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Poland is actively exploring the application of nuclear power as a substitute for its present reliance on fossil fuels for the generation of heat and electricity. This change reflects a calculated attempt to reduce carbon emissions, diversify the nation's energy sources, and enhance the sustainability of its energy infrastructure. However, the implementation of nuclear technology faces many challenges, such as radiation exposure, the production of radioactive waste, the off-site effects of nuclear accidents, and high capital costs. Addressing such nuclear-safety-related issues is crucial for nuclear technology's successful deployment. An extended analysis of the "coal-to-nuclear" process in terms of its safety has to be performed. Therefore, this review paper covers multidisciplinary studies related to the rollout of nuclear energy in Poland. The first stage of this study was the identification of the key areas of analysis, which included (i) formal requirements and recommendations imposed by international and national organizations on the process of designing and operating nuclear power systems; (ii) potential nuclear hazards for the personnel working at a nuclear reactor unit and the local population; (iii) the applied solutions of the security systems of a reactor itself, the steam turbine cycle, and the auxiliary infrastructure; and (iv) the management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. This methodology, developed based on a review of the literature and international standards, was tested for the selected country—Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Land-use effectiveness can be ensured by utilizing GIS and geostatistical tools in conjunction with land assessment methods to prevent soil erosion and salinization. This study employs a GIS-based LESA methodology, combined with geostatistics, to evaluate the land’s capacity to produce agricultural crops on calcareous soils. Land Evaluation for Agricultural Uses (LESA) key components are site assessment and land evaluation, with the former being non-soil-dependent and the latter being soil-dependent. Geostatical kriging was used to interpolate and generalize a GIS map of land capability. The study found that 27.88, 47.94, 18.76, and 5.41 % of the study area were unsuitable for crop farming, marginally suitable, moderately suitable, and highly suitable, respectively. Our research demonstrates that a flexible GIS framework can assist decision-makers in more accurately assessing land resources, including unsuitable, marginally-suitable, and reforested lands.

ABSTRACTThe rapid expansion of extensive brackish water aquaculture (BA) in Indonesia has created an urgent need to develop effective and reliable methods to evaluate and select sites suitable for aquaculture development. The lack of supporting spatial data at appropriate scales has limited the application of GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation methods (MCEs) in Indonesia. This study presents alternative fuzzy-based Geographic Information System (GIS) methods to evaluate and select sites suitable for extensive brackish water aquaculture. This study successfully produced fuzzy set maps from a water availability sub-model, a land conversion sub-model and a green belt buffer zone sub-model. With grades of membership, the fuzzy set maps provide smooth class boundary representation, which creates more options for decision-making than a map classified with crisp logic. Combining these sub-models produced an overall site suitability map at the scale of 1:50,000 for the study region. This final suitability map effectively excluded more than 95% of the unsuitable area for BA. This broad-scale site suitability assessment approach is a helpful planning tool to promote Indonesia’s sustainable development of extensive brackish water aquaculture. It identifies possible conflicts in land uses and considers conservation issues early in the planning process. The output can be used to scope research areas for more detailed investigations in countries where BA is a vital livelihood.

Abstract This paper aims to present the structural design and the rehabilitation process as well as the site assessment of the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the twelfth-century Grand Al-Nouri Mosque in Al-Nouri Complex, which is a part of the project Revive the Spirit of Mosul in Iraq. UNESCO launched the project Revive the Spirit of Mosul in February 2018 in order to reconstruct the old city after the destruction and looting from the wars with ISIS (Daesh) in 2017. Al-Nouri Complex includes the Great Al-Nouri Mosque and the 45-m-high Al-Hadba Minaret, which are the iconic historic landmarks of the old city of Mosul on the western side of the Tigris River, and it was built by Nur Al-Din Zengi during the twelfth century. Al-Nouri Mosque was reconstructed in 1942 using the original 40 octagonal Moslawi marble columns, and alabaster arches, the mihrab brought from the Ummayad Mosque in Mosul dates back to 956 AD, masonry stones, and a reinforced concrete roof. In this paper, the structural performance of Al-Nouri Mosque has been investigated through site observations, experimental tests, and structural analyses. Due to the several destructive earthquakes recorded around Mosul, a 3D finite element model of the whole mosque using a commercial finite element program has been developed considering the actual material properties and the effect of wind and seismic actions. Generally, the output results of the structural analysis models showed that the obtained compressive stress values did not exceed the compressive strength values defined for the original footing stones and Moslawi marble. Also, the recommended rehabilitation methodology was proposed to enhance the structural characteristics of the dome, the original Moslawi marble columns, and the old stone footings under the marble columns.

