40 CFR 63.7824 - What test methods and other procedures must I use to establish and demonstrate initial compliance...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... select sampling port locations and the number of traverse points. Sampling ports must be located at the... Method 25 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A), milligrams per dry standard cubic meters (mg/dscm) for each day... = Conversion factor (mg/lb); and K = Daily production rate of sinter, tons/hr. (4) Continue the sampling and...

Influence of tree spatial pattern and sample plot type and size on inventory

Treesearch

John-Pascall Berrill; Kevin L. O' Hara

2012-01-01

Sampling with different plot types and sizes was simulated using tree location maps and data collected in three even-aged coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) stands selected to represent uniform, random, and clumped spatial patterns of tree locations. Fixed-radius circular plots, belt transects, and variable-radius plots were installed by...

Total mercury, methylmercury, and selected elements in soils of the Fishing Brook watershed, Hamilton County, New York, and the McTier Creek watershed, Aiken County, South Carolina, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodruff, Laurel G.; Cannon, William F.; Knightes, Christopher D.; Chapelle, Francis H.; Bradley, Paul M.; Burns, Douglas A.; Brigham, Mark E.; Lowery, Mark A.

2010-01-01

Mercury is an element of on-going concern for human and aquatic health. Mercury sequestered in upland and wetland soils represents a source that may contribute to mercury contamination in sensitive ecosystems. An improved understanding of mercury cycling in stream ecosystems requires identification and quantification of mercury speciation and transport dynamics in upland and wetland soils within a watershed. This report presents data for soils collected in 2008 from two small watersheds in New York and South Carolina. In New York, 163 samples were taken from multiple depths or soil horizons at 70 separate locations near Fishing Brook, located in Hamilton County. At McTier Creek, in Aiken County, South Carolina, 81 samples from various soil horizons or soil depths were collected from 24 locations. Sample locations within each watershed were selected to characterize soil geochemistry in distinct land-cover compartments. Soils were analyzed for total mercury, selenium, total and carbonate carbon, and 42 other elements. A subset of the samples was also analyzed for methylmercury.

A Critical Assessment of Bias in Survey Studies Using Location-Based Sampling to Recruit Patrons in Bars

PubMed Central

Morrison, Christopher; Lee, Juliet P.; Gruenewald, Paul J.; Marzell, Miesha

2015-01-01

Location-based sampling is a method to obtain samples of people within ecological contexts relevant to specific public health outcomes. Random selection increases generalizability, however in some circumstances (such as surveying bar patrons) recruitment conditions increase risks of sample bias. We attempted to recruit representative samples of bars and patrons in six California cities, but low response rates precluded meaningful analysis. A systematic review of 24 similar studies revealed that none addressed the key shortcomings of our study. We recommend steps to improve studies that use location-based sampling: (i) purposively sample places of interest, (ii) utilize recruitment strategies appropriate to the environment, and (iii) provide full information on response rates at all levels of sampling. PMID:26574657

Rhythmic Sampling within and between Objects despite Sustained Attention at a Cued Location

PubMed Central

Fiebelkorn, Ian C.; Saalmann, Yuri B.; Kastner, Sabine

2013-01-01

SUMMARY The brain directs its limited processing resources through various selection mechanisms, broadly referred to as attention. The present study investigated the temporal dynamics of two such selection mechanisms: space- and object-based selection. Previous evidence has demonstrated that preferential processing resulting from a spatial cue (i.e., space-based selection) spreads to uncued locations, if those locations are part of the same object (i.e., resulting in object-based selection). But little is known about the relationship between these fundamental selection mechanisms. Here, we used human behavioral data to determine how space- and object-based selection simultaneously evolve under conditions that promote sustained attention at a cued location, varying the cue-to-target interval from 300—1100 ms. We tracked visual-target detection at a cued location (i.e., space-based selection), at an uncued location that was part of the same object (i.e., object-based selection), and at an uncued location that was part of a different object (i.e., in the absence of space- and object-based selection). The data demonstrate that even under static conditions, there is a moment-to-moment reweighting of attentional priorities based on object properties. This reweighting is revealed through rhythmic patterns of visual-target detection both within (at 8 Hz) and between (at 4 Hz) objects. PMID:24316204

Evaluation of minerals content of drinking water in Malaysia.

PubMed

Azlan, Azrina; Khoo, Hock Eng; Idris, Mohd Aizat; Ismail, Amin; Razman, Muhammad Rizal

2012-01-01

The drinking and mineral water samples obtained from different geographical locations had concentrations of the selected minerals lower than the standard limits, except for manganese, arsenic, and fluoride. The concentrations of manganese and arsenic in two mineral water samples were slightly higher than the standard international recommended limits. One mineral water sample had a fluoride concentration higher than the standard limits, whereas manganese was not detected in nine drinking and mineral water samples. Most of the selected minerals found in the tap water samples were below the international standard limits, except for iron and manganese. The concentrations of iron and manganese in the tap water samples were higher than the standard limits, which were obtained from one and three of the studied locations, respectively. The potable water obtained from various manufacturers and locations in Peninsular Malaysia is safe for consumption, as the minerals concentrations were below the standard limits prescribed by the Malaysian Food Regulations of 1985. The data obtained may also provide important information related to daily intake of these minerals from drinking water.

Evaluation of Minerals Content of Drinking Water in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Azlan, Azrina; Khoo, Hock Eng; Idris, Mohd Aizat; Ismail, Amin; Razman, Muhammad Rizal

2012-01-01

The drinking and mineral water samples obtained from different geographical locations had concentrations of the selected minerals lower than the standard limits, except for manganese, arsenic, and fluoride. The concentrations of manganese and arsenic in two mineral water samples were slightly higher than the standard international recommended limits. One mineral water sample had a fluoride concentration higher than the standard limits, whereas manganese was not detected in nine drinking and mineral water samples. Most of the selected minerals found in the tap water samples were below the international standard limits, except for iron and manganese. The concentrations of iron and manganese in the tap water samples were higher than the standard limits, which were obtained from one and three of the studied locations, respectively. The potable water obtained from various manufacturers and locations in Peninsular Malaysia is safe for consumption, as the minerals concentrations were below the standard limits prescribed by the Malaysian Food Regulations of 1985. The data obtained may also provide important information related to daily intake of these minerals from drinking water. PMID:22649292

78 FR 50449 - Proposed Collection, Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-19

... used as the sampling universe for selecting establishments at which prices of specific items are... the continuing construction of a current outlet universe from which locations are selected for the...

Using ArcMap, Google Earth, and Global Positioning Systems to select and locate random households in rural Haiti.

PubMed

Wampler, Peter J; Rediske, Richard R; Molla, Azizur R

2013-01-18

A remote sensing technique was developed which combines a Geographic Information System (GIS); Google Earth, and Microsoft Excel to identify home locations for a random sample of households in rural Haiti. The method was used to select homes for ethnographic and water quality research in a region of rural Haiti located within 9 km of a local hospital and source of health education in Deschapelles, Haiti. The technique does not require access to governmental records or ground based surveys to collect household location data and can be performed in a rapid, cost-effective manner. The random selection of households and the location of these households during field surveys were accomplished using GIS, Google Earth, Microsoft Excel, and handheld Garmin GPSmap 76CSx GPS units. Homes were identified and mapped in Google Earth, exported to ArcMap 10.0, and a random list of homes was generated using Microsoft Excel which was then loaded onto handheld GPS units for field location. The development and use of a remote sensing method was essential to the selection and location of random households. A total of 537 homes initially were mapped and a randomized subset of 96 was identified as potential survey locations. Over 96% of the homes mapped using Google Earth imagery were correctly identified as occupied dwellings. Only 3.6% of the occupants of mapped homes visited declined to be interviewed. 16.4% of the homes visited were not occupied at the time of the visit due to work away from the home or market days. A total of 55 households were located using this method during the 10 days of fieldwork in May and June of 2012. The method used to generate and field locate random homes for surveys and water sampling was an effective means of selecting random households in a rural environment lacking geolocation infrastructure. The success rate for locating households using a handheld GPS was excellent and only rarely was local knowledge required to identify and locate households. This method provides an important technique that can be applied to other developing countries where a randomized study design is needed but infrastructure is lacking to implement more traditional participant selection methods.

Foveal analysis and peripheral selection during active visual sampling

PubMed Central

Ludwig, Casimir J. H.; Davies, J. Rhys; Eckstein, Miguel P.

2014-01-01

Human vision is an active process in which information is sampled during brief periods of stable fixation in between gaze shifts. Foveal analysis serves to identify the currently fixated object and has to be coordinated with a peripheral selection process of the next fixation location. Models of visual search and scene perception typically focus on the latter, without considering foveal processing requirements. We developed a dual-task noise classification technique that enables identification of the information uptake for foveal analysis and peripheral selection within a single fixation. Human observers had to use foveal vision to extract visual feature information (orientation) from different locations for a psychophysical comparison. The selection of to-be-fixated locations was guided by a different feature (luminance contrast). We inserted noise in both visual features and identified the uptake of information by looking at correlations between the noise at different points in time and behavior. Our data show that foveal analysis and peripheral selection proceeded completely in parallel. Peripheral processing stopped some time before the onset of an eye movement, but foveal analysis continued during this period. Variations in the difficulty of foveal processing did not influence the uptake of peripheral information and the efficacy of peripheral selection, suggesting that foveal analysis and peripheral selection operated independently. These results provide important theoretical constraints on how to model target selection in conjunction with foveal object identification: in parallel and independently. PMID:24385588

DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR SELECTING WASTE SAMPLES FOR THE BENCH STEAM REFORMER TEST

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BANNING DL

2010-08-03

This document describes the data quality objectives to select archived samples located at the 222-S Laboratory for Fluid Bed Steam Reformer testing. The type, quantity and quality of the data required to select the samples for Fluid Bed Steam Reformer testing are discussed. In order to maximize the efficiency and minimize the time to treat Hanford tank waste in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, additional treatment processes may be required. One of the potential treatment processes is the fluid bed steam reformer (FBSR). A determination of the adequacy of the FBSR process to treat Hanford tank waste is required.more » The initial step in determining the adequacy of the FBSR process is to select archived waste samples from the 222-S Laboratory that will be used to test the FBSR process. Analyses of the selected samples will be required to confirm the samples meet the testing criteria.« less

Transport of chemical and microbial compounds from known wastewater discharges: Potential for use as indicators of human fecal contamination

USGS Publications Warehouse

Glassmeyer, S.T.; Furlong, E.T.; Kolpin, D.W.; Cahill, J.D.; Zaugg, S.D.; Werner, S.L.; Meyer, M.T.; Kryak, D.D.

2005-01-01

The quality of drinking and recreational water is currently (2005) determined using indicator bacteria. However, the culture tests used to analyze for these bacteria require a long time to complete and do not discriminate between human and animal fecal material sources. One complementary approach is to use chemicals found in human wastewater, which would have the advantages of (1) potentially shorter analysis times than the bacterial culture tests and (2) being selected for human-source specificity. At 10 locations, water samples were collected upstream and at two successive points downstream from a wastewaster treatment plant (WWTP); a treated effluent sample was also collected at each WWTP. This sampling plan was used to determine the persistence of a chemically diverse suite of emerging contaminants in streams. Samples were also collected at two reference locations assumed to have minimal human impacts. Of the 110 chemical analytes investigated in this project, 78 were detected at least once. The number of compounds in a given sample ranged from 3 at a reference location to 50 in a WWTP effluent sample. The total analyte load at each location varied from 0.018 μg/L at the reference location to 97.7 μg/L in a separate WWTP effluent sample. Although most of the compound concentrations were in the range of 0.01−1.0 μg/L, in some samples, individual concentrations were in the range of 5−38 μg/L. The concentrations of the majority of the chemicals present in the samples generally followed the expected trend:  they were either nonexistent or at trace levels in the upstream samples, had their maximum concentrations in the WWTP effluent samples, and then declined in the two downstream samples. This research suggests that selected chemicals are useful as tracers of human wastewater discharge.

Use of space-filling curves to select sample locations in natural resource monitoring studies

Treesearch

Andrew Lister; Charles T. Scott

2009-01-01

The establishment of several large area monitoring networks over the past few decades has led to increased research into ways to spatially balance sample locations across the landscape. Many of these methods are well documented and have been used in the past with great success. In this paper, we present a method using geographic information systems (GIS) and fractals...

40 CFR Table 3 to Subpart Yyyy of... - Requirements for Performance Tests and Initial Compliance Demonstrations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the Administrator formaldehyde concentration must be corrected to 15 percent O2, dry basis. Results of... 100 percent load. b. select the sampling port location and the number of traverse points AND Method 1... concentration at the sampling port location AND Method 3A or 3B of 40 CFR part 60, appendix A measurements to...

40 CFR 63.9914 - What test methods and other procedures must I use to demonstrate initial compliance with chlorine...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... appendix A to 40 CFR part 60: (i) Method 1 to select sampling port locations and the number of traverse points. Sampling ports must be located at the outlet of the control device and prior to any releases to... = Concentration of chlorine or hydrochloric acid in the gas stream, milligrams per dry standard cubic meter (mg...

40 CFR 63.9914 - What test methods and other procedures must I use to demonstrate initial compliance with chlorine...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... appendix A to 40 CFR part 60: (i) Method 1 to select sampling port locations and the number of traverse points. Sampling ports must be located at the outlet of the control device and prior to any releases to... = Concentration of chlorine or hydrochloric acid in the gas stream, milligrams per dry standard cubic meter (mg...

A stratified two-stage sampling design for digital soil mapping in a Mediterranean basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blaschek, Michael; Duttmann, Rainer

2015-04-01

The quality of environmental modelling results often depends on reliable soil information. In order to obtain soil data in an efficient manner, several sampling strategies are at hand depending on the level of prior knowledge and the overall objective of the planned survey. This study focuses on the collection of soil samples considering available continuous secondary information in an undulating, 16 km²-sized river catchment near Ussana in southern Sardinia (Italy). A design-based, stratified, two-stage sampling design has been applied aiming at the spatial prediction of soil property values at individual locations. The stratification based on quantiles from density functions of two land-surface parameters - topographic wetness index and potential incoming solar radiation - derived from a digital elevation model. Combined with four main geological units, the applied procedure led to 30 different classes in the given test site. Up to six polygons of each available class were selected randomly excluding those areas smaller than 1ha to avoid incorrect location of the points in the field. Further exclusion rules were applied before polygon selection masking out roads and buildings using a 20m buffer. The selection procedure was repeated ten times and the set of polygons with the best geographical spread were chosen. Finally, exact point locations were selected randomly from inside the chosen polygon features. A second selection based on the same stratification and following the same methodology (selecting one polygon instead of six) was made in order to create an appropriate validation set. Supplementary samples were obtained during a second survey focusing on polygons that have either not been considered during the first phase at all or were not adequately represented with respect to feature size. In total, both field campaigns produced an interpolation set of 156 samples and a validation set of 41 points. The selection of sample point locations has been done using ESRI software (ArcGIS) extended by Hawth's Tools and later on its replacement the Geospatial Modelling Environment (GME). 88% of all desired points could actually be reached in the field and have been successfully sampled. Our results indicate that the sampled calibration and validation sets are representative for each other and could be successfully used as interpolation data for spatial prediction purposes. With respect to soil textural fractions, for instance, equal multivariate means and variance homogeneity were found for the two datasets as evidenced by significant (P > 0.05) Hotelling T²-test (2.3 with df1 = 3, df2 = 193) and Bartlett's test statistics (6.4 with df = 6). The multivariate prediction of clay, silt and sand content using a neural network residual cokriging approach reached an explained variance level of 56%, 47% and 63%. Thus, the presented case study is a successful example of considering readily available continuous information on soil forming factors such as geology and relief as stratifying variables for designing sampling schemes in digital soil mapping projects.

Practical guidance on characterizing availability in resource selection functions under a use-availability design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Northrup, Joseph M.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Anderson, Charles R.; Wittemyer, George

2013-01-01

Habitat selection is a fundamental aspect of animal ecology, the understanding of which is critical to management and conservation. Global positioning system data from animals allow fine-scale assessments of habitat selection and typically are analyzed in a use-availability framework, whereby animal locations are contrasted with random locations (the availability sample). Although most use-availability methods are in fact spatial point process models, they often are fit using logistic regression. This framework offers numerous methodological challenges, for which the literature provides little guidance. Specifically, the size and spatial extent of the availability sample influences coefficient estimates potentially causing interpretational bias. We examined the influence of availability on statistical inference through simulations and analysis of serially correlated mule deer GPS data. Bias in estimates arose from incorrectly assessing and sampling the spatial extent of availability. Spatial autocorrelation in covariates, which is common for landscape characteristics, exacerbated the error in availability sampling leading to increased bias. These results have strong implications for habitat selection analyses using GPS data, which are increasingly prevalent in the literature. We recommend researchers assess the sensitivity of their results to their availability sample and, where bias is likely, take care with interpretations and use cross validation to assess robustness.

Kalman/Map filtering-aided fast normalized cross correlation-based Wi-Fi fingerprinting location sensing.

PubMed

Sun, Yongliang; Xu, Yubin; Li, Cheng; Ma, Lin

2013-11-13

A Kalman/map filtering (KMF)-aided fast normalized cross correlation (FNCC)-based Wi-Fi fingerprinting location sensing system is proposed in this paper. Compared with conventional neighbor selection algorithms that calculate localization results with received signal strength (RSS) mean samples, the proposed FNCC algorithm makes use of all the on-line RSS samples and reference point RSS variations to achieve higher fingerprinting accuracy. The FNCC computes efficiently while maintaining the same accuracy as the basic normalized cross correlation. Additionally, a KMF is also proposed to process fingerprinting localization results. It employs a new map matching algorithm to nonlinearize the linear location prediction process of Kalman filtering (KF) that takes advantage of spatial proximities of consecutive localization results. With a calibration model integrated into an indoor map, the map matching algorithm corrects unreasonable prediction locations of the KF according to the building interior structure. Thus, more accurate prediction locations are obtained. Using these locations, the KMF considerably improves fingerprinting algorithm performance. Experimental results demonstrate that the FNCC algorithm with reduced computational complexity outperforms other neighbor selection algorithms and the KMF effectively improves location sensing accuracy by using indoor map information and spatial proximities of consecutive localization results.

Kalman/Map Filtering-Aided Fast Normalized Cross Correlation-Based Wi-Fi Fingerprinting Location Sensing

PubMed Central

Sun, Yongliang; Xu, Yubin; Li, Cheng; Ma, Lin

2013-01-01

A Kalman/map filtering (KMF)-aided fast normalized cross correlation (FNCC)-based Wi-Fi fingerprinting location sensing system is proposed in this paper. Compared with conventional neighbor selection algorithms that calculate localization results with received signal strength (RSS) mean samples, the proposed FNCC algorithm makes use of all the on-line RSS samples and reference point RSS variations to achieve higher fingerprinting accuracy. The FNCC computes efficiently while maintaining the same accuracy as the basic normalized cross correlation. Additionally, a KMF is also proposed to process fingerprinting localization results. It employs a new map matching algorithm to nonlinearize the linear location prediction process of Kalman filtering (KF) that takes advantage of spatial proximities of consecutive localization results. With a calibration model integrated into an indoor map, the map matching algorithm corrects unreasonable prediction locations of the KF according to the building interior structure. Thus, more accurate prediction locations are obtained. Using these locations, the KMF considerably improves fingerprinting algorithm performance. Experimental results demonstrate that the FNCC algorithm with reduced computational complexity outperforms other neighbor selection algorithms and the KMF effectively improves location sensing accuracy by using indoor map information and spatial proximities of consecutive localization results. PMID:24233027

Point-Sampling and Line-Sampling Probability Theory, Geometric Implications, Synthesis

Treesearch

L.R. Grosenbaugh

1958-01-01

Foresters concerned with measuring tree populations on definite areas have long employed two well-known methods of representative sampling. In list or enumerative sampling the entire tree population is tallied with a known proportion being randomly selected and measured for volume or other variables. In area sampling all trees on randomly located plots or strips...

Additional Samples: Where They Should Be Located

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pilger, G. G., E-mail: jfelipe@ufrgs.br; Costa, J. F. C. L.; Koppe, J. C.

2001-09-15

Information for mine planning requires to be close spaced, if compared to the grid used for exploration and resource assessment. The additional samples collected during quasimining usually are located in the same pattern of the original diamond drillholes net but closer spaced. This procedure is not the best in mathematical sense for selecting a location. The impact of an additional information to reduce the uncertainty about the parameter been modeled is not the same everywhere within the deposit. Some locations are more sensitive in reducing the local and global uncertainty than others. This study introduces a methodology to select additionalmore » sample locations based on stochastic simulation. The procedure takes into account data variability and their spatial location. Multiple equally probable models representing a geological attribute are generated via geostatistical simulation. These models share basically the same histogram and the same variogram obtained from the original data set. At each block belonging to the model a value is obtained from the n simulations and their combination allows one to access local variability. Variability is measured using an uncertainty index proposed. This index was used to map zones of high variability. A value extracted from a given simulation is added to the original data set from a zone identified as erratic in the previous maps. The process of adding samples and simulation is repeated and the benefit of the additional sample is evaluated. The benefit in terms of uncertainty reduction is measure locally and globally. The procedure showed to be robust and theoretically sound, mapping zones where the additional information is most beneficial. A case study in a coal mine using coal seam thickness illustrates the method.« less

Seasonal rationalization of river water quality sampling locations: a comparative study of the modified Sanders and multivariate statistical approaches.

PubMed

Varekar, Vikas; Karmakar, Subhankar; Jha, Ramakar

2016-02-01

The design of surface water quality sampling location is a crucial decision-making process for rationalization of monitoring network. The quantity, quality, and types of available dataset (watershed characteristics and water quality data) may affect the selection of appropriate design methodology. The modified Sanders approach and multivariate statistical techniques [particularly factor analysis (FA)/principal component analysis (PCA)] are well-accepted and widely used techniques for design of sampling locations. However, their performance may vary significantly with quantity, quality, and types of available dataset. In this paper, an attempt has been made to evaluate performance of these techniques by accounting the effect of seasonal variation, under a situation of limited water quality data but extensive watershed characteristics information, as continuous and consistent river water quality data is usually difficult to obtain, whereas watershed information may be made available through application of geospatial techniques. A case study of Kali River, Western Uttar Pradesh, India, is selected for the analysis. The monitoring was carried out at 16 sampling locations. The discrete and diffuse pollution loads at different sampling sites were estimated and accounted using modified Sanders approach, whereas the monitored physical and chemical water quality parameters were utilized as inputs for FA/PCA. The designed optimum number of sampling locations for monsoon and non-monsoon seasons by modified Sanders approach are eight and seven while that for FA/PCA are eleven and nine, respectively. Less variation in the number and locations of designed sampling sites were obtained by both techniques, which shows stability of results. A geospatial analysis has also been carried out to check the significance of designed sampling location with respect to river basin characteristics and land use of the study area. Both methods are equally efficient; however, modified Sanders approach outperforms FA/PCA when limited water quality and extensive watershed information is available. The available water quality dataset is limited and FA/PCA-based approach fails to identify monitoring locations with higher variation, as these multivariate statistical approaches are data-driven. The priority/hierarchy and number of sampling sites designed by modified Sanders approach are well justified by the land use practices and observed river basin characteristics of the study area.

Methods for detecting and correcting inaccurate results in inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

DOEpatents

Chan, George C. Y. [Bloomington, IN; Hieftje, Gary M [Bloomington, IN

2010-08-03

A method for detecting and correcting inaccurate results in inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). ICP-AES analysis is performed across a plurality of selected locations in the plasma on an unknown sample, collecting the light intensity at one or more selected wavelengths of one or more sought-for analytes, creating a first dataset. The first dataset is then calibrated with a calibration dataset creating a calibrated first dataset curve. If the calibrated first dataset curve has a variability along the location within the plasma for a selected wavelength, errors are present. Plasma-related errors are then corrected by diluting the unknown sample and performing the same ICP-AES analysis on the diluted unknown sample creating a calibrated second dataset curve (accounting for the dilution) for the one or more sought-for analytes. The cross-over point of the calibrated dataset curves yields the corrected value (free from plasma related errors) for each sought-for analyte.

DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR SELECTING WASTE SAMPLES FOR BENCH-SCALE REFORMER TREATABILITY STUDIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BANNING DL

2011-02-11

This document describes the data quality objectives to select archived samples located at the 222-S Laboratory for Bench-Scale Reforming testing. The type, quantity, and quality of the data required to select the samples for Fluid Bed Steam Reformer testing are discussed. In order to maximize the efficiency and minimize the time to treat Hanford tank waste in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, additional treatment processes may be required. One of the potential treatment processes is the fluidized bed steam reformer. A determination of the adequacy of the fluidized bed steam reformer process to treat Hanford tank waste is required.more » The initial step in determining the adequacy of the fluidized bed steam reformer process is to select archived waste samples from the 222-S Laboratory that will be used in a bench scale tests. Analyses of the selected samples will be required to confirm the samples meet the shipping requirements and for comparison to the bench scale reformer (BSR) test sample selection requirements.« less

Self-contained cryogenic gas sampling apparatus and method

DOEpatents

McManus, G.J.; Motes, B.G.; Bird, S.K.; Kotter, D.K.

1996-03-26

Apparatus for obtaining a whole gas sample, is composed of: a sample vessel having an inlet for receiving a gas sample; a controllable valve mounted for controllably opening and closing the inlet; a valve control coupled to the valve for opening and closing the valve at selected times; a portable power source connected for supplying operating power to the valve control; and a cryogenic coolant in thermal communication with the vessel for cooling the interior of the vessel to cryogenic temperatures. A method is described for obtaining an air sample using the apparatus described above, by: placing the apparatus at a location at which the sample is to be obtained; operating the valve control to open the valve at a selected time and close the valve at a selected subsequent time; and between the selected times maintaining the vessel at a cryogenic temperature by heat exchange with the coolant. 3 figs.

Self-contained cryogenic gas sampling apparatus and method

DOEpatents

McManus, Gary J.; Motes, Billy G.; Bird, Susan K.; Kotter, Dale K.

1996-01-01

Apparatus for obtaining a whole gas sample, composed of: a sample vessel having an inlet for receiving a gas sample; a controllable valve mounted for controllably opening and closing the inlet; a valve control coupled to the valve for opening and closing the valve at selected times; a portable power source connected for supplying operating power to the valve control; and a cryogenic coolant in thermal communication with the vessel for cooling the interior of the vessel to cryogenic temperatures. A method of obtaining an air sample using the apparatus described above, by: placing the apparatus at a location at which the sample is to be obtained; operating the valve control to open the valve at a selected time and close the valve at a selected subsequent time; and between the selected times maintaining the vessel at a cryogenic temperature by heat exchange with the coolant.

A benthic-macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity and assessment of conditions in selected streams in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1998-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reif, Andrew G.

2012-01-01

The Stream Conditions of Chester County Biological Monitoring Network (Network) was established by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Chester County Water Resources Authority in 1969. Chester County encompasses 760 square miles in southeastern Pennsylvania and has a rapidly expanding population. Land-use change has occurred in response to this continual growth, as open space, agricultural lands, and wooded lands have been converted to residential and commercial lands. In 1998, the Network was modified to include 18 fixed-location sites and 9 flexible-location sites. Sites were sampled annually in the fall (October-November) during base-flow conditions for water chemistry, instream habitat, and benthic macroinvertebrates. A new set of 9 flexible-location sites was selected each year. From 1998 to 2009, 213 samples were collected from the 18 fixed-location sites and 107 samples were collected from the 84 flexible-location sites. Eighteen flexible-location sites were sampled more than once over the 12-year period; 66 sites were sampled only once. Benthic-macroinvertebrate data from samples collected during 1998-2009 were used to establish the Chester County Index of Biotic Integrity (CC-IBI). The CC-IBI was based on the methods and metrics outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's "A Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity for Wadeable Freestone Streams in Pennsylvania." The resulting CC-IBI consists of scores for benthic-macroinvertebrate samples collected from sites in the Network that related to reference conditions in Chester County. Mean CC-IBI scores for 18 fixed-location sites ranged from 37.21 to 88.92. Thirty-nine percent of the 213 samples collected at the 18 fixed-location sites had a CC-IBI score less than 50; 33 percent, 50 to 70; 28 percent, greater than 70. CC-IBI scores from the 107 flexible-location samples ranged from 23.48 to 99.96. Twenty-five percent of the 107 samples collected at the flexible-location sites had a CC-IBI score less than 50; 33 percent, 50 to 70; and 42 percent, greater than 70. Factors that were found to affect CC-IBI scores are nutrient concentrations, habitat conditions, and percent of wooded and urban land use. A positive relation was determined between mean CC-IBI scores and mean total habitat scores for the 18 fixed-location sites. CC-IBI scores were most strongly affected by stream bank vegetative protection, embeddedness, riparian zone width, and sediment deposition. The highest CC-IBI scores were associated with sites that had greater than 28 percent wooded-wetland-water land use, less than 5 percent urban land use, and no municipal wastewater discharges within 10 miles upstream from the sampling site. The lowest CC-IBI scores were associated with sites where urban land use was greater than 15 percent or a municipal wastewater discharge was within 10 miles upstream from the sampling reach. The Mann Kendall test for trends was used to determine trends in CC-IBI scores and concentrations of nitrate, orthophosphate, and chloride for the 18 fixed-location sites. A positive trend in CC-IBI was determined for six sites, and a negative trend was determined for one site. Positive trends in nitrate concentrations were determined for 4 of the 18 fixed-location sites, and a negative trend in orthophosphate concentrations was determined for 1 of the 18 fixed-location sites. Positive trends in chloride concentrations were determined for 16 of the 18 fixed-location sites.

Assessment of Users Information Needs and Satisfaction in Selected Seminary Libraries in Oyo State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adekunjo, Olalekan Abraham; Adepoju, Samuel Olusegun; Adeola, Anuoluwapo Odebunmi

2015-01-01

The study assessed users' information needs and satisfaction in selected seminary libraries in Oyo State, Nigeria. This paper employed the descriptive survey research design, whereby the expost-facto was employed with a sample size of three hundred (300) participants, selected from six seminaries located in Ibadan, Oyo and Ogbomoso, all in Oyo…

Compendium of selected methods for sampling and analysis at geothermal facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kindle, C. H.; Pool, K. H.; Ludwick, J. D.; Robertson, D. E.

1984-06-01

An independent study of the field has resulted in a compilation of the best methods for sampling, preservation and analysis of potential pollutants from geothermally fueled electric power plants. These methods are selected as the most usable over the range of application commonly experienced in the various geothermal plant sample locations. In addition to plant and well piping, techniques for sampling cooling towers, ambient gases, solids, surface and subsurface waters are described. Emphasis is placed on the use of sampling proves to extract samples from heterogeneous flows. Certain sampling points, constituents and phases of plant operation are more amenable to quality assurance improvement in the emission measurements than others and are so identified.

Observation of valley-selective microwave transport in photonic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Liping; Yang, Yuting; Hong Hang, Zhi; Qiu, Chunyin; Liu, Zhengyou

2017-12-01

Recently, the discrete valley degree of freedom has attracted extensive attention in condensed matter physics. Here, we present an experimental observation of the intriguing valley transport for microwaves in photonic crystals, including the bulk valley transport and the valley-projected edge modes along the interface separating different photonic insulating phases. For both cases, valley-selective excitations are realized by a point-like chiral source located at proper locations inside the samples. Our results are promising for exploring unprecedented routes to manipulate microwaves.

RECAL: A Computer Program for Selecting Sample Days for Recreation Use Estimation

Treesearch

D.L. Erickson; C.J. Liu; H. Ken Cordell; W.L. Chen

1980-01-01

Recreation Calendar (RECAL) is a computer program in PL/I for drawing a sample of days for estimating recreation use. With RECAL, a sampling period of any length may be chosen; simple random, stratified random, and factorial designs can be accommodated. The program randomly allocates days to strata and locations.

An evaluation of potential sampling locations in a reservoir with emphasis on conserved spatial correlation structure.

PubMed

Yenilmez, Firdes; Düzgün, Sebnem; Aksoy, Aysegül

2015-01-01

In this study, kernel density estimation (KDE) was coupled with ordinary two-dimensional kriging (OK) to reduce the number of sampling locations in measurement and kriging of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in Porsuk Dam Reservoir (PDR). Conservation of the spatial correlation structure in the DO distribution was a target. KDE was used as a tool to aid in identification of the sampling locations that would be removed from the sampling network in order to decrease the total number of samples. Accordingly, several networks were generated in which sampling locations were reduced from 65 to 10 in increments of 4 or 5 points at a time based on kernel density maps. DO variograms were constructed, and DO values in PDR were kriged. Performance of the networks in DO estimations were evaluated through various error metrics, standard error maps (SEM), and whether the spatial correlation structure was conserved or not. Results indicated that smaller number of sampling points resulted in loss of information in regard to spatial correlation structure in DO. The minimum representative sampling points for PDR was 35. Efficacy of the sampling location selection method was tested against the networks generated by experts. It was shown that the evaluation approach proposed in this study provided a better sampling network design in which the spatial correlation structure of DO was sustained for kriging.

Alcohol- and Drug-Involved Driving in the United States: Methodology for the 2007 National Roadside Survey

PubMed Central

Lacey, John H.; Kelley-Baker, Tara; Voas, Robert B.; Romano, Eduardo; Furr-Holden, C. Debra; Torres, Pedro; Berning, Amy

2013-01-01

This article describes the methodology used in the 2007 U.S. National Roadside Survey to estimate the prevalence of alcohol- and drug-impaired driving and alcohol- and drug-involved driving. This study involved randomly stopping drivers at 300 locations across the 48 continental U.S. states at sites selected through a stratified random sampling procedure. Data were collected during a 2-hour Friday daytime session at 60 locations and during 2-hour nighttime weekend periods at 240 locations. Both self-report and biological measures were taken. Biological measures included breath alcohol measurements from 9,413 respondents, oral fluid samples from 7,719 respondents, and blood samples from 3,276 respondents. PMID:21997324

Selected Water- and Sediment-Quality, Aquatic Biology, and Mine-Waste Data from the Ely Copper Mine Superfund Site, Vershire, VT, 1998-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Argue, Denise M.; Kiah, Richard G.; Piatak, Nadine M.; Seal, Robert R.; Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Hathaway, Edward; Coles, James F.

2008-01-01

The data contained in this report are a compilation of selected water- and sediment-quality, aquatic biology, and mine-waste data collected at the Ely Copper Mine Superfund site in Vershire, VT, from August 1998 through May 2007. The Ely Copper Mine Superfund site is in eastern, central Vermont (fig. 1) within the Vermont Copper Belt (Hammarstrom and others, 2001). The Ely Copper Mine site was placed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) National Priorities List in 2001. Previous investigations conducted at the site documented that the mine is contributing metals and highly acidic waters to local streams (Hammarstrom and others, 2001; Holmes and others, 2002; Piatak and others, 2003, 2004, and 2006). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the USEPA, compiled selected data from previous investigations into uniform datasets that will be used to help characterize the extent of contamination at the mine. The data may be used to determine the magnitude of biological impacts from the contamination and in the development of remediation activities. This report contains analytical data for samples collected from 98 stream locations, 6 pond locations, 21 surface-water seeps, and 29 mine-waste locations. The 98 stream locations are within 3 streams and their tributaries. Ely Brook flows directly through the Ely Copper Mine then into Schoolhouse Brook (fig. 2), which joins the Ompompanoosuc River (fig. 1). The six pond locations are along Ely Brook Tributary 2 (fig. 2). The surface-water seeps and mine-waste locations are near the headwaters of Ely Brook (fig. 2 and fig. 3). The datasets 'Site_Directory' and 'Coordinates' contain specific information about each of the sample locations including stream name, number of meters from the mouth of stream, geographic coordinates, types of samples collected (matrix of sample), and the figure on which the sample location is depicted. Data have been collected at the Ely Copper Mine Superfund site by the USEPA, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC), and the USGS. Data also have been collected on behalf of USEPA by the following agencies: Arthur D. Little Incorporated (ADL), U.S. Army Cold Region Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), URS Corporation (URS), USEPA, and USGS. These data provide information about the aquatic communities and their habitats, including chemical analyses of surface water, pore water, sediments, and fish tissue; assessments of macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages; physical characteristics of sediments; and chemical analyses of soil and soil leachate collected in and around the piles of mine waste.

Violence, abuse, alcohol and drug use, and sexual behaviors in street children of Greater Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt.

PubMed

Nada, Khaled H; Suliman, El Daw A

2010-07-01

To measure the prevalence of HIV/AIDS risk behaviors and related factors in a large, probability-based sample of boys and girls aged 12-17 years living on the streets of Egypt's largest urban centers of Greater Cairo and Alexandria. Time-location sampling (TLS) was used to recruit a cross-sectional sample of street children. Procedures entailed using key informants and field observation to create a sampling frame of locations at predetermined time intervals of the day, where street children congregate in the two cities, selecting a random sample of time-locations from the complete list, and intercepting children in the selected time-locations to assess eligibility and conduct interviews. Interviews gathered basic demographic information, life events on the street (including violence, abuse, forced sex), sexual and drug use behaviors, and HIV/AIDS knowledge. A total of 857 street children were enrolled in the two cities, with an age, sex, and time-location composition matching the sampling frame. The majority of these children had faced harassment or abuse (93%) typically by police and other street children, had used drugs (62%), and, among the older adolescents, were sexually active (67%). Among the sexually active 15-17-year-olds, most reported multiple partners (54%) and never using condoms (52%). Most girls (53% in Greater Cairo and 90% in Alexandria) had experienced sexual abuse. The majority of street children experienced more than one of these risks. Overlaps with populations at highest risk for HIV were substantial, namely men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers, and injection drug users. Our study using a randomized TLS approach produced a rigorous, diverse, probability-based sample of street children and documented very high levels of multiple concurrent risks. Our findings strongly advocate for multiple services including those addressing HIV and STI prevention and care, substance use, shelters, and sensitization of authorities to the plight of street children in Egypt.

A "shotgun" method for tracing the birth locations of sheep from flock tags, applied to scrapie surveillance in Great Britain.

PubMed

Birch, Colin P D; Del Rio Vilas, Victor J; Chikukwa, Ambrose C

2010-09-01

Movement records are often used to identify animal sample provenance by retracing the movements of individuals. Here we present an alternative method, which uses the same identity tags and movement records as are used to retrace movements, but ignores individual movement paths. The first step uses a simple query to identify the most likely birth holding for every identity tag included in a database recording departures from agricultural holdings. The second step rejects a proportion of the birth holding locations to leave a list of birth holding locations that are relatively reliable. The method was used to trace the birth locations of sheep sampled for scrapie in abattoirs, or on farm as fallen stock. Over 82% of the sheep sampled in the fallen stock survey died at the holding of birth. This lack of movement may be an important constraint on scrapie transmission. These static sheep provided relatively reliable birth locations, which were used to define criteria for selecting reliable traces. The criteria rejected 16.8% of fallen stock traces and 11.9% of abattoir survey traces. Two tests provided estimates that selection reduced error in fallen stock traces from 11.3% to 3.2%, and in abattoir survey traces from 8.1% to 1.8%. This method generated 14,591 accepted traces of fallen stock from samples taken during 2002-2005 and 83,136 accepted traces from abattoir samples. The absence or ambiguity of flock tag records at the time of slaughter prevented the tracing of 16-24% of abattoir samples during 2002-2004, although flock tag records improved in 2005. The use of internal scoring to generate and evaluate results from the database query, and the confirmation of results by comparison with other database fields, are analogous to methods used in web search engines. Such methods may have wide application in tracing samples and in adding value to biological datasets. Crown Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrologic data collected in the vicinity of the proposed gamma-ray and neutrino detector site, Hot Spring County, Arkansas, 1988-89

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, D.J.; Westerfield, P.W.

1990-01-01

An abandoned barite mine in Hot Spring County, Arkansas, has been selected as the location for a proposed gamma-ray and neutrino detector site. As part of the hydrologic evaluation of the site, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Arkansas Geological Commission collected hydrologic data at selected locations in the vicinity of the abandoned barite mine. Data collected as part of the project included water quality, pond-evaluation, and precipitation data within the abandoned barite mine and flow and water quality data at selected sites in the vicinity of the mine. Water quality samples from within the abandoned mine were collected at three locations in the pond at selected depths. These data included field measurements of specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, major ions, and trace metals. Major ion and trace-metal samples were collected at six stream sites, one lake site, and two wastewater pond sites. Pond elevation and precipitation data from within the abandoned barite mine were measured during the period between July 1, 1988 and June 30, 1989. Twevle discharge measurements during the period between June 21, 1988, and June 26, 1989, were collected at six sites in the vicinity of the abandoned barite mine. (USGS)

Opportune Landing Site Program: Opportune Landing Site Southeastern Indiana Field Data Collection and Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-01

consisted of eight fundamental tasks. Boeing (1) pro - vided software allowing the selection of OLS locations using satellite im- agery, (2) provided a...IOP1 to determine the stratigraphy of the soil horizons, collect samples to determine the soil texture, and collect pro - file measurements of the soil...However, using the wet density value from the gauge with an oven-dry moisture con - tent from a sample collected at the same location where the density

Maintenance of tactile short-term memory for locations is mediated by spatial attention.

PubMed

Katus, Tobias; Andersen, Søren K; Müller, Matthias M

2012-01-01

According to the attention-based rehearsal hypothesis, maintenance of spatial information is mediated by covert orienting towards memorized locations. In a somatosensory memory task, participants simultaneously received bilateral pairs of mechanical sample pulses. For each hand, sample stimuli were randomly assigned to one of three locations (fingers). A subsequent visual retro-cue determined whether the left or right hand sample was to be memorized. The retro-cue elicited lateralized activity reflecting the location of the relevant sample stimulus. Sensory processing during the retention period was probed by task-irrelevant pulses randomized to locations at the cued and uncued hand. The somatosensory N140 was enhanced for probes delivered to the cued hand, relative to uncued. Probes presented shortly after the retro-cue showed greatest attentional modulations. This suggests that transient contributions from retrospective selection overlapped with the sustained effect of attention-based rehearsal. In conclusion, focal attention shifts within tactile mnemonic content occurred after retro-cues and guided sensory processing during retention. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impacts of sampling design and estimation methods on nutrient leaching of intensively monitored forest plots in the Netherlands.

PubMed

de Vries, W; Wieggers, H J J; Brus, D J

2010-08-05

Element fluxes through forest ecosystems are generally based on measurements of concentrations in soil solution at regular time intervals at plot locations sampled in a regular grid. Here we present spatially averaged annual element leaching fluxes in three Dutch forest monitoring plots using a new sampling strategy in which both sampling locations and sampling times are selected by probability sampling. Locations were selected by stratified random sampling with compact geographical blocks of equal surface area as strata. In each sampling round, six composite soil solution samples were collected, consisting of five aliquots, one per stratum. The plot-mean concentration was estimated by linear regression, so that the bias due to one or more strata being not represented in the composite samples is eliminated. The sampling times were selected in such a way that the cumulative precipitation surplus of the time interval between two consecutive sampling times was constant, using an estimated precipitation surplus averaged over the past 30 years. The spatially averaged annual leaching flux was estimated by using the modeled daily water flux as an ancillary variable. An important advantage of the new method is that the uncertainty in the estimated annual leaching fluxes due to spatial and temporal variation and resulting sampling errors can be quantified. Results of this new method were compared with the reference approach in which daily leaching fluxes were calculated by multiplying daily interpolated element concentrations with daily water fluxes and then aggregated to a year. Results show that the annual fluxes calculated with the reference method for the period 2003-2005, including all plots, elements and depths, lies only in 53% of the cases within the range of the average +/-2 times the standard error of the new method. Despite the differences in results, both methods indicate comparable N retention and strong Al mobilization in all plots, with Al leaching being nearly equal to the leaching of SO(4) and NO(3) with fluxes expressed in mol(c) ha(-1) yr(-1). This illustrates that Al release, which is the clearest signal of soil acidification, is mainly due to the external input of SO(4) and NO(3).

Ground-survey and water-quality data for selected wetlands on or near the Lower Brule Indian Reservation in South Dakota, 2012-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neitzert, Kathleen M.; Thompson, Ryan F.

2015-08-20

Numerous lakes, ponds, and wetlands are located within the Lower Brule Indian Reservation. Wetlands are an important resource providing aquatic habitat for plants and animals, and acting as a natural water filtration system. Several of the wetlands on or near the reservation are of particular interest, but information on the physical and biological integrity of these wetlands was needed to provide a base-line reference when planning for future water management needs. A reconnaissance-level study of selected wetlands on and near the Lower Brule Indian Reservation was completed in 2012–13 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe using ground surveys and water-quality analyses. Ground surveys of six wetland areas (Dorman Slough, Little Bend Wetlands, Miller Pond, Potter Slough, an unnamed slough, and West Brule Community wetlands) were completed to map land, water, vegetation, and man-made features of the selected wetland areas using real-time kinematic global navigation satellite systems equipment. Water samples were collected from four of the selected wetlands. Two separate waterbodies were sampled at one of the wetlands for a total of five sampling locations. Water samples were analyzed for physical properties, selected inorganics, metals, nutrients, and suspended sediment. Concentrations of calcium, sodium, and sulfate were greater at the two wetland sites fed by ground water, compared to the wetland sites fed by surface runoff.

40 CFR 63.1385 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... applicable emission limits: (1) Method 1 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A) for the selection of the sampling port location and number of sampling ports; (2) Method 2 (40 CFR part 60, appendix A) for volumetric flow rate.... Each run shall consist of a minimum run time of 2 hours and a minimum sample volume of 60 dry standard...

Aquifer environment selects for microbial species cohorts in sediment and groundwater

PubMed Central

Hug, Laura A; Thomas, Brian C; Brown, Christopher T; Frischkorn, Kyle R; Williams, Kenneth H; Tringe, Susannah G; Banfield, Jillian F

2015-01-01

Little is known about the biogeography or stability of sediment-associated microbial community membership because these environments are biologically complex and generally difficult to sample. High-throughput-sequencing methods provide new opportunities to simultaneously genomically sample and track microbial community members across a large number of sampling sites or times, with higher taxonomic resolution than is associated with 16 S ribosomal RNA gene surveys, and without the disadvantages of primer bias and gene copy number uncertainty. We characterized a sediment community at 5 m depth in an aquifer adjacent to the Colorado River and tracked its most abundant 133 organisms across 36 different sediment and groundwater samples. We sampled sites separated by centimeters, meters and tens of meters, collected on seven occasions over 6 years. Analysis of 1.4 terabase pairs of DNA sequence showed that these 133 organisms were more consistently detected in saturated sediments than in samples from the vadose zone, from distant locations or from groundwater filtrates. Abundance profiles across aquifer locations and from different sampling times identified organism cohorts that comprised subsets of the 133 organisms that were consistently associated. The data suggest that cohorts are partly selected for by shared environmental adaptation. PMID:25647349

RETROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF A SURFACTANT FLUSH TO REMOVE GASOLINE CONTAMINATION FROM AN AQUFIER IN GOLDEN, OKLAHOMA

EPA Science Inventory

After remedial activities are complete, the SPRD will collect, extract, and analyze core samples from selected locations previously sampled by Surbec-ART as part of their characterization prior to remediation. The concentration of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and gaso...

Neurons with object-centered spatial selectivity in macaque SEF: do they represent locations or rules?

PubMed

Tremblay, Léon; Gettner, Sonya N; Olson, Carl R

2002-01-01

In macaque monkeys performing a task that requires eye movements to the leftmost or rightmost of two dots in a horizontal array, some neurons in the supplementary eye field (SEF) fire differentially according to which side of the array is the target regardless of the array's location on the screen. We refer to these neurons as exhibiting selectivity for object-centered location. This form of selectivity might arise from involvement of the neurons in either of two processes: representing the locations of targets or representing the rules by which targets are selected. To distinguish between these possibilities, we monitored neuronal activity in the SEF of two monkeys performing a task that required the selection of targets by either an object-centered spatial rule or a color rule. On each trial, a sample array consisting of two side-by-side dots appeared; then a cue flashed on one dot; then the display vanished and a delay ensued. Next a target array consisting of two side-by-side dots appeared at an unpredictable location and another delay ensued; finally the monkey had to make an eye movement to one of the target dots. On some trials, the monkey had to select the dot on the same side as the cue (right or left). On other trials, he had to select the target of the same color as the cue (red or green). Neuronal activity robustly encoded the object-centered locations first of the cue and then of the target regardless of the whether the monkey was following a rule based on object-centered location or color. Neuronal activity was at most weakly affected by the type of rule the monkey was following (object-centered-location or color) or by the color of the cue and target (red or green). On trials involving a color rule, neuronal activity was moderately enhanced when the cue and target appeared on opposite sides of their respective arrays. We conclude that the general function of SEF neurons selective for object-centered location is to represent where the cue and target are in their respective arrays rather than to represent the rule for target selection.

Evaluating Contaminants of Emerging Concern as tracers of wastewater from septic systems.

PubMed

James, C Andrew; Miller-Schulze, Justin P; Ultican, Shawn; Gipe, Alex D; Baker, Joel E

2016-09-15

Bacterial and nutrient contamination from anthropogenic sources impacts fresh and marine waters, reducing water quality and restricting recreational and commercial activities. In many cases the source of this contamination is ambiguous, and a tracer or set of tracers linking contamination to source would be valuable. In this work, the effectiveness of utilizing a suite of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) as tracers of bacteria from human septic system effluent is investigated. Field sampling was performed at more than 20 locations over approximately 18 months and analyzed for a suite of CECs and fecal coliform bacteria. The sampling locations included seeps and small freshwater discharges to the shoreline. Sites were selected and grouped according to level of impact by septic systems as determined by previous field sampling programs. A subset of selected locations had been positively identified as being impacted by effluent from failing septic systems through dye testing. The CECs were selected based on their predominant use, their frequency of use, and putative fate and transport properties. In addition, two rounds of focused sampling were performed at selected sites to characterize short-term variations in CEC and fecal coliform concentrations, and to evaluate environmental persistence following source correction activities. The results indicate that a suite of common use compounds are suitable as generalized tracers of bacterial contamination from septic systems and that fate and transport properties are important in tracer selection. Highly recalcitrant or highly labile compounds likely follow different loss profiles in the subsurface compared to fecal bacteria and are not suitable tracers. The use of more than one tracer compound is recommended due to source variability of septic systems and to account for variations in the subsurface condition. In addition, concentrations of some CECs were measured in receiving waters at levels which suggested the potential for environmental harm, indicating that the possible risk presented from these sources warrants further investigation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Persistent spatial information in the frontal eye field during object-based short-term memory.

PubMed

Clark, Kelsey L; Noudoost, Behrad; Moore, Tirin

2012-08-08

Spatial attention is known to gate entry into visual short-term memory, and some evidence suggests that spatial signals may also play a role in binding features or protecting object representations during memory maintenance. To examine the persistence of spatial signals during object short-term memory, the activity of neurons in the frontal eye field (FEF) of macaque monkeys was recorded during an object-based delayed match-to-sample task. In this task, monkeys were trained to remember an object image over a brief delay, regardless of the locations of the sample or target presentation. FEF neurons exhibited visual, delay, and target period activity, including selectivity for sample location and target location. Delay period activity represented the sample location throughout the delay, despite the irrelevance of spatial information for successful task completion. Furthermore, neurons continued to encode sample position in a variant of the task in which the matching stimulus never appeared in their response field, confirming that FEF maintains sample location independent of subsequent behavioral relevance. FEF neurons also exhibited target-position-dependent anticipatory activity immediately before target onset, suggesting that monkeys predicted target position within blocks. These results show that FEF neurons maintain spatial information during short-term memory, even when that information is irrelevant for task performance.

Extending data worth methods to select multiple observations targeting specific hydrological predictions of interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilhelmsen, Troels N.; Ferré, Ty P. A.

2016-04-01

Hydrological models are often developed to forecasting future behavior in response due to natural or human induced changes in stresses affecting hydrologic systems. Commonly, these models are conceptualized and calibrated based on existing data/information about the hydrological conditions. However, most hydrologic systems lack sufficient data to constrain models with adequate certainty to support robust decision making. Therefore, a key element of a hydrologic study is the selection of additional data to improve model performance. Given the nature of hydrologic investigations, it is not practical to select data sequentially, i.e. to choose the next observation, collect it, refine the model, and then repeat the process. Rather, for timing and financial reasons, measurement campaigns include multiple wells or sampling points. There is a growing body of literature aimed at defining the expected data worth based on existing models. However, these are almost all limited to identifying single additional observations. In this study, we present a methodology for simultaneously selecting multiple potential new observations based on their expected ability to reduce the uncertainty of the forecasts of interest. This methodology is based on linear estimates of the predictive uncertainty, and it can be used to determine the optimal combinations of measurements (location and number) established to reduce the uncertainty of multiple predictions. The outcome of the analysis is an estimate of the optimal sampling locations; the optimal number of samples; as well as a probability map showing the locations within the investigated area that are most likely to provide useful information about the forecasting of interest.

Forest statistics for Arkansas' Ouachita counties

Treesearch

T. Richard Quick; Marry S. Hedlund

1979-01-01

These tables were derived from data obtained during a 1978 inventory of 10 counties comprising the Quachita Unit of Arkansas (fig. 1). Forest area was estimated from aerial photos with an adjustment of ground truth at selected locations. Sample plots were systematically established at three-mile intervals using a grid orientated roughly N-S and E-W. At each locations,...

Forest statistics for Arkansas' Ozark counties

Treesearch

T. Richard Quick; Mary S. Hedlund

1979-01-01

These tables were derived from data obtained during a 1978 inventory of 24 counties comprising the Ozark Unit of Arkansas (fib. 1). Forest area was estimated from aerial photos with an adjustment of ground truth at selected locations. Sample plots were systematically established at three-mile intervals using a grid orientated roughly N-S and E-W. At each location,...

Assessment of heavy metals in seawater and fish tissues at Pulau Indah, Selangor, Malaysia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Md Yunus, Sabarina, E-mail: sabarina2020@salam.uitm.edu.m; Hamzah, Zaini; Wood, Ab. Khalik

This study focuses on the levels of heavy metals in seawater and selected fish tissue at Pulau Indah, Selangor, Malaysia. Pulau Indah primarily contains Westport (Malaysia’s major port), and a host of full scales factories. Therefore, it is important to monitor the levels of pollution in this water body and the aquatic organisms in the long term effects, due to the human activities in this area. Water samples in this study were taken from 8 locations along the coastal area. The water samples were collected using water sampler and sampling locations were determined using a Global Positioning system (GPS). Similarly,more » in situ water quality parameters including temperature, dissolve oxygen (DO), salinity, total suspended solid (TSS), pH and turbidity were measured by using portable multi probes meter. Then, the samples were acidified until pH 2 and filtered. Fish samples were purchased from local fisherman along the Pulau Indah coastal area and samples were digested using concentrated nitric acid in wet digestion method. The levels of selected heavy metals in four species of fish and seawater from Pulau Indah coastal area were determined using Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS) after dilution to the samples. In general, the quality of water at Pulau Indah is lower than Malaysia Marine Water Quality Standard except for few locations were higher than the maximum permissible levels. The concentration of heavy metals which are lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and uranium (U) in water samples are in the range of 0.36-5.43 µg/L, 75.20-621.58 µg/L, 11.92-30.52 µg/L, and 4.00-4.65 µg/L respectively. While the results of the four selected fish showed the following order of abundance Zn> U> Cu> Pb. Transfer factor (TF) of heavy metals in fish tissue of selected fish species from the water was discussed. However, the observed metal concentration in the sample tissue did not exceed the allowable limit of Malaysian Food Act (1983) and Regulation (1985). Therefore, it is safe for human consumption. Moreover, the pollution levels of these heavy metals were also compared with other studies. This present study can also be used to evaluate the safety dose uptake level of marine biota as well as to monitor environmental health.« less

Assessment of heavy metals in seawater and fish tissues at Pulau Indah, Selangor, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Md Yunus, Sabarina; Hamzah, Zaini; Wood, Ab. Khalik; Ahmad

2015-04-01

This study focuses on the levels of heavy metals in seawater and selected fish tissue at Pulau Indah, Selangor, Malaysia. Pulau Indah primarily contains Westport (Malaysia's major port), and a host of full scales factories. Therefore, it is important to monitor the levels of pollution in this water body and the aquatic organisms in the long term effects, due to the human activities in this area. Water samples in this study were taken from 8 locations along the coastal area. The water samples were collected using water sampler and sampling locations were determined using a Global Positioning system (GPS). Similarly, in situ water quality parameters including temperature, dissolve oxygen (DO), salinity, total suspended solid (TSS), pH and turbidity were measured by using portable multi probes meter. Then, the samples were acidified until pH 2 and filtered. Fish samples were purchased from local fisherman along the Pulau Indah coastal area and samples were digested using concentrated nitric acid in wet digestion method. The levels of selected heavy metals in four species of fish and seawater from Pulau Indah coastal area were determined using Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS) after dilution to the samples. In general, the quality of water at Pulau Indah is lower than Malaysia Marine Water Quality Standard except for few locations were higher than the maximum permissible levels. The concentration of heavy metals which are lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and uranium (U) in water samples are in the range of 0.36-5.43 µg/L, 75.20-621.58 µg/L, 11.92-30.52 µg/L, and 4.00-4.65 µg/L respectively. While the results of the four selected fish showed the following order of abundance Zn> U> Cu> Pb. Transfer factor (TF) of heavy metals in fish tissue of selected fish species from the water was discussed. However, the observed metal concentration in the sample tissue did not exceed the allowable limit of Malaysian Food Act (1983) and Regulation (1985). Therefore, it is safe for human consumption. Moreover, the pollution levels of these heavy metals were also compared with other studies. This present study can also be used to evaluate the safety dose uptake level of marine biota as well as to monitor environmental health.

Spatial inventory integrating raster databases and point sample data. [Geographic Information System for timber inventory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strahler, A. H.; Woodcock, C. E.; Logan, T. L.

1983-01-01

A timber inventory of the Eldorado National Forest, located in east-central California, provides an example of the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to stratify large areas of land for sampling and the collection of statistical data. The raster-based GIS format of the VICAR/IBIS software system allows simple and rapid tabulation of areas, and facilitates the selection of random locations for ground sampling. Algorithms that simplify the complex spatial pattern of raster-based information, and convert raster format data to strings of coordinate vectors, provide a link to conventional vector-based geographic information systems.

Pulsed discharge ionization source for miniature ion mobility spectrometers

DOEpatents

Xu, Jun; Ramsey, J. Michael; Whitten, William B.

2004-11-23

A method and apparatus is disclosed for flowing a sample gas and a reactant gas (38, 43) past a corona discharge electrode (26) situated at a first location in an ion drift chamber (24), applying a pulsed voltage waveform comprising a varying pulse component and a dc bias component to the corona discharge electrode (26) to cause a corona which in turn produces ions from the sample gas and the reactant gas, applying a dc bias to the ion drift chamber (24) to cause the ions to drift to a second location (25) in the ion drift chamber (24), detecting the ions at the second location (25) in the drift chamber (24), and timing the period for the ions to drift from the corona discharge electrode to the selected location in the drift chamber.

Automatic microscopy for mitotic cell location.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herron, J.; Ranshaw, R.; Castle, J.; Wald, N.

1972-01-01

Advances are reported in the development of an automatic microscope with which to locate hematologic or other cells in mitosis for subsequent chromosome analysis. The system under development is designed to perform the functions of: slide scanning to locate metaphase cells; conversion of images of selected cells into binary form; and on-line computer analysis of the digitized image for significant cytogenetic data. Cell detection criteria are evaluated using a test sample of 100 mitotic cells and 100 artifacts.

Effect of heart checks on flexural properties of reclaimed 6 by 8 Douglas-fir timbers

Treesearch

David W. Green; Robert H. Falk; Scott F. Lantz

2001-01-01

A sampling of nominal 6- by 8-inch (standard 140- by 184-mm) Douglas-fir timbers was obtained from an industrial military building in Minnesota. Thirty selected timbers had heart checks (boxed heart splits), which are characteristic of most old timbers installed in dry locations. Sixty selected timbers did not have heart checks. Most of the beams would grade as Select...

Assessment of water quality index of bore well water samples from some selected locations of South Gujarat, India.

PubMed

Tripathi, S; Patel, H M; Srivastava, P K; Bafna, A M

2013-10-01

The present study calculates the water quality index (WQI) of some selected sites from South Gujarat (India) and assesses the impact of industries, agriculture and human activities. Chemical parameters were monitored for the calculation of WQI of some selected bore well samples. The results revealed that the WQI of the some bore well samples exceeded acceptable levels due to the dumping of wastes from municipal, industrial and domestic sources and agricultural runoff as well. Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) was implemented for interpolation of each water quality parameter (pH, EC, alkalinity, total hardness, chloride, nitrate and sulphate) for the entire sampled area. The bore water is unsuitable for drinking and if the present state of affairs continues for long, it may soon become an ecologically dead bore.

Using object-based image analysis to guide the selection of field sample locations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

One of the most challenging tasks for resource management and research is designing field sampling schemes to achieve unbiased estimates of ecosystem parameters as efficiently as possible. This study focused on the potential of fine-scale image objects from object-based image analysis (OBIA) to be u...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kertesz, Vilmos

Selects locations of interest for liquid microjunction surface sampling coupled to a subsequent analysis is done in a user friendly way. That information is then transferred to instrument control softwares. In addition, readout of a laser sensor allows for robust probe-to-surface distance measurement. Furthermore, pictures taken by the software from a camera provides feedback to judge on successful microjunction sampling.

Screening for contaminants of emerging concern in Northern Colorado Plateau Network waters: 2015 surface-water data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weissinger, R; Battaglin, William A.; Bradley, Paul M.

2016-01-01

Patterns of detections at other sampling locations will be explored in future reports. This is an interim report. Limited sampling will continue in 2016 at selected sites in coordination with the USGS. A final report is expected upon completion of the USGS project in 2017.

40 CFR 63.997 - Performance test and compliance assessment requirements for control devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... as TOC minus methane and ethane according to the procedures specified. (i) Selection of sampling... regulated material or TOC, sampling sites shall be located as specified in paragraphs (e)(2)(i)(A)(1) and (e... shall ensure the measurement of total organic regulated material or TOC (minus methane and ethane...

Economic Analysis of Job-Related Attributes in Undergraduate Students' Initial Job Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jin, Yanhong H.; Mjelde, James W.; Litzenberg, Kerry K.

2014-01-01

Economic tradeoffs students place on location, salary, distances to natural resource amenities, size of the city where the job is located, and commuting times for their first college graduate job are estimated using a mixed logit model for a sample of Texas A&M University students. The Midwest is the least preferred area having a mean salary…

Surface Environmental Surveillance Project: Locations Manual Volume 1 – Air and Water Volume 2 – Farm Products, Soil & Vegetation, and Wildlife

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fritz, Brad G.; Patton, Gregory W.; Stegen, Amanda

2009-01-01

This report describes all environmental monitoring locations associated with the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project. Environmental surveillance of the Hanford site and surrounding areas is conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Sampling is conducted to evaluate levels of radioactive and nonradioactive pollutants in the Hanford environs, as required in DOE Order 450.1, Environmental Protection Program, and DOE Order 5400.5, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment. The environmental surveillance sampling design is described in the Hanford Site Environmental Monitoring Plan, United States Department of Energy, Richland Operation Office (DOE/RL-91-50). This documentmore » contains the locations of sites used to collect samples for the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project (SESP). Each section includes directions, maps, and pictures of the locations. A general knowledge of roads and highways on and around the Hanford Site is necessary to successfully use this manual. Supplemental information (Maps, Gazetteer, etc.) may be necessary if user is unfamiliar with local routes. The SESP is a multimedia environmental surveillance effort to measure the concentrations of radionuclides and chemicals in environmental media to demonstrate compliance with applicable environmental quality standards and public exposure limits, and assessing environmental impacts. Project personnel annually collect selected samples of ambient air, surface water, agricultural products, fish, wildlife, and sediments. Soil and vegetation samples are collected approximately every 5 years. Analytical capabilities include the measurement of radionuclides at very low environmental concentrations and, in selected media, nonradiological chemicals including metals, anions, volatile organic compounds, and total organic carbon.« less

Ground sample data for the Conterminous U.S. Land Cover Characteristics Database

Treesearch

Robert Burgan; Colin Hardy; Donald Ohlen; Gene Fosnight; Robert Treder

1999-01-01

Ground sample data were collected for a land cover database and raster map that portray 159 vegetation classes at 1 km2 resolution for the conterminous United States. Locations for 3,500 1 km2 ground sample plots were selected randomly across the United States. The number of plots representing each vegetation class was weighted by the proportionate coverage of each...

Efficient Bayesian experimental design for contaminant source identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiangjiang; Zeng, Lingzao; Chen, Cheng; Chen, Dingjiang; Wu, Laosheng

2015-01-01

In this study, an efficient full Bayesian approach is developed for the optimal sampling well location design and source parameters identification of groundwater contaminants. An information measure, i.e., the relative entropy, is employed to quantify the information gain from concentration measurements in identifying unknown parameters. In this approach, the sampling locations that give the maximum expected relative entropy are selected as the optimal design. After the sampling locations are determined, a Bayesian approach based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is used to estimate unknown parameters. In both the design and estimation, the contaminant transport equation is required to be solved many times to evaluate the likelihood. To reduce the computational burden, an interpolation method based on the adaptive sparse grid is utilized to construct a surrogate for the contaminant transport equation. The approximated likelihood can be evaluated directly from the surrogate, which greatly accelerates the design and estimation process. The accuracy and efficiency of our approach are demonstrated through numerical case studies. It is shown that the methods can be used to assist in both single sampling location and monitoring network design for contaminant source identifications in groundwater.

Selecting A Landing Site Of Astrobiological Interest For Mars Landers And Sample Return Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wills, Danielle; Monaghan, E.; Foing, B.

2008-09-01

The landscape of Mars, despite its apparent hostility to life, is riddled with geological and mineralogical signs of past or present hydrological activity. As such, it is a key target for astrobiological exploration. The aim of this work is to combine data and studies to select top priority landing locations for in-situ landers and sample return missions to Mars. We report in particular on science and technical criteria and our data analysis for sites of astrobiological interest. This includes information from previous missions (such as Mars Express, MGS, Odyssey, MRO and MER rovers) on mineralogical composition, geomorphology, evidence from past water history from imaging and spectroscopic data, and existence of in-situ prior information from landers and rovers (concerning evidence for volatiles, organics and habitability conditions). We discuss key mission objectives, and consider the accessibility of chosen locations. We describe what additional measurements are needed, and outline the technical and scientific operations requirements of in-situ landers and sample return missions to Mars.

Radiometric dates from Alaska: A 1975 compilation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turner, D.L.; Grybeck, Donald; Wilson, Frederic H.

1975-01-01

The following table of radiometric dates from Alaska includes published material through 1972 as well as some selected later data. The table includes 726 mineral and whole-rock dates determined by the K-Ar, Rb-Sr, fission-track U-Pb, and Pb-alpha techniques.The data are organized in alphabetical order of the 1:250,000 scale quadrangles in which the dated rocks are located. The latitude and longitude of each sample are given. In addition, each sample is located on a 1:250,000 quadrangle map by a grid system. The initial point of the grid is taken as the southwest corner of the quadrangle and the location of the sample is measured in inches east and inches north from that corner, e.g., "156E 126N" indicated 15.6 inches east and 12.6 inches north of the southwest corner of the quadrangle. Zeroes in the location columns for some dates indicate that accurate locations are not available.Rock type, dating method, mineral dated, radiometric age, sample identification number, and reference are also listed where possible. Short comments, mostly geographic locality names, are given for some dates. These comments have been taken from the original references.Sample identification numbers beginning with "AA" or "BB" have been assigned arbitrarily in cases where sample numbers were not assigned in the original references. Abbreviations are explained in the appendix at the end of table 1.

Selection of habitats by Emperor Geese during brood rearing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmutz, J.A.

2001-01-01

Although forage quality strongly affects gosling growth and consequently juvenile survival, the relative use of different plant communities by brood rearing geese has been poorly studied. On the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, population growth and juvenile recruitment of Emperor Geese (Chen canagica) are comparatively low, and it is unknown whether their selection of habitats during brood rearing differs from other goose species. Radio-telemetry was used to document the use of habitats by 56 families of Emperor Geese in a 70 km2 portion of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta during brood rearing in 1994-1996. When contrasted with available habitats (a set of six habitat classes), as estimated from 398 random sampling locations, Emperor Geese strongly selected Saline Ponds, Mudflat, and Ramenskii Meadow habitats and avoided Levee Meadow, Bog Meadow, and Sedge Meadow. These selected habitats were the most saline, comprised one-third of the study area, and 43% of all locations were in Ramenskii Meadow. I contrasted these Emperor Goose locations with habitats used by the composite goose community, as inferred from the presence of goose feces at random locations. The marked difference between groups in this comparison implied that Cackling Canada Geese (Branta canadensis minima) and Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) collectively selected much different brood rearing habitats than Emperor Geese. Received 20 February 2001, accepted 18 April 2001.

Benthic macrofauna data for San Francisco Bay, California, September 1986

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schemel, Laurence E.; Thompson, J.K.; Harmon, J.G.; Yost, B.T.

1995-01-01

Benthic macrofauna were collected during September 1986 to evaluate locations for long-term monitoring stations as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Effects Monitoring Program in San Francisco Bay, California. Three to ten replicate samples were collected with a modified Van Veen sampler (0.05 m2 area) at ten locations. One box core sample (0.06 m2 area) was collected at seven to the ten locations. Six of the box core samples were split into an upper 10 cm sample and a deeper sample before analysis. Macrofauna specimens were identified to the lowest possible taxon, usually genus and species, then counted. An average of 88 percent of the benthic macrofauna specimens were identified to the species level. The fraction identified varied among stations from 54 to 98 percent. Nematodes and oligochaetes accounted for most of the unidentified specimens. Relative to the total number of species identified in five replicates at each location, an average of 90 percent of the species were collected with three replicates. In general, species with high to moderate abundances were present in all replicates, and species collected only after three or more replicates averaged less than one specimen per replicate. Results from the box cores showed that the dominant species were most abundant in the upper 10 cm, the depth of sediment that can be adequately sampled with a modified Van Veen sampler. On the basis of the number of species and their abundances at each location, seven of the ten locations were selected for sampling in the regular program, which began in March 1987.

