establishing authenticity is a very important issue during official procedures. After the proper acquisition of the evidence, it is essential to store it safely and use it professionally. After the proper acquisition of the evidence, it is essential to store it safely and use it professionally. Otherwise, they will not have sufficient probative value and in case of doubt, the court will always decide in favor of the defendant. One of the most common problems in the world of digital data and evidence is doubt, which is why it is extremely important to examine the above-mentioned problems. The most effective way to avoid digital crimes is to prevent them, for which proper education and knowledge are essential. The aim is to present the dangers inherent in the digital world and the new types of digital crimes. After the comparison of the Hungarian investigative techniques with international practice, modernizing proposals will be given. A sufficiently stable yet flexible legislation is needed that can monitor the rapid changes in the world and not regulate afterward but rather provide an appropriate framework. It is also important to be able to distinguish between digital and digitalized evidence, as the degree of probative force differs greatly. The aim of the research is to promote effective international cooperation and uniform legal regulation in the world of digital crimes.

Keywords: digital crime, digital law, cyber crime, international cooperation, new crimes, skepticism

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Authors: Yogesh Kumar, Adarsh Kumar

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A body farm is a research facility where research is done on forensic investigation and medico-legal disciplines like forensic entomology, forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, forensic archaeology, and related areas of forensic veterinary. All the research is done to collect data on the rate of decomposition (animal and human) and forensically important insects to assist in crime detection. The data collected is used by forensic pathologists, forensic experts, and other experts for the investigation of crime cases and further research. The research work includes different conditions of a dead body like fresh, bloating, decay, dry, and skeleton, and data on local insects which depends on the climatic conditions of the local areas of that country. Therefore, it is the need of time to collect appropriate data in managed conditions with a proper set-up in every country. Hence, it is the duty of the scientific community of every country to establish/propose such facilities for justice and social management. The body farms are also used for training of police, military, investigative dogs, and other agencies. At present, only four countries viz. U.S., Australia, Canada, and Netherlands have body farms and related facilities in organised manner. There is no body farm in Asia also. In India, we have been trying to establish a body farm in A&N Islands that is near Singapore, Malaysia, and some other Asian countries. In view of the above, it becomes imperative to discuss the matter with Asian countries to collect the data on decomposition in a proper manner by establishing a body farm. We can also share the data, knowledge, and expertise to collaborate with one another to make such facilities better and have good scientific relations to promote science and explore ways of investigation at the world level.

Keywords: body farm, rate of decomposition, forensically important flies, time since death

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Authors: Zeiler M., Stadler D., Schmaderer C.

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Over the years of dialysis treatment, most patients experience significant weight loss. The primary emphasis in earlier research was the underlying mechanism of protein energy wasting and the subsequent malnutrition inflammation syndrome. In the interest to provide an effective and rapid solution for the patients, the aim of this study is identifying individual influences of their assumed reduced dietary intake, such as nausea, appetite loss and taste changes, and to determine whether the patients adhere to their nutrition guidelines. A prospective, controlled study with 38 end-stage renal disease patients was performed using a questionnaire to reflect their diet within the last 12 months. Thereby, the daily intake for the most important macro-and micronutrients was calculated to be compared with the individual KDQOI-guideline value, as well as controls matched in age and gender. The majority of the study population did not report symptoms commonly associated with dialysis, such as nausea or inappetence, and denied any change in dietary behavior since receiving renal replacement therapy. The patients’ daily intake of energy (3080kcal ± 1266) and protein (89,9g [53,4-142,0]) did not differ significantly from the controls (energy intake: 3233kcal ± 1046, p=0,597; protein intake: 103,7g [90,1-125,5], p=0,120). The average difference to the individual calculated KDQOI-guideline was +176,0kcal ± 1156 (p=0,357) for energy intake and -1,75g ± 45,9 (p=0,491) for protein intake. However, there was an observed imbalance in the distribution of macronutrients, with a preference for fats over proteins. The patients’ daily intake of sodium (5,4g [ 2,95-10,1]) was higher than in the controls (4,1g [2,04-5,99], p= 0,058) whereas both values for potassium (3,7g ± 1,84) and phosphorous (1,79g ± 0,91) went significantly below the controls’ values (potassium intake: 4,89g ± 1,74, p=0,014; phosphorous intake: 2,04g ± 0,64, p=0,038). Thus, the values exceeded the calculated KDQOI-recommendation by + 3,3g [0,63-7,90] (p<0,001) for sodium, +1,49g ± 1,84 (p<0,001) for potassium and +0,89g ± 0,91 (p<0,001) for phosphorous. Contrary to the assumption, the patients did not under-eat. Nevertheless, their diets did not align with the recommended values. These findings highlight the need for intervention and education among patients and that regular dietary monitoring could prevent unhealthy nutrition habits. The elaboration of individual references instead of standardized guidelines could increase the compliance to the advised diet so that interdisciplinary comorbidities do not develop or worsen.

