Modelling of soil erosion susceptibility incorporating sediment connectivity and export at landscape scale using integrated machine learning, InVEST-SDR and Fragstats.

Evaluating the linkage between soil erosion and sediment connectivity for export assessment in different landscape patterns at catchment scale is valuable for optimization of soil and water conservation (SWC) practices. Present research attempts to identify the soil erosion susceptible (SES) sites in Kangsabati River Basin (KRB) using machine learning algorithm (decision trees, decision trees cross validation, CV, Extreme Gradient Boosting, XGB CV and bagging CV) taken thirty five variables, for investigating the linkage between erosion rates and sediment connectivity to assess the sediment export at sub-basin level employing connectivity index (IC) and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) sediment delivery ratio (SDR) model. Based on AUC of receiving operating curve in validation test, excellent capacity of extreme Gradient Boosting, XGB CV and bagging CV (0.95, 0.90) than decision tree and decision tree CV (0.78, 0.82), exhibits about 18.58 % of basin areas facing susceptible to very high erosion. Conversely, considering universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) parameters, InVEST-SDR model estimated about 64.24 % of soil loss rate occurred from high SES in where sediment export rate become very high (136.995 t/ha-1/y-1). The IC result show that high sediment connectivity (<-4.4) measured in high SES of laterite and bare land in upper catchment, and double crop agricultural areas in lower catchment, while least connectivity (>-7.1) observed in low SES of dense forest, vegetation cover and settlement built-up areas. Pearson correlation matrix revealed that four landscape indices category i.e. edge metrics (p < 0.01), aggregation metrics (p < 0.001), shape metrics (p < 0.01-0.001) and diversity metrics (p < 0.01) signified the influence of landscape patterns on IC and SES. Accordingly, RUSLE, SDR and landscape matrices reveals that maximum sediment export rate associated with high connective delivery outlet and high SES in laterite, double crop and bare land due to simple landscape and greater homogeneity, whilst minimum export rate related with low connectivity and low SES in dense forest, vegetation cover and settlement built up area causes of fragmented landscape and spatial heterogeneity. Finally, findings could immense useful for formulating the optimizing measures of SWC in the watershed.

Multifunctional resilience of river health to human service demand in an alluvial quarried reach: a comparison amongst fuzzy logic, entropy, and AHP-based MCDM models.

Riverine ecosystem services to human beings are dynamically evaluated by harmonic relationships; however, over growing human service demands (HSDs) are leading to deteriorate the river health resilience. In this study, an assessment index system of river health involving pressure-state-response (PSR) based on twenty indicators of riparian, channel geomorphic, hydroecological, and social attributes was developed to detect the multifunctional reliability and resilience of river system integrity for HSDs at upper (US), middle (MS), and lower segments (LS) of Kangsabati River using fuzzy logic, analytical hierarchical process (AHP), and entropy weight-based multi-criteria decision matrix (MCDM) methods. Borda integrating MCDM results revealed that overall indicator performance is high health score in US (77), medium score in MS (69), but mostly unhealthy score in LS (34); thus, entropy-MCDM models give highest rank to US, medium rank to MS, and least rank to LS, while AHP and fuzzy MCDM models assigned as high priority rank to MS, medium rank to US, and least rank to LS, respectively. According to model validation performances, entropy-MCDM models (RMSE < 2.48) are rationalized to the harmonic relationship of riverine system, whereas fuzzy and AHP-MCDM models (RMSE < 2.79) are signified to HSDs, and these results are closer to real problems. With the acceptability of AHP-MCDM models through the percentage change (73.89%) and intensity change (17.16) assessment, it points that over HSDs are crucial factors for river health degradation. Moreover, final outcome of the present research helps to find out the sick river health sites for ecological restoration.

Vitamin K2 Awareness in Sun-Protected Patients Supplementing With Vitamin D.

Dermatologists often recommend vitamin D for sun-protected patients. Most patients are not aware of the key role vitamin K2 plays in vitamin D metabolism and do not receive sufficient dietary vitamin K2. A survey of 50 sun-protecting patients shows 4/50 understood the role of vitamin K2 and 1/50 was supplementing vitamin K2. Therefore, counseling on vitamin K2 supplementation may be of benefit to sun-protected dermatology patients. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(2):228-229. doi:10.36849/JDD.5829.

Sub-basin prioritization for assessment of soil erosion susceptibility in Kangsabati, a plateau basin: A comparison between MCDM and SWAT models.

