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To cope with the groundwater depletion problem and achieve sustainable groundwater development, groundwater conservation measures and managed aquifer recharge (MAR) have been implemented worldwide. However, knowledge gaps exit how does the aquifer system respond to these interventions differently and if these interventions are adequate to lead to long-term sustainable groundwater development under future climate change. In Beijing Plain, two measures have been implemented: reduction of groundwater abstraction by substituting groundwater abstraction with transferred surface water and implementation of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) in two major rivers. This study aims to assess how do the shallow and deep aquifers respond to these measures and if these measures can lead to long-term sustainable groundwater development in Beijing Plain under future climate change. A 3-D transient groundwater flow model was calibrated and used to simulate groundwater level and budget changes from 2021 to 2050. The monthly groundwater recharge was estimated using the projected monthly precipitation from three downscaled regional climate models under two scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). The results show that declines in groundwater head and storage can be reversed with the combined two measures, thereby contributing to achieve sustainable groundwater development. The reduction of abstractions is a deciding measure to reverse the trend of groundwater depletion, especially in the deep confined aquifers, while large scale MAR schemes can restore the cones of depressions in shallow aquifers and maintain the groundwater abstraction. Climate variation has large impacts on groundwater resources, especially, consecutive dry years can cause rapid groundwater storage depletion. The projected monthly precipitation from 2021 to 2050 is not significantly different from the past. Therefore, the projected future precipitation has minor impacts on groundwater resources in the next 30 years. The findings f

The Yongding River (Beijing, China) was dry most times of the year, and groundwater storage was severely depleted. To address this issue, a river rehabilitation project was initiated. A downstream environmental flow release (EFR) project from upstream reservoirs has been implemented since 2019. This study evaluated the impact of EFR by constructing transient groundwater-flow and numerical tracer transport models to simulate the hydrogeological responses to the water release events in 2019–2020. The study identified two factors that significantly influence the river leakage rate, which are operational factors (i.e., water release rate and duration) and physical factors (i.e., hydraulic properties of the riverbed, regional hydraulic gradients, and groundwater depth) that determine the maximum water availability for groundwater recharge and maximum infiltration capacity, respectively. Predictive modelling was performed to assess the long-term effects of the proposed EFR scheme from 2021 to 2050, which showed that groundwater levels along the river will increase by 10–20 m by 2050. Groundwater storage is expected to be largely recovered and groundwater/surface-water connectivity in the middle reach of the river will be restored. This restoration will not only maintain the environmental flow for the benefit of ecosystems but also enhance groundwater recharge, promoting sustainable groundwater development in the region. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of the proposed EFR scheme in achieving sustainable groundwater development in the region.

A coupled regional and local model is required when groundwater flow and solute transport are to be simulated in local areas of interest with a finer grid while regional aquifer boundary and major stresses should be retained with a coarser grid. The coupled model should also maintain interactions between the regional and local flow systems. In the Beijing Plain (China), assessment of managed aquifer recharge (MAR), groundwater pollution caused by rivers, capture zone of well fields, and land subsidence at the cone of depression requires a coupled regional and local model. This study evaluates three methods for coupling regional and local flow models for simulating MAR in the Chaobai River catchment in the Beijing Plain. These methods are the conventional grid refinement (CGR) method, the local grid refinement (LGR) method and the unstructured grid (USG) method. The assessment included the comparison of the complexity of the coupled model construction, the goodness of fit of the computed and observed groundwater heads, the consistency of regional and local groundwater budgets, and the capture zone of a well filed influenced by the MAR site. The results indicated that the CGR method based on MODFLOW-2005 is the easiest to implement the coupled model, capable of reproducing regional and local groundwater heads and budget, and already coupled with density and viscosity dependent model codes for transport simulation. However, the CGR method inherits shortcomings of finite difference grids to create multiple local models with inefficient computing efforts. The USG method based on MODFLOW-USG has the advantage of creating multi-scale models and is flexible to simulate rivers, wells, irregular boundaries, heterogeneities and the MAR site. However, it is more difficult to construct the coupled models with the unstructured grids, therefore, a good graphic user interface is necessary for efficient model construction. The LGR method based on MODFLOW-LGR can be used to create mu

