Assessing impacts of sea level rise on seawater intrusion in a coastal aquifer with sloped shoreline boundary

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.International Association for Hydro-environment Engineering and Research, Asia Pacific Division.This paper investigates the effect of gradual and instantaneous sea level rise (SLR) on the seawater intrusion (SWI) process in coastal aquifer systems with different levels of land-surface inundation. A set of hypothetical case studies with different shoreline slopes is used to conduct this numerical experiment. For the purpose of numerical modelling, a future rate of SLR from 2015 to 2100 is considered based on the moderate expectation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2001). The gradual SLR is implemented in two different stages. First, continuous and nonlinear rising of sea level is imposed starting from year 2015 up to the end of the century. After that the final value of sea level is maintained as constant in order to assess the response time spanning to a new steady state condition. The effects of pumping resulting in lowering of groundwater level are also considered together with the dynamic variation of sea level. The results show that the rate and the amount of SWI are considerably greater in aquifers with flat shoreline slopes compared with those with steep slopes. Moreover, a shorter period of time is required to reach a new steady state condition in systems with flatter slopes. The SWI process is followed by a significant depletion in quantity of freshwater resources at the end of the century. The situation is exacerbated with combined action of SLR and over-abstraction. Finally, by considering the effect of inundation of the shoreline due to gradual SLR, the sensitivity of the system to the main aquifer parameters including molecular diffusion of solute, dispersion, hydraulic conductivity and porosity is investigated

Three dimensional simulation of seawater intrusion in a regional coastal aquifer in UAE

Published13th Computer Control for Water Industry Conference, CCWI 2015In this study the vulnerability of the Wadi Ham aquifer, located in the Fujairah Emirate of the UAE, to seawater intrusion (SWI) is assessed using a 3D finite element (FE) model. The numerical model is developed based on available hydrogeological data in real scale. By simulation of the aquifer for the next 10 years and by maintaining the current rates of pumping (in year 2015), the progress of seawater intrusion in year 2025 is followed by further depletion in freshwater storage of the Wadi Ham aquifer. In order to control this problem, the model is subjected to a management strategy involving surface recharge of the aquifer with treated wastewater

Control of saltwater intrusion by aquifer storage and recovery

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Published Online 18th August 2016This paper presents the results obtained from the application of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) technique to control seawater intrusion (SWI) in coastal aquifers. The study is based on the numerical modelling experiments performed using the SUTRA (Saturated–Unsaturated TRAnsport) finite-element code on the Wadi Ham aquifer in the UAE. A three-dimensional numerical model of this aquifer is developed and calibrated based on the available hydrogeological data in real scale. A significant amount of SWI has been calculated for the year 2015 due to the high rates of pumping from the available local well fields. To study the future responses of the aquifer to different control actions, the transient responses of SWI are simulated over a 10-year planning horizon. The proposed management measure (ASR) is implemented in repeated cycles of artificial recharge, storage and recovery using an additional set of wells defined in the model. The results show that ASR is a reliable method in controlling SWI in coastal aquifer systems besides its conventional role in subsurface water banking.The authors acknowledge their gratitude to the British Council, UK, for providing funding (project code: SH-04509) to support this research

New Development of Anodic Electro-catalyst for Chlor-alkali Industry

Anodic electro catalysts are developed by using a titanium substrate coated with different compositions of mixed oxides, as it follows: ruthenium-titanium mixed oxides; ruthenium-titanium-tin mixed oxides; and ruthenium-titanium-iridium mixed oxides. The performance of electro catalysts was further evaluated by measuring coating thickness, studying coating morphology with microscope, identifying the presence of RuO2, TiO2, IrO2 and SnO2 in coating film, analyzing shape of individual crystal by XRD, performing accelerated life test and current efficiency test of the selected anode. The coating composition of 15% RuO2, 15% IrO2 and 70% TiO2 exhibited premium properties among the studied anodes

Horizontal gene transfer converts non-toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains into toxin producers.