This paper aims to present the structural design and the rehabilitation process as well as the site assessment of the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the twelfth-century Grand Al-Nouri Mosque in Al-Nouri Complex, which is a part of the project Revive the Spirit of Mosul in Iraq. UNESCO launched the project Revive the Spirit of Mosul in February 2018 in order to reconstruct the old city after the destruction and looting from the wars with ISIS (Daesh) in 2017. Al-Nouri Complex includes the Great Al-Nouri Mosque and the 45-m-high Al-Hadba Minaret, which are the iconic historic landmarks of the old city of Mosul on the western side of the Tigris River, and it was built by Nur Al-Din Zengi during the twelfth century. Al-Nouri Mosque was reconstructed in 1942 using the original 40 octagonal Moslawi marble columns, and alabaster arches, the mihrab brought from the Ummayad Mosque in Mosul dates back to 956 AD, masonry stones, and a reinforced concrete roof. In this paper, the structural performance of Al-Nouri Mosque has been investigated through site observations, experimental tests, and structural analyses. Due to the several destructive earthquakes recorded around Mosul, a 3D finite element model of the whole mosque using a commercial finite element program has been developed considering the actual material properties and the effect of wind and seismic actions. Generally, the output results of the structural analysis models showed that the obtained compressive stress values did not exceed the compressive strength values defined for the original footing stones and Moslawi marble. Also, the recommended rehabilitation methodology was proposed to enhance the structural characteristics of the dome, the original Moslawi marble columns, and the old stone footings under the marble columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing adoption of solar power plants requires the consideration of different aspects involved in the transformation of landscape. In this view, recent studies encourage public engagement and landscape integration strategies in the decision-making process to ensure an accepted and inclusive energy transition. However, there is limited knowledge on how to include landscape considerations in the planning processes, specifically on public perception and values. This work aims to assess five licensed solar farms in the region of Central Macedonia (Greece) based on the opinion of the inhabitants. The paper presents the results of an online and onsite questionnaire administered in different villages around the study area in October 2022. The survey utilized the potential benefits and impacts, as well as siting criteria and spatial configuration strategies, taken from literature to describe public perception and preferences. The methodology consists of three phases: investigation of public perception on solar farms; operationalization of the results to make them spatially explicit; overall suitability of the areas and mitigation strategies. The results illustrate the prioritization of the perceived impacts and benefits of photovoltaic installations and highlight the different levels of suitability of the areas and possible mitigation measures. The proposed approach is complementary to the planning processes taking into account societal considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal plant design and management are critical components for the successful operation of farm-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. However, this often proves challenging due to difficulties in designing and sizing the plant based on specific site conditions. The current investigation aims to address these difficulties by developing a universal decision support tool to assist in the optimal design and management of agriculture-based AD plants, accounting for site-specific practicalities and implications. The tool consists of various mathematical functions, which enable numerous simulations to be created and run. The developed tool was applied to a case study, located in Ireland, to test its usefulness, where the analysis showed the optimal, site-specific, plant design with key assessment indicators. For this case study, the feedstock availability assessment determined that the lignocellulose and non-lignocellulose biomass within a 10 km distance of the site. Based on the local energy demand of the area, the tool modelled an optimal AD plant design, including feedstock storage, digester volume, engine capacity, and digestate storage. The tool applied various technical, economic, and ecological assessment indicators to the plant to gauge its viability. Therefore, demonstrating the tool's usefulness in assisting stakeholders to make informed decisions and reducing costs by optimising plant design and performance.

