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While animals navigating the real world face a barrage of sensory input, their brains evolved to perceptually compress multidimensional information by selectively extracting the features relevant for survival. Notably, communication signals supporting social interactions in several mammalian species consist of acoustically complex sequences of vocalisations. However, little is known about what information listeners extract from such time-varying sensory streams. Here, we utilise female mice's natural behavioural response to male courtship songs to identify the relevant acoustic dimensions used in their social decisions. We found that females were highly sensitive to disruptions of song temporal regularity and preferentially approached playbacks of intact over rhythmically irregular versions of male songs. In contrast, female behaviour was invariant to manipulations affecting the songs' sequential organisation or the spectro-temporal structure of individual syllables. The results reveal temporal regularity as a key acoustic cue extracted by mammalian listeners from complex vocal sequences during goal-directed social behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Quebec, the fluvial dynamics of the Escoumins River have been disturbed by the forestry industry for over a century. Most specifically, a dam was built near the mouth of the river in 1846 and dismantled in 2013. These disturbances had significant repercussions on the equilibrium of the river and Atlantic salmon habitat. This study therefore proposes to characterize the fluvial dynamics of the Escoumins River and to analyze the impacts of the dam dismantling from the perspective of restoring hydrogeomorphological processes and improving Atlantic salmon habitat. The results suggest that the trajectory of the river evolved differently depending on the fluvial style and the grain size composition of each of its homogeneous segments. However, log drive activities in river and dam removal appear to have been the most important controlling factors on the evolution of the stream trajectory. The dismantling notably allowed the restoration of hydrogeomorphological processes and the free movement of salmonids. A better procedure for dam removal and monitoring should be put in place in Canada to encourage this practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive Theories of emotions have enjoyed great popularity in recent times. Allegedly, the so-called Perceptual Theory constitutes the most attractive version of this approach. However, the Perceptual Theory has come under increasing pressure. There are at least two ways to deal with the barrage of objections, which have been mounted against the Perceptual Theory. One is to argue that the objections work only if one assumes an overly narrow conception of what perception consists in. On a better and more liberal understanding of perception, the objections lose their force. The other is to stress that the differences between emotions and sensory perceptions can be explained by focusing on a new analogy. As I will argue, emotions have interesting similarities with magnitude representations, such as the representation of distance. Such representations are plausibly thought to be analog and non-conceptual, but by contrast to sensory perceptions, such as colour perceptions, they do not lie at the sensory periphery. This new analogy makes room for a novel and attractive theory of emotions, the Receptive Theory, which allows for a positive and epistemologically fruitful characterization of emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study analyzes trends of extreme flows for the Krishna river at the Prakasam barrage, Vijayawada of Andhra Pradesh state, India. Annual maximum and minimum flows are considered using available data from the CWC (Central Water Commission) portal from 1965–1966 to 2019–2020. The trend analysis of extreme flows is carried out using the Mann-Kendall trend test, Sen's slope, and modified Mann-Kendall test, that is, bootstrapped Mann-Kendall trend test with optional bias-corrected pre-whitening. Also, R programming is applied for the trend analysis of extreme flows. Extreme annual flows are in decreasing trend. Annual maximum flow has significant decreasing trend with Sen's slope of 105.52 cumecs per year. Annual minimum flow has insignificant decreasing trend at a magnitude of 0.0002 cumecs per year. Trend results of the present study are useful for the trend analysis of extreme river flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa's infrastructure has faced a barrage of security attacks that has led to the promulgation of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA) No. 8 of 2019. Residual risk (i.e., that which remains after the threats have been mitigated) must be assessed for the critical infrastructure security system as part of the total security system design. One area that requires attention is access control. This paper demonstrates how to approach such a design, with a particular focus on the effectiveness of the access control system and how to choose the biometric or digital key (such as access cards) system. The approach starts by defining access control events that in turn are used to define access control effectiveness in respect of the probability of invalid access and of anomaly detection. The theoretically derived results are validated by a simulation. Based on these models, guidance is provided for the design of access control for critical infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The efficacy of additional barrage laser posterior to ridge in advanced stage 3 or stage 4 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is established, but its role in early stages is not defined. The objective was to study the efficacy of additional posterior barrage laser in type I zone 2 disease. Methods: In a randomized trial, patients with type I zone 2 ROP were recruited between February 2016 and May 2017. One eye of each baby was randomized into study and control groups, respectively. Laser photocoagulation anterior to ridge was given in the control group, and additional posterior barrage laser was performed in the study group. The outcome measures were time to complete ridge regression and final cycloplegic refraction at 3 months post-laser. Results: Forty patients (40 eyes per group) completed the required follow-up. The mean birth weight and gestational age were 1357 ± 338 g and 29.72 ± 2.57 