CHARACTERIZATION OF TANK 5F VERTICAL COOLING COIL LEACHATES FOR SELECT RADIONUCLIDES 2011

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oji, L.; Diprete, D.

2001-08-17

Two twenty-four inch samples of vertical sections of the cooling coils from Tank 5F, taken from Riser 1, were made available to SRNL by SRR for leaching and characterization of the leachates for select radionuclide trapped in the corrosion layer on the exterior of the cooling coils. One piece of cooling coil sample was obtained from a section of a vertical cooling coil located above the 45-inch elevation from the tank floor and the other also from a vertical section of a cooling coil located below the 45-inch elevation from the tank floor of Tank 5F. Analysis results from bothmore » cooling coils show that the predominant radionuclides contributing to the activity in both coils are strontium-90 and cesium-137. The activities for strontium-90 and cesium-137 in the Tank 5F vertical cooling coil located above the 45-inch elevation of the tank and designated as sample 5-R1-A45 averaged 1.34E-02 {+-} 1.12E-03 and 7.27E-04 {+-} 4.46E-05 Ci/ft{sup 2}, respectively, while the activities for the vertical cooling coil located below the 45-inch elevation of the tank and designated as sample 5-R1-B45 averaged 8.93E-03 {+-} 8.25E-04 for Sr-90 and 8.10E-04 {+-} 6.36E-05 Ci/ft{sup 2} for Cs-137. Other significant activity contributing radionuclides are americium-241 and europium-154/155. With the exception of the analysis result for Pu-241 in the 5-R1-A45 cooling coils samples, the target detection limits for the other radionuclides were met in both cooling coil samples. The detection limits for Pu-241 analyses result in coil sample 5-R1-A45 were not met consistently because of possible background changes during counting.« less

CRUMP 2003 Selected Water Sample Results

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Point locations and water sampling results performed in 2003 by the Church Rock Uranium Monitoring Project (CRUMP) a consortium of organizations (Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency, US Environmental Protection Agency, New Mexico Scientific Laboratory Division, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and NM Water Quality Control Commission). Samples include general description of the wells sampled, general chemistry, heavy metals and aestheic parameters, and selected radionuclides. Here only six sampling results are presented in this point shapefile, including: Gross Alpha (U-Nat Ref.) (pCi/L), Gross Beta (Sr/Y-90 Ref.) (pCi/L), Radium-226 (pCi/L), Radium-228 (pCi/L), Total Uranium (pCi/L), and Uranium mass (ug/L). The CRUMP samples were collected in the area of Churchrock, NM in the Eastern AUM Region of the Navajo Nation.

Water-quality, well-construction, and ground-water level data for an investigation of radionuclides in ground water, Hickman and Maury counties, Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hileman, G.E.

1990-01-01

Water quality, well construction, and groundwater level data were collected for an investigation of radionuclides in groundwater in Maury and Hickman Counties, Tennessee. Seventeen wells and 3 springs were sampled in Hickman County, and 20 wells were sampled in Maury County. Samples from each site were analyzed for radionuclides, common and trace inorganic ions, indicators of redox conditions, selected nutrients, total organic carbon, and selected physical characteristics. Well-construction data were obtained to help determine the source of the water. Where possible, groundwater level measurements were made for each well sampled. Samples were collected from May 1989 through mid-August 1989. Data are presented in tables. Maps of each county show the location of the sites sampled. (USGS)

Solutions to inverse plume in a crosswind problem using a predictor - corrector method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderveer, Joseph; Jaluria, Yogesh

2013-11-01

Investigation for minimalist solutions to the inverse convection problem of a plume in a crosswind has developed a predictor - corrector method. The inverse problem is to predict the strength and location of the plume with respect to a select few downstream sampling points. This is accomplished with the help of two numerical simulations of the domain at differing source strengths, allowing the generation of two inverse interpolation functions. These functions in turn are utilized by the predictor step to acquire the plume strength. Finally, the same interpolation functions with the corrections from the plume strength are used to solve for the plume location. Through optimization of the relative location of the sampling points, the minimum number of samples for accurate predictions is reduced to two for the plume strength and three for the plume location. After the optimization, the predictor-corrector method demonstrates global uniqueness of the inverse solution for all test cases. The solution error is less than 1% for both plume strength and plume location. The basic approach could be extended to other inverse convection transport problems, particularly those encountered in environmental flows.

Hydrologic, water-quality, and meteorologic data from selected sites in the Upper Catawba River Basin, North Carolina, January 1993 through March 1994

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jaynes, M.L.

1994-01-01

Hydrologic, water-quality, and meteorologic data were collected from January 1993 through March 1994 as part of a water-quality investigation of the Upper Catawba River Basin, North Carolina. Specific objectives of the investigation were to characterize the water quality of Rhodhiss Lake, Lake Hickory, and three tributary streams, and to calibrate hydrodynamic water-quality models for the two reservoirs. Sampling locations included 11 sites in Rhodhiss Lake, 14 sites in Lake Hickory, and 3 tributary sites. Tributary sites were located at Lower Creek upstream from Rhodhiss Lake and at Upper Little River and Middle Little River upstream from Lake Hickory. During 21 sampling visits, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved-oxygen concentration, and water transparency were measured at all sampling locations. Water samples were collected for analysis of biochemical oxygen demand, fecal coliform bacteria, hardness, alkalinity, total and volatile suspended solids, suspended sediment, nutrients, total organic carbon, chlorophyll, iron, calcium, and magnesium from three sites in each reservoir and from the three tributary sites. Chemical and particle-size analyses of bottom material from Rhodhiss Lake and Lake Hickory were performed once during the study. At selected locations, automated instruments recorded water level, streamflow, water temperature, solar radiation, and air temperature at 15-minute intervals throughout the study. Hydrologic data presented in the report include monthly water-level statistics and daily mean values of discharge. Diagrams, tables, and statistical summaries of water-quality data are provided. Meteorologic data in the report include monthly precipitation, and daily mean values of solar radiation and air temperature.

Sampling design for the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA).

PubMed

Vasconcellos, Mauricio Teixeira Leite de; Silva, Pedro Luis do Nascimento; Szklo, Moyses; Kuschnir, Maria Cristina Caetano; Klein, Carlos Henrique; Abreu, Gabriela de Azevedo; Barufaldi, Laura Augusta; Bloch, Katia Vergetti

2015-05-01

The Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA) aims to estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome in adolescents (12-17 years) enrolled in public and private schools of the 273 municipalities with over 100,000 inhabitants in Brazil. The study population was stratified into 32 geographical strata (27 capitals and five sets with other municipalities in each macro-region of the country) and a sample of 1,251 schools was selected with probability proportional to size. In each school three combinations of shift (morning and afternoon) and grade were selected, and within each of these combinations, one class was selected. All eligible students in the selected classes were included in the study. The design sampling weights were calculated by the product of the reciprocals of the inclusion probabilities in each sampling stage, and were later calibrated considering the projections of the numbers of adolescents enrolled in schools located in the geographical strata by sex and age.

Sampling designs for HIV molecular epidemiology with application to Honduras.

PubMed

Shepherd, Bryan E; Rossini, Anthony J; Soto, Ramon Jeremias; De Rivera, Ivette Lorenzana; Mullins, James I

2005-11-01

Proper sampling is essential to characterize the molecular epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV sampling frames are difficult to identify, so most studies use convenience samples. We discuss statistically valid and feasible sampling techniques that overcome some of the potential for bias due to convenience sampling and ensure better representation of the study population. We employ a sampling design called stratified cluster sampling. This first divides the population into geographical and/or social strata. Within each stratum, a population of clusters is chosen from groups, locations, or facilities where HIV-positive individuals might be found. Some clusters are randomly selected within strata and individuals are randomly selected within clusters. Variation and cost help determine the number of clusters and the number of individuals within clusters that are to be sampled. We illustrate the approach through a study designed to survey the heterogeneity of subtype B strains in Honduras.

The Scope of Assistive Technology in Learning Process of Students with Blindness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saleem, Saira; Sajjad, Shahida

2016-01-01

This study was carried out to investigate the scope of assistive technology in learning process of students with blindness. The sample of this study included 56 students with blindness between the ages of 11-22 years from secondary level of education. These students were selected through convenient sampling from five special schools located in…

X-ray versus infrared selection of distant galaxy clusters: A case study using the XMM-LSS and SpARCS cluster samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, J. P.; Ramos-Ceja, M. E.; Muzzin, A.; Pacaud, F.; Yee, H. K. C.; Wilson, G.

2018-04-01

We present a comparison of two samples of z > 0.8 galaxy clusters selected using different wavelength-dependent techniques and examine the physical differences between them. We consider 18 clusters from the X-ray selected XMM-LSS distant cluster survey and 92 clusters from the optical-MIR selected SpARCS cluster survey. Both samples are selected from the same approximately 9 square degree sky area and we examine them using common XMM-Newton, Spitzer-SWIRE and CFHT Legacy Survey data. Clusters from each sample are compared employing aperture measures of X-ray and MIR emission. We divide the SpARCS distant cluster sample into three sub-samples: a) X-ray bright, b) X-ray faint, MIR bright, and c) X-ray faint, MIR faint clusters. We determine that X-ray and MIR selected clusters display very similar surface brightness distributions of galaxy MIR light. In addition, the average location and amplitude of the galaxy red sequence as measured from stacked colour histograms is very similar in the X-ray and MIR-selected samples. The sub-sample of X-ray faint, MIR bright clusters displays a distribution of BCG-barycentre position offsets which extends to higher values than all other samples. This observation indicates that such clusters may exist in a more disturbed state compared to the majority of the distant cluster population sampled by XMM-LSS and SpARCS. This conclusion is supported by stacked X-ray images for the X-ray faint, MIR bright cluster sub-sample that display weak, centrally-concentrated X-ray emission, consistent with a population of growing clusters accreting from an extended envelope of material.

Local and Regional Diversity Reveals Dispersal Limitation and Drift as Drivers for Groundwater Bacterial Communities from a Fractured Granite Formation

PubMed Central

Beaton, E. D.; Stevenson, Bradley S.; King-Sharp, Karen J.; Stamps, Blake W.; Nunn, Heather S.; Stuart, Marilyne

2016-01-01

Microorganisms found in terrestrial subsurface environments make up a large proportion of the Earth’s biomass. Biogeochemical cycles catalyzed by subsurface microbes have the potential to influence the speciation and transport of radionuclides managed in geological repositories. To gain insight on factors that constrain microbial processes within a formation with restricted groundwater flow we performed a meta-community analysis on groundwater collected from multiple discrete fractures underlying the Chalk River Laboratories site (located in Ontario, Canada). Bacterial taxa were numerically dominant in the groundwater. Although these were mainly uncultured, the closest cultivated representatives were from the phenotypically diverse Betaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae, and Firmicutes. Hundreds of taxa were identified but only a few were found in abundance (>1%) across all assemblages. The remainder of the taxa were low abundance. Within an ecological framework of selection, dispersal and drift, the local and regional diversity revealed fewer taxa within each assemblage relative to the meta-community, but the taxa that were present were more related than predicted by chance. The combination of dispersion at one phylogenetic depth and clustering at another phylogenetic depth suggest both niche (dispersion) and filtering (clustering) as drivers of local assembly. Distance decay of similarity reveals apparent biogeography of 1.5 km. Beta diversity revealed greater influence of selection at shallow sampling locations while the influences of dispersal limitation and randomness were greater at deeper sampling locations. Although selection has shaped each assemblage, the spatial scale of groundwater sampling favored detection of neutral processes over selective processes. Dispersal limitation between assemblages combined with local selection means the meta-community is subject to drift, and therefore, likely reflects the differential historical events that have influenced the current bacterial composition. Categorizing the study site into smaller regions of interest of more closely spaced fractures, or of potentially hydraulically connected fractures, might improve the resolution of an analysis to reveal environmental influences that have shaped these bacterial communities. PMID:27999569

Local and Regional Diversity Reveals Dispersal Limitation and Drift as Drivers for Groundwater Bacterial Communities from a Fractured Granite Formation.

PubMed

Beaton, E D; Stevenson, Bradley S; King-Sharp, Karen J; Stamps, Blake W; Nunn, Heather S; Stuart, Marilyne

2016-01-01

Microorganisms found in terrestrial subsurface environments make up a large proportion of the Earth's biomass. Biogeochemical cycles catalyzed by subsurface microbes have the potential to influence the speciation and transport of radionuclides managed in geological repositories. To gain insight on factors that constrain microbial processes within a formation with restricted groundwater flow we performed a meta-community analysis on groundwater collected from multiple discrete fractures underlying the Chalk River Laboratories site (located in Ontario, Canada). Bacterial taxa were numerically dominant in the groundwater. Although these were mainly uncultured, the closest cultivated representatives were from the phenotypically diverse Betaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae, and Firmicutes. Hundreds of taxa were identified but only a few were found in abundance (>1%) across all assemblages. The remainder of the taxa were low abundance. Within an ecological framework of selection, dispersal and drift, the local and regional diversity revealed fewer taxa within each assemblage relative to the meta-community, but the taxa that were present were more related than predicted by chance. The combination of dispersion at one phylogenetic depth and clustering at another phylogenetic depth suggest both niche (dispersion) and filtering (clustering) as drivers of local assembly. Distance decay of similarity reveals apparent biogeography of 1.5 km. Beta diversity revealed greater influence of selection at shallow sampling locations while the influences of dispersal limitation and randomness were greater at deeper sampling locations. Although selection has shaped each assemblage, the spatial scale of groundwater sampling favored detection of neutral processes over selective processes. Dispersal limitation between assemblages combined with local selection means the meta-community is subject to drift, and therefore, likely reflects the differential historical events that have influenced the current bacterial composition. Categorizing the study site into smaller regions of interest of more closely spaced fractures, or of potentially hydraulically connected fractures, might improve the resolution of an analysis to reveal environmental influences that have shaped these bacterial communities.

A management-oriented classification of pinyon-juniper woodlands of the Great Basin

Treesearch

Neil E. West; Robin J. Tausch; Paul T. Tueller

1998-01-01

A hierarchical framework for the classification of Great Basin pinyon-juniper woodlands was based on a systematic sample of 426 stands from a random selection of 66 of the 110 mountain ranges in the region. That is, mountain ranges were randomly selected, but stands were systematically located on mountain ranges. The National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units...

The timecourse of space- and object-based attentional prioritization with varying degrees of certainty

PubMed Central

Drummond, Leslie; Shomstein, Sarah

2013-01-01

The relative contributions of objects (i.e., object-based) and underlying spatial (i.e., space-based representations) to attentional prioritization and selection remain unclear. In most experimental circumstances, the two representations overlap thus their respective contributions cannot be evaluated. Here, a dynamic version of the two-rectangle paradigm allowed for a successful de-coupling of spatial and object representations. Space-based (cued spatial location), cued end of the object, and object-based (locations within the cued object) effects were sampled at several timepoints following the cue with high or low certainty as to target location. In the high uncertainty condition spatial benefits prevailed throughout most of the timecourse, as evidenced by facilitatory and inhibitory effects. Additionally, the cued end of the object, rather than a whole object, received the attentional benefit. When target location was predictable (low uncertainty manipulation), only probabilities guided selection (i.e., evidence by a benefit for the statistically biased location). These results suggest that with high spatial uncertainty, all available information present within the stimulus display is used for the purposes of attentional selection (e.g., spatial locations, cued end of the object) albeit to varying degrees and at different time points. However, as certainty increases, only spatial certainty guides selection (i.e., object ends and whole objects are filtered out). Taken together, these results further elucidate the contributing role of space- and object-representations to attentional guidance. PMID:24367302

Groundwater-quality data for a treated-wastewater plume near the Massachusetts Military Reservation, Ashumet Valley, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2006-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savoie, Jennifer G.; LeBlanc, Denis R.; Fairchild, Gillian M.; Smith, Richard L.; Kent, Douglas B.; Barber, Larry B.; Repert, Deborah A.; Hart, Charles P.; Keefe, Steffanie H.; Parsons, Luke A.

2012-01-01

A plume of contaminated groundwater extends from former disposal beds at the Massachusetts Military Reservation's wastewater-treatment plant toward Ashumet Pond, coastal ponds, and Vineyard Sound, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Treated sewage-derived wastewater was discharged to the rapid-infiltration beds for nearly 60 years before the disposal site was moved to a different location in December 1995. Water-quality samples were collected from monitoring wells, multilevel samplers, and profile borings to characterize the nature and extent of the contaminated groundwater and to observe the water-quality changes after the wastewater disposal ceased. Data are presented here for water samples collected in 2007 from 394 wells (at 121 well-cluster locations) and 780 multilevel-sampler ports (at 42 locations) and in 2006-08 at 306 depth intervals in profile borings (at 20 locations) in and near the treated-wastewater plume. Analyses of these water samples for field parameters (specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen and phosphate concentrations, and alkalinity); absorbance of ultraviolet/visible light; and concentrations of nitrous oxide, dissolved organic carbon, methylene blue active substances, selected anions and nutrients, including nitrate and ammonium, and selected inorganic solutes, including cations, anions, and minor elements, are presented in tabular format. The natural restoration of the sand and gravel aquifer after removal of the treated-wastewater source, along with interpretations of the water quality in the treated-wastewater plume, have been documented in several published reports that are listed in the references.

Automatic HTS force measurement instrument

DOEpatents

Sanders, Scott T.; Niemann, Ralph C.

1999-01-01

A device for measuring the levitation force of a high temperature superconductor sample with respect to a reference magnet includes a receptacle for holding several high temperature superconductor samples each cooled to superconducting temperature. A rotatable carousel successively locates a selected one of the high temperature superconductor samples in registry with the reference magnet. Mechanism varies the distance between one of the high temperature superconductor samples and the reference magnet, and a sensor measures levitation force of the sample as a function of the distance between the reference magnet and the sample. A method is also disclosed.

Texture analysis of Napoleonic War Era copper bolts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malamud, Florencia; Northover, Shirley; James, Jon; Northover, Peter; Kelleher, Joe

2016-04-01

Neutron diffraction techniques are suitable for volume texture analyses due to high penetration of thermal neutrons in most materials. We have implemented a new data analysis methodology that employed the spatial resolution achievable by a time-of-flight neutron strain scanner to non-destructively determine the crystallographic texture at selected locations within a macroscopic sample. The method is based on defining the orientation distribution function of the crystallites from several incomplete pole figures, and it has been implemented on ENGIN-X, a neutron strain scanner at the Isis Facility in the UK. Here, we demonstrate the application of this new texture analysis methodology in determining the crystallographic texture at selected locations within museum quality archaeological objects up to 1 m in length. The results were verified using samples of similar, but less valuable, objects by comparing the results of applying this method with those obtained using both electron backscatter diffraction and X-ray diffraction on their cross sections.

Correlations Between Life-Detection Techniques and Implications for Sampling Site Selection in Planetary Analog Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gentry, Diana M.; Amador, Elena S.; Cable, Morgan L.; Chaudry, Nosheen; Cullen, Thomas; Jacobsen, Malene B.; Murukesan, Gayathri; Schwieterman, Edward W.; Stevens, Adam H.; Stockton, Amanda; Tan, George; Yin, Chang; Cullen, David C.; Geppert, Wolf

2017-10-01

We conducted an analog sampling expedition under simulated mission constraints to areas dominated by basaltic tephra of the Eldfell and Fimmvörðuháls lava fields (Iceland). Sites were selected to be "homogeneous" at a coarse remote sensing resolution (10-100 m) in apparent color, morphology, moisture, and grain size, with best-effort realism in numbers of locations and replicates. Three different biomarker assays (counting of nucleic-acid-stained cells via fluorescent microscopy, a luciferin/luciferase assay for adenosine triphosphate, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect DNA associated with bacteria, archaea, and fungi) were characterized at four nested spatial scales (1 m, 10 m, 100 m, and >1 km) by using five common metrics for sample site representativeness (sample mean variance, group F tests, pairwise t tests, and the distribution-free rank sum H and u tests). Correlations between all assays were characterized with Spearman's rank test. The bioluminescence assay showed the most variance across the sites, followed by qPCR for bacterial and archaeal DNA; these results could not be considered representative at the finest resolution tested (1 m). Cell concentration and fungal DNA also had significant local variation, but they were homogeneous over scales of >1 km. These results show that the selection of life detection assays and the number, distribution, and location of sampling sites in a low biomass environment with limited a priori characterization can yield both contrasting and complementary results, and that their interdependence must be given due consideration to maximize science return in future biomarker sampling expeditions.

A cautionary note on substituting spatial subunits for repeated temporal sampling in studies of site occupancy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kendall, William L.; White, Gary C.

2009-01-01

1. Assessing the probability that a given site is occupied by a species of interest is important to resource managers, as well as metapopulation or landscape ecologists. Managers require accurate estimates of the state of the system, in order to make informed decisions. Models that yield estimates of occupancy, while accounting for imperfect detection, have proven useful by removing a potentially important source of bias. To account for detection probability, multiple independent searches per site for the species are required, under the assumption that the species is available for detection during each search of an occupied site. 2. We demonstrate that when multiple samples per site are defined by searching different locations within a site, absence of the species from a subset of these spatial subunits induces estimation bias when locations are exhaustively assessed or sampled without replacement. 3. We further demonstrate that this bias can be removed by choosing sampling locations with replacement, or if the species is highly mobile over a short period of time. 4. Resampling an existing data set does not mitigate bias due to exhaustive assessment of locations or sampling without replacement. 5. Synthesis and applications. Selecting sampling locations for presence/absence surveys with replacement is practical in most cases. Such an adjustment to field methods will prevent one source of bias, and therefore produce more robust statistical inferences about species occupancy. This will in turn permit managers to make resource decisions based on better knowledge of the state of the system.

Selection of forest canopy gaps by male Cerulean Warblers in West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perkins, Kelly A.; Wood, Petra Bohall

2014-01-01

Forest openings, or canopy gaps, are an important resource for many forest songbirds, such as Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea). We examined canopy gap selection by this declining species to determine if male Cerulean Warblers selected particular sizes, vegetative heights, or types of gaps. We tested whether these parameters differed among territories, territory core areas, and randomly-placed sample plots. We used enhanced territory mapping techniques (burst sampling) to define habitat use within the territory. Canopy gap densities were higher within core areas of territories than within territories or random plots, indicating that Cerulean Warblers selected habitat within their territories with the highest gap densities. Selection of regenerating gaps with woody vegetation >12 m within the gap, and canopy heights >24 m surrounding the gap, occurred within territory core areas. These findings differed between two sites indicating that gap selection may vary based on forest structure. Differences were also found regarding the placement of territories with respect to gaps. Larger gaps, such as wildlife food plots, were located on the periphery of territories more often than other types and sizes of gaps, while smaller gaps, such as treefalls, were located within territory boundaries more often than expected. The creations of smaller canopy gaps, <100 m2, within dense stands are likely compatible with forest management for this species.

Isolation and Characteristics of Shiga Toxin 2f-Producing Escherichia coli among Pigeons in Kyushu, Japan

PubMed Central

Murakami, Koichi; Etoh, Yoshiki; Ichihara, Sachiko; Maeda, Eriko; Takenaka, Shigeyuki; Horikawa, Kazumi; Narimatsu, Hiroshi; Kawano, Kimiko; Kawamura, Yoshiaki; Ito, Kenitiro

2014-01-01

An increasing number of Shiga toxin 2f-producing Escherichia coli (STEC2f) infections in humans are being reported in Europe, and pigeons have been suggested as a reservoir for the pathogen. In Japan, there is very little information regarding carriage of STEC2f by pigeons, prompting the need for further investigation. We collected 549 samples of pigeon droppings from 14 locations in Kyushu, Japan, to isolate STEC2f and to investigate characteristics of the isolates. Shiga toxin stx 2f gene fragments were detected by PCR in 16 (2.9%) of the 549 dropping samples across four of the 14 locations. We obtained 23 STEC2f-isolates from seven of the original samples and from three pigeon dropping samples collected in an additional sampling experiment (from a total of seven locations across both sampling periods). Genotypic and phenotypic characteristics were then examined for selected isolates from each of 10 samples with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles. Eight of the stx 2f gene fragments sequenced in this study were homologous to others that were identified in Europe. Some isolates also contained virulence-related genes, including lpfA O26, irp 2, and fyuA, and all of the 10 selected isolates maintained the eae, astA, and cdt genes. Moreover, five of the 10 selected isolates contained sfpA, a gene that is restricted to Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O165:H2 and sorbitol-fermenting Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:NM. We document serotypes O152:HNM, O128:HNM, and O145:H34 as STEC2f, which agrees with previous studies on pigeons and humans. Interestingly, O119:H21 was newly described as STEC2f. O145:H34, with sequence type 722, was described in a German study in humans and was also isolated in the current study. These results revealed that Japanese zoonotic STEC2f strains harboring several virulence-related factors may be of the same clonal complexes as some European strains. These findings provide useful information for public health-related disease management strategies in Japan. PMID:24465879

Endocrine active chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals of concern in surface water, wastewater-treatment plant effluent, and bed sediment, and biological characteristics in selected streams, Minnesota-design, methods, and data, 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Kathy E.; Langer, Susan K.; Barber, Larry B.; Writer, Jeff H.; Ferrey, Mark L.; Schoenfuss, Heiko L.; Furlong, Edward T.; Foreman, William T.; Gray, James L.; ReVello, Rhiannon C.; Martinovic, Dalma; Woodruff, Olivia R.; Keefe, Steffanie H.; Brown, Greg K.; Taylor, Howard E.; Ferrer, Imma; Thurman, E. Michael

2011-01-01

This report presents the study design, environmental data, and quality-assurance data for an integrated chemical and biological study of selected streams or lakes that receive wastewater-treatment plant effluent in Minnesota. This study was a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Cloud State University, the University of St. Thomas, and the University of Colorado. The objective of the study was to identify distribution patterns of endocrine active chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other organic and inorganic chemicals of concern indicative of wastewater effluent, and to identify biological characteristics of estrogenicity and fish responses in the same streams. The U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed water, bed-sediment, and quality-assurance samples, and measured or recorded streamflow once at each sampling location from September through November 2009. Sampling locations included surface water and wastewater-treatment plant effluent. Twenty-five wastewater-treatment plants were selected to include continuous flow and periodic release facilities with differing processing steps (activated sludge or trickling filters) and plant design flows ranging from 0.002 to 10.9 cubic meters per second (0.04 to 251 million gallons per day) throughout Minnesota in varying land-use settings. Water samples were collected from the treated effluent of the 25 wastewater-treatment plants and at one point upstream from and one point downstream from wastewater-treatment plant effluent discharges. Bed-sediment samples also were collected at each of the stream or lake locations. Water samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, pharmaceuticals, phytoestrogens and pharmaceuticals, alkylphenols and other neutral organic chemicals, carboxylic acids, and steroidal hormones. A subset (25 samples) of the bed-sediment samples were analyzed for carbon, wastewater-indicator chemicals, and steroidal hormones; the remaining samples were archived. Biological characteristics were determined by using an in-vitro bioassay to determine total estrogenicity in water samples and a caged fish study to determine characteristics of fish from experiments that exposed fish to wastewater effluent in 2009. St. Cloud State University deployed and processed caged fathead minnows at 13 stream sites during September 2009 for the caged fish study. Measured fish data included length, weight, body condition factor, and vitellogenin concentrations.

An evaluation of the properties of the variance estimator used by FIA

Treesearch

John P. Brown; James A. Westfall

2012-01-01

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the U.S. Forest Service currently conducts inventories utilizing the protocols of the national enhanced FIA Program. Due to the permanent locations of the sample plots, the stratification of the population occurs after the selection of sample units, i.e., post-stratification. In situations where the population is of...

The causes of mangrove death on Yap, Palau, Pohnpei and Kosrae [Chapter II

Treesearch

Phil G. Cannon; Margie Falanruw; Francis Ruegorong; Rich MacKenzie; Katie Friday; Amy L. Ross-Davis; Sara M. Ashiglar; Ned B. Klopfenstein; Zhangfeng Liu; Mohammad Golabi; Chancy Thomas Iyekar

2014-01-01

The area of a massive mangrove dieback in Yinuf Mn Island, Yap, was selected as the first location to study mangrove dieback problems. Seawater and soil samples were collected from plots where the mangrove trees were dead/dying and these samples were analyzed for eight different seawater and soil floor properties. Seawater and soil properties from dead/dying/...

Survey Response in a Statewide Social Experiment: Differences in Being Located and Collaborating, by Race and Hispanic Origin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nam, Yunju; Mason, Lisa Reyes; Kim, Youngmi; Clancy, Margaret; Sherraden, Michael

2013-01-01

This study examined whether and how survey response differs by race and Hispanic origin, using data from birth certificates and survey administrative data for a large-scale statewide experiment. The sample consisted of mothers of infants selected from Oklahoma birth certificates using a stratified random sampling method (N = 7,111). This study…

Results of Macroinvertebrate Sampling Conducted at 33 SRS Stream Locations, July--August 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Specht, W.L.

1994-12-01

In order to assess the health of the macroinvertebrate communities of SRS streams, the macroinvertebrate communities at 30 stream locations on SRS were sampled during the summer of 1993, using Hester-Dendy multiplate samplers. In addition, three off-site locations in the Upper Three Runs drainage were sampled in order to assess the potential for impact from off-site activities. In interpreting the data, it is important to recognize that these data were from a single set of collections. Macroinvertebrate communities often undergo considerable temporal variation, and are also greatly influenced by such factors as water depth, water velocity, and available habitat. Thesemore » stations were selected with the intent of developing an on-going sampling program at a smaller number of stations, with the selection of the stations to be based largely upon the results of this preliminary sampling program. When stations within a given stream showed similar results, fewer stations would be sampled in the future. Similarly, if a stream appeared to be perturbed, additional stations or chemical analyses might be added so that the source of the perturbation could be identified. In general, unperturbed streams will contain more taxa than perturbed streams, and the distribution of taxa among orders or families will differ. Some groups of macroinvertebrates, such as Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies) and Trichoptera (caddisflies), which are collectively called EPT taxa, are considered to be relatively sensitive to most kinds of stream perturbation; therefore a reduced number of EPT taxa generally indicates that the stream has been subject to chemical or physical stressors. In coastal plain streams, EPT taxa are generally less dominant than in streams with rocky substrates, while Chironomidae (midges) are more abundant. (Abstract Truncated)« less

Spatial Prediction and Optimized Sampling Design for Sodium Concentration in Groundwater

PubMed Central

Shabbir, Javid; M. AbdEl-Salam, Nasser; Hussain, Tajammal

2016-01-01

Sodium is an integral part of water, and its excessive amount in drinking water causes high blood pressure and hypertension. In the present paper, spatial distribution of sodium concentration in drinking water is modeled and optimized sampling designs for selecting sampling locations is calculated for three divisions in Punjab, Pakistan. Universal kriging and Bayesian universal kriging are used to predict the sodium concentrations. Spatial simulated annealing is used to generate optimized sampling designs. Different estimation methods (i.e., maximum likelihood, restricted maximum likelihood, ordinary least squares, and weighted least squares) are used to estimate the parameters of the variogram model (i.e, exponential, Gaussian, spherical and cubic). It is concluded that Bayesian universal kriging fits better than universal kriging. It is also observed that the universal kriging predictor provides minimum mean universal kriging variance for both adding and deleting locations during sampling design. PMID:27683016

A soil sampling intercomparison exercise for the ALMERA network.

PubMed

Belli, Maria; de Zorzi, Paolo; Sansone, Umberto; Shakhashiro, Abduhlghani; Gondin da Fonseca, Adelaide; Trinkl, Alexander; Benesch, Thomas

2009-11-01

Soil sampling and analysis for radionuclides after an accidental or routine release is a key factor for the dose calculation to members of the public, and for the establishment of possible countermeasures. The IAEA organized for selected laboratories of the ALMERA (Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity) network a Soil Sampling Intercomparison Exercise (IAEA/SIE/01) with the objective of comparing soil sampling procedures used by different laboratories. The ALMERA network is a world-wide network of analytical laboratories located in IAEA member states capable of providing reliable and timely analysis of environmental samples in the event of an accidental or intentional release of radioactivity. Ten ALMERA laboratories were selected to participate in the sampling exercise. The soil sampling intercomparison exercise took place in November 2005 in an agricultural area qualified as a "reference site", aimed at assessing the uncertainties associated with soil sampling in agricultural, semi-natural, urban and contaminated environments and suitable for performing sampling intercomparison. In this paper, the laboratories sampling performance were evaluated.

Contaminants evaluation of Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas and Missouri, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, George T.; Nash, Tom J.; Janes, David E.

1995-05-01

At the new Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge in Linn County, Kansas, and Bates County, Missouri, USA, we evaluated long-lived contaminants before acquisition of the land for the refuge. We sampled sediments at 16 locations and fish at seven locations. The samples were analyzed for metals and for chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds. Selected sediment samples also were analyzed for aliphatic hydrocarbons. Arsenic concentrations in sediment samples from six locations were elevated compared to US norms, but arsenic was not detected in any fish composite. Mercury concentrations in largemouth bass from two locations were comparable to the 85th percentile concentrations in nationwide fish collections. Most sediment concentrations of other metals were unlikely to have detrimental effects on biota. No chlorinated hydrocarbons were detected in any sediment sample. Chlordane compound concentrations in fish composites from two sites at the eastern end of the sampling area were 0.127 and 0.228 μg/g wet weight, respectively, which are high enough to cause concern. Most aliphatic hydrocarbons detected were found at low concentrations and probably were natural in origin. We concluded that there are no serious contaminants concerns within the project area, but past use of arsenical pesticides may mean a legacy of elevated soil arsenic levels in parts of the area and some use of banned pesticides such as chlordane and DDT likely is still occurring near the refuge.

OpenMSI Arrayed Analysis Tools v2.0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BOWEN, BENJAMIN; RUEBEL, OLIVER; DE ROND, TRISTAN

2017-02-07

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) enables high-resolution spatial mapping of biomolecules in samples and is a valuable tool for the analysis of tissues from plants and animals, microbial interactions, high-throughput screening, drug metabolism, and a host of other applications. This is accomplished by desorbing molecules from the surface on spatially defined locations, using a laser or ion beam. These ions are analyzed by a mass spectrometry and collected into a MSI 'image', a dataset containing unique mass spectra from the sampled spatial locations. MSI is used in a diverse and increasing number of biological applications. The OpenMSI Arrayed Analysis Tool (OMAAT)more » is a new software method that addresses the challenges of analyzing spatially defined samples in large MSI datasets, by providing support for automatic sample position optimization and ion selection.« less

Sorbent-based sampling methods for volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds in air Part 1: Sorbent-based air monitoring options.

PubMed

Woolfenden, Elizabeth

2010-04-16

Sorbent tubes/traps are widely used in combination with gas chromatographic (GC) analytical methods to monitor the vapour-phase fraction of organic compounds in air. Target compounds range in volatility from acetylene and freons to phthalates and PCBs and include apolar, polar and reactive species. Airborne vapour concentrations will vary depending on the nature of the location, nearby pollution sources, weather conditions, etc. Levels can range from low percent concentrations in stack and vent emissions to low part per trillion (ppt) levels in ultra-clean outdoor locations. Hundreds, even thousands of different compounds may be present in any given atmosphere. GC is commonly used in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) detection especially for environmental monitoring or for screening uncharacterised workplace atmospheres. Given the complexity and variability of organic vapours in air, no one sampling approach suits every monitoring scenario. A variety of different sampling strategies and sorbent media have been developed to address specific applications. Key sorbent-based examples include: active (pumped) sampling onto tubes packed with one or more sorbents held at ambient temperature; diffusive (passive) sampling onto sorbent tubes/cartridges; on-line sampling of air/gas streams into cooled sorbent traps; and transfer of air samples from containers (canisters, Tedlar) bags, etc.) into cooled sorbent focusing traps. Whichever sampling approach is selected, subsequent analysis almost always involves either solvent extraction or thermal desorption (TD) prior to GC(/MS) analysis. The overall performance of the air monitoring method will depend heavily on appropriate selection of key sampling and analytical parameters. This comprehensive review of air monitoring using sorbent tubes/traps is divided into 2 parts. (1) Sorbent-based air sampling option. (2) Sorbent selection and other aspects of optimizing sorbent-based air monitoring methods. The paper presents current state-of-the-art and recent developments in relevant areas such as sorbent research, sampler design, enhanced approaches to analytical quality assurance and on-tube derivatisation. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Computerized stratified random site-selection approaches for design of a ground-water-quality sampling network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, J.C.

1990-01-01

Computer software was written to randomly select sites for a ground-water-quality sampling network. The software uses digital cartographic techniques and subroutines from a proprietary geographic information system. The report presents the approaches, computer software, and sample applications. It is often desirable to collect ground-water-quality samples from various areas in a study region that have different values of a spatial characteristic, such as land-use or hydrogeologic setting. A stratified network can be used for testing hypotheses about relations between spatial characteristics and water quality, or for calculating statistical descriptions of water-quality data that account for variations that correspond to the spatial characteristic. In the software described, a study region is subdivided into areal subsets that have a common spatial characteristic to stratify the population into several categories from which sampling sites are selected. Different numbers of sites may be selected from each category of areal subsets. A population of potential sampling sites may be defined by either specifying a fixed population of existing sites, or by preparing an equally spaced population of potential sites. In either case, each site is identified with a single category, depending on the value of the spatial characteristic of the areal subset in which the site is located. Sites are selected from one category at a time. One of two approaches may be used to select sites. Sites may be selected randomly, or the areal subsets in the category can be grouped into cells and sites selected randomly from each cell.

Distributed Attention Is Implemented through Theta-Rhythmic Gamma Modulation.

PubMed

Landau, Ayelet Nina; Schreyer, Helene Marianne; van Pelt, Stan; Fries, Pascal

2015-08-31

When subjects monitor a single location, visual target detection depends on the pre-target phase of an ∼8 Hz brain rhythm. When multiple locations are monitored, performance decrements suggest a division of the 8 Hz rhythm over the number of locations, indicating that different locations are sequentially sampled. Indeed, when subjects monitor two locations, performance benefits alternate at a 4 Hz rhythm. These performance alternations were revealed after a reset of attention to one location. Although resets are common and important events for attention, it is unknown whether, in the absence of resets, ongoing attention samples stimuli in alternation. Here, we examined whether spatially specific attentional sampling can be revealed by ongoing pre-target brain rhythms. Visually induced gamma-band activity plays a role in spatial attention. Therefore, we hypothesized that performance on two simultaneously monitored stimuli can be predicted by a 4 Hz modulation of gamma-band activity. Brain rhythms were assessed with magnetoencephalography (MEG) while subjects monitored bilateral grating stimuli for a unilateral target event. The corresponding contralateral gamma-band responses were subtracted from each other to isolate spatially selective, target-related fluctuations. The resulting lateralized gamma-band activity (LGA) showed opposite pre-target 4 Hz phases for detected versus missed targets. The 4 Hz phase of pre-target LGA accounted for a 14.5% modulation in performance. These findings suggest that spatial attention is a theta-rhythmic sampling process that is continuously ongoing, with each sampling cycle being implemented through gamma-band synchrony. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clamshell tomograph

DOEpatents

Derenzo, Stephen E.; Budinger, Thomas F.

1984-01-01

In brief, the invention is a tomograph modified to be in a clamshell configuration so that the ring or rings may be moved to multiple sampling positions. The tomograph includes an array of detectors arranged in successive adjacent relative locations along a closed curve in a first position in a selected plane, and means for securing the detectors in the relative locations in a first sampling position. The securing means is movable in the plane in two sections and pivotable at one p The U.S. Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48 between the U.S. Department of Energy and the University of California.

Soils, vegetation, and woody debris data from the 2001 Survey Line fire and a comparable unburned site, Tanana Flats region, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Manies, Kristen L.; Harden, Jennifer W.; Holingsworth, Teresa N.

2014-01-01

This report describes the collection and processing methodologies for samples obtained at two sites within Interior Alaska: (1) a location within the 2001 Survey Line burn, and (2) an unburned location, selected as a control. In 2002 and 2004 U.S. Geological Survey investigators measured soil properties including, but not limited to, bulk density, volumetric water content, carbon content, and nitrogen content from samples obtained from these sites. Stand properties, such as tree density, the amount of woody debris, and understory vegetation, were also measured and are presented in this report.

Biomass production on the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas, Washington: updated logging residue ratios, slash pile volume-to-weight ratios, and supply curves for selected locations

Treesearch

Jason C. Cross; Eric C. Turnblom; Gregory J. Ettl

2013-01-01

Biomass residue produced by timber harvest operations is estimated for the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas, Washington. Scattered residues were sampled in 53 harvest units and piled residues were completely enumerated in 55 harvest units. Production is based on 2008 and 2009 data and is stratified by forest location, ownership type, harvest intensity, and harvest method...

Solid sorbent air sampler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Galen, T. J. (Inventor)

1986-01-01

A fluid sampler for collecting a plurality of discrete samples over separate time intervals is described. The sampler comprises a sample assembly having an inlet and a plurality of discreet sample tubes each of which has inlet and outlet sides. A multiport dual acting valve is provided in the sampler in order to sequentially pass air from the sample inlet into the selected sample tubes. The sample tubes extend longitudinally of the housing and are located about the outer periphery thereof so that upon removal of an enclosure cover, they are readily accessible for operation of the sampler in an analysis mode.

Automatic HTS force measurement instrument

DOEpatents

Sanders, S.T.; Niemann, R.C.

1999-03-30

A device is disclosed for measuring the levitation force of a high temperature superconductor sample with respect to a reference magnet includes a receptacle for holding several high temperature superconductor samples each cooled to superconducting temperature. A rotatable carousel successively locates a selected one of the high temperature superconductor samples in registry with the reference magnet. Mechanism varies the distance between one of the high temperature superconductor samples and the reference magnet, and a sensor measures levitation force of the sample as a function of the distance between the reference magnet and the sample. A method is also disclosed. 3 figs.

System Would Acquire Core and Powder Samples of Rocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Randolph, James; Bao, Xiaoqi; Sherrit, Stewart; Ritz, Chuck; Cook, Greg

2006-01-01

A system for automated sampling of rocks, ice, and similar hard materials at and immediately below the surface of the ground is undergoing development. The system, denoted a sample preparation, acquisition, handling, and delivery (SPAHD) device, would be mounted on a robotic exploratory vehicle that would traverse the terrain of interest on the Earth or on a remote planet. The SPAHD device would probe the ground to obtain data for optimization of sampling, prepare the surface, acquire samples in the form(s) of cores and/or powdered cuttings, and deliver the samples to a selected location for analysis and/or storage.

Evaluation of sampling methods to quantify abundance of hardwoods and snags within conifer-dominated riparian zones

Treesearch

Theresa Marquardt; Hailemariam Temesgen; Paul D. Anderson; Bianca Eskelson

2012-01-01

Six sampling alternatives were examined for their ability to quantify selected attributes of snags and hardwoods in conifer-dominated riparian areas of managed headwater forests in western Oregon. Each alternative was simulated 500 times at eight headwater forest locations based on a 0.52-ha square stem map. The alternatives were evaluated based on how well they...

Correlations Between Life-Detection Techniques and Implications for Sampling Site Selection in Planetary Analog Missions.

PubMed

Gentry, Diana M; Amador, Elena S; Cable, Morgan L; Chaudry, Nosheen; Cullen, Thomas; Jacobsen, Malene B; Murukesan, Gayathri; Schwieterman, Edward W; Stevens, Adam H; Stockton, Amanda; Tan, George; Yin, Chang; Cullen, David C; Geppert, Wolf

2017-10-01

We conducted an analog sampling expedition under simulated mission constraints to areas dominated by basaltic tephra of the Eldfell and Fimmvörðuháls lava fields (Iceland). Sites were selected to be "homogeneous" at a coarse remote sensing resolution (10-100 m) in apparent color, morphology, moisture, and grain size, with best-effort realism in numbers of locations and replicates. Three different biomarker assays (counting of nucleic-acid-stained cells via fluorescent microscopy, a luciferin/luciferase assay for adenosine triphosphate, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect DNA associated with bacteria, archaea, and fungi) were characterized at four nested spatial scales (1 m, 10 m, 100 m, and >1 km) by using five common metrics for sample site representativeness (sample mean variance, group F tests, pairwise t tests, and the distribution-free rank sum H and u tests). Correlations between all assays were characterized with Spearman's rank test. The bioluminescence assay showed the most variance across the sites, followed by qPCR for bacterial and archaeal DNA; these results could not be considered representative at the finest resolution tested (1 m). Cell concentration and fungal DNA also had significant local variation, but they were homogeneous over scales of >1 km. These results show that the selection of life detection assays and the number, distribution, and location of sampling sites in a low biomass environment with limited a priori characterization can yield both contrasting and complementary results, and that their interdependence must be given due consideration to maximize science return in future biomarker sampling expeditions. Key Words: Astrobiology-Biodiversity-Microbiology-Iceland-Planetary exploration-Mars mission simulation-Biomarker. Astrobiology 17, 1009-1021.

Automated liver sampling using a gradient dual-echo Dixon-based technique.

PubMed

Bashir, Mustafa R; Dale, Brian M; Merkle, Elmar M; Boll, Daniel T

2012-05-01

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the liver requires input from a physicist or physician at the time of acquisition to insure proper voxel selection, while in multiecho chemical shift imaging, numerous regions of interest must be manually selected in order to ensure analysis of a representative portion of the liver parenchyma. A fully automated technique could improve workflow by selecting representative portions of the liver prior to human analysis. Complete volumes from three-dimensional gradient dual-echo acquisitions with two-point Dixon reconstruction acquired at 1.5 and 3 T were analyzed in 100 subjects, using an automated liver sampling algorithm, based on ratio pairs calculated from signal intensity image data as fat-only/water-only and log(in-phase/opposed-phase) on a voxel-by-voxel basis. Using different gridding variations of the algorithm, the average correct liver volume samples ranged from 527 to 733 mL. The average percentage of sample located within the liver ranged from 95.4 to 97.1%, whereas the average incorrect volume selected was 16.5-35.4 mL (2.9-4.6%). Average run time was 19.7-79.0 s. The algorithm consistently selected large samples of the hepatic parenchyma with small amounts of erroneous extrahepatic sampling, and run times were feasible for execution on an MRI system console during exam acquisition. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Persistent spatial information in the FEF during object-based short-term memory does not contribute to task performance.

PubMed

Clark, Kelsey L; Noudoost, Behrad; Moore, Tirin

2014-06-01

We previously reported the existence of a persistent spatial signal in the FEF during object-based STM. This persistent activity reflected the location at which the sample appeared, irrespective of the location of upcoming targets. We hypothesized that such a spatial signal could be used to maintain or enhance object-selective memory activity elsewhere in cortex, analogous to the role of a spatial signal during attention. Here, we inactivated a portion of the FEF with GABAa agonist muscimol to test whether the observed activity contributes to object memory performance. We found that, although RTs were slowed for saccades into the inactivated portion of retinotopic space, performance for samples appearing in that region was unimpaired. This contrasts with the devastating effects of the same FEF inactivation on purely spatial working memory, as assessed with the memory-guided saccade task. Thus, in a task in which a significant fraction of FEF neurons displayed persistent, sample location-based activity, disrupting this activity had no impact on task performance.

Influence of sampling window size and orientation on parafoveal cone packing density

PubMed Central

Lombardo, Marco; Serrao, Sebastiano; Ducoli, Pietro; Lombardo, Giuseppe

2013-01-01

We assessed the agreement between sampling windows of different size and orientation on packing density estimates in images of the parafoveal cone mosaic acquired using a flood-illumination adaptive optics retinal camera. Horizontal and vertical oriented sampling windows of different size (320x160 µm, 160x80 µm and 80x40 µm) were selected in two retinal locations along the horizontal meridian in one eye of ten subjects. At each location, cone density tended to decline with decreasing sampling area. Although the differences in cone density estimates were not statistically significant, Bland-Altman plots showed that the agreement between cone density estimated within the different sampling window conditions was moderate. The percentage of the preferred packing arrangements of cones by Voronoi tiles was slightly affected by window size and orientation. The results illustrated the high importance of specifying the size and orientation of the sampling window used to derive cone metric estimates to facilitate comparison of different studies. PMID:24009995

Data Validation Package December 2015 Groundwater Sampling at the Ambrosia Lake, New Mexico, Disposal Site March 2016

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsosie, Bernadette; Johnson, Dick

The Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the Ambrosia Lake, New Mexico, Disposal Site does not require groundwater monitoring because groundwater in the uppermost aquifer is of limited use, and supplemental standards have been applied to the aquifer. However, at the request of the New Mexico Environment Department, the U.S. Department of Energy conducts annual monitoring at three locations: monitoring wells 0409, 0675, and 0678. Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in the Sampling and Analysis Plan for US. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated). Monitoring Well 0409 was not sampled during this event because itmore » was dry. Water levels were measured at each sampled well. One duplicate sample was collected from location 0675. Groundwater samples from the two sampled wells were analyzed for the constituents listed in Table 1. Time-concentration graphs for selected analytes are included in this report. At well 0675, the duplicate results for total dissolved solids and for most metals (magnesium, molybdenum, potassium, selenium, sodium, and uranium) were outside acceptance criteria, which may indicate non-homogeneous conditions at this location. November 2014 results for molybdenum and uranium at well 0675 also were outside acceptance criteria. The well condition will be evaluated prior to the next sampling event.« less

Penetrator role in Mars sample strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boynton, William; Dwornik, Steve; Eckstrom, William; Roalstad, David A.

1988-01-01

The application of the penetrator to a Mars Return Sample Mission (MRSM) has direct advantages to meet science objectives and mission safety. Based on engineering data and work currently conducted at Ball Aerospace Systems Division, the concept of penetrators as scientific instruments is entirely practical. The primary utilization of a penetrator for MRSM would be to optimize the selection of the sample site location and to help in selection of the actual sample to be returned to Earth. It is recognized that the amount of sample to be returned is very limited, therefore the selection of the sample site is critical to the success of the mission. The following mission scenario is proposed. The site selection of a sample to be acquired will be performed by science working groups. A decision will be reached and a set of target priorities established based on data to give geochemical, geophysical and geological information. The first task of a penetrator will be to collect data at up to 4 to 6 possible landing sites. The penetrator can include geophysical, geochemical, geological and engineering instruments to confirm that scientific data requirements at that site will be met. This in situ near real-time data, collected prior to final targeting of the lander, will insure that the sample site is both scientifically valuable and also that it is reachable within limits of the capability of the lander.

Trace element, semivolatile organic, and chlorinated organic compound concentrations in bed sediments of selected streams at Fort Gordon, Georgia, February-April 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Lashun K.; Journey, Celeste A.; Stringfield, Whitney J.; Clark, Jimmy M.; Bradley, Paul M.; Wellborn, John B.; Ratliff, Hagan; Abrahamsen, Thomas A.

2011-01-01

A spatial survey of streams was conducted from February to April 2010 to assess the concentrations of major ions, selected trace elements, semivolatile organic compounds, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls associated with the bed sediments of surface waters at Fort Gordon military installation near Augusta, Georgia. This investigation expanded a previous study conducted in May 1998 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, that evaluated the streambed sediment quality of selected surface waters at Fort Gordon. The data presented in this report are intended to help evaluate bed sediment quality in relation to guidelines for the protection of aquatic life, and identify temporal trends in trace elements and semivolatile organic compound concentrations at streambed sites previously sampled. Concentrations of 34 major ions and trace elements and 102 semivolatile organic, organochlorine pesticide, and polychlorinated biphenyl compounds were determined in the fine-grained fraction of bed sediment samples collected from 13 of the original 29 sites in the previous study, and 22 additional sites at Fort Gordon. Three of the sites were considered reference sites as they were presumed to be located away from potential sources of contaminants and were selected to represent surface waters flowing onto the fort, and the remaining 32 nonreference sites were presumed to be located within the contamination area at the fort. Temporal trends in trace elements and semivolatile organic compound concentrations also were evaluated at 13 of the 32 nonreference sites to provide an assessment of the variability in the number of detections and concentrations of constituents in bed sediment associated with potential sources, accumulation, and attenuation processes. Major ion and trace element concentrations in fine-grained bed sediment samples from most nonreference sites exceeded concentrations in samples from reference sites at Fort Gordon. Bed sediments from one of the nonreference sites sampled contained the highest concentrations of copper and lead with elevated levels of zinc and chromium relative to reference sites. The percentage change of major ions, trace elements, and total organic carbon that had been detected at sites previously sampled in May 1998 and current bed sediment sites ranged from -4 to 8 percent with an average percentage change of less than 1 percent. Concentrations of major ions and trace elements in bed sediments exceeded probable effect levels for aquatic life (based on the amphipod Hyalella azteca) established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at 46 and 69 percent of the current and previously sampled locations, respectively. The greatest frequency of exceedances for major ions and trace elements in bed sediments was observed for lead. Concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls were detected in bed sediment samples at 94 percent of the sites currently sampled. Detections of these organic compounds were reported with greater frequency in bed sediments at upstream sampling locations, when compared to downstream locations. The greatest number of detections of these compounds was reported for bed sediment samples collected from two creeks above a lake. The percentage change of semivolatile organic compounds detected at previously sampled and current bed sediment sites ranged from -68 to 100 percent with the greatest percentage increase reported for one of the creeks above the lake. Concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds and polychlorinated biphenyls in bed sediments exceeded aquatic life criteria established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at three sites. Contaminant compounds exceeding aquatic life criteria included fluoranthene, phenanthrene, anthracene, benzo(a)anthracene

X-ray versus infrared selection of distant galaxy clusters: a case study using the XMM-LSS and SpARCS cluster samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, J. P.; Ramos-Ceja, M. E.; Muzzin, A.; Pacaud, F.; Yee, H. K. C.; Wilson, G.

2018-07-01

We present a comparison of two samples of z> 0.8 galaxy clusters selected using different wavelength-dependent techniques and examine the physical differences between them. We consider 18 clusters from the X-ray-selected XMM Large Scale Structure (LSS) distant cluster survey and 92 clusters from the optical-mid-infrared (MIR)-selected Spitzer Adaptation of the Red Sequence Cluster survey (SpARCS) cluster survey. Both samples are selected from the same approximately 9 sq deg sky area and we examine them using common XMM-Newton, Spitizer Wide-Area Infrared Extra-galactic (SWIRE) survey, and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey data. Clusters from each sample are compared employing aperture measures of X-ray and MIR emission. We divide the SpARCS distant cluster sample into three sub-samples: (i) X-ray bright, (ii) X-ray faint, MIR bright, and (iii) X-ray faint, MIR faint clusters. We determine that X-ray- and MIR-selected clusters display very similar surface brightness distributions of galaxy MIR light. In addition, the average location and amplitude of the galaxy red sequence as measured from stacked colour histograms is very similar in the X-ray- and MIR-selected samples. The sub-sample of X-ray faint, MIR bright clusters displays a distribution of brightest cluster galaxy-barycentre position offsets which extends to higher values than all other samples. This observation indicates that such clusters may exist in a more disturbed state compared to the majority of the distant cluster population sampled by XMM-LSS and SpARCS. This conclusion is supported by stacked X-ray images for the X-ray faint, MIR bright cluster sub-sample that display weak, centrally concentrated X-ray emission, consistent with a population of growing clusters accreting from an extended envelope of material.

Robust online tracking via adaptive samples selection with saliency detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Jia; Chen, Xi; Zhu, QiuPing

2013-12-01

Online tracking has shown to be successful in tracking of previously unknown objects. However, there are two important factors which lead to drift problem of online tracking, the one is how to select the exact labeled samples even when the target locations are inaccurate, and the other is how to handle the confusors which have similar features with the target. In this article, we propose a robust online tracking algorithm with adaptive samples selection based on saliency detection to overcome the drift problem. To deal with the problem of degrading the classifiers using mis-aligned samples, we introduce the saliency detection method to our tracking problem. Saliency maps and the strong classifiers are combined to extract the most correct positive samples. Our approach employs a simple yet saliency detection algorithm based on image spectral residual analysis. Furthermore, instead of using the random patches as the negative samples, we propose a reasonable selection criterion, in which both the saliency confidence and similarity are considered with the benefits that confusors in the surrounding background are incorporated into the classifiers update process before the drift occurs. The tracking task is formulated as a binary classification via online boosting framework. Experiment results in several challenging video sequences demonstrate the accuracy and stability of our tracker.

Strategy for Ranking the Science Value of the Surface of Asteroid 101955 Bennu for Sample Site Selection for Osiris-REx

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakamura-Messenger, K.; Connolly, H. C., Jr.; Lauretta, D. S.

2014-01-01

OSRIS-REx is NASA's New Frontiers 3 sample return mission that will return at least 60 g of pristine surface material from near-Earth asteroid 101955 Bennu in September 2023. The scientific value of the sample increases enormously with the amount of knowledge captured about the geological context from which the sample is collected. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is highly maneuverable and capable of investigating the surface of Bennu at scales down to the sub-cm. The OSIRIS-REx instruments will characterize the overall surface geology including spectral properties, microtexture, and geochemistry of the regolith at the sampling site in exquisite detail for up to 505 days after encountering Bennu in August 2018. The mission requires at the very minimum one acceptable location on the asteroid where a touch-and-go (TAG) sample collection maneuver can be successfully per-formed. Sample site selection requires that the follow-ing maps be produced: Safety, Deliverability, Sampleability, and finally Science Value. If areas on the surface are designated as safe, navigation can fly to them, and they have ingestible regolith, then the scientific value of one site over another will guide site selection.

Accounting for selection bias in association studies with complex survey data.

PubMed

Wirth, Kathleen E; Tchetgen Tchetgen, Eric J

2014-05-01

Obtaining representative information from hidden and hard-to-reach populations is fundamental to describe the epidemiology of many sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Unfortunately, simple random sampling is impractical in these settings, as no registry of names exists from which to sample the population at random. However, complex sampling designs can be used, as members of these populations tend to congregate at known locations, which can be enumerated and sampled at random. For example, female sex workers may be found at brothels and street corners, whereas injection drug users often come together at shooting galleries. Despite the logistical appeal, complex sampling schemes lead to unequal probabilities of selection, and failure to account for this differential selection can result in biased estimates of population averages and relative risks. However, standard techniques to account for selection can lead to substantial losses in efficiency. Consequently, researchers implement a variety of strategies in an effort to balance validity and efficiency. Some researchers fully or partially account for the survey design, whereas others do nothing and treat the sample as a realization of the population of interest. We use directed acyclic graphs to show how certain survey sampling designs, combined with subject-matter considerations unique to individual exposure-outcome associations, can induce selection bias. Finally, we present a novel yet simple maximum likelihood approach for analyzing complex survey data; this approach optimizes statistical efficiency at no cost to validity. We use simulated data to illustrate this method and compare it with other analytic techniques.

Geochemical results from stream-water and stream-sediment samples collected in Colorado and New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hageman, Philip L.; Todd, Andrew S.; Smith, Kathleen S.; DeWitt, Ed; Zeigler, Mathew P.

2013-01-01

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey are studying the relationship between watershed lithology and stream-water chemistry. As part of this effort, 60 stream-water samples and 43 corresponding stream-sediment samples were collected in 2010 and 2011 from locations in Colorado and New Mexico. Sample sites were selected from small to midsize watersheds composed of a high percentage of one rock type or geologic unit. Stream-water and stream-sediment samples were collected, processed, preserved, and analyzed in a consistent manner. This report releases geochemical data for this phase of the study.

40 CFR 63.11551 - What are my initial compliance requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...: (i) Method 1 or 1A (40 CFR part 60, appendix A-1) to select sampling port locations and the number of... part 60, appendix A-2) to determine the dry molecular weight of the stack gas. You may use ANSI/ASME...

Soil- and groundwater-quality data for petroleum hydrocarbon compounds within Fuels Area C, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bender, David A.; Rowe, Barbara L.

2015-01-01

Ellsworth Air Force Base is an Air Combat Command located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota. Ellsworth Air Force Base occupies about 6,000 acres within Meade and Pennington Counties, and includes runways, airfield operations, industrial areas, housing, and recreational facilities. Fuels Area C within Ellsworth Air Force Base is a fuels storage area that is used to support the mission of the base. In fall of 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey began a study in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, Ellsworth Air Force Base, to estimate groundwater-flow direction, select locations for permanent monitoring wells, and install and sample monitoring wells for petroleum hydrocarbon compounds within Fuels Area C. Nine monitoring wells were installed for the study within Fuels Area C during November 4–7, 2014. Soil core samples were collected during installation of eight of the monitoring wells and analyzed for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, total xylenes, naphthalene,m- and p-xylene, o-xylene, and gasoline- and diesel-range organic compounds. Groundwater samples were collected from seven of the nine wells (two of the monitoring wells did not contain enough water to sample or were dry) during November 19–21, 2014, and analyzed for select physical properties, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, total xylenes, naphthalene, m- and p-xylene, o-xylene, and gasoline- and diesel-range organic compounds. This report describes the nine monitoring well locations and presents the soil- and groundwater-quality data collected in 2014 for this study.

Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance data from the area of the Shishmaref, Kotzebue, Selawik and Shungnak Quadrangles, northern Seward Peninsula and vicinity, Alaska

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warren, R.G.; Hill, D.E.; Sharp, R.R. Jr.

1978-05-01

During the summer of 1976, 1336 water and 1251 sediment samples were collected for Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) from 1356 streams and small lakes or ponds within Shishmaref, Kotzebue, Selawik, and western portion of Shungnak NTMS quadrangles in western Alaska. Both a water and sediment sample were generally obtained from each location at a nominal location density of 1/23 km/sup 2/. Total uranium was measured in waters by fluorometry and in sediments and a few waters by delayed neutron counting at LASL. Uranium concentrations in waters have a mean of 0.31 ppB and a maximum of 9.23 ppB, andmore » sediments exhibit a mean of 3.44 ppM and a maximum of 37.7 ppM. A large number of high-uranium concentrations occur in both water and sediment samples collected in the Selawik Hills. At least two locations within the Selawik Hills appear favorable for further investigation of possible uranium mineralization. A cluster of high-uranium sediments, seen in the Waring Mountains, are probably derived from a lower Cretaceous conglomerate unit which is assocated with known airborne radiometric anomalies. Apparently less favorable areas for further investigation of possible uranium mineralization are also located in the Waring Mountains and Kiana Hills. Additional samples were collected within the Shungnak quadrange to increase the sampling density used elsewhere in the area to about one location per 11 km/sup 2/ (double-density). Contoured plots of uranium concentrations for both waters and sediments were prepared for all double-density sample locations, and then for the even-numbered and odd-numbered locations separately. These plots indicate that the HSSR sampling density of 1/23 km/sup 2/ used in lowland areas of Alaska provide essentially the same definition of relative areal uranium distributions in waters and sediments as seen when the density is doubled. These plots indicate that regional distribution patterns for uranium are well defined without selective sampling of geologic units.« less

Reconnaissance-level application of physical habitat simulation in the evaluation of physical habitat limits in the Animas Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milhous, Robert T.

2003-01-01

Bed material samples were collected at each site. These included samples of the armour, the substrate, and sand and fines deposited on the surface. At selected sites the stream morphology was measured. These measurements included one to three cross sections, stream discharge, and water surface elevations. The data are located in the files of the Fort Collins Science Center.

Assessment of groundwater, soil-gas, and soil contamination at the Vietnam Armor Training Facility, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2009-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guimaraes, Wladmir B.; Falls, W. Fred; Caldwell, Andral W.; Ratliff, W. Hagan; Wellborn, John B.; Landmeyer, James E.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, Georgia, assessed the groundwater, soil gas, and soil for contaminants at the Vietnam Armor Training Facility (VATF) at Fort Gordon, from October 2009 to September 2010. The assessment included the detection of organic compounds in the groundwater and soil gas, and inorganic compounds in the soil. In addition, organic contaminant assessment included organic compounds classified as explosives and chemical agents in selected areas. The assessment was conducted to provide environmental contamination data to the U.S. Army at Fort Gordon pursuant to requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part B Hazardous Waste Permit process. Four passive samplers were deployed in groundwater wells at the VATF in Fort Gordon. Total petroleum hydrocarbons were detected above the method detection level at all four wells. The only other volatile organic compounds detected above their method detection level were undecane and pentadecane, which were detected in two of the four wells sampled. Soil-gas samplers were deployed at 72 locations in a grid pattern across the VATF. Total petroleum hydrocarbons were detected in 71 of the 72 samplers (one sampler was destroyed in the field and not analyzed) at levels above the method detection level, and the combined mass of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylene was detected above the detection level in 31 of the 71 samplers that were analyzed. Other volatile organic compounds detected above their respective method detection levels were naphthalene, 2-methyl-naphthalene, tridecane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and perchloroethene. Subsequent to the soil-gas survey, four areas determined to have elevated contaminant mass were selected and sampled for explosives and chemical agents. No detections of explosives or chemical agents above their respective method detection levels were found at any of the sampling locations. The same four locations that were sampled for explosives and chemical agents were selected for the collection of soil samples. A fifth location also was selected on the basis of the elevated contaminant mass of the soil-gas survey. No metals that exceeded the Regional Screening Levels for Industrial Soils as classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were detected at any of the five VATF locations. The soil samples also were compared to values from the ambient, uncontaminated (background) levels for soils in South Carolina, as classified by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Because South Carolina is adjacent to Georgia and the soils in the coastal plain are similar, these comparisons are valid. No similar values are available for Georgia to use for comparison purposes. The metals that were detected above the ambient background levels for South Carolina, as classified by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, include aluminum, arsenic, barium, beryllium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, potassium, sodium, and zinc.

Predictors of locating women six to eight years after contact: internet resources at recruitment may help to improve response rates in longitudinal research

PubMed Central

Cadarette, Suzanne M; Dickson, Leigh; Gignac, Monique AM; Beaton, Dorcas E; Jaglal, Susan B; Hawker, Gillian A

2007-01-01

Background The ability to locate those sampled has important implications for response rates and thus the success of survey research. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of locating women requiring tracing using publicly available methods (primarily Internet searches), and to determine the additional benefit of vital statistics linkages. Methods Random samples of women aged 65–89 years residing in two regions of Ontario, Canada were selected from a list of those who completed a questionnaire between 1995 and 1997 (n = 1,500). A random sample of 507 of these women had been searched on the Internet as part of a feasibility pilot in 2001. All 1,500 women sampled were mailed a newsletter and information letter prior to recruitment by telephone in 2003 and 2004. Those with returned mail or incorrect telephone number(s) required tracing. Predictors of locating women were examined using logistic regression. Results Tracing was required for 372 (25%) of the women sampled, and of these, 181 (49%) were located. Predictors of locating women were: younger age, residing in less densely populated areas, having had a web-search completed in 2001, and listed name identified on the Internet prior to recruitment in 2003. Although vital statistics linkages to death records subsequently identified 41 subjects, these data were incomplete. Conclusion Prospective studies may benefit from using Internet resources at recruitment to determine the listed names for telephone numbers thereby facilitating follow-up tracing and improving response rates. Although vital statistics linkages may help to identify deceased individuals, these may be best suited for post hoc response rate adjustment. PMID:17577404

Predictors of locating women six to eight years after contact: internet resources at recruitment may help to improve response rates in longitudinal research.

PubMed

Cadarette, Suzanne M; Dickson, Leigh; Gignac, Monique A M; Beaton, Dorcas E; Jaglal, Susan B; Hawker, Gillian A

2007-06-18

The ability to locate those sampled has important implications for response rates and thus the success of survey research. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of locating women requiring tracing using publicly available methods (primarily Internet searches), and to determine the additional benefit of vital statistics linkages. Random samples of women aged 65-89 years residing in two regions of Ontario, Canada were selected from a list of those who completed a questionnaire between 1995 and 1997 (n = 1,500). A random sample of 507 of these women had been searched on the Internet as part of a feasibility pilot in 2001. All 1,500 women sampled were mailed a newsletter and information letter prior to recruitment by telephone in 2003 and 2004. Those with returned mail or incorrect telephone number(s) required tracing. Predictors of locating women were examined using logistic regression. Tracing was required for 372 (25%) of the women sampled, and of these, 181 (49%) were located. Predictors of locating women were: younger age, residing in less densely populated areas, having had a web-search completed in 2001, and listed name identified on the Internet prior to recruitment in 2003. Although vital statistics linkages to death records subsequently identified 41 subjects, these data were incomplete. Prospective studies may benefit from using Internet resources at recruitment to determine the listed names for telephone numbers thereby facilitating follow-up tracing and improving response rates. Although vital statistics linkages may help to identify deceased individuals, these may be best suited for post hoc response rate adjustment.

Air-sampling inlet contamination by aircraft emissions on the NASA CV-990 aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Condon, E. P.; Vedder, J. F.

1984-01-01

Results of an experimental investigation of the contamination of air sampling inlets by aircraft emissions from the NASA CV-990 research aircraft are presented. This four-engine jet aircraft is a NASA facility used for many different atmospheric and meteorological experiments, as well as for developing spacecraft instrumentation for remote measurements. Our investigations were performed to provide information on which to base the selection of sampling locations for a series of multi-instrument missions for measuring tropospheric trace gases. The major source of contamination is the exhaust from the jet engines, which generate many of the same gases that are of interest in atmospheric chemistry, as well as other gases that may interfere with sampling measurements. The engine exhaust contains these gases in mixing ratios many orders of magnitude greater than those that occur in the clean atmosphere which the missions seek to quantify. Pressurized samples of air were collected simultaneously from a scoop located forward of the engines to represent clean air and from other multiport scoops at various aft positions on the aircraft. The air samples were analyzed in the laboratory by gas chromatography for carbon monoxide, an abundant combustion by-product. Data are presented for various scoop locations under various flight conditions.