The seismic performance of monopiled offshore wind turbine (OWT) structures was evaluated numerically. The aim was to analyze offshore wind farm sites on complicated layered seabed with high seismicity. Following pile soil analysis (PISA) model, three-dimensional (3D) numerical evaluations were undertaken for two separate locations under two independent seismic events. The effects of pile diameter, depth, site impact owing to transverse soil layering, uni-directional and multi-directional seismic loading and seismic acceleration magnitude are presented. Dynamic impedance depth variation and site response analysis via lateral displacement, lateral soil response and Fourier response amplitude are explored in frequency and time domain. In a seismic zone with stratified soil, pile diameter has a greater influence. Variations in soil profile affect wind turbine performance and seismic sensitivity. This research will give a strong platform for later studies to recommend a safe wind farm site based on simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An urban site index is an approach for identifying site quality for optimal matching of urban tree tolerances to site conditions and for determining the efficacy of soil management actions. The Rapid Urban Site Index (RUSI) was previously developed and found to significantly relate to urban tree performance. However, the RUSI needs further testing to verify its accuracy in other urban tree populations. Furthermore, calibration of the RUSI with parameter weighting and additional parameters might also improve its accuracy. Methods: The objectives of this study are to: (1) evaluate the RUSI in 3 Wisconsin cities; (2) evaluate RUSI parameter weighting models to improve its accuracy; and (3) examine the addition of a labile organic matter indicator to the RUSI for detection of a soil management action. Results: The RUSI was found to significantly correlate to urban tree metrics in 3 Wisconsin cities (r = 0.29 to 0.31; n = 90). Parameter weighting increased significant correlation values between urban tree metrics and the RUSI model (r = 0.24 to 0.37; n = 90). The Solvita® soil respiration test detected differences in soils from a biosolids application (P = 0.0275), and its addition to the RUSI model improved significant correlation values to urban tree metrics (r = 0.27 to 0.38; n = 90). Conclusions: This research demonstrates effective approaches for RUSI refinement. These findings show the RUSI to be a valid approach for urban site assessment and demonstrate how the RUSI can be tailored and refined for use in specific urban tree populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic nutrient loading from land use, especially agriculture, is a major threat to waterbodies worldwide. Efforts to govern nutrient pollution are increasingly based on simulation modeling for research, evaluation, and regulation. This study develops a novel approach to simulate nutrient losses from agriculture applied to the Lake Champlain basin in the US state of Vermont. The Vermont Phosphorus-Index--a farm-based empirical model regularly used for site evaluation--is scaled up to the basin level with high-resolution geographic data and probabilistic estimation of unknown parameters and management practices. Results are comparable with analyses using more data and computationally intensive tools. Important insights into basin-wide management include: (1) nutrient-management planning can significantly reduce P losses in a livestock-agriculture-dominated watershed by re-distributing manure applications from areas of high loss to low loss; (2) hotspot identification from geographic data alone may be deeply complicated by high underlying heterogeneity of soil phosphorus; and (3) probabilistic modeling using simple, field-scale models is a potentially useful complement to complex watershed process models. Findings suggest that currently available best-management practices will likely be insufficient to reach reduction targets in the most impaired sub-watersheds. Reductions of agricultural land use and herd size, particularly in intensive dairy operations, may be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As wind is the basis of all wind energy projects, a precise knowledge about its availability is needed. For an analysis of the site-specific wind conditions, Virtual Meteorological Masts (VMMs) are frequently used. VMMs make use of site calibrated numerical data to provide precise wind estimates during all phases of a wind energy project. Typically, numerical data are used for the long-term correlation that is required for estimating the yield of new wind farm projects. However, VMMs can also be used to fill data gaps or during the operational phase as an additional reference data set to detect degrading sensors. The value of a VMM directly depends on its ability and precision to reproduce site-specific environmental conditions. Commonly, linear regression is used as state of the art to correct reference data to the site-specific conditions. In this study, a framework of 10 different machine-learning methods is tested to investigated the benefit of more advanced methods on two offshore and one onshore site. We find significantly improving correlations between the VMMs and the reference data when using more advanced methods and present the most promising ones. The K-Nearest Neighbors and AdaBoost regressors show the best results in our study, but Multi-Output Mixture of Gaussian Processes is also very promising. The use of more advanced regression models lead to decreased uncertainties; hence those methods should find its way into industrial applications. The recommended regression models can serve as a starting point for the development of end-user applications and services.