weeks, respectively. The mean post-conceptional age during laser was 36.67 ± 3.23 weeks. The number of eyes achieving ridge regression in control and study groups was 8/40 (20%) and 27/40 (67%) at 2 weeks (P = 0.001) and 39/40 (97%) and 40/40 (100%) at 4 weeks (P = 0.4). The mean time to complete ridge regression was 3.74 ± 1.17 weeks and 2.62 ± 0.91 weeks in control and study groups, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean spherical equivalent at 12 weeks in control and study groups was -1.9 ± 2.3 Diopters and -2.4 ± 2.6 Diopters, respectively (P = 0.41). Conclusions: Additional posterior barrage laser leads to significantly faster regression of type 1 zone 2 ROP without increasing induced myopia and thereby might be a useful adjunct to conventional treatment in selected cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operation of water structures causes various problems. They are related, for example, to the material carried by the water, hydrological conditions, range of operation of hydroelectric turbines, or water elevations at the lower position of the hydroelectric power plant. Among the various operational problems, this article focuses mainly on the impact of the backwater of Gwda river on the water level elevations at the lower station of the Stary Młyn hydropower plant in Dobrzyca. The power plant is located on Głomia river. The analysis was carried out for different flow variants in both the Gwda and Głomia rivers. The effect of characteristic flows on the water surface level at the lower station of the hydropower plant was examined. It was found that the water surface level at the lower station of the hydropower plant is strongly influenced by flows higher than the average high flow on Gwda river. Due to the extent of the backwater in current operating conditions, the hydroelectric power plant is shut down from flows on Gwda river of 30–28 m3/s (flows that are not much higher than the multi-year average SSQ). The modeling results were confirmed by an analysis of power plant shutdowns of normal operation especially in wet years, when the plant did not operate for almost half of the year (188 days), with losses of 203 MWh. It was also shown that even a small additional damming of water, e.g., of the order of 0.2 m, can extend the operating time of a power plant up to 249 days even under unfavorable hydrological conditions. Factors related to climate change are beginning to play an increasingly important role in the current operating conditions of small lowland hydroelectric power plants. They can contribute to a reduction in electricity production. The proposed solution related to the possibility of greater water retention on dammed-up water barrages allows one to partially offset these problems as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trapezoidal profiled weirs and barrages are employed extensively in agrarian countries like India and Pakistan for diverting river water for canal-fed irrigation. The downstream slope of a weir is designed as 1V∶3H , although in some older structures, slopes as mild as 1V∶5H are noticed. Downstream slopes of 1V∶5H also exist for the barrages on the Nile in Egypt and in the standard Crump weir used in the UK and some European countries. This study explores the effect of the downstream slope of a short-crested trapezoidal weir on its flow hydraulics and conveyance properties. Irrigation barrages and weirs, apart from diverting water to a canal, also help in measuring the discharge of a river, which is a function of the up- and downstream water levels. For large discharges during floods, the gates of a barrage are withdrawn to ensure an uncontrolled flow that may either be free or submerged, depending on the downstream water level. Although past studies on uncontrolled flows have recognized the effect of the upstream slope of a weir on the coefficient of discharge, Cd , this study establishes that it is also influenced by a weir's downstream slope. An equation of Cd for free flows and a flow reduction factor for submerged flows are proposed considering both weir-face angles. For free flows, Cd is seen to increase with the steepness of a weir's downstream slope; for submerged flows, the discharge reduction factor is observed to improve as the slope becomes milder, leading to a greater conveyance. Data from our own laboratory experiments, past publications, and results derived from a 2D RANS-VOF multiphase computational fluid dynamics model are used in arriving at the conclusions reported in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study was conducted from November 2021 to March 2022 covering Bheemgoda Barrage and the adjacent Ganga Valley area at Haridwar and Asan Barrage at Dehradun, India. The Results indicated that a total of 81 species of waterbirds from 20 families were recorded during the study period. Out of these, a total of 28 winters visitor, 16 resident migratory and 37 residents' avian species were reported. The family Anatidae was the most dominant family with the maximum number of species (11), and its relative diversity index was also found to be the highest (relative diversity index = 14.8). The value of Bird species Richness was found highest (7.2) at Missarpur Ganga ghat as compared to Bheemgoda Barrage (5.4) and Asan conservation reserve (5.2), respectively. In addition, the value of Birds' species diversity was also highest (2.8) in Missarpur Ganga ghat as compared to Bheemgoda Barrage (1.9) and Asan conservation reserve (1.6). A total of six species were observed during the study period to fall under the Near Threatened category, one species falls in the vulnerable, and one species, namely Pallas Fish Eagle, is endangered according to the IUCN Red data book. The present study provided baseline information about the waterbirds of these wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of flow over various steps behind the hydraulic structures, such as weirs, dams, spillways, barrages, and flood gates, is still of particular interest to researchers due to the complexity of flow characteristics and sediment behaviors at near-bed region. This study investigates the effect of various inclined backward-facing step (BFS) angles on near-bed turbulent flow structures and bedload transport rate in surface jet flow regime. A combined numerical technique of large eddy simulation and discrete element method, based on the open sources package OpenFOAM, is employed. The validation of the numerical model shows a good agreement between the