Methodological Challenges in Collecting Social and Behavioural Data Regarding the HIV Epidemic among Gay and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Australia

PubMed Central

Holt, Martin; de Wit, John; Brown, Graham; Maycock, Bruce; Fairley, Christopher; Prestage, Garrett

2014-01-01

Background Behavioural surveillance and research among gay and other men who have sex with men (GMSM) commonly relies on non-random recruitment approaches. Methodological challenges limit their ability to accurately represent the population of adult GMSM. We compared the social and behavioural profiles of GMSM recruited via venue-based, online, and respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and discussed their utility for behavioural surveillance. Methods Data from four studies were selected to reflect each recruitment method. We compared demographic characteristics and the prevalence of key indicators including sexual and HIV testing practices obtained from samples recruited through different methods, and population estimates from respondent-driven sampling partition analysis. Results Overall, the socio-demographic profile of GMSM was similar across samples, with some differences observed in age and sexual identification. Men recruited through time-location sampling appeared more connected to the gay community, reported a greater number of sexual partners, but engaged in less unprotected anal intercourse with regular (UAIR) or casual partners (UAIC). The RDS sample overestimated the proportion of HIV-positive men and appeared to recruit men with an overall higher number of sexual partners. A single-website survey recruited a sample with characteristics which differed considerably from the population estimates with regards to age, ethnically diversity and behaviour. Data acquired through time-location sampling underestimated the rates of UAIR and UAIC, while RDS and online sampling both generated samples that underestimated UAIR. Simulated composite samples combining recruits from time-location and multi-website online sampling may produce characteristics more consistent with the population estimates, particularly with regards to sexual practices. Conclusion Respondent-driven sampling produced the sample that was most consistent to population estimates, but this methodology is complex and logistically demanding. Time-location and online recruitment are more cost-effective and easier to implement; using these approaches in combination may offer the potential to recruit a more representative sample of GMSM. PMID:25409440

Methodological challenges in collecting social and behavioural data regarding the HIV epidemic among gay and other men who have sex with men in Australia.

PubMed

Zablotska, Iryna B; Frankland, Andrew; Holt, Martin; de Wit, John; Brown, Graham; Maycock, Bruce; Fairley, Christopher; Prestage, Garrett

2014-01-01

Behavioural surveillance and research among gay and other men who have sex with men (GMSM) commonly relies on non-random recruitment approaches. Methodological challenges limit their ability to accurately represent the population of adult GMSM. We compared the social and behavioural profiles of GMSM recruited via venue-based, online, and respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and discussed their utility for behavioural surveillance. Data from four studies were selected to reflect each recruitment method. We compared demographic characteristics and the prevalence of key indicators including sexual and HIV testing practices obtained from samples recruited through different methods, and population estimates from respondent-driven sampling partition analysis. Overall, the socio-demographic profile of GMSM was similar across samples, with some differences observed in age and sexual identification. Men recruited through time-location sampling appeared more connected to the gay community, reported a greater number of sexual partners, but engaged in less unprotected anal intercourse with regular (UAIR) or casual partners (UAIC). The RDS sample overestimated the proportion of HIV-positive men and appeared to recruit men with an overall higher number of sexual partners. A single-website survey recruited a sample with characteristics which differed considerably from the population estimates with regards to age, ethnically diversity and behaviour. Data acquired through time-location sampling underestimated the rates of UAIR and UAIC, while RDS and online sampling both generated samples that underestimated UAIR. Simulated composite samples combining recruits from time-location and multi-website online sampling may produce characteristics more consistent with the population estimates, particularly with regards to sexual practices. Respondent-driven sampling produced the sample that was most consistent to population estimates, but this methodology is complex and logistically demanding. Time-location and online recruitment are more cost-effective and easier to implement; using these approaches in combination may offer the potential to recruit a more representative sample of GMSM.

Experimental and environmental factors affect spurious detection of ecological thresholds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daily, Jonathan P.; Hitt, Nathaniel P.; Smith, David; Snyder, Craig D.

2012-01-01

Threshold detection methods are increasingly popular for assessing nonlinear responses to environmental change, but their statistical performance remains poorly understood. We simulated linear change in stream benthic macroinvertebrate communities and evaluated the performance of commonly used threshold detection methods based on model fitting (piecewise quantile regression [PQR]), data partitioning (nonparametric change point analysis [NCPA]), and a hybrid approach (significant zero crossings [SiZer]). We demonstrated that false detection of ecological thresholds (type I errors) and inferences on threshold locations are influenced by sample size, rate of linear change, and frequency of observations across the environmental gradient (i.e., sample-environment distribution, SED). However, the relative importance of these factors varied among statistical methods and between inference types. False detection rates were influenced primarily by user-selected parameters for PQR (τ) and SiZer (bandwidth) and secondarily by sample size (for PQR) and SED (for SiZer). In contrast, the location of reported thresholds was influenced primarily by SED. Bootstrapped confidence intervals for NCPA threshold locations revealed strong correspondence to SED. We conclude that the choice of statistical methods for threshold detection should be matched to experimental and environmental constraints to minimize false detection rates and avoid spurious inferences regarding threshold location.

Patterning of alloy precipitation through external pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franklin, Jack A.

Due to the nature of their microstructure, alloyed components have the benefit of meeting specific design goals across a wide range of electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. In general by selecting the correct alloy system and applying a proper heat treatment it is possible to create a metallic sample whose properties achieve a unique set of design requirements. This dissertation presents an innovative processing technique intended to control both the location of formation and the growth rates of precipitates within metallic alloys in order to create multiple patterned areas of unique microstructure within a single sample. Specific experimental results for the Al-Cu alloy system will be shown. The control over precipitation is achieved by altering the conventional heat treatment process with an external surface load applied to selected locations during the quench and anneal. It is shown that the applied pressures affect both the rate and directionality of the atomic diffusion in regions close to the loaded surfaces. The control over growth rates is achieved by altering the enthalpic energy required for successful diffusion between lattice sites. Changes in the local chemical free energy required to direct the diffusion of atoms are established by introducing a non-uniform elastic strain energy field within the samples created by the patterned surface pressures. Either diffusion rates or atomic mobility can be selected as the dominating control process by varying the quench rate; with slower quenches having greater control over the mobility of the alloying elements. Results have shown control of Al2Cu precipitation over 100 microns on mechanically polished surfaces. Further experimental considerations presented will address consistency across sample ensembles. This includes repeatable pressure loading conditions and the chemical interaction between any furnace environments and both the alloy sample and metallic pressure loading devices.

Single point aerosol sampling: evaluation of mixing and probe performance in a nuclear stack.

PubMed

Rodgers, J C; Fairchild, C I; Wood, G O; Ortiz, C A; Muyshondt, A; McFarland, A R

1996-01-01

Alternative reference methodologies have been developed for sampling of radionuclides from stacks and ducts, which differ from the methods previously required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. These alternative reference methodologies have recently been approved by the U.S. EPA for use in lieu of the current standard techniques. The standard EPA methods are prescriptive in selection of sampling locations and in design of sampling probes whereas the alternative reference methodologies are performance driven. Tests were conducted in a stack at Los Alamos National Laboratory to demonstrate the efficacy of some aspects of the alternative reference methodologies. Coefficients of variation of velocity, tracer gas, and aerosol particle profiles were determined at three sampling locations. Results showed that numerical criteria placed upon the coefficients of variation by the alternative reference methodologies were met at sampling stations located 9 and 14 stack diameters from the flow entrance, but not at a location that was 1.5 diameters downstream from the inlet. Experiments were conducted to characterize the transmission of 10 microns aerodynamic diameter liquid aerosol particles through three types of sampling probes. The transmission ratio (ratio of aerosol concentration at the probe exit plane to the concentration in the free stream) was 107% for a 113 L min-1 (4-cfm) anisokinetic shrouded probe, but only 20% for an isokinetic probe that follows the existing EPA standard requirements. A specially designed isokinetic probe showed a transmission ratio of 63%. The shrouded probe performance would conform to the alternative reference methodologies criteria; however, the isokinetic probes would not.

Population Screening Using Sewage Reveals Pan-Resistant Bacteria in Hospital and Community Samples.

PubMed

Meir-Gruber, Lital; Manor, Yossi; Gefen-Halevi, Shiraz; Hindiyeh, Musa Y; Mileguir, Fernando; Azar, Roberto; Smollan, Gill; Belausov, Natasha; Rahav, Galia; Shamiss, Ari; Mendelson, Ella; Keller, Nathan

2016-01-01

The presence of pan-resistant bacteria worldwide possesses a threat to global health. It is difficult to evaluate the extent of carriage of resistant bacteria in the population. Sewage sampling is a possible way to monitor populations. We evaluated the presence of pan-resistant bacteria in Israeli sewage collected from all over Israel, by modifying the pour plate method for heterotrophic plate count technique using commercial selective agar plates. This method enables convenient and fast sewage sampling and detection. We found that sewage in Israel contains multiple pan-resistant bacteria including carbapenemase resistant Enterobacteriacae carrying blaKPC and blaNDM-1, MRSA and VRE. blaKPC carrying Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterobacter cloacae were the most common Enterobacteriacae drug resistant bacteria found in the sewage locations we sampled. Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterobacter spp., Escherichia coli and Citrobacter spp. were the 4 main CRE isolated from Israeli sewage and also from clinical samples in our clinical microbiology laboratory. Hospitals and Community sewage had similar percentage of positive samplings for blaKPC and blaNDM-1. VRE was found to be more abundant in sewage in Israel than MRSA but there were more locations positive for MRSA and VRE bacteria in Hospital sewage than in the Community. Therefore, our upgrade of the pour plate method for heterotrophic plate count technique using commercial selective agar plates can be a useful tool for routine screening and monitoring of the population for pan-resistant bacteria using sewage.

Population Screening Using Sewage Reveals Pan-Resistant Bacteria in Hospital and Community Samples

PubMed Central

Mileguir, Fernando; Azar, Roberto; Smollan, Gill; Belausov, Natasha; Rahav, Galia; Shamiss, Ari; Mendelson, Ella; Keller, Nathan

2016-01-01

The presence of pan-resistant bacteria worldwide possesses a threat to global health. It is difficult to evaluate the extent of carriage of resistant bacteria in the population. Sewage sampling is a possible way to monitor populations. We evaluated the presence of pan-resistant bacteria in Israeli sewage collected from all over Israel, by modifying the pour plate method for heterotrophic plate count technique using commercial selective agar plates. This method enables convenient and fast sewage sampling and detection. We found that sewage in Israel contains multiple pan-resistant bacteria including carbapenemase resistant Enterobacteriacae carrying blaKPC and blaNDM-1, MRSA and VRE. blaKPC carrying Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterobacter cloacae were the most common Enterobacteriacae drug resistant bacteria found in the sewage locations we sampled. Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterobacter spp., Escherichia coli and Citrobacter spp. were the 4 main CRE isolated from Israeli sewage and also from clinical samples in our clinical microbiology laboratory. Hospitals and Community sewage had similar percentage of positive samplings for blaKPC and blaNDM-1. VRE was found to be more abundant in sewage in Israel than MRSA but there were more locations positive for MRSA and VRE bacteria in Hospital sewage than in the Community. Therefore, our upgrade of the pour plate method for heterotrophic plate count technique using commercial selective agar plates can be a useful tool for routine screening and monitoring of the population for pan-resistant bacteria using sewage. PMID:27780222

Geospatial techniques for developing a sampling frame of watersheds across a region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gresswell, Robert E.; Bateman, Douglas S.; Lienkaemper, George; Guy, T.J.

2004-01-01

Current land-management decisions that affect the persistence of native salmonids are often influenced by studies of individual sites that are selected based on judgment and convenience. Although this approach is useful for some purposes, extrapolating results to areas that were not sampled is statistically inappropriate because the sampling design is usually biased. Therefore, in recent investigations of coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki clarki) located above natural barriers to anadromous salmonids, we used a methodology for extending the statistical scope of inference. The purpose of this paper is to apply geospatial tools to identify a population of watersheds and develop a probability-based sampling design for coastal cutthroat trout in western Oregon, USA. The population of mid-size watersheds (500-5800 ha) west of the Cascade Range divide was derived from watershed delineations based on digital elevation models. Because a database with locations of isolated populations of coastal cutthroat trout did not exist, a sampling frame of isolated watersheds containing cutthroat trout had to be developed. After the sampling frame of watersheds was established, isolated watersheds with coastal cutthroat trout were stratified by ecoregion and erosion potential based on dominant bedrock lithology (i.e., sedimentary and igneous). A stratified random sample of 60 watersheds was selected with proportional allocation in each stratum. By comparing watershed drainage areas of streams in the general population to those in the sampling frame and the resulting sample (n = 60), we were able to evaluate the how representative the subset of watersheds was in relation to the population of watersheds. Geospatial tools provided a relatively inexpensive means to generate the information necessary to develop a statistically robust, probability-based sampling design.

Water-quality and biological data for selected streams, lakes, and wells in the High Point Lake watershed, Guilford County, North Carolina, 1988-89

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davenport, M.S.

1993-01-01

Water and bottom-sediment samples were collected at 26 sites in the 65-square-mile High Point Lake watershed area of Guilford County, North Carolina, from December 1988 through December 1989. Sampling locations included 10 stream sites, 8 lake sites, and 8 ground-water sites. Generally, six steady-flow samples were collected at each stream site and three storm samples were collected at five sites. Four lake samples and eight ground-water samples also were collected. Chemical analyses of stream and lake sediments and particle-size analyses of lake sediments were performed once during the study. Most stream and lake samples were analyzed for field characteristics, nutrients, major ions, trace elements, total organic carbon, and chemical-oxygen demand. Analyses were performed to detect concentrations of 149 selected organic compounds, including acid and base/neutral extractable and volatile constituents and carbamate, chlorophenoxy acid, triazine, organochlorine, and organophosphorus pesticides and herbicides. Selected lake samples were analyzed for all constituents listed in the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1986, including Giardia, Legionella, radiochemicals, asbestos, and viruses. Various chromatograms from organic analyses were submitted to computerized library searches. The results of these and all other analyses presented in this report are in tabular form.

Preliminary analysis for trends in selected water-quality characteristics, Powder River, Montana and Wyoming, water years 1952-85

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cary, L.E.

1989-01-01

Selected water-quality data from two streamflow-gaging stations on the Powder River, Montana and Wyoming, were statistically analyzed for trends using the seasonal Kendall test. Data for water years 1952-63 and 1975-85 from the Powder River near Locate, Montana, and water years 1967-68 and 1976-85 from the Powder River at Sussex, Wyoming, were analyzed. Data for the earlier period near Locate were discharge-weighted monthly mean values, whereas data for the late period near Locate and at Sussex were from periodic samples. For data from water years 1952-63 near Locate, increasing trends were detected in sodium and sodium-adsorption ratio; no trends were detected in specific conductance, hardness, non-carbonate hardness, alkalinity, dissolved solids, or sulfate. For data from water years 1975-85 near Locate, increasing trends were detected in specific conductance, sodium, sodium-adsorption ratio, and chloride; no trends were detected in hardness, noncarbonate hardness, alkalinity, dissolved solids, calcium, magnesium, potassium, or sulfate. At Sussex (water years 1967-68 and 1976-85), increasing trends were detected in sodium, sodium-adsorption ratio, and chloride, and a decreasing trend was detected in sulfate. No trends were detected in specific conductance, alkalinity, or dissolved solids. When the 1967-68 data were deleted and the analysis repeated for the 1976-85 data, only sodium-adsorption ratio displayed a significant (increasing) trend. Because the study was exploratory, causes and effects were not considered. The results might have been affected by sample size, number of seasons, heterogeneity, significance level, serial correlation, and data adjustment for changes in discharge. (USGS)

BP Spill Sampling and Monitoring Data

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This dataset analyzes waste from the the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon Rig Explosion Emergency Response, providing opportunity to query data sets by metadata criteria and find resulting raw datasets in CSV format.The data query tool allows users to download EPA's air, water and sediment sampling and monitoring data that has been collected in response to the BP oil spill. All sampling and monitoring data that has been collected to date is available for download as raw structured data.The query tools enables CSV file creation to be refined based on the following search criteria: date range (between April 28, 2010 and 9/29/2010); location by zip, city, or county; media (solid waste, weathered oil, air, surface water, liquid waste, tar, sediment, water); substance categories (based on media selection) and substances (based on substance category selection).

Dining local: the microbial diet of a snail that grazes microbial communities is geographically structured.

PubMed

O'Rorke, Richard; Cobian, Gerald M; Holland, Brenden S; Price, Melissa R; Costello, Vincent; Amend, Anthony S

2015-05-01

Achatinella mustelina is a critically endangered tree snail that subsists entirely by grazing microbes from leaf surfaces of native trees. Little is known about the fundamental aspects of these microbe assemblages: not taxonomic composition, how this varies with host plant or location, nor whether snails selectively consume microbes. To address these questions, we collected 102 snail faecal samples as a proxy for diet, and 102 matched-leaf samples from four locations. We used Illumina amplicon sequencing to determine bacterial and fungal community composition. Microbial community structure was significantly distinct between snail faeces and leaf samples, but the same microbes occurred in both. We conclude that snails are not 'picky' eaters at the microbial level, but graze the surface of whatever plant they are on. In a second experiment, the gut was dissected from non-endangered native tree snails in the same family as Achatinella to confirm that faecal samples reflect gut contents. Over 60% of fungal reads were shared between faeces, gut and leaf samples. Overall, location, sample type (faeces or leaf) and host plant identity all significantly explained the community composition and variation among samples. Understanding the microbial ecology of microbes grazed by tree snails enables effective management when conservation requires captive breeding or field relocation. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bed-material characteristics of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, 2010–13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marineau, Mathieu D.; Wright, Scott A.

2017-02-10

The characteristics of bed material at selected sites within the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, during 2010–13 are described in a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation. During 2010‒13, six complete sets of samples were collected. Samples were initially collected at 30 sites; however, starting in 2012, samples were collected at 7 additional sites. These sites are generally collocated with an active streamgage. At all but one site, a separate bed-material sample was collected at three locations within the channel (left, right, and center). Bed-material samples were collected using either a US BMH–60 or a US BM–54 (for sites with higher stream velocity) cable-suspended, scoop sampler. Samples from each location were oven-dried and sieved. Bed material finer than 2 millimeters was subsampled using a sieving riffler and processed using a Beckman Coulter LS 13–320 laser diffraction particle-size analyzer. To determine the organic content of the bed material, the loss on ignition method was used for one subsample from each location. Particle-size distributions are presented as cumulative percent finer than a given size. Median and 90th-percentile particle size, and the percentage of subsample mass lost using the loss on ignition method for each sample are also presented in this report.

Survey of Employers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

European Social Fund, Dublin (Ireland).

A study examined attitudes of Irish employers toward vocational training (VT) activities, state agencies responsible for administering VT, and the skills that employees would need in the future. Of a sample of 500 firms that were selected as being representative from the standpoints of size, sector, location, and form of ownership, 219 were…

Methyl alcohol used as penetrant inspection medium for porous materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendron, J. A.

1971-01-01

Porous material thoroughly wetted with alcohol shows persistent wet line or area at locations of cracks or porosity. Inspection is qualitative and repeatable, but is used quantitatively with select samples to grade density variations in graphite blocks. Photography is employed to achieve permanent record of results.

EFFECT OF SAMPLING LOCATION ON CONCENTRATION IN LARGE CHAMBER INVESTIGATION OF EMISSIONS FROM MARKERS

EPA Science Inventory

Markers were selected for evaluation in this study because (1) they are widely used in schools, offices, and homes; (2) they are a known source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in nonoccupational indoor environments; and (3) according to the Source Ranking Database developed ...

Catholic High Schools and Their Finances, 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bredeweg, Frank H.

The information contained in this report was drawn from data provided by a national sample of 200 Catholic high schools. The schools were selected to reflect types (private, Catholic, diocesan, and parish schools), enrollment sizes, and geographic location. The report addresses these areas. First, information is provided to point out the financial…

40 CFR 63.11466 - What are the performance test requirements for new and existing sources?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (Appendix A-1) to select sampling port locations and the number of traverse points in each stack or duct... of the stack gas. (iii) Method 3, 3A, or 3B (Appendix A-2) to determine the dry molecular weight of...

Conducting a wildland visual resources inventory

Treesearch

James F. Palmer

1979-01-01

This paper describes a procedure for systematically inventorying the visual resources of wildland environments. Visual attributes are recorded photographically using two separate sampling methods: one based on professional judgment and the other on random selection. The location and description of each inventoried scene are recorded on U.S. Geological Survey...

The condition of scleractinian corals and associated reef fauna in La Parguera, Puerto Rico

EPA Science Inventory

Scleractinian corals, octocorals, sponges, fishes, and foraminifera were assessed at 24 sites near La Parguera, Puerto Rico in fall 2008. Sites were selected to coincide with locations sampled by NOAA in 2005 for sediment contaminants. Our goals were to evaluate the sensitivity o...

IMPACT OF CRITICAL ANION SOIL SOLUTION CONCENTRATION ON ALUMINUM ACTIVITY IN ALPINE TUNDRA SOIL Andrew Evans, Jr.1 , Michael B. Jacobs2, and Jason R. Janke1, (1) Metropolitan State University of Denver, Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, (2) Dept. of Chemistry, Denver, CO, United States.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, A.

2015-12-01

Soil solution anionic composition can impact both plant and microbial activity in alpine tundra soils by altering biochemical cycling within the soil, either through base cation leaching, or shifts in aluminum controlling solid phases. Although anions play a critical role in the aqueous speciation of metals, relatively few high altitude field studies have examined their impact on aluminum controlling solid phases and aluminum speciation in soil water. For this study, thirty sampling sites were selected on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO, and sampled during July, the middle of the growing season. Sampling elevations ranged from approximately 3560 - 3710 m. Soil samples were collected to a depth of 15.24 cm, and the anions were extracted using a 2:1 D.I. water to soil ratio. Filtered extracts were analyzed using IC and ICP-MS. Soil solution NO3- concentrations were significantly higher for sampling locations east of Iceberg Pass (EIBP) (mean = 86.94 ± 119.8 mg/L) compared to locations west of Iceberg Pass (WIBP) (mean 1.481 ± 2.444 mg/L). Both F- and PO43- soil solution concentrations, 0.533 and 0.440 mg/L, respectively, were substantially lower, for sampling sites located EIBP, while locations WIBP averaged 0.773 and 0.829 mg/L respectively, for F- and PO43-. Sulfate concentration averaged 3.869 ± 3.059 mg/L for locations EIBP, and 3.891 ± 3.1970 for locations WIBP. Geochemical modeling of Al3+ in the soil solution indicated that a suite of aluminum hydroxyl sulfate minerals controlled Al3+ activity in the alpine tundra soil, with shifts between controlling solid phases occurring in the presence of elevated F- concentrations.

Herbivorous insect response to group selection cutting in a southeastern bottomland hardwood forest.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michael D. Ulyshen; James L. Hanula; Scott Horn

2005-04-01

ABSTRACT Malaise and pitfall traps were used to sample herbivorous insects in canopy gaps created by group-selection cutting in a bottomland hardwood forest in South Carolina. The traps were placed at the centers, edges, and in the forest adjacent to gaps of different sizes (0.13, 0.26, and 0.50 ha) and ages (1 and 7 yr old) during four sampling periods in 2001. Overall, the abundance and species richness of insect herbivores were greater at the centers of young gaps than at the edge of young gaps or in the forest surrounding young gaps. There were no differences in abundance ormore » species richness among old gap locations (i.e., centers, edges, and forest), and we collected significantly more insects in young gaps than old gaps. The insect communities in old gaps were more similar to the forests surrounding them than young gap communities were to their respective forest locations, but the insect communities in the two forests locations (surrounding young and old gaps) had the highest percent similarity of all. Although both abundance and richness increased in the centers of young gaps with increasing gap size, these differences were not significant.Weattribute the increased numbers of herbivorous insects to the greater abundance of herbaceous plants available in young gaps.« less

Effects of sample size and sampling frequency on studies of brown bear home ranges and habitat use

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arthur, Steve M.; Schwartz, Charles C.

1999-01-01

We equipped 9 brown bears (Ursus arctos) on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, with collars containing both conventional very-high-frequency (VHF) transmitters and global positioning system (GPS) receivers programmed to determine an animal's position at 5.75-hr intervals. We calculated minimum convex polygon (MCP) and fixed and adaptive kernel home ranges for randomly-selected subsets of the GPS data to examine the effects of sample size on accuracy and precision of home range estimates. We also compared results obtained by weekly aerial radiotracking versus more frequent GPS locations to test for biases in conventional radiotracking data. Home ranges based on the MCP were 20-606 km2 (x = 201) for aerial radiotracking data (n = 12-16 locations/bear) and 116-1,505 km2 (x = 522) for the complete GPS data sets (n = 245-466 locations/bear). Fixed kernel home ranges were 34-955 km2 (x = 224) for radiotracking data and 16-130 km2 (x = 60) for the GPS data. Differences between means for radiotracking and GPS data were due primarily to the larger samples provided by the GPS data. Means did not differ between radiotracking data and equivalent-sized subsets of GPS data (P > 0.10). For the MCP, home range area increased and variability decreased asymptotically with number of locations. For the kernel models, both area and variability decreased with increasing sample size. Simulations suggested that the MCP and kernel models required >60 and >80 locations, respectively, for estimates to be both accurate (change in area <1%/additional location) and precise (CV < 50%). Although the radiotracking data appeared unbiased, except for the relationship between area and sample size, these data failed to indicate some areas that likely were important to bears. Our results suggest that the usefulness of conventional radiotracking data may be limited by potential biases and variability due to small samples. Investigators that use home range estimates in statistical tests should consider the effects of variability of those estimates. Use of GPS-equipped collars can facilitate obtaining larger samples of unbiased data and improve accuracy and precision of home range estimates.

Characterisation of Arctic Bacterial Communities in the Air above Svalbard

PubMed Central

Cuthbertson, Lewis; Amores-Arrocha, Herminia; Malard, Lucie A.; Els, Nora; Sattler, Birgit; Pearce, David A.

2017-01-01

Atmospheric dispersal of bacteria is increasingly acknowledged as an important factor influencing bacterial community biodiversity, biogeography and bacteria–human interactions, including those linked to human health. However, knowledge about patterns in microbial aerobiology is still relatively scarce, and this can be attributed, in part, to a lack of consensus on appropriate sampling and analytical methodology. In this study, three different methods were used to investigate aerial biodiversity over Svalbard: impaction, membrane filtration and drop plates. Sites around Svalbard were selected due to their relatively remote location, low human population, geographical location with respect to air movement and the tradition and history of scientific investigation on the archipelago, ensuring the presence of existing research infrastructure. The aerial bacterial biodiversity found was similar to that described in other aerobiological studies from both polar and non-polar environments, with Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes being the predominant groups. Twelve different phyla were detected in the air collected above Svalbard, although the diversity was considerably lower than in urban environments elsewhere. However, only 58 of 196 bacterial genera detected were consistently present, suggesting potentially higher levels of heterogeneity. Viable bacteria were present at all sampling locations, showing that living bacteria are ubiquitous in the air around Svalbard. Sampling location influenced the results obtained, as did sampling method. Specifically, impaction with a Sartorius MD8 produced a significantly higher number of viable colony forming units (CFUs) than drop plates alone. PMID:28481257

A dataset of housing market and self-attitudes towards housing location choices in Alexandria, Egypt.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Mohamed R

2017-04-01

A survey, of sample size 224, is designed to include the different related-factors to housing location choice, such as; socioeconomic factors, housing characteristics, travel behavior, current self-selection factors, housing demand and future location preferences. It comprises 16 questions, categorized into three different sections; socioeconomic (5 Questions), current dwelling unit characteristics (7 Questions), and housing demand characteristics (4 Questions). The first part, socioeconomic, covers the basic information about the respondent, such as; age, gender, marital status, employment, and car ownership. While the second part, current dwelling unit characteristics, covers different aspect concerning the residential unit typology, financial aspects, and travel behavior of the respondent. It includes the tenure types of the residential unit, estimation of the unit price (in the case of ownership or renting), housing typologies, the main reason for choosing the unit, in case of working, the modes of travel to work, and time to reach it, residential mobility in the last decade, and the ownership of any other residential units. The last part, housing demand characteristics, covers the size of the demand for a residential unit, preference in living in a certain area and the reason to choose it, and the preference of residential unit׳s tenure. This survey is a representative sample for the population in Alexandria, Egypt. The data in this article is represented in: How do people select their residential locations in Egypt? The case of Alexandria; JCIT1757.

Coding of spatial attention priorities and object features in the macaque lateral intraparietal cortex.

PubMed

Levichkina, Ekaterina; Saalmann, Yuri B; Vidyasagar, Trichur R

2017-03-01

Primate posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is known to be involved in controlling spatial attention. Neurons in one part of the PPC, the lateral intraparietal area (LIP), show enhanced responses to objects at attended locations. Although many are selective for object features, such as the orientation of a visual stimulus, it is not clear how LIP circuits integrate feature-selective information when providing attentional feedback about behaviorally relevant locations to the visual cortex. We studied the relationship between object feature and spatial attention properties of LIP cells in two macaques by measuring the cells' orientation selectivity and the degree of attentional enhancement while performing a delayed match-to-sample task. Monkeys had to match both the location and orientation of two visual gratings presented separately in time. We found a wide range in orientation selectivity and degree of attentional enhancement among LIP neurons. However, cells with significant attentional enhancement had much less orientation selectivity in their response than cells which showed no significant modulation by attention. Additionally, orientation-selective cells showed working memory activity for their preferred orientation, whereas cells showing attentional enhancement also synchronized with local neuronal activity. These results are consistent with models of selective attention incorporating two stages, where an initial feature-selective process guides a second stage of focal spatial attention. We suggest that LIP contributes to both stages, where the first stage involves orientation-selective LIP cells that support working memory of the relevant feature, and the second stage involves attention-enhanced LIP cells that synchronize to provide feedback on spatial priorities. © 2017 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

Stratification and sample selection for multicrop experiments. [Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landgrebe, D. A. (Principal Investigator); Hixson, M. M.; Davis, B. J.; Bauer, M. E.

1978-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A stratification was performed and sample segments were selected for an initial investigation of multicrop problems in order to support development and evaluation of procedures for using LACIE and other technologies for the classification of corn and soybeans, to identify factors likely to affect classification performance, and to evaluate problems encountered and techniques which are applicable to the crop estimation problem in foreign countries. Two types of samples, low density and high density, supporting these requirements were selected as research data set for an initial evaluation of technical issues. Looking at the geographic location of the strata, the system appears to be logical and the various segments seem to represent different conditions. This result is supportive not only of the variables and the methodology employed in the stratification, but also of the validity of the data sets employed.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Computer Resources for Machine Learning

USGS Publications Warehouse

Champion, Richard A.

2007-01-01

Machine learning describes pattern-recognition algorithms - in this case, probabilistic neural networks (PNNs). These can be computationally intensive, in part because of the nonlinear optimizer, a numerical process that calibrates the PNN by minimizing a sum of squared errors. This report suggests efficiencies that are expressed as cost and benefit. The cost is computer time needed to calibrate the PNN, and the benefit is goodness-of-fit, how well the PNN learns the pattern in the data. There may be a point of diminishing returns where a further expenditure of computer resources does not produce additional benefits. Sampling is suggested as a cost-reduction strategy. One consideration is how many points to select for calibration and another is the geometric distribution of the points. The data points may be nonuniformly distributed across space, so that sampling at some locations provides additional benefit while sampling at other locations does not. A stratified sampling strategy can be designed to select more points in regions where they reduce the calibration error and fewer points in regions where they do not. Goodness-of-fit tests ensure that the sampling does not introduce bias. This approach is illustrated by statistical experiments for computing correlations between measures of roadless area and population density for the San Francisco Bay Area. The alternative to training efficiencies is to rely on high-performance computer systems. These may require specialized programming and algorithms that are optimized for parallel performance.

Dissolved pesticide concentrations detected in storm-water runoff at selected sites in the San Joaquin River basin, California, 2000-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orlando, James L.; Kuivila, Kathryn; Whitehead, Andrew

2003-01-01

As part of a collaborative study involving the United States Geological Survey Toxics Substances Hydrology Project (Toxics Project) and the University of California, Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML), water samples were collected at three sites within the San Joaquin River Basin of California and analyzed for dissolved pesticides. Samples were collected during, and immediately after, the first significant rainfall (greater than 0.5 inch per day) following the local application of dormant spray, organophosphate insecticides during the winters of 2000 and 2001. All samples were collected in conjunction with fish-caging experiments conducted by BML researchers. Sites included two locations potentially affected by runoff of agricultural chemicals (San Joaquin River near Vernalis, California, and Orestimba Creek at River Road near Crows Landing, California, and one control site located upstream of pesticide input (Orestimba Creek at Orestimba Creek Road near Newman, California). During these experiments, fish were placed in cages and exposed to storm runoff for up to ten days. Following exposure, the fish were examined for acetylcholinesterase concentrations and overall genetic damage. Water samples were collected throughout the rising limb of the stream hydrograph at each site for later pesticide analysis. Concentrations of selected pesticides were measured in filtered water samples using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) at the U.S. Geological Survey organic chemistry laboratory in Sacramento, California. Results of these analyses are presented.

Annual Report: 2010-2011 Storm Season Sampling For NON-DRY DOCK STORMWATER MONITORING FOR PUGET SOUND NAVAL SHIPYARD, BREMERTON, WA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brandenberger, Jill M.; Metallo, David; Johnston, Robert K.

2012-09-01

This interim report summarizes the stormwater monitoring conducted for non-dry dock outfalls in both the confined industrial area and the residential areas of Naval Base Kitsap within the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (referred to as the Shipyard). This includes the collection, analyses, and descriptive statistics for stormwater sampling conducted from November 2010 through April 2011. Seven stormwater basins within the Shipyard were sampled during at least three storm events to characterize non-dry dock stormwater discharges at selected stormwater drains located within the facility. This serves as the Phase I component of the project and Phase II is planned for themore » 2011-2012 storm season. These data will assist the Navy, USEPA, Ecology and other stakeholders in understanding the nature and condition of stormwater discharges from the Shipyard and inform the permitting process for new outfall discharges. The data from Phase I was compiled with current stormwater data available from the Shipyard, Sinclair/Dyes Inlet watershed, and Puget Sound in order to support technical investigations for the Draft NPDES permit. The permit would require storm event sampling at selected stormwater drains located within the Shipyard. However, the data must be considered on multiple scales to truly understand potential impairments to beneficial uses within Sinclair and Dyes Inlets.« less

Volatile halocarbons in butter: elevated tetrachloroethylene levels in samples obtained in close proximity to dry-cleaning establishments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, L.J.; Uhler, A.D.

1988-09-01

In recent years materials not directly associated with food production, such as polychlorinated and brominated biphenyls, have been found in foods. According to the criteria to evaluate the likelihood for a chemical to contaminate food, the volatile halocarbons (VHCs) were selected as target compounds in an examination for potential contaminants in selected foods. The technique of multiple headspace extraction (MHE) was used in this study to minimize sample handling, and thereby reduce the potential for laboratory contamination and maximize throughput. Recently this laboratory reported findings of several VHCs in margarine, including PCE in four samples at levels above the usualmore » background findings. Those samples had been obtained from a food store located immediately next to a dry-cleaning establishment. Follow-up investigation was conducted to determine the frequency of occurrence and levels of PCE that may be present in fatty foods purchased from stores located both near and distant from dry cleaners. Butter was chosen as a model food because it is a highly uniform product of very high fat content, which would be expected to act as a good absorber of the lipophilic VHCs. This paper presents results of these analyses and correlations between level of VHCs in butter and the proximity to dry cleaners of the food store where the butter was purchased.« less

Measurement and estimated health risks of semivolatile organic compounds (PCBs, PAHs, pesticides, and phthalates) in ambient air at the Hanford Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patton, G.W.; Cooper, A.T.; Blanton, M.L.

1997-09-01

Air samples for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated pesticides, phthalate plasticizers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were collected at three Hanford Site locations (300-Area South Gate, southeast of 200-East Area, and a background location near Rattlesnake Springs). Samples were collected using high-volume air samplers equipped with a glass fiber filter and polyurethane foam plug sampling train. Target compounds were extracted from the sampling trains and analyzed using capillary gas chromatography with either electron capture detection or mass selective detection. Twenty of the 28 PCB congeners analyzed were found above the detection limits, with 8 of the congeners accounting for over 80%more » of the average PCB concentrations. The average sum of all individual PCB congeners ranged from 500-740 pg/m{sup 3}, with little apparent difference between the sampling locations. Twenty of the 25 pesticides analyzed were found above the detection limits, with endosulfan I, endosulfan II, and methoxychlor having the highest average concentrations. With the exception of the endosulfans, all other average pesticide concentrations were below 100 pg/m{sup 3}. There was little apparent difference between the air concentrations of pesticides measured at each location. Sixteen of the 18 PAHs analyzed were found above the detection limit. Phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, fluorene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and naphthalene were the only PAHs with average concentrations above 100 pg/m{sup 3}. Overall, the 300 Area had higher average PAH concentrations compared to the 200-East Area and the background location at Rattlesnake Springs; however, the air concentrations at the 300-Area also are influenced by sources on the Hanford Site and from nearby communities.« less

Spatial gradient of human health risk from exposure to trace elements and radioactive pollutants in soils at the Puchuncaví-Ventanas industrial complex, Chile.

PubMed

Salmani-Ghabeshi, S; Palomo-Marín, M R; Bernalte, E; Rueda-Holgado, F; Miró-Rodríguez, C; Cereceda-Balic, F; Fadic, X; Vidal, V; Funes, M; Pinilla-Gil, E

2016-11-01

The Punchuncaví Valley in central Chile, heavily affected by a range of anthropogenic emissions from a localized industrial complex, has been studied as a model environment for evaluating the spatial gradient of human health risk, which are mainly caused by trace elemental pollutants in soil. Soil elemental profiles in 121 samples from five selected locations representing different degrees of impact from the industrial source were used for human risk estimation. Distance to source dependent cumulative non-carcinogenic hazard indexes above 1 for children (max 4.4 - min 1.5) were found in the study area, ingestion being the most relevant risk pathway. The significance of health risk differences within the study area was confirmed by statistical analysis (ANOVA and HCA) of individual hazard index values at the five sampling locations. As was the dominant factor causing unacceptable carcinogenic risk levels for children (<10 -4 ) at the two sampling locations which are closer to the industrial complex, whereas the risk was just in the tolerable range (10 -6 - 10 -4 ) for children and adults in the rest of the sampling locations at the study area. Furthermore, we assessed gamma ray radiation external hazard indexes and annual effective dose rate from the natural radioactivity elements ( 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K) levels in the surface soils of the study area. The highest average values for the specific activity of 232 Th (31 Bq kg -1 ), 40 K (615 Bq kg - 1 ), and 226 Ra (25 Bq kg -1 ) are lower than limit recommended by OECD, so no significant radioactive risk was detected within the study area. In addition, no significant variability of radioactive risk was observed among sampling locations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating species richness and accumulation by modeling species occurrence and detectability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dorazio, R.M.; Royle, J. Andrew; Soderstrom, B.; Glimskarc, A.

2006-01-01

A statistical model is developed for estimating species richness and accumulation by formulating these community-level attributes as functions of model-based estimators of species occurrence while accounting for imperfect detection of individual species. The model requires a sampling protocol wherein repeated observations are made at a collection of sample locations selected to be representative of the community. This temporal replication provides the data needed to resolve the ambiguity between species absence and nondetection when species are unobserved at sample locations. Estimates of species richness and accumulation are computed for two communities, an avian community and a butterfly community. Our model-based estimates suggest that detection failures in many bird species were attributed to low rates of occurrence, as opposed to simply low rates of detection. We estimate that the avian community contains a substantial number of uncommon species and that species richness greatly exceeds the number of species actually observed in the sample. In fact, predictions of species accumulation suggest that even doubling the number of sample locations would not have revealed all of the species in the community. In contrast, our analysis of the butterfly community suggests that many species are relatively common and that the estimated richness of species in the community is nearly equal to the number of species actually detected in the sample. Our predictions of species accumulation suggest that the number of sample locations actually used in the butterfly survey could have been cut in half and the asymptotic richness of species still would have been attained. Our approach of developing occurrence-based summaries of communities while allowing for imperfect detection of species is broadly applicable and should prove useful in the design and analysis of surveys of biodiversity.

Ultra-wide Range Gamma Detector System for Search and Locate Operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Odell, D. Mackenzie Odell; Harpring, Larry J.; Moore, Frank S. Jr.

2005-10-26

Collecting debris samples following a nuclear event requires that operations be conducted from a considerable stand-off distance. An ultra-wide range gamma detector system has been constructed to accomplish both long range radiation search and close range hot sample collection functions. Constructed and tested on a REMOTEC Andros platform, the system has demonstrated reliable operation over six orders of magnitude of gamma dose from 100's of uR/hr to over 100 R/hr. Functional elements include a remotely controlled variable collimator assembly, a NaI(Tl)/photomultiplier tube detector, a proprietary digital radiation instrument, a coaxially mounted video camera, a digital compass, and both local andmore » remote control computers with a user interface designed for long range operations. Long range sensitivity and target location, as well as close range sample selection performance are presented.« less

Empirical Assessment of Spatial Prediction Methods for Location Cost Adjustment Factors

PubMed Central

Migliaccio, Giovanni C.; Guindani, Michele; D'Incognito, Maria; Zhang, Linlin

2014-01-01

In the feasibility stage, the correct prediction of construction costs ensures that budget requirements are met from the start of a project's lifecycle. A very common approach for performing quick-order-of-magnitude estimates is based on using Location Cost Adjustment Factors (LCAFs) that compute historically based costs by project location. Nowadays, numerous LCAF datasets are commercially available in North America, but, obviously, they do not include all locations. Hence, LCAFs for un-sampled locations need to be inferred through spatial interpolation or prediction methods. Currently, practitioners tend to select the value for a location using only one variable, namely the nearest linear-distance between two sites. However, construction costs could be affected by socio-economic variables as suggested by macroeconomic theories. Using a commonly used set of LCAFs, the City Cost Indexes (CCI) by RSMeans, and the socio-economic variables included in the ESRI Community Sourcebook, this article provides several contributions to the body of knowledge. First, the accuracy of various spatial prediction methods in estimating LCAF values for un-sampled locations was evaluated and assessed in respect to spatial interpolation methods. Two Regression-based prediction models were selected, a Global Regression Analysis and a Geographically-weighted regression analysis (GWR). Once these models were compared against interpolation methods, the results showed that GWR is the most appropriate way to model CCI as a function of multiple covariates. The outcome of GWR, for each covariate, was studied for all the 48 states in the contiguous US. As a direct consequence of spatial non-stationarity, it was possible to discuss the influence of each single covariate differently from state to state. In addition, the article includes a first attempt to determine if the observed variability in cost index values could be, at least partially explained by independent socio-economic variables. PMID:25018582

Biota dose assessment of small mammals sampled near uranium mines in northern Arizona

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jannik, T.; Minter, K.; Kuhne, W.

In 2015, the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected approximately 50 small mammal carcasses from Northern Arizona uranium mines and other background locations. Based on the highest gross alpha results, 11 small mammal samples were selected for radioisotopic analyses. None of the background samples had significant gross alpha results. The 11 small mammals were identified relative to the three ‘indicator’ mines located south of Fredonia, AZ on the Kanab Plateau (Kanab North Mine, Pinenut Mine, and Arizona 1 Mine) (Figure 1-1) and are operated by Energy Fuels Resources Inc. (EFRI). EFRI annually reports soil analysis for uranium and radium-226 usingmore » Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)-approved Standard Operating Procedures for Soil Sampling (EFRI 2016a, 2016b, 2017). In combination with the USGS small mammal radioiosotopic tissue analyses, a biota dose assessment was completed by Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) using the RESidual RADioactivity-BIOTA (RESRAD-BIOTA, V. 1.8) dose assessment tool provided by the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL 2017).« less

Large scale prediction of soil properties in the West African yam belt based on mid-infrared soil spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumann, Philipp; Lee, Juhwan; Paule Schönholzer, Laurie; Six, Johan; Frossard, Emmanuel

2016-04-01

Yam (Dioscorea sp.) is an important staple food in West Africa. Fertilizer applications have variable effects on yam tuber yields, and a management option solely based on application of mineral NPK fertilizers may bear the risk of increased organic matter mineralization. Therefore, innovative and sustainable nutrient management strategies need to be developed and evaluated for yam cultivation. The goal of this study was to establish a mid-infrared soil spectroscopic library and models to predict soil properties relevant to yam growth. Soils from yam fields at four different locations in Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso that were representative of the West African yam belt were sampled. The project locations ranged from the humid forest zone (5.88 degrees N) to the northern Guinean savannah (11.07 degrees N). At each location, soils of 20 yam fields were sampled (0-30 cm). For the location in the humid forest zone additional 14 topsoil samples from positions that had been analyzed in the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework developed by ICRAF were included. In total, 94 soil samples were analyzed using established reference analysis protocols. Besides soils were milled and then scanned by fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy in the range between 400 and 4000 reciprocal cm. Using partial least squares (PLS) regression, PLS1 calibration models that included soils from the four locations were built using two thirds of the samples selected by Kennard-Stones sampling algorithm in the spectral principal component space. Models were independently validated with the remaining data set. Spectral models for total carbon, total nitrogen, total iron, total aluminum, total potassium, exchangeable calcium, and effective cation exchange capacity performed very well, which was indicated by R-squared values between 0.8 and 1.0 on both calibration and validation. For these soil properties, spectral models can be used for cost-effective, rapid, and accurate predictions. Measures of total silicium, total zinc, total copper, total manganese, pH, exchangeable magnesium, total sulfur, total phosphorus, resin membrane extractable phosphorus, DTPA iron, and DTPA copper were predicted with intermediate accuracy (R-squared of both calibration and validation between 0.5 and 0.8). For these measures, the models can be used to establish a rapid screening in order to distinguish high from low soil fertility status. Generally, soil fertility in West African soils is constrained by low organic C, for example, ranging between 0.2% to 2.5% in this study. The accurate prediction of total soil organic C is an important factor for monitoring soil fertility status. Results of this study showed that soil spectroscopy has a high potential to evaluate soil fertility in the selected locations.

EEG activity evoked in preparation for multi-talker listening by adults and children.

PubMed

Holmes, Emma; Kitterick, Padraig T; Summerfield, A Quentin

2016-06-01

Selective attention is critical for successful speech perception because speech is often encountered in the presence of other sounds, including the voices of competing talkers. Faced with the need to attend selectively, listeners perceive speech more accurately when they know characteristics of upcoming talkers before they begin to speak. However, the neural processes that underlie the preparation of selective attention for voices are not fully understood. The current experiments used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the time course of brain activity during preparation for an upcoming talker in young adults aged 18-27 years with normal hearing (Experiments 1 and 2) and in typically-developing children aged 7-13 years (Experiment 3). Participants reported key words spoken by a target talker when an opposite-gender distractor talker spoke simultaneously. The two talkers were presented from different spatial locations (±30° azimuth). Before the talkers began to speak, a visual cue indicated either the location (left/right) or the gender (male/female) of the target talker. Adults evoked preparatory EEG activity that started shortly after (<50 ms) the visual cue was presented and was sustained until the talkers began to speak. The location cue evoked similar preparatory activity in Experiments 1 and 2 with different samples of participants. The gender cue did not evoke preparatory activity when it predicted gender only (Experiment 1) but did evoke preparatory activity when it predicted the identity of a specific talker with greater certainty (Experiment 2). Location cues evoked significant preparatory EEG activity in children but gender cues did not. The results provide converging evidence that listeners evoke consistent preparatory brain activity for selecting a talker by their location (regardless of their gender or identity), but not by their gender alone. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

BP Spill Sampling and Monitoring Data April-September 2010 - Data Download Tool

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This dataset analyzes waste from the the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon Rig Explosion Emergency Response, providing opportunity to query data sets by metadata criteria and find resulting raw datasets in CSV format.The data query tool allows users to download air, water and sediment sampling and monitoring data that has been collected in response to the BP oil spill. All sampling and monitoring data that has been collected to date is available for download as raw structured data.The query tools enables CSV file creation to be refined based on the following search criteria: date range (between April 28, 2010 and 9/29/2010); location by zip, city, or county; media (solid waste, weathered oil, air, surface water, liquid waste, tar, sediment, water); substance categories (based on media selection) and substances (based on substance category selection).

Efficient Bayesian experimental design for contaminant source identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Zeng, L.

2013-12-01

In this study, an efficient full Bayesian approach is developed for the optimal sampling well location design and source parameter identification of groundwater contaminants. An information measure, i.e., the relative entropy, is employed to quantify the information gain from indirect concentration measurements in identifying unknown source parameters such as the release time, strength and location. In this approach, the sampling location that gives the maximum relative entropy is selected as the optimal one. Once the sampling location is determined, a Bayesian approach based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is used to estimate unknown source parameters. In both the design and estimation, the contaminant transport equation is required to be solved many times to evaluate the likelihood. To reduce the computational burden, an interpolation method based on the adaptive sparse grid is utilized to construct a surrogate for the contaminant transport. The approximated likelihood can be evaluated directly from the surrogate, which greatly accelerates the design and estimation process. The accuracy and efficiency of our approach are demonstrated through numerical case studies. Compared with the traditional optimal design, which is based on the Gaussian linear assumption, the method developed in this study can cope with arbitrary nonlinearity. It can be used to assist in groundwater monitor network design and identification of unknown contaminant sources. Contours of the expected information gain. The optimal observing location corresponds to the maximum value. Posterior marginal probability densities of unknown parameters, the thick solid black lines are for the designed location. For comparison, other 7 lines are for randomly chosen locations. The true values are denoted by vertical lines. It is obvious that the unknown parameters are estimated better with the desinged location.

Results of the exploratory drill hole Ue5n,Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site. [Geologic and geophysical parameters of selected locations with anomalous seismic signals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramspott, L.D.; McArthur, R.D.

1977-02-18

Exploratory hole Ue5n was drilled to a depth of 514 m in central Frenchmam Flat, Nevada Test Site, as part of a program sponsored by the Nuclear Monitoring Office (NMO) of the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to determine the geologic and geophysical parameters of selected locations with anomalous seismic signals. The specific goal of drilling Ue5n was to provide the site characteristics for emplacement sites U5b and U5e. We present here data on samples, geophysical logs, lithology and stratigraphy, and depth to the water table. From an analysis of the measurements of the physical properties, a set of recommendedmore » values is given.« less

40 CFR 63.547 - Test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test methods. 63.547 Section 63.547... Hazardous Air Pollutants from Secondary Lead Smelting § 63.547 Test methods. (a) The following test methods...), and 63.545(e): (1) Method 1 shall be used to select the sampling port location and the number of...

40 CFR 63.547 - Test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Test methods. 63.547 Section 63.547... Hazardous Air Pollutants from Secondary Lead Smelting § 63.547 Test methods. (a) The following test methods...), and 63.545(e): (1) Method 1 shall be used to select the sampling port location and the number of...

Forest statistics for Arkansas counties - 1979

Treesearch

Renewable Resources Evaluation Research Work Unit

1979-01-01

This report tabulates information from a new forest survey of Arkansas completed in 1979 by the Renewable Resources Evaluation Research Unit of the Southern Forest Experiment Station. Forest area was estimated from aerial photos with an adjustment for ground truth at selected locations. Sample plots were systematically established at three-mile intervals using a grid...

Visual Search by Children with and without ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullane, Jennifer C.; Klein, Raymond M.

2008-01-01

Objective: To summarize the literature that has employed visual search tasks to assess automatic and effortful selective visual attention in children with and without ADHD. Method: Seven studies with a combined sample of 180 children with ADHD (M age = 10.9) and 193 normally developing children (M age = 10.8) are located. Results: Using a…

External and Institutional Factors Affecting Community College Student-Transfer Activity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Debra L.

A study was conducted to identify the environmental conditions and relationships between external and institutional conditions that have a significant effect upon student transfer activity. A sample of 78 colleges in 15 states were selected from institutions participating in a national transfer project; 42% were located in Texas or California. The…

The King Pre-Retirement Checklist: Assessing Differences in Pre-Retirement Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zitzow, Darryl; King, Donald N.

In an effort to assess the retirement preparedness of Midwestern populations above the age of 28, the King Pre-Retirement Checklist was administered to a sampling of 458 persons randomly selected and proportionally stratified by geographic location and community size. Factors examined were financial, social, family cohesion, mobility/health,…

Evaluation of Availability of Financial Resources and Manpower Development in Selected Monotechnics in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potokri, Onoriode Collins

2014-01-01

This research investigates manpower development and availability of financial resources in Nigerian monotechnic education. Monotechnics are single-subject institutions of higher learning that offer specialized programmes. A quantitative research design located within the positivist paradigm was adopted. A sample of 200 students and 80 members of…

3-dimensional imaging at nanometer resolutions

DOEpatents

Werner, James H.; Goodwin, Peter M.; Shreve, Andrew P.

2010-03-09

An apparatus and method for enabling precise, 3-dimensional, photoactivation localization microscopy (PALM) using selective, two-photon activation of fluorophores in a single z-slice of a sample in cooperation with time-gated imaging for reducing the background radiation from other image planes to levels suitable for single-molecule detection and spatial location, are described.

Examining Middle School Students' Views on Text Bullying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Semerci, Ali

2016-01-01

This study aimed to examine middle school students' views on text bullying in regard to gender, grade level, reactions to bullying and frequency of internet use. The participating 872 students were selected through simple random sampling method among 525 schools located in central Ankara. The data were collected via a questionnaire and a survey…

IMPACT OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ON THE CONCENTRATIONS OF LIQUID WATER IN AMBIENT PM2.5

EPA Science Inventory

A field study was undertaken during the summer of 2000 to assess the impact of the presence of organic compounds on the liquid water concentrations of PM2.5 samples. The selected site, located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, was in a semi-rural environment with expe...

Exploring Bullying: An Early Childhood Perspective from Mainland China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arndt, Janet S.; Luo, Nili

2008-01-01

This article explores bullying in mainland China. The authors conducted a study to determine the existence of a problem with bullying in younger Chinese children. Samples included 40 randomly selected, early childhood educators serving children ages 2 through 6, located in 10 different urban school settings along the Yangzi River. The authors…

The Influences of Soil Characteristics on Nest-Site Selection in Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Page, R.

2017-12-01

A variety of animals dig nests and lay their eggs in soil, leaving them to incubate and hatch without assistance from the parents. Nesting habitat is important for these organisms many of which exhibit temperature dependent sex determination (TSD) whereby the incubation temperature determines the sex of each hatchling. However, suitable nesting habitat may be limited due to anthropogenic activities and global temperature increases. Soil thermal properties are critical to these organisms and are positively correlated with water retention and soil carbon; carbon-rich soils result in higher incubation temperatures. We investigated nest-site selection in painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) inhabiting an anthropogenic pond in south central Pennsylvania. We surveyed for turtle nests and documented location, depth, width, temperature, canopy coverage, clutch size, and hatch success for a total of 31 turtle nests. To address the influence of soil carbon and particle size on nest selection, we analyzed samples collected from: 1) actual nests that were depredated, 2) false nests, incomplete nests aborted during digging prior to nest completion, and 3) randomized locations. Soil samples were separated into coarse, medium, and fine grain size fractions through a stack of sieves. Samples were combusted in a total carbon analyzer to measure weight percent organic carbon. We found that anthropogenic activity at this site has created homogenous, sandy, compacted soils at the uppermost layer that may limit females' access to appropriate nesting habitat. Turtle nesting activity was limited to a linear region north of the pond and was constrained by an impassable rail line. Relative to other studies, turtle nests were notably shallow (5.8±0.9 cm) and placed close to the pond. Compared to false nests and random locations, turtle-selected sites averaged greater coarse grains (35% compared to 20.24 and 20.57%) and less fine grains (47% compared to 59 and 59, respectively). Despite remarkably high soil carbon along the rail line (47.08%) turtles nested here with slightly higher hatch success. We suggest that the turtles are limited to sandy, compact soils with low heat capacities and may compensate for this by also nesting adjacent to the rail line where high soil carbon could increase incubation temperatures.

Nanoparticle standards

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Havrilla, George Joseph

2016-12-08

We will purchase a COTS materials printer and adapt it for solution printing of known elemental concentration solutions. A methodology will be developed to create deposits of known mass in known locations on selected substrates. The deposits will be characterized for deposited mass, physical morphology, thickness and uniformity. Once an acceptable methodology has been developed and validated, we will create round robin samples to be characterized by LGSIMS instruments at LANL, PNNL and NIST. We will demonstrate the feasibility of depositing nanoparticles in known masses with the goal of creating separated nanoparticles in known locations.

Measurements of acoustic environments for urban soundscapes: choice of homogeneous periods, optimization of durations, and selection of indicators.

PubMed

Brocolini, Laurent; Lavandier, Catherine; Quoy, Mathias; Ribeiro, Carlos

2013-07-01

In order to minimize the duration of acoustic measurements and to characterize homogeneous areas from a temporal point of view, a series of six location measurements was carried out continuously during three months in Paris. Around fifty thousand samples of 5-min, 10-min, 15-min, 20-min, 30-min, and 1-h duration measurements were extracted for each location. Each sample is characterized by eleven energy indicators and ten event descriptors. In this paper, analysis of a crossroad location is detailed. Through hierarchical ascendant classification and artificial neural networks classification, it is shown that four homogeneous periods can be detected: two during the night, one during the day, and one transition corresponding either to the awakening or to the moment when the city falls asleep. 10-min measurements are necessary to discriminate these time periods at the crossroad location. At the end of the paper, a comparison with the other locations shows that minimum duration states in between 10 and 20 min. The homogeneous periods are connected to the human activities and depend on the location. Energy indicators such as LAeq, LA10, or LA90 and event indicators are necessary to characterize the different clusters.

Selection of optimal spectral sensitivity functions for color filter arrays.

PubMed

Parmar, Manu; Reeves, Stanley J

2010-12-01

A color image meant for human consumption can be appropriately displayed only if at least three distinct color channels are present. Typical digital cameras acquire three-color images with only one sensor. A color filter array (CFA) is placed on the sensor such that only one color is sampled at a particular spatial location. This sparsely sampled signal is then reconstructed to form a color image with information about all three colors at each location. In this paper, we show that the wavelength sensitivity functions of the CFA color filters affect both the color reproduction ability and the spatial reconstruction quality of recovered images. We present a method to select perceptually optimal color filter sensitivity functions based upon a unified spatial-chromatic sampling framework. A cost function independent of particular scenes is defined that expresses the error between a scene viewed by the human visual system and the reconstructed image that represents the scene. A constrained minimization of the cost function is used to obtain optimal values of color-filter sensitivity functions for several periodic CFAs. The sensitivity functions are shown to perform better than typical RGB and CMY color filters in terms of both the s-CIELAB ∆E error metric and a qualitative assessment.

Chloroacetanilide herbicide metabolites in Wisconsin groundwater: 2001 survey results.

PubMed

Postle, Jeffrey K; Rheineck, Bruce D; Allen, Paula E; Baldock, Jon O; Cook, Cody J; Zogbaum, Randy; Vandenbrook, James P

2004-10-15

A survey of agricultural chemicals in Wisconsin groundwater was conducted between October 2000 and April 2001 to obtain a current picture of agricultural chemicals in groundwater used for private drinking water. A stratified, random sampling procedure was used to select 336 sampling locations. Water from private drinking water wells randomly selected from within the 336 sampling locations was analyzed for 18 compounds including herbicides, herbicide metabolites, and nitrate. This report focuses on the frequency and concentration of chloroacetanilide herbicides and their metabolites. Analysis of data resulted in an estimated proportion of 38+/-5.0% of wells that contained detectable levels of a herbicide or herbicide metabolite. The most commonly detected compound was alachlor ESA with a proportion estimate of 28+/-4.6%. Other detected compounds in order of prevalence were metolachlor ESA, metolachlor OA, alachlor OA, acetochlor ESA, and parent alachlor. Estimates of the mean concentration for the detects ranged from 0.15+/-0.082 microg/L for acetochlor ESA to 1.8+/-0.60 microg/L for alachlor OA. Water quality standards have not been developed for these chloroacetanilide herbicide metabolites. The results of this survey emphasize the need for toxicological assessments of herbicide metabolite compounds and establishment of water quality standards at the state and federal levels.

Electron microprobe evaluation of terrestrial basalts for whole-rock K-Ar dating

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mankinen, E.A.; Brent, Dalrymple G.

1972-01-01

Four basalt samples for whole-rock K-Ar dating were analyzed with an electron microprobe to locate potassium concentrations. Highest concentrations of potassium were found in those mineral phases which were the last to crystallize. The two reliable samples had potassium concentrated in fine-grained interstitial feldspar and along grain boundaries of earlier formed plagioclase crystals. The two unreliable samples had potassium concentrated in the glassy matrix, demonstrating the ineffectiveness of basaltic glass as a retainer of radiogenic argon. In selecting basalt samples for whole-rock K-Ar dating, particular emphasis should be placed on determining the nature and condition of the fine-grained interstitial phases. ?? 1972.

Evaluation of surface water quality indices and ecological risk assessment for heavy metals in scrap yard neighbourhood.

PubMed

Ojekunle, Olusheyi Z; Ojekunle, Olurotimi V; Adeyemi, Azeem A; Taiwo, Abayomi G; Sangowusi, Opeyemi R; Taiwo, Adewale M; Adekitan, Adetoun A

2016-01-01

Pollution of surface water with heavy metals from industrial activities especially those from scrap yard has caused a major threat to human life exposing man to series of hazard, diseases, disability and consequently death. This study focuses on water quality indices of Owode-Onirin and Lafenwa scrap yard with respect to its physicochemical parameters and heavy metal concentrations by evaluating Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), Metal Index (MI) and Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI). Fifteen water samples were selected randomly from two locations by purposive sampling methods. Five heavy metals which includes Nickel (Ni), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy and standard analytical procedure were follow to ensure accuracy. One way analysis of variance was carried out to analyse the data. The concentrations of the heavy metals were significantly different between sampling locations. However, the mean concentrations of Cd (0.0121 mg/L) were found to be above the highest permissible value of Standard Organization of Nigeria standards for drinking water (SON 2007) and WHO (Guidelines for drinking water quality: incorporating 1st and 2nd Addlenda. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2004) for drinking water. Although Pb was present in two out of the fifteen water samples with a mean value of (0.0324 mg/L) which was also above the highest permissible value. The mean concentrations of Zn (0.2149 mg/L) and Cu (0.0341 mg/L) are found to be below the highest permissible value of the mentioned guideline while no trace of Ni was found in the water samples across the two sampling locations. The mean HPI 518.55 is far above the critical value of 100, indicates that selected water samples are critically polluted with heavy metals. MI revealed low quality water with mean value 4.83, suggests that the selected water is seriously affected with the present of heavy metal. The Hakanson PERI indicated that of the five heavy metals, the risk coefficient of Zn, Pb, Cu, and Ni had light levels of contamination while the level of Cd contamination posed the most serious potential ecological risk, with an index value between 14.1 and 234. The study concluded that order of magnitude to this five heavy metals contamination is Cd > Pb > Zn > Cu > Ni.

Molecular detection of Rift Valley fever virus in serum samples from selected areas of Tanzania.

PubMed

Chengula, Augustino Alfred; Kasanga, Christopher Jacob; Mdegela, Robinson Hammerthon; Sallu, Raphael; Yongolo, Mmeta

2014-04-01

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an acute mosquito-borne viral zoonotic disease affecting domestic animals and humans caused by the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). The virus belongs to the genus Phlebovirus of the family Bunyaviridae. The main aim of this study was to detect the presence of antibodies to RVFV as well as the virus in the serum samples that were collected from livestock during the 2006/2007 RVF outbreaks in different locations in Tanzania. Analysis of selected samples was done using a RVF-specific inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Genomic viral RNA was extracted directly from serum samples using a QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit (QIAGEN), and a one-step RT-PCR protocol was used to amplify the S segment of RVFV. Positive results were obtained in 39.5% (n = 200) samples using the RVF I-ELISA, and 17.6% (n = 108) of samples were positive by RT-PCR. I-ELISA detected 41 (38.7%), 32 (39.0%), and 6 (50.0%) positive results in cattle, goats, and sheep sera, respectively, whereas the RT-PCR detected 11 (0.2%), 7 (0.2%), and 1 (0.1%) positive results in cattle, goats, and sheep sera, respectively. These findings have demonstrated the presence of RVFV in Tanzania during the 2006/2007 RVF outbreaks. To our knowledge, this is the first report to detect RVFV in serum samples from domestic animals in Tanzania using PCR technique. Therefore, a detailed molecular study to characterize the virus from different geographical locations in order to establish the profile of strains circulating in the country and develop more effective and efficient control strategies should be done.

Development of a Prediction Model Based on RBF Neural Network for Sheet Metal Fixture Locating Layout Design and Optimization.

PubMed

Wang, Zhongqi; Yang, Bo; Kang, Yonggang; Yang, Yuan

2016-01-01

Fixture plays an important part in constraining excessive sheet metal part deformation at machining, assembly, and measuring stages during the whole manufacturing process. However, it is still a difficult and nontrivial task to design and optimize sheet metal fixture locating layout at present because there is always no direct and explicit expression describing sheet metal fixture locating layout and responding deformation. To that end, an RBF neural network prediction model is proposed in this paper to assist design and optimization of sheet metal fixture locating layout. The RBF neural network model is constructed by training data set selected by uniform sampling and finite element simulation analysis. Finally, a case study is conducted to verify the proposed method.

Development of a Prediction Model Based on RBF Neural Network for Sheet Metal Fixture Locating Layout Design and Optimization

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhongqi; Yang, Bo; Kang, Yonggang; Yang, Yuan

2016-01-01

Fixture plays an important part in constraining excessive sheet metal part deformation at machining, assembly, and measuring stages during the whole manufacturing process. However, it is still a difficult and nontrivial task to design and optimize sheet metal fixture locating layout at present because there is always no direct and explicit expression describing sheet metal fixture locating layout and responding deformation. To that end, an RBF neural network prediction model is proposed in this paper to assist design and optimization of sheet metal fixture locating layout. The RBF neural network model is constructed by training data set selected by uniform sampling and finite element simulation analysis. Finally, a case study is conducted to verify the proposed method. PMID:27127499

Topographic and geologic analysis of the Pre-selection landing sitesfor Chang 'E 5(CE-5) lunar sample returning mission of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Xingguo; Zuo, Wei; Zhang, Zhoubin; Liu, Yuxuan; Li, Chunlai

2017-04-01

China Lunar Exploration Program has successfully launched 3 missions since the year of 2007:CE-1(2007), CE-2(2009), and CE-3(2013), and it is planning to launch two lunarLanders in the upcoming years- CE-5(2017) and CE-4(2020). Few decades after the last lunar sample returning mission, CE-5 will be the first lunar sample returning mission in the 21 century. The Pre-selection landing site of CE-5 will be located at a geographic extent of:41 degrees to 45 degrees north latitude and 49 degrees to 69 west longitude, which lies in the near side of the moon, the north-east of the Oceanus Procellarum, to the west of Monte Jura and to the north of Monte Rümker. To ensure the safety of the CE-5 Lander and get lunar samples with more scientific interest, it is essential to take an investigation from the research aspects of topography and geology to select optimal precise landing sites from the Pre-selection area.From the topography aspect, the safety of the Lander is greatly involved with the rugged terrain, conditions of solar illumination and necessity of direct radio communicationwith the Earth, We present the method of preciselandingsites selection using CE-2 high resolution lunar topographic data, which is based on geographical information systems (GIS) technologies to perform analysis, utilizing the criteria of surface suitability for landing, such as slopes, waviness, craters distribution, illumination conditions and Earth visibility.Inaddition, the scientific interest is related to the complexity of the geological conditions, so that estimations of geological background based on USGS lunar geology map data were used to evaluatelanding site candidates on possible lunar volcanicmaterials. The method gave us 7possible candidates to land, which are around the location of-55°W, 43°N. In the further research, the main parameters of these possible sites will be presented with possible prioritization based on both technical requirements and scientific interest.

Feasibility of collecting 24-h urine to monitor sodium intake in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey123

PubMed Central

Terry, Ana L; Cogswell, Mary E; Wang, Chia-Yih; Chen, Te-Ching; Loria, Catherine M; Wright, Jacqueline D; Zhang, Xinli; Lacher, David A; Merritt, Robert K; Bowman, Barbara A

2016-01-01

Background: Twenty-four–hour urine sodium excretion is recommended for monitoring population sodium intake. Because of concerns about participation and completion, sodium excretion has not been collected previously in US nationally representative surveys. Objective: We assessed the feasibility of implementing 24-h urine collections as part of a nationally representative survey. Design: We selected a random half sample of nonpregnant US adults aged 20–69 y in 3 geographic locations of the 2013 NHANES. Participants received explicit instructions, started and ended the urine collection in a urine study mobile examination center, and answered questions about their collection. Among those with a complete 24-h urine collection, a random one-half were asked to collect a second 24-h urine sample. Sodium, potassium, chloride, and creatinine excretion were analyzed. Results: The final NHANES examination response rate for adults aged 20–69 y in these 3 study locations was 71%. Of those examined (n = 476), 282 (59%) were randomly selected to participate in the 24-h urine collection. Of these, 212 persons [75% of those selected for 24-h urine collection; 53% (equal to 71% × 75% of those selected for the NHANES)] collected a complete initial 24-h specimen and 92 persons (85% of 108 selected) collected a second complete 24-h urine sample. More men than women completed an initial collection (P = 0.04); otherwise, completion did not vary by sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, education, or employment status for either collection. Mean 24-h urine volume and sodium excretion were 1964 ± 1228 mL and 3657 ± 2003 mg, respectively, for the first 24-h urine sample, and 2048 ± 1288 mL and 3773 ± 1891 mg, respectively, for the second collection. Conclusion: Given the 53% final component response rate and 75% completion rate, 24-h urine collections were deemed feasible and implemented in the NHANES 2014 on a subsample of adults aged 20–69 y to assess population sodium intake. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02723682. PMID:27413136

Evaluation of National Atmospheric Deposition Program measurements for co-located Sites CO89 and CO98 at Rocky Mountain National Park, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2013-01-01

Median weekly absolute percent differences for selected parameters including: sample volume, 8.0 percent; ammonium concentration, 9.1 percent; nitrate concentration, 8.5 percent; sulfate concentration, 10.2 percent. Annual precipitation-weighted mean concentrations were higher for CO98 compared to CO89 for all analytes. The chemical concentration record for CO98 contains more valid samples than the CO89 record. Therefore, the CO98 record is more representative of 2012 total annual deposition at Loch Vale. Daily precipitation-depth records for the co-located precipitation gages were 100 percent complete, and the total annual precipitation depths between the sites differed by 0.1 percent for the year (91.5 and 91.4 cm).

