Topic Review
Fique Plant in Colombia
The fique plant (Furcraea Vent.) forms part of a group of xerophytic monocotyledonous species. It belongs to the Asparagaceae family, the Agavoidea subfamily, and is native to the Andean region of South America.
  • 949
  • 09 Jan 2023
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.
  • 551
  • 06 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Land Use and Global Environmental Change
Global environmental changes are multifactorial and affected by multiple forms of land use. Land use is closely linked to the global dynamics of the urbanization process, especially in recent decades in which the world has gone through intense migratory processes moving from rural to the urban setting. The dynamics that involve the urbanization process have multiple aspects and presuppose multiple ways of using the land and their linking to the economic aspect.
  • 605
  • 05 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Flood Prediction Using ML Models
Floods are among the most destructive natural disasters, which are highly complex to model. The research on the advancement of flood prediction models contributed to risk reduction, policy suggestion, minimization of the loss of human life, and reduction of the property damage associated with floods. To mimic the complex mathematical expressions of physical processes of floods, during the past two decades, machine learning (ML) methods contributed highly in the advancement of prediction systems providing better performance and cost-effective solutions. Due to the vast benefits and potential of ML, its popularity dramatically increased among hydrologists.Researchers through introducing novel ML methods and hybridizing of the existing ones aim at discovering more accurate and efficient prediction models. The main contribution of this paper is to demonstrate the state of the art of ML models in flood prediction and to give insight into the most suitable models. In this paper, the literature where ML models were benchmarked through a qualitative analysis of robustness, accuracy, effectiveness, and speed are particularly investigated to provide an extensive overview on the various ML algorithms used in the field. The performance comparison of ML models presents an in-depth understanding of the different techniques within the framework of a comprehensive evaluation and discussion. As a result, this paper introduces the most promising prediction methods for both long-term and short-term floods. Furthermore, the major trends in improving the quality of flood prediction models are investigated. Among them, hybridization, data decomposition, algorithm ensemble, and model optimization are reported as the most effective strategies for the improvement of ML methods. This survey can be used as a guideline for hydrologists as well as climate scientists in choosing the proper ML method according to the prediction task.
  • 11.3K
  • 04 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Toxicity of PFASs to Aquatic Invertebrates
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), recognized worldwide as emerging pollutants. Its accumulation in living organisms and foods has accentuated the importance of investigations into aquatic organisms at the bottom of the food chain, as the stability and integrity of the food web as well as the population quantity and structure of the aquatic ecosystem may be affected. In aquatic ecosystems, invertebrates, planktons, and microorganisms are essential for material circulation and energy flow. As such, the toxicity and bioaccumulation effects on aquatic organisms directly determine the survival of all other animals along this food chain, making them important study species.
  • 350
  • 04 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Sources of Arsenic in the Aquatic Environment
Arsenic is an element that is distributed globally and is abundant in the Earth’s crust (20th most abundant element) and seawater (14th most abundant element). It is classified as a metalloid and exhibits both metallic and non-metallic properties. The high solubility and mobility of arsenic in aquatic environments affects its global cycling. Furthermore, the biological processes in the aquatic environment are discussed, especially the possible microbe-mediated reactions of arsenic in sediments. In addition, various environmental factors, such as redox conditions, pH, and salinity, which influence the transformation of arsenic species.
  • 1.1K
  • 04 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Microbial Biodegradation and Decolourization of Textile Dyes
Dyes are frequently applied to many substrates in edibles, cosmetics, paper, rubber, and products of textile industries. Microbial-based bioremediation of dyes effluent from wastewater is the most economical and reliable globally. Azo dyes are a valuable family of dyes with the most significant colour diversity. Microorganisms degrade azo dyes in anaerobic conditions with the assistance of azoreductase, resulting in colourless aromatic amines as a by-product. Broadly, dye-degrading microbes could be classified as actinomycetes, bacteria, fungi, and algae. Moreover, based on the nature of microbes and the pathway followed for degradation it could be again aerobic and anaerobic degraders.
  • 488
  • 04 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Bast Fiber Plants
Heavy metal pollution in the environment is a major concern for humans as it is non-biodegradable and can have a lot of effects on the environment, humans as well as plants. A solution to this problem is suggested in terms of a new, innovative and eco-friendly technology known as phytoremediation. Bast fiber plants are typically non-edible crops that have a short life cycle. It is one of the significant crops that has attracted interest for many industrial uses because of its constant fiber supply and ease of maintenance. Due to its low maintenance requirements with minimum economic investment, bast fiber plants have been widely used in phytoremediation.
  • 557
  • 04 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Ecological Environment in Belt and Road Initiative Regions
With the widespread recognition and in-depth implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), especially in the context of global climate change, the ecological environment of Belt and Road Initiative regions might be confronted with pressures and challenges with rapid socioeconomic development. In response to those potential environmental challenges, China has put forward Green BRI and enriched the new Silk Road with more environmental connotations, aiming to reduce the conflict between economic development and eco-environmental protection.
  • 713
  • 03 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Microorganisms in the Nucleation of Carbonates
Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is an important process in the synthesis of carbonate minerals, and thus, it is widely explored as a novel approach with potential for many technological applications. The processes and mechanisms involved in carbonate mineral formation in the presence of microbes are not yet fully understood. This research covers the current knowledge regarding the role of microbial cells and metabolic products (e.g., extracellular polymeric substances, proteins and amino acids) on the adsorption of divalent metals, adsorption of ionic species and as templates for crystal nucleation. Moreover, they can play a role in the mineral precipitation, size, morphology and lattice. By understanding how microbes and their metabolic products promote suitable physicochemical conditions (pH, Mg/Ca ratio and free carbonate ions) to induce carbonate nucleation and precipitation, the manipulation of the final mineral precipitates could be a reality for (geo)biotechnological approaches. The applications and implications of biogenic carbonates in areas such as geology and engineering are presented and discussed in this research, with a major focus on biotechnology.
  • 638
  • 03 Jan 2023
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