HYDRODYNAMIC MODELS OF HUMAN STABILITY IN A FLOOD1

ABSTRACT: Major loss of life can occur in a flood when people are toppled by floodwater currents. Three approximate mechanical models and two empirical models of the hydrodynamics of toppling are presented and calibrated to align with available experimental observations to assist the analysis of the risk of life loss. The mechanical models consider circular cylindrical, square cylindrical and cylindrical composite, heavy bodies assembled to represent a human immersed in a flow field and subject to drag and buoyancy forces. The models can account for the height and weight of the exposed persons, and the velocity and depth of the flow. The models are in good mutual agreement and, when calibrated, yield failure functions that can be used to calculate the probability of loss of stability.     

Prevalence and characteristics of road traffic injuries among young drivers in Oman, 2009–2011

Objectives: Studies from different parts of the world have indicated that the impact of road traffic incidents disproportionally affects young adults. Few known studies have been forthcoming from Arabian Gulf countries. Within Oman, a high proportion of the population is under the age of 20. Coupled with the drastic increase in motorization in recent years, there is a need to understand the state of road safety among young people in Oman. The current research aimed to explore the prevalence and characteristics of road traffic injuries among young drivers aged 17–25 years.

Methods: Crash data from 2009 to 2011 were extracted from the Directorate General of Traffic, Royal Oman Police (ROP) database in Oman. The data were analyzed to explore the impact of road crashes on young people (17–25 years), the characteristics of young driver crashes, and how these differ from older drivers and to identify key predictors of fatalities in young driver crashes.

Results: Overall, young people were overrepresented in injuries and fatalities within the sample time period. Though it is true that many young people in crashes were driving at the time, it was also evident that young people were often victims in a crash caused by someone else. Thus, to reduce the impact of road crashes on young people, there is a need to generally address road safety within Oman. When young drivers were involved in crashes they were predominantly male. The types of crashes these drivers have can be broadly attributed to risk taking and inexperience. Speeding and nighttime driving were the key risk factors for fatalities.

Conclusion: The results highlight the need to address young driver safety in Oman. From these findings, the introduction of a graduated driver licensing system with nighttime driving restrictions could significantly improve young driver safety.     

Extending the inverse receptance coupling method for prediction of tool-holder joint dynamics in milling

Recently, receptance coupling substructure analysis (RCSA) is used for stability prediction of machine tools through its dynamic response determination. A major challenge is the proper modelling of the substructures joints and determination of their parameters. In this paper, a new approach for predicting tool tip FRF is presented. First, inverse RCSA formulation is extended so that the holder FRFs can be identified directly through experimental modal tests. The great advantage of this formulation is its implementation in arbitrary point numbers along joint length. Therefore, in comparison with previous inverse RCSA approaches, a more realistic joint model can be considered. In addition, due to applying the new approach, additional costly modal tests on the gauged tool are not required. This characteristic makes it possible to determine the holder FRFs without separating the tool; especially in situations where the holder end is inaccessible. The inclusion of joint parameters effect in the identified holder FRFs is another main advantage of such approach. Consequently, for identification of joint parameters, there is no need to use common error optimization based on fitting methods. The effect of overhang length is investigated through some analytical study and also experimental validation. Results show that the predicted tool tip FRF is exact in analytical case. Moreover, due to less noise effect, the predictions based on identified FRFs of longer tools are more accurate than the shorter ones (in experimental case).     