simulation results and observed data obtained from different experiments. The simulation results reveal that the flow does not form a separation zone when the BFS angle is less than 20 ° , wherein the near-bed turbulence intensity is insufficient to induce substantial sediment movements. As the step angle is increased to a certain value (20 °), the separation flow is formed. Consequently, the near-bed turbulence intensity is significantly increased due to the splat effect, and the sediment flux is also drastically increased. As the BFS angle further increases to 30 ° and 90 ° , the reattachment length is extended without notable changes in maximum turbulence intensity near the bed. The peaks of the mean bedload transport rate are located further downstream along the extended reattachment length. The quadrant analysis for bedload transport is performed to quantify the interactions between the flow and sediment movement. The results demonstrate that the sweep event plays significant role in moving most sediment to downstream of the reattachment point. On the other hand, right upstream of the reattachment point, the burst becomes the dominant turbulence event to move the majority of the sediment backward in the upstream direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiographic and hydrologic complexities play major role in determining the habitat suitability for river dolphins. However, dams and other water development structures alter hydrologic regimes that degrade habitat conditions. For the three extant species of obligate freshwater dolphins, namely: Amazon dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), Ganges dolphin (Platanista gangetica), and Indus dolphin (Platanista minor), the threat is high as dams and water‐based infrastructure dotted throughout their distribution range impact dolphin populations by restricting their movement. But there is also evidence of localized increase in dolphin population in certain segments of habitats affected by such hydrologic alterations. Hence, the impacts of hydrologic alterations on dolphin distribution are not as binary as it seems. We aimed to ascertain the role of hydrologic and physiographic complexities in determining the distribution of the dolphins in their geographic ranges using density plot analysis and also to understand how hydrologic alterations in the rivers affect their distribution using a combination of density plot analysis and review of literature. The influence of some of the study variables such as distance to confluence and sinuosity was similar across species—for instance, all three dolphin species preferred slightly sinuous river segments and habitats near confluences. However, varying influences across species were observed for some other variables such as river order and river discharge. We assessed 147 cases of impacts of hydrological alterations on dolphin distribution by categorizing the reported impacts in nine broad types out of which habitat fragmentation accounted for the majority of the impacts (35%) followed by habitat reduction (24%). These endangered species of freshwater megafauna will experience further intensified pressures as more large‐scale hydrologic modifications such as damming and diversion of rivers are underway. In this context, basin‐scale water‐based infrastructural development planning should take into consideration the salient ecological requirements of these species to ensure their long‐term survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chestnut blight, caused by Cryphonectria parasitica, is a severe disease that may be biologically controlled by the use of hypovirulent strains, but the diversity of the pathogen population affects biocontrol feasibility. Villuercas–Ibores–Jara, the Jerte Valley and La Vera are the main chestnut production districts in Cáceres (central-western Spain). The purpose of this study is to determine the Vegetative Compatibility Groups (VCGs) and mating types in these districts and to identify hypovirulent isolates to be used in biological control. The VCGs were determined by the merging/barrage response; PCR tests were used for the mating type determination and CHV-1 hypovirus detection. In total, 40 sites were surveyed and 269 isolates were obtained, most of them (227) from the Villuercas–Ibores–Jara district, where EU11 was the predominant VCG (88.1%) with EU1 (6.6%) and EU12 (4.4%) being also present. In the Jerte Valley and La Vera, EU1 (61.9%), EU11 (11.9%) and EU12 (11.9%) were the predominant VCGs. Both mating types were detected (48% MAT-1; 50% MAT-2) and in general, only one mating type was found in each site. The presence of Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV-1), subtype I, was identified in only one isolate (VCG EU11) from Villuercas–Ibores–Jara. The characteristics of the C. parasitica population in this district and the occurrence of CHV-1 hypovirus support the potential of successful biological control in Villuercas–Ibores–Jara using hypovirulent strains, while in the Jerte Valley and La Vera only preventive measures are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the modulation of tiny frequency offset on the array elements, a frequency diverse array (FDA) jammer can generate multiple range-dimension point false targets, and many deception jamming methods against SAR using an FDA jammer have been studied. However, the potential of the FDA jammer to generate barrage jamming has rarely been reported. In this paper, a barrage jamming method against SAR using an FDA jammer is proposed. To achieve two-dimensional (2-D) barrage effect, the stepped frequency offset of FDA is introduced to generate range-dimensional barrage patches, and the micro-motion modulation is employed to increase the extent of barrage patches along the azimuth direction. Mathematical derivations and simulation results demonstrate the validity of the proposed method in generating flexible and controllable barrage jamming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-division multiple access (TDMA)-based medium access control (MAC) protocol has been widely used for avoiding access conflicts in wireless multi-hop ad hoc networks, where the time synchronization among wireless nodes is essential. In this paper, we propose a novel time synchronization protocol for TDMA-based cooperative multi-hop wireless ad hoc networks, which are also called barrage relay networks (BRNs). The proposed time synchronization protocol is based on cooperative relay transmissions to send time synchronization messages. We also propose a network time reference (NTR) selection technique for improving the convergence time and average time error. In the proposed NTR selection technique, each node overhears the user identifier (UID) of other nodes, hop count (HC) from them to itself, and network degree, which denotes the number of 1-hop neighbor nodes. Then, the node with the minimum HC from all other nodes is selected as the NTR node. If there are multiple nodes with the minimum HC, the node with the larger degree is selected as the NTR node. