Topic Review
Nemegtomaia
Nemegtomaia is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur from what is now Mongolia that lived in the Late Cretaceous Period, about 70 million years ago. The first specimen was found in 1996, and became the basis of the new genus and species N. barsboldi in 2004. The original genus name was Nemegtia, but this was changed to Nemegtomaia in 2005, as the former name was preoccupied. The first part of the generic name refers to the Nemegt Basin, where the animal was found, and the second part means "good mother", in reference to the fact that oviraptorids are known to have brooded their eggs. The specific name honours the palaeontologist Rinchen Barsbold. Two more specimens were found in 2007, one of which was found on top of a nest with eggs, but the dinosaur had received its genus name before it was found associated with eggs. Nemegtomaia is estimated to have been around 2 m (7 ft) in length, and to have weighed 40 kg (85 lb). As an oviraptorosaur, it would have been feathered. It had a deep, narrow, and short skull, with an arched crest. It was toothless, had a short snout with a parrot-like beak, and a pair of tooth-like projections on its palate. It had three fingers; the first was largest and bore a strong claw. Nemegtomaia is classified as a member of the oviraptorid subfamily Heyuanninae, and is the only known member of this group with a cranial crest. Though Nemegtomaia has been used to suggest that oviraptorosaurs were flightless birds, the clade is generally considered a group of non-avian dinosaurs. The nesting Nemegtomaia specimen was placed on top of what was probably a ring of eggs, with its arms folded across them. None of the eggs are complete, but they are estimated to have been 5 to 6 cm (2 to 2.3 in) wide and 14 to 16 cm (5 to 6 in) long when intact. The specimen was found in a stratigraphic area that indicates Nemegtomaia preferred nesting near streams that would provide soft, sandy substrate and food. Nemegtomaia may have protected its eggs by covering them with its tail and wing feathers. The skeleton of the nesting specimen has damage that indicates it was scavenged by skin beetles. The diet of oviraptorids is uncertain, but their skulls are most similar to other animals that are known or thought to have been herbivorous. Nemegtomaia is known from the Nemegt and Baruungoyot formations, which are thought to represent humid and arid environments that coexisted in the same area.
  • 653
  • 25 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Methods for Measurement of Free Water Surface
Turbulent free-surface flows are encountered in several engineering applications and are typically characterized by the entrainment of air bubbles due to intense mixing and surface deformation. The resulting complex multiphase structure of the air–water interface presents a challenge in precise and reliable measurements of the free-water-surface topography. Conventional methods by manometers, wave probes, point gauges or electromagnetic/ultrasonic devices are proven and reliable, but also time-consuming, with limited accuracy and are mostly intrusive. Accurate spatial and temporal measurements of complex three-dimensional free-surface flows in natural and man-made hydraulic structures are only viable by high-resolution non-contact methods, namely, The light detection and ranging (LIDAR)-based laser scanning, photogrammetric reconstruction from cameras with overlapping field of view, or laser triangulation that combines laser ranging with high-speed imaging data. In the absence of seeding particles and optical calibration targets, sufficient flow aeration is essential for the operation of both laser- and photogrammetry-based methods, with local aeration properties significantly affecting the measurement uncertainty of laser-based methods.
  • 653
  • 16 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Groundwater Flow System
The Independence Basin is located in a semi-arid region of Mexico, delimited predominantly by volcanic mountains. Around 30 m3/s of water are extracted from regional aquifers mainly for agro-export activities, causing declines in the water table of up to 10 m/a, increased temperature and dissolved elements that are harmful to health and the environment.
  • 652
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
The New Urban Profession: Entering Age of Uncertainty
The context of urbanism is changing rapidly. The context for working in the field of urban design and planning is influenced by the pace of change; uncertainty; and massive transitions. The urban professional, however, is still used to planning for small changes and repeating traditional approaches. 
  • 651
  • 11 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Global View of Machine Learning and Forest Fire
Utilising machine learning techniques in aiding forest fire detection, analysis, and prediction is not new, and these techniques have been successfully adopted in many other countries as they have been gaining more attention. Hence, this is probably a potential research direction to be delved into in the near future.
  • 651
  • 22 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Repeated Plant Debris Reutilization as Organic Amendment
Greenhouse agriculture typically generates large amounts of waste with plant residue (agricultural biomass) being the most abundant. This residue is generated on a seasonal basis, which complicates the external management of the material. Recently, the European Union (EU) has been implementing a policy based on sustainability through the circular economy that seeks to minimize waste generation. The effect of reusing 3.5 kg·m-2 tomato plants from the previous season as the only fertilizer versus no fertilization and inorganic fertilization in 215-day tomato cycles after transplanting was studied in this trial. The study was carried out during three seasons in greenhouse agriculture in Almeria (Spain) with the repeated use of the solarization technique. The plant debris had similar production results during two of the three seasons and fruit quality parameters were similar to inorganic fertilization. In addition, some physicochemical variables improved and the biological depressive effect of solarization was mitigated. The results suggest that the reuse of the tomato plant debris as the only fertilizer could be an alternative to conventional fertilization under the conditions tested. 
  • 650
  • 22 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Durability of Recycled Fine Aggregate Concrete
In recent years, scholars around the world have worked on improving recycle aggregates in concrete and broadening the scope of applications of recycled concrete. The findings of research on the effects of recycled fine aggregates (RFAs) on the permeability, drying shrinkage, carbonation, chloride ion penetration, acid resistance, and freeze–thaw resistance of concrete has been reviewed. The results show that the content of old mortar and the quality of recycled concrete are closely related to the durability of prepared RFA concrete. 
  • 650
  • 28 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Sustainability Goals within the UK Water Industry
The UK water industry is subject to a rolling cycle of investment to meet regulatory requirements. Moreover, this sits within the context of a constant state of flux due to the changing climate and political and societal priorities. Therefore, interventions such as improved wastewater treatment (to reduce nutrient levels entering rivers) are likely to experience conditions over the asset life, which vary widely from design parameters. This leads to a cycle of modification and upgrading in order to maintain or improve treatment processes which could include abortive investment.
  • 649
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
Landfills, Waste and Climate Change
Landfills have been considered the most convenient approach for dealing with waste from time immemorial, even though some have led to disasters of catastrophic proportions. Moreover, recent findings by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest that the decomposing fraction of landfill waste that generates greenhouse gases (GHGs) may not be adequately accounted for and could become a critical issue in our effort to restrict atmospheric temperature increases to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. (According to the IPCC, the maximum atmospheric temperature rise is a factor of cumulative net CO2 emissions as well as net non-CO2 radiative forcing.
  • 648
  • 05 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Τhe “GPS/GNSS on Boat” Technique
The opening up of the global positioning system (GPS) for non-military uses provided a new impetus for the study of the sea surface topography (SST) and geoid, especially in coastal areas which are important from the viewpoint of the climate crisis. The application of the “GPS/GNSS on boat” method, as an alternative to traditional (indirect and direct) methods, has provided detailed SST maps in coastal and oceanic areas with an accuracy of up to few centimeters.
  • 648
  • 06 Jan 2023
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