Tailoring a non-path-dependent model for environmental risk management and polycentric urban land-use planning

This study attempts to develop a non-path-dependent model for environmental risk management and polycentric urban land-use planning in Gorgan Township area, Iran. Applying three suitability layers of environmental risk (soil erosion, flood risk, fire risk, and land susceptibility), urbanization potential, and integrated surface (environmental risk plus urbanization potential layers), a non-path-dependent Cellular Automata-Markov Chain (CA-MC) model was configured to execute three scenarios of polycentric urban growth allocation. Specifically, the modeling approach improved the traditional functionality of the CA-MC model from a prediction algorithm into an innovative land allocation tool. Besides, due to its flexibility, the non-path-dependent model was able to explicitly include different characteristics of the landscape structure ranging from physical land attributes to landscape functions and processes (natural hazards). Accordingly, three polycentric urban growth allocation efforts were undertaken and compared in terms of connectivity and compactness of the resultant patterns and consumption of other land resources. Based on results, the polycentric allocation procedure based on integrated suitability layer produced a more manageable pattern of urban landscape, while the growth option based on environmental risk layer was more successful for protecting farmlands against excessive urbanization. This study suggests that polycentric urban land-use planning under the strategy of rural land development programs is an available option for designing an urban landscape with lower exposure to natural hazards and more economic benefits to rural residents. Finally, the non-path-dependent modeling is a recommended approach, when highly flexible and interactive decision-support systems as well as trend-breaking scenarios are desired.     

Treatment of industrial wastewater containing Congo Red and Naphthol Green B using low-cost adsorbent

The present work investigates the potential use of metal hydroxides sludge (MHS) generated from hot dipping galvanizing plant for adsorption of Congo Red and Naphthol Green B dyes from aqueous solutions. Characterization of MHS included infrared and X-ray fluorescence analysis. The effect of shaking time, initial dye concentration, temperature, adsorbent dosage and pH has been investigated. The results of adsorption experiments indicate that the maximum capacity of Congo Red and Naphthol Green B dyes at equilibrium (q _e) and percentage of removal at pH 6 are 40 mg/g, 93 %, and 10 mg/g, 52 %, respectively. Some kinetic models were used to illustrate the adsorption process of Congo Red and Naphthol Green B dyes using MHS waste. Thermodynamic parameters such as (ΔG, ΔS, and ΔH) were also determined.     

Personality of young drivers in Oman: Relationship to risky driving behaviors and crash involvement among Sultan Qaboos University students

Objective: Drivers’ behaviors such as violations and errors have been demonstrated to predict crash involvement among young Omani drivers. However, there is a dearth of studies linking risky driving behaviors to the personality of young drivers. The aim of the present study was to assess such traits within a sample of young Omani drivers (as measured through the behavioral inhibition system [BIS] and the behavioral activation system [BAS]) and determine links with aberrant driving behaviors and self-reported crash involvement.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Sultan Qaboos University that targeted all licensed Omani's undergraduate students. A total of 529 randomly selected students completed the self-reported questionnaire that included an assessment of driving behaviors (e.g., Driver Behaviour Questionnaire, DBQ) as well as the BIS/BAS measures.

Results: A total of 237 participants (44.8%) reported involvement in at least one crash since being licensed. Young drivers with lower BIS–Anxiety scores and higher BAS–Fun Seeking tendencies as well as male drivers were more likely to report driving violations. Statistically significant gender differences were observed on all BIS and BAS subscales (except for BAS–Fun) and the DBQ subscales, because males reported higher trait scores. Though personality traits were related to aberrant driving behaviors at the bivariate level, the constructs were not predictive of engaging in violations or errors. Furthermore, consistent with previous research, a supplementary multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that only driving experience was predictive of crash involvement.

Conclusions: The findings highlight that though personality traits influence self-reported driving styles (and differ between the genders), the relationship with crash involvement is not as clear. This article further outlines the key findings of the study in regards to understanding core psychological constructs that increase crash risk.     