Evaluating land capability by using a comprehensive method is essential for determining the mainland potentials and limitations. With an increasing demand for protecting croplands, it is necessary to use and develop a scientific and reasonable method for the evaluation of farmlands within a high-risk destruction and degradation area. In the present study, we tried to integrate the LESA (Land Evaluation and Site Assessment developed by NRCS) system and GIS for evaluating and mapping the land capability for agriculture production purposes in some calcareous soils of Zanjan province, Iran. The LESA system consists of two parts including the land evaluation (LE) and the site assessment (SA). The LE part consists of soil characteristics data, while the SA part contains the non-soil characteristics data affecting agriculture productions. We also produced the thematic map of land capability by integrating the output results of the LESA method with GIS. The results of this study indicated that the specific weight for the LE and SA parts were 0.4 and 0.6, respectively. Combining the results of the LESA method with GIS showed that 0.07, 21.84, 67.10, and 10.99% of the study site were classified as "not-suitable," "marginal," "good," and "best" areas for crop farming, respectively. We suggested that the rangelands and agroforestry land uses could be good ideas for unsuitable and marginal classes. We concluded that the LESA method integrated with GIS could help users or decision-makers to recognize limitations for land-use planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, phytoremediation has been hailed as one of the most promising developing techniques for sustainable waste management. Despite certain shortcomings, proper implementation of this technique is the best alternative to the conventional waste management approach. Proper implementation of phytoremediation requires careful planning, following proper guidelines related to site assessment, plant selection, planting, maintenance, monitoring, harvesting and disposal, follow-up execution, and monitoring to ensure its effectiveness. In this study, it has been tried to create a foundation for an in-situ implementation of Phytoremediation in the mining areas of Asansol and Pandabeswar of West Bengal, India. Site conditions have been assessed in terms of pollution load and soil quality. Suitable sites have been identified using Geospatial techniques and following the guidelines found in different pieces of literature. Six variables i.e. pollution loads, soil quality, the proximity of pollution source, land use, and accessibility have been used to produce site suitability map. Active mining sites have been excluded from suitable sites. Site-specific suitable plants have been recommended which are either native or adaptable to current geophysical settings. The study identified certain villages e.g. Sonpur, Madanpur, Rashunpur, Dhasla, Joalbhanga, Bajari, Salanpur. Accessibility, water availability, and demographic parameters of those villages have been assessed. Finally, maintenance, monitoring, and implementation strategies have been discussed. • Suitable sites located encompassing Sonepur-bazari, Damagoria & Churulia Coalmines. • Barren and Agricultural lands are most dominant in suitable sites. • Availability of water in Churulia and Sarisatoli Coalmines is scarce. • A. Paniculata, A. paniculata, and C. Zizanioides etc. are few selected plants. • Farmers, the District's Zilla Parishad, ECL, and ADDA should participate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmland evaluation has become a major topic in farmland protection research. Due to the lack of reasonable and scientifically reliable evaluation methods for farmland protection, the farmland of quality and covering a wide area are at high risk of degradation and destruction in China due mainly to rapid industrialization and urbanization. The land evaluation and site assessment (LESA) system has been successfully applied to protect important farmland globally. To better understand and testify the flexibility and suitability of the LESA system for farmland protection in different geomorphic regions in China, we investigated the delineation of basic farmland by applying and testing the LESA system in Liaoning Province of China. In this study, the LESA system was constructed and comprehensively evaluated through the land evaluation (LE) and site assessment (SA) subsystems; soil conditions suitable for agriculture and site conditions feasible for other land uses were selected in the LE and SA subsystems, respectively. The results demonstrated that the ratios of the LE and SA subsystems were 6:4, 5:5, and 4:6 in the middle plain area (MPA), eastern mountainous area (EMA), and western hilly area (WHA), respectively. Farmlands with LE scores over 80 accounted for 80.7%, 34.7%, and 28.6% in the MPA, WHA, and EMA, respectively. Moreover, 37.2% of farmland with high SA scores (over 50) was primarily distributed in the WHA, and only 7.1% and 0.4% in the MPA and EMA, respectively. The farmland ratios with LESA scores over 60 were 74.8%, 52.2%, and 30.2% in the MPA, EMA, and WHA, respectively. In particular, the total farmland was grouped into three primary categories, which scientifically demonstrated the suitability and compatibility of the farmland features and also provided guidance for the implementation of farmland consolidation and remediation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistent increase of artificial light emissions is causing a progressive brightening of the night sky in most regions of the world. This process is a threat for the long-term sustainability of the scientific and educational activity of ground-based astronomical observatories operating in the optical range. Huge investments in building, scientific and technical workforce, equipment and maintenance can be at risk if the increasing light pollution levels hinder the capability of carrying out the top-level scientific observations for which these key scientific infrastructures were built. Light pollution has other negative consequences, as e.g. biodiversity endangering and the loss of the starry sky for recreational, touristic and preservation of cultural heritage. The traditional light pollution mitigation approach is based on imposing conditions on the photometry of individual sources, but the aggregated effects of all sources in the territory surrounding the observatories are seldom addressed in the regulations. We propose that this approach shall be complemented with a top-down, ambient artificial skyglow immission limits strategy, whereby clear limits are established to the admissible deterioration of the night sky above the observatories. We describe the general form of the indicators that can be employed to this end, and develop linear models relating their values to the artificial emissions across the territory. This approach can be easily applied to other protection needs, like e.g. to protect nocturnal ecosystems, and it is expected to be useful for making informed decisions on public lighting, in the context of wider spatial planning projects.