SamSelect: a sample sequence selection algorithm for quorum planted motif search on large DNA datasets.

PubMed

Yu, Qiang; Wei, Dingbang; Huo, Hongwei

2018-06-18

Given a set of t n-length DNA sequences, q satisfying 0 < q ≤ 1, and l and d satisfying 0 ≤ d < l < n, the quorum planted motif search (qPMS) finds l-length strings that occur in at least qt input sequences with up to d mismatches and is mainly used to locate transcription factor binding sites in DNA sequences. Existing qPMS algorithms have been able to efficiently process small standard datasets (e.g., t = 20 and n = 600), but they are too time consuming to process large DNA datasets, such as ChIP-seq datasets that contain thousands of sequences or more. We analyze the effects of t and q on the time performance of qPMS algorithms and find that a large t or a small q causes a longer computation time. Based on this information, we improve the time performance of existing qPMS algorithms by selecting a sample sequence set D' with a small t and a large q from the large input dataset D and then executing qPMS algorithms on D'. A sample sequence selection algorithm named SamSelect is proposed. The experimental results on both simulated and real data show (1) that SamSelect can select D' efficiently and (2) that the qPMS algorithms executed on D' can find implanted or real motifs in a significantly shorter time than when executed on D. We improve the ability of existing qPMS algorithms to process large DNA datasets from the perspective of selecting high-quality sample sequence sets so that the qPMS algorithms can find motifs in a short time in the selected sample sequence set D', rather than take an unfeasibly long time to search the original sequence set D. Our motif discovery method is an approximate algorithm.

Trichothecene Genotype Composition of Fusarium graminearum Not Differentiated Among Isolates from Maize Stubble, Maize Ears, Wheat Spikes, and the Atmosphere in New York.

PubMed

Kuhnem, Paulo R; Spolti, Pierri; Del Ponte, Emerson M; Cummings, Jaime A; Bergstrom, Gary C

2015-05-01

In order to test the hypothesis that the trichothecene genotype composition of local populations of Fusarium graminearum is structured by specific habitats, a collection of 1,407 isolates was obtained from overwintered maize stubble, mature maize ears and wheat spikes, and the atmosphere 1.5 m aboveground during the flowering stage of these crops. These isolates were sampled at three diverse agricultural locations in New York State: namely, Aurora (sampled in 2012 and 2013) in central New York, Belmont (sampled in 2013) in southwestern New York, and Willsboro (sampled in 2013) in northeastern New York. Approximately 100 isolates of F. graminearum from each habitat were collected within a 10-mile2 area in each location. Polymerase chain reaction assays were used to identify three main B-trichothecene genotypes--3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-ADON, or nivalenol (NIV)--based on amplification of portions of Tri3 and Tri12 genes. All but the NIV genotype were detected. The 15-ADON genotype predominated in most locations; frequencies were 92% (652/709) at Aurora, 78% (332/379) at Belmont, and 53% (167/319) at Willsboro. Frequencies of any genotype did not differ in general among the four habits in each location. An exception was in Aurora 2012, where only 5 in 24 3-ADON isolates were found in samplings from the air and grains of both crops. As viewed by the composition of trichothecene genotypes, local populations of F. graminearum appear not to be structured by these four habitats inclusive of pathogenic and saprophytic phases of the fungus life cycle. The similar frequency of 3-ADON and 15-ADON in eastern New York (Willsboro), which is less than 400 km away from the Aurora sampling location in the central area of the state, suggests that regional populations may be differentiated based on selection associated with climatic or landscape features not currently identified.

Soil moisture variability across different scales in an Indian watershed for satellite soil moisture product validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Gurjeet; Panda, Rabindra K.; Mohanty, Binayak P.; Jana, Raghavendra B.

2016-05-01

Strategic ground-based sampling of soil moisture across multiple scales is necessary to validate remotely sensed quantities such as NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) product. In the present study, in-situ soil moisture data were collected at two nested scale extents (0.5 km and 3 km) to understand the trend of soil moisture variability across these scales. This ground-based soil moisture sampling was conducted in the 500 km2 Rana watershed situated in eastern India. The study area is characterized as sub-humid, sub-tropical climate with average annual rainfall of about 1456 mm. Three 3x3 km square grids were sampled intensively once a day at 49 locations each, at a spacing of 0.5 km. These intensive sampling locations were selected on the basis of different topography, soil properties and vegetation characteristics. In addition, measurements were also made at 9 locations around each intensive sampling grid at 3 km spacing to cover a 9x9 km square grid. Intensive fine scale soil moisture sampling as well as coarser scale samplings were made using both impedance probes and gravimetric analyses in the study watershed. The ground-based soil moisture samplings were conducted during the day, concurrent with the SMAP descending overpass. Analysis of soil moisture spatial variability in terms of areal mean soil moisture and the statistics of higher-order moments, i.e., the standard deviation, and the coefficient of variation are presented. Results showed that the standard deviation and coefficient of variation of measured soil moisture decreased with extent scale by increasing mean soil moisture.

Y-12 Groundwater Protection Program Groundwater and Surface water Sampling and Analysis Plan for Calendar Year 2006

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

N /A

2006-01-01

This plan provides a description of the groundwater and surface water quality monitoring activities planned for calendar year (CY) 2006 at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) that will be managed by the Y-12 Groundwater Protection Program (GWPP). Groundwater and surface water monitoring performed by the GWPP during CY 2006 will be in accordance with DOE Order 540.1 requirements and the following goals: {sm_bullet} to maintain surveillance of existing and potential groundwater contamination sources; {sm_bullet} to provide for the early detection of groundwater contamination and determine the quality of groundwater and surface water where contaminantsmore » are most likely to migrate beyond the Oak Ridge Reservation property line; {sm_bullet} to identify and characterize long-term trends in groundwater quality at Y-12; and ! to provide data to support decisions concerning the management and protection of groundwater resources. Groundwater and surface water monitoring during CY 2006 will be performed primarily in three hydrogeologic regimes at Y-12: the Bear Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (Bear Creek Regime), the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (East Fork Regime), and the Chestnut Ridge Hydrogeologic Regime (Chestnut Ridge Regime). The Bear Creek and East Fork regimes are located in Bear Creek Valley, and the Chestnut Ridge Regime is located south of Y-12 (Figure A.1). Additional surface water monitoring will be performed north of Pine Ridge, along the boundary of the Oak Ridge Reservation (Figure A.1). Modifications to the CY 2006 monitoring program may be necessary during implementation. Changes in programmatic requirements may alter the analytes specified for selected monitoring wells or may add or remove wells from the planned monitoring network. All modifications to the monitoring program will be approved by the Y-12 GWPP manager and documented as addenda to this sampling and analysis plan. The following sections of this report provide details regarding the CY 2006 groundwater and surface water monitoring activities. Section 2 describes the monitoring locations in each regime and the processes used to select the sampling locations. A description of the field measurements and laboratory analytes is provided in Section 3; sample collection methods and procedures are described in Section 4; and Section 5 lists the documents cited for more detailed operational and technical information. The narrative sections of the report reference several appendices. Figures (maps and diagrams) and tables (excluding data summary tables presented in the narrative sections) are in Appendix A and Appendix B, respectively. The monitoring frequency and selection criteria for each sampling location is in Appendix C. Laboratory requirements (bottle lists, holding times, etc.) are provided in Appendix D. If issued, addenda to this plan will be inserted in Appendix E, and Groundwater Monitoring Schedules (when issued) will be inserted in Appendix F. Guidance for managing purged groundwater is provided in Appendix G.« less

The lack of selection bias in a snowball sampled case-control study on drug abuse.

PubMed

Lopes, C S; Rodrigues, L C; Sichieri, R

1996-12-01

Friend controls in matched case-control studies can be a potential source of bias based on the assumption that friends are more likely to share exposure factors. This study evaluates the role of selection bias in a case-control study that used the snowball sampling method based on friendship for the selection of cases and controls. The cases selected fro the study were drug abusers located in the community. Exposure was defined by the presence of at least one psychiatric diagnosis. Psychiatric and drug abuse/dependence diagnoses were made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) criteria. Cases and controls were matched on sex, age and friendship. The measurement of selection bias was made through the comparison of the proportion of exposed controls selected by exposed cases (p1) with the proportion of exposed controls selected by unexposed cases (p2). If p1 = p2 then, selection bias should not occur. The observed distribution of the 185 matched pairs having at least one psychiatric disorder showed a p1 value of 0.52 and a p2 value of 0.51, indicating no selection bias in this study. Our findings support the idea that the use of friend controls can produce a valid basis for a case-control study.

Novel on-demand droplet generation for selective fluid sample extraction

PubMed Central

Lin, Robert; Fisher, Jeffery S.; Simon, Melinda G.; Lee, Abraham P.

2012-01-01

A novel microfluidic device enabling selective generation of droplets and encapsulation of targets is presented. Unlike conventional methods, the presented mechanism generates droplets with unique selectivity by utilizing a K-junction design. The K-junction is a modified version of the classic T-junction with an added leg that serves as the exit channel for waste. The dispersed phase fluid enters from one diagonal of the K and exits the other diagonal while the continuous phase travels in the straight leg of the K. The intersection forms an interface that allows the dispersed phase to be controllably injected through actuation of an elastomer membrane located above the inlet channel near the interface. We have characterized two critical components in controlling the droplet size—membrane actuation pressure and timing as well as identified the region of fluid in which the droplet will be formed. This scheme will have applications in fluid sampling processes and selective encapsulation of materials. Selective encapsulation of a single cell from the dispersed phase fluid is demonstrated as an example of functionality of this design. PMID:22655015

40 CFR Table 3 of Subpart Aaaaaaa... - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Test Methods 3 Table 3 of Subpart..., Subpt. AAAAAAA, Table 3 Table 3 of Subpart AAAAAAA of Part 63—Test Methods For * * * You must use * * * 1. Selecting the sampling locations a and the number of traverse points EPA test method 1 or 1A in...

40 CFR Table 3 of Subpart Aaaaaaa... - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Test Methods 3 Table 3 of Subpart..., Subpt. AAAAAAA, Table 3 Table 3 of Subpart AAAAAAA of Part 63—Test Methods For * * * You must use * * * 1. Selecting the sampling locations a and the number of traverse points EPA test method 1 or 1A in...

40 CFR Table 3 of Subpart Aaaaaaa... - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 14 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Test Methods 3 Table 3 of Subpart..., Subpt. AAAAAAA, Table 3 Table 3 of Subpart AAAAAAA of Part 63—Test Methods For * * * You must use * * * 1. Selecting the sampling locations a and the number of traverse points EPA test method 1 or 1A in...

40 CFR Table 3 of Subpart Aaaaaaa... - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 14 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test Methods 3 Table 3 of Subpart..., Subpt. AAAAAAA, Table 3 Table 3 of Subpart AAAAAAA of Part 63—Test Methods For * * * You must use * * * 1. Selecting the sampling locations a and the number of traverse points EPA test method 1 or 1A in...

40 CFR Table 3 of Subpart Aaaaaaa... - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Test Methods 3 Table 3 of Subpart..., Subpt. AAAAAAA, Table 3 Table 3 of Subpart AAAAAAA of Part 63—Test Methods For * * * You must use * * * 1. Selecting the sampling locations a and the number of traverse points EPA test method 1 or 1A in...

New Directions in Apprentice Selection: Self-Perceived "On the Job" Literacy (Reading) Demands of Apprentices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Peter; Gould, Warren

A study investigated the self-perceived, on-the-job literacy tasks of electrical mechanic apprentices in Victoria, Australia. A random sample of 401 apprentices from 19 locations representing all levels of apprenticeship training were questioned about their reading needs and the consequences of making a reading error in their work. Data were…

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Aaaaa of... - Requirements for Performance Tests

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... lime kiln and each associated lime cooler, if there is a separate exhaust to the atmosphere from the associated lime cooler Select the location of the sampling port and the number of traverse ports Method 1 or... each associated lime cooler, if there is a separate exhaust to the atmosphere from the associated lime...

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Aaaaa of... - Requirements for Performance Tests

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... lime kiln and each associated lime cooler, if there is a separate exhaust to the atmosphere from the associated lime cooler Select the location of the sampling port and the number of traverse ports Method 1 or... each associated lime cooler, if there is a separate exhaust to the atmosphere from the associated lime...

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Aaaaa of... - Requirements for Performance Tests

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... lime kiln and each associated lime cooler, if there is a separate exhaust to the atmosphere from the associated lime cooler Select the location of the sampling port and the number of traverse ports Method 1 or... each associated lime cooler, if there is a separate exhaust to the atmosphere from the associated lime...

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Aaaaa of... - Requirements for Performance Tests

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... lime kiln and each associated lime cooler, if there is a separate exhaust to the atmosphere from the associated lime cooler Select the location of the sampling port and the number of traverse ports Method 1 or... each associated lime cooler, if there is a separate exhaust to the atmosphere from the associated lime...

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Aaaaa of... - Requirements for Performance Tests

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... lime kiln and each associated lime cooler, if there is a separate exhaust to the atmosphere from the associated lime cooler Select the location of the sampling port and the number of traverse ports Method 1 or... each associated lime cooler, if there is a separate exhaust to the atmosphere from the associated lime...

Forest statistics for Arkansas' delta counties

Treesearch

Richard T. Quick; Mary S. Hedlund

1979-01-01

These tables were derived from data obtained during a 1978 inventory of 21 counties comprising the North and South Delta Units of Arkansas (fig. 1). Forest area was estimated from aerial photos with an adjustment for ground truth at selected locations. Sample plots were systematically established at three-mile intervals using a grid oriented roughly N-S and E-W. At...

The Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Filbert Weevil Infested Acorns in an Oak Woodland in Marin County, California

Treesearch

Vernard R. Lewis

1991-01-01

Two-hundred shoots contained within randomly selected locations from each of thirty-six coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, trees were sampled to determine the abundance and spatial distribution of acorns infested by the filbert weevil, Curculio occidentis in northern California during 1989. The seasonal abundance of infested acorns...

Is Littoral Habitat Affected by Residential Development and Land Use in Watersheds of Wisconsin Lakes?

Treesearch

Martin J. Jennings; Edward E. Emmons; Gene R. Hatzenbeler; Clayton Edwards; Michael A. Bozek

2003-01-01

We measured differences in nearshore littoral zone habitat among lakes with different amounts of residential development and different patterns of watershed land use. Sampling stations were located at randomly selected sites within the nearshore littoral zone of limnologically similar lakes. An index of development density (based on counts of residential structures)...

Concentrations of nitrate in drinking water in the lower Yakima River Basin, Groundwater Management Area, Yakima County, Washington, 2017

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huffman, Raegan L.

2018-05-29

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the lower Yakima River Basin Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) group, conducted an intensive groundwater sampling collection effort of collecting nitrate concentration data in drinking water to provide a baseline for future nitrate assessments within the GWMA. About every 6 weeks from April through December 2017, a total of 1,059 samples were collected from 156 wells and 24 surface-water drains. The domestic wells were selected based on known location, completion depth, ability to collect a sample prior to treatment on filtration, and distribution across the GWMA. The drains were pre-selected by the GWMA group, and further assessed based on ability to access sites and obtain a representative sample. More than 20 percent of samples from the domestic wells and 12.8 percent of drain samples had nitrate concentrations that exceeded the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 milligrams per liter established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At least one nitrate concentration above the MCL was detected in 26 percent of wells and 33 percent of drains sampled. Nitrate was not detected in 13 percent of all samples collected.

Hydrologic Data from the Study of Acidic Contamination in the Miami Wash-Pinal Creek Area, Arizona, Water Years 1997-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Konieczki, A.D.; Brown, J.G.; Parker, J.T.C.

2008-01-01

Since 1984, hydrologic data have been collected as part of a U.S. Geological Survey study of the occurrence and movement of acidic contamination in the aquifer and streams of the Pinal Creek drainage basin near Globe, Arizona. Ground-water data from that study are presented for water years 1997 through 2004 and include location, construction information, site plans, water levels, chemical and physical field measurements, and selected chemical analyses of water samples for 31 project wells. Hydrographs of depth to ground water are also included. Surface-water data for four sites are also presented and include selected chemical analyses of water samples. Monthly precipitation data and long-term precipitation statistics are presented for two sites. Chemical analyses of samples collected from the stream and shallow ground water in the perennial reach of Pinal Creek are also included.

Spectral signature selection for mapping unvegetated soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

May, G. A.; Petersen, G. W.

1975-01-01

Airborne multispectral scanner data covering the wavelength interval from 0.40-2.60 microns were collected at an altitude of 1000 m above the terrain in southeastern Pennsylvania. Uniform training areas were selected within three sites from this flightline. Soil samples were collected from each site and a procedure developed to allow assignment of scan line and element number from the multispectral scanner data to each sampling location. These soil samples were analyzed on a spectrophotometer and laboratory spectral signatures were derived. After correcting for solar radiation and atmospheric attenuation, the laboratory signatures were compared to the spectral signatures derived from these same soils using multispectral scanner data. Both signatures were used in supervised and unsupervised classification routines. Computer-generated maps using the laboratory and multispectral scanner derived signatures resulted in maps that were similar to maps resulting from field surveys. Approximately 90% agreement was obtained between classification maps produced using multispectral scanner derived signatures and laboratory derived signatures.

Echolocation in Blainville's beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris).

PubMed

Madsen, P T; de Soto, N Aguilar; Arranz, P; Johnson, M

2013-06-01

Here we use sound and movement recording tags to study how deep-diving Blainville's beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) use echolocation to forage in their natural mesopelagic habitat. These whales ensonify thousands of organisms per dive but select only about 25 prey for capture. They negotiate their cluttered environment by radiating sound in a narrow 20° field of view which they sample with 1.5-3 clicks per metre travelled requiring only some 60 clicks to locate, select and approach each prey. Sampling rates do not appear to be defined by the range to individual targets, but rather by the movement of the predator. Whales sample faster when they encounter patches of prey allowing them to search new water volumes while turning rapidly to stay within a patch. This implies that the Griffin search-approach-capture model of biosonar foraging must be expanded to account for sampling behaviours adapted to the overall prey distribution. Beaked whales can classify prey at more than 15 m range adopting stereotyped motor patterns when approaching some prey. This long detection range relative to swimming speed facilitates a deliberate mode of sensory-motor operation in which prey and capture tactics can be selected to optimize energy returns during long breath-hold dives.

Evaluation of an Environmental Monitoring Program for the Microbial Safety of Air and Surfaces in a Dairy Plant Environment.

PubMed

Zacharski, Krzysztof A; Southern, Mark; Ryan, Alan; Adley, Catherine C

2018-07-01

Microbiological hazards can occur when foodstuffs come into contact with contaminated surfaces or infectious agents dispersed by air currents in the manufacturing environment. An environmental monitoring program (EMP) is a critical aspect of sustainable and safe food manufacturing used to evaluate the effectiveness of the microbial controls in place. An effective EMP should be based on risk analysis, taking into account previous sampling history to determine the selection of the sampling points, the scope of the test, and the frequency of analysis. This study involved evaluation of the environmental monitoring regime and microbiological status of a medium-sized dairy plant manufacturing food ingredients, e.g., proteins, milk powders, and dairy fats. The data specific to microbial tests ( n = 3,468), recorded across 124 fixed sampling locations over a 2-year period (2014 to 2015) from air ( n = 1,787) and surfaces ( n = 1,681) were analyzed. The aim of this study was to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the EMP in a select dairy processing plant. The results of this study outline the selection of sampling locations, the scope of the test, and the frequency of analysis. An analysis of variance revealed subsections of the manufacturing areas with high risk factors, especially the packaging subsection specified for bulk packaging, the atomizer, and the fluidized bed. The temporal and spatial analysis showed the potential to reduce or relocate the monitoring effort, most notably related to total coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus, across the dairy plant due to homogeneity across the sampling subsections with little or no deviations. The results suggest a need to reevaluate the current EMP and the corrective action plan, especially with regard to detection of pathogens. Recommendations for optimization of the EMP are presented to assist the dairy industry with reviewing and revising the control measures and hazard assessment with regard to existing contamination issues.

A new method to sample stuttering in preschool children.

PubMed

O'Brian, Sue; Jones, Mark; Pilowsky, Rachel; Onslow, Mark; Packman, Ann; Menzies, Ross

2010-06-01

This study reports a new method for sampling the speech of preschool stuttering children outside the clinic environment. Twenty parents engaged their stuttering children in an everyday play activity in the home with a telephone handset nearby. A remotely located researcher telephoned the parent and recorded the play session with a phone-recording jack attached to a digital audio recorder at the remote location. The parent placed an audio recorder near the child for comparison purposes. Children as young as 2 years complied with the remote method of speech sampling. The quality of the remote recordings was superior to that of the in-home recordings. There was no difference in means or reliability of stutter-count measures made from the remote recordings compared with those made in-home. Advantages of the new method include: (1) cost efficiency of real-time measurement of percent syllables stuttered in naturalistic situations, (2) reduction of bias associated with parent-selected timing of home recordings, (3) standardization of speech sampling procedures, (4) improved parent compliance with sampling procedures, (5) clinician or researcher on-line control of the acoustic and linguistic quality of recordings, and (6) elimination of the need to lend equipment to parents for speech sampling.

Water quality in Reedy Fork and Buffalo Creek basins in the Greensboro area, North Carolina, 1986-87

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davenport, M.S.

1989-01-01

Water and bottom-sediment samples were collected from April 1986 through September 1987 at 19 sites in Guilford County and the City of Greensboro, North Carolina. Sampling locations included 13 stream sites, two lakes that supply the City of Greensboro with drinking water, two City of Greensboro finished drinking-water filtration plants, and effluent from the two municipal wastewater plants prior to outfall into receiving streams. Water sampling consisted of six surveys during various stages of steady ground-water flow at all sites and high-flow-event sampling during two storms at six sites. Bottom-sediment samples were collected at three sites during two routine sampling surveys. A summary of nearly 22, 000 separate chemical or physical analyses of water samples or bottom sediment is presented and discussed as individual values, ranges of values, or median values with respect to the locations of sampling sites, streamflow conditions, or other information bearing on water-quality conditions under discussion. The results include discussions of general water-quality indicators; major ion, nutrient, and trace-element concentrations; acid and base/neutral extractable organic compounds; volatile organic compounds; and organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides detected at each sampling site. Loadings of selected constituents are also estimated on a yearly and daily basis. The quality of the raw and finished water, municipal effluents, and streams in the Greensboro area are characterized by using State and Federal water-quality standards. Inorganic constituents most commonly found in excess of standards were iron, copper, zinc, arsenic, phosphorus, manganese, cyanide, and mercury. Relatively few organic compounds were detected; however, those consistently reported were phthalate, thihalomethane, organophosphorus pesticide, benzol, and phenolic compounds. Selected inorganic, physical, and total organic carbon data are used in a Wilcoxon test for two independent variables to statistically compare water-quality characteristics in selected rural, semideveloped and urban basins. During low-flow sampling, the constituents that differed significantly among all sites were calcium, magnesium, and chloride. During low flows, concentrations of orthophosphate, fluoride, sulfate, and TOC differed at the urban site from the rural and semideveloped and urban sites. There were no significant differences among sites in concentrations of sodium, suspended sediment, nickel, zinc, copper, and mercury during low flows. The Wilcoxon test performed on high-flow data indicated that concentrations of TOC, chloride, sulfate, suspended sediment, and nickel were not significantly different among the sites.

Application of an Optimal Search Strategy for the DNAPL Source Identification to a Field Site in Nanjing, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longting, M.; Ye, S.; Wu, J.

2014-12-01

Identification and removing the DNAPL source in aquifer system is vital in rendering remediation successful and lowering the remediation time and cost. Our work is to apply an optimal search strategy introduced by Zoi and Pinder[1], with some modifications, to a field site in Nanjing City, China to define the strength, and location of DNAPL sources using the least samples. The overall strategy uses Monte Carlo stochastic groundwater flow and transport modeling, incorporates existing sampling data into the search strategy, and determines optimal sampling locations that are selected according to the reduction in overall uncertainty of the field and the proximity to the source locations. After a sample is taken, the plume is updated using a Kalman filter. The updated plume is then compared to the concentration fields that emanate from each individual potential source using fuzzy set technique. The comparison followed provides weights that reflect the degree of truth regarding the location of the source. The above steps are repeated until the optimal source characteristics are determined. Considering our site case, some specific modifications and work have been done as follows. K random fields are generated after fitting the measurement K data to the variogram model. The locations of potential sources that are given initial weights are targeted based on the field survey, with multiple potential source locations around the workshops and wastewater basin. Considering the short history (1999-2010) of manufacturing optical brightener PF at the site, and the existing sampling data, a preliminary source strength is then estimated, which will be optimized by simplex method or GA later. The whole algorithm then will guide us for optimal sampling and update as the investigation proceeds, until the weights finally stabilized. Reference [1] Dokou Zoi, and George F. Pinder. "Optimal search strategy for the definition of a DNAPL source." Journal of Hydrology 376.3 (2009): 542-556. Acknowledgement: Funding supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41030746, 40872155) and DuPont Company is appreciated.

Reconnaissance investigations of potential ground-water and sediment contamination at three former underground storage tank locations, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, 1994

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, J.F.; Nagle, Douglas D.; Rhodes, Liesl C.

1994-01-01

Investigations to provide initial qualitative delineation of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination at three former underground storage tank locations at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, were made during March 1994. Ground-water and sediment samples were collected using direct-push technology and analyzed on-site with a gas chromatograph, which provided real-time, semi-quantitative data. In addition, ground-water and sediment samples were collected at selected sites for laboratory analyses to provide a confirmation of the on-site data. These analyses provided qualitative data on the lateral distri- bution of petroleum hydrocarbons. Petroleum hydrocarbons were detected by on-site analysis in ground-water samples from nine locations at Site 1062, suggesting the presence of a contaminant plume. Concentrations ranged from less than the minimum detection limit to 4,511 mg/L (micrograms per liter) for benzene, 15,594 mg/L for toluene, 16,501 mg/L for ethylbenzene, and 19,391 mg/L for total xylenes. Concentrations of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons-Gasoline Range Organics ranged from 323 mg/L to 3,364 mg/L; Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons-Diesel Range Organics were not detected. Three samples from this site were analyzed for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylenes at a laboratory and results showed concentrations ranging from less than the minimum detection limit to 1,070 mg/L for benzene, 7,930 mg/L for toluene, 6,890 mg/L for ethylbenzene, and 1,524 mg/L for total xylenes. Petroleum hydro- carbons were detected by on-site analysis in only one sample at Site 2438. A concentration of 131,000 micrograms per kilogram Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons-Diesel Range Organics was detected in sample number GP-2-4-13.5. Petroleum hydrocarbons were detected by on-site analysis in only one ground-water sample from Site 2444. A concentration of 3,145 mg/L Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons-Gasoline Range Organics was detected at sampling location GP-3-2.

Methods and devices for high-throughput dielectrophoretic concentration

DOEpatents

Simmons, Blake A.; Cummings, Eric B.; Fiechtner, Gregory J.; Fintschenko, Yolanda; McGraw, Gregory J.; Salmi, Allen

2010-02-23

Disclosed herein are methods and devices for assaying and concentrating analytes in a fluid sample using dielectrophoresis. As disclosed, the methods and devices utilize substrates having a plurality of pores through which analytes can be selectively prevented from passing, or inhibited, on application of an appropriate electric field waveform. The pores of the substrate produce nonuniform electric field having local extrema located near the pores. These nonuniform fields drive dielectrophoresis, which produces the inhibition. Arrangements of electrodes and porous substrates support continuous, bulk, multi-dimensional, and staged selective concentration.

Methods for Monitoring Fish Communities of Buffalo National River and Ozark National Scenic Riverways in the Ozark Plateaus of Arkansas and Missouri: Version 1.0

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, James C.; Justus, B.G.; Dodd, H.R.; Bowles, D.E.; Morrison, L.W.; Williams, M.H.; Rowell, G.A.

2008-01-01

Buffalo National River located in north-central Arkansas, and Ozark National Scenic Riverways, located in southeastern Missouri, are the two largest units of the National Park Service in the Ozark Plateaus physiographic province. The purpose of this report is to provide a protocol that will be used by the National Park Service to sample fish communities and collect related water-quality, habitat, and stream discharge data of Buffalo National River and Ozark National Scenic Riverways to meet inventory and long-term monitoring objectives. The protocol includes (1) a protocol narrative, (2) several standard operating procedures, and (3) supplemental information helpful for implementation of the protocol. The protocol narrative provides background information about the protocol such as the rationale of why a particular resource or resource issue was selected for monitoring, information concerning the resource or resource issue of interest, a description of how monitoring results will inform management decisions, and a discussion of the linkages between this and other monitoring projects. The standard operating procedures cover preparation, training, reach selection, water-quality sampling, fish community sampling, physical habitat collection, measuring stream discharge, equipment maintenance and storage, data management and analysis, reporting, and protocol revision procedures. Much of the information in the standard operating procedures was gathered from existing protocols of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment program or other sources. Supplemental information that would be helpful for implementing the protocol is included. This information includes information on fish species known or suspected to occur in the parks, sample sites, sample design, fish species traits, index of biotic integrity metrics, sampling equipment, and field forms.

Mercury in fish and macroinvertebrates from New York's streams and rivers: A compendium of data sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Riva-Murray, Karen; Burns, Douglas A.

2016-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey has compiled a list of existing data sets, from selected sources, containing mercury (Hg) concentration data in fish and macroinvertebrate samples that were collected from flowing waters of New York State from 1970 through 2014. Data sets selected for inclusion in this report were limited to those that contain fish and (or) macroinvertebrate data that were collected across broad areas, cover relatively long time periods, and (or) were collected as part of a broader-scale (e.g. national) study or program. In addition, all data sets listed were collected, processed, and analyzed with documented methods, and contain critical sample information (e.g. fish species, fish size, Hg species) that is needed to analyze and interpret the reported Hg concentration data. Fourteen data sets, all from state or federal agencies, are listed in this report, along with selected descriptive information regarding each data source and data set contents. Together, these 14 data sets contain Hg and related data for more than 7,000 biological samples collected from more than 700 unique stream and river locations between 1970 and 2014.

Quality of ground water used for selected municipal water supplies in Iowa, 1982-96 water years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaap, B.D.; Linhart, S.M.

1998-01-01

Maps show the general location of wells that have been sampled in the various aquifers. Other maps show the location of wells where sulfate and nitrite plus nitrate concentrations exceed the respective Maximum Contaminant Levels and wells where concentrations of the pesticides alachlor, atrazine, or cyanazine exceeded the respective minimum reporting levels. The compact disc included with this report has information about water-quality properties and concentrations of dissolved solids, major ions, nutrients, trace elements, radionuclides, total organic carbon, pesticides, and synthetic organic compounds for water years 1982 through 1996.

Exact intervals and tests for median when one sample value possibly an outliner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, G. J.; Walsh, J. E.

1973-01-01

Available are independent observations (continuous data) that are believed to be a random sample. Desired are distribution-free confidence intervals and significance tests for the population median. However, there is the possibility that either the smallest or the largest observation is an outlier. Then, use of a procedure for rejection of an outlying observation might seem appropriate. Such a procedure would consider that two alternative situations are possible and would select one of them. Either (1) the n observations are truly a random sample, or (2) an outlier exists and its removal leaves a random sample of size n-1. For either situation, confidence intervals and tests are desired for the median of the population yielding the random sample. Unfortunately, satisfactory rejection procedures of a distribution-free nature do not seem to be available. Moreover, all rejection procedures impose undesirable conditional effects on the observations, and also, can select the wrong one of the two above situations. It is found that two-sided intervals and tests based on two symmetrically located order statistics (not the largest and smallest) of the n observations have this property.

Optimal design of monitoring networks for multiple groundwater quality parameters using a Kalman filter: application to the Irapuato-Valle aquifer.

PubMed

Júnez-Ferreira, H E; Herrera, G S; González-Hita, L; Cardona, A; Mora-Rodríguez, J

2016-01-01

A new method for the optimal design of groundwater quality monitoring networks is introduced in this paper. Various indicator parameters were considered simultaneously and tested for the Irapuato-Valle aquifer in Mexico. The steps followed in the design were (1) establishment of the monitoring network objectives, (2) definition of a groundwater quality conceptual model for the study area, (3) selection of the parameters to be sampled, and (4) selection of a monitoring network by choosing the well positions that minimize the estimate error variance of the selected indicator parameters. Equal weight for each parameter was given to most of the aquifer positions and a higher weight to priority zones. The objective for the monitoring network in the specific application was to obtain a general reconnaissance of the water quality, including water types, water origin, and first indications of contamination. Water quality indicator parameters were chosen in accordance with this objective, and for the selection of the optimal monitoring sites, it was sought to obtain a low-uncertainty estimate of these parameters for the entire aquifer and with more certainty in priority zones. The optimal monitoring network was selected using a combination of geostatistical methods, a Kalman filter and a heuristic optimization method. Results show that when monitoring the 69 locations with higher priority order (the optimal monitoring network), the joint average standard error in the study area for all the groundwater quality parameters was approximately 90 % of the obtained with the 140 available sampling locations (the set of pilot wells). This demonstrates that an optimal design can help to reduce monitoring costs, by avoiding redundancy in data acquisition.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flach, G. P.; Whiteside, T. S.

The E-Area Vadose Zone Monitoring System (VZMS) includes lysimeter sampling points at many locations alongside and angling beneath the Engineered Trench #1 (ET1) disposal unit footprint. The sampling points for ET1 were selected for this study because collectively they showed consistently higher tritium (H-3) concentrations than lysimeters associated with other trench units. The VZMS tritium dataset for ET1 from 2001 through 2015 comprises concentrations at or near background levels at approximately half of locations through time, concentrations up to about 600 pCi/mL at a few locations, and concentrations at two locations that have exceeded 1000 pCi/mL. The highest three valuesmore » through 2015 were 6472 pCi/mL in 2014 and 4533 pCi/mL in 2013 at location VL-17, and 3152 pCi/mL in 2007 at location VL-15. As a point of reference, the drinking water standard for tritium and a DOE Order 435.1 performance objective in the saturated zone at the distant 100-meter facility perimeter is 20 pCi/mL. The purpose of this study is to assess whether these elevated concentrations are indicative of a general trend that could challenge 2008 E-Area Performance Assessment (PA) conclusions, or are isolated perturbations that when considered in the context of an entire disposal unit would support PA conclusions.« less

Completeness and Reliability of Location Data Collected on the Web: Assessing the Quality of Self-Reported Locations in an Internet Sample of Men Who Have Sex With Men.

PubMed

Vaughan, Adam S; Kramer, Michael R; Cooper, Hannah Lf; Rosenberg, Eli S; Sullivan, Patrick S

2016-06-09

Place is critical to our understanding of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. However, within the scientific literature, place is almost always represented by residential location, suggesting a fundamental assumption of equivalency between neighborhood of residence, place of risk, and place of prevention. However, the locations of behaviors among MSM show significant spatial variation, and theory has posited the importance of nonresidential contextual exposures. This focus on residential locations has been at least partially necessitated by the difficulties in collecting detailed geolocated data required to explore nonresidential locations. Using a Web-based map tool to collect locations, which may be relevant to the daily lives and health behaviors of MSM, this study examines the completeness and reliability of the collected data. MSM were recruited on the Web and completed a Web-based survey. Within this survey, men used a map tool embedded within a question to indicate their homes and multiple nonresidential locations, including those representing work, sex, socialization, physician, and others. We assessed data quality by examining data completeness and reliability. We used logistic regression to identify demographic, contextual, and location-specific predictors of answering all eligible map questions and answering specific map questions. We assessed data reliability by comparing selected locations with other participant-reported data. Of 247 men completing the survey, 167 (67.6%) answered the entire set of eligible map questions. Most participants (>80%) answered specific map questions, with sex locations being the least reported (80.6%). Participants with no college education were less likely than those with a college education to answer all map questions (prevalence ratio, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8). Participants who reported sex at their partner's home were less likely to indicate the location of that sex (prevalence ratio, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.7-1.0). Overall, 83% of participants placed their home's location within the boundaries of their reported residential ZIP code. Of locations having a specific text description, the median distance between the participant-selected location and the location determined using the specific text description was 0.29 miles (25th and 75th percentiles, 0.06-0.88). Using this Web-based map tool, this Web-based sample of MSM was generally willing and able to provide accurate data regarding both home and nonresidential locations. This tool provides a mechanism to collect data that can be used in more nuanced studies of place and sexual risk and preventive behaviors of MSM.

Terpenoid Variations within and among Half-Sibling Avocado Trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae)

PubMed Central

Niogret, Jerome; Epsky, Nancy D.; Schnell, Raymond J.; Boza, Edward J.; Kendra, Paul E.; Heath, Robert R.

2013-01-01

Chemical analyses were conducted to determine the qualitative and quantitative differences in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in plant material from avocado trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae). The initial study analyzed plant material sampled from the trunk to the leaves through different branch diameters to quantify proximo-distal spatial differences within a tree. All trees were seedlings initiated from a single maternal tree. Two-way analysis of variance was conducted on 34 chemicals that comprised at least 3% of the total chemical content of at least one tree and/or location within a tree. There were significant interactions between genotype and location sampled for most chemicals. Parentage analysis using microsatellite molecular markers (SSR's) determined that the four trees had three fathers and that they represented two full-siblings and two half-sibling trees. Descriptive discriminant analysis found that both genotype and location within a tree could be separated based on chemical content, and that the chemical content from full-siblings tended to be more similar than chemical content from half-siblings. To further explore the relationship between genetic background and chemical content, samples were analyzed from leaf material from 20 trees that included two sets of full-sibling seedling trees, the maternal tree and the surviving paternal tree. Descriptive discriminant analysis found good separation between the two full-sibling groups, and that the separation was associated with chemistry of the parental trees. Six groups of chemicals were identified that explained the variation among the trees. We discuss the results in relation to the discrimination process used by wood-boring insects for site-selection on host trees, for tree selection among potential host trees, and the potential use of terpenoid chemical content in chemotaxonomy of avocado trees. PMID:24039994

Terpenoid variations within and among half-sibling avocado trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae).

PubMed

Niogret, Jerome; Epsky, Nancy D; Schnell, Raymond J; Boza, Edward J; Kendra, Paul E; Heath, Robert R

2013-01-01

Chemical analyses were conducted to determine the qualitative and quantitative differences in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in plant material from avocado trees, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae). The initial study analyzed plant material sampled from the trunk to the leaves through different branch diameters to quantify proximo-distal spatial differences within a tree. All trees were seedlings initiated from a single maternal tree. Two-way analysis of variance was conducted on 34 chemicals that comprised at least 3% of the total chemical content of at least one tree and/or location within a tree. There were significant interactions between genotype and location sampled for most chemicals. Parentage analysis using microsatellite molecular markers (SSR's) determined that the four trees had three fathers and that they represented two full-siblings and two half-sibling trees. Descriptive discriminant analysis found that both genotype and location within a tree could be separated based on chemical content, and that the chemical content from full-siblings tended to be more similar than chemical content from half-siblings. To further explore the relationship between genetic background and chemical content, samples were analyzed from leaf material from 20 trees that included two sets of full-sibling seedling trees, the maternal tree and the surviving paternal tree. Descriptive discriminant analysis found good separation between the two full-sibling groups, and that the separation was associated with chemistry of the parental trees. Six groups of chemicals were identified that explained the variation among the trees. We discuss the results in relation to the discrimination process used by wood-boring insects for site-selection on host trees, for tree selection among potential host trees, and the potential use of terpenoid chemical content in chemotaxonomy of avocado trees.

Parametric fate and transport profiling for selective groundwater monitoring at closed landfills: a case study.

PubMed

Sizirici, Banu; Tansel, Berrin

2015-04-01

Monitoring contaminant concentrations in groundwater near closed municipal solid waste landfills requires long term monitoring program which can require significant investment for monitoring efforts. The groundwater monitoring data from a closed landfill in Florida was analyzed to reduce the monitoring efforts. The available groundwater monitoring data (collected over 20 years) were analyzed (i.e., type, concentration and detection level) to identify the trends in concentrations of contaminants and spatial mobility characteristics of groundwater (i.e., groundwater direction, retardation characteristics of contaminants, groundwater well depth, subsoil characteristics), to identify critical monitoring locations. Among the 7 groundwater monitoring well clusters (totaling 22 wells) in landfill, the data from two monitoring well clusters (totaling 7 wells) located along direction of groundwater flow showed similarities (the highest concentrations and same contaminants). These wells were used to assess the transport characteristics of the contaminants. Some parameters (e.g., iron, sodium, ammonia as N, chlorobenzene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene) showed decreasing trends in the groundwater due to soil absorption and retardation. Metals were retarded by ion exchange and their concentration increased by depth indicating soil reached breakthrough over time. Soil depth did not have a significant effect on the concentrations of volatile organic contaminants. Based on the analyses, selective groundwater monitoring modifications were developed for effective monitoring to acquire data from the most critical locations which may be impacted by leachate mobility. The adjustments in the sampling strategy reduced the amount of data collected by as much as 97.7% (i.e., total number of parameters monitored). Effective groundwater sampling strategies can save time, effort and monitoring costs while improving the quality of sample handling and data analyses for better utilization of post closure monitoring funds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generation of kth-order random toposequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odgers, Nathan P.; McBratney, Alex. B.; Minasny, Budiman

2008-05-01

The model presented in this paper derives toposequences from a digital elevation model (DEM). It is written in ArcInfo Macro Language (AML). The toposequences are called kth-order random toposequences, because they take a random path uphill to the top of a hill and downhill to a stream or valley bottom from a randomly selected seed point, and they are located in a streamshed of order k according to a particular stream-ordering system. We define a kth-order streamshed as the area of land that drains directly to a stream segment of stream order k. The model attempts to optimise the spatial configuration of a set of derived toposequences iteratively by using simulated annealing to maximise the total sum of distances between each toposequence hilltop in the set. The user is able to select the order, k, of the derived toposequences. Toposequences are useful for determining soil sampling locations for use in collecting soil data for digital soil mapping applications. Sampling locations can be allocated according to equal elevation or equal-distance intervals along the length of the toposequence, for example. We demonstrate the use of this model for a study area in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. Of the 64 toposequences derived, 32 were first-order random toposequences according to Strahler's stream-ordering system, and 32 were second-order random toposequences. The model that we present in this paper is an efficient method for sampling soil along soil toposequences. The soils along a toposequence are related to each other by the topography they are found in, so soil data collected by this method is useful for establishing soil-landscape rules for the preparation of digital soil maps.

Monitoring in the nearshore: A process for making reasoned decisions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bodkin, James L.; Dean, T.A.

2003-01-01

Over the past several years, a conceptual framework for the GEM nearshore monitoring program has been developed through a series of workshops. However, details of the proposed monitoring program, e.g. what to sample, where to sample, when to sample and at how many sites, have yet to be determined. In FY 03 we were funded under Project 03687 to outline a process whereby specific alternatives to monitoring are developed and presented to the EVOS Trustee Council for consideration. As part of this process, two key elements are required before reasoned decisions can be made. These are: 1) a comprehensive historical perspective of locations and types of past studies conducted in the nearshore marine communities within Gulf of Alaska, and 2) estimates of costs for each element of a proposed monitoring program. We have developed a GIS database that details available information from past studies of selected nearshore habitats and species in the Gulf of Alaska and provide a visual means of selecting sites based (in part) on the locations for which historical data of interest are available. We also provide cost estimates for specific monitoring plan alternatives and outline several alternative plans that can be accomplished within reasonable budgetary constraints. The products that we will provide are: 1) A GIS database and maps showing the location and types of information available from the nearshore in the Gulf of Alaska; 2) A list of several specific monitoring alternatives that can be conducted within reasonable budgetary constraints; and 3) Cost estimates for proposed tasks to be conducted as part of the nearshore program. Because data compilation and management will not be completed until late in FY03 we are requesting support for close-out of this project in FY 04.

Selected water-quality data for the Standard Mine, Gunnison County, Colorado, 2006-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verplanck, Philip L.; Manning, Andrew H.; Mast, M. Alisa; Wanty, Richard B.; McCleskey, R. Blaine; Todorov, Todor I.; Adams, Monique

2007-01-01

Mine drainage and underground water samples were collected for analysis of inorganic solutes as part of a 1-year, hydrogeologic investigation of the Standard Mine and vicinity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has listed the Standard Mine in the Elk Creek drainage near Crested Butte, Colorado, as a Superfund Site because discharge from the Standard Mine enters Elk Creek, contributing dissolved and suspended loads of zinc, cadmium, copper, and other metals to Coal Creek, which is the primary drinking-water supply for the town of Crested Butte. Water analyses are reported for mine-effluent samples from Levels 1 and 5 of the Standard Mine, underground samples from Levels 3 and 5 of the Standard Mine, mine effluent from an adit located on the Elk Lode, and two spring samples that emerged from waste-rock material below Level 5 of the Standard Mine and the adit located on the Elk Lode. Reported analyses include field parameters (pH, specific conductance, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and redox potential) and major constituents and trace elements.

40 CFR Table 3 of Subpart Bbbbbbb... - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 14 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Test Methods 3 Table 3 of Subpart... 3 Table 3 of Subpart BBBBBBB of Part 63—Test Methods For * * * You must use * * * 1. Selecting the sampling locations a and the number of traverse points EPA test method 1 or 1A in appendix A to part 60. 2...

40 CFR Table 3 of Subpart Bbbbbbb... - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 14 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test Methods 3 Table 3 of Subpart... 3 Table 3 of Subpart BBBBBBB of Part 63—Test Methods For * * * You must use * * * 1. Selecting the sampling locations a and the number of traverse points EPA test method 1 or 1A in appendix A to part 60. 2...

40 CFR Table 3 of Subpart Bbbbbbb... - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Test Methods 3 Table 3 of Subpart... 3 Table 3 of Subpart BBBBBBB of Part 63—Test Methods For * * * You must use * * * 1. Selecting the sampling locations a and the number of traverse points EPA test method 1 or 1A in appendix A to part 60. 2...

40 CFR Table 3 of Subpart Bbbbbbb... - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Test Methods 3 Table 3 of Subpart... 3 Table 3 of Subpart BBBBBBB of Part 63—Test Methods For * * * You must use * * * 1. Selecting the sampling locations a and the number of traverse points EPA test method 1 or 1A in appendix A to part 60. 2...

40 CFR Table 3 of Subpart Bbbbbbb... - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Test Methods 3 Table 3 of Subpart... 3 Table 3 of Subpart BBBBBBB of Part 63—Test Methods For * * * You must use * * * 1. Selecting the sampling locations a and the number of traverse points EPA test method 1 or 1A in appendix A to part 60. 2...

Relationships between Health Status, Self Esteem and Social Support among Adolescents: Gender and Race Group Differences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landsberger, Betty H.

To locate possible causes for the gender and race differences observed in adolescent health status, an analysis was made of the relationship between the scores of a national sample of 12- to 17-year-old adolescents on selected items of the National Center for Health Statistics' Health Examination Survey. Thirty survey items indicating social…

Use of near infared spectroscopy to measure the chemical and mechanical properties of solid wood

Treesearch

Stephen S. Kelley; Timothy G. Rials; Rebecca Snell; Leslie H. Groom; Amie Sluiter

2004-01-01

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy (500 nm-2400 nm), coupled with multivariate analytic (MVA) statistical techniques, have been used to predict the chemical and mechanical properties of solid loblolly pine wood. The samples were selected from different radial locations and heights of three loblolly pine trees grown in Arkansas. The chemical composition and mechanical...

Use of near infrared spectroscopy to measure the chemical and mechanical properties of solid wood

Treesearch

Stephen S. Kelley; Timothy G. Rials; Rebecca Snell; Leslie H. Groom; Amie Sluiter

2004-01-01

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy (500 nm-2400 nm), coupled with multivariate analytic (MVA) statistical techniques, have been used to predict the chemical and mechanical properties of solid loblolly pine wood. The samples were selected from different radial locations and heights of three loblolly pine trees grown in Arkansas. The chemical composition and mechanical...

Selected mechanical and physical properties of Chinese tallow tree juvenile wood

Treesearch

Todd F. Shupe; LEslie H. Groom; Thomas L. Eberhardt; Thomas C. Pesacreta; Timothy G. Rials

2008-01-01

Chinese tallow tree is a noxious, invasive plant in the Southeastern United States. It is generally considered a nuisance and has no current commercial use. The objective of this research was to determine the moduli of rupture (MOR) and elasticity (MOE) of the stem wood of this species at different vertical sampling locations. Three Chinese tallow trees were felled and...

40 CFR 63.1656 - Performance testing, test methods, and compliance demonstrations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the emission standards. (1) Method 1 to select the sampling port location and the number of traverse... “i”, mg/dscm (gr/dscf). Qsdi = volumetric flow rate of effluent gas from exhaust stream “i”, dscm/hr (dscf/hr) K = conversion factor, 1 × 106 mg/kg (7,000 gr/lb). (C) Compliance is demonstrated if the...

40 CFR 63.1656 - Performance testing, test methods, and compliance demonstrations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the emission standards. (1) Method 1 to select the sampling port location and the number of traverse... “i”, mg/dscm (gr/dscf). Qsdi = volumetric flow rate of effluent gas from exhaust stream “i”, dscm/hr (dscf/hr) K = conversion factor, 1 × 106 mg/kg (7,000 gr/lb). (C) Compliance is demonstrated if the...

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Jjjjjj... - Performance (Stack) Testing Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-factor methodology in appendix A-7 to part 60 of this chapter. 3. Carbon Monoxide a. Select the sampling... carbon monoxide emission concentration Method 10, 10A, or 10B in appendix A-4 to part 60 of this chapter... location and the number of traverse points Method 1 in appendix A-1 to part 60 of this chapter. b...

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Jjjjjj... - Performance (Stack) Testing Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-factor methodology in appendix A-7 to part 60 of this chapter. 3. Carbon Monoxide a. Select the sampling... carbon monoxide emission concentration Method 10, 10A, or 10B in appendix A-4 to part 60 of this chapter... location and the number of traverse points Method 1 in appendix A-1 to part 60 of this chapter. b...

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Jjjjjj... - Performance (Stack) Testing Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-factor methodology in appendix A-7 to part 60 of this chapter. 3. Carbon Monoxide a. Select the sampling... carbon monoxide emission concentration Method 10, 10A, or 10B in appendix A-4 to part 60 of this chapter... location and the number of traverse points Method 1 in appendix A-1 to part 60 of this chapter. b...

40 CFR Table 4 to Subpart Jjjjjj... - Performance (Stack) Testing Requirements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-factor methodology in appendix A-7 to part 60 of this chapter. 3. Carbon Monoxide a. Select the sampling... carbon monoxide emission concentration Method 10, 10A, or 10B in appendix A-4 to part 60 of this chapter... location and the number of traverse points Method 1 in appendix A-1 to part 60 of this chapter. b...

Teachers' Capacity for Organizational Learning: The Effects of School Culture and Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louis, Karen Seashore; Lee, Moosung

2016-01-01

This paper investigates how key elements of school culture are associated with teachers' capacity to find and act on new information. We analyzed survey data from 3,579 teachers located in 117 schools which were a randomly selected sample from 9 states in the US. We found that school cultural components such as academic press, student support, and…

microMS: A Python Platform for Image-Guided Mass Spectrometry Profiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comi, Troy J.; Neumann, Elizabeth K.; Do, Thanh D.; Sweedler, Jonathan V.

2017-09-01

Image-guided mass spectrometry (MS) profiling provides a facile framework for analyzing samples ranging from single cells to tissue sections. The fundamental workflow utilizes a whole-slide microscopy image to select targets of interest, determine their spatial locations, and subsequently perform MS analysis at those locations. Improving upon prior reported methodology, a software package was developed for working with microscopy images. microMS, for microscopy-guided mass spectrometry, allows the user to select and profile diverse samples using a variety of target patterns and mass analyzers. Written in Python, the program provides an intuitive graphical user interface to simplify image-guided MS for novice users. The class hierarchy of instrument interactions permits integration of new MS systems while retaining the feature-rich image analysis framework. microMS is a versatile platform for performing targeted profiling experiments using a series of mass spectrometers. The flexibility in mass analyzers greatly simplifies serial analyses of the same targets by different instruments. The current capabilities of microMS are presented, and its application for off-line analysis of single cells on three distinct instruments is demonstrated. The software has been made freely available for research purposes. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

microMS: A Python Platform for Image-Guided Mass Spectrometry Profiling.

PubMed

Comi, Troy J; Neumann, Elizabeth K; Do, Thanh D; Sweedler, Jonathan V

2017-09-01

Image-guided mass spectrometry (MS) profiling provides a facile framework for analyzing samples ranging from single cells to tissue sections. The fundamental workflow utilizes a whole-slide microscopy image to select targets of interest, determine their spatial locations, and subsequently perform MS analysis at those locations. Improving upon prior reported methodology, a software package was developed for working with microscopy images. microMS, for microscopy-guided mass spectrometry, allows the user to select and profile diverse samples using a variety of target patterns and mass analyzers. Written in Python, the program provides an intuitive graphical user interface to simplify image-guided MS for novice users. The class hierarchy of instrument interactions permits integration of new MS systems while retaining the feature-rich image analysis framework. microMS is a versatile platform for performing targeted profiling experiments using a series of mass spectrometers. The flexibility in mass analyzers greatly simplifies serial analyses of the same targets by different instruments. The current capabilities of microMS are presented, and its application for off-line analysis of single cells on three distinct instruments is demonstrated. The software has been made freely available for research purposes. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Mesohaline submerged aquatic vegetation survey along the U.S. gulf of Mexico coast, 2000: A stratified random approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, J.; Merino, J.H.; Merino, S.L.

2009-01-01

Estimates of submerged aquatic vegetative (SAV) along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) generally focus on seagrasses. In 2000, we attempted a synoptic survey of SAV in the mesohaline (5-20 ppt) zone of estuarine and nearshore areas of the northeastern Gulf. Areas with SAV were identified from existing aerial 1992 photography, and a literature review was used to select those areas that were likely to experience mesohaline conditions during the growing season. In 2000, a drought year, we visited 217 randomly selected SAV beds and collected data on species composition and environmental conditions. In general, sites were either clearly polyhaline (2: 20 ppt) or oligohaline (S 5 ppt), with only five sites measuring between 5 and 20 ppt. Ruppia maritima L. (13-35 ppt, n = 28) was the only species that occurred in mesohaline salinities. Halodule wrightii Asch. occurred in 73% of the beds. The nonindigenous Myriophyllum spicatum L. was present in four locations with salinities below 3 ppt. No nonindigenous macroalgae were identified, and no nonindigenous angiosperms occurred in salinities above 3 ppt. Selecting sample locations based on historical salinity data was not a successful strategy for surveying SAV in mesohaline systems, particularly during a drought year. Our ability to locate SAV beds within 50 m of their aerially located position 8 yr later demonstrates some SAV stability in the highly variable conditions of the study area. ?? 2009 by the Marine Environmental Silences Consortium of Alabama.

A guide to the use of distance sampling to estimate abundance of Karner blue butterflies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grundel, Ralph

2015-01-01

This guide is intended to describe the use of distance sampling as a method for evaluating the abundance of Karner blue butterflies at a location. Other methods for evaluating abundance exist, including mark-release-recapture and index counts derived from Pollard-Yates surveys, for example. Although this guide is not intended to be a detailed comparison of the pros and cons of each type of method, there are important preliminary considerations to think about before selecting any method for evaluating the abundance of Karner blue butterflies.

Safety diagnosis: are we doing a good job?

PubMed

Park, Peter Y; Sahaji, Rajib

2013-03-01

Collision diagnosis is the second step in the six-step road safety management process described in the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual (HSM). Diagnosis is designed to identify a dominant or abnormally high proportion of particular collision configurations (e.g., rear end, right angle, etc.) at a target location. The primary diagnosis method suggested in the HSM is descriptive data analysis. This type of analysis relies on, for example, pie charts, histograms, and/or collision diagrams. Using location specific collision data (e.g., collision frequency per collision configuration for a target location), safety engineers identify (the most) frequent collision configurations. Safety countermeasures are then likely to concentrate on preventing the selected collision configurations. Although its real-world application in engineering practice is limited, an additional collision diagnosis method, known as the beta-binomial (BB) test, is also presented as the secondary diagnosis tool in the HSM. The BB test compares the proportion of a particular collision configuration observed at one location with the proportion of the same collision configuration found at other reference locations which are similar to the target location in terms of selected traffic and roadway characteristics (e.g., traffic volume, traffic control, and number of lanes). This study compared the outcomes obtained from descriptive data analysis and the BB test, and investigates two questions: (1) Do descriptive data analysis and the BB tests produce the same results (i.e., do they select the same collision configurations at the same locations)? and (2) If the tests produce different results, which result should be adopted in engineering practice? This study's analysis was based on a sample of the most recent five years (2005-2009) of collision and roadway configuration data for 143 signalized intersections in the City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The study results show that the BB test's role in diagnosing safety concerns in road safety engineering projects such as safety review projects for existing roadways may be just as important as the descriptive data analysis method. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Well installation and documentation, and ground-water sampling protocols for the pilot National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hardy, M.A.; Leahy, P.P.; Alley, W.M.

1989-01-01

Several pilot projects are being conducted as part of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The purpose of the pilot program is to test and refine concepts for a proposed full-scale program. Three of the pilot projects are specifically designed to assess groundwater. The purpose of this report is to describe the criteria that are being used in the NAWQA pilot projects for selecting and documenting wells, installing new wells, and sampling wells for different water quality constituents. Guidelines are presented for the selection of wells for sampling. Information needed to accurately document each well includes site characteristics related to the location of the well, land use near the well, and important well construction features. These guidelines ensure the consistency of the information collected and will provide comparable data for interpretive purposes. Guidelines for the installation of wells are presented and include procedures that need to be followed for preparations prior to drilling, the selection of the drilling technique and casing type, the grouting procedure, and the well-development technique. A major component of the protocols is related to water quality sampling. Tasks are identified that need to be completed prior to visiting the site for sampling. Guidelines are presented for purging the well prior t sampling, both in terms of the volume of water pumped and the chemical stability of field parameters. Guidelines are presented concerning sampler selection as related to both inorganic and organic constituents. Documentation needed to describe the measurements and observations related to sampling each well and treating and preserving the samples are also presented. Procedures are presented for the storage and shipping of water samples, equipment cleaning, and quality assurance. Quality assurance guidelines include the description of the general distribution of the various quality assurance samples (blanks, spikes, duplicates, and reference samples) that will be used in the pilot program. (Lantz-PTT)

Water-quality data for the Ohio River from Willow Island Dam to Belleville Dam, West Virginia and Ohio, June-October 1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chambers, D.B.; Miller, K.F.; Waldron, M.C.; Falkenburg, C.W.

1994-01-01

This report contains water-quality data for the Ohio River from river mile 160.6 (1.1 mi upstream from Willow Island Dam) to river mile 203.6 (0.3 mi upstream from Belleville Dam) during the summer of 1991. Water quality was determined by a combi- nation of synoptic field measurements and laboratory analyses. Synoptic sampling consisted of 8 cross-sectional transects and a longitudinal transect with 28 mid-channel stations. Each cross- sectional transect included five vertical profiles of water temperature, dissolved oxygen concen- tration, pH, and specific conductance. Longi- tudinal transect stations were sampled at three depths (near the surface, middle of the water column, and at or near the bottom) for the same characteristics. Sampling was completed in 3 days or less, and was repeated approximately every 2 weeks from June through October 1991. Beginning in August 1991, water samples were collected at selected locations and analyzed for chlorophyll-a and pheophytin concentrations, as measures of phytoplankton biomass and phytoplankton-degradation products, respectively. The depth of light penetration was estimated at all pigment-sampling locations.

Regional Seismic Travel-Time Prediction, Uncertainty, and Location Improvement in Western Eurasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flanagan, M. P.; Myers, S. C.

2004-12-01

We investigate our ability to improve regional travel-time prediction and seismic event location using an a priori, three-dimensional velocity model of Western Eurasia and North Africa: WENA1.0 [Pasyanos et al., 2004]. Our objective is to improve the accuracy of seismic location estimates and calculate representative location uncertainty estimates. As we focus on the geographic region of Western Eurasia, the Middle East, and North Africa, we develop, test, and validate 3D model-based travel-time prediction models for 30 stations in the study region. Three principal results are presented. First, the 3D WENA1.0 velocity model improves travel-time prediction over the iasp91 model, as measured by variance reduction, for regional Pg, Pn, and P phases recorded at the 30 stations. Second, a distance-dependent uncertainty model is developed and tested for the WENA1.0 model. Third, an end-to-end validation test based on 500 event relocations demonstrates improved location performance over the 1-dimensional iasp91 model. Validation of the 3D model is based on a comparison of approximately 11,000 Pg, Pn, and P travel-time predictions and empirical observations from ground truth (GT) events. Ray coverage for the validation dataset is chosen to provide representative, regional-distance sampling across Eurasia and North Africa. The WENA1.0 model markedly improves travel-time predictions for most stations with an average variance reduction of 25% for all ray paths. We find that improvement is station dependent, with some stations benefiting greatly from WENA1.0 predictions (52% at APA, 33% at BKR, and 32% at NIL), some stations showing moderate improvement (12% at KEV, 14% at BOM, and 12% at TAM), some benefiting only slightly (6% at MOX, and 4% at SVE), and some are degraded (-6% at MLR and -18% at QUE). We further test WENA1.0 by comparing location accuracy with results obtained using the iasp91 model. Again, relocation of these events is dependent on ray paths that evenly sample WENA1.0 and therefore provide an unbiased assessment of location performance. A statistically significant sample is achieved by generating 500 location realizations based on 5 events with location accuracy between 1 km and 5 km. Each realization is a randomly selected event with location determined by randomly selecting 5 stations from the available network. In 340 cases (68% of the instances), locations are improved, and average mislocation is reduced from 31 km to 26 km. Preliminary test of uncertainty estimates suggest that our uncertainty model produces location uncertainty ellipses that are representative of location accuracy. These results highlight the importance of accurate GT datasets in assessing regional travel-time models and demonstrate that an a priori 3D model can markedly improve our ability to locate small magnitude events in a regional monitoring context. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48, Contribution UCRL-CONF-206386.

Variations in land use and nonpoint-source contamination on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, west-central North Dakota, 1990-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

Macek-Rowland, Kathleen; Lent, Robert M.

1996-01-01

The effects of land-use activities on the water quality of five streams on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation were evaluated. The five basinsevaluated were East Fork Shell Creek, Deepwater Creek, Bear Den Creek, Moccasin Creek, and Squaw Creek. East Fork Shell Creek and DeepwaterCreek Basins are located east of Lake Sakakawea and Bear Den Creek, Moccasin Creek, and Squaw Creek Basins are located west of the lake. Land-use data for the five selected basins on and adjacent to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation were obtained for 1990-92. Discharge measurements were made and water-quality samples were collected at stations and sites on each of the five streams during October 1991 through September 1993. Analysis of land-use data indicated that prairie was the largest land-use category in the study area. More prairie acreage was found in the basins located west of Lake Sakakawea than in the basins located east of the lake. Wheat was the predominant crop in the study area. More wheat acreage was found in the basins located east of Lake Sakakawea than in the basins located west of the lake. Discharge data for the five selected streams indicated that all of thestreams were ephemeral and had many days of no flow during the study period. High flows were usually the result of spring runoff or intense storms over the basins. East Fork Shell Creek and Deepwater Creek with larger basins and flatter stream slopes had high flows characterized by rapidly rising flows and gradually receding flows. In contrast, Bear DenCreek, Moccasin Creek, and Squaw Creek with smaller basins and steeper stream slopes had high flows characterized by rapidly rising flows and receding flows of shorter duration. Analysis of water-quality samples indicated concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and total organic carbon varied throughout the study area. Nitrogen concentrations were larger in the streams located east of LakeSakakawea than in the streams located west of the lake. The largest nitrogen concentrations in all of the streams occurred during the nongrowing periods.Phosphorus (orthophosphate and total phosphorus)concentrations were larger in the streams located east of Lake Sakakawea than in the streams located west of the lake. The larger orthophosphateconcentrations in the eastern streams may be indicative of insecticide application in the eastern streams' basins. Total organic carbon concentrations were fairly consistent in all five streams. Water-quality samples were analyzed for the pesticides atrazine, carbofuran, cyanazine, and 2,4-D by using immunoassay testing. Pesticide concentrations above the minimum reporting levels were more prevalent insamples from streams located east of Lake Sakakawea than in the streams located west of the lake. The eastern streams drain areas where herbicides were applied to crops. Fecal-bacteria concentrations were larger in the streams located west of Lake Sakakawea, where prairie is more dominant, than in the streams located east of the lake. The larger concentrations and loads were associated with intense storm events and the presence of livestock.

Metallographic cooling rates of L-group ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, Marvin E.; Mcsween, Harry Y., Jr.

1993-01-01

Shock metamorphism appears to be a ubiquitous feature in L-group ordinary chondrites. Brecciation and heterogeneous melting obscure much of the early history of this meteorite group and have caused confusion as to whether L chondrites have undergone thermal metamorphism within onion-shell or rubble-pile parent bodies. Employing the most recent shock criteria, we have examined 55 Antarctic and 24 non-Antarctic L chondrites in order to identify those which have been least affected by post-accretional shock. Six low-shock samples (those with shock grade less than S4) of petrographic types L3-L5 were selected from both populations and metallographic cooling rates were obtained following the technique of Willis and Goldstein. All non-Antarctic L6 chondrites inspected were too heavily shocked to be included in this group. However, 4 shocked L6 chondrites were analyzed in order to determine what effects shock may impose on metallographic cooling rates. Metallographic cooling rates were derived by analyzing the cores of taenite grains and then measuring the distance to the nearest grain edge. Taenites were identified using backscatter imaging on a Cameca SX-50 electron microprobe. Using backscatter we were able to locate homogeneous, rust-free, nearly spherical grains. M-shaped profiles taken from grain traverses were also used to help locate the central portions of selected grains. All points which contained phosphorus above detection limits were discarded. Plots of cooling-rate data are summarized and data from the high-shock samples are presented. The lack of coherency of cooling rates for individual samples is indicative of heterogeneous cooling following shock. The data confirms the statement expressed by numerous workers that extreme care must be taken when selecting samples of L chondrites for cooling-rate studies. Data for the 6 non-Antarctic low-shock samples are also presented. The samples display a general trend in cooling rates. The lowest metamorphic grade yielded the slowest cooling rates and an increase in grade follows an increase in cooling rate. This is the opposite relationship to that predicted by the onion-shell model.

Assessment of indoor air quality exposures and impacts on respiratory outcomes in River Rouge and Dearborn, Michigan.

PubMed

Cleary, Erika; Asher, Mary; Olawoyin, Richard; Zhang, Kuangyuan

2017-11-01

Ambient air pollution is a public health issue which could potentially exacerbate pre-existing respiratory conditions and contribute to increases in asthma incidence. This study aims to address gaps in understanding how IAQ is impacted by outdoor air quality, which was done by sampling for indoor gaseous and particulate pollutants in residence and facilities near the sources of pollution. The study areas were selected due to non-attainment status with air quality standards, as well as demographic and socioeconomic status of those residing in these areas. Samples are obtained from five locations around the study areas. The sampling procedure involves active sampling methodologies for particulate matter (PM) and gases. Average volatile organic compounds (VOC) levels of 2.71 ppm were measured at a location, while the average particulate matter (PM) concentrations in three study locations were; 15,979 pt/cc, 9533 pt/cc, 5267 pt/cc respectively, which exceeded clean background environment level of 500-2000 pt/cc. All locations had average CO concentrations above 0.3 ppm, which is potentially associated with elevated asthma symptoms. Results demonstrated that facilities in the study area have increased levels of indoor air pollutants that potentially increase asthma and respiratory issues. The study concludes that particulate and gaseous pollutant levels in the study areas are a concerning human health issue. The study outcomes have significant implications for air quality exposure modeling and potential exposure mitigation strategies, which are expected to facilitate the implementation of public policies for improved human health conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The data collection/data distribution center: building a sustainable African-American church-based research network.

PubMed

Goldmon, Moses; Roberson, James T; Carey, Tim; Godley, Paul; Howard, Daniel L; Boyd, Carlton; Ammerman, Alice

2008-01-01

This article describes the Carolina-Shaw Partnership for the Elimination of Health Disparities efforts to engage a diverse group of Black churches in a sustainable network. We sought to develop a diverse network of 25 churches to work with the Carolina-Shaw Partnership to develop sustainable health disparities research, education, and intervention initiatives. Churches were selected based on location, pastoral buy-in, and capacity to engage. A purposive sampling technique was applied. (1) Collecting information on the location and characteristics of churches helps to identify and recruit churches that possess the desired qualities and characteristics. (2) The process used to identify, recruit, and select churches is time intensive. (3) The time, energy, and effort required managing an inter-institutional partnership and engage churches in health disparities research and interventions lends itself to sustainability. The development of a sustainable network of churches could lead to successful health disparities initiatives.

ExoMars 2018 Landing Site Selection Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vago, Jorge L.; Kminek, Gerhard; Rodionov, Daniel

The ExoMars 2018 mission will include two science elements: a Rover and a Surface Platform. The ExoMars Rover will carry a comprehensive suite of instruments dedicated to geology and exobiology research named after Louis Pasteur. The Rover will be able to travel several kilometres searching for traces of past and present signs of life. It will do this by collecting and analysing samples from outcrops, and from the subsurface—down to 2-m depth. The very powerful combination of mobility with the ability to access locations where organic molecules can be well preserved is unique to this mission. After the Rover will have egressed, the ExoMars Surface Platform will begin its science mission to study the surface environment at the landing location. This talk will describe the landing site selection process and introduce the scientific, planetary protection, and engineering requirements that candidate landing sites must comply with in order to be considered for the mission.

Mate-sampling costs and sexy sons.