Kangsabati basin located in tropical plateau region faces multiple problems of soil erosion susceptibility (SES), soil fertility deterioration, and sedimentation in reservoirs. Hence, identification of SES zones in thirty-eight sub-basins (SB) for basin prioritization is necessary. The present research addressed the issue by using four multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) models: VlseKriterijumska optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR), technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), simple additive weighing (SAW), compound factor (CF). To determine the best fitted method from MCDM for erosion susceptibility (ES), a comparison has been made with Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), where fifteen morphometric parameters were considered for MCDM, and meteorological data, soil, slope and land use land cover (LULC) were considered for SWAT model. Two validation indices of percentage change and intensity change were used for evaluation and comparison of MCDM results. With SWAT model performance, SWAT calibration and uncertainty analysis programs (CUP) was used for sensitive analysis of SWAT parameters on flow discharge and sediment load simulation. The results showed that 23, 16, 18 SB have high ES; therefore they were given 1 to 3 ranks, whereas 31, 37, 21SB have low ES, hence given 38 to 36 rank as predicted by MCDM methods and SWAT. MCDM validation results depict that VIKOR and CF methods are more acceptable than TOPSIS and SAW. Calibration (flow discharge R2 0.86, NSE 0.75; sediment load R2 0.87, NSE 0.69) and validation (flow discharge R2 0.79, NSE 0.55; sediment load R2 0.79, NSE 0.76) of SWAT model indicated that simulated results are well fitted with observed data. Therefore, VIKOR reflects the significant role of morphometric parameters on ES, whereas SWAT reflects the significant role of LULC, slope, and soil on ES. However, it could be concluded that VIKOR is more effective MCDM method in comparison to SWAT prediction.

Sub-basin prioritization for assessment of soil erosion susceptibility in Kangsabati, a plateau basin: A comparison between MCDM and SWAT models.

Kangsabati basin located in tropical plateau region faces multiple problems of soil erosion susceptibility (SES), soil fertility deterioration, and sedimentation in reservoirs. Hence, identification of SES zones in thirty-eight sub-basins (SB) for basin prioritization is necessary. The present research addressed the issue by using four multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) models: VlseKriterijumska optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR), technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), simple additive weighing (SAW), compound factor (CF). To determine the best fitted method from MCDM for erosion susceptibility (ES), a comparison has been made with Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), where fifteen morphometric parameters were considered for MCDM, and meteorological data, soil, slope and land use land cover (LULC) were considered for SWAT model. Two validation indices of percentage change and intensity change were used for evaluation and comparison of MCDM results. With SWAT model performance, SWAT calibration and uncertainty analysis programs (CUP) was used for sensitive analysis of SWAT parameters on flow discharge and sediment load simulation. The results showed that 23, 16, 18 SB have high ES; therefore they were given 1 to 3 ranks, whereas 31, 37, 21SB have low ES, hence given 38 to 36 rank as predicted by MCDM methods and SWAT. MCDM validation results depict that VIKOR and CF methods are more acceptable than TOPSIS and SAW. Calibration (flow discharge R2 0.86, NSE 0.75; sediment load R2 0.87, NSE 0.69) and validation (flow discharge R2 0.79, NSE 0.55; sediment load R2 0.79, NSE 0.76) of SWAT model indicated that simulated results are well fitted with observed data. Therefore, VIKOR reflects the significant role of morphometric parameters on ES, whereas SWAT reflects the significant role of LULC, slope, and soil on ES. However, it could be concluded that VIKOR is more effective MCDM method in comparison to SWAT prediction.

Use of porous trabecular metal augments with impaction bone grafting in management of acetabular bone loss.

BACKGROUND: The use of impaction grafting in revisions with larger acetabular bone defects has mixed outcomes and sometimes high failures rates. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective, single-center study involved a consecutive series of 24 patients who underwent complex reconstruction of the acetabulum using a trabecular metal augment, impaction bone grafting, and a cemented high-density polyethylene cup. Patients were followed for median 5 (3-7) years. RESULTS: The 2-year WOMAC pain, function, and stiffness scores improved, as did certain components (bodily pain, physical function, role physical, role emotional, physical component score, and social function) of the SF-36 (p < 0.05). 23 of the patients were very satisfied with the overall outcome of the surgery and would have undergone the surgery again for a similar problem, and 19 reported great improvement in their quality of life after surgery. Radiographs at the latest follow-up revealed incorporation of the augment with mean change in acetabular component inclination of less than 1 degree (p > 0.05) and cup migration of less than 5 mm in both horizontal and vertical axes (p > 0.05). 1 patient required further revision at 13 months and was found to have a fractured augment at re-revision. INTERPRETATION: This study shows that trabecular metal augments are effective in filling the bone defect and provide a stable foundation for impaction bone grafting. We found satisfactory clinical and radiographic results using this technique, with low failure rate at a median follow-up time of 5 years.