Clostridium difficile is a major nosocomial pathogen and the main causative agent of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. The organism produces two potent toxins, A and B, which are its major virulence factors. These are chromosomally encoded on a region termed the pathogenicity locus (PaLoc), which also contains regulatory genes, and is absent in non-toxigenic strains. Here we show that the PaLoc can be transferred from the toxin-producing strain, 630Δerm, to three non-toxigenic strains of different ribotypes. One of the transconjugants is shown by cytotoxicity assay to produce toxin B at a similar level to the donor strain, demonstrating that a toxigenic C. difficile strain is capable of converting a non-toxigenic strain to a toxin producer by horizontal gene transfer. This has implications for the treatment of C. difficile infections, as non-toxigenic strains are being tested as treatments in clinical trials

Trends of Publications in Peshawar Islamicus Research Journal: A Bibliometric Study from 2010- 2020

This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of “Peshawar Islamicus” a research journal published by the Department of Islamiyat, University of Peshawar, Pakistan. The analysis covers authorship pattern, gender-wise distribution, number of articles, paper length, most prolific authors, number of references and department wise distribution etc. The data was collected from different issues of the journal which was analyzed by using MS Access and MS Excel 2016. The study found that 290 articles were published from 2010 to 2020 and highest numbers of articles (34) were published in 2019. The trend of male and two author was dominant, the volume of 2018 had maximum number of citations and most of papers were published in length 11-15 pages. The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produced maximum number of articles and the university of Peshawar was the most productive institution. Dr. Miraj ul Islam was the most productive author with 14 articles and maximum number of articles 103(46.18%) were published in Urdu language

Electronic Information Resources: An Overview of Problems Faced by the Faculty Members

Purpose: This study is an attempt to investigate the problems faced by respondents while accessing electronic information resources. The study\u27s specific objectives were to examine the demographic information, to probe the problems faced by the faculty members and to examine the difference of opinion between male and female faculty members regarding problems concerned with the electronic information resource. Research Design and Methodology: The survey research method was used, and data was collected from the respondents through the structured questionnaire. The stratified sampling technique was used, and 340 faculty members were selected from the total population of 661. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22 (SPSS), and descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to obtain the results. Results: The data was collected from the four faculties of the surveyed universities and found that most respondents (34.4%) were from the faculty of social sciences. The lecture comprised the major portion of the sample, while the proportion of male respondents was higher than female respondents. The major problems identified by the faculty members were the low speed of the internet, inadequate IT infrastructure, lack of internet, non-availability of full-text access to most of the e-journals, lack of awareness of e-resources, lack of cooperation of library and computer labs staff and lack of printing facility. Implications: The results help the university administration frame policies and plan about the procurement and subscription of e-resources. The findings will guide the authorities to organize training for teachers, researchers, and students to increase their awareness about e-resources. Originality: This is the first study of its kind in Pakistan to investigate the issues and problems encountered by faculty members while accessing electronic information resources

RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) AND LIBRARIES IN THE ERA OF TECHNOLOGY

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a new concept to be introduced in libraries of India and more particularly in the libraries of Jammu & Kashmir. The technology has helped libraries to create an atmosphere of security and proper vigilance. It has not only helped libraries to reduce the staff interference with the patrons but has also improved the efficiency of service deliverance as well. This paper aims to highlight the need for the adoption of RFID technology in libraries and other similar institutions. The paper gives an in-depth coverage of an RFID system. It starts with an introduction to RFID system and technology, and gives an outlook about role of this technology in libraries. The book gives a clear outlook about the different components and equipments of RFID technology in libraries along with their major specifications. It highlights the advantages associated with the use of RFID technology in a library-kind environment. The author of the book is currently working as Chief Librarian in J&K Higher Education Department. He has served many departments under different capacities and has the experience of installing, configuring and commissioning this RFID system in one of the prime educational institutions of the valley