PubMed

Kokko, H; Booksmythe, I; Jennions, M D

2015-01-01

Costly female mating preferences for purely Fisherian male traits (i.e. sexual ornaments that are genetically uncorrelated with inherent viability) are not expected to persist at equilibrium. The indirect benefit of producing 'sexy sons' (Fisher process) disappears: in some models, the male trait becomes fixed; in others, a range of male trait values persist, but a larger trait confers no net fitness advantage because it lowers survival. Insufficient indirect selection to counter the direct cost of producing fewer offspring means that preferences are lost. The only well-cited exception assumes biased mutation on male traits. The above findings generally assume constant direct selection against female preferences (i.e. fixed costs). We show that if mate-sampling costs are instead derived based on an explicit account of how females acquire mates, an initially costly mating preference can coevolve with a male trait so that both persist in the presence or absence of biased mutation. Our models predict that empirically detecting selection at equilibrium will be difficult, even if selection was responsible for the location of the current equilibrium. In general, it appears useful to integrate mate sampling theory with models of genetic consequences of mating preferences: being explicit about the process by which individuals select mates can alter equilibria. © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Geochemistry of Surface and Ground Water in Cement Creek from Gladstone to Georgia Gulch and in Prospect Gulch, San Juan County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Raymond H.; Wirt, Laurie; Manning, Andrew H.; Leib, Kenneth J.; Fey, David L.; Yager, Douglas B.

2007-01-01

In San Juan County, Colo., the effects of historical mining continue to contribute metals to ground water and surface water. Previous research by the U.S. Geological Survey identified ground-water discharge as a significant pathway for the loading of metals to surface water in the upper Animas River watershed from both acid-mine drainage and acid-rock drainage. In support of this ground-water research effort, Prospect Gulch was selected for further study and the geochemistry of surface and ground water in the area was analyzed as part of four sampling plans: (1) ten streamflow and geochemistry measurements at five stream locations (four locations along Cement Creek plus the mouth of Prospect Gulch from July 2004 through August 2005), (2) detailed stream tracer dilution studies in Prospect Gulch and in Cement Creek from Gladstone to Georgia Gulch in early October 2004, (3) geochemistry of ground water through sampling of monitoring wells, piezometers, mine shafts, and springs, and (4) samples for noble gases and tritium/helium for recharge temperatures (recharge elevation) and ground-water age dating. This report summarizes all of the surface and ground-water data that was collected and includes: (1) all sample collection locations, (2) streamflow and geochemistry, (3) ground-water geochemistry, and (4) noble gas and tritium/helium data.

Legacy sample disposition project. Volume 2: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gurley, R.N.; Shifty, K.L.

1998-02-01

This report describes the legacy sample disposition project at the Idaho Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), which assessed Site-wide facilities/areas to locate legacy samples and owner organizations and then characterized and dispositioned these samples. This project resulted from an Idaho Department of Environmental Quality inspection of selected areas of the INEEL in January 1996, which identified some samples at the Test Reactor Area and Idaho Chemical Processing Plant that had not been characterized and dispositioned according to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements. The objective of the project was to manage legacy samples in accordance with all applicable environmentalmore » and safety requirements. A systems engineering approach was used throughout the project, which included collecting the legacy sample information and developing a system for amending and retrieving the information. All legacy samples were dispositioned by the end of 1997. Closure of the legacy sample issue was achieved through these actions.« less

Profile local linear estimation of generalized semiparametric regression model for longitudinal data.

PubMed

Sun, Yanqing; Sun, Liuquan; Zhou, Jie

2013-07-01

This paper studies the generalized semiparametric regression model for longitudinal data where the covariate effects are constant for some and time-varying for others. Different link functions can be used to allow more flexible modelling of longitudinal data. The nonparametric components of the model are estimated using a local linear estimating equation and the parametric components are estimated through a profile estimating function. The method automatically adjusts for heterogeneity of sampling times, allowing the sampling strategy to depend on the past sampling history as well as possibly time-dependent covariates without specifically model such dependence. A [Formula: see text]-fold cross-validation bandwidth selection is proposed as a working tool for locating an appropriate bandwidth. A criteria for selecting the link function is proposed to provide better fit of the data. Large sample properties of the proposed estimators are investigated. Large sample pointwise and simultaneous confidence intervals for the regression coefficients are constructed. Formal hypothesis testing procedures are proposed to check for the covariate effects and whether the effects are time-varying. A simulation study is conducted to examine the finite sample performances of the proposed estimation and hypothesis testing procedures. The methods are illustrated with a data example.

Water Security Toolkit User Manual: Version 1.3 | Science ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

User manual: Data Product/Software The Water Security Toolkit (WST) is a suite of tools that help provide the information necessary to make good decisions resulting in the minimization of further human exposure to contaminants, and the maximization of the effectiveness of intervention strategies. WST assists in the evaluation of multiple response actions in order to select the most beneficial consequence management strategy. It includes hydraulic and water quality modeling software and optimization methodologies to identify: (1) sensor locations to detect contamination, (2) locations in the network in which the contamination was introduced, (3) hydrants to remove contaminated water from the distribution system, (4) locations in the network to inject decontamination agents to inactivate, remove or destroy contaminants, (5) locations in the network to take grab sample to confirm contamination or cleanup and (6) valves to close in order to isolate contaminated areas of the network.

Habitat selection of Rocky Mountain elk in a nonforested environment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sawyer, H.; Nielson, R.M.; Lindzey, F.G.; Keith, L.; Powell, J.H.; Abraham, A.A.

2007-01-01

Recent expansions by Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) into nonforested habitats across the Intermountain West have required managers to reconsider the traditional paradigms of forage and cover as they relate to managing elk and their habitats. We examined seasonal habitat selection patterns of a hunted elk population in a nonforested high-desert region of southwestern Wyoming, USA. We used 35,246 global positioning system locations collected from 33 adult female elk to model probability of use as a function of 6 habitat variables: slope, aspect, elevation, habitat diversity, distance to shrub cover, and distance to road. We developed resource selection probability functions for individual elk, and then we averaged the coefficients to estimate population-level models for summer and winter periods. We used the population-level models to generate predictive maps by assigning pixels across the study area to 1 of 4 use categories (i.e., high, medium-high, medium-low, or low), based on quartiles of the predictions. Model coefficients and predictive maps indicated that elk selected for summer habitats characterized by higher elevations in areas of high vegetative diversity, close to shrub cover, northerly aspects, moderate slopes, and away from roads. Winter habitat selection patterns were similar, except elk shifted to areas with lower elevations and southerly aspects. We validated predictive maps by using 528 locations collected from an independent sample of radiomarked elk (n = 55) and calculating the proportion of locations that occurred in each of the 4 use categories. Together, the high- and medium-high use categories of the summer and winter predictive maps contained 92% and 74% of summer and winter elk locations, respectively. Our population-level models and associated predictive maps were successful in predicting winter and summer habitat use by elk in a nonforested environment. In the absence of forest cover, elk seemed to rely on a combination of shrubs, topography, and low human disturbance to meet their thermal and hiding cover requirements.

Skin Condition Finder

MedlinePlus

... 2 Select Gender Male Female 3 Select Body Location Scalp Face Neck Chest Back Arm Armpit Stomach ... a body location to continue. 3 Select Body Location Face Forehead Ear Eye Nose Cheek/Beard Area ...

Bayesian SEM for Specification Search Problems in Testing Factorial Invariance.

PubMed

Shi, Dexin; Song, Hairong; Liao, Xiaolan; Terry, Robert; Snyder, Lori A

2017-01-01

Specification search problems refer to two important but under-addressed issues in testing for factorial invariance: how to select proper reference indicators and how to locate specific non-invariant parameters. In this study, we propose a two-step procedure to solve these issues. Step 1 is to identify a proper reference indicator using the Bayesian structural equation modeling approach. An item is selected if it is associated with the highest likelihood to be invariant across groups. Step 2 is to locate specific non-invariant parameters, given that a proper reference indicator has already been selected in Step 1. A series of simulation analyses show that the proposed method performs well under a variety of data conditions, and optimal performance is observed under conditions of large magnitude of non-invariance, low proportion of non-invariance, and large sample sizes. We also provide an empirical example to demonstrate the specific procedures to implement the proposed method in applied research. The importance and influences are discussed regarding the choices of informative priors with zero mean and small variances. Extensions and limitations are also pointed out.

LIBS, Raman spectroscopy, and optical microscopy analyses of superficial encrustations on ancient tesserae in Lebanon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomkowska, Anna; Chmielewski, Krzysztof; Skrzyczanowski, Wojciech; Mularczyk-Oliwa, Monika; Ostrowski, Roman; Strzelec, Marek

2017-07-01

The aim of research was determination of composition and nature of superficial deposits, cumulated at the selected mosaic's tesserae from Lebanon. Selected were three series of objects from different locations, namely from the seaside and mountain archaeological sites as well as from the mosaics exposed in the city center. Analyzed were stone and ceramic tesserae. The selection of objects was dictated by wide diversification of factors influencing the state of preservation and composition of deposits in given location. Investigations were performed including LIBS, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy and optical 3D microscopy. The experimental results included composition and kind of deposit at the tesserae surfaces, and composition of tesserae itself. Compounds in the superficial deposits were identified. Confirmed was occurrence of different encrustations in dependence on geographic localization of a given sample. The interpretation of results was supported by multivariate statistical techniques, especially by the factor analysis. Performed analyses constitute the pioneer realization in terms of determination of deposits composition at the surface of mosaics from the Lebanon territory.

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater constituents in selected streams in northern Arkansas, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galloway, Joel M.; Haggard, Brian E.; Meyers, Michael T.; Green, W. Reed

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the University of Arkansas and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, collected data in 2004 to determine the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater constituents, including many constituents of emerging environmental concern, in selected streams in northern Arkansas. Samples were collected in March and April 2004 from 17 sites located upstream and downstream from wastewater- treatment plant effluent discharges on 7 streams in northwestern Arkansas and at 1 stream site in a relatively undeveloped basin in north-central Arkansas. Additional samples were collected at three of the sites in August 2004. The targeted organic wastewater constituents and sample sites were selected because wastewater-treatment plant effluent discharge provides a potential point source of these constituents and analytical techniques have improved to accurately measure small amounts of these constituents in environmental samples. At least 1 of the 108 pharmaceutical or other organic wastewater constituents was detected at all sites in 2004, except at Spavinaw Creek near Maysville, Arkansas. The number of detections generally was greater at sites downstream from municipal wastewater-treatment plant effluent discharges (mean = 14) compared to sites not influenced by wastewatertreatment plants (mean = 3). Overall, 42 of the 108 constituents targeted in the collected water-quality samples were detected. The most frequently detected constituents included caffeine, phenol, para-cresol, and acetyl hexamethyl tetrahydro naphthalene.

Relationship of In Vivo MR Parameters to Histopathological and Molecular Characteristics of Newly Diagnosed, Nonenhancing Lower-Grade Gliomas.

PubMed

Luks, Tracy L; McKnight, Tracy Richmond; Jalbert, Llewellyn E; Williams, Aurelia; Neill, Evan; Lobo, Khadjia A; Persson, Anders I; Perry, Arie; Phillips, Joanna J; Molinaro, Annette M; Chang, Susan M; Nelson, Sarah J

2018-06-05

The goal of this research was to elucidate the relationship between WHO 2016 molecular classifications of newly diagnosed, nonenhancing lower grade gliomas (LrGG), tissue sample histopathology, and magnetic resonance (MR) parameters derived from diffusion, perfusion, and 1 H spectroscopic imaging from the tissue sample locations and the entire tumor. A total of 135 patients were scanned prior to initial surgery, with tumor cellularity scores obtained from 88 image-guided tissue samples. MR parameters were obtained from corresponding sample locations, and histograms of normalized MR parameters within the T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery lesion were analyzed in order to evaluate differences between subgroups. For tissue samples, higher tumor scores were related to increased normalized apparent diffusion coefficient (nADC), lower fractional anisotropy (nFA), lower cerebral blood volume (nCBV), higher choline (nCho), and lower N-acetylaspartate (nNAA). Within the T2 lesion, higher tumor grade was associated with higher nADC, lower nFA, and higher Cho to NAA index. Pathological analysis confirmed that diffusion and metabolic parameters increased and perfusion decreased with tumor cellularity. This information can be used to select targets for tissue sampling and to aid in making decisions about treating residual disease. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Observational Study of Honey Bee Colony Winter Losses and Their Association with Varroa destructor, Neonicotinoids and Other Risk Factors

PubMed Central

van der Zee, Romée; Gray, Alison; Pisa, Lennard; de Rijk, Theo

2015-01-01

This article presents results of an analysis of honey bee losses over the winter of 2011-2012 in the Netherlands, from a sample of 86 colonies, located at 43 apiaries. The apiaries were selected using spatially stratified random sampling. Colony winter loss data were collected and related to various measures of colony strength recorded in summer, as well as data from laboratory analysis of sample material taken from two selected colonies in each of the 43 apiaries. The logistic regression model which best explained the risk of winter loss included, in order of statistical importance, the variables (1) Varroa destructor mite infestation rate in October 2011, (2) presence of the cyano-substituted neonicotinoids acetamiprid or thiacloprid in the first 2 weeks of August 2011 in at least one of the honey bee matrices honey, bees or bee bread (pollen), (3) presence of Brassica napus (oilseed rape) or Sinapis arvensis (wild mustard) pollen in bee bread in early August 2011, and (4) a measure of the unexplained winter losses for the postal code area where the colonies were located, obtained from a different dataset. We consider in the discussion that reduced opportunities for foraging in July and August because of bad weather may have added substantially to the adverse effects of acetamiprid and thiacloprid. A novel feature of this work is its use of postal code random effects from two other independent datasets collected in the annual national monitoring by questionnaires of winter losses of honey bees in the Netherlands. These were used to plan the sample selection and also in the model fitting of the data in this study. It should however be noted that the results of the present pilot study are based on limited data, which may consequently reveal strong factors but fail to demonstrate possible interaction effects. PMID:26154346

An Observational Study of Honey Bee Colony Winter Losses and Their Association with Varroa destructor, Neonicotinoids and Other Risk Factors.

PubMed

van der Zee, Romée; Gray, Alison; Pisa, Lennard; de Rijk, Theo

2015-01-01

This article presents results of an analysis of honey bee losses over the winter of 2011-2012 in the Netherlands, from a sample of 86 colonies, located at 43 apiaries. The apiaries were selected using spatially stratified random sampling. Colony winter loss data were collected and related to various measures of colony strength recorded in summer, as well as data from laboratory analysis of sample material taken from two selected colonies in each of the 43 apiaries. The logistic regression model which best explained the risk of winter loss included, in order of statistical importance, the variables (1) Varroa destructor mite infestation rate in October 2011, (2) presence of the cyano-substituted neonicotinoids acetamiprid or thiacloprid in the first 2 weeks of August 2011 in at least one of the honey bee matrices honey, bees or bee bread (pollen), (3) presence of Brassica napus (oilseed rape) or Sinapis arvensis (wild mustard) pollen in bee bread in early August 2011, and (4) a measure of the unexplained winter losses for the postal code area where the colonies were located, obtained from a different dataset. We consider in the discussion that reduced opportunities for foraging in July and August because of bad weather may have added substantially to the adverse effects of acetamiprid and thiacloprid. A novel feature of this work is its use of postal code random effects from two other independent datasets collected in the annual national monitoring by questionnaires of winter losses of honey bees in the Netherlands. These were used to plan the sample selection and also in the model fitting of the data in this study. It should however be noted that the results of the present pilot study are based on limited data, which may consequently reveal strong factors but fail to demonstrate possible interaction effects.

Volatile organic compounds: sampling methods and their worldwide profile in ambient air.

PubMed

Kumar, Anuj; Víden, Ivan

2007-08-01

The atmosphere is a particularly difficult analytical system because of the very low levels of substances to be analysed, sharp variations in pollutant levels with time and location, differences in wind, temperature and humidity. This makes the selection of an efficient sampling technique for air analysis a key step to reliable results. Generally, methods for volatile organic compounds sampling include collection of the whole air or preconcentration of samples on adsorbents. All the methods vary from each other according to the sampling technique, type of sorbent, method of extraction and identification technique. In this review paper we discuss various important aspects for sampling of volatile organic compounds by the widely used and advanced sampling methods. Characteristics of various adsorbents used for VOCs sampling are also described. Furthermore, this paper makes an effort to comprehensively review the concentration levels of volatile organic compounds along with the methodology used for analysis, in major cities of the world.

Investigation of water quality parameters at selected points on the Tennessee River

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manger, M. C.

1973-01-01

Physical, chemical, and biological water quality parameters have been investigated at the Widow's Creek steam plant. The water quality parameters and field site locations have been selected so as to be compatible with the interests and needs of the Environmental Application Office at Marshall Space Flight Center. All sampling and testing was conducted as directed in the 13th Edition of Standard Methods of Analysis for Water and Waste Water or as suggested by NASA'S Technical Officer. Data is presented in a form compatible with that presently being collected by other agencies.

Identification of possible sources of particulate matter in the personal cloud using SEM/EDX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conner, Teri L.; Williams, Ronald W.

2004-10-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) conducted the Baltimore Particulate Matter (PM) Epidemiology-Exposure Study of the Elderly during the summer of 1998. The study design included PM2.5 samples obtained from elderly (65+ years of age) retirement facility residents using personal exposure sampling devices. These sampling devices were also used to obtain PM2.5 samples at fixed locations within the personal monitoring subjects' apartments. Selected personal and apartment samples were examined using scanning electron microscopy with individual-particle X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX), providing a qualitative assessment of the chemical and physical characteristics of geological and trace element particles collected within these micro-environments at the retirement facility. This information was used to identify possible indoor source particles. The manual surveys of the personal samples revealed that some particles larger than 2.5 μm reached the filter surface. Using SEM/EDX, several particle types with possible indoor origins were identified. The Al-Zr-Cl particle is likely to have originated from a personal antiperspirant product. Particles with a talc or alumino-silicate composition point to cosmetics as a possible source. Large cadmium-containing particles were also found, which may indicate the use of art pigments or ceramic glazes, or emissions from television screen phosphors. A greater variety of particles was observed in a personal sample compared with its corresponding fixed-location apartment sample.

Sampling Strategies for Evaluating the Rate of Adventitious Transgene Presence in Non-Genetically Modified Crop Fields.

PubMed

Makowski, David; Bancal, Rémi; Bensadoun, Arnaud; Monod, Hervé; Messéan, Antoine

2017-09-01

According to E.U. regulations, the maximum allowable rate of adventitious transgene presence in non-genetically modified (GM) crops is 0.9%. We compared four sampling methods for the detection of transgenic material in agricultural non-GM maize fields: random sampling, stratified sampling, random sampling + ratio reweighting, random sampling + regression reweighting. Random sampling involves simply sampling maize grains from different locations selected at random from the field concerned. The stratified and reweighting sampling methods make use of an auxiliary variable corresponding to the output of a gene-flow model (a zero-inflated Poisson model) simulating cross-pollination as a function of wind speed, wind direction, and distance to the closest GM maize field. With the stratified sampling method, an auxiliary variable is used to define several strata with contrasting transgene presence rates, and grains are then sampled at random from each stratum. With the two methods involving reweighting, grains are first sampled at random from various locations within the field, and the observations are then reweighted according to the auxiliary variable. Data collected from three maize fields were used to compare the four sampling methods, and the results were used to determine the extent to which transgene presence rate estimation was improved by the use of stratified and reweighting sampling methods. We found that transgene rate estimates were more accurate and that substantially smaller samples could be used with sampling strategies based on an auxiliary variable derived from a gene-flow model. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Negative Affect, Delinquency, and Alcohol Use among Rural and Urban African-American Adolescents: A Brief Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Matthew J.; Merritt, Stephanie M.; Austin, Chammie C.

2013-01-01

A model of negative affect and alcohol use was replicated on a sample of African-American high school students. Participants (N = 5,086) were randomly selected from a previously collected data set and consisted of 2,253 males and 2,833 females residing in both rural and urban locations. Multivariate analysis of covariance and structural equation…

A Study on Young Turkish Students' Living Thing Conception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özgur, Sami

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to find out young Turkish students' opinions about living thing concept in detail and to investigate the criteria used by the students to define this concept. The study sample consisted of randomly selected 140 students studying at the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades in four different primary and middle schools located in the…

What Influences Public Library Adult Patrons to Choose the Books They Borrow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldhor, Herbert

This study was conducted in l978/79 to test the hypothesis that the circulation of books put in a prominent display location would increase because of the tendency of adults to select books in public libraries by browsing, rather than looking for specific titles. The circulation of all copies of a sample of ll5 titles from the adult individual…

Computational lymphatic node models in pediatric and adult hybrid phantoms for radiation dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Choonsik; Lamart, Stephanie; Moroz, Brian E.

2013-03-01

We developed models of lymphatic nodes for six pediatric and two adult hybrid computational phantoms to calculate the lymphatic node dose estimates from external and internal radiation exposures. We derived the number of lymphatic nodes from the recommendations in International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publications 23 and 89 at 16 cluster locations for the lymphatic nodes: extrathoracic, cervical, thoracic (upper and lower), breast (left and right), mesentery (left and right), axillary (left and right), cubital (left and right), inguinal (left and right) and popliteal (left and right), for different ages (newborn, 1-, 5-, 10-, 15-year-old and adult). We modeled each lymphatic node within the voxel format of the hybrid phantoms by assuming that all nodes have identical size derived from published data except narrow cluster sites. The lymph nodes were generated by the following algorithm: (1) selection of the lymph node site among the 16 cluster sites; (2) random sampling of the location of the lymph node within a spherical space centered at the chosen cluster site; (3) creation of the sphere or ovoid of tissue representing the node based on lymphatic node characteristics defined in ICRP Publications 23 and 89. We created lymph nodes until the pre-defined number of lymphatic nodes at the selected cluster site was reached. This algorithm was applied to pediatric (newborn, 1-, 5-and 10-year-old male, and 15-year-old males) and adult male and female ICRP-compliant hybrid phantoms after voxelization. To assess the performance of our models for internal dosimetry, we calculated dose conversion coefficients, called S values, for selected organs and tissues with Iodine-131 distributed in six lymphatic node cluster sites using MCNPX2.6, a well validated Monte Carlo radiation transport code. Our analysis of the calculations indicates that the S values were significantly affected by the location of the lymph node clusters and that the values increased for smaller phantoms due to the shorter inter-organ distances compared to the bigger phantoms. By testing sensitivity of S values to random sampling and voxel resolution, we confirmed that the lymph node model is reasonably stable and consistent for different random samplings and voxel resolutions.

Optical Spectroscopy of Distant Red Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wuyts, Stijn; van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Franx, Marijn; Förster Schreiber, Natascha M.; Illingworth, Garth D.; Labbé, Ivo; Rudnick, Gregory

2009-11-01

We present optical spectroscopic follow-up of a sample of distant red galaxies (DRGs) with K tot s,Vega < 22.5, selected by (J - K)Vega>2.3, in the Hubble Deep Field South (HDFS), the MS 1054-03 field, and the Chandra Deep Field South (CDFS). Spectroscopic redshifts were obtained for 15 DRGs. Only two out of 15 DRGs are located at z < 2, suggesting a high efficiency to select high-redshift sources. From other spectroscopic surveys in the CDFS targeting intermediate to high-redshift populations selected with different criteria, we find spectroscopic redshifts for a further 30 DRGs. We use the sample of spectroscopically confirmed DRGs to establish the high quality (scatter in Δz/(1 + z) of ~0.05) of their photometric redshifts in the considered deep fields, as derived with EAZY. Combining the spectroscopic and photometric redshifts, we find that 74% of DRGs with K tot s,Vega < 22.5 lie at z>2. The combined spectroscopic and photometric sample is used to analyze the distinct intrinsic and observed properties of DRGs at z < 2 and z>2. In our photometric sample to K tot s,Vega < 22.5, low-redshift DRGs are brighter in Ks than high-redshift DRGs by 0.7 mag, and more extincted by 1.2 mag in AV . Our analysis shows that the DRG criterion selects galaxies with different properties at different redshifts. Such biases can be largely avoided by selecting galaxies based on their rest-frame properties, which requires very good multi-band photometry and high quality photometric redshifts.

Soil attributes drive nest-site selection by the campo miner Geositta poeciloptera.

PubMed

Meireles, Ricardo Camargos de; Teixeira, João Paulo Gusmão; Solar, Ricardo; Vasconcelos, Bruno Nery F; Fernandes, Raphael B A; Lopes, Leonardo Esteves

2018-01-01

Substrate type is a key-factor in nest-site selection and nest architecture of burrowing birds. However, little is known about which factors drive nest-site selection for these species, especially in the tropics. We studied the influence of soil attributes on nest-site selection by the campo miner Geositta poeciloptera, an open grassland bird that builds its nests within soil cavities. For all nests found, we measured the depth of the nest cavity and the resistance of the soil to penetration, and identified the soil horizon in which the nest was located. In soil banks with nests, we collected soil samples for granulometric analysis around each nest cavity, while in soil banks without nests we collected these samples at random points. From 43 nests found, 86% were located in the deeper soil horizons (C-horizon), and only 14% in the shallower horizons (B-horizon). Granulometric analysis showed that the C-horizons possessed a high similar granulometric composition, with high silt and low clay contents. These characteristics are associated with a low degree of structural development of the soil, which makes it easier to excavate. Contrarily, soil resistance to penetration does not seem to be an important criterion for nest site selection, although nests in more resistant the soils tend to have shallower nest cavities. Among the soil banks analyzed, 40% of those without cavities possessed a larger proportion of B-horizon relative to the C-horizon, and their texture was more clayey. On the other hand, almost all soil banks containing nest cavities had a larger C-horizon and a silty texture, indicating that soil attributes drive nest-site selection by G. poeciloptera. Thus, we conclude that the patchy distribution of G. poeciloptera can attributed to the infrequent natural exposure of the C-horizon in the tropical region, where well developed, deep and permeable soils are more common.

Soil attributes drive nest-site selection by the campo miner Geositta poeciloptera

PubMed Central

Teixeira, João Paulo Gusmão; Solar, Ricardo; Vasconcelos, Bruno Nery F.; Fernandes, Raphael B. A.; Lopes, Leonardo Esteves

2018-01-01

Substrate type is a key-factor in nest-site selection and nest architecture of burrowing birds. However, little is known about which factors drive nest-site selection for these species, especially in the tropics. We studied the influence of soil attributes on nest-site selection by the campo miner Geositta poeciloptera, an open grassland bird that builds its nests within soil cavities. For all nests found, we measured the depth of the nest cavity and the resistance of the soil to penetration, and identified the soil horizon in which the nest was located. In soil banks with nests, we collected soil samples for granulometric analysis around each nest cavity, while in soil banks without nests we collected these samples at random points. From 43 nests found, 86% were located in the deeper soil horizons (C-horizon), and only 14% in the shallower horizons (B-horizon). Granulometric analysis showed that the C-horizons possessed a high similar granulometric composition, with high silt and low clay contents. These characteristics are associated with a low degree of structural development of the soil, which makes it easier to excavate. Contrarily, soil resistance to penetration does not seem to be an important criterion for nest site selection, although nests in more resistant the soils tend to have shallower nest cavities. Among the soil banks analyzed, 40% of those without cavities possessed a larger proportion of B-horizon relative to the C-horizon, and their texture was more clayey. On the other hand, almost all soil banks containing nest cavities had a larger C-horizon and a silty texture, indicating that soil attributes drive nest-site selection by G. poeciloptera. Thus, we conclude that the patchy distribution of G. poeciloptera can attributed to the infrequent natural exposure of the C-horizon in the tropical region, where well developed, deep and permeable soils are more common. PMID:29381768

The delineation of DNAPL in a heterogeneous unconsolidated aquifer using a hydro punch sampler and hydrophobic dye testing procedures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cirilli, J.; DeRose, N.

1995-09-01

The site is a pharmaceutical facility located in Newark, New Jersey. The facility which has been in operation for approximately 90 years, previously contained a 15,000 gallon underground tank used to store TCE. Upon the tanks removal in the early 1980`s the tank integrity was found to have been compromised. In compliance with the NJDEP Industrial Site Recovery Act, the responsible party was required to locate DNAPL in the aquifer. Due to TCE`s relative density, vertical migration to depths greater than 80 feet has occurred. Lateral migration over distances greater than 500 feet has been documented. Currently, the investigation hasmore » focused on the neighboring cemetery, where approximately 20 deep soil borings have been advanced at selected locations downslope of the TCE source area. The soil borings were drilled by mud rotary methods to a depth that was determined in the field to be proximal to the bottom of the heterogeneous unconsolidated aquifer. Continuous split spoon soil sampling for detailed geologic interpretation and field screening utilizing an organic vapor instrument was performed. The Hydro Punch (HP II) sampler was used in the aqueous sampling model to collect a discrete ground water sample from the interface between the aquifer and the till.« less

Dynamic X-ray diffraction sampling for protein crystal positioning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scarborough, Nicole M.; Godaliyadda, G. M. Dilshan P.; Ye, Dong Hye

A sparse supervised learning approach for dynamic sampling (SLADS) is described for dose reduction in diffraction-based protein crystal positioning. Crystal centering is typically a prerequisite for macromolecular diffraction at synchrotron facilities, with X-ray diffraction mapping growing in popularity as a mechanism for localization. In X-ray raster scanning, diffraction is used to identify the crystal positions based on the detection of Bragg-like peaks in the scattering patterns; however, this additional X-ray exposure may result in detectable damage to the crystal prior to data collection. Dynamic sampling, in which preceding measurements inform the next most information-rich location to probe for image reconstruction,more » significantly reduced the X-ray dose experienced by protein crystals during positioning by diffraction raster scanning. The SLADS algorithm implemented herein is designed for single-pixel measurements and can select a new location to measure. In each step of SLADS, the algorithm selects the pixel, which, when measured, maximizes the expected reduction in distortion given previous measurements. Ground-truth diffraction data were obtained for a 5 µm-diameter beam and SLADS reconstructed the image sampling 31% of the total volume and only 9% of the interior of the crystal greatly reducing the X-ray dosage on the crystal. Furthermore, by usingin situtwo-photon-excited fluorescence microscopy measurements as a surrogate for diffraction imaging with a 1 µm-diameter beam, the SLADS algorithm enabled image reconstruction from a 7% sampling of the total volume and 12% sampling of the interior of the crystal. When implemented into the beamline at Argonne National Laboratory, without ground-truth images, an acceptable reconstruction was obtained with 3% of the image sampled and approximately 5% of the crystal. The incorporation of SLADS into X-ray diffraction acquisitions has the potential to significantly minimize the impact of X-ray exposure on the crystal by limiting the dose and area exposed for image reconstruction and crystal positioning using data collection hardware present in most macromolecular crystallography end-stations.« less

Dynamic X-ray diffraction sampling for protein crystal positioning

DOE PAGES

Scarborough, Nicole M.; Godaliyadda, G. M. Dilshan P.; Ye, Dong Hye; ...

2017-01-01

A sparse supervised learning approach for dynamic sampling (SLADS) is described for dose reduction in diffraction-based protein crystal positioning. Crystal centering is typically a prerequisite for macromolecular diffraction at synchrotron facilities, with X-ray diffraction mapping growing in popularity as a mechanism for localization. In X-ray raster scanning, diffraction is used to identify the crystal positions based on the detection of Bragg-like peaks in the scattering patterns; however, this additional X-ray exposure may result in detectable damage to the crystal prior to data collection. Dynamic sampling, in which preceding measurements inform the next most information-rich location to probe for image reconstruction,more » significantly reduced the X-ray dose experienced by protein crystals during positioning by diffraction raster scanning. The SLADS algorithm implemented herein is designed for single-pixel measurements and can select a new location to measure. In each step of SLADS, the algorithm selects the pixel, which, when measured, maximizes the expected reduction in distortion given previous measurements. Ground-truth diffraction data were obtained for a 5 µm-diameter beam and SLADS reconstructed the image sampling 31% of the total volume and only 9% of the interior of the crystal greatly reducing the X-ray dosage on the crystal. Furthermore, by usingin situtwo-photon-excited fluorescence microscopy measurements as a surrogate for diffraction imaging with a 1 µm-diameter beam, the SLADS algorithm enabled image reconstruction from a 7% sampling of the total volume and 12% sampling of the interior of the crystal. When implemented into the beamline at Argonne National Laboratory, without ground-truth images, an acceptable reconstruction was obtained with 3% of the image sampled and approximately 5% of the crystal. The incorporation of SLADS into X-ray diffraction acquisitions has the potential to significantly minimize the impact of X-ray exposure on the crystal by limiting the dose and area exposed for image reconstruction and crystal positioning using data collection hardware present in most macromolecular crystallography end-stations.« less

Dynamic X-ray diffraction sampling for protein crystal positioning

PubMed Central

Scarborough, Nicole M.; Godaliyadda, G. M. Dilshan P.; Ye, Dong Hye; Kissick, David J.; Zhang, Shijie; Newman, Justin A.; Sheedlo, Michael J.; Chowdhury, Azhad U.; Fischetti, Robert F.; Das, Chittaranjan; Buzzard, Gregery T.; Bouman, Charles A.; Simpson, Garth J.

2017-01-01

A sparse supervised learning approach for dynamic sampling (SLADS) is described for dose reduction in diffraction-based protein crystal positioning. Crystal centering is typically a prerequisite for macromolecular diffraction at synchrotron facilities, with X-ray diffraction mapping growing in popularity as a mechanism for localization. In X-ray raster scanning, diffraction is used to identify the crystal positions based on the detection of Bragg-like peaks in the scattering patterns; however, this additional X-ray exposure may result in detectable damage to the crystal prior to data collection. Dynamic sampling, in which preceding measurements inform the next most information-rich location to probe for image reconstruction, significantly reduced the X-ray dose experienced by protein crystals during positioning by diffraction raster scanning. The SLADS algorithm implemented herein is designed for single-pixel measurements and can select a new location to measure. In each step of SLADS, the algorithm selects the pixel, which, when measured, maximizes the expected reduction in distortion given previous measurements. Ground-truth diffraction data were obtained for a 5 µm-diameter beam and SLADS reconstructed the image sampling 31% of the total volume and only 9% of the interior of the crystal greatly reducing the X-ray dosage on the crystal. Using in situ two-photon-excited fluorescence microscopy measurements as a surrogate for diffraction imaging with a 1 µm-diameter beam, the SLADS algorithm enabled image reconstruction from a 7% sampling of the total volume and 12% sampling of the interior of the crystal. When implemented into the beamline at Argonne National Laboratory, without ground-truth images, an acceptable reconstruction was obtained with 3% of the image sampled and approximately 5% of the crystal. The incorporation of SLADS into X-ray diffraction acquisitions has the potential to significantly minimize the impact of X-ray exposure on the crystal by limiting the dose and area exposed for image reconstruction and crystal positioning using data collection hardware present in most macromolecular crystallography end-stations. PMID:28009558

Dynamic X-ray diffraction sampling for protein crystal positioning.

PubMed

Scarborough, Nicole M; Godaliyadda, G M Dilshan P; Ye, Dong Hye; Kissick, David J; Zhang, Shijie; Newman, Justin A; Sheedlo, Michael J; Chowdhury, Azhad U; Fischetti, Robert F; Das, Chittaranjan; Buzzard, Gregery T; Bouman, Charles A; Simpson, Garth J

2017-01-01

A sparse supervised learning approach for dynamic sampling (SLADS) is described for dose reduction in diffraction-based protein crystal positioning. Crystal centering is typically a prerequisite for macromolecular diffraction at synchrotron facilities, with X-ray diffraction mapping growing in popularity as a mechanism for localization. In X-ray raster scanning, diffraction is used to identify the crystal positions based on the detection of Bragg-like peaks in the scattering patterns; however, this additional X-ray exposure may result in detectable damage to the crystal prior to data collection. Dynamic sampling, in which preceding measurements inform the next most information-rich location to probe for image reconstruction, significantly reduced the X-ray dose experienced by protein crystals during positioning by diffraction raster scanning. The SLADS algorithm implemented herein is designed for single-pixel measurements and can select a new location to measure. In each step of SLADS, the algorithm selects the pixel, which, when measured, maximizes the expected reduction in distortion given previous measurements. Ground-truth diffraction data were obtained for a 5 µm-diameter beam and SLADS reconstructed the image sampling 31% of the total volume and only 9% of the interior of the crystal greatly reducing the X-ray dosage on the crystal. Using in situ two-photon-excited fluorescence microscopy measurements as a surrogate for diffraction imaging with a 1 µm-diameter beam, the SLADS algorithm enabled image reconstruction from a 7% sampling of the total volume and 12% sampling of the interior of the crystal. When implemented into the beamline at Argonne National Laboratory, without ground-truth images, an acceptable reconstruction was obtained with 3% of the image sampled and approximately 5% of the crystal. The incorporation of SLADS into X-ray diffraction acquisitions has the potential to significantly minimize the impact of X-ray exposure on the crystal by limiting the dose and area exposed for image reconstruction and crystal positioning using data collection hardware present in most macromolecular crystallography end-stations.

Microbial and Nutrient Concentration and Load Data During Stormwater Runoff at a Swine Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation in the North Carolina Coastal Plain, 2006-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harden, Stephen L.

2008-01-01

This report summarizes water-quality and hydrologic data collected during 2006-2007 to characterize bacteria and nutrient loads associated with overland runoff and subsurface tile drainage in spray fields at a swine concentrated animal feeding operation. Four monitoring locations were established at the Lizzie Research Site in the North Carolina Coastal Plain Physiographic Province for collecting discharge and water-quality data during stormwater-runoff events. Water stage was measured continuously at each monitoring location. A stage-discharge relation was developed for each site and was used to compute instantaneous discharge values for collected samples. Water-quality samples were collected for five storm events during 2006-2007 for analysis of nutrients and fecal indicator bacteria. Instantaneous loads of nitrite plus nitrate, total coliform, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and enterococci were computed for selected times during the five storm events.

Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program: Environmental contaminants and their effects on fish in the Yukon River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinck, Jo Ellen; Bartish, Timothy M.; Blazer, Vicki; Denslow, Nancy D.; Gross, Tim S.; Myers, Mark S.; Anderson, Patrick J.; Orazio, Carl E.; Tillitt, Donald E.

2004-01-01

This project collected, examined, and analyzed 217 fish representing three species at 10 stations in the U.S. portion of the Yukon River Basin (YRB) from May to October 2002. Four sampling sites were located on the Yukon River; two were located on the Porcupine River, and one site was on each of the Ray, Tanana, Tolavana, and Innoko Rivers. Norther pike (Esox lucius), longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus), and burbot (Lota lota) were weighed and measured, and examined in the field for external and internal lesions, and liver, spleen, and gonads were weighed to compute somatic indices. Selected tissues and fluids were collected and preserved for analysis of fish health and reproductive biomarkers. Composite samples of whole fish from each station were grouped by species and gender and analyzed for organochlorines and elemental contaminants and for dioxin-like activity using H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay.

Mines, prospects, and mineral sites, wilderness and RARE II areas, White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gazdik, G. C.; Harris, Gazdik; Welsh, R. A.; Girol, V. P.

1988-01-01

The areas investigated are located in the White Mountain National Forest in Coos, Grafton, and Carroll Counties, New Hampshire. Personnel from the U.S. Bureau of Mines conducted field reconnaissance of the westernmost areas, Kinsman Mountain, Mt. Wolf-Gordon Pond, Jobildunk, and Carr Mountain, in the fall of 1980. Field reconnaissance of the eastern areas, Great Gulf, Presidential Range-Dry River, Dartmouth Range, Pemigewasset and Wild River was conducted in the spring of 1981. A total of 237 rock and 103 panned-concentrate samples were collected during the investigations. Reconnaissance radiometric ground surveys were conducted at selected locations.

Event Locations in Extra-Familial Child Sexual Molestation Cases: The Istanbul Example.

PubMed

Gönültaş, Burak M; Sahin, Bahadir

2018-04-01

A great deal of attention has been devoted to sexual molestation cases, both in theory and in practice. Child molesters are versatile and are not easily identified. Various theories and tactics, the most contemporary of which is environmental criminology, have been developed to find those criminals. Locations of victims, crime scenes, and distances among them as well as other situational variables are used to predict possible future offences in environmental criminology. This study applies the theory to sexual molestation crimes in Istanbul. Dependent distance variables are found to be correlated with several situational variables in a selected sample of 127 extra-familial child sexual molestation cases.

Selection of monitoring locations for storm water quality assessment.

PubMed

Langeveld, J G; Boogaard, F; Liefting, H J; Schilperoort, R P S; Hof, A; Nijhof, H; de Ridder, A C; Kuiper, M W

2014-01-01

Storm water runoff is a major contributor to the pollution of receiving waters. Storm water characteristics may vary significantly between locations and events. Hence, for each given location, this necessitates a well-designed monitoring campaign prior to selection of an appropriate storm water management strategy. The challenge for the design of a monitoring campaign with a given budget is to balance detailed monitoring at a limited number of locations versus less detailed monitoring at a large number of locations. This paper proposes a methodology for the selection of monitoring locations for storm water quality monitoring, based on (pre-)screening, a quick scan monitoring campaign, and final selection of locations and design of the monitoring setup. The main advantage of the method is the ability to prevent the selection of monitoring locations that turn out to be inappropriate. In addition, in this study, the quick scan resulted in a first useful dataset on storm water quality and a strong indication of illicit connections at one of the monitoring locations.

The application of mixed methods designs to trauma research.

PubMed

Creswell, John W; Zhang, Wanqing

2009-12-01

Despite the use of quantitative and qualitative data in trauma research and therapy, mixed methods studies in this field have not been analyzed to help researchers designing investigations. This discussion begins by reviewing four core characteristics of mixed methods research in the social and human sciences. Combining these characteristics, the authors focus on four select mixed methods designs that are applicable in trauma research. These designs are defined and their essential elements noted. Applying these designs to trauma research, a search was conducted to locate mixed methods trauma studies. From this search, one sample study was selected, and its characteristics of mixed methods procedures noted. Finally, drawing on other mixed methods designs available, several follow-up mixed methods studies were described for this sample study, enabling trauma researchers to view design options for applying mixed methods research in trauma investigations.

Physicochemical Characteristic of Municipal Wastewater in Tropical Area: Case Study of Surabaya City, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijaya, I. M. W.; Soedjono, E. S.

2018-03-01

Municipal wastewater is the main contributor to diverse water pollution problems. In order to prevent the pollution risks, wastewater have to be treated before discharged to the main water. Selection of appropriated treatment process need the characteristic information of wastewater as design consideration. This study aims to analyse the physicochemical characteristic of municipal wastewater from inlet and outlet of ABR unit around Surabaya City. Medokan Semampir and Genteng Candi Rejo has been selected as wastewater sampling point. The samples were analysed in laboratory with parameters, such as pH, TSS, COD, BOD, NH4 +, NO3 -, NO2 -, P, and detergent. The results showed that all parameters in both locations are under the national standard of discharged water quality. In other words, the treated water is securely discharged to the river

The positional-specificity effect reveals a passive-trace contribution to visual short-term memory.

PubMed

Postle, Bradley R; Awh, Edward; Serences, John T; Sutterer, David W; D'Esposito, Mark

2013-01-01

The positional-specificity effect refers to enhanced performance in visual short-term memory (VSTM) when the recognition probe is presented at the same location as had been the sample, even though location is irrelevant to the match/nonmatch decision. We investigated the mechanisms underlying this effect with behavioral and fMRI studies of object change-detection performance. To test whether the positional-specificity effect is a direct consequence of active storage in VSTM, we varied memory load, reasoning that it should be observed for all objects presented in a sub-span array of items. The results, however, indicated that although robust with a memory load of 1, the positional-specificity effect was restricted to the second of two sequentially presented sample stimuli in a load-of-2 experiment. An additional behavioral experiment showed that this disruption wasn't due to the increased load per se, because actively processing a second object--in the absence of a storage requirement--also eliminated the effect. These behavioral findings suggest that, during tests of object memory, position-related information is not actively stored in VSTM, but may be retained in a passive tag that marks the most recent site of selection. The fMRI data were consistent with this interpretation, failing to find location-specific bias in sustained delay-period activity, but revealing an enhanced response to recognition probes that matched the location of that trial's sample stimulus.

A comparison of IBC with 1997 UBC for modal response spectrum analysis in standard-occupancy buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nahhas, Tariq M.

2011-03-01

This paper presents a comparison of the seismic forces generated from a Modal Response Spectrum Analysis (MRSA) by applying the provisions of two building codes, the 1997 Uniform Building Code (UBC) and the 2000-2009 International Building Code (IBC), to the most common ordinary residential buildings of standard occupancy. Considering IBC as the state of the art benchmark code, the primary concern is the safety of buildings designed using the UBC as compared to those designed using the IBC. A sample of four buildings with different layouts and heights was used for this comparison. Each of these buildings was assumed to be located at four different geographical sample locations arbitrarily selected to represent various earthquake zones on a seismic map of the USA, and was subjected to code-compliant response spectrum analyses for all sample locations and for five different soil types at each location. Response spectrum analysis was performed using the ETABS software package. For all the cases investigated, the UBC was found to be significantly more conservative than the IBC. The UBC design response spectra have higher spectral accelerations, and as a result, the response spectrum analysis provided a much higher base shear and moment in the structural members as compared to the IBC. The conclusion is that ordinary office and residential buildings designed using UBC 1997 are considered to be overdesigned, and therefore they are quite safe even according to the IBC provisions.

Mind the gap: implementation challenges break the link between HIV/AIDS research and practice.

PubMed

MacCarthy, Sarah; Reisner, Sari; Hoffmann, Michael; Perez-Brumer, Amaya; Silva-Santisteban, Alfonso; Nunn, Amy; Bastos, Leonardo; Vasconcellos, Mauricio Teixeira Leite de; Kerr, Ligia; Bastos, Francisco Inácio; Dourado, Inês

2016-11-03

Sampling strategies such as respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and time-location sampling (TLS) offer unique opportunities to access key populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women. Limited work has assessed implementation challenges of these methods. Overcoming implementation challenges can improve research quality and increase uptake of HIV services among key populations. Drawing from studies using RDS in Brazil and TLS in Peru, we summarize challenges encountered in the field and potential strategies to address them. In Brazil, study site selection, cash incentives, and seed selection challenged RDS implementation with MSM. In Peru, expansive geography, safety concerns, and time required for study participation complicated TLS implementation with MSM and transgender women. Formative research, meaningful participation of key populations across stages of research, and transparency in study design are needed to link HIV/AIDS research and practice. Addressing implementation challenges can close gaps in accessing services among those most burdened by the epidemic.

Mind the gap: implementation challenges break the link between HIV/AIDS research and practice

PubMed Central

MacCarthy, Sarah; Reisner, Sari; Hoffmann, Michael; Perez-Brumer, Amaya; Silva-Santisteban, Alfonso; Nunn, Amy; Bastos, Leonardo; de Vasconcellos, Mauricio Teixeira Leite; Kerr, Ligia; Bastos, Francisco Inácio; Dourado, Inês

2018-01-01

Sampling strategies such as respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and time-location sampling (TLS) offer unique opportunities to access key populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women. Limited work has assessed implementation challenges of these methods. Overcoming implementation challenges can improve research quality and increase uptake of HIV services among key populations. Drawing from studies using RDS in Brazil and TLS in Peru, we summarize challenges encountered in the field and potential strategies to address them. In Brazil, study site selection, cash incentives, and seed selection challenged RDS implementation with MSM. In Peru, expansive geography, safety concerns, and time required for study participation complicated TLS implementation with MSM and transgender women. Formative research, meaningful participation of key populations across stages of research, and transparency in study design are needed to link HIV/AIDS research and practice. Addressing implementation challenges can close gaps in accessing services among those most burdened by the epidemic. PMID:27828609

Precuing benefits for color and location in a visual search task.

PubMed

Vierck, Esther; Miller, Jeff

2008-02-01

Selection in multiple-item displays has been shown to benefit immensely from advance knowledge of target location (e.g., Henderson, 1991), leading to the suggestion that location is completely dominant in visual selective attention (e.g., Tsal & Lavie, 1993). Recently, direct selection by color has been reported in displays in which location does not vary (Vierck & Miller, 2005). The present experiment investigated the possibility of independent selection by color in a task with multiple-item displays and location precues in order to see whether color is also used for selection even when target location does vary and supposedly dominant location precues can be used. Precues provided independent information about the location and color of a target, and each type of precue could be either valid or invalid. The precues were followed by brief displays of six letters in six different colors, and participants had to discriminate the case of a prespecified target letter (e.g., R vs. r). Performance was much better when location cues were valid than when they were invalid, confirming the large advantage associated with valid advance location information. Performance was also better with valid advance color information, however, both when location cues were valid and when they were invalid. But these color benefits were dependent on the closeness of the colored letter to the cued location. Our results thus suggest that selection by color in a multiple-item display, where location and color information are independent from each other and equalized, is mediated by location information.

Study of Groundwater Physical Characteristics: A Case Study at District of Pekan, Pahang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashim, M. M. M.; Zawawi, M. H.; Samuding, K.; Dominic, J. A.; Zulkurnain, M. H.; Mohamad, K.

2018-04-01

A study of groundwater physical characteristic has been conducted at Pahang Tua, Pekan, Tanjung Batu and Nenasi, Pahang. There are several locations of tube well selected in this study. Four of five locations are situated in the coastal area and another one is located outside of coastal line. The purposes of this study are to identify the physical characteristic of groundwater (temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and salinity) and to identify the influence of sampling location and tube well depth to its physical characteristics. The results from the in-situ measurement were identified the physical characteristic groundwater for each tube well location. The result shows that temperature and pH for all groundwater samples almost in the same value but for the electrical conductivity, salinity and total dissolved solid have significant difference that related to location and depth of the tube well. The Pekan tube well with 80m depth and 2km distance from the sea have the highest value of EC, TDS and salinity (14460.53µS/cm, 7230.63 ppm and 8.32 PSU) compared to Nenasi with 30m depth of tube well and 0.65km distance from the sea. The EC, TDS and salinity value recorded are 1454.3253µS/cm, 727.00 ppm and 0.72 PSU. From the result of EC, TDS and salinity, it shows that the deeper tube well in the coastal area will obtained higher value of EC, TDS and salinity.

Uncertainty assessment method for the Cs-137 fallout inventory and penetration depth.

PubMed

Papadakos, G N; Karangelos, D J; Petropoulos, N P; Anagnostakis, M J; Hinis, E P; Simopoulos, S E

2017-05-01

Within the presented study, soil samples were collected in year 2007 at 20 different locations of the Greek terrain, both from the surface and also from depths down to 26 cm. Sampling locations were selected primarily from areas where high levels of 137 Cs deposition after the Chernobyl accident had already been identified by the Nuclear Engineering Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens during and after the year of 1986. At one location of relatively higher deposition, soil core samples were collected following a 60 m by 60 m Cartesian grid with a 20 m node-to-node distance. Single or pair core samples were also collected from the remaining 19 locations. Sample measurements and analysis were used to estimate 137 Cs inventory and the corresponding depth migration, twenty years after the deposition on Greek terrain. Based on these data, the uncertainty components of the whole sampling-to-results procedure were investigated. A cause-and-effect assessment process was used to apply the law of error propagation and demonstrate that the dominating significant component of the combined uncertainty is that due to the spatial variability of the contemporary (2007) 137 Cs inventory. A secondary, yet also significant component was identified to be the activity measurement process itself. Other less-significant uncertainty parameters were sampling methods, the variation in the soil field density with depth and the preparation of samples for measurement. The sampling grid experiment allowed for the quantitative evaluation of the uncertainty due to spatial variability, also by the assistance of the semivariance analysis. Denser, optimized grid could return more accurate values for this component but with a significantly elevated laboratory cost, in terms of both, human and material resources. Using the hereby collected data and for the case of a single core soil sampling using a well-defined sampling methodology quality assurance, the uncertainty component due to spatial variability was evaluated to about 19% for the 137 Cs inventory and up to 34% for the 137 Cs penetration depth. Based on the presented results and also on related literature, it is argued that such high uncertainties should be anticipated for single core samplings conducted using similar methodology and employed as 137 Cs inventory and penetration depth estimators. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A GIS-based method for household recruitment in a prospective pesticide exposure study.

PubMed

Allpress, Justine L E; Curry, Ross J; Hanchette, Carol L; Phillips, Michael J; Wilcosky, Timothy C

2008-04-30

Recent advances in GIS technology and remote sensing have provided new opportunities to collect ecologic data on agricultural pesticide exposure. Many pesticide studies have used historical or records-based data on crops and their associated pesticide applications to estimate exposure by measuring residential proximity to agricultural fields. Very few of these studies collected environmental and biological samples from study participants. One of the reasons for this is the cost of identifying participants who reside near study fields and analyzing samples obtained from them. In this paper, we present a cost-effective, GIS-based method for crop field selection and household recruitment in a prospective pesticide exposure study in a remote location. For the most part, our multi-phased approach was carried out in a research facility, but involved two brief episodes of fieldwork for ground truthing purposes. This method was developed for a larger study designed to examine the validity of indirect pesticide exposure estimates by comparing measured exposures in household dust, water and urine with records-based estimates that use crop location, residential proximity and pesticide application data. The study focused on the pesticide atrazine, a broadleaf herbicide used in corn production and one of the most widely-used pesticides in the U.S. We successfully used a combination of remotely-sensed data, GIS-based methods and fieldwork to select study fields and recruit participants in Illinois, a state with high corn production and heavy atrazine use. Our several-step process consisted of the identification of potential study fields and residential areas using aerial photography; verification of crop patterns and land use via site visits; development of a GIS-based algorithm to define recruitment areas around crop fields; acquisition of geocoded household-level data within each recruitment area from a commercial vendor; and confirmation of final participant household locations via ground truthing. The use of these procedures resulted in a sufficient sample of participants from 14 recruitment areas in seven Illinois counties. One of the challenges in pesticide research is the identification and recruitment of study participants, which is time consuming and costly, especially when the study site is in a remote location. We have demonstrated how GIS-based processes can be used to recruit participants, increase efficiency and enhance accuracy. The method that we used ultimately made it possible to collect biological samples from a specific demographic group within strictly defined exposure areas, with little advance knowledge of the location or population.

Selecting a Good Conference Location Based on Participants' Interests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miah, Muhammed

2011-01-01

Selecting a good conference location within budget constraints to attract paper authors and participants is a very difficult job for the conference organizers. A conference location is also very important along with other issues such as ranking of the conference. Selecting a bad conference location may reduce the number of paper submissions and…

The Essentials of Parathyroid Hormone Venous Sampling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taslakian, Bedros, E-mail: btaslakian@gmail.com; Trerotola, Scott O., E-mail: streroto@uphs.upenn.edu; Sacks, Barry, E-mail: bsacks@bidmc.harvard.edu

Hyperparathyroidism is an excess of parathyroid hormone in the blood due to over-activity of one or more parathyroid gland. Localization of abnormal glands with noninvasive imaging modalities, such as technetium sestamibi scan and cross-sectional imaging, has a high success rate. Parathyroid venous sampling is performed for patients with persistent or recurrent disease after previous parathyroid surgery, when repeat noninvasive imaging studies are negative or discordant. The success of invasive localization studies and results interpretation is dependent on the interventional radiologist’s understanding of the normal and ectopic anatomic locations of parathyroid glands, as well as their blood supply and venous drainage.more » Anatomic and technical considerations for selective parathyroid venous sampling are reviewed.« less

Wolf: What's On the Lunar Farside?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

WOLF (What's On the Lunar Farside?) is a lunar sample return mission to the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, located on the farside of the moon, seeking to answer some of the remaining questions about our solar system. Through the return and analysis of SPA samples, scientists can constrain the period of inner solar system late heavy bombardment and gain momentous knowledge of the SPA basin. WOLF provides the opportunity for mankind's progression in further understanding our solar system, its history, and unknowns surrounding the lunar farside. The orbiter will provide intermittent, direct communication between the lander and ground operations via the Deep Space Network (DSN). Received images and spectrometry will aid in real-time sample selection.

Different Neuroplasticity for Task Targets and Distractors

PubMed Central

Spingath, Elsie Y.; Kang, Hyun Sug; Plummer, Thane; Blake, David T.

2011-01-01

Adult learning-induced sensory cortex plasticity results in enhanced action potential rates in neurons that have the most relevant information for the task, or those that respond strongly to one sensory stimulus but weakly to its comparison stimulus. Current theories suggest this plasticity is caused when target stimulus evoked activity is enhanced by reward signals from neuromodulatory nuclei. Prior work has found evidence suggestive of nonselective enhancement of neural responses, and suppression of responses to task distractors, but the differences in these effects between detection and discrimination have not been directly tested. Using cortical implants, we defined physiological responses in macaque somatosensory cortex during serial, matched, detection and discrimination tasks. Nonselective increases in neural responsiveness were observed during detection learning. Suppression of responses to task distractors was observed during discrimination learning, and this suppression was specific to cortical locations that sampled responses to the task distractor before learning. Changes in receptive field size were measured as the area of skin that had a significant response to a constant magnitude stimulus, and these areal changes paralleled changes in responsiveness. From before detection learning until after discrimination learning, the enduring changes were selective suppression of cortical locations responsive to task distractors, and nonselective enhancement of responsiveness at cortical locations selective for target and control skin sites. A comparison of observations in prior studies with the observed plasticity effects suggests that the non-selective response enhancement and selective suppression suffice to explain known plasticity phenomena in simple spatial tasks. This work suggests that differential responsiveness to task targets and distractors in primary sensory cortex for a simple spatial detection and discrimination task arise from nonselective increases in response over a broad cortical locus that includes the representation of the task target, and selective suppression of responses to the task distractor within this locus. PMID:21297962

A Flexible Approach for Assessing Functional Landscape Connectivity, with Application to Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

PubMed Central

Harju, Seth M.; Olson, Chad V.; Dzialak, Matthew R.; Mudd, James P.; Winstead, Jeff B.

2013-01-01

Connectivity of animal populations is an increasingly prominent concern in fragmented landscapes, yet existing methodological and conceptual approaches implicitly assume the presence of, or need for, discrete corridors. We tested this assumption by developing a flexible conceptual approach that does not assume, but allows for, the presence of discrete movement corridors. We quantified functional connectivity habitat for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) across a large landscape in central western North America. We assigned sample locations to a movement state (encamped, traveling and relocating), and used Global Positioning System (GPS) location data and conditional logistic regression to estimate state-specific resource selection functions. Patterns of resource selection during different movement states reflected selection for sagebrush and general avoidance of rough topography and anthropogenic features. Distinct connectivity corridors were not common in the 5,625 km2 study area. Rather, broad areas functioned as generally high or low quality connectivity habitat. A comprehensive map predicting the quality of connectivity habitat across the study area validated well based on a set of GPS locations from independent greater sage-grouse. The functional relationship between greater sage-grouse and the landscape did not always conform to the idea of a discrete corridor. A more flexible consideration of landscape connectivity may improve the efficacy of management actions by aligning those actions with the spatial patterns by which animals interact with the landscape. PMID:24349241

A flexible approach for assessing functional landscape connectivity, with application to greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus).

PubMed

Harju, Seth M; Olson, Chad V; Dzialak, Matthew R; Mudd, James P; Winstead, Jeff B

2013-01-01

Connectivity of animal populations is an increasingly prominent concern in fragmented landscapes, yet existing methodological and conceptual approaches implicitly assume the presence of, or need for, discrete corridors. We tested this assumption by developing a flexible conceptual approach that does not assume, but allows for, the presence of discrete movement corridors. We quantified functional connectivity habitat for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) across a large landscape in central western North America. We assigned sample locations to a movement state (encamped, traveling and relocating), and used Global Positioning System (GPS) location data and conditional logistic regression to estimate state-specific resource selection functions. Patterns of resource selection during different movement states reflected selection for sagebrush and general avoidance of rough topography and anthropogenic features. Distinct connectivity corridors were not common in the 5,625 km(2) study area. Rather, broad areas functioned as generally high or low quality connectivity habitat. A comprehensive map predicting the quality of connectivity habitat across the study area validated well based on a set of GPS locations from independent greater sage-grouse. The functional relationship between greater sage-grouse and the landscape did not always conform to the idea of a discrete corridor. A more flexible consideration of landscape connectivity may improve the efficacy of management actions by aligning those actions with the spatial patterns by which animals interact with the landscape.

Mineral Composition of Organically Grown Wheat Genotypes: Contribution to Daily Minerals Intake

PubMed Central

Hussain, Abrar; Larsson, Hans; Kuktaite, Ramune; Johansson, Eva

2010-01-01

In this study, 321 winter and spring wheat genotypes were analysed for twelve nutritionally important minerals (B, Cu, Fe, Se, Mg, Zn, Ca, Mn, Mo, P, S and K). Some of the genotypes used were from multiple locations and years, resulting in a total number of 493 samples. Investigated genotypes were divided into six genotype groups i.e., selections, old landraces, primitive wheat, spelt, old cultivars and cultivars. For some of the investigated minerals higher concentrations were observed in selections, primitive wheat, and old cultivars as compared to more modern wheat material, e.g., cultivars and spelt wheat. Location was found to have a significant effect on mineral concentration for all genotype groups, although for primitive wheat, genotype had a higher impact than location. Spring wheat was observed to have significantly higher values for B, Cu, Fe, Zn, Ca, S and K as compared to winter wheat. Higher levels of several minerals were observed in the present study, as compared to previous studies carried out in inorganic systems, indicating that organic conditions with suitable genotypes may enhance mineral concentration in wheat grain. This study also showed that a very high mineral concentration, close to daily requirements, can be produced by growing specific primitive wheat genotypes in an organic farming system. Thus, by selecting genotypes for further breeding, nutritional value of the wheat flour for human consumption can be improved. PMID:20948934

Quantifying interindividual variability and asymmetry of face-selective regions: a probabilistic functional atlas.

PubMed

Zhen, Zonglei; Yang, Zetian; Huang, Lijie; Kong, Xiang-Zhen; Wang, Xu; Dang, Xiaobin; Huang, Yangyue; Song, Yiying; Liu, Jia

2015-06-01

Face-selective regions (FSRs) are among the most widely studied functional regions in the human brain. However, individual variability of the FSRs has not been well quantified. Here we use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to localize the FSRs and quantify their spatial and functional variabilities in 202 healthy adults. The occipital face area (OFA), posterior and anterior fusiform face areas (pFFA and aFFA), posterior continuation of the superior temporal sulcus (pcSTS), and posterior and anterior STS (pSTS and aSTS) were delineated for each individual with a semi-automated procedure. A probabilistic atlas was constructed to characterize their interindividual variability, revealing that the FSRs were highly variable in location and extent across subjects. The variability of FSRs was further quantified on both functional (i.e., face selectivity) and spatial (i.e., volume, location of peak activation, and anatomical location) features. Considerable interindividual variability and rightward asymmetry were found in all FSRs on these features. Taken together, our work presents the first effort to characterize comprehensively the variability of FSRs in a large sample of healthy subjects, and invites future work on the origin of the variability and its relation to individual differences in behavioral performance. Moreover, the probabilistic functional atlas will provide an adequate spatial reference for mapping the face network. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sexual orientation and spatial position effects on selective forms of object location memory.

PubMed

Rahman, Qazi; Newland, Cherie; Smyth, Beatrice Mary

2011-04-01

Prior research has demonstrated robust sex and sexual orientation-related differences in object location memory in humans. Here we show that this sexual variation may depend on the spatial position of target objects and the task-specific nature of the spatial array. We tested the recovery of object locations in three object arrays (object exchanges, object shifts, and novel objects) relative to veridical center (left compared to right side of the arrays) in a sample of 35 heterosexual men, 35 heterosexual women, and 35 homosexual men. Relative to heterosexual men, heterosexual women showed better location recovery in the right side of the array during object exchanges and homosexual men performed better in the right side during novel objects. However, the difference between heterosexual and homosexual men disappeared after controlling for IQ. Heterosexual women and homosexual men did not differ significantly from each other in location change detection with respect to task or side of array. These data suggest that visual space biases in processing categorical spatial positions may enhance aspects of object location memory in heterosexual women. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 2010 through September 2011) and statistical summaries of data for streams in the Clark Fork basin, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dodge, Kent A.; Hornberger, Michelle I.; Dyke, Jessica

2013-01-01

Water, bed sediment, and biota were sampled in streams from Butte to near Missoula, Montana, as part of a monitoring program in the upper Clark Fork basin of western Montana; additional water samples were collected from near Galen to near Missoula at select sites as part of a supplemental sampling program. The sampling program was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to characterize aquatic resources in the Clark Fork basin, with emphasis on trace elements associated with historic mining and smelting activities. Sampling sites were located on the Clark Fork and selected tributaries. Water samples were collected periodically at 20 sites from October 2010 through September 2011. Bed-sediment and biota samples were collected once at 14 sites during August 2011. This report presents the analytical results and quality-assurance data for water-quality, bed-sediment, and biota samples collected at sites from October 2010 through September 2011. Water-quality data include concentrations of selected major ions, trace elements, and suspended sediment. Turbidity was analyzed for water samples collected at the four sites where seasonal daily values of turbidity were being determined. Daily values of suspended-sediment concentration and suspended-sediment discharge were determined for four sites. Bed-sediment data include trace-element concentrations in the fine-grained fraction. Biological data include trace-element concentrations in whole-body tissue of aquatic benthic insects. Statistical summaries of water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data for sites in the upper Clark Fork basin are provided for the period of record since 1985.

Multilaser Herriott Cell for Planetary Tunable Laser Spectrometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarsitano, Christopher G.; Webster, Christopher R.

2007-01-01

Geometric optics and matrix methods are used to mathematically model multilaser Herriott cells for tunable laser absorption spectrometers for planetary missions. The Herriott cells presented accommodate several laser sources that follow independent optical paths but probe a single gas cell. Strategically placed output holes located in the far mirrors of the Herriott cells reduce the size of the spectrometers. A four-channel Herriott cell configuration is presented for the specific application as the sample cell of the tunable laser spectrometer instrument selected for the sample analysis at Mars analytical suite on the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory mission.

Water-quality data for the ground-water network in eastern Broward County, Florida, 1983-84

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waller, B.G.; Cannon, F.L.

1986-01-01

During 1983-84, groundwater from 63 wells located at 31 sites throughout eastern Broward County, Florida, was sampled and analyzed to determine baseline water quality conditions. The physical and chemical parameters analyzed included field measurements (pH and temperature), physical characteristics (color, turbidity, and specific conductance), major inorganic ions, nutrients, (nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon), selected metals, and total phenolic compounds. Groundwater samples were collected at the end of the dry season (April) and during the wet season (July and September). These data are tabulated, by well, in this report. (USGS)

Locating People Diagnosed With HIV for Public Health Action: Utility of HIV Case Surveillance and Other Data Sources.

PubMed

Padilla, Mabel; Mattson, Christine L; Scheer, Susan; Udeagu, Chi-Chi N; Buskin, Susan E; Hughes, Alison J; Jaenicke, Thomas; Wohl, Amy Rock; Prejean, Joseph; Wei, Stanley C

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) case surveillance and other health care databases are increasingly being used for public health action, which has the potential to optimize the health outcomes of people living with HIV (PLWH). However, often PLWH cannot be located based on the contact information available in these data sources. We assessed the accuracy of contact information for PLWH in HIV case surveillance and additional data sources and whether time since diagnosis was associated with accurate contact information in HIV case surveillance and successful contact. The Case Surveillance-Based Sampling (CSBS) project was a pilot HIV surveillance system that selected a random population-based sample of people diagnosed with HIV from HIV case surveillance registries in 5 state and metropolitan areas. From November 2012 through June 2014, CSBS staff members attempted to locate and interview 1800 sampled people and used 22 data sources to search for contact information. Among 1063 contacted PLWH, HIV case surveillance data provided accurate telephone number, address, or HIV care facility information for 239 (22%), 412 (39%), and 827 (78%) sampled people, respectively. CSBS staff members used additional data sources, such as support services and commercial people-search databases, to locate and contact PLWH with insufficient contact information in HIV case surveillance. PLWH diagnosed <1 year ago were more likely to have accurate contact information in HIV case surveillance than were PLWH diagnosed ≥1 year ago ( P = .002), and the benefit from using additional data sources was greater for PLWH with more longstanding HIV infection ( P < .001). When HIV case surveillance cannot provide accurate contact information, health departments can prioritize searching additional data sources, especially for people with more longstanding HIV infection.

Macro- and microscale investigation of selenium speciation in Blackfoot river, Idaho sediments.

PubMed

Oram, Libbie L; Strawn, Daniel G; Marcus, Matthew A; Fakra, Sirine C; Möller, Gregory

2008-09-15

The transport and bioavailability of selenium in the environment is controlled by its chemical speciation. However, knowledge of the biogeochemistry and speciation of Se in streambed sediment is limited. We investigated the speciation of Se in sediment cores from the Blackfoot River (BFR), Idaho using sequential extractions and synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-SXRF). We collected micro-SXRF oxidation state maps of Se in sediments, which had not been done on natural sediment samples. Selective extractions showed that most Se in the sediments is present as either (1) nonextractable Se or (2) base extractable Se. Results from micro-SXRF showed three defined species of Se were present in all four samples: Se(-II,O), Se(IV), and Se(VI). Se(-II,O) was the predominant species in samples from one location, and Se(IV) was the predominant species in samples from a second location. Results from both techniques were consistent, and suggested that the predominant species were Se(-II) species associated with recalcitrant organic matter, and Se(IV) species tightly bound to organic materials. This information can be used to predict the biogeochemical cycling and bioavailability of Se in streambed sediment environments.

Assessment of soil and water contaminants from selected locations in and near the Idaho Army National Guard Orchard Training Area, Ada County, Idaho, 2001-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parliman, D.J.