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed time synchronization protocol with the NTR selection is introduced for the first time for cooperative (barrage) relay networks in this paper. Through computer simulations, we validate the proposed time synchronization protocol in terms of the average time error under various practical network scenarios. Furthermore, we also compare the performance of the proposed protocol with the conventional time synchronization methods. It is shown that the proposed protocol significantly outperforms the conventional methods in terms of the average time error and convergence time. The proposed protocol is shown to be more robust against packet loss as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to assess the changes in the community structure, diversity, and composition of sediment bacteria in a shallow lake, Najafgarh Lake (NL), that receives untreated sewage effluent through drains connected to it. These changes were analyzed by comparing the sediment bacterial community structure of NL to the sediment bacterial community structure of Dhansa Barrage (DB), which receives no such effluents. 16S rRNA amplicon was used for bacterial community analysis. Water and sediment samples were also analyzed and compared revealing high conductivity, ammonia, nitrite content, and low dissolved oxygen in NL. The organic matter content is also higher in the sediments of NL. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria are the predominant phyla in both sites and account for 91% of total bacterial abundance in DB and only 77% in the case of NL. Proteobacteria have the highest relative abundance, accounting for around 42% of the total bacterial population in the case of DB and Firmicutes has the highest relative abundance in Najafgarh at 30%. The diversity analysis found significant differences in the community structure at the two sites. The variation in the bacterial communities in the two wetlands is significantly associated with two water parameters (conductivity and temperature) and two sediment parameters (Sediment Nitrogen and Sediment Organic Matter). Correlation Analysis showed that high ammonia, nitrite, and conductance in NL resulted in bacterial communities shifting towards phyla abundant in degraded ecosystems like Acidobacteria, Choloroflexi, Caldiserica, Aminicenantes, Thaumarchaeota, and Planctomycetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomously firing GABAergic neurons in the external globus pallidus (GPe) form a local synaptic network. In slices, most GPe neurons receive a continuous inhibitory synaptic barrage from 1 or 2 presynaptic GPe neurons. We measured the barrage's effect on the firing rate and regularity of GPe neurons in male and female mice using perforated patch recordings. Silencing the firing of parvalbumin-positive (PV+) GPe neurons by activating genetically expressed Archaerhodopsin current increased the firing rate and regularity of PV- neurons. In contrast, silencing Npas11 GPe neurons with Archaerhodopsin had insignificant effects on Npas1- neuron firing. Blocking spontaneous GABAergic synaptic input with gabazine reproduced the effects of silencing PV+ neuron firing on the firing rate and regularity of Npas11 neurons and had similar effects on PV+ neuron firing. To simulate the barrage, we constructed conductance waveforms for dynamic clamp based on experimentally measured inhibitory postsynaptic conductance trains from 1 or 2 unitary local connections. The resulting inhibition replicated the effect on firing seen in the intact active network in the slice. We then increased the number of unitary inputs to match estimates of local network connectivity in vivo. As few as 5 unitary inputs produced large increases in firing irregularity. The firing rate was also reduced initially, but PV+ neurons exhibited a slow spike-frequency adaptation that partially restored the rate despite sustained inhibition. We conclude that the irregular firing pattern of GPe neurons in vivo is largely due to the ongoing local inhibitory synaptic barrage produced by the spontaneous firing of other GPe neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El-Gendi Fortress is a unique geo-archaeological site in Sinai, Egypt. It reflects the progress of the Islamic military architecture during Saladin's reign (Salah ad-din al Ayyubi), the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty (1174-1260AD). The fortress's location met two major geo-criteria. One is geographical; it is located on a mound 655 m above sea level (a.s.l) and 152 m above El-Tih El-plateau; this elevation contributes to the exploration of the surrounding areas and provides the fortress with a strong defensive position against the Crusaders' invasions of Egypt (1163–1169 AD). The second is Hydro-geological; it provides exceptional access to both meteoric surface (via barrages) and groundwater (through Sudr spring). The latter is from deep aquifers of the Nubian sandstones (Malha Formation) across the fractured carbonates (Raha and Sudr Formations of Cenomanian to Maastrichtian age). Such water was accumulated since the Pleistocene pluvial age until the fortress' most recent use. The barrages' location upstream of a sub-basin "a" at Wadi Sudr, in a similar direction to the deep ditch side, confirms that the priority of their design is to protect the region from flash flood risks and to store water on a relatively flat-lying land. The study reveals that the fortress' geographical location is used to safeguard the Hajj route in central Sinai and to provide facilities for pilgrims' caravans when they travel from North Africa to Mecca. The study concludes that the fortress should be a part of the Sinai tourism itinerary and promoted globally as a geo-archaeological site for Geo-tourism. In addition, the government should implement a strategy for conserving, rehabilitating, and managing the heritage sites, to improve facilities and increase public awareness