Le présent article est une contribution à l’élaboration d'une méthodologie d'évaluation de sites pouvant accueillir une centrale électrique solaire thermique à concentration (CSP). En particulier l'évaluation des ressources solaires de plusieurs sites potentiels est étudiée avec attention. L'irradiation solaire normale directe (DNI), nécessaire au dimensionnement des centrales CSP, est estimée à partir d'outils issus des mesures du rayonnement au sol ainsi que des estimations provenant de données satellites. Enfin, la méthodologie est appliquée sur un cas d'étude (dans le contexte Algérien) où il est aussi question d'évaluer des outils du rayonnement solaire pouvant être utilisés dans le cadre de cette méthodologie.

This contribution presents a novel methodology to evaluate the lifetime extension potential of wind turbines—taking towers as the key component that preserves onshore turbines’ structural integrity—as a consequence of the difference between design and site-specific loads. Specifically, attention is drawn to the site-specific wind direction distribution, which provides an additional source of lifetime extension potential. For this purpose, variants of closed-form solutions (based on the tower section’s normal stress) are developed to enable fatigue damage accumulation due to fore-aft and side-to-side bending moments at any point on the tower circumference without the need for further information on tower section geometry or material properties. Based on the degree of data availability, different scenarios are defined to estimate lifetime extension potential from the accurate tower’s normal stress and approximations using resultant bending moment, fore-aft bending moment, and finally, wind rose data only. The methodology is applied to a wind farm case study using the actual SCADA data with a partially validated turbine’s aeroelastic model to obtain operational loads. The results indicate that this quick and fairly accurate approach can be used as an initial stage in identifying wind turbines across large farms, which have the largest lifetime extension potential.

Mercury contamination in river systems due to historic and current Hg releases is a persistent concern for both wildlife and human health. In larger rivers, like the Ohio River, USA, it is difficult to directly link Hg discharges to bioaccumulation due to the existence of multiple industrial Hg sources as well as the varied dietary and migratory habits of biota. To better understand how industrial effluent influences the cycling and bioaccumulation of Hg within the Ohio River, Hg stable isotope analysis was applied to various nonbiological and biological media. High Hg concentrations in suspended particulate matter suggest this vector was the largest contributor of Hg to the water column, and distinct Hg source signatures were observed in effluent particulates from different industrial processes, such as chlor‐alkali activity (δ202Hg = −0.52‰) and coal power plant discharge (δ202Hg = −1.39‰). Despite this distinction, average sediments (δ202Hg = −1.00 ± 0.23‰) showed intermediate isotopic signatures that suggest the accumulation of a mixed Hg source driven by multiple industrial discharges. Biota in the system were shown to have a conserved range of δ202Hg and estimation approaches related these signatures back to particulate matter within Hannibal Pool. Mussels were found to conserve Hg isotopes signatures independently of food web drivers and served as ideal water column indicators of bioaccumulated Hg sources. This study highlights the complexity of Hg cycling within an industrialized river and shows that an isotope tracer approach can provide insight to water column sources of Hg. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:233−242. Published 2020. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. KEY POINTS: Mercury in the Ohio River, USA, was predominantly bound to particulates in the water column, which were isotopically distinct between chlor‐alkali and coal processing facilities.Sediments displayed an intermediate Hg isotope signature, indicating the preservation of multiple industrial sources within the Ohio River.Isotope compositions in mussels were closely connected to water column transformations of Hg and were not strongly influenced by food web factors, making these species good indicators of Hg sources.Isotopic compositions of biological tissues were similar to those of suspended particulate matter, suggesting the bioaccumulation of industrial sources in the water column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unsteady five-hole probe has been developed for the measurement of turbulent flow in tidal channels. Such measurements are vital for accurate prediction of unsteady loads on tidal turbines. Existing field-based velocimeters are either unable to capture the required range of frequencies or are too expensive to profile the variation of turbulence across a typical tidal power site, and thus the available data is inadequate for turbine design. This work adapts the traditional five-hole wind tunnel probe to achieve a low-cost device with sufficient frequency range for tidal turbine applications. The main issue in the