2004-01-01

In 2001, the National Guard Bureau and the U.S. Geological Survey began a project to compile hydrogeologic data and determine presence or absence of soil, surface-water, and ground-water contamination at the Idaho Army National Guard Orchard Training Area in southwestern Idaho. Between June 2002 and April 2003, a total of 114 soil, surface-water, ground-water, precipitation, or dust samples were collected from 68 sample sites (65 different locations) in the Orchard Training Area (OTA) or along the vehicle corridor to the OTA. Soil and water samples were analyzed for concentrations of selected total trace metals, major ions, nutrients, explosive compounds, semivolatile organics, and petroleum hydrocarbons. Water samples also were analyzed for concentrations of selected dissolved trace metals and major ions. Distinguishing naturally occurring large concentrations of trace metals, major ions, and nutrients from contamination related to land and water uses at the OTA was difficult. There were no historical analyses for this area to compare with modern data, and although samples were collected from 65 locations in and near the OTA, sampled areas represented only a small part of the complex OTA land-use areas and soil types. For naturally occurring compounds, several assumptions were made?anomalously large concentrations, when tied to known land uses, may indicate presence of contamination; naturally occurring concentrations cannot be separated from contamination concentrations in mid- and lower ranges of data; and smallest concentrations may represent the lowest naturally occurring range of concentrations and (or) the absence of contaminants related to land and water uses. Presence of explosive, semivolatile organic (SVOC), and petroleum hydrocarbon compounds in samples indicates contamination from land and water uses. In areas along the vehicle corridor and major access roads within the OTA, most trace metal, major ion, and nutrient concentrations in soil samples were not in the upper 10th percentile of data, but concentrations of 25 metals, ions, or nutrients were in the upper 10th percentile in a puddle sample near the heavy equipment maneuvering area, MPRC-H. The largest concentrations of tin, ammonia, and nitrite plus nitrate (as nitrogen) in water from the OTA were detected in a sample from this puddle. Petroleum hydrocarbons were the most common contaminant, detected in all soil and surface-water samples. An SVOC, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, a plasticizer, was detected at a site along the vehicle corridor. In Maneuver Areas within the OTA, many soil samples contained at least one trace metal, major ion, or nutrient in the upper 10th percentile of data, and the largest concentrations of cobalt, iron, mercury, titanium, sodium, ammonia, or total phosphorus were detected in 6 of 13 soil samples outside the Tadpole Lake area. The largest concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, beryllium, nickel, selenium, silver, strontium, thallium, vanadium, chloride, potassium, sulfate, and nitrite plus nitrate were detected in soil samples from the Tadpole Lake area. Water from Tadpole Lake contained the largest total concentrations of 19 trace metals, 4 major ions, and 1 nutrient. Petroleum hydrocarbons were detected in 5 soil samples and water from Tadpole Lake. SVOCs related to combustion of fuel or plasticizers were detected in 1 soil sample. Explosive compounds were detected in 1 precipitation sample.In the Impact Area within the OTA, most soil samples contained at least one trace metal, major ion, or nutrient in the upper 10th percentile of data, and the largest concentrations of barium, chromium, copper, manganese, lead, or orthophosphate were detected in 6 of the 18 soil samples. Petroleum hydrocarbons were detected in 4 soil samples, SVOCs in 6 samples, and explosive compounds in 4 samples. In the mobilization and training equipment site (MATES) compound adjacent to the OTA, all soil and water samples contained at lea

Eco-monitoring of highly contaminated areas: historic heavy metal contamination in tree ring records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baross, Norbert; Jordán, Győző; Albert, Julianna; Abdaal, Ahmed; Anton, Attila

2014-05-01

This study examines and compares tree rings of trees grown in a mining area highly contaminated with heavy metals. Tree rings offers an excellent opportunity for eco-monitoring polluted areas. Contamination dispersion from the source to the receptors can be studied in time and space. The sampled area is located in the eastern part of the Matra Mts. of the Inner-Carpathian calc-alkaline Volcanic Arc (Hungary) with abundant historical ore (Pb, Zn, Cu, etc.) mining in the area. Dense forests are composed of the most typical association of the Turkey oak (Quercus cerris). Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), European black pine (Pinus nigra), oak (Quercus robur), beech (Fagus sylvatica), and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) also occurs in the landscape. Sampled trees are located within a 1km radius of the abandoned historic ore mines. Sample sites were located above the old mines and waste rock heaps, under the waste rock heaps and on the floodplain of the Ilona Creek. The sampled trees were selected by the following criteria: the tree should be healthy, showing no signs of thunderbolt or diseases and having a minimum diameter of 50 cm. Samples were taken with a tree borer at the height of 150 cm. At the same time, soil samples were also taken near the trees in a 25 cm depth. Prior to laboratory analysis, the samples measured and air dried. Every fifth years tree ring was taken from the samples under microscope, working backwards from the most recent outer ring (2012, the year of the sampling). Samples were digested with a mixture of H2SO4 and H2O2m in Teflon vessels in a microwave unit. The samples were analyzed by ICP-OES instrument. The results were evaluated with statistical method. Results revealed a consistent picture showing distinct locations and years of the contamination history in the former mining area. Some elements are built into the trees more efficiently than other elements depending on mobility in the soil solution that is influenced by soil chemical properties, in turn. The majority of the metals become more mobile in acidic soil and heavy rain climatic conditions giving rise to availability of metal uptake by the studied trees.

The investigation of chemical quality of water in tidal rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keighton, Walter B.

1954-01-01

This report has been prepared for the guidance of personnel of the Water Resources Division who are engaged in water-quality investigations of tidal rivers. The study of tidal rivers is beset with many complexities not present in the investigation of non-tidal rivers. The periodic rise and fall of the tide may result in a corresponding periodic change in salinity at a sampling location on the tidal river. When the fresh water discharge is low, saline water may intrude up-river, and any factor changing the relative elevations of the ocean and the mean river level has an effect on the extent of salt-water intrusion. Variations in water composition between samples taken at several locations up or down river, at different depths, or at several locations across the stream are likely to be more pronounced than for similar sets of samples from a non-tidal stream. The nature of these variations and factors responsible for them are discussed, and the need for consideration of them in planning a sampling routine is stressed. The nature and mechanism of ocean-water intrusion in tidal rivers is discussed and sampling procedures for its detection are described. lllustrative examples - mostly from the work of the United States Geological Survey or State agencies - show various methods for correlating and presenting data from quality-of-water surveys of tidal rivers. Each tidal river presents an individual problem which can best be understood from a study of the factors involved. To that end the report is supplemented by an annotated bibliography of selected publications in the field.

The Attitudes of Blacks Toward Stories in Selected Basal Readers Which Contain Negro Characters: Teaching Black Experience Through Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dantzler, Dolores J.

The purposes of the study were to determine the extent to which basal readers contain stories pertaining to blacks; to find out if the racial implications stated in basal texts are those that blacks want; to locate the black heroes in basal readers and evaluate whether or not these are the preferred heroes of the population of blacks sampled in…

Subset Selection Procedures: A Review and an Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-02-01

distance function (Alam and Rizvi, 1966; Gupta, 1966; Gupta and Studden, 1970), generalized variance ( Gnanadesikan and Gupta, 1970), and multiple... Gnanadesikan (1966) considered a location type procedure based on sample component means. Except in the case of bivariate normal, only a lower bound of the...Frischtak, 1973; Gnanadesikan , 1966) for ranking multivariate normal populations but the results in these cases are very limited in scope or are asymptotic

Noise levels associated with urban land use.

PubMed

King, Gavin; Roland-Mieszkowski, Marek; Jason, Timothy; Rainham, Daniel G

2012-12-01

Recent trends towards the intensification of urban development to increase urban densities and avoid sprawl should be accompanied by research into the potential for related health impacts from environmental exposure. The objective of the current study was to examine the effect of the built environment and land use on levels of environmental noise. Two different study areas were selected using a combination of small area census geography, land use information, air photography, and ground-truthing. The first study area represented residential land use and consisted of two- to three-story single-family homes. The second study area was characteristic of mixed-use urban planning with apartment buildings as well as commercial and institutional development. Study areas were subdivided into six grids, and a location was randomly selected within each grid for noise monitoring. Each location was sampled four times over a 24-h day, resulting in a total of 24 samples for each of the two areas. Results showed significant variability in noise within study areas and significantly higher levels of environmental noise in the mixed-use area. Both study areas exceeded recommended noise limits when evaluated against World Health Organization guidelines and yielded average noise events values in the moderate to serious annoyance range with the potential to obscure normal conversation and cause sleep disturbance.

Measurements of fog composition at a rural site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straub, Derek J.; Hutchings, James W.; Herckes, Pierre

2012-02-01

Studies that focus on fog chemistry in the United States have been limited to relatively few locations. Apart from measurements along the East and West coasts and extensive analysis of radiation fog in the Central Valley of California, fog composition has been characterized in only a handful of other locations. To complement and expand the existing fog chemistry data that are currently available, a new field campaign was established at a rural location in Central Pennsylvania to produce a unique, long term record of fog composition. From 2007 to 2010, 41 fog events were sampled with an automated Caltech Heated Rod Cloudwater Collector (CHRCC). The collected samples were analyzed primarily for pH and major inorganic ions. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and trace metals were analyzed in selected samples and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was quantified in two samples. Sample composition varied widely during the study period. Sulfate concentrations ranged from 15 to 955 (median = 123) μN and pH varied between 3.08 and 7.41 (median = 5.77). In terms of volume weighted averages, ammonium was the most abundant ionic species followed by sulfate, calcium, and nitrate. For the subset of samples in which DOC was analyzed, concentrations ranged from 2.2 to 22.6 mgC l -1. Comparisons with regional precipitation chemistry measurements reveal the influence of local agricultural and soil sources on fog composition. The sum of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium measured in the present study is considerably lower than the majority of radiation, precipitation, and coastal fogs collected in the United States although the ammonium/(nitrate + sulfate) ratio is similar to those found in the Central Valley of California.

Spatial Variation in Particulate Matter Components over a Large Urban Area

PubMed Central

Fruin, Scott; Urman, Robert; Lurmann, Fred; McConnell, Rob; Gauderman, James; Rappaport, Ed; Franklin, Meredith; Gilliland, Frank D.; Shafer, Martin; Gorski, Patrick; Avol, Ed

2014-01-01

To characterize exposures to particulate matter (PM) and its components, we performed a large sampling study of small-scale spatial variation in size-resolved particle mass and composition. PM was collected in size ranges of < 0.2, 0.2-to-2.5, and 2.5-to-10 μm on a scale of 100s to 1000s of meters to capture local sources. Within each of eight Southern California communities, up to 29 locations were sampled for rotating, month-long integrated periods at two different times of the year, six months apart, from Nov 2008 through Dec 2009. Additional sampling was conducted at each community’s regional monitoring station to provide temporal coverage over the sampling campaign duration. Residential sampling locations were selected based on a novel design stratified by high- and low-predicted traffic emissions and locations over- and under-predicted from previous dispersion model and sampling comparisons. Primary vehicle emissions constituents, such as elemental carbon (EC), showed much stronger patterns of association with traffic than pollutants with significant secondary formation, such as PM2.5 or water soluble organic carbon. Associations were also stronger during cooler times of the year (Oct through Mar). Primary pollutants also showed greater within-community spatial variation compared to pollutants with secondary formation contributions. For example, the average cool-season community mean and standard deviation (SD) for EC were 1.1 and 0.17 μg/m3, respectively, giving a coefficient of variation (CV) of 18%. For PM2.5, average mean and SD were 14 and 1.3 μg/m3, respectively, with a CV of 9%. We conclude that within-community spatial differences are important for accurate exposure assessment of traffic-related pollutants. PMID:24578605

Supply Warehouse#3, SWMU 088 Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring Report Kennedy Space Center, Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Alex

2016-01-01

This document presents the findings, observations, and results associated with Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring (OM&M) activities of Corrective Measures Implementation (CMI) activities conducted at Supply Warehouse #3 (SW3) located at John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida from October 8, 2015, to September 12, 2016, and performance monitoring results for semi-annual sampling events conducted in March and September 2016. The primary objective of SW3 CMI is to actively decrease concentrations of trichloroethene (TCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) to less than Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Natural Attenuation Default Concentrations (NADCs), and the secondary objective is to reduce TCE, cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE), trans-1,2-dichloroethene (tDCE), 1,1-dichloroethene (11DCE), and VC concentrations to less than FDEP Groundwater Cleanup Target Levels (GCTLs). The SW3 facility has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 088 under KSC's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program. Based on the results to date, the SW3 air sparging (AS) system is operating at or below the performance criteria as presented in the 2008 SW3 Corrective Measures Implementation (CMI) Work Plan and 2009 and 2012 CMI Work Plan Addenda. Since the start of AS system operations on December 19, 2012, through the September 2016 groundwater sampling event, TCE concentrations have decreased to less than the GCTL in all wells within the Active Remediation Zone (ARZ), and VC results remain less than NADC but greater than GCTL. Based on these results, team consensus was reached at the October 2016 KSC Remediation Team (KSCRT) meeting to continue AS system operations and semi-annual performance monitoring of volatile organic compounds in March 2017 at ten monitoring wells at select locations, and in September 2017 at four monitoring wells at select locations to reduce VC concentrations to below GCTL. Additionally, surface water samples will be collected at locations SW0001, SW0002, and SW0003 during both the March and September 2017 events. Team consensus was also reached at the October 2017 KSCRT meeting to continue with operation and maintenance (O&M) of the AS system at SW3.

Central Appalachian basin natural gas database: distribution, composition, and origin of natural gases

USGS Publications Warehouse

Román Colón, Yomayra A.; Ruppert, Leslie F.

2015-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled a database consisting of three worksheets of central Appalachian basin natural gas analyses and isotopic compositions from published and unpublished sources of 1,282 gas samples from Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The database includes field and reservoir names, well and State identification number, selected geologic reservoir properties, and the composition of natural gases (methane; ethane; propane; butane, iso-butane [i-butane]; normal butane [n-butane]; iso-pentane [i-pentane]; normal pentane [n-pentane]; cyclohexane, and hexanes). In the first worksheet, location and American Petroleum Institute (API) numbers from public or published sources are provided for 1,231 of the 1,282 gas samples. A second worksheet of 186 gas samples was compiled from published sources and augmented with public location information and contains carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen isotopic measurements of natural gas. The third worksheet is a key for all abbreviations in the database. The database can be used to better constrain the stratigraphic distribution, composition, and origin of natural gas in the central Appalachian basin.

Identification of a potential toxic hot spot associated with AVS spatial and seasonal variation.

PubMed

Campana, O; Rodríguez, A; Blasco, J

2009-04-01

In risk assessment of aquatic sediments, much attention is paid to the difference between acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEMs) as indicators of metal availability. Ten representative sampling sites were selected along the estuary of the Guadalete River. Surficial sediments were sampled in winter and summer to better understand SEM and AVS spatial and seasonal distributions and to establish priority risk areas. Total SEM concentration (SigmaSEM) ranged from 0.3 to 4.7 micromol g(-1). It was not significantly different between seasons, however, it showed a significant difference between sampling stations. AVS concentrations were much more variable, showing significant spatial and temporal variations. The values ranged from 0.8 to 22.4 micromol g(-1). The SEM/AVS ratio was found to be <1 at all except one station located near the mouth of the estuary. The results provided information on a potential pollution source near the mouth of the estuary, probably associated with vessel-related activities carried out in a local harbor area located near the station.

Locating hazardous gas leaks in the atmosphere via modified genetic, MCMC and particle swarm optimization algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ji; Zhang, Ru; Yan, Yuting; Dong, Xiaoqiang; Li, Jun Ming

2017-05-01

Hazardous gas leaks in the atmosphere can cause significant economic losses in addition to environmental hazards, such as fires and explosions. A three-stage hazardous gas leak source localization method was developed that uses movable and stationary gas concentration sensors. The method calculates a preliminary source inversion with a modified genetic algorithm (MGA) and has the potential to crossover with eliminated individuals from the population, following the selection of the best candidate. The method then determines a search zone using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling, utilizing a partial evaluation strategy. The leak source is then accurately localized using a modified guaranteed convergence particle swarm optimization algorithm with several bad-performing individuals, following selection of the most successful individual with dynamic updates. The first two stages are based on data collected by motionless sensors, and the last stage is based on data from movable robots with sensors. The measurement error adaptability and the effect of the leak source location were analyzed. The test results showed that this three-stage localization process can localize a leak source within 1.0 m of the source for different leak source locations, with measurement error standard deviation smaller than 2.0.

Fiber optic-based regenerable biosensor

DOEpatents

Sepaniak, Michael J.; Vo-Dinh, Tuan

1993-01-01

A fiber optic-based regenerable biosensor. The biosensor is particularly suitable for use in microscale work in situ. In one embodiment, the biosensor comprises a reaction chamber disposed adjacent the distal end of a waveguide and adapted to receive therein a quantity of a sample containing an analyte. Leading into the chamber is a plurality of capillary conduits suitable for introducing into the chamber antibodies or other reagents suitable for selective interaction with a predetermined analyte. Following such interaction, the contents of the chamber may be subjected to an incident energy signal for developing fluorescence within the chamber that is detectable via the optical fiber and which is representative of the presence, i.e. concentration, of the selected analyte. Regeneration of the biosensor is accomplished by replacement of the reagents and/or the analyte, or a combination of these, at least in part via one or more of the capillary conduits. The capillary conduits extend from their respective terminal ends that are in fluid communication with the chamber, away from the chamber to respective location(s) remote from the chamber thereby permitting in situ location of the chamber and remote manipulation and/or analysis of the activity with the chamber.

[Oncomelania hupensis snail distribution in working areas of Yangtze River hydrologic agencies located in middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River in 2016].

PubMed

Min, Xu; Suo-Xin, Huang; Zheng-Yuan, Zhao; Ben-Jiao, Hu; Jun, Fu; Si-Min, Dai; Li-Hong, Wen

2016-10-13

To understand the Oncomelania hupensis snail distribution in the working areas of Yangtze River hydrologic agencies located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in 2016, so as to provide the evidence for assessing the risk of schistosome infection of hydrological workers and establishing the control strategies. The suspicious environments with O. hupensis snails in the above working areas were selected as study areas, and the snail situation was surveyed by the system sampling method combined with the environmental sampling method. The survey data were collected and analyzed statistically. Totally 19 working areas from 17 hydrological agencies were selected as the investigation sites, among which, 10 working areas from 9 agencies were found with O. hupensis snail distribution. The constituent ratio of the areas with snails reached to 38.81% of the investigation areas, the occurrence rate of frames with snails was 3.08%, and the average density of living snails was 0.07 /0.1 m 2 . By comparison, the average density of living snails and occurrence rate of frames with snails in hydrological agencies under the jurisdiction of the Middle Reaches Administrative Bureau were the most serious among three administrative bureaus of the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission. There are various degrees of O. hupensis breeding in the working areas of hydrological agencies located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the hydrological workers are facing with the risk of schistosome infection.

Annual radiological environmental operating report, Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-04-01

This report describes the environmental radiological monitoring program conducted by TVA in the vicinity of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in 1991. The program includes the collection of samples from the environment and the determination of the concentrations of radioactive materials in the samples. Samples are taken from stations in the general area of the plant and from areas not influenced by plant operations. Station locations are selected after careful consideration of the weather patterns and projected radiation doses to the various areas around the plant. Material sampled includes air, water, milk, foods, vegetation, soil, fish, sediment, and direct radiation levels.more » Results from stations near the plant are compared with concentrations from control stations and with preoperational measurements to determine potential impacts of plant operations.« less

High-resolution analysis of selection sweeps identified between fine-wool Merino and coarse-wool Churra sheep breeds.

PubMed

Gutiérrez-Gil, Beatriz; Esteban-Blanco, Cristina; Wiener, Pamela; Chitneedi, Praveen Krishna; Suarez-Vega, Aroa; Arranz, Juan-Jose

2017-11-07

With the aim of identifying selection signals in three Merino sheep lines that are highly specialized for fine wool production (Australian Industry Merino, Australian Merino and Australian Poll Merino) and considering that these lines have been subjected to selection not only for wool traits but also for growth and carcass traits and parasite resistance, we contrasted the OvineSNP50 BeadChip (50 K-chip) pooled genotypes of these Merino lines with the genotypes of a coarse-wool breed, phylogenetically related breed, Spanish Churra dairy sheep. Genome re-sequencing datasets of the two breeds were analyzed to further explore the genetic variation of the regions initially identified as putative selection signals. Based on the 50 K-chip genotypes, we used the overlapping selection signals (SS) identified by four selection sweep mapping analyses (that detect genetic differentiation, reduced heterozygosity and patterns of haplotype diversity) to define 18 convergence candidate regions (CCR), five associated with positive selection in Australian Merino and the remainder indicating positive selection in Churra. Subsequent analysis of whole-genome sequences from 15 Churra and 13 Merino samples identified 142,400 genetic variants (139,745 bi-allelic SNPs and 2655 indels) within the 18 defined CCR. Annotation of 1291 variants that were significantly associated with breed identity between Churra and Merino samples identified 257 intragenic variants that caused 296 functional annotation variants, 275 of which were located across 31 coding genes. Among these, four synonymous and four missense variants (NPR2_His847Arg, NCAPG_Ser585Phe, LCORL_Asp1214Glu and LCORL_Ile1441Leu) were included. Here, we report the mapping and genetic variation of 18 selection signatures that were identified between Australian Merino and Spanish Churra sheep breeds, which were validated by an additional contrast between Spanish Merino and Churra genotypes. Analysis of whole-genome sequencing datasets allowed us to identify divergent variants that may be viewed as candidates involved in the phenotypic differences for wool, growth and meat production/quality traits between the breeds analyzed. The four missense variants located in the NPR2, NCAPG and LCORL genes may be related to selection sweep regions previously identified and various QTL reported in sheep in relation to growth traits and carcass composition.

Comparison of fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TODIM methods for landfill location selection.

PubMed

Hanine, Mohamed; Boutkhoum, Omar; Tikniouine, Abdessadek; Agouti, Tarik

2016-01-01

Landfill location selection is a multi-criteria decision problem and has a strategic importance for many regions. The conventional methods for landfill location selection are insufficient in dealing with the vague or imprecise nature of linguistic assessment. To resolve this problem, fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making methods are proposed. The aim of this paper is to use fuzzy TODIM (the acronym for Interactive and Multi-criteria Decision Making in Portuguese) and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methods for the selection of landfill location. The proposed methods have been applied to a landfill location selection problem in the region of Casablanca, Morocco. After determining the criteria affecting the landfill location decisions, fuzzy TODIM and fuzzy AHP methods are applied to the problem and results are presented. The comparisons of these two methods are also discussed.

Possible Detection of Perchlorates by Evolved Gas Analysis of Rocknest Soils: Global Implication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Archer, P. D., Jr.; Sutter, B.; Ming, D. W.; McKay, C. P.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Franz, H. B.; McAdam, A.; Mahaffy, P. R.

2013-01-01

The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on board the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) recently ran four samples from an aeolian bedform named Rocknest. Rocknest was selected as the source of the first samples analyzed because it is representative of both windblown material in Gale crater as well as the globally-distributed dust. The four samples analyzed by SAM were portioned from the fifth scoop at this location. The material delivered to SAM passed through a 150 m sieve and should have been well mixed during the sample acquisition/ preparation/handoff process. Rocknest samples were heated to 835 C at a 35 C/minute ramp rate with a He carrier gas flow rate of 1.5 standard cubic centimeters per minute and at an oven pressure of 30 mbar. Evolved gases were detected by a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS).

Fungal contamination and selected mycotoxins in pre- and post-harvest maize in Honduras.

PubMed

Julian, A M; Wareing, P W; Phillips, S I; Medlock, V F; MacDonald, M V; del Río, L E

1995-01-01

Sixty nine samples of maize were collected from pre-harvest standing crops and on-farm storage facilities from 52 smallholder farms located within 4 regions of Honduras during October 1992 and November 1993. Samples were visually assessed for insect damage and fungal spoilage, and the mycoflora quantified on artificial media. The major components of the ear rot complex were: Fusarium moniliforme, F. moniliforme var. subglutinans, Penicillium species, Stenocarpella maydis, S. macrospora and Acremonium spp. Representative samples were also assayed for mycotoxin content. Fumonisin B1 was detected in all 24 samples tested at levels of between 68-6,555 (micrograms/kg), and aflatoxin was detected in 2 samples heavily contaminated with Aspergillus flavus. Moniliformin and tenuazonic acid were not detected in the samples tested. The implications of these findings for human and livestock health risk are discussed, together with possible strategies for controlling these pathogens.

THE CLUSTERING OF ALFALFA GALAXIES: DEPENDENCE ON H I MASS, RELATIONSHIP WITH OPTICAL SAMPLES, AND CLUES OF HOST HALO PROPERTIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Papastergis, Emmanouil; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Haynes, Martha P.

We use a sample of ≈6000 galaxies detected by the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) 21 cm survey to measure the clustering properties of H I-selected galaxies. We find no convincing evidence for a dependence of clustering on galactic atomic hydrogen (H I) mass, over the range M{sub H{sub I}} ≈ 10{sup 8.5}-10{sup 10.5} M{sub ☉}. We show that previously reported results of weaker clustering for low H I mass galaxies are probably due to finite-volume effects. In addition, we compare the clustering of ALFALFA galaxies with optically selected samples drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We findmore » that H I-selected galaxies cluster more weakly than even relatively optically faint galaxies, when no color selection is applied. Conversely, when SDSS galaxies are split based on their color, we find that the correlation function of blue optical galaxies is practically indistinguishable from that of H I-selected galaxies. At the same time, SDSS galaxies with red colors are found to cluster significantly more than H I-selected galaxies, a fact that is evident in both the projected as well as the full two-dimensional correlation function. A cross-correlation analysis further reveals that gas-rich galaxies 'avoid' being located within ≈3 Mpc of optical galaxies with red colors. Next, we consider the clustering properties of halo samples selected from the Bolshoi ΛCDM simulation. A comparison with the clustering of ALFALFA galaxies suggests that galactic H I mass is not tightly related to host halo mass and that a sizable fraction of subhalos do not host H I galaxies. Lastly, we find that we can recover fairly well the correlation function of H I galaxies by just excluding halos with low spin parameter. This finding lends support to the hypothesis that halo spin plays a key role in determining the gas content of galaxies.« less

Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 2014 through September 2015) and statistical summaries of data for streams in the Clark Fork Basin, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dodge, Kent A.; Hornberger, Michelle I.; Turner, Matthew A.

2017-01-19

Water, bed sediment, and biota were sampled in selected streams from Butte to near Missoula, Montana, as part of a monitoring program in the upper Clark Fork Basin of western Montana. The sampling program was led by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to characterize aquatic resources in the Clark Fork Basin, with emphasis on trace elements associated with historic mining and smelting activities. Sampling sites were located on the Clark Fork and selected tributaries. Water samples were collected periodically at 20 sites from October 2014 through September 2015. Bed-sediment and biota samples were collected once at 13 sites during August 2015.This report presents the analytical results and quality-assurance data for water-quality, bed-sediment, and biota samples collected at sites from October 2014 through September 2015. Water-quality data include concentrations of selected major ions, trace elements, and suspended sediment. At 12 sites, samples for analysis of dissolved organic carbon and turbidity were collected. In addition, samples for analysis of nitrogen (nitrate plus nitrite) were collected at two sites. Daily values of mean suspended-sediment concentration and suspended-sediment discharge were determined for three sites. Seasonal daily values of turbidity were determined for four sites. Bed-sediment data include trace-element concentrations in the fine-grained fraction. Biological data include trace-element concentrations in whole-body tissue of aquatic benthic insects. Statistical summaries of water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data for sites in the upper Clark Fork Basin are provided for the period of record.

Quantification of map similarity to magnetic pre-screening for heavy metal pollution assessment in top soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, L.; Appel, E.; Roesler, W.; Ojha, G.

2013-12-01

From numerous published results, the link between magnetic concentration and heavy metal (HM) concentrations is well established. However, bivariate correlation analysis does not imply causality, and if there are extreme values, which often appear in magnetic data, they can lead to seemingly excellent correlation. It seems clear that site selection for chemical sampling based on magnetic pre-screening can deliver a superior result for outlining HM pollution, but this conclusion has only been drawn from qualitative evaluation so far. In this study, we use map similarity comparison techniques to demonstrate the usefulness of a combined magnetic-chemical approach quantitatively. We chose available data around the 'Schwarze Pumpe', a large coal burning power plant complex located in eastern Germany. The site of 'Schwarze Pumpe' is suitable for a demonstration study as soil in its surrounding is heavy fly-ash polluted, the magnetic natural background is very low, and magnetic investigations can be done in undisturbed forest soil. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) of top soil was measured by a Bartington MS2D surface sensor at 180 locations and by a SM400 downhole device in ~0.5m deep vertical sections at 90 locations. Cores from the 90 downhole sites were also studied for HM analysis. From these results 85 sites could be used to determine a spatial distribution map of HM contents reflecting the 'True' situation of pollution. Different sets comprising 30 sites were chosen by arbitrarily selection from the above 85 sample sites (we refer to four such maps here: S1-4). Additionally, we determined a 'Targeted' map from 30 sites selected on the basis of the pre-screening MS results. The map comparison process is as follows: (1) categorization of all absolute values into five classes by the Natural Breaks classification method; (2) use Delaunay triangulation for connecting the sample locations in the x-y plane; (3) determination of a distribution map of triangular planes with classified values as the Z coordinate; (4) calculation of normal vectors for each individual triangular plane; (5)transformation to the TINs into raster data assigning the same normal vectors to all grid-points which are inside the same TIN; (6) calculation of the root-mean-square of angles between normal vectors of two maps at the same grid points. Additionally, we applied the kappa statistics method to assess map similarities, and moreover developed a Fuzzy set approach. Combining both methods using indices of Khisto, Klocation, Kappa, Kfuzzy obtains a broad comparison system, which allows determining the degree of similarity and also the spatial distribution of similarity between two maps. The results indicate that the similarity between the 'Targeted' and 'True' distribution map is higher than that between 'S1-4' and the 'True' map. It manifests that magnetic pre-screening can provide a reliable basis for targeted selection of chemical sampling sites demonstrating the superior efficiency of a combined magnetic-chemical site assessment in comparison to a traditional chemical-only approach.

Water-quality and biological conditions in selected tributaries of the Lower Boise River, southwestern Idaho, water years 2009-12

USGS Publications Warehouse

Etheridge, Alexandra B.; MacCoy, Dorene E.; Weakland, Rhonda J.

2014-01-01

Water-quality conditions were studied in selected tributaries of the lower Boise River during water years 2009–12, including Fivemile and Tenmile Creeks in 2009, Indian Creek in 2010, and Mason Creek in 2011 and 2012. Biological samples, including periphyton biomass and chlorophyll-a, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish were collected in Mason Creek in October 2011. Synoptic water-quality sampling events were timed to coincide with the beginning and middle of the irrigation season as well as the non-irrigation season, and showed that land uses and irrigation practices affect water quality in the selected tributaries. Large increases in nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads occurred over relatively short stream reaches and affected nutrient and sediment concentrations downstream of those reaches. Escherichia coli (E. coli) values increased in study reaches adjacent to pastured lands or wastewater treatment plants, but increased E. coli values at upstream locations did not necessarily affect E. coli values at downstream locations. A spatial loading analysis identified source areas for nutrients, sediment, and E. coli, and might be useful in selecting locations for water-quality improvement projects. Effluent from wastewater treatment plants increased nutrient loads in specific reaches in Fivemile and Indian Creeks. Increased suspended-sediment loads were associated with increased discharge from irrigation returns in each of the studied tributaries. Samples collected during or shortly after storms showed that surface runoff, particularly during the winter, may be an important source of nutrients in tributary watersheds with substantial agricultural land use. Concentrations of total phosphorus, suspended sediment, and E. coli exceeded regulatory water-quality targets or trigger levels at one or more monitoring sites in each tributary studied, and exceedences occurred during irrigation season more often than during non-irrigation season. As with water-quality sampling results, bottom-sediment samples analyzed for contaminants of emerging concern indicated that adjacent land uses can affect in-stream conditions. Contaminants of emerging concern were detected in four categories: urban compounds, industrial compounds, fecal steroids, and personal care products. Compounds in one or more of the four contaminant categories were detected at higher concentrations in upstream sites than in downstream sites in the tributaries and in the lower Boise River. High concentrations of compounds in upstream locations indicated that adjacent land use might be an important factor in contributing contaminants of emerging concern to the lower Boise River watershed. Expanded monitoring at Mason Creek near the mouth included a streamgage, a continuous water-quality monitor, and monthly water-quality sample collection. Data collected during expanded monitoring efforts at Mason Creek near the mouth provided information to develop and compare water-quality models. Regression models were developed using turbidity, discharge, and seasonality as surrogates to estimate concentrations of water-quality constituents. Daily streamflow also was used in a load model to estimate daily loads of water-quality constituents. Surrogate regression models may be useful for long-term monitoring and generally performed better than other models to estimate concentrations and loads of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and suspended sediment in Mason Creek. Biological sampling results from Mason Creek showed low periphyton biomass and chlorophyll-a concentrations compared to those historically measured in the Boise River near Parma, Idaho, during October and November. The most abundant invertebrate found in Mason Creek was the highly tolerant and invasive New Zealand mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum). The presence of small rainbow trout (90 millimeters) may indicate salmonid spawning in Mason Creek. The rangeland-fish-index score of 58 for Mason Creek is comparable to rangeland-fish-index scores calculated for the Boise River near Middleton, indicating intermediate biotic condition.

Rethinking volitional control over task choice in multitask environments: use of a stimulus set selection strategy in voluntary task switching.

PubMed

Arrington, Catherine M; Weaver, Starla M

2015-01-01

Under conditions of volitional control in multitask environments, subjects may engage in a variety of strategies to guide task selection. The current research examines whether subjects may sometimes use a top-down control strategy of selecting a task-irrelevant stimulus dimension, such as location, to guide task selection. We term this approach a stimulus set selection strategy. Using a voluntary task switching procedure, subjects voluntarily switched between categorizing letter and number stimuli that appeared in two, four, or eight possible target locations. Effects of stimulus availability, manipulated by varying the stimulus onset asynchrony between the two target stimuli, and location repetition were analysed to assess the use of a stimulus set selection strategy. Considered across position condition, Experiment 1 showed effects of both stimulus availability and location repetition on task choice suggesting that only in the 2-position condition, where selection based on location always results in a target at the selected location, subjects may have been using a stimulus set selection strategy on some trials. Experiment 2 replicated and extended these findings in a visually more cluttered environment. These results indicate that, contrary to current models of task selection in voluntary task switching, the top-down control of task selection may occur in the absence of the formation of an intention to perform a particular task.

Study of coherent reflectometer for imaging internal structures of highly scattering media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poupardin, Mathieu; Dolfi, Agnes

1996-01-01

Optical reflectometers are potentially useful tools for imaging internal structures of turbid media, particularly of biological media. To get a point by point image, an active imaging system has to distinguish light scattered from a sample volume and light scattered by other locations in the media. Operating this discrimination of light with reflectometers based on coherence can be realized in two ways: assuring a geometric selection or a temporal selection. In this paper we present both methods, showing in each case the influence of the different parameters on the size of the sample volume under the assumption of single scattering. We also study the influence on the detection efficiency of the coherence loss of the incident light resulting from multiple scattering. We adapt a model, first developed for atmospheric lidar in turbulent atmosphere, to get an analytical expression of this detection efficiency in the function of the optical coefficients of the media.

Attitudes towards smoking restrictions and tobacco advertisement bans in Georgia.

PubMed

Bakhturidze, George D; Mittelmark, Maurice B; Aarø, Leif E; Peikrishvili, Nana T

2013-11-25

This study aims to provide data on a public level of support for restricting smoking in public places and banning tobacco advertisements. A nationally representative multistage sampling design, with sampling strata defined by region (sampling quotas proportional to size) and substrata defined by urban/rural and mountainous/lowland settlement, within which census enumeration districts were randomly sampled, within which households were randomly sampled, within which a randomly selected respondent was interviewed. The country of Georgia, population 4.7 million, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. One household member aged between 13 and 70 was selected as interviewee. In households with more than one age-eligible person, selection was carried out at random. Of 1588 persons selected, 14 refused to participate and interviews were conducted with 915 women and 659 men. Respondents were interviewed about their level of agreement with eight possible smoking restrictions/bans, used to calculate a single dichotomous (agree/do not agree) opinion indicator. The level of agreement with restrictions was analysed in bivariate and multivariate analyses by age, gender, education, income and tobacco use status. Overall, 84.9% of respondents indicated support for smoking restrictions and tobacco advertisement bans. In all demographic segments, including tobacco users, the majority of respondents indicated agreement with restrictions, ranging from a low of 51% in the 13-25 age group to a high of 98% in the 56-70 age group. Logistic regression with all demographic variables entered showed that agreement with restrictions was higher with age, and was significantly higher among never smokers as compared to daily smokers. Georgian public opinion is normatively supportive of more stringent tobacco-control measures in the form of smoking restrictions and tobacco advertisement bans.

Clay Chemistry's Influence on the Average Carbon Content and Particle Size at the Ninety-Six Historical Site, South Carolina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lintz, L.; Werts, S. P.

2014-12-01

The Ninety-Six National Historic Site is located in Greenwood County, SC. Recent geologic mapping of this area has revealed differences in soil properties over short distances within the park. We studied the chemistry of the clay minerals found within the soils to see if there was a correlation between the amounts of soil organic carbon contained in the soil and particle size in individual soil horizons. Three different vegetation areas, including an old field, a deciduous forest, and a pine forest were selected to see what influence vegetation type had on the clay chemistry and carbon levels as well. Four samples containing the O, A, and B horizons were taken from each location and we studied the carbon and nitrogen content using an elemental analyzer, particle size using a Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analyzer, and clay mineralogy with powder X-ray diffraction of each soil sample. Samples from the old field and pine forest gave an overall negative correlation between carbon content and clay percentage, which is against the normal trend for Southern Piedmont Ultisols. The deciduous forest samples gave no correlation at all between its carbon content and clay percentage. Together, all three locations show the same negative relationship, while once separated into vegetation type and A and B horizons it shows even more abnormal relationships of negative while several show no correlation (R2= 0.007403- 0.56268). Using powder XRD, we ran clay samples from each A and B horizon for the clay mineralogy. All three vegetation areas had the same results of containing quartz, kaolinite, and Fe oxides, therefore, clay chemistry is not a reason behind the abnormal trend of a negative correlation between average carbon content and clay percentage. Considering that all three locations have the same climate, topography, and parent material of metagranite, it could be reasonable to assume these results are a factor of environmental and biological influences rather than clay type.

Effects of radionuclides on the recent foraminifera from the clastic sediments of the Çanakkale Strait-Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yümün, Zeki Ünal; Kam, Erol

2017-07-01

The radionuclides that cause radioactivity accumulate in the sediments as they descend to the seabed, similar to heavy metals. As radionuclides are present on the surface of the sediment or within the sediment, marine benthic foraminifera can be affected by the radioactive pollution. In this study, the habitat of benthic foraminifera was evaluated for radioactive pollution in the Çanakkale Strait, which constitutes the passage of the Marmara Sea and the Aegean Sea. In 2015, seven core samples and one drilling sample were taken from the shallow marine environment, which is the habitat of benthic foraminifera, in the Çanakkale Strait. Locations of the core samples were specifically selected to be pollution indicators in port areas. Gamma spectrometric analysis was used to determine the radioactivity properties of sediments. The radionuclide concentration activity values in the sediment samples obtained from the locations were Cs-137: <2-20 (Bq/kg), Th-232: 17.5-58.3 (Bq/kg), Ra-226: 16.9-48.6 (Bq/kg) and K-40: 443.7-725.6 (Bq/kg). These values were compared with the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency (TAEK) and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) data and environmental analysis was carried out. The Ra-226 series, the Th-232 series and the K-40 radionuclides accumulate naturally and increase continuously due to anthropogenic pollution. Although the Ra-226 values obtained in the study areas remained within normal limits according to UNSCEAR values, the K-40 and Th-232 series values were observed to be high in almost all locations. The values of Cs-137 were found to be maximum 20 in Çanakkale Dere Port and they were parallel to the values in the other places. In the study, 13 genera and 20 species were identified from core and drilling samples. The number of foraminifera species and individuals obtained at locations with high pollution was very low compared to those in non-polluted zones.

Archive of sediment data from vibracores collected in 2010 offshore of the Mississippi barrier islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelso, Kyle W.; Flocks, James G.

2015-01-01

Selection of the core site locations was based on geophysical surveys conducted around the islands from 2008 to 2010. The surveys, using acoustic systems to image and interpret the nearsurface stratigraphy, were conducted to investigate the geologic controls on island evolution. This data series serves as an archive of sediment data collected from August to September 2010, offshore of the Mississippi barrier islands. Data products, including descriptive core logs, core photographs, results of sediment grain-size analyses, sample location maps, and geographic information system (GIS) data files with accompanying formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FDGC) metadata can be downloaded from the data products and downloads page.

Semiautomated landscape feature extraction and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasilewski, Anthony A.; Faust, Nickolas L.; Ribarsky, William

2001-08-01

We have developed a semi-automated procedure for generating correctly located 3D tree objects form overhead imagery. Cross-platform software partitions arbitrarily large, geocorrected and geolocated imagery into management sub- images. The user manually selected tree areas from one or more of these sub-images. Tree group blobs are then narrowed to lines using a special thinning algorithm which retains the topology of the blobs, and also stores the thickness of the parent blob. Maxima along these thinned tree grous are found, and used as individual tree locations within the tree group. Magnitudes of the local maxima are used to scale the radii of the tree objects. Grossly overlapping trees are culled based on a comparison of tree-tree distance to combined radii. Tree color is randomly selected based on the distribution of sample tree pixels, and height is estimated form tree radius. The final tree objects are then inserted into a terrain database which can be navigated by VGIS, a high-resolution global terrain visualization system developed at Georgia Tech.

Organic carbon sequestration under selected land use in Padang city, West Sumatra, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yulnafatmawita; Yasin, S.

2018-03-01

Organic carbon is a potential element to build biomass as well as emitting CO2 to the atmosphere and promotes global warming. This research was aimed to calculate the sequestered Carbon (C) within a 1-m soil depth under selected land use from 6 different sites in Padang city, Indonesia. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were taken from several horizons until 100 cm depth at each location. Soil parameters observed were organic carbon (OC), bulk density (BD), and soil texture. The result showed that soil OC content tended to decrease by the depth at all land use types, except under rice field in Kurao-Nanggalo which extremely increased at >65 cm soil depth with the highest carbon stock. The soil organic carbon sequestration from the highest to the lowest according to land use and the location is in the following order mix garden- Kayu Aro > mix garden- Aie Pacah > Rangeland- Parak Laweh >seasonal farming- Teluk Sirih > rice field- Kampuang Jua.

Occupancy Modeling Species-Environment Relationships with Non-ignorable Survey Designs.

PubMed

Irvine, Kathryn M; Rodhouse, Thomas J; Wright, Wilson J; Olsen, Anthony R

2018-05-26

Statistical models supporting inferences about species occurrence patterns in relation to environmental gradients are fundamental to ecology and conservation biology. A common implicit assumption is that the sampling design is ignorable and does not need to be formally accounted for in analyses. The analyst assumes data are representative of the desired population and statistical modeling proceeds. However, if datasets from probability and non-probability surveys are combined or unequal selection probabilities are used, the design may be non ignorable. We outline the use of pseudo-maximum likelihood estimation for site-occupancy models to account for such non-ignorable survey designs. This estimation method accounts for the survey design by properly weighting the pseudo-likelihood equation. In our empirical example, legacy and newer randomly selected locations were surveyed for bats to bridge a historic statewide effort with an ongoing nationwide program. We provide a worked example using bat acoustic detection/non-detection data and show how analysts can diagnose whether their design is ignorable. Using simulations we assessed whether our approach is viable for modeling datasets composed of sites contributed outside of a probability design Pseudo-maximum likelihood estimates differed from the usual maximum likelihood occu31 pancy estimates for some bat species. Using simulations we show the maximum likelihood estimator of species-environment relationships with non-ignorable sampling designs was biased, whereas the pseudo-likelihood estimator was design-unbiased. However, in our simulation study the designs composed of a large proportion of legacy or non-probability sites resulted in estimation issues for standard errors. These issues were likely a result of highly variable weights confounded by small sample sizes (5% or 10% sampling intensity and 4 revisits). Aggregating datasets from multiple sources logically supports larger sample sizes and potentially increases spatial extents for statistical inferences. Our results suggest that ignoring the mechanism for how locations were selected for data collection (e.g., the sampling design) could result in erroneous model-based conclusions. Therefore, in order to ensure robust and defensible recommendations for evidence-based conservation decision-making, the survey design information in addition to the data themselves must be available for analysts. Details for constructing the weights used in estimation and code for implementation are provided. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Archeointensity determinations on Pre-Columbian potteries from La Ceiba and Santa Marta shelter-caves (Chiapas, Mexico).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez-Ceja, Maria; Camps, Pierre; Goguitchaichvili, Avto; Poidras, Thierry; Nicol, Patrick

2014-05-01

Quite surprisingly, the abundance of archaeological baked clays found in the tropical area of Mesoamerica contrast with the small amount of archeomagnetic data available today for this area [Fanjat et al, EPSL, 2013; Alva-Valdivia et al, PEPI, 2010, Morales et al., EPS, 2009]. It seems especially difficult to try to establish a regional trend in the intensity variations. While they are few, the data are moreover of uneven quality as attested by a large scatter in experimental values during the Mesoamerican classic and post-classic periods (250-1521 AD) that cannot be explained by real fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field [Fanjat et al, EPSL, 2013]. The present study is part of a large effort to provide reliable and perfectly dated archeointensity data for the tropical area of Mesoamerica. It focuses on Thellier-Thellier archeointensity measurements obtained from 87 small fragments from potsherds of 12 different potteries. These potteries were excavated from sedimentary sequences within two shelter-caves, La Ceiba and Santa Marta, located on the banks of Grijalva and La Venta rivers, respectively. Both are shelter-caves without constructed structures that were inhabited by humans groups. Samples were located in different stratigraphic levels, culturally well identified and well preserved due to long time sedimentation. Only samples with a homogenous color were pre-selected for the rock magnetic study performed prior to any attempt to estimate the archeointensity. This was done in order to assure, as far as possible, a uniform baking during the manufacture, which is supposed to be made in open sky fire, since no kiln construction has been found. The ceramics ages were achieved in 2 ways: for samples with organic material associated, a 14C dating was done. The rest of the samples were dated according to their typological characteristics, comparing with regional ceramic chronological classification. This includes characteristics such as the finishing surface type, decoration, polished type, color, clay characteristics, composition, baking types, form, and function. The ages of the selected samples enclose the entire classical and post-classical periods. Most of our selected samples yielded good, from a technical point of view, archeointensity estimates. These new archeointensity determinations are compared and discussed with the previous values obtained for this area.

[Location selection for Shenyang urban parks based on GIS and multi-objective location allocation model].

PubMed

Zhou, Yuan; Shi, Tie-Mao; Hu, Yuan-Man; Gao, Chang; Liu, Miao; Song, Lin-Qi

2011-12-01

Based on geographic information system (GIS) technology and multi-objective location-allocation (LA) model, and in considering of four relatively independent objective factors (population density level, air pollution level, urban heat island effect level, and urban land use pattern), an optimized location selection for the urban parks within the Third Ring of Shenyang was conducted, and the selection results were compared with the spatial distribution of existing parks, aimed to evaluate the rationality of the spatial distribution of urban green spaces. In the location selection of urban green spaces in the study area, the factor air pollution was most important, and, compared with single objective factor, the weighted analysis results of multi-objective factors could provide optimized spatial location selection of new urban green spaces. The combination of GIS technology with LA model would be a new approach for the spatial optimizing of urban green spaces.

Cost-effective binomial sequential sampling of western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), egg masses in corn.

PubMed

Paula-Moraes, S; Burkness, E C; Hunt, T E; Wright, R J; Hein, G L; Hutchison, W D

2011-12-01

Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a native pest of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and corn (Zea mays L.). As a result of larval feeding damage on corn ears, S. albicosta has a narrow treatment window; thus, early detection of the pest in the field is essential, and egg mass sampling has become a popular monitoring tool. Three action thresholds for field and sweet corn currently are used by crop consultants, including 4% of plants infested with egg masses on sweet corn in the silking-tasseling stage, 8% of plants infested with egg masses on field corn with approximately 95% tasseled, and 20% of plants infested with egg masses on field corn during mid-milk-stage corn. The current monitoring recommendation is to sample 20 plants at each of five locations per field (100 plants total). In an effort to develop a more cost-effective sampling plan for S. albicosta egg masses, several alternative binomial sampling plans were developed using Wald's sequential probability ratio test, and validated using Resampling for Validation of Sampling Plans (RVSP) software. The benefit-cost ratio also was calculated and used to determine the final selection of sampling plans. Based on final sampling plans selected for each action threshold, the average sample number required to reach a treat or no-treat decision ranged from 38 to 41 plants per field. This represents a significant savings in sampling cost over the current recommendation of 100 plants.

Effects of Wintering Environment and Parasite–Pathogen Interactions on Honey Bee Colony Loss in North Temperate Regions

PubMed Central

Currie, Robert W.

2016-01-01

Extreme winter losses of honey bee colonies are a major threat to beekeeping but the combinations of factors underlying colony loss remain debatable. We monitored colonies in two environments (colonies wintered indoors or outdoors) and characterized the effects of two parasitic mites, seven viruses, and Nosema on honey bee colony mortality and population loss over winter. Samples were collected from two locations within hives in fall, mid-winter and spring of 2009/2010. Although fall parasite and pathogen loads were similar in outdoor and indoor-wintered colonies, the outdoor-wintered colonies had greater relative reductions in bee population score over winter. Seasonal patterns in deformed wing virus (DWV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), and Nosema level also differed with the wintering environment. DWV and Nosema levels decreased over winter for indoor-wintered colonies but BQCV did not. Both BQCV and Nosema concentration increased over winter in outdoor-wintered colonies. The mean abundance of Varroa decreased and concentration of Sacbrood virus (SBV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), and Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) increased over winter but seasonal patterns were not affected by wintering method. For most viruses, either entrance or brood area samples were reasonable predictors of colony virus load but there were significant season*sample location interactions for Nosema and BQCV, indicating that care must be taken when selecting samples from a single location. For Nosema spp., the fall entrance samples were better predictors of future infestation levels than were fall brood area samples. For indoor-wintered colonies, Israeli acute paralysis virus IAPV concentration was negatively correlated with spring population size. For outdoor-wintered hives, spring Varroa abundance and DWV concentration were positively correlated with bee loss and negatively correlated with spring population size. Multivariate analyses for fall collected samples indicated higher DWV was associated with colony death as did high SBV for spring-collected samples. PMID:27448049

Air pathway effects of nuclear materials production at the Hanford Site, 1983 to 1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patton, G.W.; Cooper, A.T.

1993-10-01

This report describes the air pathway effects of Hanford Site operations from 1983 to 1992 on the local environment by summarizing the air concentrations of selected radionuclides at both onsite and offsite locations, comparing trends in environment concentrations to changing facility emissions, and briefly describing trends in the radiological dose to the hypothetical maximally exposed member of the public. The years 1983 to 1992 represent the last Hanford Site plutonium production campaign, and this report deals mainly with the air pathway effects from the 200 Areas, in which the major contributors to radiological emissions were located. An additional purpose formore » report was to review the environmental data for a long period of time to provide insight not available in an annual report format. The sampling and analytical systems used by the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project (SESP) to collect air samples during the period of this report were sufficiently sensitive to observe locally elevated concentrations of selected radionuclides near onsite source of emission as well as observing elevated levels, compared to distant locations, of some radionuclides at the down wind perimeter. The US DOE Derived Concentration Guides (DCGs) for airborne radionuclides were not exceeded for any air sample collected during 1983 to 1992, with annual average concentrations of all radionuclides at the downwind perimeter being considerably below the DCG values. Air emissions at the Hanford Site during the period of this report were dominated by releases from the PUREX Plant, with {sup 85}Kr being the major release on a curie basis and {sup 129}I being the major release on a radiological dose basis. The estimated potential radiological dose from Hanford Site point source emissions to the hypothetical maximally exposed individual (MEI) ranged from 0. 02 to 0.22 mrem/yr (effective dose equivalent), which is well below the DOE radiation limit to the public of 100 mrem/yr.« less

Ion binding compounds, radionuclide complexes, methods of making radionuclide complexes, methods of extracting radionuclides, and methods of delivering radionuclides to target locations

DOEpatents

Chen, Xiaoyuan; Wai, Chien M.; Fisher, Darrell R.

2000-01-01

The invention pertains to compounds for binding lanthanide ions and actinide ions. The invention further pertains to compounds for binding radionuclides, and to methods of making radionuclide complexes. Also, the invention pertains to methods of extracting radionuclides. Additionally, the invention pertains to methods of delivering radionuclides to target locations. In one aspect, the invention includes a compound comprising: a) a calix[n]arene group, wherein n is an integer greater than 3, the calix[n]arene group comprising an upper rim and a lower rim; b) at least one ionizable group attached to the lower rim; and c) an ion selected from the group consisting of lanthanide and actinide elements bound to the ionizable group. In another aspect, the invention includes a method of extracting a radionuclide, comprising: a) providing a sample comprising a radionuclide; b) providing a calix[n]arene compound in contact with the sample, wherein n is an integer greater than 3; and c) extracting radionuclide from the sample into the calix[n]arene compound. In yet another aspect, the invention includes a method of delivering a radionuclide to a target location, comprising: a) providing a calix[n]arene compound, wherein n is an integer greater than 3, the calix[n]arene compound comprising at least one ionizable group; b) providing a radionuclide bound to the calix[n]arene compound; and c) providing an antibody attached to the calix[n]arene compound, the antibody being specific for a material found at the target location.

Present-day monitoring underestimates the risk of exposure to pathogenic bacteria from cold water storage tanks

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Water-borne bacteria, found in cold water storage tanks, are causative agents for various human infections and diseases including Legionnaires’ disease. Consequently, regular microbiological monitoring of tank water is undertaken as part of the regulatory framework used to control pathogenic bacteria. A key assumption is that a small volume of water taken from under the ball valve (where there is easy access to the stored water) will be representative of the entire tank. To test the reliability of this measure, domestic water samples taken from different locations of selected tanks in London properties between November 2015 and July 2016 were analysed for TVCs, Pseudomonas and Legionella at an accredited laboratory, according to regulatory requirements. Out of ~6000 tanks surveyed, only 15 were selected based on the ability to take a water sample from the normal sampling hatch (located above the ball valve) and from the far end of the tank (usually requiring disassembly of the tank lid with risk of structural damage), and permission being granted by the site manager to undertake the additional investigation and sampling. Despite seasonal differences in water temperature, we found 100% compliance at the ball valve end. In contrast, 40% of the tanks exceeded the regulatory threshold for temperature at the far end of the tank in the summer months. Consequently, 20% of the tanks surveyed failed to trigger appropriate regulatory action based on microbiological analyses of the water sample taken under the ball valve compared to the far end sample using present-day standards. These data show that typical water samples collected for routine monitoring may often underestimate the microbiological status of the water entering the building, thereby increasing the risk of exposure to water bourne pathogens with potential public health implications. We propose that water storage tanks should be redesigned to allow access to the far end of tanks for routine monitoring purposes, and that water samples used to ascertain the regulatory compliance of stored water in tanks should be taken at the point at which water is abstracted for use in the building. PMID:29649274

Sampling challenges in a study examining refugee resettlement

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background As almost half of all refugees currently under United Nations protection are from Afghanistan or Iraq and significant numbers have already been resettled outside the region of origin, it is likely that future research will examine their resettlement needs. A number of methodological challenges confront researchers working with culturally and linguistically diverse groups; however, few detailed articles are available to inform other studies. The aim of this paper is to outline challenges with sampling and recruitment of socially invisible refugee groups, describing the method adopted for a mixed methods exploratory study assessing mental health, subjective wellbeing and resettlement perspectives of Afghan and Kurdish refugees living in New Zealand and Australia. Sampling strategies used in previous studies with similar refugee groups were considered before determining the approach to recruitment Methods A snowball approach was adopted for the study, with multiple entry points into the communities being used to choose as wide a range of people as possible to provide further contacts and reduce selection bias. Census data was used to assess the representativeness of the sample. Results A sample of 193 former refugee participants was recruited in Christchurch (n = 98) and Perth (n = 95), 47% were of Afghan and 53% Kurdish ethnicity. A good gender balance (males 52%, females 48%) was achieved overall, mainly as a result of the sampling method used. Differences in the demographic composition of groups in each location were observed, especially in relation to the length of time spent in a refugee situation and time since arrival, reflecting variations in national humanitarian quota intakes. Although some measures were problematic, Census data comparison to assess reasonable representativeness of the study sample was generally reassuring. Conclusions Snowball sampling, with multiple initiation points to reduce selection bias, was necessary to locate and identify participants, provide reassurance and break down barriers. Personal contact was critical for both recruitment and data quality, and highlighted the importance of interviewer cultural sensitivity. Cross-national comparative studies, particularly relating to refugee resettlement within different policy environments, also need to take into consideration the differing pre-migration experiences and time since arrival of refugee groups, as these can add additional layers of complexity to study design and interpretation. PMID:21406104

Sampling challenges in a study examining refugee resettlement.

PubMed

Sulaiman-Hill, Cheryl Mr; Thompson, Sandra C

2011-03-15

As almost half of all refugees currently under United Nations protection are from Afghanistan or Iraq and significant numbers have already been resettled outside the region of origin, it is likely that future research will examine their resettlement needs. A number of methodological challenges confront researchers working with culturally and linguistically diverse groups; however, few detailed articles are available to inform other studies. The aim of this paper is to outline challenges with sampling and recruitment of socially invisible refugee groups, describing the method adopted for a mixed methods exploratory study assessing mental health, subjective wellbeing and resettlement perspectives of Afghan and Kurdish refugees living in New Zealand and Australia. Sampling strategies used in previous studies with similar refugee groups were considered before determining the approach to recruitment A snowball approach was adopted for the study, with multiple entry points into the communities being used to choose as wide a range of people as possible to provide further contacts and reduce selection bias. Census data was used to assess the representativeness of the sample. A sample of 193 former refugee participants was recruited in Christchurch (n = 98) and Perth (n = 95), 47% were of Afghan and 53% Kurdish ethnicity. A good gender balance (males 52%, females 48%) was achieved overall, mainly as a result of the sampling method used. Differences in the demographic composition of groups in each location were observed, especially in relation to the length of time spent in a refugee situation and time since arrival, reflecting variations in national humanitarian quota intakes. Although some measures were problematic, Census data comparison to assess reasonable representativeness of the study sample was generally reassuring. Snowball sampling, with multiple initiation points to reduce selection bias, was necessary to locate and identify participants, provide reassurance and break down barriers. Personal contact was critical for both recruitment and data quality, and highlighted the importance of interviewer cultural sensitivity. Cross-national comparative studies, particularly relating to refugee resettlement within different policy environments, also need to take into consideration the differing pre-migration experiences and time since arrival of refugee groups, as these can add additional layers of complexity to study design and interpretation.

Colony-level effects of imidacloprid in subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

PubMed

Parman, Vincent; Vargo, Edward L

2010-06-01

We determined the impact of imidacloprid (Premise) on colonies of Reticulitermes spp. (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) through soil applications in the field. We selected 11 houses in the Raleigh, NC, area with active termite infestations. In-ground monitoring stations (mean = 75.9 stations) were installed around each house, and samples of termites visiting the monitors, in mud tubes, as well as samples from wood debris in the yard, were collected monthly for up to 14 mo to determine the numbers and locations of colonies present before treatment. We used microsatellite genetic markers to identify individual colonies present on each property. All houses were treated with Premise 75 WSP by using an exterior perimeter/interior spot treatment. After treatment, termite samples were collected monthly for 3 mo and then quarterly for 2 yr to track the fate of colonies. Of the 12 treated colonies (those attacking structures), 75% disappeared within 90 d and were not detected again. In contrast, only 25% of 48 untreated colonies (located 2 m or further from the treatment zone) and 40% of the six likely treated colonies (located within 0.5 m of the treatment zone but not known to be attacking the structure) were not detected again during the study. Our findings are consistent with strong colony-level effects of soil treatments with imidacloprid, resulting in the suppression or elimination of Reticulitermes spp. colonies in many cases.

A reconnaissance for signs of a Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc mineralizing system on the eastern flank of the Rutbah Uplift, Anbar Province, Iraq

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayes, Timothy S.; Mustafa, Mazin; Bennet, Thair

2014-01-01

Reconnaissance field visits and rock sampling were conducted at eight geologically selected locations within Mesozoic rocks on the eastern flank of the Rutbah Uplift, Anbar Province, western Iraq, in an attempt to determine if these rocks have been affected by a Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) lead-zinc mineralizing system. Samples subsequently were studied by carbonate mineral staining, transmitted and reflected light petrology, and scanning electron microscopy with semi-quantitative energy dispersive elemental analyses. Single samples were studied by each, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analyses of trace elements and fluid inclusion microthermometry. Permissive evidence indicates that there has been a MVT system present, but none of the evidence is considered definitive.

Randomization of grab-sampling strategies for estimating the annual exposure of U miners to Rn daughters.

PubMed

Borak, T B

1986-04-01

Periodic grab sampling in combination with time-of-occupancy surveys has been the accepted procedure for estimating the annual exposure of underground U miners to Rn daughters. Temporal variations in the concentration of potential alpha energy in the mine generate uncertainties in this process. A system to randomize the selection of locations for measurement is described which can reduce uncertainties and eliminate systematic biases in the data. In general, a sample frequency of 50 measurements per year is sufficient to satisfy the criteria that the annual exposure be determined in working level months to within +/- 50% of the true value with a 95% level of confidence. Suggestions for implementing this randomization scheme are presented.

Guide to the US collection of antarctic meteorites 1976-1988 (everything you wanted to know about the meteorite collection). Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter, Volume 13, Number 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Score, Roberta; Lindstrom, Marilyn M.

1990-01-01

The state of the collection of Antarctic Meteorites is summarized. This guide is intended to assist investigators plan their meteorite research and select and request samples. Useful information is presented for all classified meteorites from 1976 to 1988 collections, as of Sept. 1989. The meteorite collection has grown over 13 years to include 4264 samples of which 2754 have been classified. Most of the unclassified meteorites are ordinary chondrites because the collections have been culled for specimens of special petrologic type. The guide consists of two large classification tables. They are preceded by a list of sample locations and important notes to make the tables understandable.

Dragonfly: Investigating the Surface Composition of Titan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brinckerhoff, W. B.; Lawrence, D. J.; Barnes, J. W.; Lorenz, R. D.; Horst, S. M.; Zacny, K.; Freissinet, C.; Parsons, A. M.; Turtle, E. P.; Trainer, M. G.;

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Hα emission in nearby M dwarfs (Newton+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, E. R.; Irwin, J.; Charbonneau, D.; Berlind, P.; Calkins, M. L.; Mink, J.

2017-06-01

Our sample of M dwarfs is drawn from the MEarth Project, an all-sky survey looking for transiting planets around approximately 3000 nearby, mid-to-late M dwarfs. Nutzman & Charbonneau (2008PASP..120..317N) selected the northern MEarth targets from the Lepine & Shara (2005, I/298) northern proper motion catalog (hereafter the "nearby northern M dwarf" sample). MEarth-North is located at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO), on Mount Hopkins, Arizona, and has been operational since 2008 September. The observatory comprises eight 40cm telescopes. This work utilizes results from MEarth-North and from our further spectroscopic characterization of the sample. Compiled and new rotation period and Hα measurements are included in Table 1. (1 data file).

Selected results from LLNL-Hughes RAR for West Coast Scotland Experiment 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehman, S K; Johnston, B; Twogood, R

1993-01-05

The joint US -- UK 1991 West Coast Scotland Experiment (WCSEX) was held in two locations. From July 5 to 12, 1991, in Upper Loch Linnhe, and from July 18 to July 26, 1991, in the Sound of Sleat. The LLNL-Hughes team fielded a fully polarimetric X-band hill-side real aperture radar to collect internal wave wake data. We present here a sample data set of the best radar runs.

Geodatabase of environmental information for Air Force Plant 4 and Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Carswell Field, Fort Worth, Texas, 1990-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shah, Sachin D.; Quigley, Sean M.

2005-01-01

Air Force Plant 4 (AFP4) and adjacent Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base (NAS-JRB) at Fort Worth, Tex., constitute a government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) facility that has been in operation since 1942. Contaminants from the facility, primarily volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and metals, have entered the groundwater-flow system through leakage from waste-disposal sites (landfills and pits) and from manufacturing processes (U.S. Air Force, Aeronautical Systems Center, 1995). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force (USAF), Aeronautical Systems Center, Environmental Management Directorate (ASC/ENVR), developed a comprehensive database (or geodatabase) of temporal and spatial environmental information associated with the geology, hydrology, and water quality at AFP4 and NAS-JRB. The database of this report provides information about the AFP4 and NAS-JRB study area including sample location names, identification numbers, locations, historical dates, and various measured hydrologic data. This database does not include every sample location at the site, but is limited to an aggregation of selected digital and hardcopy data of the USAF, USGS, and various consultants who have previously or are currently working at the site.

Oculomotor selection underlies feature retention in visual working memory.

PubMed

Hanning, Nina M; Jonikaitis, Donatas; Deubel, Heiner; Szinte, Martin

2016-02-01

Oculomotor selection, spatial task relevance, and visual working memory (WM) are described as three processes highly intertwined and sustained by similar cortical structures. However, because task-relevant locations always constitute potential saccade targets, no study so far has been able to distinguish between oculomotor selection and spatial task relevance. We designed an experiment that allowed us to dissociate in humans the contribution of task relevance, oculomotor selection, and oculomotor execution to the retention of feature representations in WM. We report that task relevance and oculomotor selection lead to dissociable effects on feature WM maintenance. In a first task, in which an object's location was encoded as a saccade target, its feature representations were successfully maintained in WM, whereas they declined at nonsaccade target locations. Likewise, we observed a similar WM benefit at the target of saccades that were prepared but never executed. In a second task, when an object's location was marked as task relevant but constituted a nonsaccade target (a location to avoid), feature representations maintained at that location did not benefit. Combined, our results demonstrate that oculomotor selection is consistently associated with WM, whereas task relevance is not. This provides evidence for an overlapping circuitry serving saccade target selection and feature-based WM that can be dissociated from processes encoding task-relevant locations. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Including granulometric sediment coastal data composition into the Black Sea GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuk, Elena; Khaliulin, Alexey; Krylenko, Marina; Krylenko, Viacheslav; Zodiatis, George; Nikolaidis, Marios; Nikolaidis, Andreas

2017-09-01

The module structure of the Black Sea GIS allows the increasing of its functionality, including new data types and defining new procedures accessing them, their visualization and integration with existing data by their conjoint processing and representation. The Black Sea GIS is released as free software; Mapserver is used as a mapping service; MySQL DBMS works with relational data. A new additional feature provided, is the ability of including coastal data obtained in SB SIO RAS. The data represent granulometric composition of the Anapa bay-bar sediments. The Anapa bay-bar is an accumulative sand form (about 50 km long) located on the northwest Russian Black Sea coast. The entire bay-bar and especially its southern part with sand beaches 50-200 m wide is intensively used in recreation. This work is based on the results of field studies of 2010-2014 in the southern part of the Anapa bay-bar researched by scientists of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS. Since the shore under consideration has no clearly pronounced reference points, "virtual" points located within 1 km distance from each other were selected. Transversal profiles cross these points. The granulometric composition was studied along with 45 profiles. The samples taken in every profile were from the most characteristic morphological parts of the beach. In this study we used shoreline zone samples. Twenty one granule fractions (mm) were separated in the laboratory. The module which processes coastal data allows to select coastal data based on territory/region and granulometric sediment composition. Also, it allows to visualize coastal maps with user-selected features combined with other GIS data.

Associations between degraded benthic communities and contaminated sediments: Sabine Lake, Lake Pontchartrain, and Choctawhatchee Bay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Engle, V.D.; Summers, J.K.; Macauley, J.M.

1994-12-31

The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program for Estuaries (EMAP-E) in the Gulf of Mexico supplements its base sampling effort each year with localized, intensive spatial sampling in selected large estuarine systems. By selecting random locations within 70 km{sup 2} hexagonal areas, individual estuaries were sampled using EMAP methods but at four times the density as base sampling. In 1992, 19 sites were sampled in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana. In 1 993, 18 sites were sampled in Sabine Lake, Texas and 12 sites were sampled in Choctawhatchee Bay, Florida. At all sites, sediment grabs were taken and analyzed for benthic species compositionmore » and abundance, for toxicity to Ampelisca, and for organic and inorganic sediment contaminants. An indicator of biotic integrity, the benthic index, was calculated to represent the status of benthic communities. A series of statistical techniques, such as stepwise regression analysis, were employed to determine whether the variation in the benthic index could be associated with variation in sediment contaminants, sediment toxicity, or levels of dissolved oxygen. Spatial distributions of these parameters were examined to determine the geographical co-occurrence of degraded benthic communities and environmental stressors. In Lake Pontchartrain, for example, 85% of the variation in the benthic index was associated with decreased levels of dissolved oxygen, and increased concentrations of PCBs, alkanes, copper, tin, and zinc in the sediments.« less

Career preferences of final year medical students at a medical school in Kenya--A cross sectional study.

PubMed

Dossajee, Hussein; Obonyo, Nchafatso; Ahmed, Syed Masud

2016-01-11

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended physician to population ratio is 23:10,000. Kenya has a physician to population ratio of 1.8:10,000 and is among 57 countries listed as having a serious shortage of health workers. Approximately 52% of physicians work in urban areas, 6% in rural and 42% in peri-urban locations. This study explored factors influencing the choice of career specialization and location for practice among final year medical students by gender. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on final year students in 2013 at the University of Nairobi's, School of Medicine in Kenya. Sample size was calculated at 156 students for simple random sampling. Data collected using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics of the population, first and second choices for specialization. Outcome variables collected were factors affecting choice of specialty and location for practice. Bivariate analysis by gender was carried out between the listed factors and outcome variables with calculation of odds ratios and chi-square statistics at an alpha level of significance of 0.05. Factors included in a binomial logistic regression model were analysed to score the independent categorical variables affecting choice of specialty and location of practice. Internal medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics/Gynaecology and Paediatrics accounted for 58.7% of all choices of specialization. Female students were less likely to select Obs/Gyn (OR 0.41, 95% CI =0.17-0.99) and Surgery (OR 0.33, 95% CI = 0.13-0.86) but eight times more likely to select Paediatrics (OR 8.67, 95% CI = 1.91-39.30). Surgery was primarily selected because of the 'perceived prestige of the specialty' (OR 4.3 95% CI = 1.35-14.1). Paediatrics was selected due to 'Ease of raising a family' (OR 4.08 95% CI = 1.08-15.4). Rural origin increased the odds of practicing in a rural area (OR 2.5, 95% CI = 1.04-6.04). Training abroad was more likely to result in preference for working abroad (OR 9.27 95% CI = 2.1-41.9). The 4 core specialties predominate as career preferences. Females are more likely to select career choices due to 'ease of raising a family'. Rural origin of students was found to be the most important factor for retention of rural health workforce. This data can be used to design prospective cohort studies in an effort to understand the dynamic influence that governments, educational institutions, work environments, family and friends exert on medical students' careers.