of these sites to maximize the outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many old barrages along the Nile River face different problems, such as increased discharge or/and differences in head, scour, and material aging. Therefore, the irrigation networks need to be enhanced by upgrading the main controlling water structure, especially on the Nile River. As a result of examining the structural integrity of the main Nile River barrages, the decision was made to replace many of the Nile river's defected barrages, with the exception of Zefta barrage, which was rehabilitated. The decision to rehabilitate Zefta barrage was chosen according to the structural status, affected area, and expected life after repair. Moreover, the decision was taken after comparing the cost of replacement and rehabilitation of the barrage. Heavy massive shear deformation stiffened structures are rarely tested by implementing such techniques contrary to elastic structures such as bridges. This study aims mainly to evaluate the structural status of Zefta barrage before and after recent rehabilitation using dynamic tests. This paper presents the collected structural data and test results of the Zefta barrage. The results indicate that the recent rehabilitation of the Zefta barrage significantly influences structural behaviour and barrage safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the neural correlates of visual serial dependence has lagged behind the behavioral understanding. A new study in PLOS Biology provides a model of interpreting the complex relationship between physiology and behavior in studies of serial dependence. Our senses are barraged with discontinuous and uncertain visual input, but the brain smooths experience by making perception serially dependent. Neural correlates of this have been elusive but this Primer explores a new PLOS Biology study that provides a model for interpreting the complex relationship between physiology and behavior in studies of serial dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travertine is widespread in karst terrains, and less so elsewhere, and some of its varieties constitute spectacular landforms, many of which become popular visitor sites for geologists and non‐geologists alike. Among the many forms of travertine, barrages are the most spectacular, especially where they still have streams or rivers cascading over them. Carbonate travertine is polygenetic, both chemical and organic, and both karstic and geothermal, with a full range of sites between those extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of submergence on the head loss of flow over weirs of finite crest length with upstream and downstream ramp, HT ht , can be calculated by employing energy equation between the upstream and downstream of the weir as HT ht (4) The left-hand side of Eq. (4) is the upstream head, HT ht . The proposed model is applicable for a wide range of normalized water head, HT ht . [Extracted from the article]

Hyperexcitable Superior Colliculus and Fatal Brainstem Spreading Depolarization in a Model of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy Cain SM, Bernier LP, Zhang Y, Yung AC, Kass J, Bohnet B, Yang Y, Gopaul R, Kozlowski P, MacVicar BA, Snutch TP. Brain Commun. 2022;4(2):fcac006. doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcac006 Cardiorespiratory arrest and death in mouse models of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy occur when spreading depolarization (SD) is triggered by cortical seizures and then propagates to the brainstem. However, the critical brain regions and the specific changes required to allow SD to propagate to the brainstem under the relatively rare circumstances leading to a fatal seizure are unknown. We previously found that following cortical seizure-inducing electrical stimulation, SD could occur in both the superior and inferior colliculi in Cacna1aS218L mice, but was never observed in wild-type animals or following non-seizure-inducing stimuli in Cacna1aS218L mice. Here, we show that optogenetic stimulation of the superior/inferior colliculi in Cacna1aS218L mice induces severe seizures, and resulting SD in the superior/inferior colliculi that propagates to the brainstem and correlates with the respiratory arrest followed by cardiac arrest. Further, we show that neurons of the superior colliculus in Cacna1aS218L mice exhibit hyperexcitable properties that we propose underlie a distinct susceptibility to SD. Our data suggest that the susceptibility of the superior colliculus to elicit fatal SD is a result of either genetic or seizure-related alterations within the superior colliculus that may involve changes to structure, connectivity and/or excitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan managed extensive canal irrigation systems and has 19 Ramsar sites. Almost 27,977 fish species are present globally; there are 786 marine and 171 freshwater fishes in Pakistan. Fish diversity and distribution are closely related to various factors i.e. depth of water, availability of food, topography, breeding sites, and physicochemical features. Therefore, it is necessary to study the diversity of ichthyofauna in various regions and elevations. So, this study was planned to examine the fish diversity of Chashma Barrage to include more data related to fish diversity and distribution. Data were collected both by direct (physical count) and indirect methods (meeting with local people of Chashma Barrage) to find out fish diversity of Chashma Reservoir, Mianwali, from April 2016 to March 2017. In the current study, 1089 fish specimens of 21 species were documented from Chashma Barrage monthly. The Shannon-wiener Index (H') was recorded as 2.17, Simpson Index (S) was 0.16, Richness (R) was 20.67 and Evenness (E) was 0.712. It is concluded that study area has high diversity of fishes. Chashma Barrage is an important wetland for fishes, it should be declared as Ramsar site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of avian species diversity and abundance at the Taunsa Barrage Ramsar site was carried out from September 2019 to March 2020. Taunsa Barrage is an important wetland for international and local migratory birds, including waterfowls, waders, and long-distance migrant avifauna. Data were collected by direct counts made on four-point transects representing a disturbance gradient due to humans and different habitats. Species diversity indices, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and other statistical