Environmental and Health Impacts of Successive Mineral Fertilization in Egypt

Excessive amounts of mineral fertilizers are unnecessarily applied to agricultural soils in Egypt to increase crop yield. The current study aims at assessing the impacts of fertilization with different mineral fertilizers for different cultivation periods on the accumulation of heavy metals in soils and plants grown thereon. In addition, human risks resulted due to the exposure to these metal ions through ingestion, and dermal routes were evaluated. Soil and plant samples were collected from several locations in El‐Behira Governorate, Egypt and their heavy metal contents were measured. The result indicated that there is a continuous accumulation of heavy metals in the soils and the plants grown thereon. Calculation of the hazard index (HI) revealed that humans, especially children, have a potential health risk for both Pb and Cd, which have levels greater than the safe level (1). Finally, the obtained results showed that the continuous application of mineral fertilizers containing high levels of heavy metals pose a potential health threat.     

Differences between the two anomalous X-ray pulsars: variations in the spin-down rate of 1E 1048.1−5937 and an extended interval of quiet spin-down in 1E 2259+586

We analysed the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ( RXTE ) archival data of 1E 1048.1−5937 covering a time-span of more than one year. The spin-down rate of this source decreases by ∼30 per cent during the observation. We could not resolve the X-ray flux variations because of contamination by eta Carinae. We find that the level of pulse frequency fluctuations of 1E 1048.1−5937 is consistent with typical noise levels of accretion-powered pulsars . Recent RXTE observations of 1E 2259+586 have shown a constant spin-down with a very low upper limit on timing noise. We used the RXTE archival X-ray observations of 1E 2259+586 to show that the intrinsic X-ray luminosity times-series is also stable, with an rms fractional variation of less than 15 per cent. The source could have been in a quiet phase of accretion with a constant X-ray luminosity and spin-down rate.     

The Amount of Dust and the Distance of NGC 253

The areas of 267 dark clouds in the galaxy NGC 253 were measured. It is shown that the size distribution of these clouds obeys the same exponential formula found for the galaxies NGC 3031, 5128, 5194, and 5457. From the apparent size distribution of the dark clouds the amount of dust and the distance of NGC 253 is found to 4.4 · 10⁷ M_⊙ and 2.06 Mpc, respectively.     

On the importance of boundary layer calculations instead of viscous correction in heavily loaded marine propellers while using a surface panel method

A surface panel method is employed for the thin boundary layer calculation of heavily loaded marine propellers in steady state conditions. Employing the surface panel method, known as the “Morino Method”, the flow field around the propeller is represented by an unknown potential. The majority of the flow field is governed by the potential theory while the viscosity is assumed to be largely confined to thin shear layer on the propeller surface. The boundary layer calculations are performed by using Cebeci-Smith two dimensional model and the local skin friction coefficients and blowing velocities are obtained along the pre-computed on-body streamlines. It is shown that the prediction of torque of the propeller is improved when the boundary layer calculations are used instead of the boundary layer corrections based on the formulae established for the flat plates.     

Location-allocation modeling for emergency evacuation planning with GIS and remote sensing: A case study of Northeast Bangladesh

This work developed models to identify optimal spatial distribution of emergency evacuation centers(EECs) such as schools, colleges, hospitals, and fire stations to improve flood emergency planning in the Sylhet region of northeastern Bangladesh.The use of location-allocation models(LAMs) for evacuation in regard to flood victims is essential to minimize disaster risk.In the first step, flood susceptibility maps were developed using machine learning models(MLMs), including: Levenberg–Marquardt back propagation(LM-BP) neural network and decision trees(DT) and multi-criteria decision making(MCDM) method.Performance of the MLMs and MCDM techniques were assessed considering the area under the receiver operating characteristic(AUROC) curve.Mathematical approaches in a geographic information system(GIS) for four well-known LAM problems affecting emergency rescue time are proposed: maximal covering location problem(MCLP), the maximize attendance(MA), p-median problem(PMP), and the location set covering problem(LSCP).The results showed that existing EECs were not optimally distributed, and that some areas were not adequately served by EECs(i.e., not all demand points could be reached within a 60-min travel time).We concluded that the proposed models can be used to improve planning of the distribution of EECs, and that application of the models could contribute to reducing human casualties, property losses, and improve emergency operation.     

Morphometric,statistical, and hazard analyses using ASTER data and GIS technique of WADI El-Mathula watershed,Qena, Egypt

An attempt to carry out morphometric, statistical, and hazard analyses using ASTER data and GIS technique of Wadi El-Mathula watershed, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt. Morphometric analysis with application of GIS technique is essential to delineate drainage networks; basin geometry, drainage texture, and relief characteristics, through detect forty morphometric parameters of the study watershed and its sub-basins. Extract new drainage network map with DEM, sub-basin boundaries, stream orders, drainage networks, slope, drainage density, flow direction maps with more details is very necessary to analyze different morphometric and hydrologic applications for the study basin. Statistical analysis of morphometric parameters was done through cluster analysis, regression equations, and correlation coefficient matrix. Clusters analyses detect three independents variables which are stream number, basin area, and stream length have a very low linkage distance of 0.001 (at very high similarity of 99.95%) in a cluster with the basin width. Main channel length and basin perimeter (at very high similarity of 99.83%) are in a cluster with basin length. Using the regression equations and graphical correlation matrix indicates the mathematical relationships and helps to predict the behavior between any two variables. Hazard analysis and hazard degree assessment for each sub-basin were performed. The hazardous factors were detected and concluded that most of sub-basins are classified as moderately to highly hazardous. Finally, we recommended that the flood possibilities should be taken in consideration during future development of these areas.     

Mapping of landslide hazard zonation using GIS at Golestan watershed, northeast of Iran

Landslide hazard zonation is essential for planning future developmental activities. At the present study, after the preparation of a landslide inventory of the study area, nine factors as well as sub-data layers of factor class weights were tested for an integrated analysis of landslide hazard in the region. The produced factor maps were weighted with the analytic hierarchy process method and then classified into four classes—negligible, low, moderate, and high. The final produced map for landslide hazard zonation in Golestan watershed revealed that: (1) about 53.85 % of the basin is prone to moderate and high threats of landslides. (2) Landslide events at the Golestan watershed were strongly correlated to the slope angle of the basin. It was observed that the active landslide zones, including moderate to high landslide hazard classes, have a high correlation to slope classes over 30° (R ²?=?0.769). (3) The regions most susceptible to landslide hazard are those located south and southwest of the watershed, which included rock topples, falls, and debris landslides.     

Computation of the structure of a magnetized strange quark star

We have calculated some properties of spin polarized strange quark matter(SQM) in a strong magnetic field at zero temperature using the MIT bag model.We showed that the equation of state of spin polarized SQM is stiffer than that for unpolarized cases.We have also computed the structural properties of a spin polarized strange quark star(SQS) and found that the presence of a magnetic field leads to a more stable SQS when compared to the structural properties of an unpolarized SQS.