The Metallicity of Void Dwarf Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreckel, K.; Croxall, K.; Groves, B.; van de Weygaert, R.; Pogge, R. W.

2015-01-01

The current ΛCDM cosmological model predicts that galaxy evolution proceeds more slowly in lower density environments, suggesting that voids are a prime location to search for relatively pristine galaxies that are representative of the building blocks of early massive galaxies. To test the assumption that void galaxies are more pristine, we compare the evolutionary properties of a sample of dwarf galaxies selected specifically to lie in voids with a sample of similar isolated dwarf galaxies in average density environments. We measure gas-phase oxygen abundances and gas fractions for eight dwarf galaxies (Mr > -16.2), carefully selected to reside within the lowest density environments of seven voids, and apply the same calibrations to existing samples of isolated dwarf galaxies. We find no significant difference between these void dwarf galaxies and the isolated dwarf galaxies, suggesting that dwarf galaxy chemical evolution proceeds independent of the large-scale environment. While this sample is too small to draw strong conclusions, it suggests that external gas accretion is playing a limited role in the chemical evolution of these systems, and that this evolution is instead dominated mainly by the internal secular processes that are linking the simultaneous growth and enrichment of these galaxies.

Source identification of petroleum hydrocarbons in soil and sediments from Iguaçu River Watershed, Paraná, Brazil using the CHEMSIC method (CHEMometric analysis of Selected Ion Chromatograms).

PubMed

Gallotta, Fabiana D C; Christensen, Jan H

2012-04-27

A chemometric method based on principal component analysis (PCA) of pre-processed and combined sections of selected ion chromatograms (SICs) is used to characterise the hydrocarbon profiles in soil and sediment from Araucária, Guajuvira, General Lúcio and Balsa Nova Municipalities (Iguaçu River Watershed, Paraná, Brazil) and to indicate the main sources of hydrocarbon pollution. The study includes 38 SICs of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and four of petroleum biomarkers in two separate analyses. The most contaminated samples are inside the Presidente Getúlio Vargas Refinery area. These samples represent a petrogenic pattern and different weathering degrees. Samples from outside the refinery area are either less or not contaminated, or contain mixtures of diagenetic, pyrogenic and petrogenic inputs where different proportions predominate. The locations farthest away from industrial activity (Balsa Nova) contains the lowest levels of PAC contamination. There are no evidences to conclude positive matches between the samples from outside the refinery area and the Cusiana spilled oil. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Attrition Bias in Panel Data: A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing? A Case Study Based on the Mabel Survey.

PubMed

Cheng, Terence C; Trivedi, Pravin K

2015-09-01

This paper investigates the nature and consequences of sample attrition in a unique longitudinal survey of medical doctors. We describe the patterns of non-response and examine if attrition affects the econometric analysis of medical labour market outcomes using the estimation of physician earnings equations as a case study. We compare the econometric gestimates obtained from a number of different modelling strategies, which are as follows: balanced versus unbalanced samples; an attrition model for panel data based on the classic sample selection model; and a recently developed copula-based selection model. Descriptive evidence shows that doctors who work longer hours, have lower years of experience, are overseas trained and have changed their work location are more likely to drop out. Our analysis suggests that the impact of attrition on inference about the earnings of general practitioners is small. For specialists, there appears to be some evidence for an economically significant bias. Finally, we discuss how the top-up samples in the Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life survey can be used to address the problem of panel attrition. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Application of semipermeable membrane devices for long-term monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at various stages of drinking water treatment.

PubMed

Pogorzelec, Marta; Piekarska, Katarzyna

2018-08-01

The primary goal of the presented study was the investigation of occurrence and concentration of sixteen selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in samples from various stages of water treatment and verification of the applicability of semi-permeable membrane devices in the monitoring of drinking water. Another objective was to verify if weather seasons affect the concentration and complexity of PAHs. For these purposes, semipermeable membrane devices were installed in a surface water treatment plant located in Lower Silesia (Poland). Samples were collected monthly over a period of one year. To determine the effect of water treatment on PAH concentrations, four sampling sites were selected: raw water input, a stream of water in the pipe just before ozonation, treated water output and water after passing through the distribution system. After each month of sampling, SPMDs were exchanged for fresh ones and prepared for instrumental analysis. Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The presented study indicates that semipermeable membrane devices can be an effective tool for the analysis of drinking water, in which organic micropollutants occur at very low concentrations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Method and apparatus for sampling low-yield wells

DOEpatents

Last, George V.; Lanigan, David C.

2003-04-15

An apparatus and method for collecting a sample from a low-yield well or perched aquifer includes a pump and a controller responsive to water level sensors for filling a sample reservoir. The controller activates the pump to fill the reservoir when the water level in the well reaches a high level as indicated by the sensor. The controller deactivates the pump when the water level reaches a lower level as indicated by the sensors. The pump continuously activates and deactivates the pump until the sample reservoir is filled with a desired volume, as indicated by a reservoir sensor. At the beginning of each activation cycle, the controller optionally can select to purge an initial quantity of water prior to filling the sample reservoir. The reservoir can be substantially devoid of air and the pump is a low volumetric flow rate pump. Both the pump and the reservoir can be located either inside or outside the well.

Pharmaceuticals residues in selected tropical surface water bodies from Selangor (Malaysia): Occurrence and potential risk assessments.

PubMed

Praveena, Sarva Mangala; Shaifuddin, Siti Norashikin Mohamad; Sukiman, Syazwani; Nasir, Fauzan Adzima Mohd; Hanafi, Zanjabila; Kamarudin, Norizah; Ismail, Tengku Hanidza Tengku; Aris, Ahmad Zaharin

2018-06-11

This study investigated the occurrence of nine pharmaceuticals (amoxicillin, caffeine, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, dexamethasone, diclofenac, nitrofurazone, sulfamethoxazole, and triclosan) and to evaluate potential risks (human health and ecotoxicological) in Lui, Gombak and Selangor (Malaysia) rivers using commercial competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit assays. Physicochemical properties of these rivers showed the surface samples belong to Class II of Malaysian National Water Quality Standards which requires conventional treatment before consumption. All the pharmaceuticals were detected in all three rivers except for triclosan, dexamethasone and diclofenac which were not detected in few of sampling locations in these three rivers. Highest pharmaceutical concentrations were detected in Gombak river in line of being as one of the most polluted rivers in Malaysia. Ciprofloxacin concentrations were detected in all the sampling locations with the highest at 299.88 ng/L. While triclosan, dexamethasone and diclofenac concentrations were not detected in a few of sampling locations in these three rivers. All these nine pharmaceuticals were within the levels reported previously in literature. Pharmaceutical production, wastewater treatment technologies and treated sewage effluent were found as the potential sources which can be related with pharmaceuticals occurrence in surface water samples. Potential human risk assessment showed low health risk except for ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone. Instead, ecotoxicological risk assessment indicated moderate risks were present for these rivers. Nevertheless, results confirmation using instrumental techniques is needed for higher degree of specificity. It is crucial to continuously monitor the surface water bodies for pharmaceuticals using a cost-effective prioritisation approach to assess sensitive sub-populations risk. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discrimination training facilitates pigeons' performance on one-trial-per-day delayed matching of key location

PubMed Central

Willson, Robert J.; Wilkie, Donald M.

1991-01-01

Six pigeons were tested on a one-trial-per-day variant of delayed matching of key location. In one condition, a trial began with the illumination of a pair of quasi-randomly selected pecking keys in a large 10-key test box. Pigeons' pecks to one key (the sample) were reinforced with 8-second access to grain on a variable-interval 30-second schedule, whereas pecks to the other key (the distractor) had no scheduled consequences. In the second condition, the nonreinforced distractor was not presented. In both conditions, subjects were removed from the apparatus after 15 minutes and placed in a holding cage. Subjects were subsequently replaced in the box after a delay (retention interval) of 30 seconds and were reexposed to the illuminated sample and distractor keys for 1 minute. If a pigeon made more pecks to the sample during this interval, the distractor was extinguished and subsequent pecks to the sample were reinforced on the previous schedule for an additional 15 minutes. If, however, a pigeon made more pecks to the distractor, both keys were extinguished and the subject was returned to its home cage. For all subjects, matching-to-sample accuracy was higher in the first condition. In a second experiment, the retention interval was increased to 5, 15, and 30 minutes, and then to 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours. Most subjects remembered the correct key location for up to 4 hours, and in one case, up to 24 hours, demonstrating a spatial-memory proficiency far better than previously reported in this species on delayed matching tasks. The results are discussed in terms of the commonly held distinction between working and reference memory. PMID:16812633

Territory and nest site selection patterns by Grasshopper Sparrows in southeastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruth, Janet M.; Skagen, Susan K.

2017-01-01

Grassland bird populations are showing some of the greatest rates of decline of any North American birds, prompting measures to protect and improve important habitat. We assessed how vegetation structure and composition, habitat features often targeted for management, affected territory and nest site selection by Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum ammolegus) in southeastern Arizona. To identify features important to males establishing territories, we compared vegetation characteristics of known territories and random samples on 2 sites over 5 years. We examined habitat selection patterns of females by comparing characteristics of nest sites with territories over 3 years. Males selected territories in areas of sparser vegetation structure and more tall shrubs (>2 m) than random plots on the site with low shrub densities. Males did not select territories based on the proportion of exotic grasses. Females generally located nest sites in areas with lower small shrub (1–2 m tall) densities than territories overall when possible and preferentially selected native grasses for nest construction. Whether habitat selection was apparent depended upon the range of vegetation structure that was available. We identified an upper threshold above which grass structure seemed to be too high and dense for Grasshopper Sparrows. Our results suggest that some management that reduces vegetative structure may benefit this species in desert grasslands at the nest and territory scale. However, we did not assess initial male habitat selection at a broader landscape scale where their selection patterns may be different and could be influenced by vegetation density and structure outside the range of values sampled in this study.

Study on Big Database Construction and its Application of Sample Data Collected in CHINA'S First National Geographic Conditions Census Based on Remote Sensing Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, T.; Zhou, X.; Jia, Y.; Yang, G.; Bai, J.

2018-04-01

In the project of China's First National Geographic Conditions Census, millions of sample data have been collected all over the country for interpreting land cover based on remote sensing images, the quantity of data files reaches more than 12,000,000 and has grown in the following project of National Geographic Conditions Monitoring. By now, using database such as Oracle for storing the big data is the most effective method. However, applicable method is more significant for sample data's management and application. This paper studies a database construction method which is based on relational database with distributed file system. The vector data and file data are saved in different physical location. The key issues and solution method are discussed. Based on this, it studies the application method of sample data and analyzes some kinds of using cases, which could lay the foundation for sample data's application. Particularly, sample data locating in Shaanxi province are selected for verifying the method. At the same time, it takes 10 first-level classes which defined in the land cover classification system for example, and analyzes the spatial distribution and density characteristics of all kinds of sample data. The results verify that the method of database construction which is based on relational database with distributed file system is very useful and applicative for sample data's searching, analyzing and promoted application. Furthermore, sample data collected in the project of China's First National Geographic Conditions Census could be useful in the earth observation and land cover's quality assessment.

Sampling Methods for Detection and Monitoring of the Asian Citrus Psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae).

PubMed

Monzo, C; Arevalo, H A; Jones, M M; Vanaclocha, P; Croxton, S D; Qureshi, J A; Stansly, P A

2015-06-01

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is a key pest of citrus due to its role as vector of citrus greening disease or "huanglongbing." ACP monitoring is considered an indispensable tool for management of vector and disease. In the present study, datasets collected between 2009 and 2013 from 245 citrus blocks were used to evaluate precision, sensitivity for detection, and efficiency of five sampling methods. The number of samples needed to reach a 0.25 standard error-mean ratio was estimated using Taylor's power law and used to compare precision among sampling methods. Comparison of detection sensitivity and time expenditure (cost) between stem-tap and other sampling methodologies conducted consecutively at the same location were also assessed. Stem-tap sampling was the most efficient sampling method when ACP densities were moderate to high and served as the basis for comparison with all other methods. Protocols that grouped trees near randomly selected locations across the block were more efficient than sampling trees at random across the block. Sweep net sampling was similar to stem-taps in number of captures per sampled unit, but less precise at any ACP density. Yellow sticky traps were 14 times more sensitive than stem-taps but much more time consuming and thus less efficient except at very low population densities. Visual sampling was efficient for detecting and monitoring ACP at low densities. Suction sampling was time consuming and taxing but the most sensitive of all methods for detection of sparse populations. This information can be used to optimize ACP monitoring efforts. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A passive cold storage device economic model to evaluate selected immunization location scenarios.

PubMed

Norman, Bryan A; Nourollahi, Sevnaz; Chen, Sheng-I; Brown, Shawn T; Claypool, Erin G; Connor, Diana L; Schmitz, Michelle M; Rajgopal, Jayant; Wateska, Angela R; Lee, Bruce Y

2013-10-25

The challenge of keeping vaccines cold at health posts given the unreliability of power sources in many low- and middle-income countries and the expense and maintenance requirements of solar refrigerators has motivated the development of passive cold storage devices (PCDs), containers that keep vaccines cold without using an active energy source. With different PCDs under development, manufacturers, policymakers and funders need guidance on how varying different PCD characteristics may affect the devices' cost and utility. We developed an economic spreadsheet model representing the lowest two levels of a typical Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) vaccine supply chain: a district store, the immunization locations that the district store serves, and the transport vehicles that operate between the district store and the immunization locations. The model compares the use of three vaccine storage device options [(1) portable PCDs, (2) stationary PCDs, or (3) solar refrigerators] and allows the user to vary different device (e.g., size and cost) and scenario characteristics (e.g., catchment area population size and vaccine schedule). For a sample set of select scenarios and equipment specification, we found the portable PCD to generally be better suited to populations of 5,000 or less. The stationary PCD replenished once per month can be a robust design especially with a 35L capacity and a cost of $2,500 or less. The solar device was generally a reasonable alternative for most of the scenarios explored if the cost was $2,100 or less (including installation). No one device type dominated over all explored circumstances. Therefore, the best device may vary from country-to-country and location-to-location within a country. This study introduces a quantitative model to help guide PCD development. Although our selected set of explored scenarios and device designs was not exhaustive, future explorations can further alter model input values to represent additional scenarios and device designs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphological deformities in Chironomus spp. (Diptera: Chironomidae) larvae as a tool for impact assessment of anthropogenic and environmental stresses on three rivers in the Juru river system, Penang, Malaysia.

PubMed

Al-Shami, Salman; Rawi, Che Salmah M; Nor, Siti Azizah M; Ahmad, Abu Hassan; Ali, Arshad

2010-02-01

Morphological deformities in parts of the head capsule of Chironomus spp. larvae inhabiting three polluted rivers (Permatang Rawa [PRR], Pasir [PR], and Kilang Ubi [KUR]) in the Juru River Basin, northeastern peninsular Malaysia, were studied. Samples of the fourth-instar larvae at one location in each river were collected monthly from November 2007 to March 2008 and examined for deformities of the mentum, antenna, mandible, and epipharyngis. At each sample location, in situ measurements of water depth, river width, water pH, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature were made. Samples of river water and benthic sediments were also collected monthly from each larval sample location in each river and taken to the laboratory for appropriate analysis. Total suspended solids (TSSs), ammonium-N, nitrate-N, phosphate-P, chloride, sulfate, and aluminum content in water were analyzed. Total organic matter and nonresidual metals in the sediment samples were also analyzed. Among the three rivers, the highest mean deformity (47.17%) was recorded in larvae collected from KUR that received industrial discharges from surrounding garment and rubber factories, followed by PRR (33.71%) receiving primarily residues of fertilizers and pesticides from adjacent rice fields, and PR (30.34%) contaminated primarily by anthropogenic wastes from the surrounding residential areas. Among the various head capsule structures, deformity of the mentum was strongly reflective of environmental stress and amounted to 27.9, 20.87, and 30.19% in the PRR, PR, and KUR, respectively. Calculated Lenat's toxic score index satisfactorily explained the influence of prevailing environmental variables on the severity of mentum deformities. Redundancy analysis and forward selection selected TSSs, sediment Zn, Mn, Cu, and Ni, and water pH, dissolved oxygen, water temperature, total organic matter, nitrate-N, chloride, phosphate-P, ammonium-N, sulfate, and aluminum as parameters that significantly affected some proportion of deformities. The total deformities correlated closely with deformities of mentum but only weakly with deformities in other parts of head. The total deformity incidence was strongly correlated with high contents of sediment Mn and Ni. The mentum and epipharyngis deformities incidence was highly correlated with an increase of TSSs, total aluminum, and ammonium-N and a decrease in pH and dissolved oxygen.

Guide to luminescence dating techniques and their application for paleoseismic research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, Harrison J.; Mahan, Shannon; Rittenour, Tammy M.; Nelson, Michelle Summa; Lund, William R.

2015-01-01

Over the past 25 years, luminescence dating has become a key tool for dating sediments of interest in paleoseismic research. The data obtained from luminescence dating has been used to determine timing of fault displacement, calculate slip rates, and estimate earthquake recurrence intervals. The flexibility of luminescence is a key complement to other chronometers such as radiocarbon or cosmogenic nuclides. Careful sampling and correct selection of sample sites exert two of the strongest controls on obtaining an accurate luminescence age. Factors such as partial bleaching and post-depositional mixing should be avoided during sampling and special measures may be needed to help correct for associated problems. Like all geochronologic techniques, context is necessary for interpreting and calculating luminescence results and this can be achieved by supplying participating labs with associated trench logs, photos, and stratigraphic locations of sample sites.

Method for detection of dental caries and periodontal disease using optical imaging

DOEpatents

Nathel, Howard; Kinney, John H.; Otis, Linda L.

1996-01-01

A method for detecting the presence of active and inactive caries in teeth and diagnosing periodontal disease uses non-ionizing radiation with techniques for reducing interference from scattered light. A beam of non-ionizing radiation is divided into sample and reference beams. The region to be examined is illuminated by the sample beam, and reflected or transmitted radiation from the sample is recombined with the reference beam to form an interference pattern on a detector. The length of the reference beam path is adjustable, allowing the operator to select the reflected or transmitted sample photons that recombine with the reference photons. Thus radiation scattered by the dental or periodontal tissue can be prevented from obscuring the interference pattern. A series of interference patterns may be generated and interpreted to locate dental caries and periodontal tissue interfaces.

Retrospective dosimetry analyses of reactor vessel cladding samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greenwood, L. R.; Soderquist, C. Z.; Fero, A. H.

2011-07-01

Reactor pressure vessel cladding samples for Ringhals Units 3 and 4 in Sweden were analyzed using retrospective reactor dosimetry techniques. The objective was to provide the best estimates of the neutron fluence for comparison with neutron transport calculations. A total of 51 stainless steel samples consisting of chips weighing approximately 100 to 200 mg were removed from selected locations around the pressure vessel and were sent to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for analysis. The samples were fully characterized and analyzed for radioactive isotopes, with special interest in the presence of Nb-93m. The RPV cladding retrospective dosimetry results will be combinedmore » with a re-evaluation of the surveillance capsule dosimetry and with ex-vessel neutron dosimetry results to form a comprehensive 3D comparison of measurements to calculations performed with 3D deterministic transport code. (authors)« less

Matching soil salinization and cropping systems in communally managed irrigation schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malota, Mphatso; Mchenga, Joshua

2018-03-01

Occurrence of soil salinization in irrigation schemes can be a good indicator to introduce high salt tolerant crops in irrigation schemes. This study assessed the level of soil salinization in a communally managed 233 ha Nkhate irrigation scheme in the Lower Shire Valley region of Malawi. Soil samples were collected within the 0-0.4 m soil depth from eight randomly selected irrigation blocks. Irrigation water samples were also collected from five randomly selected locations along the Nkhate River which supplies irrigation water to the scheme. Salinity of both the soil and the irrigation water samples was determined using an electrical conductivity (EC) meter. Analysis of the results indicated that even for very low salinity tolerant crops (ECi < 2 dS/m), the irrigation water was suitable for irrigation purposes. However, root-zone soil salinity profiles depicted that leaching of salts was not adequate and that the leaching requirement for the scheme needs to be relooked and always be adhered to during irrigation operation. The study concluded that the crop system at the scheme needs to be adjusted to match with prevailing soil and irrigation water salinity levels.

Multi-locus analysis of genomic time series data from experimental evolution.

PubMed

Terhorst, Jonathan; Schlötterer, Christian; Song, Yun S

2015-04-01

Genomic time series data generated by evolve-and-resequence (E&R) experiments offer a powerful window into the mechanisms that drive evolution. However, standard population genetic inference procedures do not account for sampling serially over time, and new methods are needed to make full use of modern experimental evolution data. To address this problem, we develop a Gaussian process approximation to the multi-locus Wright-Fisher process with selection over a time course of tens of generations. The mean and covariance structure of the Gaussian process are obtained by computing the corresponding moments in discrete-time Wright-Fisher models conditioned on the presence of a linked selected site. This enables our method to account for the effects of linkage and selection, both along the genome and across sampled time points, in an approximate but principled manner. We first use simulated data to demonstrate the power of our method to correctly detect, locate and estimate the fitness of a selected allele from among several linked sites. We study how this power changes for different values of selection strength, initial haplotypic diversity, population size, sampling frequency, experimental duration, number of replicates, and sequencing coverage depth. In addition to providing quantitative estimates of selection parameters from experimental evolution data, our model can be used by practitioners to design E&R experiments with requisite power. We also explore how our likelihood-based approach can be used to infer other model parameters, including effective population size and recombination rate. Then, we apply our method to analyze genome-wide data from a real E&R experiment designed to study the adaptation of D. melanogaster to a new laboratory environment with alternating cold and hot temperatures.

Quantification of atmospheric methane oxidation in glacier forefields: Initial survey results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nauer, Philipp A.; Schroth, Martin H.; Pinto, Eric A.; Zeyer, Josef

2010-05-01

The oxidation of CH4 by methanotrophic bacteria is the only known terrestrial sink for atmospheric CH4. Aerobic methanotrophs are active in soils and sediments under various environmental conditions. However, little is known about the activity and abundance of methanotrophs in pioneering ecosystems and their role in succession. In alpine environments, receding glaciers pose a unique opportunity to investigate soil development and ecosystem succession. In an initial survey during summer and autumn 2009 we probed several locations in the forefields of four glaciers in the Swiss Alps to quantify the turnover of atmospheric methane in recently exposed soils. Three glacier forefields (the Stein, Steinlimi and Tiefen) are situated on siliceous bedrock, while one (the Griessen) is situated on calcareous bedrock. We sampled soil air from different depths to generate CH4 concentration profiles for qualitative analysis. At selected locations we applied surface Gas Push-Pull Tests (GPPT) to estimate first-order rate coefficients of CH4 oxidation. The test consists of a controlled injection of the reactants CH4 and O2 and the tracer Ar into and out of the soil at the same location. A top-closed steel cylinder previously emplaced in the soil encloses the injected gas mixture to ensure sufficient reaction times. Rate coefficients can be derived from differences of reactant and tracer breakthrough curves. In one GPPT we employed 13C-CH4 and measured the evolution of δ13C of extracted CO2. To confirm rate coefficients obtained by GPPTs we estimated effective soil diffusivity from soil core samples and fitted a diffusion-consumption model to our profile data. A qualitative analysis of the concentration profiles showed little activity in the forefields on siliceous bedrock, with only one out of fifteen locations exhibiting substantially lower CH4 concentrations in the soil compared to the atmosphere. The surface GPPTs with conventional CH4 at the active location were not sensitive enough to derive meaningful first-order rate coefficients of CH4 oxidation. The more sensitive GPPT with 13C-CH4 resulted in a coefficient of 0.025 h-1, close to the value of 0.011 h-1 estimated from the corresponding concentration profile. Activities in the forefield on calcareous bedrock were substantially higher, with decreased CH4 concentrations in the soil at three out of five locations. Estimated first-order rate coefficients from GPPT and profile at one selected location were 0.6 h-1 and 1.3 h-1, respectively, one to two orders of magnitude higher than values from the siliceous forefield. Additional analysis by quantitative PCR revealed substantially lower numbers of pmoA gene copies per g soil at the active location in the siliceous forefield compared to the selected location in the calcareous forefield. Reasons for these differences in activity and abundance are still unknown and will be subject of further investigations in an upcoming field campaign. The GPPT in combination with δ13C analysis of extracted CO2 appeared to be a functioning approach to sensitively quantify low CH4 turnover.

Classification of radiological errors in chest radiographs, using support vector machine on the spatial frequency features of false- negative and false-positive regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pietrzyk, Mariusz W.; Donovan, Tim; Brennan, Patrick C.; Dix, Alan; Manning, David J.

2011-03-01

Aim: To optimize automated classification of radiological errors during lung nodule detection from chest radiographs (CxR) using a support vector machine (SVM) run on the spatial frequency features extracted from the local background of selected regions. Background: The majority of the unreported pulmonary nodules are visually detected but not recognized; shown by the prolonged dwell time values at false-negative regions. Similarly, overestimated nodule locations are capturing substantial amounts of foveal attention. Spatial frequency properties of selected local backgrounds are correlated with human observer responses either in terms of accuracy in indicating abnormality position or in the precision of visual sampling the medical images. Methods: Seven radiologists participated in the eye tracking experiments conducted under conditions of pulmonary nodule detection from a set of 20 postero-anterior CxR. The most dwelled locations have been identified and subjected to spatial frequency (SF) analysis. The image-based features of selected ROI were extracted with un-decimated Wavelet Packet Transform. An analysis of variance was run to select SF features and a SVM schema was implemented to classify False-Negative and False-Positive from all ROI. Results: A relative high overall accuracy was obtained for each individually developed Wavelet-SVM algorithm, with over 90% average correct ratio for errors recognition from all prolonged dwell locations. Conclusion: The preliminary results show that combined eye-tracking and image-based features can be used for automated detection of radiological error with SVM. The work is still in progress and not all analytical procedures have been completed, which might have an effect on the specificity of the algorithm.

Defining the most probable location of the parahippocampal place area using cortex-based alignment and cross-validation.

PubMed

Weiner, Kevin S; Barnett, Michael A; Witthoft, Nathan; Golarai, Golijeh; Stigliani, Anthony; Kay, Kendrick N; Gomez, Jesse; Natu, Vaidehi S; Amunts, Katrin; Zilles, Karl; Grill-Spector, Kalanit

2018-04-15

The parahippocampal place area (PPA) is a widely studied high-level visual region in the human brain involved in place and scene processing. The goal of the present study was to identify the most probable location of place-selective voxels in medial ventral temporal cortex. To achieve this goal, we first used cortex-based alignment (CBA) to create a probabilistic place-selective region of interest (ROI) from one group of 12 participants. We then tested how well this ROI could predict place selectivity in each hemisphere within a new group of 12 participants. Our results reveal that a probabilistic ROI (pROI) generated from one group of 12 participants accurately predicts the location and functional selectivity in individual brains from a new group of 12 participants, despite between subject variability in the exact location of place-selective voxels relative to the folding of parahippocampal cortex. Additionally, the prediction accuracy of our pROI is significantly higher than that achieved by volume-based Talairach alignment. Comparing the location of the pROI of the PPA relative to published data from over 500 participants, including data from the Human Connectome Project, shows a striking convergence of the predicted location of the PPA and the cortical location of voxels exhibiting the highest place selectivity across studies using various methods and stimuli. Specifically, the most predictive anatomical location of voxels exhibiting the highest place selectivity in medial ventral temporal cortex is the junction of the collateral and anterior lingual sulci. Methodologically, we make this pROI freely available (vpnl.stanford.edu/PlaceSelectivity), which provides a means to accurately identify a functional region from anatomical MRI data when fMRI data are not available (for example, in patient populations). Theoretically, we consider different anatomical and functional factors that may contribute to the consistent anatomical location of place selectivity relative to the folding of high-level visual cortex. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of biological stability and corrosion potential in drinking water distribution systems: a case study.

PubMed

Chien, C C; Kao, C M; Chen, C W; Dong, C D; Chien, H Y

2009-06-01

The appearance of assimilable organic carbon (AOC), microbial regrowth, disinfection by-products (DBPs), and pipe corrosion in drinking water distribution systems are among those major safe drinking water issues in many countries. The water distribution system of Cheng-Ching Lake Water Treatment Plant (CCLWTP) was selected in this study to evaluate the: (1) fate and transport of AOC, DBPs [e.g., trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs)], and other organic carbon indicators in the selected distribution system, (2) correlations between AOC (or DBPs) and major water quality parameters [e.g. dissolved oxygen (DO), free residual chlorine, and bacteria, and (3) causes and significance of corrosion problems of the water pipes in this system. In this study, seasonal water samples were collected from 13 representative locations in the distribution system for analyses of AOC, DBPs, and other water quality indicators. Results indicate that residual free chlorine concentrations in the distribution system met the drinking water standards (0.2 to 1 mg l(-1)) established by Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TEPA). Results show that AOC measurements correlated positively with total organic carbon (TOC) and UV-254 (an organic indicator) values in this system. Moreover, AOC concentrations at some locations were higher than the 50 microg acetate-C l(-1) standard established by Taiwan Water Company. This indicates that the microbial regrowth might be a potential water quality problem in this system. Higher DO measurements (>5.7 mg l(-1)) might cause the aerobic biodegradation of THMs and HAAs in the system, and thus, low THMs (<0.035 mg l(-1)) and HAAs (<0.019 mg l(-1)) concentrations were observed at all sampling locations. Results from the observed negative Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) values, higher Ryznar Stability Index (RSI) values, and high Fe3+ concentrations at some pipe-end locations indicate that highly oxidative and corrosive conditions occurred. This reveals that pipe replacement should be considered at these locations. These findings would be helpful in managing the water distribution system for maintaining a safe drinking water quality.

Optimal Sampling to Provide User-Specific Climate Information.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panturat, Suwanna

The types of weather-related world problems which are of socio-economic importance selected in this study as representative of three different levels of user groups include: (i) a regional problem concerned with air pollution plumes which lead to acid rain in the north eastern United States, (ii) a state-level problem in the form of winter wheat production in Oklahoma, and (iii) an individual-level problem involving reservoir management given errors in rainfall estimation at Lake Ellsworth, upstream from Lawton, Oklahoma. The study is aimed at designing optimal sampling networks which are based on customer value systems and also abstracting from data sets that information which is most cost-effective in reducing the climate-sensitive aspects of a given user problem. Three process models being used in this study to interpret climate variability in terms of the variables of importance to the user comprise: (i) the HEFFTER-SAMSON diffusion model as the climate transfer function for acid rain, (ii) the CERES-MAIZE plant process model for winter wheat production and (iii) the AGEHYD streamflow model selected as "a black box" for reservoir management. A state-of-the-art Non Linear Program (NLP) algorithm for minimizing an objective function is employed to determine the optimal number and location of various sensors. Statistical quantities considered in determining sensor locations including Bayes Risk, the chi-squared value, the probability of the Type I error (alpha) and the probability of the Type II error (beta) and the noncentrality parameter delta^2. Moreover, the number of years required to detect a climate change resulting in a given bushel per acre change in mean wheat production is determined; the number of seasons of observations required to reduce the standard deviation of the error variance of the ambient sulfur dioxide to less than a certain percent of the mean is found; and finally the policy of maintaining pre-storm flood pools at selected levels is examined given information from the optimal sampling network as defined by the study.

Optimization of Microphone Locations for Acoustic Liner Impedance Eduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, M. G.; Watson, W. R.; June, J. C.

2015-01-01

Two impedance eduction methods are explored for use with data acquired in the NASA Langley Grazing Flow Impedance Tube. The first is an indirect method based on the convected Helmholtz equation, and the second is a direct method based on the Kumaresan and Tufts algorithm. Synthesized no-flow data, with random jitter to represent measurement error, are used to evaluate a number of possible microphone locations. Statistical approaches are used to evaluate the suitability of each set of microphone locations. Given the computational resources required, small sample statistics are employed for the indirect method. Since the direct method is much less computationally intensive, a Monte Carlo approach is employed to gather its statistics. A comparison of results achieved with full and reduced sets of microphone locations is used to determine which sets of microphone locations are acceptable. For the indirect method, each array that includes microphones in all three regions (upstream and downstream hard wall sections, and liner test section) provides acceptable results, even when as few as eight microphones are employed. The best arrays employ microphones well away from the leading and trailing edges of the liner. The direct method is constrained to use microphones opposite the liner. Although a number of arrays are acceptable, the optimum set employs 14 microphones positioned well away from the leading and trailing edges of the liner. The selected sets of microphone locations are also evaluated with data measured for ceramic tubular and perforate-over-honeycomb liners at three flow conditions (Mach 0.0, 0.3, and 0.5). They compare favorably with results attained using all 53 microphone locations. Although different optimum microphone locations are selected for the two impedance eduction methods, there is significant overlap. Thus, the union of these two microphone arrays is preferred, as it supports usage of both methods. This array contains 3 microphones in the upstream hard wall section, 14 microphones opposite the liner, and 3 microphones in the downstream hard wall section.

Seroprevalence of dengue in a rural and an urbanized village: A pilot study from rural western India.

PubMed

Shah, P S; Deoshatwar, A; Karad, S; Mhaske, S; Singh, A; Bachal, R V; Alagarasu, K; Padbidri, V S; Cecilia, D

2017-01-01

Dengue is highly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. The prevalence of dengue is influenced by number of factors, i.e. host, vector, virus and environmental conditions including urbanization and population density. A cross sectional study was undertaken to determine the seroprevalence of dengue in two selected villages that differed in the level of their urbanization and population density. Two villages with demographically well-defined populations close to Pune, a metropolitan city of western India, were selected for the study. Age stratified serosurvey was carried out during February to May 2011 in the two villages-a rural village A, located 6 km from the national highway with a population density of 159/km2 ; and an urbanized village B, located along the highway with a population density of 779/km2 . Assuming a low seroposi- tivity of 10%, 702 serum samples were collected from village A. Sample size for village B was calculated on the basis of seropositivity obtained in village A, and 153 samples were collected. Serum samples were tested for the presence of dengue virus (DENV)-specific IgG. Simple proportional analyses were used to calculate and compare the seroprevalence. Of the 702 samples collected from village A, 42.8% were found positive for anti-DENV IgG. A significantly higher seropositivity for DENV (58.8%) was found in village B. In village A, there was an age dependent increase in seroprevalence; whereas, in village B, there was a steep increase from 17% positivity in 0-10 yr age group to 72% in the 11-20 yr age group. The seroprevalence was almost similar in the older age groups. The observations suggested that prevalence of dengue is probably associated with urbanization and host population density. Areas that are in the process of urbanization needs to be monitored for prevalence of dengue and its vector, and appropriate vector control measures may be implemented.

Sampling and analysis plan for sludge located on the floor and in the pits of the 105-K basins

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BAKER, R.B.

1998-11-20

This Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) provides direction for the sampling of the sludge found on the floor and in the remote pits of the 105-K Basins to provide: (1) basic data for the sludges that have not been characterized to-date and (2) representative Sludge material for process tests to be made by the SNF Project/K Basins sludge treatment process subproject. The sampling equipment developed will remove representative samples of the radioactive sludge from underwater at the K Basins, depositing them in shielded containers for transport to the Hanford Site laboratories. Included in the present document is the basic backgroundmore » logic for selection of the samples to meet the requirements established in the Data Quality Objectives (DQO), HNF-2033, for this sampling activity. The present document also includes the laboratory analyses, methods, procedures, and reporting that will be required to meet the DQO.« less

Algal Data from Selected Sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado, Water Years 1996-97

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mize, Scott V.; Deacon, Jeffrey R.

2001-01-01

Algal community samples were collected at 15 sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin in Colorado as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program during water years 1996-97. Sites sampled were located in two physiographic provinces, the Southern Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateaus, and represented agricultural, mining, urban, and mixed land uses and background conditions. Algal samples were collected once per year during low-flow conditions. Quantitative algal samples were collected within two targeted instream habitat types including a taxonomically richest-targeted habitat and a depositional-targeted habitat. This report presents the algal community data collected at the fixed sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin study unit. Algal data include densities (abundance of cells per square centimeter of substrate) and biovolumes (cubic micrometers of cells per square centimeter of substrate) for the two habitat types. Quality-assurance and quality-control results for algal samples indicate that the largest sampling variability tends to occur in samples from small streams.

Optimal spatio-temporal design of water quality monitoring networks for reservoirs: Application of the concept of value of information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maymandi, Nahal; Kerachian, Reza; Nikoo, Mohammad Reza

2018-03-01

This paper presents a new methodology for optimizing Water Quality Monitoring (WQM) networks of reservoirs and lakes using the concept of the value of information (VOI) and utilizing results of a calibrated numerical water quality simulation model. With reference to the value of information theory, water quality of every checkpoint with a specific prior probability differs in time. After analyzing water quality samples taken from potential monitoring points, the posterior probabilities are updated using the Baye's theorem, and VOI of the samples is calculated. In the next step, the stations with maximum VOI is selected as optimal stations. This process is repeated for each sampling interval to obtain optimal monitoring network locations for each interval. The results of the proposed VOI-based methodology is compared with those obtained using an entropy theoretic approach. As the results of the two methodologies would be partially different, in the next step, the results are combined using a weighting method. Finally, the optimal sampling interval and location of WQM stations are chosen using the Evidential Reasoning (ER) decision making method. The efficiency and applicability of the methodology are evaluated using available water quantity and quality data of the Karkheh Reservoir in the southwestern part of Iran.

Coxiella Detection in Ticks from Wildlife and Livestock in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Khoo, Jing-Jing; Lim, Fang-Shiang; Chen, Fezshin; Phoon, Wai-Hong; Khor, Chee-Sieng; Pike, Brian L.; Chang, Li-Yen

2016-01-01

Abstract Recent studies have shown that ticks harbor Coxiella-like bacteria, which are potentially tick-specific endosymbionts. We recently described the detection of Coxiella-like bacteria and possibly Coxiella burnetii in ticks found from rural areas in Malaysia. In the present study, we collected ticks, including Haemaphysalis bispinosa, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Dermacentor compactus, Dermacentor steini, and Amblyomma sp. from wildlife and domesticated goats from four different locations in Malaysia. Coxiella 16s rRNA genomic sequences were detected by PCR in 89% of ticks tested. Similarity analysis and phylogenetic analyses of the 16s rRNA and rpoB partial sequences were performed for 10 representative samples selected based on the tick species, sex, and location. The findings here suggested the presence of C. burnetii in two samples, each from D. steini and H. hystricis. The sequences of both samples clustered with published C. burnetii sequences. The remaining eight tick samples were shown to harbor 16s rRNA sequences of Coxiella-like bacteria, which clustered phylogenetically according to the respective tick host species. The findings presented here added to the growing evidence of the association between Coxiella-like bacteria and ticks across species and geographical boundaries. The importance of C. burnetii found in ticks in Malaysia warrants further investigation. PMID:27763821

High degree of genetic differentiation in marine three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

PubMed

Defaveri, Jacquelin; Shikano, Takahito; Shimada, Yukinori; Merilä, Juha

2013-09-01

Populations of widespread marine organisms are typically characterized by a low degree of genetic differentiation in neutral genetic markers, but much less is known about differentiation in genes whose functional roles are associated with specific selection regimes. To uncover possible adaptive population divergence and heterogeneous genomic differentiation in marine three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), we used a candidate gene-based genome-scan approach to analyse variability in 138 microsatellite loci located within/close to (<6 kb) functionally important genes in samples collected from ten geographic locations. The degree of genetic differentiation in markers classified as neutral or under balancing selection-as determined with several outlier detection methods-was low (F(ST) = 0.033 or 0.011, respectively), whereas average FST for directionally selected markers was significantly higher (F(ST) = 0.097). Clustering analyses provided support for genomic and geographic heterogeneity in selection: six genetic clusters were identified based on allele frequency differences in the directionally selected loci, whereas four were identified with the neutral loci. Allelic variation in several loci exhibited significant associations with environmental variables, supporting the conjecture that temperature and salinity, but not optic conditions, are important drivers of adaptive divergence among populations. In general, these results suggest that in spite of the high degree of physical connectivity and gene flow as inferred from neutral marker genes, marine stickleback populations are strongly genetically structured in loci associated with functionally relevant genes. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spectral triangulation: a 3D method for locating single-walled carbon nanotubes in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Ching-Wei; Bachilo, Sergei M.; Vu, Michael; Beckingham, Kathleen M.; Bruce Weisman, R.

2016-05-01

Nanomaterials with luminescence in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) region are of special interest for biological research and medical diagnostics because of favorable tissue transparency and low autofluorescence backgrounds in that region. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) show well-known sharp SWIR spectral signatures and therefore have potential for noninvasive detection and imaging of cancer tumours, when linked to selective targeting agents such as antibodies. However, such applications face the challenge of sensitively detecting and localizing the source of SWIR emission from inside tissues. A new method, called spectral triangulation, is presented for three dimensional (3D) localization using sparse optical measurements made at the specimen surface. Structurally unsorted SWCNT samples emitting over a range of wavelengths are excited inside tissue phantoms by an LED matrix. The resulting SWIR emission is sampled at points on the surface by a scanning fibre optic probe leading to an InGaAs spectrometer or a spectrally filtered InGaAs avalanche photodiode detector. Because of water absorption, attenuation of the SWCNT fluorescence in tissues is strongly wavelength-dependent. We therefore gauge the SWCNT-probe distance by analysing differential changes in the measured SWCNT emission spectra. SWCNT fluorescence can be clearly detected through at least 20 mm of tissue phantom, and the 3D locations of embedded SWCNT test samples are found with sub-millimeter accuracy at depths up to 10 mm. Our method can also distinguish and locate two embedded SWCNT sources at distinct positions.Nanomaterials with luminescence in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) region are of special interest for biological research and medical diagnostics because of favorable tissue transparency and low autofluorescence backgrounds in that region. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) show well-known sharp SWIR spectral signatures and therefore have potential for noninvasive detection and imaging of cancer tumours, when linked to selective targeting agents such as antibodies. However, such applications face the challenge of sensitively detecting and localizing the source of SWIR emission from inside tissues. A new method, called spectral triangulation, is presented for three dimensional (3D) localization using sparse optical measurements made at the specimen surface. Structurally unsorted SWCNT samples emitting over a range of wavelengths are excited inside tissue phantoms by an LED matrix. The resulting SWIR emission is sampled at points on the surface by a scanning fibre optic probe leading to an InGaAs spectrometer or a spectrally filtered InGaAs avalanche photodiode detector. Because of water absorption, attenuation of the SWCNT fluorescence in tissues is strongly wavelength-dependent. We therefore gauge the SWCNT-probe distance by analysing differential changes in the measured SWCNT emission spectra. SWCNT fluorescence can be clearly detected through at least 20 mm of tissue phantom, and the 3D locations of embedded SWCNT test samples are found with sub-millimeter accuracy at depths up to 10 mm. Our method can also distinguish and locate two embedded SWCNT sources at distinct positions. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details concerning instrumental design, experimental procedures, related experiments, and triangulation computations, plus a video showing operation of the scanner. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr01376g

Find a Diabetes Prevention Program Near You

MedlinePlus

... throughout the country. Find an In-person Class Select From List Find a class near you by ... some locations. Search by ZIP ZIP Code: Distance: Select Location Location: Find an Online Program Online programs ...

Distributed encoding of spatial and object categories in primate hippocampal microcircuits

PubMed Central

Opris, Ioan; Santos, Lucas M.; Gerhardt, Greg A.; Song, Dong; Berger, Theodore W.; Hampson, Robert E.; Deadwyler, Sam A.

2015-01-01

The primate hippocampus plays critical roles in the encoding, representation, categorization and retrieval of cognitive information. Such cognitive abilities may use the transformational input-output properties of hippocampal laminar microcircuitry to generate spatial representations and to categorize features of objects, images, and their numeric characteristics. Four nonhuman primates were trained in a delayed-match-to-sample (DMS) task while multi-neuron activity was simultaneously recorded from the CA1 and CA3 hippocampal cell fields. The results show differential encoding of spatial location and categorization of images presented as relevant stimuli in the task. Individual hippocampal cells encoded visual stimuli only on specific types of trials in which retention of either, the Sample image, or the spatial position of the Sample image indicated at the beginning of the trial, was required. Consistent with such encoding, it was shown that patterned microstimulation applied during Sample image presentation facilitated selection of either Sample image spatial locations or types of images, during the Match phase of the task. These findings support the existence of specific codes for spatial and numeric object representations in primate hippocampus which can be applied on differentially signaled trials. Moreover, the transformational properties of hippocampal microcircuitry, together with the patterned microstimulation are supporting the practical importance of this approach for cognitive enhancement and rehabilitation, needed for memory neuroprosthetics. PMID:26500473

Exploring bacterial diversity in hospital environments by GS-FLX Titanium pyrosequencing.

PubMed

Poza, Margarita; Gayoso, Carmen; Gómez, Manuel J; Rumbo-Feal, Soraya; Tomás, María; Aranda, Jesús; Fernández, Ana; Bou, Germán

2012-01-01

Understanding microbial populations in hospital environments is crucial for improving human health. Hospital-acquired infections are an increasing problem in intensive care units (ICU). In this work we present an exploration of bacterial diversity at inanimate surfaces of the ICU wards of the University Hospital A Coruña (Spain), as an example of confined hospital environment subjected to selective pressure, taking the entrance hall of the hospital, an open and crowded environment, as reference. Surface swab samples were collected from both locations and recovered DNA used as template to amplify a hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Sequencing of the amplicons was performed at the Roche 454 Sequencing Center using GS-FLX Titanium procedures. Reads were pre-processed and clustered into OTUs (operational taxonomic units), which were further classified. A total of 16 canonical bacterial phyla were detected in both locations. Members of the phyla Firmicutes (mainly Staphylococcus and Streptococcus) and Actinobacteria (mainly Micrococcaceae, Corynebacteriaceae and Brevibacteriaceae) were over-represented in the ICU with respect to the Hall. The phyllum Proteobacteria was also well represented in the ICU, mainly by members of the families Enterobacteriaceae, Methylobacteriaceae and Sphingomonadaceae. In the Hall sample, the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Deinococcus-Thermus and Cyanobacteria were over-represented with respect to the ICU. Over-representation of Proteobacteria was mainly due to the high abundance of Enterobacteriaceae members. The presented results demonstrate that bacterial diversity differs at the ICU and entrance hall locations. Reduced diversity detected at ICU, relative to the entrance hall, can be explained by its confined character and by the existence of antimicrobial selective pressure. This is the first study using deep sequencing techniques made in hospital wards showing substantial hospital microbial diversity.

Wetland selection by breeding and foraging black terns in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steen, Valerie A.; Powell, Abby N.

2012-01-01

We examined wetland selection by the Black Tern (Chlidonias niger), a species that breeds primarily in the prairie pothole region, has experienced population declines, and is difficult to manage because of low site fidelity. To characterize its selection of wetlands in this region, we surveyed 589 wetlands throughout North and South Dakota. We documented breeding at 5% and foraging at 17% of wetlands. We created predictive habitat models with a machine-learning algorithm, Random Forests, to explore the relative role of local wetland characteristics and those of the surrounding landscape and to evaluate which characteristics were important to predicting breeding versus foraging. We also examined area-dependent wetland selection while addressing the passive sampling bias by replacing occurrence of terns in the models with an index of density. Local wetland variables were more important than landscape variables in predictions of occurrence of breeding and foraging. Wetland size was more important to prediction of foraging than of breeding locations, while floating matted vegetation was more important to prediction of breeding than of foraging locations. The amount of seasonal wetland in the landscape was the only landscape variable important to prediction of both foraging and breeding. Models based on a density index indicated that wetland selection by foraging terns may be more area dependent than that by breeding terns. Our study provides some of the first evidence for differential breeding and foraging wetland selection by Black Terns and for a more limited role of landscape effects and area sensitivity than has been previously shown.

Evaluation of Simulated RADARSAT-2 Polarimetry Products

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

comparativement à l’utilisation d’un radar monocanal pour détecter des navires ainsi que les avantages possibles de la décomposition des cibles polarimétriques...calculation of the ROC can be applied to any designed probability of false alarm, such as PFA = 10-9, provided there are enough ocean samples available. The... designation , trade name, military project code name, geographic location may also be included. If possible keywords should be selected from a published

Reconnaissance investigation of water quality, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the lower-Colorado River valley, Arizona, California, and Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Radtke, D.B.; Kepner, W.G.; Effertz, R.J.

1988-01-01

The Lower Colorado River Valley Irrigation Drainage Project area included the Colorado River and its environs from Davis Dam to just above Imperial Dam. Water, bottom sediment, and biota were sampled at selected locations within the study area and analyzed for selected inorganic and synthetic organic constituents that are likely to be present at toxic concentrations. With the exceptions of selenium and DDE, this study found sampling locations to be relatively free of large concentrations of toxic constituents that could be a threat to humans, fish, and wildlife. Selenium was the only inorganic constituent to exceed any existing standard, criterion, or guideline for protection of fish and wildlife resources. Concentrations of DDE in double-crested cormorants, however, exceeded the criterion of 1.0 microgram per gram established by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering for DDT and its metabolites for protection of wildlife. Dissolved-selenium concentrations in water from the lower Colorado River appear to be derived from sources above Davis Dam. At this time, therefore , agricultural practices in the lower Colorado River valley do not appear to exacerbate selenium concentrations. This fact, however, does not mean that the aquatic organisms and their predators are not in jeopardy. Continued selenium loading to the lower Colorado environment could severely affect important components of the ecosystem. (Author 's abstract)

A pilot study to characterize fine particles in the environment of an automotive machining facility.

PubMed

Sioutas, C

1999-04-01

The main goal of this study was to characterize fine particles (e.g., smaller than about 3 microns) in an automotive machining environment. The Toledo Machining Plant of Chrysler Corporation was selected for this purpose. The effect of local mechanical processes as aerosol sources was a major part of this investigation. To determine the size-dependent mass concentration of particles in the plant, the Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI Model 100, MSP Corp., Minneapolis, Minnesota) was used. The MOUDI was placed at central locations in departments with sources inside the plant, so that the obtained information on the size distribution realistically represents the aerosol to which plant workers are exposed. Sampling was conducted over a 4-day period, and during three periods per day, each matching the work shifts. A special effort was made to place the MOUDI at a central location of a department with relatively homogeneous particle sources. The selected sampling sites included welding, grinding, steel machining, and heat treating processes. The average 24-hour mass concentrations of particles smaller than 3.2 microns in aerodynamic diameter were 167.8, 103.9, 201.7, and 112.7 micrograms/m3 for welding, grinding, mild steel, and heat treating processes, respectively. Finally, the mass median diameters of welding, heat treatment, machining, and grinding operations were approximately 0.5, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.8 micron, respectively.

Selectivity evaluation for two experimental gill-net configurations used to sample Lake Erie walleyes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vandergoot, Christopher S.; Kocovsky, Patrick M.; Brenden, Travis O.; Liu, Weihai

2011-01-01

We used length frequencies of captured walleyes Sander vitreus to indirectly estimate and compare selectivity between two experimental gill-net configurations used to sample fish in Lake Erie: (1) a multifilament configuration currently used by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) with stretched-measure mesh sizes ranging from 51 to 127 mm and a constant filament diameter (0.37 mm); and (2) a monofilament configuration with mesh sizes ranging from 38 to 178 mm and varying filament diameter (range = 0.20–0.33 mm). Paired sampling with the two configurations revealed that the catch of walleyes smaller than 250 mm and larger than 600 mm was greater in the monofilament configuration than in the multifilament configuration, but the catch of 250–600-mm fish was greater in the multifilament configuration. Binormal selectivity functions yielded the best fit to observed walleye catches for both gill-net configurations based on model deviances. Incorporation of deviation terms in the binormal selectivity functions (i.e., to relax the assumption of geometric similarity) further improved the fit to observed catches. The final fitted selectivity functions produced results similar to those from the length-based catch comparisons: the monofilament configuration had greater selectivity for small and large walleyes and the multifilament configuration had greater selectivity for mid-sized walleyes. Computer simulations that incorporated the fitted binormal selectivity functions indicated that both nets were likely to result in some bias in age composition estimates and that the degree of bias would ultimately be determined by the underlying condition, mortality rate, and growth rate of the Lake Erie walleye population. Before the ODNR switches its survey gear, additional comparisons of the different gill-net configurations, such as fishing the net pairs across a greater range of depths and at more locations in the lake, should be conducted to maintain congruence in the fishery-independent survey time series.

Assessment of groundwater, soil-gas, and soil contamination at the Vietnam Armor Training Facility, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2009-2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guimaraes, Wladmir B.; Falls, W. Fred; Caldwell, Andral W.; Ratliff, W. Hagan; Wellborn, John B.; Landmeyer, James E.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, Georgia, assessed the groundwater, soil gas, and soil for contaminants at the Vietnam Armor Training Facility (VATF) at Fort Gordon, from October 2009 to September 2011. The assessment included the detection of organic compounds in the groundwater and soil gas, and inorganic compounds in the soil. In addition, organic contaminant assessment included organic compounds classified as explosives and chemical agents in selected areas. The assessment was conducted to provide environmental contamination data to the U.S. Army at Fort Gordon pursuant to requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part B Hazardous Waste Permit process. This report is a revision of "Assessment of soil-gas, surface-water, and soil contamination at the Vietnam Armor Training Facility, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2009-2010," Open-File Report 2011-1200, and supersedes that report to include results of additional samples collected in July 2011. Four passive samplers were deployed in groundwater wells at the VATF in Fort Gordon. Total petroleum hydrocarbons and benzene and octane were detected above the method detection level at all four wells. The only other volatile organic compounds detected above their method detection level were undecane and pentadecane, which were detected in two of the four wells. Soil-gas samplers were deployed at 72 locations in a grid pattern across the VATF on June 3, 2010, and then later retrieved on June 9, 2010. Total petroleum hydrocarbons were detected in 71 of the 72 samplers (one sampler was destroyed in the field and not analyzed) at levels above the method detection level, and the combined mass of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylene (BTEX) was detected above the detection level in 31 of the 71 samplers that were analyzed. Other volatile organic compounds detected above their respective method detection levels were naphthalene, 2-methyl-naphthalene, tridecane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and perchloroethylene. After the results of the 71 soil-gas samplers were received, 31 additional passive soil-gas samplers were deployed on July 14, 2011, and retrieved on July 18, 2011. These 31 samplers were deployed on a larger areal scale to better define the extent of the contamination. Total petroleum hydrocarbons were detected above their method detection level at all 31 samplers, whereas BTEX was detected above its method detection level at 17 of the 31 samplers. Other organic compounds detected above their method detection levels were naphthalene, 2-methyl-naphthalene, octane, undecane, tridecane, pentadecane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, chloroform, and perchloroethylene. Subsequent to the 2010 soil-gas survey, four areas determined to have elevated contaminant mass were selected and sampled for explosives and chemical agents. No detections of explosives or chemical agents above their respective method detection levels were found at any of the sampling locations. The same four locations that were sampled for explosives and chemical agents were selected for the collection of soil samples. A fifth location also was selected on the basis of the elevated contaminant mass of the soil-gas survey. No metals that exceeded the Regional Screening Levels for Industrial Soils, as classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, were detected at any of the five VATF locations. The soil samples also were compared to values from the ambient, uncontaminated (background) levels for soils in South Carolina, as classified by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Because South Carolina is adjacent to Georgia and the soils in the Coastal Plain are similar, these comparisons are valid. No similar values are available for Georgia to use for comparison purposes. The metals that were detected above the ambient background levels for South Carolina, as classified by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, include aluminum, arsenic, barium, beryllium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, potassium, sodium, and zinc.

How do we select multiple features? Transient costs for selecting two colors rather than one, persistent costs for color-location conjunctions.

PubMed

Lo, Shih-Yu; Holcombe, Alex O

2014-02-01

In a previous study Lo, Howard, & Holcombe (Vision Research 63:20-33, 2012), selecting two colors did not induce a performance cost, relative to selecting one color. For example, requiring possible report of both a green and a red target did not yield a worse performance than when both targets were green. Yet a cost of selecting multiple colors was observed when selection needed be contingent on both color and location. When selecting a red target to the left and a green target to the right, superimposing a green distractor to the left and a red distractor to the right impeded performance. Possibly, participants cannot confine attention to a color at a particular location. As a result, distractors that share the target colors disrupt attentional selection of the targets. The attempt to select the targets must then be repeated, which increases the likelihood that the trial terminates when selection is not effective, even for long trials. Consistent with this, here we find a persistent cost of selecting two colors when the conjunction of color and location is needed, but the cost is confined to short exposure durations when the observer just has to monitor red and green stimuli without the need to use the location information. These results suggest that selecting two colors is time-consuming but effective, whereas selection of simultaneous conjunctions is never entirely successful.

Investigating the sources of sediment in a Canadian agricultural watershed using a colour-based fingerprinting technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthod, Louise; Lobb, David; Owens, Philip; Martinez-Carreras, Nuria; Koiter, Alexander; Petticrew, Ellen; McCullough, Gregory

2014-05-01

The development of beneficial management practises to minimize adverse impacts of agriculture on soil and water quality requires information on the sources of sediment at the watershed scale. Sediment fingerprinting allows for the determination of sediment sources and apportionment of their contribution within a watershed, using unique physical, radiochemical or biogeochemical properties, or fingerprints, of the potential sediment sources. The use of sediment colour as a fingerprint is an emerging technique that can provide a rapid and inexpensive means of investigating sediment sources. This technique is currently being utilized to determine sediment sources within the South Tobacco Creek Watershed, an agricultural watershed located in the Canadian prairies (south-central Manitoba). Suspended sediment and potential source (topsoil, channel bank and shale bedrock material) samples were collected between 2009 and 2011 at six locations along the main stem of the creek. Sample colour was quantified from diffuse reflectance spectrometry measurements over the visible wavelength range using a spectroradiometer (ASD Field Spec Pro, 400-2500 nm). Sixteen colour coefficients were derived from several colour space models (CIE XYZ, CIE xyY, CIE Lab, CIE Luv, CIE Lch, Landsat RGB, Redness Index). The individual discrimination power of the colour coefficients, after passing several prerequisite tests (e.g., linearly additive behaviour), was assessed using discriminant function analysis. A stepwise discriminant analysis, based on the Wilk's lambda criterion, was then performed in order to determine the best-suited colour coefficient fingerprints which maximized the discrimination between the potential sources. The selected fingerprints classified the source samples in the correct category 86% of the time. The misclassification is due to intra-source variability and source overlap which can lead to higher uncertainty in sediment source apportionment. The selected fingerprints were then included in a Bayesian mixing model using Monte-Carlo simulation (Stable Isotope Analysis in R, SIAR) in order to apportion the contribution of the different sources to the sediment collected at each location. A switch in the dominant sediment source between the headwaters and the outlet of the watershed is observed. Sediment is enriched with shale bedrock and depleted of topsoil sources as the stream crosses and down-cuts through the Manitoba Escarpment. The switch in sources highlights the importance of the sampling location in relation to the scale and geomorphic connectivity of the watershed. Although the results include considerable uncertainty, they are consistent with the findings from a classical fingerprinting approach undertaken in the same watershed (i.e., geochemical and radionuclide fingerprints), and confirm the potential of sediment colour parameters as suitable fingerprints.

A selective sweep of >8 Mb on chromosome 26 in the Boxer genome.

PubMed

Quilez, Javier; Short, Andrea D; Martínez, Verónica; Kennedy, Lorna J; Ollier, William; Sanchez, Armand; Altet, Laura; Francino, Olga

2011-07-01

Modern dog breeds display traits that are either breed-specific or shared by a few breeds as a result of genetic bottlenecks during the breed creation process and artificial selection for breed standards. Selective sweeps in the genome result from strong selection and can be detected as a reduction or elimination of polymorphism in a given region of the genome. Extended regions of homozygosity, indicative of selective sweeps, were identified in a genome-wide scan dataset of 25 Boxers from the United Kingdom genotyped at ~20,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). These regions were further examined in a second dataset of Boxers collected from a different geographical location and genotyped using higher density SNP arrays (~170,000 SNPs). A selective sweep previously associated with canine brachycephaly was detected on chromosome 1. A novel selective sweep of over 8 Mb was observed on chromosome 26 in Boxer and for a shorter region in English and French bulldogs. It was absent in 171 samples from eight other dog breeds and 7 Iberian wolf samples. A region of extended increased heterozygosity on chromosome 9 overlapped with a previously reported copy number variant (CNV) which was polymorphic in multiple dog breeds. A selective sweep of more than 8 Mb on chromosome 26 was identified in the Boxer genome. This sweep is likely caused by strong artificial selection for a trait of interest and could have inadvertently led to undesired health implications for this breed. Furthermore, we provide supporting evidence for two previously described regions: a selective sweep on chromosome 1 associated with canine brachycephaly and a CNV on chromosome 9 polymorphic in multiple dog breeds.

Micropaleontology of selected wells and seismic shot holes, northern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mickey, Michael B.; Haga, Hideyo; Bird, Kenneth J.

2006-01-01

This report provides micropaleontologic data (foraminifera, pollen, spores, and microplankton) and interpretations of the rocks penetrated by 49 wells and 3,134 seismic shot holes distributed among 73 seismic lines (figs. 1, 2; table 1). All shot holes and 30 wells are located within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA); the remaining 19 wells are located adjacent to the NPRA. The biostratigraphic zonation scheme, stratigraphy, and geologic ages followed in this study are summarized in figure 3. This update brings paleontologic analyses performed at various times over several decades to a current, unified set of interpretations that benefit from the evolution of northern Alaska biostratigraphic understanding developed during the past 33-years by Mickey and Haga. For each well, paleontologic information includes microfossil distribution charts, data spreadsheets, diversity graphs, and interpretive reports describing age and environments of deposition. Three biostratigraphic well-correlation sections that relate Chukchi Sea wells to onshore northwestern NPRA wells are also included. For all analyzed seismic shot hole samples, foraminiferal age and environmental interpretations are provided; palynological interpretations are provided only for those shot hole samples collected and analyzed after 1976, a little less than half of the total number of samples.

Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: Measurement of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation scale in the distribution of galaxies to redshift 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abbott, T.M.C.; et al.

We present angular diameter distance measurements obtained by locating the BAO scale in the distribution of galaxies selected from the first year of Dark Energy Survey data. We consider a sample of over 1.3 million galaxies distributed over a footprint of 1318 degmore » $^2$ with $$0.6 < z_{\\rm photo} < 1$$ and a typical redshift uncertainty of $0.03(1+z)$. This sample was selected, as fully described in a companion paper, using a color/magnitude selection that optimizes trade-offs between number density and redshift uncertainty. We investigate the BAO signal in the projected clustering using three conventions, the angular separation, the co-moving transverse separation, and spherical harmonics. Further, we compare results obtained from template based and machine learning photometric redshift determinations. We use 1800 simulations that approximate our sample in order to produce covariance matrices and allow us to validate our distance scale measurement methodology. We measure the angular diameter distance, $$D_A$$, at the effective redshift of our sample divided by the true physical scale of the BAO feature, $$r_{\\rm d}$$. We obtain close to a 4 per cent distance measurement of $$D_A(z_{\\rm eff}=0.81)/r_{\\rm d} = 10.75\\pm 0.43 $$. These results are consistent with the flat $$\\Lambda$$CDM concordance cosmological model supported by numerous other recent experimental results.« less

Review of concepts useful for maintaining quality of male reproductive field samples for laboratory study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Jill A.

2011-01-01

Investigations into cellular and molecular characteristics of male gametes obtained from fish in natural ecosystems require careful sample handling and shipping in order to minimize artifacts. Maintaining sample integrity engenders confident assessments of ecosystem health, whereby animal condition is often reflected by gamete biomarkers - indicators that respond in measurable ways to changes. A number of our investigations have addressed the hypothesis that biomarkers from fish along a pollution gradient are reflective of site location. Species biology and the selected biological endpoints direct choice of parameters such as: temperature, buffer osmolality, time in transit, fixation, cryoprotectants, protease inhibition, and antibiotic inclusion in extender. This paper will highlight case studies, and outline parameters and thoughts on approaches for use by field and laboratory researchers.

Can We Monitor Ecosystem Function Using Keeling Plot Analyses of Nocturnal Cold-Air Drainage?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, B. J.; Ocheltree, T.; Pypker, T.; Unsworth, M. H.; Mix, A. C.; William, R.

2003-12-01

The carbon isotope signature of ecosystem respiration, δ 13CR, as measured by the Keeling Plot approach, has been related to short-term variations in weather and ecosystem function in several recent studies. In order to obtain an adequate range of [CO2] and to sample a consistent vegetation type, investigators typically select sampling locations in relatively flat terrain and uniform canopy cover, but these are unusual conditions for many forested ecosystems. In a pilot study, we are collecting samples for Keeling Plot analyses in cold-air drainage systems in small (60-100 ha), deeply-incised watersheds, one covered with old-growth (ca 450-years-old) Douglas-fir/hemlock forest and one covered with young (ca 45-years-old) Douglas-fir forest. We found that the nightly range of [CO2] was typically 380-460 ppm, sufficient to develop good estimates of δ 13CR. At any point in time there was little variation in [CO2] with height through the canopy (0.5-30m), so the required range was obtained by sampling over several hours. There was no indication that samples taken from different heights or at different times of night represented sources with different isotopic signatures. The isotopic signature of respired CO2 in the older watershed averaged about 1 per mil greater than that of the young watershed, and δ 13CR of both locations correlated with modeled stomatal conductance 6 days prior to flask sampling.

Radioactivity in mushrooms from selected locations in the Bohemian Forest, Czech Republic.

PubMed

Čadová, Michaela; Havránková, Renata; Havránek, Jiří; Zölzer, Friedo

2017-05-01

137 Cs is one of the most important radionuclides released in the course of atmospheric nuclear weapon tests and during accidents in nuclear power plants such as that in Chernobyl, Ukraine, or Fukushima, Japan. The aim of this study was to compare 137 Cs and 40 K concentrations in particular species of mushrooms from selected locations in the Bohemian Forest (Czech: Šumava), Czech Republic, where a considerable contamination from the Chernobyl accident had been measured in 1986. Samples were collected between June and October 2014. Activities of 137 Cs and 40 K per dry mass were measured by means of a semiconductor gamma spectrometer. The 137 Cs values measured range from below detection limit to 4300 ± 20 Bq kg -1 , in the case of 40 K from 910 ± 80 to 4300 ± 230 Bq kg -1 . Differences were found between individual locations, due to uneven precipitation in the course of the movement of the radioactive cloud after the Chernobyl accident. There are, however, also differences between individual species of mushrooms from identical locations, which inter alia result from different characteristics of the soil and depths of mycelia. The values measured are compared with established limits and exposures from other radiation sources present in the environment. In general, it can be stated that the values measured are relatively low and the effects on the health of the population are negligible compared to other sources of ionizing radiation.

76 FR 29282 - Transfer of Post Office Box Service in Selected Locations to the Competitive Product List

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-20

... POSTAL SERVICE Transfer of Post Office Box Service in Selected Locations to the Competitive... service at approximately 6,800 locations from the Mail Classification Schedule's Market Dominant Product...] filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission a request to transfer Post Office Box service at locations...

Integrated system for gathering, processing, and reporting data relating to site contamination

DOEpatents

Long, D.D.; Goldberg, M.S.; Baker, L.A.

1997-11-11

An integrated screening system comprises an intrusive sampling subsystem, a field mobile laboratory subsystem, a computer assisted design/geographical information subsystem, and a telecommunication linkup subsystem, all integrated to provide synergistically improved data relating to the extent of site soil/groundwater contamination. According to the present invention, data samples related to the soil, groundwater or other contamination of the subsurface material are gathered and analyzed to measure contaminants. Based on the location of origin of the samples in three-dimensional space, the analyzed data are transmitted to a location display. The data from analyzing samples and the data from the locating the origin are managed to project the next probable sample location. The next probable sample location is then forwarded for use as a guide in the placement of ensuing sample location, whereby the number of samples needed to accurately characterize the site is minimized. 10 figs.

Integrated system for gathering, processing, and reporting data relating to site contamination

DOEpatents

Long, Delmar D.; Goldberg, Mitchell S.; Baker, Lorie A.

1997-01-01

An integrated screening system comprises an intrusive sampling subsystem, a field mobile laboratory subsystem, a computer assisted design/geographical information subsystem, and a telecommunication linkup subsystem, all integrated to provide synergistically improved data relating to the extent of site soil/groundwater contamination. According to the present invention, data samples related to the soil, groundwater or other contamination of the subsurface material are gathered and analyzed to measure contaminants. Based on the location of origin of the samples in three-dimensional space, the analyzed data are transmitted to a location display. The data from analyzing samples and the data from the locating the origin are managed to project the next probable sample location. The next probable sample location is then forwarded for use as a guide in the placement of ensuing sample location, whereby the number of samples needed to accurately characterize the site is minimized.

Four studies on effects of environmental factors on the quality of National Atmospheric Deposition Program measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wetherbee, Gregory A.; Latysh, Natalie E.; Lehmann, Christopher M.B.; Rhodes, Mark F.

2011-01-01

Selected aspects of National Atmospheric Deposition Program / National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) protocols are evaluated in four studies. Meteorological conditions have minor impacts on the error in NADP/NTN sampling. Efficiency of frozen precipitation sample collection is lower than for liquid precipitation samples. Variability of NTN measurements is higher for relatively low-intensity deposition of frozen precipitation than for higher-intensity deposition of liquid precipitation. Urbanization of the landscape surrounding NADP/NTN sites is not affecting trends in wet-deposition chemistry data to a measureable degree. Five NADP siting criteria intended to preserve wet-deposition sample integrity have varying degrees of effectiveness. NADP siting criteria for objects within the 90 degrees cones and trees within the 120 degrees cones projected from the collector bucket to sky are important for protecting sample integrity. Tall vegetation, fences, and other objects located within 5 meters of the collectors are related to the frequency of visible sample contamination, indicating the importance of these factors in NADP siting criteria.

