Scientific Results

This catalogue is obtained by conducting a systematic literature review of scientific studies and reviews related to monitoring, forecasting, and simulating the inland water cycle. The analysis maps scientific expertise across research groups and classifies findings by the type of inland water studied, application focus, and geographical scope. A gap analysis will identify missing research areas and assess their relevance to policymaking.

ID â–Č Type Year Authors Title Venue/Journal DOI Research type Water System Technical Focus Abstract Link with Projects Link with Tools Related policies ID
publications-1851 Peer reviewed articles 2023 Sigrid Damman, Alexandra Schmuck, RosĂĄrio Oliveira, Steven (Stef) H.A. Koop, Maria do CĂ©u Almeida, Helena Alegre, Rita Maria Ugarelli Towards a water-smart society: Progress in linking theory and practice. Utilities Policy 10.1016/j.jup.2023.101674 Control Systems Irrigation Systems No abstract available 869171
publications-1852 Peer reviewed articles 2024 Bardia Roghani, Mahdi Bahrami, Franz Tscheikner-Gratl, Frédéric Cherqui, Tone Merete Muthanna, Marius MÞller Rokstad A comparative analysis of international guidelines for green infrastructure performance assessment Blue-Green Systems 10.2166/bgs.2024.049 Uncategorized River Basins ABSTRACT Natural or semi-natural elements, referred to by various terms such as green infrastructure (GI), are increasingly adopted as a win-win solution to develop water-wise, climate-resilient, and sustainable societies. Accordingly, a comprehensive performance assessment of GIs is necessary for their management, making them more appealing to multiple sectors, and improving funding prospects. Several guidelines proposing performance and impact indicators have been developed worldwide recently. To evaluate their applicability, this study critically examines some of the most well-known of them from various parts of the world that deal with the evaluation of different functional aspects of GIs. Findings show considerable differences. The European guideline is the most comprehensive one considering the number of addressed performance indicators. In contrast, the Chinese standard mostly focuses on water quality/quantity performance. Moreover, the degree of quality of the guidelines is evaluated using a thorough set of quality measures that consists of 19 criteria. By addressing 12 out of the 19 quality criteria, the European and state of New South Wales standards encompassed more guideline compilation requirements than the others. However, the way in which assessed performance indicators should be interpreted is one instance where a gap in the present standards is believed to be especially significant. 869171
publications-1853 Peer reviewed articles 2022 Abraham George Smith, Eusun Han, Jens Petersen, Niels Alvin Faircloth Olsen, Christian Giese, Miriam Athmann, Dorte Bodin Dresbþll, Kristian Thorup-Kristensen RootPainter: deep learning segmentation of biological images with corrective annotation New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.18387 Uncategorized Precipitation & Ecological Systems SummaryConvolutional neural networks (CNNs) are a powerful tool for plant image analysis, but challenges remain in making them more accessible to researchers without a machine‐learning background. We present RootPainter, an open‐source graphical user interface based software tool for the rapid training of deep neural networks for use in biological image analysis.We evaluate RootPainterby training models for root length extraction from chicory (Cichorium intybusL.) roots in soil, biopore counting, and root nodule counting. We also compare dense annotations with corrective ones that are added during the training process based on the weaknesses of the current model.Five out of six times the models trained using RootPainterwith corrective annotations created within 2 h produced measurements strongly correlating with manual measurements. Model accuracy had a significant correlation with annotation duration, indicating further improvements could be obtained with extended annotation.Our results show that a deep‐learning model can be trained to a high accuracy for the three respective datasets of varying target objects, background, and image quality with < 2 h of annotation time. They indicate that, when using RootPainter, for many datasets it is possible to annotate, train, and complete data processing within 1 d. 884364
publications-1854 Peer reviewed articles 2023 Botond Zsombor Pertics, Tamås Kovåcs, György Schneider Characterization of a Lytic Bacteriophage and Demonstration of Its Combined Lytic Effect with a K2 Depolymerase on the Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae Strain 52145 Microorganisms 10.3390/microorganisms11030669 Uncategorized Irrigation Systems Klebsiella pneumoniae is a nosocomial pathogen. Among its virulence factors is the capsule with a prominent role in defense and biofilm formation. Bacteriophages (phages) can evoke the lysis of bacterial cells. Due to the mode of action of their polysaccharide depolymerase enzymes, phages are typically specific for one bacterial strain and its capsule type. In this study, we characterized a bacteriophage against the capsule-defective mutant of the nosocomial K. pneumoniae 52145 strain, which lacks K2 capsule. The phage showed a relatively narrow host range but evoked lysis on a few strains with capsular serotypes K33, K21, and K24. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the newly isolated Klebsiella phage 731 belongs to the Webervirus genus in the Drexlerviridae family; it has a 31.084 MDa double-stranded, linear DNA with a length of 50,306 base pairs and a G + C content of 50.9%. Out of the 79 open reading frames (ORFs), we performed the identification of orf22, coding for a trimeric tail fiber protein with putative capsule depolymerase activity, along with the mapping of other putative depolymerases of phage 731 and homologous phages. Efficacy of a previously described recombinant K2 depolymerase (B1dep) was tested by co-spotting phage 731 on K. pneumoniae strains, and it was demonstrated that the B1dep-phage 731 combination allows the lysis of the wild type 52145 strain, originally resistant to the phage 731. With phage 731, we showed that B1dep is a promising candidate for use as a possible antimicrobial agent, as it renders the virulent strain defenseless against other phages. Phage 731 alone is also important due to its efficacy on K. pneumoniae strains possessing epidemiologically important serotypes. 821423
publications-1855 Peer reviewed articles 2020 W. Cai and I.C. Prentice Recent trends in gross primary production and their drivers: analysis and modelling at flux-site and global scales. Environmental Research Letters 10.1088/1748-9326/abc64e Uncategorized Irrigation Systems Abstract Gross primary production (GPP) by terrestrial ecosystems is the largest flux in the global carbon cycle, and its continuing increase in response to environmental changes is key to land ecosystems’ capacity to offset anthropogenic CO2 emissions. However, the CO2- and climate-sensitivities of GPP vary among models. We applied the ‘P model’—a parameter-sparse and extensively tested light use efficiency (LUE) model, driven by CO2, climate and remotely sensed greenness data—at 29 sites with multi-year eddy-covariance flux measurements. Observed (both positive and negative) GPP trends at these sites were predicted, albeit with some bias. Increasing LUE (due to rising atmospheric CO2 concentration) and green vegetation cover were the primary controls of modelled GPP trends across sites. Global GPP simulated by the same model increased by 0.46 ± 0.09 Pg C yr–2 during 1982–2016. This increase falls in the mid-range rate of simulated increase by the TRENDY v8 ensemble of state-of-the-art ecosystem models. The modelled LUE increase during 1900–2013 was 15%, similar to a published estimate based on deuterium isotopomers. Rising CO2 was the largest contributor to the modelled GPP increase. Greening, which may in part be caused by rising CO2, ranked second but dominated the modelled GPP change over large areas, including semi-arid vegetation on all continents. Warming caused a small net reduction in modelled global GPP, but dominated the modelled GPP increase in high northern latitudes. These findings strengthen the evidence that rising LUE due to rising CO2 level and increased green vegetation cover (fAPAR) are the main causes of increasing GPP, and thereby, the terrestrial carbon sink. 787203
publications-1856 Peer reviewed articles 2021 Saniya Ansari, S. M. Khairnar, Ravindra R. Patil, Rupali S. Kokate AN ASSESSMENT - WATER QUALITY MONITORING PRACTICES AND SEWER ROBOTIC SYSTEMS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN INDUSTRY 10.17762/itii.v9i1.113 Hydrological modeling River Basins Water pollution has become a global issue and creating a severe problems due to contamination of various water sources such as agricultural waste, industrial waste, and sewage waste etc. So, the available sensory systems, nodes, and techniques plays a crucial role in identification of harmful pollutants in distinct water resources. The water pollutants monitoring techniques with prospered tools and sensors have been unfolded to find gap for future research maneuver. The need of real-time newer sensory system has been put forwarded for identification of mostly occurring harmful pollutants such as BOD, COD, TSS, and Hydrogen sulfide in examination of water quality. In this modern advancement, robotic systems have taken an intrinsic stand in diverse fields of humankind. An underground infrastructure is a base of modern society. In this paper, the existing methodologies and developed sewer robotic systems have been discussed and concluded on their applications, limitations and impact on realistic scenarios. Also, the cardinal point is revealed that previous art work focused only on sewer defect identification but not standardized work on sewer blockages detection and removal. So, the sewer robotic system with features of cost effectiveness and standardized accuracy matrix should be developed to resolve sewer blockage issues and followed by human scavenging. The survey outcomes extend a province of sewer robotics to resolve blockages issues of buried sewers of distinct diameters in real-time with substantial methodology.   821423
publications-1857 Peer reviewed articles 2021 Joana Costa; Elsa Mesquita; Filipa Ferreira; Maria João Rosa; Rui M. C. Viegas Identification and Modelling of Chlorine Decay Mechanisms in Reclaimed Water Containing Ammonia Sustainability, Vol 13, Iss 13548, p 13548 (2021) 10.3390/su132413548 Simulation & Modeling Precipitation & Ecological Systems Keeping an effective disinfectant residual concentration in reclaimed water is still a challenge, due to its high levels of ammonia and organic matter when compared with those in drinking water. This research proposes the integration of the reaction schemes of monochloramine auto-decomposition with an empirical kinetic mechanism accounting for reactive chlorine species decay in the presence of organic matter, for which three mechanisms were hypothesized and tested. A parallel second order mechanism, where monochloramine reacts both with fast and slow organic matter reactive fractions, was identified as the most suitable. The model, comprising two rate constants and two fictive concentrations of organic matter as parameters, was further successfully calibrated with real reclaimed waters with two initial free chlorine doses of 8.01×10−5 M (≈5 mg/L) and 2.67×10−4 M (≈20 mg/L). The proposed model is believed to support future studies aiming to predict and manage chlorine decay in reclaimed water distribution systems. 869171
