“Trap-dams”: Artificial Subsurface Storage of Water
To secure and increase the availability of clean drinking water in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, construction of sediment filled dams for artificial subsurface storage of water could provide very cost efficient solutions.
Economics of Sedimentation Management in Large Reservoirs
This paper develops a model of sedimentation management in reservoirs. It
 contributes to the existing literature on the topic in different ways. The model is set in
 stochastic setting and is rich enough to accommodate the study of different contingencies such
 as weather fluctuations, regulation changes due to global warming or other events that causes
 change in public perception regarding large reservoirs. More over, this model also uses a new
 numerical method to solve nonlinear optimization equation that in some cases is faster than
 existing models and requires less computation. Such nonlinear differential equations appear
 naturally in sediment management problems. Data from Tarbela reservoir in Pakistan, one of the
 most sediment prone reservoirs, is used to calibrate the model and our result suggests that
 given the specific assumptions regarding cost functions of sediment removal, the dam could be
 sustainably run.
Genetics of the phenotypic evolution in sheep: a molecular look at diversity-driving genes
Background After domestication, the evolution of phenotypically-varied sheep breeds has generated rich biodiversity. This wide phenotypic variation arises as a result of hidden genomic changes that range from a single nucleotide to several thousands of nucleotides. Thus, it is of interest and significance to reveal and understand the genomic changes underlying the phenotypic variation of sheep breeds in order to drive selection towards economically important traits. Review Various traits contribute to the emergence of variation in sheep phenotypic characteristics, including coat color, horns, tail, wool, ears, udder, vertebrae, among others. The genes that determine most of these phenotypic traits have been investigated, which has generated knowledge regarding the genetic determinism of several agriculturally-relevant traits in sheep. In this review, we discuss the genomic knowledge that has emerged in the past few decades regarding the phenotypic traits in sheep, and our ultimate aim is to encourage its practical application in sheep breeding. In addition, in order to expand the current understanding of the sheep genome, we shed light on research gaps that require further investigation. Conclusions Although significant research efforts have been conducted in the past few decades, several aspects of the sheep genome remain unexplored. For the full utilization of the current knowledge of the sheep genome, a wide practical application is still required in order to boost sheep productive performance and contribute to the generation of improved sheep breeds. The accumulated knowledge on the sheep genome will help advance and strengthen sheep breeding programs to face future challenges in the sector, such as climate change, global human population growth, and the increasing demand for products of animal origin.