methods were used to analyze data. A total of 150 avian species of 19 orders and 53 families were recorded. These included 66 migrant species and 84 resident species. The spotting of ten globally threatened species also highlights the importance of wetland for avian species. On average, 1511 ± 373 (mean ± SD) species of birds were recorded every month. Shannon's diversity index indicated that Transect Point 2 had higher species diversity ( H ′ = 3.779), followed by Transect Points 3, 4, and 1 ( H ′ = 3.769 , H ′ = 3.491 , and H ′ = 3.457 , respectively). Evenness index showed that birds evenly distributed in September (E = 0.5584) than November (E = 0.310 9). ANOVA showed a significant difference (F = 4.800 , df = 3 , P = 0.002) of avian diversity and abundance among the transect points. But there was no statistically significant interaction between months (F = 1.23 , df = 6 , P = 0.233). The results showed that the Taunsa Barrage Ramsar site harbors plenty of resident migratory and threatened bird species. Hence, it is important to protect its habitat and need to protect avian diversity by overcoming major threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The River Tamas is a right-bank tributary of the River Ganga flowing through the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, India. It originates in Jhukehi village in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh and after 268 km it joins with the River Ganga at Sirsa, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The river has a diverse habitat and harbours a variety of flora and fauna. More than 70 fish species reside in the river, along with other biotic communities. A barrage, named Tons and situated at Bakiya village, was commissioned in 1992 for hydro-electric purposes. The continuity and volume of water in the river have been disturbed due to the construction of this barrage and it has changed the ecology and biodiversity. Keeping the ecosystem intact requires that environmental flow calculations be made of the river at the barrage. An attempt has been made to estimate the environmental flow requirement using a desktop hydrological method. Based on the flow duration curve (a hydrological method of flow estimation), the environmental flow for the River Tamas has been calculated using Global Environmental Flow Calculator software. Our calculation are based on flow discharge data received from the Tons Barrage Authority at Bakiya for the period January 2006 to December 2017. Average annual discharge was calculated from the recorded maximum (151.46 cumecs in 2016) and the minimum, 13.53 cumecs in 2007. Mean Annual Runoff was calculated as 1607 Million Cubic Meter with Coefficient of Variation =0.799. To maintain the river in the "slightly modified" class of Environmental Management Class, 27.8 % of Mean Annual Runoff discharge should be released into the river to largely maintain the biodiversity and habitat, while about 57% of Mean Annual Runoff discharge is required to maintain this river in pristine condition. This is a preliminary study to determine the water requirements for healthy habitat and biodiversity of the Tamas river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a river with seasonal ice covers, river ice effects must be considered in the design and operation of water control structures such as dams, barrages, and spillways. The regulation of flow and the water levels of rivers and reservoirs have several hydrological, socio-economic, and ecological effects. Regulation alters river-ice regimes by modifying the temporal and spatial characteristics of flow, water level, and thermal regimes in a watercourse. Removal of a water control structure and reservoir can eliminate some problems, but create new problems in areas where environmental or development conditions have changed. Therefore, thorough review of proposals to regulate (or remove regulation on) a river with seasonal ice covers is necessary. The effects of regulation on ice conditions and vice-versa are reviewed in this paper. Although considerable progress has been made during recent years, adequate understanding of the effects of river-ice interaction with structures and the effect of regulation on geomorphology, people, and aquatic habitat requires additional research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays translators have countless resources to assist them in their task. Knowing how to use these resources is part of the instrumental sub-competence (HURTADO ALBIR, 2005, 2015a, 2015b; PACTE, 2009). Undoubtedly, it is necessary to have translation competence to surf amid a barrage of material, much of which is made available in electronic format. But if, on the one hand, translators need to know how to use the resources offered to them, on the other, it is necessary to develop material that is practical, effective and reliable. The lack of reference material to deal with the translation of medical abbreviations was the basis for the creation of a (Portuguese/English) bilingual glossary of abbreviations in the field of rheumatology. Although these shortened forms are recurrent in the medical text, they continue to challenge translators. This article describes some of the phases of the creation of this glossary and discusses the relationship between the preparation of reference material and the instrumental sub-competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every physician encounters a barrage of direct-to-consumer and direct-to-physician advertising and is faced with the daunting task of deciding which drugs to add to their clinical armamentarium and how and when to add them. The purpose of this Points to Remember is to present a commonsense approach to incorporating newer drugs, or perhaps new indications for older drugs, into our clinical practice. To illustrate these points, this article focuses on a single drug, empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor that has been highly marketed in lay and medical media and hence has been incorporated into professional society treatment guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal stream turbines are becoming an affordable option for harvesting sustainable energy in coastal areas. They can be retrofitted in barrages, providing an integral solution for flood protection and emission-free power generation, within environmental constraints. To optimize the turbine-barrage configuration with respect to these objectives, simulation tools are needed to predict the efficiency of