publications-1858 Peer reviewed articles 2024 Benjamin D. Stocker, Ning Dong, Evan A. Perkowski, Pascal D. Schneider, Huiying Xu, Hugo J. de Boer, Karin T. Rebel, Nicholas G. Smith, Kevin Van Sundert, Han Wang, Sarah E. Jones, I. Colin Prentice, Sandy P. Harrison Empirical evidence and theoretical understanding of ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycle interactions New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.20178 AI & Machine Learning Precipitation & Ecological Systems SummaryInteractions between carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles in terrestrial ecosystems are simulated in advanced vegetation models, yet methodologies vary widely, leading to divergent simulations of past land C balance trends. This underscores the need to reassess our understanding of ecosystem processes, given recent theoretical advancements and empirical data. We review current knowledge, emphasising evidence from experiments and trait data compilations for vegetation responses to CO2 and N input, alongside theoretical and ecological principles for modelling. N fertilisation increases leaf N content but inconsistently enhances leaf‐level photosynthetic capacity. Whole‐plant responses include increased leaf area and biomass, with reduced root allocation and increased aboveground biomass. Elevated atmospheric CO2 also boosts leaf area and biomass but intensifies belowground allocation, depleting soil N and likely reducing N losses. Global leaf traits data confirm these findings, indicating that soil N availability influences leaf N content more than photosynthetic capacity. A demonstration model based on the functional balance hypothesis accurately predicts responses to N and CO2 fertilisation on tissue allocation, growth and biomass, offering a path to reduce uncertainty in global C cycle projections. 787203
publications-1859 Peer reviewed articles 2020 Judit K. KovĂĄcs, Alysia Cox, Bettina Schweitzer, Gergely MarĂłti, TamĂĄs KovĂĄcs, Hajnalka Fenyvesi, Levente EmƑdy, György Schneider Virulence Traits of Inpatient Campylobacter jejuni Isolates, and a Transcriptomic Approach to Identify Potential Genes Maintaining Intracellular Survival Microorganisms 10.3390/microorganisms8040531 Simulation & Modeling Irrigation Systems There are still major gaps in our understanding of the bacterial factors that influence the outcomes of human Campylobacter jejuni infection. The aim of this study was to compare the virulence-associated features of 192 human C. jejuni strains isolated from hospitalized patients with diarrhoea (150/192, 78.1%), bloody diarrhoea (23/192, 11.9%), gastroenteritis (3/192, 1.6%), ulcerative colitis (3/192, 1.5%), and stomach ache (2/192, 1.0%). Traits were analysed with genotypic and phenotypic methods, including PCR and extracellular matrix protein (ECMP) binding, adhesion, and invasion capacities. Results were studied alongside patient symptoms, but no distinct links with them could be determined. Since the capacity of C. jejuni to invade host epithelial cells is one of its most enigmatic attributes, a high throughput transcriptomic analysis was performed in the third hour of internalization with a C. jejuni strain originally isolated from bloody diarrhoea. Characteristic groups of genes were significantly upregulated, outlining a survival strategy of internalized C. jejuni comprising genes related (1) to oxidative stress; (2) to a protective sheath formed by the capsule, LOS, N-, and O- glycosylation systems; (3) to dynamic metabolic activity supported by different translocases and the membrane-integrated component of the flagellar apparatus; and (4) to hitherto unknown genes. 821423
publications-1860 Peer reviewed articles 2024 Aritro Banerjee, Rajnish Calay, Mohamad Mustafa Review on Material and Design of Anode for Microbial Fuel Cell Energies 10.3390/en15062283 Uncategorized Irrigation Systems Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a bio-electrochemical system that generates electricity by anaerobic oxidation of substrates. An anode is the most critical component because the primary conversion of wastewater into electrons and protons takes place on the surface of the anode, where a biofilm is formed. This paper describes the essential properties of the anode and classifies its types according to the material used to make it. Anode material is responsible for the flow of electrons generated by the microorganism; hence biocompatibility and conductivity can considered to be the two most important properties. In this paper, the various modification strategies to improve the performance of anodes of MFC are explained through the review of researchers’ published work in this field. The shape and size of the anode turned out to be very significant as the microbial growth depends on the available surface area. The attachment of biofilm on the surface of an anode largely depends on the interfacial surface chemistry. Methods for improving MFC performance by altering the anode material, architecture, biocompatibility, and longevity are discussed with a future perspective giving special importance to the cost. 821423