marine environment is that the ambient hydrostatic pressure is much higher than the dynamic pressure. This has been overcome by using novel calibration coefficients and differential transducers. In flume tank tests against laser Doppler velocimeter measurements, the frequency response of the probe has been shown to be sufficient to capture all the frequencies necessary for tidal turbine design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural industrialization is one of development strategies to increase rural incomes, create new job opportunities in rural areas etc., and site selection of rural industries has led to the development goals. Agricultural industries are one type of rural industries and it's so important in Iran because of major potential of agriculture in Iran and also other developing countries. According to the statistics in Tehran province by the end of 2013 about 135 units of Agricultural industries were active but there is still the gap between urban regions and rural regions and many immigrants from rural regions to urban regions have been recorded. So, this research tries to prioritize the criteria of establishment and development of agricultural industries in the rural areas in Tehran Province. The result shows the items which refer to market and financial issue have greater weight, So, it is necessary to develop transportation to streamline access to market and also the industries need investors to be flourishing; Accordingly, both governmental and non-governmental organizations could take part to improve industrial sector. Moreover, the output of research shows some geographical factors like climate and geology have the least importance as to development and establishment of industries in the rural areas, and they are not paramount obstacle to be dealt with in order to contribute rural industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric reanalyses are the only source of spatial and temporal gridded wind information at wind turbine height providing data over several decades in the past. The application potential of reanalyses in the renewable energy sector depends strongly on the quality of the meteorological quantities. While global reanalyses have a resolution of typically 50 km, new regional reanalyses COSMO-REA6 and COSMO-REA2 have about 6 km and 2 km horizontal grid spacing, respectively. Here, we investigate the added value of the new regional reanalyses for the renewable energy sector, especially their application potential for site assessment. Four well established wind towers in Europe are used as reference for this purpose. We find regional reanalyses performing significantly better or at least similar to global reanalyses. Especially marginal distributions show significant improvements e.g. the most extreme temporal wind changes (ramp rates) at typical hub-heights are underrepresented by global reanalyses between −80 and −43% while COSMO-REA2 represents them with relative errors between −14 and +9%. Considering biases, mean absolute errors, and correlations most significant improvements occur close to ground and in areas with complex terrain. Moreover, vertically extrapolated wind measurements which are commonly used for site assessment show a stronger site dependency in their performance than reanalyses. • Reanalyses (REA) are a valuable tool for providing gridded wind speed at hub-height. • Low level wind profiles from regional reanalyses outperform global reanalyses. • COSMO-REA2 represents extreme ramp rate occurrences at hub-height best. • The performance of REA is more robust than those of vertical extrapolation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We sought to develop and test an objective scorecard-based system for assessing and categorizing available research sites in Lassa fever-affected countries based on their preparedness and capability to host Lassa fever vaccine clinical trials. Methods: We mapped available clinical research sites through interrogation of online clinical trial registries and relevant disease-based consortia. A structured online questionnaire was used to assess the capability of clinical trial sites to conduct Lassa fever vaccine clinical trials. We developed a new scoring template by allocating scores to questionnaire parameters based on perceived importance to the conduct of clinical trials as described in the WHO/TDR Global Competency Framework for Clinical Research. Cutoff points of 75% and 50% were used to categorize sites into categories A, B, or C. Results: This study identified 44 clinical trial sites in 8 Lassa fever-affected countries. Out of these, 35 sites were characterized based on their capacity to hold Lassa fever vaccine clinical trials. A total of 14 sites in 4 countries were identified as ready to host Lassa fever vaccine trials immediately or with little support. Conclusion: It is feasible to hold Lassa fever vaccine trials in affected countries based on the outcome of the survey. However, the findings are to be validated through sites' visits. This experience with a standardized and objective method of the site assessment is encouraging, and the site selection method used can serve as an orientation to sponsors and