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GIS-based modeling and analytical approaches for groundwater quality suitability for different purposes in the Egyptian Nile Valley, a case study in Wadi Qena
Get PDFAvailability in Egypt is minimal due to a real restriction on the quantity and quality of acceptable water; it is also increasingly in demand, particularly since the reduction in the share in the Nile following the construction of the Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia. At the same time, the need for water increases due to population growth, industrial development and the cultivation of desert land. The country depends significantly on its water supply on the groundwater. Wadi Qena represents one of the most promising valleys, on which the government depends for land reclamations and developments. This study aims to assess groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purposes by integrating quantitative analyses and GIS techniques. To achieve this goal, 17 groundwater samples were collected from the Quaternary and Nubian aquifer from the middle and southern part of the Wadi. Chemical analysis of the major cations and anions was carried out at Assuit’s Regional Soil Fertility Laboratory. Maps of chemical variables are created using statistical tools by combining observations with interpolation models that can incorporate simple process relations. Major ions, total salinity, Na%, SAR, EC, RSC, PI, MH, KR, SSP, TH, and Cl− were used to assess the groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes. Schoeller’s, Stiff’s, and Piper’s, diagrams were used to determine the hydrochemical facies of groundwater in the area. The hydrochemical composition reflects that Sodium–Chloride is the main water type in the study area, and in the sequence of the cations and anions, 100% of the groundwater samples are in the order Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+/Cl− > SO42− > HCO3−. Comparative analysis against standard quality guidelines indicated that most groundwater samples exceeded safe levels for major constituents, TDS, TH, pH, and EC, making them unsuitable for drinking but potentially suitable for irrigation of high salt-tolerant crops. The results of hydrochemical analysis maps and analytical diagrams of groundwater samples revealed that the water was characterized by natural to alkali and the total dissolved solids (TDS) increasing from the Nubian to Quaternary and high ranges of sodium absorption (SAR). The GIS-spatial model indicated that the southwest part and northwest part represented the highest and lowest suitability, respectively, for drinking water purposes. In contrast, the northwest part and southwest parts represented the highest and lowest suitability, respectively, for irrigation purposes. This is confirmed by the values of Na+, SAR, EC, RSC, PI, MH, KR, SSP, TH, and Cl−. The values of Na+, SAR, EC, RSC, PI, MH, KR, SSP, TH, and Cl confirm this. The study lists corrective measures to improve groundwater quality using monitoring systems, efficient irrigation techniques, localized desalination, artificial recharge projects, stricter waste management and agricultural policies that will minimize sources of contamination. This study’s proposed model offers a promising and potentially universal tool for water quality assessment in the Nile basin and similar settings worldwide with the innovative model presented in this study
PROGETTARE CON L’ACQUA IN AMBITO URBANO. L’esperienza dello studio Felixx | DESIGNING WITH WATER IN URBAN CONTEXTS. The experience of Felixx
No full textThe contribution introduces an original perspective by addressing the theme of climate adaptation through the lens of Water Urbanism and Water-sensitive Design, reframing it not merely as a technical or ecological matter, but as a transformative spatial paradigm. While the notion of ‘living with water’ is increasingly present in policy and research discourse, few studies explore its practical and spatial implications through concrete, multiscalar design strategies. To this end, the paper benefits from the in-depth investigation of the design methodology developed by the Dutch office Felixx, whose work aligns environmental regeneration with social inclusion and spatial justice. Focusing on the recent strategic Plan for Oude Landen, the contribution highlights how integrating new design tools can provide innovative instruments for guiding adaptive transformations across time, scale, and governance levels
New green base for Fmoc removal in solid-phase peptide synthesis: 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene (DBN), a promising sustainable alternative to piperidine
No full textDeveloping greener synthetic methodologies requires replacing hazardous reagents with more sustainable alternatives. In solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), piperidine is the standard base for Fmoc group removal, but its toxicity, environmental concerns, and regulatory restrictions have prompted the search for safer substitutes. This study evaluates various green bases based on their GSK greenness score and chemical–physical properties similar to piperidine. Their performance was assessed through deprotection kinetics tests in different green solvents, followed by efficiency evaluations in solid-phase synthesis. Among the tested bases, DBN demonstrated the highest efficiency, achieving rapid Fmoc removal at the lowest concentration across all green solvents. Additionally, DBN effectively minimized side reactions such as racemization, particularly in Anisole/NOP (75:25). Finally, DBN was tested in the synthesis of a model peptides, yielding comparable results to piperidine. These findings highlight DBN as a promising green alternative for SPPS, contributing to the advancement of more sustainable peptide synthesis strategies. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Grou
