Hydrostratigraphy and geochemistry at a coastal sandfill in Singapore

A characterization study was carried out in a 10-m-thick sandfill, formed by hydraulic filling with marine sand, in Singapore. Placement methods and compaction were found to influence hydrostratigraphy. The deepest part of the sandfill consists of a loose sand layer and is overlain by a medium sand layer extending to mean sea level (MSL). At certain locations, a thin silty-sand layer was found. The different layers within the saturated zone were found to have different values for hydraulic conductivity (K) and groundwater flow velocity. Estimates for K increase according to the following sequence of methods: repacked sand column, step-pumping test, grain-size analysis and slug test. Slug tests and grain-size analysis yielded comparable estimates of K. The freshwater lens in the older part of the sandfill is about 2 m thicker than in a recently completed area. Comparisons of Ca²⁺/Cl^?, Mg²⁺/Cl^?, K ⁺/Cl^? and \({\text{Cl}}^{{\text{ - }}} {\text{/}}{\left( {{\text{Cl}}^{{\text{ - }}} {\text{ + HCO}}^{{\text{ - }}}_{{\text{3}}} } \right)}\) ratios indicate that the chemical composition of the groundwater at shallower depths has probably been altered by mineral dissolution. Weathering of carbonate minerals was found to be a major contributor to the major ions at these depths. The molar ratios approach the value for seawater at greater depths. The groundwater is close to equilibrium with calcite.     

Changes in nutritional values induced by butachlor in juvenile diploid and triploid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clarias gariepinus</Emphasis>

There is a paucity of information about the effects of environmental stressors on nutritional values in fish. This study investigated the effects of the organochlorine pesticide, butachlor, on key indicators of nutritional value in both diploid and triploid African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Amino acids (AA), fatty acids (FA), and the proximate composition (protein, lipid, moisture, and ash content) in the white muscle of full-sibling juvenile fish were measured following a 21-day exposure to graded butachlor concentrations [mean measured: 26.3, 48.4, and 66.1 µg/L]. No significant differences in AAs, FAs, protein, lipid, moisture, or ash content were observed between unexposed diploid and triploid fish. In diploids, exposure to butachlor significantly altered the concentrations of some of the AAs and FAs, and protein content, when compared to the control group. In triploid fish, however, butachlor treatments had no effect on the AA or proximate composition, but significantly changed the concentration of two individual FAs in the muscle. Butachlor treatments showed fewer changes in the nutritional values of triploid fish. This research is the first to study the nutritional values in any polyploid animals following the exposure to a contaminant.     

Investigation of the integrated retaining system to limit deformations induced by deep excavation

A series of three-dimensional finite element analyses of deep excavations with the integrated system between buttress walls and diaphragm walls was conducted to investigate the effect of the buttress wall intervals, treatments, locations, height, and thickness on limiting deformations induced by deep excavation. The integrated retaining system was formed by maintaining buttress walls when soil was excavated. The wall deflection control mechanism of the integrated retaining system mainly came from the combined stiffness between the buttress wall and the diaphragm wall. In addition, the ground settlement control mechanism came from the combined stiffness between the buttress wall and the diaphragm wall, and the frictional resistance between the buttress wall and the surrounding soil. For achieving 50% reduction in the wall deflection and the ground surface settlement, the length and intervals of buttress walls that were applied to the integrated retaining system were at least 4 and 8 m, respectively. When the deflection at the diaphragm wall head was well restrained, for example, by the floor slab, the position of the buttress wall head could be located at a depth the diaphragm wall starts to bulge out. In such a case, the performance between the full height and limited height of buttress walls was quite close. Furthermore, a new well-documented excavation project was analyzed to verify the performance of the integrated retaining system. Results showed that the integrated retaining system worked excellently if the joints between buttress walls and diaphragm walls were constructed properly.     

Benthic foraminifera in a deep-sea high-energy environment: the Moira Mounds (Porcupine Seabight,SW of Ireland)

Cold-water coral ecosystems represent unique and exceptionally diverse environments in the deep-sea. They are well developed along the Irish margin, varying broadly in shape and size. The Moira Mounds, numerous small-sized mounds, are nestled in the Belgica Mound Province (Porcupine Seabight, North-East Atlantic). The investigation of living (Rose Bengal stained) and dead benthic foraminiferal assemblages from these mounds allowed to describe their distribution patterns and to evaluate their response to environmental variability. Quantitative data was statistically treated to define groups of species/genera associated to specific habitats. The Moira Mounds differ from their larger neighbours by the reduced spatial variability of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, living assemblages only distinguishing coral-rich and coral-barren areas. The ecological needs of corals are highlighted by the abundance of Alabaminella weddellensis and Nonionella iridea, phytodetritus-feeding species in coral supporting sediments. Living foraminifera in sediments from the Moira Mounds concentrate in the upper first centimetre. Infaunal species may be affected by bioturbation and/or reworking by the strong currents in the area. Dead foraminiferal assemblages from the Moira Mounds resemble those described for the sandwave facies in adjacent giant mounds, suggesting similar processes in facies deposition.     

Modelling the effect of deprived physical urban environments on academic performance in the Philippines

This study investigates how physical urban environments affect academic performance of urban public elementary schools in the Philippines by analysing the physical environment of school facilities and slum areas. Global, local, and semi-parametric regression analyses indicate that there is disproportionate provision of resources among the government schools and that lower academic performance is associated with the provision of fewer clinics rather than the proximity to poverty hotspots. Semiparametric, geographically weighted regression modelling outperformed global and local modelling, and estimated up to 30 % of the variation in math scores where the semi-parametric regression model is based on each school’s number of teachers and rooms, building conditions, availability of health clinics, and the location of slum areas near the school. On the basis of the research findings, it is concluded that the current state of school buildings is adequate and is a lower priority than the provision of health care support and smaller pupil–teacher ratios. Hence, government programs that aim to enhance the academic performance of children from the deprived physical urban environments should prioritize the provision of health clinics as well as maintaining few large schools with small pupil–teacher ratios.     