the turbines as well as their impact on the adjacent tidal system. These tools should be based on an accurate representation of the underlying flow processes, which cover a wide range of spatial scales — from meters at the barrage and turbines to tenths of kilometers in the tidal basin. This article presents the development of such a tool by linking an analytical model for turbine fences in barrage gates to a regional flow model. The turbine model is validated with experimental data, and data from a thoroughly monitored tidal energy pilot project. Simulations reveal how clustering the turbines in small arrays can increase their efficiency, owing to array blockage effects, with only little effect on the tidal exchange. We also demonstrate the potential of using turbine fences to manipulate the tidal jet, issued from the barrage, with benefits for coastal — and wildlife protection in the basin. The presented research helps understanding how turbine fences in barrages can be configured with high energy yield and calculated impact to the environment. [Display omitted] • The performance of tidal fences in a barrage is governed by turbine-gate bypass flows. • Computing the performance involves the coupling of a range of spatial scales. • Using interior boundaries with a locally refined mesh proves valid for this purpose. • The method can be used to optimize the horizontal lay-out of tidal fences. • For the Eastern-Scheldt case the optimum is governed by array blockage and resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal stream turbines are becoming an affordable option for harvesting sustainable energy in coastal areas. They can be retrofitted in barrages, providing an integral solution for flood protection and emission-free power generation, within environmental constraints. To optimize the turbine-barrage configuration with respect to these objectives, simulation tools are needed to predict the efficiency of the turbines as well as their impact on the adjacent tidal system. These tools should be based on an accurate representation of the underlying flow processes, which cover a wide range of spatial scales — from meters at the barrage and turbines to tenths of kilometers in the tidal basin. This article presents the development of such a tool by linking an analytical model for turbine fences in barrage gates to a regional flow model. The turbine model is validated with experimental data, and data from a thoroughly monitored tidal energy pilot project. Simulations reveal how clustering the turbines in small arrays can increase their efficiency, owing to array blockage effects, with only little effect on the tidal exchange. We also demonstrate the potential of using turbine fences to manipulate the tidal jet, issued from the barrage, with benefits for coastal — and wildlife protection in the basin. The presented research helps understanding how turbine fences in barrages can be configured with high energy yield and calculated impact to the environment. [Display omitted] • The performance of tidal fences in a barrage is governed by turbine-gate bypass flows. • Computing the performance involves the coupling of a range of spatial scales. • Using interior boundaries with a locally refined mesh proves valid for this purpose. • The method can be used to optimize the horizontal lay-out of tidal fences. • For the Eastern-Scheldt case the optimum is governed by array blockage and resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Equatorial Shelf (BES) is one among the macrotidal regions worldwide. This study used a high-resolution numerical configuration of the ocean model ROMS (Regional Ocean Modeling System) forced with realistic surface and lateral forcing, as well as with tides and river discharges. Tidal heights of more than 2 m were found in three regions in BES due to the large tidal amplification across the estuarine channels inside each region: Amazon, Pará, and Maranhão, and for a considerable time fraction. Heights between 4 and 5 m occurred with a frequency greater than 20%–30% in some regions. All hypothetical barrages proposed in this study were capable of an annual power production, in two-way mode, higher than La Rance (533 GWh year−1, two-way operation, France) and Sihwa (553 GWh year−1, flood-only operation, South Korea), except one with the same production as Sihwa barrage. The installation effort was evaluated using the Gibrat ratio, the ratio between the length of the barrage and its annual energy production. Among the proposed barrages, the most efficient ones have an annual power generation greater than 1500 GWh year−1 and a Gibrat ratios between 1.17 and 3.26, much lower than the Gibrat ratio of Sihwa tidal barrage. • Tidal Heights between 4 and 5 m occurred with a frequency greater than 20–30%. • Most proposed barrages had an annual power production higher than La Rance. • The most efficient proposed barrages had a lower installation cost than Sihwa. • Brazilian Equatorial Shelf is a source of clean energy to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barrage weirs, which are trapezoidal-sectioned sharp-crested weirs having finite crest length, are primarily used in the Indian subcontinent for diverting water for irrigation. This study presents an investigative study on submerged flows over barrage weirs, as occurs during floods, and establishes correlations for determining the structure's coefficient of discharge using a two-dimensional (2D) Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes-volume of fluid (RANS-VOF) model, coupled with the renormalization group (RNG) k-ε equations. The study specifically examines the piezometric gauging technique, commonly employed in Crump weirs, for estimating the discharge reduction factor of irrigation barrage weirs under submergence and compares the results with those obtained by the traditional tailwater gauging method. The results establish a unique correlation between the discharge reduction factor and the ratio of the piezometric head at a point immediately downstream of the weir crest and the total pressure head at a location on the upstream face of the weir. The method promises a more accurate estimate of the submerged discharge capacity for the barrage weirs than the conventional procedure. The study also suggests that a steeper upstream slope of a weir potentially leads to greater reduction in discharge under submergence. Further, for a given upstream weir face slope, the discharge reduction varies inversely with the relative crest length. The