Keywords: compliance, dialysis, end-stage renal disease, KDQOI, malnutrition, nutrition guidelines, questionnaire, salt intake

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Authors: Herke Csongor

Abstract:

The artificial intelligence (AI) has been used in the United States of America in the decisionmaking process of the criminal justice system for decades. In the field of law, including criminal law, AI can provide serious assistance in decision-making in many places. The paper reviews four main areas where AI still plays a role in the criminal justice system and where it is expected to play an increasingly important role. The first area is the predictive policing: a number of algorithms are used to prevent the commission of crimes (by predicting potential crime locations or perpetrators). This may include the so-called linking hot-spot analysis, crime linking and the predictive coding. The second area is the Big Data analysis: huge amounts of data sets are already opaque to human activity and therefore unprocessable. Law is one of the largest producers of digital documents (because not only decisions, but nowadays the entire document material is available digitally), and this volume can only and exclusively be handled with the help of computer programs, which the development of AI systems can have an increasing impact on. The third area is the criminal statistical data analysis. The collection of statistical data using traditional methods required enormous human resources. The AI is a huge step forward in that it can analyze the database itself, based on the requested aspects, a collection according to any aspect can be available in a few seconds, and the AI itself can analyze the database and indicate if it finds an important connection either from the point of view of crime prevention or crime detection. Finally, the use of AI during decision-making in both investigative and judicial fields is analyzed in detail. While some are skeptical about the future role of AI in decision-making, many believe that the question is not whether AI will participate in decision-making, but only when and to what extent it will transform the current decision-making system.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, international criminal cooperation, planning and organizing of the investigation, risk assessment

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Authors: M. Y. Abubakar, Ipinjolu J. K., Yuzine B. Esa, Magawata I., Hassan W. A., Turaki A. A.

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Catfish (Heterobranchus spp.) is a major freshwater fish that are widely distributed in Nigeria waters and are gaining rapid aquaculture expansion. However, indiscriminate artificial crossbreeding of the species with others poses a threat to their biodiversity. There is a paucity of information about the genetic variability, hence this insight on the genetic variability is badly needed, not only for the species conservation but for aquaculture expansion. In this study, we tested the level of Genetic diversity, population differentiation and phylogenetic relationship analysis on 35 individuals of two populations of Heterobranchus bidorsalis and 29 individuals of three populations of Heterobranchus longifilis using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtDNA COI) gene sequence. Nucleotide sequences of 650 bp fragment of the COI gene of the two species were compared. In the whole 4 and 5 haplotypes were distinguished in the populations of H. bidorsalis & H. longifilis with accession numbers (MG334168 - MG334171 & MG334172 to MG334176) respectively. Haplotypes diversity indices revealed a range of 0.59 ± 0.08 to 0.57 ± 0.09 in H. bidorsalis and 0.000 to 0.001051 ± 0.000945 in H. longifilis population, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed no significant variation among H. bidorsalis population of the Niger & Benue Rivers, detected significant genetic variation was between the Rivers of Niger, Kaduna and Benue population of H. longifilis. Two main clades were recovered, showing a clear separation between H. bidorsalis and H. longifilis in the phylogenetic tree. The mtDNA COI genes studied revealed high gene flow between populations with no distinct genetic differentiation between the populations as measured by the fixation index (FST) statistic. However, a proportion of population-specific haplotypes was observed in the two species studied, suggesting a substantial degree of genetic distinctiveness for each of the population investigated. These findings present the description of the species character and accessions of the fish’s genetic resources, through gene sequence submitted in Genetic database. The data will help to protect their valuable wild resource and contribute to their recovery and selective breeding in Nigeria.