Influence of size-fractioning techniques on concentrations of selected trace metals in bottom materials from two streams in northeastern Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koltun, G.F.; Helsel, Dennis R.

1986-01-01

Identical stream-bottom material samples, when fractioned to the same size by different techniques, may contain significantly different trace-metal concentrations. Precision of techniques also may differ, which could affect the ability to discriminate between size-fractioned bottom-material samples having different metal concentrations. Bottom-material samples fractioned to less than 0.020 millimeters by means of three common techniques (air elutriation, sieving, and settling) were analyzed for six trace metals to determine whether the technique used to obtain the desired particle-size fraction affects the ability to discriminate between bottom materials having different trace-metal concentrations. In addition, this study attempts to assess whether median trace-metal concentrations in size-fractioned bottom materials of identical origin differ depending on the size-fractioning technique used. Finally, this study evaluates the efficiency of the three size-fractioning techniques in terms of time, expense, and effort involved. Bottom-material samples were collected at two sites in northeastern Ohio: One is located in an undeveloped forested basin, and the other is located in a basin having a mixture of industrial and surface-mining land uses. The sites were selected for their close physical proximity, similar contributing drainage areas, and the likelihood that trace-metal concentrations in the bottom materials would be significantly different. Statistically significant differences in the concentrations of trace metals were detected between bottom-material samples collected at the two sites when the samples had been size-fractioned by means of air elutriation or sieving. Statistical analyses of samples that had been size fractioned by settling in native water were not measurably different in any of the six trace metals analyzed. Results of multiple comparison tests suggest that differences related to size-fractioning technique were evident in median copper, lead, and iron concentrations. Technique-related differences in copper concentrations most likely resulted from contamination of air-elutriated samples by a feed tip on the elutriator apparatus. No technique-related differences were observed in chromium, manganese, or zinc concentrations. Although air elutriation was the most expensive sizefractioning technique investigated, samples fractioned by this technique appeared to provide a superior level of discrimination between metal concentrations present in the bottom materials of the two sites. Sieving was an adequate lower-cost but more laborintensive alternative.

Use and selection of brood-rearing habitat by Sage Grouse in south central Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sveum, C.M.; Crawford, J.A.; Edge, W.D.

1998-01-01

Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) brood-habitat use was examined during 1992 and 1993 at the Yakima Training Center in Yakima and Kittitas counties, Washington. During the 2 yr we followed 38 broods, of which 12 persisted to 1 August (x?? = approximately 1.5 chicks/brood). Food forb cover was greater at all brood locations than at random locations. Hens with broods in big sagebrush/bunchgrass habitat (Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum) selected for greater food forb cover, total forb cover, and lower shrub heights; broods in altered big sagebrush/bunchgrass habitats selected greater tall grass cover and vertical cover height; broods in grassland showed no preference for any measured vegetation characteristics. During the early rearing period (post-hatching-6 wk) each year, broods selected sagebrush/bunchgrass. Broods in 1993 made greater use of grasslands than in 1992 and selected grassland during the late brood-rearing period (7-12 wk). Broods selected for sagebrush/bunchgrass during midday, but 52% of brood locations in the afternoon were in grassland. Tall grass cover was greater at morning (0500-1000 h) and afternoon (1501-2000 h) brood locations than at midday (1001-1500 h) and random locations. Midday brood locations had greater shrub cover and height than morning and afternoon locations. Selection of habitat components was similar to the results of other studies, but habitat conditions coupled with a possible lack of 'alternate brood-rearing cover types resulted in low survival of chicks.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elvado Environmental LLC

This plan provides a description of the groundwater and surface water quality monitoring activities planned for calendar year (CY) 2009 at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) that will be managed by the Y-12 Groundwater Protection Program (GWPP). Groundwater and surface water monitoring performed by the GWPP during CY 2009 will be in accordance with DOE Order 540.1 requirements and the following goals: (1) to protect the worker, the public, and the environment; (2) to maintain surveillance of existing and potential groundwater contamination sources; (3) to provide for the early detection of groundwater contamination andmore » determine the quality of groundwater and surface water where contaminants are most likely to migrate beyond the Oak Ridge Reservation property line; (4) to identify and characterize long-term trends in groundwater quality at Y-12; and (5) to provide data to support decisions concerning the management and protection of groundwater resources. Groundwater and surface water monitoring during CY 2009 will be performed primarily in three hydrogeologic regimes at Y-12: the Bear Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (Bear Creek Regime), the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Hydrogeologic Regime (East Fork Regime), and the Chestnut Ridge Hydrogeologic Regime (Chestnut Ridge Regime). The Bear Creek and East Fork regimes are located in Bear Creek Valley, and the Chestnut Ridge Regime is located south of Y-12 (Figure A.1). Additional surface water monitoring will be performed north of Pine Ridge, along the boundary of the Oak Ridge Reservation. Modifications to the CY 2009 monitoring program may be necessary during implementation. Changes in programmatic requirements may alter the analytes specified for selected monitoring wells or may add or remove wells from the planned monitoring network. All modifications to the monitoring program will be approved by the Y-12 GWPP manager and documented as addenda to this sampling and analysis plan. The following sections of this report provide details regarding the CY 2009 groundwater and surface water monitoring activities. Section 2 describes the monitoring locations in each regime and the processes used to select the sampling locations. A description of the field measurements and laboratory analytes is provided in Section 3; sample collection methods and procedures are described in Section 4; and Section 5 lists the documents cited for more detailed operational and technical information.« less

Journal Article: Atmospheric Measurements of CDDs, CDFs ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. EPA established a National Dioxin Air Monitoring Network (NDAMN) to determine background air concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and cp-PCBs in rural and remote areas of the United States. Background is defined as average ambient air concentrations inferred from long-term and multi-year atmospheric measurements at the same locations using identical monitoring and analytical procedures. The rural sites were chosen in order to obtain air concentrations in areas where crops and livestock are grown, and that encompassed a range of geographic locations in terms of latitudinal and longitudinal positions. Remote sites were selected on the basis that they were relatively free of human habitation and >100 km away from human dioxin sources. The locations of sampling sites covered a wide range of climate conditions from tropical sub-humid to sub-Artic climates. The idea behind the sampling configuration was to provide reasonable geographic coverage of the United States limited only by budgetary constraints. Funding was sufficient for the establishment and maintenance of 34 NDAMN stations over a period of 6 years. Results were reported as the toxic equivalent (TEQ) of the mix of PCDDs/PCDFs (TEQ-DF) and the mix of coplanar PCBs (TEQ-PCB). At the studied rural sites the mean annual TEQ-DF for each of the NDAMN sampling years was 10.43, 11.39, 10.40, and 10.47 femtograms per cubic meter (fg/cu. m) for 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, respectively.There was no statistical

Physical, emotional and sexual adolescent abuse victimisation in South Africa: prevalence, incidence, perpetrators and locations

PubMed Central

Meinck, Franziska; Cluver, Lucie D; Boyes, Mark E; Loening-Voysey, Heidi

2016-01-01

Background Physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children is a major problem in South Africa, with severe negative outcomes for survivors. To date, no known studies have used data directly obtained from community-based samples of children to investigate prevalence, incidence, locations and perpetrators of child abuse victimisation. This study aims to investigate prevalence and incidence, perpetrators, and locations of child abuse victimisation in South Africa using a multicommunity sample. Methods 3515 children aged 10–17 years (56.6% female) were interviewed from all households in randomly selected census enumeration areas in two South African provinces. Child self-report questionnaires were completed at baseline and at 1-year follow-up (96.7% retention). Results Prevalence was 56.3% for lifetime physical abuse (18.2% past-year incidence), 35.5% for lifetime emotional abuse (12.1% incidence) and 9% for lifetime sexual abuse (5.3% incidence). 68.9% of children reported any type of lifetime victimisation and 27.1% reported lifetime multiple abuse victimisation. Main perpetrators of abuse were reported: for physical abuse, primary caregivers and teachers; for emotional abuse, primary caregivers and relatives; and for sexual abuse, girlfriend/boyfriends or other peers. Conclusions This is the first study assessing current self-reported child abuse through a large, community-based sample in South Africa. Findings of high rates of physical, emotional and sexual abuse demonstrate the need for targeted and effective interventions to prevent incidence and re-victimisation. PMID:26962202

Transport of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from an arctic glacier to downstream locations: implications for sources.

PubMed

Kwok, Karen Y; Yamazaki, Eriko; Yamashita, Nobuyoshi; Taniyasu, Sachi; Murphy, Margaret B; Horii, Yuichi; Petrick, Gert; Kallerborn, Roland; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Murano, Kentaro; Lam, Paul K S

2013-03-01

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been globally detected in various environmental matrices, yet their fate and transport to the Arctic is still unclear, especially for the European Arctic. In this study, concentrations of 17 PFAS were quantified in two ice cores (n=26), surface snow (n=9) and surface water samples (n=14) collected along a spatial gradient in Svalbard, Norway. Concentrations of selected ions (Na(+), SO4(2-), etc.) were also determined for tracing the origins and sources of PFAS. Perfluorobutanoate (PFBA), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) were the dominant compounds found in ice core samples. Taking PFOA, PFNA and perfluorooctane-sulfonate (PFOS) as examples, higher concentrations were detected in the middle layers of the ice cores representing the period of 1997-2000. Lower concentrations of C8-C12 perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs) were detected in comparison with concentrations measured previously in an ice core from the Canadian Arctic, indicating that contamination levels in the European Arctic are lower. Average PFAS concentrations were found to be lower in surface snow and melted glacier water samples, while increased concentrations were observed in river water downstream near the coastal area. Perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) was detected in the downstream locations, but not in the glacier, suggesting existence of local sources of this compound. Long-range atmospheric transport of PFAS was the major deposition pathway for the glaciers, while local sources (e.g., skiing activities) were identified in the downstream locations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding perceptions of community participation in persons with severe mental illness: A mixed-methods approach.

PubMed

Day, Angela K; Lalla, Rajiv; Frederick, Tyler; Tarasoff, Lesley A; Virdee, Gursharan; McKenzie, Kwame; Zahn, William; Kidd, Sean A

2017-03-01

This study aims to measure community participation in persons with severe mental illness (SMI) in Toronto, Ontario and outlines a methodological approach for understanding the dimensions of community participation. A mixed methods approach was used to define activity spaces through participatory mapping and a qualitative survey interview for participants (N = 31), selected through a stratified purposeful sampling strategy. Five neighbourhoods in Toronto were sampled in an attempt to obtain an ethnically diverse sample. Participants were interviewed over the study period and asked to draw maps indicating places that constituted their community. A qualitative interview was also administered to understand participants' perceptions of their communities. Point locations from the mapping exercise were used to measure and construct activity spaces using a mean circle approach; outlying locations were simultaneously recorded. Observed spatial patterns were then analyzed alongside the findings of the qualitative interviews. There were no observed relationships between the number of locations reported by participants and the resultant activity space or outlier count. There were no quantitative relationships between activity space size and perceptions of community by participants. However, qualitative data revealed that a number of underlying factors (mental health status and associated stigma; relationships with friends and family; cultural background; income; and neighbourhood safety) influenced participants' activity spaces. These results highlight the ways that community participation is influenced by an interplay of determinants, all of which have implications for service delivery and population-level interventions. They also point to the importance of mixed methods approaches in spatial analysis.

Identifying and mitigating errors in satellite telemetry of polar bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arthur, Stephen M.; Garner, Gerald W.; Olson, Tamara L.

1998-01-01

Satellite radiotelemetry is a useful method of tracking movements of animals that travel long distances or inhabit remote areas. However, the logistical constraints that encourage the use of satellite telemetry also inhibit efforts to assess accuracy of the resulting data. To investigate effectiveness of methods that might be used to improve the reliability of these data, we compared 3 sets of criteria designed to select the most plausible locations of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) that were tracked using satellite radiotelemetry in the Bering, Chukchi, East Siberian, Laptev, and Kara seas during 1988-93. We also evaluated several indices of location accuracy. Our results suggested that, although indices could provide information useful in evaluating location accuracy, no index or set of criteria was sufficient to identify all the implausible locations. Thus, it was necessary to examine the data and make subjective decisions about which locations to accept or reject. However, by using a formal set of selection criteria, we simplified the task of evaluating locations and ensured that decisions were made consistently. This approach also enabled us to evaluate biases that may be introduced by the criteria used to identify location errors. For our study, the best set of selection criteria comprised: (1) rejecting locations for which the distance to the nearest other point from the same day was >50 km; (2) determining the highest accuracy code (NLOC) for a particular day and rejecting locations from that day with lesser values; and (3) from the remaining locations for each day, selecting the location closest to the location chosen for the previous transmission period. Although our selection criteria seemed unlikely to bias studies of habitat use or geographic distribution, basing selection decisions on distances between points might bias studies of movement rates or distances. It is unlikely that any set of criteria will be best for all situations; to make efficient use of data and minimize bias, these rules must be tailored to specific study objectives.

Comparability on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors between STD clinic clients and high-risk individuals in community.

PubMed

Du, Ping; Thomas, Rosalind; McNutt, Louise-Anne; Bruce Coles, F

2008-01-01

To assess the feasibility and generalizability of STD clinic samples for studying STD-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB), and healthcare preferences among individuals at high risk for STDs in the same community. An STD clinic and a community sample were selected from each of two urban areas in New York State. At each STD clinic, 100 individuals were interviewed. In each community, about 400 individuals were selected by random-digit-dialing telephone survey during the same period. Community sample participants were defined as having high-risk profiles on the basis of five items related to their sexual behaviors. The STD clinic samples were younger and had a larger proportion of men and nonwhite people compared with the high-risk community samples. Although the majority of STD clinic clients would seek healthcare at the STD clinics, high-risk community participants were more likely to prefer private doctors for STDs care (P < .0001 for both areas). Overall STD-related KAB were similar between STD clinic and high-risk community samples; however, STD clinic clients may be more knowledgeable about specific STDs and more likely to feel embarrassment about getting an STD. The findings comparing KAB between high-risk community subjects and STD clinic attendees also varied by geographic location. STD clinic samples may not be sufficiently representative of community STD-related KAB collected by telephone surveys, even for that subset of community respondents with high-risk behaviors associated with STDs.

Method for detection of dental caries and periodontal disease using optical imaging

DOEpatents

Nathel, H.; Kinney, J.H.; Otis, L.L.

1996-10-29

A method is disclosed for detecting the presence of active and inactive caries in teeth and diagnosing periodontal disease uses non-ionizing radiation with techniques for reducing interference from scattered light. A beam of non-ionizing radiation is divided into sample and reference beams. The region to be examined is illuminated by the sample beam, and reflected or transmitted radiation from the sample is recombined with the reference beam to form an interference pattern on a detector. The length of the reference beam path is adjustable, allowing the operator to select the reflected or transmitted sample photons that recombine with the reference photons. Thus radiation scattered by the dental or periodontal tissue can be prevented from obscuring the interference pattern. A series of interference patterns may be generated and interpreted to locate dental caries and periodontal tissue interfaces. 7 figs.

Catalog of candidates for quasars at 3 < z < 5.5 selected among X-Ray sources from the 3XMM-DR4 survey of the XMM-Newton observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khorunzhev, G. A.; Burenin, R. A.; Meshcheryakov, A. V.; Sazonov, S. Yu.

2016-05-01

We have compiled a catalog of 903 candidates for type 1 quasars at redshifts 3 < z < 5.5 selected among the X-ray sources of the "serendipitous" XMM-Newton survey presented in the 3XMMDR4 catalog (the median X-ray flux is ≈5 × 10-15 erg s-1 cm-2 in the 0.5-2 keV energy band) and located at high Galactic latitudes | b| > 20° in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) fields with a total area of about 300 deg2. Photometric SDSS data as well infrared 2MASS and WISE data were used to select the objects. We selected the point sources from the photometric SDSS catalog with a magnitude error δ mz' < 0.2 and a color i' - z' < 0.6 (to first eliminate the M-type stars). For the selected sources, we have calculated the dependences χ2( z) for various spectral templates from the library that we compiled for these purposes using the EAZY software. Based on these data, we have rejected the objects whose spectral energy distributions are better described by the templates of stars at z = 0 and obtained a sample of quasars with photometric redshift estimates 2.75 < z phot < 5.5. The selection completeness of known quasars at z spec > 3 in the investigated fields is shown to be about 80%. The normalized median absolute deviation (Δ z = | z spec - z phot|) is σ Δ z /(1+ z spec) = 0.07, while the outlier fraction is η = 9% when Δ z/(1 + z cпek.) > 0.2. The number of objects per unit area in our sample exceeds the number of quasars in the spectroscopic SDSS sample at the same redshifts approximately by a factor of 1.5. The subsequent spectroscopic testing of the redshifts of our selected candidates for quasars at 3 < z < 5.5 will allow the purity of this sample to be estimated more accurately.

Delineation of surf scoter habitat in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland: macrobenthic and sediment composition of surf scoter feeding sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kidwell, D.M.; Perry, M.C.

2005-01-01

Surveys of surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) along the Atlantic coast of the United States have shown population declines in recent decades. The Chesapeake Bay has traditionally been a key wintering area for surf scoters. Past and present research has shown that bivalves constitute a major food item for seaducks in the Chesapeake Bay, with surf scoters feeding primarily on hooked mussel (Ischadium recurvum) and dwarf surf clam (Mulinia lateralis). Degraded water quality conditions in the Chesapeake Bay have been well documented and have been shown to greatly influence the composition of benthic communities. Large concentrations of feeding surf scoters (>500 individuals) in the Bay were determined through monthly boat surveys. Locations consistently lacking surf scoters were also determined. Macrobenthos were seasonally sampled at 3 locations containing scoters and 3 locations without scoters. A 1 kilometer square grid was superimposed over each location using GIS and sampling sites within the square were randomly chosen. Benthos were sampled at each site using SCUBA and a meter square quadrat. Biomass and size class estimates were determined for all bivalves within each kilometer square. Results indicated that scoter feeding sites contained significantly greater biomass of M. lateralis, I. recurvum, and Gemma gemma than locations where no scoters were present. Substrate differences were also detected, with scoter feeding sites being composed of a sand/shell mix while non-scoter sites consisted primarily of mud. This data indicates that surf scoters in the Chesapeake Bay are selecting areas with high densities of preferred food items, potentially maximizing there foraging energetics. In addition, two scoter feeding sites also contained a patchwork of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and oyster shell, on which much of the I. recurvum was attached. This suggests the possibility that surf scoters utilize eastern oyster habitat and the dramatic depletion of oysters in the Bay could be a possible factor in surf scoter decline. More research is needed into the possible relationship between surf scoters and the eastern oyster.

Geographical distributions of lake trout strains stocked in Lake Ontario

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elrod, Joseph H.; O'Gorman, Robert; Schneider, Clifford P.; Schaner, Ted

1996-01-01

Geographical distributions of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) stocked at seven locations in U.S. waters and at four locations in Canadian waters of Lake Ontario were determined from fish caught with gill nets in September in 17 areas of U.S. waters and at 10 fixed locations in Canadian waters in 1986-95. For fish of a given strain stocked at a given location, geographical distributions were not different for immature males and immature females or for mature males and mature females. The proportion of total catch at the three locations nearest the stocking location was higher for mature fish than for immature fish in all 24 available comparisons (sexes combined) and was greater for fish stocked as yearlings than for those stocked as fingerlings in all eight comparisons. Mature fish were relatively widely dispersed from stocking locations indicating that their tendency to return to stocking locations for spawning was weak, and there was no appreciable difference in this tendency among strains. Mature lake trout were uniformly distributed among sampling locations, and the strain composition at stocking locations generally reflected the stocking history 5 to 6 years earlier. Few lake trout moved across Lake Ontario between the north and south shores or between the eastern outlet basin and the main lake basin. Limited dispersal from stocking sites supports the concept of stocking different genetic strains in various parts of the lake with the attributes of each strain selected to match environmental conditions in the portion of the lake where it is stocked.

Site selection for DOE/JIP gas hydrate drilling in the northern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchinson, Deborah; Shelander, Dianna; Dai, J.; McConnell, D.; Shedd, William; Frye, Matthew; Ruppel, Carolyn D.; Boswell, R.; Jones, Emrys; Collett, Timothy S.; Rose, Kelly K.; Dugan, Brandon; Wood, Warren T.

2008-01-01

n the late spring of 2008, the Chevron-led Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project (JIP) expects to conduct an exploratory drilling and logging campaign to better understand gas hydrate-bearing sands in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The JIP Site Selection team selected three areas to test alternative geological models and geophysical interpretations supporting the existence of potential high gas hydrate saturations in reservoir-quality sands. The three sites are near existing drill holes which provide geological and geophysical constraints in Alaminos Canyon (AC) lease block 818, Green Canyon (GC) 955, and Walker Ridge (WR) 313. At the AC818 site, gas hydrate is interpreted to occur within the Oligocene Frio volcaniclastic sand at the crest of a fold that is shallow enough to be in the hydrate stability zone. Drilling at GC955 will sample a faulted, buried Pleistocene channel-levee system in an area characterized by seafloor fluid expulsion features, structural closure associated with uplifted salt, and abundant seismic evidence for upward migration of fluids and gas into the sand-rich parts of the sedimentary section. Drilling at WR313 targets ponded sheet sands and associated channel/levee deposits within a minibasin, making this a non-structural play. The potential for gas hydrate occurrence at WR313 is supported by shingled phase reversals consistent with the transition from gas-charged sand to overlying gas-hydrate saturated sand. Drilling locations have been selected at each site to 1) test geological methods and models used to infer the occurrence of gas hydrate in sand reservoirs in different settings in the northern Gulf of Mexico; 2) calibrate geophysical models used to detect gas hydrate sands, map reservoir thicknesses, and estimate the degree of gas hydrate saturation; and 3) delineate potential locations for subsequent JIP drilling and coring operations that will collect samples for comprehensive physical property, geochemical and other analyses

An improved hybrid multi-criteria/multidimensional model for strategic industrial location selection: Casablanca industrial zones as a case study.

PubMed

Boutkhoum, Omar; Hanine, Mohamed; Agouti, Tarik; Tikniouine, Abdessadek

2015-01-01

In this paper, we examine the issue of strategic industrial location selection in uncertain decision making environments for implanting new industrial corporation. In fact, the industrial location issue is typically considered as a crucial factor in business research field which is related to many calculations about natural resources, distributors, suppliers, customers, and most other things. Based on the integration of environmental, economic and social decisive elements of sustainable development, this paper presents a hybrid decision making model combining fuzzy multi-criteria analysis with analytical capabilities that OLAP systems can provide for successful and optimal industrial location selection. The proposed model mainly consists in three stages. In the first stage, a decision-making committee has been established to identify the evaluation criteria impacting the location selection process. In the second stage, we develop fuzzy AHP software based on the extent analysis method to assign the importance weights to the selected criteria, which allows us to model the linguistic vagueness, ambiguity, and incomplete knowledge. In the last stage, OLAP analysis integrated with multi-criteria analysis employs these weighted criteria as inputs to evaluate, rank and select the strategic industrial location for implanting new business corporation in the region of Casablanca, Morocco. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the impact of criteria weights and the preferences given by decision makers on the final rankings of strategic industrial locations.

Ultrafast optical technique for the characterization of altered materials

DOEpatents

Maris, H.J.

1998-01-06

Disclosed herein is a method and a system for non-destructively examining a semiconductor sample having at least one localized region underlying a surface through into which a selected chemical species has been implanted or diffused. A first step induces at least one transient time-varying change in optical constants of the sample at a location at or near to a surface of the sample. A second step measures a response of the sample to an optical probe beam, either pulsed or continuous wave, at least during a time that the optical constants are varying. A third step associates the measured response with at least one of chemical species concentration, chemical species type, implant energy, a presence or absence of an introduced chemical species region at the location, and a presence or absence of implant-related damage. The method and apparatus in accordance with this invention can be employed in conjunction with a measurement of one or more of the following effects arising from a time-dependent change in the optical constants of the sample due to the application of at least one pump pulse: (a) a change in reflected intensity; (b) a change in transmitted intensity; (c) a change in a polarization state of the reflected and/or transmitted light; (d) a change in the optical phase of the reflected and/or transmitted light; (e) a change in direction of the reflected and/or transmitted light; and (f) a change in optical path length between the sample`s surface and a detector. 22 figs.

Abandoned mines and their impact on the environment: Case studies from Franklin and Sterling Mines, NJ and Rondout Quarry, NY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kolkas, M.M.; Nehru, C.E.

1995-09-01

Water logged abandoned mines have an impact on the environment. In this project we selected abandoned mines from two sets of different ore bodies to learn about their environmental impact. Franklin and Sterling Pb-Zn mines, NJ and the limestone quarry in Rondout formation, NY were selected as case study examples. In the Pb-Zn mines metalimestone is the country rock and in the Rondout quarry limestone is the country rock. Soil water samples from selected strategic locations were analyzed for toxic and related heavy metal elements such as Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr and U. The levels of concentrations of these elementsmore » varied from one location to another according to the chemistry of the ore body and the ground movement throughout the area. In particular Cd, Cr and U concentration were variable from Franklin to Sterling mine. However, in the Rondout limestone (cement) quarry, higher concentrations of Cr and lower concentrations of Pb and Zn were noted. We conclude that ore body chemistry, mine dumps and tailing contaminated ponds along with the ground water movement throughout the area have an impact on the ground water and nearby river/stream contaminant chemistry in the areas.« less

Association of High Myopia with Crystallin Beta A4 (CRYBA4) Gene Polymorphisms in the Linkage-Identified MYP6 Locus

PubMed Central

Ho, Daniel W. H.; Yap, Maurice K. H.; Ng, Po Wah; Fung, Wai Yan; Yip, Shea Ping

2012-01-01

Background Myopia is the most common ocular disorder worldwide and imposes tremendous burden on the society. It is a complex disease. The MYP6 locus at 22 q12 is of particular interest because many studies have detected linkage signals at this interval. The MYP6 locus is likely to contain susceptibility gene(s) for myopia, but none has yet been identified. Methodology/Principal Findings Two independent subject groups of southern Chinese in Hong Kong participated in the study an initial study using a discovery sample set of 342 cases and 342 controls, and a follow-up study using a replication sample set of 316 cases and 313 controls. Cases with high myopia were defined by spherical equivalent ≤ -8 dioptres and emmetropic controls by spherical equivalent within ±1.00 dioptre for both eyes. Manual candidate gene selection from the MYP6 locus was supported by objective in silico prioritization. DNA samples of discovery sample set were genotyped for 178 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 26 genes. For replication, 25 SNPs (tagging or located at predicted transcription factor or microRNA binding sites) from 4 genes were subsequently examined using the replication sample set. Fisher P value was calculated for all SNPs and overall association results were summarized by meta-analysis. Based on initial and replication studies, rs2009066 located in the crystallin beta A4 (CRYBA4) gene was identified to be the most significantly associated with high myopia (initial study: P = 0.02; replication study: P = 1.88e-4; meta-analysis: P = 1.54e-5) among all the SNPs tested. The association result survived correction for multiple comparisons. Under the allelic genetic model for the combined sample set, the odds ratio of the minor allele G was 1.41 (95% confidence intervals, 1.21-1.64). Conclusions/Significance A novel susceptibility gene (CRYBA4) was discovered for high myopia. Our study also signified the potential importance of appropriate gene prioritization in candidate selection. PMID:22792142

Dissolved-oxygen and algal conditions in selected locations of the Willamette River basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rinella, F.A.; McKenzie, S.W.; Wille, S.A.

1981-01-01

During July and August 1978, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Enviromental Quality, made three intensive river-quality dissolved-oxygen studies in the upper Willamette River basin. Two studies were made on the upper Willamette River and one was made on the Santiam River, a Willamette River tributary. Nitrification, occurring in both the upper Willamette and South Santiam Rivers, accounted for about 62% and 92% of the DO sag in the rivers, respectively. Rates of nitrification were found to be dependent on ammonia concentrations in the rivers. Periphyton and phytoplankton algal samples were collected on the main stem Willamette River and selected tributaries during August 1978. Diatoms were the dominant group in both the periphyton and phytoplankton samples. The most common diatom genera were Melosira, Stephanodiscus, Cymbella, Achnanthes, and Nitzschia. Comparisons with historical data indicate no significant difference from previous years in the total abundance or diversity of the algae. (USGS)

Robust and Rapid Air-Borne Odor Tracking without Casting1,2,3

PubMed Central

Bhattacharyya, Urvashi

2015-01-01

Abstract Casting behavior (zigzagging across an odor stream) is common in air/liquid-borne odor tracking in open fields; however, terrestrial odor localization often involves path selection in a familiar environment. To study this, we trained rats to run toward an odor source in a multi-choice olfactory arena with near-laminar airflow. We find that rather than casting, rats run directly toward an odor port, and if this is incorrect, they serially sample other sources. This behavior is consistent and accurate in the presence of perturbations, such as novel odors, background odor, unilateral nostril stitching, and turbulence. We developed a model that predicts that this run-and-scan tracking of air-borne odors is faster than casting, provided there are a small number of targets at known locations. Thus, the combination of best-guess target selection with fallback serial sampling provides a rapid and robust strategy for finding odor sources in familiar surroundings. PMID:26665165

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, John

A 4.2 GS/sec. beam excitation system with accelerator synchronization and power stages is described. The system is capable of playing unique samples (32 samples/bunch) for 15,000 turns on selected bunch(es) in the SPS in syn- chronism with the injection and acceleration cycle. The purpose of the system is to excite internal modes of single-bunch vertical motion, and study the bunch dynamics in the presence of developing Electron cloud or TMCI effects. The system includes a synchronized master oscillator, SPS timing functions, an FPGA based arbitrary waveform generator, 4.2 GS/sec. D/A system and four 80W 20-1000 MHz amplifiers driving a taperedmore » stripline pickup/kicker. A software GUI allows specification of various modulation signals, selection of bunches and turns to excite, while a remote control interface allows simple control/monitoring of the RF power stages located in the tunnel. The successful use of this system for SPS MD measurements in 2011 is a vital proof-of-principle for wideband feedback using similar functions to correct the beam motion.« less

Structural control of co-continuous poly(L-lactide)/poly(butylene succinate)/clay nanocomposites.

PubMed

Zhao, Li; Li, Yongjin; Shimizu, Hiroshi

2009-04-01

Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA)/poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) (55/45 w/w) blends with different amounts of nanoclay loadings were prepared using a specially designed high-shear extruder, HSE3000mini, which can reach a maximum shear rate of 4400 sec(-1). The resulted co-continuous structural morphologies were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SEM observation revealed that through the combination of various amounts of nanoclay loadings and processing under various shear conditions, the phase size of co-continuous structures of PLLA/PBS blends can be controlled over a wide range from several tens of micrometers to submicrometers. TEM observation shows that all the nanoclays are selectively dispersed in the PBS phase. We also found that clays in low-shear processed sample were mainly located at the interface of PBS phase, while in high-shear sample, the clays were mainly located inside of the PBS phase. It was considered that the dependence of nanoclay location in the PBS phase on the shear conditions, as well as the changing of the viscosity ratio of PBS and PLLA phase with different amounts of clay loading, play important roles in controlling the phase size of the co-continuous structures of PLLA/PBS blends.

Lead as a legendary pollutant with emerging concern: Survey of lead in tap water in an old campus building using four sampling methods.

PubMed

Ng, Ding-Quan; Liu, Shu-Wei; Lin, Yi-Pin

2018-09-15

In this study, a sampling campaign with a total of nine sampling events investigating lead in drinking water was conducted at 7 sampling locations in an old building with lead pipes in service in part of the building on the National Taiwan University campus. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of four different sampling methods, namely first draw sampling, sequential sampling, random daytime sampling and flush sampling, in lead contamination detection. In 3 out of the 7 sampling locations without lead pipe, lead could not be detected (<1.1 μg/L) in most samples regardless of the sampling methods. On the other hand, in the 4 sampling locations where lead pipes still existed, total lead concentrations >10 μg/L were consistently observed in 3 locations using any of the four sampling methods while the remaining location was identified to be contaminated using sequential sampling. High lead levels were consistently measured by the four sampling methods in the 3 locations in which particulate lead was either predominant or comparable to soluble lead. Compared to first draw and random daytime samplings, although flush sampling had a high tendency to reduce total lead in samples in lead-contaminated sites, the extent of lead reduction was location-dependent and not dependent on flush durations between 5 and 10 min. Overall, first draw sampling and random daytime sampling were reliable and effective in determining lead contamination in this study. Flush sampling could reveal the contamination if the extent is severe but tends to underestimate lead exposure risk. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical character of ground water in the shallow water-table aquifer at selected localities in the Memphis area, Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parks, William Scott; Graham, D.D.; Lowery, J.F.

1981-01-01

Eight deep wells are being monitored in the Memphis, Tenn., area to detect any changes in the chemical character of water moving through the Memphis Sand towards major pumping centers. These wells are strategically located so as to intercept groundwater enroute through the Memphis Sand from the outcrop-recharge area. Although water quality analyses are available for many wells in the shallow water-table aquifer, no specific investigation has been made to characterize the quality of the water in this aquifer from which the Memphis Sand also receives part of its recharge. This investigation is to determine the chemical character of groundwater in the shallow water-table aquifer at selected localities in the Memphis area. Methods used to install eight shallow wells at abandoned dump sites containing chemical and/or industrial waste are described. Water samples from the eight shallow wells and two deep wells in the Memphis Sand were collected and analyzed. Results of the analysis are presented and the locations of the wells and dumps are shown on maps. (USGS)

Opponent Coding of Sound Location (Azimuth) in Planum Temporale is Robust to Sound-Level Variations

PubMed Central

Derey, Kiki; Valente, Giancarlo; de Gelder, Beatrice; Formisano, Elia

2016-01-01

Coding of sound location in auditory cortex (AC) is only partially understood. Recent electrophysiological research suggests that neurons in mammalian auditory cortex are characterized by broad spatial tuning and a preference for the contralateral hemifield, that is, a nonuniform sampling of sound azimuth. Additionally, spatial selectivity decreases with increasing sound intensity. To accommodate these findings, it has been proposed that sound location is encoded by the integrated activity of neuronal populations with opposite hemifield tuning (“opponent channel model”). In this study, we investigated the validity of such a model in human AC with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a phase-encoding paradigm employing binaural stimuli recorded individually for each participant. In all subjects, we observed preferential fMRI responses to contralateral azimuth positions. Additionally, in most AC locations, spatial tuning was broad and not level invariant. We derived an opponent channel model of the fMRI responses by subtracting the activity of contralaterally tuned regions in bilateral planum temporale. This resulted in accurate decoding of sound azimuth location, which was unaffected by changes in sound level. Our data thus support opponent channel coding as a neural mechanism for representing acoustic azimuth in human AC. PMID:26545618

Long-term airborne contamination studied by attic dust in an industrial area: Ajka, Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Völgyesi, P.; Jordan, G.; Szabo, Cs.

2012-04-01

Heavy industrial activities such as mining, metal industry, coal fired power plants have produced large amount of by-products and wide-spread pollution, particularly in the period of centrally dictated economy after WWII, in Hungary. Several studies suggest that significant amount of these pollutants have been deposited in the urban environment. Nowadays, more than half of the world's population is living in urban areas and people spend almost 80% of their lives indoors in developed countries increasing human health risk due to contamination present in urban dwellings. Attic dust sampling was applied to determine the long-term airborne contamination load in the industrial town of Ajka (Hungary). There has been a high industrial activity in Ajka since the end of the 19th century. In addition to aluminum and alumina industry, coal mining, coal fired power plant and glass industry sites, generated numerous waste heaps which act as multi-contamination sources in the area. In October 2010 the Ajka red mud tailings pond failed and caused an accidental regional contamination of international significance. The major objective of this research was to study and map the spatial distribution of heavy metal contamination in airborne attic dust samples. At 27 sampling sites 30 attic dust samples were collected. Sampling strategy followed a grid-based stratified random sampling design. In each cell a house for attic dust sample collection was selected that was located the closest to a randomly generated point in the grid cell. The project area covers a 8x8 grid of 1x1 km cells with a total area of 64 km2. In order to represent long-term industrial pollution, houses with attics kept intact for at least 30-40 years were selected for sampling. Sampling included the collection of background samples remotely placed from the industrialized urban area. The concentration of the major and toxic elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, and As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, Zn) were measured with ICP-OES and the mercury content was measured with atom absorption spectrometry. Our results show a good spatial correlation of contamination sources and attic dust sampling locations reveal spatial trends as well. Attic dust seems to be an efficient and cheep sampling medium to study long-term airborne contamination and possibly associated human health risk in an industrial area.

Contemporary evolution of plant reproductive strategies under global change is revealed by stored seeds.

PubMed

Thomann, M; Imbert, E; Engstrand, R C; Cheptou, P-O

2015-04-01

Global change is expected to impose new selection pressures on natural populations. Phenotypic responses, such as earlier phenology in response to climate warming, have been repeatedly observed in the field. The recent pollinator decline is also expected to change selection on reproductive traits in flowering plants. However, it remains unclear whether short-term adaptation of plant reproductive strategies occurs in response to global change. In this study, we report the evolution of some important reproductive traits of the annual self-incompatible weed Centaurea cyanus. In a common garden experiment, we germinated stored seeds, sampled 18 years apart from the same location, in a region where warmer springs and indices of pollinator decline have been reported. Compared to the ancestral population (1992), our results showed that plants of the descendant population (2010) flowered earlier and also produced larger capitula with longer receptivity and a larger floral display. QST -FST comparisons indicated that natural selection has likely contributed to the evolution of some of the traits investigated. Lower FST within temporal samples than among spatial samples further suggests a limited role of gene flow from neighbouring populations. We therefore propose that trait shifts could partly be due to adaptation to global change. © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

A Novel Database to Rank and Display Archeomagnetic Intensity Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donadini, F.; Korhonen, K.; Riisager, P.; Pesonen, L. J.; Kahma, K.

2005-12-01

To understand the content and the causes of the changes in the Earth's magnetic field beyond the observatory records one has to rely on archeomagnetic and lake sediment paleomagnetic data. The regional archeointensity curves are often of different quality and temporally variable which hampers the global analysis of the data in terms of dipole vs non-dipole field. We have developed a novel archeointensity database application utilizing MySQL, PHP (PHP Hypertext Preprocessor), and the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) for ranking and displaying geomagnetic intensity data from the last 12000 years. Our application has the advantage that no specific software is required to query the database and view the results. Querying the database is performed using any Web browser; a fill-out form is used to enter the site location and a minimum ranking value to select the data points to be displayed. The form also features the possibility to select plotting of the data as an archeointensity curve with error bars, and a Virtual Axial Dipole Moment (VADM) or ancient field value (Ba) curve calculated using the CALS7K model (Continuous Archaeomagnetic and Lake Sediment geomagnetic model) of (Korte and Constable, 2005). The results of a query are displayed on a Web page containing a table summarizing the query parameters, a table showing the archeointensity values satisfying the query parameters, and a plot of VADM or Ba as a function of sample age. The database consists of eight related tables. The main one, INTENSITIES, stores the 3704 archeointensity measurements collected from 159 publications as VADM (and VDM when available) and Ba values, including their standard deviations and sampling locations. It also contains the number of samples and specimens measured from each site. The REFS table stores the references to a particular study. The names, latitudes, and longitudes of the regions where the samples were collected are stored in the SITES table. The MATERIALS, METHODS, SPECIMEN_TYPES and DATING_METHODS tables store information about the sample materials, intensity determination methods, specimen types and age determination methods. The SIGMA_COUNT table is used indirectly for ranking data according to the number of samples measured and their standard deviations. Each intensity measurement is assigned a score (0--2) depending on the number of specimens measured and their standard deviations, the intensity determination method, the type of specimens measured and materials. The ranking of each data point is calculated as the sum of the four scores and varies between 0 and 8. Additionally, users can select the parameters that will be included in the ranking.

Standard operating procedures for collection of soil and sediment samples for the Sediment-bound Contaminant Resiliency and Response (SCoRR) strategy pilot study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Shawn C.; Reilly, Timothy J.; Jones, Daniel K.; Benzel, William M.; Griffin, Dale W.; Loftin, Keith A.; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Cohl, Jonathan A.

2015-12-17

An understanding of the effects on human and ecological health brought by major coastal storms or flooding events is typically limited because of a lack of regionally consistent baseline and trends data in locations proximal to potential contaminant sources and mitigation activities, sensitive ecosystems, and recreational facilities where exposures are probable. In an attempt to close this gap, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has implemented the Sediment-bound Contaminant Resiliency and Response (SCoRR) strategy pilot study to collect regional sediment-quality data prior to and in response to future coastal storms. The standard operating procedure (SOP) detailed in this document serves as the sample-collection protocol for the SCoRR strategy by providing step-by-step instructions for site preparation, sample collection and processing, and shipping of soil and surficial sediment (for example, bed sediment, marsh sediment, or beach material). The objectives of the SCoRR strategy pilot study are (1) to create a baseline of soil-, sand-, marsh sediment-, and bed-sediment-quality data from sites located in the coastal counties from Maine to Virginia based on their potential risk of being contaminated in the event of a major coastal storm or flooding (defined as Resiliency mode); and (2) respond to major coastal storms and flooding by reoccupying select baseline sites and sampling within days of the event (defined as Response mode). For both modes, samples are collected in a consistent manner to minimize bias and maximize quality control by ensuring that all sampling personnel across the region collect, document, and process soil and sediment samples following the procedures outlined in this SOP. Samples are analyzed using four USGS-developed screening methods—inorganic geochemistry, organic geochemistry, pathogens, and biological assays—which are also outlined in this SOP. Because the SCoRR strategy employs a multi-metric approach for sample analyses, this protocol expands upon and reconciles differences in the sample collection protocols outlined in the USGS “National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data,” which should be used in conjunction with this SOP. A new data entry and sample tracking system also is presented to ensure all relevant data and metadata are gathered at the sample locations and in the laboratories.

ISOLOK VALVE ACCEPTANCE TESTING FOR DWPF SME SAMPLING PROCESS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Edwards, T.; Hera, K.; Coleman, C.

2011-12-05

Evaluation of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Chemical Process Cell (CPC) cycle time identified several opportunities to improve the CPC processing time. Of the opportunities, a focus area related to optimizing the equipment and efficiency of the sample turnaround time for DWPF Analytical Laboratory was identified. The Mechanical Systems & Custom Equipment Development (MS&CED) Section of the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) evaluated the possibility of using an Isolok{reg_sign} sampling valve as an alternative to the Hydragard{reg_sign} valve for taking process samples. Previous viability testing was conducted with favorable results using the Isolok sampler and reported in SRNL-STI-2010-00749 (1).more » This task has the potential to improve operability, reduce maintenance time and decrease CPC cycle time. This report summarizes the results from acceptance testing which was requested in Task Technical Request (TTR) HLW-DWPF-TTR-2010-0036 (2) and which was conducted as outlined in Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP) SRNL-RP-2011-00145 (3). The Isolok to be tested is the same model which was tested, qualified, and installed in the Sludge Receipt Adjustment Tank (SRAT) sample system. RW-0333P QA requirements apply to this task. This task was to qualify the Isolok sampler for use in the DWPF Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) sampling process. The Hydragard, which is the current baseline sampling method, was used for comparison to the Isolok sampling data. The Isolok sampler is an air powered grab sampler used to 'pull' a sample volume from a process line. The operation of the sampler is shown in Figure 1. The image on the left shows the Isolok's spool extended into the process line and the image on the right shows the sampler retracted and then dispensing the liquid into the sampling container. To determine tank homogeneity, a Coliwasa sampler was used to grab samples at a high and low location within the mixing tank. Data from the two locations were compared to determine if the contents of the tank were well mixed. The Coliwasa sampler is a tube with a stopper at the bottom and is designed to obtain grab samples from specific locations within the drum contents. A position paper (4) was issued to address the prototypic flow loop issues and simulant selections. A statistically designed plan (5) was issued to address the total number of samples each sampler needed to pull, to provide the random order in which samples were pulled and to group samples for elemental analysis. The TTR required that the Isolok sampler perform as well as the Hydragard sampler during these tests to ensure the acceptability of the Isolok sampler for use in the DWPF sampling cells. Procedure No.L9.4-5015 was used to document the sample parameters and process steps. Completed procedures are located in R&D Engineering job folder 23269.« less

ATLASGAL - towards a complete sample of massive star forming clumps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urquhart, J. S.; Moore, T. J. T.; Csengeri, T.; Wyrowski, F.; Schuller, F.; Hoare, M. G.; Lumsden, S. L.; Mottram, J. C.; Thompson, M. A.; Menten, K. M.; Walmsley, C. M.; Bronfman, L.; Pfalzner, S.; König, C.; Wienen, M.

2014-09-01

By matching infrared-selected, massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) and compact H II regions in the Red MSX Source survey to massive clumps found in the submillimetre ATLASGAL (APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy) survey, we have identified ˜1000 embedded young massive stars between 280° < ℓ < 350° and 10° < ℓ < 60° with | b | < 1.5°. Combined with an existing sample of radio-selected methanol masers and compact H II regions, the result is a catalogue of ˜1700 massive stars embedded within ˜1300 clumps located across the inner Galaxy, containing three observationally distinct subsamples, methanol-maser, MYSO and H II-region associations, covering the most important tracers of massive star formation, thought to represent key stages of evolution. We find that massive star formation is strongly correlated with the regions of highest column density in spherical, centrally condensed clumps. We find no significant differences between the three samples in clump structure or the relative location of the embedded stars, which suggests that the structure of a clump is set before the onset of star formation, and changes little as the embedded object evolves towards the main sequence. There is a strong linear correlation between clump mass and bolometric luminosity, with the most massive stars forming in the most massive clumps. We find that the MYSO and H II-region subsamples are likely to cover a similar range of evolutionary stages and that the majority are near the end of their main accretion phase. We find few infrared-bright MYSOs associated with the most massive clumps, probably due to very short pre-main-sequence lifetimes in the most luminous sources.

Freezing of gait and fall detection in Parkinson's disease using wearable sensors: a systematic review.

PubMed

Silva de Lima, Ana Lígia; Evers, Luc J W; Hahn, Tim; Bataille, Lauren; Hamilton, Jamie L; Little, Max A; Okuma, Yasuyuki; Bloem, Bastiaan R; Faber, Marjan J

2017-08-01

Despite the large number of studies that have investigated the use of wearable sensors to detect gait disturbances such as Freezing of gait (FOG) and falls, there is little consensus regarding appropriate methodologies for how to optimally apply such devices. Here, an overview of the use of wearable systems to assess FOG and falls in Parkinson's disease (PD) and validation performance is presented. A systematic search in the PubMed and Web of Science databases was performed using a group of concept key words. The final search was performed in January 2017, and articles were selected based upon a set of eligibility criteria. In total, 27 articles were selected. Of those, 23 related to FOG and 4 to falls. FOG studies were performed in either laboratory or home settings, with sample sizes ranging from 1 PD up to 48 PD presenting Hoehn and Yahr stage from 2 to 4. The shin was the most common sensor location and accelerometer was the most frequently used sensor type. Validity measures ranged from 73-100% for sensitivity and 67-100% for specificity. Falls and fall risk studies were all home-based, including samples sizes of 1 PD up to 107 PD, mostly using one sensor containing accelerometers, worn at various body locations. Despite the promising validation initiatives reported in these studies, they were all performed in relatively small sample sizes, and there was a significant variability in outcomes measured and results reported. Given these limitations, the validation of sensor-derived assessments of PD features would benefit from more focused research efforts, increased collaboration among researchers, aligning data collection protocols, and sharing data sets.

1993 annual status report: a summary of fish data in six reaches of the upper Mississippi River system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gutreuter, Steve; Burkhardt, Randy W.; Stopyro, Mark; Bartels, Andrew; Kramer, Eric; Bowler, Melvin C.; Cronin, Frederick A.; Soergel, Dirk W.; Petersen, Michael D.; Herzog, David P.; Raibley, Paul T.; Irons, Kevin S.; O'Hara, Timothy M.

1997-01-01

The Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) completed 1,994 collections of fishes from stratified random and permanently fixed sampling locations in six study reaches of the Upper Mississippi River System during 1993. Collection methods included day and night electrofishing, hoop netting, fyke netting (two net sizes), gill netting, seining, and trawling in select aquatic area classes. The six LTRMP study reaches are Pools 4 (excluding Lake Pepin), 8, 13, and 26 of the Upper Mississippi River, an unimpounded reach of the Mississippi River near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and the La Grange Pool of the Illinois River. A total of 62-78 fish species were detected in each study reach. For each of the six LTRMP study reaches, this report contains summaries of: (1) sampling efforts in each combination of gear type and aquatic area class, (2) total catches of each species from each gear type, (3) mean catch-per-unit of gear effort statistics and standard errors for common species from each combination of aquatic area class and selected gear type, and (4) length distributions of common species from selected gear types.

1994 annual status report: a summary of fish data in six reaches of the upper Mississippi River system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gutreuter, Steve; Burkhardt, Randy W.; Stopyro, Mark; Bartels, Andrew; Kramer, Eric; Bowler, Melvin C.; Cronin, Frederick A.; Soergel, Dirk W.; Petersen, Michael D.; Herzog, David P.; Raibley, Paul T.; Irons, Kevin S.; O'Hara, Timothy M.

1997-01-01

The Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) completed 2,653 collections of fishes from stratified random and permanently fixed sampling locations in six study reaches of the Upper Mississippi River System during 1994. Collection methods included day and night electrofishing, hoop netting, fyke netting (two net sizes), gill netting, seining, and trawling in select aquatic area classes. The six LTRMP study areas are Pools 4 (excluding Lake Pepin), 8, 13, and 26 of the Upper Mississippi River, and unimpounded reach of the Mississippi River near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and the La Grange Pool of the Illinois River. A total of 61-79 fish species were detected in each study area. For each of the six LTRMP study areas, this report contains summaries of (1) sampling efforts in each combination of gear type and aquatic area class, (2) total catches of each species from each gear type, (3) mean catch-per-unit of gear effort statistics and standard errors for common species from each combination of aquatic area class and selected gear type, and (4) length distributions of common species from selected gear types.

Selection in spatial working memory is independent of perceptual selective attention, but they interact in a shared spatial priority map.

PubMed

Hedge, Craig; Oberauer, Klaus; Leonards, Ute

2015-11-01

We examined the relationship between the attentional selection of perceptual information and of information in working memory (WM) through four experiments, using a spatial WM-updating task. Participants remembered the locations of two objects in a matrix and worked through a sequence of updating operations, each mentally shifting one dot to a new location according to an arrow cue. Repeatedly updating the same object in two successive steps is typically faster than switching to the other object; this object switch cost reflects the shifting of attention in WM. In Experiment 1, the arrows were presented in random peripheral locations, drawing perceptual attention away from the selected object in WM. This manipulation did not eliminate the object switch cost, indicating that the mechanisms of perceptual selection do not underlie selection in WM. Experiments 2a and 2b corroborated the independence of selection observed in Experiment 1, but showed a benefit to reaction times when the placement of the arrow cue was aligned with the locations of relevant objects in WM. Experiment 2c showed that the same benefit also occurs when participants are not able to mark an updating location through eye fixations. Together, these data can be accounted for by a framework in which perceptual selection and selection in WM are separate mechanisms that interact through a shared spatial priority map.

A set of plastid loci for use in multiplex fragment length genotyping for intraspecific variation in Pinus (Pinaceae)1

PubMed Central

Wofford, Austin M.; Finch, Kristen; Bigott, Adam; Willyard, Ann

2014-01-01

• Premise of the study: Recently released Pinus plastome sequences support characterization of 15 plastid simple sequence repeat (cpSSR) loci originally published for P. contorta and P. thunbergii. This allows selection of loci for single-tube PCR multiplexed genotyping in any subsection of the genus. • Methods: Unique placement of primers and primer conservation across the genus were investigated, and a set of six loci were selected for single-tube multiplexing. We compared interspecific variation between cpSSRs and nucleotide sequences of ycf1 and tested intraspecific variation for cpSSRs using 911 samples in the P. ponderosa species complex. • Results: The cpSSR loci contain mononucleotide and complex repeats with additional length variation in flanking regions. They are not located in hypervariable regions, and most primers are conserved across the genus. A single PCR per sample multiplexed for six loci yielded 45 alleles in 911 samples. • Discussion: The protocol allows efficient genotyping of many samples. The cpSSR loci are too variable for Pinus phylogenies but are useful for the study of genetic structure within and among populations. The multiplex method could easily be extended to other plant groups by choosing primers for cpSSR loci in a plastome alignment for the target group. PMID:25202625

Hydrologic and chemical data from an experiment to examine temporal variability in water samples from screened wells on Cape Cod, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reilly, Thomas E.

1994-01-01

An experiment was designed to evaluate the changing chemical composition of the water pumped from a well screened in a physically and chemically heterogenous aquifer. Well F453-63, at the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic-Substances Hydrology research site located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was selected because it was known that the screen penetrated both the oxic and anoxic zones of the sewage plume from the Otis Air Base sewage-disposal sand beds. The experiment was conducted on August 12, 1992. Well F453-63 was sampled over time as it was pumped continuously, and three multilevel samplers were used to document the vertical distribution of selected chemicals in the ground water in the immediate vicinity of the well. All water samples obtained during the experiment were analyzed in the field for specific conductance and pH. The samples were subsequently analyzed for concentrations of ferrous iron (Fe+2), boron, calcium, chloride, iron (Fe total), phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, zinc, and nitrogen species, including nitrous oxide, ammonium, nitrite and nitrate. The results of these chemical analyses along with appropriate physical measurements of the site and aquifer material are documented in this data report.

Precipitation in a lead calcium tin anode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Perez-Gonzalez, Francisco A., E-mail: fco.aurelio@inbox.com; Centro de Innovacion, Investigacion y Desarrollo en Ingenieria y Tecnologia, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon; Camurri, Carlos G., E-mail: ccamurri@udec.cl

Samples from a hot rolled sheet of a tin and calcium bearing lead alloy were solution heat treated at 300 Degree-Sign C and cooled down to room temperature at different rates; these samples were left at room temperature to study natural precipitation of CaSn{sub 3} particles. The samples were aged for 45 days before analysing their microstructure, which was carried out in a scanning electron microscope using secondary and backscattered electron detectors. Selected X-ray spectra analyses were conducted to verify the nature of the precipitates. Images were taken at different magnifications in both modes of observation to locate the precipitatesmore » and record their position within the images and calculate the distance between them. Differential scanning calorimeter analyses were conducted on selected samples. It was found that the mechanical properties of the material correlate with the minimum average distance between precipitates, which is related to the average cooling rate from solution heat treatment. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The distance between precipitates in a lead alloy is recorded. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The relationship between the distance and the cooling rate is established. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It is found that the strengthening of the alloy depends on the distance between precipitates.« less

Microbiological quality assessment of sand and water from three selected beaches of South Coast, São Paulo State, Brazil.

PubMed

Pinto, K C; Hachich, E M; Sato, M I Z; Di Bari, M; Coelho, M C L S; Matté, M H; Lamparelli, C C; Razzolini, M T P

2012-01-01

This study aimed to assess the sanitary quality of water, and wet and dry sand from three beaches located in the South Coast region of São Paulo State, Brazil, selected taking into account the frequency of tourists and the water quality (good, fair and poor). Thirty-six water samples each of wet and dry sand and seawater were collected monthly over a period of one year and analyzed for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB: thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli, and enterococci), presumptive Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and dermatophytes. The results revealed FIB concentrations more elevated in dry sand followed by wet sand and water. P. aeruginosa and presumptive S. aureus were detected with a similar frequency in water and sand samples, but maximum concentrations and geometric means were higher in dry sand. C. albicans was detected only in water samples whereas the dermatophyte Microsporum sp. was isolated exclusively from dry and wet sand samples. This evaluation showed also that the environment had a significant influence on P. aeruginosa but not on presumptive S. aureus concentrations. According to threshold values proposed in the literature for E. coli and enterococci dry sand densities, none of the beaches would be considered of sufficient quality for recreational activities.

Effects of wind direction on coarse and fine particulate matter concentrations in southeast Kansas.

PubMed

Guerra, Sergio A; Lane, Dennis D; Marotz, Glen A; Carter, Ray E; Hohl, Carrie M; Baldauf, Richard W

2006-11-01

Field data for coarse particulate matter ([PM] PM10) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were collected at selected sites in Southeast Kansas from March 1999 to October 2000, using portable MiniVol particulate samplers. The purpose was to assess the influence on air quality of four industrial facilities that burn hazardous waste in the area located in the communities of Chanute, Independence, Fredonia, and Coffeyville. Both spatial and temporal variation were observed in the data. Variation because of sampling site was found to be statistically significant for PM10 but not for PM2.5. PM10 concentrations were typically slightly higher at sites located within the four study communities than at background sites. Sampling sites were located north and south of the four targeted sources to provide upwind and downwind monitoring pairs. No statistically significant differences were found between upwind and downwind samples for either PM10 or PM2.5, indicating that the targeted sources did not contribute significantly to PM concentrations. Wind direction can frequently contribute to temporal variation in air pollutant concentrations and was investigated in this study. Sampling days were divided into four classifications: predominantly south winds, predominantly north winds, calm/variable winds, and winds from other directions. The effect of wind direction was found to be statistically significant for both PM10 and PM2.5. For both size ranges, PM concentrations were typically highest on days with predominantly south winds; days with calm/variable winds generally produced higher concentrations than did those with predominantly north winds or those with winds from "other" directions. The significant effect of wind direction suggests that regional sources may exert a large influence on PM concentrations in the area.

Corrective Action Decision Document/Corrective Action Plan for Corrective Action Unit 547: Miscellaneous Contaminated Waste Sites, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mark Krauss

2011-09-01

The purpose of this CADD/CAP is to present the corrective action alternatives (CAAs) evaluated for CAU 547, provide justification for selection of the recommended alternative, and describe the plan for implementing the selected alternative. Corrective Action Unit 547 consists of the following three corrective action sites (CASs): (1) CAS 02-37-02, Gas Sampling Assembly; (2) CAS 03-99-19, Gas Sampling Assembly; and(3) CAS 09-99-06, Gas Sampling Assembly. The gas sampling assemblies consist of inactive process piping, equipment, and instrumentation that were left in place after completion of underground safety experiments. The purpose of these safety experiments was to confirm that a nuclearmore » explosion would not occur in the case of an accidental detonation of the high-explosive component of the device. The gas sampling assemblies allowed for the direct sampling of the gases and particulates produced by the safety experiments. Corrective Action Site 02-37-02 is located in Area 2 of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and is associated with the Mullet safety experiment conducted in emplacement borehole U2ag on October 17, 1963. Corrective Action Site 03-99-19 is located in Area 3 of the NNSS and is associated with the Tejon safety experiment conducted in emplacement borehole U3cg on May 17, 1963. Corrective Action Site 09-99-06 is located in Area 9 of the NNSS and is associated with the Player safety experiment conducted in emplacement borehole U9cc on August 27, 1964. The CAU 547 CASs were investigated in accordance with the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to determine and implement appropriate corrective actions for CAU 547. Existing radiological survey data and historical knowledge of the CASs were sufficient to meet the DQOs and evaluate CAAs without additional investigation. As a result, further investigation of the CAU 547 CASs was not required. The following CAAs were identified for the gas sampling assemblies: (1) clean closure, (2) closure in place, (3) modified closure in place, (4) no further action (with administrative controls), and (5) no further action. Based on the CAAs evaluation, the recommended corrective action for the three CASs in CAU 547 is closure in place. This corrective action will involve construction of a soil cover on top of the gas sampling assembly components and establishment of use restrictions at each site. The closure in place alternative was selected as the best and most appropriate corrective action for the CASs at CAU 547 based on the following factors: (1) Provides long-term protection of human health and the environment; (2) Minimizes short-term risk to site workers in implementing corrective action; (3) Is easily implemented using existing technology; (4) Complies with regulatory requirements; (5) Fulfills FFACO requirements for site closure; (6) Does not generate transuranic waste requiring offsite disposal; (7) Is consistent with anticipated future land use of the areas (i.e., testing and support activities); and (8) Is consistent with other NNSS site closures where contamination was left in place.« less

Mapping stand-age distribution of Russian forests from satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, D.; Loboda, T. V.; Hall, A.; Channan, S.; Weber, C. Y.

2013-12-01

Russian boreal forest is a critical component of the global boreal biome as approximately two thirds of the boreal forest is located in Russia. Numerous studies have shown that wildfire and logging have led to extensive modifications of forest cover in the region since 2000. Forest disturbance and subsequent regrowth influences carbon and energy budgets and, in turn, affect climate. Several global and regional satellite-based data products have been developed from coarse (>100m) and moderate (10-100m) resolution imagery to monitor forest cover change over the past decade, record of forest cover change pre-dating year 2000 is very fragmented. Although by using stacks of Landsat images, some information regarding the past disturbances can be obtained, the quantity and locations of such stacks with sufficient number of images are extremely limited, especially in Eastern Siberia. This paper describes a modified method which is built upon previous work to hindcast the disturbance history and map stand-age distribution in the Russian boreal forest. Utilizing data from both Landsat and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a wall-to-wall map indicating the estimated age of forest in the Russian boreal forest is created. Our previous work has shown that disturbances can be mapped successfully up to 30 years in the past as the spectral signature of regrowing forests is statistically significantly different from that of mature forests. The presented algorithm ingests 55 multi-temporal stacks of Landsat imagery available over Russian forest before 2001 and processes through a standardized and semi-automated approach to extract training and validation data samples. Landsat data, dating back to 1984, are used to generate maps of forest disturbance using temporal shifts in Disturbance Index through the multi-temporal stack of imagery in selected locations. These maps are then used as reference data to train a decision tree classifier on 50 MODIS-based indices. The resultant map provides an estimate of forest age based on the regrowth curves observed from Landsat imagery. The accuracy of the resultant map is assessed against three datasets: 1) subset of the disturbance maps developed within the algorithm, 2) independent disturbance maps created by the Northern Eurasia Land Dynamics Analysis (NELDA) project, and 3) field-based stand-age distribution from forestry inventory units. The current version of the product presents a considerable improvement on the previous version which used Landsat data samples at a set of randomly selected locations, resulting a strong bias of the training samples towards the Landsat-rich regions (e.g. European Russia) whereas regions such as Siberia were under-sampled. Aiming at improving accuracy, the current method significantly increases the number of training Landsat samples compared to the previous work. Aside from the previously used data, the current method uses all available Landsat data for the under-sampled regions in order to increase the representativeness of the total samples. The finial accuracy assessment is still ongoing, however, the initial results suggested an overall accuracy expressed in Kappa > 0.8. We plan to release both the training data and the final disturbance map of the Russian boreal forest to the public after the validation is completed.

40 CFR 141.703 - Sampling locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sampling locations. 141.703 Section... Monitoring Requirements § 141.703 Sampling locations. (a) Systems required to conduct source water monitoring... a sampling tap is available where the sources are combined prior to treatment, systems must collect...

Evaluation of the effects of a freeze/thaw environment on cellular glass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frickland, P.; Cleland, E.; Hasegawa, T.

1981-01-01

Using the evaluation criteria of water vapor permeability and conformability, a protective butylrubber/silicone conformal coating system was selected for use on Foamglas substrates in a freeze/thaw environment. The selection of a specific freeze/thaw cycle which closely models field conditions is discussed. A sampling plan is described which allows independent evaluation of the effects of conformal coatings, cycle number and location within the environmental chamber. The results of visual examination, measurement of density, modulus of rupture and Young's modulus are reported. Based upon statistical evaluation of the experimental results, it is concluded that no degradation in mechanical properties of either coated or uncoated Foamglas occurred within the duration of the test (53 freeze/thaw cycles).

A Preliminary Survey of Terrestrial Plant Communities in the Sierra de los Valles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Randy G. Balice

To more fully understand the species compositions and environmental relationships of high-elevation terrestrial plant communities in the Los Alamos region, 30 plots in randomly selected, upland locations were sampled for vegetation, topographic, and soils characteristics. The locations of these plots were constrained to be above 2,134 m (7,000 ft) above mean sea level. The field results were summarized, analyzed, and incorporated into a previously developed classification of vegetation and land cover types. The revised and updated discussions of the environmental relationships at these sites and their associated species compositions are included in this report. A key to the major landmore » cover types in the Los Alamos region was also revised in accordance with the new information and included herein its entirety.« less

3D model assisted fully automated scanning laser Doppler vibrometer measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sels, Seppe; Ribbens, Bart; Bogaerts, Boris; Peeters, Jeroen; Vanlanduit, Steve

2017-12-01

In this paper, a new fully automated scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) measurement technique is presented. In contrast to existing scanning LDV techniques which use a 2D camera for the manual selection of sample points, we use a 3D Time-of-Flight camera in combination with a CAD file of the test object to automatically obtain measurements at pre-defined locations. The proposed procedure allows users to test prototypes in a shorter time because physical measurement locations are determined without user interaction. Another benefit from this methodology is that it incorporates automatic mapping between a CAD model and the vibration measurements. This mapping can be used to visualize measurements directly on a 3D CAD model. The proposed method is illustrated with vibration measurements of an unmanned aerial vehicle

Drilling and completion specifications for CA series multilevel piezometers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clawson, T.S.

1986-08-01

CX Series multilevel piezometer boreholes will provide information on hydraulic heads in the Rosalia, Sentinel Gap, Ginkgo, Rocky Coulee, Cohassett, Birkett, and Umtanum flow tops. The borehole sites will be located adjacent to the reference repository location. In addition, information from the boreholes will provide input data used to determine horizontal and vertical flow rates, and identify possible geologic structures. This specification includes details for drilling, piezometer design, hydrologic testing, and hydrochemical sampling of the boreholes. It includes drilling requirements, design, and installation procedures for the series piezometer nests, intervals selected for head monitoring and schedules for drilling and piezometermore » installation. Specific drilling and piezometer installation specifications for boreholes DC-24CX and DC-25CX are also included. 27 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.« less

On designing a new cumulative sum Wilcoxon signed rank chart for monitoring process location

PubMed Central

Nazir, Hafiz Zafar; Tahir, Muhammad; Riaz, Muhammad

2018-01-01

In this paper, ranked set sampling is used for developing a non-parametric location chart which is developed on the basis of Wilcoxon signed rank statistic. The average run length and some other characteristics of run length are used as the measures to assess the performance of the proposed scheme. Some selective distributions including Laplace (or double exponential), logistic, normal, contaminated normal and student’s t-distributions are considered to examine the performance of the proposed Wilcoxon signed rank control chart. It has been observed that the proposed scheme shows superior shift detection ability than some of the competing counterpart schemes covered in this study. Moreover, the proposed control chart is also implemented and illustrated with a real data set. PMID:29664919

System and method for compressive scanning electron microscopy

DOEpatents

Reed, Bryan W

2015-01-13

A scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) system is disclosed. The system may make use of an electron beam scanning system configured to generate a plurality of electron beam scans over substantially an entire sample, with each scan varying in electron-illumination intensity over a course of the scan. A signal acquisition system may be used for obtaining at least one of an image, a diffraction pattern, or a spectrum from the scans, the image, diffraction pattern, or spectrum representing only information from at least one of a select subplurality or linear combination of all pixel locations comprising the image. A dataset may be produced from the information. A subsystem may be used for mathematically analyzing the dataset to predict actual information that would have been produced by each pixel location of the image.

Temporal variations of low molecular mass organic acids during vegetation period in temperate forest soil affected by acidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tejnecky, V.; Drabek, O.; Bradová, M.; Němeček, K.; Šebek, O.; Zenáhlíková, J.; Boruvka, L.

2011-12-01

The Low Molecular Mass Organic Acids (LMMOA) are essential in processes affecting the soils and represent reactive fraction of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). LMMOA influence soil-chemistry behaviour, participate in transport of mineral nutrition and reduce potential toxicity of selected elements like Al. The aim of this research was to assess behaviour, amount and composition of LMMOA in forest soil under different vegetation cover. The researched area is located in the naturally acid Jizera Mountains (Czech Republic), which was further affected by acid deposition and improper forest management. Soil samples from organic F and H horizons, organo-mineral A horizon and spodic or cambic mineral B horizons were taken under beech and spruce stands monthly (from April to October). Both stands were located immediately next to each other. The collected soil samples were analyzed immediately in a "fresh" state. Contents of LMMOA in deionised water extract were determined by means of ion-exchange chromatography (ICS-1600, Dionex, USA) with suppressed conductivity and gradient elution of KOH mobile phase. The contents of LMMOAS were also determined in precipitation samples. In addition, other selected elements (Al, Fe, Ca, Na, Mg and K), Al speciation and main inorganic anions were determined in water extract and precipitation samples. The highest amounts of LMMOA (mainly lactic, acetic, formic, malic and oxalic acid) were observed in organic F and H horizons and measured amounts decreased with increasing soil profile depth. Higher contents were determined in soil under spruce forest than under beech forest. External inputs of LMMOA in a form of precipitation were assessed as less significant in comparison with the soil processes (e.g. soil biological activity, soil organic matter decomposition processes). LMMOA amounts were higher in spring and summer (from April to August), caused by increased biological activity, while lower amounts were observed during the autumn period. Soil LMMOA were influencing also Al behaviour and Al species representation to less potentially toxic Al species.

Annual radiological environmental operating report: Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, 1992. Operations Services/Technical Programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-04-01

This report describes the environmental radiological monitoring program conducted by TVA in the vicinity of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN) in 1992. The program includes the collection of samples from the environment and the determination of the concentrations of radioactive materials in the samples. Samples are taken from stations in the general area of the plant and from areas not influenced by plant operations. Station locations are selected after careful consideration of the weather patterns and projected radiation doses to the various areas around the plant. Material sampled includes air, water, milk, foods, vegetation, soil, fish, sediment, and direct radiationmore » levels. Results from stations near the plant are compared with concentrations from control stations and with preoperational measurements to determine potential impacts of plant operations. Small amounts of Co-60 and Cs-134 were found in sediment samples downstream from the plant. This activity in stream sediment would result in no measurable increase over background in the dose to the general public.« less