submergence rate at the modular limit is found to be in the range of 0.70–0.78. The modular limit, however, is found to be independent of the upstream face slope. The accuracy and reliability of the computed results are ensured by conducting relevant grid convergence analyses and validating the results of numerical simulations against experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nature, species interacts/competes with one other within their surrounding for food and space and the type of interactions are unique to each species. The interacting partners secrete different metabolites, which may have high importance in human welfare. Fungal–fungal interactions are complex mechanisms that need better understanding. Here, 14 fungal isolates were facilitated in 105 possible combinations to interact on potato dextrose agar. Morphologically, no changes were observed when the same fungal isolates were allowed to interact within them. However, 10 interactions between different fungal isolates showed mutual replacement with each fungus; capturing territory from the other. Contrastingly, 35 interactions resulted into complete replacement as one of the fungi was inhibited by rapid growth of the other fungus. In 46 interactions, formation of barrage was observed leading to deadlock type of interaction wherein both fungi have restricted growth. To study in details about the barrage formation, two fungal interactions were taken (i) T. coccinea vs. L. lactinea and (ii) T. coccinea vs. T. versicolor. Microscopic changes in the hyphal growth during interaction were observed. There was significant increase in the enzymatic activities including cellulase, xylanase and chitinase during in-vitro fungal–fungal interaction, suggesting the importance of such interactions for commercial enzyme production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leader‐follower and intra‐group dynamics are analyzed for two large groups who participated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol building. Psychotic, projective and introjective defenses are seen to have increasingly developed within these groups in the months leading up to the Insurrection. These were amplified by three incendiary forces: escalating feelings of victimization, an undermining of a sense of truth and of trust in the national government, and an amplification of false messages by social media barrages. This exploration uses as data the multiple reports of journalists who witnessed the Capitol uprising or who conducted individual interviews with group members, as well as reports from the U.S. Department of Justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a simple but efficient bilevel multiobjective model (BLMOM) has been formulated for the optimal allocation of available water (AW) among competing water users. Upper-level decision makers (DMs), being the leader in the hierarchy (i.e., river authorities), allocate AW to lower-level DMs (i.e., canal authorities) based on equity and stability, whereas lower-level DMs allocate AW among competing users based on two single- and one multiobjective functions. The first objective function (OF1) maximizes the satisfaction rate (SR) of various water users, whereas the second objective function (OF2) maximizes the net economic benefits (NEB). The multiobjective function (OF12) maximizes the combined effect of the first two single objectives. The multiobjective function has been solved by using the simultaneous compromise constraint (SICCON) technique which creates a compromise between single-objective functions. The model was applied at Taunsa Barrage, Pakistan, for the optimal allocation of AW. Various scenarios were analyzed by varying priorities assigned to different objective functions and water users to evaluate the model applicability under various conditions. When OF1 was considered, maximum SR of 61% was achieved. In case of priority given to OF2, maximum NEB of 77 million USD was attained. However, in the case of OF12, both SR and NEB were maximized, whereas wheat, cotton, sugarcane, rice, onion and sunflower water users attained NEB of 14.36, 5.03, 22.96, 27.85, 1.34 and 0.13 million USD, respectively, with overall NEB of 72 million USD against satisfaction rate of 52%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces an effective flood control method in the downstream of a river through the optimal operation of a barrage that is connected with a sea. A new operating model for flood control of an estuary barrage that can comprehensively evaluate the intensive discharge through the floodgates at the estuary barrage during low tide and the flood propagation process in the downstream river system is proposed. The optimization method applied to the operating model of the barrage combines a one-dimensional hydrodynamic model to analyze the flood propagation process in river channels and a search algorithm based on an iterative method to organize the maximum discharge at the estuary barrage during the ebb tide periods. The proposed method was applied to the flood control of the Taedong River downstream in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and its effectiveness was shown and evaluated through modeling results. By imagining the downstream boundary of the river before and after the construction of the West Sea Barrage, the inundation simulation at the Taean gauging station in the downstream of the Taedong River for floods of different average recurrence interval (ARI) was achieved by employing the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop a new approach to build a functioning groundwater monitoring system by detecting a reduced set of observation wells (OWs) that optimally matches the hydraulic heads measured by other OWs within the field, namely as leader wells (LWs). The optimization models used in this work are the well-known genetic algorithm (GA) and modified genetic algorithm (MGA) and a new progressive combination (PC) model. Optimization was applied to achieve three sequential selection processes: best input combinations (BICk), LWs and core leader wells (CLWs). This approach was applied to the Assiut New Barrage (ANB), a megaproject located in Assiut city, Egypt. The results show that nine LWs among 33 OWs are adequate for regular monitoring, with a reduction ratio of 72.72%. Moreover, assigning CLWs among LWs increases the accuracy of fitting to existing OWs, and helps in understanding the spatial relationships among OWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]