Assessment of heavy metals among suspended particulates and dissolved phases in Suez Canal water

The concentrations and distribution of particulate and dissolved heavy metals, viz: Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe and Mn have been determined seasonally during 2003 in water samples collected from the Suez Canal. The presented data clarifies that the metals exhibited clear differences in their distribution between particulate and dissolved forms. The concentrations of particulate metals viz: Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe and Mn were high as compared to the dissolved form. Dissolved copper showed the highest percentage of total copper rather than particulate. The particulate forms of Pb, Cd, Fe and Mn had always-higher concentrations than the dissolved forms during the course of study except at summer season. The northern part of the Suez Canal at Port Said showed mean concentrations of particulate and dissolved Cu = 1.43 and 2.10, Zn = 8.61 and 3.17, Pb = 1.72 and 1.23, Cd = 0.35 and 0.35, Fe = 23.49 and 15.83 and Mn = 2.09 and 1.82 μg/L. These high concentrations may be attributed to the high activities, particularly, loading and unloading operations at Port Said harbour, industrial effluents and domestic drainage of Port Said city. On the other hand, Sinai side could be considered as reference site, as it is almost clean without harmful outfalls, where Cu = 0.16 and 0.56, Zn = 2.14 and 0.94, Pb = 6.29 and 3.44, Cd = 0.055 and 0.088, Fe = 6.29 and 3.44 and Mn = 0.56 and 0.26 μg/L for particulate and dissolved metals respectively.     

Glutathione Related Enzyme Levels of Freshwater Fish as Bioindicators of Pollution

The livers and kidneys of freshwater fish species, Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias lazera, collected from sewage polluted sites (Ismailia and El-Bahr El-Azam) and industrial polluted sites (Shubra and El-Tebin) of Nile River were analyzed for different antioxidant defense enzymes. The liver and kidney glutathione transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were higher in O. niloticus captured from all the polluted areas compared to the control. Low GST activities were found in 33.3%, 60% and 53% in the livers and 100%, 80% and 53% in the kidneys of C. lazera captured from El-Bahr El-Azam, Shubra and El-Tebin. GR and GPx activities increased in livers and kidneys of C. lazera collected from all areas except for Shubra, in which, GPx of livers and kidneys were low in 100% of C. lazera. Metals Ni, Co, Cr, Se, Cd and Pb resulting from industrial wastes and metal mining wastes were enhanced at the polluted sites. SDS-PAGE of liver and kidney of O. niloticus and C. lazera indicated the increase in bands number and intensity of protein bands with subunit molecular weights between 30–20 KDa in polluted areas. Several enzymes from glutathione system (activity and protein) constitute a sensitive biochemical indicator of chemical pollution. Relative changes of glutathione-dependent enzymes in both fish species suggest a different susceptibility to toxins.     

Microbial phytotoxins as potential herbicides

Abstract

Microbes are sources of a diverse array of phytotoxic compounds. These compounds are generally structurally different from commercial herbicides, targeting different molecular sites of action within the plant. These novel structures and sites can be excellent leads for the discovery and development of safer synthetic herbicides. Microbial phytotoxins are often more environmentally benign than synthetic herbicides. Examples of phytotoxins from fungi (AAL‐toxin, cornexistin, cyperin, and tentoxin) with novel structures and sites of action are discussed. AAL‐toxin is toxic to a wide variety of weeds at very low dose rates. AAL‐toxin and many of its analogues kill plants by inhibiting a ceramide synthase‐like enzyme, causing rapid accumulation of free sphingoid bases that disrupt membranes. Cornexistin appears to be metabolically cnverted to an inhibitor of certain aspartate amino transferase isoenzymes. Its activity can be reversed by feeding aspartate and glutamate or with tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates. Its activity is much like that of (aminooxy)acetate. Cyperin is a diphenylether phytotoxin that inhibits protoporphyrinogen oxidase, but does not kill plants by this mechanism. It appears to have other effects on porphyrin metabolism. Tentoxin is toxic by two mechanisms. It disrupts chloroplast development by inhibiting the processing of a nuclear‐coded plastid protein, and it also inhibits photophosphorylation by acting as an energy transfer inhibitor of coupling factor 1 ATPase. Other examples of phytotoxins from microbes with promise as herbicides will be mentioned.