A novel strut-free retaining wall system for deep excavation in soft clay: numerical study

This paper presents a novel strut-free earth retaining wall system for excavation in soft clay, referred to as the rigid and fixed diaphragm (RFD) wall retaining system. The RFD system is comprised of four main structures—diaphragm walls, rib-walls, cross walls, and buttress walls—and a complementary structure—the cap-slab. The characteristics of the RFD system are: (1) the formation of a continuous earth retaining wall by constructing diaphragm walls along the circumference of the excavated zone; (2) the formation of a rigid and fixed retaining wall system by a series of rib-walls and cross walls; and (3) the formation of a rigid retaining wall by buttress walls and the cap-slab. Furthermore, the performance and mechanisms of the RFD system were investigated carefully through three-dimensional finite element analyses. The results demonstrated that the system stiffness of the RFD system was a major factor controlling deformations induced by excavation. Moreover, the excavation geometry determined the dimension of each component of the RFD system.

     

Subsurface formation of oxidants on Mars and implications for the preservation of organic biosignatures

Hydrogen peroxide can form through the interaction of pyrite and anoxic water. The oxidation of pyrite results in the precipitation of sulfates and iron oxides, high redox potentials (~ 1000 mV) and acidic pH (3–4). The oxidative potential of the resultant solution may be responsible for the oxidation of organic compounds, as observed in the subsurface of the Rio Tinto Mars analog. On Mars subsurface migration of groundwater interacting with volcanogenic massive pyrite deposits would have mobilized acidic and oxidizing fluids through large portions of the crust, resulting in the widespread deposition of sulfates and iron oxides. This groundwater could have leached substantial volumes of aquifer material and crustal rocks, thereby erasing any organic compounds possibly down to depths of hundreds of meters. Therefore, the preservation of organic biosignatures must have been severely constrained in the portions of the ancient Martian crust that were exposed to aqueous processes, calling for a redefinition of the future targets in the search for biomolecular traces of life on Mars.     

First Investigation of Microbial Community Composition in the Bridge (Gadeok Channel) between the Jinhae-Masan Bay and the South Sea of Korea

Microbial community composition varies based on seasonal dynamics (summer: strongly stratified water column; autumn: weakly stratified water column; winter: vertically homogeneous water column) and vertical distributions (surface, middle, and bottom depths) in the Gadeok Channel, which is the primary passage to exchange waters and materials between the Jinhae-Masan Bay and the South Sea waters. The microbial community composition was analyzed from June to December 2016 using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The community was dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria (45%), Bacteroidetes (18%), Cyanobacteria (15%), Verrucomicrobia (6%), and Actinobacteria (6%). Alphaproteobacteria (29%) was the most abundant microbial class, followed by Flavobacteria (15%) and Gammaproteobacteria (15%) in all samples. The composition of the microbial communities was found to vary vertically and seasonally. The orders Flavobacteriales and Stramenopiles showed opposing seasonal patterns; Flavobacteriales was more abundant in August and December while Stramenopiles showed high abundance in June and October at all depths. The genus Synechococcus reached extremely high abundance (14%) in the June surface water column, but was much less abundant in December water columns. Clustering analysis showed that there was a difference in the microbial community composition pattern between the strongly stratified season and well-mixed season. These results indicate that the seasonal dynamics of physicochemical and hydrologic conditions throughout the water column are important parameters in shaping the microbial community composition in the Gadeok Channel.     

Fluid—Structure Interaction Analysis of Flexible Plate with Partitioned Coupling Method

The development and rapid usage of numerical codes for fluid-structure interaction(FSI) problems are of great relevance to researchers in many engineering fields such as civil engineering and ocean engineering. This multidisciplinary field known as FSI has been expanded to engineering fields such as offshore structures, tall slender structures and other flexible structures applications. The motivation of this paper is to investigate the numerical model of two-way coupling FSI partitioned flexible plate structure under fluid flow. The adopted partitioned method and approach utilized the advantage of the existing numerical algorithms in solving the two-way coupling fluid and structural interactions. The flexible plate was subjected to a fluid flow which causes large deformation on the fluid domain from the oscillation of the flexible plate. Both fluid and flexible plate are subjected to the interaction of load transfer within two physics by using the strong and weak coupling methods of MFS and Load Transfer Physics Environment, respectively. The oscillation and deformation results have been validated which demonstrate the reliability of both strong and weak method in resolving the two-way coupling problem in contribution of knowledge to the feasibility field study of ocean engineering and civil engineering.     

Description of feeding apparatus and mechanism innemopilema nomurai kishinouye (scyphozoa: rhizostomeae)

Feeding apparatus, mechanism and passage of ingested prey were described forNemopilema nomurai (Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae).N. nomurai medusae without central mouths have developed complicated canal systems connecting the tip of the tentacle and oral arm to the gut cavity. The number of junctions in the canal system increases with the bell diameter. The prey is gathered by paralyzing nematocyst at the tentacles and by adhering cirri at the oral arms and scapulets. They are engulfed into the terminal pore located at the oral arms and scapulets, and entered into the gut cavity via the canal system. The estimated digestion time is 1 hour and 20 min. The diameter of terminal pore is always about 1 mm, implying that they could not eat prey larger than that pore size. On the other hand, ephyrae have central mouths and could swallow prey as large as adults could. Exploitation of the same size of food by adult and ephyra implies thatN. nomurai can affect seriously the whole food web, massively ingesting micro-and mesozoopl a n k t o n and cutting the energy transfer toward the higher level of carnivores.