Keywords: AMOVA, genetic diversity, Heterobranchus spp., mtDNA COI, phylogenetic tree

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Authors: Chia-Ting Chang, Chia-Yu Lin

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We report on the decisive role of iron phosphate (FePO₄), formed in-situ during the electrochemical characterization, played in the electrocatalytic activity, especially its oxygen tolerance of iron oxides towards H₂O₂ reduction. Iron oxides studied including, Nanorod arrays (NRs) of β-FeOOH, γ-Fe₂O₃, α-Fe₂O₃, α-Fe₂O₃ nanosheets (α-Fe₂O₃NS), α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles (α-Fe₂O₃NP), were synthesized using chemical bath deposition. The nanostructure was controlled simply by adjusting the composition of precursor solution and reaction duration for CBD process, whereas the crystal phase was controlled by adjusting the annealing temperature. It was found that iron phosphate (FePO₄) was deposited in-situ onto the surface of this nanostructured α-Fe₂O₃ during the electrochemical pretreatment in the phosphate electrolyte, and both FePO₄ and α-Fe₂O₃ showed the activity in catalysing the electrochemical reduction of H₂O₂. In addition, the interaction/compatibility between deposited FePO₄ and iron oxides has a decisive effect on the overall electrocatalytic activity of the resultant electrodes; FePO₄ only showed synergetic effect on the overall electrocatalytic activity of α-Fe₂O₃NR and α-Fe2O₃NS. Both α-Fe₂O₃NR and α-Fe₂O₃NS showed two reduction peaks in phosphate electrolyte containing H₂O₂, one being pH-dependent and related to the electrocatalytic properties of FePO₄, and the other one being pH-independent and only related to the intrinsic electrocatalytic properties of α-Fe₂O₃NR and α-Fe₂O₃NS. However, all iron oxides showed only one pH-independent reductive peak in non-phosphate electrolyte containing H₂O₂. The synergesitic catalysis exerted by FePO₄ with α-Fe₂O₃NR or α-Fe₂O₃NS providing additional oxygen-insensitive active site for H₂O₂ reduction, which allows their applications to electrochemical detection of H₂O₂ without the interference of O₂ involving in oxidase-catalyzed chemical processes.

Keywords: H₂O₂ reduction, Iron oxide, iron phosphate, O₂ tolerance

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Authors: Claudia Pisano

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The Italian shockumentary Mondo cane (1962), directed by Gualtiero Jacopetti, Paolo Cavara, and Franco Prosperi, has often been criticized for its supposed racist and colonialist stances. Several critics consider it a film that proclaims, without explicitly mentioning it, the superiority of the white Euro-American individual over the people who do not belong to white-western societies. This paper proposes a different interpretation of the way in which Mondo cane engages with the discourse of race. Through an analysis of crucial scenes and of the relationship between images and voice-over, and through a comparison between the representation of non-white societies in Mondo cane and in some popular Italian newsreels of the 50s-60s, such as 'La Settimana Incom' and 'Mondo Libero,' the paper argues that Mondo cane debunks the western-white superiority that, according to some critics, the film would promote. The continuous and rapid alternance of scenes set in the western world, for example in Europe or in the United States, and scenes set in exotic countries inhabited by non-white peoples highlights the commonalities between these far-away realities, rather than pointing out the superiority of the white-western one. In addition, the subtle irony employed by the voice-over distances Mondo cane from the newsreels that it much resembles for its documentary style. Mondo cane’s treatment and representation of race is analyzed in the light of the work of Australian Aboriginal anthropologist Aileen Moreton-Robinson, which is based on key concepts such as whiteness and whiteness invisibility. Whiteness is defined as the invisible and omnipresent norm based on which everything that does not belong to the white world is labeled as an odd and inferior 'other.' To overcome racial discrimination, it is necessary to make whiteness visible; that is to say, to deprive it of that aura of normalcy and unquestionable righteousness that surrounds it. This essay argues that Mondo cane participates in the process of making whiteness visible through the confrontation of the white people with the visible 'other'. Because the film shows that the common features on which this confrontation is based are violence and bestiality, the paper suggests that the film does not support the idea of the white world being superior to the non-white; on the contrary, it underlines that the entire world is characterized by the same shocking savagery.

Keywords: irony, race, shockumentary, whiteness, whiteness invisibility

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Authors: Kuo-Wei Hsu, Wei-Chin Lo

Abstract:

In these years, urban agriculture development has been wide spreading all over the world. The development of urban agriculture is an evolution process of highly urbanization, as well as an agricultural phenomenon closely related to the development of economy, society and culture in urban areas. It provides densely populated areas with multi-functional uses of land, impacting strategic development of both large and small towns in the area. In addition, the participation of social enterprises keeps industrial competitiveness and makes gains when facing rapid transformation of industrial structures and new patterns of lifestyles in urban areas. They create better living conditions as well as protect the environment with innovative business beliefs, which give new ways for development of urban agriculture. Also, through building up the value chain, these social enterprises are capable of creating value for urban agriculture. Most of research regarding to social enterprises currently explore the relationship between corporate responsibilities and its role play, operational mode and performance and organizational patterns. Merely some of them discuss the function of social entrepreneurship in the development of urban agriculture. Moreover, none of them have explored the value creation for development of urban agriculture processed by social enterprises, as well as how social enterprises operate to increase competitive advantages, which make it possible to achieve industrial innovation, increase corporate value and even provide services with value creation. Therefore, this research mainly reviews current business patterns and operational conditions of social enterprises. This research endowed social responsibilities, and discusses current development process of urban agriculture. This research adopts Value Chain perspective to discuss key factors for value creation with respect to the development of urban agriculture processed by social enterprises. Thereby after organization and integration this research develops the prospect of value creation referring to urban agriculture processed by social enterprises and builds the value chain for urban agriculture. In conclusion, this research explored the relationship between value chain and value creation, which relates to values of customer, enterprise, society and economy referring to the development of urban agriculture uniquely, in consideration of the participation of social enterprises, and hence built the connection between value chain and value creation in the development of urban agriculture by social enterprises. The research found, social enterprises help to enhance the connection between the enterprise value and society value, mold corporate image with social responsibility and create brand value, and therefore impact the increase of economic value.

Keywords: urban agriculture development, value chain, social enterprise, urban systems

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Authors: Mokgophana Ramasobana

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Background: At the core of the demand to utilize evidence-based approaches in the policy-making cycle, prioritization of limited financial resources and results driven initiatives is the urgency to develop a cohort of competent Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) practitioners and public servants. The ongoing strides in the evaluation capacity building (ECB) initiatives are a direct response to produce the highly-sought after M&E skills. Notwithstanding the rapid growth of M&E short courses, participants perceived value and expectation of M&E short courses as a panacea for ECB have not been empirically quantified or measured. The objective of this article is to explicitly illustrate the importance of measuring ECB interventions and understanding what works in ECB and why it works. Objectives: This article illustrates the importance of establishing empirical ECB measurement tools to evaluate ECB interventions in order to ascertain its contribution to the broader evaluation practice. Method: The study was primarily a desktop review of existing literature, juxtaposed by a survey of the participants across the African continent based on the 43 M&E short courses hosted by the Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results Anglophone Africa (CLEAR-AA) in collaboration with the Department of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) Results: The article established that participants perceive short course training as a panacea to improve their M&E practical skill critical to executing their organizational duties. In tandem, participants are likely to demand customized training as opposed to general topics in Evaluation. However, the organizational environments constrain the application of the newly acquired skills. Conclusion: This article aims to contribute to the 'how to' measure ECB interventions discourse and contribute towards the improvement to evaluate ECB interventions. The study finds that participants prefer training courses with longer duration to cover more topics. At the same time, whilst organizations call for customization of programmes, the study found that individual participants demand knowledge of generic and popular evaluation topics.

Keywords: evaluation capacity building, effectiveness and training, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) short course training, perceptions and expectations

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Authors: Krish Jhurani

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The research paper presents an in-depth analysis of symmetry properties in linear algebraic systems under the operation of non-canonical scalar multiplication structures, specifically semirings, and near-rings. The objective is to unveil the profound alterations that occur in traditional linear algebraic structures when we replace conventional field multiplication with these non-canonical operations. In the methodology, we first establish the theoretical foundations of non-canonical scalar multiplication, followed by a meticulous investigation into the resulting symmetry properties, focusing on eigenvectors, eigenspaces, and invariant subspaces. The methodology involves a combination of rigorous mathematical proofs and derivations, supplemented by illustrative examples that exhibit these discovered symmetry properties in tangible mathematical scenarios. The core findings uncover unique symmetry attributes. For linear algebraic systems with semiring scalar multiplication, we reveal eigenvectors and eigenvalues. Systems operating under near-ring scalar multiplication disclose unique invariant subspaces. These discoveries drastically broaden the traditional landscape of symmetry properties in linear algebraic systems. With the application of these findings, potential practical implications span across various fields such as physics, coding theory, and cryptography. They could enhance error detection and correction codes, devise more secure cryptographic algorithms, and even influence theoretical physics. This expansion of applicability accentuates the significance of the presented research. The research paper thus contributes to the mathematical community by bringing forth perspectives on linear algebraic systems and their symmetry properties through the lens of non-canonical scalar multiplication, coupled with an exploration of practical applications.