researchers planning clinical trials in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Many studies and green building rating systems have addressed the social and environmental importance of site planning. Tools based on BIM and Location Based Services (LBSs) have been developed to estimate energy consumption for material transportation and the surrounding density of the sites. However, the tools are not programmable and limited by their serving phases. This requires solutions that have the flexibility to run site analysis on social surroundings and the compatibility of user programming in the early design stage. Integrating visual programming and web service Application Programming Interface (API) can fulfill the requirements of evaluating publicly available diverse uses of sites and custom coding. This study introduces the method for integrating Dynamo BIM and Amap web service APIs for the evaluations of publicly available diverse uses and transportations. Additionally, implementations of use cases are demonstrated including assessments of Access to Quality Transit and Diverse Uses in LEED v4. Results from the integrated tool are analyzed and validated with survey results. The analysis of results indicates that the integration method introduced in this paper is effective. The limitations, potentials, and future developments are also discussed. The integration of Dynamo BIM and web service APIs might be useful for site assessments in the early design stage or even earlier. Highlights • The paper presented a quick method assessing building surroundings. • Integration of Web Service API and Dynamo BIM were used for the assessment. • Validation showed this method can be used as a reference for site assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occasionally, a selected site suitable for landfill construction is severely protested against by locals. This issue can cause the proposed landfill to be relocated to an environmentally sensitive area. The proposed Khon Kaen waste disposal site has been planned as an integrated municipal solid waste management system, although the site is situated in an environmentally sensitive area. A site assessment can guarantee the suitability of waste disposal construction, with procedures that aim to assess the potential of geological and hydrogeological characteristics, geological barriers, geotechnical properties of material for landfill construction and groundwater conditions for future monitoring of such facilities. The study area is located on foothills where no geohazard or seismic impacts have been recorded. The geology is composed of sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone bedrocks mostly overlain by unconsolidated sediments. The natural geological barriers are clay and regolith. The clay layer lies locally and is rather thin, at around 2−3 m thickness. The study area is situated in an area that is highly vulnerable to groundwater pollution. The distinct weaknesses of this site along the foothill are a prominent transport path of shallow flows; high groundwater fluctuation, especially during the rainy season; that it is a recharge area with a high fracture zone; and the high permeability of colluvium. The material characteristics in the site make it suitable for use as landfill cover and liner. Following compaction, the coefficient of permeability ranges from 1.2 × 10−7 to 7.1 × 10−7 cm/s, which is acceptably impervious.

High levels of turbulence have been proven to substantially increase the blade loadings on tidal turbines, outlining the need of properly characterizing turbulence parameters in tidal energy sites. The presence of long surface gravity waves may cause a significant bias on the estimation of these parameters, which requires wave-turbulence decomposition methods that are currently missing from guidelines. Here, three techniques of decomposing wave and turbulence are tested: the stopband filter (SB), moving average filter (MA), and synchrosqueezing wavelet transform (SWT). The study site, Banks Strait, Tasmania, is a 16 km wide channel that presents high potential for tidal energy generation. Wave peak periods at the study site were found to vary mostly between 7 and 12 s, with maximum exceeding 15 s. Turbulence intensities (TI), turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and integral scales are quantified. Our results indicate differences between the estimates obtained from each method. The MA highly underestimates turbulence, resulting in TI values which were nearly 50% lower than those obtained from other decomposition methods. While TI and TKE estimated from the SB and the SWT techniques are quite similar, integral length scales are considerably underestimated by the SB. These findings reveal that the SWT is a more reliable method because of the more accurate estimates of turbulence parameters and indicate the need of establishing guidelines which address wave-turbulence decomposition in tidal stream energy site assessments. Despite having shown to be quite a versatile technique, further investigation of its applicability in data from other prospective tidal energy sites is necessary to fully assess the generality of the SWT technique.

Nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) located at the surface of the water table and/or below the water table are often a significant source for groundwater contamination near current or former commercial/industrial facilities. Due to the complex and long history of many industrial sites, these NAPLs often contain a complex mixture of contaminants and as such can be difficult to fully characterize using conventional analytical methods. Remediation and risk assessment activities at sites containing NAPLs may, subsequently, be hindered as the contamination profile may not be fully understood. This paper demonstrates the application of bench‐scale 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as a practical tool to assist with the characterization of complex NAPLs. Here, a NAPL collected from a contaminated site situated near a former chemical manufacturing facility was analyzed using a combination of one‐dimensional (1D) 1H NMR spectroscopy and two‐dimensional (2D) 1H J‐resolved spectroscopy (JRES). It is shown that 1D NMR experiments are useful in the rapid identification of the classes of compounds present, whereas 2D JRES NMR experiments are useful in identifying specific compounds. The use of benchtop NMR spectroscopy as a simple and cost effective tool to assist in the analysis of contaminated sites may help improve the practical characterization of many heavily contaminated sites and facilitate improved risk assessments and remedial strategies. Benchtop NMR spectroscopy provides a simple and practical tool for the characterization of nonaqueous phase liquids extracted from contaminated sites. 2D JRES experiments are able to produce fingerprints for specific aromatic components that allow for the confirmation of unknown constituents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Relying primarily on 3D-seismic data, an assessment of the major structural elements of the Miocene section, northern Gulf of Mexico (Texas and Louisiana), was initiated to identify prospective subsurface areas for permanent geologic storage of anthropogenic CO 2. Identifying and mapping fault planes and key stratigraphic surfaces in the seismic data helped identify several areas that may be suitable for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects of scale. Prospective sites that included proximity to anthropogenic sources of CO 2 , RMS amplitude intervals that indicate confining zones that greatly retard vertical migration of buoyant CO 2 , and structural closures were ranked on a regional scale. Local site (Site 1) assessment used hydrocarbon-based and volumetric-based methods to estimate the amount of CO 2 that can be safely injected into a prospective site's permanent storage reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Disclosure of HIV status to HIV‐infected children and adolescents is a major care challenge. We describe current site characteristics related to disclosure of HIV status in resource‐limited paediatric HIV care settings within the International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium. Methods: An online site assessment survey was conducted across the paediatric HIV care sites within six global regions of IeDEA. A standardized questionnaire was administered to the sites through the REDCap platform. Results: From June 2014 to March 2015, all 180 sites of the IeDEA consortium in 31 countries completed the online survey: 57% were urban, 43% were health centres and 86% were integrated clinics (serving both adults and children). Almost all the sites (98%) reported offering disclosure counselling services. Disclosure counselling was most often provided by counsellors (87% of sites), but also by nurses (77%), physicians (74%), social workers (68%), or other clinicians (65%). It was offered to both caregivers and children in 92% of 177 sites with disclosure counselling. Disclosure resources and procedures varied across geographical regions. Most sites in each region reported performing staff members' training on disclosure (72% to 96% of sites per region), routinely collecting HIV disclosure status (50% to 91%) and involving caregivers in the disclosure process (71% to 100%). A disclosure protocol was available in 14% to 71% of sites. Among the 143 sites (79%) routinely collecting disclosure status process, the main collection method was by asking the caregiver or child (85%) about the child's knowledge of his/her HIV status. Frequency of disclosure status assessment was every three months in 63% of the sites, and 71% stored disclosure status data electronically. Conclusion: The majority of the sites reported offering disclosure counselling services, but educational and social support resources and capacities for data collection varied across regions. Paediatric HIV care sites worldwide still need specific staff members' training on disclosure, development and implementation of guidelines for HIV disclosure, and standardized data collection on this key issue to ensure the long‐term health and wellbeing of HIV‐infected youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Estimation of national population size can be important for setting conservation priorities, but its methodology has received little critical attention. Sites for highly aggregated species are often prioritised if they contain 1% of national or biogeographic populations, but the utility of this approach for other species is unclear. To make recommendations for study design, we present methods used to estimate the UK population size of the common nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos. We assess the sensitivity of the population estimate to the analytical method used and identify sites of national importance for this territorial songbird. Survey effort was directed by prior knowledge of the species distribution and the survey design maximised detectability by focussing on the period of greatest song output. We used three different statistical methods to account for detectability, estimating that 55%–65% of the national population was detected during surveys. Birds in areas not known to contain the species accounted for 13%–23% of the population estimate. Methods to account for these individuals contributed the greatest uncertainty to the results, due to the difficulty of surveying a very large sample of random sites and consequent need to stratify the sample. The 12 derived estimates ranged between 5,094 and 5,938 territorial males, with the confidence limits ranging from 4,764 to 6,534. Site delimitation, using clustering based on nearest‐neighbour distances, identified one site clearly of national importance and several others potentially nationally important, depending on the population threshold and clustering distance used. Synthesis and applications. National population estimation is difficult and requires that species‐specific variability in detectability, and individuals present outside surveyed areas are accurately accounted for through survey design and statistical analysis. Accounting for these sources of error will not always be possible and will hamper efforts to assess true population size and consequently to determine whether sites, however defined, exceed critical thresholds of importance. Resources may be better invested in other activities, for example, in generating population trends based on relative indices. The latter are generally easier to produce, potentially more robust and arguably more suitable for many conservation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]