A coupled regional and local model is required when groundwater flow and solute transport are to be simulated in local areas of interest with a finer grid while regional aquifer boundary and major stresses should be retained with a coarser grid. The coupled model should also maintain interactions between the regional and local flow systems. In the Beijing Plain (China), assessment of managed aquifer recharge (MAR), groundwater pollution caused by rivers, capture zone of well fields, and land subsidence at the cone of depression requires a coupled regional and local model. This study evaluates three methods for coupling regional and local flow models for simulating MAR in the Chaobai River catchment in the Beijing Plain. These methods are the conventional grid refinement (CGR) method, the local grid refinement (LGR) method and the unstructured grid (USG) method. The assessment included the comparison of the complexity of the coupled model construction, the goodness of fit of the computed and observed groundwater heads, the consistency of regional and local groundwater budgets, and the capture zone of a well filed influenced by the MAR site. The results indicated that the CGR method based on MODFLOW-2005 is the easiest to implement the coupled model, capable of reproducing regional and local groundwater heads and budget, and already coupled with density and viscosity dependent model codes for transport simulation. However, the CGR method inherits shortcomings of finite difference grids to create multiple local models with inefficient computing efforts. The USG method based on MODFLOW-USG has the advantage of creating multi-scale models and is flexible to simulate rivers, wells, irregular boundaries, heterogeneities and the MAR site. However, it is more difficult to construct the coupled models with the unstructured grids, therefore, a good graphic user interface is necessary for efficient model construction. The LGR method based on MODFLOW-LGR can be used to create mu

Background: Lipid metabolites may partially explain the inverse association between the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).Objective: We evaluated the associations between 1) lipid species and the risk of CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death); 2) a MedDiet intervention [supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or nuts] and 1-y changes in these molecules; and 3) 1-y changes in lipid species and subsequent CVD.Design: With the use of a case-cohort design, we profiled 202 lipid species at baseline and after 1 y of intervention in the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) trial in 983 participants [230 cases and a random subcohort of 790 participants (37 overlapping cases)].Results: Baseline concentrations of cholesterol esters (CEs) were inversely associated with CVD. A shorter chain length and higher saturation of some lipids were directly associated with CVD. After adjusting for multiple testing, direct associations remained significant for 20 lipids, and inverse associations remained significant for 6 lipids. When lipid species were weighted by the number of carbon atoms and double bonds, the strongest inverse association was found for CEs [HR: 0.39 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.68)] between extreme quintiles (P-trend = 0.002). Participants in the MedDiet + EVOO and MedDiet + nut groups experienced significant (P < 0.05) 1-y changes in 20 and 17 lipids, respectively, compared with the control group. Of these changes, only those in CE(20:3) in the MedDiet + nuts group remained significant after correcting for multiple testing. None of the 1-y changes was significantly associated with CVD risk after correcting for multiple comparisons.Conclusions: Although the MedDiet interventions induced some significant 1-y changes in