Keywords: eigenspaces, eigenvectors, invariant subspaces, near-rings, non-canonical scalar multiplication, semirings, symmetry properties

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Authors: Zhiyong Zheng, Xu Li, Liang Huang, Zhengliang Sun, Jianhua Xu

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Yaw angle plays a significant role in many vehicle safety applications, such as collision avoidance and lane-keeping system. Although the estimation of the yaw angle has been extensively studied in existing literature, it is still the main challenge to simultaneously achieve a reliable and cost-effective solution in complex urban environments. This paper proposes a multi-stage learning framework to estimate the yaw angle with a monocular camera, which can deal with the challenge in a more reliable manner. In the first stage, an efficient road detection network is designed to extract the road region, providing a highly reliable reference for the estimation. In the second stage, a variational auto-encoder (VAE) is proposed to learn the distribution patterns of road regions, which is particularly suitable for modeling the changing patterns of yaw angle under different driving maneuvers, and it can inherently enhance the generalization ability. In the last stage, a gated recurrent unit (GRU) network is used to capture the temporal correlations of the learned patterns, which is capable to further improve the estimation accuracy due to the fact that the changes of deflection angle are relatively easier to recognize among continuous frames. Afterward, the yaw angle can be obtained by combining the estimated deflection angle and the road direction stored in a roadway map. Through effective multi-stage learning, the proposed framework presents high reliability while it maintains better accuracy. Road-test experiments with different driving maneuvers were performed in complex urban environments, and the results validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

Keywords: gated recurrent unit, multi-stage learning, reliable estimation, variational auto-encoder, yaw angle

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Authors: Revalin Herdianto

Abstract:

Recent climate changes increase uncertainties in vegetation conditions such as health and biomass globally and locally. The detection is, however, difficult due to the spatial and temporal scale of vegetation coverage. Due to unique vegetation response to its environmental conditions such as water availability, the interplay between vegetation dynamics and hydrologic conditions leave a signature in their feedback relationship. Vegetation indices (VI) depict vegetation biomass and photosynthetic capacity that indicate vegetation dynamics as a response to variables including hydrologic conditions and microclimate factors such as rainfall characteristics and land surface temperature (LST). It is hypothesized that the signature may be depicted by VI in its relationship with other variables. To study this signature, several catchments in Asia, Australia, and Indonesia were analysed to assess the variations in hydrologic characteristics with vegetation types. Methods used in this study includes geographic identification and pixel marking for studied catchments, analysing time series of VI and LST of the marked pixels, smoothing technique using Savitzky-Golay filter, which is effective for large area and extensive data. Time series of VI, LST, and rainfall from satellite and ground stations coupled with digital elevation models were analysed and presented. This study found that the hydrologic response of vegetation to rainfall variations may be shown in one hydrologic year, in which a drought event can be detected a year later as a suppressed growth. However, an annual rainfall of above average do not promote growth above average as shown by VI. This technique is found to be a robust and tractable approach for assessing catchment dynamics in changing climates.

Keywords: vegetation indices, land surface temperature, vegetation dynamics, catchment

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Authors: Abdelghani Qadem

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Urbanization in Morocco has ushered in profound shifts in hydrological dynamics, presenting a spectrum of challenges and avenues for sustainable water management. This abstract delves into the nuances of urban hydrology in Morocco, spotlighting the ramifications of rapid urban expansion, the imprint of climate change, and the imperative for cohesive water management strategies. The swift urban sprawl across Morocco has engendered a surge in impermeable surfaces, reshaping the natural hydrological cycle and amplifying quandaries such as urban inundations and water scarcity. Moreover, the specter of climate change looms large, heralding alterations in precipitation regimes and a heightened frequency of extreme meteorological events, thus compounding the hydrological conundrum. However, amidst these challenges, urban hydrology in Morocco also unfolds vistas of innovation and sustainability. The integration of green infrastructure, encompassing solutions like permeable pavements and vegetated roofs, emerges as a linchpin in ameliorating the hydrological imbalances wrought by urbanization, fostering infiltration, and curbing surface runoff. Additionally, embracing the tenets of water-sensitive urban design promises to fortify water efficiency and resilience in urban landscapes. Effectively navigating urban hydrology in Morocco mandates a cross-disciplinary approach that interweaves urban planning, water resource governance, and climate resilience strategies. A collaborative ethos, bridging governmental entities, academic institutions, and grassroots communities, assumes paramount importance in crafting and executing comprehensive solutions that grapple with the intricate interplay of urbanization, hydrology, and climate dynamics. In summation, confronting the labyrinthine challenges of urban hydrology in Morocco necessitates proactive strides toward fostering sustainable urban growth and bolstering resilience to climate vagaries. By embracing cutting-edge technologies and embracing an ethos of integrated water management, Morocco can forge a path toward a more water-secure and resilient urban future.

Keywords: urban hydrology, Morocco, urbanization, climate change, water management, green infrastructure, sustainable development

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