Prioritizing Long-term Watershed Management Strategies Using Group Decision Analysis

There is a growing consensus that an effective way of enhancing long-term water resources management and environmental sustainability is through locally based planning at the watershed scale. Managing watershed resources for particular uses requires interactive dialogue among all stakeholders who have different objectives. Therefore, the resolution of inter-group conflict should be an acknowledged task of the planning process. In this paper, an integrated framework for prioritizing watershed management strategies is proposed. A case study is employed to highlight the challenges of using group decision analysis in strategic planning and to illustrate the interaction between different stakeholders on watershed issues. In particular, two group decision-making approaches are used to assess and analyse different stakeholders' preferences for various strategies and alternatives. Professional experts, government agencies and community leaders constitute the different parties included in the framework. The main focus is on the application of group decision analysis in the long-term watershed planning process. The results of the overall preference analysis show that water resources development is the most important strategy followed by agricultural and range management.     

Human Cellular Retinol Binding Protein II Forms a Domain-Swapped Trimer Representing a Novel Fold and a New Template for Protein Engineering

Domain-swapping is a mechanism for evolving new protein structure from extant scaffolds, and has been an efficient protein-engineering strategy for tailoring functional diversity. However, domain swapping can only be exploited if it can be controlled, especially in cases where various folds can coexist. Herein, we describe the structure of a domain-swapped trimer of the iLBP family member hCRBPII, and suggest a mechanism for domain-swapped trimerization. It is further shown that domain-swapped trimerization can be favored by strategic installation of a disulfide bond, thus demonstrating a strategy for fold control. We further show the domain-swapped trimer to be a useful protein design template by installing a high-affinity metal binding site through the introduction of a single mutation, taking advantage of its threefold symmetry. Together, these studies show how nature can promote oligomerization, stabilize a specific oligomer, and generate new function with minimal changes to the protein sequence.     

Erratum to: Efficient keyword search over graph-structured data based on minimal covered r-cliques

Frontiers of Information Technology & Electronic Engineering - Unfortunately the second author’s name has been misspelt. It should be read: Abbas NIKNAFS.     

The effect of polypropylene fibers on the properties of fresh and hardened lightweight self-compacting concrete

This paper evaluates the LECA Lightweight Self-Compacting Concrete (LLSCC) manufactured by Nan-Su, of which the Packing Factor (PF) of its design mixing method has been modified and improved.The study analyzes the impact of polypropylene fibers on LLSCC performance at its fresh condition as well as its mechanical properties at the hardened condition.The evaluation of Fiber Reinforced LLSCC (FR-LLSCC) fluidity has been conducted per the standard of second class rating of JSCE, by three categories of flowability, segregation resistance ability and filling ability of fresh concrete.For the mechanical properties of LLSCC, the study has been conducted as follows: compressive strength with elapsed age, splitting tensile strength, elastic modulus and flexural strength, all of which were measured after the sample being cured for 28 days.When self-compacting concretes were lightened to 75% of their normal weight, their fresh properties are affected immensely.Applying 0.3% volume fractions of polypropylene fiber to the LLSCC resulted in 40% reduction in the slump flow (from 720 mm to 430 mm). In general, the rate of slump flow over Super Plasticizer (SP) volume percentage reduced with the use of polypropylene fibers in the FR-LLSC.Polypropylene fibers did not influence the compressive strength and elastic modulus of LLSCC, however applying these fibers at their maximum percentage volume determined through this study, increased the tensile strength by 14.4% in the splitting tensile strength test, and 10.7% in the flexural strength.     

Efficient keyword search over graph-structured data based on minimal covered r-cliques

Frontiers of Information Technology & Electronic Engineering - Keyword search is an alternative for structured languages in querying graph-structured data. A result to a keyword query is a...     

Floodplain Inundation Analysis Combined with Contingent Valuation: Implications for Sustainable Flood Risk Management

This study presents the results of open-ended contingent valuation method (CVM) to estimate the residents’ maximum willingness to pay (WTP) for flood insurance and structural flood control measures in the Neka River Basin in Northern Iran. Flood inundation analysis and floodplain risk mapping were conducted by applying the HEC-RAS model combined with GIS analysis. A calibrated 100-year flood risk inundation map was considered as a basis for this research. This paper demonstrates applicability of CVM combined with flood inundation analysis to understand public participation for flood risk management, and their perception of flooding, considering associated socioeconomic and environmental factors. The results have shown that stated WTPs significantly varies with household income, distance people live from the river and the land use type of properties. Findings of this study suggest that the majority of respondents view flood hazard as the most important natural disaster. Furthermore, WTPs are significantly higher for those who have high level of flood risk perception. Three policy options for flood risk management are discussed, which include flood zoning and land use regulation, flood insurance program, and structural measure of levee construction. The advantages and disadvantages of each option are explored. It was concluded that a combination of possible mitigation options should be considered in order to achieve sustainable flood risk management in the Neka River Floodplain.     

Nonlinear thermal radiation and chemical reaction effects on Maxwell fluid flow with convectively heated plate in a porous medium

This paper investigated the chemically reactive radiating flow by using a two‐dimensional Darcy‐Forchheimer model with the convectively heated plate. The nonlinear thermal radiation is described by Joule heating and heat generation. Also, Darcy‐Forchheimer equation is related to porous medium flows. For the solution of equations, we used the numerical method. Further, more physical interpretation of the parameters was demonstrated with figures. It is found that an increase in the Prandtl number had a direct effect on the Nusselt number and temperature, whereas the opposite scenario was observed in the Eckert number.     

The effect of sea level rise on beach morphology of caspian sea coast

Study of beach morphology has been one of the most important issues in coastal engineering research projects. Because of the existence of two important coastal areas located in the north and south parts of the Iran, in the present study an analysis of the coastal zone behaviour is made. Bed level elevations are measured and compared with the theoretical equilibrium profile. It is shown that the behaviour of the coastal zone in the region is consistent with the Dean (1991) equilibrium profile. In the next stage, following extensive investigations, the bed level changes due to arise in sea level at different locations in the surf zone are estimated. The mechanism of beach re-treatment due to a rise in sea level is considered based on the simplified model of Dean (1991) in which the mass balance of the sediments is taken into account. Comparison of the equilibrium profiles for different cases of sea level rise, clearly shows that because of the sediment transport induced by the fluctuation of the water level, the beach profile in the surf zone changes accordingly resulting in an erosion in the inner region of the surf zone and an accumulation of sediments towards the offshore.