Prediction and Uncertainty Quantification of Flow Rate through Rectangular Top-Hinged Gate using Hybrid Gradient Boosting Models
No full textAccurate estimation of flow discharge, Q, through hydraulic structures such as spillways and gates is of great importance in water resources engineering. Each hydraulic structure, due to its unique characteristics, requires a specific and comprehensive study. In this regard, the present study innovatively focuses on predicting Q through Rectangular Top-Hinged Gates (RTHGs) using advanced Gradient Boosting (GB) models. The GB models evaluated in this study include Categorical Boosting (CatBoost), Histogram-based Gradient Boosting (HistGBoost), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBoost), Natural Gradient Boosting (NGBoost), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). One of the essential factors in developing artificial intelligence models is the accurate and proper tuning of their hyperparameters. Therefore, four powerful metaheuristic algorithms—Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES), Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Genetic Algorithm (GA)—were evaluated and compared for hyperparameter tuning, using LightGBoost as the baseline model. An assessment of error metrics, convergence speed, stability, and computational cost revealed that SSA achieved the best performance for the hyperparameter optimization of GB models. Consequently, hybrid models combining GB algorithms with SSA were developed to predict Q through RTHGs. Random split was used to divide the dataset into two sets, with 70% for training and 30% for testing. Prediction uncertainty was quantified via Confidence Intervals (CI) and the R-Factor index. CatBoost-SSA produced the most accurate prediction performance among the models (R2 = 0.999 training, 0.984 testing), and NGBoost-SSA provided the lowest uncertainty (CI = 0.616, R-Factor = 3.596). The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method identified h/B (upstream water depth to channel width ratio) and channel slope, S, as the most influential predictors. Overall, this study confirms the effectiveness of SSA-optimized boosting models for reliable and interpretable hydraulic modeling, offering a robust tool for the design and operation of gated flow control systems
Engineering evaluation of grain-oriented steel solutions for special applications in High Energy Physics
No full textReadability and Mayoral Characteristics: Does the Mayor’s Profile Play a Role in the Readability of Local Government Financial Statements?
No full textThe topic of readability is central today, but most research has focused on the private sector, with limited studies in the public sector context. This study aims to address this gap by analyzing the readability of public sector financial statements and understanding the determinants influencing their readability. A sample of 103 Italian provincial capital municipalities' 2020 financial statements was selected to test readability levels and assess whether mayoral characteristics (gender, age, education) affect readability. Results show very low readability, with few variations linked to the mayor's characteristics, except gender. This study broadens the understanding of readability in the public sector and its influencing factors
Seismic Perfomance of RC Frame Buildings with Decoupled Infills
No full textDecoupled infills have been recently proposed to improve the seismic performance
of infilled RC frame buildings. In this paper, the so-called INODIS
system, developed at the RWTH Aachen University, is investigated. The
INODIS system exploits soft elastomeric material to decouple masonry infills
from the surrounding frame, while withstanding OOP loads through
a suitable mechanism. A typical 6-storey RC frame building equipped with,
alternatively, traditional and decoupled infills is examined through Nonlinear
response-time history analyses, considering IP/OOP interaction for the infills.
The results of this study clearly confirm the good seismic performance and
significant damage reduction achievable with decoupled infills
Modeling water infiltration into soil under fractional wettability conditions
Get PDFThe heterogeneous distribution of water-repellent materials at the soil surface causes a phenomenon known as fractional wettability. This condition frequently triggers destabilization of the wetting front during water infiltration, resulting in the formation of fingered bypass flow. However, few analytical tools exist to understand and model this behavior. Moreover, existing infiltration models fail to fit certain infiltration curves that exist in experimental data. For these reasons, we introduce a novel infiltration model to simulate water infiltration under fractional wettable conditions. We conceptualize the soil surface as a composite of two distinct portions: a water-repellent fraction, where hydrophobic effects impede water infiltration, and a wettable fraction, where capillarity and gravity are the dominant forces controlling the process. The new model was validated using a dataset comprising infiltration data from 60 field measurements. Additionally, validation was performed using 660 analytically generated infiltration curves from six synthetic soils with varying textures. This innovative approach enabled us to account for the combined influence of these two fractions and to enhance the interpretation of infiltration curves with mixed shapes, which other common methods are unable to reproduce