ERDC/CHL CHETN-II-54 January 2012 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. First Year Morphological Evolution of an Artificial Berm at Fort Myers Beach, Florida by Katherine E. Brutsche and Ping Wang PURPOSE: This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) documents the sediment characteristics and first year morphological evolution of an artificial berm placed just offshore in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, based on a series of field data collection periods during the first year after the berm construction. INTRODUCTION: Maintenance dredging is a common practice in inlets and channels for navigation. As a part of regional sediment management, the dredged material is often used for nearby shore protection. One method is placing sand directly on the adjacent beach. The other is placement of a nearshore berm, i.e., to add sediment to the littoral system and/or act as a breakwater to dissipate wave energy and slow erosion (Allison and Pollock, 1993). Compared to beach fill, berm nourishment may have the advantage of being less costly with more lenient restrictions on the dredged material. Artificial nearshore berms can be categorized depending on their dynamics or intended purpose. Hands and Allison (1991) defined two types of berms based on mobility. Stable berms are those that remain at the placement site and retain most of their volume over several years. Active berms show movement and changes within a few months. Hands and Allison (1991) and Hallermeier (1981) suggested that wave climate and closure depth are good indicators of whether a berm would be active or stable. Aidala et al. (1996) and Work and Otay (1996) indicated that bottom shear stress and horizontal bed velocities are also good indicators of berm stability. McLellan and Kraus (1991) describe design guidance for two different types of berm: a feeder berm and a stable berm. A Feeder berm is placed in such a way that under accretionary wave action, sediment will be added to the

ERDC/CHL CHETN-II-54 January 2012 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. First Year Morphological Evolution of an Artificial Berm at Fort Myers Beach, Florida by Katherine E. Brutsche and Ping Wang PURPOSE: This Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) documents the sediment characteristics and first year morphological evolution of an artificial berm placed just offshore in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, based on a series of field data collection periods during the first year after the berm construction. INTRODUCTION: Maintenance dredging is a common practice in inlets and channels for navigation. As a part of regional sediment management, the dredged material is often used for nearby shore protection. One method is placing sand directly on the adjacent beach. The other is placement of a nearshore berm, i.e., to add sediment to the littoral system and/or act as a breakwater to dissipate wave energy and slow erosion (Allison and Pollock, 1993). Compared to beach fill, berm nourishment may have the advantage of being less costly with more lenient restrictions on the dredged material. Artificial nearshore berms can be categorized depending on their dynamics or intended purpose. Hands and Allison (1991) defined two types of berms based on mobility. Stable berms are those that remain at the placement site and retain most of their volume over several years. Active berms show movement and changes within a few months. Hands and Allison (1991) and Hallermeier (1981) suggested that wave climate and closure depth are good indicators of whether a berm would be active or stable. Aidala et al. (1996) and Work and Otay (1996) indicated that bottom shear stress and horizontal bed velocities are also good indicators of berm stability. McLellan and Kraus (1991) describe design guidance for two different types of berm: a feeder berm and a stable berm. A Feeder berm is placed in such a way that under accretionary wave action, sediment will be added to the

PR, IFPRI3; ISI; CRP4; HarvestPlus, HarvestPlus; A4NH, CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH)

Roberts syndrome (RBS) and SC phocomelia are caused by mutations in ESCO2, which codes for an acetyltransferase involved in the regulation of sister chromatid cohesion. Of 26 mutations described to date, only one missense mutation has been reported and all others are predicted to be truncating mutations. Genotype-phenotype analysis has been hampered by limited numbers of patients with clinical information available.

Roberts syndrome (RBS) and SC phocomelia are caused by mutations in ESCO2, which codes for an acetyltransferase involved in the regulation of sister chromatid cohesion. Of 26 mutations described to date, only one missense mutation has been reported and all others are predicted to be truncating mutations. Genotype-phenotype analysis has been hampered by limited numbers of patients with clinical information available.

Aim To analyze the association of estrogen receptor α (ORα) gene polymorphisms with cytokine genes expression in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and controls. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted and polymorphisms of XbaІ (XX, Xx, or xx genotype) and PvuII (PP, Pp, or pp) in intron 1 of ORα gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) method. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-4, interferon (IFN)-γ, and IL-2 were assessed by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results In patients with SLE with PpXx genotype, IL-10 and IL-4 mRNA expression was higher (P < 0.001 and P = 0.013, respectively), while in patients with SLE with Ppxx genotype IFN-γ and IL-2 mRNA expression was lower than in controls (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in mRNA expression of 4 cytokines among controls with various genotypes. Conclusion ORα gene polymorphism may be associated with the expression of IL-10, IL-4, IL-2, and IFN-γ in patients with SLE.